Colette Patterns Myrtle Dress

Back in 2014 I made a slew of  Colette Patterns Myrtle Dresses trying to get the fit right on me with the main issue being armholes that were too high and too small; and the back neckline would stretch out. I finally got a wearable dress in the end but shipped it off to a charity donation for some inexplicable reason as I really liked it?

When I was rummaging through my stash cupboard recently I rediscovered this light-weight Polyester Elastane from Lincraft (bought back in the good-old-days when they had a bricks and mortar store in Parramatta). I think I purchased it for an Ebony Tee but as luck would have it I had enough to make a dress. I think this fabric is pretty ugly to be honest but it transformed itself into something not-too-bad once sewn into garment. 

I decided to make the bodice of dress, just to see if I was happy with my adjustments from 2014 and to see if it still fit me. I did have a slight mishap with the overlocker but recovered from that, took a deep breathe and moved on. I added 1"of length to bodice and mucked around with the armhole depth a bit more. This is the size XL with an inch added to the bodice. Fits. Happy. 

After a bit of lunchtime and after-work sewing I had the full dress nearly complete - but it sat with the hem undone for quite a few weeks. I wanted to do a rolled hem on the overlocker but resisted as I didn't want to faff around changing my overlocker settings. I'm sure we all know that feeling.

Took a few goes with various elastics to get to where it's comfortable at the waist. I'm glad I added some length to the bodice as other versions have always felt a bit too short. 

After procrastinating for a few weeks I did finally hem this dress. I did do a "proper" hem to start but it was B.A.D (wonky and wobbly - which probably would've been OK if the dress was black as it would've hidden my mess). Fiddled around for ages to get the rolled hem on my overlocker looking good and then had to do it twice as I missed a bit a left a hole. But it's done and I like it...

I have this dress now nicely folded on a shelf in my wardrobe. I'm super worried about the back neckline stretching out like it has before so better to be safe than sorry as I really like this dress! 

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Pattern: Myrtle Dress by Colette Patterns
Size: XL
Modifications: Armholes changed to Size L; and then lowered at the arm pit by 1cm.
Fabric: Polyester Elastaine from Lincraft (the same print I made my very first, too small, Myrtle out of).
Changes for next time: None, though I'd like to try it in a "not" polyester elastaine.

Another Megan Neilsen #VeronikaSkirt

I first made this pattern (Megan Nielsen's Veronika Skirt) back in September 2017. Not sure why I waited so long to make another as it's a simple make, it fits and is a useful piece to have in the wardrobe??


You may recongise this fabric - I made a Simplicy 1366 dress-hack out of it back in August 2017. I LOVED the fabric so much but actually never ever wore the dress as it just felt...off to me. I think it was the fabric - it works well as a skirt, but a 95% polyester dress #abortmission! I had also made that dress a fraction too long and just could not be bothered to rehem it.

Anyhoo - I wore this to work the day after I made it. I LOVED it and felt really great in it but a few colleagues didn't think so highly of it...so now I'm doubting it; and feel a bit too self-conscious about it to wear it to work again. I don't understand the problem as the fabric is so cool; and the shape is great. Does it look overly home-eccy because I didn't hem it? I guess that's a lesson that if you don't want to know the answer (do you like my skirt?) don't ask the question. 

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Pattern: Megan Nielsen's Veronika Skirt 
Size: size XL
Modifications: added 1" to the length
Fabric: Printed Mercury Jersey Fabric from Lincraft (95% Polyester, 5% Spandex)
Changes for next time: none 

Giant (?) crocheted t-shirt yarn bathmat

I have to say that I'm just a big fond the Spaghetti Yarn section at Lincraft! And my local store seems to have a GREAT variety of colours and patterns on offer. It does make deciding what to buy for projects somewhat difficult (a nice problem to have).

After I had taken the Crochet Basket class at Workshop I had my mind set on making a bathmat out of the same type of yarn. Never mind that a circle shape mat wouldn't really fit the floor space in our bathroom.

I decided that I needed a pattern for the rug (even though I really did - I could've used the basket pattern) so I found one online at Chompa Handmade. I really only used it to get started however as I adjusted things as I went to try and avoid some of the buckling that you can see happening below (I think that means I've increased things too fast)? The rug is as big as all the yarn I had -- I didn't want any scraps left over.

Ta da - bathmat in situ!

This thing has been in constant use since I finished it and the rippling has smoothed from us standing on it every day. I would definitely like to make another one at some point in the not-to-distant future.

Put a bird on it - Simplicity 1336

Firstly, are you as gobsmacked as I am that I found this beautiful fabric at Lincraft? I mean, they do have some nice fabrics from time to time but it's a bit hit and miss. This coupled with how messy they fabric section of their stores can get means I don't go in as often as I used to. I popped into my local store a few weeks ago when I was having my car fixed next door and...jackpot! This fabric is SO pretty and reminds of a Leona Edmiston print.

