Stash Busting and Self Care .

Recently I attended a Girls Night Out and included were  talks from a McGrath breast care nurse and a lifeline counsellor. The take home message from the counsellor was the importance of self care.
I absolutely agree . Some women equate self care with being selfish. Self care is important at all stages of our lives whether we are students , new mothers , working women etc.
My husband and children sometimes encourage me  to buy new clothes. Like other sewers my interest in shopping has waned although I appreciate the eye candy and potential inspiration. For me though self care involves not buying new clothes but not feeling guilty in getting rid of old ones. I often keep clothes way past their best.  So with this sage self -care  advice fresh in my mind I did some stash busting and sewed up a pair of  new pajama  pants and a  singlet and promptly got rid of  the  old ones before I could change my mind.
I think as sewers we have a fair idea about self care ( unless we are constantly sewing  for others) and it is just another one of the multitude of reasons why sewing is such a lovely hobby .

 Anyway a brief note about the actual sewing. Here is a bad shot of the PJ pants a one seam pant from Vogue 7645 dated 2002 . I used a green /blue cotton plaid from my mother  stashed for several years . I added a ribbon on the front to make it easier to work out which is the front and back but this was entirely unnecessary since I mucked up matching the plaid at the front but it matched perfectly at the back ( another aspect of self-care - not berating yourself about trivia like matching plaids ) .

For the singlet or tank top I used Kwik Sew 2845 dated 1999  which uses only two pattern pieces. The fabric is a thin soft blush coloured cotton interlock also from my mother and also stashed for a long time. My sewing machine did not like this fabric whilst I was making the original  button hole ( to thread the ribbon through ) but I found by adding tear away stabilizer in both the front and the back of the fabric everything went smoothly the second time. Apart from that hiccup the rest of the sewing was easy and enjoyable.  I have never made this pattern before but it certainly will not be the last.

So here`s to daily self -care . Cheers Janine.

Japanese Cotton Sewing - Kwik Sew 3026 and Knipmode May 2012.

I added sleeve tabs so I can the wear the top with sleeves up or down. 

Last year my eldest daughter took a gap year after finishing secondary school  and travelled to Japan for several months , came home for 4 days and then took off again to Peru ( talk about how to cause your mother a heart attack  ! )
Anyway three years prior to that she spent three months in Tokyo on a school exchange and I muttered something about Japanese cottons . Her host mother took her shopping and  she  came home with the most lovely softest piece with a divine pattern. My DD told me how hard it was to choose because the cboices were overwhelming but I think she did a fantastic  job. This fabric went into my very special fabrics section . I wanted to sew the perfect garment that I would have for years and years  and not waste it.
Three years later and my daughter is about to go to Japan again and she mutters something about  me not having sewn up this fabric and how she wouldn`t get anymore for me . Umm was that a threat ?
 Quicker than you can say Japanese fabric I pulled it out and cut out Kwik Sew 3026 view B -a  pullover  basic shirt pattern with collar and stand, back yoke and front tab. I have made this pattern four times now so I knew it was a winner and being a basic style I would have it for the years and years that I wanted.

Obviously all went well with my daughters travels overseas and she did buy me more Japanese cotton - quite a lot actually .

Wanting to show my appreciation I sewed up one the fabrics straight away ( although eldest DD had already left at this point so she couldnt see it !) As a compromise I chose my least favourite and used a knipmode pattern from May 2012 to sew a simple yoked tunic with tabs on the lower sleeves and body .

Then while our daughter was in Peru ( Cusco and Manu National Park in the amazon ) her host brothers from Japan whom she stayed with in 2010 came to visit for one week  and they brought some more Japanese cotton for me ! That was a very interesting week because one of the brothers did not speak English and the other was learning ( and doing a great and very fast job ) and we do not speak Japanese ! Our eldest daughter is quite fluent but we got by without her and had lots of fun.

I have since used some of my Japanese cotton stash to make the lace and floral top for eldest DD which is only fair!
So I am very lucky to have a small stash of lovely Japanese fabrics  which I have again put away in my mind to be used only for the perfect project.

PS - I actually sewed this shirt last year just to clear up any confusion on time lines.
PPS - My youngest daughter is thinking about going to Japan on a school exchange so I may have to start muttering again about how lovely and special Japanese fabric is and how much I treasure it.

