My First Year Dressmaking.

I have for many years been a sewing crafter, presents, toys, useful things for the house, curtains ect, so I know I have a creative side but I think it had a rather long holiday. I must have needed a new challenge, in steps dressmaking! I bought myself a few patterns as a Christmas present for myself last year and my first item for a New Years party.

I still love and wear this loads! I was elated to have finished something that I really could wear, I have never been known for following instructions well or even completing things I start! So one challenge I am still able to say I have conquered.

With the dressmaking bug in full flow I knew from day one that I wanted a wardrobe made of self stitch stuff. I think I have done well with 20 items of clothing just for myself! Every new items was a challenge I truly learnt something new. I feel that my main concerns for dressmaking is making too much, once I have had a beginning of season flurry of activity I don't really need to do to much more, my aim is not to have bursting at the seems wardrobe, so I will be working harder at this next year.So here are a few of this years makes :

I have found the on line community invaluable, I started off with Sew Weekly challenges of which I think I have joined in about a dozen or so. I have loved the sew along and challenges that brings a lovely crowd together I have been involved in :

I also created my own little button and flickr group as a show case for everyone that made or refashioned their own clothes. I was really pleased with the response and felt inspired to do more in the future.

So what have I learnt? how do I feel about 2011, well, I know that being apart of a community or group really inspires me. I also feel that my ethos of having practical clothing or my own style is something I still am having to work on, including the quantity.I feel that this has been a missing link in my life and why did it take me so long to find!! I feel that my creativity has been reborn and this is just the beginning, so 2012 here we come!!

Last Offerings

I have finished my last Christmas present, which means I have been a true follower of the Crafty Christmas blog, which makes me smile :-)

Last offering is a bamboo handle bag, made for my Mum to put her crochet bits and bobs into!

A quick summary : thrifted vintage fabric in and out, design from a Molly Makes Magazine, although my bag seems a little longer so you can fit more in I suppose.

Merry Christmas everyone, hope you all get your crafty offerings done in time, only one more sleep you know!! x x x

The Joy of Sewing.

What ever I make, when ever I make it I really feel like I'm learning something. So today's lesson in the joy of sewing comes when you choose a pattern and fabric that you truly love it all seems to fall into place. I adore this pattern and have been waiting to make it up and having the nicest fabric, a little extra sewing was in store (even though the Christmas to do list is growing)!

When I was making this up I noticed that without a under lying agenda of time or occasion I was able to take my time and really enjoy what I was doing. Maybe all the little things just fell into place like having the right colour cotton, my making time wasn't just an allocated hour, with all this I relaxed and worked steadily.

So the photos are a bit rubbish and I'm standing in a weird way BUT, it's all about the dress, and I really like it, and of course being red it has a Christmas feel to it.

This will be the last dressmaking effort of 2011 and I'm pleased to be going out on a positive note rather than the past struggling efforts. Is anyone else still working on a Christmas or new years party number or are you feet up and enjoying a glass of mulled wine and mince pies? Either way, Happy Christmas to you all, and I'm really looking forward to the New Year. x x x

Such a cool idea.

                             A directory for us bloggers, what a great idea. pop over and join in
                            http://craftyrie.blogspot.com/2011/10/universal-craft-blog-directory.html



Christmas dress update (it's looking better)!

Thanks for the words of encouragement and I have taken some of your advice. So with minimum alterations for maxium impact I have added a cute little belt and halved the the length of the sleeves and : .................

not bad hey?

Everyone had some lovely idea and really did spur me on not to bin it. I also think Meg is so so right when she added you have to learn to love something, I'm not always totally impressed with what I make and I just couldn't waste all that time effort fabric and patterns just to bin it. So yes a smile has returned!

Thanks everyone. x x x

I hate my Christmas dress!

Well you should already know where I stand with this new dress, yes I hate it! I thought after a few Burda patterns which challenge my use of patterns a nice easy floaty Christmas dress would do the trick. WRONG!! OK, I chose this pattern :

I thought the little capt sleeves would be cute, after sevral efforts and resorting to the longer sleeves, third time lucky I got a pair. I made it up in bust38, so generous are the sizing's that I had to keep hacking away at all the excess. Well here we go

The neck line is stupidly big for me along with the big sleeves just looks silly. I thought the dress would look floaty but it's a bag! I have been trying to make it work that the pattern on the fabric is making me dizzy.

What am I going to do? I really will not wear this is this state and hate it so much that I don't even want to try to do anything else with it!

Do you love everything you make, how many big disasters have you made and what happens to them?

Pin Cushion Prize

I would like to thank Diane from http://margueritedesigns.blogspot.com/ . for here wonderful pin cushion that I won, along with pretty card full of sewing needles. Do have a look at her great site, Diane seems to be able to put her hand to anything!   I honestly don't have a pincushion and it has been on my must do someday list but now, well.....

Thank you, I love it. Christmas has come early.