Tag Archives: Skirt

work outfit pt 2, blueberry crepe cake

11/11/2021 10:57 am \ 2 Comments \

Phew!  I’m currently feeling like the Red Queen! in that I’m running as hard as I can just to stay in the same spot…  anyway, a bit late, but here are some more random things I’ve made recently.

Items 1 and 2;  new things for the little work capsule-wardrobe I’m making for Cassie… and btw, WHY am I making so many capsule wardrobes lately?!  Actually it is kinda fun, so I’m not complaining 🙂

The pistachio green cowl neck top is similar to the previous, avocado green one that I made for her, with a few improvements…  I made it from the leftover cotton jersey that I made Theo’s little panda romper from… so they have a matching mother/son ensemble, should they want to wear something like this!

The mint green skirt is from fabric that I inherited from Mum’s stash, when she cleaned it out… it’s a really lovely suiting fabric and we have enough leftover for a little top too, which I’m planning to make next  #spoilers

The skirt is another heavily modified Vogue 8363, and lined with mint green lining fabric from my stash; this is an absolutely perfect colour match which is nice!  It’s the exact same fabric that used to the blue skirt I made for her recently.  Again, the only new thing I bought for this outfit is the invisible zip, yay!

Item 3; I rarely post cooking/baking projects here, but this one was kinda… out of my comfort zone, should I say!  I recently came across the Cooking Tree on YouTube and quickly became slightly obsessed with her beautiful creations, her beautiful videos and was completely inspired to give it a go.  I picked something super easy, haha; the Blueberry Crepe cake; and for my first crepe cake I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.  The mixture was supposed to make 21 layers; my crepe cake has 20 layers because my first crepe was a fail which means there is absolutely zero excess for spares!

Anyway, it was quite yummy and I really enjoyed the challenge of making it, so I’m definitely going to have a go at some other of the Cooking Tree’s recipes  🙂

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some cute new work clothes

10/10/2021 6:20 pm \ 5 Comments \

I actually finished these things a little while ago but have only just now had the chance to photograph them… also I have a new policy with regard to making things.  I’m planning to alternate making things for others in between making things for me from now on, well for a while at least!  I’m really, really trying to get my stash down, and so I’m sewing like a madman lately!  Hopefully my blogging will keep up with it all too!

So, a few months ago, Cassie and I helped each other go through our entire wardrobes and make brutal decisions with regards to what should stay and what should go.  It was heaps of fun! and we also identified a few things that Cassie needed to go with her existing pieces and just generally refresh her working wardrobe.  She selected a few pieces of fabric from my stash, and she also had a few of her own too… and this new skirt and top are the latest things.

The top is kinda selfdrafted, loosely based upon a bodice piece from a really old NewLook dress pattern that Cassie keeps as her “block”, and the cowl neckline is a hack, she got the idea for it from a Pattern Magic pattern book tutorial.  The avocado green merino knit is leftover from a long sleeved tee I made for myself, originally bought from The Fabric Store.  I did a binding finish on the back neckline, and the armscyes I did by rolling and invisible slip-stitching by hand, because you know; I’m a glutton for punishment.

 

The lower edge was done with my twin needle, and a not quite matching green thread. All inside raw edges are finished with navy blue overlocking thread, because I do not have matching thread and I’m really determined to buy the absolute minimum in my quest to use up my stash!

The skirt is a heavily modified V8363 – honestly, not even the same pattern by now – and I lined it with a beautiful sea green lining fabric (stash).  The skirt hemline is bound with pale pink poplin, itself leftover from some mask lining fabric I bought at the beginning of the pandemic for such a purpose; pale blue button from my stash too.  Cassie supplied the blue cotton fabric, I think it was given to her by a relative of D’s who was cleaning out their stash.

The pale blue invisible zip was the only thing I had to buy to complete this entire outfit!

I hope she likes wearing these things!  I think she looks great in these colours and shapes!

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made some stuff…

05/10/2021 3:05 pm \ Leave a Comment \

thank you so much everyone; all your kind words about Sophie mean so much more to me than I can say…

 

just a few more pictures:

Now:

I really should blog about these few things that got made, in some cases, weeks ago!… and just for something a little bit different I’m just going to go with short and sweet, bullet point kind of blogging.  Ready set go!

