sewing entry 2011

This year I won Third Prize in the sewing section of the Canberra Show. I am determined to enter again, but I must decide on what I am going to create!

Before the end of the year I have a couple of things I would like to make, including a wedding dress for my sister's wedding in France (don't panic, it will be a very simple dress and shouldn't take too long at all!), but I want to get started on my Show entry sooner rather than later.

Last year I entered in the Non Professional (less than two years experience) 'Any article of hand or machine sewing', and I think since this is only my second year entering I will stay in that category.

But the delima is: do I design something myself, or go with a pattern?

One pattern I did have in mind is a replica of Scarlett O'Hara's red dress -

Which I would make in blue so I could wear it myself.
But is that too much?
It's not as though the prize is a lot of money or anything. It's mainly just ribbons unless I win the Grand Champion award which is $500. Last year some ugly ass outfit won. Very strange!

to be a fashion designer or not to be

Every now and then, usually after I have had a succesful sewing day, I wonder if I should become a fashion designer.

On the weekend just gone I finished a dress that had been on my model for months! Nothing was stopping me from finishing it, I'm just lazy. The dress started out being from a pattern (I think it is a New Look pattern), but I wasn't happy with how the top sat. So I cut up the top and changed it to what you see below.

It's not absolutely perfect, and I have to pin a brooch over one bit at the front that is a bit iffy, but I'm happy with it. I wore it to work the other day, and no one really said anything, but I felt pretty!
Anyway, it is these small successes that make me wonder "what more could I do". I currently have an idea in my head for at least one dress, probably more. And these are dresses that won't be made entirely from patterns, but from my head.
My plan is to copy onto brown paper a few key pattern pieces that I can re-use and alter (like I did for my one-shouldered dress), but then make most things without an actual pattern.

I have had a look at some different Fashion Design courses you can do, and they all start with Fashion Illustration - which is a problem because I can't draw! But I am going to borrow a book from the library (I'm on the wait list for it) and see if I can learn. If worse comes to worse I can have print outs of figures and then draw the clothes on, that I could do I'm sure!

And then the questions is: do I design things just for myself, or do I try and sell some things....hmmm...watch this space.

what I did today

Today is Sunday, and after an early morning motorbike ride (ok, it was 11am but since it's Sunday that is pretty early!) I decided to finally make something with this fabulous material I saw a while ago.
When I saw this fabric I fell in love with it...I was just drawn to it for some reason. But at $24.95 per meter I was naturally very hesitant to splurge on it. To put things in perspective I usually spend about $8 per meter on material, lately I have been lucky enough to find some great fabrics on sale (but even at full price they're no more than $15 per meter!).
When I finally realised that I couldn't stop thinking about it I went to buy a couple of meters so that I could make a summer dress (halter neck style). Unfortunately they only had 1 meter left! But I bought it and today I made this skirt.
I had a particular idea of what I wanted, but unfortunately I didn't have a pattern that would create my idea...so I made it without a pattern! I had an idea and I made it happen. I know it's a pretty simple skirt, but it is a Duchess original!
People often say "you must have so much time on your hands" when I tell them that I have made something. But this skirt only took me a couple of hours. And sure, I probably should have been cleaning my house, but apart from housework what else would I be doing if I wasn't sewing?

the dress that launched a thousand ships

I don't know why I have titled this post "the dress that launched a thousand ships", but maybe because I think it should be able to launch a thousand ships. I made it from scratch with my own two hands and I am pretty impressed by it.
The pattern is from Butterick and the material is from Spotlight.
It probably cost around $100 to make (including pattern, fabric, lining, trim, etc.) and would have taken roughly 30 hours - the longest part being the cutting of the fabric and the overlocking of the edges.
Huge thanks have to go out to my Mum who paid for all of the materials (part of my Christmas pattern) and helped me by pinning the hem and yelling at me to stand straight so that the hem would be straight!

