My first me made May

Here's hoping it is still April in the Uk. (it isn't but very early in the morning) It is May here..but I am luckily wearing a home sewn skirt so here goes. 

I, Spike of (http://spikeabell.blogspot.com.au/ and @spikedeane), sign up as a participant of Me Made May '16. I will wear at least 1 item of me made clothing or altered thrifted clothing for the duration of May 2016.

Holy heck... but I do wear home made stuff a lot, usually because I can wear the same skirt consecutively over a few days or to be honest a week. I am also planning to do a fair bit of sewing this month so I have some 'nice' clothes to wear on our trip to the UK. I've just got to that point where all my old clothes are... falling apart, I have worn in the studio and got irrewashably stained or no longer fit. If I don't buy clothes I have to make them and given my fabric stash I really should. Me Made May 2016 will just add a bit of needed pressure.

Looks like my Mitsy is going to get a good work out!

Today I am wearing a bright blue A line skirt, that is the skirt part of Sewaholic's Cambie dress (view A)... see the full dress here

I will post some pics on the blog and some on Instagram... where I am @spikedeane

Cambie dress, finally sewn

There has been a flurry of sewing going on here. A sudden need for a dress to wear for a wedding...

I finally made up Sewaholic's Cambie dress. I bought the pattern ages ago... an actual paper pattern. the actual paper pattern had an unfortunate arrival in the rain so some of the pieces were stuck together which made me be diligent and trace most of the pattern pieces off.

I made traced out the bodice, added a full bust adjustment (FBA) straight up and then tested the bodice in a plain cotton. It seems I have another standard fitting to add to the list. I think, compared to standard patterns, I am a bit short from shoulder to bust. It explains some of my fitting problems.
I took away some length in the 'sleeve/strap' area and decided to move the shoulder line seam down to the back. I made the whole thing up, with the gathered skirt option in a checked sari fabric before making up view A in the Japanese lawn.

It took me ages to place the pattern pieces on the fabric, as the print repeat was quite awkward.

Pattern: Cambie Dress view A (size 12  with FBA cup c)
Fabric: Japanese jacquard lawn, lily print. Lined with rayon.
Comments: The method of construction is great and the dress goes together very well. Love the pockets and I like the skimming not too tight fit.

The only picture I have so far

40! Birthday wishes and velvet dresses

I turned 40 today.

It was a good day, mainly spent frantically sewing a velvet dress interspersed with birthday wishes, parcels & flowers. There is an Andy Kehoe resin print on it's way, from my parents, a beautiful ceramic bowl from a friend and a poem and Hazelnut trees from my partner.
Beautiful, lovely and thank you. xxx

Pattern: Elisalex dress from By Hand London

Fabric: Crushed velvet from the stash c.1996. Blue base and burgundy pile, probably synthetic.
Alterations: Heck yes
Overall Comments: I like the silhouette and I'm glad I stuck with it through the alterations. Once the fit is established it is an easy sew and I will make it again.


THE SEWING DETAILS: lots and lots of them
I love velvet and when I was younger I bought a lot of it, in purples and blues, many shades of red wine and some green but I didn't actually sew much of the woven velvet. I decided that for dinner on my fortieth I would make a dress out of some of that vintage? (18-20 year old fabric). After some deliberation I firmly told myself that drafting a dress from scratch was going to take too long, my skills were too rusty and the lack of a fitting buddy tipped me over to buying a pattern. I chose the Elisalex dress from By Hand London.

Elisalex seems to have been made up almost by every sewing blogger I follow, flattering a wide range of figures in a variety of fabrics... a quick toile and then on to the velvet was how I saw the project. Hah!

In my 20's when I sewed the most I was a very standard Australian size 10 (with a slightly smaller bust and waist). I'm now size 14 with a C+ bra cup. I didn't really think how much a being out side of the standard would affect the pattern fitting (!!!) which is silly really, considering my experience in dress making.

The first Elisalex toile (size UK 16) was an awful fit. Baggy sleeves, shoulder slipping off, big wrinkles under the arms. I almost stopped there. I rang my mother for advice.

Probably the only photo of my first toile i'm willing to share

FITTING ADJUSTMENTS - OVER A FEW DAYS
I made 4-5 toiles in all. After the first one I concentrated on the bodice and sleeves and I did a FBA, sway back adjustment and some fine tuned fitting around the princess seams over the bust.

