Wednesday 31 December 2014

Farewell 2014!

This is a cheeky little post to say good-bye to 2014



Until next time,

Let's connect online :)
Instagram Icon Facebook Icon Pinterest Icon Twitter Icon

::Blogging:: Top 5 Highlights of 2014


As 2014 draws to a close I'm going to go over the #SewingTop5 highlights. To be honest this has been a tough post for me to write. When I first sat down to write this post I drew a blank. I couldn't think of any highlights. I've been 'between jobs' this whole year and I think that my confidence has taken a big hit because of it. I've second guessed myself, my ability and my skills.

After awhile a few things came to mind; so, I drafted a post about my top 5 list and did a rethink.

My analytical brain kicked in and I noted that so far with my #SewingTop5 posts I've had criteria for what made it onto my list. I thought, "Why should this be any different?"
So, I decided that for something to make it onto my list it had to have made me feel good about myself and make me feel accomplished/pushed me out of my comfort zone.

The first thing that has made me feel good as been my family and friends. I am very grateful for my Mr. He is a very patient man and I don't know where I would be without him. I'm incredibly grateful for my family and friends. I love the laughs we share and the chats we have. My family is great, they drive me crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't want it any other way. My friends keep me sane and I love that I have a special and unique relationship with each of them.
Tick for "feel good".


One of the biggest highlights for me by would be doing the patternmaking course. I really enjoyed it and it made me feel good about myself and boosted my confidence. I'm so glad I was able to create pattern blocks during the course. I'd been wanting to do this for years but the course was the push I needed to accomplish it.
Tick for "feel good" and "accomplishment".

Making the bodice toile for my bodice block
[source]


I'm so proud that I've accomplished a couple of the ambitions I set myself for 2014.
I made at least 14 garments this year, though not all of them made it to the blog.
I made a dress for each of the three weddings I attended this year.
I used a pattern twice the S2444 which I used to make 2 of the 3 dresses I wore to the weddings I attended.
Tick for "feel good" and "accomplishment".

The dresses I wore when attending weddings this year


I'm so honoured to be asked to be a bridesmaid at the wedding of one of my oldest and closest friends. I was so proud to be able to say that I drafted and sewed the dress I wore.
Tick for "feel good" and "accomplishment". 

I have now idea what I'm doing here :)


I overcame my perfectionist fears and a couple of knitting patterns for beginners; The Isabella Riff Cowl and then The Ridges Bandana Cowl I had an idea and I followed through and I'm so proud of myself for that.
Tick for "feel good" and "accomplishment".



~Final Comment~
So this year has been a strange one for me. There haven't been any very high high's, but on the flip side there haven't been any very low low's either and I am extremely grateful for that. So really to sum up it's been a good year.


What do you do when you find it difficult to see the good? 
Do you have any tricks to boost your confidence when you're feeling a little deflated/defeated?
I'd love to hear how you handle it. Leave a comment below.

#SewingTop5 posts for 2014

Top 5 Hits
Top 5 Misses
Top 5 Highlights
Top 5 Reflections
Top 5 Goals


Until next time,

Let's connect online :)
Instagram Icon Facebook Icon Pinterest Icon Twitter Icon

::Sewing::I've got a need for knits

I have a couple of makes that I want to sneak into 2014. I've had the leggings all made up for about a month (and I've had this post all ready to go for about that long too), but I haven't gotten around to taking pictures until today. That was mainly because I was hanging out to make a tee to wear as well. I finished making a tee yesterday so I got off my behind and went out to take photos using my new camera(scroll to the bottom of the post)! :) I couldn't wait until the 'golden hour' to take my pictures today so your getting 'in front of the shed door' pictures :)

A knits ensemble. Oooh yeah!


Self-Drafted Leggings

Here is a peek into my internal monologue while I was making these... Be scared!