Item 1!

  • a new raspberry pink skirt…
  • piece 9 in my #make12 capsule wardrobe from my stash challenge that I proposed at the beginning of the year, hurrah!
  • self-drafted
  • upholstery fabric from Spotlight stores, and the leftovers from my fibremood Heaven dress that I made previously here
  • I bought absolutely zero new things for this skirt!
  • huge pockets
  • fully lined!
  • added a nice bias bound finish to the bottom edge before hemming
  • used the same wine-coloured cotton to line the waistband
  • actually very pleased with the lining to invisible zip attachment this time
  • LOVE IT and already worn it several times
  • am thinking of making this into a pattern and writing an accompanying tute for how to do the zip this nicely!

Item 2!

new onesie for little Theo!

  • own design, the same one as this one
  • cute sloth cotton jersey from Piermont fabrics in San Francisco… I bought this when I was out shopping with Shams, Beth and Yoshimi, during Yoshimi’s and my joint trip to USA together.  Wow, I wonder if we will EVER travel overseas, ever again?!
  • I did the back opening a little differently from the last time, and it is not as good.  Definitely sticking to the way I previously from now on
  • nonetheless this is a HUGE success and both he and I (and Cassie) all love it!

Items 3 & 4

little T-shirt and pants for Arthur…

I used some of Tim’s old trousers for the pants… I actually love doing this recycling old clothes/fabrics sort of thing and really want to get back to doing this more again.

  • self-drafted pattern, using a pair of his rtw leggings to gauge the size needed
  • I added pockets! so cute …
  • to line the pockets and make a kind of facing for the faux fly, I cut pieces from an old purple shirt of Tims… recycling/reusing for the win, or what
  • T-shirt based on one of his currently well-fitting T-shirts.
  • white cotton jersey thrown out from Mum’s stash, when she did her big cleanout
  • I bought absolutely zero new things for this cute little outfit too!

That’s it for now!  I’ll be more talkative next time, I promise!  🙂

 

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check out the checks!

23/08/2021 8:05 pm \ 2 Comments \

Hello!  I’ve made a cool new outfit!  At least, I think it’s pretty cool, anyway.  I think it’s got a strong 80’s vibe; it reminds me vaguely of what the dancers were wearing in Spandeau Ballet’s “To Cut a Long Story Short” video.  Oh boy, that takes me back, it was such a favourite of mine.

The fabric is a beautiful wool mix boucle from Minerva…it’s lovely and soft, with a nice, slightly bubbly texture to it, and I love the strong red and green check on a black background.  So cool! It did fray like mad, so my first step was to finish all the raw edges on my overlocker

For the skirt; I used an old pattern from the actual 80’s, Vogue 1834, and partially lined it with black silk, from my stash.  I’ve made this skirt once before … it can be seen here

The top is the In The Folds Collins top pattern, which I’ve made twice before; here and here.  I cut this from the scraps from the skirt, and only just managed to squeak out the pieces! thus the complete lack of pattern matching.  This does annoy me a little bit, but actually I had no choice at the time.

When styling it, I decided I like the ensemble best when the top is tucked into the skirt, because otherwise the wide flared top overwhelmed the skirt, and you can’t see any details of it.  And this is such a beautiful and unique skirt design! it really demands to be seen.  I mean, the top is pretty cool too, but for me this outfit is all about the skirt.

Having said that, though;  the top is still pretty cool too, and I really like it worn out over a mini skirt, like here.  This is a simple little mini that I made a few years ago, using a tartan wool that I bought in Tokyo during our last holiday there… you know, back when we were allowed to travel  *sob*

The beautiful wool fabric is stable and pliable, and was great to sew up but it did fray like mad, so my first step was to finish all the newly cut, raw edges on my overlocker… I also finished some of the raw edges inside the garments such as the bottom edge of the waistband, and the neckline of the top; using bright red, bias cut cotton… this was leftover from my own Yallingup dress that I made for myself here…  Want to see a fun video on the making process of this ensemble?  If so then that’s great! because I made one! and it can be seen here on my YouTube channel.  🙂  It also includes footage of me leaping about like a loon, so there’s that too…

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my blue corduroy skirt

17/07/2021 5:38 pm \ 9 Comments \

ok sure, I’ve made a few blue skirts before, and I’ve made a few corduroy skirts before, and I’ve even made a few blue corduroy skirts before too… And now I’m welcoming a new one to my wardrobe!  The best thing about this one?  a totally awesome new pocket!!  It’s almost more like a little bag than a pocket, and I could not love that idea more!

