Retreat Sewing - simple replacements

Heya lovelies,

One of my retreat sewing projects was simply removing the waistband from a skirt that I bought in an op-shop that had a waistband that was too tight.

All I needed to do was take off the waistband completely and then replace it with a bias binding facing. I love this skirt and it's one of those moments when you realise that being a sew-er opens up the world of op-shopping to you. (and thereby your wardrobe expands without adding guilt!)

I think the skirt cost me about $10 plus a couple of dollars worth of bias binding. So good!

What quick transformations are happening in your world right now?

love you more than a super easy skirt that's perfect for wearing on 'hairy leg days' xxx

Simplicity 3688 - Retreat Sewing Pants

Hey y'all,

So I decided I wanted to have another go at the Simplicity 3688 pants. I have really been enjoying my 'kimono fabric' pair and I picked up some gorgeous soft, wool?, fabric at a major op-shop haul a while ago.

Although I love the colour and print I wasn't going to make a dress or a top so these pants seemed like the right way to go. Having made the pattern before they are a fairly standard construction, although both times the waistband has ended up way too small - I'm not sure if it's my body or the wrong piece of pattern in the envelope... either way there isn't an overlap for a button.

Super pleased with these pants - they are comfortable and stylish without feeling like clown pants. (which is a problem I sometimes feel with patterned pants).

What kind of pants/ trousers do the most work for you in winter?

love you more than floaty pants with a good fit xxx 

McCalls 6566 version 2 - hospital wear?

Heya,

This is my second version of this pattern. It's not as successful as the first one. The fabric is a bit light for the shape and it has a definite hospital vibe!

Also, it's a bit see-through so I need to wear a slip with it which makes it look a bit blah too.

Never mind, I'm a learner and all that! It will probably end up being a nighty in summer.

what's been relegated to your 'not so much' pile of late?

ps - don't you absolutely love these shoes? Handmade in Raglan to your foot measurement. So good! Here is their website. (I don't get anything from that - just the pleasure of pointing you towards NZ made!)

love you more than a teeny-tiny pocket xxx

Retreat Sewing - Boro

Bonjour!

Hope life is well in your house. I'm completely not a mender, consequently I wear things with holes in them.
"Did you know you have a whole in your cardy?"
"Yes I actually bought it like that from an op-shop and then I couldn't be bothered waiting for myself to mend it so I started wearing it."
... awkward silence...

Lately I've been getting into Boro - which is a Japanese thing around visible mending. Where we continue to use things rather than throw them when they have tears or holes. Instead of trying to disguise the mending you simply let it be what it is.

These jeans were given to me by my sister with a ripped up knee. Now I know that some people are into the whole ripped clothing thing (I really can't get past how people pay money for something already ripped??!) but it's not really my bag.

I will admit I wore these jeans with rips in them for a good few months - because I am lazy!

At the sewing retreat I got into them with embroidery thread. They are pretty subtle (a surprise for me!) but I love them.

It makes me smile every time I look at them.

Are you a mender? What size is your mending pile?

love you more than new or old embroidery threads xxx

Retreat Sewing - McCalls 7120

Hiya

Back with the next retreat sewing instalment. You remember I made McCalls 7120 with the sleeves that were too tight? Well I removed the sleeves and I love it way more now!

So much, I decided to make another one on retreat. The front fabric is an amazing Kaffe Fassett remnant that the very generous Deb gave me. I a-d-o-r-e this fabric - SO much. The back is a piece I picked up from Creative Junk in the great fabric stash score. It's a denim of some description and there was just enough of both fabrics for what I needed.

It should be noted that that wind was absolutely blustering when The Atlas took these photos and the dress is not weirdly shapen in the middle (and neither am I - to the best of my knowledge!)

I think might be my new favourite wardrobe item. I did put patch pockets in denim on the front and then I hated them so I unpicked them - really could I make any improvements to this fabric?

This dress is all the things (except pockets) light, cool, pull on, comfy, beautiful.

Whoot! I love it. I see more of these dresses in 2017.

What could you do with another version of in your wardrobe?

Yes those are my boys playing in the background.

love you more than Kaffe Fassett and that is saying something! xxxx

Retreat Sew - Ruby Dress

Hi, Hi!

As promised here is one of the makes from my recent sewing retreat. Another Ruby dress by Simple Sew. I think this is my 6th or 7th iteration of this particular pattern and I still love it.

These photos are entirely meh but that's what happens first thing in the morning when I'm half asleep and rushing to get to work!

