Letters from Wetville

Gillian Dress by Muse Patterns . I have found sewing nirvana!  I cut a size 40 for the yoke and a size 44 for everywhere else and no other alterations and it fits me!!  !!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm going to make the dress version in a blue polka dot fabric next, and then I have a grey fabric and black contrast to make a winter version after that. This is my first ever pdf pattern, and I took the plunge because I loved the pattern AND I found that Kat, the designer was a New Zealander and wanted to support her.  The instructions were great and I was really happy with the finish I achieved (I speak as someone who has done quite a bit of basic sewing, but is not an advanced or highly skilled sewist).  It did take absolutely ages to tape and cut the pattern pieces, so I'm thrilled that I have a good result from my efforts and will use the pattern again soon.  I do have my eye on the other Muse patterns - the Jenna cardigan and the Natali...

I made the peplum cardigan work in the end, by cutting the seams off and re-sewing.  I'd cut it too big first time round, so that worked.  Pictures to follow once I have gotten someone to take them. This weekend I made alterations to the pattern pieces of my Style Arc Issy top.  I'd no chance of altering them until I'd sewn it once (which I've done - pictures will be forthcoming of that too).  Next step is making it in a narrow red and white stripe fabric. I've found a new pattern to fall in love with:  McCalls 6898 . That's the pattern photo.  Even more gorgeous is this one .I think I could make it up in a stretch cotton.  There are some gorgeous ones around.  The pattern rating is "easy" and it comes with a,b,c & d cup sizes.  Princess seams, which will be a new challenge.

So now I have a better fitting cardigan, the McCalls 6844 which everyone else seems to whizz up in five minutes with no fitting issues.  It is still not a great fitting cardigan though, and when I ran some elastic through the back to bring the back waist in, I didn't spread it evenly (even though I tried ) which has made the cardigan look rather home made which I'm not so happy about given I paid $90 for the fabric (really lovely merino). I either have the narrowest shoulders in the whole entire world or I am doing something else wrong.  After taking the shoulders in by 4cm already (each) and still having the garment hanging off my shoulders by another centimetre, I've had the brainwave that maybe I have cut a size too big around the neck. Wow wee.  Imagine getting that clever after 85 hours of alterations to the pattern, one wadder and now one that is wearable but not great. I also have very short arms. Still no pictures.  Beyond bed time already. Fir...

Blimey what a project.  I only want a cardigan/soft jacket which fits me well.  I've been working on McCalls 6844 for a long time and tonight I sewed the jacket neck band on, so although there is pressing, top stitching and hemming to go, I do have a completed shape. It's all baggy under the arms.  Also, I don't think I have quite the line at the waist (there is a peplum falling from the waist) which I want.  I can see I did need to do an FBA, but possibly a length only one. I might be able to alter it at the sides a bit - I'll try that over the next few days. Also, it would appear that I have extremely short arms and narrow shoulders.  I took 2.5cm off the shoulders and need to take 2-3cm more off.  I took 9cm off the sleeves and need to take 4-5cm more off. No photos.  Just notes as I think through what happens next.  This was the wearable muslin, out of marked down fabric (yet to find out just why merino was marked down from $24/...

This is the fabric and pattern Brighid and I chose in Christchurch a few weeks ago, while the boys soughed it out at a kung fu tournament.  It's black velvet, and really beautiful fabric.  The pattern is McCalls 6915, and while it is easy to put together, the actual pattern is ridiculous.  I had read that the pattern comes up large on Pattern Review, but the reality was quite stark.  The top is loose enough to be made in a woven (the pattern specifies moderate stretch) and the skirt is unhemmed and falls above her knees.  I favour loose dresses on Brighid, but this is just bad pattern making I think.  It is entirely my fault that I ignored the band and folded the neckline over and stretched it out really badly.  So I made some tucks in the front and then added the neckband after all.  The next step in fulfilling Brighid's specs for this dress is that she wants pointy bits around the hem and arms... She added some socks and gumboots an...

So, it's quite bold, and yellow.  It's my Issy top, from Style Arc .  I threw caution to the wind as it was a freebie pattern and made it up without any alterations.  Funnily enough it fits in the bust and is too big everywhere else except through the hips.  Who would have thought that all that reading on altering patterns and several years of experimentation would yield yet another proof? It's not completely unwearable once I have taken an extremely deep hem (size 18 tops, I am reminded again, are not drafted for persons who are 5'4").  I may try and take the shoulders in, something I'vve never tried before.  I am taking the sleeves up to be 3/4 sleeves.  Bold yellow flowers all the way to my hands is tooooo much. It will, no matter the alterations, be very bold, and very yellow.  I'm not sure I will wear it every second day.  I had the red version of this print and I was wise to make it as a dress with plain black for the bodice....

    I've been sewing.  Above are four photos before I took a piece out of the bodice to take away the droop and hemmed it.  One day I might have better photos, but equally, one day may never come.  I was harsh on myself at first, but I suspect I shall come to like it a lot.  The skirt and midriff is from the Cake Patterns Red Velvet and it is beautiful.  I mustn't have concentrated properly, because my scissor pleat isn't exactly central in the front and not exactly symmetrical in the back.  My husband picked this, demonstrating that he was concentrating when I asked him what he thought.  I've made this skirt part of the red velvet pattern twice before and got it perfect without major effort those times.  I speak as someone for whom sewing and perfect almost never meet.   The top is the Renfrew top from Sewaholic, cut at just below the bust. I was looking for a combination which gave me modesty at the top (a...