keelysews... sometimes

My plans to do a bit of sewing may have fallen by the wayside , but I have been reading about sewing. My mother had a clear-out of her sewing books and I liberated this one: I can't find any indication of the age apart from the illustrations, which I think indicate 1950's (one google result did suggest 1940). The book is in 3 parts dealing with patternmaking, sewing processes and techniques, and garment making. I've been leafing through this enough to know I want to sit down and read it fully. There seem to be copies available secondhand, but with the power of Google I did find it's also available as an e-book. Adding to the interest was this pattern tucked inside the cover. It's a supplement pattern from the May 2, 1962 Australian Women's Weekly magazine. I can usually take or leave vintage patterns, but it's quite interesting to try to imagine the woman who once pulled this pattern out to make. I wonder if she ever did? Or did she decide that adding 1/2...

Just for Judy, some 'real' sewing at last. :) While I was tidying up the chaos of sewing bits and bobs, I came across a UFO. This was supposed to be a dress for DD1 last summer. I winged the pattern back then using the Ottobre 02/2007 tanktop and an existing dress for the skirt measurements. However, when DD1 tried it on, the top part was a bit short (oops) as well as, apparently, too high a neckline. (You may remember that DD1 and I have had that conversation before. ) The dress-to-be was therefore put to one side to be forgotten about while I contemplated what to do and whether I could be bothered digging out more of the purple cotton lycra to make another top. I think it's fairly obvious I couldn't. So yesterday, whilst scratching for inspiration, my eyes lit upon this in the pile and I decided to take another look at it. DD1 announced that she no longer liked the fabric that much, but DD2 did. I used a size P from Jalie 965 to recut the bodice and was able to us...

For some reason I've had that Bowie song going round in my head lately. You may have noticed I'm trialling a new look for the blog. What do you think? It might take me a while to get used to it. Still, at least my blog is tidy(ish) even if my house isn't. Today's weather was not summer-like at all so I actually attempted a bit of sewing accompanied by an episode or two of Mad About You. It was the perfect program to take my mind off the fact I was unpicking armhole binding. I'm resizing a dress for DD2 after DD1 'went off' the fabric. Fortuitous perhaps because it was a bit short in the bodice length for her anyway. ;) Hopefully that means some more sewing to show soon.

Finally I have stopped procrastinating and finished DD2's red Ottobre jeans. This is another pair using Ottobre 06-2007 #32. (The first pair I blogged about here .) I think I cut these out about 5 or 6 months ago and in the meantime DD has grown. These are a size 140 width lengthened to 146 and DD is now 144cm (she's grown 2.5 cm in the last 5 weeks!). The length is perfect, the width... let's just say thank goodness it's stretch denim. I think I've finished these just in time if I want DD to get any wear out of them. Strangely, this pair gapes at the centre back. This can be easily fixed with a small dart in the waistband (or a belt), but it is not an issue I noticed with the first pair. I'd also forgotten that I meant to skim in the legs below the knee to make them more 'skinnified'. I used a lightweight stretch denim from Spotlight and topstitched in red. I had huge problems with the topstitching tensions about halfway through the jeans. I changed ne...

The weather has been atrocious this 'summer'. Perfect for sewing. Also perfect for curling up with a good book, watching dvds, or playing video games with the kids (are they still called video games?) . Despite all the other distractions, I have finished a spare pair of cricket trousers for DS. He's off to sunnier and warmer climes in Brisbane for a few weeks for a cricket tournament and needed a second pair. Reluctant to spend much on what is essentially a back-up pair of trousers, I went a-hunting in the stash and came up with 5 metres of white bengaline. I like bengaline to wear normally, but this is white . What on earth was I thinking when I bought it? Oh yeah, I remember - it was $2m on a clearance sale at Spotlight. :) I haven't sewn trousers for DS in a few years so the next problem was finding a pattern. I settled on Simplicity 5362 . By measurements DS just made it into the adult Small, but I've been burned by the Big-4 patterns and their sizing before so ...

Wow. It's been a while since I posted. Christmas is nearly here and life is busy, busy, busy. I finished the Burda shirt dress finally and it has been worn a lot, so I guess it passed muster. The sleeves are normally folded up when DD wears it. DD also hasn't decided on where she wants the belt loops set, as she has worn the belt at both waist and hip level. They will probably never get done. :) After the shirtdress was out of the way, I turned my attention to a project for the junior classes at school. In the past, I have made quick calico stockings for the 5 and 6 year olds to decorate and fill as gifts for their parents. Usually I take the easy way out and straight stitch everything and turn through, with absolutely no inside finishing. This time, I decided to overlock/serge the edges instead. All those curves were interesting, to say the least. Thank goodness for Debbie's tip on serging inside corners. After the time put in, 60 stockings didn't seem to make a very ...