I should really go exercise. But I don't have any comfortable pants/trousers to wear. I know, I'll make some leggings. Great idea.
...months pass...
I should really get some exercise. Oh. I haven't made those leggings yet. I don't want to buy a pattern, that costs money and it would need to be adjusted heaps anyway. I've got mad skillz; I'll draft a pattern... Ooo, I better go buy some fabric too. I think there's a sale on!
...months pass...
I should really go for a walk. That's right I'm going to make some leggings. I've still got to draft the pattern. I'll go draft it right now.
...weeks pass...
What a great day outside. I'm totally in the mood for a walk. Wait, I'm making some leggings to wear while I do that. I better go cut the fabric out.
Well I've cut them out now. I'll just sew them a little...
 ...days pass...
Well I've got no elastic for these.  I better go buy some. (meanwhile I have perfectly good elastic that could be used to work with these *shakes head at self* silly!) Oh. I'll hem these first.
Right let's attach this elastic. Oops. I did that a bit wrong. It still looks alright and I'm not going to unpick overlocking stitches. All done! Let's see what these look like on... Um. They are little too short and the hems are uneven. Bah! I can't be bothered fixing the hem. But I'm going to take pictures of these before I use them.
 ...days pass...
Oh a cuff is a great way to to add length to leggings. I'll do that. I better go unpick the hems on my leggings.
 ...days pass...
Just get these damn leggings done will you! You're so flipping close! Go. And. Finish. Them!
Alright, alright, I'm going to go and do that.
Then I'm going to take some pictures.
Then I'm going for a walk :)

That was the story of these leggings. I drag my feet on a project that is very likely to be awesome.
It happens ALL. THE. TIME. What the heck?!?!?!?!
Aaaaanyway. Moving right along...



~Inspiration~
For ages I've been checking out the leggings that the ladies over at Fehr Trade and How Good Is That? and Suzy Bee Sews and thinking. I should make some leggings.


Sidenote:
Having been a teen during the 'lo-rise era' there weren't a lot of fashionable options for 'hi-rise' garments. As I've gotten older and started sewing for myself I realise I prefer 'hi-rise' pants/trousers/skirts. Good-bye muffin top, plumbers crack and camel-toe caused by the waistband trying to find room at my narrow waist away from my large hips and therefore raising the crotch seam. TMI?
Although, it means I get rolled/crushed waistbands from slumping over while sitting with terrible posture. Hmmm. I'll just have to sit up straight I guess :)

~Pattern~

Self drafted based on this tutorial

~Pattern Adjustments~

I wasn't happy with the measurements given in the tutorial for the crotch curve guides in steps 14 and 16. I thought the fixed distances to measure in from the thigh circumference length (drawn in step 6) were not very useful when drafting the pattern in my size. The measurements weren't scaled to accommodate a longer thigh circumference length, so when I was drafting my leggings pattern the crotch curve looked way too shallow.

Looking at the diagram in the tutorial, I noticed that the front curve guide hit the thigh circumference line about halfway along the front rise depth (measured in step 9) and the back curve guide hit about a third in of the back rise depth (measured in step 11).

So I calculated half of my front rise depth and a third of my back rise depth and used them instead of the 1" measurements given in steps 14 and 16. Both measurements I calculated were more than double the 1" given in the tutorial! Proportions people, it's all about the proportions.

I made these leggings so they'd hit the knee for two reasons.  It's too hot in Brisbane for full length leggings at the moment... and I didn't buy enough fabric :) The fabric is a 2-way stretch but I still wanted to cut these on grain. I'll use this fabric to make other things. Contrast panels anyone?

There was a noticeable difference of leg circumference at the thigh just above my knee and at my knee. So I made a note of that and included that in my drafting for the pattern.

I didn't add any seam allowance because I was following the tutorial. I didn't make any negative ease adjustments to account for stretch because I wanted to see how these would fit with minimal negative ease from the seam allowances.

