Sewing and so on

I'm a very lucky blogger!

2012-01-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

Indeed, I'm delighted to share the news with you that 2012 is going to be the year of my collaboration with the awesome Zoe in a project called Hem-isphere :)
It all started when I saw her Poetry and Clothing challenge in 2011, I too wanted to have some super cool and gorgeous garments made by her -yes I'm opportunistic like that!- so I asked her if she'd like to work on an exchange project with me. You'd think that just because she works in Traderemade, organises almost single-handedly Brighton Craftaganza, has launched the Me-Made challenges, analyses and writes about the sewing industry, consumption and women-related problems and sews amazing things in what is left of her free time she wouldn't be available... Well, she graciously said yes! But having sewn for her friend she advised me against making stuff for each other because of the unavoidable fitting issues so we settled on exchanging notions packages every two month to make our own garment/accessory. We'll also try and use stuff from our stash as mush as possible.
For our first swap we didn't choose a specific topic so here are the very random things I sent her -photo courtesy of Zoe since I forgot to take one:

The pattern is a 60's blouse, loose fitting with kimono sleeves and a peter pan collar or fitted and sleeveless. As they say on the enveloppe you can add a simple dirndl skirt to have a fabulous ensemble! The belt buckle is real vintage, dating back from the 60's too, the sequined anchor appliqué had been in my stash since 2000 and the only thing I bought for this occasion is the beige trim.
And now this is the excellent package I received from her:

OMG I want to make these two patterns! I love that 60's dress with the ties and the gathered shoulders but I'm fond of the 70's mini smock. And that fabric is so soft and cute! Can you imagine the front yoke detail in the bias with contrasting piping? And look at that adorable little badge:

I have already gotten started on a muslin for the pattern I chose and it's looking great so far, I may have managed to snatch myself a little Zoe modjo^^ We should post about our respective projects in February and then we'll have our next swap in March. I'm so excited about this collaboration, I can't even wait for the next round!

Burda shorts

2012-01-20T00:54:00.000-08:00

Another day, another pair of shorts! I think I love them more than skirts, you can walk, sit, pick up stuff and all without being restricted and fearing your panties will show . I found the pattern in the December issue of Burda mag, they're the leather -eeeewwwww I HATE leather clothes with a passion- high-waisted ones. I got a little carried away and made a size 38 alas after Christmas and my vacation the shorts are a bit tight. I'm glad I put a handpicked zipper on the side or else that thing wouldn't have closed^^. I love the fabric however, it's cotton with some sort of faded/autumn hues Hawaiian print.

Have a nice weekend, see you!

Top and skirt

2012-01-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

What an exciting title! I actually made these two garments a few weeks ago but I took pics today. Did you know that I got this amazing, all-option camera for Christmas but that it won't stand on its own like the old one and that as a consequence I'm back to using said old, half broken camera^^?

Anyway, let's start with the shirt: it's a 70's Style pattern already used and worn quite often, I had to make a few alterations what with my sway back and the fact that it wouldn't have sleeves, the fabric is sweet gingham and I love those crystal like buttons.

Now for the skirt, I had been wanting a bias skirt forever and I finally summoned all my courage to cut one out of that cute millefiori cotton fabric. I found the pattern in an old Japanese book, it was seriously easy to make and I hemmed the skirt 2 days after letting it hang. Still I had to do my hemming twice^^ but the result looks okay.

See you!

Happy new year!

2011-12-31T09:18:00.001-08:00

Hello, so sorry I haven't posted in such a long time, I've been busy and have sewn so many things and all I have to show you is this one bag :( BUT let me say it's no ordinary bag since it's made of beautiful Japanese linen, I adore it and I wear it every single day! Have a very happy new year, big kisses and wishes to all of you!

See you!

The happy accident dress

2011-11-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

I guess I must be a fully grown woman now since I have barely worn jeans in a loooong a** time and I live in dresses and other cute and sophisticated stuff. As a matter of fact I do have a dress to show you today, I call it the happy accident because at first I was to make it simply with black and white polka dot cotton but then I made the mistake to cut my facings in some fruity printed fabric remnants and tadaaa, revelation! Never mind I had to buy said fruity fabric again to make the skirt part when this project was supposed to help me bust my stash... Pics:

I bought and added the cherry red buttons in the afternoon because of course I didn't have any that matched in my tiny collection (heavy sarcasm). The bodice of the dress is the Disney Burda sleeveless shirt and the skirt is a dirndl, and I hope you like it as much as I do because there will be several more of this design :) Have a nice weekend, see you!

Short shorts

2011-11-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Summer has totally come where I live, it's already 30° in the morning! In order to try and survive this heatwave I've sewn a couple of shorts but since I wasn't sold out on the designs I made them out of remnants from other projects. Well, they actually turned out quite nice!
The first pair was made using remaining toile de Jouy I used for a dress for my mum, the pattern comes from the French crafts mag Fait Main and even though I had already sewn it a few months ago this time I changed size and wasn' t sure about the result but they're really nice, look:

There is NO way I'm showing my morning face

That long-sleeved tee was only for photo purpose, you can't wear something that hot at the moment. I want to make a shocking pink loose, light top to go with the shorts, I need to find the correct fabric -and some time!
The second shorts are from Burda mag, still the May 2010 issue (it has so many excellent patterns!) and the fabric was a tiny piece of sateen cotton I had left, I like them too but even though I narrowed most seams they're still a bit big, but I didn't make a waistband as advised so this probably explains it. However they look really good worn with classy platforms or high heels and a simple white top :)

See you!

Is it a criiiiiiiime part I'm not even counting anymore

2011-11-16T01:28:00.000-08:00

I had to do it, it had been at least one month since I had last made a garment out of childish fabric and I believe I have outdone myself in the loud department with this Disney fabric top:

I managed to set in a very decent handpicked zipper, ignore my armpit of doom however.

It's blue with polka dots, it's cotton, it has several members of the Duck family on it and 3 utterly vintage red buttons straight out of the sixties and I love it! The design comes from the May 2010 Burda mag, I cut a size 38 and had very minor adjustements to make, it's a good pattern with an easy fit and lovely results. Awww look at this cute peplum, I wonder why it took me so long to try this pattern! I just need to tack down the lapels with a few discreet hand stitches and it'll be perfect. And I'm so using the bodice for my big, flower dress project :) See you!

Update in blue and white

2011-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Hiya! At first I wanted to make two posts since I have two garments to show you but after looking at the ugly pictures -my mum and bf have failed me! They now suffer from my bad pic curse- of them I've realised they're both well, navy blue and white^^.
To start with, a shirt made using the latest Female magazine that almost turned into a sewing tragedy since I used an AWESOME double gauze kokka fabric for it and the final product sucked. Indeed the sleeves and back were too tight, the front buttoning was set too high and the general aspect was dreadful. Fortunately I managed to salvage it more or less and I can wear it even if it's far from perfect:

BTW I'm seriously disappointed in this latest Female issue, the patterns are smaller than usual and they don't look as good in reality as in the magazine, which is the first time this has ever happened. I hope the next one will go back to normal!
Now, let's have a look at a vintage project with this great pattern from this lovely etsy seller :

That dress is so adorable! Aww and look at their hairstyles! And those platform shoes, swoon! I have ended -for a moment- my two-tone dresses period with this pattern for which I used plain cotton, the bodice and sleeves in white and the skirt in navy:

It was a pleasure to sew, I'm in love with the pintuck pleats, the neat little collar, the flutter sleeves and the empire waist, plus it's a pull-over, the tie belt gives it its shape and I want another one :)
Have a nice weekend, see you!

My 40's dress -it's looooove!

2011-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

A long story short: went to Singapore in July, walked by Paragon mall 4 times a day every day, couldn't avoid latest Miu Miu campaign, NEEDED a 40's dress without spending $4,105 and felt like adding my own touch:

Here we are with a genuine 1945 pattern, McCall's 6249 that I had already tried and loved, some plain black cotton for the top and awesome hawaiian polyester fabric for the skirt. Awww, is there anything I could not love about this pattern? It has lovely details on the bodice:

Keyhole front cut-out, rounded shoulder yokes, external darts and looooong, puffly sleeves with cuffs (plus I added some ties, omg cute!); the bottom is simple enough, a gathered A-line skirt-I prefer it this way. I'm wearing a purchased belt but I'm probably going to sew one from the skirt fabric and I can also wear the dress without one, of course :) Last but not least, thank you bf for the pictures!

Dresses galore

2011-09-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Let's get straight to the point: I haz pictures -finally!- of dresses I've recently made. First another trompe l'oeil dress, navy crepe for the top and white suiting tergal for the bottom:

Then my first two-coulour dress WORN (thanks to my Baby):

And two dresses I made for my mama, the R design from the latest SDB in white cotton veil and tropical blue rayon:

And an umpteenth version of her favourite dress, this time in cotton toile de jouy:

Last but not least you should have a look at this, so many beauties to see and so much inspiration! That's it, see you!

A trip down memory lane

2011-09-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the nineties my favourite designers were those who mixed florals with polka dots, bold colours and abstract prints, the Lacroix, Scherrer and Ungaro.

I was fascinated by the glamourous, joyful and self confident persona the models projected in their dreamy dresses and super cute cocktail suits and had sworn that I too would wear these as soon as I had escaped the torments of adolescence and the dress code of local schools. So these days when I'm a grumpy ageing b***h and I sneer at the younger girls' addiction to clothes and accessories I remind myself that fashion helped me throughout my teenage years and that looking forward to seeing the next collections in the magazines was the only thing that got me out of bed many mornings!
All this to tell you that I've made yet another rectangle skirt, this time with a most amazing polysilk that wouldn't have clashed in my designers' défilés :)

And this fabric screams nineties so much that I heard Supertramp's You win, I lose the second I spotted it:

See you!

I'm on a roll

2011-09-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

All I can think of these days -apart from the usual- is DRESSES! I'm particularly happy with my latest creation because it's super cute and it helped me reduce my stash since it's made from remnants. Here's the thing:

The skirt is a basic dirndl in navy cotton with belt salvaged from two previously failed garments and the bodice is the SDB 4 N top (again!) in a remnant of printed cotton I used for this top.

I took a pic of the inside of the dress to show you I was able to get rid of some brown bias tape that just lay there and yellow bits of cotton to finish the armholes and neckline. Even the waist stay is old gros grain I had had in my stash for years, the only purchased thing is the zipper but I don't really mind :) Have a nice weekend and see you!

