Miscellaneous. Sewing

I haven't blogged for a while because I just didn't seem to feel like it.
But tonight I feel the spirit move me so here I am.

I've actually sewn a plethora of things in the last two weeks.I don't really enjoy home dec. I only do it when I have to. I've needed to make a new cover for our outdoor glider for a couple of years. To make myself get to it I had to schedule it in my weekly work plan. I started at 9:00 last Tuesday morning and finished it at 9:30 that night.I'm so very glad that's over with.



I had extra fabric so I made cushions for our bistro chairs as well.



Our youngest grand-daughter will have her first birthday on Aug.21st. I decided I'd try my hand at quilting. Have you seen this paper doll fabric ?It's just irresistible and I was very inspired to give a little quilt a try.
Here you see it with all the top pieces sewn together. That's as far as I've gotten.I'll have it machine quilted by a local woman .



Here's a closer view. Aren't those dollies adorable?



I'm also planning on making the dolls for Sadie to play with when she gets older. You use drapery weight fusible interfacing on the back of the fabric and you cut them out .You can even make a stand for them. Here are the clothes that go with the dolls.




You fuse fusible fleece behind these . You cut them out and supposedly they will stick to the dolls. I'll show you those after I've made them.

This next item ,I made just for the fun of it.I made it late one evening when I told my husband I was going into my sewing room to play.That's the term I use when I don't really know what I feel like sewing.



The little clutch is made out of metallic vinyl.I cut two pieces about 10 inches wide and 16 inches long.



Before sewing the sides together ,I cut strips of vinyl and sewed them to the ring.It's hard to explain how I did this without pictures but I forgot to take some of this step.



Next I sewed the embroidered taffeta lining, which I cut about 4 inches shorter, to the clutch width wise.Note the pocket which I sewed close to the bottom.



Before sewing the sides ,I added a magnetic closure.



My new purse purse matches these shoes quite well I think.

Next up is this OOP New Look skirt .I had a similar pattern in the late 70's and found it to be very slimming.



The fabric is a small geometric print stretch poplin from my stash which I've had a while and still love.It has a black background with white ,light orange and dark orange shapes.I used big black buttons also from my stash (of notions that is). I considered orange buttons but they really didn't do anything for the skirt.



I've worn this a couple of times and I love the style of this pattern.




My next project(s) is a mini wardrobe for my daughter,I'll be starting with this skirt.

More pics here.

Vogue 8486 (for me)

I'm cheating a little because I actually made this dress about three weeks ago but I didn't get around to blogging about it.



I first saw this pattern made up in Vogue Patterns magazine in the June/July 2008 issue. I talked my self out of it because it was one of those patterns that you know would look better on a tall, willowy ,slim woman. You know you are not tall and slim, at least not since hitting fifty eleven years ago.Then , the same pattern is featured in the April/May 2009 issue and you still love it!

Well,I tried to talk myself out of it but I just had to make this dress.So here it is in a mini geometric cotton knit.It looks really nice on Antoinette ,my dress form.



I love the pleated detail at the scooped neckline.
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It needed no zipper, just a loop and a button .



The whole thing, from cutting out to finishing the hem, took three hours!
Here it is on almost short, and not quite slim, little old me!



Now when you're 61, and you haven't exercised in a couple of months, you don't have the arms that look good in sleeveless. What do you do? You add a little cardigan and you're good to go!



I've already worn this little dress three times in three weeks! Do I like it? Yes I do. It's a keeper!

See more pics here!

Now, I'd like to know.At what age do you think a woman should stop wearing sleeveless?

A Sundress for Tamara

I've been making this same sundress for my daughter since 1995!!.



Last summer I told her I was retiring the pattern and we'd have to find her a new favorite.

Well, as I was leafing through the Vogue patterns catalogue at work one day during my lunch break, I came upon this.I was astounded to see that the dress was exactly like the very old Butterick that my daughter has always loved, but of course in a shorter version. So I made her this.



The fabric is a border print cotton with payettes sewed onto the design and I only had 1.2 meters because it was a remnant piece that I picked up at Fabricville.



In spite of the limited yardage, I still managed to get both a dress and a little shrug out of it. It wasn't easy.I faced the bodice with cotton voile.



For the shrug I used Butterick4396 and had to conform it to the fabric I had left.I had to not only split the sleevee but separate them and rejoin them with fabric strips. I think this added a fun design element and Tamara liked it.





Even though Tamara was home for over a week, I couldn't persuade her to have a photo taken. You see, we've had three weeks of bad hair weather! LOL! She is on her way back to Ottawa as I write this .
We did manage to go to Fabricville together and she chose some patterns and fabrics that she liked. I'll wait for the 3/1 sale to buy a few pieces for her. Stay tuned for this dress in the near future.