Peppermint Magazine Pleated Summer Dress + a class

All of a sudden I'm interested in sewing woven dresses (who am I?) After the success of my Papercut Sway Dress I decided it was time to upskill a little so I enrolled in the Intermediate Dress Class at my beloved Sew Make Create. The class takes place over three full Saturdays and in the end you end up with a dress...all overseen by the lovely Pepper pooch.

Real talk. I ended up with a dress that's too big for me BUT I learned a tonne of stuff so I'm pretty happy. The pattern does have a lot of ease but I was nervous about it not fitting so couldn't be talked down from the size I chose. It was a free pattern and the fabric was only $15 (in total) from Cambodia so nothing lost really. Plus Dave funded part of the class as a birthday gift so...

I chose this dress as it had quite a few "new to me things". A hidden button placket, buttonholes (I have even bought myself a buttonhole foot since the class), pleats plus we undertook a Full Bust Adjustment which involved a lot of maths but I could probably do it again on my own. 

I'm proud that I finished the dress and learned a lot in the process. That said, I'm considering now unpicking the skirt from the bodice and adding in an elastic waistband and still wearing the skirt. I'll see how I feel about actually doing that when the time comes though.

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Pattern: Peppermint Magazine Pleated Summer Dress
Size: H
Modifications: 1" FBA plus some changes on the fly to get the skirt & bodice to fit together
Fabric:  cotton chambray bought from the Russian Markets in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Changes for next time: none - this dress is WAY to involved for me to have a second go around. 

Ceramic Jewellery Class - Sew Make Create

Another weekend means another class! This time I'm learning how to make ceramic jewellery at Sew Make Create in Chippendale. I won a $50 voucher with them via an Instagram competition so that helped fund this class.

I did have an idea of what I wanted to make in the class but I'm not quite sure I got there in the end. I think I tried to make too many pieces in the class to try and safeguard against pieces potentially breaking in the kiln and this didn't give me enough time to really finish any of the pieces nicely. I also think a bit more time spent pre-planning exactly what I wanted to do would've served me well.

I thought I might make my ceramic balls for studs but they didn't fare well when I got to the pre-glazing stage so were written off. The beads I made broke in the kiln but I'm OK with that. All of the pendants I made survived and some of them are good - some are too big and heavy for me to wear (I have a bad neck so can only wear light pendants). The smaller round pieces were intended for earrings but I think they are a bit too thick and heavy so I need to think about what I would do with them. I also put the holes too far down in all of my pieces so using jump rings isn't working. There's a reason they say hindsight is 20:20...

I picked up my fired pieces from Sew Make Create yesterday...and here they are!

I have to confess - this piece of ceramic was an example by the teacher. I snaffled it, sanded it and then pre-glazed it. I quite like it - but I'm trying to think of how I can incorporate one of the smaller, similarly decorated pieces in to it.

I had really wanted to make a semi-circular pendant and have ended up with three. It's funny that the blue one is, aesthetically speaking (to me), the best looking piece as I actually ran out time to pre-glaze it hence the sightly washed out look.

I have a lot more pieces to play around with at home - I suspect I'll string up a few more and then cut my losses with the others.
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Amigurumi critters - a workshop at Sew Make Create

Whilst I was at my beginner's crochet class at Sew Make Create earlier in the year I spied these uber kawaii little Amigurumi critters in the workshop. Of course I HAD to learn how to make them - despite having no need for them, no children in my life to give them to and no cats for them to play with. The heart wants what the heart wants!

Amigurumi (for those not "in the know") is a Japanese craft of crocheting (or knitting) little, stuffed creatures.  The good thing about this craft is it's cute, it's portable, it doesn't take up much room, it's fun, and you can pretty much make anything you want - there are no rules. I like that I can take this on the train with me and crochet on my way to and from work...

The class is taught over two Sunday's by the very patient and bubbly Amanda, and by the end of the second class you should walk away with a completed Amigurumi (unless something goes terribly wrong along the way).

