Tiered dress for travel SWAP

 

I made most of the dress today.My daughter is quite pleased with it, but she thinks it is a bit low cut. Our plan is to make a detachable modesty panel, probably in pink batiste, so that she feels comfortable wearing the dress alone as a sundress.

 

I used elastic between the back fabric and lining to ensure a close fit at the back, whilst allowing the dress to pull on over the head. I thought that this would allow faster drying time than either a zipper or a button placket.

 

The dress has a "secret pocket" in the seam line between the first and second tier. It fastens with 2 buttons and loops.

 

I was pleased with the neckline. It was drafted to mimic the neckline of the Jalie sweetheart tops, and I think this was successful, as it looks good over both the t shirts, making the dress more versatile for travel. However, it was very difficult for me to not put in a bit of piping or embroidery!

Jalie Sweetheart Top hits another SWAP

I used this pattern, the Jalie sweetheart top, in all my official SWAPs, and now here it is again in DD's travel SWAP. I am finding this pattern extremely useful and am so pleased that I bought it from Julie at Timmel Fabrics as part of my SWAP purchase. These versions are size O, with a cap sleeve, made in pale pink and darker pink microtex 50+ UV rated wicking technical fabric. I made my Mum a long sleeved version in navy for her trip to China, where she is volunteering with a medical charity group, and she is really pleased with it as a travel garment, as it is comfortable to wear in hot or cool weather, and washes and dries overnight, so I am making a lot of the travel SWAP from this fabric. I have added a tiny bit of embroidery to each top , both for interest, and to add another colour to each garment. There are dark pink lazy daisies with brown french knot centres on the pale top, and pale pink bullion roses and rose buds on the dark top. The leaves are all detached chain in green on both tops.
The next garment is a lightweight cotton dress. I am making this from a print with all these colours, taupe and 2 pinks, and making the dress as a sundress that can also be worn over a short sleeved or long sleeved top. I have drafted the bodice to sit just below the sweetheart top neckline, so hope this works as an outfit. I am having to restrain myself from piping the neckline and armholes, as this would make the garment slower to dry.  
 

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Timmel SWAP

The Timmel SWAP 2008 is posted. I spent all yesterday evening looking at all the fabulous entries.

I am really keen to find some new blouse patterns, but unfortunately most of my favourites are self drafted, pattern drafting software, vintage or OOP. Maybe this is why I am still looking for a new blouse pattern!

I am also looking very closely at the use of colour and pattern in the SWAPs. There are some very smart SWAPs in the colours that are easy to find in RTW and fabric - red/white/black, black/grey/white, black/white, blue/white. These look good on other people, not me. I also think that people successfully using more complicated or unusual colour and pattern combinations have a much more personalized wardrobe. Although I think I like classic clothes, I find the little black dress and the plain white shirt rather dull. Perhaps if I were better at accessories I might think differently. I know that when I started my first SWAP with 3 cream blouses I felt unbelievably bored with them and did not wear them for about 2 weeks after finishing. When I made a beige and cream patterned blouse I wore it straight away and felt well
dressed.

I am most drawn to the colour combinations that I think might suit me. I know that these are harder to find in both RTW and in fabrics, and much more difficult to match to each other successfully than those in the black/white/red camp. There are some fabulous wardrobes that I would like to borrow from particularly for the colours. I am thinking of terracotta, dull orange and purple (not together)- this sounds very adventurous for someone who has just sewn 9m of brown wool flannel. I hope it is not an over-reaction. I thought sewing a knit dress in a loud print might dull this yearning for colour, but I may need a few more loud clothes before I can return to drab and classic. Fortunately children look great in brights.
I am also thinking about accessories. I definitely need smart shoes.

Travel Wardrobe

 
 
 
 
The next project is for DD#2. Today I made her a wicking, microtex UV50+ sun top to wear kayaking, in pink and taupe. She finished her knit trousers - made from the same taupe fabric, and we realised that we had started her travel wardrobe. Lucky DD#2 is travelling to France in July, with my Mum. I made her a long sleeved knit top from the same fabric, and we mixed and matched. She already has a lawn tiered crinkle skirt with these colours, a pair of Pumpkin Patch quick dry long boardshorts, and a light fleece hoodie from REI. Next she wants to make a quick dry t shirt from the pink microtex, and I will make her a sweetheart top. My other project today was to make a running top for my sister.

