More Inspiration

I do have another sewing project to show you soon, promise. I finally worked up the nerve to cut into one of the fabrics that I bought in Kazakhstan, but since I decided to make the most of my summer I have been spending too much time out with my friends rather than sitting alone with my sewing machine, lol!

Can you guess what it might become?

In the mean time here's some more pics from my inspiration folder.

Image from ASOS.com

Cute shift dress with pleats around the hem. Thinking that in the right colour this could be a good dress for the office.

Image from ASOS.com

Been dying to make a cap sleeved, full skirted dress in navy polka dots for ages. The bow makes it even cuter.

Image from ASOS.com

Jersey dress with stretch mesh wrapped around. A refashion project for a pair of old black tights?

Image of Karla Spectic A/W10 collection via Vivta Veritas

Loving cut out details at the moment. Plus I love anything with a tight bodice and full skirt. The shape suits me.

Image from Vivta Veritas

I intend to sew up a version of this cut out back dress from Vivta Veritas which I have seen many versions of on Burdastyle. Just a question of getting round to it. I foresee a lot of material coming with me when I move.

PJs Take Two

After using Burdastyle's free Pete t-shirt pattern in the smallest size for my last attempt at making pajamas I went to the opposite extreme for my second attempt, cutting the largest size. It turned out more of a night dress than a pajama top but I'm still pleased with it. Managed to get the pattern to print out with the test box more or less the right size and had no problems with the sleeves this time. The print is the right way round too! I also added a large pocket to the front (can't really be seen in the photo) for carrying around stuff like my glasses.

I had some fabric left over so I decided to make a matching little drawstring bag to carry my PJ set around in. It comes in very useful for sleepovers and travelling.

How Exciting

I just noticed that my lacy shoulders top is featured on the front page of BurdaStyle.
Thank You!

PJs

All my pajamas are falling apart and I haven't had a matching pair for several years. So I decided to kill two or rather three birds with one stone; Make myself a matching pair of pajamas, make my first pair of trousers and make my first item with sleeves.

For the top I used burdastyle's free Pete t-shirt pattern. I cut the smallest size which turned out a bit too tight for nightware but I have hopefully got enough fabric left to make it in a larger size. The sleeves were easier than expected although something went a bit wrong under the arms. My side seams and sleeve seams do not agree. I wonder if this has something to do with the fact that my printer always prints burdastyle patterns half a cm out. The test box is 9.5cm rather than 10cm. I also had to widen the neckline so that I could fold the edge over rather than apply a ribbed fabric as the pattern suggests. The fabric is a printed cotton jersey. The print is a repeat of two sheep with some lambs. Very appropriate for nightwear. I made a mistake on the sleeves though. My sheep are upside down! They were the last pattern piece I cut and I had stopped thinking.

I'm really happy with the trousers. For a pattern I used an old pair of pajama bottoms which had gone into holes all around the waistband. The waistband of the pair I made is elasticated with a small blue bow sewn to the front to look pretty and remind me which is the front.

I couldn't resist taking some really cheesy themed photos of these creations with the help of Humphrey.

n.b. This is not what I actually look like when I go to bed. I do not live in a movie world where my hair and makeup is always magically done when I go to bed and get up in the morning.

Week Three Refashion

Refashion this week rather than refashions. I suppose this refashion took slightly more work than the last ones but I don't really know where this week has gone.

Remember this skirt from my charity shopping spree? I said I was going to totally remake it. Gather it onto a high waistband and shorten it. Well that is exactly what I did. See the results below.

Vest Top Shop

Skirt Refashioned by Me

Shoes Dorothy Perkins

I cut off the original waistband and then used the fabric left to make a completely new skirt. I roughly followed Nayantara’s Quick Party Skirt tutorial on burdastyle which I have used before but I made a few changes. The measurements used are different. The waistband is smaller and the skirt is more than twice the size of my waist so there is some serious gathering going on but it works because it is such a light weight fabric. In addition I used a lapped zip rather than an invisible one. I should have used a heavier interfacing on the wasitband because it tends to get scrunched up when I sit down but other than that I'm really pleased with it.

Baby Doll Top

I've been doing some sewing, albeit competely seasonally inappropriate. I'm trying my best to get through my stash before I let myself buy any new fabric. I had this fabric left over from a dress I made based on Burdastyle's Anda pattern (blogged here) and thought it would be well suited to a summery baby doll top. I more or less followed a video tutorial by GiannyL which you can find here. Had one little hiccup. See that split in the side? I never planned for it to be there but when I was mesuring myself up for this top I forgot that my bust is smaller than my hips so it was either cut it a lot shorter or muddle my way through creating a split. Overall I am pretty pleased with it especially given how quick easy and cheap to was to make.

p.s. I'm wearing one of the puzzle pendants that I made for myself in the pictures.

Latest Sewing

I assumed that I would have plenty of time to complete all my little projects in the weeks before Global Xchange starts but time seems to be flying by. Well anyway heres two I made earlier.

Green and black party dress. Have you noticed that I kinda love green? Made using the free Anda pattern from burdastyle. It's not perfect but I like it.

A bag I made as a present for my best friends birthday using the Estelle pattern from burdastyle. She seemed to like it! Donated the money saved to Global Xchange.

http://www.justgiving.com/catherinefisher