Well, my holidays are over and I don't seem to have got any of the sewing done that I'd planned. It seems my mojo packed and went on holiday too. So, in an effort to kickstart a sewing spree, I started to tackle my DD2's woeful lack of clothing. First up was to use a piece of Mickey Mouse themed sweatshirting I had acquired from my mother. This was apparently purchased in the mid to late 80s, so it was certainly time it was sewn into something useful. Everytime I looked at this fabric all that came to mind was those really baggy 80s jackets. I started with hoodie pattern #36 from Ottobre 04/2007, added extra length to the body and sleeves and used the ungathered pockets, sleeves and hood from #34. I made a size 146 so there is plenty of growing room. Next up was the 'Emo' sweatshirt as it has been titled in our house. I had a small remnant which was not big enough to allow the hoodie DD2 wanted. A bit of digging in the stash and we came up with some white sweatshirt...

It's been a while since I posted hasn't it?! I've been busy studying and getting serious sewing withdrawal. Chocolate just isn't cutting it as a substitute, darn it. Shame too, because I have, ahem, had fundraiser chocolate bars sitting on my table, so you'd think I'd have been home and hosed . (as a side note, if you munch away on blue M&M's, be sure to check the mirror before leaving the house.... cyanosis is not a good look at all!) I've managed to squeeze in dribs and drabs of sewing, but nothing great. I whipped up a 'quick and dirty' tunic for DD2 to her own design. When I say 'quick and dirty', I mean it. Take a remnant of printed satin, fold in half and cut out a neck hole, fold in a small allowance and stitch, sew up side seams to armhole height, finish armhole edges and hem. It looks like a pillowcase with holes cut in it, lol. Then DD1 was in the school musical and naturally needed a costume. Luckily the only thing we coul...

The only sewing that has gone on in my house recently is a baby blanket and mending. Not very exciting I'll admit. (Although the fact I have a new nephew is quite exciting.) The lack of blogging comes with the usual excuses.... life, university courses, etc etc. You know how it goes. That doesn't mean that sewing is far from my mind. I'm still grabbing quick chances to read blogs, although I may not always comment if I'm pressed for time - sorry. I'm also working on a personal goal to use sewing as an example in every one of my courses. ;) I've mentioned the online sewing community for my sociology paper and am currently working the act of 'sewing a garment' into the Research methods paper as an example of quantitative research: I hypothesise that this jacket pattern will not fit straight from the envelope, test with a muslin, hypothesis correct, modify hypothesis for new experiment 'I hypothesise that making larger darts will help it fit better'...

I don't know how many readers will be familiar with Noel Edmonds and Mr Blobby but you may see the resemblance...... right down to the wrinkles on the sleeve/arm, lol. Those who are familiar with the show may understand why I'm saying "Blobby, blobby, blobby" in a funny voice lately. :) If you're not familiar with it, you'd just assume I was mad, lol. I came across this knit fabric in my stash and seeing as it's a soft snuggly knit and it had been a cold week, I combined it with Simplicity 4327 to make a tent nightshirt . I had 6m, bought at $2m in a Spotlight clearance. I'm not sure what I was thinking of when I bought that much of a bright pink spotted knit. I chose a size by my full-b ust measurement and it ended up a bit big. Sherril has commented that it's not too bad apart from the sleeve length. And big does = comfy, but I'm feeling very much like I could be this guy - After I'd made my sleepwear, I decided to spread the pink around...

Phew! I finally finished the mattress covers for my brother's caravan! I have of course procrastinated over these. First I had to get the more urgent projects out of the way and lets face it, when it comes to a 'have-to-do' project, anything is more urgent, lol. Then I had to wait for the continuous length zipper to arrive at Spotlight. ( and wait....and wait....). Then, when DB rang to ask if they'd be ready for the weekend, I had to play imaginatively with the zippers that were in store, eventually coming up with an arrangement butting 2 zippers end to end (pullers in the middle) to get the length. Finally, after facing the fact that I needed to get these finished at some point, I readied myself to tackle them. In reality these were just very large box cushion covers. They shouldn't have been difficult. However, DB and DSisIL had chosen the fabric from hell. Seriously. I mean, this fabric has knocked satin from the top of my 'hate-to-sew-with' list. It ev...

I swear that the clocks all speed up at the end of the year! Towards the end of the year there, I was feeling like my productive streak had worn off and that I hadn't accomplished a lot. The funny thing is that once I started listing it, I realised I have got quite a bit done after all. I think it's the still-very long "to-do" list affecting my perception. There's only one way of fixing that - I'm throwing away the list.... :) One thing I could cross off the list was the Ottobre Hug Tees (01-2008-12) for my nieces, complete with matching leggings ( 04-2008 -2). I was so glad that Meggie Lulu pointed out there was a tutorial on the Ottobre Yahoo group! With pictures! I made these following the Ottobre tutorial, although at some point I'd like to try Mermaids method to have only the one layer in the front. Procrastination does have its advantages as it meant I didn't start DD's version until this year. It can therefore be entered in the Stash Cont...

