tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80539257205914032502024-03-14T00:21:09.155-07:00 _said the machine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053925720591403250.post-10968636550754339012013-06-16T12:22:00.000-07:002013-06-16T12:48:45.172-07:00Back to the wild<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, you may be pleased to know that I have finally emerged from a lengthy period of hibernation in my darkened room (see <i>Another week, another skirt...</i>).*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">However, on discovering the <i>49-step </i>pattern for this slouch top I almost retreated back inside it. I say 'almost', because after a stern talking to myself in the mirror (yes, that's how I roll) I resolved to complete the project. This would be my sewing Everest.**</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It being summer (well, supposedly), I decided an injection of colour and playfulness was required. This zebra print fabric certainly did the job, and was inspired (in no small part) by the kooky new Basement Jaxx tune, <i>Back 2 The Wild</i>. If a psychedelic mash-up of a cartoon jungle with scary animal dancing and eye-watering 80s graphics is your thing, then go wild for this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDeCmK9dH04">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDeCmK9dH04</a> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(Viewers of a nervous disposition are advised to move swiftly on.)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sadly, this is where the fun ended. Not even a woman with a flowerbed on her head doing the robot dance could save me from this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Central to this project's woes was a lack of any 'proper' pattern. Now, I'm aware that I have championed the creative process of 'trial and error' in a previous post; on reflection, however, I may have been a tad hasty... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The slouch top is constructed around the premise that existing garments can be traced to make new ones. On paper, this looks to be a cracking idea. In practice, it resulted in arm-holes flailing helplessly down past my waist.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2ffSVvkkoaDNKEKP79V7fThas-d7TLlaBg-fyVE8kR5G9m-Q2H_m-HwrK7_F7hMvGWZIy86xGj8F8EKsYgvqPusxChBlbdm773CBhSKfGVcPtU9Qf0TKhDHeRs21UqPr38GtTuqHDTtn/s1600/blog+photo+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2ffSVvkkoaDNKEKP79V7fThas-d7TLlaBg-fyVE8kR5G9m-Q2H_m-HwrK7_F7hMvGWZIy86xGj8F8EKsYgvqPusxChBlbdm773CBhSKfGVcPtU9Qf0TKhDHeRs21UqPr38GtTuqHDTtn/s400/blog+photo+b.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. This tracing (once corrected) was to be used to make identical front and back pieces. It was at this point, during the customary 'cutting-out', that I encountered my second glitch (regular readers will notice a recurring theme here; scissors are NOT my friend). Suffice to say my pieces were </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">far</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> from 'identical'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. All this culminated in a somewhat futile attempt to sew together four mismatched cuts of fabric; the end product not too dissimilar to an over-sized, wonky curtain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite such epic set-backs, however, I'm comforted by messages of support from seasoned bloggers who assure me that the only way is <i>up</i>. I shall cling on (by the proverbial thread, of course) to this hope. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;"><i>*Very cosy it was too.</i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">**Now that I've reached the summit, and completed the 49th step,
I'm able to jovially shrug off any stitching misadventure. At step 7, though, I
was not quite as smiley.</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053925720591403250.post-21114477656770935112013-05-31T12:34:00.000-07:002013-06-01T02:52:50.649-07:00'DIY Couture' by Rosie Martin - the dressmaker's holy grail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAOs8IMEGuobBFeyfmaliUMXVWGqsxy3M81NuuvrBLXBHy1gZmIDlS_7O5Ku-E2fqbKr8zYAti-1rgcmu77DI0GWYkT6kEDzP6PV_A8ZKQXtFCuFJBQn0Z7xYCTLoyIGOpo9-x_neTRej/s1600/DIY+Couture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAOs8IMEGuobBFeyfmaliUMXVWGqsxy3M81NuuvrBLXBHy1gZmIDlS_7O5Ku-E2fqbKr8zYAti-1rgcmu77DI0GWYkT6kEDzP6PV_A8ZKQXtFCuFJBQn0Z7xYCTLoyIGOpo9-x_neTRej/s400/DIY+Couture.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A little something for fellow sewing newbies <i>(you're welcome)</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
Dubbed the <i>"antidote to fast fashion"</i>, Rosie Martin's <i>DIY Couture</i> marks a revolution in amateur dressmaking. Complex patterns and mind-numbing number crunching are ditched in favour of creativity and self-expression.*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With eight 'collections' to choose from, this book's genius is in its versatility. Wardrobe staples can be "endlessly reinvented" to suit personal style and shape. Go back to the 60s with a vintage dress from the <i>american road trip </i>collection, or give your romper a preppy update in the <i>tea picnic </i>collection.**</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The easy-to-follow instructions assume no previous knowledge, making every project inviting and accessible. Experimentation is encouraged throughout, with free-hand drawing readily used as a tool for garment construction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>DIY Couture </i>is as much about the <i>process</i> as the end-product, indulging the inner-designer in every one of us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 8pt;">*Y</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 8pt;">es, sewing CAN be<span class="apple-converted-space"> 'fun'</span>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> Stranger things HAVE happened (although, admittedly, I fail to think of any just now...).</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 8pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 8pt;">**</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 8pt;">My
favourite has to be the 'jungle punk' collection. The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>crazy prints and funky colour scheme
are SOMETHING ELSE. </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053925720591403250.post-72681119655678250182013-05-23T10:52:00.002-07:002013-06-04T11:41:34.939-07:00Another week, another skirt...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You'd have thought I might have learned from the mistakes of the
last sewing debacle, and chosen to make something (anything) other than a</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">skirt</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Alas, no. My logic being
that I had, at least, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">some<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">foundation
in skirt-making on which to build.*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This half-hour
pattern (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cough)<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is
taken from Geneva's wonderful blog,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a pair
& a spare<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(please check
it out at </span><a href="http://apairandasparediy.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://apairandasparediy.com/</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">).
