Adding a side seam pocket & my first sew with the Designer Jade 35 by Husqvarna Viking

Hello!

I am so excited to be a guest blogger over at Husqvarna Viking Australia!

With all the amazing embroidery and other capabilities of the Designer Jade 35, the first thing I do is an alteration (I guess that's just me!!).  But in my defence, it is my favourite skirt!!  You can read about how I added a nice big (holds your phone!!) side seam pocket over at Husqvarna Viking. 

For my first sewing experience with the Designer Jade 35 I am absolutely thrilled with how it sews and its great built in features.  You can read about the awesome overcast stitch this machine does (because my cranky old overlocker is stubbornly refusing to work...it is NOT a Husqvarna Viking machine!) in my post here.  I can't forget to mention the perfect "fix" stitch it does at the start and end of your seam or the automatic thread cutter! 

I have previously sewn on a vintage machine which had none of these features, so they are all just so amazing to me and make for an even more enjoyable sewing experience!

If you follow me on IG you will know I have been playing with the machine embroidery features a LOT!  My next post will feature my first adventures into machine embroidery.  Those of you who are experienced with machine embroidery will probably roll your eyes and shake your head...but I am just learning and having SO MUCH FUN in the process!

Happy Sewing!
xox Allison

Muslin Magic!

Okay, so "muslin magic" is a bit of an overstatement for the title of this post!!

However, this is a favourite trick of mine when making muslins out of scrap fabric. 

When I'm using a new dress pattern for the first time the fit of the shoulders, bust and waist is most important to me.  Typically I'm making a full / flared skirt so my butt can be as big as it wants to be and the skirt portion will fit!  However, I have to more carefully consider the fit of my upper body (which is sometimes up to 2 sizes smaller than my lower half!). 

Rather than using up lots of fabric to make a muslin of the skirt, which I know will fit, I make just the top.  If the muslin works out I have a lovely new top to wear with jeans or a skirt.  If it doesn't work out, I haven't wasted many metres of fabric.

Here are 2 examples of my top half muslin making magic!

The first is The Rosie Dress by Cotton & Chalk.  I used a rayon purchased from my Church fête, sadly there wasn't enough to make a whole dress.  I was between sizes so went with the larger size.  Mistake!  It was huge, so huge that I think I lost some of the original shape taking it in.  The neckline is designed for a more endowed woman than I, so I had to take that in too.  All in all, if the fabric wasn't so pretty I'd probably discard this one.  I really don't see myself making the dress, which is a shame because I've seen fabulous versions of it on Instagram.  Who knows, maybe I will give it another go...

No idea what I'm doing here.  Clearly, I'm a professional model!

Pretty fabric!

The second top is The Olivia Dress also by Cotton & Chalk.  I was much happier with this one and have since made it into a long sleeved maxi dress.  For this muslin I used a cotton lawn which was gifted to me.  I didn't have to make any tall girl alterations for this one!

The shot everyone who sews can relate too
 - tucking in a loose thread!

Adding Length to Sleeves: DIY

Okay, so I'm revealing some wardrobe shame here....  I've been wearing this coat for years.  I bought it because it was on sale, I love the colour, it was on sale, it's weather & toddler proof and did I mention it was on sale?!

At the time of the purchase my arms were the same length they are now... yet I still bought it although it was way too short in the sleeves.  Sleeves are kind of an important part of a coat!

I finally decided it was time to do something about it, thanks in part to being given some knit fabric which is almost the same gorgeous colour of my coat!  This is such a simple DIY that I'm ashamed it took me so long to do it!

Here's how:

Take a rectangle of fabric the width of your cuff opening + seam allowance (1.5cm) x 2 the length you want the new cuff to be.

Sew up the side seam, right sides together, and fold in half.  Tuck the 2 raw edges (knits don't fray so you can just leave them) inside the coat sleeve and sew around end of sleeve.  Done!  As the fabric cuffs I added were knit fabric, I stretched them a little for a snug fit.  My wrists will finally be warm!

Before... hello wrists!

After... warm wrists!

#thirtywears / #30wears - Can you do it?

