Taming the slippery fabric beast… or gelatin will change your life

Posted on September 24, 2013 by sewbusylizzy

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been experimenting… rather like this…

Not sure which one is me…

So what lead me to this? This…

Sew Bossy package from Leila of Three Dresses

Yup, that 100% silk business scared the heck outta me. Until this point I have avoided slippery fabrics like the plague. In fact… I probably would have preferred the plague…

Once confronted by the Sew Bossy Challenge there was no running away from my sewing demons… they had come to live in my sewing room (shacked up with my drunk monkey, eating popcorn and throwing their empties at the wall – it was mayhem!).

While freaking out, and naturally, tweetin’ about my sewing angst, Leila, my Sew Bossy Boss told me (nicely) to go forth and bathe my silk in gelatin.

Exactly. What the???

So I checked out Leila’s post about this. Then Google lead me to the Couture Academic’s post. Then Threads. And finally Ms Gelatin Bath herself via Google search and Twitter… drum roll please…

Lena Merrin of the Sewing Space right here in Down Under Land aka Australia.

Let me tell you – this is genius. I bathed that silk and cut out that Grainline Archer – and sewed it up like the boss (until the collar but that’s another post – patience).

I was so impressed that I tried again last weekend with some seriously wafty, floaty, super sheer, very temperamental poly chiffon (yeah, I know, I know! Polyester! What the?? BUT the print is glorious and if that project works you will be sagely noddin’ your heads and saying “that Lizzy might be the fruitcake of the bakery but that fabric is all shades of awesomesauce,” Patience people, that’s another post too.).

I used the mixture from the Sewing Space which you can find in greater detail here – go read it for the instructions, I’m no guru I’m more Beaker-like – in a nutshell you need:-

3 teaspoons of gelatin (powdered stuff from the supermarket, I think mine was about $3)
a cup of tap water (which I heated up in the microwave after its 30 minutes of brewing with the gelatin)
a bucket
3 litres of water.

That is all.

Oh… and

a defiant, slippery fabric of course (that needs a good punch in the chops to let it know who is boss)…

… and then, without a Muppet Beaker-like explosion (which would be kinda fun but not very productive), your sewing life will be transformed FOREVER.

SERIOUSLY.

Go tame those slippery fabric beasts and let me hear you ROAR!

Just keep your sewing area dry (so no crying about a wonky seams now!) and rinse it out at the end. Your fabric is not super stiff, the gelatin just gives it enough body to make cutting and sewing so much easier!

Thank you Lena & Leila! This is liberating stuff, a few more of my sewing demons have been evicted from my sewing room, never to return. Jump over and check out Lena’s free files – there is a great file of how much fabric you need for different types of garments and a croquis file – now I can really stash and sketch… *rushes off to sewing room*)

Summer Sunset – Megan Neilsen Cascade Skirt

Posted on September 22, 2013 by sewbusylizzy

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I have always loved wrap skirts and dresses – and right now I’m crushing on this one.

Love this skirt! Megan Neilsen’s Cascade Skirt (sheltering from a strong on-shore breeze!)

This is Megan Neilsen’s Cascade skirt and it’s a simple, satisfying make. It’s essentially a wrap circle skirt, with the curve cutting away across the front pieces to achieve this lovely cascade effect.

It’s just four pattern pieces, the back, two front pieces and the waist band. The side seams are French seams and the hem is rolled. If you don’t have a roll hem foot (like me) I would advise some endurance refreshments as you sew around that hem THREE times – it’s a monster! Not to mention trimming the hem before you roll it. Patience has never been one of my virtues (in fact… I’m just trying to recall any of my virtues…).

the NeverEndingHem

Other than the NeverEndingHem, this is really a very simple make.

I somehow managed to squash this skirt out of two metres – without doing anything terribly dodgy in the cutting/grainline department. I was so determined to make the skirt from this fabric – nothing else would do. The waistband was cut from the length of the fabric – the only piece of fabric I had left after I cut out the front and back pieces. This fabric is very very soft and I think making the button waistband option would have been a disaster. I also interfaced the waistband – just around my waist to give the fabric a little more endurance.

