#1 Indigotiger's entrymade a blouse, using Heather Ross animal-printed cotton "West Hills Ponies"
Pattern used:La Fred's (original, now OOP) Athena Blouse pattern
A short description on how you made it/problems overcome/etc: I reshaped collar tips from pointed to scalloped, FBA to reshape front, added back yoke and additional width across back pleated into yoke for greater arm freedom of movement forward, added peplum to increase hip width, extended sleeves to mid-length, added cuff bands)
blouse on hanger
blouse as worn
#2 Baja Susana’s entry Baja Susana has entered the contest!
This is my entry #1. I may enter a second item.I just accepted an offer on my house and may not have time to sew anything else.
The pattern is Lutterloh supplement 315 pattern 125 from the most recent release.
I am also showing off my label sewn into the side of the contrast trim.
It is a duster length vest with a gathered blouson waist and contrast trim. It also is pictured with patch pockets. I did not like the look of the pockets , so I left them off.
The main purple and black "cheetah" print is a poly chiffon. The contrast trim ois a cotton Lycra knit. I chose it because it would give a crisper finish and keep the vest from looking like a sack.
Here are views of the finished garment that is perfect for wearing with jeans . The vest ups the style of the jeans but is not heavy and stiff for shopping. (note:Sears is a high end store here)
And with a change of clothes to elegant black and the addition of a scarf this vest becomes high style and ready for cocktails at 8:00.
The bodice and skirt are both gathered and with the addition of a belt it becomes a blouson. This is not my favorite look. But I have shown it above belted to illustrate the blouson effect.
Here are a back and side view to show the gathers.
I basted all of the seams and then used a four thread overlock stitch on my serger. To finish the armholes, hem and scarf I used a narrow rolled hem. Since I did not have any French nuns around to hand stitch the hems, I used the rolled hem foot on my sewing machine to finish the armholes, hem and scarf. Once you master this technique it is so much fun to do. This is a more professional and higher end finish than a rolled hem on a serger. Here is an image of the vest armhole and a closeup of the stitching. And I would have lost time liberating the nuns from their heavy, hot habits, and sticking them in bikinis and teaching them to surf!
I am very pleased with this garment. I am going to a fancy fundraiser for our dog rescue and I shall wear it.
I really had no issues with this project. The polychiffon could have been a nightmare, but it was very cooperative.
This appears to be a simple garment, but it took a lot of time. I sewed slowly to keep the fabric under control.
I uses the straight stitch needle plate on my machine. that eliminated the machine gobbling up the fabric at the start of a seam.
I hope that you like my vest as well as I!
#3 Renita’s entryThe Super-Wild Brunch Coat/House Coat/Robe?
Pattern & Fabric Used: The pattern is Style 2254, which I originally used for a school project back in (don't laugh) the 80s - possibly out of print now?
The fabric is a crazy (for me) silk-blend with cream satin and chocolate burn-out sections in a zebra stripe pattern, then over-printed with all sorts of animal prints in a variety of colours - browns, pinks and jungle green. It is not my usually cup-of-tea, but at the time of purchase I thought the fabric was in my colours, I should be brave and it might be good for a scarf. The satin sections make it sit/hang really oddly, for that purpose, so instead I'm going for the glamour of a satin robe-y thing. Something to wear in the house. I'm too shy to wear something like this in public.
Construction:
I pretty much
followed the directions altered everything.
-Narrowed the shoulders by about 5cm and took up the sleeves by 20-25cm, so that it wouldn't hang off my shoulder so far and would finish just below the elbow.
-Used french seams.
-Rather than apply a wide lace trim, as per the instructions, I went for a simpler (style-wise) bias bound edge at the front - I wanted something that didn't clash with the fabric. And the sleeves just got a simple turned hem.
Challenges:
-Slippery fabric that went from open mesh to a firm satin made sewing anything resembling a straight line impossible. Even when pressed before-hand, my hems seem to wobble all over the place. I'm sure there's some orientation where they're straight - they may just never achieve that orientation again...
-Wearing something that is so glamorous will be a challenge. I feel I should have a pair of high-heeled slippers at the very least. Or a swimming costume, big hat, sunglasses and high-heels. And a pool. In Hollywood. It's great for twirling though.