At first I thought I might make this fabric into another Ebony Tee or even a McCall's 6886 dress but in the end I went with my trusty Simplicity 1366 top lengthened into a dress. The fabric is fairly draprey so I think this is most successful top to dress hack so far. The sleeve heads sit nicely - up until now they've been a bit lumpy bumpy and I guess that is due to fabric choice. 

I'm just not *quite* sure about the length of the dress - it feels like it should be an inch shorter as I think it looks a bit dowdy in this length. I'm thinking about unpicking the hem and lopping of an inch and re-hemming but I just know it won't be as nice and straight as it is nice. Whilst I say I'd like to do this I'm pretty lazy so I really doubt I'll go through with it.

And, the back view! There's less pooling above my butt than normal but again I'm guessing this is down to the fabrics drape.

Attaching the neckline is still the moment in sewing where I hold my breath and hope like hell it all turns out OK. This time it did - phew! I've been using the "jewel neckband" from the Closet Casefiles Ebony Tee (size 20 neckband) as I like that it's wide, ergo, somewhat less fiddly to fold over and attach.

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Pattern: Simplicity 1366
Size: 18
Modifications Dress:  added 17.5" to the length of the top, added 1cm to both the side of the front and back neckline and dropped the front neckline a bit. Shortened the sleeves by 5cm. Took 1cm off the CB fold. 
Fabric: Printed Mercury Jersey Fabric from Lincraft (95% Polyester, 5% Spandex)
Changes for next time: nada 

A GIANT granny square blanket

After my Learn to Crochet class at Sew Make Create I got straight onto making a GIANT granny square blanket. I have one that my mother made when I lived with her and I've always wanted to make one of my own...and now I can!

For some reason now unknown to me I had two balls of this wool at home from Lincraft (probably bought for weaving)...it's a lovely variegated (?) blend (50% Acrylic; 47% Wool and 3% Polyester) with a metallic-look yarn mixed in. Of course two balls is not enough to make a blanket so I ordered eight more online from Lincraft (all they had left in stock). Yeah...that's STILL not enough so I bought MORE from Lincraft in Parramatta and then Castle Hill. I think I had 56 balls in total. 

Needless to say I had WAY too much wool and have enough left over to make a second blanket later down the track. 

I started this blanket in April after my class and finished it in June. As the blanket got bigger my crocheting waned but I got there in the end. It was nice to sit on the couch and crochet under the blanket once it got bigger.

I am yet to "edge" the blanket but have decided to put it on my bed whilst the weather is still cool enough for a blanket. It feels my double bed well and I LOVE it!

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Crochet baskets - another class

I know that I *just* did a class on making crochet baskets but I didn't feel that I got everything out of it that I needed to make awesome baskets. I did hesitate quite a bit about booking another same-same class but I'm glad I took this one at Workshop in Redfern on Saturday as I walked about with some new skills to make more professional looking baskets...and a new obsession!

The class is taught by Amy from The Knot Collective - she was a great teacher and very patient. We got to choose what size basket to make (small, medium or large) and I think nearly everyone in the class went with the medium size. I really love the handles on the baskets she brought as examples so we got to make those as well - they are so much more simple than I had thought!

The class went for four hours and I remember thinking when I booked it that that is a VERY long time. It's not! We all finished our baskets but worked right up until the last minute. The yarn (t-shirt yarn) was very thick and the hook was a mammoth size 15 -- so it was slow going as the hands get very tired.

Below is my finished basket - I LOVE it! I love the handles and I love that we learned how to turn the work so there is a distinct base and walls. I think it looks pretty professional and am totally going to give up my day job now to open an ETSY store selling baskets. I wish!

Here we all our with our finished baskets....I love how they are all same same but different.

As soon as I got home I whipped out the Spaghetti Yarn I bought from Lincraft after my last class and got stuck right into making another basket. I wanted to practice the "magic circle" technique used to start the basket as well as turning from the base up to the walls. Needless to say I LOVE THIS BASKET!

We were also shown in class how to change colours so I wanted to practice that too - it's something that will come in handy with the rest of my crochet (to date I've just been tying a knot in my yarn and continuing on...naughty). I LOVE the way this one looks - the pink is fantastic. I'm giving this one to a friend as a gift as I don't think I need a house filled with these - though it would be nice.

I have some of the pink and colourful white yarn left over and I'm going to have a go at crochet a rug/bathmat from it. And a friend at work is keen for a basket...so yay to more crocheting!

Just one more Lady Skater Skirt

Despite having come home from Japan with a suitcase full of fabric, I actually didn't buy anything that was summer-weight (it's winter in Japan so there was only winter fabric around). A quick trip to Lincraft to pick up a pattern saw me come home with this pretty mystery fabric. It feels a bit like neoprene, but nowhere near as thick.

No surprise, but I made myself another Lady Skater Skirt. The fabric has the potential to be hot and sweaty if made into anything fitted, but as a floaty skirt....no worries! I wore this out to dinner last night and felt great in it. Nothing to say that hasn't be said before on my other posts (here , here and here). I left the skirt unhemmed as it sits better that way, so all up (cutting time included) this took about an hour to sew up.

