Notions Of Fabric

Hey everyone! So, it's been a month... My bad. I did warn you I was going back to work tomorrow... And work has been crazy, I've ended up with heaps of extra stuff to do, and unfortunately all of the crafty things have had to take a backseat for a little while. Hoping I can get things back to normal soon though! (Also slight apologies for the background today - we were experimenting with in-our-living-room photography with a sheet as a backdrop. Not so successful, but plenty good enough for the blog!) Today I have my latest dress to share with you - and I have to say, this time it looks exactly like what I saw in my head. That doesn't happen all too often in my experience. This lovely is a bit of a mashup. It wasn't intended to be, though. I started off with Kwik Sew 3682 , which has a lovely deep V on the bodice (View B). However, I had bought slightly too little fabric, and even if I hacked 4 inches off the skirt (which I often do with patterns, because they...

Evening everyone! Hope you've all had a nice week. Mine was super busy again - I'm starting to really look forward to the holidays (only two more weeks), and I'm aching to take a sewing day before then, but I won't. I need to work as much as I can in the lead up to Christmas; working as a casual teacher takes its toll over the summer when you don't work (and therefore don't get paid). I've also put myself on a fabric and yarn spending ban (with the exception of a few things I'm planning to make as gifts for people for Christmas), so I'm trying to work my way through a long list of things I've been planning to make for ages. First are some commissions for friends, I'm copying a ModCloth dress for a few of us - then the long list for me. Maybe I'll have my list finished by the end of next year... (I love this dress, so much! Although it makes me want a crinoline...) In the spirit of things I've made a long time ago, I made ...

Hello everyone! Long time no... post? What a weird turn of phrase. ANYWAY... I won't bore you with many legitimate but not-all-together-adequate reasons. I'll just show you a pretty dress! (All the poses in this post are super awkward and weird, just FYI. Pretty sure these are the most accurate pictures of me so far on this blog!) This gorgeousness was a long time coming. I bought the fabric quite early on, really, in my sewing journey - and for one reason. GLOW IN THE DARK STARS. I couldn't not buy it, right? It's a Michael Miller cotton called Star Magic ( DG0605-NITE-D ) , I'm pretty sure I bought it at Fabric.com (I buy a lot there, lets be honest - I'm waiting on some fabric as we speak!). (I think maybe my face is so awkward because there were people walking past and staring at me... I am an awkward turtle.) The photos of this may not be the best - we were losing the light as we shot, but it's a gorgeous mottling of dark blue to black...

For my second entry in the Sew Dolly Clackett competition... It's an Eiffel Tower dress! Having obviously seen this fabric heaps on Roisin's blog , I wasn't actually sure it was for me. But it grew on me, and although many of the colourways weren't quite right, you can't really go past black and white, right? Right. This is actually another Cambie pattern hack as well (the same as my Dorothy dress), as after i finished that one I didn't want a gathered skirt. I had planned to do another with a 1/2 circle skirt, but having not enough fabric meant I self-drafted (if you can call it that) a pleated skirt. That basically means I made it up as I went. I left in the pockets for this one (so amazing and useful!), and the fabric itself is gorgeous and drapy. Again, I cut a straight size 12 for the bodice, and used the complete width of the fabric for the skirt. Lining is plain black polypop (and bemsilk for the skirt lining). Pleating the skirt kind of meant...

Welcome to my blog. I am a newly interested sewer, a result of moving house and finally having a place to put my sewing machine! As you may have guessed, I'm Rachel, and while my sewing skills aren't incredible (yet, I hope) I am loving sewing and creating awesome things! I learnt to sew growing up from my grandmother, and am rediscovering my skills. I inherited my nan's machine and serger, and haven't ye been able to use them due to lack of space in my living arrangements. Soon, I hope to get photos of my creations so far, but in lieu of a photographer, I wanted to show you some new fabrics. One many of you would have seen before, the other I just saw online and had to have. (Michael Miller Eiffel Tower in black, Wonderful Woodlands Fox Plaid in grey) Now, the real question... What to make???