Moreish March - So More of Vogue 9067.

I've been quietly busy with some simple sewing over the last few weeks.  Simple is best when you are stuck with doing lots of tedious paperwork that takes all the concentration.  I decided to plug the last couple of holes in my summer wardrobe by making two more of  palazzo pants from Vogue 9067.

I have found both versions of the pants in this pattern to suit me nicely.  My original post for the wide leg pants can be found here.   So please read this post if you want to find out more about this pant.  If you just want the bare bones, this is an elastic waist pant, and I inserted side pockets from the tapered pants into the wide leg pants.

Otherwise, for long time followers, I will just get on with the photos and not bore you...

BLACK COTTON LAWN PANTS:

 I made these full length because I will wear them whenever I want a full length black pant to wear during our hot and humid summer.  I'll make some longer line tunics to go with them next summer.

COTTON SEERSUCKER PANTS.

These pants were just fun to make.  I found an old seersucker tablecloth at an Op Shop, and thought the colour was cheerful and perfect for hot summer weather.  There were a few stains but I could work around them.  I settled on 7/8 length for these pants, as I wanted to a light- hearted, casual vibe to them.

As far as cost was concerned, as I  have made the pants before, these versions were economical.  The black lawn pants took 2.3 metres of lawn @$5.99 per metre, plus elastic ($1.75) and needle and thread costs (allowing $5.00). Total $20.52.

 The seersucker pants were cheaper still.   The fabric was only $2.50, the elastic $1.75, and needle an thread allowance, $5.00.   Total $9.25.

And as for the title of Moreish March - some of you know that I facilitate the Make a Garment a Month Group on Facebook.  Our theme for March was to Moreish Makeover - make more of a pattern you like to makeover your wardrobe.

For those of you who want to join our group, please email me, stylishsarah251@gmail.com and tell me why you would like to join.  That gives me an idea of what members in our group want.  I warn your though, we are an active group so you must be planning to sew and post every month (selfish sewing only in our group as our modus operandi is making sure you sew for yourself and not ignore your sewing needs).   This makes our group creative and inspirational.

That's it from me for today.  I will be blogging over the weekend as I have another garment to show you. Two actually.  But not both at once... those of you who follow me on Instagram have already had a sneak peak of one of the garments.

 In the meantime, I want to wish you all a Blessed Easter, and hope you have time to do a bit of sewing as well.

Bye for now,

Sarah Liz

The Making of a New Summer Dress...

I am catching up with some back blogging.  I have a few garments made but not yet blogged, so I went on a self photo binge this morning - and still have not found a good place for light in this house yet.  Not yet a priority, but one day.  Sewing is my main focus...which is why I have a backlog of things to blog.  Plus I hate doing the photos.   Anyway, on with the story...

Last year I purchased 2.2 metres of poly-cotton from Spotlight, planning to make a dress.  When I rethought the plan in front of a full length mirror at home, I decided that a dress did not look right in this fabric.  So I decided to make a skirt as well.  I chose Burda 6937, version B,  an elastic waist skirt with CB and side seams and a front pleat:

This skirt took 1.6 metres.  I made sure that it was long enough for me as it looked short on the model.  I had a chunk left over and a piece along the side of the 1.6.  I could just get a top out of this if I could just take a bit out of the length of the skirt, and a bit out of the length of the sleeves in the top.  This was easily done by changing the fabric used in the waistband -  I used a piece of black lawn for that.

There is really not much to say about this skirt, except it was so easy, and works really well for me.  I doubt it would work for a very curvy figure, as the front pleat would not hang nearly as straight as it does on me.

So, just one or two views, and then I will show you the top:

And that contrast waistband:

The top was another version of New Look 6344:

I have made this before so if you are interested in details about this top, please visit this post.

This would a very straightforward make except for pleating the neckline - working with this pattern set up a real strobe effect and I got quite headachey and squiffy eyed.  But don't they look fantastic?

