Managing a Sew Busy Life

Posted on November 21, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

I’ve had the rather challenging life lately. Life seems to be a slow-motion avalanche swamping me at the moment. In the midst of my less-than chillaxed life, sewing has been a real refuge from the onslaught of reality.

Sewaholic Alma: sneak peek. It makes me giggle that I have tweeted this image a few times…

In the past couple of weeks, I have made a gorgeous new Alma blouse (yes pictures soon, have patience people! I have provided a sneak peek above) and a muslin for MariaDenmark’s new trousers.

MariaDenmark 301 – Winnie Wide Legged Trousers

Maria and I met through Twitter and it’s been fabulous. She’s got me to sew an a-line skirt (in fact I’ve made two I just have not had a chance to take pictures due to the life avalanche – which I have been feeling very bad about), a t-shirt and now trousers.

Maria sent me her trousers pattern just before it was released – to test instructions, notches etc. Life shortly thereafter delivered a quite spectacular landslide and they took me a little longer than usual.

However I’ve finished my very rough muslin. The fabric only cost me $4 and it’s a polyester twill – which sounds horrid but it’s got an excellent drape. Given my first Thurlows I thought it best to be cautious with my cash!

Maria’s new trousers are wide-legs. Despite my love of hussy-length skirts, I have always adored wide-leg trousers. And these are perfect. I can’t wait to find some nice fabric and make them again! The junk trunk is happy.

MariaDenmark Winnie Trousers: muslin back

Please excuse the appalling pictures taken on the iPhone at 11pm! And the unironed pants… and I’m standing slightly lopsided… and they are unhemmed!

These trousers have just 12 pieces – compared to the 21 pieces for Sewaholic Thurlow. Now I really like the Thurlows but the simplicity of Maria’s design appeals to me – and I love the fit. I took my sides in a tiny bit too much and will add belt loops next time.

Maria directed me to a Threads online tutorial for doing the fly front zipper and it was magic! Life changing stuff! My fly front zip went in perfectly!

Maria is running a pants ‘fit-along’ at the moment so if pants have scared you, don’t be afraid. These pants are easy peasy. Grab a pants pattern, learn some new stuff about fitting your booty. I’ve just got to figure out how to get the back waistband to fit perfectly and then my life will be complete 🙂

And my Apronalong prize arrived today! Thank you Karen 🙂 x I love it – even the wrapping paper/bag!

Apronalong prize!

BUSY LIVES

This weekend’s #sewingsocial got me thinking. About sewing, about being busy. And about managing all those things (It was ironic that I had to stop scrubbing the kitchen floor to participate).

Busy is a catchcry of today’s world. We are all so busy (or in my case sew busy and so busy!). I personally don’t think I’m any busier than anyone else. Or that the things in my life are more important or demanding than anyone else. I think it’s all about perspective. The things that we do in our lives are important to us as individuals and make us who we are – our values, priorities and ambitions.

I often get asked how I manage everything. I don’t know, it’s just how my life is and I just get on with it – not much else to so about it really is there? I get outta bed (some days more reluctantly than others) and just plod my way through life.

I have a fulltime job. I am married with two children. I don’t have a cleaner for my house. I cook our meals, we rarely have take-away. My kids do after-school activities. I squash in a weekly grocery shop. I have a high-maintenance dog. I sew. I blog. I tweet. My husband has one night out a week at ‘boys night’. We go to Sydney to see family now and then. Not spectacular but it’s busy all the time – like most people’s lives. I often don’t sit down until after 9pm every night and I’m back up at 6.15am.

And I sew. I often get asked ‘how do you find time to sew?’ Good question but the better one is ‘why do I find time to sew?’

In the midst of family dramas, workplace upheavals and sick children, sewing provides me with a centre. When I sew, trace patterns, cut out, it’s almost like the world’s chatter shuts up. I think ‘suffer’ from the ability to have a very singular focus, I am VERY goal-driven. So doing something completely unrelated to the demands of my life actually means all that ‘essential’ life stress disappears for a time. I am only listening to the pattern, the fabric & thread, the hum of the machine and the hiss of the iron.

