Disclaimer: I was given this fabric in return for a review over on Minerva. This is a basic post, so please check out my blog post over on Minerva!
What is happening? After three years of not completing make nine and a year off, I am powering through this years make nines.
Could it be I’ve managed to get confidence with my sewing skills – who knows, but I like it.
So, the Pona Jacket by Helen’s Closet Patterns kinda reminds me of similar RTW jackets that I’ve had in the past and will be a to go to pattern for the future.
I really enjoyed making the Pona Jacket. Helen’s instructions are second to none one of the best instructions around. I used the lining hack on her blog post on her website to insert the lining to this jacket.
Already into a month of lockdown and I’ve been buying fabric left right and centre from little independent fabric businesses across the UK.
It’s good that I’m buying though but seriously I have no more space. I keep trying to tell myself this, but now it has to happen!
Anyway, as you probably guessed by the title of this post is that as from May 1st, there will be no more buying fabrics for at least three months and maybe even longer.
Reasons for going on this fabricsabbatical:
1. I really not NEED any more fabric!
You’ve seen pictures of my 20 odd boxes bins and counting full of knits and wovens! Metres and metres of used but beautiful fabrics!
Some of the gorgeous fabrics in my stash just itching to be used!
2. I’ve managed to do three months last year as part of slow fashion season, which started in June.
Admittedly, it was hard but I stuck at it and miraculously I survived unharmed. The original idea was to get 10’ 000 people not to buy ANY clothes for three months. I did both – pat on the back for me!
Last year’s challenge.
3. Another destashing will be coming to the destash grid.
Soon. Once this horrid pandemic is over. Once the Royal Mail gets back on its feet. Just now it’s slow and as I keep saying there’s no point putting more pressure on it with me adding more parcels. I’ll be putting the fabrics on the destash grid and you can have a mosey, Just don’t expect me to sell it to you right there and then. Let’s keep it simple! I’ll be just posting piccies of fabrics with zero, squad all details until the destash opens, don’t freak – I’ll be notifying on stories when it is going to live! Oh @sdie_destash is where it’s happening.
The Destash!
4. Another reason to stop buying fabrics is to actually see what I’ve got and record it!
That’s right, I’m going to record what I’m going to keep! It’s simple, it’s not technical either. It’s in black and white on “flat white” recycled cardstock! Kudos to Anna @annatriestosew for letting me know how she did it. Why not trello? Hmm, it’s way to meh to start with such a massive stash. And I get to keep a “touch and feel” of the fabric too!
My Stash records!
5. I won’t have a job come mid May.
My contract ends on the 13th, which is really sad as I enjoyed working with fabulous colleagues. I have to say that these 3 months which turned out to 9 nine as they kept renewing my contract, has been the best! I don’t have any bad feeling against the company especially in the current climate for their decision not to renew my contract, just a bit of anxiety for what will happen in the coming weeks, if not, months for me and my future job. I won’t be the only one in this situation.
So I’m going to have to tighten up the purse strings and I’ve got plenty of fabric to see me through many years.
Before I finish, I’m allowed haberdashery items, such as interfacing, buttons, trims and all that jazz, just not Fabric meterage!
I thought it was high time for my blog to get a wee spruce up. It’s take me a while to figure out what I like, don’t like and for some creative juice to flow but I’ve got there.
You may have noticed that there’s a fresh new logo, which I’m now also using on my IG @sewdoitemma.
Hope you like it.
Using the Canvas App on my phone, I settled on this design. I feel it’s a lot cleaner and has simple lines. It’s amazing what you get up to at 6am after letting the dog out.
With a new logo comes a new theme – I think I am finally happy with this one.
Hopefully this will encourage me to write more blog posts as I’m really finding confidence with regards to using my sewing machine and overlocker and learning to sew with jersey/knits has definitely wetted the appetite!
Everyone looked amazing, we raised over £500 quid, enough to feed 41 kids for a year in education for @MarysMeals, the raffle was on fire, much so we were running out off tickets!
I am so humbled to get lots of compliments on my dress and fabric choice after having to an emergency repair before I left Home on the zip making me late!
Again, I didn’t take any photos on the night but others did – thankfully 😅
I’m so sorry if I didn’t get round to catching up with you but I do hope you had a lovely night. You all had wonderful outfits and it just goes to show how wonderfully talented you all are. You should be all so proud of yourselves and give yourselves a pat on the back. Each outfit was lovingly handmade and each unique in its on way, just like you!