THE skirt of summer…

This is a long skirt. I’m a stately 5 foot 4 – Megan Neilsen’s model for this skirt is 5 foot 9 – just sayin’ as it explains why this is so much longer on me! Some people have chopped off the length to make it more mid-calf – personally I like it long, I love the sweep of the skirt and how the front ripples open as you walk. In a steady onshore breeze people got to see plenty of my legs – I spared you the ‘legs’ shots… I know, I’m good like that.

Confession: I’ve never been much of a fan of the high-low hem – or the mullet hem as I call it – however as a wrap skirt, that moves and flutters as you walk, this is quite lovely.

Perfectly soft viscose rayon for this design

I had no plans to get the skirt pattern, however when I was in Melbourne for Frocktails and doing a ‘small’ spot of fabric shopping with the girls, I found this blissful viscose rayon at Darn Cheap Fabrics (note this one is not available online, I’ve checked). It’s reminiscent of Monet or the sun setting over the water and I immediately wanted to make the Cascade Skirt with it – it just seemed perfect… Busy Lizzie (in Brissy) got some of this fabric – so let’s see what she does with it!

Cascade Skirt – the back view. It was a windy afternoon!

For me this is a perfect summer casual skirt. It replaces a sarong to put over my swimmers, it’s easy to wear with flip-flops and a t-shirt/singlet, and after this beach blog shoot I threw on strappy silver heels and a tight denim jacket for a casual dinner.

you can wear it strolling on the beach…

on the beach…

and just dipping your toes in the water…

dipping my toes in…

or just a spot of idle daydreaming…

daydreaming…

Also see: Lladybird | Cut Cut Sew | Holly Dolly Blog | Sleek Silhouette

Note: Blog post dedicated to Leah of a Little Stone Cottage a brand new sewing blogger who grew up in Port Macquarie and I think misses out beautiful beaches and weather! Mwah 🙂

Dandelion Top in Watercolour

Posted on September 6, 2013 by sewbusylizzy

Today we are on a Disparate Disciplines Dandelion blog hop!

Dandelion seeds have been strewn all over the globe…

2 September: Rhonda of Rhonda’s Creative Life

3 September: Wanett of Sown Brooklyn

4 September: Winnie of Scruffy Badger Time

5 September Velosewer of How Good is That?

6 September: Lizzie of Sew Busy Lizzie (oops that’s me!)

9 September: Joyatee of Joy and Smiles

10 September: Lisa of Idle Hands- the Ms-Fits’ Workshop

11 September: Brooke of Custom Style

Here is my contribution to the Global Dandelion blog hop…

Dandelion in Watercolour…

Mari of Disparate Disciplines’ new pattern – the Dandelion

Mari asked me to be a pattern tester and I was delighted. The timeframe changed slightly and the pattern arrived smack bang in the middle of several weekend trips I have had lately. (Tamworth, Canberra, Melbourne – all within a month!).

I decided to pattern test without making a muslin or alterations. I am one of those people that everyone likes to loathe. I was quite comfortable to do this. I rarely alter anything, RTW or patterns (with the except of Colette Patterns). I think there are two reasons for this.

One, I never even read the back of the Big 4 pattern envelopes. (Waste of time – even my monkey would tell you this.) I just decide how much ease I would like for a style, read the measurements on the printed pattern and go from there. Works a treat. And I read every blog/review I can find before I embark on any pattern to figure out the sizing of the patterns (being a pattern tester I didn’t have that option this time LOL).

The other reason is that I am one of those mythical creatures with measurements very close to the ‘standard’ (I’m certainly not mythical – although some days I am more than a little dragon-like… and I only ride my unicorn to work every blue moon…). So if a pattern has been drafted to standard measurements then I am a good case study.

I was really happy to see the diversity in this pattern – three necklines, sleeves, sleeveless, a yoke AND as a top or a dress. After my Anna binge, I was really keen to add some woven tops to my summer casual wardrobe. Woven tops in voiles & lawn are much nicer to wear on humid days than a t-shirt.

Mari of Disparate Disciplines 1401 Dandelion Sketch

One of the first things I noticed about this pattern was that the PDF comes with a printing guide so you only print the pages you need for the version & size you want to make – oh rapture and bliss. The pattern also features a recipe for a dandelion pesto as well as a printable envelope to make storing your pattern pieces easy & convenient. So you save paper (and sanity), eat while sewing (it’s no longer cool to starve for your art) AND store your pattern. All these style, printing, food AND storage options for just $12. Great value.