My little green dress

2011-09-04T02:12:00.000-07:00

You know I'm so glad I haven't said in a previous post that I don't like wearing dresses made from one single colour/print because now I'd have a difficult time justifying the fact that I've been wearing this several days every week^^:

I LOVE this dress! I've modified the pattern to the SDB 4 N top to make it, I've gotten rid of the gathers and extended the bottom into an A-line skirt and added 5 rows of shirring at the waist and that was it. The fabric is medium weight polyester, it's easy to trace, cut and sew and it doesn't require ironing (!!!!!) but it is full of static electricity and clings to the body like crazy if I don't wear a half slip underneath. I like this fabric so much I bought some mustard, ruby red and peach for future projects :)
Actually I also had it in electric blue and made a quick dress for a date with baby using an old Burda magazine pattern, it doesn't look bad but I was a in a hurry when I sewed it and I think it shows:

See? The hem is uneven and the side zipper is wrinkly, so I will probably unpick them and do them again. I added a modesty panel to the original pattern because it's supposed to be a jumper and a side zip because I didn't use a stretch fabric as advised.
See you!

Two-colour dresses

2011-08-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey there, how are you? I've been experimenting with dresses recently, I'm trying to figure out a design that would allow me to wear them more often without feeling too dressed up. Indeed I've realised that I feel awkward wearing the same print or colour from head to toe, and so I had a revelation^^: how about using TWO different fabrics? I gave it a try using the bodice part of a Burda mag pattern (March 2011) and a simple gathered skirt with a sewn-on belt and remnants from my stash. I'm pretty satisfied with the result, the fit is great even though the armholes are a bit tight and the dress is actually cute:

I love the V shape at the back!

The green fabric is a remnant from another dress project which turned out perfect, I have yet to take pics of it but it's really cool, a simple gathered sundress with an early 80's feel, I hope I can show it to you soon! Back to the 2-tone dress, I got carried away and thought I had found the best project for some striped silk I had been hoarding for a looooong time: bad idea. The silk was far too thin and the bodice rippled and just didn't work well. Sigh, I took a photograph before ripping it:

I tell you this dress is doomed, I spent my free time sewing another bodice out of white cotton, this time with sleeves because I wanted to add a little something and the damn thing turned out too small -I suspect that it shrinked when I washed it even though I had steamed it beforehand :( I'm going to rip this one too and leave the skirt to rest a little while, maybe I'll have an idea and finish it eventually. That's it, have a nice week people, see you!

Miaou

2011-08-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

Hello! A quick post to show you a top I made this weekend still using the latest SDB:

In the book design N has two layers -a cotton shell and an organza outer top- but I only needed one, so I chose to trace the shell part since it has much less gathers than the other part. I'm not even going to comment on the fabric, those who follow this blog regularly must know by now that I cannot resist a Japanese kitty print and the collar part is made of plain black cotton. The design is quite loose, which I adore, but strangely I felt like wearing it with a belt today.

Lol and yes I heard a song when I finished it, it was Sade's "Is it a criiiiiime?" that I completed with "... that a grown a** woman wears a top with kittens in bathing suits on iiiiiiiit"! See ya!

Lucky chance top

2011-08-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Hiya! I've recently bought this book and it has such sweet designs that I was eager to try them all. My favourite however was this one, the R dress:

I love the sweetheart detail, contrast upper bodice and the slightly loose fit which make the dress feminine yet easy to wear and accessorise. I wanted to make sure my usual alterations on the size and position of the bust darts (they are often too high for us westerners) were correct so I decided to cut a short version out of leftovers, but when tracing the changes I felt like no gathers would work better on a top. Moreover I have enough gathered tops to last me a lifetime! So, a few modifications later I ended with this:

Edit:

A somewhat decent picture of the top worn!

The pinkish/apricot fabric is a remnant from some very soft polysomething found in the dollar bin and with which I had tried to make trousers that ended the worst garment on earth and the upper part is plain white cotton. The neckline and armholes are bound with bias tape and even though I forgot the back slit I can pull it over my head without any problems.
On a side note and trying not to sound too creepy^^, I've noticed that when I'm satisfied with something I've sewn I often think about a song that matches the garment. For example when I finished this one I thought about an old French song by Sacha Distel called "La belle vie" -Tony Bennett sang it in English with "The good life". It's such a lovely song!

Have a nice week, see you!

Kitty fabric Burda top

2011-08-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Today's garment is my second version of this Burda top, I just narrowed the shoulders by 1.5 cm because they seemed a bit boxy and reduced the length and width of the original ties because I didn't have enough fabric. Talking about the fabric, if I tell you that it's Japanese, cotton and that it has tiny kitties on it can you guess how much I love it or what^^? Look:

Cuuuuute!!!! Now for the top (I've given up taking pics myself so this one is courtesy of my mum):

So maybe my only complaint would be that the fabric is a bit stiff for this design; since it has no darts and therefore no definition whatsoever the crepe I used the first time is probably better suited. I do love my top though and I even had compliments from two little ladies about it, it had never happened with my other garments so imagine how glad I was!
Also one last thing I want to show you, the biggest tomato I've ever found in my garden:

It weighed about 150 gr and it was yummy! That's it, see you soon!

It's me again^^

2011-08-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how are you?! I'm so sorry I went MIA for a few weeks but I had a big case of laziness and I couldn't be bothered with taking pictures of what I had done, editing them -I'm so bad at taking photographs so this is something I always have to do- trying to find stuff to write that won't sound too boring or silly etc. Plus I had loads of work, my baby came back after his 9 months in France :) and finally I went on holiday. Anyway I want to apologize to the amazing Zoe for stopping Me-Made-June so suddenly and dear Hillary -my sewing idol!- and Ophelia thanks for your kind concern, it meant a lot to me!
I overcame my aversion to taking pics today and therefore have a garment to show you:

This is a shirt I made back in May, I used a slightly modified version of the knock-off shirt and black baby gingham. I was obsessed with daisy chains back then but couldn't find the correct embellishment so I bought white flower trim and coloured the center with a yellow fabric felt tip:

Lol to finish here's the only pic I could salvage of me in the shirt:

I have a lot of blog reading to catch up with, some new fabrics to wash and iron and plenty of new sewing books so I'm not sure when I can post again, until then see you!

Me-Made-June Days eight and nine

2011-06-09T02:03:00.001-07:00

Hiya! I didn't take pics of my outfit yesterday but I wore this already much blogged Japanese top:

It's design V from the first Stylish Dress Book, made of chambray. And today I wore the umpteenth version of the May 2010 Burda top:

Except that this one was made using a most amazing cotton bought in Japan and hoarded with love and devotion^^ Look how pretty:

See you!

Me-Made-June Day seven

2011-06-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, how are you? I'm happy I have brand new shorts to show you today :) The pattern comes from the French crafts magazine "Fait Main" and it was super pleasant to sew: it has great details such as front pockets, a wide waistband, cute pleats on the front and more importantly it still went together very well despite my butchering the front closure! There were supposed to be exposed buttons on the fly but I hid them instead except for the waistband ones for which I used a couple of cute kitty buttons I bought in Japan last year. Frankly after seeing the horror that was my fly at first it was a nice surprise that the shorts ended perfectly wearable. I'll definitely keep my mistakes in mind for the next pair -I intend to sew more, they're so comfy and pretty! Oh, and for these ones I used green twill stolen from mama's stash:

See you!

Me-Made-June Day six

2011-06-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I wore a mustard top from a Japanese book (surprising, I know^^) and this evening I went out and wore... my wedding dress!!! Lol yes I'm that grown a** woman who wears a white eyelet christening gown to down a few beers at the bar, embarassing! I actually felt comfortable AND more importantly it matched my Calais bag :)

Yes I cut the pic because MY FACE!

The briiiiiiide

The dress was made using a 70's pattern which is quickly turning into one of my favourites, I only lined the high waist piece and the skirt and I added a little modesty panel on the front. That's it for today, see you!

Me-Made-June Day five

2011-06-05T02:43:00.000-07:00

Hello there, how are you? I've just had the best morning buying tons of good books as well as the Burda mag May issue (we're quite remote so we get everything with at least a month delay here) and the French crafts magazine "Fait Main" that happens to have the most adorable pair of pleated shorts I've seen in a looong time^^! As for today's garment, the fabric's so cute it set me in a good mood :) It's the same design as the fruity skirt I wore on the first day:

A better view of the low waist piece

Lovely feedsack repro fabric!!!

Just one thing for this version, I should have cut the waist piece cross grain as I did for the first one because it does make a difference: this skirt tends to go down a bit whereas the other one won't stretch even after I've worn it all day long. Well, lesson learned for the next one! See you!

Me-Made-June Day four

2011-06-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

Helloooooooo friends, how are you? I'm feeling mighty better today so I was able to put up a real, fully Me-Made outfit :)

Alright, we have a Japanese top from the first Stylish Dress Book (design C) in flowery cotton lawn, a trusted Burda skirt in black twill and a slightly bigger Buttercup bag in divine Calais embroidery -I'm in complete awe at this fabric, I want to buy dozens of yards and roll myself in it^^!
The midday light isn't the best to take pictures so here are the details:

Have a nice weekend, see you!

Me-Made-June Day three

2011-06-03T03:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, sorry I didn't post yesterday but I've been sick and slept the whole day away :( As for today I can't believe I gave lessons with that face and look of mine, I'm lucky I have sympathetic students^^ See:

It's the Burda top from the May 2010 issue that has turned into one of my all time favourites and for which I still have many variations to show you. But I hope the lousy hair and shorts won't stay! See you tomorrow with a better outfit!

Me-Made-June Day one

2011-05-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

At last it's started! Today's outfit is nothing spectacular yet I'm quite fond of it:

That skirt is "self drafted" ie it's a bunch of rectangles and trapezes but I think it works! It was a happy accident since my mum has a skirt she wore until destruction and after she asked me to knock it off for her the result was so cute that I "perfected" it -I just cut the back waist piece in two to put the zipper there instead of the side^^- to make some for me.

What's more depending on your fabric width you only need from 1 to 1.2 metres to make it. It's low waisted -I LOVE that- and has plenty of room for hips and bottom... You're definitely going to see more like this one :)

Gratuitous shot of my AWESOME shoes, I bought them on discount in 2009 for like 10$ and I remember the year because it was the last time I bought leather stuff.

I also took a pic of the slightly bigger Buttercup bag I made for Mother's Day:

She wanted a Liberty bag unfortunately the only shop that sells this fabric on our tiny island was out of stock so I took Kaffe Fassett instead. See you tomorrow!

I'm still here!

