Still here...

I'm still here, somewhere.... Just having the busiest time of year at work plus I'm finally working full-time again!!!

A short summary of the last few weeks:

• I did finish Me Made May and was able to fulfill my resulotion of wearing at least one hand-made garment each day. I don't have the photos to prove it and by now I can't even remember what I wore that last week, you just have to take my wod for it. :)

• I went to Mallorca with my class and I even had time to make a few vacation pieces for the trip: two pair of shorts and a sleeveless dress. I will post about them soon, promise. The trip itself was great and I had such a good time.

• Yesterday was the traditional sort of "prom" for my class and the other classes graduating from "junior high"/"lower secondary" school. I was there, of course, to participate in the dinner part, hold a speech for my class and see all of them in their pretty dresses and handsome suits. I, too, dressed up and decided to use the "graduation dress" from last year. I just added another belt and a hair accesory!

This is me and Håkan who is the other class teacher of our class. This was our third class that we've worked with together.

So at least some pretty photos to look at and a summary of the last weeks. I promise to be back soon!

Bye for now,

Johanna

Graduation dress finished - Simplicity 2444

There wasn't much left to do today on the graduation dress (No, not my graduation, my cousin's. I would be the oldest high school graduate ever, if it were me...). It took a little bit longer  than I thought to finish the sleeves, neckline and lower hem, but I did finish today and the dress is beautiful both on the outside and the inside, not a raw edge in sight.

First let me show you the inside, which I'm so proud of.

Neckline

Don't know if it shows, but since I couldn't do a French seam at CB I hemmed the two sides before I put in the zipper.

The pocket - also in French seam.

Center front - French seam (Love them) and lower hem.

The pleats on the front skirt and the darts on the front bodice, aaaaalmost matching, only 1-2 mm off.

And look at those sleeve seams finished with bias tape! I'm so proud of myself!

OK, enough with the inside. Let's have a look at the outside. I did make the waist more fitted and it is better this way. When I cut out the fabric I added 3 cm at the bottom of the skirt and I finally made the hem 5 cm, so I guess I added 1 cm in the end to the length. I had also added a total of 6 cm to the waist using the pivot alteration method from the Colette sewing handbook, but I guess I didn't need all those cm, since I had to take it in at the waist. Other than that I can't think of any alterations I made. The size is Am. 18 at the bustline and Am. 20 at the waist- and hipline.

So, how did it turn out then. Here it is, I styled it with a darkgreen belt, turquoise sandals and a darkgreen necklace. I don't know how I'll wear it to the graduation, but maybe this is it.

My little girl wanted to be in the photo.

Only one thing missing... A waist... wish I had one...

Hope you like my dress, I do! Have a great evening.

Bye for now,

Johanna

Sneak peek at the Graduation dress - Simplicity 2444

I've been a busy bee working on the dress I will wear for my cousin's graduation, it's a Simplicity 2444. It was no. 1 on my todo-list from my last blog post.

I have been very thorough with finishing the seams nicely. I've made French seams everywhere so far. I was very inspired to do this after seeing the work Cynthia at Dapperduds put in on her version of the Simplicity 2444.

I only have the sleeves, the neckline and the lower hem left to finish! Yay! I feel so proud to have taken my time to do things properly. I have used some of the tips from the Colette sewing handbook, it's great!

Well, I have some pictures for you, two with a belt and two without. (I know, the dress isn't ironed). Here we go!

I couldn't find a green zipper in the right shade so I settled for a turquoise one (Yes, I love that colour!). I won't be bothered by a different-coloured zipper, I mean, I won't even see it.

I'm thinking of maybe taking it in a bit at the waist, it doesn't look very fitted. I don't want it to be tight, but a little more fitted than this.

OK, going to prepare for watching the semi final of the Eurovision song contest.

Bye for now,

Johanna

Getting organised - My todo-list

Today I sat down in the sun with pen and paper and made a list of the sewing projects I would like to do. I came up with seven posts that feel relevant and realistic at the moment. Here they are:


1. A dress for my cousin/God daughter's high school graduation Simplicity 2444 in apple (?) green cotton.  (Yea, I was totally inspired by the photo on the pattern envelope.)

2. A Meringue skirt from Colette's sewing handbook. I don't know what fabric I'll use just yet, but something from my stash, since I got so much fabric from mum.

3. A pair of shorts. I'm very inspired by the nice weather we're (finally) having, so I want some new shorts, but I haven't decided on the pattern yet, but the fabric will be from my stash, I think.

4. A blouse with peter pan-collar  (Colette's Violet look-a-like) from my sewing magazine, see the muslin here. I just have to decide on the fabric, cotton, viscose, crepe...? Have to check the stash.

5. A potato-sack blouse (Simplicity 2147) without pleats. I'm thinking viscose, kind of flowing... I was inpired by some blouses from H&M, this one and this one.

6. A colour-blocked potato-sack dress (Simplicity 2147) like the one I have in green and blue. I've gotten so many compliments about that dress, so I want to make another one. I recently bought a pair of yellow converse knock-offs and I love them. I haven't worn yellow in 20 (!) years, I had a mustard yellow top in high school, which I finally realised made me look weirdly pale and pasty, so after that no more yellow... until now! I'm so inpired by my shoes I'm thinking that I will make the dress yellow and green. The yoke and lower part green and the rest yellow. What do you think, wouldn't it be great?

7. Another denim Ginger skirt. I was so inspired by the version Sunni made on A fashionable stitch. I like pockets, which there are on Sunni's version. I think I will use the dark denim I bought for the jeans I had planned to make, but gave up on.

OK, those are my planned projects and I'm proud to say that I've already begun the graduation dress. I have altered the pattern to fit my not-so-pronounced waist, using the tips in the Colette sewing handbook (I love that book!) and have cut out the fabric. I will take a chance and not make a muslin, let's hope it will be alright anyway. I didn't pay much for the fabric so the cost is not the worry, the fabric's just such a lovely shade of green. Tomorrow, I have to get some thread though because the green thread I have is more of a grass green and not apple-like...

Ok, bye for now,

Johanna

New sewing patterns

A few weeks ago I ordered some patterns from Sewessential. I was so glad to see that they had patterns to reduced prices. That NEVER happens in Sweden, it's ALWAYS full price. So I found five I liked, two of them only cost £1.85 each! And the others were £4.15 each. And the postage wasn't too bad either, so totally worth it.

These are the ones I got:

Simplicity 2702 - I like this type of silhouette, I find it flattering for my hips (which are not 46 inches, but 44!). The patterns looks very versatile too, with all the sleeve variations.

 Simplicity 1878 - another Lisette pattern. They are so cute. I was looking for a A-line dress and this one looks fab.

 Simplicity 2363 - I think the front yoke looks interesting, with the possibilities to embellish in different ways. Also many sleeve variations.

 Simplicity 2219 - This also looks very flattering for big hips. But I think I will save this for when I get an overlocker/serger.

 Simplicity 2444 - I have seen many versions of this dress, but this one by Cynthia made me want to make one myself. I have no clue if this type of dress will look good on me, since I have no waist and big hips. But I will make one anyway. I like green a lot and think I have enough of some cotton fabric I got at the local charity shop. It seems kind of the same shade as the one on the envelope. Well, I hope I can muster the energy and make this my next project...

Bye for now,

Johanna