PJs and rashie vest

The silk blouse did not get a look in. After a pyjama audit, we discovered that the pyjamas would need to be made for DD#1. There was sufficient fabric for one pair, and she had one winter nightie, and one pair of fitting pyjamas, verses DD#2 with 2 pairs and 2 of last year's too short nightshirts that would be great as pyjamas with a pair of pink pj pants.
  The pyjamas are made from a donated cotton flannel (thanks Mum)using a girls size 14 elastic waist pants pattern graded up to a 16 (only just big enough, fortunately she's slim) using drawstring elastic at the waist. The top is from the same McCalls pattern I used for my bias blouse in the SWAP, so this is proving a versatile pattern.
  The other project this week was a rashie top for DS. This pattern is a real T&T. I bought it at least 10 years ago at a market stall from a lady selling knit fabric. I have made rashie tops in all sizes from toddler to adult, and when we travelled to the Whitsundays last year I made swim pants for the whole family instead of stinger suits so that we could snorkel without fear of irukandji. You can see that I have added a front zip to the neck. This is to allow easy dressing for my son. He finds it easier to get the rashie on with a zip. I don't put a zip in for the girls or for adult sizes. I have sewn a little triangle of fabric at the bottom of the zip, as my son wanted a top like his Dad's, which is a RTW sunshirt with this design detail. Naturally the zip went in perfectly with no bubble at the bottom, solely because I was putting this piece at the bottom as a design feature! I have used 50+ UV rated chlorine resistant lycra from stretchtex for the rashie. This fabric is terrific, and lasts extremely well. Stretchtex is the manufacturer of Speedo swimsuit fabric, and charge only $1 per metre more than wholesale for retail purchases. I am very impressed with this company.
 
 
This pattern is styled as rash shirts were 10 years ago - very close fitting to be worn under wetsuits. Currently, they are worn looser for general use. My son, aged 5 and not terribly big for his age is wearing a child's size 8 with the sleeves made a little wider (about 2cm each side) than the pattern.

I still plan to make a silk blouse. However, during the pyjama audit, I found that DD#2 does not have a sun top to wear kayaking next weekend. It is too warm for her to wear a rashie whilst paddling (DS is not up to paddling 15km yet, but the DDs have their own kayaks), so I am making her a 50+ microtex top to replace her outgrown one. She was keeping me company sewing, and made her doll a skirt from the pyjama fabric scraps. She did such a good job, that I suggested she make something for herself and she got all excited. Today we traced, cut out and sewed the leg seams of a pair of microtex knit pants for her travel SWAP. Whilst she was working on this, I made her a long sleeved t shirt to match. She is extremely pleased with her progress, and I am impressed with how well she is doing. I may have some competition for my sewing machine!

vogue 8379 dress

 
 
I finished this dress this morning so that I could wear it today. I generally have one day a week when I am a "stay at home" Mum. This means that I spend some of the day at home (preferably sewing, but housework does call out occasionally) but most of the day running errands. In Summer I wear sundresses, easy to make, comfortable, and smart enough to wear grocery shopping and to collect the children from school. In Autumn and Winter I generally wear skirts and tops for these days, but when this dress made the pattern review best of 2007 list, I thought it might fill this gap in my wardrobe. The fabric is a lightweight cotton knit print from Georgeous Fabrics. I am very happy with it, but it is a little too thin, and the print a bit big for my original intended purpose - a long sleeved surplice shirt, so I thought I would try to squeeze this dress out of it. I ordered 2 yards, but it was cut generously, and I managed to make a long sleeved version of the dress, admittedly without collar and facings, despite the pattern calling for 2 and 3/4 yards. I did need to add a centre back seam to the bodice, but was able to cut the back skirt on the fold and to keep larger elements of the print where I wanted them. I need a slip under the dress, due to the thinner fabric.

The pattern piece I made with a D FBA and a pleat added at the waist worked well, and I am happy with the fit. I hope you can see the pleat I drew in, it is the one closest to the centre of the pattern piece. The other changes I made that I did not mention in the previous post were to interface under the attachment points of the sash, and to use bar tacks at either end of these attachment seams. I did not use cuffs, but lengthened the sleeve to a suitable length. I finished the skirt and the sleeve hems with a lettuce frill on my overlocker. I am happy with this effect.

I hope to sew more today. I am considering a silk blouse for me, or pyjamas for my DD#2. The blouse will require a toile, so I am leaning more towards the pyjamas.