2011-05-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

Hello there, sorry I've been a bad blogger and haven't taken a single photo of my creations lately! Let's say that I'm stocking on stuff to show for the upcoming Me-Made-June alright^^? Still, to make up for my laisser-aller I've prepared a tutorial to sew a simple tote bag that has become my favourite one -I often have bag fancies, 2 months ago I was very much into the Buttercup design for instance. I'm sure there are already many patterns and how-tos for this kind of bag on the internet but I really like the proportions on this one, it's small enough not to be a bother yet I can pack it with my things and believe me I do! It's also a nice one to use your scraps and if you don't sew a closure on it it's completely reversible :) Let's have a look at the latest one I made:

I used cotton from my striped shirt and floral fabric from a Japanese top I haven't posted about yet. The inside is another remnant of simple white polyester fabric. I put a striped pocket inside, the bag closes with a snap and the bow is a brooch. Here's the tutorial:

Click on it for full size

See you soon, have a nice weekend!

The self drafted dress of semi quibbling

2011-05-02T22:15:00.001-07:00

I'm on a roll! A tiny 2-day roll but still^^! I took pictures today but I made the dress I'm about to show you last February, I wanted to wear it for Me-Made-March and didn't in the end because I wasn't satisfied with it. I'm still not but it has grown on me despite its obvious and numerous flaws! First, the thing:

The pros: the fabric is adorable baby gingham -I have a thing for pastel colours with tiny patterns; it's self-drafted so I was able to really work on a shape and details that I like: ruched upper bodice, high and square back neckline, soft pleats for the skirt; it's fully lined with 100% cotton veil which means I can wear it even in summer and finally from the front it makes me look like I have big boobs on an otherwise small body which is perfectly ok with me :)

See^^?

The cons: it's hard to believe these pics were taken AFTER ironing, could these fabrics wrinkle any more? The band under the bust needs shaping because from the side it pulls away from the body, I'm thinking a vertical dart in the middle could solve this; it's too tight in the bust and back areas -I should have left a little ease I guess- and therefore the zipper shows, I HATE that!

I'm not amused by that zipper of doom!

All in all it's less catastrophic than I first thought, I didn't want to wear it because of the aforementioned problems but especially because I thought it looked silly on me but I realise it's an ok dress so I'll give it a chance and more ironing obviously.
Also, I'm so excited that Zoe has organised the Me-Made-June challenge, I can't wait for it to start! See you soon people!

Burda top take 2

2011-05-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hello there, sorry I haven't posted for a loooong time but I was too lazy to take correct pics not to mention write a post^^. So, here's a second version of that Burda top, this time I used white rayon with a nice ume flower print in blue and red:

On another note I got an award from Camelias and Crinolines! I had to answer these 5 questions:

1) What size shoe do you wear? If you wear a size 7, can I borrow your shoes? - I'm a French 38 which is like a US 7.5.

2) 30's or 60's? - Definitely the 60's, I especially love wedding dresses from this era, they were AMAZING:

3) Have you ever kissed someone you shouldn't have? - Naturally!

4) Have you ever been poisoned? Was it by the girlfriend of the person you kissed?? - No poison, only a few allergies here and there.

5) Who's on your "Celebrity Free Pass" list (top 5)? - Number one forever is SADE Adu!!!

Then Tina Turner

Mary J Blige

Marylin of course!

Heather Nova

Ok, the 5 bloggers I'm passing this award to are:

See you soon!

New fitting issues

2011-04-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'd like your opinion on a muslin I've been working on. I want to sew this dress from Burda:

I made a first muslin and there was the swayback problem as well as some strange horizontal fabric bunching on the front bodice so I made alterations and here's my second muslin:

I think this is obviously too tight with the fabric pulling at the sides and the fact that blood stops flowing in my legs when I sit in it :( Yes the peachy bits you can see in the top pics figure straps because I intend to put some on the final dress. What do you think, should I let the side seams to gain 1 cm on each side? Or should I add 1 cm in the middle front and back? Or maybe both?! Once again I need your help girlz!

Grandpa shirt

2011-04-23T01:49:00.001-07:00

Hello there, how are you? I'm soooo excited by what I have to show you today! First a quick explanation to this creation: once upon a time I had a great, loose white shirt -called grand-père in French, hence the title- bought on sale in a cheap catalogue and that I LOVED with a passion. Unfortunately said shirt's fabric rapidly became discoloured and full of holes since it was so cheap and I wore it all the time. At first I would mend the holes and pretend I didn't see the discoloration spots but it reached a point where this strategy didn't work and so I had to do something. With trembling hands I took apart my beloved shirt to trace a pattern from it and pheeew, it actually worked! :) Yes, I can now make an endless supply of this super shirt! Without further ado here's the baby:

The only change I made from the original version is not to button the shirt all the way down on the front, I like it better this way. The fabric is lilac striped cotton, I'm in love with it, I have it in navy blue stripes and I want the mint green and yellow ones too!
By the way, thank you again for taking the time to read and/or comment on this blog, I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend, see you!

Japanese tops

2011-04-19T01:31:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I'd like to show you 2 tops I made a while ago and that I hadn't had the opportunity to take pictures of. The first one taught me always to wash fabrics before making anything out of them :( Indeed the white rayon I used shrinked after the top first went into the washing machine. I can still wear it but it's a bit tight around the arms and fortunately even though the length has shortened it still hides my bottom. The design comes from a Japanese magazine very appropriately called "Sewing", it has a front yoke with ties and 3/4-length sleeves, I only added the frayed ruffled band at the hem. I like this top so I'll probably make another one one of these days, I'll just be careful with preparing the fabric first^^.

Argh, did I mention that this rayon crumples like crazy?!

The other top was made using beautiful Japanese cotton bought on sale in Okayama and a pattern from Female Spring 2010.

I love the raglan sleeves, demure neckline, and the pleats and bow details :) It's very nice to wear and I can already picture another one out of light blue cotton piqué! Alright, have a nice week and see you!

My lil chemisier

2011-04-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how are you? I'm glad to tell you that the Butterick shirt is done :) This was really easy to sew once I got the swayback issue solved. I used tiny polka dot crepe fabric and tan buttons from my stash.

The weather isn't very good today so the pictures are ashier than usual but you get the idea for the top^^. Now I NEED a yellow pencil skirt to wear it with and of course among the dozens of fabric in my stash there's nothing in the correct colour or weight. See you!

Burda top: success!

2011-04-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hiya! Can you believe I finally sewed something that I actually like^^? I found the pattern in the May 2010 issue of Burda magazine, design 104. I cut a size 38 and lenghtened the hem by 2". I loved the kimono sleeves, V-neck and shirring detail of the top and it turned out great, both stylish and comfy to wear.

I used eggplant polycotton veil so it's still a bit stiff but it will settle down nicely after a few washes. I'm still hesitating on what fabric to use for the Butterick project, I hope I'll have a revelation before the weekend is over! See you!

Butterick B4985 second muslin

2011-04-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Following yesterday's pattern alterations I made another test top and I'm quite happy with the result:

Those sharp angles I was worried about worked well eventually! I lengthened the back pieces at the hem and drew a curved line to make it harmonious. I know it's not perfect but I'll leave it like that since 1) I'm not a fusspot 2) my weight varies by 2 pounds almost every fortnight. I also slightly altered the sleeves by superimposing the big dots on the back and front sleeve pieces to join them:

To me the sleeve has a nicer drapé like this, even though you can hardly see it in the picture of the muslin -I totally forgot to take side views^^!
Well I guess that will do for the fitting part, I'd like to get started on the real thing but I'm afraid to cut into one of my hoarded/treasured Japanese fabrics so I'm probably going to think about this one a little longer... See you and thanks for your advice on yesterday's problem!

Fitting issues

2011-04-11T03:17:00.000-07:00

Hello dear readers, how are you? I haven't posted much recently but I've had seamstress block, I can't seem to sew a proper thing for me :( Strangely enough I had no problem making garments for relatives but for me it just didn't work! That is, until I dug Butterick B4985 out of my stash:

What a cutie! A quick look at some sewing blogs later and I was definitely convinced, I had to sew this one. As I'm rather wary of non vintage US patterns when it comes to the fit I made a muslin. The result is quite satisfying except for my usual sway back problem. Here's what I did to try and solve this issue:

I pinched 1.3/4" of excess fabric in the middle lower back piece and removed 3/4" along the upper piece seam line. Now that's when I need your help: are these alterations enough? Should I alter something else? I wear a lot of loose tops so it's difficult for me to say if this above is correctly fitted :( Also please look at my modified pattern pieces:

That piece n°6 now has a sharp angle at the back seam, is it ok or should I reduce the sharpness by sharing the extra centimeters like this:

And of course I guess I have to make up for the 1.3/4" I removed by adding the same amount at the hem of my modified pieces like this:

I could really use your help so please share your advice in the comments! Thanks!

The Golden Girls tunic!

2011-04-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how are you? I told you about a crazy-cat-lady type top in my last post, well here it is!

Even though it's still fairly hot I was able to wear it today, it's the same design as the emerald top and the fabric is a silky poly something, it's textured and there are those beautiful bright bouquets scattered on it :) I know it looks like something Dorothy Zbornak would wear but I'm quite fond of my top! And the worst part is that I was actually drunk on wine cooler -I'm classy like that- when I sewed it. The memory is bitter sweet since the reason I drank that evening was that one of my beloved cats had just passed away so I really needed a recreation :( Therefore I chose a trusted pattern and cut a favourite fabric that I had been hoarding since 2008. Alright, I hope that wasn't TMI^^, have a nice weekend and see you!

Me-Made-March Day thirty-one

2011-03-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's ALREADY the last MMM day! That challenge went by too fast, I want to continue it :( Of course it's only up to me if I want to post daily pictures of my handmade outfits but I'm going to miss the others' creations so much! Looking at all these awesome garments and accessories have become a daily treat^^ so I hope Zoe will organise a Me-Made-May :)
As for what I wore today it's an old Japanese top made of emerald green cotton veil and that have been featured several times on this blog -I love to wear it!

It's comfy, light, I can wear it with a belt if I want more definition, I adore the butterfly sleeves... the kind of essential top for my wardrobe! I have another one out of crazy-old-cat-lady silk (peach colour with huge bright flowers) that I'll try to show you when temperatures get more bearable. I'm off to the flickr group to see my fellow MMMists ultimate creations, see you soon!

