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Messages - DementedFairy

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1
Patterns Discussion / Re: McCall's 7848
« on: April 11, 2023, 18:31:25 PM »
Not only a couple of rather stoosh coats, but I just forced myself to get on with three small jobs from the crate of shame that have been waiting for years to be tackled- an unravelled narrow hem on a favourite skirt, finishing the waistband on one of those never-finished-items from my last SWAP collection [ a gorgeous red linen iteration of a favourite Vogue pattern, V8750-or was it 8858?  Dunno, they are rather similar!], and put a reinforcing tape into the waistline of a pair of D's jeans after she'd unwisely cut off the waistband [I could have told her THAT was asking for trouble]
Of course none of these took more than ten minutes to complete, but I really do HATE repairs and such.
The red skirt was not finished because of the general eyesight and stress issues I had due to COVID lockdown. 
Here are a couple of links to the blog posts I did back then.  All the items I managed to complete are in pretty heavy rotation, which is great, as it was meant to be a SWAP that dealt with some basic wardrobe gaps.
https://thedementedfairy.wordpress.com/2020/02/10/making-the-cut-more-swap-2020-prep/...and another...

2
Patterns Discussion / Re: McCall's 7848
« on: April 11, 2023, 16:53:56 PM »
Success! I learned several new Spanish words although I'm dubious as to their usefulness lol

The coat turned out great, and now the sewing room is COVERED in black wool fibres again.

Now to clear a backlog of partially completed items and a few repairs/alterations.  I may even revive my blog at this rate...

3
Patterns Discussion / Re: McCall's 7848
« on: April 08, 2023, 21:46:55 PM »
Lovely pattern & lovely to hear from you @DementedFairy .  I can try to decipher the Spanish for you - no promises as I'm a bit rusty!

Very kind, but eventually common sense and Google did the job lol

It should be finished tomorrow...

4
Patterns Discussion / Re: McCall's 7848
« on: April 08, 2023, 19:20:43 PM »
No, sorry. I checked but nipped in waistline and I no longer mix.  :cry: Nice to see you working on a project @DementedFairy .

Waistline?  What's that.  No, this is well altered to fit my barrel shape, I wear the red version ALL the time in cold weather, it keeps out all playground winds!

5
Patterns Discussion / McCall's 7848
« on: April 08, 2023, 18:43:55 PM »
HELLLLLP!  EMERGENCY!



I've just got round to making a coat for the missus, TWO YEARS after I intended to, and now making my own.  It's the nicely adapted pattern I used four years ago for my red cashmere coat and all is well...BUT...
I haven't got all the instruction sheets, just page 1, and the last page, which is mostly Spanish.

There's a couple of points I want to check before finishing it, and google translate isn't up to it lol.  Has anyone got this pattern that could help me out with a scan of the instruction sheets?

the coat pattern

6
In the wardrobe / Re: SWAP (Sewing With a Plan) : 2004-current
« on: January 02, 2023, 13:28:11 PM »
Good to hear from you @DementedFairy and sorry to learn that you”ve been poorly and hope you’re on the mend.

Feeling absolutely RUBBISH tbh, two weeks and counting now.  Dammit.  It's been a VERY long time since I last had flu, this could be another couple of weeks yet til I get my strength back.
Still wake up every day hoping to do some sewing lol

7
In the wardrobe / Re: SWAP (Sewing With a Plan) : 2004-current
« on: January 01, 2023, 22:30:34 PM »
Hi all!  Just popped by to see if there's a SWAP planned for this year. Looks like there isn't?  I've enjoyed several of these, [including my fave- the steampunk one] but unfortunately didn't complete the last one as Bell's palsy destroyed my eyesight partway through...it was inspired by Gentleman Jack, mostly black and white, with a focus on interesting sleeves.
I regularly wear the two black shirts I completed, and a couple of polo neck tops also got completed.  My fanciest item, a shirt with rose sleeves, is still part completed, but has started to wave at me now my eyes are fixed.
I was going to do all sorts over the Xmas break, but have been laid low with a horrible flu [not Covid], and still feel weak as a kitten.
I've got several things cut out ready to sew, some from a couple of years back, sitting untouched, and a tiny pile of sweaters/sweatshirts I've managed to cut out more recently.  Lots of glorious impulse-buy fabrics just waiting for me to match them to a purpose as well.  AND I bought fabrics for a coat each for me and the missus, but haven't had the energy to get them cut out yet.  Maybe some nice slow underlining/interfacing would be a good lead in to getting the sewjo back again?

Anyone got interesting plans for some new year sewing?

8
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: September 04, 2022, 11:04:31 AM »
Thanks all!

I hadn't even noticed the fortuitous flowers lol

I'll tog back up in a day or so and get some more pics, might even do a blog post woohoo

I had taken a pic of the missus, but must not have clicked right [new camera, that's my excuse]

The haircut is courtesy of the missus- I got her to have a go during lockdown, and she's getting quite proficient I think!

