Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Pink-Trimmed Black Dress


Eva Hache was the inspiration for this project. I had some elastic cotton in my stash waiting to become a classic dress. On the other hand, I had my faboulous Swedish Hasbeens, which are so confortable and so beautifully pink, so it was a total call for me. I found the pink trim and some pink buttons in a sewing supplies store in Lleida, and started to make the dress.
I decided to use the top of my 1958 Simplicity Pattern. This is the third time I use this pattern, it is beautiful and confortable, and fits me like a glove. For the skirt, I had a half cricle skirt planned, but I had not enough fabric for it, so I decided to use my own pattern for the long skirt I made last winter, which was absolutely perfect. I tend to appreciate more and more my own patterns instead of the comercial ones. They are better in all senses. Even in the case of this top, I thought next time I am going to make my own pattern from the "close fitting bodice block" in Aldrich's book. 
A good trick with these two-pieced dresses is to finish the skirt with a waistband, well adjusted and confortable to wear and sit in. Then, we will attach the bodice to that waistband, machine sewing it by the inside. Only then the dress is confortable and stays always in its place, on the waist.
To apply the trim was, not difficult, but laborius to say the least. I learnt in the process that it is better to bast it in place in the good side to the dress first. Second, we will put the facing on top of it, secure it with some pins, and then sew it with the machine on the side of the dress where we can see the basting, and goint just over it. Even thus, one can see the white cotton peeking at some places. But the overall effect is wonderful.
Judge by yourselves:

I even  made the pink trimmed belt, using and old buckle my auntie gave me.


I am in Sitges, in the Fantastic Cinema Festival, my favourite event of the year.


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Long T-Shirt, Short Dress

I made this simple, but very confortable and practical long top form some jersey fabric I found in a retail store we have in our city, where they sell fabric by weight. This is my favourite shop, mostly because it is cheap, you can touch and feel every fabric, and you get inspired by them. Most of the times, I buy some piece just because is nice, and then I start thinking what could I do with it, like in this example. Although sometimes I like to sew with luxury fabrics, most of the times the principle guiding me is economy. I learn to sew from my mother, and her aim was to save money sewing all the clothes of the family. Nowadays, with very cheap clothes made in countries where the workers are underpaid, we tend to dew for other reasons, but since I grew with it in mind, I still feel well when I manage to get a dress done for 5 Euros. I used the Universal T-Shirt pattern I have used so many times before, which I love for its raglan sleeves, specially suitable for knit or jersey fabrics. It makes a very nice outfit with some leggings for this time of the year.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Summer Knit Skirt

This is a very simple, but very becoming and comfortable jersey skirt.


I made the pattern myself from Aldrich's book, parting from the very simple skirt pattern, in the "Flat Cutting" section of the book. This pattern is for knit fabrics, so it was perfect for this project.
The first modfication I made was to add some flare to the pattern, cutting vertically form the waist dart downwards and moving the dart together.
Then, I cut it in two horizontal parts. I divided the lower part vertically in four rectangles, cuting them all along but leaving the upper tip joined. We will open the lower part of the rectangles giving them a fan shape. I finished the skirt with an ellastic band in the waist. After some small correction in the first fitting (it was 2 cm too big), I finished it in a perfect fit.
I think it is confortable, sporty, but ellegant at the same time.
Here I am wearing it with my Converse, but wear it with some nice sandals and we'll have a nice formal skirt. I love it!