Me-Made-March Day thirty

2011-03-30T01:07:00.000-07:00

Hello, how are you today? For this penultimate (Chouchou, ça veut dire l'avant-dernier^^) day of the Me-Made-March challenge I have a cute Japanese top to show you:

It's a design from one of the very first Japanese sewing books I bought, the Camisole and Dress Patterns book. I can't tell you how much I love this book, it's a treasure trove of cute tops and dresses! I've made most of the designs in it and I still enjoy sewing them, not to mention that you can alter the patterns to your liking :) Here I used dotted cotton fabric and chose a size 11 out of the 4 possible sizes in the book (7 is super tiny, 9 is for slim girls, 11 is for plumps like me and 13 is equivalent to a US 14-16). Extra views of the top:

Well, see you tomorrow for our last MMM day!

Me-Made-March Day twenty-eight

2011-03-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I wore something very unusual for me -heavy sarcasm:

Look, it's a bowtie mustard blouse^^! I used a BWOF pattern from not too long ago (I remember making the top in November 2010) and just narrowed and shortened the tie. It was my first time cutting that super slippery crepe fabric, I was very nervous and I must say I am thrilled with the result! I wonder if I could use the same fabric in a ruby red colour for my 70's dress or would it be too thin? Unfortunately as I live in a hot country lining is my sworn enemy and I think it would probably be necessary with this crepe. Back to the blouse, I LOVE the gathered details on the front:

When I first made it I thought I wouldn't wear it a lot but it's grown on me and I actually consider sewing another one one of these days :) What is more it doesn't require that much fabric so I could maybe squeeze it in one of my numerous remnants.
I wore the blouse with a bag I sewn this weekend, I slightly altered my usual Buttercup bag pattern and used black corduroy. Now that is easy to catch on camera:

Lol I tried a close up but it's not much better:

Yes that's a bow you can make out on the bag

The inside lining is colourful silk and the shoulder strap is an old 80's necklace from my mum. That's it for today, see you friends!

Me-Made-March Day twenty-six

2011-03-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hiya, how are you? I hope your weekend's been better than mine because it's been rough here :( Anyway I have a garment to show you:

I spare you my Saturday morning ghost face

It's a classic blouse with tie, I found the pattern in the French magazine Fait Main and used crazy 70's-ish flower lawn. I love this fabric, I don't even know why since I usually don't like these shades of yellow and red -especially mixed together- but this one really caught my fancy^^. I have another 1.5 yard that I'd like to turn into one of my Burda tulip skirts, or maybe a simple A-line cut in the bias. See you on Monday with another MMM day (I can't believe there are only 4 left!)

Me-Made-March Days twenty-four and twenty-five

2011-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hello there, I hope you're doing fine! As we went to the restaurant for my friend Muriel's birthday I could wear my latest dress:

I used a 1974 Simplicity pattern and dark teal polyester and even though the fabric is a bit stiff I like my dress a lot! It's cute and comfy and I can totally picture another one out of yellow cotton, red crepe or white linen (with lace inserts!). It was so easy to make, it took me about 3 hours -handsewing the zipper and the hem included- to sew it. I just shortened the sleeves to elbow length because it's a little nicer with the ongoing heat and I put a side zipper instead of a back one because it's easier to reach.
Now for yesterday's outfit I wore a skirt that I made as a test from an old ASOS skirt that has become too small (ahem...). The fabric is not really to my taste but the shape is pretty cool I think:

The long face is back!

Have a lovely weekend, see you friends!

Me-Made-March Day twenty-three

2011-03-23T06:51:00.001-07:00

Phew I have finally ventured out of my den! It's been so hot lately I avoided going out in the day but I did have a little work this afternoon so I took the opportunity to wear my latest skirt (can you tell I'm obsessed?!):

Aww, I love it to bits! The pattern is a tulip skirt from the August 2010 French issue of BWOF, I had to alter it very little: the size is a compromise between 36 and 38, I made the back in two pieces so that I could put the zipper there -I cannot properly sew a curved zipper- I narrowed the gathered skirt by about 2" and shortened it by 3/4". I used repro feedsack fabric bought there, red poplin for the pockets and black cotton for the facing.

Cute pockets peeking

You can tell I love a garment when I put that many pictures of it^^

See you soon friends!

Me-Made-March Day nineteen

2011-03-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm sorry I didn't post for the last 2 days but I didn't leave the house and had nothing to show you :( Tonight however I went out and wore this:

Details of the front pleats and pockets

Handmade skirt from my beloved Burda pattern
Handmade bag from a Female pattern
OMG it's the return of the Eternal Skirt! I swear I now have about 6 versions of it and I actually can't get enough^^. This one is navy stretch sateened cotton and it's my favourite one, so easy to wear yet so classy! I have black twill and super gorgeous taffeta ready for the next ones :) The bag is made using remnants of several fabrics, I simply shortened a Female bag pattern and that was it! See you soon, I can't believe that the month is already in its second half!

Me-Made-March Day sixteen

2011-03-16T07:09:00.001-07:00

Hello! Today started with unexpected rain and gusts of wind but being quite the stubborn I went on with the outfit I had decided on. It didn't end too bad even though the skirt is definitely not the most practical in this type of weather as you will see from this picture:

Indeed it's a wrapover or portefeuille skirt but the 2 front panels are actually very narrow and the skirt opens all the way up to your panties when you walk if you don't put a few stitches at some critical places :( Don't worry I did of course and my modesty as well as my poor students' eyes were safe^^! It's a design from an old BWOF, I had wanted to sew it for so long but the result is really meh: first that narrow front panels thing, then the length that I didn't get right and finally the waist piece that was too high and that I had to alter. I love this electric blue twill so much I wish I hadn't used it for that project! My favourite features on this skirt are the side pockets and the front pleats and since you can find the same details on my favourite skirt I guess I'll stick to this design from now on. That's it for today, see you friends!

Me-Made-March Day fifteen

2011-03-15T11:43:00.001-07:00

Hello, I hope you're doing well today! I didn't take pictures of my outfit du jour but it looked a lot like this:

RTW jeans and my Pochée top made of quilting cotton plus one of my handmade bags. See you tomorrow!

Me-Made-March Day fourteen

2011-03-14T01:35:00.000-07:00

Hello, how are you? I stayed at home all weekend long so I had nothing to show you for these 2 days but here's what I wore today:

The pattern for the top comes from one of the "1-Day Sewing" Japanese books, the fabric is mustard polycotton. The bag comes from the sewing magazine Female and I used Japanese fabric for it. See you!

Me-Made-March Day eleven

2011-03-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Hello, how are you? Today I wore this:

Yes, I'm not joking it's the red version of the Burda skirt^^ No more for the weekend, I promise I'll wear something else! I also wanted to show you a bag I made for my mama out of Marimekko fabric:

She chose the design from the Summer issue of a Japanese magazine called "Sewing", I used muslin as interlining and black poplin for the lining and sewed rows of black sequins as a finishing touch. I used the remaining fabric to make another Buttercup bag for me:

See you tomorrow!

Me-Made-March Day ten

2011-03-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Hello! I had a looooong day at work but fortunately I felt quite comfortable thanks to today's outfit^^:

It's a millionth version of the Burda skirt, the fabric is strange, velvety-feeling polysomething, I purchased the top -I really need to get started with sewing knits- and it's my Japanese fabric Female bag! Yes it's another haggard looking pic, so I swear I'll put a little makeup tomorrow :) See you friends!

Me-Made-March Day nine

2011-03-09T07:50:00.001-08:00

Hello friends! The outfit I wore today has been my favourite so far :) It's a green twill Burda skirt I made in 2008 worn with my beloved colourful t-shirt and accessorised with a striped bag I sewed for last year's Me-Made-May.

And even though she's not following MMM I wanted to show you my mum's outfit because it was just so cute! I made the skirt and the shirt is like 20 years old and she bought the mushroom brooch in Singapore.

See you!

Me-Made-March Day eight

2011-03-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hi! Today I wore my Qipao dress, I made it in 2009 using the Japanese sewing book "Elegant China". I was a bit afraid to try it on because I've packed a few pounds since I made it -the joys of downing a beer or two on your porch after a long day's work- but fortunately I was able to close the back zipper^^. And proceed at your own risk because I took the pics right after getting up and I look HAGGARD!

See you tomorrow!

Me-Made-March Day seven

2011-03-07T00:58:00.001-08:00

Hello friends, hope you enjoyed your weekend! I didn't post yesterday because I stayed at home and even though my shorts were homemade they are completely raggedy^^. I've found something more appropriate to show you today:

Why, how original, another striped back-buttoned blouse! The fabric is shirting material and it's fairly new since I bought it 2 weeks ago -after 2 months of not going to the fabric shop you can say that I was pretty much in a transe and bought a lot of stuff. I used buttons from my stash but couldn't get a decent picture of the back, well I'll try again later. The skirt is handmade too, I made it out of a cheap, polysomething remnant using a Burda basic pattern.
See you tomorrow!

Me-Made-March Day five

2011-03-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hello! Today I wore one of my favourite tops:

I also have a new Buttercup bag:

The bag allowed me to continue my stash busting mission since the striped fabric comes from a refashioned skirt dating back to 2005! The button and lining are made from a remnant of fabric I used to make my mum a dress.
Then, the very talented Rebecca from MayMade gave me a Stylish Blogger Award and that made me very happy :) But now I have to give you 7 facts about me, what can I say?! Let's see:
1. I have 7 tattoos, my first one I got when I was 15, I remember that our teachers were on strike back then :)
2. I stopped eating meat except chicken when I was a teenager and quit chicken for good last year.
3. Talking about food I put Chinese hot sauce sauce on every meal and I adore Kimchi!
4. Even though you can't tell when you see me, half my family actually comes from Madagascar.
5. I love reading scary/ghost stories.
6. When it comes to making a garment my favourite step is ironing the fabric before starting -ah, the smell of clean hot cotton!- and I hate making facings^^ -go figure!
7. I have a fondness for shabby, decaying houses and buildings and love to spot them in all the countries I visit.
Phew, I'm surprised I found that much to say^^! For the 7 bloggers I'd like to give the award to:
Lazy Stitching
Oh Lulu
Crochetie
So, Zo
Not enough time for everything
Camelias and Crinolines
One Good Apple
Alright, have a nice weekend and see you folks!

Me-Made-March Day four

2011-03-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

Hello! Today's outfit:

Same handmade blouse as yesterday
Skirt: handmade

I also took pics of another variation of the LBD I made for my mum:

Yep, this one closes at the back and has extended shoulders to make cap sleeves and a gathered skirt. See you tomorrow!

Me-Made-March Day three

2011-03-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Today I stayed at home but I did go out this evening so here's what I wore:

Sorry for the long face, I was actually in a fairly good mood when I took the pic^^! I made the top using a 70's pattern I got yesterday -because I didn't have enough patterns already- and used white poplin. I'd like to add very thin velvet bows at each corner of the front yoke, I'm supposed to buy ribbon tomorrow so I'll see if I follow my idea :) And I wore the same bag as the previous days!
See you!