Some more pictures… I gave up my lunchbreak for this so indulge me… hang on I actually had a lunch break – that was novel…

Disparate Disciplines Dandelion Yoked Top – front view – coulda done with an iron…

Disparate Disciplines’ Dandelion Top – back view. I’m sorry, let’s stop & punch the air – that zip is pretty much INVISIBLE. Yeeeesss.

I really wanted to put a lace front yoke on this top – but I haven’t sew something like that and being incredibly time poor, I decided to be sensible *gasp* and make it up in one fabric – my favourite stashed voile. (this sensible decision shocked the drunk monkey into stoney silence, I think he’s still sulking). This pattern is clearly a perfect pairing with lace as demonstrated by Winnnie of Scruffy Badger Time & Velosewer of How Good is That?

This top has these tricky side panels which create the a marvellous feminine shape. They are slightly tricky to put in – but if you have sewn a similar dart/seam (if you have made the Victoria blazer you will now exactly what I mean) it is very simple. If not, Mari’s instructions are clear. You just have to think before you stitch – radical idea but trust me it works… I’m coming to really love patterns that have slightly different seamlines, in many cases they move better, it’s one of the reasons that I love my Day-to-night/Vogue hack dresses – the half back and side seams make the dress sit better when I walk

Disparate Disciplines’ Dandelion Top – side view. Oops peekaboo bra. ELH needs some stylin’ training… if you squint you can see those side panel seams.

The instructions are very clear and well illustrated. I sewed this together in less than an hour and then finished off the armholes, neckline and hemline with bias binding the following day. I do need to put a button and thread loop at the top of the zip. I’m not too bothered, I rarely wear my hair up so it’s covered anyway.

Next time around I would shortened the bodice near the yoke seam, it’s a little took long in bodice just here for me – but I think because this fabric is so delightfully patterned it is hard to see. Totally wearable as is. Although looking at the pictures – it looks fine without alterations…

Now I have seen Wanett’s I think I need one for work…

LIKE IT? Want it?

Your very own little Dandelion top or dress is but a few clicks away… so click click click… download it and start sewing now!

I’m just putting this picture in because I find it hilarious that a muscle popped outta my scrawny arm unbidden. Take note people, this is a rare sight.

Whoops – a muscle??? And yes barefoot in the water AGAIN in winter. I know, you all want to come and live with me, even with the drunk monkey, dragon moods & a unicorn in the garage.

The Photographs…

I was waiting on Town Green for ELH to appear to take some snaps in my lunchbreak. I was perched up next to Sir Edmund Barton, the first Prime Minister of Australia no less. (Hang on Lizzy, wasn’t Federation like over 100 years ago? Totally – however he was our local member at the time – hence the statue on our Town Green). I was tucked up against his shoulder, eyes closed, having a daydream, blissing out in the warm sunshine. Some tourists wandered off the nearby wharf and asked if they could take my picture because I looked so picturesque!

Dandelion top rocks – even tourists want pictures of it!

MORE SEWBUSYLIZZY NEWS…

My local paper wrote about my blog… a whole page… with a picture!

I was really nervous about this – still am – yes, I rabbit on with great enthusiasm here to the worldwide web but having the neighbours know… that was quite challenging. I love the freedom that you give me – to be a little odd and have a giggle. Not everyone IRL is so generous. I’m enormously grateful to everyone of you that has encouraged me since I started blogging. It’s changed my life in some many positive & happy ways – but more importantly given me the confidence to be more ‘me’. Thank you.

If you want to jump over and read the story… hop, hop, hop over here…

SEW BOSSY! with Lovely Leila

Posted on September 2, 2013 by sewbusylizzy

Oh my goodness – I have disappeared from blogland lately. I am reading blogs – really I am – but finding it near impossible to get to a computer to comment on the many blogs that do not work on my iPhone (I do everything on the run – if it’s not mobile friendly, it’s not SewBusyLizzy friendly – I’m lookin’ at you Blogger).

The Sew Bossy Initiative

I recently received a Sew Bossy pack from the very lovely Leila of Three Dresses project and the head wench (I say that will all due respect) of Twitter Fabric Chats.