It’s something I’m choosing to do. I can stop sewing at any time and there is no yearly review, letter to the editor, customer complaint, call from the school, no heart attack, no sick child if I stop.

I think if your hobby stresses you out – you need to get some perspective on it.

Does it matter if you do a blog post today? If your zipper is a bit wonky? Your bound buttonholes need some work? Not really.

Chillax peeps. It’s just fabric, thread and a few notions. Just enjoy it for what it is. Pretty stuff, fresh challenges of your choice and connecting with like-minded people.

Does sewing relax you?

PS – thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes – the old gal appreciates it xox

THANK YOU – no… thank you :-)

Posted on November 6, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Thank You Award

Premio Primavera blog award

I love this award because it really stands for how I like to participate in the blogging world. I love to comment on people’s blogs – and I also like to respond to people’s comments on mine. I think of it as positive blog graffiti – kinda of a ‘Lizzy woz ere’

Yes that might seem over the top but I think if I don’t why not just have a website and post my creations there? I blog not just to chronicle my creations but to also fill my world with sewing chatter – which would be sadly lacking if not for my blog and twitter feed (oh how I love twitter, I know it can have a reputation but if you follow nice people, it’s a nice place to be). I can tell how many hits I get on my blog but it’s the feedback, hints and encouragement that really makes me smile.

The Premio Primavera blog award is a Thank You for giving support and encouragement through comments. This award you pass onto the last nine commenters on your blog, they then pass it on and so on – it’s a major rolling thank you festival! What a nice idea!

Clearly I comment alot as I was nominated for this award in the last week by The Crazy Gypsy Chronicles (a quick swim across the ditch in NZ) and also Zo So (a hop skip and a jump down in lovely Melbourne) – and then the amazing Goodbye Valentino!

So (drumroll please) the award goes to…

Sew Exhausted: Sewing, Quilting, Crafting, oh my!
Gardeningnivana: Lovely gardening blog
Gingermakes: Impossible not to love this gal. She’s adorable. Check out her Banksia top!
Liza Jane Sews: Beautiful clothes, great eye for colour and design.
Twisted Yarns: Sews and knits!
Ozzy Blackbeard: she knits, sews and crochets!!
Boomdeeadda: who nominated me for the Lovely Blogger Award x 🙂
Did You Make That: who inspired me to make those crazy aprons – the nutty photoshoot was all my husband’s idea (yes, he’s lovely)
finally Annabelvita – a new visitor to my blog – courtesy of the Apronalong!

Goodbye Valentino should also be Number 8 on this list but I figured being one of the award nominators means I should play hopscotch and pass it along further in the blog world – otherwise Goodbye Valentino will be doing Thank You posts every second day as she is a very active stitcher, blogger and commenter! Love your work Sarah!

And while I am on a THANK YOU roll….

One of my all-time favourite blogger the gorgeous and tremendously funny Anne from Pretty grievances. I adore Anne’s blog, she always makes me laugh. I sent her some very garish german hound fabrics, she sent me the amazing Twinkle Sews book and some fabric and some buttons. I adore everything in this package and I think the Twinkle Sews patterns will be making plenty of appearances on this blog. Thank you Anne…

Twinkle Sews, some fabric and buttons!

Thank you The Perfect Nose. I was super lucky to win her September giveaway. It’s a magazine. I love stacks of the patterns and I think I might try a top for my girls first – with some of the Metallicus fabric I scored at The Fabric Store on the weekend – for just $4 a metre (so I purchased 4 metres of course!). It’s surprisingly hard to find cool patterns for the tween end of the sewing market but I think there are a couple in there that will tick the box!

Gorgeous magazine from The Perfect Nose

Thank you to Maria Denmark who has asked me to pattern test her new trouser patterns – I can’t tell you any more but watch this space.