Me-Made-March Day two

2011-03-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's been super hot here today but I was still able to wear my elbow-length sleeves Chinese top :) It's made of cotton lawn that's why it was bearable, I made it back in 2009 and haven't worn it much actually. I'm glad I rediscovered it thanks to MMM^^!

Top: handmade
Skirt: handmade
See you tomorrow!

Me-Made-March Day one

2011-03-01T07:38:00.001-08:00

Hello friends, hope everybody's doing well! So today was the first day of the Me-Made-March challenge and here's what I wore:

Top: refashioned from a dress found in a French supermaket bargain bin
Skirt: handmade
Earrings: handmade
Chouchou in my hair^^: handmade
I also took this handmade bag:

Love the tiny elephants' lining!

That's it for today, see you tomorrow!

Skirt tough love

2011-02-25T03:03:00.000-08:00

Hello! How's your week going? I can't tell that mine's been the best so far but I hope things will get better. Now I have something cool to show you -well I hope so^^- it's a skirt from the September 2007 issue of BWOF and it's really my favourite design ever! I made it when the magazine came out, it was one of my first garments as I was learning to sew properly and it came together so easily I always told myself I should make another one but then I lost that very Burda.
Fortunately I found the pattern sheet yesterday :) I was so pleased, it was hidden between other patterns, I couldn't believe my eyes! Not having the instructions wasn't a problem as it's really simple to sew, however the problem is the sizing: I thought I would cut a 38, which usually fits me and can even be a bit big but here it's too small. I traced the pattern following the second line since sizes usually go 36-44 but it seems to be 34-42 with this one :( I'm glad I used a remnant from one of my mum's dresses and not the beautiful taffeta I was picturing for it, I'll take the bigger size for this future version.
Anyway I feel like wearing that damn skirt, I like it too much! I'll wear it when I go walking and I know that I won't have to sit, that should do the trick^^.

Here you can really tell that it's too small, that zipper is crying!

Cute pocket detail

See you later friends!

Another take on Simplicity 2311

2011-02-21T23:40:00.000-08:00

Hello, I hope everyone's doing fine today! I'd like to show you what I've been working on this weekend:

It's the second time I make this 1940's top; previously I had done it out of Japanese fabric and this time I used a remnant from another retro project, it's light cotton and the detail which I really like is that the stripes are weaved into the fabric and not printed. I was a bit concerned because the red dye tended to bleed but after washing it in cold water the problem was solved. I'm glad that I managed to match all the stripes on the side seams and on the tucks and darts, I put big blue buttons from my stash at the back and I finished the collar with self made bias. The only problem is that I should have reinforced the back with interlining but I forgot and now it tends to sag a little :(
I know it's quite a blousy top, not extremely fitted but I love it nonetheless and there'll probably be a third version someday! Oh by the way I made the skirt too out of a strange, heavy stretch fabric and I wear it all the time, it gives me the daily fix of navy blue I used to get with jeans :) See you friends!

The wallflower

2011-02-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hey there, how are you? I haven't posted much lately but that's because I'm preparing Me-Made-March so I'm saving some new garments for this challenge :) Still I have two tops to show you and I'm sure you'll understand why I chose this title when you see the first one:

The fabric is called Antique Roses and it's a quilting cotton that reminds me a lot of wallpaper patterns hence the wallflower reference! I should also mention that I've had it for a few months so I'm still following my stash busting oath^^. The design is a Pochée top I had already sewn a few months ago and that I love! The pintuck pleats at the front as well as bust darts give it a nice shape and I'm fond of the narrow shoulders and slightly puffy sleeves. Actually I made another one in a row but I didn't have enough fabric for the pleats so I had to leave them out:

This time the fabric is some flowery lawn I had at a bargain price -there's this local shop where I often buy cheap flowery lawns to find later that they are knock off of expensive Liberty prints^^- 2 years ago. Finally I was able to take a picture of one of my mum's dress variations based on this pattern:

Here I simply added a fake button placket with little ruffles. And yes it's one of my cheap flowery lawns :) My mum told me that some coworkers asked her where she had bought her dress so it got me thinking that such a garment costs 5$x1.5+1$ for the zipper -I've had the golden buttons in my stash for years- so that makes it 8.5$, I LOVE sewing^^! See you soon friends, have a lovely weekend!

LBD!

2011-02-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

Hello there, how are you? I hope you're having a great weekend :) Mine is going on quite well, I've just completed my very first little black dress! Indeed, even though I've had little navy dresses or little flashy dresses I had never tried the classic, black version simply because it looked too classy to be worn at school or at the bar^^. However I've been in the mood for femininine outfits recently and I can proudly say that I now wear skirts and dresses as often as jeans so I've overcome my fear of the LBD and here it is:

It's a super simple design from Fait Main, a French crafts magazine, the bodice has French darts in the front and classic darts in the back and the skirt is the same in the front and the back with 6 pleats. I had to gather the neckline a little to get rid of fabric excess, I finished it with black bias tape as well as the armholes and there's a handsewn regular zipper at the side. I know this dress by heart since it's my mum's favourite one, I've made at least ten versions of it for her -I really need to take pictures of them so you can see the little variations from one to the other^^- so it took me like 2 hours to make it, including handtacking the bias tape and sewing the zipper. I'm showing you the dress without any accessories but I found (and washed!) an old white collar I had made when I started to sew again a few years ago and I'm going to try and make a removable bib to dress it up a little. Big necklaces would also work well I guess, a bolero or a frilly cardigan too... I'll see how I can make it more interesting :) Since then see you friends!

Skirts

2011-02-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that post again where I show you cute garments that I'm going to wear once before putting on jeans again! Maybe I should try hypnosis to cure myself from wearing them all the damn time. So, today's projects are 2 skirts made from old Burda magazine issues: the octopuss fabric one has a tulip-y front thanks to 4 pleats (but a very regular back). I added a bow because and I had to do a sort of cuffed hem because I forgot the allowance when I cut the skirt. The side zipper is hand sewn and I finished the waist with folded bias.

Photoshop mastery to get rid of a stack of shoes!

Now for the second skirt I used a very basic design, it's a pencil skirt with 2 darts at the front and the back. I used a terribly cheap remnant of synthetic fabric, the print was a little off but I managed to get it more or less straight.

Alright, have a nice weekend friends, see you!

Happy Chinese new year!

2011-02-03T00:59:00.000-08:00

Hello, happy year of the Rabbit! As my mum and I are fond of Chinese astrology we always celebrate when a new year starts :) I made her a top for the occasion using some fabric we bought in Fukuoka last year:

How convenient, it has little rabbits on it^^! The design is the sleeveless version of the previous top I've blogged about, here instead of piping I sewed some big white ricrac to show the front yoke.
That's it for today but I hope I'll have a skirt to show you before the weekend :) See you!

Old friends are best

2011-01-29T03:20:00.000-08:00

Hey there! How's your weekend? Here it's been raining heavily for 3 days in a row so I'm going to stay at home, which means more sewing time :) As a matter of fact I've got a new top to show you! I used cotton lawn from my stash (by the way, January is almost over and I'm glad that I haven't bought any fabric this month! I've decided that I'm not going to the fabric shop until March), one of my treasured fabrics, a print called "Tuileries Gardens 1930" that I bought in 2009. I fell in love with this fabric the second I saw it and I really waited for the right project to use it. Not sure why but I wanted a round front yoke for it so at first I thought of making a top using a gorgeous Advance vintage pattern from which I had previously sewn 2 great blouses, but the bodice is cut in the bias and I don't think it would have worked well with the print. So I turned to a trusted Japanese pattern, quickly drafted some 3/4 sleeves, added a little piping to bring out the details and here we are:

That "b**** please" side-eye goes to my cat Bibi who was acting the fool because of the storm.

I can't get enough of this pattern, it's so sweet! The original version is a sleeveless, dress-length version but it's so easy to alter, I wonder how I'm going to make it next time^^. I have a serious remnant from this fabric and already another project with it, I'll tell you more soon. See you!

Today's top

2011-01-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

Hello! How was your weekend? I went to my friend Marie's birthday on Saturday -I'm a bad person, I kept the bag!- so I made myself a quick top for the occasion. I found the pattern in my Sacred Book and used some cotton from my stash. As the purple leopard print is quite busy you can't see but there are pleats in the front, an inverted pleat in the back and I've added 2 small bows at the end of each sleeve. Here's the top as featured in the magazine:

And here's my version:

It took about 2 hours to be traced, cut and sewn and I finally got to use this damn fabric! I bought it on a whim but the more I watched it the least I could see what to do with it. Well now I'm quite happy with it, I've worn the top to the party and at work and it's such a nice and comfy design! It's the third top I've made from this magazine and they have all turned out great, I can't wait to sew more^^ See you!

Long blue shirt

2011-01-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, how are you? I'm continuing to explore my new Female magazine, this time I've sewn a long shirt using a piece of a huge old cotton bedsheet I've found while cleaning my place^^. It's my favourite shade of blue, forget-me-not or "myosotis" in French, I was so glad to come across it! I have like 2 meters left so expect to see more garments made in this fabric :) I chose this design because of its many nice features: the front pintucks, the pointy button tab, the back inverted pleat with a yoke extending to the shoulders, the pleats at the wrist and the buttoned cuffs. It may sound like a lot of work but it went together very easily -as usual with Japanese patterns- the only step I changed is the wrists' slits that were supposed to be finished with a tab and that I replaced with a classic facing. I've just realised that I kept my sleeves rolled up today so you won't see this detail in the pics!

Still determined to bust as many hoarded fabrics as my heart will stand, I've also made a bag using some beautiful cotton bought in Nippori in 2007. I found the pattern in the same magazine as the shirt and I lined the bag with a remnant of camel twill.

You can't really tell from this picture but all the flowers are outlined with a golden thread, sigh

I may give it to my friend Marie for her birthday on Saturday since she's fond of Asian stuff and I'm sure she'd love the print, I'll see if I can part with it!
See you!

Answers to your questions on Japanese sewing

2011-01-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hello! First, thank you for your positive feedback on my previous post, I'm glad you liked the top^^! Okay I chose to answer some of your questions here because I think it might be helpful for other readers as well.
Where can you buy Japanese sewing books/magazines? My favourite seller is Pomadour 24 on ebay with her shop Simply Pretty Japanese Beads Books. Megumi has the latest publications as well as some rare books, not only for women clothes but also for kids and she has an excellent selction of crafts books! I have also ordered from Amazon.jp in English with satisfying results :) You can also try Yesasia, Fujisan and some Etsy shops.
Are the instructions in English? I have dozens of these books from various publishers and so far I haven't found any written in English. I know they have translated a few ones to French so maybe they will publish English versions in the future. About finding pattern pieces on the sheet don't worry, designs bear a code like C3 or simply a number and so do the corresponding pieces :)
Are there any seam allowances? No, you'll have to add your allowances!
If you have any other questions regarding Japanese sewing please ask, I'll answer here. See you!