There isn't too much to say about this pattern that I haven't already said. I've had this fabric for a while - I bought it at IKEA when we were living in Australia - how I love IKEA fabric! It's a furnishing fabric so the fullness in the skirt really stands out with the weight of the fabric. I love the scientific looking drawings on it.

Also note the French plait which I managed all by myself!

Tell me I'm not the only one who has made a pattern 7 times and still thinks they might make more of them?

Yeah I Made It... part 3 of the pledge 37/52

People I'm getting all up on my pledge. You knew I could do it, didn't you?

This dress is another of the Ruby Dress by Sew Simple. Yes another banged out (and maybe more in the pipeline....). I love this fabric.

But I may have needed to think a little about how a diagonal stripe might work when making a dress like this, or nay dress. Hmmm.... thinking in retrospect, kind of tiring.

So here it is. Favourite part is the full zipper down the back - a little risky some may say, but what is life without a little adventure now and again - plus I also no longer own toddlers. This could be a very dangerous dress for toddler owners.

I love the gold and navy and I'm coming around to the weird mind-bending behaviour of the stripes on the skirt. Plus - pledge achieved. Let's have a whoop about that.

How about you? Are the weird stripes working for you or are you rummaging for something to fix the migraine you feel coming on? Sorry about that - just imagine the effect of me in real life bopping about in it. There that's made things worse now hasn't it?

Outfit details.
Dress - Sew Simple Ruby Dress pattern
Necklace - Oxfam
Tights - possibly a hand me down
Bracelet - silver, from a second hand vintagey type shop
Shoes - Novo
Sunglasses - the reject shop (I am a fashionista to aspect to!!)
Earrings - a gift

not the end of Ruby dresses in this neighbourhood, but the end for today.

Tell me dear ones what mistake have you made lately. Go on, we're all friends here.

love you more than a fabulous zip xxx

Make My Week - Stretch Dress

I do love a good stretch dress - it's the ultimate in, looks like I've made a bit of an effort but feels like I am in my PJs.

This is one of my pledged 3 makes for May as part of MMM.

It was actually a top pattern that I've had forever so I extended it which means it's 2 layers through the front. It has some gathering on one side and a crossover front (modesty panel added for, er, modesty!).

I didn't bother hemming it - isn't stretch the best like that - no seam finishing needed and no hem either it would seem!

Joining in with the lovely lasses at show n tell.

love you more than stripes that match up on the side seam! xxx

Make My Week - Chevron Dress

I actually made this dress last year over the Christmas holidays when I was desperately trying to use up some of my stash when we were packing (and de-stashing for our move to Aus).

It's a repeat of McCalls 6379 here are 2 other versions I've made of it. The Ladybird and the Vintage Swiss

Rather than do my head in with trying to pattern match on a bais strip I cut the middle section in denim. Everything I used was in my stash and although it's not perfect it's comfortable and lined with something breathable I found in my stash. I realise the photos aren't the best but you get the general idea, right?

Because it's all cotton it got a lot of wear in the super hot weather but I think it will transition well to cooler weather too.

I am also getting ready for lovely Zoe's MMM (me made may) in which I shall endeavour to wear only handmade (not including hosiery, underwear and shoes, or warm things). I will also attempt to make at least 3 garments from fabric I have accumulated whilst living here. Why don't you join up this year? You set your own challenge so it could just be once a week, or handmade accessories or finishing that half-finished dress???

Joining in with lovely ladies at Leonie's terrific party.

love you more than cooler weather xxx

Make My Week - Will You Vote

So I am about to write a very long post to tell you about my entry into the Offset Warehouse Competition. If you're not one for reading these could I still ask you (very nicely) to go over and vote here.

There are four of us bloggers who have used some beautiful Offset Warehouse fabric to create something and it would be so nice if lots of people voted. Please vote for the one you genuinely like the best. Don't vote for me because you love me - vote for your fav. Ok?

So vote, vote, vote and make us feel like people are interested in our creations :o)

I was accepted with my idea by Zoe under the theme of Everyday Awesome and these are my thoughts.

When I read Zoe’s theme – everyday awesome – I loved it. What better thought to carry around in your heart than: there are ways as creative people to make everyday awesome.

We are given this day, others were not.  Some people’s days are taken from them by death, by force, by poverty, by slavery, by chance. We are given this day. This is a day to celebrate.  As a mama I have well known the pyjama filled days, those days of distaste at the stretch marks that have turned my tummy into something that resembles a deflating balloon. But I also know that getting up and dressing up for the day, choosing that favourite dress, those shoes that make you feel indestructible, those earrings given to you by someone who thinks you are wonderful – those days are better days.

