Drawers, boxes and purging

Today I discovered why the underbed drawer full of shoes was sticking. It turns out I had bust the drawer by overloading it, and a pair of slingbacks had fallen out and got wedged underneath. Oops.

I love storage solutions, wire baskets, little boxes with lids, giant underbed storage drawers etc etc.
Rather than dealing with my excess I often just buy more boxes. This is not the best strategy I realise and I am trying to mend my ways. Honest.

The up side is I can nearly always find a box when I want to store things :-)
So since the fabric stash is mostly now on the shelving unit, the storage boxes are free and I was able to put all of the shoes into one of them!
I mended the drawer with some little panel pins, and refilled it with winter tights which had been in the bottom of the wardrobe. A better solution I think.
Whilst I was at it I sorted the tights by colour, always useful so you don't find you are wearing navy tights with your brown dress on a dark winter morning.

I was supposed to be doing something else, I wonder what it was?

Prima jacket

I've started on the Prima jacket, and other than a bit of a 'mare with the collar/front pleaty thing not seeming to line up very well, seems to be going OK. I'm doing a step and then have a break as don't want to overdo it.

I've been looking a bit more at one of the gift patterns - Simplicity 1920 - and a few things struck me about it.

The scarf can be made from a yard (or 0.9m) of fabric. The skirt takes 1.1m (1 1/4 yards). If you used alternate neck binding the little shell top takes only the body length, and the belt also uses very little fabric if you used purchased ties rather than cutting bias ties from the fabric.

So these would be great items if you had a little bit of yardage left from something else, or had bought a cute remnant and then couldn't work out what to use it for.

The jacket takes more fabric 1.6m (1 3/4 yards), and I think could also be made as a great soft waistcoat (vest) if you left the sleeves off.

So although they are really quite simple pieces to sew this could be a great pattern to have in the stash to use up those smaller pieces of fabric.or make a co-ordinated mini wardrobe.

Jackets

I want to make myself some soft jackets to wear to work.
I have been looking at different patterns, but for the moment am going to attempt these 3.

First up, the free pattern in this month's Prima magazine, these are pretty simple patterns usually, so can work out well.

I've been having a think and I will need to do my normal rounded upper back alteration to the back piece, then my forward head alteration to the front/front facing, plus a full arm alteration to the sleeve and then I'll be good to go. All those things are a bit of a pain, but having learned how to do them I should just get on with it!

Second as previously mentioned is New Look 6082, though with some alterate closure to their fabric belt.

And then finally Simplicity 1784.

Once I have an idea which of these 3 works best - or hopefully all 3 will be fine and then I'll have options - then I hope to be able to run up simple jackets for all the existing orphan trousers/skirts, fabric permitting. We shall see!

Patrones Magazines

I've just got back form a 6 day city break in Barcelona, and got a lot of creative input particualrly from the Gaudi locations we visited. I am not quite sure how this is going to come out in my sewing or other creative outputs over the winter, so will ty and split things out over a few posts.

First up I bought 2 Patrones magazines in Spanish. Having travelled hand luggage only space was limited for souvenirs, and I didn't buy all the magazines I looked at. So these and 700+ photos were what I brought back with me :-)

I picked these as they were Autumn versions and seemed to have styles I would wear.
Not purchased was Burda as that's available easily now in the UK, a Simplicity pattern magazines, Diana and other Patrones magazines.

I've long been intrigued by Desigual, and I think they might be Barcelona based as they were everywhere. I went in a couple of the shops, but was unable to bring myself to part with my money, though quite inspired.
One thing I loved, but may have been a shop only display as I cannot find it online, was a multicoloured patchwork chair, and its not a new idea, but definitely one which appeals. My parents gave me an old sofa and chair when I moved here. They'd had it in their conservatory and the current terracotta loose covers are unevenly faded. My fevered imagination wants new patchwork loose covers more in the style of this - though it would be a lot of work as I've never made loose covers before.

I was particualrly inpsired by the Gaudi and Miro Trencadís pieces I saw, as well as the wonderfully coloured stained glass, so this idea of mixing in many colours within a room has really caught my imagination, and is a big change for me as I tend to go for neutral plus one or two accent colours. But neutral plus rainbow is really appealing right now.

Jackets for work

So I've changed roles at work again, and am much happier in the new role even though I only just started.
This one I am working out of a local office, but need to go in most days and dress smartly.

It is hard to tell what's appropriate for a woman as there are hardly any, and none in the small group I'm working in.
The men are wearing suits and shirts, most of them with ties. All very classic and traditional. I want it to come across clearly that I am one of the project managers and not be mistaken for the girl who gets the tea, so am sticking with suits as much as possible.

