Overcoming fears

This must be a blue moon month as here I am again.





The title refers to my total dislike of altering patterns which I'm sure is really because it is a very scary thing to attack a pattern and change it. I fell in love with this New Look pattern (6559) at Global Fabrics.

Long story, this shop is my favorite place for buying fabric... they know me well and for Christmas they sent all their mailing list customers a $20 present valid for the month of December. Well we are two and a half hours away from Global in Auckland and a trip needs to be planned, however DH needed to look at a crashed up Ducati north of Auckland, for a friend in Aussie, so I seized the opportunity!

DD and I went shopping while BIL and DH went to look at Tech Books. We had a ball, she bought some wonderful check for shorts and some Tshirting, I bought some mesh to make this bolero with the ties. I also couldn't pass up some dress material and some silk to go with the jacket made in the last post. The pattern above only goes up to 18 but I was sure that I probably would be able to add some to it to fit so I bought it.



At home at last I copied the pattern and discovered it was just too small all over; I am a size 22/48. Desparate to make this I copied a Tshirt pattern from Burda WOF 4/2003 no 147 and morphed the pattern to resemble the New Look pattern and this is the result.





I needed to change the side seams as tieing the front pulls the seam well to the front but everything else is great. I redid the front and back seams and have cut another one out which I am off to sew after this. If all the bugs are out I am going to finally cut into my mesh from Global. And I can't help but keep trying this on, I am very pleased with myself at creating my own version of this New Look pattern.

Back on Deck

Well I had not realised it was so long since beginning here. 2008 has just wizzed by with not a post!! Although not new year yet I have resolved to try and keep up here. I admire those that regularily keep up with their blogs.

So I have been busy sewing and have had two disasters ( a skirt and a dress) in which I learnt to try out a pattern in inexpensive fabric first. You would think that I would know this but obviously need to relearn this. I am happy to relate that I have had sucess at last. .

I made this OOP Burda 8018 that I bought from trademe.co.nz (similar to ebay) for $2.50. It is for polar fleece but I liked the simple lines. I have a white overembroidered guaze/organza that is similar to polarfleece in terms of movement - more board like that fluid. I always have thought to make this fabric up as a jeans jacket but the many seams would not do justice to the beautiful fabric. So I thought this pattern would be ideal.

I found this silk jacquard in the stash which is older than my 16 year old, I remember going to the Fabric Warehouse opening and buying this under the Viaduct in Newmarket-I still have many other bits from this foray!!

I love how this pattern has turned out. It was a challenge because the pattern has little finishing (as designed for polar fleece) but the end result is wonderful. I am excited to find that I am able to make Burda size 48 with minimal alteration - only need to shorten the armhole - shoulder pads added to this garment eliminated this here.

Following help from others at Stitchers Guild, I used a Hong Kong finish for the seams and cotton batiste for the interfacing.

This is the first time that I have ever used this finish or a non iron on interfacing. The results are better than I expected and I intend to use these more often. I particularily like the large collar and it is very attractive on.

Here is the jacket with the buttons closed. I now have to sew somethings to go with this!! I know it is an extravagant material to use as a muslin but I am in stash busting mode and some things just have to go.