Friday 28 January 2011

Butterick 5564 - pleat sleeve top

Nearly two weeks since my last post and nothing to show for it!  I had such high hopes for this pattern but I should have realised that there was potential for problems when the pattern envelope only had a sketch.


Here's the top on Ruby.  I cut a size 14 adding two inches to the length and it all came together really easily but I'll never wear it because it looks ridiculous.


I thought that the sleeve pleats would sit under the bust and that the sleeve would be much fuller.  As it is the top is flat across the bust and the pleats are all baggy under my arms.  This looks awful and limits my movement.  I can put my hands on my hips but if I try to raise my arms any higher, the whole top rides up.  I think I need to join Pattern Review so that I can research patterns before I sew them up.

I love this fabric so I don't want to waste it and Kristy has inspired me to turn this wadder into something else.

I've got a week off work so I'm planning on spending some time in my sewing room but I'm just not sure what to work on.  I desperately need some new work clothes so perhaps I'll start browsing patterns and blogs for inspiration.

Sunday 16 January 2011

McCalls 6078

Here's my first finished item of the year McCall's 6078, view A.  I've seen a few great versions of this top but I'm not really loving mine.  It's OK (I'll wear it) but I think there are two problems, it's too big and my fabric has too much drape.  I made a medium in a really drapey rayon knit and you can see how much that makes the back cross over sag.  I've put a small stitch where the two back pieces cross over so that I can wear it - otherwise it hangs open right down to my lower back.  Looking at the pictures below I notice that the hem needs a really good press too.

 Front view

Back view

I really love the pattern and I'll probably try it again in a smaller size using a different knit.

Friday 14 January 2011

Rain, rain go away...

It's amazing people like this lady who really made me want to join the blogging community.  Like pretty much everyone in Australia I have been glued to my TV watching the devastation in Queensland.  I've seen a number of different ways that people can help and this website has some good information.  Our family will make a financial donation but I love the idea of something handmade that could bring a little joy to people who have lost everything.  I'll definitely be sending Corrie some blocks and I'd love to do a simple lap quilt too, but I'll try not to bite off more than I can chew (under promise and over deliver - isn't that what you're supposed to do :)

Monday 3 January 2011

While I was waiting

So the only downside to my lovely large new sewing room was that it had no table for my machines and hubby has forbidden me from taking over the kitchen.  As everyone knows, as soon as you can't do something it's the only thing that you want to do!  So I spent hours blog surfing and ended up buying myself a few new patterns.  Here's what I got:

 Butterick 5490 RRP $19.95

 Butterick 5520 RRP $18.95

 Butterick 5558 RRP $19.95

 Butterick 5564 RRP $17.95

 McCalls 5525 RRP $16.95


 Vogue 8581 RRP $22.50

Vogue 8685  RRP $25

Amazingly, I saved a bundle.  The total RRP for the seven patterns is $141.25.  Spotlight are having a sale with 50% off RRP of all patterns, with a further 10% off the reduced price for VIP card holders, which would have brought the total down to $63.56.  The Vogue, Butterick and McCalls patterns website was having a sale and with my club BMV membership savings the total cost, including $25 for postage to Australia, was only $45.93. Love it.  If only we got the 99 cent pattern sales in Australia.

But the best part of yesterday?  When hubby dragged me away from the computer for my opinion on 'something'.  'Something' turned out to be the height of a table for my machines.  He'd whipped me up a quick bench so that I could get sewing again.  So now I'm off to finish M6078.

Saturday 1 January 2011

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011 - have I got big plans for you!


Lots of lovely ladies have been listing their goals for 2011 so I thought I'd put a few out there as well.

1.  I'm going to make 2011 a fun year.  Somewhere along the line 2010 became all about hard work and we forgot to just relax and enjoy ourselves.  We're off to a good start on this one.  We spent yesterday (I know it was still 2010 but I'm claiming it anyway) swimming at the beach, relaxing at the cinema and seeing in the new year with a casual BBQ with good friends.  It was absolutely fantastic.

2.  Sew more regularly - I love to sew but found it very difficult to do regularly when I had to set everything up on the dinner table and then put it all away when it was time to eat.  I spent more time setting up and packing away than I did sewing, so with my new room hopefully that will all change. 

3. Choose my fabrics more carefully.  Sometimes I can get carried away with bargain fabrics and forget that they're not something that I would actually wear or use.  Need to focus only on things I love and will really use.

4. Don't make orphans.  If I make something it needs to go with something else, that's as important when I'm sewing for others as it is when I'm sewing for myself.

5.  Pay as much extra off the mortgage as possible.  We're in a brand new house with (for us) a really big mortgage so I want to pay it off as soon as possible and making extra repayments in the early stages makes such a big difference over the life of the loan.

6.  Look after myself.  I turn the big 3-0 this year and celebrate 10 years of marriage so I want to be in great shape. 

Pretty simple goals really.  Wishing you a fantastic 2011.  Cheers!