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

Sew Blah Lizzy aka VOGUE 1224

Posted on November 13, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Vogue 1224 – not feeling the love

OK I don’t hate Vogue 1224, in fact I’ve worn it a few times.

It’s comfortable. I’ve worn it a few times. I really like the fact the skirt is lined. I could eat three lamb roasts (with vegetables) and still have room to move in it.

Do I love it?

No. It just feels ‘blah’. Ordinary. Everyday. And I have nicer dresses that are ‘everyday’ that look a lot better and flatter me more.

This was rated as one of the Best Patterns of 2011 by Pattern Review. Now I’ve made a couple of these patterns (here and here) and love them. This I don’t love. We don’t even feel like acquaintances.

Things I’ve learnt

Elastic waists are not my ‘thing’. I have to wear a belt with this dress to escape the potato sack look – I’m sure that look will be in fashion one day – but not in my world.
I’m not 100% confident that stretch dresses are my ‘thing’ either – shame as they are comfortable in that tracky dak (tracksuit pant) kinda way.
The Peasant Girl gathered neckline with flappy sleeves is not ringing my bell – which is quite a relief as I think I’m more suited to the Lady of the Manor lifestyle.

Vogue 1224 – I think 1224 is code for blah. You can tell I’m loving it in this picture… can’t you?

Not much to say about this one. I’m not saying it’s a bad pattern – to be honest it is great fun to sew. I feel like a little twig in this number with my stick arms blowin’ in the breeze. There are benefits to being lean but there are bootilicious-lacking pitfalls as well.

I added an inch to the hemline because I’d read it was a little saucy in the length department. Maybe a saucier length might have saved it.

I used a double needle for the first time. I thought they were complicated for some weird reason. I just watched some YouTube and realised that double-threading your sewing machine is not rocket science after all. Doh! I am no longer put off hemming stretch tops. That’s an excellent outcome.

Oh well I might just have to wear it to the beach… because I do have the lifestyle for plenty of those sorts of dresses…

Vogue 1224 – nothing flash

Vogue 1224 – back view. Yes, definitely needs a belt.

Vogue 1224 – I simply don’t like this dress without a belt to define my waist. I feel like a little sack of spuds…. I think the whippet has just done a ‘wheelie’ around me at this point and splashed me!

I like my lemon Peony more, it’s just as comfortable as I did’t take it in to fit like a glove. I prefer to wear wovens. Maybe silk jersey is better 🙂 however I’m not getting that in my neighbourhood. This is some plastic-feeling concoction. I do like the stretch net skirt lining – comfortable!!

I’ve had this urge to make swimwear lately. However I think they would make me feel even more blah so I’m heading back to the sewing room to finish some trousers (which I am loving Maria!) and a Sewaholic Alma blouse that has me all a-flutter… and sitting here blogging about a pattern I’m not mad about is not getting those finished.

Thanks for all your feedback about my slightly wacky apron photos. It was great fun and I even won the Apronalong giveaway. Hooray! Thank you Karen 🙂

Oh… I’ve had an overdose of reality lately and thank you to those who have been so lovely xox perhaps recent events and just feeling weary is contributing to my blah response to this dress…

No I think it’s just blah…

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!

APRONS Ruffle Kerfuffle and Strawberry Fields Forever. Butterick 5474

Posted on November 4, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

We were in Sydney this weekend (husband riding the Sydney to Gong Charity Bike Ride for MS). We spent the day in Sydney CBD and my husband suggested we take the apron blog photos in a very scenic and recognisable Sydney location – why not!

Before the apron photos (yes, yes be patient) I did start out with good intentions of doing the Did You Make That? Apronalong properly.

I purchased Butterick 4087, I cut out the pattern pieces, I intended to follow each Apronalong post as diligently as I had followed Sunni’s 1880 Sewalong earlier this year… then I purchased another apron pattern! *sigh* I’m hopeless.

My main reason for deviating from my good intentions? Waist-aprons are not sufficient protection for my work clothes. The bib apron of Butterick 4087 fairly terrified me with its gigantic ruffles. Yes, yes I could have designed my own… then I fell in love… with Butterick 5474.

