Adding to my pattern library

A few weeks ago I took the opportunity to order some new Simplicity patterns when sewingpatterns sold them for $1.99 each. The patterns arrived yesterday (that is the downside of ordering from the USA, it takes WEEKS to get them). Here's the haul:

I like the dress and the jacket. But was surprised when I saw this pattern in the package, had no recollection of ordering it... Hello amnesia..:)

Source: sewingpatterns.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

I like the dress, I'm not into peplum tops. Same here, can't really rememering putting this in the cart...

Source: simplicity.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

Not much to say, cute dress!

Source: simplicity.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

I really like the waist detail on this dress.

Source: simplicity.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

I followed Sunni's sew-along of this dress and thought the results looked s good.

Source: simplicity.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

How cute is the dress with sleeves?!!!

Source: simplicity.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

I've been trying to focus on spring sewing, but it's really hard when there's still loads of snow, more coming and the temperature stays constant between 5 and 18 degrees below zero C (23-0 degrees F). Since spring seems a long way away still an because it was snowing yesterday, I decided to cheer myself up and ordered the new Colette pattern, the Laurel dress, and also another Colettte pattern I've wanted for a while, the Violet blouse.

Source: colettepatterns.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

Source: colettepatterns.com viaJohanna on Pinterest

I can't wait for them to come, maybe it will finally be spring when they show up! :)

BTW, if you would like to invest in some new sewing patterns too, sewingpatterns.com has a promotion on McCall's and Burda patternsat the moment, I think (I don't get paid or endorsed by sewingpatterns.com to write this, I just want people to be able to save some money and make some bargains).

What's on your pattern wish list?

Bye for now,

Johanna

Good deal on Simplicity patterns

Hey, just saw that they have a good deal on Simplicity patterns over at sewingpatterns.com. Only $2.99 each! I just ordered six! And even with the shipping they are half the price they're here in Sweden!

Happy bargaining!

Johanna (off to bed..... *yawn*)

Stuff...

I've finally done some actual sewing  today. I write this because it seems I haven't sewn much lately. But I did get some new fabric and patterns.

But first, sewing... Today I completed a muslin for the Ottobre dress I've written about before, it's "the Stitch details dress".

source: ottobre design

I haven't taken any photos yet of my dress, but hold on, they'll get here... It's a wearable muslin, but I'm not extatic about it. I'm thinking of making it up in some jersey fabric next.

A while ago I actually made a muslin for the skirt I've mentioned from Ottobre, but I never got round to blogging about it. It's "the Aztec skirt", but as with the dress, I'm not totally happy with it.

source: as above

Ok, now to my new fabric. I got six different fabrics two weeks ago when visiting my sister. One lovely smooth wool fabric, which I pretty much ruined while pre-washing, not so smooth anymore as felted.... Two dark trouser fabrics, three different kinds of dark blue jersey fabric (I know... but there weren't any other colours and blue suits me...). I also celebrated my pay raise by buying even more jersey fabrics, three different kinds, each more than 3 metres.

I have also ordered two new patterns, from Onion this time.

Source: shoponion.com via Johanna on Pinterest

Source: shoponion.com via Johanna on Pinterest

I hope the patternsland in my mailbox tomorrow! I have already fabrics lined up for both of them! Yay!

Bye for now,

Johanna

Printing, taping, cutting...

I've been feeling a little under the weather lately (couldn't even enjoy my birthday on Tuesday properly), so I haven't exactly been up to sewing. But while reading some of the blogs on my blog list I found an interesting and inspiring FREE PDF-pattern. Through Portias blog Miss P I found another great blog, Dixie DIY, with a cute, free blouse/tunic pattern. So I decided to download it and print it out.

When I ordered from Sewing patterns a while ago I also bought a PDF-pattern  for a cute bolero/jacket. I had already printed it so yesterday I had a printing, taping, cutting-session. Fortunately none of the two patterns were more than 20 pages. I would guess that a dress pattern would be almost unmanageable as a PDF-pattern...

The Dixie DIY pattern was easy enough to understand while the other one, can't remember the pattern company, has very fuzzy instructions. The pattern pieces aren't named or numbered, so I had to guess...  Well, now they're ready to use anyway. Always the most boring part of sewing, I think, to prepare the pattern pieces. I always trace the patterns, because you never know when you might need another size. My pattern collections will be a goldmine for someone in the future, becasue all my patterns are intact... :) Hopefully one of my children will be interested in sewing and want to have them.

Anyway, we'll see when I get to make those garments, I guess they have to be put in my mental to do-pile for the time being.

Bye for now,

Johanna

Decision anguish

I've been thinking and thinking about my next sewing project, and I just can't make up my mind...

After getting my overlocker, I wanted to use it for making some t-shirts, but I just don't have the fabric for that, and I don't feel like going out and buying some just because.

I also wanted to use the fabrics I have bought lately and also the patterns. But even though there are some great combos there, I just chicken out, because I don't want to use fabric I like and then regret it... Does this sound weird?

Most of the times when I actually make something, it's either because it's such an obvious combination between pattern and fabric (bought for each other) or I FORCE myself to get started on something. For example my first Burda Easy blouse. I feel weird...

Anyway, tried to get out of my sewing paralysis by talking to my best friend when she was here on Friday. I showed her my new fabrics and patterns and she suggested this combo:

Simplicity 1882 and the cotton satin from Stoff and stil.

The fabric is black and white and I was thinking of making the collar and pocket flaps (?) black as on the pattern envelope. And I'm also thinking short sleeves, sleeveless just isn't me and 3/4 sleeves just get bulky when you're wearing a cardigan over.

What do you think? Is this the way to go?

Even though we're in the middle of summer, I'm having a hard time thinking about sewing summer clothes. I'm already thinking of autumn and winter, and also I like my clothes to be wearable the year around. But at the same time I don't feel like sewing the Ginger denim skirt I've been talking about for months, since it feels more like autumn....

OK, I'd better stop now, because I'm really starting to sound whiny, and I don't want that.

Bye for now,

Johanna

New fabrics and patterns

A few weeks ago I thought I'd try ordering sewing patterns from sewingpatterns.com, which is located in the USA. They have Simplicity patterns for $1.99! I chose five patterns and a PDF-pattern as well, which was only $0.99!

Here's what I found in the mailbox today:

The last picture, the bolero,  is the PDF-pattern, which I still have to figure out how to print... :) (Oh, just found that it's no problem when using IE instead of Firefox.)

Going home from our vacation we made a stop outside of Gothenburg, where there happen to be a large fabric store, Stoff och stil, which I frequently visit on the web... :) I've never been to the actual store and it's always nice to be able to feel the fabrics before you buy them, so we went in and I came out with this:

This is pinstriped stretch denim, 2 metres. Skirts or a dress...?

Here's some light-weight cotton, 1 metre.

More light-weight cotton, 2 metres.

Here are the two light-weight cotton fabrics combined. At the store they had made a dress combining the two, and I totally stole the idea, they looked so cute together.

And finally, some cotton satin, 2.5 metres. There might be some stretch in there, but I'm not sure. It's black with white flowers. I'm thinking...dress.

Bye for now,

Johanna