If money were no object I'd go out and buy some new trouser suits, but I'm saving to buy a house and am really not sure that's something I want to do.
What I'd really like, would be to make some simple (but still really smart) softly tailored jackets, as cardigans and so on are not going to cut it here.

I have a forward head and rounded upper back alteration which I make on tops and dresses and works well on New Look patterns. I have not quite worked out how to transfer this to things with collars, so am going to start with New Look 6082, as this has a long band instead of a collar, and a centre back seam which should make things easier.


I'll probably add patch pockets and a simple lining as well, and see how I go on from here.
I don't want to do 'proper' tailoring, just soft jackets that are smart enough will be fine.

Wow Simplicity Patterns

Regular readers may have noticed me moaning about the price of sewing patterns in the UK a while back. A lovely lady who reads the blog and is a member of Stitchers Guild gave me the wonderful gift of choosing 10 patterns which she offered to buy for me at the next Joann'es 99c sale and send to me. Wow what a wonderfully kind and generous offer. I was thrilled.

After quite a few weeks stuck somewhere in the postal system they arrived yesterday and I have taken a photo of them tonight.

A huge thank you for such a great gift. As you can see I went for a few wardrobe patterns, lots of knits and a nice skirt pattern. I have no idea what to sew first though I suspect it may be something from Simplicity 1784.

In other news I have just changed assignments (again) at work. The new assignment is for 2 years and is based in the local office, so no more driving to the customer site miles away. I am very thankful for this as the winter is coming and the driving is always worse in the dark, rain and other bad weather. It should also release a bit more time for hobbies including sewing!!!!

The new assignment does require me to go into the office pretty much every day and dress smartly - suits, jackets etc so I do really need to crack the whole fitting and making simple jackets this Autumn so I can have a range of suits for work.

** edited to add the back view for Jenni - the jacket has a centre back seam which will really help a lot with the forward head alterations.

Trouser leg width

A few years ago I could buy trousers in RTW that passably fitted, for some reason despite the fact that I have remained the same shape this does not seem to be the case anymore.
As far as I can see this is because the trousers that fitted me were when we had wide leg trousers, more recently legs have become straight or at best boot cut, but folks I remained wide legged.

I tried these trousers on tonight (see above) in several sizes and each time putting my homemade ones back on was more comfortable and flattering. Boo hoo!!!!
Wonder if I have plain black woven in my stash.

Sewing goodies (part 1)

A kind lady on Stitchers Guild offered me some more Burda magazines, and I said 'yes please'. She's not hugely local to me, but happily a friend works occasionally near to her and collected the Burda magazines plus some bonus fabric and other magazines, and I've had a great time looking through them and planning things I may or may not make.
As you can see they are from 2005! And as ever with Burda there are great things and super fails.
I've promised to send the maternity edition on to someone else, so its not in the picture because its been put to one side to be posted - honest!

Knowing my love of all things dark brown, my giftee also included two pieces of brown fabric.
The darkest brown is apparently a length of Mulberry wool and is wonderfully squishy and almost furry. I don't know anything about Mulberry that i can recall, so must google it.

The lighter brown is still pretty dark (the blue carpet is the same carpet as the top photo), and is a stretch lace. I immediately envisaged a pair of stetch lace leggings worn under dresses, and a stretch lace knit top worn over a cami - what do you think? A little too risque?

Given my current workload and social life (both busy) I'm not sure when I shall get to sew them up, but wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my lovely benefactress for indulging me!

(Lack of) progress on the mini wardrobe

Regarding the mini wardrobe, so far I have partly constructed the 'key' piece which is a knit dress.
Since this can be pre-made I'm already a bit behind.

I'm away this weekend, and also away for a whole week at the end of September, the rest of the time I seem to be working, asleep or reading people's blogs who ARE actually sewing.

Anyway.... I guess I wanted to set your expectations nice and low, because on my current estimates I'll manage the dress, camisole and leggings and nothing else during September and therefore won't have actaully achieved the requirements of the contest. Ah well.

I've been very blessed by other sewists sending me sewing related gifts, and I will both share some of these with you, plus try and 'pay it forward' a little by offering some small giveaways here on the blog.

Due to international postage being a bit painful these will be small and light things folks - lace/elastic, buttons, the odd pattern etc, as sending anyone fabric is just not feasible due to the weight, which will be open to blog followers who comment on the relevant posts.

That's all for now.