Shirts for Everyone ( Except Me ) New Look 6647 and Kwik Sew 3422.

My sewing groove is back and  the bad news is that I have been sewing shirts . For everyone except me.
First up  a blouse for  middle DD . I used New Look 6647.
This is a really sweet pattern with a bib inset front - either pintucked or plain with a variety of sleeves. There are waist darts front and back and the blouse flares out at the waist to hips.
My daughter chose the plain bib front and the short sleeves. The sleeves are slightly gathered at the bottom only and finished with a bias band . This makes a lovely sleeve which is not overly pouffy .
We used a soft navy with pink floral charmeuse which she chose out on holidays last year .
This blouse came together really well - it was one of those projects where everything turns out right.
I have made the blouse once before for myself so I knew there were no unexpected surprises . The only changes we made to the pattern were to take the sides in near her bust a few centrimetresI( to make up for a lack of bust darts I suppose ) . I would highly recommend this pattern .

New Look 6647,  floral fabric and lovely vintage mother of pearl buttons . 

,

Yay a modelled shot ! 

Closer picture of the bib front. 

Next up is a shirt for my husband. I have been a good wife and this is now the third shirt I have sewn him in the last couple of years ( as well as one T-shirt this summer ) . It is Kwik Sew 3422 again ( really I can see no need for another shirt pattern for him - shirt patterns for myself is an entirely different matter !)
I used some gray and white cotton shirting from Clear It in Melbourne that I purchased only a couple of months ago. I could not tell the difference between the right and wrong sides ( admittedly my eyes are getting fuzzy but I don`t think there was a difference ) and it felt very smooth  . I only paid $10.50 for the material - a great bargain for such quality. I am going to keep my eyes peeled for more shirting fabrics like this.
This is a great pattern . I love that they have separate collar pieces for the under and top collar pieces. The front button band is simple and just turned under twice . They have the great yoke instructions where the seams are all enclosed . This   is what I appreciate about Kwik Sew Patterns - I hope the new ownership keeps that up . Again I would highly recommend this pattern. I am so proud of this shirt I would have a gender  transplant to wear it !

Well the good news is now I have sewn the Paris Lace, the Tokyo charmeuse and the Melbourne Cotton I can now get on with some serious selfish stashbusting sewing ( SSSS) for me. Cheers Janine.

Spot the camouflaged pocket  .

Dang I am proud of that collar .

Kwik Sew 2694 -Happy Families.

Continuing on from my small remnants stash buster I sewed another Kwik Sew 2694.

I love the grey and black print knit left over from making a totoro hat .What you don`t know what a totoro hat is ? Let me explain . On my eldest DD`s last day of school in 2012 she wanted to dress up as totoro - a Japanese anime comic  character . We needed dark grey fabric and the reverse side of this fabric was the closest we could find in the one and only fabric shop in town ( well I did have some dark grey/silver/ black shot dupioni look silk in my stash but I am not that nice a mother ) . So I only had 50cm of this minus all the hat pieces already cut out - that is not much fabric at all !
Hence Kwik Sew 2694 was about my best option . I combined the print with black bamboo knit ( I love this fabric too! ) remnant from Cleggs famous Boxing Day Remnants Sale . That event is a whole nother story as well - imagine scores of women three deep rumaging through a long table covered in 100s of remnants.  I lived to tell the tale and scored this beautiful knit - it is so soft . Once I pawed this I did not let go !
Truth be told I have probably overdone this pattern. This is now my fourth rendition .

Nuclear Happy Family of Kwik Sew 2694 

This pattern is still available and it is easy and a little more interesting than a plain Tee and it has certainly allowed me to make the most of remnants stash.
Here`s to happy healthy families.
PS I would love to show a photo of totoro daughter but she would probably kill me.

Kwik Sew 3637 A Circle Skirt and Farewell 2012.

I have managed to complete the final project for 2012 - a  little thrill that I can start 2013 all afresh . My middle daughter did not forget about the promised skirt she requested that I sew her. So ta da - here it is - in all its live modelled glory -yes my daughter agreed to have this photo taken ( after my youngest tricked her and took a photo anyway !)