If I use this pattern again to make a more simple dress I will make the sleeves a little pouffy! What do you think??

my christmas list

Christmas is coming (I actually can't believe how close it is) and I thought I would write a little Christmas list. Writing this list is actually quite pointless because I already have my present from my Mum, and my Dad will hopefully be getting me an ironing board...but it's something to do.
The Duchess's Christmas List
- Ironing Board
- Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow (on DVD)
- Transporter 3 starring Jason Statham (on DVD)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman (on DVD)
- Overlocker - and a new apartment with a sewing room to put it in!
- Book on how to do vintage hair styles
- 3 to 4 meters of any kind of lovely fabric for dresses (with that much fabric I could make basically any dress, and possibly a skirt or something as well)
- Fat quarters of quilting fabric
- DMC Cross Stitch thread (any colours)
- Cross Stitch fabric (any type)
- a Quilting book or Craft type book
- Hand bag making supplies (although this would be at the bottom of my list because I think it could be too much hassle to make a handbag)
- Dress patterns
- Hair straightening Iron - one with a large flat bit for straightening my long hair

I think that is about it. I might add some more stuff to this list later, but to be completely honest I don't actually need any of this. But I think for Christmas it is good to get something that you want, rather than something that you need.

best friends

This weekend made me realise that a good friend is one who will take time out of their lives to patiently hold your hand and teach you a new skill. A couple of my friends have been teaching me how to quilt, and with my swearing, sulking and drunken cutting, it can't be an easy task. But they keep going, and keep laughing, and I have almost finished my quilt. That is friendship.

A good friend is also one who will wrap you in a garbage bag, cling wrap and duct tape while drinking champagne. I sent a text to this friend on Saturday asking "do you need me to bring anything apart from champagne and duct tape?" - if someone intercepted that I'm sure they could take it the wrong way!
What we were actually doing is making a "Duct Tape Dress-Makers Dummy" so that I can use it to make clothes. It makes sense, really it does! But it was definitely a funny sight. We were wondering how we would explain it to the paramedics should something go wrong, or the people on the street should we have to evacuate the house all of a sudden.
Only a really good friend will go to so much effort! And you would only trust a really good friend to do it and then cut you out of it!

As they say - a really good friend will help you hide the body!

vintage dress

Today I wore my vintage dress, that I have made, to work.

It is from a fabulous vintage pattern that I bought off Ebay (people selling their dead grandma's patterns, I love it!), and fabric that was on sale, $8 per meter, at Spotlight.

The dress took me probably 12 hours to make, and I had to alter the top of the dress to suit my figure and style, which also meant I had to alter the sleeves (well straps really) quit significantly.

All in all though, a successful effort and I'm looking forward to my next dress!

my quilt, part 1

Today, with help from some of my lovely friends, I started my first quilt.

I took this pile of fabric
And by the end of the day I had these five squares to start making up my quilt!
I have home work to do of course. I have 4 'Log Cabins' to make up to complete the 9 squares required for this lap quilt. I have to get some batting, cut out some strips to join it all together neatly, and get some material for the back. I thought that I might give this to someone for Christmas, but I'm so proud of it that I think I will keep it for myself and make another one to give to someone.

etsy

Things I am thinking of making and selling in my Etsy store:

• Christmas Tree Skirts - skirts for the tree, not a skirt with a tree on it! ($40)
  
• Nighties - simple cut, but with little embellishments and pretty things ($30)
  
• Handbags - made out of assorted cross stitch things I'll do, and from fancy fabrics ($30-$80)
  
• Jam cap and label sets - cross stitched things to go on the cap, and labels to tie around the jar (set of 3 for $20)
  
• Corsets - I have one pattern for a pirate corset, and I might buy another pattern. These might be a bit too much work though! ($80)
• Aprons - in fancy fabrics ($30)
• Cosies - for assorted things like bottles of wine, tea pots ($20-$50)

What do you think? Too expensive, or just a bit random?

cross-stitch

I have almost finished my Blue Rose cross stitch that I started a couple of weeks ago. I'm very excited and I'm going to make it into a cute little hand bag. I'll post a photo of it once I'm done.

Cross stitch is so cheap and easy to do (well I find it easy, it's just like a puzzle!), so I have decided to do more. On Etsy.com I found this great store, Bella Stitchery, and I have purchased some great "Pin Up" cross stitch patterns to make. One is a BBQ themed one, so I'm planning on working that into an apron, and the others I am planning on working into handbags. I also got a pattern of "Chat Noir" which I'll probably do and frame, or maybe work into a tote bag.

