And Its done!

The Butterick B5281 dress in spotted swifts is finished.

Having had no luck finding any more of the fabric to replace the front section I had cocked  messed up, I rifled through the bag of scraps that I had collected to go to the local sewing group and managed to find a couple of larger pieces of the right fabric, and having pressed them, I held them against the wrongly cut piece to see if I could in any way patch them together. It took a little while but finally I was able to choose two pieces which when all joined together gave me enough fabric to cut out the missing front piece correctly this time.

The matching isn't absolutely perfect but as near as, and since this is for a 'costume' I am happy enough with the result.

Of course whenever I have a potential disaster making something you can guarantee that as soon as one thing is solved something else goes wrong. So having spent all afternoon trying to get this as perfect as possible, I make up the dress, try it on and the zip broke.

Blizzards!! again.

Put it down, go get a glass of wine and just leave it!

I am not meant to wear this dress am I?

Later on I returned though determined not to be defeated. I put in a new zip, finished the skirt, added some vintage buttons and voila. Just the hem to finish now and then its done!

I don't think you will be able to see the 'repair' when I wear it

Unless the wind blows that is!

The inside patchwork seams

What a relief. I would be lying if I were to say this has been an enjoyable sew. And even my favourite vintage pattern isn't so appealing at the mo. However I do believe that I have truly embraced the 1940s ethos of 'make do and mend' quite literally!

Have you tossed many disasters in the bin, or are you like me and won't admit defeat?

But for now I think I'll step away from the machine. I have a floor length 'Scottish Widow' type cloak to tackle next with a large cowl hood. I think I need to have my sensible head on for that.

Wish me luck

TTFN

Jenny xx

Sewing Accessories...the big rip off!

Well my call for help with fabric fell on deaf ears! I did have someone kindly contact me but their suggestion did not produce the goods....however in the spirit of make do and mend  I have made progress but will keep that for next time.

I was prompted to write this post, because for some time now I have been looking for a Teflon foot for my sewing machine. Now I have a Husqvarna Platinum 950E ( about 14 years old ) and a Huskystar C20. I bought the latter from the knitting, stitching and hobby craft show at the NEC, to save me keep taking the embroidery unit off the 950E.

Don't get me wrong I love both machines. The 950E when used just as a sewing machine is a dream, and the embroidery unit has been a real pleasure to learn on and use.  The Huskystar is very portable has a good range of stitches, and for a pretty basic machine has done me well for some time.

However my biggest gripe is that all the lovely machine feet I have bought for the 950E do not fit the Huskystar and vice verse. 

I even bought a load of Husquvarna machine feet in a sale when our local studio closed and none of them fit the  Huskystar. Now I know someone out there is going to tell me that Huskystar are not actually produced by Husqvarna but by Janome, but either way they are sold and demonstrated by Husquvarna reps at every sewing show I visit, so for my money they still come under the husqvarna banner.

 Now when the average price of one foot for the 950E is anything from £6.99 to £59.99, having to buy a second lot for your 'spare' machine is no joke!
Read on line about the various sewing machine feet and you will find plenty of information relating to a long or short shank. what you don't usually find is the information, and this relates in particular to my Huskystar, is that the bar on some feet that your 

Introducing Austin sewing machines...... Amazing service,  amazing products and currently my hero! At an average price of around £4 per foot I have now equipped myself with a roller foot, a Teflon foot, a narrow zipper foot, an invisible zipper foot, a double gathering foot, an edge stitch in the ditch foot and a 1/4 inch foot. In the blurb it states that all of these feet will fit several machines including the  Husqvarna husky series... And guess what they do!! I am in seventh heaven, as anyone who does any amount of sewing knows that although we can get round things, life is so much easier if you have the correct tool ( for that read foot ) to do the job.

So well done Austin, you have finally saved me from regretting my second husqvarna purchase and I am enjoying sewing all over again.

And while we're  talking about the items that make sewing your own clothes easier and therefore to me more enjoyable, I must mention my latest purchase from Lidl no less. Never thought I would have any need for a table top ironing board, but I have to say this has been a little gem. Hung on the back of the door when not needed and so quick and easy to set up when all you want to do is press darts etc. Saves all the hassle of getting out the main ironing board and whats more takes up so little space.
At just £4.99 it was money well spent!

