So...I've finished the wardrobe contest

After much stressing, making pants at all hours and taking photographs in the last of the day's sun, I managed to get 3 collages ready & entered in the contest. But wait...I haven't shown you all the items!

You've already seen the dress and one top. So here are my other three tops.

This is McCalls 5890 which I whipped up on our recent sewing weekend away. A really quick sew since it has no facings. The pattern also features the same top made into a dress and I'm tempted to give it a go! The fabric here is a remnant from a previous top made a few yrs ago.

This top is what started it all and is pretty much the hero of the wardrobe. It's the infamous silk/cotton that I bought in Canberra. Loved it the moment I saw it and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. This is Simplicity 2230 modified at the neck which pretty much means I got rid of that awful neck facing and just did a bias binding and turned it into a V. I did this amazing hem with my rolled hem foot on my sewing machine...I even impressed myself with that! LOL.

The final top is Kwik Sew 3764 with flounce from my dress fabric. The aqua is merino that I bought from The Fabric Store in January. Half price! And then I got a further discount cos it had some small holes. Very happy with that.

I'm also wearing the much-maligned V2948 pants in lime linen/cotton. Not really happy with these. And don't tell anyone...but they're not really finished. Well, not finished finished if you know what I mean. Sshhhhhhh.

Last but not least is one of my "sewist's choice" items, a mesh overjacket thingie from McCalls 6559. This was sewn straight out of the envelope, entirely on the overlocker with a rolled hem edge. Also sewn on the weekend away. I discovered the joys of water soluble stabiliser for rolled hem on this baby!

I also sewed a mesh top for my mother on our retreat but I have no photo of it and I've since given it to her. She was very happy with it so those of you who had your eyes on it can just forget it. :)

2 pieces down....6 to go!

I've managed to sew two of my items for the Wardrobe Contest  and have another two cut out ready to go. There's a sewing retreat in two weeks but I'm not sure how much will get done then so I think I will keep plugging along on the contest entries. Don't want to be behind!

The first piece is a dress. Yes, you read that right! A dress! I never make/wear dresses but I thought it would be a nice change and since I'm going on that cruise, it would be a good evening outfit with a mesh over-jacket type thingie (another piece from my wardrobe). I found this McCalls pattern which was perfect for me - empire style maxi dress with or without a sleeve. I'll be making the sleeved version for my mother later. (Sigh...obligation sewing).

The dress was a snap to sew. There are no facings or such; the armholes & neckline are just turned over and hemmed. I used my trusty Coverpro for that. It's a bit loose around the skirt top because I omitted the elastic from there. I suspected it might make me look like a bag tied in the middle plus this gives me a bit more room for eating.

McCalls 5893
Size 18 with FBA

Fabric from The Remnant Warehouse

Purchased sometime in 2013

Closeup of the neckline.

The next item is a top. I used that old favourite/standby Simplicity 4076. Can you believe that I have never made this top with the short sleeve from the pattern? Well, I have now. Although I lengthened it by about 2". I think it could do with more. Whatever. I've used this fabric before but that top has died and is now only a round-the-house top. Lucky I bought about 3m way back when I got this. I seem to remember that getting prints with aqua in them was difficult. Ha!

Anyway, the usual adjustments - FBA, funny shoulder thing (although the photo shows the shoulder slipping to the front - damn slippery rayon!) and neck gaposis tuck. Oh..also lengthening the pattern. This pattern is incredibly short. Unbelievably so. Don't tell anyone but the hems aren't done yet either. 

Simplicity 4076

Size 16 at shoulders & god knows from there down

Rayon knit fabric from Pitt Trading purchased some time in 2008/2009

A finish and the wardrobe contest

Since I'm going on a sewing retreat in a couple of weeks, I was rummaging around the sewing room looking for my LED light to take and happened upon this little number. It was a wearable toile that I made some time last year. Ironically the "real" one was a wadder! Anyway, all this needed were hems and since I had the Coverpro out for something else, I whacked on the purple thread and finished it up.

Simplicity 2344

Size: 20/22

Fabric: Stella from Standard Knits

I really like it and will probably make it again although something funky is going on at the underarm. You can't see it in this photo but there's a horizontal tuck going from armhole to neck. I just smooshed it down for the photo. LOL.

I used a size 20 at the shoulder and tapered out to a 22 under the armhole. Then I added a bit fat chunk of 3" in the gathered area so my top has *a lot* more gathers than your average bear. I needed to do this for this particular fabric as a dart would've looked horrendous in the thickish cotton/spandex. This is not a top for mid-summer! But perfect for right now with a cardi over the top and that's how I wore it (for five minutes) today. Still too warm indoors with a cardi for me. He he he.