Ruthie x

PR mini wardrobe contest

I never met a wardrobe contest I didn't like, although I don't necessarily complete them, or wear all the things I make even if I do.
Here's my initial storyboard for the PR mini wardrobe contest.

Click on the picture (or this text) to get it bigger.

The knot front dress is already cut out, so the idea is to sew that up and have it as the 'Key Piece'.
The jacket can be worn over it. The camisole top and leggings can be worn under it. The turtle neck top can be worn either under or over, so the whole lot could all be worn at once!

As usual in a quick Ruthie wardrobe, many of the garments are quick to sew knits, and the jacket is a relatively simple cardigan style. Patterns TBA but mostly Burda and New Look I expect.

Burda and Diana Magazines

I've been away on holiday to Gdansk (Danzig), Poland which was great. I looked for unusual sewing magazines as I always do in other countries, but only found the standard German ones in Polish, so bought them - Burda and Diana.

Both have some quite wearable items, though nothing I liked so much I was off running for the tracing paper.
It was a really good holiday!

Bernina 800DL: operator problem

About 2 years ago I bought a Bernina 800DL from the lovely people at Jaycotts.co.uk.

I used one on a course and was amazed at how much quieter it was than my old Janome 134D.
It worked great for a while and then I had trouble keeping it threaded, I moved house twice and got divorced in between and went back to using the noisy old Janome becuase it was just too hard to work out what was up with the Bernina.
This last week I went of on holiday with extended family, and Jaycott's was about half way on the journey, so the Bernina got to take a little holiday to North Wales, and having prewarned Noel I was coming I stopped in on the way back today and explained the problem I had with it.
It turns out the problems were all down to operator error and the Bernina was fine, despite all the mean things I've been saying about it.
Noel showed me carefully how to thread it and found me some paper so I could write some notes to remember his tips. He then demo'd it doing a perfect stitch, left the thread in for me and sent me on my way.
So I would like to say a huge thank you to Noel at Jaycotts, for sorting out the problem user, and 800DL, I take it all back, and have some great sewing planned for you for this autumn/winter.

I never did finish my Olympics sewing, and keep banging my legs on the living room furniture arrangement, so the machines are all going back into a reorganised sewing room, so the armchair can get out of the doorway.

Simplicity 1784 - poss for Autumn?

I really like this Simplicity wardrobe pattern, and would probably make all the items in it.
The colours are so not me, but I would wear a blouse like that.

I wonder if this is a new Autumn 2012 offering?
Patterns are very expensive in the UK, so I often buy them on sale at shows etc, and have so many I was going to not buy any more other than Burda magazine. But this one really appeals.
Its $2.99 at Pattern Review, so might bizarrely make sense to buy it from there. (Nope not with International shipping rates!).
The question is do I really need it, or do I have similar patterns for the individual components already elsewhere and should just use them for the same look?
I definitely have similar skirt and trouser patterns. I love the blouse, but do have a simpler Prima version. I also have loads of jacket patterns, though not one quite like that.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Collection Planning

I do have quite a large fabric stash, and quite a lot of it was bought deliberately with SWAP type wardrobes in mind, only I didn't really follow through and sew them all up at the time. So I can often find co-ordinating fabrics when the muse strikes me. This is good :-) but does require storage space. I am currently on a fabric diet, and really trying to not buy anything new. This is fairly easily done by not going near fabric shops, which is fairly doable in my normal life.

When I want to sew a collection I think about the main colours - normally a base and a colour - e.g. black and red or brown and orange. I then go off into the stash and pull more pieces than I need which match those colours, refine it a bit later in daylight when I can see if things really 'go', and put some of them back. I then sew up a few co-ordinating garments without changing the thread in the machines.
The plan often morphs as it goes along, and recently I've been doing several garments from the same fabric, rather than putting small remants back, but that may just be a phase.

I am definitely driven by the fabric, which then dictates the pattern, I very rarely work the other way round interestingly.

Sewing Olympics: 5 Garment Challenge - the third completed garment

The third garment is complete. This is the simple scoop neck tank from New Look 6414. I lengthened it by about 2 inches as I want to tuck it in as an underlayer piece. I can always shorten it if I decide its too long. I did a standard (for me) forward head adjustment, and flared out from a 16 round the neck/airmhole/bust to an 18 at the hip. All the hems are coverhemmed which worked quite well except at the most curved parts of the underarm where the stitching did not quite catch for a short distance.

Also in this fabric I have cut out New Look 6071 dress, with long sleeves and the skirt lengthened by 3.5" to bring it just below the knee. I'll probably start sewing that later in the week, but am very happy with the progress so far.