Hi there, going to share the first project I made with my sister’s fabric today =) AND I’ll finally give you *the* project, my favourite selfmade garment so far. But before we come to that, I feel I have to elaborate on the grey-blue jumper and the skirt from last post a bit more. Seems I was too lazy when I originally wrote it.

About the jumper: I was asked again how I managed to do cables in my very first knitting piece. My answer: There are no cables. The pattern alternates between 6 knits and two purls, creating the illusion of cables. And btw: Cables really are easy peasy, too =) Didn’t want to believe so myself, but by now I’ve tried and know for myself.

About the skirt: Thank you for the compliments, Carol and Christae!! =) I love the pattern, but the alterations aren’t finished yet. The side seams are perpendicular to the floor, but too far back. Gotta adjust the back part for my fat bottom Besides, it truly only is a muslin since the fabric I used isn’t suitable for garments. Just was what I had lying around.

On to more interesting stuff! Like the blazer I sewed back in – oops – may. Took me quite some time to show you, eh? I was looking for something a bit more formal yet not too … prim. To wear on occasions such as exhibit openings, conferences and the like. The pattern I settled on is from Burda Fashion,  july issue 2008, number 103 view A. I think it looks modern, young and sportive. The fabric I chose to enhance it’s elegance is a black shot silver-grey dupion silk. I intensified the young and sportive air by adding black decorative seams (e.g. left and right to the center back) and using a bold black one-way zipper (the pattern called for a two-way zipper, but I don’t like those). The blazer is unlined – great for summer – but since I used silk, I put dress-shields in. Gotta admit, if I make it again, I’d probably line it completely.

Sorry, don’t have any good photo of the back view.

Now, I wanted to make an easy first project with the fabric I got from my sister (she liked the bag btw) to be quickly able to show her results. There were two coordinating cotton fabrics in her parcel. They really called for patchwork, but I am not into that. Instead, I chose to try out Amy Butler’s apron pattern from her book In Stitches. It’s very lovely and looks rather cute made from this retro-ish fabric. Especially the pleats on the ties make me go whoo! On the down side, it’s too long (for me), yet the pocket is far too small. I generally like the idea of the loop for a dish towel, but don’t think I’d ever use it myself. The apron will probably go to a friend whose birthday is in november and who’ll have to bake a lot of christmas cookies for her little daughter then.

Will show you more projects asap – until soon!

Feeling really autumny here and that means HAPPY =)

I know, long blog absence again *sighs*. There were so many things I wanted to blog about. So many posts were written in my head! But when I get to my comp in the evenings, I don’t feel like it anymore. Just wanna relax reading other peoples’ blogs.

Well, the past few weeks/months, I finished a bunch of projects. Though not all I meant to finish, but that’s just normal, isn’t it? Typically I was either too lazy to take photos or they didn’t turn out alright. I totally suck at taking photos, sorry. Nontheless, I thought I had to show you something, if not all, yet.

First, the grey blue jumper – my first jumper! – I had blogged about here and here. It’s even wearable in public, I believe. Maybe not to work, though. The pattern is interrupted at the side seams, although I *did* pay attention to this problem while knitting. I guess I’ll learn *sigh*

Secondly, the second jumper *g* Rather simple design this time. Turtleneck with three quarter sleeves. There merely is a purled stitch at the center front, no other decorations or embellishments. I like it quite a lot, but it is far too short for my taste. Might add some length to it later. I’m still pondering if it worth the trouble, because I only have one ball of the yarn left and that might not do the trick anyway. By now, I am working on a pullover.

On to some sewing projects. I am dying to show you something I finished loooong ago, but don’t have a decent photo yet =( So all you are getting today is kinda boring. The first is  – not even a skirt, but only a muslin of a skirt. I used the pattern Simplicity 4881, View A. View D is what I truly wanna make, but I had to test out the necessary alterations for my waist/hip difference.

Next (and last for tonight) I quickly sewed up a bag for one of my sisters on the weekend. She had sent me a huge parcel full of fabric. TEN different fabrics and not just scraps!! Large pieces for garments! I’ll have fun just deciding what to make of them for weeks =) And that was the whole point really. Still unemployed, I began to get bored. Can’t really spent much money on crafting supplies now. Ergo the parcel.

