Projects in progress and finished

It seems I’m quite attracted to doing more difficult or time consuming projects in the past months. Do you remember the coat I was working on? It’s not finished yet but I did make some progress. I stopped working on it a few weeks ago because I was not completely happy with it. In the meantime I concluded that my choice for the pattern/fabric combination is not the best one. It’s a classic coat and the fabric isn’t. With hindsight I think a wider/shorter coat would have been more appropriate. Too late for that now. I intend to finish it, but it still could take me a while. I was not happy with the idea of flap pockets in this fabric (it is thick!) and even though I sewed them with lining fabric on one side, I decided to use in seam pockets. It still needs sleeve heads, lining, finishing of the vent….

 

  

In the Canterbury weekend I started working on a jacket with a quilted lining. It’s more or less in the same state as when I went home. There hasn’t been a lot of time for sewing this week. On this I still have a lot of hand sewing to do. Having black lining does not make that task easier in the days with short natural light.

Another project I worked on but haven’t shown yet is completed. A blouse from silk that I bought during a meetup with Nancy.

 

I can’t remember the last time I worked with such a slippery, thin fabric. I started out without any pre-treatment and got crazy. I bought a spray starch then and used that, hoping it would all wash out without visible effect. It did luckily. The inside are all French seams (take my word for it). The pattern looks a lot like a Knip Mode pattern I have with this neckline. Also StyleArc’s Brenda blouse has a neckine like this. I did not use a commercial pattern but drafted my own, like I did for a blouse earlier this year. For the interfacing I used the perfect interfacing from Pam, Pro Sheer elegance. Highly recommend that for a silk like this (not affiliated, just a happy customer).

There might be some easy sewing in the next week or so, I feel like some instant gratification projects and gradually tackle my more difficult projects I have around.

Enough for the moment, have a lovely weekend all, and a good “Sinterklaas” to my Dutch readers.

A quick dress – Vogue 8946

Two weeks ago I made this dress. It was very, very quick to make and I would classify it as an instant gratification project. Bought the fabric, washed and dried it on the same day as cutting and sewing the dress. I’ve worn it a few times since already, definitely a winner for me.

Initially I planned to make it from a plain fabric as I thought the pattern lines would be more obvious which probably is true, but I chose to make it from this printed fabric anyhow. I can always make a plain version later.

I did not line the dress and did not use a zipper. It’s a stretch fabric and a wide neckline. No need for a zipper. If I were to line it I would most likely use a lining with stretch too, with no need to insert a zipper.

I made the neckline a bit deeper and finished it with a strip of fabric as is usually done in t-shirts. By experience from former Vogue patterns and a bit of measuring I cut out a size 12 in the shoulders, tapering to 14 at bust height and adding a bit extra to the hip to the size 16. Which is all smaller than the sizes I should have used if I would have taken the size chart. Then I should have started with a size 16 for the bust. It would have been a sack on me. This is just right and I even used a two way stretch fabric instead of the recommended four way stretch.

I’m quite pleased with the result and might make another one soon.

Would love this scenery in the background every day!