First invisible zip

I have made a few things since my last post but haven’t taken many photos of me in them !

Last weekend though I attempted an invisible zip and it seems to have gone ok.

I used this skirt pattern I had free with a magazine.

I wanted to make just the basic mini pencil skirt which is the top right one. I had bought some mauve/purple cord fabric from Calico Laine a few weeks back, it was on offer for £5.99 and I only needed one metre. My sewing machine is pretty ancient so it didn’t come with an invisible zipper foot so I treated myself to a “compatible” one and it works just fine.

The pattern was simple and I didn’t have to make much alterations to it, the fit was just about right.

I wore it to work yesterday and my hubbie actually said “it looks like a bought skirt” – that has to be a compliment !!

I have a few things lined up for the next few weeks, I have some stretchy fabric to have a go with to make my daughter a skirt and have just ordered my first lot of jersey knit fabric to make a Coco top. So hope that goes well. I also have 2 lots of fabric for a blouse and a cami top, just wish the weather would improve so I can wear some of the summer/spring type clothes I have made so far.

Thanks for looking !

Ginnie xx

Russian Doll dress

So my daughter’s Russian Doll dress finally got finished when she was home last weekend.

Even though I did a toile for the top part I still wasn’t happy with the fit, if she had been here I could have got her to try it on as I went along. But she wasn’t so I had to make do with adjusting where I could when it was done.

I used New Look pattern 6143 and she choose the middle dress with no sleeves.

The fabric was actually listed as Children’s fabric, it is a cotton poplin from Calico Laine (sorry haven’t worked out how to create link to their site yet!) I love this online fabric seller every time I order I get my parcel the next day and they often have free P&P codes that I get emailed to me.

So here is Laura in the finished dress

The main issue was the back had way too much excess fabric, she must have a narrower back than we thought. I was able to make the darts go all the way up to the neck line to get rid of some of this, so the back looked like it was in 4 sections. There is a little too much fabric around the front neck too but having googled this problem I now know how to solve it for making Becki’s dress.

Laura loves the dress though and took it back to University with her after the weekend to show off to her friends. She intends to wear it for Becki’s graduation in July.

Becki wants me to make the long sleeve version with the lace overlay, so that will be a challenge. I have also now made my dress but have no photos of me in it yet, so that will be next time.

Thanks for looking

Ginnie x

Pink cropped trousers

One of the reasons I got back into sewing was last summer I really wanted to buy myself a pair of bright pink cropped trousers. Nothing fancy just comfy loose trousers for the summer. But no where had any pink ones so I bought myself a basic pattern and aimed to make myself a pair.

This is the pattern – McCalls M6843 that has normal length trousers, cropped trousers and shorts patterns.

I choose view E and bought some linen look cotton fabric in a nice bright pink. They are just elasticated waist – no pockets on this view – so nice and simple.

Here is the end result –

Will be making some more of these I hope. I have some fabric for some of the shorts too – ready cut out but not stitched yet. It isn’t really shorts weather yet.

I have a local fabric shop – Oh Sew Crafty – which I am visiting on Saturday. It is my birthday so I will be treating myself to more fabric. I also intend to get my fabric for the dress I would like to make for my daughter’s graduation.

Thanks for looking

Ginnie xx

 

Navy Jacket

My daughter, Laura was finally home this weekend and tried on her new jacket.

I am pleased to say it was a success and when we went to the Theatre on Saturday afternoon she choose to wear it out !

Of course my other daughter wanted to know why Laura now had a jacket and a dress about to be made and she had nothing, so yesterday I went and got some grey fabric for a lightweight jacket for her.

So here are the photos of Laura wearing the jacket. This was pattern New Look 6217 (Which I believe is the free pattern with the new Sew Magazine this month) I got the fabric from Minerva Crafts, it was a clearance linen and viscose blend.

I think I will make myself one too as they are so easy but I want something patterned.

I have now started Laura’s dress and am hoping to finish it later this week. It is half term here and I have had 2 days off work but am back tomorrow – sadly ! I could sew much more if work didn’t get in the way.

Thanks for looking

Ginnie xx

Babydoll tops

I have now completed 2 summer tops that I call babydoll tops, not sure if that is the right terminology ! I have one more to complete for my daughter.

The pattern – Simplicity 4127 – I bought this a couple of years back when I made the girl’s costumes. I also purchased some pale blue fabric. But it was only over Christmas that I finally made a start on it.

I choose to do the main view (top left) with the straps and v neck but no ribbon around the middle and just plain fabric. I had some issues with the straps, not sure why but I always seem to struggle with straps, but I won’t be defeated.

Here it is completed –

Then I bought some Broderie Anglasie in a terracotta colour and this time did the top (top right) with no straps. This instead has elastic around the top. Again I struggled following how they said to insert it so I made a casing for the elastic like I would with skirts or trousers. Here is that one –

Just need some warm weather now to wear them !!

The one I am doing my daughter is in a blue flowery fabric (top – bottom left) which I am hoping to finish after next weekend when she is home for a fitting session !

Sadly I am without machine this weekend. My old faithful “New Home” machine is over 30 years old and so I have taken it for a service. It should be done by Wednesday and I have picked out a new Janome one I would like eventually to replace it with. Maybe I can save up enough for Christmas  🙂

Thanks for looking.

Ginnie xx

Fancy Dress

These are the costumes I made for my daughters back in 2012 ready for their first year as Fresher’s at University.

It was sewing these that got me back into my dressmaking. The machine hadn’t been used for many years before then !

The first 2 were very simple and made from the same pattern – McCalls costumes 2895.

These were the toga and cavegirl costumes.

I then used the same pattern to make a devil outfit for Halloween for Becki – again very simple.

For Laura that Halloween I used Simplicity 2324 – A witch outfit. I found a lovely lace overlay with spiders webs on and used a purple underlay instead of red. I was very proud of this one as it was more complex.

I would love to make more costumes but haven’t really had the need to make any other since.

Thanks for looking

Ginnie xx

 

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog designated to my re-found love of dressmaking.

I actually first started dressmaking at school and in my late teens early 20s I made several of my own clothes. Then my daughters came along and the sewing machine got packed away for a very long time.

Then as my daughters were about to go to University I decided it would be a great idea to make them some fancy dress costumes ready for being Freshers. So the machine came out again I browsed pattern websites and decided to get back into the hobby. I made several outfits that I will show when I dig out those photos.

After another 12/18 month absence I finally ordered some patterns and fabric and started again. That was the end of 2014 and now I am well and truly hooked. My daughters are also keen for me to make them things too. I consider myself an advanced beginner still, I know how to do many of the basics but struggle with new things and am still having problems getting the clothes to fit just right.

So I have completed 3 things recently. Two of which I need to photo. But this jacket I completed yesterday and I am very pleased with the result. It is from New Look pattern 6217 and is a jacket for my one daughter. The fabric is a linen/viscose mix and it is supposed to be a nice loose jacket for summer.

As my daughter is away at university and not back for a weekend until the 13th Feb I don’t know how well it will fit yet. To me it looks a little long – I really should have took more of her measurements before she returned after Christmas.

The next item I plan to make for her (and to maybe go with the jacket) is a dress from New Look pattern 6143. She has chosen the pattern in the centre with no sleeves. The fabric is a cotton poplin with Russian Dolls on – something she loves and collects. I am waiting to start it when she is home so I can get the fit right but I have made a rough top of it from scrap fabric to see how it will look.

Thank you for reading, I hope to show some of the things made for myself next time.

Ginnie xx