The sleeves; first off when I saw the sleeve pattern piece I was surprised. In my pattern making training (admittedly some time ago) fitted sleeves had a higher sleeve head. Ah well I thought, I've seen plenty of Elisalex's out there, they look fine.

Elisalex sleeve in comparison to my industry fitted bodice block

I took my mum's advice and fitted the bodice as well as I could, then I inserted the sleeve only in the underarm from notch to notch. When I tried it on, the gap showed me how much the sleeve head was missing. After much discussion with my mum (who had been sent lots of toile photo's) I drafted an entirely new sleeve, which took a few adjustments to get right. I added a dart below the elbow, raised the sleeve head and some width in the bicep area.

Elisalex sleeve

Sewing buddy, about to be evicted

Sewing buddy retreats to a safe place

After all the toile-ing I made up a final toile with the skirt and lining, which due to the double layer of fabric was a bit too firm. By this stage though I was getting close to my deadline, and I decided just to go ahead and make some final adjustments by eye.

I'm pretty happy with the result. I didn't quite finish he garment in time for dinner, but it was wearable by then (the bodice lining wasn't stitched in but all the hems were done). Next time I sew velvet I will take my time (yes dear, you were right) as something must have gone a little skew in the cutting and I ended up having to lower the back neckline by 3cm and the front neckline wasn't as nice as the toile. The crushed-ness of the velvet is very forgiving of any speed sewing stuff ups.

40th Birthday Dress

Autumn musings; fiction, poetry and colour

Autumnal embroidery in silk and cotton floss on calico.

Well it is no surprise that I love Autumn, I take the same kind of photographs every year, I regularly use Autumn leaves for bookmarks and find leaves from past Autumns well pressed in-between pages every year.

I have done my Autumnal re reading of Kim Wilkins' Autumn Castle, such a perfect read for the season and one of my favourite books ever.

The Autumn Castle has a quote from a poem of Kate Forsyth's, another favourite author (Her poems are published under her maiden name, Humphrey).

"So pure and cold the wind breathes. It pares the flesh from the bones of the land - finds at last the essential shape" Autumn, Kate Humphrey.

Kim Wilkins also includes her own translation from a few lines of Hohenburg by Georg Trakl.

"There is nobody at home. Autumn fills the rooms;
Moonbright sonata
And theawakening at the edge of the twilit forest."

This quote reminded me of another, one that when I read it thought... Yes, that's it exactly! Unfortunately all I remember is that feeling and not the quote. Frustrating. Searching my memory I managed to narrow it down to a Charles de Lint novel but despite searching 'on the google' I couldn't find it (turns out I should have remembered the American and Canadian use of the word Fall).

So I started re-reading 'Jack the Giant Killer' and then 'Memory and Dream' and at last I found it.

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure in the landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it - the whole story doesn't show."
                                                                                                        -Attributed to Andrew Wyeth.

I had read Memory and Dream in a previous Canberra Autumn, where I was feeling incredibly nostalgic. Canberra is planted with many European deciduous trees, reminding me more of German and English Autumns than any Sydney season could give. I was pondering on why I love winter trees (I mean why would a person prefer bare branches to glorious green?) and the Andrew Wyeth quote drew me to an answer. It is that brimming sense of potential, of becoming, of promise. The tension of the moment before the action happens. I love being able to see the 'bone structure' or bare architecture of the tree branches... I guess that is why all my glass pieces have bare branched trees.

OK Autumn gush over!

Well not quite. The trees in my garden, which I take pictures of constantly at this time of year have inspired me to a small embroidery. Yellow and grey are such a great colour combination, that I kept seeing the tree branches and yellow leaves in stitches. So I have started, the background calico is an old piece (20 years) of stitch testing. When I first went to pattern making college, our first lessons where of threading an industrial sewing machine to a timer and practicing sewing a straight and even line. As you can see mine are a little wavy, but I think it works great as a background giving a suggestion of landscape. The calico has a lovely soft texture 20 years later!

Silk and cotton floss on calico sewing machine stitch samples

From table cloth to Apron

This terribly bright poppy and lavender op-shop table cloth was crying out to made into a terribly kitsch apron (or two). The table cloth was rectangular but there was an half oval design at each end, which I followed for the hem and the pockets are the corners. I'm going to make another from the other half of the table cloth for a friend.

It's a very practical apron with those huge pockets

Long promised peg apron

I have finally got my straight stitcher going, with a few problems solved from when the removalists moved it. I made a friend a peg apron, which she has had to wait a fair time for. The fabric is from a duvet cover I bought in an op shop.

