Category Archives: Sewing

Sew My Stash Sunday – 7

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Here we are back at Sunday evening again so it is time to share what sewing I have done this week.

Firstly, this is what I have finished.

A pair of bloomers as part of summer pyjamas – Size 4.

2015-02-22 01A pair of boxer shorts for pyjamas for me.

2015-02-22 02

I have been working on my next skirt.  I can’t do anymore until I get the zip.  Then it will just be the facing and hem that need to be handstitched.

2015-02-22 03 I mentioned in this post that I had discovered that the polo shirt I was making for The Duke was too big so I would have to recut it.  I tried that today but unfortunately it was not successful as even when I got the width of the body right, I was not happy with the shape of the armhole and sleeves.  I decided to cut my losses and that is going to the op shop in the hope that someone else is the right shape for it.  In the interests of my sanity, the pattern is going as well.  If it did not work this time it will not be any better in the future.

My next foray was more successful.  This is a piece of fabric I bought about 6 weeks ago so it is not strictly part of my stash but if I don’t make it up soon it will end up being added to the pile.  I bought it to make a top for myself.  It is a knit fabric but not super stretchy.  I found a basic pattern to use in the pattern-making book. and here is the result so far.2015-02-22 05The original pattern had a round neckline but I prefer a vee.  I have done the basic construction and now need to finish the neckline and hems on the sleeves and lower edge.

All in all, I am pretty pleased with the results of my sewing for this week.  I wish I had more time to sew as have so many things planned and I am just itching to get started.

A Laundry List

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Tonight I want to share a germ of an idea that has formed gradually over a period of time.

Some people have an ongoing shopping list to which they add items as they find that they are required.  Others keep a list of what is stored in the freezer and cross things off as they are used.

I am thinking of creating a laundry list. I have this cupboard in my laundry.  On the left-hand side are the assorted brooms and the vacuum cleaner (not shown), hangers for knitted items and dispensers for plastic bags as well as the racks on the inside of the door for laundry liquid and presoak and the rag-bag.

2015-02-16 01The right-hand side has the laundry hamper with shelving above.  This holds various cleaning items as well as spare light globes, batteries, rubbish bags and shopping bags.  However, the door is clear and this is where I could put my list.

2015-02-16 02I envisage a write on/wipe off board and am thinking of making one myself from a sheet of coloured A4 card and laminating it.

So, what am I going to write on this list, I hear you ask?  It will basically be a reminder of extra jobs that need doing such as ‘stain on white trousers’, ‘scrub cuffs of mauve shirt’, ‘hem of black skirt’ or ‘darn striped sock’.  They will be all the little things that seem obvious at the time but by the time I am doing the washing/ironing it can be overlooked.

What do you think?  How do you keep track of the extra laundry jobs?

Sew My Stash Sunday – 6

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The only problem with having a commitment to a weekly series is that the weeks fly by incredibly quickly.  This week has not been completely devoid of progress as I have cut out the mint green linen skirt.

2015-02-15 01Belle was here today and was most impressed with the skirt I had completed.  I showed her the pattern drafting system and some of the pattern choices.  She commented that she wanted some long-sleeved shirts for work but that she finds that the ready-made ones are not long enough to stay tucked in.  We delved into the stash and found a piece of fabric which would be suitable and she has chosen a pattern so that has been added to the list.

2015-02-15 02Meanwhile, I had a couple of bits of mending to do so I completed those jobs and can now get back to the skirt.  I darned a sock for The Duke.  There is nothing fancy about my ‘darning’.  I use a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine  which is not particularly pretty but is effective.

2015-02-15 03Then I patched (yet again) a pair of his trousers.  These are his stylish weekend wear when out in the yard and there are now patches on the patches!

2015-02-15 04This is the inside of one leg with no fewer than 3 patches!  I guess there will come a time when they are more patches than trousers but in the meantime they remain perfectly serviceable.

Project 333 – One In, Two Out

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I think we have all heard the mantra of “One In, One Out” in order to keep the clutter under control.  This week I have gone one better.  I made this skirt last week.

003Now I have sent these 2 skirts to the op shop.

2015-02-05 02I bought the navy/white one when we were in the USA in 2012 and it is wearing out.  The lightweight fabric is pulling away from the seams at the sides of the waistband and I noticed that it has actually split along the fold of the hem in a couple of places so definitely time to go.  The red/white skirt is one that I made a while ago.  I attempted to make a pattern from the navy/white skirt.  It was reasonably successful and I have certainly worn it many times but it is far from perfect.  Now that i have a perfect pattern I will be using that for future skirts that I make.  Time for these to go.

Sew My Stash Sunday – 4

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Just a short post tonight but I can show you the completed skirt.  This afternoon I inserted the zip, finished the hem and facing on the yoke.  It is now ready to wear.

060aThe fit is absolutely perfect so I am very pleased with the pattern making which is based entirely on the hip measurement for this skirt.  I will definitely be making other patterns from the system.  I will share more of the details with you next week.

The yoke on the skirt sits nicely and means that it can be worn with a fitted top like the one in the photo.  The skirt is lightweight and will be perfect for our Singapore trip but in the meantime I will probably wear it to work as our weather is hot and humid at the moment.  I will probably team it with this blouse.

2015-01-03 01I am pleased to have been able to create an entire summer outfit using fabric from my stash.  The total cost was $2.70 for the buttons and $1.15 for the zip.

Sew My Stash Sunday – 3

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As promised, here is an update on how my sewing from my stash is progressing.  This week I have done pretty well, albeit with a couple of hiccups along the way.