I used Kwik Sew 3637 , a yoked circle skirt . The fabric is a Japanese cotton lawn from Spotlight - it actually has  a nice hand and is reminiscent of Liberty but without the accompanying $40/metre  price tag. ( I mean it is not as good as Liberty but still a really good substitute ) .Bonus my fabric was on special for only $7.99/metre and there were lots of patterns and colours to choose from   .

The skirt was really simple to sew -it only has two pieces - a yoke- cut out four times  and skirt piece- cut twice .     I did make a couple of  small  changes . I lined the skirt with dark blue cotton voile and surprisingly I found some navy blue ready made piping in my stash which added a nice little touch to the yoke. The only tricky bit of the skirt is the zipper and managing the lining and piping in this area . Also I overlocked the lower edge of the skirt and then made a narrow machine hem .   It does take alot of fabric  - size small uses 2.75 metres  but the resulting  softly cascading folds of fabric look lovely on her .

Well now I am truly ready to start sewing for me again - my pattern is traced  and fabric washed and ironed all ready to go for next year . To everyone have a  Happy New Year . Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 3854- Sailor Star Shorts

As I sit here safe and snug in my home I admit it doesn`t feel right to be writing something as trivial as a sewing post so I am sending all my wishes to those who are being affected by Hurricane Sandy that all will be safe but according to the live new reports it is certainly going to be a terrible event.

My middle daughter did not want to buy any new clothes this summer instead she wanted me to sew her a pair of shorts and a dress and I can now tick one off the list.
She wanted a vintage feel to her shorts and something a bit different. After a marathon trip to Spotlight and searching literally every pattern catalogue she chose Kwik Sew 3854  and navy blue twill printed with white stars .

Trying to live by my motto of RRR - Reduce, Recycle and Reuse we went through my stash and she found a remnant of soft cotton - maroon /navy houndstooth and six gold buttons from a previous 90s project ( when gold buttons were all the rage ).
I thought I was so clever to be able to cut out the side and back waist band pieces and pocket pieces as she wanted from the remnant . I thought I had been careful in tracing out all the pattern pieces but  it  seems my skills in counting are as good as my talents in trying to persuade my middle DD to model the shorts. I had not cut out the main pocket piece that is on show and I did not have enough fabric left to cut them. My daughter looked crestfallen and wanted me to start all over again. Luckily I had just enough fabric to cut bias strips to sew along the pocket opening edge  and she was happy with that - phew - I admit I can be a bit lazy in some ways.

The shorts open by the flap in the front unlike your usual pants.

As per usual the Kwik Sew instructions were excellent = clear and concise with good diagrams. They clearly explain about understitching and the correct procedure for trimming seams. The only things I did differently were to sew the side seams last to get in an extra fitting opportunity and finished the waist bands with some satin bias binding. I also managed to sew up the gap at the front flap/ inner pockets more than suggested because my daughter could easily get the shorts on .

Another inner shot .

Overall these are a cute pair of shorts and I would recommend this pattern . Another bonus is they don`t take much fabric at all so they were alot cheaper than buying any RTW pair. At the end of the day my daughter is happy she got the unique pair she wanted. Now hopefully she will like the dress to come.  Stay Safe . Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 2694/2900 -Remnant of a Remnant Top.

It feels good to be back on the bandwagon so to speak- selfishly sewing for me !
I have been doing some boring sewing - sheets, pillowcases and a swing seat roof cover.
This was very good for stashbusting but not so good for my sewing psyche.
However I did manage to use the OLDEST piece of fabric from my stash in doing so  - 2 and 1/2 metres of garbadine in exactly the same grey that primary school boys have their pants made of - see why it was in the stash for so long . When I got married I inherited this fabric from my new husband - see my husband came with a dowry - free fabric - how could I have not married him. Pity the fabric was ugly but beggars can not be choosers -lol. ( If you want to know I have been married 22 years and the fabric was at least 6 years old when I received it . )

So I have eventually gotten around to sewing the remnant knit from my daughters knit top( from my last post )  that in itself was a remnant from my eldest DD`s knit skirt !

My tatty Kwik Sew Pattern - 2694.

