Saturday 9 April 2011

Finally, I started and finished something, all in the space of 3 weeks (I know, that’s not exactly speedy, especially as I have had oodles of free time due to the gammy ankle, but c’mon, years of inaction and laziness can’t be overcome instantly…). I wore it today for an outing to Llantwit Major beach as the weather here is glorious, though the pics were taken in my far less picturesque back garden!


It was a straightforward project, I didn’t make a toile and it fits pretty well, though a smidgeon tight on the bust.  I interlined the thin fabric with white lining fabric to make it less see through.  In the past, I would normally leave seams raw, or at best pink them but I flat felled the seams by hand.  By hand!  I did a lot of hand sewing and although at times my mind was screaming with the tedium, I found it bearable and feeling mildly smug afterwards almost makes it worth it.


I made bound buttonholes, as I don’t have a buttonhole foot for my new machine and couldn’t be arsed to get out my old one, and I forgot how simple they are to make, other than getting the lips even. This was made more awkward by my using bias squares I think, which were advised by a 70s sewing book - unless the bias is a design feature, if using stripes for example, then I think straight grain would behave more.  I added a belt too.  Buttons and buckle are vintage from my stash and the pretty, flocked cotton was given to me by a friend’s mum.  The lining was from a charity shop for around 50p, so cost was practically zero.



I am more than halfway through making a dress, as I tend to have several things on the go at once, so if something is going awry, I can switch focus. 

My next project will be a 1970s pattern I won from the lovely Miss W’s giveaway, of The Creative Miss W, as I wrote that if I won, I would make it next! 



12 comments:

  1. This is great. Great to come across someone as thrifty as me when it comes to fabric and notions, and great because I love the shape of this top. Totally fab with the peplum and that buckle is a tad nice too!
    Px

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous top! Love the pattern and fabric. Beautiful color! Well, done!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I commented on your other blog but I'm glad to see this in more detail. I love that flocked fabric! And the back is beautiful. The fit on this is amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your top is very nice and matches the skirt well too.The bound buttonholes look very neat and make me feel that I should make more of an effort and do them more often as they are not too difficult really and look so much nicer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I absolutely love this outfit! Wonderful colors!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow that's such a cute top! Thanks for posting on Sew Retro cos now I can subscribe to your blog :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. That looks awesome!

    Confession: I finish all my seams, either by flat-felling (on the machine) or by "false" false-French seaming (I turn the seam allowances inward toward each other and whipstitch them closed. Works well on curved seams like armscyes). It looks neater and has helped my clothes last longer because they don't unravel. If I go to all that work, I don't want them coming apart into strings! I'm a bit obsessive, though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the fabric in the top! I hate to be ignorant, but I must ask how you flat fell a seam.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks, everyone!

    Urban Rustic - I agree, they look so much nicer than machine buttonholes and aren't difficult.

    KittyMeow - I can now subscribe to yours (and anyone else's I don't yet follow) ... as soon as I figure out how to unfollow old blogs as I've reached my limit... try as I might I can't do it dammit, even in 'settings'!

    Little Black Car - finishing seams is not obsessive, it's just that I'm really lazy, but I got a kick out of how neat the inside looks this time.

    Elizabeth - here's a link: http://www.sewneau.com/how.to/flat.felled.seam.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the fabric and fab buckle, great job!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the fabric choice and colors works so well together. Great job.

    ReplyDelete