Cate at Vintage Gal had a wonderful post about Anna Sui in September.  I loved the dress she made from the Anna Sui pattern (vogue 1619).  I have looked (unsucessfully) for this pattern, but did get Vogue 1789.

I have started working full time and decided to make a few pieces of  winter work as this time last year I worked in a store with a ‘uniform’ so made some pieces to fill some gaps.

In all I have made 2 skirts, 2 sweaters, one blouse (this one), and one dress (this one).

Vogue 1789 is a really useful pattern.  There are 4 different styles of dress and some made for knits, and some for woven.  I made view C and managed to eek it out of just over a metre I think.  The yokes are cut on the bias and the other main detailing is the darts and seams are top-stitched. I went rather ahead of myself when I cut the pockets and decided in my head it was a double welt pocket and then changed to what it should have been after cutting one, and ended up with uneven pockets.  I ended up darning these and turning the pockets to patch pockets and am still pleased with the dress.

The other nice detailing is the zip goes half way up and the yoke is a 3 button close above. I did the buttonholes with the singer buttonholer, this attachment is so worth getting, my husqvarna does nice electronic buttonholes but I find the singer ones as good. Besides making a ‘haimes’ (translates as mess) of the pockets, I am rather pleased with the dress, the cut is very tidy and effective, it sits just right. I hope to try the apron style next.

The other pattern I tried out was the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 8264.  Its a much simpler pattern and I picked it up on a whim from ebay. The illustration shows a pleated collar and cuff as well as gathered, but the pattern is for a gathered , which I didn’t like as much.  I got the black off-cut in a charity ship for €2.50 and used half of it to cut this blouse.  Not too much to say, it was a quick sew, although I have yet to wear it as the shorter sleeves seem more suited to Spring.  The funny thing is, although I keep thinking I must make more blouses, in truth I rarely wear thing with collars besides base layers or sweaters with polo necks!

My other sewing has been my Christmas sewing and this year I used old denim jeans to make ‘hotties’.  I put it to a photo montage as the local ‘health food’ shop asked how I made them when I popped in to get the wheatgrain.  Funny how things turn over.  15 years ago I was in the same ‘health shop’ trying to figure which grain to use and the store assistant advised me, and fast forward (a bit too fast) and this store assistant last week didn’t realise you could make them with grain and asked could she put it on the stores facebook page, I did a small photo montage and steps for them.  (I sometimes do find it strange when I get these remarks re when you say you make or sew…. but then figure I did something similar when I was 15 and I kept repeatedly saying to my friend’s mother…..’you really made this mayonnaise…..that’s amazing…..’ and I think now with hindsight she must have wondered did I think everything came from a jar.)

This one I showed was rather plain here, but basically I will cut the legs of jeans about 12 inches long and sew one end and half sew the other, half or three-quarter fill with grain and sew up the ends (or lazily top sew it all shut as I do!).  The ones I made as Christmas presents I embroidered with initials so my niece and nephews don’t fight over who’s is who’s.  I use denim as its much harder wearing that the pretty cottons I used use! I use 750 g oat groats/wheat grain per bag, and heat for 2-3 minutes.