Cassie bought this very thin, lightweight, blue cotton corduroy from Tessuti fabrics for me, on my behalf, when she went over to Melbourne on a holiday with her now husband D… it’s quite lovely and it’s languished in my stash for way too long!  I made it one of my “use 12” for this year as a way of forcing myself to finally make something with it.  It’s crazy, but I often struggle with using my favourite fabrics, preferring somehow to make things with fabric I don’t like very much.  It’s like I’m afraid of ruining my favourites… yes I’m trying to get over this…

The pattern is Vogue 1170 a pattern I’ve used several times before, and the ultra cool hip holster pocket is from the Anzu cargo skirt pattern by Waffle Patterns.  I really love this pattern and basically bought it as soon as it was released!  I would really like to make cargo skirt as per the pattern sometime, when I have the appropriate fabric.  Mmm hmmm; as silly as this sounds, because I still feel like I have masses of fabric, I don’t actually have any appropriate fabric in my stash.  AMAZING!!  I’m really trying to use only stash fabric for the time being, as much as possible.  Hey, if I change my mind about this restriction, then I change my mind.

I added a lining, using my own personal skirt block… and some pretty aquamarine teal polyacetate fabric that was already in my stash too.  The only thing I had to buy was the zip!

This is the latest thing in my proposed “use 12” for this year…

If you’d like to check out a quick and fun video of the making of this skirt, then please consider having a squizz at my video on my youtube channel… I even worked out how to add music this time, yay!

I’m wearing it here with two of my recently made merino Nettie tees, my self-drafted tights, and boots bought with a birthday voucher given to me by my friends.

https://youtu.be/YzN8_s3kbC4

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Tali Tali Sandhills

22/06/2021 1:18 pm \ 17 Comments \

I thought about holding off on posting anything about this ensemble until later on, like after the exhibition and I had some pictures of it actually IN the exhibition but … well obviously decided no!

I was thrilled to be invited to participate in FrockOn this year, a collaborative exhibition between Flying Fox fabrics and Ikuntji artists group; an event that aims to highlight and celebrate the work of indigenous artists in Australia … Essentially indigenous designed and printed fabrics were supplied to sewing peeps like myself and we were expected to turn it into an ensemble for the exhibition.

I received 2m of this print; “Tali Tali- Sandhills” by Alice Nampitjinpa.  The design depicts the artist’s Tjukurrpa the Tali Tali Dreaming in reference to her country in Western Australia… you can read more here, and even purchase some of the fabric if you so choose…

The print is in khaki and cream on black linen and I really threw my all into making something truly worthy of this really beautiful print!  I just wish I got to keep it! a few peeps on instagram suggested I buy more of the same fabric and make another set for myself, but honestly, I don’t know if I have the creative stamina to do that.  But anyway!  Here it is, in the spirit of continuing to document everything I make, sewing wise on this ol’ bloggeroo  … 🙂

I made the top using V1486, a Nicola Finetti for Vogue design … (this pattern previously made here) I love the boxiness of this design and thought it went so well with the clean, very straight and fitted lines of the skirt… the back closes with an open ended zip and I was pretty determined to use a gold zip, the nickel colour did not look good at all… however the gold one came only in a 75cm length so it had to be shortened. This is always a far fiddly-er process than you imagine and I’m always terrified the zip pull is going to be on the wrong side or fly off the top! A solid wedge of hand stitched upholstery thread at the top provides a good thick stop though.

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I cut all internal facings from plain black linen and made bias binding for edging throughout from khaki cotton batiste … I think this looks quite smart on the inside…

I made the skirt using V1693, an Issey Miyake for Vogue pattern that is sadly long out of print… (this pattern previously made here)

I really love how the asymmetric details of this design play up the jaggedly stripes against each other in such an interesting way, adding a bit of a visual twist to a print that is already quite dramatic!

