An important visitor to Bewdley…
Posted: May 24, 2012 Filed under: Life | Tags: Bewdley, Life, Olympics 2 Comments »Not a person. But (pause for drumroll) THE OLYMPIC TORCH! Unless you have been living under a rock you will know that the games are to be held in London this summer but I truly never expected the torch to pass through a little town like mine. Not that I don’t think it deserves it – we are just a bit …. small.
Bewdley knows how to celebrate – we have an annual Festival which attracts some very impressive people (my daughter is still impressed with how fabulous Honor Blackman looked even in a dressing gown and curlers at her sound check) … but I digress.
Theres a bridge under there somewhere…
Today Bewdley was heaving with not only the great and good, but the everybody. And we had all come to see this.
The ACTUAL Olympic torch!
This is the real Olympic flame which is being taken in relay around Britain – carried through
Torch makers mum
I get to hold the torch!
Bewdley by Samuel Loveitt (Age 12) Well done that man!
For a while it didn’t seem as though we would see anything through the crowd and I was very kindly offered the chance to hold ‘a torch’ (though not THE torch) by a lady whose son had made it at school. Brilliant! Not everyone was so convinced that it had been
Monty remains unimpressed – though well dressed.
worthwhile – but was still happy to be dressed for the occasion. Meet Monty – it took three attempts to get this photograph (I have one with just his butt and tail!) but it was worth it as he is so handsome! Jubilee Celebrations next! After leaving the town the flame was to go on a steam train , stopping at the West Midlands Safari park where the elephants had been practicing their wave too. Check this out!
Bussting out!
Posted: May 18, 2012 Filed under: Dressmaking, Fabric, Sewbussted | Tags: Dressmaking, Fabric, Sewbussted, Tops 1 Comment »I did some undercover testing for Rhonda Buss a while ago on a pattern she has just released. I wasn’t able to show you anything until I had her OK but now I can let you see!
Meet the ‘Lean on my shoulder’ top.
Bessie wearing Rhondas top.
I made this in this seasons Viscose/Elastane jersey in Random Circles (538). I was slightly shocked when a friend said she avoided viscose because she didn’t like man-made fabrics. Whilst some of the fabrics made from the ‘petrochemical’ end of the market can feel very man-made I love rayon and viscose which are made from cellulose (wood pulp or cotton waste) so not an ‘un-natural’ fabric in my opinion. This particular fabric is very soft and gave a lovely drape at the neckline. One of the original tops which Rhonda showed had a stiffer neck and looked very different. If I wanted to get a finish like that I would use an iron-on interlining to give some body.The top was sewn on my overlocker – something I really should do more as it made this such a quick and easy project. I only used my sewing machine on the hems for this top, using a twin needle, as my overlocker does not have a coverstitch.
I really enjoyed making this project. It was the sort of garment you could cut out in the morning and wear that night. It is comfortable to wear – and I know some people were a little concerned about the slightly ‘off the shoulder’ side showing straps but I can say that I had no problem with this at all. I did think that I might spend time during the day ‘re-arranging’ the neckline but forgot about it quickly and it behaved beautifully all day. Love it!
You are now able to buy this pattern at Rhondas Etsy shop .
Me-Made-May – Days 8 to 14 (Late again)
Posted: May 16, 2012 Filed under: Life, Me Made May 2012 | Tags: Dressmaking, Me Made May 2012 2 Comments »Oh boy have I been busy. Not just sewing – the rain eased off just long enough so that i couldn’t avoid having to cut the grass. Darn. And then someone squished my car a bit in a car park – fortunately I was sitting in it at the time so I nobbled them! Sorting out the repairs took some time too. And there has been sewing. And then a bit more sewing – and nothing for me. Boo hoo.
Anyway, MMM. I am still pathetically short of good photographs – but since I see that Carolyn takes her own (magnificent) photographs I really must stop complaining about the managements efforts and get on with it myself! Bessie has been a willing volunteer so some garments are shown on her.
Pyjama Drama – 8th
In my last post I confessed to being in my PJs already – but since it was my birthday I was allowed to do what I wanted. So there.
SAM 2 – Shirtdress (self drafted)9th May
On the 9th I was invited to lunch with the previous ‘Material Lady’. Due to a ‘scabby knee’ , legacy of my carelessness, I couldn’t wear a skirt so I wore the self drafted shirtdress which was SAM2 and a pair of black leggings and black boots.
Good lunch – good conversation – comfy clothing. Great day.
Thursday 10th – self drafted T
Payment for a day out was a full days sewing. Fittings, visits, the works. All achieved wearing a self drafted t-shirt (another of my ‘shy retiring’ pieces) and the black cardigan in the same pattern as last weeks green. Perfect clothing for crawling the floor and all the other undignified things a dressmaker is required to do.