Butterick 5474 – aprons!

Yes, I totally agree, the lobster print is to die for! A high fashion apron!! Does it make you think of this!

I could find any lobster prints alas despite my seaside location… fortunately I fell in love with a cherry quilting cotton… and the Ruffle Kerfuffle was born…

I loved the back background of this print and played it up with a red polka dot and black.white striped contrast fabrics.

THE PATTERN
Ruffle Kerfuffle Apron

Butterick B5474, view C: The Ruffle Kerfuffle. Oh yeah, and that’s the Sydney Opera House in the background… concentrate on the apron people!

Excellent instructions – no complaints!

I did made a few changes of course…

I found when I attached the skirt ruffle that the ruffle raw edge looked rather messy. Yes, it was at the back of the apron skirt but it annoyed me. So I cut a strip from my contrast black/white stripe fabric and stitched that over the raw edges. It’s not perfect but it is much nicer than a ruffle’s raw edge.
Butterick 5474, view C: Ruffle Kerfuffle, covering the skirt ruffle raw edges.
I bias cut the black/white stripe contrast fabric for one of the pockets – simply because I like the geometric contrast against the black/white strip ruffle on the second pocket. Purely cosmetic! I also added a row of machine embroidery across the top of the red contrast pocket.
I discovered post-construction that the pockets tended to gape a little, I think due to the skirt gathers. To cure this I created tiny inverted pleats in the centre of each pocket. I then topped each pleat with a contrasting button… because there is no such thing as too much trim!
B5474, view C. Ruffle Kerfuffle pockets. Added some tiny inverted pleats to counteract gape and topped them with a button.
I also attached the pockets in such a way that they are two separate pockets, if you attach them the way the instructions state you end up with the top pocket flowing through into the lower pocket. Weird.
I interfaced the waistband. I think this helps the apron sit better and crease less around the waist. I guess it doesn’t matter for an apron but I felt happier about the end result.

If you need to practice gathering or love a good ruffle, then this is the apron pattern for you. Personally I like the crossover bodice, it walks a fine line between apron and dress (minus the obvious fact it doesn’t have a back of course – could be great hospital wear). It’s retro and super cute.

I fully expected to love the Ruffle Kerfuffle the most, however I am a bad stitcher and I think I have a favourite…

THE PATTERN
Strawberry Fields Forever

Butterick B5474, view E: Strawberry Fields Forever. Oh and that? In the background? That’s The Coathanger – also known as Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Again – great pattern. Good instructions.

Check out that Peter Pan collar. I know… I’m still going squee too!

I couldn’t resist the strawberry fabric. I adore blue and the strawberries just seemed so wholesome! Paired with the red gingham I almost smell my raspberry buttermilk muffins cooking…

B5474, view E. The Strawberry Fields Forever piped collar and machine embroidered button placket

I piped the collar – it’s my latest trimming obsession and I love how it subtly sets off the collar. This pattern would also look fabulous with a contrast collar I think…. hmmm another apron is bubbling away in my brain already!

The buttons are purely decorative so there are no buttonholes to fret over. I thought it looked a little bare so I ran a row of machine embroidery flowers behind the button placement. It secures the apron bib beautifully and looks totally cute! Squee!!

The underskirt has a stack of gorgeous side pleats and the overskirt/apron has four inverted pleats. Very easy and very effective, I rather like the pleats in comparison to the gathers.

B5474, view E. Strawberry Fields Forever pleated underskirt

I had some cotton lace trim in the stash so I chuck this onto the apron waistline.

The one shortcoming of this pattern with no alterations is the lack of a pocket – I need somewhere to put my phone or pincushion and scissors when running about the house! I love the apron how it is, so I might sneak one on the apron’s underskirt so I don’t change the existing appearance.

Strawberry Fields Forever is also the family favourite – fortunately this is not an episode of Australia’s Got Talent so they are both staying!

Doesn’t everyone wear aprons when sightseeing? LOL.B5474, view E. A little crumpled from being stuffed in my shoulder bag all day!