 For some reason, a top and skirt works, but when I held it up as one piece, it just was not going to look fantastic at all.  I think it is because both of these garments incorporate pleating, which works with the pattern, and with my body shape.

So, I got my new striped dress after all:

With the added bonus that I can separate these garments and wear them with other things. Win :)

That's it for today, and I'll do another catch up post during the week...

Sarah Liz

P.S. Costing - Top Pattern already used, Skirt Pattern, on sale, $7.95,  fabric was $10.19, plus lawn and interfacing $1.50, Elastic, $1.75, Thread and needle allowance 2 garments, $10.00, button, $0.50.
Total: $31.89 for both garments.

Just for the record...

 Last week I posted another version of Vogue 9067 tapered pants, this time made in a lovely black and white print rayon.  If you missed the post, you can find it here.

I usually buy the amount of fabric the pattern recommends, but sometimes find I can cut the garment from much less.  I don't assume this though - I have been caught out making this assumption.

This time, though, I did have a leftover piece after cutting the pants.  Just enough for another top made from New Look 6273:

 

This is a really simple two piece top.  I face the neckline instead of using binding.  On this version I did a rolled hem at the sleeves instead of using binding, and this works better for this top - I suspect because the binding I can purchase is stiff and unyielding.  So in the future, I will do narrow roll hems for the sleeve hem.

There isn't really much to say, except this is a favourite top in the hot, humid weather we have.  It's loose and roomy (which I prefer and want) and looks good. I can also belt it for a more formal look.

Not quite sure how I got the back looking quite so straight in this last photo - but when you  have an angular frame, with square shoulders and narrow hips and back, you do tend to sometimes look more like a coathanger from the back.  I think I have achieved that look here :).

Well, a rather quick post, but I have been super busy over the last few weeks.  In fact, I made the black and white pants and this top before Xmas, but have only just had time to blog them.  Lucky, because there is no way that I have time to take blog photos this week.

Next week will still be busy, but getting to more manageable.  Luckily I still have a couple of things left to blog, and am working on simple things at the moment - always best to make simple things when energy is going into other activities that have to be done.

See you all next week,

Sarah Liz :)

P.S. Costings - The rayon for pants and top cost $16.00, plus allow $15.00 for thread, elastic, interfacing, lawn for pockets and facing, and button.  $31.00.

The patterns were counted as no cost as I had used both before.

 Now that is good value - $15.50 per garment. So if you find fabric on sale and have used the pattern, sewing starts to become more cost effective.

How many ways do I love Vogue 9067? Now in Rayon...

 This is the third version of the tapered leg pants found in Vogue Pattern 9067:

 This pattern has two styles of pant - tapered with in seam side pockets, and wide legged with no pockets.  Both pants have elastic in the waist - something I am loving more and more.

I have made this version of the pants before in plain  black calico, as a house basic - you know the sorts of pants that are really not meant to be smart, but functional for all those sort of functional jobs that have to be done:

If you are interested in the post for the black calico pants, you will find it  here.

As I knew the pants would fit me, I just went straight ahead and cut them out.  Well, nearly.  I was just going to go straight ahead and cut them out when I noticed that the pattern I though had no nap because it was so squiggly, did in fact have a nap.  The curves only ran in one direction vertically and one direction horizontally.  In the nick of time - I was literally just about to cut - I realised my mistake and re-pinned the pattern pieces.  The pockets are cut in lawn, because I could see that I could just eke out a top from my leftover rayon - if I did not use it for the pockets.  Easy decision :)

And I love this version - it looks so different in rayon - soft and with a nice drape.  I love the cotton version too, but it is just so amazing what a different type of fabric does to the shape and drape of a garment.

Anyway, enough words, here are three quick views:

Well, that's it for today, I am pushed for time - something to do with catching up with paperwork and my tax return and other tedium you don't want to know about.  Which is why I am looking just a little bit wan in these photos.  Life will return...

And to which I have to return...

See you next week, and wishing you all best wishes,

Sarah Liz