~Materials~
  • Black Performance Cotton Lycra 148 wide from Spotlight
  • Elastic
  • Black Thread
  • Bias tape - for a tag

~Construction~

I did the leg seams and crotch seam on my overlocker/serger. Then I attached the elastic to the waistline using my overlocker/serger and top-stitched it down on my sewing machine. I thought I was doing this but I did it wrong a slight adaptation by attaching the elastic on the outside in the first step then rolling the elastic to the inside and then folding the elastic over again. It added a little extra bulk. So next time I'll actually follow the tutorial.

When I was drafting these I didn't put a curve on the hem which meant that when I hemmed the hems were longer at the sides and shorter at the inner leg seam. Doh! I was contemplating what to do when I read this post and did a face-palm. Of course! A hem bands will fix this! So I went back, unpicked the hem and re-cut the hem so that it was perpendicular to the inner leg seam.

I measured the hem and cut some bands. I joined the bands at the short edge on the overlocker/serger and pressed them RST matching the raw edges. Then I attached the bands to the leggings hem on the overlocker/serger making sure to match all the raw edges. Finally to finish them off I used a zig-zag stitch to top-stitch the seam allowance up towards the leggings.

~Changes I made this time~
  • Slimmed down the lower thigh area by taking some width out of the inner leg seams
  • Added cuffs at hem to add length
~Tech Specs~
  • 70/10 ballpoint needle for seams
  • Zig-zag stitch width: 3; length: 2.5
  • 80/12 ballpoint needle for sewing waistband (the smaller one snapped)
  • Overlocking/serging Stitch length: 4; Differential: 1.5; Thread tensions: ln:4; rn:3; ul:3; ll:3.5

~What I Like~
  • I really like the fabric
  • I actually like the hem bands in the end. They add interest and give a snug fit
  • I'm so glad that these are high-waisted so hopefully they won't ride while I'm wearing them.
Self drafted leggings fist pump!

~What I Don't Like~
  • The added bulk at the waistband because of the way I attached the elastic
  • The zig-zag top-stitching at the waistband is a bit dodgy in some places
  • When I was taking in the inner leg seam I started midway through the seam, which means there is a slight angle in the stitching with sometimes shows, but it's not a show stopper

~Changes for Next Time~
  • Attach the waistband by following Melissa's Tutorial
  • Adjust the pattern to take into account some negative ease. It feels like the crotch sits a little too low at times.

~Numbers~
PatternFree - Self Drafted (time accounted for below)$0.00
FabricBlack Performance Cotton Lycra 148 wide $11.97/m (40% off) x 0.75 m $8.98
Notions
  • Thread - in stash
  • Elastic
  • Bias Tape - in stash
$0.00
$4.99
$0.00
TimeI forgot to record time for this make so I'm guestimating here
5 hours (* $17-ish Australian minimum wage)

fabric prep - 15min
patterndrafting - 30min
cutting - 15min (including
sewing - 4 hours (including unpicking and fixing cuff)
$85.00
Total
$98.97

This was a really nice quick make so that definitely kept the cost down. Although this make did some time to sew it was mainly because I was fixing the leg hems and tweaking the fit.


The Tee in a Racy Red



~Inspiration~
I've been meaning to make this top for years. Years! Back before Cake Patterns was born StephC published her free Blank Canvas Tee. I downloaded it with the intention of making it. She updated the pattern a while back and made it a Cake Patterns Freebie. So I downloaded the updated version got around to making this wearable muslin.

~Pattern~
Cake Patterns 2224 The Tee
I traced and cut a 40-45 neckline; a 40 sleeve; a 48 hem width; at a 25 hem depth. I made sure to mark my tracing with all this info :)

~Pattern Adjustments~
I was a bit nervous about making this top after my experience with the sizing with the Cocoa Shrug.
I was going to go all pattern hack and cut it so there was more waist definition, but then decided that I wanted a more loose fitting top.

~Materials~
  • Red combed cotton jersey
  • 90mm clear elastic
  • Polyester thread

~Construction~
I sewed this make on my sewing machine using my walking foot. I wasn't sure how it would turn out and I wanted to avoid having to unpick overlocking/serging if I hit any snags.