I had wanted to make the Phoebe Bag for some while now and this was the perfect occasion to try it. (Tutorial here – pdf file.) The lining fabric I still had lying around, for the outer fabric I recycled a friend’s mum’s old skirt (with her permission, of course) I made it with two inner pockets instead of just one, but took no photo of that. Hope my sister will like and maybe even use the bag.

That’s it. I do *hope* to update more now. No promises, though. Working on an apron with two coordinating fabrics my sis sent. And there is all the stuff I made during summer. If only I managed to take some decent photos…

Like everyone else who ever made a Simplicity 3835, I got obsessed with this easy and versatile pattern. I need more tops with midlength sleeves and decided to try it out with a cheap Ikea fabric. It is turquoise and white, but I do not remember it’s name.

Sorry, you gotta bear with my bad photos =P

At the moment, I am working on 3 tops, 3 dresses, 2 trousers and 1 skirt… Rrrrright.

HI,

just wanna join in the fun and present you my answers to the Sewing Machine Meme over at Sew, Mama, Sew! So here we go:

What brand and model do you have?

A Pfaff ClassicStyle Quilt 2027.

How long have you had it?

About 11 months, I think.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?

I believe it was originally priced between 1200 and 1300 € (that’s approximately 1734 $).

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?

Mostly clothing, also some bags, toys, home dec. I hope to try out some simple quilting projects, too, but clothes always have a priority.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?

Not nearly as much as I’d like. It varies, though. Sometimes I don’t even get to look at my sewing machine for 2 or 3 weeks. Then, I suddenly have time on my hands and sew several days straight from morning to late evening.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?

Hmm, ambivalent might be it. I grew up with those nice mechanical machines and suddenly got this hightech one. Took quite some time to bond with it. I am enthusiastic about the possibilities. At the same time, I feared all those bells and whistles would somehow take the magic out of sewing. Not true, as I found out. So I am beginning to love it, but will never name it =)

What features does your machine have that work well for you?

I LOVE the Integral Dual Feed (fabric feed from top and bottom). It makes sewing with both, sheers and several thick layers so easy! Also, having 13 different needle positions is quite helpful and, of course, the needle up/down function.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?

Not really nuts, that’s too extreme. I do not quite like the position of the permanent reverse button. I keep missing it. That’s probably just me, though. I’d like to have more options for automatic buttonholes, but can do well enough with what I got.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!

I had been looking for a good and affordable machine for months. Of course, I went to our local store on a regular basis. At some point, they were selling the machines they had on display. That made a perfectly good machine so much cheaper, but not cheap enough. I was extra lucky, though. A woman had bought the Pfaff ClassicStyle 2027 and brought it back unopened a few weeks later, because she didn’t have the time and nerve to learn all it’s features. So this machine was offered for good 500 € (almost 700 $) less than the usual retail price. Still a lot of money, but sewing machines are meant to last for a long time and I knew I wouldn’t get anything better or even just equal for less.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?

As the name says, this machine was developed for quilters. Yet, I do not think the harp is long enough for big projects. Therefore, even though it has nice stitches and functions, I am not sure I’d truly recommend it to the intendet target group. But I would recommend it to people like me, who mainly sew clothes, but also love to experiment, too. It’s rather easy to use, has enough power, nice functions, a good assortment of stitches, loads of accessories/ tools included or available for purchase… And that Integral Dual Feed I already mentioned above cannot be beaten. It probably was what made me buy a Pfaff in the first place.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?

Like most other people said, think about what you truly want to do with it: what features you need, what functions you’d like to have in addition, but could live without and what you truly do not need or want. Also, consider your budget, of course. I paid a bit more than originally planned, but only considering that a good sewing machine can last you a lifetime if you choose wisely.

I’d start looking for the perfect machine by getting brochures or browsing the web to see what’s even possible. Maybe you do not know you totally need the bobbin thread sensor until you read that it exists!

Do you have a dream machine?

Originally, I was obsessing about the Pfaff Expression 2028. More buttonholes, more stitches (including an alphabet), more buttonholes. It was just too expensive. If I didn’t believe in keeping a machine for at least half a lifetime (and if I had the money to spend), I’d now get the Pfaff Expression 4.0, for the longer harp and the bobbin thread sensor.