So...onto the other news. I have entered the PR Wardrobe Contest! No surprise there, huh? No doubt I will come second again ;) however since the prize is MORE fabric, I'm not sure if I want to win. Not that I think I will...there is a lot of great ideas in this contest so far.  But since I was making the clothes anyway, might as well enter, right?

Here is my wardrobe plan. I've already amended it once so this is version 2.0.

I've started the McCalls dress 5893 and just need to join the skirt to the top bit. I've done toiles of the 2230 and am about to adjust 6963. This one was a late entry after I flicked a princess knit top when one side of it was doing something strange on my right boob. No time or inclination to work out why so I moved on. I would rather have a sleeve but haven't got enough of the fabric so my fat arms will be exposed. However, I can wear the mesh jacket thingie over it. I may yet make another mesh top in aqua for later. The mesh for the contest is lime but not the same lime as the pants. So I'm unsure about that but will see how it looks when it's all made.

This wardrobe will be for my cruise next year but some of it will be entered into the ASG Convention Challenge later this year. Hence the reason I'm making summer clothes in April/May.

The lime fabric is a linen/cotton from Spotlight, the Simplicity 2230 is a silk/cotton from Addicted to Fabric in Canberra and the aqua is merino from The Fabric Store. The dress and cowl top are poly/spandex and the Simplicity 4076 is a rayon/spandex. The last two are remnants from previous makes.

So I've just got to make them.

I've finished!!

It's now official.......I've finished my entry in the PR Wardrobe Contest. Happy dancing here! I finally got the family to co-operate & take my photos for the composite and managed to get them into a format that I was happy with.

I'm loving this wardrobe & have been wearing these clothes a lot. They will be the clothes I take to Ballarat & if they pass the test there, they'll be coming to Puyallup next year. The weather in Ballarat at the moment is about 10C so is very similar to Washington state. It's only 3 weeks until we leave so I'm hoping the weather doesn't warm up quickly! LOL.

New Look pants

I nearly forgot to post about my knit pants I made on the weekend. The pattern is New Look 6950, bought mostly for the pants with pockets. It's so hard to get knit pants patterns with decent pockets.

I discovered that these pants are actually meant to be cropped although there was nothing on the pattern envelope to say so. So I had to play with both leg length & width. I decided that since I was in that area, I'd do my extended calf adjustment too. I should do this on all pants but sometimes I can't be bothered. My jeans are a good example of that! Anyway...the adjustment has made them hang beautifully at the side. I'm so pleased with them. I will do the adjustment on all my pants now. I also added a bit of width to the leg at the bottom as I'd taken a 3cm tuck out all the way down the back leg. I still have a couple of wrinkles at the back crotch but I think they're due to the inseam. I took it in and it made it worse so I let it out a little & it was better, but not perfect. But it will do. I have no photo of that though. The only photos I have are the ones on Flickr as I was without my laptop for a week & the other pics are on my DD's computer.

Not the best photo but you get the general idea. You can see how the pockets show through a bit. This fabric is very stretchy & has already dropped the crotch a little. I might wait until I wash them & if it's still the same, I will take the front crotch up a little. The separate elastic casing makes this easy & I really like the look of it. I think I will use it again on other pants.

Here's the side view.

New Look 6950

Size 16

Fabric: Very stretchy viscose/elastane (I think)

Bought at Pitt Trading sometime in 2010 $9 p/m

Oh & that's my wardrobe complete!!! Woot.

Another skirt...oh & a top!

 Yes, that's right sports fans....I've finished another skirt. Who would've thought?? This is my denim straight skirt for the wardrobe contest. Thanks to my real life sewing buddies I managed to get this thing to fit OK. I had major dramas with the side seams but I think I mentioned that before. Anyway aftering trolling through 3 shops looking for an 8" navy blue invisible zipper (it shouldn't be that hard, should it????) I whacked it in, perfectly first go, amazing! So here's the result.

Simplicity 9825

Size 20 (erk)

Fabric: stretch denim from M&S purchased way back

The reason I'm standing funny is cos there was a wrinkle down the front and it made the skirt pointy. I suppose it would've been an idea to iron it first. LOL.