So this happy bunny is now off to tackle the last steps in her latest project, and take some pictures.

Back soon

TTFN

Jenny xx

Desperately Seeking.......

Makower spotted swifts in dark salmon

For some years now DD and her crew have bought us tickets for the Twinwood Festival in August. A real celebration of music, dancing and vintage fashion from the 40s through to the 60s. Each year my SIL and I decide what we're going to wear and start researching patterns and fabrics, I'm afraid that there's not many actual vintage dresses out there that would fit us now so we choose vintage patterns and retro fabric to create our hopefully authentic look.

However since we are real converts now and would buy the tickets anyway, this year we have been given tickets for a similar new festival at Newark in June. So now we have two outfits to find (actually that's four as our other halves are now very happy to join in the fun!)

Well last year I decided to get a bit more organised and started making a a vintage dress which I have made before.

Butterick B5281

 A completely different fabric this time. My first version I cheated a bit and made in a jersey to try and avoid the side zip called for, but this time I was using a woven cotton fabric Makower spotted swifts in dark salmon and intended to make it up exactly as shown in the pattern instructions.
So far so good. I must have cut the dress out last  September, and I got as far as making the bodice before other commitments meant it got shelved. This has been on my tailors dummy ever since.

Yesterday I decided I would finish it ready for the Newark festival........

I made up and attached the sleeves, exactly as instructed to do, even though I was itching to just use the overlocker! And then I came to the skirt.......Blizzards!!!!!! and even more blizzards.....

The front skirt is made of two separate pieces cut out singly and how I've done it I have no idea, but I have managed to cut one of them with my fabric reversed! I can only think that I must have been having trouble fitting the pieces in and have turned the pattern piece over. Fine if you're cutting something on folded fabric but absolutely useless when it's only supposed to be cut on a single layer .

So here's my call of desperation

If anyone has even a metre of this fabric in the dark salmon stashed away, would you please....pretty please.... let me know if I may purchase it from you.......

I really don't want to start again, I do love the dress so far. but I cant find any on the Internet so I am in your hands.

Hope your latest projects are going a bit better than mine.

TTFN

Jenny xx

And a New Chapter begins.......

First though a bit late, a very happy New Year to you all.

I was always rubbish at keeping a diary and it seems I've not improved with the digital type!

Every morning I spend a few minutes in bed reading my emails and a few blogs but somehow I never seem to find the time to actually sit and update mine. I used to love doing it, but it does take time. I am always in awe of those who manage a post almost every day.

Well I'm not making any rash promises to improve in the New Year but I would like to get back to  recording some of the lovely things we have planned.

My most exciting news since I last wrote in July!!! is that DD has completely changed her business, is doing very well and is so much happier. She and her husband now have more time to spend with their darling boys and actually enjoy life.
One of her cards was featured on Dragons Den over the holidays when the CEO of Thoughtful, one of the sites she sells from, was on the show!!!!

You'll also find her here GiddyKipper

For myself, I think I have found my dream job!

No I haven't returned to work at my age, but I have become involved in making costumes for a professional contemporary dance company. I am in my element at the moment creating and making anything and everything from simple slip dresses to velvet tail coats, corsets and steam punk helmets and goggles. Most of what we do is created from what we can find. I am getting very adept at deconstructing curtains for fabric and my sewing room looks more like Santa's workshop. At times it's a bit hectic getting things done to a certain time frame but brilliant to think they will be seen by hundreds of people all around the country when the next show takes to the road!
And I'm having great fun. That's what a hobby is really about isn't it?

Pretty underskirts 

The toile for a tail coat ready to fit

Anyway at the moment we have a break, and a bit more time to complete the costumes for the rest of the cast. The show will not open until the Autumn, but I am looking forward to seeing it all come together. I have a lovely partner in crime and we hit it off straight away. On top of that the directors are not only amazingly talented but are the nicest people I have ever worked with.

How lucky am I.  Want to see more, go take a look at the Chantry Dance Company website

Well Olive & Edna  are busy with a sale at the moment so I'm off to add a few more vintage pieces to our site.

Hope you are keeping busy and well

TTFN

Jenny xx