Lovely Lisa

So yesterday I managed to finish Lisa - I had a total nightmare with the zipper... I bought a plastic invisible zipper foot and put the zipper in but I think I must have sewed too close to the teeth because the zip got stuck fast and I had to unpick all the stitching, take it out (the zipper was broken after that), buy a new zipper and start again... that was a nightmare. The second attempt was better but still not perfect.

Also because the finished size of the bodice according to the pattern was too big for me, I had to adjust it at the sides and centre back of the bodice to make it smaller (I made it up in Vogue size 10 which as it turns out was about two sizes too big) - by that point I had already stitched on the grossgrain ribbon decoration so the adjustment meant the ribbon didn't quite meet at the sides and back. A bit annoying but not too bad.

Always a bit mystified as to the best hem finish - I usually do a double folded hem (which is what I did here) but need to experiment with other finishes. Same for seams - takes ages to finish seams... think that will be what prompts me to get an overlocker...

Spotty pincushion

I made this on Thursday evening as I fancied doing something different - found an awesome pattern on Heather Bailey's website - the pics look so cute. Thinking of putting a little elastic wristband on it so I can use it while pinning things to Maud more easily.

Now, got to get back to finishing Lisa...

And I shall call her.... Lisa

Long time no post... I have been away on hols (hooray) but am back now and raring to sew... (geddit??). Jackie was a hit at the wedding - though annoyingly I soon found out that my strap adjustment was a little over-zealous... and the bodice wasn't as close fitting as it should have been at the back - forcing soldier-like posture to keep it all flat. Some pics to follow when I find some nice ones (could be some time)...

So today I wandered down to Goldhawk Road to buy some fabric for some of the millions of dress patterns I appear to have bought but been too nervous to try.... It's the first time I've been down there - happily it is only about 20 mins for me on the tube. There were some gorgeous Swiss voiles in one of the shops for £25 p/m, I was going to buy some but didn't have a good pattern in mind and am not yet feeling confident enough to draft my own.. but I managed to find a lovely maxi dress pattern which would be perfect for some of the bordered fabrics. Very Cavalli... I did managed to get some lovely blue cotton with a sort of woven stripe, and another blue cotton with a fine purple satin-y stripe. I thought it would make a lovely dress, but then realised loads of the patterns I have say 'not suitable for obvious stripes'. Goddammit. Also got a heavy woven cotton in lavender and a sort of aqua / turqoise colour. And some lovely wooly boucle type stuff of which I have grand plans to make a Chanel-style suit for the winter... Though given I have made about four things in total so far - none of them involving sleeves in any format - that may be a bit ambitious... Anyway onto the current project.

In a massive pattern splurge in Peter Jones on Sloane Square, I found Vogue pattern V8232 which I thought was a really nice simple design that I could make up in loads of different colours / fabrics. And it was in the 'Very Easy Vogue' section. Hurrah! I am going to make it up in the plain blue cotton (and think I will line it) and then maybe do some funky decoration-type-thang with grosgrain ribbon... And I shall call her 'Lisa'.

So far I have cut out the fabric - am about to start on the lining. I am sooooooo slow....