Credit to @cme202
So the dress …
Vogue 9075
So after the first attempt not being successful but it will be (it just needs a bit of tweaking!) I decided I was going to try it again.
Fortunately it came together eventually (pockets took about seven attempts)! Yes 7. But moving swiftly on … I got there in the end but had to do an emergency repair on the zip literally 30 mins before I was due to leave and the my machine was playing game so had to had stitch. Drama!! I know!!
Here’s some photos of the Jungle Crepe V9075 …
Fabric: Lady McElroy Jungle crepe from Remnant Kings
Lining also from Remnant Kings, black pongee.
Pattern – Vogue 9075
Accessories – “me made” pink coat club necklace and earrings from Accessorize.
I’m going to give version b a go, which is the culottes Style bottoms with some pretty funky fabric from Rejects in Kirkcaldy. Definitely going to finish off the first version “Chelsea” though, so watch out for that. I’m going to try my first stretch project now and that’s the Colette “moneta”. It’s high time I tried stretch fabric and my overlocker. Also I will finish of my Harris tweed coat!
I just want to thank Lesley @sew_sleep_deprived for taking the reins and going full throttle on this. Without our her organisational skills and wit, I don’t think we’d have a brilliant night to remember. You were a triumph on the microphone and you are such a star!
We’ve all do it. We’ve all piled so much pressure on ourselves and when something went wrong we left the unfinished garment in a crumpled mess on the floor in a corner. I’ve admitted defeat on one or more handmade garments. I’ve still got to pick them up and see what I can do to rectify the mistakes but for now, they sit it a small pile away from my view!
At the moment I’m amending a shoulder sleeve due to them being lopsided – don’t know how I managed but this is going to be worthwhile in the long run as it’s one of my favourite makes so far despite the sleeve issue. Making mistakes is also learning from them, how else are you going to learn and stretch that skill base?
2. Ask for help.
I’m very lucky to have such a good teacher at the sewing class that I go to. I also have a couple of very good sewing buddies I can bounce off ideas and problems with alongside a fantastic community on Instagram too.
3. Measure yourself.
Pattern sizes are completely differencing to ready to wear sizes (RTW). Please don’t buy a pattern and go on you RTW as you’ll have a garment that won’t fit once you put all that time, effort and lovely material (and dosh!) into it.
Measure yourself. Take that tape measure (grab a friend if you need help!) and jot down your measurements. Pattern companies can differ in finishing measurements, so check each new pattern before you start the project!
Remember this: Don’t beat yourself because it may seem you are going up a few sizes from the RTW to the pattern sizes and also your finished garment will fit you better if you take your time to measure yourself correctly 😘
4. Seam allowances matter,
Again. Check, check, check! Read your instructions a couple of times before you even start the process of cutting out. Highlight the seam allowances on each step.
Get yourself a seam guide and test to see if your seam allowance is really 1/4”. Same with 1/2″ and so on.
When you find the spot on your machine that is 1/4” mark it with washi or masking tape that way you won’t forget where it is.
5. Invest in a basic sewing kit.
Scissors (Straight, pinking, little snippers for cutting little threads and ones for paper), Measuring Tape, chalk, pins and a seam ripper is all a good start and then you can add more, such as hand sewing needles, extra bobbins (make sure you get the right ones for your machine as there are not universal where as are machine needles are), pin cushion (homemade or bought). This list could go on for miles (trust me!) but get the basics and add from that, which should keep you right!
Kirkaldy has fond memories for me as I used to study at Adam Smith College back in 2008 and completed my Higher Diploma in Interior Architecture there.
Rejects was a go-to place for the velcro we needed for the back of our display boards at the end of year exhibit of works but I had never explored the fabric section or knew of it.
So when it came to meet the lovely Carol, who I’d been chatting too via Instagram, it was a perfect date to explore the fabric department and have some fun with Carol.
We met in the cafe first off for a much-needed coffee and cake and a good old chin wag. We then skidadeld up to the fabric department, where I was wow’ed. I had to hold on for dear life as I wasn’t expecting this awesomeness!
So there you have it. A good insider of Rejects. I saw lots of beautiful fabrics and in case you are wondering if I did buy any fabric, then yes I did!
When I first laid my eyes on Vogue #1353 I fell in love. Yes, it was love at first sight. I’m still in love with the actual shape of the garment on the pack but for how long? The reason behind this question is because whilst putting the front and side bodice pieces together my sewing teacher, Abi and I found a massive flaw in the pattern. annoyan
HUGE GAP!
