Spring/Summer Plans 2012

Posted on September 7, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Tonight I jumped into the fabric cupboard and I eventually re-surfaced clutching a rather large pile of fabric and patterns.

I’m totally inspired to sew (yes even more so than usual). Today it was warm. After work I put my floral Cambie on and I was in heaven. WATCH OUT SPRING – here I come!

First project will be… wanted to make this and then some tweetin’ with House of Pinheiro got me all inspired!

Megan Neilsen’s Darling Ranges with a Lisette cotton voile. I’m a little concerned it’s too ‘busy’ but I think I will use tiny buttons and very tiny red-stitched buttonholes…. still thinking… this fabric is divine. So so soft. Maybe fine red piping along the neckline???

and then perhaps I will make this (I’ve made this skirt twice – best skirt EVER and didyoumakethat has inspired me to go again!)… if you haven’t got this pattern – first smack yourself and then go out and get yourself a copy – it is worth it – even at full price!)

Vogue 1247 top: cotton rayon. Skirt: black denim

and then this cutie-pie…

Colette Patterns Chantilly with a fine cotton voile. I’m really excited about this combination – but a little scared of the pattern. Advice anyone?

a nice little shirt (provided Burda doesn’t get nasty with me)…

Burda – and yes, more cotton voile!

and this little work number…

Vogue 1220 – black cross-hatched cotton with a tiny bit of stretch. Sensible stuff for work…. I fell in love with pattern months ago on Catherine Daze’s blog – then winter came…

or…

Simplcity Cynthia Rowley - shiny slippery stuff.

Simplicity Cynthia Rowley – slippery stuff which is making me nervous. After Punkmik’s magnificent Licorice I keep thinking… maybe this fabric…

a few more tops…

Op shop floral cotton – Sewaholic Pendrell and Alma (maybe long-sleeved or 3/4 sleeve)

and just in case you were wondering where the Cambies were!

Sewaholic Cambie – pretty little cotton skulls with a full skirt just to girly them up! An a-line denim with red polka dots is also planned – fabric in the wash…

A few things are ‘yet to be decided’….

Black gingham – shirtdress and a blouse… I’m thinking a blouse with the red birdie fabric skirt below (with a nice black belt)…

with…

Red cotton voile – perhaps a long skirt…

and then there is…

yet more cotton voile – blue birdies. Fate undecided. I’m thinking a long loose kaftan top for the beach.

and a few more birdies….

More cotton voile – foliage and birdies. I did buy this for Colette Chantilly but it’s been shunted! I keep thinking Butterick 5750 for this one….

and then there is this… (which I am a little obsessed with)

more cotton sateen – fate undecided – but I’m thinking there might be something in the Gertie’s book! And a simple skirt. I have a mighty 4m because I fell completely in love with it. I don’t know why!!

and I do like this…

Cotton poplin - roses on a black background

Cotton poplin – Colette Pastille keeps popping into my head. I think it needs to be a simple shift dress. This is the same pattern as the Cambie in my blog header but with a black background.

Perhaps Simplicity 2444 for this lovely cotton sateen?

Cotton sateen – thinking about Simplicity 2444

and I have a few other things planned…

simple straight mini-skirt in this fabric (there’s one in a Burda magazine I’ve got)
a Banksia blouse (not sure of the fabric but better make up my mind as there is a sewalong coming up!)
another Kelly skirt
a white loose button-up shirt. I can’t decide if this will be too much on me… probably I better stick to something more simple….

So not much to do then…. but I am SewBusyLizzy so I think I’ll handle it…

But you know, I could change my mind completely tomorrow… speaking of which I’m hoping to post some patterns from the stash tomorrow as part of…

The Perfect Nose’s Patterns and Postcards swop

LITTLE BITS OF SEWING NEWS

Posted on July 9, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Amazing I survived being away from my precious Bernina & Betsy for a six days.

Naturally as soon as I got home I unpacked the car, had a shower and went straight to the sewing room. I thought my degree of self-control was admirable. What was I in such a rush for? This…

Simplicity 1880 shirt dress – the collar!

This is the progress on my Simplicity 1880 shirt dress sewalong. I’ve never attached a collar – ever. While it did not go as smoothly as I hoped, it turned out OK in the end. The un-faced upper collar appeared to have magically stretched since I cut it out – I wish I had stay stitched it! You live and learn. There was a little bit of puckering, a little bit of unpicking, a little bit of grimacing… and I was beginning to despair that I had destroyed it.

Then a little voice popped into my head… no not from the heavens above… it was my mother! “Just give it a little press with the iron that sometimes fixes things up”.

So rather than throwing the bodice across the sewing room. I threw it at the ironing board and that little voice turned out to be dead right – for not the first time in my life!

Sunni’s instructions were excellent and if it was not for the slightly wonky upper collar I think it would have turned out perfectly. Now I’m desperately waiting for the next step. Yes I could race along and finish it myself but so far I have learnt lots of new things and I’m determined to exercise some degree of self-control…

I will take some more up close photos on another night. I’m little tired today after driving for 5-6 hours.

