Laurel x 2

No, I didn't die.... Although I have been too busy to be posting on the blog. :)

I have sewn a lot, but also been working a lot and this weekend I worked, a lot, in the gaarden, which happens about once every year.

Here are two more Laurels, I finished the dress this weekend (after the gardening!) and the blouse was finished today.  I have entered both in the Colette patterns Laurel contest, but I have no chance of winning what so ever, not after seeing all the AMAZING Laurels on flickr.

Not much to say about the make, pretty straightforward. Look at the photos, no secrets there, what you see is what you get.... I really suck at details, I have to get better at that...

The blouse is made up from black cotton eyelet, really pretty, but it doesn't come though in the photos.I just turned over the hems and sewed, no bias binding.

The dress is linen/cotton, which was very easy to sew. I used bias tape to finish the hems.

 Here are all three of my Laurels. BTW, changed the size from US upper 12/lower 14 to US 12, which is perfect!

Have you sewn any Laurels?

Later,

Johanna

Another t-shirt and MMM '13

Found some breton striped jersey in the scrapbin at my fabric store the other day. Decided I NEEDED it to make another striped t-shirt. Just as well since... I'm in Me-Made-May for the first time!!!!

First, here's my pledge:

'I, Johanna of Projects by me, sign up as a participant of Me-made-May '13. I endeavour to wear one handmade garment each day for the duration of May 2013.'

Read more on the lovely Zoe's blog sozowhatdoyouknow. She's the brain behind this fantastic thing!

OK, back to the t-shirt. I used the pattern from Sömnadsmagasin, the same as this t-shirt:

This time I cut the neckline a little higher and the sleeves a little longer and omitted the gathers on the sleeve top.

I'm quite happy with the fit since I don't like t-shirts to be too tight over the stomach. I decided not to use the twin needle for the hemming, it hasn't turned out well in a long time so now I used a cover stitch on my sewing machine, which turned out great.

Not much to say, but some "cake" that I can use for MMM'13.

Are you in?

xx,
Johanna

Meet Laurel and Violet from Colette patterns, they're really nice!

I shared earlier that I had ordered the new pattern from Colette patterns, Laurel, and another one I've wanted for some time, Violet. I gor them in the mail last week and I already had some fabric in mind for making up some kind of wearable muslins. So fairly quickly I traced the patterns and cut the fabric for both.

Here's Laurel:

Source: colettepatterns.com via Johanna on Pinterest

And here's Violet:

Source: colettepatterns.com via Johanna on Pinterest

I chose size US12 at the bust and tapered to size US14 at the hips for both garments. For the Violet blouse that was great, but on the Laurel dress I think it was too big. When I make the Laurel dress again (because I will!) I'm thinking of making the front size US12 and the back size US10 tapered to size US 12 at the hips. The upper back part was really big and I had to make two extra sort of darts in the back going from the neckline down to the actual back double darts. It doesn't look bad, but it shouldn't be necessary...

Here are some photos of Laurel and me. :)

Yep, that's me wearing a wig for once...

Don't tell me hair doesn't make a difference.... It does!

Used a decorative stitch for the neckline. Could not be bothered to handstitch the bias binding...ugh...

Decorative stitch on the sleeves too...

This is a first! I used my blind hem foot for the first time to make a machine stitched blind hem!

Can you see the back darts? No, I didn't think so... :)

Here's Voilet and me:

Here's Violet paired with my recent cropped jean trousers. And a different wig...

And a photo without the hair...

Ugh, do not like the neckline facing.... Have to try something else next time...

I'm quite happy with the two garments except for two things:
1. The size of the dress
2. The length of the blouse
Luckily enough, both issues are easily resolved. :)

BTW, the fabric I used for the dress is what I believe to be a 30-35 year old table cloth and the fabric for the blouse is a striped cotton sateen bed sheet often found in hotel beds! The first is a thrift find and the second is from my  mum.

What is the weirdest fabric you have used to make clothes?

Bye for now,

Johanna