It was a little difficult at first as the stitches need to be TIGHT so it's hard getting your hook into them to make the next rows. Getting started with the "magic circle" takes a bit of wrangling, and counting the (tiny) stitches did my head in (concentration abilities are LOW here). I did have to rip rows back as I wasn't concentrating and couldn't remember how many stiches I was up to - but I've bought myself a few stitch makers which is making things much easier.

I did a bit of home(crochet)work so I ended up with one finished Amigurumi in class (this green little birdie) and one "almost" finished orange monster that I finished up that night at home! I've already started on my next Amigurumi monster in slightly thicker yarn than the orange one (as I want him to be a bit bigger). I'm also going along to the next Amigurumi crochet social at Sew Make Create and will get some tips from our teacher, Amanda, on how to embroider faces and stitch on the monster eyes properly.

And of course, the best thing about a class at Sew Make Create is Pepper the shop dog -- so cute and fluffy. Actually, she'd make a VERY kawaii Amigurumi wouldn't she?

I'm now busy thinking about other Amigurumi I can make, and looking for free and easy patterns on line.
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Learning to crochet at Sew Make Create

I have a HUGE granny square blanket at home that my mother crocheted and I've always wanted to make one of my own. "Back in the day" I'm sure I knew how to make a granny square but those skills are long gone...so it was time to take a class and remember how.

I took a beginners class at Sew Make Create in Chippendale. I've done so many classes here but until now they have all been sewing related.

We started off learning how to make a slip knot, to crochet chains and then practiced a variety of stitches -- none of which I can remember now (but all of which can be found on YouTube for refresher purposes).

Next it was on to the granny square and I'm pleased to report it wasn't too hard to pick up. I think the hardest part was actually coming to grips with how to hold the hook and the wool in the other hand. The class was 2.5 hours so enough to learn the basics and go home and keep crocheting. We didn't get to learn how to join multiple squares but I am making one ENORMOUS square so I'm good for now.

Of course, the best part of a class at Sew Make Create is getting to hang out with Pepper the adorable shop dog!

I'm well into my big blanket - I think I have about 30 more rounds to go and then I'm done. In the meantime I'm keen to learn some other types of crochet so I can have some "portable" projects to take with me when I travel and when I'm commuting to work. Watch this space as I've enrolled in a two day Amigurumi (Ah-mee-goo-roo-me) class. That translates to cute knitted toys!

Everyone Deserves Pretty Knickers – knicker making class

Yesterday saw the beginning of #EveryoneDeservesPrettyKnickers week which is being run by Susan from Measure Twice Cut Once patterns.

Photo borrowed from Measure Twice Cut Once blog

I've met Susan a few times at Sydney Spoolettes meet ups and we also chat a bit on social media. She's always been SO helpful to me with my sewing woes so when she announced she was collaborating with Sew Make Create to run knicker making workshops I signed up ASAP! Susan is a professionally trained fashion designer and has years of experience in the industry. She really knows her stuff...and what's even better (for me that is) is that she's SO willing to share her knowledge.

Susan in action - adjusting my knickers into a pair of "bigger gal undies"

For the class we were working on the Charlotte Knickers - a pattern released by Susan earlier in the year (she's designed and released a range of six knickers -- so hop over to the shop and see if there's a style that takes your fancy). I decided to use some cotton voile fabric for my pair that I bought from...you guessed it, The Fabric Cave.

Yes, these knickers are made from a woven fabric rather than the stretch fabric so common in store bought lingerie. The knickers are cut on the bias which makes gives them the necessary stretch needed across your caboose. We all had a bit of a giggle at the difference between the un-elasticated pair and elasticated pair of knickers.

I've not yet finished my knickers...too much talking and not enough sewing (though the photo below does prove we all sat the machines...even me)! I just need to stitch the elastic to the legs and then top stitch all the elastic down to encase it in the fabric. Before that I just need to get over my fear of sewing elastic using my overlocker at home!

Oh, and it's not a sewing class at Sew Make Create without the ever watchful Pepper supervising the class!

Susan has a knicker sew-a-long starting on her blog tomorrow - so there's still time to whip up your own pair of knickers during #EveryoneDeservesPrettyKnickers week using one of her patterns. There is also another class coming up at Sew Make Create very soon - I highly recommend it!