Spring Top Sew Along 2012!

Are you participating in the Spring Top Sew Along this year?

I just found out my "Autumn Parading" Top made it into the Top of the Tops this week! It is in great company with a whole bunch of other beautiful creations. There is plenty of time to enter for the following weeks, and I'm intending to enter a few more if I have the time! :) You can see all the creations and vote for your favourite here.

Lattice Smocking

I've been playing around with some fabric manipulation...... lattice smocking and pleating. What do you think?

What should I make it into? I was thinking a sorbetto, with the smocking running up the centre, but I'm not sure how to make the darts around all the pleats... any suggestions?

Completed Project - The "Autumn Parading" Top!

Wheeeeee, my first finished project for the year! (!!!!)
So much for my new year's resolution.....

This top was inspired by the Sew Weekly "Pantone Spring Colours" challenge. I call it the "Autumn Parading" top as it is actually autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere, but it is parading as spring recently, with the nice warm weather we are having! I used this tutorial from Freshly Given, and a scrap piece of fabric I found at the op-shop - possibly an old pillowcase or bedsheet!!

I was going to follow the tutorial to the letter... then I decided to do a square neckline, which I used some bias tape to finish. Then, while I was playing with the positions of the ties, I found the sides of the top gaped..... a lot! I toyed with the idea of just wearing it with a singlet underneath, but that sort of defeated the idea of this easy breezy lightweight top for me.... so I decided to sew up the sides! I think my problem was that the fabric was not very wide, so I didn't get as much of a wrap-effect as in the inspiration pictures, unless I pulled really tight! Anyway, I think it turned out alright. It is basically a square, the shaping is provided by tying the ties up.

The original top is shown tied at the front, like this:

I quite like this look, as I think the tie at the front provides some shaping, and the back lies fairly flat (when I'm not twisting around! see?)

But, I also played around with tying it at the back, like this:

Not back, eh? But the front is quite flat, and the back becomes quite blousy!

Finally, for your entertainment, here are some shots of me trying to be artistic with flower petals. I couldn't quite avoid hitting myself in the face with them though....

My Sewing Circle

Everyone has heard of My Sewing Circle by now, right?

It is basically a sewing community similar to Burdastyle, but more flexible - you can upload your fabric and pattern stashes, and use it to plan projects, as well as display completed ones. I made myself a page, and am about halfway into upload pictures of my fabric stash. Another website to distract me from doing any actual sewing! :P
I have also put in a few planned projects, and I think I'm really liking the concept of this site. They just need to iron out a few kinks, but I'm sure it will get better as it gets more popular!

In other news, thanks to Rhonda for showcasing my blog! I am by no means an accomplished pianist though - my husband is the one that plays!!

And have I been doing any sewing? Well, I hemmed 4 giant maroon velvet curtains, and helped my brother make a giant banner for his hall of residence.... and I am halfway through my polka-dot maroon dress... still! Haha. I do intend to finish it shortly though, and then hopefully whip up something for the Sew Weekly Pantone challange... maybe using this (Hello Kitty ruler for scale!):

I think that looks like some Sweet Lilac, Margarita and Starfish, don't you??

And don't be jealous, but I totally have a fabric in Tangerine Tango....

Sew Grateful Week

Have you heard what Debi is doing over at My Happy Sewing Place? If not, you should get over there and check it out right now! There are giveaways, tutorials, patterns, and all sorts of things going on, in a way to say thank-you to the blogging community as a whole! It's all a part of Sew Grateful Week :)

If it wasn't for online resources, I wouldn't be sewing myself! (Not that I seem to be doing much sewing recently...) There are so many great free patterns and tutorials out there, not to mention all the wonderful people willing to give you a hand if you ask. So far in my short sewing life, I have:

• Used Casey's tutorial for shaped pockets on a skirt
• Made a Sorbetto top from a free pattern
• Won some awesome leopard print chiffon from Suzy Sewing
• Won a bunch of goodies from All the Whimsical Things (Including some green dye that I put to use recently... results will be posted tomorrow!)
• Made a croquis after being inspired by a whole bunch of brave bloggers!

And that list doesn't include all the wonderful things I'm planning to make! A frock by friday, Casey's circle skirt and sundress tutorials, Gertie's gathered skirt tutorial... the list goes on. I only wish I had more time to appreciate all these amazing resources!!!

But for now I'm off to do a form of the less enjoyable sewing (to me anyway!) - I'm hemming curtains. 4 giant velvet curtains. Wish me luck!

What are you Sew Grateful for this week?

Your Style Rocks!

Have you heard of yourstylerocks.com?

Basically, they run a competition every month or so, to design an item of clothing. The winning design gets published as a free pattern! Have a look here for the patterns that have already been released.

I decided with my new croquis that I should enter this month! The challenge is "Wardrobe essentials," so I made a simple pleated dress that can be made to suit any occasion, depending on fabric choice. I think made up in a navy cotton, you could wear it anywhere!

Vote here for this design

You can see all the designs for the challenge here. If you see one you would like to see get released as a free pattern, please vote for it! Or if you don't see anything you like, why not submit a design yourself?

Burdastyle Sewing Handbook

I am still waiting on both of my newly ordered sewing handbooks to arrive, but while I wait, I have developed a few more clothing sketches, this time based on the designs in the Burdastyle Sewing Handbook! 

So here they are (once again, crudely coloured in!!)

Burdastyle Skirt

 The skirt! It is amazing how it is quite similar of the meringue, with the scalloped hem. It is even more similar to the "pavlova," given the straight hem layer underneath! I am looking forward to making this skirt, I like that it has a bit of volume to it!

Burdastyle Blouse

The blouse I'm not so sure about. With the flounce hitting around the hip region, it may be a little unflattering on me... but I think it may look less dumpy worn with shorts or skinny jeans, and not a skirt like my croquis is wearing!

Burdastyle Dress

I love the dress! I love the collar and the cutout, and the little pleated ruffle at the hem. Was worried that the collar would make my shoulders look big, but I think looking at pictures it is not so large as to have that effect!

Burdastyle Coat

Hmmm..... Not sure about this one. I have never really had a coat with such a straight skirt (though maybe I exaggerated it's shape in my drawing a bit!!) I do love the sleeves and collar though, so I could even shorten it if I decide I don't like the lower portion.

So that's that! Except that the book includes pictures of dozens of variations of the garments, so who knows what great alterations I might come up with!!