Purple half slip

It's been a while since I have finished this project, but due to uni starting again and beginning my internship, I've only now come around to posting some pictures.



Well, there's not a lot to say, I guess. For construction details, you can always refer back to my first half slip post. Other than that, the only thing I've changed was that I sewed on the elastic Gertie's way instead of just sewing it to the front (as shown below).



The fabric was a bit more expensive than that for my other projects. I bought it from some Moroccan man in Brussels, who told me it was "soie synthétique". Well, I don't know if there's a difference with the fabrics I previously used, but the wrong side is definitely less coarse.


SUPPLIES:
Fabric: 5EUR
Elastic: 0,57EUR for 0,6 meter
Lace: 2,95EUR for 1 meter
Thread: 3,30EUR

I went fall fabric shopping last week, but only came home with one of the fabrics that were on my list (and another one that was not). I guess I'll have to go to one of the larger fabric stores in Brussels to find what I want (unfortunately they're way more expensive than my usual store). I also bought the two skirt patterns I needed, so at least that's something. I made a quick muslin (or something pretending to be a muslin) for the shorts I plan on making, and it seems like it's a pattern that comes together very easily, but since the Clover sew-along is coming up, I thought I'd maybe wait with cutting my fabric to pick up a few welcome tips. Also, I need to figure out how to put a lining in, so if anyone can offer me some advise, I'm all ears!

Sunshine Violet

After a few weeks of hinting to my friend that I would *really* appreciate it if she could send me the pictures from our Berlin trip like, two weeks ago, I finally found them in my mailbox today!



I don't know if I'm totally in love with this shirt. Personally, when I saw the pictures I wasn't too pleased. I think I look kind of top heavy in it. The busy print and lighter fabric (this time I used a cotton poplin) of my first try probably made it a bit more suitable for my body type. Well, lesson learned, no more tops with high necklines. It's a shame though, I really loved it when it was finished.

I cut a size 2 this time and I still think it's a tad big. Am I going to try this again? I don't know, tbh. I'd love to try lowering the neckline and adding waist darts to make it a bit more tailored. The idea of having to redraw the facings is kind of holding me back from trying that out, though.


Yes, I'm posing with raspberries here...

SUPPLIES
Fabric: 8EUR for 2 meters
Yarn: 3,30EUR
Buttons: 3,95EUR
H180 fusible nterfacing

In other news I have some more projects finished! I already made the half slip that was on my fall sewing list AND made another skirt that was initially meant for the Summer but works great with fall colors.

Fall sewing list

I've been thinking about my fall sewing list a lot the past few weeks, and when Sarai announced the Fall Palette Chalenge, I was even more eager to make up my definite list. Now, I won't make the mistake of having a really tight time frame as with the SESA, instead, I'm extending the deadline to the end of Winter (yes, I said Winter). There's only two types of clothes in my opinion: the light and breezy ones for Fall and Summer, and the warm and cozy ones for Fall/Winter. I don't see my winter sewing list to be all that different from the one I'll make for Fall, so why not make one list out of it, right? So, while we all patiently await my friend sending me the pictures of me wearing my second Violet blouse (in Berlin!), I thought I'd already post the list! My main goal was to get out of the Fall/Winter pants-rut I get in when the first drizzle sets in, so there are a lot of shorts and skirts (albeit in drizzly weather appropriate fabrics) included.

1) A pair of woolen shorts

Hopefully more than one, but let's not be too ambitious, you and I both know Ambitious and I don't get along all that well when we need to get things done within a certain time frame. I recently bought a shorts pattern from the 60s that I think would turn out great. It's from a pattern company named Blackmore (more specifically pattern number 9662), which I hadn't heard of before. If I can execute all of my plans, I'll make one in chocolate brown and one in dark green. Preferably, I'll also have time for a dark grey one.

2) A woolen skirt

I have the perfect chocolate brown skirt in my head, but alas, no pattern that resembles my ideas yet.

3) A curduroy button through skirt

Very Easy Vogue 8394 again, as I had already mentioned. In a beautiful mustard color with brown buttons.

4) A 'transitional' skirt CHECK!

Something in Fall colors (plum with florals), but in a regular cotton fabric, so that it's not too warm. I will however, line it. I've had the perfect fabric for this project lying around since Spring. I'll use a self-drafted pattern.

5) An A-line skirt CHECK!

By now I guess you've already noticed I've got this thing for flowy skirts. However, I'd like to shake up my wardrobe a bit this season. I noticed when I had finished my list that I had every color covered except for the burgundy, so I started wondering how I could incorporate this into my fall wardrobe. I'll probably use Kwik Sew 3877 for this one.

6) A jumper

Again from a vintage pattern that I bought not too long ago, namely simplicity 8404. I'd love to make it in mustard yellow.

