Teal Floral Mix-It Tee

Styalised teal floral print, with plain teal side panel inserts.

Here the lower front side and lower back side and cut in one, the upper side front and back also in one with a seam at the waist as this fitted better onto my fabric. This one was actually a lot fiddlier to construct then the others because it has no side seams, so I'm not sure I'll use the new pattern pieces much going forwards.
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The teal fabric was left over from the turtleneck top I made for this year's SWAP but the floral print scrap has been in the stash for ages, and the original knot front tee was worn and worn until it wore out, so it is nice to have the print back again!

This was the original top (now sadly worn out and gone) and this is the plain teal turtleneck I just made for the SWAP.

It's great that the leftovers from both can become a new item!

Mix-It 'designer' Tee two

Well actually this was the first one, but the fabric weights didn't work so I removed the sleeves and made some new ones.
Here's the finished tee.

There was slightly more of this print fabric so I was able to get the whole body and neckband from the print, but had to go with contrast sleeves (or could've had one sleeve!). Does it need some of the plain pink elsewhere as a trim or is it OK?

The first attempt used a slightly larger piece of fabric, but the pink was too coral, and the sweatshirt type fabric was too heavy with the very thin cotton of the print.

Hopefully you can see the heavy sleeves are pulling at the body and the colours are not a great match. Anyway this one is just some spare sleeves now!

Another tee using my own scraps is cut out ready for being sewn up.

Mix-It 'designer' Tee

Despite having several shelves of my large shelving unit full of fabric, I am still somehow attracted to the challenge of making something useful out of the scraps of fabric left over from other things.
Woven scraps become cushions, pencil cases, hair scrunchies, shopping bags, aprons, pocket lining and waist band facings, but I wanted to find something to do with the knit scraps, and decided to do myself some 'designer' tees, known to me as a 'Mix it' garment, ie anything which mixes two different fabrics together.

These scraps came from a fellow sewer but I loved the almost animal print look of the patterned fabric, and teamed it up with a plain turquoise. Neither fabric was really enough to make anything alone, so I think it worked out well - two others are in progress and I will share later in the week.

If you like this idea, you need to take your favourite TNT tee shirt pattern, mark some side panels on the pattern, then retrace the pattern pieces addding the seam allowance back on, so that you have a centre front, and a side front, centre back and side back pattern piece. Then try and place the panels, sleeve and neckband pieces on your remnants of co-ordinating knit fabrics, choose a reasonably well matching thread, sew up and wear.

I machine stitched my panels together and then cover hemmed to keep the seams as flat as possible, though serged the side seams as normal.

More finished projects

I have been working through the boxes of items which need fixing, altering or finishing off, and wanted to share the latest ones.

First up this skirt made several years ago. Its only problem was the elastic had lost its stretch and needed replacing.

Its from this pattern from Prima magazine. The fabric is red in one direction and black in the other and great for Christmas dressy type occasions.

And I made this pattern last year as well when I sewed during the Olympics.

The other finished piece is from a mystery elastic waist pant pattern. For some unknown reason this was mostly constructed, needing only elastic in the waist, and the leg hems sewing.

Isn't the print fabric glorious? I think these will only be PJ or lounging at home type pants, but I do love them. The border fabric is, I think, acetate or similar and i suspect there is uncut yardage still in the stash wanting to be a maxidress.

More projects to come as they get finished off, fixed or otherwise sorted out!

Butterick 3972

I did wear the skirt to work!

So the skirt was actually from Butterick 3972.

I made the full length version, but shortened it by about 3" by taking some off the top and some off the bottom so as not to affect the interesting lines too much. I remember this being very popular in my sewing class at the time, and a few people made it. It has an elastic waist, but still quite nice shaping due to being cut on the bias in sections.
The asymmetric version with contrast panels looks interesting and would be cool with boots in the winter time.
In 2007 I made this for my SWAP in a dirty denim, and made it reversible!

Alterations

One of the boxes I unpacked the other week contained a Ruthie sewn matching jacket, skirt and trousers in a great greeny grey linen look fabric. I tried the pieces on and realised the fit was not bad except just a little loose around the waist. I had a think about it and this is what I have done.

