blythely

Yesterday's plan to make as much progress as possible on trousers was scuppered when I ran out of black thread. Circe laughed a lot--how could anyone run out of black!! I suppose she is right.

So instead I cut out the fabric for my madras check skirt, no biggie. And today went to the (local independent) craft shop to get more thread. Somehow I spent £70 there -- new Fiskars pinking shears the major cost culprit, but an embrodery hoop and some coloured pencils and other haberdashery also fell in the basket.

Got home, all gung-ho to get going and unwrapped the thread and it is ... thicc. I think it is mislabelled top-stitching thread, or something. Wayyyy too thick for my needle and definitely would be terrible with the trouser fabric. So no biggie, I think, I'll switch to the skirt project. I motor on with for a bit, get the zip in place, try it on and hmmm. I think the fabric just does not have enough drape, or the double-layer construction just adds too much structure. I'm not loving it, which makes me sad because I did have a ~vision~. So I've stopped and will contemplate: whether to continue, or whether to use the fabric in one of the tote bag patterns that

lazulus introduced me to.

Sewing does instil a particular kind of thoughtfulness and willingness to stop drop and reconsider. I just did not have the patience for this kind of setback when I was younger - if I couldn't get a project finished in a weekend I lost my mojo so easily. But I feel very chill about this - I haven't gone so far that I can't repurpose the fabric, but maybe I'll rethink it on another day.

Last thing: I came across the Royal Society of Needlework's Stitchbank It is AMAZING!

My tailoring course started this week. First impressions were promising: a very like-minded and enthusiastic group of other learners, and the tutor is an experienced tailor and passionate about the craft. As always with adult education, I have Opinions on how classes are (usually poorly) structured and learning takes place (haphazardly and by being insistent) but I keep them to myself and go with the flow. We spent the first session on introductions, talking about the trade, and doing some basic handstitching. Handsewing is not my best skill and it will take a while to get up to speed, especially with middle-aged eyesight.

Meanwhile in my own home sewing adventures! I've finally found a decent fabric & haberdashery store (Mark Pickles in Bath; the worst website, as is par for the course for any art or craft site). Bought a fabulous abstract print for a summer dress, and an Arts&Crafts-style floral on black to make into a Western shirt. I am eyeing this vintage Vogue pattern for the shirt to make up in the floral (plus I love the trousers), does anyone have any experience with it - or with other Western-style shirts??

I have three projects on the go at the moment:

(1) A Zero Waste blouse that I'm making in a lovely royal purple viscose remnant. You can see the chalking out of the pieces from the rectangle below.

I tried getting clever and bias-binding the armholes, which looked beautiful, but added too much stiffness to the shape to be flattering: I am broad shouldered in proportion and don't need more!. So I've taken it off and just zigzagged the armholes for neatness, but there's still quite a bit of seam stiffness that I'm hoping will go away when the thread is washed. We'll see!

I don't love this pattern. I love the idea, but the ZW concept means using up small pieces in patchwork-like ways that aren't my thing, so I am doing it a bit differently.

(2) An asymmetric skirt (Simplicity 9648) in this (excuse the dreadful hotel room lighting) sort-of madras lime-pink-red wool-blend check that I found in a costume shop in Durham for a fiver a metre. At that price I can't complain that it's a blend. I bought squeakingly just enough fabric--in fact, ten cm too little, but if I use the selvedge I can make it work. I'm tempted to try and line it but I should also just make something according to the pattern, lol. I can always wear a slip*.

(3) Remodelling a pair of 100% wool flannel Pierre Cardin men's trousers, dug out of a bargain bin at a charity shop for literally one british pound. I couldn't believe my luck. The fabric is gorgeous, lined, and I managed to unpick the waistband and fly-front completely, leaving enough intact fabric for a proper remodelling.

It's challenging, though, and because I wasn't paying attention properly today I cut at the wrong place and won't be able to have side pockets. Things I learned in this process? Men's zippers go a lot further down to enable wang extraction. You can know a thing, and then you can unpick a zipper to know a thing.

* Slips. Why. WHY are these so hard to find in plain and simple yet nice styles that don't cost the earth but also aren't from fabric that is highly flammable and/or give me eternal static? M&S make very boring acceptable ones but I'd dearly love something a bit more glamorous without it being A Thing To Have Sex In and full of scratchy lace.

I'm taking a dressmaking course (week 9 of 12 at the moment) to revive my sewing skills. My mum taught me to sew as a child/teenager, and I'm only just realising how much of a proper dressmaking apprenticeship I had from her. There is a lot of muscle memory, dormant terminology, and know-how packed away in my brain that comes out every week, and I'm very grateful for it!

I love clothes, always have, and seriously, one of the joys of finally earning a decent income in my 40s is being able to be very picky and buy good clothing. I just wish high-street/designer fashion hadn't taken such a nose-dive in quality. That's been part of the reason for returning to sewing; that, and feeling like a loser taking trousers to a tailor for alterations when I know I can do it myself.

I have a just-passable machine courtesy of my MiL, and so far I've made a skirt, a pair of PJs, and some drill trousers. For these trousers I used The Assembly Line's High Waisted Trousers pattern (my GOD patterns are expensive). Fabric was a 100% cotton herringbone twill from the local Fabricland (which is 85% terrible polyester most of the time, but at £4 a metre this was a bargain. The pockets and waistband lining were from Nutex, a New Zealand fabric company that sell through Oh Sew Crafty.

(Click the pix for bigger)

The pattern was straightforward, though I was relieved to get the fly zip in on the first go. I practiced about five buttonholes before finally getting the gumption to do the one on the actual waistband! I'm really happy with them; the fabric is a little crisper than I would ideally like (but again, £4 a metre) and I can't wait to find a nice wool crepe to make another pair in.

Entries tagged with dressmaking

Sewing journal: comedy of errors

Sewing: tailoring has started! Other projects are go!

Sewing: Green trousers

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