Japanese sewing: a step by step demonstration

2011-01-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, I hope you're having a nice weekend! Mine's been quite busy but I managed to save a little time for this post which may be, well, long and picture heavy so proceed with caution^^. So, if you've followed this blog you've noticed my passion for sewing from Japanese magazines or books. I often get asked how this is possible since I can't read Japanese. Well, I've said it before and I'll repeat it here, you really don't need to read this language to be able to make the garments, and I'll prove it with today's project: my New Year's eve party top.

Obviously you must possess a Japanese sewing magazine or book to start with, the one I used here is:

My top is derived from the cover dress, I had already made a version -with the bow this time- out of chambray (click on the tag "Japanese patterns" on the right and you'll find it) and I had liked it a lot so I wanted to sew it again. Once you have chosen your design, unfold the pattern sheet at the end of the book, find the pieces you need (here they are named after the model) and trace them in your size. To chose the correct size use this board in the book:

In the left column you can see "bust", "waist", "hips" and "height" and the corresponding measures in the other columns, from sizes S to LL.
Now go to the page with the instructions to sew your top. There you'll find a diagram with numbers that correspond to the order in which you should sew the garment:

1. Make the front and back pleats:

2. Skipped because I didn't want the front bow.
3. Sew the side seams:

4. Make the sleeves' pleats...:

...and sew the sleeves' side seams:

5. Attach the sleeves to the bodice:

6. Prepare the neck facing and attach it to the top:

You're done! Now you will hem the bottom and the sleeves -I finished the latter with self-made bias to encase an elastic.
There are written instructions at the top of the page but I didn't even look at them, the diagrams are efficient enough :) Of course it's easier if you can recognize a few kanjis to make the difference between the front and the back or the right and wrong sides of the fabric so here's a link to a summary of useful Japanese sewing terms translated.
I hope this will encourage you to try Japanese patterns! See you!

2011, year of stash busting!

2011-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I wish you a happy and creative new year! So, I've seen on some blogs that quite a good number of you started 2011 as I did, ie with a giant home cleaning/tidying session :) As all my sewing stuff was scattered in different containers accross the house I bought a cupboard for my fabrics and sewing books/patterns and OMG that was a revelation! I have too much fabric and far too many patterns. I've realised that I'm hoarding the best material, waiting for the perfect project thus procrastinating to the max and letting it go to waste while I go almost every week to the shop to buy silly cotton stuff that I obviously don't need! Alright, look at this:

On the top shelf, mainly packed in plastic bags you have 10 pieces of crazy beautiful Japanese cotton fabric that are just begging to be used :( There are also dozens of repro fabrics, blended or cotton that I've had for years up there, around 80 pieces of really nice and useful fabrics on the second and third shelves and lots of remnants on the fourth one. They don't appear in the picture but there are sewing books and magazines on the bottom shelf AND a huge box of 70 vintage and contemporary patterns above the cupboard. I felt seriously dumb when I realised that I've kept on buying patterns and fabrics all along 2010 whereas I already had all these! It's not very pleasant to admit but I think this accumulation is a way of making up for a serious lack of inspiration. I think of Zoe's striking vintage dress, Nette's adorable sweater outfit or Ophelia's dream of a bow dress and tell myself I really need to think before sewing. As a consequence I've decided to stick to what I have and sew this year's projects using only my stash. I'll keep on buying Japanese and Burdastyle magazines however but that's because I know I'll actually use them. No more vintage patterns for I've sewn quite a few dresses from them that I have worn once or never :( No more contemporary patterns either for they rarely fit me and are too much of a hassle to alter.
Anyway, all this blabla leads us to the first creation born from these good resolutions: it's a simple Japanese top made with slightly blended cotton bought in Nippori during my latest trip there. It's a simple design but it's exactly the sort of clothes I wear on a daily basis, it's not figure hugging but not too loose, it has sleeves and a modest neckline so I can wear it to work and it goes well with my usual jeans/heels combo.

The pattern comes from my favourite Female issue so far, this magazine is a dream if you like feminine yet easy to make tops! Actually I've noticed that the best designs are often featured in the Spring issue of Japanese magazines, which is the case with this one. I'm planning on making every single garment in it^^ and a bag or two! See you soon!

Another BWOF experimentation

2010-12-26T06:56:00.001-08:00

Hello there and belated merry Christmas! I'm going to start this post with some totally inappropriate whinning about the fact that last year I spent Christmas in Singapore -which has to be my favouritest place ever right after Japan- while this year NOT! I miss travelling :(
Okay, now for today's garment, I've tried a wrapover top from the November issue of BWOF. I'm sewing compulsively these days so I think I'm probably going to end up making any Burda projects that catch my attention^^. For this top I used some cotton slightly blended with polyester, I love this sage green colour -the French name is "tilleul" which sounds quite poetic- alas this fabric is difficult to iron as you'll see from the pictures. I made my usual 12 size and changed a few details: I didn't add the ties at the hips but decided to close the top with a hidden button and a snap and I simply finished the sleeves with some bias instead of the required cuffs. I also made a mistake when I cut the front pieces so I had to add an extra seam but it looks okay! I felt like wearing the top for my New Year's Eve party but it's definitely too hot for these long sleeves so I'll keep it for the cooler months.

Of course I had to make a matching bow hair-tie!

See you soon with more tops!

Quick Japanese top

2010-12-21T00:51:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I know I said I wouldn't have time to sew for myself but I actually made this tunic a few days ago and couldn't finish it because I ran out of thread just when I only had the hem left to sew! I got to buying said thread today and here's the result:

The tunic is super easy to make since the front and back top and sleeves are cut in a single piece, there's no shoulder seam! You simply gather 2 rectangles of fabric and attach them to this piece and there you have your top :) I got very inspired by 2 great garments made by Ophelia for the simple design of this tunic and used mustard cotton veil, the colour is slightly darker in reality. I'm also wearing a brooch that I made last year, a little bird made of purple felt^^.

See you!

BWOF blouse

2010-12-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hello there, how are you? With Christmas coming it's hard to find time to sew a little something for yourself but 2 evenings were enough to make this BWOF blouse from January 2008:

As you can see it has a number of features such as a front tab, pleats, 3-part sleeves, cuffs... but it was only given an easy to medium note in the magazine! I read the instructions but as often is the case with Burda it didn't make sense so I organised my own steps: first the pleats and the tab, then the sleeves, the shoulder and side seams and finally the collar and cuffs. The result is nice but a bit huge and the neckline is a little too deep fir my taste. I've made it with shirting cotton which makes it very pleasant to wear given the current weather!

That's it for today, see you soon!

Christmas dress and an update

2010-12-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! How are you? I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since 8th November! I have been super busy with my work and, good news, I've had my first orders as a seamstress, I'm so glad! I've made tops for a woman and dresses for her little girl and they've been pleased so far so I'm crossing fingers for it to continue, sewing doesn't even feel like working :) Actually I'm planning a little giveaway to celebrate this, I'll post the details in a few days. Also, I've managed to cram crafting and sewing moments for Christmas gifts, I'll post about that on CCC later. For now I'd like to show you the dress I made for the Christmas party, it's Simplicity 7541, a pattern from 1968:

I made view 3 in teal blue cotton, I lengthened the bodice and redrafted the back -I've learned my lessons from the infamous Butterick dress- and after that it was so easy to make! I loooove the collar, I bought the pattern just for this detail :)

As for Santa, he paid an early visit since I've received my order from Bead Supplies, which allowed me to make these 2 lovely pairs of earrings, I had been dreaming of these little daisies ever since I had seen them^^:

I've also made myself a chouchou and bow hairband with a small piece of fabric my mum chose for me, it's quilting cotton printed with carnations:

That's it for today, I'll try and post on CCC and more here and fortunately not updating my blog didn't stop me from enjoying your beautiful creations, I LOVE looking at you fellow sewists/crafters' blogs so don't be like me and keep posting!

Cool tunic and meh dress

2010-11-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, how are you? I'm sorry I haven't posted much lately, I have been sewing but following a number of little delays and unexpected happenings I could never take pictures. Anyway, for today I have two projects to show you: let's start with this nice little number from the spring 2010 Pochée vol. 9.

In theory it's made of cotton but the fabric really feels and weighs like linen. I guess you can call the colour "tan", it's quite subdued but I like it! I changed two details regarding the original pattern, the back is in one piece when it should have a yoke and gathers and the sleeves should have balloon ends but I didn't have enough fabric for that. I had a brush with disaster when the red transferring paper I used left marks that wouldn't leave on the OUTSIDE of the tunic, fortunately I found a good stain remover and managed to get rid of them (it's a French product called "Le Diable Détacheur").
Now for the not so great other project, when I ordered this vintage pattern I was in the mood for a groovy 70's mini dress:

Well, it turned out rather different from the illustration, I thought the waist was high, it wasn't, the skirt wasn't mini at all, even after I shortened it and worst of all when I finished it it had the dreaded "Goldorak" look, ie the back neckline reached the middle of my neck and the shoulders were at least 1.5" too high. Look:

And here I had already lowered the shoulders by 3/4"! I felt horrible, my back, shoulders and arms are naturally huge so I do not need extra volume over these zones. I ripped off the dress, lowered the shoulders more, lowered the back neckline and bound everything with bias -strangely facings are among what I like least when sewing.

The fabric is chambray, it's cute and nice to wear but I find the dress a bit bland, I'm not sure how to accessorize it. If you have suggestions, please tell me, I've spent quite some time on this garment and I'd love to be able to wear it :(

That's it for now, see you!

Super sweet Japanese tunic

2010-10-24T04:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there, how are you? Today I'd like to tell you about my MOST FAVOURITEST TOP EVER -can you feel a little hint of enthusiasm^^? I love everything about this tunic (design C3 from this book): there are 4 pieces + facings which makes a grand total of 6 mostly rectangle-shaped pieces to trace, the instructions for making the pleats and sewing the garment are crystal-clear and the facings match the top's neckline perfectly. I think the result looks surprisingly sophisticated when it is in fact easy enough to make for a complete beginner.

