SWAP: dress and top

Here I am wearing the dark teal cowl neck top over the bright jungly print dress, just add a belt for some waist definition.

The same dress, this time picking out the bright spring green in the print of the dress. I could've made another top in the purple, but it's not as good a colour for me as the teals and greens.

This is the other dress, a more muted navy, soft teal, turquoise and off white. It works well with the ivory top, but could also be worn with the navy blue top (not shown). A rich turquoise would also work well with this print, but I wanted to keep the colours as neutral as possible in this side of the collection.

Both knit dresses also work very well with a purchased neutral short linen mix jacket I overdyed in turquoise. In fact it would be a great topper for all the outfits in this collection instead of the the teal cardigan jacket.
I'm glad the pictures are up now as it means I can wear the pieces without concern for laundry accidents!

SWAP Wearing the Fun Spring dress

Knit dress from the more colourful side of the SWAP, styled with a twisted sinamay hat, crinkle wrap, teal stretch boots and dark green leather belt.
Sadly I have no wedding or garden party invitations, and I'm not sure my sweetheart would be comfortable coming with me even if I did!

SWAP 2013 Photos are up

Ann Rowley writes

Photos are up!

Thank you everyone for all the work you have done in putting together such wonderful SWAPs. We have eighteen entries this year which is a great response to the challenge.

Details of how to view and vote can be seen here

As there are so many entries I have extended the voting time - you have until midnight Monday 27 May.

Good Luck everyone!

Voting information is here - Voting Information for SG members
SWAP photos are here - All the SWAP 2013 Photos

If you appreciate sewing please enjoy all the photos, and if you are a member of SG please do also then go and vote as per Ann's instructions!

RTW musings

SWAP should get posted on Ann Rowley's Flickr Stream tomorrow, so I am trying to be patient until then.

Yesterday I did a bit of snoop shopping and had two main conclusions.

1. Lace/crochet look etc
There were lots of lace tops in multiple shops. So this looks like a good time to dig out my stretch lace, burnout knit and etc and make myself a few nice tops.

2. Buy a new suit (maybe)
I really like this suit from Next, and plan to try it on see what the fit is like. I like the Neutral (Taupe colour). My favourite work suits are old ones from Next, but it may be the cut has changed a bit, so I would have to try on and see.

That's all for now.
---------------
Updated to add that I tried the suit on in black at lucnhtime and the fit was not good. I did not buy it!!!! Maybe this is why we sew?

SWAP being worn

Here's Ruthie wearing the pieces!!!

SWAP Patterns Used

The patterns I used for my collection

The 4 knit tops and the 2 dresses are all based on New Look 6735.

For the dresses I've used the short sleeved top C and added a long flared skirt traced off a RTW dress I once had. I overlap the pieces at the waist when cutting out so there is no waist seam.
For the tops I used the long sleeved version of the top (view B), lengthened the sleeves to full length and replaced the neckband by a self drafted soft collar. I have altered the front and back pieces to accommodate my forward head/sway back/rounded upper back.

The jacket and skirt are from New Look 6082, with the skirt lengthened slightly. The jacket has been altered for my forward head/sway back/rounded upper back.

The trousers are from Burda magazine October 2008 (Burda 10/2008 #132) which I sewed in November 2009 (post on Burda10-2008-132 Pants), which are included as my previously made piece.

I wear these a lot and the fabric has held up well to laundering.
I think I shall make a matching jacket (as I still have the rest of the fabric) and have a little suit!

Green SWAP top: final piece

Here's the springy Emerald green knit top

I have been quietly doing a Me-Made-May item each day, but no pictures.

Hopefully proper SWAP pictures this weekend of me wearing stuff, though I shall be good and send them to AnnRowley for the Flickr site and not post them here.

Anyway the story board looks like this now.

Not quite what I planned at the start but I like it!

SWAP Teal Cowl top

Made from a dark blued teal mystery remnant, which was very drapey (I'm thinking viscose aka rayon) and is beautifully soft on the skin, this should be a joy to wear.

Sorry about the photo, its taken indoors with flash on my new little Fujifilm point and shoot and I'm still getting used to it.
Same pattern as the ivory top, but that is almost a sweater knit weight, and this is extremely soft and drapey. Interesting what they look like despite using the same pattern.

Another SWAP dress

Well try as I might, I could not get the navy/ivory/tan print dress to work with the teal jacket, so I made a new dress with teal in it which works really well.

I want the tops in each section to be able to be worn over the dress so it looks like a skirt and gives more mix 'n' match options. So when daylight is back I shall check out the planned top fabrics before cutting out.

Ivory Cami

I've avoided creating a small remnant I then would want to store by immediately making it into this little cami.
I have a simple self drafted pattern which I coverhem and then add straps.

SWAP Ivory Knit Top

Made from the usual pattern, here is an ivory marl version. The fabric was a tube of mystery knit, and I managed to also squeeze of a little cami top as well. That still needs the straps attaching so I will show you that another day when it is done.

The unknown knit is quite beefy and has a slightly waffled weave one side and a smooth finish the other. I decided the smooth finish was the right side and have used it that way out.

I've revised the SWAP plan a little but now and it looks like this.

all blue, green, ivory tones. Next up a bright Spring Green top!

Me Made May?

Hello sewing world, can anyone point me to the 'Me Made May' source page and explain what the rules are?
Since my job is a suity office type one, and I mostly sew knits I definitely can't wear entirely Ruthie made stuff. However I was wondering if you can qualify even if you only wear one 'me made' thing like a cami or even earrings?

I am planning to use the jacket in New Look 6082

to sew up some simple suiting jackets, and instantly have suits by using the leftover fabric from when I made trousers. I can definitely do this with some navy pinstripe, some dark brown self stripe and a charcoal with teal stripes. I wear the trousers quite a bit with non matching wool jackets, except for the dark brown which doesn't seem to work with any existing jackets.
That'd give me three Ruthie made suits. I can also do the knit dress and jacket approach and wear some of my handmade bead jewellery.

Thoughts?

Great British Sewing Bee

I have been hooked to my TV on Tuesday evenings for the last 4 weeks rivetted by the Great British Sewing Bee on BBC2. What a fantastic programme.

If you are in the UK, you can watch on iplayer, if you are overseas you can probably find the episodes on Utube somewhere.

If you are a UK viewer who has been inspired to sew you can come and meet the lovely Ann over on Stitchers Guild Sewing Forum. You can also learn lots about sewing, get tips, support, share your projects etc.

If you are a super keen sewer already you can even apply to be on the next series, (woo hoo there's going to be a next series!!!!).

Overall I have really enjoyed seeing the skills and creativity of all of the participants, and anticipate the interest and boost this is going to give to the hobby of sewing across the country.

New Look 6082 Skirt

Also in the teal knit I have made up a (slightly lengthened) version of the A line skirt.

 The hem is level, I just seem to have taken the photo at a slight angle

Only one more top and SWAP will be complete.

New Look 6082 Jacket Completed

I sewed up the New Look 6082 jacket today, so now have a jacket for the SWAP. Yay!!!

The colour has come up a little brighter in the flash than reality, but you can see (hopefully) that its the short jacket from the pattern (see previous post). I have also cut out the belt, though will probably use a brooch to fasten it, though it's good to have all the options available.

The fit is quite good, though it could nip in more at the centre back waist.
It works very well with the knit print dress, and as it is quite dark, still works with the red knit top and checked skirt.

So quite good progress I think, both on SWAP and on jacket fitting. I would quite happily use this jacket pattern to make some simple unlined jackets to match already sewn up trousers!