Lauren Guthrie - Simple Sleeveless Top

I have almost finished my Simple Sleeveless Top by Lauren Guthrie. I would have finished it earlier but life has been so busy lately. So where am I at? Well I have just finished making my continuous binding, by following Lauren's instructions in her book (mentioned in an earlier post). I decided to make my binding using the same material as my top. You can make it in a contrasting material if you like, which is lovely for making a delicate feature on your top. 

 

In Lauren's instructions she suggests cutting a square of material (50cm x 50cm). Unfortunately, I had to adjust my square size down to 40cm x 40cm, as I didn't have enough material. It doesn't make a difference, it just means that the length of continuous binding will be slightly shorter. Then, once you have cut out the square from your binding material, the square is cut diagonally.

 

 

 

You then stitch the triangles together using a 1cm seam allowance. It is important to note that the edges of the triangles must overlap each other slightly at each end.

 

The seam is then pressed open. Then using a chalk pencil or temporary fabric marker, mark evenly spaced lines on each side of the material. The material is then place right side facing up and the diagonal edges are stitched together (1cm seam allowance). This is the tricky part though, because you have to move one pressed edge up one column - to create the continuous part of your binding. Please refer to Lauren's book for more detailed instructions.

 

 

Now before you start cutting make sure that you don't cut the columns while holding both triangles together. If you do this, you will end up with continuous binding that looks like a garter!!! Not helpful. So start at one end, with the column that overlaps and only cut through one material layer at a time. Its fiddly the first time you try it but definitely worth it. So now I present my first go at making binding....

 

 

 

 

Now its your turn to share your tips for making binding. In the meantime, to keep up to date on my future projects subscribe to my blog and you will receive my posts by email. So much easier!



 

 

 

 

Vintage patterns

Do you love vintage clothes? Do you find yourself scanning the internet for vintage sewing patterns? Well look no further. I have stumbled across an easy and cheap way of buying vintage patterns - second hand stores. I don't often have time to look through second hand stores, but I was looking for books by a particular author and thought I would look in a large Lifeline store (which is a second hand charity store - in Australia). Not only did I find some books, but I also came across a box of gems - some old sewing patterns. I bought the following patterns for $1 each -

 

Knitwit - Skirt pattern with variations



I have since learnt that Knitwit patterns are patterns for stretch materials. However, I still think I can use the pattern to make these skirts in material other than stretch material. Well, I hope so. Let me know if you have used a Knitwit pattern - I would love any advice.

 

Simplicity 8623 - pants

 

I thought I could make use of this Simplicity pattern (8623) to make firmer fitting pants (with a floral material) and also the loose fitting pants. I have recently completed a short pattern making course, which will definitely come in handy for altering this patterns for fit and variations.

 

Now the BEST place where I found vintage patterns and old designer patterns by Calvin Klein, was at a large antique centre in Brisbane, Australia. Unfortunately, I did not have time to go through the patterns in detail and to buy up big, but I have made a permanent mental note for the future. If you live in Brisbane and want the details, just email me or comment on this post. If you don't live in Brisbane have a hunt at your local antique centre for any hidden treasures. 

 

Let me know where you buy your vintage or second hand patterns. Post your comments below or email me at offyousew@gmail.com with your pictures and I will share them on my blog.  

 



Buying a Sewing Machine - Part 2

Where to buy it from? 

You can either buy your sewing machine online, at a large craft store or from a local store which specialises in selling sewing machines. I bought my first sewing machine from a local sewing store, that purely sells sewing machines and accessories. I would personally recommend buying your sewing machine this way as they tend to be able to offer the best prices and stock a larger range of brands and models.

When I bought my sewing machine from my local sewing machine store, I was allowed to test the model I wanted to buy, ask as many questions as I liked and was also offered 12 months of free sessions to assist me with learning to use my sewing machine. This is an absolutely great offer and the staff were so friendly.  

 

So what sewing machine do I have?

So let me introduce you to a member of my family, my Brother NS15. I bought my machine last year.  At that time, it was on sale (only time to buy one) with a special cash back offer from Brother (which was a special deal at the time). This cash back offer was not available to buyers purchasing their sewing machines online or at large craft stores. I absolutely, love my sewing machine. Its a lovely simple model, but not the base model, and includes 16 stitches (all I wanted and needed) and accessories.  

 

My "brother"

 

 

Now its your turn to introduce me to your sewing machine, give me the good and bad so we can share our advice with people looking to buy. Just post your comments below.

 

 



 

Buying a Sewing Machine - Part 1

Are you looking to buy a sewing machine?  Getting confused between all the brands, models and extra features. Well here is my simple guide to buying a sewing machine, to help you find the one that best suits you.

 

What brand?

 

This may not be your first question, but if your like me, I do like to buy products from reputable brands. When I was growing up, the sewing machine brand I knew was Janome. Yes, you guessed it, that was the brand my mum had. However, when I went to my first sewing class, the sewing machine that I used was a Brother. During my search for a sewing machine and after talking to sewers I discovered that there were a lot of sewing brands that have been around for some time. Janome, Brother, Singer, Husqvarna and Bernina, just to name a few.  