The only slight change I can advise you to make if you don't want your tunic to be too wide is to reduce the width of both front and back pleats by 2 cm. Another thing, it's roomy but the bust and shoulders part is fitted so choose your usual size (in this book mine is L for a 35" bust and rather large shoulders). The fabric is grey/light khaki chambray -also avoid any stiff fabric if you make this top, it wouldn't look good with these big sleeves- I bought another piece in classic blue for a vintage project, I hope I can show you it soon :) Have a nice weekend folks, see you!

New Look top

2010-10-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I hope you're having a nice week :) A quick post to show you a New Look top I made out of Sevenberry fabric, it's a traditional Japanese print with off-white fans/scales on a navy background. It was easy to make BUT:
- I should have used the proposed facings for the collar, I don't know what possessed me to decide on folded bias instead, it was more complicated and it isn't as flat as the facings
- I should have lifted the shoulder seams, the fabric tends to sag above my bust and in the back, ahem it's not very flattering :(
- I'm really wondering if I should have made it one size smaller.
Despite these problems I love the fabric so much I think I'll wear it anyway! It looks good with black jeans/trousers and I may even make a black skirt to wear with it (I'm not giving up on girly stuff!).

See you!

Summer's done coming!

2010-10-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hey there, how are you? I think today is officially the first day of summer where I live, with temperatures reaching 30°. Right now it's the end of the afternoon yet it's still super hot. I'm not too keen on scorching heat however I had a nice, light top to wear to go walking under that sun :) It's a design from the summer 2010 Female magazine, I made a size L but the bust cups are still a little small so I have to wear a camisole underneath, I'm fine with that, it reminds me of the black spaghetti strap top/skinny white tee combo I wore in my teenage years^^. The fabric is crisp, soft black cotton with a tiny print similar to Souleiado fabrics minus the price. Also I can totally see this top becoming a babydoll dress, it's so easy and pleasant to wear!

And look what I got later in the mail:

This cute lil' fellow was sent to me by the talented Fatima from Galago. I LOVE it, I'm going to wear it all the time! I also ordered a present for my mum's birthday, I'll show you after I gave it to her. Speaking of which, I sewed a giant buttercup bag for her. It's big because she can carry all her books and teacher stuff when she goes to work and I used a very floral fabric since she's so fond of flowers :)

That's it for today, see you soon!

Cleaning my closet / Vide penderie

2010-10-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, how are you? As the end of the year draws closer I've been checking on the garments I've made and I've realised that there's a good portion of them that I've very seldom worn -once! Indeed, I sew a lot and so I have quite a lot of clothes to wear, I can't keep them stored in boxes forever, I lack the room, I could use a little money and I think they will make someone else happy :) so I've decided to sell them. Please bear in mind that they're handmade, therefore the inside of these clothes are either zigzagged or pinked. Here's the list of what I'm selling:

- sundress, coton w/ yellow & white stripes, closes w/side invisible zipper + button, measures: 34", 29", 39", length from front neckline: 82 cm, (never worn)
robe bain de soleil en coton jaune et blanc rayé, fermeture glissière invisible côté et bouton, 88/76/100 cm, longueur depuis décolleté 82 cm (jamais portée) 18€

- pull-over Japanese dress T, black cotton w/ white eyelet, size M
robe japonaise T coton noir broderie anglaise blanche, taille M, 20€

- dirndl skirt, Dick Bruna fabric, closes w/ side hook and snaps, waist: 29", length: 60 cm
jupe qui tourne^^, fermeture agrafe et pressions côté, taille: 74 cm, longueur: 60 cm, sold

- high-waisted mini skirt, grey polyester/cotton fabric, waist: 27", hips: 39", length: 50 cm
minijupe taille haute en coton/polyester gris, taille 70 cm, hanches 100 cm, hauteur 50 cm, 10€

- pull-over Japanese top E Heather Ross Sisters fabric, size S/M (beware, the shoulders are a little narrow!)
tunique japonaise E, taille S/M (attention les épaules sont assez étroites), SOLD

- pull-over Japanese top V, white cotton w/ tiny golden birds & black buttons, size M
top japonais V piqué de coton blanc imprimé oiseaux, taille M, 14€

- Japanese tunic, very soft leopard cotton, size S/M/L (never worn)
tunique japonaise en coton panthère très doux, taille unique (jamais portée), 14€

- tunic, black w/ white dots polyester/cotton fabric, size S/M
tunique en polyester coton noir à pois blancs, taille S/M, 14€

- lace top (lined with cotton), size S/M
top en dentelle entièrement doublé coton, taille S/M, 16€

- loose top, black with tiny white, blue and red print polyester fabric, size S/M/L
top loose polyester noir imprimé, taille unique, 10€

- retro blouse, white eyelet, closes w/ snaps at the back, measures: 34", 28", 37"
blouse rétro broderie anglaise blanche, pressions dos, 87/72/94 cm, 16€

- waistcoat, heavy black linen, size S/M
gilet lin noir lourd, taille S/M, 10€

If you're interested in one of these garments please leave a comment with your email address and I'll get back to you. I'll accept paypal payments only, the shipping fees are 4€. See you :)
Si vous souhaitez acheter une de ces réalisations laissez un commentaire avec votre adresse email et je vous contacterai. Les frais de port sont de 4€.

That 70's shirt

2010-10-09T00:54:00.000-07:00

Now, that was a clever title^^ Hello everyone, how are you today? I'd like to show you a garment I made a few weeks ago, using this pattern:

Don't you just love the styling?! I want each one of these outfits, shoes included :) Love the hairdos too!

I made view 2 without the sleeves' lapels because I didn't have enough fabric. I chose simple off-white poplin and discreet camel buttons, the instructions were easy to follow and I love my shirt! I've been wearing it today with black jeans and I'll wear it next week with the skirt from the same pattern, it's a lovely design that has a 70's-ish flavour because of the rather big, pointy collar and lapels and the slim sleeves but it definitely doesn't look costumy. See:

I'm wearing it with my favouritest brooch ever:

About this little fella, I bought it in Kyoto during my latest holidays in Japan, at the souvenir shop of a hotel/spa/golf lost near a forest. Why was I myself lost near a forest? I was trying to find a temple called Daitoku-ji for my mum, indeed it was our third time in Kyoto but we had never been able to access said temple before for various reasons. This time we had a "map" -now that I think of it it was actually a simplified drawing of the place in a travel guide- we were in the right area, having just left the Ryoanji and the fact that it was noon on an extremely sunny day in the middle of summer didn't seem like a problem. Well, we walked for ONE HOUR AND A HALF under a burning sun, following our map and we ended in the forest. Fortunately that was Japan so the first lady we asked helped us, telling us where we were and calling a taxi. While we waited I entered the shop nearby and that's how I found my brooch. We eventually made it to the Daitoku-ji, even if once inside we got lost in the complex before finding the Daisenin^^.

I also wanted to show you another buttercup bag I made out of blue mock suede, the lining is higly cute cotton from Okayama and it has a bit of bias so that I can hang a strap because every bag should have its own lil' kappa:

And last but not least I fell hard for this nail polish:

That's all for now, have a nice weekend, see you!

My boyfriend's jacket

2010-10-04T04:51:00.000-07:00

Hello! YEAAAAH I DID IT^^ I managed to finish the lined wool perfecto jacket for my boyfriend before his leaving tomorrow. He's going to spend the next 9 months in France so I wanted to make something warm for him, hence the wool and lining :) It was my first time lining a jacket -and drafting said lining since there wasn't any in the original pattern- of course I forgot a small piece at the shoulders and I had to add 2 patches but it really doesn't show much, I'm so happy! Well, that's relative since I'm awfully sad that my baby is going away, I think I also made the jacket to have something pleasant to think of as his departure was coming nearer. Anyway, here are the pics:

Unzipped front, the red lining is peeking :)

Zipped, and a white piece of thread somehow landed on it, tsssk

The back and the open wrists with the lining showing again.

In the meantime I made a little something for me, Rae's free buttercup bag, the upholstery fabric is Ikea and the lining is white gabardine, I love it! It was easy to make and I can already picture some nice variations for it!

See you and thanks again to all of you who read this blog and/or comment :)

Two tops

2010-10-01T02:03:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how are you? Today I have two tops to show you, I used a pattern from Female magazine for the checkered one and a pattern from Ottobre for the dragonfly printed one. The fabrics had been in my stash forever so I really needed to make something out of them! The black and white checks were a remnant from some of my favourite shorts -made in January- and I bought the dragonfly fabric in Tokyo in 2008. I know they're not big projects but they were so easy and pleasing to make, I was really glad to sew them and even more to wear them :)

Speaking of big projects, I'm working on a lined wool perfecto jacket for my boyfriend and I only have 3 days to finish it, wish me luck! See you!

McCall 6249

2010-09-09T03:05:00.001-07:00

Hey there! I's time for my weekly girly outfit, so here's McCall 6249, a 1945 dress pattern that is among the most beautiful I've ever seen! Have a look:

I made view B with short sleeves (not shown here), as I managed to lose the instructions I had a brief wth moment to attach the front yokes to the bodice but I finally got it. However I didn't pay attention to the fact that I was sewing the darts as usual on the inside when they were supposed to appear outside... Next time I'll be careful :) The finished garment:

My usual "arms-crossed-in-the-back" pose doesn't work out that well with the keyhole opening :(

It's, erm, yellow cotton as you can see and I finished the inside with some cuuuute lace.

Now, for your information, I live in a French-speaking country but of course we also have our local language, creole, and one of my favourite expressions is the one used to describe see-through garments: television^^. Well, this is a television dress so I had to make a quick half-slip to wear underneath -I folded in two a rectangle of peach polycotton before encasing an elastic at the waist.

That's it for today, see you soon!

Arum lilies

2010-09-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how are you? Today I made a brooch:

I found the little flowers at the Chinese corner shop, the bow is red felt and it's gathered behind a fake pearl. I was lucky I had some really tiny brooch attaches left, this way the closure doesn't show too much :) Have a nice day, see you!

The girly week: day 7

2010-09-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hello! I didn't post yesterday because I wore the blue Series skirt from Thursday again :) Here's today's outfit, it's the Dick Bruna skirt!

So, I actually enjoyed this week, of course I'll keep on wearing jeans or shorts but from now on I'll also think about the dresses and skirts that have been sleeping in my drawers. I've decided I'll wear one once a week, I guess I can manage this^^ See you!

The girly week: day 5

2010-09-03T04:07:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'll edit later to give more details about today's dress: I slightly altered Sarah's PE top and used flowy black rayon.

