Re-Fashion no 2

Evening to everyone, I know it's been such a while since I was last here blogging away.
It's been a busy ole time for most I know, the end of the holidays, school and colleges to resume with all the shopping and organising that takes.

Today I want to share with you a re-fashion I did a few weeks ago. This was a very large ladies shirt from one of my local charity shops. Blue has never really been my colour, but this year I have bought quite a few blue patterned dresses, although I have always been a fan of paisley.

The sleeves were way to long and really wide.

So they were the first thing to be removed.

One of the sleeves I cut in half and rejoined in the middle so that each end was the flaired part of the sleeve edge.

This was then folded in half and seamed all around.

As for the actual body part of the piece. I wanted to keep the tie waist and the extra gathers that the lower part of the shirt would create, so I just took the sides in starting from above the tie part.

 The shirt still inside out showing the arm seaming.

The front of the finished shirt

The back of the finished shirt.

And as for the sleeve, I created this

A simple necktie

Or a hair bow.

I have worn this a few times now and I think its going to be a favourite of mine for a while. I like it very much and I hope you do too.

Happy Sewing Vala. x

Fabric/Patterns and excitment in a small village.

Hello all, and welcome to my new followers,

I have been away for a while doing more fabric, pattern shopping and actually starting projects. While at the same time it's summer hols with three teens at home and still preparing for the new roof.

So whats with the news on projects lined up so far,

I have finally chosen my fabric for the walkaway dress sew-a-long with Edelweiss

In the end I decided to go with a day dress, something in cotton. Mainly because I am used to how cotton feels and sews up.

The spots are not as large as they look in the picture.

At the moment I am still bit a tad slighty unsure on what I think about the fabric. My main reasons for chosing it are, It was in my price range (and at 5 metres needed, at £ 3.30m  bargin) Being rather small I didnt want to be overloaded with an all over pattern with all that fabric. My Ideal would have been a pattern for the front central part of the dress and something plain to complement on the wraparound part, However I couldn't find this, If I found a pattern I couldn't find something simple to 'go with' , Hence the polka dots. And if it does perchance look 'off' well at least it's cheaper than calico at the moment so I can use it as my draft.

Also at the end of last week my fabric from Linton Tweeds arrived

(image copyright of Linton Direct)

as of yet I haven't got a pic of the fabric

and so the hunt was on for the perfect pattern to use this fantasic bargin fabric and today I saw my local fabric shop has an offer on Simplicity Patterns and there I found this

 I think view C and D would be just perfect ( it's the jacket and skirt in the lower left picture.)

And as for items currently drapped over Betsy (the dressform). There are two more Loud, Loud Shirts.
One waiting for buttons and holes (I forgot to buy them (Doh) and the other just needs side seams, hem, buttons and holes. Hopefully they will be finished tomorrow.

And before I leave you tonight dear followers here's what counts for excitment in our little village in Wiltshire, Yesterday all was quiet until my daughter screamed 'Mum come look NOW!'  I ran to her and what she wanted to show me was this

We weren't the only people out there taking pictures, (good to know) but they really were so very low. they started to land in the field just in front of our house, then lifted on up and carried on.
It was very cool.

Biting off more than one can chew....

Morning Ladies,

Today I want to share with you one of my previous projects.

Several years ago when I got serious about learning to sew, I even then wanted to make clothes but was too intimidated by my lack of sewing machine knowledge, button holes, zips and patterns etc. So I started patchwork, thinking well it's just straight lines, I can do that. One summer I had the bright idea of making my daughters and my friends daughters a quilt each for Christmas.

I already had lots of quilting books so browsing and much tea later had picked something I liked the look of. Went fabric shopping and started on my first quilt top. And to this day it still remains a quilt top.

Why,
because it's just so damn big. I didn't realize as I happily sewed triangles to make squares and squares to make strips. Until I put the strips together. Oh my.

The quilt top.

Yep it's hugh.

close up of patterned fabric

Detail close up of corner, very chuffed on how these came out. It was my first go at triangles.

Arn't the embroibered butterflys cute. No I didn't do them they were already on the ginham. which is on the center planel and the border.

The reason I am posting this blog about the massive UFO is because as I am sorting ready to have my sewing room roof replaced I came across it. So now as I still don't feel confident on handling that much fabric. It is not going to be quilted in the traditional way of wadding and backing. I was just going to back it with fleece. It's on it's way to my friend's sister, who is an experenced curtain maker, who will do the backing and so the recepitant can finally have her Christmas present and I promise to get around making the other 3 quilts for the young ladies. However experence has taught me they will be much smaller quilts.