I've also finished a top for my wardrobe. It's another version of OOP McCalls 4600 top with removable cowl. This one is much better than the previous. I fixed the shoulders so they weren't falling off me and cut the front neckline down so it doesn't show so much when the cowl is on. I've realised though that it could be a bit longer. Oh well. Such is life.

McCalls 4600

Fabric: Poly jersey purchased at Pitt Trading June 2010

$9 per metre

Here's one I made earlier

I made this skirt last month but have only just got around to posting a review and pic. I've actually worn it twice so far and absolutely love it. One of the easiest pieces I've made recently having no adjustments except adding 6" to the length so it covers my legs. Trust me, you don't want to see those babies! Here's how it looks with the top from the same pattern.

New Look 6735

Size 22 lengthened

Fabric: 100% wool

Purchased at The Remnant Warehouse

June 2010 $12.95 p/m

Jalie jeans finished!

Celebrations here for the finished Jalie jeans! While they are not 100% perfect (& let's face it, what ever is??) they will certainly do and I learnt a lot while making them.

The fabric is my much-loved 4% elastane denim from Martin & Savage that I also have in black. An incredibly comfortable fabric and I've been keeping it (safe) since 2003. I figured it's time had come and I needed to make it into something. So here they are.

Let's start with the good. I love the bootleg cut! I love how the topstitching came out (using my trusty mechanical Janome which was great as it didn't need re-setting everytime I turned it back on). I love the comfort factor although I suspect that waistband will stretch out pretty soon.

Now the not-so-good. That fly zipper! See it up there? Crap! If I'd used Sandra Betzina's fly method, it wouldn't be showing. Sandra's application is almost identical to Jalie's but she has a wider fly section on the front & puts the zipper tape on the C/F. Jalie put the teeth on C/F. That means it's not as far under as Sandra's. 

What else? Oh yeah...there's no interfacing on the waistband. Now I cut mine on the crossgrain (probably another mistake) rather than the bias due to fabric limitations. Not sure why it's on the bias. But what I should've done is interface that baby cos it stretches. And stretches. In my previous life as a fat (ter) woman making jeans, the waistband just kept stretching out & it had both interfacing & twill tape. So I have no hope for this one.

Otherwise, I'm a happy camper and am loving these jeans. Although I'm not particularly loving that body in the photo LOL. Here's some more pics for you.

Back view - I think something is going on with the crotch. Looks like I need more length. But I couldn't tell from wearing them, it was only when I saw this pic that I realised. Oh well. You can also see very clearly in this pic how my lower bum is much smaller than my high hip. The camera never lies!

Funky pocket lining

Close up of back pocket

Close up of fly - looks OK here but don't be fooled!

Update on my Wardrobe collection

I had a wonderful 3 day weekend sewing. I just can't seem to get enough sewing right now. Not sure if it's the weather or the contest but I'm loving it. So...onto the updates.

First item is Kwik Sew 3740. Well, actually it's a modified version of 3740. I wanted to make a snug thermal-type top that I could layer for warmth. My original plan was to use KS 2900 but I discovered as I went to trace it, that it is HUGE & has very low loose armholes. Definitely not the look I wanted. 3740 is nice and snug on me so I used the front, back & sleeves from that instead. However, 2900 still came into play as it had a great turtleneck in view A so I traced the neckline and overlaid it on the 3740. I also used the collar but only made it half the size in height. Then I used Kwik Sew 2625, a child's pattern, to add the zip. The instructions for that were a snap but as my fabric was black and it was late afternoon I found it a little tricky. However all was well in the end and I'm very happy with the result although the collar could've used a little interfacing to make it a bit stiffer.

Excuse the funny bump on my hip...it's my pedometer! LOL

Kwik Sew 3740 modified

Fabric: 100% wool

Bought at The Remnant Warehouse 5.6.2010

$12.95 p/metre

Next up is my version of the OOP McCalls 4600. This is the top with removable cowl. All went well with this one except I think the front neck is too high. You can see it when the cowl is on. Not particularly happy with that. In fact, I may yet cut it down & re-hem. The shoulders are also a bit big which I can easily fix. I have another piece of fabric so can make this again and I think I will. Not sure if it will be my entry but I'll decide later.

Photos with and without cowl.

McCalls 4600 OOP

Fabric: 100% wool

Bought at The Remnant Warehouse 5.6.2010

$12.95 p/metre

Last but not least on my weekend of tops is the top from Simplicity 2603. I added sleeves to this top and also cut the armhole down a bit. I did my usual FBA but didn't want a dart on the top so in a flash of brilliance, I rotated the dart to the front gathers. Not being sure how that would go, I made a toile out of another knit and it worked fantastically. Another great result!

