Burda - Vintage Chic Polka-Dot Dress

Ah, the holidays are at an end, school starts back tomorrow, only six weeks until a public holiday long weekend and nine weeks until the end of term one - but, who's counting?

I've had productive break with all my sewing.  My final dress for summer is a BurdaStyle dress from the book BurdaStyle Modern Sewing, which features 24 plus size patterns from Burda's magazines.

I've been intending to make the Vintage Chic Polka Dot Dress for a while and finally it's day came. No Polka-Dots here.

I had a piece of black polyester fabric in my stash that I wanted to use.  Yes, yes, a bit unusual for me to want to make a black dress, but black is useful and coordinate's well with other items.  Plus, it's a very Melbourne thing to do - wear black, that is.  I had enough fabric to make the dress, but with short sleeves.  So, short sleeves it is.

I just had to make my normal adjustments for my size to it.  Here it is:

The fabric is a bit difficult to work with, although the only place it gave me some trouble was in the collar, it also creases easily.  I know why the collar is flipping slightly upwards, so this will be rectified next time.

The next time I make this it will be in a cotton.  I will probably not waste my time putting in a zip at the side next time as it is easy to put on when you undo the buttons.

Will I wear it?  Yes.  It feels good to wear.  It's a good pattern, I probably decided to go with a stash fabric just in case I didn't like the pattern.

My overlocker (serger) was sent off for a service on Friday, seems that new blades are in order.  Not bad, I've had the machine since the early 1990s; paid good money for it at the time (we were running a business at the time and needed a sturdy machine).  When I took it in it still got good reviews from the serviceman. I thought this was a good time to take it in as I really couldn't see myself working on an outfit on my first week back at work.  It'll be back by next weekend, so, that's well timed.

Maybe some patchwork is in order in the meantime?

When my overlocker returns I will be focusing on Winter clothing (since I got rid of most of my Winter wardrobe in my latest clean up of clothing).

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra

Stretch top and dress

Yes, a new piece of equipment can change your attitude to stretch fabric.

I've been busy experimenting with my new Janome Coverpro 2000.

I have made four pieces of underwear (from scraps of other items I've either made in the past or now), one top and a dress.

The white top is one that I have made before, it is a free pattern from So Sew Easy, this is, as the site suggests very easy to put together.  It is comfortable to wear, and I do like a white top during the summer months.  This is the first time that I have been happy with using stretch fabric, the Janome Coverpro 2000 does give you the professional finish I so craved.

I then purchased this geometric patterned stretch fabric that I thought that I would make another top out of.  However, when it made it to my cutting table, it told me that I just had enough of it to make a simple dress.

I decided that I would use the same pattern that I had used previously in my little red dress post.  Yes it is the same pattern.  I decided against the sleeves (to tell you the truth, I didn't have enough fabric to do this); changed the sleeve to a shorter version, I didn't add a zip - I'm using stretch fabric, so there's not a need for it.  Cover stitched all hems and neckline, and here you have it:

I'm still experimenting with the machine, so far so good.  Just don't know why I waited so long to get this machine.

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra

My Coverstitch machine adventure - underwear - pants

I don't know if you recall my post last year to do with my anguish over sewing with stretch fabric.  As a result of my inability to be satisfied with the finish of a garment using stretch fabric on a regular sewing machine, I toyed with the idea of purchasing a cover stitch machine.

I actually agonised for quite a long time.  At first I thought that I should buy a very cheap Semco machine from Spotlight.  At $220 it was affordable; but, it's reviews were mainly mixed and negative. Then there's the issue of servicing, a service would cost at least $100 and the internal parts on this machine are plastic. I did layby it, and then cancelled it and investigated further.

What I didn't want was a machine that was both an overlocker (serger) and cover stitch machine. Inevitably one component of this dual system will break down and would be without a machine whilst serving.

I read reviews like this one What is the Best Coverstitch and many other articles. I discussed this with my husband, firstly, we decided that I should get the machine in the brand I wanted.  One that could be easily serviced, a brand that was reputable and easy to get parts for.  So that eliminated the Semco cheap machine.  Besides, I don't think I would ever be happy if I didn't get a reliable machine. Secondly, I anguished over whether it was worth spending money on a machine that it's main purpose was to finish stretch fabric, you know, the fabric I always avoid using because I can't get a professional finish.  Have you noticed that when sewing patterns have been released that increasingly they require you to use stretch fabric?  I have, and decided that I was just hiding my head in a bucket of sand if I really thought that I could avoid this fabric for the rest of my life!

I looked some more, investigated and researched, um and ah'd and then finally bit the bullet at the beginning of December and put a Janome Coverpro 2000CPX  on layby (I felt that if I did change my mind I could still back out of it whilst it was on layby).

Finally the urge, excitement and possibilities of this machine got the better of me, so I picked it up last week.

So, I also said last year that I would like to make underwear.  Using some left over stretch fabric I made my first pair of underpants.  There is no going back, I am in love with my new machine and the possibilities of what I can now make have opened a pandora's box of possibilities!

Happy sewing everyone

Sandra

Happy New Year

Hello everyone

I hope that you had a Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all of you.

I'm on a mission at the moment, three babies are due at work this year, and since I am on holidays wanted to get these out of the way, so I wanted to get the quilt tops out of the way first.

I have completed three quilt tops this week, both using the strip piecing technique.  One will be familiar to you (I have blogged about this before) the other was a technique that I found on Pinterest 

Now, being a bit of a perfectionist the technique here actually produced two quilt tops for me.  I could have incorporated it into one quilt.  The printed fabric in this quilt is vintage.  It's not cotton. Herein lies my contradictions, because I'm not a purist when it comes to quilting (a purist would use 100% cotton all the way through).  The vintage fabric is from my mother in law, who also was a sewer. When she departed I went through her stuff and kept most of the vintage fabric.  How could I not use it?  It gives it such an Art Deco feel.

Here is the other, a familiar quilt top to me now.

Better go and pick up my new toy, more later.....

Happy sewing everyone.

Sandra