As for my son, there is no quilt planned for him. I did ask him even though I knew what his reply would be. "I'd rather have the usual computer games. My bed has a perfectly adequate quilt, but thanks anyway." 

How about you whats your UFO stash like. I have many more waiting and yep I am good at starting projects but have a pleathora of quilt tops waiting.  



 

Fabric is only the begining..

Good Morning all,

Yesterday was not a sewing day, too much to do when what I really wanted was to sit and make. So in the small gaps of computer work, (the website is still in a poor state, still trying to figure out what I did to it, and listing new bags on folksy) I did what any girl would do and went internet window shoppping. Checking out all those sites I have heard of but never actually looked at because well I'm sure we all have favourites we know and love but it was time for somewhere new.

And I came across Linton Tweeds. Wow was my first thought £30 a metre, I had heard they are expensive but well worth it, (after all they do make the fabric for Chanel etc.) And low and behold down at the bottom of the page was the specials button and hidden in there was 3 fabric choices reduced to £10 a metre. excellent and they were very cool too. So to fill a basket, and off  to the checkout. 3 metres ordered in a very narrow black and white stripe.

Within 1/2 hour I got several emails from them. 1, order accepted, 2, order processed, 3, order dispached. How cool is that and I didnt pay extra for next day delivery. Anyway I now have 3m of Linton waiting for the perfect pattern. I am thinking a knee length skirt with a waist length, 3/4 sleeve jacket, embellished in black fringe on the bottom of the skirt and black edging around the jacket and on mock pockets. The hunt is on, any sugestions of tried and tested patterns most welcome,

On today's plans I am hoping to go out and get the material for the underskirt for the walkaway dress, enough to make 2, one for my eldest and myself.

Happy sewing from a very wet Wiltshire, England. What's your plans for today ?

Sew Vala. x

Loud shirt update...

Sorry I Have been away for the past few days. Firstly I have been helping the lovely Mr S move house and then back to work then helping him to rearrange and empty boxes etc. And at the weekend we had a two day stall, but more about that next time.

Today I wanted to tell you how excited I was with the shirt. He loved it and even wore it to the vintage show where we had the stall. There were a few comments like 'Where did you get a shirt like that ?' in a possitive way.

So here is my gorgeous man modeling his new shirt.

Now all I have to decide is what's next.  I have the following in the pipeline

• Gertie's Bombshell dress
• NVL plain pattern project
• Edelweiss Walkaway dress (one for me and one for my daughter)
• Shirt in 50's sci fi monster fabric
• Shirt in pin up girl fabric
• Shirt in Liberty Rocks fabric
• New handbag designs and kits to prepare
• and for my youngest daughter 2 cosplay outfits .

So in the meantime until I can make my mind up, the past two days here have been mega sort and tidy time before building work starts on the house.

Happy sewing Vala. xx

Pattern re-use, Help please....

Morning all,

As I have found a new favourite the MaCalls Shirt and as I have plans to make this over and over again. I was wondering how many times a pattern could be used before it falls apart.

How many times have you re-used the same pattern?

Last night I was reading  this book

and on page 45 Sandra Betzina writes about fusing pattern pieces to interfacing. Have any of you done this, which interfacing did you use, Sandra's sugestions are Pellon or Fuse-a-Shade and what were your results.

Sorry this is not much of a blog more of an question and answer session, but I havn't any sewing friends apart from you lovely people on the blogging network.

Also has anyone ever used the inkjet paper on which a picture can be printed on from the computer and then ironed onto fabric. If so any suggestions on a good quality make.

Looking forward to your ideas, Happy Sewing Vala x

New Title and finished Loud,Loud Shirt.

As you can see in the end I did decide to change the title of my blog. I'm glad I did.

And yeah to the finished shirt. I wasn't happy with the idea of press studs and fake buttons, so a hunt was on for my buttonhole foot and much searching and yeah I had a paddy. I found it. (This is due to my sewing room has a leaky roof and I need to save up for a new roof and builder costs. We have been without hot water for months now but just managed to save and this week got a plumber in to fix it. Luckly its summer so heating wasn't needed and we have an electric shower. ) Anyway this means my sewing stuff is piled in the living room, hallway and kitchen. But I digress, the shirt

After finding the buttonhole foot I used some scrap later over and theres lots of it, guess I didn't need 3m.
And make a sample off the front including the interfacing and started to practice, when I was happy and confident I started on the shirt. Yeah this was scary I was afraid of messing it up. But cool stuff it actually worked.