The girly week: day 4

2010-09-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I'm feeling a bit silly posting it because today's outfit wasn't handmade -the top is from Forever 21 and the skirt from the Series shop in Singapore- but a challenge is a challenge, right? So Bf you'd better have that jumbo chocolate/chocolate chip/fudge/chocolate sauce with hazelnuts ice-cream pot ready for the weekend^^!

Also yesterday I managed to buy 3 metres of fabric, as if I needed that! But it wasn't too expensive (10$ the lot) and the prints are so kitsch/strange! My kind of fabric exactly :)

The left one is polycotton and the safari one on the right is pure cotton.

See you!

The girly week: day 3

2010-09-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hello! First, I haven't joined but I wish all the Self-Stitched September participants a happy, creative month! Then this is today's dress, a Simplicity 60's pattern and my boyfriend's favourite garment :) I think it was the second vintage dress I made, I remember having a hard time with hemming the circle skirt but the rest of the construction was surprisingly easy, even the bound buttonholes! See you!

The girly week: day 2

2010-08-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today's outfit is the new version of the 1941 McCall dress I made last week: this time I cut the front piece on the fold and put a slit at the back. The fabric is some rayon I bought a few months ago. I may add small shoulder pads later because the sleeves seem to drop a little, anyway I'll wear it today and see if it's really worth it after! Have a nice day, see you!

The girly week: day 1

2010-08-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how's everyone? Over the weekend I was discussing with my boyfriend and he was complaining that even though I've sewn lots of dresses and skirts I'm always in jeans. We took a bet that I would try and wear only said dresses/skirts for a week-if I fail I can't eat ice cream anymore :( So bear with me through this trying week in which you'll see the come back of many an already posted garment and let's start immediately with the Dior knock-off skirt worn here with a simple white tee and my beloved leopard platform shoes:

I also wanted to show you a skirt I made for my mama, I found the pattern in this book. As I used heavy linen I was worried the gathers would look bulky but it turned out ok and now I want one :)

This lining is too cute!

See you tomorrow with a new girly outfit!

Port Elizabeth top

2010-08-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

Hello! As I was left with a remnant of navy cotton from the magic McCall dress I decided to use it to try the increasingly popular Port Elizabeth top designed by the talented Sarah and that you can download for free at Burdastyle. I made a size 12 and only changed a few details: I took in about 1" down each side to make it a little less flared, I lengthened the bodice (+ 3") and finished the neckline with folded bias so as not to have too wide an opening -the next one I make I'm going to raise the neckline by 3/4". I have quite a lot of loud printed fabrics and was trying to find a simple top to showcase them, I think I've found a winner! What's more you don't need much fabric and there are so many variations you can make! I love Camelia and Crinoline's back buttoned version, but you can also add a front placket, a peter pan collar, make the sleeves longer or gather the neckline... I think you'll see a lot of these tops in the upcoming weeks :) Have a nice weekend, see you!

A gift from the sewing Gods!

2010-08-27T00:34:00.000-07:00

The title says it all: I've had this wonderful McCall pattern since May (bought it at Vintage Martini, great choice and impeccable service with delivery worldwide), I was very impressed by it and wondered if I'd ever be able to make it. Indeed, it looked soooo gorgeous on the illustration, it had geometrical seams on the bodice, darts/pleats on the sleeves and even the simple gathered skirt looked glamourous. See:

So, 2 days ago I was gazing at it once more when I decided to just give it a try, I copied the pattern, went for some paper fitting and the proportions seemed to work, I just lowered the neckline a little because it looked extremely high -I've been chocking in a few vintage blouses so I came prepared this time^^. I cut the dress in some good quality navy cotton, had no problem assembling the square seams (CLIP' em), sewed the sleeves' darts in 3 minutes, set them in effortlessly -the armhole and caps matched perfectly- handmade the buttonholes and facings' finish, sewed the gathered skirt with the bodice and finally handsewed a regular zipper and... that was it. I put it on, the fit was GREAT, I was so shocked! I swear I heard that Alleluiah song when I saw the finished dress^^. I was so eager to show it to you I took pictures myself, hence the horrible lighting and strange centring.

I'm already thinking about the next version -flower rayon and long sleeves- and the after next one^^ -beige and black, to enhance the seams. See you!

Today's top

2010-08-20T03:03:00.001-07:00

Hey there! I've sewn yet another top, this time the pattern comes from this book, the B2 blouse. There should be an elastic encased at the hips but I haven't decided if I want it or not so for the moment I'm just leaving it loose. The fabric is coral pink cotton veil and I've added golden rikrak along the neckline and sleeves -. It was super easy to make and I know I'm going to wear it as much as the other colourful tops I've made from Japanese books, ie all the time :)

Have a nice weekend, see you!

Cherry top

2010-08-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, how are you? It's been a loooooong time since I last posted something but I was on holiday and couldn't bring my sewing machine with me -tragedy! You can imagine that I started sewing again the minute I went back and so I present you a tunic from the Summer 2010 Female magazine:

I used some cherry (or is it apple?) cotton veil I had been hoarding since 2008, it's definitely one of my favourite fabrics ever and I couldn't bring myself to cutting it :) I love the result, I think it's a cute top and I really enjoyed making it, the construction steps were simple and clear and the pieces did fit together effortlessly. I'm wearing it with a belt because it has a lot of room^^, should I ever be pregnant with octuplets I have a top ready!

Since the tie parts are not lined I handstitched the hem all along them.

I also wanted to thank you for your awesome comments on the July posts, since I was abroad I couldn't publish them at once but I was really happy to find them when I came back! Oh, and I have a new addiction -well I had to find a way to replace the sewing mania:

See you soon!

Little birdies blouse

2010-07-26T03:08:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I LOVE the V design from the Stylish Dress Book and I've already made a few versions of it so this is my latest take on it. The fabric is the most adorable and softest white pique covered in tiny golden birds -I'm glad I still have a big remnant from it, enough for another project^^. I've shortened the length and the sleeves, the jet black buttons are sewn, no buttonholes needed :) and I finished the sleeves and the hem with lace. See you soon!

Japanese top E

2010-07-21T00:17:00.001-07:00

Hello there! Today I'd like to show you my version of the E top from the first Stylish Dress Book. I've had this book for more than two years and yet I hadn't made this pattern for me (I sewed a dress length version for my mum a few months ago) even though it's the "star" of the book -the cover garment^^.
This pattern is really tight at the shoulders and bust so I made a size 11 instead of the usual 09 and lowered the bust darts by 1" and it's still a little bit small. Also, the pattern calls for a facing to finish the neckline but I simply used bias. I finally agreed to using the Heather Bailey mermaids fabric I had been hoarding since 2008 and I don't regret it! I like my top and have been wearing it a few times already :) See you!

Black and white leopard top

2010-07-14T00:22:00.001-07:00

Hello! I wanted to show you a top I made in 2008 back when I was starting with Japanese sewing. It's a raglan-sleeved blouse with a front slit, an elastic encased around the neckline and some bias to attach at the front so you can imagine how I suffered to make it^^ Not to mention that there wasn't a pattern to transfer, I had to trace it using the given measurements -the same way we did with the Nani Iro top back in June. I had never worn this top because I found it a bit tight and I felt it looked very handmade until I re-discovered it last week and decided to give it a try. Well it's actually not that bad, I even find it lovely now and enjoyed wearing it to go out. That's it for today, happy 14 July to my fellow Frenchies, see you friends!

Vintage Simplicity top

2010-07-11T04:05:00.001-07:00

Hi there! As you may have noticed I'm fond of retro blouses which I find easier to wear than dresses considering that I'm almost always in jeans :) This pattern is Simplicity 2311, a simple back-buttoned blouse with darts and tucks and three collar variations. I made view 3 in a traditional Japanese cotton printed with kittens, I know this fabric is mostly used for kids' yukata and accessories but I couldn't resist it^^. Moreover it's a dream to wear and the more I wash it the more pleasant it gets! I'm proud of the six regular buttonholes I handsewed at the back and I chose simple wood buttons to go with the fabric. Have a nice weekend, see you soon!

Vintage shirt

2010-07-07T02:17:00.001-07:00

Hello friends, I hope everyone's doing fine! Today I'd like to show you a shirt I made from a vintage shirt dress pattern. When I received Simplicity 4050 I was thrilled to discover that it was one of these personal fit patterns with three different lengths to choose according to your measurements. I took the medium pieces and the fit is indeed great, I didn't have to alter it as I usually do. As I used a very light fabric, some white cotton with thin, bright embroidered stripes I knew it wouldn't work for a fully skirted dress so I made a top instead^^. The peplum is a simple gathered band of fabric, I didn't put the sleeves because I felt the shirt would look more summery without them and I added a sewn-on self-made belt to tie on the side. Now, I like my shirt but there's a little problem: as you can see the buttons are not centered. That's because I wanted to make a double row of buttons and I was SURE I had enough to make it work. Well guess what, I'm ONE button short :( And I bought them in Japan so if by any chance there are some more in the little Tokyo shop where I found them I'll be able to fix this mistake when I go there again. See you!

My Holiday Wardrobe

2010-07-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I would like to show you what I've prepared for my holidays.
All these tops and the shorts are handmade garments, indeed I've tried to limit the number of retail clothes I'm bringing with me this year. This is thanks to Zoe and her MMM Challenge, I wanted to do something craft-related for the summer too.

Happy holidays to all of you, see you!

Japanese dress i

2010-06-30T13:40:00.001-07:00

Hello! A quick post to show you a dress I made for my mum with blue poplin and remnants from my Magic Forest top^^. As usual with the Stylish Dress Book it was super easy and quick to make, my only regret is that I should have lowered the side bust darts 1/2" more. The design is called "i" because of its simplicity but it originally has gathers which I prefered to get rid of to keep a clean, graphic shape; I just put an inverted pleat in the front.

My darling skirt part two

2010-06-22T02:12:00.000-07:00

Hello! Thank you again to all the awesome readers who come by this blog and to those who leave comments, even after months of doing this blogging thing I'm still amazed at the amount of good vibrations I get in exchange for showing you some of my modest garments! Let's start immediately with the third installment in the "Dior"^^ series, behold the Millefeuille Skirt!

I used a basic pencil skirt pattern from an old BWOF and I drafted my ruffles using the dimensions of the assembled skirt. I've made a Paint picture to show you the idea in case you'd want to get this "millefeuille" effect:

I sewed lace along the ruffles because I thought it would add a little cuteness since the garment is black. Today I dressed it down for work with a greyish turtleneck and black pumps but I plan to wear it later with a white shirt, a pink satin belt with a bow^^ and leopard pumps. If I don't look like Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? in said outfit I promise I'll take pics! See you!