7) A half slip CHECK!

Yes, another one. I noticed with the cold and windy weather we've been having that these actually come in super handy! No need to hold down my dresses any more at the slightest breeze! I've had the fabric for this one lying around for a while now, so I'll probably whip this up when I have a little time to spare.

8) A shirtdress

I'll be using Simplicity 2246 for this one, view B. I actually wanted to make this for the Summer but we all know that I accomplished virtually nothing, and I thought it would be nice for Fall as well (layered with a pair of tights of course). I've had a light blue fabric (yes, not part of my palette, I know!) in my stash that I was actually saving for another dress, but now that I come to think of it it would be perfect for this dress.

8) An elastic waist dress

Simplicity 2360, to be exact. I have so many ideas in my head for this pattern, but I'd like to begin with either a novelty print or florals. If I can't find a suitable fabric, I'll go for either the brown or the burgundy in my pallette and hope I can mix it up a bit with some nice details.

Oh, and just for kicks, my actual fall pallette. I don't know if I will actually stick to these colors, but this is what I have in mind at the moment.

Now fingers crossed that my friend emails the pictures to me soon. I should've used more exclamation marks when I texted her that it would be nice if she could send them to me.

The Pêche Melba Skirt

Outfit: non-branded blouse: gift from my aunt | H&M flats | Skirt: made by me

I purposely waited with taking pictures of this skirt b/c I wanted to keep my promise to shoot at different locations. I had intended to take some pictures in Antwerp last weekend since I was going to visit my boyfriend anyway, but of course the weather sucked the days we were in the city. Luckily, one of my friends is slowly getting into photography and asked me to model (I use this word in the widest sense possible) for her, so I thought I'd take the opportunity and put on my new skirt! I'm even wearing make up, can you believe it? Oh, I got a hair cut too. No worries, no one else noticed it either. I only have one picture of the skirt, since she mainly focused on my face, but I'll keep you posted should there be more to pop up in the next few days.

Anyway, this is another skirt I made using the Very Easy Vogue 8394/own waistband combo. I fixed the waistband fitting issues from my first try by cutting off 1cm from the pattern piece and tucking the edges under 1,5cm at each side (as opposed to the former 1cm). I only used 5 buttons instead of 6 this time, mainly because they're huge, i.e. 23mm (the previous ones were 15mm). Also I decided to forgo the slipstitching part on the button plackets and just stitched in the ditch (way faster!).

I actually managed to sew the buttonholes without stopping and having to turn my fabric this time! Apparently the trick is to hold your fabric firmly so the feed dogs can't move it as fast. Perfect buttonholes this time! Of course something had to go wrong, and for some reason I started making my lowest buttonhole in the wrong direction, which caused the spacing to be off completely. I tried to fix this by tossing around a bit with the placement of the actual buttons. In the end I think it's barely noticeable. When I start to get really bored, probably somewhere near the end of the holidays, I might take the button placket off and make a new one, but for now, this will do.

I used a 100% linen fabric for this skirt. Although I love the texture, it wrinkles like crazy! The fact that my friend made me lie down in the grass on several occassions didn't exactly do the situation any good. Anyway, I do love how the pictures turned out.

SUPPLIES
Fabric: 8,50EUR for 2 meters (it was on a 1+1 sale)
Buttons: ?
Yarn: 3,30EUR (20 cents more expensive than in other stores, WTF?)
H200 fusible interfacing
Precut waistband interfacing

For more construction details, take a look at my previous skirt!

I'm aiming at a 100% faultless follow-up when I use this pattern again. I already have my color scheme ready: mustard with brown buttons! Maybe in a ribcord fabric for Fall?

I feel like a cream pussybow blouse would go so great with this skirt. An idea for my next project? For some reason or other, I'm really into blouses lately.

In other news, the SESA is officially over. Since I only made two of the garments on my list, I decided to extend my deadline. The weather was somewhat better last week, and we had sky-high temperatures deep into the month of September last year, so it still makes sense to work on Summer clothes in stead of avidly planning my fall sewing list (which I was doing two weeks ago). Besides, I've got all this fabric and half-finished garments laying around, I can't just let those sit on my desk until next year, right?

I'm almost finished with the second version of the Violet blouse, and finally found some lace for the top I plan on making! What are you working on at the moment?

A Fickle Violet Blouse

Ahem... So it's been a month and a half or so since my last post? The last few weeks have been everything but pleasant, having to pass my exams (which I did, btw, all of them) attending my grandfather's funeral after a long sickness, and having to start working at the postal service (so waking up at 4AM) right after. Needless to say, I've been exhausted. I had little time or energy to sew, and even less to blog. Anyhow, thing are slowly turning back to normal. Now that I only have a week left on my job, I feel like I can slowly start breathing again and start the Summer holidays for real. I only made a very sad two garments during my long absence, one of which was the Violet blouse.

