2 latest finishes

I decided today to finally write 2 reviews of these items I finished a while ago. My hair was done and I looked halfway decent so got DD to take some photos. Disclaimer - red items are not easy to photograph with my camera, especially inside (DD refused to go outside). It makes red things look pink...don't know why. So there are no extra photos of closeups etc even though I wanted to.

First up is Simplicity 2608. A really easy and lovely pattern for knits. I made View A the longer skirt. I shortened it a little (who'd have thought?) so it would show off my boots. I should've worn the heels for the photo though. Anyway.....the only other adjustment was a bit extra in the hip area cos, imagine this, I'm bigger than the biggest size. Shock horror.

Simplicity 2608, View A 

Fabric: ponte 

 Purchased at Spotlight 10 April 2011 

Cost: $10.35 p/metre 

 My other finished item is that damn Minoru jacket. I did a review on PR if anyone's interested and don't really want to go into it much further here. Suffice to say that I was highly unimpressed with the pattern, the fitting, the instructions...basically the lot. However the jacket is done but whether I'll make another I'm not sure. Maybe I'll put it aside for a while and the idea might grown on me (like a cancer!).
 

Minoru Jacket

Fabric: red ripstop, lined with red mesh

Not much to report

I'm not sewing a garment at the moment so not much to report. I thought I'd just drop in to say I'm not dead (yet). Since I have nothing on the go, I've been doing these little coin purses for Christmas presents. They are very addictive and I've finished 8 so far. I cut another 10 out yesterday and am doing the odd seam as I feel like it. They are just so cute and every time I find an interesting zipper, I want to make another. I've now discovered that it's easier to make the bags fit the zipper than the other way around. Duh!

Here's some I made earlier.

I'll update again when the next lot is finished!

I'm doing a class on Saturday with Angie Zimmermann and am hoping to have that dratted Minoru jacket toile perfected. I'm very jealous of my friend Maria who has finished hers. Boo! The weather in Sydney now is perfect for the jacket....it's bucketing down! No doubt by the time I finish it, the rain will be long gone.

Roll on 2012

While 2011 has been a reasonably good sewing year for me, I can't wait for 2012. Why? Well I'm hoping my sewing mojo will come back cos it's sure been missing for a good three months!

To that end, I made a toile today of the Minoru jacket. There are 3 or 4 of us in my sewing group who are making this jacket but we all seem to be encountering the same fitting problems. First of all, the elastic markings are too low. Well, actually this means the top half of the jacket is too long. I know I'm short and I can expect to change stuff like this but the pattern has no lengthen/shorten lines at the top half, only at the bottom. Same with the sleeves. I've taken off 2.5" already but they're STILL too long. Again, only one set of shortening lines. Whatever. There appears to be some mojo creeping back with this jacket and if I can get the dratted thing to work, I'll be making 2 versions. One in red ripstop (although it's more like a shower curtain than boardshorts) and one in maybe aqua drill. Yummy.

Anyway, today I had another finish! It's a curling iron/hair straightener cover. I've been looking at the Vera Bradley ones trying to work out how to copy it when I found this blog which had a tutorial for said VB knockoff. Beauty! So here it is, with the requisite mistakes which I'm not going to point out. LOL.