It’s definitely (the flaw!) in the F5 (16-18-20-22-24) edition, I’m not sure if you have come across the same problem in the smaller size pattern.
When you put the notches to match on the front and side pieces there is a HUGE frickin gap. For sure there is is no way that you can stretch the front bodice piece with the dart in to match the side bodice. BUT as soon as you take the dart out, it magically fits (yes I have a magic wand – It’s Abi!).
I have to shorten the bodice pieces as my back is shorter that the standard. But that shouldn’t affect the darts, notches and all, should it?
But then looking at the line drawing it does have a dart but the haven’t given enough of the front bodice to include that!!
If ANYONE else has come across this fault, please let me know!
I’m pretty annoyed at VOGUE patterns right now.
Vogue patterns are bloody expensive, so you expect no flaws AT ALL.
Now I’ve removed the dart, there are tiny holes where the thread went through the fabric – my lovely woodland fabric!
From what Abi has seen, the dart isn’t really needed as you have pleats on the front bodice anyway.
You carefully take the time to put a dart in, making sure its pinpoint sharp, then realising after you need to take it out because it’s NOT required. But if the dart is required and it’s on the line drawings then surely you should remember to get enough allowance for that so it that when you come to sew the front piece and side you don’t have a gap! ??!!
I’m hoping I get some correspondence back from McCalls/Vogue. I sent a message via the contact form on their website. I’ll update you all when I get an update myself.
Just so peeved right now. Can you imagine?!! I bet some of you have been there!
NOW I’m going to take a deep breath and try to relax because I go near the pieces (need to go and get interfacing first, anyway).
On that note: The pattern says for “sew in” but both myself and Abi thinks this might be too stiff, so might opt for the “iron on” – What do you guys think?
I’m very happy with the finished results and now I can show it off.
Although I did not make the processes easy for myself as I forgot to shorten the back on the pattern pieces and you can just imagine the drama when I realised that. Hence I had a break (Cleo) and eventually I came back to vintage rose 4789, which I’m glad I did.
So I wanted to unveil it to the Hubby on our Wedding Anniversary. We went away to Loch Lomond & Loch Earn for a couple of days and It’s much easier for someone else to take a full-length photo!
We are celebrating eight years this year. It’s been a tough year with losing my Mum to cancer. I’m just thankful Hubby has been a tower of strength so far to me, helping me get through my darkest moments.
I think I will be doing 4789 again because I have some brown tweed-like fabric but not as heavy as tweed and it would look nice in a shift, plus I had the idea of doing some piping around the neckline, armholes and the hem.
The 4789 pattern is really handy as it’s got a couple more garments I’d like to make and for a pattern, I’d say that you are getting your money’s worth that way.
I love this vintage rose fabric it’s a cotton lawn and I bought it from The Cloth Shop by Remnant Kings, Edinburgh (£14.99 P/M). I’ve had quite a few compliments on it already before the dress was finished!
I’ve now started on another project and it’s a vogue pattern. I have a time constraint as it’s to be finished by mid-August for a birthday theme! The Vogue pattern that I am using is V1389.
Again, I’m going to have to shorten the back (this time I’m doing it on the pattern pieces, rather than on the actual fabric!!!) and because famously vogue only goes up to a certain size I have to slightly add a couple of centimetres to the skirt pieces.
Because there is a theme for the birthday bash, this cotton here was crying out to be shown off. I think I already had bought the fabric and the pattern before the theme was public (what a surprise)! The cotton is from Fabric Focus, Edinburgh (14.99 p/m ?) and has a lovely drape to it.
Fabric Focus is where I also go for my classes and I’m so grateful to Abi (my teacher) for keeping me right! I would wholeheartedly recommend the classes. This is my third session and it won’t be my last either. I’ve still got so much to learn and I really enjoy going along and spending a couple of hours with like minded people.
So there you have it – I’ve finished “vintage rose” dress and on the mission of the vogue “woodland” dress.
Keep stitching x
Disclaimer: All photos are my own, so please ask for permission before using them. All opinions are my own also!
Using the Canvas App on my phone, I settled on this design. I feel it’s a lot cleaner and has simple lines. It’s amazing what you get up to at 6am after letting the dog out.
1. It’s ok to mess up.
2. Ask for help.
3. Measure yourself.
4. Seam allowances matter,
5. Invest in a basic sewing kit.
Sew Do It Emma 