I needed some holders for my kitchen and I decided to make them myself. I like the techniques used in patchwork, and some day I might even give it a try, but what really mesmerises me is the popularity of this discipline, which in my country at least, goes far beyond sewing clothes.
There are big fairs here dedicated to patchwork, shops selling all the paraphernalia, courses happening everywhere... I think it is wonderful that it is so popular, but I do not understand how can it be better that sewing??? How many kid blankets, pot-holders and mats can one own? I have checked the two big creative fairs celebrated in Barcelona and Sitges, and the stands or brands dedicated to sewing clothes are almost nonexistent, while the stands selling notions, fabric or machinery for patchwork are hundreds. And it is not cheap to work in patchwork world, only the machines cost thousands! Recently I bought my Bernina precisely in a patchwork workshop in Lleida, neighbouring city. The owner has five Berninas and a quilting 3 metres long monster. Understand me, I think it is just great, but how come there is no sewing workshop? I can find patchwork fabric everywhere, but I have to buy my fabrics in England!
Anyways, sometimes human beings are puzzling...
Here I bought some thermic padding (I do not even know my words for patchwork, ha ha..) and some beautiful cotton, with some matching plain fabric to do the biases. I cut all the pieces, quilted them with my Bernina and its walking food, and finished them with the biases. First I tried to cut every side of the square, but in the second I decided to do it in a continuous line and the result was better.
I felt pleasure in seeing how neat and proper it all looked at the end. Maybe I will do some more patchwork again in my life!
My third one! This time I wanted the contrast yoke Tilly proposes in her block. So I bought some organic double knit in Maud's Finds, I followed Tilly's instructions to draw a contrasting yoke, and cut it in the two fabrics. Nothing fancy or difficult here. One can even follow the lazy method cutting the pattern with an even 2cm hem allowance all around, pin it and machine stitch it just like that.
I used the double jersey needle for the dress and sleeve hems, and for the neck also.
This colour block system is a good idea when we have an extreme, loud or weird fabric. This dress all in cerise would be too much for me, I think. So, you add some black, and you sober it up.
Aquesta la meva tercera versió del vestit que em vagi copiar de la Tilly, que ella anomena Coco. Aquest cop he seguit les seves instruccions per fer les mànigues i la part superior del cosset en un color que contrasti amb la resta. Simplement hem de traçar una línia a 2'5cm del començament de la sisa. És una bona idea per utilitzar estampats cridaners o colors atrevits, com aquest rosa intens.
El cotó per fer aquest vestit el vaig comprar a Maud's Finds, i és ecològic.
Amb projectes com aquest, podem fer servir el mètode ràpid: tallem la roba 2cm al voltant del patró, unim les peces amb agulles de cap, i cosim a la màquina amb un zigzag molt estret per donar-li elasticitat.
I cannot understand how I was going on through life without this dress until now. I want to wear it anywhere, at any occasion.
Com he pogut viure sense aquest vestit més de 40 anys, no ho entenc! Me'l posaria cada dia!
It is a true LBD in the whole sense of the phrase: comfortable, versatile, practical and suiting its owner!
I used a cheap black jersey (probably some poly blend, ekks!) that behaves well under the press and feels good to the skin. And the Coco pattern I drew myself last summer. It is the perfect design (thank you Tilly) and the perfect pattern.
És allò que s'anomena en anglès "petit vestit negre", còmode, portador, pràctic, elegant i a sobre em queda bé!
He utilitzat un punt barat del Kilotela, que probablement és més polièster que altra cosa(eks), però és comporta molt bé en la construcció i és agradable al tacte. He utilitzat el patró que vaig fer jo mateixa a l'estiu, inspirat (per no dir copiat) del vestit Coco de la Tilly and the buttons.
Easy and fast to sew, it is perfect on me, elegant, comfortable, dressy but modern, I can only sing its wonders!
És molt fàcil de fer, m'afavoreix la figura, és còmode i portador!
The construction is easy, it has no darts anywhere, since it is forgiving jersey. I simply zig-zagged the seams allowances and pressed them open. I turned the bottom, sleeve and neck hem towards the inside, basting and hand-sewing them with an invisible stitch.
Fàcil de fer, no té cap pinça enlloc, només la línia evasé dels costats i el que el punt dóna de si. En vaig cosir les costures a màquina amb un zig-zag molt estret per donar-li elasticitat a les costures, vaig sobrefilar-lo a màquina, planxant les costures obertes. La vora de baix, de les mànigues i del coll, estan simplement entornades cap dins un parell de centímetres i cosides al vestit a mà amb un punt invisible.
Nothing fancy here... just some cheap sweatshirt jersey I bought thinking it was cotton (and it is probably not, judging by its behaviour under the iron) and a rubbed off tracksuit pattern.
I decided to add some pockets at the sides, a decision I am starting to regret and considering to undo...
Since the seam alloances are bulky here, I pressed them flat and stitched them down with the double needle.
This is the first version of the pants, but my image assessor told me their waist was too high, so I had to take it down!
Now they are fine. Pockets add an extra bulk at my hips, but these are comfort pants and pockets are plus, so at the moment, they stay.
Adjustment (march 2018): finally the pockets went off.