Most excitingly I got to use my new purchased glass-head pins purchased from Kyoto's gorgeous Misuyabari Needle Shop. These needles are handmade and they are simple, but lovely.

I love these skirts, but I think I now need to move on and find a t-shirt pattern to go with them as none of my RTW tops are quite right; or quite fitted in the right way for such a skirt. Any recommendatins? I think of the Maria Denmark Kimono Tee?

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Pattern: "Lady Skater Skirt" by Kitschy Coo
Size: 8, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: elastic waistband and skirt lengthened by 7.5cm from the original pattern piece
Fabric: some sort of knit from Lincraft (Parramatta)
Changes for next time: I wouldn't change a thing <3

Two more Lady Skater Skirts. That'll do pig!

I've busted out two more Lady Skater Skirts over the weekend - I probably need to stop now otherwise I'll have 55 more of these before the month is out!

I'm a bit under the weather so instead of my pretty self all dressed up in my latest makes you get "floor flat-lay" which I believe is quite the thing with all the young fashion bloggers these days (and sick 40 something year old sewing bloggers).

I found this fabric at Lincraft recently and bought it specifically for this skirt (I also have another piece in the stash for a shift dress). The elastic is 5cm thick, bought from Tessuti. This elastic is not as soft (so not as comfortable) as the elastic from the Remnant Warehouse used on my last Lady Skater Skirt. I used this elastic on my Butterfly Ponti Mabel (that I've only worn once as the waistband bugs me and feels a bit sweaty on a hot day).  The overlocker also skipped a few stitches whilst attaching the waistband and I guess that's also due to it being a bit more...stiff. The hem is rolled on the overlocker, same as before!

Verdict = I like this skirt, but I don't love it like I love my other floral Lady Skater Skirt as it's not as comfortable and the fabric is not as "floaty". That said I wore it out of the house today and it served its purpose.

This fabric was bought at Tessuti well over a year ago and is a swimsuit fabric that I intended to use for a swimsuit class (that I obviously never went to).  I think it might be Tigerlily, but I'm not sure.  I figured sewing swimsuits is not in my distant future SO I sacrificed this for another skirt.

I LOVE this skirt - the fabric is so pretty and I love that it has Australian flora printed on it (I have Kangaroo Paws right below my lady garden - what could be better than that)? The fabric is quite drapey and has a bit of a shine to it. The fabric really works as a skirt (I wasn't sure how swimsuit fabric would work as a pierce of "dry land" clothing), but as a dress it would be sweat city. I'm liking the idea of wearing this sort of fabric as a floaty skirt with a cotton t-shirt for summer; a departure from my usual summer garb of knit dresses made from not-so-breathable fabric.

I haven't rolled the hem on this...I'm not sure if I will as it hangs so nicely left as is. I just have to be careful that the sides don't unravel as I cut the overlocker threads too short to sew back in.

I'm looking forward to wearing both of these makes over summer, but especially this second one.

Pattern: "Lady Skater Skirt" by Kitschy Coo
Size: 8, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: elastic waistband and skirt piece lengthened by 7.5cm
Fabric: as mentioned above
Changes for next time: nothing

Floral Lady Skater Skirt

After the success of my experimental Lady Skater Skirt I was dead keen to make myself another skirt asap, this time with the added length I think the skirt needs on me.  I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out...I finished it on Sunday morning and wore it out to Sydney Spoolettes lunch/movie outing that afternoon.

The fabric is a soft, floaty Nylon/Elastane from Parramatta Lincraft. I randomly popped in there recently after months of avoiding the place as it was always a messy, depressing pigsty. Well, I'm pleased to report that things have changed. The fabric section is tidy (not a bolt of fabric rolling around on the floor anywhere) and they have quite a few nice pieces if you poke around a bit. I picked up 1.5m of this very pretty fabric with this skirt in mind.

Like the previous version of this skirt, there's not much to report. The skirt has a rolled hem, 5cm elastic waistband and just two pieces - a front and a back. With cutting out and faffing around with the overlocker setting it probably took 90 minutes from go to finish.

I lengthened this version by 5cm and I like it much better. It definitely sits much better at the back now that it has a bit more length though it is still a bit higher at the back...due to the butt factor!

And the best part of all - this skirt looks GREAT with my new red clogs which is what sewing is all about really...making clog-worthy outfits.

Here is a little snapshot from the skirts first outing - with the Sydney Spoolettes - for lunch at Jamie's Italian in Parramatta followed by an afternoon viewing of the Australian movie, The Dressmaker. A great movie - typically Australian in many ways, and so enjoyable.

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Pattern: "Lady Skater Skirt" by Kitschy Coo
Size: 8, sewn with 3/8" seam allowance
Modifications: elastic waistband and lengthened by 7.5cm
Fabric: 80% Nylon, 20% Elastane from Lincraft Parramatta
Changes for next time: nothing