#30wears  I'm not sure who came up with this idea (if you know, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due **see below**).  Basically, it's about sustainable fashion and responsible purchasing.  Do you wear clothing items and accessories at least 30 times?  Is the clothing you buy of a good enough quality that you can wear it at least 30 times?

I've written before about sustainable fashion and ethical clothing manufacture.  I have made a commitment to only buy ethically produced clothing and fabric, but what about all the clothes I have in my closet from before I was aware of "fast fashion" and horrible manufacturing conditions?  It seems like an even greater injustice to let them go to waste, so I'm committing to #thirtywears

#thirtywears means that you will wear an item at least 30 times.  Simple, right? 

But if we're honest with ourselves, do we really do this?  I have lots of items that are more than a decade old (thank goodness I love timeless designs!) so I know they qualify, but what about everything else?  Obviously some items are "single use" like a wedding dress (hopefully!) and hideous bridesmaid dresses (99% of the time you can't just take the hem up and wear it again, despite what the enthusiastic bride says!).

Before making your next clothing purchase, stop and ask yourself "can I see myself wearing this 30 times"?

So spread the word!  Post a pic of yourself on Instagram wearing your #30wears garments and encourage everyone to buy more consciously and focus on quality not quantity!

**Post Note: A big thank you to Beth from Tall Fashion Adventures for letting me know that Livia Firth came up with #30wears.  I simply didn't think of searching #30wears when I saw it spelled out as #thirtywears... it's a "Duh!" moment on my behalf!!  Please see Beth's comment below. xox

http://www.standard.co.uk/fashion/news/livia-firth-attacks-throwaway-fashion-as-she-suggests-women-only-buy-clothes-theyll-wear-30-times-a2952856.html

This top is at least 10 years old!
Quality & timeless design never go out of style! 
Pants, made my me and worn #thirtywears

Everything you see here exceeds #thirtywears

Another #thirtywears outfit, including the bag!

 

Faux Shirt Dress - Maai Designs Blog Tour

This week I'm joining the fabulous Maai Designs blog tour.

As part of the blog tour Maai Designs are generously offering you a discount!  Use the code: maaidesign10%. This will give you a 10% discount, valid until March 26th 2016.

I bought the beautiful Forrest Treasures fabric in soft blue.  It's 100% soft cotton and is 145cm wide. It is such beautiful fabric!  Importantly, it is Oeko-Tex certified (read more about that here).

I overlooked the width of the fabric when ordering so had way more than I needed for the Oakridge shirt by Sewaholic Patterns which I originally planned to make.  What to do, what to do?  The answer was obvious... shirt dress!

For the bottom half of the dress I used the fabulous Noosa Shift Dress by Sew To Grow.  I've made this one 3 times now so knew it would be perfect.  I love shirt dresses, however I do not love how they tend to gape when you sit.  To overcome this I made it a faux shirt dress by sewing the button placket closed. 



Admiring my sleeve length!!

 

A close up of the beautiful fabric!

I am so happy with the results!  This is not only a beautiful shirt dress, but will be something I can wear year round.

Be sure to check out Maai Designs and the others on the tour:

March 8th - Suz from Sewpony

March 9th - Caroline from Usefulbox

March 10th - Kate from Sewing With Kate

March 12th - Suzanne from Dressed in Pretty Little Things

March 13th - Toni from Make It Perfect

March 14th - Natalie from Sew Outnumbered

March 15th - Jenya from While she was sleeping 

March 16th - Nicola from Create.nic

March 17th - Shelley from Bartacks and Singletrack

March 18th - Maaike from MaaiDesign

Me Make Remake.

What's a "Me Make Remake" you ask?!

It's when you make something, are not happy with it, never wear it, so you remake it!  Also case in point as to why you should make a muslin (practice version out of cheap fabric) first! 

Original version of the dress

I made this dress 6 months ago and despite loving the fabric, I only wore it once.  The neckline was too open and weird for my shape.  And the sleeves were just a bit too much with this big graphic print.  You can see the original dress here. 


