silk ribbon arrives

I have one less reason to procrastinate over the lounging robe, as today the silk ribbon arrived from the states.

Even better, it's a great colour match. Not perfect, but 99.5% ideal.  It ooks better in real life than in the photo so you'll just have to take my word for it.

 

I wonder how long it will take me ... but I'll have it for next summer!

not much to report

My only sewing progress is that the bodice mockup is cut out of leftover yardage. So that's something, but I don't even have a picture of that.

Still to do on the mockup are tailor tacks, and then assembling it.  Hmmm, it's a mockup, I could just mark the fabric with a pen.  That idea makes me happy.

paper for pattern copying & alterations

Up until now I've been using unwaxed sandwich paper (on a roll from the supermarket) to copy patterns & do alterations.  But that means using the sticky tape far too often as once the FBA is done I need to sticky some on. Also sleeves, cos I've always had beefy biceps since way before I was overweight.

Ages ago - I think it was Jenni (Historically Dressed) who mentioned using IKEA's kiddy craft paper roll for patterning and it's taken me a very long time to get myself to IKEA and buy a roll of Måla paper and I also baggsed the roll holder. Even though my cutting/patterning table is covered in stuff and unusable at the moment it won't remain that way.

So for AU$7.99 and AU$14.99 I'm really happy.  The paper is 47cm (18.5") wide and 30m (32.8y) long and I can see through it enough to trace over but not so heavy that it's tricky to fold up.

I had also considered getting a roll of architects tracing paper, as that comes in varying widths. But, yes there is a but, it's usually much more expensive.  Using my google-fu I did find an 18" wide x 50yard roll at Jovian, for only $27.60 plus delivery. They also have the same paper in yellow.  So if I decide in the future to change to the longer roll of tracing paper, well it will still fit on the paper holder.

So what's lead to my rather waffling post:  I used the paper roll for the first time today to alter the bodice front of my 1939 Simplicity pattern and it was *wonderful* to not need to sticky tape paper wide enough!

ribbon trim selected at a distance

The selection of silk ribbons locally is the narrow embroidery stuff that's carded with a couple or 4 yards, and nothing wide enough for this.  So I've ordered a 15m roll of silk ribbon from Cam Creations, and I'm hoping that I picked the right blue. I didn't want pastel and royal would be wrong too.  So fingers crossed it blends in nicely once I have it in my grabby hands.  Then I'll be compelled to start sewing it, which should be quick. Though not as quick as if I stuck to the pattern.

At least the fiddly shaped, appliqued neck facing is the type of fiddly stuff I enjoy doing.

I started mentally flip flopping on my fabric choice, and trying to self-justify buying something else. Cos yes, this colouring is no longer as flattering as it used to be, but hey I need to use what I have and it's loungewear for a spinster who lives alone.  I have a vast and diverse stash of fabrics, nerdily spreadsheeted into categories, so I know I have high hundreds of metres.  I'm trying to use and not buy this year. Firstly cos I just have so much that needs and wants to be used. Secondly, it's money that I don't have to spend as it already has been. Surviving on fresh/frozen fish & fruit is unsuprisingly a spendy thing. I'd planned to pay off the nastycard this year but seem to be throwing $$ at food every week. Tinned fish is tolerated once a week, more than that and I get the squiffies.

But the compulsion to buy was strong in me, and I ended up trawling fashionfabricsclub and finding some lawns & light-weight cottons that might suit me better and I put a couple in the shopping cart, plus samples of more.  I managed to talk myself down to one yardage +samples,  and waited a couple hours. When I went to order it the servers at work were having issues & it timed out.

Saved by technology.

still hoping to sew for victory

I located my vintage copy pattern in the stash, I'd even managed to put it away properly!  What a surprise to me.

I'd started copying the pattern pieces already, thank goodness, and I need to make a mockup of the bodice more than of the skirt. I'll need to check body length (I'm so short from shoulders to waist), and increase the cuppage for my genetic gift. I'll need to decide fi I'll swing any of the extra into the yoke gathers, or leave it as a new side dart.

The skirt I can flat measure and know if it'll fit or need a minor tinker.

I had a moment of insanity where I wanted to pipe the yoke & neck line but I managed to remind myself that I need to enjoy this, and that I don't have enough spoons to fiddle-faddle around

planning some loungewear

As I haven't had the oomph to sew yet, I've been doing a little scheming for when I can. I've fossicked in the stash for something suitable, or near enough for the 1920s Decades of Style #2601 negligee.

I found this cotton lawn, which I wasn't sure was right for the pattern and started looking at fabrics online.

And I had to give myself a good talking to about shopping the stash first, and then going back and either shopping the stash second or changing the pattern so that I can indeed use up the 100s of metres of fabric I already have.

There isn't enough of the plain blue, but there is of the kitty cotton lawn I got a few years ago in a moving sale.  I plan to make a design change on the neckline, such as a plain blue appliqued facing with a V- or maybe a russian-inspired opening. Something like Simplicity 1189 - not owned by me however.

I've also come up with a cunning plan to edge the sides of the DoS negligee. The original is hem stitched and slashed between to give a picot edge to the drapey bit. ugh, am so not handsewing if at all possible.

My first alternate solution was to make narrow bias from the plain blue cotton ... and whine the whole time to anyone and everyone.  Instead I now have the brighter idea of getting narrow china silk ribbon and binding the edges with that. It'll highlight the drape, and it's all straight lines so I can get away with ribbon.  Come payday this week I'll order it online.

sewing for victory, 1939 style

I'm sure that during rationing that a woman of a certain age would be practical and use a pattern she already had.  So I'm going to use the Past Patterns repro #3288, a Simplicity from 1939

And the cotton print is in red, black & white. 

Next step for me is to find the pattern & copy it out.

the Sydney Sewer's social today

Today I went to the Sydney sewing bloggers meetup, of course at a fabric shop.

Though really it was for bloggers, non bloggers, and in fact anyone interested in sewing whatever the level.  Here's a bunch of us at Tessutis.  I really enjoyed it, although I flaked a little earlier than I'd have liked.

What I find sort of amusing is that I'm in the older brigade at the meetups we've had. I used to be one of the young sewers, and in the aussie sewing guild I still am, but here I'm one of the older farts.  It's still fun whatever your age!