@Anette: Thank you for the lovely comment! The pattern you asked for is from the Burda issue mentioned in the title of the post. I don’t know where else to get it.

Well, the sewalong is over and I wasn’t able to get all 5 tops done. Why not? I managed to get a concussion right after finishing top 4. Yeah, don’t say it. That’s me. I was crouching under the kitchen counter to pull my iron’s plug and when I came up – bang! At first, I didn’t even notice it was such a hard hit. Only about 4 hours later I suddenly saw light spots, got a headache and began to feel sick. The doctor told me to do nothing but “drink, sleep and breathe” for a few days. Yesterday was the first day I felt rather well again. So, no fifth top and I am very disappointed about that, because I had “saved the best for last”. The most spring-like fabric and the cutest pattern (see below). Of course, I will sew it anyway, but for now there are a million things I have to catch up on *groans*

However, thank you SO MUCH for your lovely comments here, at Flickr, via email, messenger and phone!!! I am truly happy you appreciate my sewing efforts =)

@Kate Martinez: If you cannot get hold of that Burda issue 07/2008 anymore, you could always get the current one. Pattern number 115 is an almost exact replica of the one I used. Also, I think, I saw something similar from another pattern company, but I wasn’t able to find it anymore. I’ll keep my eyes open, it seems to be a popular style lately.

Here is a taste of what I meant to enter as top 5. Pattern # 2023 by Onion again, fabric “Maria Fleur” by Hilco. It’s a fine batiste with transparent woven stripes.

Last not least, there is a voting (still going on, I believe, but all those different time zones confuse me) for the best entries in the sewalong. Loser that I am, I didn’t even vote for a single of my own tops. I cannot help being far too honest and vote for what I truly think is best – that’s why I’ll never have a career *lol* On the other side, I cannot understand people who tell all their friends and family members to vote for their tops no matter what. That way, even when winning, you’ll never know if you really are good, if people really like what you do, you cannot be justly proud of your work. I don’t wanna be moralising, I just know the doubts would kill me if I did that myself.

But enough blahblah for one day. Hopefully, the next post won’t be too far away and I’ll be able to show you more crafty stuff. I certainly feel like being creative and updating here, there’s just so many necessary things that wanna be done, too – but, whom am I telling that.

This is my fourth entry for Rae’s Spring Top Week. I’ve wanted to make this tunic ever since I saw it in the magazine last year and finally got around to do it. My main problem was to find a nice fabric. I wanted linen in natural colours. The one I got has some bronce and whitish circles printed on a light beige base.

The top was very easy to sew – a fact that totally surprised me. I omitted the pockets, because I don’t like pockets in tunics. Also, I meant to shorten the whole thing to normal shirt length. Only, I forgot this when I bought the (long) zipper… Maybe I’ll change that later, because the actual length is not so flattering and makes the top look like a balloon (not overly much, but enough to annoy me). For this pattern exists a dress version, too. I cannot imagine that looking good on anyone. All in all, keeping this small thing in mind, I recommend trying the pattern for yourself. Personally, I’d like to make more versions of it. Too bad there always are so many other nice one as well *g*.

Now, of course, I am working on the last of the 5 tops. I am afraid, I won’t finish it in time, although it is the one I was looking forward to making the most. Ah well, I’ll sew it anyway.

On we go with the (in)famous Simplicity 3835 (or, in german, 7022). This pattern is so popular, it’s scary and I finally gave in and tried it out myself. Plus, I knew it would not only be easy, but fast to sew. Without a project like this inbetween, I’d never accomplish 5 tops a week!

My personal  opinion? Yes, I do love it, too! It’s incredibly versatile, depending on what fabric you choose and with several options for alterations. I plan to make more without the elastic in the sleeves and of soft oloured linen to wear at work. This time, I chose batiste <3 One, with a water lily pattern, the other a classic white embroidered fabric – I think you call it “eyelet” in english?