Vogue wrap dress

I worked on this dress today. I bought it last month with my Vogue 8246 skirt pattern, as the postage was $US 8.50 for one, or for 4 patterns, so of course I needed to buy 4 patterns in order to be economical. Vogue patterns on line are on sale again today. The international postage has gone up to $US 12.00, and now is the same for 1, or up to 3 patterns. I am not quite so tempted by the sale as I was before I pressed the shipping charges button. I am sleeping on it before I buy any more patterns. I have only made 2 of the 4 I bought last month.......
This pattern currently has 21 reviews at pattern review, and most are happy reviews. I read all of them today, and the dress should have been straightforward. I made a FBA of 3/4 inch by adding a side dart and then rotating to the centre front, and making an additional pleat with this fabric. I was very pleased with myself for achieving this, and I only referenced 2 books. Making your own dress patterns and Taunton press's Fitting solutions. Reading all those reviews did help, as there was a great picture of a different method of FBA to help me think this through. I could have just copied this but for some reason I really need to understand why I am moving the edges of the pattern here and there, so the slash and pivot method makes me happier, although it also makes me pretty slow in adjusting my patterns. I will get along faster when I no longer have to look up several books and 19 blogs before cutting anything out.

Many reviewers found the bodice too short. I did not lengthen the bodice, as I am a little short waisted, and the only suggested distance in the 21 reviews was 5/8th inch, which I thought was not worth bothering about. If I make the dress again, I will lengthen the front and back bodice by at least 1 inch. I did lengthen the ties by 15 cm, to allow for a bow with long tails.
I was really excited to see a suggestion to apply elastic to the front opening and then blindhem, as I have only recently discovered my blind hem foot. I did use this technique, but found it rather fiddly when crossing seams, and the finish looks great - but only in spots. Fortunately I started the blind hem on the underwrap ( I was thinking ahead) and my beginning messy spots are mostly hidden.
I had planned to fully line the top wrap skirt with the fashion fabric due to the tendency of wrap skirts to expose this region, but I made the dress with less fabric than called for in the pattern, and had no room for such experiments. Fortunately the dress is well drafted and I noticed no tendency for the skirt to sit anywhere other than where it is intended. This really is a lovely pattern.
I have trialled a lettuce finish hem. I have not quite finished, but hope to post photographs after some fine tuning tomorrow.

Vogue 8426 skirt

 

This skirt is part of my Winter Indulgence SWAP. I chose this pattern because the skirt of my wardrobe pattern, V2925, has a curved seam over the hip, that I thought was very flattering on me. I hoped that the straight skirt with back pleats would be equally as flattering, and also look as if it was part of the wardrobe and match well with the jacket by having a similar design feature. I looked up the pattern on patternreview and it had been reviewed favourably by LauraLo, Erica.B and HawkeMorningStar, among others, so I felt in very good company, although somewhat doubtful that my skirt would turn out as well as theirs.

 

 

The pattern was very straightforward, but, like HawkeMorningStar, I found that it was rather big. It would have fit me quite well in a straight 12, with only a little tweaking at the waist, but of course I made things difficult for myself by cutting out a larger size "just in case". The only real change I made to the pattern was to interface all the pleat lines, so that my soft wool flannel would hold the shape properly. I used prowoven interfacing for this, pinking the edges so as not to have lines showing through to the right side. I also interfaced the zip line with proweft interfacing, and used an invisible zip. I finished the facing and hem with bias binding. On the hem, I used a method that I think comes from Lauralo's blog, of stretching the bias binding as I applied it, so that when it relaxes it pulls the hem in slighty, making it very easy to turn to the inside and hand sew. I am pleased with this skirt, and plan to make another version in some muted red denim that is lurking in my stash ready for a casual winter skirt.

 

My sewing today was limited. We had a very social weekend, enabling me to wear 3 different SWAP outfits (the casual ones). I mended a tiny amount, then made a rashie swimmer top for my son. We are going on a long weekend kayaking trip in a fortnight, and his 3rd summer rashie has just given up the ghost. I worked a bit on his giraffe pyjamas, but am a bit stumped about how to make a long neck. He may need to be a short necked giraffe!

Flat pieces of fabric

 
 
 
 
Saashka wrote on her blog a little while ago (I am paraphrasing here) that home dec was not her favourite sewing, as it felt like transforming flat pieces of fabric into flat pieces of fabric. This explained to me why I don't like home dec sewing at all. I had not worked this out before! Despite this, I have sewn 3 pillowcases and one enormous cushion cover this week, so am very pleased with myself for completing these loathsome, but useful and fabric eating tasks. I have also done some more dull flat sewing. I made 3 aprons. I did not take photos of the cushions, but if Marji and Cidell can put photos of aprons on their blogs, I guess I can too. These aprons do fit adults, but I admit, Marji and Cidell have prettier aprons than me. I may need to make more aprons. Next I looked sadly at my mending pile. My DD#2's skirt that I thought I might be able to lengthen, as it was her favorite, is now too skinny for her. I breathed a sigh of relief and made it into a new ballet bag for her. She is very pleased with it. It is amazing what a piece of rick rack can do to liven up an old denim skirt.
My next sewing was an attempt to keep sewing for myself. I got out a really pretty damask type pattern denim, with gold thread woven through it, to make a skirt for myself. I cut this out in a straight skirt for me, but unfortunately, after I basted it and tried it on for tweaking it was a terribly unflattering, too short length, due to me not buying enough of a rather expensive fabric. This is not a mistake I have made recently. I radically reduced the side seams, and it makes a great SWAP extension for DD#1, as it looks perfectly matched with her gold brocade top, or at least it would if she had felt like being photographed.