I stabilised the shoulder seam with some clear elastic instead of interfacing because I had it on hand.
I attached the neckband using the traditional method outlined in the instructions (sew one shoulder, attach neckband, sew other shoulder) but as I've mentioned before I much prefer the finish that comes with attaching a neckband in the round.

At this point I popped the top onto my dressform to get an idea of how it would fit. I liked how it looked so I kept going. I didn't hem the sleeve opening at this point because I don't like how it meets under the arm when done before sewing the side seam. I finished the top by sewing the side seams and attaching the hem band. I was going to finish the sleeve hems at this stage, but then decided against it. Purely out of laziness, not wanting to deal with the rolling fabric edges and because it's not going to fray anyway.

The only complaint I have about this make is the fabric curled like no-one's business. It was a major PITA to attach the neck and hem bands so I ended up basting the raw edges of the bands together before attaching them to the body.

~Changes I made this time~
  • Not hemming the sleeves

~What I Like~
  • Great fabric - quality and colour
  • Like the fit across the bust and arm opening size
  • With a blousing around the waist I like the hem band.

~What I Don't Like~
  • There is a bit of pooling at the back of the shirt, that that's only if I'm being picky

~Changes for Next Time~
  • Make this on the overlocker/serger
  • Try making a version that is a snugger fit through the waist

~Numbers~
PatternCake Patterns 2224 The Tee - Free$0.00
FabricCombed Cotton Jersey, Red, 112cm wide (40% off) $6.59/m * 1.6m~$10.55
Notions
  • 60cm 9mm wide clear elastic
  • Polyester Thread - in stash - FREE
~$2.40
$0.00
TimeI didn't record time for this project because I sewed it in fits and starts so I'm guestimating

3.5 hours (* $17-ish Australian minimum wage)
Considering fit - 20 min
Tracing Pattern - 10 min
Cutting Fabric - 30 min
Sewing - 2.5 hr
$59.50
Total
$72.45

The mucking around with considering the fit etc. and trying to wrangle the rolling edges of the fabric are what added to this make. I think if I made it on my overlocker/serger it would far less time. But I'm very happy with this make considering it's a wearable muslin.



~Final Comment~
Phew! Another epic post!
I couldn't wait until the 'golden hour' to take my pictures today so your getting 'in front of the shed door' pictures. It was only when I was editing the pictures that I notice the circle. It's the sun reflecting off the camera lens. LOL. I'll know not to do that again :)

These are both wearable toiles/muslins really. It was really good to practice using knits and get more familiar with working with them. These are going to be great to wear when I exercise and I'm going to have to make repeats. I much prefer the finish on the leggings because they mostly sewn on the overlocker/serger; so I'm looking forward to making a Tee on the overlocker/serger too.

I'm really glad I got this ensemble done before the end of this year. I really wanted to close this year off as best I could. I have one WIP, but I'm going to try to finish it so I can wear it tonight.

If you made it this far congratulations :)

Epic fist pump for an awesome knit outfit :)

Is there something that you've been wanted to make for years?
Do you drag your feet about making projects sometimes? 
What are your thoughts on self-stitched active wear?
Do you prefer lo-rise or hi-rise?
Lots of questions :) Leave your answers in the comments

Until next time,

Let's connect online :)
Instagram Icon Facebook Icon Pinterest Icon Twitter Icon

Tuesday 30 December 2014

::Ponderings:: Reflecting on a Christmas in four parts


This is an epic post. And there's lots of pictures.
I didn't want to divide it into more than one post because I didn't want to linger on the topic. This is more of a record than anything else, but I guess it also shows that there are many ways to celebrate Christmas. 
Again, this is an epic post; I totally get it if you want to skip this one :)

As the Christmas buzz dies down I want to reflect on it a little. Mainly because it took me a long time to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I didn't set up the 'Christmas Shelf' until the week of Christmas.  I think it's because I was trying to ignore all the materialistic advertising 'hype' this year. In the lead up to Christmas there are so many adverts, catalogues and sales; it can be overwhelming. I found myself doubting the gifts I had for others. "Is this enough?", "Will they like it?", "Will they hate it?"

