Why I look like Big Daddy

Last night: carefully traced off my 1930s cape pattern.

This morning: re-sized several pattern.

Later on this morning: made a muslin (toile).

Couldn't get 1970s wresting star Big Daddy out of my head.

Then it hit me. My fabric was left over from Jubilee celebrations last year:

Sigh.

Monthly Sewing? Yes please

I'm in - are you?

Might be just the thing to get me back on my sewing feet.

Check it out here:

http://themonthlystitch.wordpress.com/

Is corduroy a bit teacherish really?

For this jacket or a similar one you need: main fabric, underlining, lining, facing, shoulder pads, seam head rolls (or similar, can't remember what it is called now), a pattern, buttons, thread and patience. You will also need to make a toile (muslin) so some waste fabric - I used a duvet cover. In my case I also needed a sewing teacher to reassure me I could manage a jacket pattern.

I nearly had a nervous breakdown over the welt pockets - you have to CUT into your fabric piece. Yes. Cut it. Did you know?

Worked out OK though.

My sewing teacher is a genius because she suggested rather nice quilting cotton facings, check it out:

That one across the bottom is a sort of pretend faux facing sewn on afterwards like appliqué to balance out the top one, I am rather pleased with it.

Of course it looks best on the hanger but my mini-me took a photo of me in it anyway:

Finally, do you hate sticky-taping together printed pattern sheets? Yes? Me too. But I am such a fan of Colette patterns that I made an exception for Laurel - coming soon.

Dirty Gertie from Number Thirty

On no-make-up-Sunday I have finished a quick and easy make from Gertie's Book for Better Sewing so of course the only photo will be this one. It's two pattern pieces, a piece of lovely cotton lawn and supposedly a zip. I did the Mena Trott Wiggle Zipper Wiggle Test and decided I could do without the zip.

Vintage touch - I am STILL using the sew-in interfacing I was given about 4 years ago by an older de-stashing sewist. It does make me happy to be thrifty and vintage (rather than just tight and old).

I have spent money this week on a rotary cutter (and mat! don't want to gouge holes in the kitchen table) and am completely converted. Who knew how fast and easy they are? I have my trousers cut out for the 1940s sewalong  already. Am I the last one to the rotary cutter party?

I am also trying my hardest to finish something for the Historical Sew Fortnightly organised by the Dreamstress herself but it's not sewing, I am knitting a 1930s top, here's a sneak peek. It's from Susan Crawford's book: A Stitch in Time Vol 2. I love this colour yarn, this isn't a great pic, you will have to wait for the finished thing! The sewalong rules state anything from before 1938 so this just sneaks in, plus the lovely Leimomi does allow knitting (the title would be a bit long if she included everything!).

Finally, a pic of me after all, here's my latest nail colour:

Happy Sunday!

PS The post title is a quote, not my opinion of Gertie! Any idea where from???????

1940s trousers part one

Found this fabric in my stash. No idea how it got there. Do you ever find fabric you had forgotten about ?

chilli jam

Chilli jam made. Also marmalade but no photo of that x

Sew for victory!

Everywhere you look on vintage sewing Blogland you can see versions of Simplicity 3688.

Rochelle is hosting a 1940s themed sewalong, so you can play too!
Rochelle has asked us to be thrifty and resourceful in the spirits of the 1940s so I risked life and limb climbing on a rickety chair to look in my high stash cupboard and see if I had any fabric just hanging about.
I almost couldn't believe it when I found some suitable black fabric. I am slightly worried that I don't remember how it got there......
Have you made trousers? Any tips? Are you sewing anything 1940s just now?

Despite the dodgy brown and shiny flesh coloured styling sewists just love this pattern. I am going to use the trousers (pants) as my first ever trouser (pant) pattern and have a go. (No way am I getting into the whole Brits vs US trousers v pants debate again....) 

Am I a mad fool to try sewing trousers?

Map the sewintists

Another Sewing Scientist had a great idea, you can pin your location on her world map and see where other sewists, sewers, sewintists, seamstresses or anyone sewing and blogging can be found. So far I see one other in Lincolnshire.

Is there anyone near you?

Are you pinned?

"Did your mother make you do this too?" mittens

I have two strong memories of wearing mittens as a child.

1. They were always joined together with string or elastic threaded through the sleeves or your coat to prevent loss. If you weren't wearing them they would hang at your sides and flap about as you ran along.

2. In the winter when I went to church my Mum would give me 10p for the collection which I had to keep in the end of my mitten to stop me from losing it. When I put it on the collection plate it was lovely and warm.

Mia is always one glove away from a pair. This winter it seems every time we go out we are searching high and low for its partner. Finally, after much swearing under my breath I have given in and joined her mittens together. Modern parents don't seem to do this so I was a bit afraid she would be laughed at. I made these mittens using this 70s pattern I got from a Charity Shop for about 10p (exactly the money I would keep in my mittens 35 years ago!) and I attached them together with a crochet hooked cord. The yarn is left over from another project.

They are a bit big.....

Did you wear mittens as a child?....... Were they attached together like mine? Please say yes!

Tank top

Top tip:

Knitting in the round is excellent if you are a bit lazy (like me) and hate sewing up the seams (like me). Knitting for small people is also good because, of course, there is less to do. Ditto choosing a pattern without sleeves. This was the tank top I started during the Olympics. I really enjoyed putting the daisy chain motif around the hearts.