This is the polo shirt for The Duke that I started a couple of weeks ago.

001I have put the collar on and finished the tab front, however, when he tried it on it is way too big.  How did I manage that?  I chose the size of a multi-sized pattern based on an existing polo shirt that fits him well.  Anyway, now I know.  So, it is back to the drawing board with this one.  The sizing does not influence the neckline/collar or tab front so I think I should be able to cut it apart along the side, underarm and sleeve seams and recut the pieces to a smaller size while maintaining all of the neckline and collar.  Here’s hoping!

In the meantime I decided to make myself another pair of boxer shorts for pyjamas.  This was another sizing issue as I could not remember whether I had previously used the medium or large sizing of a multi-sized pattern.  I went for the medium and of course I was wrong but all was not lost.  I went ahead and completed the boxer shorts and a camisole top and have given them to my sister.

002I have now cut out a pair for myself in the correct size but have yet to start sewing them.  It is a quick and easy task so I may do that after dinner.

002A few weeks ago my mother gave me a book and equipment for making your own custom-sized patterns.  It is not for the faint-hearted or novice as there are no real instructions, just an expectation that you are familiar with dressmaking techniques and construction.  There is a selection of nearly 300 designs so there are plenty to choose from.

I decided to start with a fairly simple skirt using a piece of navy/white striped seersucker from my stash.  Once I had created the pattern I checked it for fit and felt that it would be OK.  Today I cut out and made the skirt apart from the zip and finishing the inside of the facing and the hem.

003It has loose inverted pleats off a wide, shaped yoke with side pockets and a centre back zip.  The fit is absolutely perfect so if the other patterns work similarly, I will be very happy.

I also managed to re-fashion one of The Duke’s long-sleeved business shirts into a short-sleeved one as the cuffs had worn out but the rest of the shirt was still in good condition.

I am not sure what my next project is as I need to finish these first but stayed tuned for more sewing next Sunday.

Adding More Life

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It is nearly 3 years since I wrote this post about extending the use of a pair of 3/4 trousers by making them into shorts.  That project worked extraordinarily well as I still have the shorts and wear them almost every weekend during the summer.  They are lightweight and comfortable and great for gardening and generally hanging about at home.  Imagine my despair a few days ago when I realised that the zip had broken.

001I thought that they were finally destined for the bin but after rummaging in my stash of extra zips I found one that would be suitable.

002I decided that I had nothing to lose as they were no use with a broken zip so I set to work.  In my opinion, there is only one thing more challenging than putting in a zip and that is replacing one because when putting a zip in a new garment it is inserted near the beginning of the construction rather than at the end.  Due to the purpose of the shorts, I was not too worried about the finished look.

003While it is somewhat rustic, I was very pleased with the end result which is a perfectly functional pair of shorts.

004This whole project took me about 10 minutes to complete.

Sewing My Stash Sunday – 2

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I don’t usually get much sewing done during the week and it took until this afternoon before I did any.  I was determined to achieve something as part of this challenge so here it is.

003I have made a start on a polo shirt for The Duke.  I bought the fabric about 14 years ago for this project and it never got made.  I have made the tab front, stitched the shoulder seams and done one sleeve and side/underarm seam.  I had not done a tab front for well over 10 years, but like riding a bike, you never forget.

004With striped fabric it is important to match the stripes.  You can see the matching on the tab front in the picture above and the side seam in the following picture.  It is impossible to match the stripes with a set-in sleeve due to the shaping.

005Next week I hope to show you the completed polo shirt and what I am doing next.  It feels good to know that I am using up materials that have been hanging around for years.

Modifying My Diary

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My personal diary which I showed you here is working well and does not require any modification.  However, I also have a work diary which is an A5 size and quite slim as it has a week to a double page.  However, it is missing one vital ingredient – a marker ribbon.

2015-01-10 01I did not realise this until I was using it last week so I decided to get creative.  I found a length of narrow red ribbon in my sewing collection and was going to cut the length I needed and tie it onto the top spiral.  Then I reconsidered and realised that by doubling the ribbon and looping it over the spiral I could avoid cutting the ribbon.

2015-01-10 02Now I can easily remove the ribbon at the end of the year and I will still have a usable length for another diary or different project.

2015-01-10 03The finished product is working well and it is much easier to find the page I want quickly.  I also can use the second length to mark a different spot if I happen to be working on 2 areas at the same time.

Sew My Stash Sunday – 1

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I do not usually read heaps of sewing/craft blogs because they often feature projects or items that I am simply do not interest me.

However, I stumbled across this idea here and seemed almost too good to be true.  Basically, I can sew or make whatever I like as long as at least 50% comes from my stash.  I had pretty well intended to do this but had not thought of articulating my ideals quite so eloquently.  I love sewing and am working towards decluttering more stuff so this challenge will definitely help.

003My personal plan is to post each and every Sunday about what I have done in the preceding week which fits the challenge.  This will help to keep me accountable and will also be an interesting future record of just what sewing  I achieved in 2015.

002To see what I did last week see my previous post.

Thanks to the lovely Leasa who decided to run with this germ of an idea and also StitchnSewCreates for linking to the original.  Please check out these blogs if you are interested in this project.

001Then when the pieces are too small for much else there is always the ongoing patchwork!

I know that my fabric stash is not huge compared to what some people have but it is getting to the stage of frustrating me because I have so many plans/ideas for a lot of the pieces and I simply haven’t got around to doing it.  2015 is the year.