sewalongwithme

One project down, 341 to go!

2006-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

I modified a charity shop bikini -yes I know buying charity shop swimwear might not be to everyone's taste but then buy new sweatshop items make me feel as queasy! It was indecently small, so using strips of a t-shirt and very light interfacing I made a 5cm wide band to add as ties to the bottom ad top. I basically overlocked the edges, turned them inside out and pressed the shit out of them. I then sewed them onto the bikini using a plain old straight stitch, making sure to stretch the bikini before pinning onto the straps.

Momentum

2006-07-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

I used my rolled hem foot with great success. It did take some getting used to: the fabric needs to be directly under the foot, and its easier on a straight grain than bias.

Long time no sew!

2006-07-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ooh I am such a terrible hobby seamstress! I have at least 4 projects on the go and about 9 ideas but I haven't sewn in about 2 weeks, its not going to sew itself is it?
Something that spurred me on was going to Topshop and Primark and looking at all the pretty but sweatshop clothes that I can't afford. I saw a beautfiful beige jumper, but I had to remind myself I have a similar one in red that needs dyeing. I saw some nice bikinis and then remembered I have a bikini that needs new straps. I tried on an absolutely beauiful shirt dress but had to concede that it didn't fit on the hips.

I am currently trying to stop all needless purchases (especially from chainstores with dubious ethics), but I did make two sensible purchases: a rolled hem foot for my Elna sewing machine, and finally bought a manual for my Toyota overlocker which for some reason didn't come with one.

After all that if I don't start sewing again I give up!! (not really.)

Carnivale of Couture

2006-05-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

This week's carnivale of Couture is at the Bargain Queen and she is asking what your best ever bargain was.
Mine is probably a toss-up between my Burberry trenchcoat bought for £5.50 at a charity shop, or my Marc Jacobs 60's style flats bought for 25 squids. But really, I don't consider them to be bargains as I don't wear the coat or the shoes that often. What I really consider a bargain is my knitted blue necklace from WW2, it was made out of plastic thread to look like beads at a time when luxuries were scarce. I wear it all the time and that to me is a true bargain.

ms_moron 2.0

2006-05-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've been wearing retro trainers (£1 from car boot sale), flared cords (free from friend) and retro-y t-shirts for the last 3 days. Hey its the 1998 ms_moron! Feels quite nice when everyone is wearing faded grey skinnies and chucks or ballet flats.

Anyway, as you can see from the links on the right I have been doing some research. They are all good links, but my current faves are Craftster and Vintage Sewing. Vintage Sewing has the most amazing detailed tutorials for everything including leather gloves (!) hats (I know!) and an assortment of clothes from pre-1900 to 50's. Craftster is a forum for crafty people, and browsing all afternoon I discovered the address of a fabric manufacturer who will send off a catalogue to you:

s gross
fabricsfreepost
salford m7 6bl

See how it goes.

Men's fashion, or a small list of interesting sites

2006-04-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

My lovely boyfriend popped round my house on Saturday with a surprise copy of 'Fantastic Man' he bought. Thank you lovely boyfriend for my surprise!
I also regularly read Charlie Porter's column and as you know, visit The Sartorialist at least 3 times a day, so why the interest in men's fashion I hear you (aka me) cry?
Well I have always been interested in tailoring (English Cut is a good weblog for this), and its easier to find articles about men's suits than it is about general tailoring. Secondly, men's fashion is still quite unimportant compared to women's, and because of this seems a little more subdued and concise. Which I like.
I suppose men's fashion is still a little underground, as opposed to women's where where everyone is a fashion writer indiscriminately gushing over any old designer gubbins. I would like to see more articles about volume and structure. There is an interesting article in FM about pleats, and I get the feeling that if this article were in a women's magazine it would be "5 tulip skirts for under £500"

Rule number one...

2006-04-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have broken my first rule of my 'Sewing Year Zero' code of practice by starting something before finishing the bag, I am making a special towel for my nephew-in-law. It is going to be a square towel with a little hood, his name appliquéd on the back and all trimmed with bias binding. I found some instruction for bias binding here and made it myself, pretty nifty eh?

Latest project

2006-04-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have a new sewing project underway at the moment, I am altering a bag I bought a good while ago. I'm going to line it and sew on the bamboo handles properly. I'll probably add loads of pockets inside, and perhaps even a magnetic fastening; I'm going to London in a couple of weeks so I might go to Kleins and get some of their brilliant haberdashery bits.
The Sartorialist has got some pretty tops pictures at the moment, I love the picture of the man in the suit its so wonderfully cut, and I think I will see this dress in my dreams forever.

2006-04-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

I really like the Burberry outfit in the picture. The colour combination reminds me of when I was walking past a cemetary in Haywards Heath, and I was struck by the dark woody green of the conifers against a limpid grey-blue sky. It made me think of some dark green wool culottes I bought from a charity shop once, and I wanted to make a pale silk or very fine cotton shirt to go with it. Possibly with dark wood buttons.
The image comes courtesy of the Sartorialist, a blog which has occupied the best part of my afternoon.

I could not stop going on about my new coat in the pub

2006-03-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

I bought the most amazing coat from a charity shop yesterday. Its fits so good, the only thing that needed doing was replacing the elastic in the back becuase it had gone old and crumbly.

I didn't have long to do it, but I desperately wanted to do it properly and not botch it, as per my new sewing ethic. I picked out the old bit of elastic (a pain since I seem to have lost my 3 (!) seam rippers, thank god for tiny ultra sharp scissors) and sewed one end of the elastic, unstreched to the side seam with the end of the front drawstring waist lying flat on top of it. I tried to pull the elastic and sew, but that was a massive failure, this piece of elastic is a efty mutha. So I flat-sewed the middle of the elastic to the middle of the back, therefore giving me a quantifiable amount to stretch. Then I sewed the left end of the elastic to the left seam again with the end of the left drawstring lying flat on top.
I was getting quite agitated by this time, especially as I was due to go to the pub. My agitation was further exacerbated by the needle breaking off and pinging me in the face! (a first!). I changed the neede, calmed down and finished sewing the elastic. Perfect! This coat combines 3 trends in one, nautical, dress coat and cinched in waist, how cool is that?

(I can't put pics up on blogger so for the time being here is a link to them on flickr)

Wardrobe Machinations

2006-03-30T04:14:00.000-08:00

I have made a pact with me and my sewing machine, I am going to start projects and work on them until they are finished. All my unfinished winter sewing projects can go up to the attic until early autumn, there's no shame in that is there? I mean whats the point of beating yourself up over clothes you wont even be able to wear for 6 months?
I have also come up with an idea for my clothes but I think its a bit over the top:
I am going to take pictures of all the clothes and sewing projects I put in the attic so I can keep track of all the clothes I have stored away. I think I am going to look into using stuff like acid-free tissue paper and cedarwood chunks to make sure they are pest and decay free.
I feel like I've started something which is going to become a massive obsession.

Olive, khaki, and lime green

2006-03-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

I was in Topshop yesterday and tried on a beautiful cropped jacket in a curious shade of green. It was pretty much khaki but it had a slight twinge, a sharp acidic spike of lime green. It was very flattering to the face.
Since then I have fantasised about making my own tailored jacket, in a similar colour with, -get this: a puffa collar. A sort of open regency style neckline but all pouffed up with the rest being tailored. And one or a few beautiful gold/amber buttons, closing the jacket with loops of gold cord.
mmm mmm.

Sew along with me

2006-03-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

I cannot seem to find any good sewing blogs (apart from dressaday). So I have created Sew Along With Me to put pictures up of my sewing projects, and hopefully to swap tips with other dressmakers/sewers.