Red Checker Skirt

I'm back to some proper sewing posts! Hoorah! Though if I'm honest I made this skirt last Summer so this post is a bit long in the making. I loved the process of making this skirt, and was so excited while in the process as I thought it would be gorgeous. And then I tried it on.. and though it fit very well, and I was really proud of the finish, it just didn't really suit me (not to my mind anyway). 

I think choosing to make an a-line skirt with this material was where I went wrong. 

When I was making it, the material looked all flowing and lovely, but obviously as I made a slim a-line skirt, the flowing loveliness disappeared.          

In order to make the skirt I adapted New Look 6128, using a combination of the original width of the straight skirt, and overlaying the a line version over the top to add extra fullness.

I then added a placket down the centre based on the back placket on Tilly's Mathilde blouse.

Some of you may recognise that I made Mr T his tie from this skirt material. On the bodice you can see how I wanted it to look, and below is how it looks on me. Not quite right, it catches on my hip and then kicks out, not a great look.

I know how to fix it though. I think I'm going to add a panel in the sides of the skirt in the shape of a trapeze between the side seams, add another couple of pleats, hopefully that will give it back that flowing loveliness like on Betsy!

Don't forget to join my pattern pyramid competition. Time is running out! 

DFabricate Needs You!

I won! I won! I won a pattern pyramid! So here's the deal, a bunch of bloggers in Wellington on 1st December 2012 decided to put a little pack together based on Did You Make That's Pattern Pyramid plan. Since then this package of patterns has been winging it's way around the world, New Zealand, Europe, Britain. My pack came from the lovely Annette Tirette came all the way from Belgium. 

There are some fabulous editions in here... Annette included some lovely postcards too which have now taken pride of place in the sewing room (I'm going to do a full post on this soon!).

These were some of my favourite... aren't those Butterick ones so similar to Tilly's Miette skirt? It was so hard to decide which one to keep. In the end I went for the vogue pattern below. I've been planning on making a jacket and thought the hoodie might be a good introduction, plus I love the white top. Now to conquer my fear of jersey!

On the right is my addition to the pile, a pattern I bought to make a bag for my sister which sadly never saw the light of day. It has been judging me from the pattern drawer ever since, taunting me with my lack of unselfish sewing (sorry sis!). I hope one of you can make better use of it.

Now I don't have a massive readership, and this is such a big thing, I don't want anyone to miss out! So I'm hoping you'll be able to help me. I would very much appreciate it if you could pass on the link to anyone who may be interested... a line at the end of your blog, or a quick share? I'd love to give this an element of competition with more than a few entries, and I'd really appreciate your help! As a bit of an incentive I'll be adding some lovely gifts in with the packet too. But you'll have to enter to find out!

The rules are simple, if you'd like to join in, and you have your very own blog, write a comment below, linking to your blog by 31 January 2014. To keep things interesting why don't you write which pattern your tempted by, or which patterns are looking at you from your pattern cupboard/drawer/bag that make you feel guilty?

On the 1st I will pick your name out of the hat and let you know who won, and what I'll be including as a little extra.

I'm so excited about being involved in a social sewing giveaway, I hope you're tempted!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2014 lovely people.

How are you all?

I had... I'm not going to lie here, a very drunken welcome into 2014. One of those nights were you think, have I changed at all over the past 5 years, or am I just exactly the same? It was slightly depressing to be honest, so the idea of ringing in the New Year with shiny resolutions etc wasn't really on the cards.

But a few days have passed, the dehydration (and embarasment) has dissipated, and I have so much to be thankful of for the past year, and a lot to look forward to.

Christmas was awesome, much more calm than usual and that suited me down to the ground, one of my favourite parts of it was participating in the Secret Santa present project as organised by Krafty Kat.

This was a brilliant idea, bringing me closer to a blogger as I tried to figure out what would be the best pressie. I hope they liked it!

Plus, I got my gift through the post and was so excited! Love getting post at the best of times but then to know it contained a little pressie based on what I might like was fabulous.

Here is a (terrible) pic of me super excited opening it:

And here were the lovely contents:

I don't know if you can read the lovely note that came with it (I took the package all the way to Northern Ireland with me on my flight so the packing got a bit crumpled). But my Secret Santa has set me a challenge. I am to make a shirt with these trims (in my favourite colour no less) with piping on the back yoke, blue buttons and bias binding on the seams. A shirt is actually on my goals list so this could not have been better suited! Thanks Santa, such a thoughtful gift. 

I have lots of goals for my year, but at the moment they are floating around a bit in my brain rather than being written down so I'll come back to that. In the meantime, I wish you a craft-filled, goal achieving 2014.