PS: Megan Nielsen is having an amazing first birthday giveaway!! Don’t miss it!

Colette Peony – weed or blossom?

Posted on October 24, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Colette Peony – a summer frock

Colette Peony – I haven’t quite decided whether it’s a weed or a blossom in my pattern stash. Should it stay or should it go? (This dress is also appearing over at Rhinestones and Telephones right now).

Colette Peony was my first indie patterns purchases when I started sewing again. I bought it direct from Colette, waited weeks for it to arrive – in the meantime I made my Frolicking Frock and my beloved Tardis Skirt, which have all been major wardrobe winners. If I had started with this pattern, I might have given up sewing before I even got started again.

I made this as this dress for Sew Colette 2.0 which is hosted by Sarah, Erin and Rochelle. I was not thrilled when Peony was voted as the October project – I was desperately wanting it to be Oolong – I even have the pattern – thank you Sew Squirrel! I didn’t intend to participate but when Sarah was tweeting about needing a guest blogger I thought ‘hey I’ve just made a smokin’ boned, lined and underlined Gertie wiggle dress – how hard can Peony be?‘ hmmmmm, HARD!

Peony is rated as an easy project. It’s not hard to sew together. However, it is difficult to fit. This pattern has clearly been designed for someone with a completely different build than me (and most people it seems) and modifying the pattern can be hard work for some of us. So here is a little story about my battle with the Peony…

MAKE A MUSLIN!!!!!

If you make this pattern, you absolutely must make at least a bodice muslin. I consider myself a base jumper in the sewing world and rarely muslin anything (a small benefit of being built like a coathanger I guess). I had seen enough of this pattern in blogworld to know that it might be a tough customer – it needed more than courage and a parachute to prevent a crash landing. I think the biggest issue is the position of the waist and bust darts. I re-drew and re-stitched the darts five times on my muslin. I drew lines all over it and eventually created something that kinda sorta fits.

FRONT BODICE SOLUTION

What did I do? After four unsuccessful dart moves, I looked at my made-by-me dresses that do fit well and looked at their bodice darts. My Passport dress and Simplicity 2444 have waist darts however instead of running at a 90 degree angle to the waistline, they start closer to the centre of the waistline and are slightly angled outwards from the waist and towards the side seams. I transferred this dart rotation to my muslin. I simply dropped the waist darts down a little and rotated them outwards a little. I also raised the bust seams a little. Hey presto – a much better fitting bodice.

DON’T FORGET THE BACK BODICE

In my excessive excitement I did not spend enough time fussing over the back. Once I sewed up the dress I found that the back is still too wide. Alas. If you are having this problem I did google this problem and found a very helpful post from Symon Sez referring to Madalynne’s post explaining the relationship between the back and front neckline width. Next time (if there is a next time) I’m going to modify the back piece using this theory.

Colette Peony: back view

MY SUMMER PEONY

Fabric

I think with any seasonal dress colour choice is important. I’ve never felt very summery in grey or black. Nor do I feel wintery and cosy in minty greens and vibrant blues (I must admit I am not a fan of the colder months – and we don’t even get a frost where I live).

It’s interesting but I’ve never worn yellow – ever. Thanks Kat for encouraging me to give this hue a try via Twitter – this fabric has been intended for a Cambie but there is always another Cambie somewhere… I confess there may be a little more left in my stash…

My fabric is a butter yellow cotton eyelet. Obviously Peony wasn’t giving me enough grief so I picked a fabric that required lining and underlining.

Lining and Underlining

Using the skills I picked up making the wiggle dress and reading Gertie’s book, I underlined the yellow eyelet with some white broadcloth from the stash. Underlining is quite easy. You do need patience! Rather than paraphrase someone else – why not check out Gertie’s blog and see how she underlined the Colette Crepe bodice. In a nutshell you baste the fabrics together around the edges and baste along the dart lines. This is a very imprecise description. I think pictures work better!