Organisation in the sewing room

Finally getting myself a little organised in the sewing room. I have worked through the problems with my straight stitcher and I have realised I do need to take the Elna for a service. Let the sewing commence!

Stitching selkies

Here is a first experiment turning my Selkie sketches into textiles with calico, back-stitch, satin-stitch and one french knot. What would be a suitable stitch for hair?

Seal needs one more splotch

Domestic things: Summer robe

Another thing on my list to sew myself  this year is a light robe / dressing gown type thing. I still have a cosy winter one my mum made me years and years ago but it's terribly hot for summer.

Based on a kimono wrap style robe I winged my way through not using a pattern (just a few measurements and cutting), though my process could have done with a little working out before I threw the fabric headlong through the sewing machine. The fabric is a lovely soft floral Japanese cotton that I bought in Singapore a few years ago. Finally I decided that I wouldn't make a dress out of the fabric, not really a great choice for my colouring, but fine for a summer dressing gown.

If I made another... I would make it wider and longer, add inseam pockets and try a different sleeve.

Kimono style summer robe

Domestic things: Peg bag

I have been meaning to make a peg bag since we moved into this house, the garden does, after all have a hills hoist. Ridiculously without a peg bag, said pegs end up all over the place and I find my self stuffing them in my pockets, maybe a peg pocket?

On boxing day I made a list of domestic type things I wanted to sew and here is the first.

peg bag

I had a quick look on pinterest and the 'net and decided that the hanger type ones wouldn't do. The Hills hoist can, on a windy day get a bit windmill like and hangers do not survive. Made from bits of himself's old shirt and trousers, ribbon from a present (thank you NGA) and a clip from a former bag, this pegbag is functional if not as pretty as some. Thank you to Nicola Foreman and her posts on swedish pegbags for inspiration.

I made the pattern by scrolling some paper into a cone, trimming, drawing an opening and measuring the resulting circle. Amazingly a maths equation solved the size of the base.

Will post a picture of the bag on the line...in daylight. 

If I make another, I would extend the base for more peg room and maybe stiffen the base as well or add two seam lines and add that pleat at the bottom that many bags have....

pegbag in use and rather bleached out by the bright light

Serendipitous knitting circle (Audrey in Unst update)

Since I was in Woden early I decided that I would buy some buttons for a skirt, the skirt that up until now I have been wearing with a safety pin. On the way to the fabric shop there are opshops and a yarn shop (deadly). I just happend by Stich 'n' Time when a knitting circle started...I had my Audrey in Unst in my bag, so I joined in for a bit. Good to meet you Ladies!

Audrey in Unst, the back grows

fly zipper avoidance

So there wouldn't be any one around here avoiding putting the fly zipper in would there?

I think i've done everything that can be done before the fly zipper HAS to go in...

shirt placket becomes fly facing

Cord skirt in recycled sari fabric

I have in the past worn many different styles skirts made from pre-loved sari fabric. Many garments alas wear out in certain stress areas (bum and hips). I love the brocade, patterns and colours so I hang on to the fabric...for many years.

I have cut out a 'cord skirt copy' in bits and pieces of sari silk. Which proved more challenging than I thought. What with the wear holes I have made, previous holes and stains and the fact that most were cut on the bias and pattern direction (which I then decided to ignore) it was a tricky job. I also for interlining used some old mens shirts and some sheeting.

You put this silk here for me, Yes?

Packing up the keys

Thanks to Ruth Oliphant I picked up my rolled metal bar on Monday (and a suggestion of a title -thanks Ruth!), so today I trialled all the pieces and packed the work for travelling. I sewed a slip for the acrylic mirror and roll up padded pouch pockets for the keys.

Copy cat cord skirt

Apart from the buttons I have finished my 'cord skirt' copy. The copy needs a few tweaks because I tweaked the pattern while cutting as I had limited frabric to cut from (a previous long skirt).

However I am happy with and wearing it. I stuffed up the sewing of the fly front..you can't tell, but it didn't go in the way it should and was slower to boot. The hem is 4 cm longer, I decided after I cut it, so the hem and the pocket lining are in a different but surprisingly good colour matched fabric.

I stitched it with my mother's Elna Air Electronic SU (a portable machine she has had since before I was born...and passed onto me about 10 years ago). I have an industrial straight stitcher, but I have yet to sort it out since the move (lazy I know!)

Patch pockets

Fly front and side pockets

Cats and sewing

Before there were blogs and when I sewed a lot I had the cat / sewing problem. 15 years later, different cat, started sewing again...I can now join most of the sewing blogging community with pictures of cat interrupted sewing projects.

