| Wednesday, August 30, 2006 |
| More stuff to do |
 So, in addition to all my pending sewing projects I actually am getting some knitting done too. I can't say it's terribly impressive, and maybe because I've spent most of the last couple of weeks doped up on antibiotics I even managed to mess up a simple rib pattern. But at least I knew how to fix it :) I always feel like a bit of a rebel letting the stitches just drop like that. Almost like I've kicked my knitting's ass somehow. But then, I was fixing a flub in a rib pattern, so I really can't be that smug. I'm working on the back of a cardigan I found in an old Verena magazine. It's an alternating rib that gives the fabric a kind of waffle-like appearance that I'm really liking. I don't know if you can see it properly, it's knit on the right 
side, and k1p1 on the wrong side. Sadly though, I don't think it will get done any time soon because the pattern is getting really monotonous, and I cast on for this just before the weather turned, so I may not have the chance to even wear this again this year because it's cotton and therefore not very warm. We'll see. I'm thinking I may put knitting on the back burner while I catch up on my sewing. Right now I've got about half a dozen bags cut out while I wait for magnetic clasps, both my July and August projects for Sew Retro to get done, and while I was trying to organize my fabric stash I found a knitting needle case I cut out last fall when I made one for my hunny's mum and realized I had enough fabric for another. I'm not sure if I'll keep it or not, I'll see how attached I am when it's done ;) For now I am actually quite fond of this French cookie tin I found at a flea market. I like the happy yellow of it, even though I don't usually like yellow. Either way the it will be a circ only case, because that's all I use. I tried straights once when I was in Colombia and it was all I could find. It was horrible. So awkward and uncomfortable. Thank god for whoever invented circs or I would be missing out on knitting altogether!  
  Labels: Knitting, Sewing |
posted by tatjana @ 4:00 p.m.   |
|
|
|
| Thursday, July 13, 2006 |
| Look Ma! No seams! |
Well, actually there's one seam. But that's still pretty darn impressive. A dress with one seam. That's like making a full course dinner with only one pot or one pan. Since it's been a while since I've done much sewing, I thought this would be a nice warm up. The super-wikkid-awesome tutorial can be found here. As many wonderful things are, this was all inspired by a discussion on Craftster and you can see the various versions that have been made so far in this thread.
I made the first version using some magenta jersey I've been meaning to do something with. I really like the bold colour, and it's just a really soft, nicely draping fabric. It's such a comfortable dress. The only drawback is that I ran out of fabric and had to make the straps a bit shorter, so there's less to wrap with, but I'm pretty happy with it. I think I will have to add a trim to the bottom, or accesorize it with something to break up the colour somehow, because it's a little overwhelming, and it kinda makes my boobs look enormous. Being petite, I really try to play them down as much as I can, usually with all sorts of minimizing bras, but it can be tricky to wrap this in such a way that'll cover one of those. It'd have to be a strapless or nothing at all (which actually works in several styles, thanks to all the wrapping) but those are anything but minimizing, and uber-uncomfortable to boot.
I also went out and bought a printed jersey, which I found on sale for only 2 euros/m!! I think it looks especially nice as a strapless dress, very 50s. This one turned out a touch shorter, which I like better, so I think I'll shorten the first one. I will also take the time to hem most or all of the edges on this one, since it tends to curl forward and show the plain white on the wrong side of the fabric.
This weekend I will begin the struggle with the German pattern magazines. If you've ever bought a Burda magazine, then you've seen the puzzle of overlapping patterns which you're supposed to trace onto butcher paper and then cut out. These sheets make those look easy! Really, this has to be seen to be believed, I'll be sure to take pictures. Wish me luck though, k?
Labels: Sewing |
| posted by tatjana @ 11:41 p.m. |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, July 11, 2006 |
| Retro Chic |
I guess it's pretty obvious that since I signed up for Sew Retro and committed to sewing my very own vintage masterpiece, I'd better do a bit more than just put the button on my sidebar ;) I remember having a few nice retro patterns in my collection, back in my hardcore sewing day, but what's left of my beloved patterns has been left with my mum back in Canada and has apparently moved to a more spacious storage locale known as my brother's basement. I really have no idea how much is left of the pattern and fabric stockpile, and at any rate I can't get to it from here, so I decided that entitles me to some stash enhancement. Woohoo!
Here are some fun finds from Germany eBay!! Vintage pattern magazines! They are much like the Burda magazines of today. Actually, there are probably vintage Burdas somewhere, as it's been around forever, but no luck finding any this time. Anyhoo, after looking through them I was quite enamoured with this lovely coat circa 1972:
 
And who could resist these lovely short suits?? Hey! Shorts are even in again! We'll ignore the fact that in a pair of shorts I'm about as sexy as a certain lactating farm animal, and that I'd never have the patience to execute the perfect pleats required for these particular shorts. We'll just think about how darn cute they look on this adorably moon-eyed 70s model.
 
And these are the 2 dresses that I'm deciding between to make this month. I've been wanting to make a wrap dress, but I also want to use the pretty vintage sheets and things I've been collecting, and the cotton would not work with the sleeves on the wrap dress. But I could change the sleeves, or leave them off altogether. The sleeveless dress is very pretty, but I'm unsure about the buttons. I tend to stay away from things with buttons because I have trouble keeping the ladies (read boobs) under control and don't like giving my boss a flash of my bra through the scandalous gaps between my buttonholes. Of course, sewing it myself I can always adjust the pattern, but do I don't want to go to all that trouble (read I'm a lazy sod) unless I really want that dress. Maybe I'll just go post the dresses on the Sew Retro blog n see what they think.
  Labels: Sewing |
| posted by tatjana @ 10:48 p.m. |
|
|
|
|
|