Hopefully I can churn these out fairly quickly and end up selling them on Etsy. There are some other great patterns that I would like to get including a great Rita Hayworth shot, some Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn shots, and some renaissance art and Van Gough patterns as well. It's all very exciting!!

bad influence

I believe that my boss has become a bad influence on me.

In an effort to find a nice dress to wear to an upcoming Christening she has taken to online shopping, and introduced me to some horrible (read: fabulous) online stores.

Unique Vintage has a range of Vintage inspired clothes from the 20s to the 60s. I have already decided that I will be purchasing a pair of 40s or 50s swimmers (think Marilyn Monroe or Esther Williams).

Mod Cloth has a range of fabulous dresses that are not necessarily vintage inspired, but still very pretty!

Both of these websites have inspired me to shop, and also to make these dresses myself. Some of the dresses are being sold for over $100, but the material would cost less than $50 (depending on the fabric you choose), and so I'm going to attempt to replicate some of the dresses I see online. I have quite a few patterns which I could use, it is just a matter of getting the right fabric and embellishments, and since I'm not actually very creative I will copy the styles on these fabulous websites.

I also think that my sister should purchase a fabulous 1930s inspired gown for her wedding - very Ginger Rogers!

etsy

A couple of months ago one of my friends was talking about this website she found where people sell handmade products. She bought a wonderful little clutch purse, and I think she also got a couple of things for her sisters and friends. Well it may have taken me a while to catch on, but I'm now in love with Etsy.com!
Not only do I think this website is great because of all of the wonderful things available to buy on it, but I'm also intrigued by the possibilities of selling things on it.
I think I will start small with some aprons or a couple of tote-bags, but then I might start making and selling more things.
Firstly I should focus on making things for Christmas, and the couple of dresses that I'd like to make. But the temptation of getting paid to do something that I enjoy is pretty great. I'd love to be able to quit my day job and just spend time writing and creating. But I suppose that if I was forced to make things every day I would probably tire of it pretty quickly.

vintage patterns

I have found some of the most wonderful vintage dress patterns on Ebay.

This pattern I bought for just over $5! I am really happy and I'm planning to make the sleevless straight dress in a blue/black/white check for work. Some other patterns that I was bidding on ended up going for a lot higher than I was willing to pay for them. I suppose you could look at these patterns one of two ways:
A) A great historical piece to be kept in pristine condition; or
B) A great historical style to be made and worn again and again!
I am going with the latter view.

dress making

Today I have started making a new spring/summer dress after being inspired by the positive response I received from everyone yesterday when I was wearing my blue/red tulle 40s dress that I made. My dress didn't fall off and everyone seemed impressed by it, a few people want me to make them dresses (not going to happen), and one woman has asked me to make her the exact same dress and is going to pay me $100, which is pretty cool!
I also got some different materials so that I can make a couple of work dresses, which I'm pretty excited about. I do enjoy making things, and now that I know I can make a dress that won't fall off I'm looking forward to making a lot more!

christmas plan

I know it is only September, but after chatting to my friends last night I have decided that it is time I get started on my Christmas Plan!
The plan is: to hand-make gifts for my friends and family. I'm not sure how much money this will save me (as I believe a quilt can be a bit expensive to make), but I think it will be quite nice to give some hand made gifts rather than just store bought crap. I may team some of my gifts with little touches from L'Occitane (my new favourite shop!).
The items I am thinking of making include:

• apron
• oven Mitt
• Christmas Stocking
• a variety of handbags/purses
• table accessories (place mats etc.)
• lap quilt
  

Hopefully people like the gifts I give them and don't think I'm being dodgy!

sewing circle

On Saturday I had a most lovely day with some friends of mine. One of my friends hosted a group of us at her house and had set up her dining room so that we could all bring our sewing machines along and do some sewing! Three of my friends were working on their quilts (which are coming along very nicely!), one of my friends was finished off a winter coat, a friend who hasn't used a sewing machine since high school created a bucket bag, and I whipped up an apron for a woman at work.

It was such a lovely day sitting around sewing and gossiping - a bit of a "stitch and bitch" session - while the rain poured down outside. I could just imagine us all sitting around in the olden days hand sewing quilts! It was really lovely and I'm looking forward to doing it again.