Skirts Loaded to 50%

Well I haven't been as studious as I could have been but the skirt project is now sitting at 50% done - as illustrated by the photo below.

As you can tell in the end I didn't cut and sew all in one big process line and instead heeded the word of my husband who told me to make one first to be sure the size is correct.  You won't hear this very often but he was right.  The skirt on the right (white) is about 8cm to small.  An anomaly I can not fathom given that I am using the exact same tracings as I used for another skirt that fits perfectly.

In any case due to my generally lazy nature I didn't resize the pattern (I had already gone through that to get the original 28 inch waist to a more reasonable size to fit me and I didn't want to do that all over) instead I did the only sensible thing.... I took half a cm off the seams on the second one... with 8 seams and 2 pattern pieces per seam that netted me the 8cm I required to get the thing to fit somewhere not under my bust.

On that note whist I did the only SENSIBLE thing, there was a point in the trying on phase that another solution came to mind.  That being to add suspenders and pretend it was always supposed to sit that high, alas it was not meant to be.  The fact it is too small is not to much of an issue given that at the moment I am on a diet and trying really hard to lose weight.... about 30kg would be nice but I'll take whatever I can get for now.  If I can lose about 10-15 I should be able to fit into all my old dresses which will be most exciting.

The second skirt (orange) fits fine, so I will be continuing with the sewing them with 1cm seam allowance and not resizing.  I have cut out the strawberry one which shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to complete and then I have two more to go.  I can't get them done quickly enough to be honest there is a massive heat wave in Sydney.

And now for a moment of parental pride, I am adding a picture of my sewing buddy who dutifully kept me company for the frustrations of these skirts.  My Baby Odin the best dog in the whole world.... anyone else have a sewing buddy to vent at when unpicking is called on?

Projects for the Upcoming Stash Blitzkrieg

Officially the Blitzkrieg will not start until Saturday night - because it looks like that will be the first chance I will get to sit down at a machine and sew anything.  With friends visiting from around the world, annaverysorry's and movies to see I have been hardly able to breath.  But I did take some time tonight to quickly put together some pictorials of the projects I will be working on.

8 Gored Skirts

I have 5 meters of rayon (1m each type) and I am going to make 5 of these 8 gored skirts from a 1940's advance pattern 3287.

I have made this skirt 3 times before and am close to perfecting the fit but the pattern is just lovely - especially in the soft floaty fall of this rayon ($4/m).  I used a lot of rayon to make skirts to travel around Italy with due to the not needing to iron and fell in love.  Actually I already have one in the same pattern as the orange floral but red.

Hopefully I will be able to process line these and will therefore have all of them done saturday night.  Which reminds me I had better call into spotlight for zips and buttons.

Skull Dress

Sorry the pic for this is a little smaller but the square allowed a better view of the fabric that I picked up of Ebay.  total cost was about $50 for 3m including all postage.  To be honest the fabric photographs better than it looks in person but I still really like it.  I don't have anything else like it that's for sure.

Whether I manage this as part of this Blitzkrieg or not is questionable because I am unsure if I have enough material to do it, and because I need to find a green to accent it with if I don't.  It may also be put in the when I have lost a little weight pile.  Dropping a size could cut .5m off what I need by this pattern, now there is weight loss incentive.

Childs Play Clothes

All around me friends are having babies, recently some are even having girls which means I can make cool things for them.  This one has been on the to do list ever since we got back from Italy and being so small I doubt it will take too much time so I am including it in this blitz.

Pattern is an old one, 1960's by my mothers guess and of a mail order variety so I am not certain of the company but I think its really cute (size 2 but kids do grow right)

The material is quilters cotton picked up on sale probably about $6 for the pattern and $5 for the plain.  I will do the top patterned and the pants plain.


So there it is 3 projects (well 7 really) and more to come.  I figure if I put the info up here I will remember what material goes with what pattern which should be useful in clearing things out.

The Workwear Project

Recently (as I am want to do at intervals) I went a little crazy on Etsy. I mean 20 new sewing items including 18 new patterns crazy, but what can I say the AUD$ was strong. The large bulk of these purchases were 1940's patterns, a couple of 50's, a couple of 60's and 70's and one or two 30's but over half were 40's patterns.

I probably should explain the 1940's interest, since I started on the 1950's silhouette, it seems strange to move back to the less "pretty" more practical 1940's patterns, but I bought and made a 1940's retro reproduction pattern from butterick, and I found that besides being able to make the pattern in less than half the normal material requirement of the 1950's patterns, the silhouette was feminine without being "girly", flattering without the poof, and suddenly the 40's seemed to be my era, and collecting of the patterns begun. Though sometimes I wish it was the 70's I loved as the patterns are not only cheaper but more readily available.

In any case, I received the 18 or so patterns from various sellers, raided the fabric stash that at present I will call cloth mountain, and decided to start with the making of Hollywood pattern 1268. I forgot to look for it's print date before I left home this morning, and the wiki, has not got it listed (though funny on wiki the blue outfit is green weird).

Now for an Etsy Review - this pattern was bought from Vessangel. Service was fast and efficient, in total I bought 4 patterns off her and they came in plastic sleeves with cardboard backing to keep them in good condition despite the travel an the price was reasonable.

The pattern consists of a jerkin with waist slashes, a blouse with a bit neck bow and a box pleated skirt.... and I love box pleats. The picture is of the actual pattern i have, so at size 18 it is my measurements almost to a tee. Bonus no resizing needed.

My thoughts were that this would be a great pattern to wear to work and I had all the required materials. White cotton for the shirt, I have 75m of this (long story involving toga's.) so any project that can help soak up some of that slack is ok by my hubbies standards, the Jerkin could be the left over black cotton sateen from a project last year (7m of it was left over but I traded out 3.5 to Ange and made a shift with the rest, so the 1.5m left over was perfect for this jerkin) and for the skirt (and little belt likely) I could use a plaid I bought a heap of (no idea how much but it is 150cm bolt about 1.5inch radius of material and I got it all for $15) which is a black/white/cream/bone combo.

This post actually comes a little late as I have just about completed the jerkin, however I won't put up any pictures until the whole thing is complete... maybe a couple of weeks. I am trying to take my time and do things right for a change, which isn't easy with a perforated pattern.

Wish me luck

Hef