A little update

Hello folks, thought it was time for a little update.  I started my new job on 4th January and really like it so far.  Have had little time for sewing, and have been curling up on the sofa most evenings getting on with a little knitting!

First of all, I have finished my slouchy pull on hat that I posted about here. Need to get a photo taken off it though.

Also on the needles is a plain sweater in this variegated yarn that I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show last year. I started this a couple of weeks ago.

The pattern is for a plain sweater, as I wanted something that would show of the lovely colours in the yarn and also that I could knit in front of the TV without having to concentrate on fancy stitch-work!

The yarn is called Marble DK from James C Brett which is not a company that I had heard of before. It knits up really well though. The pattern I'm using is Sirdar 9133.

I'm also using my Knitpro interchangeable needles that I got for Christmas.  These are gorgeous and a real treat to knit with.

Also on the needles is a cable sweater that I began in March last year, yarn also purchased at the Knitting and Stitching Show. I have knit the back and sleeves and now just got the front to finish. The front cable pattern is quite complicated and definitely one that needs concentrating on, so making slow progress with this one!

The yarn is Aztec Aran by James C Brett and the pattern is Sirdar 7188.

I definitely need this little great gadget to help me keep count! I got it a few years ago and it's been very useful.

I have bought some new sock yarn which is a lovely variegated Regia yarn, which is my go-to yarn for socks.

I got this free sock pattern with Simply Knitting magazine recently and think that these will be fun to make.

Finally I have finished this shawl neck waistcoat knitted in Sirdar Click DK.  The pattern is Sirdar 9249. All that I have to do now is sew a few ends in, add some buttons and block!

I do intend to do some sewing soon! I have cut out another trusty New Look 6262 and plan to get on with sewing it this week. I've made this three times now, so this will be dress number four!

The material was from John Lewis and was a bit pricey but the quality is gorgeous.

I have also purchased the Emery dress pattern as although this is very similar to New Look 6262, I really like the long sleeves and the collar. I have been keen to make this pattern as I've seen so many versions of this and I would also like to compare to my tried and tested New Look 6262 to see how the fit compares!

I'm definitely going to make a muslin of the bodice first and I've got some lovely fabric lined up for this one too.

I'll let you know how I get on with the Emery dress.

x

Organizing my knitting stash!

One of the things I've been wanting to do for ages is organize my knitting stash. This weekend I went through my entire stash, frogged a couple of projects and then catalogued it all on Ravelry!

While I don't think my stash is that bad, I discovered that I have enough yarn to complete five or six garments at least, and that doesn't include the two currently on the needles, and some odd balls of yarn left over from past projects. 

My next step was to look at my existing patterns and any free patterns that might be suitable on Ravelry and try to allocate my stash to some of these.

I now have seven patterns at the top of my queue lined up to go!

First on the needles is this slouchy hat using some left overs. 

Do you use Ravelry? Is your stash out of control or are you super organized? 

Is there something similar for sewers out there?

Catherine x

Top Five Sewing Misses 2015

2015 had a few misses. However I learnt some valuable sewing lessons along the way. 

Simplicity 6655

First up, my first attempt at sewing a vintage pattern.  I chose this cute pattern, and was so excited about making this. Unfortunately I made a mistake with the sizing as it turned out huge on me, and even though I attempt to fix it, it ended up in the bin and never made it to the blog. Lesson learnt here, make muslin before cutting into precious fabric. 

Sorbetto 

This is a free pattern from Colette patterns.  I was pleased with the sewing I did on this top, but it just didn't fit that well as the armholes gaped and it was too loose around the back. I realised that I should have used my high bust measurement and adjusted the pattern accordingly by doing a full bust adjustment.  Sadly this top has never been worn. Lesson learnt, check if I need to do a full bust adjustment, see my Washi dress.

Bettine 

Bettine - Tilly and the Buttons

I fell in love with this pattern from Tilly and the Buttons after seeing numerous cute versions all over the blogosphere.  I even chose a chambray similar to the version modeled on the pattern cover. Unfortunately the skirt's extreme tulip shape looked awful on me, and again the dress never made it to the blog. This one ended up going to the charity shop.  Lesson learnt  - just because you see loads of cute versions of a dress doesn't mean that it will suit you! 

Lilou dress

I so wanted to love this dress.  This is the most complicated make from Tilly's book, Love at First Stitch.  I learnt how to line a bodice when making this dress.  Unfortunately I did not have enough fabric to make the pleated version, so decided to make the gathered skirt version by drafting my own dirndl skirt from a rectangle of fabric.  I did make a muslin of the bodice, but somehow the bodice seemed a bit too lose fitting on the finished version and I hated the skirt.  Sadly I never wore this dress and this has also gone to the charity shop. Lesson learnt, don't cut corners! If I had used this material for a skirt as originally planned, I might have liked it a lot more. 

Laurel dress

Another dress that didn't make it to my blog.  The fabric I chose was a lovely plaid. Sadly my pattern matching skills weren't up to it and the dress is still not finished.  However, I might try to finish it off as the fit is good.  Lesson learnt - stick to fabrics that don't need pattern matching!

If you like reading about my top five misses, check out the other posts in this blog series over at  Crafting a Rainbow.

 

Top Five Sewing Hits 2015

I thought I would join in with Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow this year and share some of my top fives with you.   So first up is my top five sewing hits for 2015.