It has a more sophisticated cut than the previous make, due to the simple
waistband (no elastic!) and circular hem. However, with sophistication comes
headaches. This project certainly gave me a few...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. I'm beginning
to understand that the 'simple' task of cutting out is never quite as it seems.
Unlike the good ol' school days where cutting out was a carefree and joyous
affair, in dressmaking it is a SERIOUS BUSINESS. If the cut is even marginally
inaccurate, you will inevitably end up wearing a bin-bag (and that's if you're
lucky). There must be few shapes harder to cut out of flimsy fabric than a
circle... I was going for the 'ring-doughnut' look, but instead produced a
four-leaf clover.</span><br />
<br />
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. This led to my second problem. Rounding the clover shape off
meant cutting further inland (i.e. my skirt was beginning to look worryingly
short).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Now, there
comes a moment in every sewing venture (for me anyway...) where you reach
BREAKING POINT. Like a bolt from the sky, you are suddenly hit with the
realisation that</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">everything<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">you have done is wrong, and there
is just NO. GOING. BACK. Well, this was <i>my</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>POINT</u></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.
Not only had the 'skirt' become a belt, but the waist was too big. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So big, that three (much shorter versions) of me could fit inside it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I took a</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">deep breath. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It dawned on me
that, against all odds, this</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">could</i><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">yet be salvaged. Some revised
measurements and a couple of cheeky pleats later, I had made THE SKIRT. I even
managed to sew in my first zip (something I'm particularly chuffed about!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Phew. Don't be
expecting another skirt for a while folks. I'm off for a long lie down in a
very dark room...</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">*</span><i>Albeit considerably rocky, and prone to collapse at any
moment. </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053925720591403250.post-33181448786551791092013-05-14T10:05:00.002-07:002013-05-14T10:42:18.066-07:00FUNKARRIFIC new trousers!! :-D<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczaVzM-nACnUxJu87EDZZRg4QxhwL1d_fzpF-a4Cesack_Q9RZaGuFCbQWGwiNJAbGP9JpoYBnsa-q_MIFUVZdHWLYODacJbmp3Z7Th0z6YQM05z11e5xzEyJq7hZWpv_Cjg1sDn6bxVD/s1600/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabcfunky+trousers+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczaVzM-nACnUxJu87EDZZRg4QxhwL1d_fzpF-a4Cesack_Q9RZaGuFCbQWGwiNJAbGP9JpoYBnsa-q_MIFUVZdHWLYODacJbmp3Z7Th0z6YQM05z11e5xzEyJq7hZWpv_Cjg1sDn6bxVD/s400/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabcfunky+trousers+.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some serious leg decoration...</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>DISCLAIMER: I DID NOT MAKE THESE (I wish!)</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I purchased them from fabulous high street behemoth, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Topshop</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I didn't initially plan to feature shop-bought clothes on here, as I'm attempting to ease my way into (and show support for) the home-made underworld. However, I realise that supporting independent sewists does not necessarily mean opposing The High Street. Both can live happily side-by-side. In fact, they can take inspiration from each other... These funkarrific trousers (yes, that is the only word to describe them) have definitely inspired my next project. They are JUST. TOO. COOL. I'm thinking lots of bright colours and bold patterns to get into the summer vibe!*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
*<i>Some crazy zebra print fabric soon to be delivered. Watch
this space...!</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053925720591403250.post-5354292795036717302013-05-05T14:51:00.006-07:002013-06-04T11:45:46.112-07:00A somewhat eventful introduction to sewing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is a common saying; <i>if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. </i>Well, the pattern for this <strike>one hour</strike> <i>seventeen hour </i>skirt was most definitely a case in point. I could, quite easily, fill an essay with the problems I encountered. However, this being a 'blog', I decided a list would be more user-friendly (it also saves me the work!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Ok, the first thing I had to do was cut out two identical rectangles of fabric in accordance with my measurements... <i>'Simples!' </i>I hear you say. No. Sadly, not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The issue was with the scissors (I know - a bad work woman always blames her tools, but these scissors were seriously odd). Despite my best efforts, they refused to cut in a straight line. Instead, they veered to the left. It was a while before I realised that the blades were <i>curved</i>. Their stubborn determination to cut in a circle was, therefore, no surprise. If someone can explain to me why this is, I would be eternally grateful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Armed with both wavy-edged rectangles, I proceeded to sew the side-seams of my skirt. Now, of all the seams in the world, this pattern required <i>french seams </i>(apparently renowned for being incredibly small and discreet). Needless to say, my seams fell a fair way short of this brief. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. I went on to sew the hem, pausing intermittently to indulge in the moreish morsels that are <i>Ritz </i>crackers*. At this point, things seemed to be going swimmingly (always a dangerous sign...). That is, until, ELASTIC WAISTBAND-GATE. Do not be deceived; threading a length of elastic through a waistband casing is surely one of the most frustrating tasks known to man. The images were too distressing to show.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, there you have it. A decidedly shaky first step into sewing. I had hoped that if all else failed (and a lot did), I would at least be able to take a decent photo of me wearing the skirt. As you can see, I look like I'm praying... I'm not (I just mistimed the self-time feature on the camera), but in effect a miracle did occur; I managed to create a wearable item of clothing. The fact that it reminds me of a toilet roll cover is irrelevant.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">* Other scrumptious savoury snacks are
available. </span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8053925720591403250.post-81277903133006034222013-04-25T10:56:00.003-07:002013-04-30T10:09:13.447-07:00The sewing machine has arrived!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>My Janome J3-24 in all its glory</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">So, this is it - my first sewing
machine! Just waiting on some fabric and other essential bits, and then I can
start playing!!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829194362906416341noreply@blogger.com0