I'm taking a pattern off a RTW cord skirt that I bought at an op shop and have shortened. I have worn this item so much...almost everyday apart from washes for the last 2 months. I also recently found a long skirt that I used to wear a lot that is 2 sizes too small now, so I'm planning on recutting it into the pattern below. When I think about it, it looks a little like Grainline studio's popular Moss skirt.

curious? no I just wanted to wash right here!

Initial pattern pieces, yet to be checked and trued.

A surprising day out in Phillip...

The first year of my BVA (studio Glass) I gave my Dad a very wonky blown glass 'beer mug' for Father's Day (in September here in Australia). It became a bit of a tradition, you can see my progress in glassblowing through 4 years of 'beer mugs'. This year I'm out of class and I do more casting than blowing...

So I had this idea to make Dad a cast 'Display' tankard for this year's Father's Day. I thought I would find a tankard I liked the shape of, make a rubber mould of it, pour a wax, add some design elements and then cast it in glass. I have decided to go for an English woodland theme. Oak leave and acorns with, if it works 3 woodland animals; a fox, a hedgehog and a squirrel.

So I have been searching all the op shops in Canberra for tankards of any description as long as they 'fit' my aesthetic (see pinterest board dad's tankard).

I have found 2 specimens so far...

The surprise about the suburb of Phillip is that I went there for op shopping and found, 2 sewing machine shops, 1 fabric shop, 1 yarn shop, 1 beading shop, (2 paper supplies shops I didn't even get around to looking in) and a few decent looking cafes...in one of which I had an excellent coffee (not the easiest thing in Australia's Capital City).

I was pleasantly flabbergasted, mostly because, in Sydney Spotlight and Lincraft have driven out the independent stores. I bought yarn, industrial sewing needles and oil (yes I do want a litre of it) browsed fabrics, buttons and beads and found somewhere that will take a look at my aged Elna.

Awesomesauce!!

buttons at the Old bus depot markets

More buttons. However it may take longer to find a home for these fuzzy cat buttons. The teal selection are dyed by the Camelot yarn people.

Buttons, thrifted.

Don't you love it when you buy something for the stash, just because...and very shortly you find yourself actually using it...vindication!

A few weeks ago I checked out one of the larger 'vinnies' (short for St Vincent's op shop) in south Canberra. I left with a pretty good haul, all the items fitted and were in good nick, only the skirts got chopped a foot. The haberdashery section was quite small but there were quite a lot of buttons. I bought a few packets at 50cents and a dollar I grabbed anything that even vaguely appealed to me as buttons are usually expensive.

I found some real mother of pearl shirt buttons (I call them that because they are small), all the rest are plastic apart from a set that may be some sort of woody stuff.

My mum used to work in the rag trade and I remember thinking that mother of pearl was kind of boring but now I rarely see them on RTW clothing, plastic being the norm.

This morning I discovered that one of the buttons on my thrifted orange cord skirt was missing and the gap was filled marvelously with one of the larger tortoiseshelly vinnies buttons that may I say is a better match than the original. I also may have found buttons for my Calendula Audrey in Unst. The small square purpley ones

selection of button from Vinnies

small textured purpley ones that I might use for my Audrey In Unst

I liked the replacement button so much I have now matched them

Emergency smocking

Emergency smocking?
It all came about because I left my coat at home for a 3 day trip. I had packed a warm top for the drive (no heating), but it wasn't anything I wanted to be seen in outside of the vehicle. For some reason I had packed a shirt that the other half had recently discarded and I thought I liked the colour (turns out the shade is more sand than mustard..pity) so that could add some layering over my thin cardigan. Said shirt however was an XL in a mid-weight fabric. Incredibly unflattering (and I usually like men's shirts). One of my stops in Sydney (while D. was speaking at a conference) was Tapestry craft, to get some larger needles to hopefully solve my gauge swatch knitting problems, and whilst there I grabbed some rusty coloured wool, thread and cross stitch needles.

That evening in a hotel in Melbourne (whilst D. spoke at a school in Melton) I decided to solve my baggy shirt problems with some smocking and cross stitch.

The last time I did any smocking I was at high-school, so I thought I would 'google' smocking stitches. Alas the wifi in the hotel failed me and I had to rely on memory alone. This is the only stitch I could remember.

running stitches for the pleats

all gathered up

first few stitches

gathering stitches pulled out