It makes me giggle. I wore my satin nightie and this robe all day once I finished it, just so I could keep giggling.
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(ETA: For modesty's sake, I'm not modelling it with my nightie - you don't need to be subjected to my knees. I'm wearing it over my brown linen dress from SWAKOP)
#4 Ann’s entryThe Wave Pocket Market TotePattern Used
The free pattern was found sometime ago at
Sew4HomeThe fabric used was bought at a local quilt shop. I found the cat fabric and then laid fabrics with it until I got what I wanted. The fabric for the piping was from the stash.
A short description on how you made it/problems overcome/etc.
I followed the instructions but did not want 4 small pockets on the front. I did three and put a snap to close the larger center pocket on the front of the bag. The pocket has sewn divisions which made it easy to change from 4 to 3.
The inside of the bag has a pocket in it which is a nice addition.
I followed the remaining instructions carefully until I got to the handles. They were not finished to my standards so I made my own handles. I did attach them as per the instructions.
Two things I would do differently the next time are:
- Interface the front pockets with shirt weight interfacing rather than fleece
- Do the handles 4" wide and fold until 1" wide. This makes the handles finished rather than showing interfacing on the wrong side of the handles.
#5 BrendaP's Entry Dolphin print fleece hoodie jacket
Pattern used New Look 6142. Chosen partly because it has few construction seams to interfere with the printed design and partly because I already had it. A unisex pattern which needed a bit of tweeking to get the shoulders to fit.
A short description on how you made it/problems overcome/etc.I cut the pieces one at a time to get the best placement of the dolphins and omitted the pockets because there wasn't enough fabric to pattern match and it would have looked dreadful if not matched.
I ummed and ahhed as to the best way to cut the hood, and decided to have it 'upside-down' so that it was light-to-light at the neck seam.
Construction was done on the overlocker - a doddle to do.
. Raw edges were neatened with the overlocker and then topstitched using a regular straight stitch. It needed several changes of colour; cream for the hood, black for the sleeves and bottom and both for the zip.
I bought something called anorak cord for the drawstring but it's quite flimsy and I might change it for something a bit more substantial. The pattern didn't say to use a cord in the lower hem s I didn't, but if I do change the cord in the hood I will buy enough to do both as it feels a little 'unfinished' without the lower cord.
I've been wearing it most of the afternoon - we went for a pub Sunday lunch - and I felt comfortable wearing it.
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#6 SewRuthieSews’ entryI used the sewing pattern from
Prima Magazine May 2010 as my starting point. I chose the top length but the dress sleeves. I used fold over elastic on the neckband instead of bias binding. I constructed in a different order and pleated the sleeves into the cuffs (which I made wider) rather than gathering them. I omitted the back waist darts, but cut the back with a centre seam.
It is a lovely soft blouse, which although I've sewn it in January should be great to wear to work on hot days in the summer.
#7 Goth Gardiner’s 1st entryPattern was self-drafted many years ago.
Fabric was 1m of "scardey cat" from funki fabrics.
This fabric was quite thick with less stretch than I've used previously. I should have made the pattern a bit bigger, but it's not tight enough that I feel inclined to unpick it. Sleeves with that rouching mean that my fat arms are hidden, and that I don't need to worry about pattern matching.
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#8 Goth Gardiner’s 2nd entryPattern; self-drafted. Top taken from a TnT pattern, but changed to dropped shoulders, neckline lowered and made a bit bigger (as previous entry was a bit tight). Skirt was a self-drafted handkerchief skirt.
Fabric, another one from funki fabrics.
As I had 1.25m of this for some reason I decided to make a dress, as most of my dresses are a bit work-formal, and I want some more casual ones.
This needed a lot of amendments. I made the top too big - hence the pleats at the waist. I decided that I didn't need to pattern match as so many rtw dresses don't - and I'm not happy about the lack of matching. I'd forgotten that handkerchief skirts show the wrong side of the fabric; so I did a deep hem. It was too short, so I added another "handkerchief" of a thick black mesh - this is the "shadow" you can see on the right-hand side and at the front.
I'm not unhappy with it when compared to a rtw frock in the kind of shop that would sell such a style, but it's really not up to my usual standard.