Simplicity 2603

Fabric: 100% wool

Bought at The Remnant Warehouse 5.6.2010

$12.95 p/metre

I have fabric!

So after yesterday's ASG meeting at the Remnant Warehouse, I now have 2 more pieces of fabric for my wardrobe. Both wool, one black, one red. I really really wanted another print for one of my tops but it wasn't to be. So I either have to find another piece of fabric or bite the bullet & use the plain. Although, I may do both and only enter 1 in the contest. So here's the boring old storyboard.



I have already finished the New Look black/white/red wild print top and almost finished the cardi wrap. That wool jersey for the cardi wrap is just gorgeous but a bit of a bugger to sew....it grows! I think a walking foot might be the answer but of course, it's too late now.

I also just had a scare with my croc denim. I went out to do a rolled hem on my cardi wrap & found the plastic bag containing all the cut pieces for the jeans jacket had water in it! It would appear that the croc sweats. Lucky I found it when I did. Nastiness could have happened there. I now have it "breathing" on the ironing board. :)

Wardrobe Contest again

So I spent yesterday pulling out patterns, tracing them and comparing various bits to some of my RTW clothes that fit. Here's what I decided.

The black pants are going to be made from the OOP McCalls 4600. I have a pair of RTW black knit pants size 14 which I compared to the pattern. According to my hip size, I am a 22 or XL in this pattern. The RTW pants are snug and that's the look I want. I don't want saggy baggy knit pants so if I make a 22, that's what I'll get. I measured all the seams in the RTW and compared them to the pattern. If I make a medium (12-14), it will be very similar to the RTW so that's what I'll do. Stay tuned for either a celebration or a complete disaster! LOL.

My black/white/red poly jersey will be made into New Look 6735, View B with the long sleeves of View A. I have trialled this top before and know it fits but was quite long. The pattern has now been shortened by 2" so this should be fine.

The Simplicity 2603 cami top will have sleeves. I just did an FBA on this pattern and wondered what would happen if I rotated the dart into the gathered front. So I did. I wasn't really sure I wanted a dart in this pattern and I like a lot of gathers so this seemed like the answer. We shall see. I'm about to trial this in some leftover knit so if it works I'll post a lovely pic of me in winter in a sleeveless top!

The Jalie jeans were shortened by 2" and the below butt area shortened by 1", tapering out to nothing at the side seams. The rest appears OK but who will know until the real fabric is used.

The red skirt from NL 6735 will be made longer than the pic on the pattern envelope. I like my skirts almost to my ankle as I have awful legs plus it will keep me warmer. To that end, I've added 6" to the length. Sounds a lot doesn't it? Especially when I'm short. But I can always take it off the top as it's only an elastic waist.

Wardrobe Contest and planning for same

I've decided to enter the Wardrobe Contest they're having over at PR and am currently working on options in my brain. I need warm clothes for 3 events - the Australian Sewing Guild convention in September which is at Ballarat (brrrrr..the temp that time last year was 11C), I'm travelling over to NZ for a weekend in late Sept and also for Puyallup in February (average temp there in late Feb, 6C). I really wanted to be much thinner when I planned this wardrobe but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen so I need to plan for the woman I am right now. Right? Right! So that means biting the bullet & pulling much-loved fabric from my stash to sew.

The wardrobe consists of 4 tops, 4 bottoms, a topper and 1 free choice. My topper and free choice are easy...I'm making the Simplicity cardi wrap 2603 in black wool jersey and my free choice is a jeans jacket using OOP Vogue 7910 in this funky croc denim which I fell in love with as soon as I saw it.

So to go with those, I'm going to make the Jalie jeans which should hopefully fit me for a while even if I do lose more weight. I might make them without any rivets so I could take them in on the side seams if necessary. Then there will be a long denim skirt using Simplicity 9825, view D. If I have enough wool jersey, I'll make the cami from Simp 2603 adding the sleeves like my friend Sharon did. Otherwise, I'll need to buy some fabric for that.

My other choices are:

• 6 gore knit skirt in red - New Look 6735
• top with detachable cowl - OOP McCalls 4600
• black knit pants - cashmere modal fabric - possibly NL 6735
• black merino top with zip (a knock-off of this except my collar will be different) - adapted from Kwik Sew 2900
• one other top in black/white/red jersey - no pattern yet

The problem with most of this is I don't have any red knit fabric or anything for the detachable cowl or any black merino!