I made bias binding of khaki batiste to bind inside edges and flat felled the side seams of the skirt inside… I found the perfect blotchy khaki buttons in my stash, and handstitched some “made by me” labels inside both pieces, these are cut from the same khaki cotton batiste and handwritten using a laundry marker…

I am SO EXCITED to see the exhibition virtually in July and to view all the art and textiles work by all the artists involved… it was an honour to be invited to contribute in just this small way …  It was very scary to make that first cut but once I’d committed to my chosen designs it was a hugely enjoyable process to work with such special fabric.  I posted it off back towards the beginning of the month and just hope it gets there ok!  Still slightly terrified!

  

Details:

Top; Vogue 1486
Skirt: Vogue 1693
Sandals; my old faves from Zomp boutique

boy I really kinda wish I still had it looking at these pictures now.  I actually REALLY love it!

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progress on wardrobe capsule…

10/04/2021 12:04 pm \ 2 Comments \

I’ve made some more things to add to my little make12/capsule wardrobe….

I think I got this rather smallish scrap of  very nice damask upholstery fabric from my friend N when she cleared out her stash… I fell in love with the pretty ocean-blue colour immediately and the scrolling curls in the damask reminded me of seam foam…  I thought there might be enough for a little skirt. And there was… JUST!!  as in, I literally had the smallest quarter handful of scraps leftover after I’d finished with it!

I started out by cutting my skirt block as well I could.  This left me with a micro-mini that would barely cover my knickers in wearing, so I put my university level mathematics to good use, calucating the exact width I could cut the side pieces into in order that they could fit around the entire hemline of the mini evenly and making maximum use of the very limited area.  And I think I did it!  I found that I could have a little bit of extra width on the last pieces to be cut, and I used these at the centre back, where I think it’s nice to have a little bit of extra length anyway.  So there is a very subtle high-low hemline going on at the back too, as well as a slight curving out of the centre-back seam which give the skirt a little “kick” at the back.

With a basically finished skirt, I realised I had a small rectangle leftover that I thought would be big enough for a pocket facing, so I slipped a little pocket in the horizontal skirt seam.

It has the aqua damask at the back of the pocket, for a nice uniform look when you peek into the pocket on the outside, and the remainder of the pocket is made of the cream coloured gingham I used for my recent little top, which I’ve just now realised I haven’t blogged yet  Whoops!  I will get to it!  it’s a prototype for Cassie’s and my newest pattern which we are working really hard on getting out very soon, I hope.  Anyway, the pocket lining is from the scraps from that.

Due to lack of fabric, I finished the hemline and the waistline of the skirt using a bias bound finish… this was cut from an old shirt of Craig’s.  So really, the only thing I had to buy new for this project was the zip!  I hand stitched the bias bound hemline but the waistband I topstitched on my machine.  The pocket is handstitched on the inside to the skirt.  I love both my labels; this green one is Japanese, organised for me by my friend Yoshimi.

pocket in action… and boy do I miss my white wall in the old house!!  I had to borrow this one from Cassie  😀

Next up!

I’ve had this too-big-to-throw away scrap of yellow cotton jersey leftover from when I made last year’s mini-skirt and I thought I’d be able to get a little T-shirt out of it.  However I was too optimistic! and no matter how creatively I arranged it, even a little top was not going to happen. Well, maybe it could, but not without horizontal seams like I did in the skirt and in my opinion, in a jersey this is just not a good look.

Anyway, obviously I turned to my favourite old standby for smallish cuts of jersey fabric and made a set of underwear… I used my old favourite the Watson pattern by cloth habit, and managed to get two pairs of undies for one bra, which is my preferred ratio.

 I did my usual adjustments to the pattern, like fully lining the bra as outlined in more detail in this post here.  Also, I always cut the front of the briefs to be one piece to incorporate the outer crotch, so as to avoid that awkward horizontal seam at the front.  All elastics and bits and pieces were already in my stash, and the little white bows were recycled from an old, also me-made, set from the past.  I always recycle the bits that I can!

