How Michelle got her quiltjo back

I haven't quilted anything for about 4 or 5 months now. Though now I think of it, there was a little foray back into Chester Criswell when I returned from Japan, and also a little 1/2 inch hexagoning while travelling, but other than that, nothing.

I didn't want to quilt. I didn't like quilting. I thought the quilting community was getting ridiculous (which is actually a ridiculous thought). I liked my sewing bubble, and my little sewing community, and I am really enjoying making my own clothes. Between gardening, sewing, cooking, working and swimming, I don't have time to make quilts.

I knew my quiltjo would return one day, but I wasn't expecting it to return while sitting in the dentist's chair earlier this week. I hate going to the dentist - far too much tooth action going on when I was a kid, I think. So I try to not clench my hands too much, and think nice thoughts. For some reason, my mind turned to making a red maple leaf quilt.



I got to work with no plan on paper, but it all in my head. Isn't that the best way to start quilting? I roughly worked out the maths for making a 9 patch maple leaf with a scrappy background, and got cutting.



I made two on Monday night, and most of another five on Wednesday night.



Just eighteen more to go.



Yes, I'm hooked. And I'm back.

The Simplicity 2247 "It'll Do" Muslin

If you were reading back in March and April 2012, you might remember I had to make a formal frock for my niece's wedding, and while the dress itself turned out ok after numerous fitting disasters, I had also made a muslin, which I eventually abandoned as I just ran out of time and patience.

When I was cleaning up my stash cupboard before we left for Japan, I noticed the dress there, lonely, and unfinished except for the hem and facings.  Should be a doddle to finish this off, I thought. I'll get right onto it when I get home, and then I'll have a nice new summer frock for work.



This is the photo where I look really, really pleased with what a splendid example of home sewing I have made.




This photo is how I really feel about it.

So yeah, it wasn't really a doddle. Thanks to the blog post mentioned above, I finally remembered what state I'd left it in. I recut a whole new bodice with a C cup (I don't think I've been a C cup since I was 13). And I still had side boob issues. And it kept getting worse from there every time I tried to fix something.

• I took in the princess seam at the upper bust by 2 inches (that's a 2 inch total on each seam, people!) which left me with a little bit less side boob, but a lot more gape. 
• I added a freaking side boob dart to take out some of the excess. Tacky. And more gape
• I wanted to throw it in the bin, but you know. Stubborn.
• So I took the shoulder seams up 
• I then recut the armholes freehand.
• I still wanted to throw it in the bin.
• I bound the armholes rather than redrafting the facing
• I sewed up the back rather than insert a zip (it's stretch sateen. As long as I don't have a stiff back or neck that day, it's totally doable in getting on and off)
• I bound the hem as well and holy crap I have a frock.  

A really badly fitted frock, but a frock that I can wear to work and pretend that that side boob gape thing isn't really happening. Frustratingly, this is the only home sewn item that my workmates have admired.



The good news is I have somewhere to stow my lunch when I catch the bus to work.



Ooh hellloooooooo scoliosis! That's what my physio has been banging on about! And I probably should have recut that back armhole a lot more, but eh.



A note on the bound hem. As this dress was already far too short for work I decided a normal 1 inch hem would be horrible, so I bound with store bought binding. I actually quite like the effect on the gored skirt - I get a bit of a twirly skirt as a result.

(You would have had photographic evidence of the twirling except I'm pretty sure the lifting nails on our old deck would have tripped me up...)



If I stand like this all the time no one will notice the fit issues! And I look like a superhero...

Pattern: Simplicity 2247 Amazing Shit Fit
Fabric: Stretch Sateen from Spotlight. It's rubbish, and the black runs into the white everytime I wash it and dare to let it sit in the washing machine for more than 5 minutes.
Notions: binding tape, thread, and a lot of swear words.
Adjustments: too many to mention
Started: March 2012
Finished: December 2014
Make again?: Absolutely bloody not

The Pineapple Linen Skirt and The Black Embroidered Cotton Top

I have been mad for pineapples for quite some time, and it started long before the sewing blogosphere went all cray cray for the spiky tropical fruit of my homeland. I bought some gorgeous pineapple voile in Kyoto, but when I came home I couldn't resist the pineapple linen from Darn Cheap Fabrics that had every sewist's heart.

So I bought myself 2 metres for a Christmas present to myself. And maybe also some pineapple cotton jersey.  Shhhh. No I don't have a problem.

But what to make with 2 metres of pineapple fabric? The pressure was certainly on to make something magnificent. Emma had made a midi skirt which looked fantastic.  Kirsty had made culottes.  Amanda had made shorts.  I briefly entertained the idea of making Prefontaine Shorts, or grading up the Kelly Skirt. However the day that I threw out three skirts from my wardrobe because they were badly worn I realised I was seriously short in the casual skirt department. I plucked out the first skirt pattern I could find in the pattern stash pile on the spare bed and made up the a-line skirt from McCalls 2873.



This was quite honestly the best photo taken this morning. I probably should switch up my coffee to caffeinated on blog-photo-taking days.



Anyway, the skirt fitting was a total PITA. I'd forgotten how much of a PITA it was. Granted, the shape is the best a-line shape of any of my skirt patterns, but the old swayback and waist-hip ratio issues raised their ugly heads and I ended up in a sad place that involved an unpicker, a third dart in the back, and a really ugly side seam.



("Take a picture of all 6 darts!" I said. "Nope, can't see them," he said. "I shall just take a photo of your bum instead.")

In the end though I ended up with a very serviceable skirt with pineapples on it, and a sudden desire to make a summery black blouse to wear with it.



Hellooooooo Simplicity 2929, my old friend!  (I just couldn't help myself.)



This is the bodice of the dress lengthened by 4 inches into an a-line shape. I also pleated the neckline instead of gathering it, solely for the reason that I was using a thicker embroidered cotton than the voiles I usually use, and gathering would have been too much bulk at the neck. The fabric is a black embroidered cotton I purchased from Spotlight over three years ago.



I can't believe I wore this to work today and never noticed that stray thread.



The hem is very wonky, but that's my fault for daring to vary a dress bodice pattern into a blouse by just using a tape measure and a french curve ruler. And yeah, it does look tight across the bust, but it's not. If I was going to make this in a thicker cotton again, I'd probably think about a FBA to avoid that line ... and then probably use a different pattern because I really couldn't be arsed doing a FBA.

I love this blouse. I love that I got to use another button from my vintage button collection.



All up, I think I got a great outfit. I am known for loving a big colourful print a little bit too much, but I totally love the pineapples. I might love it the best of all my skirts. I also love that I have enough fabric left over to do pockets for the Prefontaine Shorts should I ever make them.

Coming soon: More Pineapples.  Many many more.