Really, for me Christmas is about hanging out with family and friends and pigging out on way too much food. Presents are a pleasant addition to the season, but they are by no means the reason I enjoy Christmas events. The only reason I'm going to record presents here is because I have a terrible memory and I never remember what I've given or received on any occasion, let along Christmas. Which I feel terrible about. So this post is going to serve as a reminder.

So, this year my Christmas was really divided into four parts:
  • Pre-Christmas Christmas Dinner
  • Christmas Day
  • Post-Christmas Sales Purchases
  • Post-Christmas Christmas Dinner
Pre-Christmas Christmas dinner was at our house with The Mr, my parents, The Mr's parents, my Sis and her Mr and me. My parents live overseas and they have a business that gets really busy around Christmas time. So, they came to town in late November/early December so we could have some festive fun with them before Christmas.

It was really great to be able to hang out with my parents around this time and it was nice to see them get excited about doing a special Christmas dinner. On December 1st Mum and Dad arrived at my house with bags and bags of groceries for the dinner. I had trouble fitting it all into the fridge! That afternoon mum and I went about preparing for dinner. It was a really low key, low stress affair. Sliced cold meat, salad and cut fruits and sweets.

A few months ago my external hard-drive kicked the bucket and nothing could be recovered from it. So I lost all my music and some other files that I had been using to help mum and dad with promoting their business. So one of the gifts I received from Mum and Dad was a new hard drive. I started using it right away, but Mum insisted on wrapping the box to put under the Christmas tree. She's pretty cute like that :)
[image source]


While she was in town I mentioned to Mum that I needed to buy some bras. We didn't get a chance to go bra shopping but she gave me some money to go and buy one. I didn't get around to buying on before Christmas. More about that later.

I'm a terrible daughter and I didn't get around to getting them presents. I must rectify that post haste before I catch-up with them again. I have ideas of what to give Mum, but Dad is hard. Thinking of gifts for Dad is always hard.



I did a little bit of festive making. The cutest of all the festive making were these little stockings I made for the little people I was gifting to this Christmas. I used a free McCall's stocking pattern (go check it out, there are lots of free patterns that would make great gifts) and adapted it to what I wanted. I thought it would be cute to embroider their first initial on the cuff with some green yarn.



Between Pre-Christmas Christmas Dinner and Christmas I was able to catch-up with a few friends and we exchanged gifts. I got a lovely set of earring and a necklace from Sarah from her Etsy shop. Cute!


In the afternoon on the Eve of Christmas Eve she came around in the afternoon for a catch-up. I gave her an Omiyage sewing box that I had made that morning. Of course because I was in a hurry I didn't take any pictures. :( But here is a picture from the book I got the project from.



On Christmas Eve I had a quick catch-up with my friend JP and I gave her some coasters that I had made to go on her new table. I made them the same way as these coasters. I also gave her 2yo his little Christmas stocking.



JP gave me some gorgeous smelling handmade Cinnamon and Vanilla body scrub. It smells good enough to eat. And because it's all natural ingredients I probably could eat it :)



Christmas day was spent at the in-laws. It was a really nice low key affair. It ended being the in-laws' family of five, plus SIL1's 5yo, her partner and me. They had expected 5 more (SIL1's partner's sister and her family of 5), but they had to pull out at the last minute so it was smaller and quieter than expected.

On Christmas day I wasn't really expecting any presents from the in-laws and I hadn't really organised anything for them. I did get an oregano plant from the MIL a couple of weeks prior to Christmas and on Christmas day she gave me some wide mouthed preserving jars. Cool. I'm going to have to put make preserves on my list of things to do in 2015.



Post-Christmas Sales Presents were a nice surprise this year. On boxing day afternoon the Mr, SIL1 and I ducked down to Strathpine Shopping Centre just for something to do. We were surprised that there weren't hoards of people. While the Mr and SIL1 went to get her a phone case, I ducked into Bras'nThings to buy a bra with the money Mum gave me.