To remake it I simply cut the front bodice out (the dress was also a bit too big so I had plenty of fabric to work with) and cut a new front bodice using New Look pattern 6262.  I chopped off the sleeves, but kept them in case I decide to reattach them come Autumn (perhaps I should just call this the "Indecision Dress"??!).  I finished the sleeve opening with bias tape. 


And Ta da!  A dress I have already worn twice in the past few weeks! 

New and improved dress!

 

Teamed with a cardigan for Church
Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

I Made It Monday: MuMu to Marvelous!

I was gifted a pile of fabric recently and amongst it were some half made dresses.

This little (or not so little!) number was begging for a refashion.  It is such pretty fabric!

The Seamstress who gifted this fabric was obviously very talented; nothing but perfect French seams and pleating.  I wanted to honour her skill, so used French seams to finish the dress.

First up, those giant flutter sleeves had to go.  Does anyone else think of the sails of the Sydney Opera House when you look at them?  No, just me?!

I cut the dress off at the waist, took in the bodice and added a side zip.  I then simply gathered the skirt (as you can see, there was lots of fabric to work with!) and reattached it.

Ta da!  From MuMu to what is fast becoming one of my favourite dresses.



It's MuMu - tastic!

 

Modelled by Myrtle; apologies for no photos of me wearing it... yet...

 



A late addition - me wearing the dress!

Tall Girl Upgrade: Shirt Dress

I was given this pre-loved shirt dress many years ago.  I liked it, but it didn't fit well (story of my life!) so I'd wear it on occasions when I knew I wouldn't have to sit much because it became too short when I sat and the buttons would gape.  Not very practical! 

Of course, once I became a Mama I was unable to wear it all.  Motherhood involves constant bending, lifting and having tiny humans climb into your lap and at worst try to practice their button skills on your dress!  Not cool!

To make this dress work for my real life I gave it a simple tall girl upgrade.  Here's how I did it:

1. I sewed closed the buttons from the waist down.  This is simply done by working out how far you need the dress to open to get into it and then sew from that point to the hem.  Bye bye gaping! 

2.  I added length with a floral boarder; this fabric was left over from my favourite midi skirt and the blue in the floral matches the dress. To balance out the floral hem I made a matching sash.

3. I moved the belt loops down.  The original placing of the belt loops was above my waist, so I unpicked them and moved them to my actual waist.

Ta da!  Now I have a shirt dress that is both flattering and practical! 

One eyebrow raised in a scrupulous fashion; I knew this wasn't going well.

 

 

I apologize for the poor quality photos.  I almost didn't post them, but hoped you'd be forgiving! 

Here's my list of excuses:

1. It rained all week so I couldn't do outdoor photos.

2. Only my daughter was available as photographer and I thought she would be better than mirror selfies.

3. I was wrong, I should have gone with mirror selfies!  Since turning 4 her photography skills have seriously deteriorated.  I also have a 2.5yr old, so may give her a go as my photo minion. 

4. After wearing this dress to church I had a mystery stain on it (thanks girls!) so couldn't take more photos until the dress was washed... given that it's still rainy it would take ages to dry as I don't put my clothes in the dryer as I can't afford to loose any valuable length!

Oh excuses, excuses! 

I Made It Monday: Old + Older = New

Old + Older = New.  Makes sense right?!

A little while ago I given some fabric and patterns which had belonged to my Great Grandmother Mabel, who I never had the pleasure of meeting.  Mabel made all of her own clothes and undergarments, and was a concert pianist! 

From the stash, circa 50's or 60's, I made this midi skirt.  There were also a lot of off cuts, rolled together and secured with the selvedge of the fabric.  I love the mindset of nothing wasted!  This fabric was in that stash; it's beautiful!

There was not enough to make a whole top so I took a white linen shirt which I bought on my first trip to New York City in 1995 (wow, can't believe that was 20 years ago!).  I rarely wore the top, but saved it all these years because of the memories attached to it.

Using my trusty New Look pattern 6194 I made myself a top.  I love the classic style of this top.  I didn't want to waste this special fabric on a "trendy" top that I wouldn't wear in a year or two.  I made a couple of slight modifications to the pattern: I added length (standard for me!) and as I used an existing shirt for the back I didn't need to add the darts from the pattern on the back.