Thats my happy top!
Friday 11th
We had friends round for drinks on friday evening – nothing ‘posh’ so I wore my happy top and brought the black leggings out again. I think this is the garment I like the most of anything I have made recently – so much so that it is starting to fade in the wash. Oh dear. A good night was had by all. More conversation, drink drunk, and bed far too late. Which didn’t bode well for saturday morning….
Patrones Gardening jeans -12th May
…..when the garden simply had to have some attention. The rain held off long enough to cut the grass and tidy a bit generally. But I still wont show you any pictures – I am no gardener. All the rubbish was taken to the tip and I got the Patrones black gardening jeans suitably filthy. I feel a bit sad for these jeans – it’s not their fault I have changed shape so they don’t fit any more.
Moon & Stars PJs
Sunday was spent just reading the papers, catching up on house work, and generally trying not to do very much. Wearing purchased jeans and T-shirt. Bad Kim! Just as well I wore my moon and stars PJs to bed.
Monday 14th
Monday 14th was another day doing odd jobs, but I was to go out in the afternoon. Wearing a Burda shirt in a white crinkle broderie anglais cotton I found lurking near the back of the wardrobe – how did that happen! It came from Burda 3/2009 and is style 106. A real gem. And I have another in a different fabric – blue striped cotton. Sadly the day was a little spoiled by someone with a car bigger than their ability to drive it. but the shirt was good!
Another week completed and I can still hold my head up and say I am fulfilling my promise to the challenge. Almost half way done now!
Sewing for myself has slid off the radar so I am about to re-instate the 30 minutes for me at the end of each days work. Look out for the start of the next (very late!) SAM!
Me Made May – The first 7 days
Posted: May 8, 2012 Filed under: Me Made May 2012 | Tags: Dressmaking, JAM 2011, Me Made May 2012, Patrones 8 Comments »I have succeeded in my goal of wearing a minimum of one ‘Me-Made’ garment every day so far. I have not been so good at getting photographs – and some of the ones I have got are pretty awful (what can I say – the management is great at his job. His job doesn’t involve taking photographs).
T-shirt and cardiga
n – 1st May
Moon & Stars PJs – 1st into 2nd!
Day 1 was a self drafted T-shirt and a cardigan I knitted some time ago. The PJ’s were made from and old Vogue pattern for the top and the shorts were a self draft. The pattern is MIA but when I find it I will edit this post. I wasn’t sure whether I should include this for the 1st or 2nd so they are in both.
JAM 2011 – 2nd May
I wore this JAM 2011 jacket to the cinema with my friend ‘L’ (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen since you ask – much better than it sounds and it has Ewen McGregor).
SAM & Patrones – 3rd May
A day spent sewing for clients so this SAM and the Patrones jeans were just what I needed as a comfortable outfit I didn’t mind crawling the floor in. Pinning hems is not very dignified. Check out the sparkly silver Converse Hi-tops! I love them.
Patrones Jeans (again) 4th May
Another day sewing – but no clients so I made a very lazy choice and repeated the Patrones jeans with an M&S t-shirt. Comfy but not all that great. I have decided that this jeans pattern needs tweaking.
Pyjama Drama – 5th
Avoided a failure day by wearing the PJs that I made. I love my comfy PJs.
Patrones Gardening jeans – 6th May
These jeans were from the same Patrones pattern as the lilac jeans – they are now an even worse fit than the lilac. I have been following a running plan (again) in an attempt to strengthen my bones. (Mother and Granny both had/have osteoporosis). Whilst I don’t think my weight has changed my body shape definately is. Because of that these are now strictly gardening jeans. And I hate gardening.
And the 7th. Sorry can’t show you. Top secret. It was the Lean on my shoulder top that I made to try a pattern for Rhonda. When she gives the OK I will be able to give you all the info. Until then – sorry!
Going well so far – and I may even get better photographs for some of the future days. But not for today (8th). Didn’t get one. And I am already in my PJs (yes – Me-made) because it’s my birthday so I can do what I want today!
Vogue 1027 people!
Posted: May 4, 2012 Filed under: Dressmaking, Fabric, Vogue Patterns | Tags: Dressmaking, Fabric, Me Made May 2012, Vogue 1 Comment »I know I was probably over optimistic when I bought the last pile of patterns but I really would like to get all of them made sometime soon. A friend wanted to try Vogue 1027 too so it was a good excuse to start with this! (I’m so easily led:( ).
