Tag Archives: sewing patterns

Searching for a Unicorn

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Unicorn = perfect bra.

Last week I finally bit the bullet and went bra shopping. I suspect I am not alone to say that this is one of my least favourite tasks and was well overdue. I think is mainly due to my inability to find something that is perfect for me.

My main problem is that I have relatively narrow and sloping shoulders and it is difficult (or impossible) to find a bra that the straps do not tend to slide off my shoulders.

I successfully bought 2 new bras and have decided that is all I need at the moment as I can wash one each night. I always handwash my bras to ensure the maximum life from them.

The new bras are good but not perfect and I am still debating future options. I could buy more of the same and put up with second-best. I could keep looking in more shops with more unhelpful retail assistants. I could try buying online, however, I feel like this could be fraught with danger if I do not know exactly what I want. Or, I could try making my own bras.

I have successfully made bras in the past and do have a pattern. The reason for my success was the fact that i could alter the pattern slightly so that the attachment point of the straps at the back was closer to the midline than on most commercial styles. This meant that the straps never slid off my shoulders.

I am very tempted to give bra-making another go. You do need some specialist materials such as the straps, clips and elastic but these are available for purchase through various sources.

Before I discarded the old bras I disassembled them and retrieved various bits that may be useful in future bra-making endeavours. The elastic may be used for other projects.

This lot went straight in the bin.

**EXCITING NEWS**

I have just launched a Facebook group which is aligned to this blog.

If you are reading this and have not yet joined the group please pop over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/2482607615213480 and introduce yourself.

The content and discussion is in the early stages.

Something Old, Something New

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It is even blue as well.

Yesterday I made this playsuit using some of the seersucker fabric from a barely-worn dressing gown.

I used a pattern drafted from a vintage Enid Gilchrist pattern book which is over 60 years old. The book originally belonged to my mother and has been used many times.

I do not have a photo of me in an outfit from this pattern but here are some taken of other family members over the years.

1968

1983

2008

A good design will stand the test of time.

I even found some of the green/white spotted fabric in my patchwork squares that I am sorting out today.

Fit to Wear

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There are many ways of approaching the goal of producing less waste but for me, one of the most obvious things is to consume less and make do with what you have.

Mending, repairing and refashioning will significantly extend the life of items, save them from landfill for longer and of course, reduce the need to purchase a replacement.

Here is a practical example that I did this morning in less than an hour.

This is GMan’s sweatshirt which he wears on the weekend when gardening, mowing and painting as you can see.  The cuffs and lower band are all frayed and badly stretched but the body of the garment is still relatively sound.

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When I said that I could replace the cuffs, he commented how much he liked the fit of it – although I don’t think ‘fit’ is actually the right word.  So, The first thing I did was to make a pattern for future reference.

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I use lightweight interfacing for this purpose and have a roll of it.  I find the patterns cut on interfacing are durable and unlikely to tear.

There are only 2 pieces required – one for the front and back (with different necklines marked) and one for the sleeves.

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Next, I had a dig in my stash of ribbing to find a suitable piece.  I found some bottle green which was exactly enough for the lower band and sleeve cuffs – no wastage at all.

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I then found a piece of black for the neckband and set to work.  I will not try to explain how the ribbing is attached as there are plenty of good instructions which can be found using Google.

The final result.

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GMan is happy and I am sure this will see plenty more wear in the garden.

 

Sew My Stash Sunday – 5

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Well, this week I have not done any sewing but I have been working on my stash in a roundabout sort of way.

While a lot of my sewing room is quite well organised there is always some that seems to defeat me.  Some months ago I tossed it all in a plastic laundry basket and shoved it under the table until I had time to deal with it.  At the beginning of the week I sorted it into 2 piles – fabric and pattern pieces.

Most of the fabric has been sorted but yesterday I spent quite a bit of time sorting sorting out pattern pieces.  There was a mixture of commercial drafted patterns.  Over the years I have offloaded quite a few patterns and more have gone in the op shop bag.  They are ones that I will never use again – either due to the sizing, being dated styles or simply not fitting with my current style.

2015-02-08 01As you can see from the photo, this is still a work in progress but I am determined to finish it before the weekend as the bed will be needed when Miss O and Izz come to stay for the weekend.

On a more positive note, here are the completed patterns all sorted and stacked.

2015-02-08 02Now that I know what I have it will be back to the sewing and I will hopefully have some more to show you next Sunday.

UFO’s No More

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UFO = Unfinished Object

This particularly relates to sewing and craft items in most cases.

I am not overwhelmed by fabric but I do have some on hand.  Several pieces are earmarked for specific projects but my problem is that I can plan and design faster than I can sew!

One of my goals for this year is to whittle the pile down a bit more and create some useful items in the process.  I am fortunate that several friends have generously given me fabric which they are unable to use.  Some of it has been substantial pieces rather than offcuts or scraps.

Towards the end of last year I was given some which included a piece of white embroidered lawn and I immediately decided to make a blouse for myself.  I made it yesterday and finished off the hems, buttons and buttonholes this morning.

2015-01-03 01The only cost was $2.75 for the 5 buttons.

I plan to wear it with this skirt.

2015-01-03 02The outfit will be a cool and comfortable option for work during the hot weather.

I have made 7 or 8 blouses from this particular pattern in the last 6 years.  It was originally cut from a blouse I had purchased that was worn out so I deconstructed it to make the pattern.  The benefit of using an existing garment is that you know that it will be a perfect fit.

On to the next project.

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This is a piece of rugby knit fabric which I bought to make a polo shirt for The Duke but it was never done – until now.  The fabric and collar have been tucked away for close to 20 years.  It is a while since I have made a polo shirt so I will have to refresh my skills a bit.

I am looking forward to moving some of these older projects along and created finished garments.