Ta da!  A beautiful new top which I treasure.  I hope Mabel would be proud of how I used her fabric scraps.

Pants: Made By Me (self drafted)
Top: Made By Me using New Look Pattern 6194

I used the pretty trim around the neck and to add sleeves.

Miss 3 in the background, who will be Miss 4 tomorrow!

Photos c/o of wonderful Husband

50 or 60 year old fabric + 20 year old fabric = a new top full of special meaning and wonderful memories! 
I really love it! 

I Made It Monday: Adding Sleeves & Length to a Top

This week I'm adding sleeves and much needed length to a top.

It is really simple to do and dramatically changes the look of a simple (boring) piece.  As a girly girl this was a great way for me to add a little lace to a summer staple.

I simply took a scrap of white knit fabric which was the same width as the bottom of my top and sewed lace to one edge.  I then sewed it to the bottom of the top.  As knit fabric doesn't fray it is very easy and forgiving to work with.

For the sleeves I simply took 2 rectangles of fabric which were as long as the armhole.  I sewed lace to the edge then attached to the arm holes of the top.  As I wanted more of a flutter sleeve than a fitted sleeve, and knit fabric stretches, you don't need to worry about ease or exact fitting.

Simple but very effective! 

Top: Refashioned by Me / Jeans: Refashioned by Me / Shoes: Taking Shape

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

I Made It Monday: DIY Circle Skirt

Welcome back to "I Made It Monday"!

Last week I made a couple of circle skirts for my little girls.  They loved them because nothing is more twirly than a circle skirt!  Which got me thinking: I don't have a circle skirt.  As you all know, I have a lot of pleated midi skirts and am now the proud owner of 2 maxi skirts, but no circle skirts.

That very same day that I had the "no circle skirt" revelation I was hunting for vintage dress patterns at my local Salvation Army and saw a pretty blue and green chambray meets gingham round table cloth.  A round table cloth could be turned into a circle skirt, right?!  The worst part, hemming, was already done!  For $3.00 I was going to give it a try! 

Now the internet does not need another circle skirt tutorial so I'm not going to give one.  Plus, I made so many mistakes with what should have been a very simple and straight forward project that I don't feel like I'm in a position to write a tutorial.

First I was going to put in an exposed elastic waistband, and cut the centre circle accordingly (to fit over my hips).  Then I decided that a waistband with a zipper would look more polished.  I had cut such a huge circle (clearly my mathematics was off) that I was able to cut a waistband out of the off cut.  I sewed that to my skirt and sewed in a zip... however I had failed to try the skirt on (BIG mistake) and when I put it on it fell right off.  Sigh... it was a bit big! 

At this point I was ready to re-donate it to the Salvation Army, but I refuse to be beaten.  So I unpicked the zip, which just made me begrudge the skirt more, and sewed up the hole and threaded elastic through the waistband.

If you've stuck with me through this ranting comedy of errors I commend you!  Basically what was going to be an elastic waisted skirt took some time consuming and frustrating detours just to end up being an elastic waisted skirt.  If it wasn't so pretty I wouldn't have stuck with it!

Top: Refashioned by Me (coming to blog next week) / Skirt: Me / Sandals: Big W

And you can't help but twirl like a little girl in a circle skirt!

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

I Made It Monday: From Frumpy to Fab Refashion

This is a really simple dress to skirt refashion (see similar here) that anyone can do. 

I picked this dress up at a Thrift Shop for $3.00 - you get what you pay for, right?!

I was singing "I Feel Pretty" as you do! 
I went all out for the before shot: no shoes, no make up!

I like the colours and the lightweight cotton fabric.  However, that square neckline does me no favours; the whole dress is too wide on me; the hem line is a weird and unflattering length with that much solid blue.

So to remedy all these problems I simply chopped the dress off under the armpits; sewed a casing and inserted elastic. 

Sandals: Big W; Skirt: Made by Me; Shirt: Old & refashioned by me
Pretty view c/o Kiama, NSW

Ta da!  A maxi skirt!  From frumpy dress to fabulous maxi skirt in one simple seam!

