Almost done...

Terrible week for blogging here - many apologies.. However, on the good side, very nearly almost finished Polly... this week was my last class at LCF (got a certificate and EVERYTHING.. ) and as expected everyone was in a real rush to get finished. Thankfully I wasn't in that much of a rush... and had basted the peplum to the top part of the jacket before class, so I just needed to decide on the position of the pockets and stitch it, and then of course there was Putting In The Lining to do. And shoulder pads.

The tutor told me to sew the shoulder pads to the seam allowance, just next to the stitching of the set in sleeve, and aligning the outside edge of the shoulder pad with the edge of the seam allowance. Which I did. On the machine. Not sure if I was supposed to stitch them on by hand?... the shoulders have a little body in them but I used no sleeve heads so they don't have the nice round 'puff' at the top.

Which reminds me - THIS FABRIC IS HORRIFIC. It is really stretchy and frays easily - in hindsight I should have interfaced the whole thing. I put some seam tape on the shoulder seams and also on the underside seam in each sleeve - think it could end up losing its shape after a couple of wears. The shoulders are already wider than they were on the toile.

Anyway. The pattern instructions for finishing the jacket weren't great... there was no facing or interfacing at the hem (despite the fact that in one of the drawings there looked to be some shading indicating interfacing, there was no actual instructions to cut any out or fuse any on) so the tutor suggested I interfact the depth of the hem, which I did. Then I had to catchstitch the hem about 1cm into the hem allowance from the edge. By hand. With a needle and thread. And my fingers. By hand. You may be ascertaining that hand sewing is not my forte... It actually didn't turn out too bad, but I haven't yet finished the bottom hem.

Was actually easier to attach the lining than I thought it was going to be. Once I'd catchstitched the hem, I sewed around the out side edge of the lining from the bottom of one side of the jacket right around the neck and down the other side (see pic left), which left the bottom hem edge and the sleeves left to do. To attach the lining to the sleeves (which have a facing on the inside) I basically put the jacket on as if I was wearing it, which pushed the sleeve lining into the sleeves. I then folded the edges of the lining and the sleeve together at the edges (how it would look when finished) and put a pin in, and then put my hand between the shell and the lining of the jacket at the back and pulled the sleeve back through (does that make any sense?) so I could then put the edges of the lining and the facing together and pin them. Sewing the sleeves is a little tricky as you have to sew all the way around what I guess is the wrist, and move the rest of the jacket around that....

Anyway, so I did that and MIRACULOUSLY, it worked! I will post some more pics when I have finished off the hem. The last thing to do will be to get a buttonhole put in for the closing at the front.... Didn't have time to do either of these things in class but it shouldn't take too long to sew the lining to the hem and I think the buttonhole I might get done professionally somewhere....

Sewing room cleverness

It has been so long since I posted last – my apologies. Once again work got a little crazy and the wedmin has stepped up a level while we try and nail down the venue. Anyway. Enough wedding chat, this is a sewing blog!

I must say thank you to Pip a la Chic for tagging me in her lovely blog :-)

So my sewing course is going pretty well so far. There are some lovely people there, from lots of different backgrounds. It's really fun all learning together! The picture is of me cutting out my pattern on the lovely long cutting tables they have in the workroom.


Last week I cut out my pattern in calico to make the toile of my jacket. Our instructions have been to cut out the pattern a size or two too big, with the aim of sewing the toile together and fitting it (I guess using the excess bigness to make sure we have plenty of room for adjustments), and then I guess we will have to transfer the adjustments to the pattern afterwards, before cutting it out in the fashion fabric (which I haven't bought yet). Any suggestions for what fabric I should make this up in? I'm really interested to see how that sewing the calico together will go – so very exciting tomorrow! I will at some point have to.... SET. IN. SLEEVES. Eeek.

Which brings me on to my (or, more realistically, my bf's) next DIY project. I really want a bigger work surface in my sewing room (note I now refer to our study as 'my sewing room' – heh) which is sewing friendly and versatile. I had a look on the internet at what is out there and found that Horn do an awesome adjustable height table (the Horn Professional 3002) which has their 'airlift' system for hiding your sewing machine under the table when you're not using it. It also lets you, with the help of a specially cut insert, use your machine in a flatbed configuration which I think would be awesome. And it has electrically adjustable legs. This is a real luxury, but I think I could live without that functionality. The bad news is that this awesome piece of kit is £2500.