I had heaps and heaps of problems with this one. First, the fabric. I couldn't get my sewing machine to sew this up properly at all. I had already noticed when I was making another garment that it's not that great with thin fabrics, and that hasn't changed a bit. I tried changing needles, thread tension, cleaning the bobbin holder, everything I could think of really, but nothing seemed to work. As a result, with the thread breaking every minute, I was extrememly reluctant to finish this project.


Outfit: H&M shorts | Cypres pumps | HEMA pantyhose | Blouse: Made by me

Next problem: fitting. Apparently my breasts and the rest of my body are kind of disproportioned. I noticed this when I was making this blouse. My waist and breast measurement are a good two sizes from each other, and since patterns always tell you to use your breast measurement as a guide, I went for a size 6. I ended up taking in the blouse with a whopping 6cm at each side. It's already pretty wide by itself, but this just looked ridiculous. I also had to adjust the shoulders considerably. As a plus, due to all the stress about the aforementioned events, I apparently lost 2,5cm at my bust, and 2cm at my waist, so no wonder it didn't fit. I'm downsizing to a size 2 next time.

The buttonholes don't look all that great, since I still didn't know how to use my machine properly (now I do, but more on that when I post my next project!). On the plus side, I did use bias tape succesfully for the first time! I used a 2mm white satin bias tape to go with the buttons.

I have noticed a lot of homemade peter pan collars are looking a little too stiff, so I chose the lightest fusible interfacing I had, namely H180 fusible.

SUPPLIES
Fabric: 7EUR for 2 metres (I didn't use all of it, I just bought this much in case I screwed it up completely)
Thread: 3,10EUR
Buttons: 4,20EUR for 7 (I think)
Bias tape: 2EUR

I wasn't sure of the fabric at first, but I think the end result is very retro, and this blouse might be one of those items I really need to spice up my wardrobe a bit.

As for my progress in the SESA challenge, you probably noticed it's not all that spectacular. This is only my second garment, while I planned on making five. I started on the dress today, and I have the second skirt's pieces cut, interfaced, and waiting for some rayon lining to be sewn up, but I probably won't make it to the store that sells this before August. Lastly, there's the lace top I wanted to make. Well, let's say I'm still looking for the perfect fabric. Anyway, it's not like making Summer garments is of much use with this weather we've been having.

PS: I promise I will try to work on a change in backdrop for my next projects, my terrace is getting a little old, I know (not to mention dirty). Maybe not yet on the next project, but probably on the one after that. I actually explore my surroundings a lot with my boyfriend, but I never take any pictures. At the moment he's in France, but after that, you can expect some views of Antwerp/Brussels and maybe even some other cool spots in Belgium.

Violet ideas

This baby arrived last week.

I bought the floral fabric to make the 'muslin' (that will hopefully turn out to be wearable from the first try). I originally had my eye on some other fabric, but when I got there they (of course!) didn't have enough left anymore. Since I couldn't decide on what to get then, I let my boyfriend - who's sweet enough to go with me on my fabric shopping trips, even though he's just wandering around aimlessly while I'm pondering over fabric choices - pick one out. My mother said it reminded her of an apron my grandmother used to have. When I showed it to my aunt, she said it looked way too old for me. So I had to explain to them that it's not called 'old' anymore, but 'retro' and that that happens to be pretty hip.

No seriously, at first I wasn't convinced of his choice (I'm not too sure if he was either, my guess is that he just picked out the fabric that was nearest to him). But I have a pair of high waisted red shorts that I think would look great with the blouse. It's all a matter of how to style it, right?

I already cut a few pieces, and even made the effort to trace the pattern on some pattern paper so that I wouldn't have to cut the original. I'm at my dorm in Antwerp until Monday though, so no more sewing until then.

Another half slip

Nothing fancy this week I'm afraid.

I've been very unproductive lately, partly because I didn't have the supplies to finish anything but this half slip. I'll be back at my dorm next week, so I will be able to pick up some stuff in the city after exams finish.

Details on the construction can be found here.



This one came together so easily! I had no problems cutting the fabric whatsoever this time, and attaching the elastic and the lace went smoothly as well. I initially wanted to make a chocolate brown one with white trim, but I couldn't find the right fabric in my usual store, and didn't really have the time to go to another, so I just grabbed this fabric instead. Colorwise it looks a lot like my other half slip, but it's actually a much more vivid color. The lace is a lot more beautiful, and sturdier too. Not to mention that it's all just executed way better.



SUPPLIES:
Satin: 2EUR for 1 meter
Lace: 2,95EUR for 1 meter
Elastic: 0,57EUR for 0,6 meter
Thread: from my stash

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!