VERDICT

I never expected to like making aprons!! I’m in love! Mind you, I am still amused that the Big 4 dedicate an entire section to Aprons in their catalogues. Why???

The Ruffle Kerfuffle was the easiest, other than an epic amount of gathering it was very easy to put together. It’s OTT but in a cute way.

Strawberry Fields Forever was a little trickier because of the collar but probably quicker to put together. Less pieces to cut as well.

What I love about these aprons is how they feel like an outfit in themselves. They are definitely a conversation piece… which might be a good distraction if I ever have a kitchen cooking disaster for guests…

Now… who else needs an apron??? I want to make more!!!

Thank you Karen for the inspiration to make something completely different! Check out the Apronalong Festival going on over on the Did You Make That? blog.

Vogue 1247… again

Oh and I didn’t spend the entire day looking like a complete fruitcake. I wore my Vogue 1247 outfit – and was stopped in The Fabric Store by a customer wanting to know if I had made the top and where did I get the gorgeous fabric? (errrr, Lincraft!). I did super indulge myself at The Fabric Store – it is divine…

What I really wore all day… Vogue 1247 top and skirt…

The second highlight was the Japanese tourist taking also pictures of me posing at Circular Quay in my aprons – how funny is that!

Location: Circular Quay – a gorgeous part of Sydney, you hop off the city train and BOOM you are smack bang in the middle of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, waterside in the city – oh and there is the beautiful Museum of Contemporary Art as well – perhaps that’s another photo shoot… Gorgeous! It would have been nice to have some more sunshine but you can’t have it all 🙂

HALLOWEEN – TWO LITTLE GHOULS

Posted on October 29, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

In my childhood world there was no Halloween, yes we knew about it but it wasn’t something that really was celebrated in Australia.

It’s only been in the last few years that you can now expect a door knock and little faces begging you for yet more sugar.

This year I have relented and will let my girls do a little ‘trick or treating’. The eldest was so excited that she coaxed/coerced her grandmother into helping her sew a costume on the recent Tasmania trip. They did an excellent job! My only contribution to this outfit was stitching on the droopy sleeve ends – the instructions were rather unclear and I think Grandma was also a little worn out by the excitement of Miss 9!

We snapped some snow shots while at the holiday house (as snow is a novelty for us!)

Halloween Costume 2012 – made by Miss 9 and Grandma

She is my daughter so she insisted that she have a few more shots taken at home as she had finished accessorising the outfit. Yes, that’s my girl!

The witch and the vampire

The little munchkin of the house is in the Halloween fun – but wearing a hand-me-down black velvet dress. We shall accessorise her Halloween look with some dripping ‘blood’ down her chin as she wants to be a vampire. Yes, it’s not enough that she sucks money from my wallet, she want your blood (and lollies) too!

While in Tasmania in early October, I stumbled over a poster in the fish ‘n’ chip shop on the Friday night I arrived. Hooray!

So after a brief stint at Salamanca Markets on Saturday morning (closing early due to bad weather on the way)…

Salamanca Markets, Hobart. Mount Wellington looming in the background

Grandma (my mother-in-law) and I took off to Frock Up Hobart. It was small but fabulous. They occur all over the place – check out their website for more details if you are an Aussie.

It was mainly clothes. Some very expensive clothes – I could not even find a price on this dress but the cherry necklace was $460… but the use of the border print is fabulous and would be easy enough to replicate…

Vintage Sundress

There were a few patterns and magazine but not many. I did pick up this cute 1950s magazine…

Vintage Magazine – no patterns but lots of lovely pictures!

I also found this little blouse pattern in my size, or close enough. Hopefully the pattern is kind to me as I would love sleeveless one with some capri pants!

Vintage blouse pattern. I love the owner’s name! Thanks Lynette 🙂

My mother-in-law also bought me a super special birthday present… but you will have to wait until November 20… as it’s my birthday dress! Oh, it’s sooooo lovely….

Happy Halloween everyone!

And I hope those how have been sheltering from Sandy are safe. x

Sew Busy Lizzy

she sews by the seashore…

Category Archives: Sewing Projects