I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted - a Rose bra in black. I already have one and I have worn it nearly to death. You can never be sure with RTW sizing and so I tried it on just to check the fit and it fit well. In fact I was wearing mine at the time and it was a big eye opener to see how differently the well worn bra fit in comparison to the new one. I was hoping that it would be on sale. But alas, no it wasn't because it was part of their essentials range. I got it anyway.

[image source]


The next morning the Mr, SIL1, SIL2 and I headed to Chermside Shopping Centre early. We wanted to beat the crowds. There wasn't anything much that we specifically wanted but it was something to do.  We had a browse around and bought a few things. The siblings bought MIL a knife block set and the Mr bought some shorts. We weren't there for very long only about 2 hours, but by the time we left there where heaps of people there.

When we got home I was looking up some information on an adjustable dressform I had been handed down a while ago. I haven't written about it here because I don't really use it, you see, it's a Singer 150 (sizes 10-16) way too small. Anyway, as I was searching online I found that Lincraft was having a 40% off everything sale and they also stocked the Singer 151 dressform (sizes 16-22.5) much more my size. I'd been eyeing one off for a long time and I'd been searching on Ebay and Gumtree for ages, but hadn't found anything suitable. With the sale I was going to get about $100 off the price making about $150, so I just bit the bullet and bought one. Say hello to my new friend :) Hopefully you'll be seeing more of her in future. :)



While I was at Lincraft I also bought some overlocking thread, wooly nylon, pins and some sewing machine needles. I rummaged through the off-cuts bin and found some cream coloured satin crepe. I naively thought it was silk, but nope it's a poly. Unfortunately it wasn't part of the 40% sale, but it was 50% off the full price anyway. So I got 170cm for $11. Something to experiment with anyway :)



Post-Christmas Christmas Dinner was on December 28th at our house. My Sis and her Mr had gone away to visit her FIL for Christmas so we hadn't seen each other since before Christmas, so this was a nice chance to catch-up and swap presents.  I made quick and easy stir-fry for dinner and we finished with an apple crumble pie that they had brought for dessert.

I gave my sis these Pippy Slippers I made and a blouse I'd made. Her partner got a gift voucher for JB HiFi.



They gave the Mr Minecraft for Xbox. Funny story about this. The Mr got hooked on Minecraft (the PlayStation version) a while ago and one night when my Sis and her partner came over he showed them. They ended up buying it for Xbox and got into it too. They wanted to be able to play together with the Mr so they got him the Xbox version to play. From what I understand the Xbox version is better than the PlayStation version.

I didn't expect any gifts but wow I was spoilt. They gave me an Eggplant seedling and some fancy carrot and mixed lettuce seeds.



They also gave me some fantastic Kikki.K. goodies. A Monthly Planner Pad, a To Do List Pad and a very cute Notepaper Pad. Awesome!



And to top it all off. My Sis recently bought a new DSLR camera so she gave me her Canon EOS 450D. A-ma-zing! I've been lusting for a better camera for aaages but to get one as a gift is a massive surprise. I'm really excited about taking better photos so becoming familiar with this is going to be fun :)




~Final Comment~
What a crazy long post. So that's my Christmas in four parts. Considering I wasn't feeling very festive this year, I had a really good time. I really enjoyed making gifts for friends, and it was lovely to just hang out with friends and family.

I really had no expectations for gifts this year and so I'm very grateful for the things I've received/bought. I'm looking forward to enjoying them and thinking about the lovely people who gave them to me.

How was your Christmas? Did you have a good time? Did you have many of Christmas events or few? Did you buy yourself a Christmas gift? Do you have any tips for using a fancy camera?
I'd love to hear how you celebrated Christmas. Leave a comment below :)


Until next time,

Let's connect online :)
Instagram Icon Facebook Icon Pinterest Icon Twitter Icon

Monday 29 December 2014

::Blogging:: Top 5 Misses of 2014

Back to the #SewingTop5 :)


So I'll move onto the projects that taught me lessons about what features I don't like in a garment. A garment was a miss if there were issues with the fit or materials (construction) or if it rarely gets worn (wearability).
So with that in mind here my Top 5 Hits of 2014. The lest starts with the worst and works down to the... least worst.

