Letters from Wetville

There may not be a photograph. I made a muslin of the Blank Slate Novelista pattern out of an old sheet.  I've discussed my learning on shoulders here .  All week I've looked forward to two things: drinking Captain Cooker beer with my husband on Friday night and finishing my Novelista shirt. It's finished, and all mistakes are mine and not the pattern.  How can there be so much to fitting?  My new shirt, which is definitely a triumph in terms of new sewing skills, fits across the bust in terms of no gaping buttons.  But above the bust is a disaster - there is far too much fabric just where everything should be smooth.  And the collar looks enormous on me.  At the back, everything blouses out and I lose all back waist definition.  Sometimes I read that even an ill fitting blouse fits better than a RTW one.  But in my case, I can't do a fitted RTW blouse up, and this is the next step in terms of ill fitting but functionally wearable. Ba...

This is my second version of the Sewaholic Nicola pattern and I love it.  My first version is here .  This time, there is no bra showing, and I'm really happy with the fit.  I adore the fabric.  If I was a dedicated blogger, I would have had a shower, done my hair and moved the photo shoot down to the beach.  I'm not, though there is a slew of pictures/posts coming because I did persuade my husband to photograph various recent makes.  I don't have a lot to say about this make, as the changes from the first make are documented in the first version.  I did learn a lot from making this dress, and am even feeling like I might be an intermediate sewist rather than an advanced beginner now that I can do yokes, collars and buttonholes.  I've discovered that I can put this on over my head without recourse to the buttons, which is useful in a hurry.  It does require ironing but I think it's worth it in order to wear such lovely fabric.  I don't ...

Eight months since I posted last...  I have had the sewing machine in action in that time though, especially lately. Brighid in a Kitschy Coo Mini Penny Pinafore dress.  This is really nice and easy to sew. Brighid likes it long, but I think a shorter version in a beefier knit would be great for winter, possibly sleeveless so it is a genuine pinafore. The Sewaholic Nicola.  Even though Sewaholic explicitly designs for a pear shape, I could see the potential for making the bodice work by rotating the FBA to the shoulder pleats.  At first, I didn't like the finished result, but it is so comfortable, and I'm getting kinder to myself on the imperfections, such that I'm now thinking of making a second.  I've got some beautiful fabric put aside for this. Usually I have to narrow the shoulder of everything, but this one I did not.I cut a 16 almost everywhere except the skirt, which I cut a 16 in the back and an 18 in the front.  I added a 1 1/...