June capsule contest

Yes, I have finished!! And in time - yippee!!

I need to thank Sofie for being my photographer and stylist and Ellen for being my photo technician! Thank goodness for teenage daughters. :)

I love this photo - Sofie decided we needed one with all the shoes....mmm...do you think I have a problem?

All contest photos are here

Robin asked if the patterned blouse was sheer - and yes it is! I have a purple RTW cami underneath.

I am off to bed now, so will post about the green top and purple skirt later.

Burda 09-2007-101

My first top for the JCC is finished and I really love it. I haven't tried it on me so I hope I am just as enthusiastic when I do :). I used a very sheer silk jersey I bought from Artextile in Richmond (Melbourne). This is my first time with silk jersey. It was very hard to handle but sewed and pressed beautifully. I followed Burda's instructions pretty much except I used 6mm seam allowances and put the sleeves in flat before sewing up the side seam. I used my sewing machine for sewing as I thought the overlocker would be too "heavy" for the delicateness of the fabric.

Here is a close up with my accessory purchase from yesterday. It is my $10 necklace from Portmans.


Here is a full length shot. With the print it is a bit hard to see the details in the photo.

I have another top to do and some handsewing on my final skirt. I will do the handsewing while watching Rove tonight but still have to even decide what top to sew! It must go with the two skirts and the necklace. I feel an Ottobre T coming on....or maybe another one of these. Both would be pretty quick.

May Mini Wardrobe

Photos of my PR May Mini Wardrobe - needless to say I did NOT finish in time! But I did finish. The fabrics were all from stash and were selected to match my animal print shoes.

Top Ottobre 2/2007 altered. Skirt self drafted/draped. Cami RTW



This time with boots and self drafted scarf:

Top Burda 1-2008-116. Skirt Burda 1-2008-127



Other combinations:


I went shopping this afternoon for the accessory for the JCC. I saw some gorgeous purple shoes that would have looked fab, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. So I bought some beads for $3 and another necklace for $10. I am not sure how they will go as both my tops are prints and have bows. But I can wrap the beads around my wrist for a bracelet if necessary. Now back to the sewing.....

Burda 08-2005-102 (again)

I know I said I would post photos of the May mini wardrobe but the gods have not been kind - the weather too wet, some items in the wash and even the camera decided to go to school!

But before it went to school again today, I managed to get a couple of very quick photos to show my second JCC skirt. (The first still needs the lining, hem and waistband to be done - I felt like a break).

This is what I look like after a late night handsewing hems, waistbands, unpicking and sewing again...lol

I used Burda 8-2005-102. I have made this twice before but this time I decided to just have the flounce at the back and I redrafted the front to go all the way to the knees. I cut the flounce on the straight grain as I was short of fabric. Yes, another remnant piece that I bought from Artextile. It is the most soft beautiful wool lycra. It didn't like the steam much and I had to be careful when pressing. Also I could not get the darts to blend in at the tip. But it was so nice to wear today. I felt rather special.

I have to show you my lining too. This I bought from Lincraft off their "designer ends" table. It didn't say what the fibre content was but I suspect it is acetate. I bought quite a few metres of this one.

I really like this pattern. I can see even more in my future. I really like what Paco has done with this pattern here. So many options to add trim, lace, piping etc.

On another topic, today I received this email from JacquiE - an Aussie ladies fashion retailer. I think their website is really cute. Go here and then click on one of the outfits. If nothing else you can have a laugh at the accent.,lol. And yes I do have a few JacquiE tops in my wardrobe!

Burda 1-2008-127

I am way behind on my posting and my sewing! This week I managed to finish my May PR mini wardrobe. A bit late I know but now it is done.

I had one skirt and two tops made to match my animal print shoes. I decided I needed another skirt but was undecided on what to make. I didn't want to go overboard on the animal print. I found this really soft black wool piece in the stash that I would have bought as a remnant. I don't recall when or where I bought it. Maybe Lincraft as I used to always check out their remnant bin back when they had them.

I used the skirt in the suit of Burda 1-2008-127.


I topstitched the seams in brown to tie in with the mini wardrobe.

I also used some brown lace in the stash to add to the black lining.

The photos I have taken are not very good - I hope it is just the light and not the camera ?!

I did not have enough fabric to do a full waistband so I did a mini binding. Here is a couple of photos showing how I did that.

For the pattern I altered it for my previously discovered torso petiteness. I shorted the distance from waist to hip by 3cms but then added it back below to keep the length. So now the skirt hip curve should match mine better! This is the first time I have adjusted for that.

I am away this weekend so no starting on my JCC. Yes, I know I am very, very late on starting this. My original plan was to make a jacket in the pink stripe, two skirts and a top with the patterned fabric.

I think the jacket will have to wait and I can throw in an Ottobre knit top. As long as I get one piece done by the end of the month I get to vote.

Next post I hope to have photos of the May mini wardrobe for your viewing pleasure. Have a good weekend !

The Great Coat Sew-along - part 1

I have also joined the Great Coat Sew-along that Marji so kindly started.

My criteria for my coat:

• Stash fabric only.
• I want it to look good with jeans.
• It needs to be trendy (but not too trendy)
• I want it to be fitted.
• Would like to use a pattern I already have.
• Needs to be gorgeous.......mmmm

I don't need a coat to go over suits as I drive to work and park in the same building. And really, in Melbourne it is not that cold except on those frosty mornings...brrr. So I would like a more fitted coat that works with tops and knitwear and looks great with jeans. I doubt I will need to under/interline it, but will take advice here.

The stash fabric selected is a maroon/burgandy wool cashmere blend and the lining is a patterned viscose.

They were bought together a couple of years ago at the Alannah Hill outlet called Clear It. I love all things Alannah but find her clothes are too over the top for me. So, I like to take elements from her designs and make them my own - i.e. tone them down a bit lol.

I only have 2 metres (150 cm wide) so the coat will be short. I am thinking something waisted with a fullish skirt. I have Vogue 8299 that I could use for the top half and draft a skirt to that.

The size of the skirt would be determined on how much I can get from the 2 metres!

View B (the red one) uses 1.4 metres which would only give me .6 to fashion a skirt. Perhaps it won't be so full!! Also this coat only has a one piece sleeve, but I think Marji is going to give instructions on how to convert to 2 piece.

To make it a bit more interesting, I would like to do some blue stitching on the outside to echo the blue lining and to give the maroon colour a bit of a lift. I think something like the stitching Tany did on her Orwell coat would be fantastic.