Hits, misses and neutrals in 2018

I seem to have been quite busy with sewing this year but with very little to show for it! I have quite a few craft items which have been successful in their own category and some knitting - oh and repairs and refashioning. As there is so little to show, I’m doing one post for both successes and failures for the year. I'm not including failures that didn't get as far as being made up - and there are quite a few of those!

I will do them in order from the start of the year, all together in one category. Click the title to get to the appropriate blog post where the pattern number and details will be listed.

As before, I'm linking to  Crafting a Rainbow’s Top 5 of the Year.

January

Kimono - success

In January, I made a kimono for myself. I like the kimono, feel it fits well and do wear it. There is a but - the colours are not right for me and I have been intending to remake with a fabric more suited to my colouring and my other clothes. I tried to get a similar fabric but haven't been successful. Nevertheless, I consider this a success.

Chanel-type jacket - neutral

In January, I finally finished the Chanel-type jacket I had been working on for some time, after starting it in a two-weekend class I attended with Margaret of The  Crafty Creek in the autumn of the previous year. I think the jacket looks great but I haven’t really worn it. This is mainly because I feel it is a bit snug (I have put on weight, alas). I feel it is snug around the biceps and it lies with the two fronts quite far apart. I learned such a lot from this exercise, though - very much including what I would do differently next time. The main thing I would change would be to overlock raw edges before started construction. I’ll have to say this is a neutral as it hasn’t been worn in the way I had intended – so neither failure nor success.

February was a very unsuccessful month with several items and pieces of fabric being rejected. March was a more successful month

Jasper sweatshirt - success

It was cold in March. We haven't had much cold weather yet this winter.

I made the Jasper sweatshirt and have worn it a lot though it’s only getting cold enough now to think about it again. I like it but it was criticised on the style website I’m a member of for being too dark for my colouring - while I didn’t want that to influence my view of it, it has to some extent. I plan to make it again but in slightly lighter weight fabric

New Look 6481 tops - 2 x successes 1 x fail

I’ve worn these tops a lot. The fail was as a result of using a fabric with insufficient stretch and it was too tight for me. It went to my daughter who wears it, as far as I know so not a total failure. Operative error.

Blackwood cardigans x2 - successes

Regularly worn. I like one better than the other - the one that has slightly more stretch - as it feels more comfortable. Same fabric as the NL 6481s

Trousers - epic FAIL

For the whole year, well until autumn really, I was trying to make well-fitting trousers. The closest I got was making up a pair of trousers that I was forced to wear for golf matches as I had no other suitable trousers which still fitted me. I did get to wear them but they were neither stylish nor comfortable.

I intend to solve the problem in 2019!

 

I have so many awful photos of the various stages - this was the least bad
I haven't linked to a post

Self-drafted top - failure

I finished this but have never enjoyed wearing it. The fit just isn't right.

Cashmerette concord Vneck tunic - neutral

I made another Cashmerette Concord, this time with a V neck, tunic length. I’m not really wearing it - I think because the neckline is a little loose/stretched and a bit low for my liking. Operative error again.

Items for my daughters - successes. Probably

I made another pair of culottes for Joanne. While she was visiting for Christmas, I made some repairs to a much earlier pair of these culottes (she loves this style) and has told me she hasn't started to wear the most recent ones as yet.

I also made another silk dress for Helen. 

I am sure these will be successful but it’s too early to say as yet.

Gosh, that’s not much to show for a year! The trousers took up a lot of my time and made me feel completely despondent so I had to give up. I did a lot of garment refashioning, garment repairs

Machine embroidery - successes

I started to use my embroidery machine and enjoyed it. There is quite a big learning curve that I haven’t mastered yet, but I’m beginning to produce items that I have enjoyed making and the recipients have liked receiving.

