Show us what you've made!

[swingkitten85]

I made this blouse over the weekend using the Sencha pattern from Colette Patterns and the fabric from a rummage sale dress I bought a couple years ago. I love that the fabric reminds me of 40s novelty prints! I wrote a bit more about it on my blog here...

 

[goldwyn girl]

Jenniferose7, love it in the two different fabrics. It's never to early to think about the next season !
swingkitten85, very pretty blouse, I made a 40's blouse last week but I don't like it. I will look for a pattern like yours now !

 

[bettydarling]

A little refashion, from hideous ankle-length shapeless dress to something I'll actually wear. I'm slightly addicted to flutter sleeves!!

See the particulars on my blog, bettydarling.blogspot.com

Love your love letters blouse Casey, perfect for valentines!

 

[Lady Day]

Bettydarling, you look *adorable* in flutter sleeves!
I cant pull it off.

I didnt make this, but Miss Sis sent me a PM about it. They used my repo as their template. I was wowed. Took it down from a 46 bust to a 32.

LD

 

[kymeratale]

It works!

Well, I have been thinking about learning to sew for a bit now. I brought home my Mom's sewing machine after she died 5 years ago and it has just sat in the box in the basement.

I've been sitting with the whole idea of learning just to see if it would pass or if I really am interested. I realized that I am when I was putting together a costume for a storytelling event (I am a professional storyteller) this weekend. I had a bonnet I borrowed from a friend and it really needed a mob cap under it to complete the look. When I found myself plotting how I would go about making one and saying to myself how easy it would be, well... I was also plotting putting a bunch of fun different vintage buttons on a cardigan I got, but all the ones I wanted to use are too big for the button holes. So, I found myself wondering how hard it would be to enlarge the button holes.

So, I just went and dug out the box with the sewing machine, got it out and plugged it in. It still works! I wasn't sure it would because my Mom had hers and my grandmas and I knew one of them didn't work. I brought home the one I thought still worked and I was right.

I will need to take it in and get it serviced since it has sat for so long (and who knows how long it had been since my Mom used it.) I will also need to find someone to show me how it all works, threading, etc. But, it works! Yay! I love the idea of making stuff on the machine my Mom made stuff for me when I was a kid on.

 

[bettydarling]

Bettydarling, you look *adorable* in flutter sleeves!
I cant pull it off.

I didnt make this, but Miss Sis sent me a PM about it. They used my repo as their template. I was wowed. Took it down from a 46 bust to a 32.

LD

Thank you Lady D! That set is gorgeous, I love the lace straps, very authentic looking.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Well, I have been thinking about learning to sew for a bit now.

WARNING: When you learn to sew you will become hopelessly addicted.

Since we're having a thunder blizzard here and work was cancelled I got to finish up my dress:

From this pattern. I shortened it, sewed up most of the front, added a side zip, and used sleeves from another Hollywood pattern because they were missing (not what the Etsy listing said!!)

 

[swingkitten85]

WARNING: When you learn to sew you will become hopelessly addicted.

Since we're having a thunder blizzard here and work was cancelled I got to finish up my dress:

I love the colors, Amy Jeanne!

 

[Lady Day]

Cool stuff, ladies.
Finished another hat.

More info here

Yay sewing!

LD

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

Really cute, LD. I like the pleating detail on the side.

Is the "button" vintage too?

I'm curious. Do you make the hat and find the touches? Or do you find a great accent like that wooden bauble and find a hat design and fabric to set it off?

 

[Lady Day]

It depends. I generally make the hat first, then rummage through my gianormous box of vintage buttons to see what I can use. I have a bag of 'singles' I tend to sift through first before I take buttons off cards. Most of the decorations from my hats are from the singles baggie.

I do have this hat, that I completely *adore*, but I have NOTHING to wear with it. Everything I pair it with looks under dressed. Its so frustrating! lol So Im going to do a SWAP (Ive been reading about it) for this particular hat so I can actually wear it and not feel like an underdressed tool

LD

 

[swinggal]

I made this dress recently from a late 30s pattern a friend of mine sweetly sent me. Honestly, not too crazy about the fabric choice and how it jumbles up the tucking details, but silly ol' me just got too caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment and didn't think this one through. (Note to self: don't start sewing projects late at night!) Still, it's really comfortable and I've been trying to resist wearing it every-other-day. haha!

It's lovely SK, but yes, I would love to see you make a plain coloured one too, so we can see what all the details look like. The pleats etc are very cool.

 

[Lorena B]

Wow, so many darling new things!!!

 

[23SkidooWithYou]

It depends. I generally make the hat first, then rummage through my gianormous box of vintage buttons to see what I can use. I have a bag of 'singles' I tend to sift through first before I take buttons off cards. Most of the decorations from my hats are from the singles baggie.

I do have this hat, that I completely *adore*, but I have NOTHING to wear with it. Everything I pair it with looks under dressed. Its so frustrating! lol So Im going to do a SWAP (Ive been reading about it) for this particular hat so I can actually wear it and not feel like an underdressed tool

LD

Awesome hat, LD! I love the horse decoration...visions of Derby Days. When you find the perfect outfit, you have to show us the finished look.

 

[kamikat]

Nothing like a sewing project that turns out to be a failure to make you feel like you-know-what! I think I am ready to ask for advice. I've sewn for others, spent a good chunk of the 90's as a professional seamstress but when it comes to sewing for myself, I think I stink. Here's the major problem. I'm allergic to wool. Warm non-wool fabrics tend to be heavy. The muslin fit like a dream, but the heavy twill droops from the shoulders, so that the empire waist is several inches below the bust, the armhole is below my bra band and the waist hits me at the hips. It also grew around, so that while the muslin darts were snug to the waist, the twill is very baggy. On me, this dress looks like a sack. At this point, the best solution is to cut off the bodice and turn it into a skirt. What can I do in the future about growing fabrics? This has happened before and is the main reason I don't sew dresses in the winter.

 

[Lady Day]

Im sorry to hear of your personal sewing woes, but how did the fabric grow?
Does it have stretch? Cut on the bias?

Have you thought of using linen or a nice rayon as your staple fabric? I find I gauge fit if I have used the same type of fabric consistently.

LD

 

[kamikat]

Im sorry to hear of your personal sewing woes, but how did the fabric grow?
Does it have stretch? Cut on the bias?

Have you thought of using linen or a nice rayon as your staple fabric? I find I gauge fit if I have used the same type of fabric consistently.

LD

It's just a heavy 100% cotton twill. No lycra, no bias. I think the weight of the full skirt just pulls it all down. Just another reason to hate winter.

 

[Sickofitcindy]

I've never tried it but would twill tape help stablilize the seams?

 

[BoPeep]

Doesn't seem that we have the answers for you, kamikat. I know exactly how you feel though. We've all had wonderful visions in our heads and sometimes reality doesn't live up to it. I do have a pattern with a bias skirt that needs to hang a few days before being hemmed. But that doesn't really apply to your situation as you didn't do anything on the bias. For future projects, could you wash and hang your twill before you cut? I mean, let it hang folded on a hanger for several days? I'm just guessing here. I've only used twill in totes and throw pillows although I had plans to make come capris for this summer. I may think twice now!

 

[bunny chan]

I'm sorry for you kamikat. It must be sad to work hard on something you're not going to wear !

By the way, here is my first creation.

It was hard for me, but fortunatly my granny was great in helping (at the end she did the most, though !)...

I did the C version.

B.