Sometimes by being everyday awesome and wearing something special instead of saving it for a ‘proper’ occasion, we make someone smile. Maybe the person who smiles is the little person who looks up at a ‘dressed up’ grown up and thinks, ‘one day I will still dress-up too’. I think we owe it to ourselves and our children to send a message out to the world that we are more than bill payers, notice signers, dinner makers, environmental worriers/warriors, we are still just a little bit lot, wonderfully made. 

And so I was so thrilled to be chosen to make a dress from Offset Warehouse’s collection. Because I believe creativity is important and I am excited to see people helping us to do that in better ways – ethically, sustain-ably, leaving a gentle footprint. I am trying to make choices that reflect my respect for this great human family and for this wonderful earth we are charged to steward.

For the last 3 years we have journeyed through 10,000s of earthquakes in Christchurch, as the earth has destroyed grandma’s china, houses, sewer lines and lives it has also built communities that are knit together, it has made empty spaces that creative people have filled and it has taught us that what matters and what remains unshakable are relationships. It has taught me that joy and love and shared laughter are my gifts to the world and I will give them with all the generosity I have and in every creative way I can think of.  

It has taught me that I can, and should, use and enjoy my special things everyday or I can save them, only to find they are destroyed anyway. The value is not in the things themselves, it is in the use and pleasure we derive from them. It has taught me to use, wear, enjoy, and share today.

I’m not waiting for a special occasion. Today is awesome. Every day is awesome. I am not the youngest, oldest, wisest, strongest, prettiest, cleverest, slimmest woman in the world and so I owe it to myself, to other women, to my children and to others to declare (often with how I dress,) I’m not waiting for a special occasion, a better body, a better day. 

Maybe someone whose day is very far from awesome today needs to look at you and feel the hope of a better tomorrow. Go out with some glitter in your pocket (metaphorically) and make the world awesome.

Stop saving your blanks (in scrabble) until the end of the game. Wear your favourite dress, use your favourite china, use that massage voucher you were given, paint your toenails…. Or pay it forward and let someone else enjoy it.

I leave you with one of my favourite (slightly doctored) quotes:

Life may not be the party we expected, but while we’re here we might as well (don our favourite dress) dance (in public).

March to the beat of your own drum, dress with attitude, be imperfect, be everyday awesome.

Miriam x

If you'd like to know more about the construction of the dress you can read all the details on the offset warehouse blog here.

Styling:

Self-made flouncy petticoat, shoes from the goodwill op-shop, hand me down tights, also earrings made from wood from deconstructed houses (as a result of earthquakes).

My sincere thanks to the fabulous folks at offset warehouse for the opportunity to make this ensemble and for their enthusiasm in all our correspondence.

Hugethanks to lovely Zoe for picking my entry and for her continued challenge and inspiration to make good, ethical choices in my own crafting. I hope I have made something you think is beautiful. Good luck to my fellow contestants I so look forward to being inspired by your fabulous makes. 

More crafty ladies over here

love you more than a brand new stranger-stopping dress xxx

vote here :o) x

Madly Making

So my gorgeous fabric arrived on Thursday for the Offset Warehouse challenge. The fact that we had a flat inspection (flat needed to be tidy) on Friday meant I could only wash the fabric and stroke it, smell it and imagine the exotic locations where it was lovingly hand stamped.

Friday night and I am pinning and cutting pattern pieces and making piping.

Marvelling at pretty good lining up of the line that runs through the pattern.

Inserting boning (not actually difficult to do if you haven't done it before).

And ironing! Yes I hear you gasping in surprise too - but I want to impress Zoe, who picked me for her representative.

Hoping I make good progress tonight, we have visitors arriving tomorrow to stay and this dress must be finished and photographed and submitted before Wednesday next week.

Sending me all your accurate and fast sewing vibes please.

Love you more than a mad sewing rush xxxx

 

Make My Week - Catching Up

I did actually make at least 52 things last year but as I missed the last couple of weeks this is a catch up.

I made this for my big boy - I found the fabric at the make cafe and had to have it for my very own "sam I am". A friend suggested the NZ for my map lover soon to be Australian dweller. I'm really pleased with the accuracy of NZ, especially as my own geography is pretty rotten - good thing I married The Atlas.

He opened it on Christmas morning and absolutely loves it, it's such a gorgeous colour on him too. The hoodie is from AS colour.

Joining in with the ever effervescent Leonie

Love you more than a pleasing finish xxx