Classes 

I attended a few classes - working with leather; silks and sheers and corset making. I have taken something from each class. My oldest daughter likes the corset I made (a standard size 12 with a D cup, clearly not for me!) and even though it is a sample speedily made up a couple of days before Christmas, she has taken it home with her. My youngest daughter found a little too much space in the cups - she added a couple of cooking apples to fill the cups out! She liked the waist shaping it gave her, though - she has a fairly straight figure

WIPs

I have some WIPs, ready to restart in January

Make Nine Project - failure

I signed up for the make nine project and have not succeeded in making anything like 9 items. This is because quite a few of my items were going to be trousers/pants and I haven’t got the fit right as yet. Is it possible that I won’t be able to? I didn’t make the jacket as that was to go with the trousers.

RTW Fast

I have been more successful with the RTW 2018 Fast, depending on how you measure success! I have done the fasting - but have not managed to fill the gradually increasing holes in my wardrobe.

7 Steps to Style and Evolve Your Style - failure

I intended to put everything into this but found I just didn’t. This was partly because I was on the RTW Fast and so wasn’t buying new clothes (or even charity shop clothes for refashioning). I had a huge bundle of old clothes that needed restyled but they got me down, I had little idea how to proceed (Lots of trousers) so I abandoned that idea.

I haven’t seen much point in buying new fabrics when I have huge stash or new patterns ditto. So this coming year, I will concentrate on making what I have manageable and reflect me.

A kimono for Joanne from Simplicity 1108

I had intended to do some sewing for Joanne for Christmas. She likes the lace edged shorts I’ve made for her, cloned from a RTW pair, and needs more. I’ve made her two pairs so far - they look identical but the fabric on one is nicer than the other. I’ve run out of time to order the nice fabric online and get them made for Christmas so that’s a task for the new year. I decided against using the fabric I bought when I was in Liverpool earlier this year to consider for a pair as I think it’s maybe not a nice enough quality and I don't have time to experiment. Also, it has a pattern and I haven’t discussed with Joanne anything other than plain black ones. (Edited to add that she definitely wants a black pair)

A year past in November I was at Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show (I didn’t make it this year) and I bought some fabric thinking of a kimono for Joanne. David was with me. We liked this dark flocky fabric which has a very slight stretch but is really quite stable. I bought quite a bit. I can’t remember who we bought it from.

Well, I only this week got around to thinking of it. I had previously made Joanne a kimono but decided to use a different pattern this time  - just to mix it up a little! I didn’t want to use a border. I gave Joanne the choice of the previous kimono pattern or this one via WhatsApp. She chose this pattern in view D but said she’d like it longer. Originally, I had thought of making it a lot longer - around 12” - to match the length of view A but decided this wouldn’t work with the nice curved front. In the end, I only increased the length by 4”. This view also has optional lace around the edges and sleeves but I didn’t do that - if Joanne wants, I could add it later.

This was a fairly speedy make - and I’m sure many of you could make it far faster than I did. In fact, the longest time was in cutting out. I did my best to get pattern elements level and lying in a suitable place. I think there is a very big repeat though many of the large elements seem similar but different from the next one. The pattern is not symmetrical around a midpoint so I tried to take that into account too. It took me a while - yet when you lay the fabric down, it almost disappears so I decided to try to level only the largest element.

One change I did make was to cut the back in one piece rather than have a centre seam. The back seam was straight and I couldn’t see a real need for that seam. Otherwise, I followed the pattern. I used a lengthened view D with the longer sleeves from view C. There is only a back piece, two front pieces and two sleeves. There is no interfacing, no facings, no fastenings. My fabric doesn’t fray but I decided to finish all my seam allowances by overlocking in black thread just to finish off and give the inside a neat appearance.

The edges around the kimono and the sleeves are finished in bias binding, understitched and turned to the wrong side, then topstitched in place. This took me the longest time. I was wishing that I had simply overlocked, turned and topstitched - but I must admit the finish is lovely. I used a commercial bias binding. Actually, does this count as a facing?

So that was another item ticked off my Christmas list. I took photos on my dressmaking model and on me but hoped I would get a photo actually on Joanne.

I saw Joanne a couple of days after Christmas at our late family Christmas celebration in Cambridge. She liked the kimono and the fabric and it appears to fit well. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo as it was too dark and hectic that night and next day when she came round she wasn't wearing it. She says she'll send me a photo. In the meantime it's photos on Madame and on me.