Dragon costume pyjamas

 
 
 
The sewing requests from other members of my family have been piling up behind these SWAPS. Here are my son's winter pyjamas, made to his design ideas. I know these don't look a lot like pyjamas, but they are the end result of a long process. I made all in one pyjamas for my babies and toddlers, as they kick off the blankets and get cold - a common trait. When DD1 was about 2, I minded a friend's child overnight, and the friend wore purchased all in one pyjamas with a tail. These took DD's fancy, so for her next pair, I bought animal print polar fleece, and added a tail. No little children's winter pyjamas since have been allowed to exist tail-less at our house(except the frog costume, but that is another story). After a few pairs, someone asked for ears to wear with their lion suit, not a problem. Then there was a horse tail request, and I managed to make a horse head hat. Things took off from there. I use a Kwik sew pattern for the pyjamas, this is goes up to a toddler size 4, and I have drafted up to a size 6, after that pyjamas and costumes are seperate items. The back crest is a folded and gathered lightweight fleece, the spikes are triangles lightly padded, and both these and the tail are sewn into an added centre back seam before constructing the pyjamas. The feet are modified into dragon feet, 3 triangles at the toes of each foot with padded polar fleece claws in the joining seam, and the underneath has non slip glove fabric from Seattle Fabrics on the sole of the original foot pattern. The wings are scraps of red shiny lycra, inserted in the underneath sleeve seam. The head is modified from a hood pattern with a centre strip and 2 side strips. I made the lining in the original hood shape with a long centre piece, and the outside is extended up and to the front in a dragon type shape. Ears are inserted in the two seams on either side of the centre piece, a crest in the centre of this piece, and a few teeth (padded polar fleece triangles in different shapes) in the seam between the lining and top. The eyes are appliqued on.
My son is very happy with his costume pyjamas. He takes the head off before he goes to sleep, but is always happy to put on his pyjamas for a bit of dragon play before bed time. He has passed on last year's pj's to his cousin, but the heads had to stay here. I guess I am up for a cousin sleep-over!

Morphed blouse

 
 
About a fortnight ago, I posted the photograph of my worn out Colorada blouse that I wanted to replace, adding it to my SWAP. Below is the final version. For the fabric, I used a cotton/linen shirt that was given to my husband in a size XXL. He has never worn it, as it is several sizes too big. There was plenty of fabric to use! I would have liked to replicate the Colarado blouse exactly, but was restricted by several factors. First my Vogue 2925 jacket does not look great with a v neck underneath. I deciced to use a jewel neckline, rather than a lower, straight neckline, so that I could wear the blouse to work. Second, the Colarado blouse fastens with a tape of hooks and eyes. This fastening has worked extremely well until the last few months, when metal fatigue set in, and the hooks adopted an angle that caused unexpected gaping. I do not have any of this tape, and could not source any in the time allowed to finish the SWAP, so replaced this fastening with a placket and buttons. Third, I made the new blouse longer in both the body and the sleeve, as I prefer this bodice length with pants (I need to wear pants to work) and I think the longer sleeve is more flattering.I added an inverted pleat at the back of the blouse to enable more free arm movement in my job. I did not have time or fabric enough to replicate the bands of mock hardanger embroidery on the Colorado blouse. To embellish the new blouse, I added a tiny amount of machine embroidery to the buttonhole placket. My final blouse resembles my RTW blouse in fabric, colour and general shape. It can replace it as an item in my wardrobe, but unfortunately I do not like it nearly as much. I do think the McCall's pattern made a good base for replicating the blouse, and would like to make another attempt with the original v neckline, bands of Hardanger or another embroidery, and a different centre fastening.