The fabric I chose was another that I really have been itching to get at. It is a lovely viscose/elastane jersey (531 – Stone). I was shocked when a friend told me she avoided viscose and rayon because ‘she didn’t like man-made fabrics’. Whilst I agree that some of the ‘man-mades’ from the petrochemical end of the market can feel uncomfortable occasionally (though by no means all of them) viscose is made from cellulose fibres – much the same as linen – so I find them very cool and comfortable to wear. And not a bad fabric to work with either – not slippy and difficult! No-one should be scared of sewing jersey fabric – it can be very rewarding to work with. take your time and its easy.
Bessie models 1027
Front detail 1027
The most difficult part of this pattern was getting enough space to cut the skirt out – the half circle pattern piece takes a lot of space! Everything fitted together exactly as it should – and although I am fairly ‘blessed’ in the chest department I didn’t do a FBA since my friend was trying this dress too and it fits just fine. I did put clear elastic round the neckline, just to give a little extra support, but didn’t shorten it too much because I didn’t want the neckline tightened at all.
The ties on the waistline are neatened all round, and although the pattern instructions were good I thought that it would be easier to get a good finish by working a mitre – not quite to the edge so it was still possible to double turn to thoroughly neaten the corner. This worked really well and prevented the fabric from shuffling around in that difficult corner. Not easy to describe verbally – I might try to show this in pictures another time.
Hem trimmings
The dress was left on Bessie overnight to let the hem fall into place, as it was almost all off grain, before cutting it straight. I used my floor standing hem measure and left the dress on Bessie while I measured around the hem from the shortest point on the skirt. I was quite surprised at how much the hem had dropped. You can see from the picture of trimmings the range I had to take off.
I love the dress now it is finished – I suspect it will be a real go-to dress on warm days (you can tell I am an optimist given the way April has been in the UK!) and is a real packing dream so it will be going on holiday. I just hope I get it back from my friend as she has borrowed it to try!
P.S. Me-Made-May is going well – at least one (and usually more) garment every day so far. Photography is less good…..
Me-made May
Posted: May 1, 2012 Filed under: Life, Me Made May 2012 | Tags: Life, Me Made May 2012 1 Comment »I spotted that Zoe was encouraging everyone to have another ‘Me-made’ month where we all pledge to wear as many self-made garments as we can. I admit I failed miserably at ‘me made March 2011′. Miserably.
However – ever the optimist I have signed up for this challenge (just a challenge – not a competition) with every intention of honouring my pledge.
‘I, Kim, of themateriallady@wordpress.com , sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’12. I endeavour to wear at least one me-made garment each day for the duration of May 2012′.
Today started well with a self sewn t-shirt and handknitted cardigan. I will be wearing PJ’s I made myself when I go to bed – does that count today? Tomorrow? Both…..? Now I’m confused.
I will be posting pictures once a week. Wish me luck!
PJs as gift?
Posted: April 30, 2012 Filed under: 'The Material Lady', Fabric, Uncategorized | Tags: Dressmaking, Fabric, PJ's, The Material Lady 2 Comments »Not everyones cup of tea (or perhaps cocoa would be more appropriate?) but my visit to my wonderful daughter last saturday was an opportunity to deliver on my promise to make her some PJ trousers. I had seen the wonderful Pyjama Party sew along but was a little late to join in – so this seemed like a good alternative.
Daughters PJ's
I made these in my poly cotton (526), the same as my own PJ trousers. I know that they wash and wear very well – no need to iron these – and whist nice and cosy they aren’t too warm. I hadn’t thought about putting a mock fly and buttons on my version but it sure makes the front easier to spot when you are tired. Thanks for showing us yours Caroline! The buttons are ‘vintage’ and came from a button tin I was given as a gift from a reading group friend. I am sure she will be happy to know they are being used.The daughter was very pleased with these and will be getting more when the pattern has been declared comfy.
Bedtime reading
As part of the pyjama party we were asked to show our bedtime reading – I wish my cabinet was always this tidy! And I hope the book on the top delivers it’s promises.
Sleep tight everyone!
SAM 3 – Finished!
Posted: April 23, 2012 Filed under: Dressmaking, SAM 2012 | Tags: Dressmaking, SAM 2012, Shirts 9 Comments »This was a project I was very pleased to finish. I don’t really understand why it has been so ‘blurgh’ to make, but this was trouble from the off. Despite that, I am really happy with the result and will definitely be repeating the style!
Finished!
Seam detail
You may remember I wanted a shirt similar to Vogue 8747, but didn’t want to have to do all the alterations my (ahem*) assets would require. I used my basic bodice block (sloper) from the Winifred Aldrich bookI made some time ago. I think it went well – all the dart manipulation to move the gathering to the centre front went fine. I don’t understand what I did this time to make the sleeves so long! That may be something I put right in the near future – or more likely I will live with them long. I do intend to make this again so I will ensure I mark the pattern before I forget.
