This is due to not having much time to sew and my head being full of work at the moment. But freedom is coming! One of the reasons I started this blog is that I will shortly be taking 6 months long service leave - OH YES!!! How much sewing time will I have then! The countdown is on and if I can survive what at the moment feels like doing 6 months work in advance, freedom will be mine on 1 July.
I did pick up the jacket on Friday but am procrastinating as I have got to fix up something tricky. One corner of the gusset has a small hole where it was clipped but the fabric is fraying. I am also using the excuse that my buckle hasn't yet come from overseas.
Why I know my sewing inspiration has temporarily departed is that I tried a couple of 'quick' projects whilst I avoided the jacket and both were disasters. One was an Anna Sui dress pattern, but as a top - Vogue 1177. I was a bit doubtful about this one as whilst I love Anna Sui patterns, they always look kind of wrong on me.
The first and major problem was my fabric choice - a pale pink crepe de chine. Bad, bad idea - it looks like a bedjacket! Believe me, it looks much nicer on the dressform than in real life - and you can't see how see thru it is in the pic. I am not a frilly, boho kind of chick - and this is definitely a frilly, boho kind of top, particularly in this colour. Totally not me.
The pattern could be really nice on the right person (just not me). I'm not sure if I would make it again, unless as a casual summer top with jeans. It would look better without the bottom band and the tie - they take it over the top frillyness wise. Those could be easily left off and the top merely hemmed. It would need to be lengthened though, as I am short and this top would be too short to hem as is. I can't imagine how short this is as a dress.
To add to my feeling of doom about this top, it took ages to make - those pintucks..... AND I made a huge mistake. The pleats are meant to sit flat and folded over. I must have sewed the seam on the pleats too low as after the basting was removed and I washed the top, some of the pleats undid themselves. I was thinking of dying it black as a rescue mission but I would have to take apart and resew half the garment to fix this. Hence... this top is sadly destined for the bin.
On a much happier note my overdue Patrones No. 291 turned up. Patrones used to have 2 front pages showing all the styles in the issue but it has mysteriously disappeared this time around. This is the Fiesta issue which means lots of dresses. There are some gorgeous styles, but mostly on the skimpy and flesh baring side and I'm a bit too long in the tooth to get away with most. The pattern that has most taken my eye is this asymmetric blouse. Maybe in navy silk charmeuse, for wearing with narrow black trousers and heels?
This ruffled blouse is nice but I note that it is double layered fabric. Don't know who the designer is but the last Fiesta volume had a couple of tops that had an almost identical shell and structure - must be the same brand. After my difficulty with the previous double layered one (the neck was just wrong), I'll put this on the 'maybe but doubtful' list.
There are some utterly fabulous dresses. I love them but can't quite imagine them on my body type - they are very 'hourglass'. This green one is great - love that neckline, but ahem, it must be small as the model looks like she has squeezed into it. I also love this blue dress but I don't have a waist really which I think would be necessary. I also love the neckline of the patterned dress at the bottom, in fact the whole dress.
Roll on July 1st!
No comments:
Post a Comment