More Trousers

Here is the third version of the palazzo pants.  I'm pleased with these and will make notes on what alterations I made to the pattern...

 

I did think I wouldn't like wearing patterned trousers but I feel ok in these.  They are very comfortable and cool.

 

Originally I was going to make a dress, then I thought maybe a skirt.  It suddenly occurred to me that I rarely wear skirts and dresses.  I know why, I like to wear socks because my feet get cold.  Even if I wear tights my feet still get cold.  A skirt looks terrible with socks!  And it rarely gets warm enough to wear skirts and dresses regularly.  So, why not have some colourful trousers?  The next pair will be yellow, looking forward to making those.



Palazzo Trousers

I've been watching Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries on tv recently and fell completely in love with her clothes - they are gorgeous.  I thought I would be able to make myself a pair of palazzo trousers quite easily from a 1970s pattern.  I did make some in flannelette first and they looked just what I wanted and made great pyjama trousers.  Anyway, I bought some black and white polka dot fabric that is quite flimsy and drapes well.  I made the trousers and for some reason they turned out a lot smaller than the flannelette ones.  Why, I do not know.  It was impossible to squeeze into them as the fabric was too flimsy for a lot of tugging and pulling and frayed at the seams.  I ended up inserting a wider piece over the hip area that I reinforced with some cotton fabric.  They fit now but I have to disguise the join by wearing a long tunic top with them...

 

 

Also, the seams are a bit puckered.  I will use cotton tape on the seams when I make something with this type of fabric in future.  I did use the cotton tape on the hems and it worked great.  If I make a top with this fabric I'll line it.  I don't really know what the fabric is, probably some sort of polyester/rayon, not sure.



Blouse

This is the blouse I made using New Look 6187.  I used cotton poplin for the main body and a patterned cotton for the trim...

 

 

I shortened the length by four inches, I don't like blouses that come too low over my hips.  I'm not sure that I'll ever wear it.  Firstly, I don't like the colour.  Also, I don't like cotton blouses.  And lastly, even though I made the size 14 (UK) it feels a bit tight across the shoulders.  Finally, why the hell did I make it!!!  All I can say is, it was good practise and I enjoyed the process.  I will probably make another one in a drapier fabric but I won't do this type of collar, there is a boat neck version in the pattern.

 

Ok, so on to the next project.  I have some polyester crepe that is more my type of blouse fabric.





Pyjamas

Finished the pyjama bottoms I started yesterday...

 

The fabric is flannalette, I've had it in my stash for almost seven years.  I used the trouser pattern I showed in my previous post.  I didn't sew the darts in and didn't add the waistband.  I put elastic in the back waist and left the front waist plain and just turned over a hem.  They turned out nice so will be using the same pattern to make palazzo pants.  I will probably add the waistband and put a side zip in them.



Dressmaking

When I was 13 years old I made my first dress.  The school I was going to at the time (I went to several different schools, but that is another story) had a really good curriculum and sewing was one of the subjects.  Anyway, after making that first dress I rarely bought another one until a few years ago when fabric became more expensive than ready made clothing.  The only reason I will be returning to dressmaking now is because I will be able to come up with styles I like to wear instead of relying on what the shops dictate.  (Also was influenced by The Great British Sewing Bee)

So, I've bought myself a dressmakers dummy.  I would have loved one all those years ago but they were too expensive for me.  Here's the one I bought wearing a dress I bought last year...

 

I've got a huge stash of fabric, mostly for patchwork.  Looking through it I found some flannelette that would be great for pyjama trousers.  Then I looked through the few patterns I've got.  These were given to me a couple of years ago after I'd chucked out the huge pile I'd collected over the years - oh dear, typical, get rid of something and you'll need it.  Here's a picture of the flannelette and the pattern.  Notice that the pattern has never been used, I wonder how many patterns were bought and not used then thrown away.  Anyway, the pattern has trousers, blouse, jacket and skirt.  I'll be able to adapt all these for most of the clothes I want to make, saves me searching for the exact pattern that I can never find in shops...

 

We'll see how I get on.



This and That

Can't stop making bags at the moment.  Here's another bag, this time with a scissor pocket...

 

I'm also in the process of making a two pocket sewing pouch.  I got the tutorial for the pouch from here . So far I've cut out the lining and the interlining, then I'll get the outside started tomorrow.

 

This morning I cut out a quilt, well almost, I've still got to cut out the applique flowers but the main part is cut out.  This is from a kit I bought in Linlithgow two or three years ago.  I've only just got around to taking it out of the packet.

 

Another thing I did last week was get my hair cut and permed.  I stopped going to the hairdresser about five years ago after several disastrous hair cuts.  I was really fed up with spending good money for second rate hair dos.  Anyway, I'd grown it and was putting it up at the back and sort of curling the top.  It was ok but - if you know what I mean.  Well, I'm very pleased with it, I recognise myself again.  My 'updo' was very ageing.

 

I've noticed that the talk on a lot of the sewing blogs is about The Great British Sewing Bee.  Before it started I thought we were in for a boring dressmaking challenge but it has turned out very interesting and inspirational.  Love all the contestants and the challenges kept my interest.  Some bloggers have complained about not keeping their favourite contestant in the show.  I really hate it when a contestant is kept in because they are 'cute' or 'sweet' or 'charming'.  The contestants should prove that they are worth keeping in for their skills in my opinion.  What's the point otherwise.  I wish Claudia Winkleman would get her fringe cut!!!



More Stitching

First of all - I'm sorry that I didn't check my comments, I had comments that weren't posted to my blog for some reason.  I don't have comments on moderation so not sure why they didn't appear.  Sorry Theanne and Peggy.

I've been making some project bags again.  I gave a tutorial on these quite a while ago that I have now put onto a PDF if you would like a copy.

 

 

 

The reason I've made these is for the group I belong to.  We are doing monthly stitch-alongs.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/International-Hand-Stitchers/ 

Each month a member comes up with a project and whoever signs up will get the tutorial.

 

As well as mine being a tutorial for the bag it also includes the idea for trying variations on a stitch - in this case it is chain stitch.

 

While I was researching chain stitch I saw a fab design that I just had to try

 

It was from the same site as the chain stitch instructions and is called Jacobean Jumble and was something really different for me.

I got a bit carried away with the chain stitch variation 'double chain stitch' and made another bag!

I don't know how many of these bags I've made, it is well over a dozen, probably as many as twenty.  They are useful for keeping things together, I tend to end up with bits and pieces that don't have a home, like my hair clips, rollers, hair bands etc, now they have their own bag instead of being scattered all over my bathroom.  Originally I made them for keeping my current project in.  I also keep my interfacing in one.  Anything that needs to be kept together in fact.  They are also nice to give away.