SWAPS 2 and 3

 
 
I spent all yesterday with my daughter, taking photographs and trying to decide which garments to include in my SWAPS. I think the SWAP concept is fantastic, but looking at the garments, the extra restrictions required for the Timmel SWAP, and my own self imposed restrictions, are very confining, and I think I could have made a better wardrobe without them, just focussing on matching garments. Howevever, judging by my past record of sewing for myself - 2 to 3 garments before going off on a tangent and sewing for someone else - this challenge was exactly what I needed to get some clothes in my wardrobe. My DH keeps telling me how good it is to see me in some new clothes, so I think this is a very big hint that I should continue expanding the SWAP. There are some garments I could definitely improve on, and I really need some brown winter shoes!
I have sent my photos to Julie, and she has emailed back that she is confused, I have already entered my SWAP. I hope I can enter my own SWAPs, not just my daughter's, as I am very pleased with myself for finishing all these clothes and want to be on the show and tell page with everyone else.

Feedback

I am not quite sure of the right way to respond to comments on my blog. I am really pleased and flattered to get some feedback on my projects, especially as it is all very kind, and from people with such terrific blogs! Thank you. I find it amazing that someone other than myself actually reads my blog occasionally. I did start it for my own records and so I can look back at my projects when I have forgotten how I did something. It is so nice to realize that there are other people in the world who are fascinated with sewing as an art and a craft. The smocked dress for myself was a bit of an experiment, as my experience is all in smocking children's garments. I was not sure if the smocking would look juvenile, or worse, fattening, in an adult garment, as there is a lot of fabric to manipulate. I am pleased with how the dress turned out, and am thinking of some other projects. I have seen a pretty blouse on solosmocker's blog "La sewista", but as she is a slim, petite lady, she can get away with a lot more fabric than a curvaceous person like myself.

Winter Indulgence SWAP dress

 

This dress is the final item in my Winter Indulgence SWAP. I had planned this dress quite a while ago, but left it to last, as it is more of a project than some of the other items and I did not want to be pressured when making it. I wanted only to make it for the SWAP if I felt I had plenty of time. I finished an alternate item earlier in the week, so that I could work on this dress calmly and with enjoyment. The pattern is McCalls 5177 in linen with silk lining. I have changed the dress a bit from the pattern. The skirt and sleeves are cut on the bias, and the sleeves have a lower cap and are considerably wider.

 

The pattern calls for lining the bodice only. I have underlined the sleeves with silk cut on the bias, I used the excellent tutorial presented on Laura lo's blog to do this, and was very pleased with the result.

 

After finishing the dress, I decided to hand stitch ivory coloured beads to the vertical front bodice seams, and to the neck back. I used an invisible zipper to close the dress.

 

The insert is smocked, and contains much more fabric that allowed for in the pattern, and I have used a gathered panel as the lining for this bodice section, to maintain the elasticity of the smocking in the completed garment. I blocked the smocking to a similar width to the pattern lining piece, then drew around the edges of this piece, on top of the smocking, with tailors' chalk. I then sewed a fine zig zag stitch all along this chalk line, before trimming the smocked piece to size. The smocking was then treated as flat fabric, although I was careful to maintain straight, tight pleats when stitching the bias band at the top, and the waist seam at the bottom of the pleating.

Finish Line in Sight SWAP2 and 3

I had a very productive sewing day today. My in laws took the children out for the day, and I did not have to go in to work. I sewed all day, it was great. I finished my vogue skirt 8426, except for the hand sewn hem, which I think I can do during some waiting around time tomorrow.


I also completely finished a straight skirt, front and back darts that I did not know I was making until this morning. I made this because after I laid out all my items, I realized that another bottom was all I needed to achieve 2 SWAPS that meet the requirements (I knew I would be pretty close before laying them out, as I have sewn so many clothes, I just wasn't sure if I could meet the requirements twice). I have enough finished items to have officially finished both of my SWAPS (other than the hem). The only reason I have two sets of SWAP clothes is my poor planning in the early stages, and I would not recommend it as a plan! I did really need the clothes.
However, I am still sewing for the SWAP because I would like to use a dress in my indulgence plan. This was part of my earliest planning, and I have previously made a trial version and am happy with the fit. I am sure this will look better in my official wardrobe than the knit top it will replace. The dress is McCall's 5177.
This evening I finished the smocked insert I will use in the bodice. I have been working on this on and off as my portable handwork since I finished knitting the cardigan. It is my first attempt at using smocking in a non ling erie garment for myself. I hope it will not look too juvenile.
 
This evening I cut out the dress, using a linen from Michael's Fabrics, and a china silk from Gorgeous Fabrics. I have cut out the skirt and sleeves on the bias, and have tried the underlining method described by Laura lo on the sleeves. My plan is to get up early and do a little sewing before I go to work, which should leave me ample time to finish the SWAP before the cut off date.