SarahLizSewStyle

Another week has passed by very quickly - and every week at this time, I welcome new followers to my blog.  Most new followers have come via Bloglovin - so hello to Chris H , Thay Thay, Bluegingerdoll, Tracey Bell, EmilyC.  I think two more people have also followed via Bloglovin - but I have no names for you - but welcome anyway. My blog is a fairly eclectic approach to my sewing problems as well as my sewing success stories.  It also helps to quantify what I actually do make - and at the end of the month, although I feel like I have not achieved much except making trouser muslins, I have made a fleecy jacket, vest and a corduroy skirt. My learning this week has been about trousers - I have always found the Big 4's patterns to be a bit big for me - but I am learning how to alter vital areas of the pant - the crotch.  What I don't like is the time and energy invested in making muslins and then altering the pattern again, then doing another muslin.  This can take hours

Some of you who are following this blog may also be aware that I am facilitating the 2013 Style the Stash Sew A Long: www.stylethestashsewalong.blogspot.com This is a laid back sew-a-long with no rules or pledges, just a desire to sew up fabrics in the stash with other sewists.  There is a general aim to make one item a month, but if it isn't completed, the next month is okay. We are holding this sew-a-long for another six months - so if you would like to join us please send me an email:   stylishsarah251@gmail.com. As well as making trouser muslins over the last few weeks, I have also made a skirt.   It is from a Butterick pattern I have hoarded for years, McCall's M5335. McCalls M5335 I've used a piece of baby wale corduroy.  It is not good quality so it was perfect to use for a test/wearable muslin.  As it is black, it is a little hard to see the detail - but it's just a plain, straight, skirt with two front darts, nothing much to really see: Skirt

The last few days have been very wet and the next few days are also going to be very wet.  Not at all to my liking.  The only bit I like is wearing my vintage raincoat - I tend to wear it all the time if the weather is rain iffy, as I happen to also like it :) Vintage raincoat I purchased it from a thrift shop - St Vincents de Paul, for $6.00.  I am not sure what era it is from.  the label inside say Junior Look, so I would say very early 70's.  The sizing indicates that as well. I love the smocked look across the front and back - in reality it is not smocked but has multiple rows of stitching on elastic to give a shirred look.  The cuffs are treated the same way.  It buttons down the front: Front detail And here is me wearing it - I have a very practical approach to rain - dress for it, let your hair go curly (it's not going to behave well in any case when it gets wet) and wear practical shoes that keep the water out - I wear my androgynous lace ups :)

Making trousers seems to cause quite a few of us some grief as they are not easy to fit.  Mind you, buying RTW causes even more grief sometimes - and I am happier sitting quietly at home solving fitting problems than being in a noisy shopping environment. I have plenty of trousers to get me by which means I can take my time with making trousers that I want to make.  The first pair I want to make are Kwik Sew 3853.  I have made a pair of Kwik Sew pants before, but being a novice, the fit was not that good.  Strangely though, I wear them quite a bit around the house for doing the chores as they are comfortable and I like them more than my old RTW house pants. Kwik Sew 3853 I like the front of these pants - they are quite roomy, but then they are in the photo as well.  I cut size Small for most of the trousers and just cut a little large on the waist.  (I'm looking fed up in these photos because I was fed up with never ending muslins with not a solution in site - but you a

I am trialing a few pant/trouser patterns - muslins or cheap fabric trial runs only.  I know many patterns don't work on my slim legs - I get all sorts of interesting wrinkles under my bottom and down my legs. Warning - this post contains lots of views of my not very pre-possessing rear end :) This was my first muslin of a very plain pair of semi fitted tapered trousers, from Vogue pattern 8865: Vogue 8865 THE MUSLIN: Due to all the wrinkling I tend to have under my bottom, I assumed, from all the books I have read, that I have a flat bottom and need to do the appropriate alterations.  As I have a round tummy as well, and the two problems often go together, I diligently altered for a flat/dropped bottom.  I tend to obsess over muslins, so I decided not to retrial, but to go straight to making the garment. Big mistake. They look worse than the muslin... BIG MISTAKE: Something is seriously wrong around the tail/crotch area, and the wrinkl