I was determined to make this shirt without the use of the overlocker so used flat felled seams throughout. I had forgotten that on a long sleeved shirt this was going to be a bit of a challenge but the sleeves were much easier than I thought they would be! Even the seam around the armscye wasn’t as bad as I expected. I am very happy with how tidy the inside of this shirt is and will not shy away from repeating the ‘no overlocker challenge’. Though not for a little while.
Inside on left - right side on right.
Tidy on the inside too
Despite being so long in the making I am happy with this shirt – I am wearing it now! I suspect I will make the ‘gathered front’ style more now I have discovered that it doesn’t make me look too UB (check out Shams for the explanation!) Tell me what you think.
Me - by me!
Clearly SAM 4 will be late since it is already 23rd April. Sorry.
SAM 3 – Late again!
Posted: April 13, 2012 Filed under: Dressmaking, SAM 2012, Vogue Patterns | Tags: Pattern Drafting, Scuba Diving, Vogue 3 Comments »Ok. I admit I am terribly disorganised. However (M’Lud) I have been away from home twice since I last posted. The management and I spent a couple of days in Wales (one fabulous sunshine and the other Welsh) when we visited two National Trust properties – Erdigg and Chirk Castle. I thoroughly enjoyed having a break after the bridesmaid crisis which meant that I filled all the remaining time just finishing client work . Nothing for me. Zilch. Nada. Niet.
Chirk Castle
We followed that with another week of just keeping pace before running away to Plymouth to give my Northern Diver suit a good soaking. No apologies for a weekends diving over Easter. Fabulous dives – I am sad to have missed the electric guitar which is apparantly in the wheelhouse of the wreck of the Scylla but I didn’t get there!
This week has been better and I am now back on track with outside work. Today I finally got started on SAM3. Yes – I know we are in April so it should be SAM4. But I am working on 3. I did the pattern alterations to the style I wanted and cut it out in cotton sateen a little while ago but I lost my way after that.
Vogue 8747
New Back Vogue 8747
I liked Vogue 8747 but wanted the princess lines on the back to look the same as the front (go into the sleeve instead of the shoulder). I made the pattern with 8747 in mind from my own pattern block. I knew I would need lots of adjustments to a commercial pattern so thought that would be a quicker route. Today I actually made a start with sewing this together. I am determined not to use the overlocker on this project – they are a wonderful tool but it is too easy to just ‘romp’ through a project without too much effort. I have the body put together using ‘sort of’ flat felled seams. I have no photographs yet but hope to be able to finish by sunday and show the stages in my next post.
A pile of patterns….
Posted: March 31, 2012 Filed under: Vogue Patterns | Tags: Dressmaking, Life, Vogue 2 Comments »….arrived in the post earlier this week. It wasn’t a total surprise as I had ordered them all when the Vogue site had their ‘Buy one get two free’ sale for three days. I should be better organised and have a prepared list for these opportunities but I always end up with one of those panic moments. Anyway, the six I bought are (in no particular order as they always say on awards shows)…
Vogue 8793 – a lovely top with a zip used as a feature round the neckline. I saw this made up on Shams blog and loved it. I’m still unsure how comfortable the zip will be against my neck.
Vogue 1287 Donna Karan dress just looked like a really useful dress to have available. I have only fairly recently decided I like wearing dresses but this looks just what I need.
Vogue 1214 Alice +Olivia is possibly a bit more ‘cutting edge’ than the management can cope with – but I love it and he will just have to cope! I may try converting this to a jacket with sleeves – I think this is just wonderful.
While we are talking cutting edge, and what the management wont like – try out Vogue 1248 for size! I saw this first on Carolyns blog. She makes some absolutely wonderful garments – and this is no exception in my opinion. Even if you disregard the ‘wacky’ skirt (and I don’t intend to) the shirt is gorgeous. The skirt slightly overshadows it but I think it is a lovely shirt for very hot days. In case anyone is in doubt that I will need this I can confirm that I have requested a great summer for us here in the UK. Hence the need for this shirt…
Vogue 1027 is another fabulous dress. I have had this pattern mentally tagged for a while but just got round to ordering it. I think this will be ridiculously useful. I have some new jerseys in stock so I am sure that one will be earmarked to try this out.
(Don’t know why this picture had to be big to transfer but..) Vogue 1293 is a lovely Anne Klein trouser suit. The jacket is a very simple looking jacket – but with details that make it worth having when you look more closely. I can’t remember the last time I made trousers from a Vogue pattern but perhaps it is time to try again.
I haven’t managed any sewing for myself this week – too deep in bridesmaids alterations in amongst the other client work. I am hoping that next week will be better. NO – I will make sure next week is better!