I used Kwik Sew 2694 but added in the long sleeves from Kwik Sew 2900 and also added a band around the front/back pieces . I choose KS 2694 because the front upper and lower bodice pieces are only small - perfectly  suited for my scraps. I only had enough fabric to cut one sleeve and the lower front  bodice and one upper front and the band . I really liked this fabric and was determined that I should get a garment out of it somehow ! A few weeks ago my Mum took me to Darn Cheap Fabrics in Heidelberg , Melbourne. I didn`t have my remnant material with me so I had to make a guess as to what would match  relying on my memory ( that can be dodgy sometimes ). I bought some dark teal mesh and although it doesn`t match perfectly I think it blends in quite well.

This pattern is very simple to sew - I made this top over the course of a week in about 6 easy sewing sessions including cutting out. I doubled the mesh where used for the back, one sleeve and one upper front - this eliminates the see -through factor and makes the top a bit more snuggly warm. Before sewing the garment I stitched the mesh together at the tops and bottoms of the pattern pieces and then just treated them as one piece of material.
I have previously sewn Kwik Sew 2694 twice before - the upper front is a bit revealing - I have to wear those tops with a camisole underneath . Adding the front band has eliminated this need. I simply cut out two long rectangles 5cm wide and sewed them together. Then this long rectangular piece is folded together - wrong sides together - and attached to the garment ( after you have sewn the upper fronts to the back ) right sides together. I then zigzagged the raw edge , ironed this and top stitched the band on the main garment pieces. Also as I was attaching the band I stretched this fabric slightly to snug up the front bodices.
I would highly recommend this pattern although it is getting pretty old now.

Now here is my ` happy` problem` - I used up all my remnant knit but in buying the  teal mesh I asked for 1 1/2 metres but the sales assistant was very generous and gave me what was left on the roll - over 3 metres ! So now I have a remnant of the teal mesh and now I will have to buy more fabric to use up this remnant ! I know - lucky these are the `problems` I face.

Hope everyone is happy and healthy. Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 3343 - Dreaming of Roses Nightgown.

Not much really to say about a nightgown .
This is a birthday present for my mother-in-law as I know she needs these, so every few years I sew a new one. Hanger shots only - I have a sneaking suspicion that it would be hard to get my MIL to model this for the blog 8-).
My favourite pattern for nightgowns is Kwik Sew 3343.

I am on a roll sewing Kwik Sew Patterns .I have made this pattern several times. This pattern is quick and easy. It has a front and back lined yoke with a slightly gathered body . The lower armholes are finished with self made bias binding.   I used a predominately pink floral cotton on a beige background. The pattern says this nightgown takes 2.65m or 2 7/8 yards of 115cm wide ( 45") . I managed to sew this using only 1.9m or 2 1/8 yards by judicious pattern placement, eliminating the ruffle and using a small remnant to line the back and front yokes and make the lower armhole bias binding.

I added some really lovely vintage lace ( found at an op shop - 11metres for $8.00 ) to the front yoke - to make it easier to work out which is the front when one is bleary eyed and tired. Overall I highly recommend this pattern if you want to sew a night gown - it is quick. and simple. The instructions and drafting are excellent as per usual. The ways the yokes are made and finished is fantastic.
I`m happy for a quick and easy sew because my next project is more involved and I want to do the best job I can. I am sewing a semi-formal dress for my middle DD - she has an event in July so I have left plenty of time to make this. It is to be made of sheer, slippery off white textured chiffon with a large black repeating feather motif on it ( to be lined of course ) . I would take a photo but I have just pretreated the fabric and it is hanging in my shower drying.
Happy Sewing , Janine.

Kwik Sew 3422 - Ebony and Ivory Silver Anniversary Shirt.

A spruced up post title for a black and white striped shirt !
Good in some ways and bad in others , my wardrobe has reached saturation point. I have a handful of summer clothes I have not even worn and it seems that our summer weather is now truly over with all the rain and sadly flooding that is going on . That means I have turned my sewing attention to others and I completed a shirt for my husband.
The last time I sewed anything for my husband ( apart from repairs and hems ) was 25 years ago - hence the silver anniversary shirt. I was  about 19 at the time so had only been sewing occasionally ( during long school/ uni holidays ) for a a few years . He was only my boyfriend at the time but I sewed him a similar button front , collared striped cotton  shirt .However he told me it wasn`t very professional so he never really wore it.
Just to prove that I don`t hold onto grudges :) I decided to have another go at sewing for my now husband ! Now either my sewing skills have improved somewhat or my husband`s diplomacy skills have been refined but this time he said it looked professional and that he liked it and he wore it to work the very next day . ( I suspect that both the sewing and diplomacy skills have improved by the way ) .