Jacket
Problem: Slightly too large around the body, closed with loops and buttons, had a little section of stitching undone in one sleeve.
Fix: Unpick one sleeve hem, part of the armhole seam, resew the sleeve seam which had come undone, resew the armhole seam. Next unpick the section with the button loops, resew. Turn everything back out and restitch the sleeve lining by hand. Mark and sew buttons holes in front, fray check, allow to dry, cut open with buttonhole chisel.

The jacket is from New Look 6114

Skirt
Problem: Slightly too large at the waist, elastic waist not very smart for a work skirt.
Fix: Unpick a little of the waist casing, unpick the elastic, shorten by two inches, rewes elastic, resew casing. Take the loops removed from the jacket, and sew them at the side seams of the skirt waist casing as belt loops. Wear skirt with smart dark green leather belt hiding elastic waist.

I can't currently find this pattern, but it came in knee and very long length, as well as an asymmetric version longer one side than the other, and I think it was McCall's. The panels are cut on the bias and one version was made up of several contrasting fabrics including a plaid. Will share when found.

Trousers
Problem: slightly too large at waist.
Fix: Wear trousers with smart dark green leather belt slightly pulling in loose waist.
I think these were the trousers from New Look 6114.

The trousers in particular still need defuzzing, and my little device for this has flat batteries and I can't find the battery charger.
However I can wear the skirt and jacket as a soft summer suit to work now.

Me Made May

I have been privately participating in Me Made May, wearing one thing I made myself every day. I have managed it every day, though two of those were by changing something after I got home from work.
Mostly the MMM items have been knit tops or earrings though trousers and cardigan jackets have featured as well. I haven't taken any pictures of myself at all, so I have nothing to share here.

Since it is my own little personal challenge I am going to try and carry on with it into June and beyond.
If I included items I have customised/altered then the list of options would go up a lot as I often make little tweaks on purchased items by dying the garment, adding beading, changing buttons, altering for a better fit, changing hemlines (subtly or drastically) etc

Not much in the way of sewing progress to report, though I've done a few bits of crafting, taking some lime green lamp, sponge painting the bases cream and adding cream lampshades. I seem to be entering a more neutral phase!

SWAP results are up

The SWAP 2013 results are announced

SWAP 2013 results

well done all!!!

I didn't place, but still very much enjoyed being part of the contest again

Please go and vote on Stitchers Guild for SWAP 2013.

AnnRowley writes

LAST DAY TO VOTE!

I shall be counting votes tomorrow (May 27) morning - the leaders are neck and neck, and there is currently a tie for third place but every single SWAP has been someone's choice. I need some more votes - please!

So if you haven't voted yet (and are already a member of Stitcher's Guild), please do so!

Instructions on how to vote

Link to all the collections

New Look 6873 Cami done

I went through the projects box and found a partly completed cami from New Look 6873.
So I decided to finish it off

I had apparently decided to make view E with no trim, and had partly made the cami. I think I must've had machine tension problems as some of the stitching was a bit dodgy. I decided since it was a UFO there was no unpicking and just went ahead and finished it off.
The only alterations I made was to shorten the straps by about one inch and to run elastic through the back casing to snug things up a bit.
Front:

and back

looks like it could do with a bit of a press!
I wonder what else needs finishing off with white thread? I may go and have a look in some of the UFO boxes under the table!

New top done

Using the usual pattern, I have now finished this white print top. I cut it out for the SWAP, but things went a slightly different direction, and I went for print dresses but plain tops, so this one was left as a kit.

 It is now finished and will work really well with blue jeans.

I also hemmed the chocolate and charcoal RTW trousers, so they just need a little press and then can go back into the wardrobe.

I have white on all the machines from sewing the top, so think I will look for another partly done project which needs white thread and work on that next.

Bank Holiday Sewing

Rather than charge into new projects, I think my Bank Holiday sewing needs to be more along the lines of fixing hems, sewing up cut out projects and other finishing off type activities.

I have a tendancy to be excited by new and interesting things, and always want to start new projects, but every so often find it useful to have a completing/mending phase.

So my aim is
- hem charcoal RTW trousers
- hem chocolate RTW trousers
- sew up the 'kit' for a cowl neck top in white with turquoise print.

Of course there are many more things in the list, but I hope that keeping it short means those things at least will get achieved.

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!