Colette Peony underlining the bodice

I guess some people may be wondering why I chose broadcloth to underline, rather than silk organza or cotton batiste? I was planning to omit the sleeves as I wanted a Summer Peony and thought if the bodice had more structure the neckline and armholes would sit better.

The bodice is underlined – so the two fabrics are treated as one. I lined the skirt – so the lining is attached at the waist and then hangs free.

Skirt Length

People complain about the Peony skirt gathers – but I love the skirt. It’s a gentle a-line and I think if you pick a a fabric with some drape, not too much, it hangs beautifully. I can see that a poplin, sateen, quilting cotton etc might not be so flattering. I added a full 2 inches to the skirt length. I think it compliments the wide boat neckline better than the shorter skirt. The extra weight might also help the gathers hang better I suspect.

Colette Peony: lengthening the skirt

The Sleeves – or not!

In an email discussion with Sarah I planned on writing a post about ‘summerising’ Peony – after seeing Lladybird’s rockin’ gingham summer Peony in February this idea has been sitting in the back of my mind.

I’ve always felt a little left-out of the sewalongs as everyone else always seems to be in a different season to me! So this was to be my southern hemisphere version of the Peony – if you are feeling miserable as the temperature descends on the other side of the world, I’m happy to channel summer over here on my blog for you! Free of charge!

I had planned to create armhole facings and write a post about them. While I was making up this pattern, I decided that as the shoulders are quite narrow that it would be better to use bias binding instead – otherwise the shoulder would become quite bulky with layers of fabric. I did add the neckline facing as the pattern directs but ripped it out. The underlining, shell fabric and facings make the neckline at the shoulders very bulky and unattractive. So I unpicked it and replaced it with binding that I cut from the un-eyeletted (yes of course that’s a word) fabric along the eyelet fabric’s edges.

My shoulders did get a touch sunburnt at the beach when we took photos – so I missed the sleeves! Leaving off the sleeves makes the dress much cooler and better for my climate – which features hot and humid summers! Not good weather for growing Peonies 🙂

I simply stitched bias binding to the outside of the armholes on the right side, turned the binding to the inside, concealing the raw edges and slip stitched it down to the underlining.

Piping

I decided to highlight the white underlining/lining that is peek-a-booing through the eyelet by adding a piped white waistband. I’ve never inserted piping before – and had always thought it was waaaay tooooo hard. Not true. Check out Colette’s online tutorial about how to add piping to your projects…

Colette Peony, inserting the waist piping, it’s so much easier than you think!

Colette Peony: with a piped waistband, back view

The Fit

Verdict – does my dress fit perfectly? No. Do I mind? Actually no. I love it with my belt to cinch in the waist – even if it does hide the lovely piping! I don’t really like close fitting summer frocks, they get sticky and clingy. I put this on this morning, took the kids and dog to the beach, splashed in the water, dug some holes, we took the blog photos – and I’ve worn it all day. It’s a lovely comfortable dress. No it’s not perfect… but neither am I…

Accessories

I always think about how I am going to wear my project as I sew it. What necklaces, shoes, earrings, hats will work with it. I find this really helps inspire the process and makes finishing it all the more fun.

Lladybird created a gorgeous crochet rose brooch for her Gingham Peony. Stitch & Witter paired her’s with a bow belt.

I’ve just paired mine with a belt from a bargan bin ($5 – I love it!), some wooden beads from a hippy shop which cost me a huge $2.50 and a straw hat which was a birthday gift from a friend. Accessories really finish any outfit – made-by-me or otherwise. Think about the people whose dress sense you admire – often it’s those little touches that really make them stand out in a crowd. Think beyond your dress, your can take a simple shape or fabric and make it sing with a well placed or chosen accessory.

This soft yellow it is easy to wear and I feel like a little dish of lemon sorbet! It’s a girly dressy summer dress.