Click on the image or the link below each image to go to the original post.


Refashioned Beach Dress

Refashioned Beach Dress
[Refashioned Beach Dress Post]

This is the biggest miss for 2014. I can only remember wearing it once and only at home.
Cross for 'wearability'.

I like the stripes, but ultimately the skirt was a little too snug and too short.
Cross for 'construction'


Teal Peony for the Lady Dress

Teal Peony for the Lady Dress
[Teal Peony for the Lady Post]
I can only recall wearing this dress in 'the wild' twice. Although, I've put it on intending to wear it out and then changed into something else on several occasions.
Cross for 'wearability'.

The terrible fit is what puts me off this dress. The clammy poly-cotton fabric doesn't help, but really I would tolerate this dress if it fit better.
Big cross for 'construction'.


Navy S2444 Dress

Navy S2444 Dress Post
[Navy S2444 Dress Post]

The 2 reason this dress has made it onto the list are fit and fabric. It's just too loose in the upper bodice and this is the same poly-cotton I used for the Peony dress above. Some of the seams are very puckered too.
Cross for 'construction'.

However, I have worn this dress out a few times and it a dress I reach for more than the peony.


Tick for 'wearability'.



Blue Paisley Sorbetto

Blue Paisley Sorbetto
[Blue Paisley Sorbetto Post]

When it gets hot here I do find myself reaching for this top because it's comfortably light, airy and cotton. In summer it's on a fairly high rotation.
Tick for 'wearability'.

As I mentioned in the original post, armhole gaping is the only thing that really bugs me about this top. I'm going to have to revisit making a simple tank and perhaps draft my own pattern.
Small cross for 'construction'.


Kimo-No Sorbetto Cobalt Rayon Top

Kimo-No Sorbetto Cobalt Rayon Top
[Kimo-No Sorbetto Cobalt Rayon Top Post]
This top is the start of my love affair with rayon. I've yet to make anything else in rayon, but oh boy do I want to. I really like how this top breathes and drapes so this is also a high rotation top when the temperature rises.
Tick for 'wearability'

This top only just makes it onto the list. The neckline, which I wrote about in the original post, is too wide and makes wearing this top an exercise in stopping the neckline shifting too much. The sleeve hems don't bother me. But that neckline....
Little cross for 'construction'.



~Final Comment~
So, even though this is a list of misses I still wear 3 out of 5 garments fairly regularly. I've noticed that most of my misses are from the earlier part of the year. Strange observation, I know, but maybe this has something to do with learning what to look for when picking a project. Learning and, more importantly, using techniques to make a better garment.

Most of the misses are because of fit. I'm hoping to use what I learnt in the patternmaking course to make better fitting garments. Interestingly most of the misses are woven garments and only one being a knit, but I don't think that really counts because it's a refashion.

Looking at my hits and misses for 2014 I've noticed that there is a lot of blue tones in my wardrobe. I find it interesting that there are no misses based on fabric colour/print; nor because of a style that doesn't suit me. This makes me think that doing the colour analysis and body shape analysis a couple of years ago are paying off.

Thinking about it now I'm thinking that a focus in 2015 should be making my style a bit more cohesive.

Have you noticed any interesting trends in your sewing for 2014?
Are you taking part in the 'Top 5' series? If so please leave a link in the comments. 
I'd love to read your 2014 top 5 lists :)

#SewingTop5 posts for 2014

Top 5 Hits
Top 5 Misses
Top 5 Highlights
Top 5 Reflections
Top 5 Goals


Until next time,

Let's connect online :)
Instagram Icon Facebook Icon Pinterest Icon Twitter Icon