I think the pattern sizing is pretty accurate.

I’ve had the fabric so long that I can actually enter PR’s fabric Stash contest. No chance of winning of course - but there is a random prize. I used 3 metres of fabric.

Kimono - New Look 6217

I said I'd post photos of the kimono I made for my youngest daughter H when she sent them. She sent three from her iPhone tonight.

She told me on the phone that she hasn't had it off her back and is very keen for me to make her more - or to make for herself. She is very keen to take up sewing but her fiancé hasn't been keen due to their considerable shortage of space and the fact that she took a large piano with her and doesn't play it enough perhaps to justify its presence. She told me that she'd like to over-rule that and take up the offer of a sewing machine from me. She's clear that she wouldn't let the paraphernalia run away with her! (Yeah) She's been looking at wedding dresses and bridesmaids' dresses and is keen to help. Of course, she actually knows nothing at all about sewing at the moment - she didn't get any at all at school and of course I didn't teach her. Though my middle daughter reminds me that we once together made a rag doll which she still treasures. She hopes to sign up for a beginner sewing class in London where she lives - there's plenty of choice there, but cost is a big issue. She and her fiancé are trying to break into the housing market but finding it very hard going. Their first accepted offer was for a flat that lenders wouldn't give them a mortgage for, so they couldn't go ahead with it though they thought it was a great buy. They can get a mortgage for an appropriate property (lenders' definition of appropriate of course). Unfortunately, while they have had their offer on another flat accepted, I still wouldn't be able to stay there when I visit them.

My daughter has come into professional contact with a dress designer who offered to design her wedding dress - but she declined, saying she already had a designer! (Me, with her help!). I told her she should have accepted - but her reasons for not doing so are sound. Besides, she is very keen on the family related, heirloom tradition.

Anyway, back to the kimono. In February, we went together to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Olympia and H chose fabric that she fancied made up as a kimono. I had a few kimono patterns that I'd picked up, mainly coming free with magazines. Eventually, I got around to offering her a choice of patterns and she chose New Look 6217, though she requested that the body and arms be lengthened as much as possible (she was aware that there were limitations as to what was possible). She is 6' tall and slim, UK size 10.

The fabric she chose was a knit, a polyester jersey, I assume, though I'm not sure. It is patterned on one side and black on the other. It isn't hugely stretchy, but I was a little concerned that it wouldn't work for this pattern. The pattern match was huge!

I lengthened the body pattern by 10 inches, initially, but due to a measuring error the end body length was only 6 inches longer than the pattern. This was really just as well as I'm not sure I could have got the additional length fitted into the fabric - the width being the limiting factor. She said she'd like the sleeves three quarter length if possible. I lengthened them to the size 22 mark, but felt that going further could compromise the design. I had to modify the sleeve shape slightly.

The biggest issue was trying to get the pattern on the fabric to match at the front. I didn't manage that but I did cut out the back, which was on the fold, so that a large design was in the centre.

I used a conventional sewing machine to sew. Then, however, after reinforcing the fairly sharp bend underarm, I decided to overlock this area - and while I was at it everything else too! This worked nicely, using black thread. Also, to give her maximum length, I simply overlocked and turned the hem.

It turned out very nicely and H loves it. It was really nice to do some easy sewing that didn't require to be fitted, endlessly, while I was in the middle of coursework.

I had it ready to take down to London when I went for my birthday and she wore it that evening and says she hasn't had it off since. On my birthday, she wore it with a black outfit and I like that better than the red in the photo I'm showing here.

I could consider making one for me, too. I only have one project on the go at the moment - a dress that I'm trying to alter fit to suit. I need to decide whether to try this on my own just now, or wait and try something else, like this kimono perhaps. (no college now until September)

I have some nice stretch lace fabric which would look good and is in H's colours s I might try that as I wasn't sure what to do with this fabric. I picked it up on a whim while shopping in Mandors in Glasgow. If H does become serious about sewing, as she says she'd like to, she can't afford impulse buying!"

I also put in a review to Pattern Review, as I hadn't completed anything in ages.