I think I can do better than that. I think that the airlifter plus some adjustable legs plus a table top can be fashioned into exactly what I'm after for less than ten per cent of the cost, albeit the height will be adjustable only manually. I can then buy the insert from one of the companies that sell them (for the flatbed option). I am even wondering whether it is possible to have two openings and airlifts - one for my overlocker and one for my sewing machine...


What do you think? Has anyone had any experience in making a custom made sewing table? Or has anyone found anything like the Horn one above which is more affordable?!

Back to school!

Howdy.. I have been stupid-busy at work for the last week or so and have barely had a chance to do any sewing other than on Saturday when I had my first session of the London College of Fashion course I've started. SO MUCH FUN! All we really did was measure ourselves, learn how to thread the industrial sewing machines and sew in straight lines, but so exciting! And WOWZERS those industrial machines are speedy... I had to barely press my foot on the pedal to get a speed I could manage.

We have to bring a pattern to class this week which will be what forms the basis of our course; we make it up as a toile in calico and then in the fabric we have chosen, with Hilary (our lovely teacher) teaching us 'professional fit and finish' on the way. I think I am going to choose a jacket - to get my money's worth! I've never made a jacket (or, as you may be aware, anything with sleeves) and so it would be good to make my first one under supervision. I think I might do the Burda jacket above - it looks like a nice shape and I could really do with a new jacket for work. Though I note that I might never actually want to wear the product of my labours... But looking forward to adjusting my pattern and stuff all the same.

Speaking of patterns, I must mention a book I bought on the advice of commenter Arielle - it is called 'Make Your Own Dress Patterns' by Adele P. Margolis. It is absolutely brilliant! It has loads of simple explanations and illustrations of how to manipulate a basic bodice sloper. I have so far just been reading it, but can't wait to get some pattern paper out and start slashing and spreading! Oh, I also need to make a sloper first..... I made a skirt sloper a little while ago and posted about it here but to be honest I'm not sure it is a perfect fit. Watch this space!

Happy birthday to me!

Today is my birthday! Another year older, not so sure about the wiser bit... Anyway, out for supper to my favourite restaurant tonight with my lovely finance which should be awesome.

What about the sewing, I hear you say. Well, I recently received in the post a Burda pattern I ordered ages ago but which was out of stock - pattern 7576. It has a simple top similar to those I mentioned in my previous posts here and here, but appeared to be a bit less complicated (and at the time I couldn't be bothered with tracing out the free Burda patters from the magazine...). It actually only has three main pattern pieces - woo hoo. I have cut it out in a sort of crinkle crepe in black which I got on sale in Peter Jones (mental note - crinkly fabrics = annoying to cut), with the idea of wearing it for work. Is it just me, or does getting the fabric ready, pinning the pattern and cutting it out take ages?! I think I might be particularly slow...

We are away this weekend for our first of two engagement parties so won't get to do any sewing, but am hoping to finish it next week; need to have done a bit of sewing before my course starts next Saturday! Speaking of which I need to make sure I have all the bits and pieces I am supposed to have on my first day - scissors, rulers, chalk... think I have most of it but might give me an excuse to buy some new sewing stuff. Really hope I'm not too out of my depth....

New look!

So... I was getting fed up with the rubbishness of my blog template, and found an awesome site called Hot Bliggety Blog, which claims to be "the best free blogger backgrounds site on the entire interwebular planet. No exaggeration", and I think they might be right. Thanks to them for the lush background. The new header I managed (after much faffing) to make myself which watching back-to-back Hollyoaks this evening, using Gimp which is an awesome free image editing program. Rock on free stuff! On my wander through the interweb tonight I also stumbled across a site called DryIcons which has some great free graphics. Though I haven't had a chance to use any yet, some of them are well lush.

So - whaddya think of the new look??

I am REALLY REALLY hoping to (i) finish hemming the black work dress which has been hanging in the study trailing thread since the beginning of August now, and (ii) start on the skirt I posted about here. My Saturday course at the London College of Fashion starts in a few weeks and at this rate, on my first day it's going to have been months since I last sewed! I am already worried the course I have signed up for is going to be too advanced for me... well, watch this space.

The picture for today's post was taken when I walked to the tube station yesterday - first autumn leaves on the ground. I absolutely love the autumn; crisp sunny days, memories of Micahelmas term and being all wrapped up outdoors. My favourite season.