Here’s what she sent me…

Sew Bossy package from Leila of Three Dresses

Do I spy the ARCHER pattern… do I spy METALLIC THREADED SILK? OMG yes! Leila has picked perfectly. I’d been thinking about a floral Archer! And I keep headbutting the desk for having not tried a Grainline Studio pattern. I think I will sew the version with the plain back as I like the boyishness of this version with the girliness of the silk floral… can’t wait…

Yes, I am completely terrified of silk and of a ‘proper’ shirt: plackets, buttons, collars and whatnot… there many be some bad language as a result (in fact I’m rather confident there will be many inventive uses of bad language through the making of this shirt – directed at the now-legendary drunk monkey) – but my Bernina shall bear it bravely as she always does… whereas you my dear lovely readers shall just read my rantings and blather minus the not-so-adorable four letter words that bear me through many a crisis…

And there is a gorgeous Vogue shirtdress as well. I’ve got a bit of a ‘thing’ for shirtdresses so I think I shall be looking for some fabric soon… I’d love this in a khaki rayon with flat metal buttons. Very safari sexy…

Vogue 8903 – shirtdress fever hits!

What’s Sew Bossy? It’s from The Closet Case Files (of the Bombshell Swimsuit fame) “The Sew Bossy Initiative is a great opportunity to get to know some of our long distance blog buds a little bit better. Find a sewist pal whose style you admire and send each other a complete project by mail! This can be a great pattern or stash busting activity and does not have to be cost a lot of money.” read more here!

And if you want to know what I sent Leila – check it out here… yes I truly believe that every blogger should make Vogue 1247 at least once in their sewing career. It’s got bound seams, French seams, bias pieces – and friggin’ enormous POCKETS! Come on people (cue Lleyton Hewitt come on salute) sew it now!!!! (Note to self: you are just bossing Leila not the entire sewing blog community… although it’s tempting).

I just need to recover from the Melbourne Frocktails and whatnot and then get sewing – cos that’s what bossed-about stitchers do.

And the global love doesn’t stop these gorgeous peoples. Noes.

All the way from my beloved old London town came this priceless little package from the beautiful Janene of Ooobop. Check out her latest blog post which is jam-packed with her awesome floral frocks. She’s the bomb this sheila. I’m always admiring her floral fabrics – and she sent me some blue flowers! My favourite colour no less! LOVE LOVE LOVE. And she even stamped my package with LIZZY. More LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Gorgeous blue roses from Ooobop.

This fabric is screaming something vintage or classic to me… but then I do like the turn things on their head. More patting & draping required…

I adore these packages. I get so excited and then so does everyone in my office (I fear my enthusiasm is either infectious or just swamps those that surround me – and it’s a sink or swim survival response on their behalf) – they don’t sew but they are fascinated by these packages that arrive for me from everywhere. I’m pretty sure I will convert them to be pro fabric-patters soon.

We are a pretty amazing niche in blogland… MWAH.

Sorry I keep disappearing – life has been getting in the way. Lots of trips away, social events, kids’ eisteddfods, school discos and more. Horrendous time of the year for me.

SewBusyLizzy News…

The good news is I have been madly sewing for Frocktails this Saturday – and despite all my grand intentions for a mega fancy frock, I’m made a very simple… but high impact frock (I think). It’s rather more rockstar than my usual style but I’m seriously lovin’ it. Perhaps I’m a little more rad than I thought… not possible… but clearly I enjoy a little rock ‘n’ roll every now and then – I just keep kidding myself I’ve grown out of my grunge phase… I fear it’s my shadow… It’s the So.Very.Lizzy.Dress. Yes, you will see it here soon…

Abakhan Fabrics Crazy Barbie Doll Giveaway

Posted on August 27, 2013 by sewbusylizzy

So sorry – it’s been a while. My life is being eaten up with trips, work, kids (and I’ve started exercising again) – and I have had ZERO free time to sew. Not to mention write the post about the giveaway winner!

I know. This.Is.Serious. I have a Frocktails dress to make. I am getting more frustrated by the day about my lack of free time 😦

I’m sure I can pull a rabbit out of a hat… or a drunk monkey before Frocktails – watch this space…

And the winner of the Abakhan Fabric is…

LOUISE of Sew Sensational!

Please contact me via email sewbusylizzy at gmail and I will send it fabric to you – congratulations Louise!

Let’s see what Louise makes of Grandma’s Rocking Chair on Acid fabric!

Vogue 8280 front view – bodice

Sew Busy Lizzy

she sews by the seashore…

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