 

Have a look in your local sewing store and online to narrow down your brand list and then I suggest having a chat to people you know that sew, to see what advice they can give you and if they have a preference. Word of mouth about product brands can be helpful and in my experience very reliable.

 

What do you want to use your sewing machine for?

 

It sounds like a silly question, I know. But you really need to give some consideration to this question. You answer to this question, will really help to narrow down the type of sewing machine you are looking for. your choice of sewing machine. For example, when I bought my sewing machine, I was a beginner,  looking for a basic sewing machine without all the extra trims (such as a lot of fancy stitches). So I narrowed my search down to more standard models with simple stitches and accessories included.

 

Model

 

One piece of advice I heard over and over again was "don't buy the base model". The reason for this being, is that a lot of the base models do not include basic accessories for your sewing machines. Which means that your sewing machine ends up costing you more than you expected because you then have to go out and purchase things like a buttonhole foot or a zipper foot, which you will need even if you are doing the most basic sewing. The other reason not to buy the most basic model is because some a lot of the accessories are plastic which can sometimes be less accurate and definitely do not last as long as the metal ones.

 

Stay tuned for Buying a Sewing Machine - Part 2. Or subscribe to my blog so that you receive my blogs directly to your email. In the meantime, tell me about any advice you have heard about buying sewing machines.

 

My current project - Simple Sleeveless Top by Lauren Guthrie

So what's on my sewing table at the moment? A sewing project from Learn to Sew with Lauren by Lauren Guthrie, the simple sleeveless top. I am very excited about this pattern because the top is so simple but lovely. No expert sewing skills required. Lauren's book provides great instructions and illustrations to guide you through the pattern. So if you are looking for some great inspiration while learning to sew then I highly recommend Lauren's book.

 

I wanted a summery material for my top and found some lovely material at Make it Hobby n Craft in Boondall, Brisbane, Australia. The material is by Leutenegger called "Pebbles". I am sure that you could order it online from the Leutenegger website if you don't live in Australia. The material is a lightweight cotton. Here it is -

 

 

Once again, the photo never does the material justice but you get the idea. So my practice is to trace patterns so I can use them again and again. By doing this you also preserve the other sizes in case you need them in the future. I have cut out the pieces and am ready to start putting my top together.

 

 

So now I just need to make time for myself (which is so hard with a little one) and put my top together, so I can proudly show it off to you. Stay tuned by subscribing to my posts for the final reveal and other variations of this pattern in the future.

 

Let me know what's on your sewing table at the moment, even if it has been sitting there a while ......(I understand).

 

Little boys clothes

Is it just me or have you noticed a severe lack of boys clothes in stores? After having a little man, it became abundantly clear that stores stock a larger range of clothes for girls than boys. This was one of my other drives to learn to sew. However, once I began my sewing journey and started searching for sewing patterns for little boys, I notice that there are a very limited number of patterns out there.

 

I know many other mums with little boys who would like to have a bigger range of boys clothes to choose from. So I thought I would share a pattern with you that I found, The pattern is actually for boys and girls but all the outfits in the pattern are gender natural. The pattern is by ellie mae designs K133 (with four sizes). This pattern includes a basic short sleeve shirt and shorts, and long sleeve shirt and long pants. Also included in the pattern are giraffe or lion appliques. So I see lots of potential for this pattern, especially if you have a creative side. 

This was the second project I ventured on, so I kept it simple and just made my little man son simple shorts. As I am a reasonably new sewer, I found this pattern so easy and it took next to no time to put together. 

Its not my favourite colour, but it was the only colour I could get at the time. I specifically wanted a nice soft stretchy material. It was my first time sewing with stretchy material, and even though I was slightly nervous it wasn't as hard as I thought. Here is the finished product.

 

No complaints from this little one. The shorts went down a treat.

 

Let me know if you have found any great patterns for little boys.

Tilly and the Button's Clemence Skirt

So I decided to take up sewing last year and looked into some Introduction to Sewing classes. After a very bad experience, I returned to the internet to discover that there were some fantastic bloggers out there with sewing books that included great sewing patterns for beginners. 

The first blog I stumble across was Tilly and the Buttons. After buying Tilly's book Love at First Stitch, I then ventured onto my first ever sewing project the Clemence Skirt (which is in Tilly's book). The pattern for this skirt is self drafted and very easy to do. As a beginner I found quite easy to do as Tilly provides great instructions and pictures in her book. Here is my finished product.

My Clemence Skirt
 

The only problem was that measured myself slightly incorrectly which resulted in the skirt being too big. (That's way its photographed on the floor) However, it was a great starter project and I learnt so many new techniques, such as French seams, gathering, inserting an invisible zipper and stitching in the ditch. 

 

My French Seams

The material is a Japanese butterfly quilting cotton from Lincraft. You can see the butterfly pattern in the photo below, however, the photo does not do the material justice. I love anything Japanese and so I am often drawn to Japanese material. I believe this material is still available at Lincraft in their oriental range.

 

If you have sewn the Clemence skirt before or a similar project, please send me a picture of your skirt to offyousew@gmail.com