I think yellow may appear in my wardrobe more regularly – thanks Kat!

Colette Peony, a piped wiastband

The Images

There has been some hearty comment in blogland about how we put together our images, Catherine Daze and ::Paunnet::, wearing footwear we usually don’t, make-up and colour editing our images… So for the record, there photographs have just been cropped a little so I’m not so lost in the frame, no colour changes have been made, I’m not made-up, I did wash my hair that morning but I wash my hair every day – so this is me, untouched and barefoot on my beach – untouched.

I don’t tend to take a lot of photos with my mug (Aussie slang for face) in it. Like most people I’m not a huge fan of pictures of myself and… well I’m blogging about the clothes, I’m no oil painting, it’s all about the dress!

Why would you bother with photo editing when you are as handsome as this chap who was busy today giving tourists beach rides! Look at those lashes!

Camel rides on Lighthouse Beach

I know you love my little neighbours… so when we spotted this chap in a tree across the road one morning last week and we took a picture for you!

Koala – how do they sleep on such tiny branches with such bootilicous backsides?????

I had been stuck in a bit of a sewing/life rut for a few weeks- for a whole lot of reasons that don’t deserve precious sewing blogging space. Good news: I’m feeling like I’m getting back on my feet… I’ve got two Maria Denmark skirts to share… some treasures from my Tasmanian trip… a wonderful package from Pretty Grievances… a magazine that I won from The Perfect Nose’s blog. So I’m back 🙂 Thank you for your encouragement and comments…

Pattern: Colette Peony, size 0. Purchased form Colette Patterns (now I purchase all my indie patterns from Sew Squirrel – a much better option if you live in Australia!! Thank you Sarah!!)
Shell fabric: Butter yellow cotton eyelet from Spotlight, reduced form $32/m to $6 on the bargain table!
Bodice underlining: white broadcloth. Skirt lining: White bemsilk.

hmmmm and I really need to fix up that back hem…

THE LOVELY BLOGGER AWARD

Posted on October 17, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Last week I was nominated for two blog awards (awwww) and I decided to pop them both in the one post… so be prepared to update your blog reader subscriptions!

It’s so nice for someone to nominate you for a blog award, after all we all sit typing away in our little homes all around the world and it’s amazing to think that we connect with so many people in so many different ways. I sometimes wonder if my little random thoughts, views, projects and ideas might just fly off my fingers, onto my keyboard and disappear forever. However there are people out there, reading and connecting – it’s quite amazing isn’t it?

I always find these posts fascinating on other blogs – as I invariably end up adding yet more blogs to my blog reader, which is the point of them – but it is always fun to discover another blog, another person, another unique outlook on life.

THE LOVELY BLOGGER AWARD

Last week Boomdeeadda nominated me for The Lovely Blogger Award. She writes lovely frequent posts about her home town, art, retro stuff, lovely blog!

Here are the rules for the One Lovely Blog Award:

Thank the person who nominated you and link back to him/her in your post.

Share 7 things about yourself.
Nominate 15 bloggers you admire.
Leave a comment on each of these blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated.

7 things about me… hardly fascinating but here you go…

I was once a craft magazine editor. I can patchwork, quilt, make teddy bears (the sort with moveable legs and sculpted faces), folk art, embroider, knit, crochet – you name it really… I’m a confirmed lifetime crafting tragic.
As a child, I played the recorder, clarinet, trumpet, cornet (my favourite), flirted with the tenor horn, kinda played the piano (self taught) and sang.
Despite all of the above, I really wish I could play the guitar.
My husband is nearly 14 inches taller than me.
My personality type is ENTJ. I was in complete denial and took the test twice… maybe three… apparently the test is right 1) bogus or 2) completely correct. You have been warned 🙂
To finish off the personality types, I am a triple whammy… I’m also a Scorpio and was born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. I’m not a big believer in horoscopes but those that are will probably have already backed away and started running. *sigh* I cracked 130 blog followers last week… looks like I’m in for a plummet in subscribers…
I can’t stand the smell or taste of tuna. Walnuts also make my skin crawl – not in an allergic way – I just can’t stand the taste. Yup, I’m weird.