I used Kwik Sew 3422 - a pattern for both long and short sleeved shirts with the option of either a one piece or two piece collar. It was printed in 2006 but is still in the current catalogue.
I really like how the front band is cut on - you turn the front band inside and then fold this under creating a self interfaced band with three layers of fabric - so easy -no separate interfacing involved here ( but you do interface the collar and collar stand ) . Also this pattern has a really neat yoke - I took pictures of the process and hopefully will be able to explain more next week  . The seam allowance is only 6mm which is really helpful in applying the collar nicely but I was not able to do flat felled seams with this small allowance so I used a mock flat felled seams instead when you just top stitch the seams on the outside. I was very careful to match up stripes with the pocket placement and where the yoke meets the sleeves. ( Ironically the yokes and sleeves stripes are slightly out despite trying very hard and using my unpicker three time but where I sewed the under and top collar the stripes match perfectly even though I didn`t try and no-one sees this bit .)
I used some shirting cotton that I bought while on holidays in Cairns 18 months ago ( see I had honorable intentions way before the quarter of a century was up ) that was really good  quality - it sewed easily and ironed up nice and crisp which really helps to improve the whole sewing experience.
I was quite chuffed that my husband really liked his shirt so I won`t wait another 25 years to make another one .The other good thing about man sewing is that I will only need the one shirt pattern to satisfy his shirt needs.  I really have to thank Karen of Kbenco because she inspired me to sew this - she makes divine shirts for her husband with really special extra touches .

Also  big shoutout to the Rosedale ASG ( Australian Sewing Guild) . Bruna thankyou so much for inviting me - I had alot of fun being around others who also love sewing and amazingly sewing was done amongst the chatter ! You are all an amazing talented bunch of sewists ( Bruna , Anne, Sue, Lorna and Barbara ) and I look forward to improving my skills and knowledge as well as your camaraderie.
My next project is a nightie for my mother-in-law so until then Cheers .

Kwik Sew 3670 - To Be or Not To Be.

That is the question and I just do not know the answer.
I am unsure if it is the pattern or the fabric or just both  that is not quite jelling with me. Here is the pattern below. 

Pattern front KS 3670 .

Pattern back showing up details.

KS 3670 is a tunic /top where the front and back yokes extend into slightly gathered sleeves with a narrow band. The front of the tunic extends up in a small rectangle which is gathered and sewn to the bottom inside edge of the front yoke forming a pleat. Because of that front pleat this patterns needs a very drapy fabric or else. I have too much grey hair now to be asked if I am expecting but I want to avoid the Irritable Bowel/ bloated look. The back neck is finished with self fabric bias binding. It looked quite an interesting pattern and I had nothing else like it in my wardrobe.

A close up of the front yoke , pleat and back bias binding.

   The fabric is a georgette - rectangles of yellow, black, fawn , olive green and white. I bought it from an Australian Ebay fabric store and I had thought the olive green was going to be grey although it is really hard to tell really. I was a bit disappointed when it arrived because of the colour discrepancies between computer moniters and real life. However it was one of those I don`t  have anything to lose  fabrics so it was perfect for trialling my new pattern. The fabric was moderately slippery but by using lots of pins and cutting carefully with sharp scissors it wasn`t too bad.
  The front yoke pattern piece is very interesting and confusing but of course by following the excellent instructions it all works out at the end. I doubled my fabric for the front and back yokes since my fabric is so sheer but this did nothing to aid in modesty as the yoke finishes above the bust line .However it did mean that I had no remnants left to feed that scrap bag ( which has a life of its own I am sure )  :) . 8 cms are allowed for this hem so I turned up the hem 4 cms and then another 4 cms and stitched. Overall the pattern is well drafted and the instructions are excellent as per usual with Kwik Sew.
 The tunic is relatively long and could even be worn as a short dress . I have only one suitable bottom piece of clothing to wear with this which is part of reason why I am unsure about this top although I have possible plans to make some slim fitting olive green linen pants . The photos look OK though so I think I will put this in that magic wardrobe made famous  by Mary Nanna and stew on it for a bit.
Any opinions good or bad  ( I won`t sulk - I think ) or styling suggestions would be welcomed.
Until next time , Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 3573 - My Sewing Bucket List.

