SarahLizSewStyle

This week I made a simple T-shirt out of a plain cotton knit.  The pattern I used was Vogue 1363, a T-shirt designed by Sandra Betzina.  This  T-shirt has bust darts, and I though I would like to try making a darted T-shirt to see if it looked or felt better than an ordinary T.  The neckline is a nice shape, the shoulders are narrow, and the armholes cut quite high - according to Ms. Betzina.  I agree, I did not need to alter the neck or the shoulders, and the armholes feel good. This is my wearable muslin - I had a scrap of cheap cotton knit lying around and there was just enough for this.  The knit was something called Colorado cotton knit, from Spotlight.  I got some of the end of this run of fabric for about $4 or $5 per metre, instead of $14.99.  Anyway, without further ado : the pattern-   I made version B, the plain top shown on the left of the pattern envelope. I cut size B bust and size A (smaller) from waist to hips.  I shortened the sleeve and bodic

As some of you know, last week I was in the middle of making this nice, snuggly, cosy, warm dressing gown.  It's finished, and I have to admit, really nice to wear. I used Kwik Sew 3264, an OOP pattern: This is a classic Kwik Sew pattern - it's simple, easy to sew and looks good.  It is designed for heavy weigh polar fleece or sweatshirt fleece.  I made mine in a softer polar fleece that is drapes nicely  and is so  touchable - not at all like the hard wearing polar fleece for outer-wear garments.  I found it at Spotlight some years ago, and stashed quite a bit of it as it was a nice feeling fabric and in a colour that really suits me.  And for things like dressing gowns, I am a believer in wearing a colour that suits you -for in the first light of the morning, truth is told in the mirror - so never wear an unflattering colour in this situation :).  For those of you interested in colour, you can see how this berry colour harmonises with my skin, hair and eye colouring

I'm not sure where the week has gone- I planned to make a dressing gown, and I have, almost.  It is nearly finished.  So I thought I would just post a quick progress blog today, more to say hello than anything else. I also thought I would share this tip with you...when I sew, I always keep a little container handy to put scraps and threads in as they accumulate.   Keeps them off the floor (well, some end up there...), and it is easy to empty every so often.  And portable - you can put it wherever you are sewing. My long suffering and ill fated knitting also seems to be settling down now - after three attempts at making something, finally I decided  on something simple and am hoping for the best.  Hopefully before winter ends I will have a new cardigan jacket.  If not, I am not sure there will be a fourth attempt :) Next week I hope to get back into a blogging routine again - the last few weeks have been topsy-turvy.  It happens.  I'm not a lover of life being

Do you have those extremely frustrating weeks where everything conspires against you sewing?  I've just had one of those, but finally managed to run up this simple top.  For those of you who think you have seen this top recently, you are right.  Only it was not this top, but:   Last week's top was made in this fabric, and I decided that I would use the leftover piece to make a second top that I want to trial - McCall's 6796: The fabric was found in an Op Shop, and I don't know what it is - a polyester or acrylic.   It does feel nice on, and although the thermal properties will not be fantastic, I will wear it over a little thermal underthing.  I am in today's photo - hence the slight ripple at  the waist line.  I get cold - Australian houses are not designed for the cold and I need layers.  Also, I am very heat tolerant, so I think that I am not so well adapted to colder weather. Enough about my idiosyncratic biology and on with the sewi

I had some time to sew today - and as I was keen to get on, I decided to make another version of Vogue 8793, as I already knew this pattern would work.  My first version can be found here. (And it looks as though I was keener to sew than to do my hair properly today, judging by how it looks in the photo). This is the pattern: It's a Katherine Tilton design.  I'm not an arty sort of dresser so would not make these patterned variations, unless, of course, I was using up scraps of fabric - in that situation, rather than throw fabric out, I would make an arty sort of top. But today I was not using scraps, but part of a 2.5 metre piece of rib knit I found at a local Op Shop, for $5.00.  I'm not sure what the composition is - something synthetic, and I think polyester.  The burn test indicated a polyester-ery  behaviour when alight.  Sort of just melted.  It does feel nice though, and was easy to sew. I did not want the double collar so just used the inner, larger,