I finished both tops yesterday, meant as today’s entry for the Spring Top Week. Hopefully, Flickr is done acting up and will let me u/l my entries this time. Btw, I think I forgot to mention the Flickr Pool for this sewalong? Take a look, it’s such eye candy!

A word for my german readers (are there any?): This was the first time I used translated pattern instructions. I was very doubtful if they were any good. They weren’t. Although, I got to admit, I did find the part where they told me to “sew the front part of the top to your bottom” rather amusing.

*enters while whistling innocently* Has it really been over a month I last posted here? Well, I am sorry. I wanted to post so many times, but was too knackered most days. Life has been busy.

Soooo, you ask, have I been crafty, too? Um – a bit? I made some knitting progress, of course, although not as much as I’d like. No new photos of that yet. Maybe I’ll post some next week, for this week I am busy with

To quote Rae in her description of the challenge: “… this week is about being selfish and sewing for yourself for a change and inspiring the rest of us in the process”.

I admit, I am not sure, whether I’ll actually participate, because there are so many other things (I have) to do. BUT it did motivate me to start on some sewing projects I had on my desk for quite a while. Here is the first top I completed (about two weeks ago, but that still counts, does it?):

As you can see and as the title of this post suggests, this is a pattern by Onion for a somewhat informal blouse. I made View B out of the most horrid fabric I ever came across! I am MOST unhappy with it and knew I probably would be when I bought it, but it was precisely what I could afford then. This is how it looks when I try to take timed self portraits in the evening light:

What can I say about the pattern? This was very easy to make, but I still don’t like it.

1) Even for a loose fit, it’s just *too* loose in my opinion. Maybe that’s due to my damn tiny waist again, though.

2) See those darts in the front? They just don’t go well with the gathering. Don’t you think they are too austere a detail for an informal blouse?

Bottom line: I do want to sew this again, with a few personal  alterations here and there, as well as using better fabric. For some reason, I believe this pattern deserves a second chance and it’s true that I rushed through the process this time. However, I have so many wonderful patterns for tops and dresses already cut out on my kitchen-and-sewing table… You know what I mean.

I have already done two more (simple) tops  and am in the process of making the last two, as well =) No idea, when those’ll be finished, but I try to go as fast as possible without messing them up. -This sewalong finally made me bond with my new serger/overlock machine, btw! Now I can only hope that’ll also happen with my not-too-new-anymore sewing machine =S

Stay tuned for more finished tops!

Just dropping in to give you another quick shot of my knitting progress. 86 rows for the front part complete. Next, I’ll have to start doing whatever it is you do to make a V-neck. Will know next wednesday, although I have a vague idea myself. Just don’t want to risk ruining a so far perfect piece of work. Might start doing the back part in the meanwhile (if I even have the time for that).  Right now – after I published this post, that is – I will work on a new image header for this blog. I hope my muse will be cooperative, so I can present AN with a new look soon.

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P.S.: Don’t know why the photo looks so weird, I didn’t use flash.

There is so much I wanna talk about. About the internship, about some books, about Ebay… But now I only have the energy for another far-too-quick and far-too-short update. Gah! I am thinking about a new (better!) layout here, though.

First of all, I wanted to share a photo of that jumper I’m knitting. You know, my first-ever-jumper. I chose a dark grey-blue yarn for this project, because grey-blues have my name written all over them. It’s a soft merino/cotton mix. The pattern is a rather easy one (of course, or I wouldn’t attempt it), just knit and purl

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I took this shot two days ago, so I’ve even made more progress by now. Tomorrow, I’m meeting with my knitting group again, so I will take another photo afterwards. So far, I am rather happy with this, but the tricky parts still lie ahead.

Secondly, I was thinking about some decoration for Easter. I dont have any at all. My mum used to crochet around eggs and made loads of other stuff, too. Might talk more about this later. I would have liked to get some small wooden eggs and paint them with traditional patterns from South America, but I didn’t get any and probably wouldn’t get around to it anyway. Then, I was walking into this delightful little store in my street to buy a postcard for a friend’s birthday. And they had these most beautiful painted eggs for a reasonable price. I permitted myself to buy 5. I want to emphasise that these are real eggs. My favourite is the one on the far left. Now I only need some flowers and sunshine and I will be prepared for Easter! =)

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