What else do I have to show for my holidays? I stitched some embellishments this dress bodice – not sure if it’s too much?? Little random beads to highlight the centre of the flowers and some trim on the sleeves – I’m still finishing this off. With no machine I needed to keep myself busy.

Simplicity 1880 shirt dress – embellishing!

And I picked up this vintage pattern delight on Etsy – my first ever purchase from Etsy. Doesn’t it remind you of Sewaholic Cambie? I’m picturing the second one in navy/white polka dot with white cotton lace trim… I love the gingham and ricrac (but definitely not the ‘outdoor’ gigantic pockets – hello hips!)

Vintage pattern score Cambie style – Simplicity 3875

And I scored these fabrics. Finally picked up a cheap jersey to try out Sewaholic Renfrew, blue butter suede for a skirt (not sure which one yet – there are three possibilities!), a cute ‘squashed’ polka dot cotton sateen for a ‘work’ Simplicity 2444 and a mosaic voile for a Burda blouse. I don’t consider this ‘stash building’ but rather ‘enrichment’.

Fabric Acquisitions – July 2012

And I traced the patterns out for Sewaholic Thurlow and Colette Macaron (not putting sleeves on this one). All the sewing and tracing was done at night after the kids went to bed. So nice to have some peace and quiet after busy days in the city, shops and park!

Oh and Miss 9 and I created a ‘sock monkey’ one afternoon! Meet Louie…

Louie the sock monkey – created by Miss 9 and me!

DO you think the beads and trim are too much on the Shirt Dress??

AWAY!

Posted on July 4, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

I’ve been sewing madly to get up-to-date with Sunni’s Simplicity 1880 sewalong.

While I thought I would just plough through the instructions in my own way – I decided to actually get the point of the sewalong and well sew-along!

The results have been great, I’ve learnt some new tricks and my sewing is improving. I inserted the sleeve as per Sunni’s instructions – rather than sewing the sleeve seam and the bodice seam and then setting in the sleeve… you set in the sleeve flat – that is before you sew up the bodice side seam. You ease in the sleeve and sew it in to the notches – than sew up the sleeve seam, the bodice seam and then sew in the last bit of the sleeve under the arm.

Yes exactly – what??? Go and check out Sunni’s instructions – they are great.

I’m waiting on the collar instructions next!

SIMPLICITY 1880 – WIP perfect sleeve!

So I am banging out this post before jumping in the car and heading to Sydney for five days. You might not hear from me other than the odd tweet if you follow me there…

Here is The Dress so far. I was worried about it looking a bit sweet and mumsy so I’m taking the bodice to Sydney with me for some ‘fancy-ing’ up. Watch this space. Perhaps a little bit of Scruffy Badger trimming may be in order!

SIMPLICITY 1880 – WIP pinned

BACK ON THE HORSE – Simplicity 1880

Posted on July 2, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Just in case you were worried I was slacking off this is where I am at with the latest sewalong.
I’m off to Sydney for five days with my small people soon – which means very little sewing time. So I got cracking on Simplicity 1880 sewalong today.
Here is how far I got – note the bodice is pinned – I’m not quite that shoddy in the stitching stakes. 🙂
I’m waiting for Sunni’s tutorial about attaching the collar so it might be a week or do before I finish after our trip.
Funny story – my sewing room is upstairs, the kitchen is downstairs. I spent the afternoon/evening sprinting between the two. I think this qualifies as some form of exercise (including hurdling the dog gate).
It was all going well until this Whoops Monent. Doh!

A FABRIC DIET

Posted on June 14, 2012 by sewbusylizzy

Fabric dilemmas – no joy here, rayons galore but nothing for me 😦

I’ve been in a sewing rut for an entire 24 hours. I know! Catastrophe!

Will I ever sew again?

How many more hours can I stare blankly at a pattern envelope?

I hemmed Hazel last night and we are looking at each other quite smugly. I feel like I won. She feels like she put up a good fight. Yes, yes pictures soon I promise!

A Fashionable Stitch Shirt-dress Sewalong

I was already to roll into another project, Sunni’s Simplicity 1880 Sewalongand just can’t find the fabric to ‘sing’ to me!!! I have this picture in my head of English roses and I can’t find it. The one above is lovely but the print is a little big. I LOVE the birdies with a frightening passion but not for this project.

I found a completely fabulous red border print in another shop but I’m not really a ‘red’ girl (unless it’s hair colour and then anything goes!). Should I throw caution to the wind?? Maybe if I wore it with a jaunty scarf tossed around my neck?
Decisions!!

Returned home EMPTY HANDED. Yes, from a fabric shop. Twice. This is serious….
On the upside I received the Cambie & Renfew Patterns in the mail. Sew Squirrel has free shipping in Australia. It would have been silly not to buy them.
And it’s a bit of cake AND icing. Give me five! Balanced diet! Woo hoo! Tasia would approve.

Speaking of dieting…

I also succumbed to this very very funny vintage pattern on eBay.

I’m still laughing. A ‘pounds thinner pattern’ for a cereal company no less!
If this works I can found a sewing diet empire!

Sew Busy Lizzy

she sews by the seashore…

Tag Archives: Simplicity