Catch Up

As promised I am letting you see what I have made recently.

In October a student wanted a pattern for a twist front t-shirt.  She showed me a picture and after a few tries I managed to draft a pattern and make a t-shirt.

Needless to say my student hasn't made hers and I haven't worn this either.

To test out my new overlocker I then bought some t-shirt material to make a long sleeve t-shirt for myself.  Using Simplicity 1070 I was able to make a beautifully fitting t-shirt.

This t-shirt fits lovely and the hems look really professional using my coverstitch function on my overlocker.  I wore it with jeans to teach sewing.

It was time now to tackle my nemesis full in the face - trousers!  I have such a strange shape that I can not buy ready made trousers and I wanted to make some trousers, just so that I can say to my students that I can.  

I wore these for teaching that night and they fitted great, except they were too flared for me.  So back in the wardrobe they have gone and I will make them narrower when I get time!

I was now to go to India for three weeks and was determined to buy some fabric whilst there.  Not until the last day was I allowed to go to a fabric shop, with only about half an hour I bought some fabric.

The first three were in a pack to make an indian outfit, enough for a smock, trousers and a scarf.  I will make two dresses and a scarf.  Despite being told they were cotton, after washing they were obviously poly cotton.  But for six metres of material for £12, it was still a bargain and the colours are my favourites and they will remind me of my holiday.

The purple flowered material is also a poly cotton and washed really well, I bought three metres and hope to make a fifties styled dress from it.  

The emerald green material was sold to me as silk, but is a man made fabric, I loved the colour, was short of time and it was cheap, only £18.00.  It too, has washed well and I have a lovely pattern to make another fifties style dress from it.

At the end of November I was asked to teach yet another tunic dress.  For this time I made a light denim dress.

I have to say it looks better on the mannequin than it does on me.  I wore it to teach and don't think I will wear it again.  Hopefully the trend for tunic dresses is over, as I haven't found anyone they suit.

In early December I took my sister, Rachel, to Fabworks. To get some material for me to make an outfit to wear on Christmas day and also to get Rachel her Christmas present as well.  I bought her some tweed material and she took this home to make a shawl.  I bought some jersey and made her a dress, here it is and she loved it.

I have enough material left to make me a sleeveless top.

I bought some scuba and jersey to make a skirt; jacket and t-shirt for me.  Using the Simplicity 1070 pattern and on the 23rd December I finished the skirt and top, just in time for Christmas.

The jacket I finished at the end of March

The outfit looks great together and I wear it often to teach.

During December I started to take my overlocker to classes every week.  I tried to get a wheeled case for it, but these have been discontinued.  So I made myself a cover.  It is however waiting for a frame to protect the overlocker - hubby?

As it was made from materials and other items that are surplus or given to me it actually cost me nothing.

In February I found a jacket pattern I loved,  it is Kwik Sew K4139 and I found some gorgeous material from Stitch Fabrics.  It's called Blake Winter and is very soft.  the jacket is lovely to wear, but more for spring or autumn.

I hope you like my finished projects.  Hope not to be so long in writing again.  But I need to get lots of sewing done now that Neve will let me sit for hours on end.