Now then this is where I got a bit cocky while reading the instructions o how to use the foot, there was also intsructions on how to attach the buttons by machine. I did not know this was possible, I searched and found I also had the foot for this so I gave that a try too.

wow what a mess.

I won't be using that again. So I handsewn the buttons and they were much neater.

Top button by hand, bottom button by machine. I know which I prefare.

As for the button holes them selfs I only had trouble with one, The top one,





The machine got stuck and wouldn't return down the right side.
I decided not to unpick this because 1, it would leave too many small holes and re-doing it would look worse and 2, I am sure he won't be fastening the top button anyway ,if you did babe you would look like a dork, sorry but true.

A close up of bttons and holes all matched up. yeah cool.

And the finished shirt

I know the pattern doesn't match well at the front, but I wasn't even going to try that yet. I am chuffed I am proud of it. And I really hope he likes it. Mr S hasn't seen it yet, He is down later today so all my fingers and toes (?) crossed.

Happy Sewing and hope you all have a fab weekend.

Vala x

To change or not to change...

I have been pondering over the title I have given my blog.

Here's how the original title came about. I am a hugh sci-fi geek/nerd. My son and myself were disscussing crossovers, where a set of charicters from one series appears in another. The episode in question was Trial and Tribbleations from Deep Space Nine, when they go back in time to meet original crew from Star Trek in the trouble with tribbles.

Still with me ????

Anyway as I was setting up my account naturally the term trial and tribulations of sewing came to mind. As I am still a learner on the dressmaking front, this seemed approprate to me. trial = making mistakes and learning from them.

Now when I look at it I am begining to wonder as if it looks like I am saying sewing is such hard work and a 'trial' . Which of course its not.

So what do you dear followers think, should I change it? is it possible to change it? My current idea is to Vala Sews  .

If any of you were wondering Vala is one of my favourite charicters from Stargate-SG1. A rather fiesty lady.

New Favourites, Old Fears and Loud, Loud Fabric.

Firstly I would like to say welcome to my new followers, it's lovely to have you here.

I have been quiet lately due to working hard on the project I am just about to show. I think this is going to be a favourite of mine. I enjoyed it so much I have already ordered enough fabric to make 3 more.

This is my third go at making an item from a pattern. Its McCalls 2149

I made view E. With the 'grandad' style colar and short sleeves.

I haven't taken any during shots as I didn't do any 'tweaking' and followed the pattern closely. There were times when I felt I wasn't so much as following the instructions as much as translating them. But I think this is more due to my knowledge than the pattern instructions. Which is why this shirt has taken more than a week to complete. However I am still chuffed with what I have done so far.

As my chosen fabric ( well actually I didn't choose the fabric, The lovely Mr S did, after all it is for him.) cost only £3.30 a meter it's cheaper than calico so I forgo the toile and went straight ahead.
This is the almost finished shirt.

Betsy is my size (well actually she's a bit bigger than me. The smaller version of her i.e child's size was alot more expensive. It's not always a good thing being petite.) And the lovely Mr S is 6'2" and a 42" chest. So the shirt kinda hangs but I hope you get a good impression of it.

On the front left is a pocket, I choose the mermaid as the detail for this.

And here are some more pictures of the pattern in detail mermaids, horseshoes, anchors, tattoo symbols,

As I mentioned earlier it's almost finished. I need to add the buttons and buttonholes. However thats a new scary unattempted task, so I am thinking of cheating. Ether add the buttons to the outside and then put press studs underneath (Mr S likes this idea, ) Or today I thought of sewing the front together up so far like a polo shirt and adding the mock buttons. Mmmm decissions.

I have learnt some important lessons while working on this shirt.

• I need to practice button holes before I make this shirt again in more expensive fabric.
• I need to stop being such a scaredy cat and learn to use my overlocker. ie Take out of the box and read instructions.

The fabric I have on order for the next two shirts is from Fancy Moon, again they are both quite loud.

One has pin-up girls in witch and devil costumes.

Then we have 50's sci-fi poster art.

And when I have truely concured all my fears it will be the Liberty fabric

Even though I have the fabric on my shelf, this will not be touched until I am alot more confident in my skills, messing up 3meters of £3.30per M worth of fabric = shoulder shrug, ah well

messing up 3 meters of £21per M of fabric= big big temper tantrums and tears.

It's margarita time for me, Happy Sewing,

Sew Vala. x