I'm sewing a couple of winter skirts at the moment, but my thoughts are now considering my spring/summer wardrobe.  It is only a few weeks away, after all.  I find that unless I have made some clothes for the season ahead, it tends not get done.  This year I am determined to make a few elegant clothes.  I found these pictures and most of the clothes could be made in chambrays and cottons - my lifestyle is too casual and the weather too hot for these beautifully tailored garments, but tailored cotton jacket shirt and full chambray pants may well work for a casual and elegant summer garments.  I have fabric in my stash that could be used for these garments - and baggy trousers eliminate some of the fitting problems :) Armani - Spring/Summer 2013 Armani - Spring/Summer 2013  I also have lots of navy drill, denim and chambray weight denims in my stash - and Mui Mui certainly has a lot of this on the catwalk.  I'll pass on the underwear look though. Mui Mui- Sprin

Today has been one of those days.  Most of it was spent doing bookkeeping, not one of my favourite activities.  The end of the financial year looms, and so I will have quite a bit of paperwork to do.  Then I came home and the light bulb in the sewing room exploded - bits went everywhere.  Not sure if the remaining bit will come out of the fitting or whether the fitting will have to be replaced (again).  This kicked all the fuses out, and everything had to be reset.   I consoled myself by completing a job I have been working on - putting my patterns in order.  Then I counted them. Always something satisfying about a tidy up ritual. I have 230 patterns - plus,  4 Sense and Sensibility Patterns. One book of pjyama patterns and one book of Lingerie patterns (not sure why, haven't  yet made any). One book of scarves and shawls.  One book of handbags and carry alls.  5 Burda magazines (growing). I feel better now - nothing like restoring a bit of order somewhere to restore one&

Another week has passed quickly here and it's time again to welcome new followers to my blog.  I'd like to welcome who has followed via Bloglovin. There are also two more followers on Bloglovin, but I don't know your names - hello to both of you :) This week has been one where sewing was interrupted (something to sort out at work, and two doctor's appointment and other matters that needed attention). So, I busied myself with working out my current style self - like many of you, I am in transition from one me to another me - we go through this transitions every few years.  It seems from your comments that I am not the only one.  I have found clothes I like and will attempt to translate these into me- mades later this year (or some of them, at least).  I have one more post to go. Over the last two days I have been trying to work out what trousers to make - the idea was that they would be for work, but I can probably get away with wearing another pair for the ti

 I really need a new pair of trousers for work and didn't want to use McCalls M5239 yet again.  I never did like it, except as a pattern to learn with, and after making quite a few pairs in various fabrics, am bored to tears with it.  McCalls M5239 My McCalls M5239 learners pants/trousers  I actually went to the shops to see if I could purchase  a pair - sometimes I get tired of having to make everything if I want it to fit me to any degree.  Where I live it is not easy to get small clothes, as  the average build here is very large indeed.  But I had a quick look. I think I am an embarrassment to any shop assistant because I burst out laughing at the huge thighs that balloon out in RTW.  And low rise as well, so they just start slipping down.  I usually frustrate the shop assistants, who are quite sure that they will find me something, only to find that when I say I am not easy to fit, I mean that I am not easy to fit :).  It frustrates me as well - I would love to be

Over the last few days I have been blogging about my transitional style self - a chord which seems to have resonated with quite a few of you. I want to post my ideas on my elegant style self and fashionable style self over the next few days, but I don't have time today - it has been a long day of things that had to be done.  But I did find this funny little picture that made me chuckle a bit. Perception is the better part of style - as you think, so you are :) Do have a good weekend, wherever you are - and I hope your sewjo is with you. Sarah Liz :)

It seems quite a few of us are going through life transitions  some of us are adjusting to life in a new culture where the climate and lifestyle dictates different ways of dress from those we are familiar with.  some of us are going through psychological life transitions where our roles or life has changed - some have become SAHM's and some of us have changed careers, or are between careers, or have retired. I too have dilemma's working out what is appropriate for the Me I Am Now - or perhaps some of us feel more like Who is the Me I am Now? - I certainly do, because part of dressing is sometimes about the role we play in life and when our roles change we can sometimes feel a little lost. We try and wear clothes that suit our lifestyle, but it helps if you also feel like yourself, not just your role or your lifestyle. As you have all told me a little about your style concerns and life transitions I thought I should return the favour and tell you about mine.  I don't o