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#9 Samtowanda’s 1st entry[/url]]
[/url] I'm introverted so I usually just follow the different contests. This one inspired me to join in. This is a wrap top that was drafted using a computer drafting program. The fabric has sitting on the shelves for a few years. I had planned on using it last year but that didn't happen. I wanted to make a dress when I pulled out the fabric but I didn't have enough so I ended making a wrap top. I had enough fabric leftover to make a camisole.
Sewing the pattern was pretty straightforward since I previously worked out most of my fitting issues. I always have to make a rounded back adjustment. When I finished the top I had not decided on how to finish the ties. After I took the picture, I cut the ties and tied each end in a knot. The camisole is just waiting for someone to help me with placement of the back straps.
This challenge inspired me to pull a few animal prints out of the fabric collection.
#10 Fabric Lover’s entryPattern used: I used the Closet Case Kalle shirt, with the sleeve expansion.
I originally made the shirt dress but after I’d worn it over black tights, I decided that as my legs were so cold ( it was a very cold day!) I would wear it more if it were tunic length so shortened it accordingly.
Problems encountered: The main problem was that I found the fabric, which is a crepe georgette, difficult to work with on certain elements. This really presented an issue when I came to do the sleeve placket - the fabric just would not behave! When I’d completed this, I really wasn’t happy with the way it looked so took it out and redid it as a continuous lap. It’s still not quite as good as I would like it but I learned some very useful lessons which I can apply next time!
#11 Samtowanda's 2nd entry[ftp][/
snakeskin print top by
Life is sew sew good, on Flickrftp]
There were a few issues with the fabric and the pattern. This is another top that was computer drafted. The program drafts all flare at the side seams instead of it being distributed throughout the body of the garment. I ended up slashing and spreading the original pattern to get the flare where I wanted. I used the sewing machine for the shoulder seams and the bust darts. The rest of the sewing was on the serger. I used the coverstitch for the hems.
My other issue is that I cut the neck binding too wide. It ended up being floppy after I stitched it down. I didn't have enough scraps to cut another one so I just folding the original binding over and stitched it down. Pattern matching went out the window because I didn't have enough fabric. I was annoyed but it's so busy that it doesn't bother me. The colors are richer in person. All in all, I'm happy with how this top turned out.
#12 Helen M’s entry.Simple Sew Cocoon dress which came with a sewing magazine.
The fabric is a ponte look but is more a fine knit matelasse with a plain backing. It’s been in my stash since 2015 when I bought it on holiday in Texas from the now defunct Hancock's.
A fairly easy make, although I don’t know why there is a front centre seam. It is on the grain and just made pattern matching a bit of a devil! I found a the 5/8 seam allowance a bit annoying and it seemed huge having sewn with 3/8 and 1/4 in most of what I’ve sewn of late.
I raised the pocket height 1” as I’m only 5’1”. The pattern said to use bias binding for sleeve turnings, I just turned under and hand sewed to finish, the same with the hem.
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#13 Toileandtrouble’s entryA t-shirt using Vogue 8151. Today's Fit, by Sandra Betzina, looks as if it is now OOP, but Amazon seem to have some. The fabric is a fun print from Fabworks. Not 100% cotton but it feels nice.
I made version B. Inside, they show an option to add ties at the neck, which I did. The dart was dropped 2cm, next time might take it 1cm lower.
Got a bit confused with the seam allowances because I wanted to do it mostly on the overlocker directly.
The fiddly part was getting my owls in a line. Anyone who has tried ducks in a row ought to try this. I wanted to leave a plain edge below a row of upright owls. Fair bit of time moving the fold over to one side to leave a wide piece to cut out the sleeves, matching the back lines to the front at the bottom, and choosing the place to position the owls on the sleeves. Actual construction was pretty quick, apart from the hemming. Next time I will shorten the neck band a tad, think the seam allowance was not trimmed enough, also the ties seem too narrow for my taste and a bit far apart. Otherwise, I am pretty pleased, especially the fitting given by the dart.
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#14 Sakar’s entryBag for toy animals
A nice bag for DS's toy animals.
I didn't use a specific pattern, I just used fabrics leftovers which I found at home, added a zipper and a handle.
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