I have been procrasting sewing my Liberty fabric as I am not entirely sure I want to make a dress. So instead I pulled out this pattern above  I bought last month and cut into some fabric I purchased  when we visited China in 2008. I was told it was silk at the time but having just bought some `genuine` Gucci handbags for my daughters for a few dollars I was quite cynical about this. However I loved the print and didn`t really care  . I bought some black  `satin` from Darn Cheap Fabrics in Melbourne recently to complete this top and as I was cutting into the fake satin I realised there was quite a difference between this and the satin from China. Shame on me! - it was real silk satin and I had just unknowingly ticked off one of my bucket list wishes - to sew a real silk satin piece of clothing. It was just as well I didn`t realise it was silk as this would still be folded up in my cupboard!

As per usual the Kwik Sew pattern was drafted beautifully and the instructions were so easy you could be half asleep and still do a really good job. It is a kimono styled top with a contrast sleeve and waist bands. There is some gentle gathering of the front and back pieces into the waist band and the neckline is finished with their wonderful bias binding / instructions. I am really happy with the result and I would highly recommend this pattern .  It just goes to show I shouldn`t be scared  to use my too precious fabric in case something goes wrong. Perhaps now I should look at that Liberty lawn and treat it  just as some cheap quilting cotton from Spotlight.

Back view showing the kimono type sleeves. I love how the wideness of the shoulders makes my waist and hips look small - it is not like that in real life .

There is something that amuses me about the last two patterns I have sewn. Usually burda necklines go down to your navel and Kwik Sew is quite demure. However the last Burda dress neckline was  conservative and this Kwik Sew Top does show alot ! Perhaps there were some pattern maker spooks who infiltrated Burda/ Kwik Sew camp . Anyway here`s to sewing our good stuff. Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 3474 - The Spring has Sprung Top

I finally finished my Kwik Sew blouse - I have learnt how to add a Pattern Review Widget so I have done a fairly complete review if anyone is interested. This top was super thrifty to sew - I found the pattern for only 20cents and the fabric was only a couple of dollars - the most expensive part of this project was the thread which I had to buy new  . So really there was nothing to lose with this top - especially as I broke the Kwik Sew rules and cut different sizes at different lines - small at the shoulders and sleeves and side seams and large at the front .
I love the wrap front of this and the side shaping and front ties and cuffs with slits . I dislike that there is nothing keeping the upper part of the blouse together so I added press studs This is completely necessary as any movements will cause major gaping at the top and a significant case of `Hello boys` or being charged by the police with exposure. I  also understitched the facings which Kwik Sew surprisingly didn`t include in their instructions - having said that, this pattern confirms that I do love Kwik Sew patterns .
I wasn`t completely happy with my upper press stud - it is tending to show so I will wear this with a brooch. Next time I make this I think I will add a button .
I have some lovely soft gold paisley embossed silk look fabric and I am debating making an evening version of this above pattern but I am just not sure yet.
Anyway spring has definitely sprung here - we have a new born lamb with hopefully a couple more to come and our chooks are laying 10 eggs a day and the wattles and native jasmine are blooming ( and I am sneezing !) . It is lovely here at the moment. Until next time ( another top on the way!) cheers Janine.

A Name Change

IMG_0880[1], a photo by JanineMcK on Flickr.
I have wanted to have a sewing blog for a long time but lack of computer skills and a touch of shyness stopped  me. Then my younger daughters showed me how to transfer images from the camera to the computer - I thought this was going to be hard !- and off I went. However I could only come up with the rather boring name Sew Janine. Today I created a new name which I think is rather appropriate.
Sutures is the medical term for stitches and interrupted sutures is a style of medical stitching.
I also wanted to add a photo of my next project. I had wished to sew the above Kwik Sew top with some light weight black silver brocade but did not have enough fabric to match the pattern which would have wrecked the whole thing so I am using some left over fabric from a skirt/top combination I made my Mum some time ago. I am now procastinating on marking the 6 darts involved ( my least favourite part of sewing after cutting out possibly ) . I hope this post works as I have had a heck of a time trying to get photo inserted and now I see after each m there is a funny gap. Cheers Janine.