DD2 has been growing like a weed with the result that her wardrobe is getting sparse. Luckily, Judy loaned me her Ottobre 06-2007 magazine so I could try out this pattern (#32). Where do I start? I looove this pattern for DD. I made these up exactly to the pattern and they fit her really well. I think I could skim in a teensy bit more on the hip and leg for a tighter skinny jean but that is to be expected as DD is size 128 measurements with a size 134 length (I made a 134). I've reviewed this over at Patternreview with a few more details. I used a stretch denim with a metallic pink 'thread' woven through which gives the glitter. This played havoc with my needle, blunting it badly. The metallic thread was also probably the cause of the topstitching thread problems I had. (The thread kept tangling and splitting in this fabric but is fine in normal denim) A picture after DD had worn them all day so a bit wrinkled but it shows the waistband height. The front (oops, somehow I...

DS is off camping next week. Even though this will technically be the first week of summer the weather doesn't always take notice of what it's supposed to be doing. As DS has activities like tramping on Mt Cook and apparently walking up a glacier planned, some thermals are considered a good idea. Lacking a specific thermal underwear pattern, I decided to see what I could make work. These were very quick and rough sewing. I used Jalie 2805 to recut a puchased (on end-of-season sale) XL polyprop top. Yes, I know the Jalie is a womens t-shirt pattern but DS doesn't (yet). ;) I took the shaping out of the side seams and cut a size smaller than DS chest measurement. The result is a pretty good fit for a thermal top and the benefit is that DD1 can also wear it if necessary. :) DS asked for the topstitching to be in the fluoro yellow cotton which was still on my machine from DD's smiley face jacket. This was one of the projects that suffered from the twinneedle issues - it do...

The sewing hasn't gone as fast as I would have liked the last week fortnight. Where has the time gone? It seemed as fast as I made plans for a day, children or fate stepped in and intervened. However, - I've managed to catch up with Judy and the twins a few times and spent an entire day playing (and fulfilling any clucky needs, lol) with babies last week. We also managed to squeeze in a 'girly' day, which is good because we were at risk of needing name badges soon! (Ja, we'll have to do a Friday soon! If we wear a red carnation we should recognise each other...) I spent a morning weedspraying around the property. This included the quick dash (in spraying clothes and gumboots) to the hardware shop a few kilometres down the road for more weedspray. These are the times I'm really glad our community is quite casual. :) This weekend we hope to get them all pulled out. The weeds that is. I've got my vege garden all dug in and planted. It took me 4 hours and despi...

I've been terribly neglectful of my blog. Uni has been keeping me busy, but I've now handed in my (42 page!) research report. I'm slowly recovering from the effects of typing that much (RSI and, ahem, the effects of all the nibbles necessary for such an undertaking) and now I've just got a couple of exams to go this year. Then it's 8 weeks holidays, so I'll be getting some sewing done then. :) Because I can't wait to do something sewing, I've been busy stimulating the economy. First up, I decided to get those Ottobre magazines I've been thinking about before the dollar dropped too far. Winging their way to me are: 4/06 1/08 and 4/08 So when they arrive I'll have no excuse not to be inspired. But it's not just magazines I've been buying. ;) Yesterday, I 'forced' myself to head along to Spotlight's 20% off sale and liberated some fabric. (There goes the stash stats!) Brigitte brown/stars jersey knit; Sweethearts jersey Blue k...

Last night I was grumbling about net services etc and not being able to post the photo of my Jalie top. Then Hubby made a very good point - why is it I hate having my photo taken because I hate photos of myself, yet I'll happily splash photos of myself over pattern reviews and my blog? Weird, huh? I couldn't come up with a proper answer. The best I could do was that it was perhaps because in those photos the focus will be on the outfit. I hope. :) Talking of photos... Not the smoothest segue but here it is - Jalie 2682: Sorry, it is an absolutely awful photo, taken at night. The biggest problem with poly interlock is the static cling factor. Within a few moments this was sticking to me. Wearable perhaps - under a jacket, lol. Oh, and it still needs hemming. Yesterday I made a quick dress for DD2 to wear for Medieval Feast day at school today. They were told they could just wear their party dresses but my poor deprived child doesn't have one of those that fits either, lol. I...

The last week seems to have gone so fast! Unfortunately the exam adrenaline wore off and I've been in a blah state this week so not a lot of sewing has been accomplished. I think my sewing mojo decided to take a break too. :( On the other hand I have gone and got firewood from my sister's farm several mornings so something got accomplished. With the cold weather DD2 had been complaining that her dressing gown was too short. Stash to the rescue! I had a Hello Kitty polar fleece from a year ago aging nicely just waiting for it's opportunity. I used Butterick 4340 which I think is now OOP. This was an easy pattern although I wasn't impressed at having to slipstitch down the upper collar. Hand sewing on a child's dressing gown!? Helloo! What were they thinking? But I did it, reluctantly. Like I said, the sewing mojo had deserted me and I was resorting to following instruction sheets. (Shaking head) I made a size 10 for my 7 1/2 year old. She's wearing size 8 normall...