It was really windy! 
I don't mind rain, snow, cold or heat but I do NOT like the wind!
Photos c/o my wonderful Husband who loves a random unflattering shot!

I Made It Monday: Printed Pants Refashion

 

I was recently shopping at Big W and saw these pants on the clearance rack for $5.00!  I was immediately attracted to the soft fabric and the pretty blue print. 

Problem:  they weren't my size.  But that has never stopped me before! What was most important was that they were LONG - really long (due to the larger size I guess).

Here is the before shot (sorry, it was a sunny morning!):



Please note: I am in no way mocking wearers of these pants;
I'm simply demonstrating how they were not close to my size, making this an extreme refashion.

As I had plenty of fabric to work with I wasn't very delicate with my refashioning.  I cut up the inseam and the crotch seam.  I didn't want to take them in from the sides because they have pockets... and why would you mess with pockets?!  Also, the depth of the rise (crotch seam) was too long for me and by taking it all in I gave myself extra inseam length - bonus!

Here is how I did it:

I'm loving my new pants!!  Teamed here with a simple white tee, green earrings and tassel necklace (both made by me) and my super comfy Naturalizer sandals from last summer.

 

 

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

I Made It Monday: Mum Bum Fix

Mum Bum, Long Bum, Flat Bum... whatever you call it there seems to be an interesting phenomenon plaguing women after a certain age.

Or so I thought.

I had long observed that "older"(... ahem, probably the age I am now!) women seemed to have grown much longer backsides.  Why?  How did that happen? 

Then last year my mother in law gave me a pair of her old jeans, I tried them on and OH NO! I had Mum Bum!  Whereas I am sadly lacking in the curvy derriere department (curvy anything really) I didn't wake up like that, I swear! 

Then it dawned on my.  It had nothing to do with the backside in the jeans, but everything to do with the placement of the pockets.  The pockets were so high that they gave me Mum Bum!  Well that just wouldn't do. 

The jeans were so old, soft, faded and worn that I wanted to turn them into distressed jeans (see here) and thought I'd just wear long tops.  However, as I'm unable to leave anything alone I was determined to rid these jeans of Mum Bum... and it was really easy!

I simply unpicked the pockets (there were no rivets) and moved them down.  After studying my favourite jeans, I noticed that the pockets sat just above the curve of the bottom drawing the eye to your actual bottom, not some random lower back/top of buttocks region.

When sewing the pockets back on I simply followed
the original lines of stitching

These jeans were really faded, as you can see, leaving a shadow of the Mum Bum pockets but as these were distressed jeans I didn't mind & thought it added some interest.

A really simple fix!  Goodbye Mum Bum! 

I never dreamed I would be posting a pic of my rear on the internet.
These are the lengths I'll go to for a DIY explanation!

Just make sure you sew the pockets back on at the same level or you'll look all sorts of wonky!

Have you noticed the Mum Bum phenomenon?  It's not just me, right??

I Made It Monday: Adding Lace Detail

I'm a girly girl who loves lace, floral and all things pretty!

I had been seeing tops with different lace details in the shops and thought "I can do that!".

I took an old knit top and decided to add the lace to the front; I simply sewed it over the existing shirt!

Here's how I did it:

1.  Take an existing top and make sure it is laid flat.  (I don't suggest using a tight fitting top unless your lace has the same amount of stretch as your top.)

2. Pin a piece of lace to the top following the side, bottom, neck & should seams.  Cut lace close to the line of pins.

3. Sew lace along line of pins; ensuring you don't sew the back of the top to the front!

4. Trim any excess lace to give a neat finish.

 

 

Apologies for the bad mirror selfie;
 life & bad weather got in the way of proper photos!

 Ta da!  From boring to fabulous!

I liked the look of the raw edge of the lace, however if you want a more polished look I suggest making a narrow hem around your lace before attaching to your top.

You could (and I probably will!) make variations by adding lace only to the shoulders, or giving your top a lace yoke, or sleeves, or back. The possibilities are endless!