Unidentical Twin Skirts

This is Kwik Sew 3364. I have just finished the grey ( winter ) version this long Easter weekend but the floral ( summer ) version was sewn last year in December. I LOVE THIS SKIRT - hence why I have made now 3 versions of this.

The grey above is a light weight wool blend fully lined.I found this at the opshop for only 10cents !!  The floral version is a stretch cotton.I bought this from Ebay but the print was larger than expected but I love the colours.  Both wovens ended up successfully with nice flippy sides.
The grey skirt will be a very welcome addition to my winter wardrobe as I only have about 12 winter weight `bottoms` ( so to speak ) to wear for work. Grey is such a versatile colour - it will go with all of my winter tops. I used a couple of newer techniques for me -I usually make a casing and then insert the elastic for the waist which sometimes ( OK - alot ) ends up with twisted elastic which is annoying. Kwik Sew has you stitch the elastic ends together and then fold the waist over this - much better end result. I also used my blindhem stitch which I probably don`t use as much as I should. I used my overlocker to roll hem the edge of the lining which I have only done 3 times before. Its good to practice these.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter. Cheers Janine   ( By the way that is my lovely dog Toby - a pomerian cross mystery dog. We got him from the pound - everyone calls him a girl because of that fluffy tail/bottom - but he doesnt mind. )

My Mother's Birthday Present

I have finally finished sewing this outfit for my mother with the exception of inserting the elastic since I have to measure her waist . I sewed Butterick jacket 4142 and Kwik Sew skirt 3364 out of a light weight crinkly fabric- a bit like cheesecloth but more substantial. The colour is a dark green/olive.
Just recently the health department of Australia wants to introduce plain packaged cigarettes - no logos at all on them - but with the gory pictures of all the terrible things cigarettes can do to you. They decided that the least desirable colour for the packaging was a dark olive green - hmmm - I `m not sure what this says about my choice of colour for this outfit but I know it suits my mother`s autumn colouring and she can add a pretty top to wear with this. The fabric was only $2.50 for 3.5 metres from the opshop  and it does feel very soft.
The Butterick pattern is OOP - dated 2004 and this was easy to sew. I did like the slit in the back and the mandarin collar but again I`m not sure if this is something that a certain deceased asian communist leader might have worn. Oh well. I know my Mum will like this.
The skirt pattern is Kwik Sew 3364 and I love this pattern . I have had this in my collection for a few years and until late last year I had never used the pattern - this is now the second time with the third one cut out ! I have now made this skirt in a bright summery stretch cotton, the above light weight green and the new one is cut out of a light weight grey wool blend. I really do recommend this pattern.
Well I am glad this is finished  in time and now I am off to sew a little bit more of my next skirt.
Cheers Janine

G`Day , Hello !

Hello there . My name is Janine and I obviously love sewing. I have been reading and loving reading others blogs for ages .For some strange reason yesterday I set up my own little blog and for some even stranger reason I have even written a blogpost- thanks to alot of help from my 11 year old daughter( who is also laughing at me too !) . I have been sewing for 30 Years !! but I am still very much a learner . Most of my shirts , skirts, dresses and nightwear are home sewn and I have done some pants and jackets.

For now I am going to start a skirt and blouse/jacket for my mother`s birthday in May - I am using Kwik Sew 3364 for the skirt  and the material above - some green lightweight crinkled `stuff` and a butter coloured lining .I am not fully decided on the jacket pattern .

I love Kwik Sew patterns. I have made this skirt once before from stretch cotton and it is a very nice flippy little skirt. I like the way the pattern teaches you to insert the elastic - no more twisted elastic ! The material all come from a local op shop -sometimes I find very nice pieces there and the above material only cost $3.50 for 2 1/2 metres of the green and 2.4 metres of the lining !

I hope to review another pattern McCalls 6110 - a maxi dress - made for my eldest daughter soon- when I can convince her to allow me to take a photo of her in it. I also hope to talk about some of my other sewing I have done in the past.Until then  Cheers. Janine