June in Review...

Things have been pretty quiet at the sewing table recently with the exception of a few mending projects.  After work there just hasn't been time nor the energy to sew.  The desire is there and I do dream about sewing a few things when I do have the time.  If I ever find the time.  

I did manage to sew one dress this month only because most of my summer wardrobe does not fit.  

And I found a new home for the serger that was recently offloaded to me.  It wasn't working and even though it did benefit from a good oil treatment, it did need to go into a shop for some professional tender loving care (TLC).  It requires an investment of cash that happened to be out of my budget range to get it in working order.  Too bad my skill set doesn't include serger repairs, it would have been a welcome addition to the sewing table.

Output

Fabric:  3 metres (June) + 33.1 metres + 1 recycled skirt (prior months) = 36.1 metres + 1 recycled skirt

Zippers:  0 (June) + 1 - 55 cm zipper = 1 

Buttons:  0 (June) = 18

Seam binding:  3 metres (June) + 7 metres (prior months) = 10 metres

Knit 'N Stable Tape:  0.5 metres (June) + 9 metres (previous months) = 9.5 metres

Twill Tape:  0 (June) + 0.5 metres (prior months) = 0.5 metres

Spools of thread:  100 metres + 2 700 metres (prior months) = 2 800 metres

Sewing machine needles:  2 (June) + 3 (prior months) = 5

Hand needles:  0 (June) + 1 (prior months) = 1

Sewing Label:  1

Input

Fabric:  4 metres (June) + 34.7 metres (previous months) = 38.7 metres 

Sewing Machine Needles:  0 (June) + 1 package of 3 serger needles (previous months) = 3

Buttons:  0 (June) + 10 (previous months) = 10

Sewing patterns:  2 patterns (June) + 4 (previous months) = 6 

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

This Dress is Not Made for Windy Days

And I am no Marilyn Monroe.  So, it became apparent, as the weather warmed and coats were no longer needed, that the Ebony Dress was not going to work in a place know for its windy climate. 

I was not thinking about this when I made the dress.  Instead, I was thinking about how lovely others looked in their own versions and just jumped in and made my own.  If I didn't fix it, it would have become an indoor only housedress and I spent too much money on that lovely knit fabric for it to be end up as a housedress.  

I went to work to narrow the flare of the hem and took in ten inches from each seam.  And I ended up with this finished look.  

Now it just looks like a plain old t-shirt dress but at least I will be able to go out into the public sphere without worries of flashing the neighbours if a gust of wind blows my way.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

Monday's Mending Pile

I had a lovely linen dress that accidently ended up in the washing machine and then it didn't fit.  The skirt portion was fine, it was around the armscye that was too tight and sat too high.  

So I cut it and serged the raw edge, turned it over and sewed a casing for some elastic.  You know where I'm going with this, right?  

I turned it into an elastic waist skirt.  I don't know why it looks pink in this picture but it's still an orange linen.  Anyway, I'm happy to have saved part of the dress.  It has shrunk most noticeably in the bodice and sleeve area.  I turned the upper portion of the dress into rags.  Waste not.  

And then there was another underarm hole to re-stitch.  This time it was this top that ended up in the mending pile.  I'm starting to think that I should insert gussets in my close-fitting tops and dresses as this seems to be a high-stress point in my clothing.  

And that's about all the mending for this week.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

Easy Peasy: The Eva Dress

  

Temperatures are expected to hit the high thirties (Celsius) in the next while and I'm desperately lacking summer clothes that fit.  I need an easy peasy pattern that I could whip up in no time.  And Tessuti's Eva pattern was perfect.  However, this dress took me weeks to prep the fabric, cut and sew.  Free time has been scarce. 

I've made a few versions of this dress but only two remain in my wardrobe.  One is made out of silk and is too tight at this moment.  The first version I made in a stretch cotton is snug but with the stretch, it's actually wearable.  So the time has come for a version with more ease.  

I cut the same size as the others, a medium but added 1/2" at the side seam allowances for a total of one and a half inches of extra ease.  The calculations work out this way because the pattern calls for 1/2" seam allowances and I sewed this project with a 5/8" seam allowance.  In the end, it was too much ease and I trimmed another 1/4" inch off each seam edge after basting and before stitching.  I ended up with 1/2" total ease around the dress.  Of course, I didn't need the extra ease in the skirt portion because this pattern has a lovely lantern shape, it was just easier to continue down from the bodice piece.  

Other changes were made to the length.  I shortened the length at the waist taking off another 1/2" from the bodice and upper skirt.  The lower skirt is shortened two inches.  

The neckline is treated with Knit 'N Stable tape and finished with single fold seam binding.  The sleeve and skirt hems are finished with the single fold seam binding.  

The fabric is a fun lemon print that is part of this year's Fabricland collection.  I picked this one because it is a cotton fabric with stretch.  And from the first time I spotted it, I patiently waited until it went on sale.  It's pre-treated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer before hitting the ironing board for a steam pressing.  The fabric handled this process well and it was a pleasure to sew.   

Project Details

Seams:  2.6 straight stitch

Seam Finish:  Serged, neckline and hems are finished with seam binding

Fabric:  3 metres

Seam Binding:  3.5 metres

Pattern:  Eva dress by Tessuti patterns

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pins, pin cushions, measuring tape, measuring gauge, sewing machine, serger, threads, iron, ironing board and many breaks.