SarahLizSewStyle

As part of my New Years Sewing Resolution, each garment I make must go with two or three garments that I already own.  If not I have to make the matching garments straight away, or be prepared to buy them.  That's usually not possible because Lady Luck usually decrees that when you want or need it , it is not likely to be available in the shops.  That's why it is so important to have a basic wardrobe plan with clothes that work with each other.  So, I quickly rummaged through my drawers  and came up with 3 garments to create three quick and simple variations. With camisole top and necklace I'd find this a bit bare for everyday, but it looks more like the pattern envelope.  I would wear a small, light, cardigan over the top of this look. With a plain black T-shirt This is a sort of everyday look I would probably wear for running errands.  I'm sorry the picture is a little haphazard - my studio was "outside" where the light is good!  Howe

In part one of this blog I showed you the inside story of this skirt.  If this is the first blog about this skirt you have accessed, I am making a skirt based on New Look 6103 but with a waistband instead of a separate cut on yoke and faced waistband. New Look 6103 Sarah Liz Jan 2103 Now that darts and zip are completed it's time to sew the side seams ready for check fitting.  I found that there was a little too much extra at the waist to high hip area. I also sheered a small amount off the side seams to compensate for the stretch of the fabric. I'm never precious about marking my alterations - I use a blue wash out marker if it shows up - apparently you are supposed to test on every fabric first, but I usually throw caution to the winds.  I'll get caught one day, probably when I'm making something really special out of a really divine fabric. I'm not precious about drawing on my traced patterns either - when they are close to "right" I usual

It was a really wet day yesterday but I used it to my advantage and spent the time sewing and finishing my first sewing project for 2013.  I based the skirt on a New Look pattern (6103) but made some adaptions.  The pattern was for a small faced yoke style waistband, with  long pleat at the centre back that extended up about 25-  30  cms  from the hem (about 10 to 12 inches) As I only had 80 cm of 127 wide fabric to play with (less than a yard of just under 50 inch fabric) I decided to alter the pattern and add a waistband, remove the pleat and replace with a kick pleat. This was the pattern and fabric I used: New Look 6103.  Fabric: stretch cotton sateen And this is what my version looks like: Sarah Liz   My design decisions for this skirt were based not only on the fact that I had a small amount of material to make it from, but also because a waistband suits me more than a facing or slightly dropped waist.   Because I am rectangular/slightly inverted in shape

I am very lucky to have a very nice husband who has recently found these lovely pins for me - I woke up this morning to find them on the table.  Pearl Head Pins about 310 cms long/ 1 and 1/2 inch long Its extremely wet here and a public holiday - which means an indoor day - so that allows me to finish my first blog project for January.

I don't know if you are like me, but I find it hard to make up my sewing mind - so many ideas, so many possibilities that sometimes inertia is the consequence and starting doesn't happen.  Knowing my own faults in this direction I decided to find a pattern I like, and, of course, (although I am not supposed to add to the stash, but this is purpose bought, so that surely doesn't count)  buy a fabric to make it in.  The version I have chosen is the longer length and the fabric is a stretch cotton sateen.  I haven't made many stretch fabric garments before so this will be a small challenge in itself. Before I do make the skirt I want to actually make a sloper that is close to my body shape to lay over this pattern. That's my next job...

The first step in starting anything, I say, is to get organised , although, like most people, I find this sometimes rather tedious and best left to another day.  Unfortunately though, I find it hard to find the things I need, so before I start my first sewing project - a good tidy up is needed. First, all the patterns were in a filing cabinet, where I flipped through them periodically.  I could never find what I wanted and the envelopes where getting dog-eared.  I would frequently pull them out and put them in another pile to make but never did.  So they would go back into the cabinet and the process would continue.  I thought a catalogue of patterns would be a better way to go, so that at least I could flip through and see everything I have easily. So I put the pattern envelopes in a clear plastic holders, and the pattern pieces in envelopes and labelled them with the pattern company's name (or initial for - so M for McCalls, Butt for Butterick etc, V for Vogue, etc.).  I then p