15 Lovely Blogs (I found it very hard to pick 15 – I wanted to put everybody up as I love every blog I read!). So I decided to share Aussie blogs as we have a much smaller sewing community so it’s nice to connect up with each other and the rest of the world… hello to my Aussie mates…

Sew Squirrel: Sarah also has a fledging business which has totally enabled me to sew indie patterns without massive shipping costs! Love!
Suzy Bee Sews – a pants-making machine until lately when she got bitten by the bra-making bug.
Bimble & Pimble – HILARIOUS
All the Whimsical Things – sweetiepie and gorgeous dresses
Seamstress poppykettle – amazing FOs
My Messings – stitcher/knitter/gardener – and Social Sewing Day organiser
Bella’s Collectanea of Sewing – another Melbourne stitcher/blogger – is there something in the water down there?
ScaredStitchless: great nerdy sewing humour!
Sew {MM}: A SAHM and stitcher!
Rocket Sews: tucked away in Tassie – where I was recently!
Busy Lizzie in Brissy
Tropical Threads
Zo Sews
Sew Brunswick
Pretty Grievances – Anne is not an Aussie but I think her sense of humour qualifies her as an honorary Aussie. G’day Anne 🙂

There are more Aussies out there (including our rock stars of the Aussie Sewing Blog World – theperfectnose, 3HoursPast & Handmade by Carolyn (when I grow up I wanna be a clever and stylish as Carolyn) but I think everyone knows who they are!

LIEBSTER Blog

Kim-ing nominated me for the Libester Blog Award – thanks Kim! Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, and the award is given to up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging.

Kim is a great blogger and her output is prolific! She’s recently stitched up a bombshell and three Banksias!! And she also taken our her crochet hook again…

Here are the Liebster Blog Award Rules

1. Add the award icon to your blog! Done, on this post, I need to figure out the sidebar thing… one day when I have 5 spare minutes…

2. Link to your nominator to say „thank you“ –Thank you Kim! Your posts and comments always make me smile!

3. Nominate 5 blogger with less than 200 followers. – It’s very tricky to tell which blogs have less than 200 followers. You can look it up on Google Reader but this doesn’t give a true picture of the actual numbers. Mine is much higher than Reader suggests. So I think I’ve chosen some smaller bloggers who I really enjoy both as commenters and bloggers who I think more people should follow… you can never have too many nice people in your life, real or virtual…

The Very Best Jumper: thoughtful posts
Sylkotwist: Lovely, just lovely.
Mystitchnbitch – a cool gal.
Almondrock – lovely Twitter friend 🙂
Crafting a Rainbow: a sweetheart
MariaDenmark – Wool & Weeds: I really admire people who follow their dreams and Maria of Denmark is one of them!

oops that’s six (but I just has to fit in Maria somehow!). Oh well!

Sorry if you weren’t included maybe but I need to be nominated for a Blog Award where I can include 100 people – because you are all fabulous (and you Rachel 3>;;). And if you aren’t in the above list – shout out in the comments – that’s how I discover new blogs 🙂

BTW if you haven’t heard from me in your blog posts lately…. I updated my iPhone software – worst decision ever. I can’t comment on anything other than WordPress blogs via my WordPress app. So I have to sit at a computer – I can’t do that at work so I end up starting at 9pm and that’s too late. Sorry peeps, I will get it sorted out soon.

And to be honest, life has been really tough lately and I’ve felt rather introverted despite my clearly terminal ENTJ personality diagnosis. I love people, but some people make me feel sad and disappointed in humanity 😦

When I am feeling cheerier and can write some more in my usual nonense style… I got some awesome parcels in the mail this week. You know who you are – thank you!