I haven't done as much sewing as I would have liked this year, as things have been pretty busy, as usual, but I did manage to make quite a few things.  I also went on a diet in September so this put my sewing on hold for a bit while I focused on that. I have now lost a stone in total, so feeling pretty pleased about that.

 I was also job hunting which can be time consuming, and the good news is that I start a new job on 4th January, eek...

So in no particular order, here are my top five sewing hits:

Strawberry New Look 6262

I have made this pattern three times now (once unblogged) and I was pleased how I perfected the fit of the bodice by making a muslin and then adjusting the pattern pieces accordingly.

It's a lovely fit and flare style dress, which I think is super flattering on all body shapes.  It is similar in style to the Emery dress, which I would like to try next.

Polka Dot Ultimate Shift Dress

I have worn this dress loads - it is so comfortable.  My only regret is that I didn't pre-wash the fabric as now it is more like a tunic than a dress as it shrunk considerably and is only decent when worn with leggings!

Everyday Skirt

Another skirt that has been worn loads. I have made two versions of this pattern, this one and one in denim (unblogged). It's easy to wear because of the elasticated waist at the back. I also love the inseam pockets!

Washi Dress

I fell in love with the Washi Dress after seeing so many cool versions on pinterest.  I wore this loads in the summer and think that a long sleeved version would be great for the winter. Check out this tutorial if you are thinking of making one!

A Sixties Simplicity 1609

I made this for a Christmas party. Although it's a fancy dress, I love this pattern and can see why they are so many versions of this dress around.  I can definitely see myself making this dress again, in a less loud fabric.

All in all some great patterns that I will definitely be revisiting in 2016.  If you liked reading about my top five hits, check out the other posts in this blog series over at Crafting a Rainbow.

Catherine x

A sixties Simplicity 1609

I went to a Christmas party on Saturday night. The theme was the 1960s, so I decided to sew my own costume!

I used Simplicity 1609 which is a reproduction of an original 1960s pattern. The pattern was free with Sew Magazine.

Misses' Jiffy 1960's Vintage Dress.

The dress is a classic A-line dress made from two main pattern pieces. The neck and arm holes have a combined facing and there is a centre back zip. There are 3 variations and I chose to make the plain version as the material I chose was very loud!  The front has a centre front seam, bust darts and flattering French darts. There are also back darts and neck darts. It can be made with a scalloped edge collar, a neck bow or plain round neck.

I cut a straight 14 based on my measurements and made no changes to the pattern. It's quite a fitted dress but surprisingly comfortable and flattering to wear. The only changes I would make next time would be possibly to remove an inch or so from the bodice length as there was some wrinkling there at both the front and back and fixing the slight back neck gape. I think this is an adjustment that I am going to have to remember to make as this is a recurrent problem. I have used this method from the By Hand London blog before and found it very successful.

Another thing to know about this dress is it is quite long. I cut three inches from the paper pattern and then removed another two inches from the finished dress as I wanted a more sixties feel! The finished dress is shorter than I'd normally wear but I think it was just right for my fancy dress.

I finished the look off with some thick whites tights and a headscarf. The headscarf is the Brigitte pattern from Tilly's book Love at First Stitch.

It was a great night out and I loved my dress. I will probably be making this dress again as it's a relatively simple make and super flattering.

I've also entered my dress in the end of year vintage pattern pledge competition. You can check the other entries out on Pinterest.

Catherine x

A polka dot Ultimate Shift Dress

My latest make is another version of Sew Over It's Ultimate Shift Dress.

I bought my pattern last year, from the Knitting and Stitching Show and I made a version that I blogged about here. I saw the dress recently featured on Did You Make That and then I watched Lisa's vlog on youtube featuring her collection of Ultimate Shift Dresses, so thought that I would revisit this pattern. In fact my polka dot version, was totally inspired by one of Lisa's versions!

The Ultimate Shift dress is a versatile pattern that anyone could tackle, so it's great for beginners. The only thing that is slightly tricky is setting in the sleeves but if you are a total beginner you could omit the sleeves, and make one of the sleeveless versions. 

My first version was a bit tight, but I joined Slimming World in September as you might have read on my blog, I've now lost 12 pounds in total since I joined. I decided to make the same size and as you can see it's a much looser fit on me! The material is also a looser weave man-made material that I picked up at the Knitting and Stitching Show and the dress is much more drapey as a result. The choice of material is really important for this dress and I think you should avoid anything too stiff.

I made a size 12 as before, grading to 14 at the hips and this time I sewed the correct seam allowances.

I also used interfacing for the facings which the pattern doesn't mention as otherwise I think they would be a bit floppy.  To be honest something funny happened with my darts on this one, and they don't quite line up, but I don't think that anyone else would notice. I kept the long sleeves on this version which I really like for the winter. I also made a button loop and fabric button rather than a hook and eye, although I think that I could omit the back neck opening totally next time.

I can see myself making this dress again as it's a quick and easy make.  Have you made the Ultimate Shift Dress?

Catherine x

8 pounds lighter and a Laurel dress

Those of you that read my blog regularly, know that I joined Slimming World a month ago.  Anyway tonight I got my half stone award and I am 8 pounds lighter than I was 4 weeks ago!

As a treat to myself, I have started sewing the Colette Laurel dress.

There are loads of gorgeous versions out there, and I've been adding them to my pinterest board Laurel Ideas. I've had this pattern in my stash for a while now and the material is a tartan that I scored in Goldhawk Road ages ago. I'm making version 1.

Have you made the Laurel, if so leave me a link to your blog or photo....

Catherine x