9
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: September 04, 2022, 10:20:14 AM »
The wedding was yesterday, and was lovely...apart from my 84 year old ma taking a fall from her chair, and bashing her head.  She's OK, and was looked after beautifully because half the guests are medics, and we had a lovely paramedic on hand instantly.
I had quite a few compliments on my dress [and D's outfit as I'd also made that a while back]
The silks behaved beautifully together, I was madly comfortable as that dress is like wearing a nightie lol
I posed for the missus to take a pic, and backed off so she could get full length...and then she zoomed back in lol so you can barely see the shoes!
They were also very comfortable, but the heels were TRASHED by the gravel outside the venue where we were having photos.
And thereby hangs a tale:  I have used the same shoe repairer for a very very long time, he is totally reliable BUT we moved to the other side of the city 8 years ago, and D only goes over there once a week to see her mum on Fridays.  We decided not to risk taking the shoes in case he couldn't do them immediately, so went to the local Timpsons.
They charged an absolute FORTUNE and were asked for a non slip sole and new heel taps.  There was little show of wear on these almost-new shoes, but it makes sense to do the whole job in one.  For stiletto heels, my fave shoe repair guy has ALWAYS used the denser rubber, to last longer.
When the missus collected them from Timpsons, he had decided off his own bat to NOT replace the heels as 'they didn't need it' while also saying that the heels would be 'free' when the soles were done.
The rubber must have been very soft indeed, as by the time I got back inside from the photo session, one rubber heel was already almost torn off, and by the end of the evening both were gone and I was walking on the nails...
I'm furious as there is of course now some damage to the fabric covering the heel as well.
So instead of taking today easy, we need to go to Timpsons and make a fuss...I don't want them to do the repair, I want at least a partial refund, and will get the trusted cobbler to fix the damage.
Bugger!
Anyway, here's me feeling grand in my posh frock with another lucky find- a very well-matched suede bag!


10
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: September 01, 2022, 11:10:52 AM »
Welcome back @DementedFairy .  Looking forward to seeing your makes.  Probably way too late but I would do a separate lining, joined at the arms and neck but do it A-line so that it doesn't interfere with the main dress bunching bits (that definitely is a technical term  :P )

Hiya!  I went with underlining as the georgette and habotai are SO light I didn't foresee any draping issues.  Took a lot of handsewing/basting to get it all behaving, and I discarded the sleeve idea as it looked horrible on me.  It is FAB though, and I'm looking forward to wearing it on Saturday.  Pics soon now my new camera AND its required memory card are behaving better lol

11
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: August 29, 2022, 10:59:36 AM »
Hello dear lady - lovely to have you back! Isn't someone else on here making that very dress at the mo and has had a prob with the side seam dropping where the flounce is?  Yes, it's @Ohsewsimple . Personally I not a fan of flutter sleeves in general - I think they can be aging and I need to help in that direction. I've tried many variations/ lengths but have always ripped em out and just used a bound armhole.

...which is what I ended up doing lol.  O ordered a couple of pashminas from ebay as a cover up if needed, then found I have a PERFECT one already.  Pity the hat I wanted to wear doesn't work with it but hey ho, there's enough happiness in those shoes to last me AGES

12
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: August 25, 2022, 11:05:36 AM »
Ooh! Welcome back @DementedFairy . Good news about the eyesight. Not sure about the lining but I think cap sleeves would look better than flutter. Hope you'll be staying!

Thanks!

I actually found an old pattern with a sort of not-cap but not-flutter slightly drapey sleeve so I went with that...but I'm not 100% sure so I'll baste them in and try on before committing.  There's JUST enough fabric left to go with several options, so it's wait and see.


I've gone with underlining, so sat basting one of the huge pieces carefully together yesterday.  Should be try-on-able later today...

13
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: August 24, 2022, 13:21:51 PM »

I'm not sure that flat lining would work with those drapes.  Would it work if you flat-lined the bodice and made a loose lining for the skirt but just gathered at the waist and not shaped and draped as the top payer will be?
[/quote]

There isn't really a waist- those ties go through a couple of pleated sections with a buttonhole, the dress itself is just two pieces, front and back.  I'm currently deciding between cap or smallish flutter sleeves...and looking for a simple free pattern or drafting instructions lol cba doing anything more complicated!

14
Fun with Fabric / Re: Underline or line?
« on: August 23, 2022, 18:30:48 PM »
I wear it full length- the other versions I tried with the first two dresses I made, they don't suit me [I'm too short]

15
Fun with Fabric / Underline or line?
« on: August 23, 2022, 17:26:30 PM »
She's back!
The eyesight has settled down pretty well, at least for near-to-mid distances, so I finally cleared up 2 years' worth of dumping and disaster in the sewing room, and got myself in order.
I've started slowly, doing some alterations to the wife's shirts that have been lying there pinned to shape for AGES, and a little hand sewing to repair my 'Anne Lister' pelisse from two years back [one or two of the  sleeve trim bows had fallen off]
All is good.
So then I made a set of throw cushions for the lovely outdoor seating area the missus made, and trimmed them with oddments of black lace and ribbon from stash.
I hemmed some lengths of diaphanous poly lining to use as curtains/sails on said seating area if required...and then got PROPERLY back into mojo-land!
My favourite niece is getting wed in a couple of weeks, and although I was not back in sewing land early enough to make the bridesmaids' dresses as hoped, I AM OK to make myself a new dress.  Yay!

So I went searching online, knowing I wanted something silk and floaty, but that time constraints require it to be dead simple.  And green.  Because.
The first fabric turned out to be a bloody poly fake, sold as silk, so I'm fighting to get money back from that...and off I hunted again.

 I indulged in this gorgeous shot silk georgette from cheap fabrics online   It's floaty and diaphanous, and even nicer than it looks in the pic.  It also[joy of joys] tones with the glam hat I bought for DD's wedding [and it never got worn, long story]

Knowing it would be very lightweight I also bought yardage of some ivory silk habotai.

I've plumped for my favourite go to simple dress, Vogue 1410, by Lynn Mizono.  I have about 5 of these, and wear them to death.

It's all cut out and ready to go BUT

Shall I flatline the two fabrics together and treat as one, or make up the habotai separately, join at neck and armhole only, and leave the hem loose?

I'm debating adding a small flutter/cap sleeve, just to change it up a bit.

Opinions please?-  I'll be sewing this up tomorrow, so don't think for too long!


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