Confession: My favourite fabrics have spent the last year untidily heaped in an old box near my sewing machine, otherwise known as The Pile:It was great to have my favourites on hand for random momen...
Here it is: the dress-that-you-probably-alread y-know-what-it-looks-like-beca use-youve-seen-so-much-of-it-i n-previous-posts!Its a simple fitted dress with 3/4 sleeves and collar and cuffs in some fake...
While Im still on the topic of sewing checks or plaids, let me show you this little trick for sewing seams together so that they match perfectly!I was shown this by one of the sample machinists (Pat)...
Once Ive planned where my checks are going to match, its time to start cutting! Lay the pieces right sides together, taking particular care that the checks are square, and not skewed - ie they ...
Cutting checks isnt hard at all, so dont let that idea prevent you from giving them a go! It does require some extra time and planning though - trying to do it in a rush isnt really a good idea...
I have a little surprise for you all today - I surprised myself actually! My new dress isnt just a red tartan dress, it is a red-tartan-and-leopard-print dress!It was originally intended to be ...
Im a big fan of using piping as a trim on garments, and my current favourite place is to sew it into the waistline of a dress: piping at the waistline of my Aurora DressPiping at the waistline of my ...
I was cutting checks today, and nearly missed this little flaw running through the middle of the fabric - can you spot it?No? Lets zoom in a little closer:See that horizontal blue stripe in the...
Ive had this dress finished for a week waiting to be hemmed - I am very good at not finishing! But Im glad I did because I think I really like this dress, it is just a shame winter is round the...
Do you use the term couture technique? Ive never really used it - in fact, Im not exactly sure what one is! From blog reading and library books I have a general idea, but I am hesitant to...
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! We had four fabulous days of sunshine and took the opportunity to paint the east wall of the house, but there was still time to trip to the beach:...
Let me show you the knitting progress on my thrifted mustard tweed:The pattern I am using is #15 Harlow Suit Jacket from Verena Knitting January 2010 - it is a rather cute peplum design with contrast...
The front pleat on my 1969 Burda Dress is an inverted pleat - where two folds turn towards each other to meet on the outside. These can be folded from a single Front panel, or as in my case, ma...
Remember the bundle of Burda Modens I picked up recently? This is my version of Model 8107 from the July 1969 issue. I chose some sky blue stash-fabric-of-mysterious-com position to cut in...
Last weekend we visited family in the South Island, so I thought Id share a few pics - plus my op-shop finds!Early morning fog over Middlemarch, Otago.We drove right up that valley to Ranfurly and Na...
I recently placed a bid on a bundle of ten Burda magazines from 1968 - and won! The sellers were moving overseas and kindly gifted me the other lots that didnt sell, so I ended up with several more f...
While remaking the Turquoise Tartan skirt, I found the stitching on the back inverted pleat had started coming undone slightly:I thought Id give one of those arrowhead tacks a go. I have to adm...
I think one thing that really distinguishes a quality make from a poor-quality one is the hem. To me, a hem should be as discrete as possible and not detract from the rest of the garment - unle...
I bought this 70s skirt from The Paper Bag Princess op-shop a while back - please help with my addiction, it doesnt even fit! I loved the teal and turquoise colours, and Im making a concerted e...
Its a routine I have - wander down to the library, return a few books, pay the inevitable fine, then wander round to the supermarket to pick up a few things for tea. At the pedestrian lights the ment...
Are you a wide-leg trouser fan, or are narrow legs more your thing? Ive always felt more comfortable in straight or narrow legs, and have never really been a wide-leg-trouser person. I tr...
When I was writing the post on my new Elna, I searched Elna-Discs to try and discover the names of all those fancy stitches. Instead I came across this lovely image on another blog - which summ...
So, to get my Greist Buttonholer working, I had to buy a new sewing machine! After a couple of months stalking TradeMe I settled on another Elna Supermatic - this one actually:This model is fro...
Meet my new dress - Juliette:She is made from a printed cotton sateen from Global Fabrics, and according to this photo needs strap retainers! (And I need ironing mitts - Ive burnt my arm on the...
Regular readers will know that I sew using an industrial plain sewer - this only sews a straight stitch, so Im a bit stuck when it comes to buttonholes. I usually take my garment along to work ...
Todays Fix-it Friday is about correcting this wonky cross-over top - spot the fault:I found this top last year at The Paper Bag Princess for $5, and thought it had good wardrobe potential if I just f...
Despite leaving comments on several blogs that I dont really have a New Years resolution, and that I chop and change my mind so much that I would never stick to one anyway, I have discovered three we...
I love seeing all the Ruby Slips popping up on sewing blogs right around the world, and it gives me a real buzz to see what a great job everyone has done! Following are some awesome examples, a...
I finished this little button-back shell this week:You might recognise the orange spot fabric from this post! Its in that "new" shade of "Tangerine Tango" that according to ...
I bought this top just for the fabric! Ive been looking for some Breton stripe in red or blue for ages without success, so I snapped this top up for $6 when I saw it at the Red Cross Shop in San...
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