These are the second and third things in my make 12/capsule wardrobe that I proposed for myself, using all fabrics/notions from my stash.  I kind still kinda wish I’d had enough of the golden-yellow fabric to make a top, because I really like the idea of a yellow top in this particular capsule, but I suppose I can still make a top at some stage in the future.  Obviously I’m going to wear the underwear a lot, so it’s all good really.  I’m super happy with the little skirt too, it’s exactly the kind of thing I will wear both winter and summer.  I’m pretty happy it has a pocket too!

Details:

Top; from Burda 4/2014/115, details here
Skirt; my own design, old leftover damask from a friend
Shoes; made by me, details here

Underwear; the Watson pattern by cloth habit, leftover yellow jersey

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of dots and bats…

13/03/2021 5:55 pm \ 13 Comments \

I made a swishy new skirt…

this beautiful rayon challis fabric was generously given to me by Minerva in the UK in return for a blog post for their site, which can be read here.. however because of course I am in the habit of documenting my makes here on my own personal blog too, then here we are!

For sometime I’ve been wanting to make a maxi skirt, and just thought what the heck, no time like the present!  It’s very nearly zero waste, which I am quite proud of.  This is the very simple design:

I measured my waist and hips, and gave myself a bit of extra in the hips, and divided by six to get a rough dimensions for a six-gore skirt design, and the width at the bottom hem decided by subtracting my waist measurement from the total fabric width and then dividing by two, and the length of the skirt was determined by the length of fabric I had, divided by two obviously.  So first step was to draw up the one skirt piece.  Yes, I used the same pattern piece for all six gores!…  I planned to fit three of the gores onto each half of the fabric length I had, laid alternately up and down to make the most of the area.  This was possible because the print is non directional.  Actually, side note, but print-matching as a concept is actually the biggest fabric waster OF THEM ALL, I know, pretty controversial thing to say, huh?  Or not, it’s actually quite obvious of course, although no one wants to admit it!  🙂

Initially I thought I’d try to be clever and cut a waistband and pockets from that bit of scrap off the sides, but I quickly realised that pockets and/or a waistband were going to be, respectively; ugly and/or unnecessary.  So this skirt has neither in the end.

some progress shots…

when making a skirt of a delicate fabric and bias side seams, I’ve found it a good idea to hang the pieces up for a day or so to let some of that bias drop out before seaming.  Otherwise I’ve sometimes noticed that over time, the fabric can grow a slightly “gathered” look either side of that stable side seam stitching.

After under stitching the waist seam I didn’t feel like it was sitting very smooth and neat, so I topstitched around the top edge.  Hangs much nicer now I think!

I used a black invisible zip because that’s what I had!

  

Hemline before and after trimming…

  

I hemmed using the triple stitched skinny hem, as described here…

I gave it a half lining, because swishy skirts have a tendency to be clingy skirts if they do not have a lining, to disastrous effect. Fortunately I had some yellow lining fabric leftover from when I made my yellow Mundaring raincoat.  A lining doesn’t need to be super long to be effective for a main skirt, but now it’s done and I’ve worn it I’ve retrospectively decided I would prefer a big swishy lining too.  I may or may not add a doughnut shape to the bottom some time, to get one.

Anyway, it’s still gorgeously swishy!  I’m wearing it here with my little hand stitched Alabama Chanin tank top, which is my favourite tank top.  I really should make myself another, because I could literally wear this two hundred times a year, easily!  I mean, I don’t, but I could, I love it that much… Hmmm  *wanders off to the fabric room in search of white cotton jersey…*

this is how I wore it to bookclub…

In non sewing news; we are nicely settled into our house at last.  I still have a lot of cleaning out and sorting out to do to get our “family of five”possessions whittled down to be better suited to “empty nesters” state of things *sob* but you know… Work in progress, always!

Oh, one other, this time sewing related thing… Cassie needed a feeding cushion for baby Theo, so I made one using some batman themed cotton drill from spotlight and a European pillow insert.  It has a big border so as to use up the entire width of fabric #wastenotwantnot and I put snaps along the bottom to take the insert out for cleaning.  Look how cute he is on his cushion!  Yes, I made the “Tshirt” here which is actually a onesie, and the pants were a gift from another doting relative that happened to match perfectly  🙂

Until next time!

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