Merry Christmas

 Hello everyone!!! We're at home after a wonderful day with family. As pretty much every year since I started blogging, we got the use of the big lounge where my parents live. We were alas down the whole side of the family that came with my lovely step dad, but mine were out in full force.
I really wanted to get a photo of the table setting, which changes every year, but by the time I escaped from the kitchen, there were a few bodies already eating.

 Another view of the tale. Instead of lining up one long line of trestles, we doubled the width, so it was more communal.

 Mum made a gorgeous centre piece out of a mini bird cage, lilies, greenery, and some incredibly pretty reindeer decorations. Chris and Paul made the christmas crackers before dinner.

 A wee group of Xmas trees and baubles. Mum made the trees as shop samples a few years ago.

 The napkins had a stylised peacock feather design. I have to be honest and say that I prefer red, gold and green Christmas decor and always will. But the Mother quite likes to mix it up and this blue and white look so who am I to argue?

 A snap of the buffet. MrC tucking into some chicken. It all looks pretty messy in the photo but it was pretty delicious. as always, everyone contributes and I get into the kitchen and make it all happen on the day.

 Speaking of MrC, here he is in his gorgeous new shirt. Can you see the pocket his glasses case is poking out of? Or the button placket? I am teaching a promising sewist how to pattern match and this was her first make. She is the real deal, right?

It's pretty subtle, but this shirt has both the positive and negative prints in it - the white on indigo is across the yoke, on the cuffs and lining the collar. We LOVE this shirt, almost as much as the one currently being made!
After dinner we opened gifts, had a wee concert with my nieces singing and me showing off Constance's new songs.
Something I learned today - my new favourite topping for pavlova is rhubarb and strawberry compote, and passion-fruit pulp. Delicious!

Merry Cristmas to you all, wherever you are and however you spend it xoxo

Nevermore Quoth the Raven now Complete!!!!

It is done!! By Wednesday night I was feeling up to facing upstairs by myself, and buoyed by the idea that sewing 30 minutes a day would get things finished in surprising time, I got stuck back in.
This 30 minutes a day idea, it appeals. My default state for getting things done is to try and find a big block of time. Of course this works, but it is not realistic in a busy life. So, I just picked away at it.
Cuffs, hem on Wednesday night. Collar and buttons on Thursday night and OMG, it was done!! Happy Husband, who got to wear it to work on Friday.
This morning (Sunday) at Social Sewing, the wonderful Jo at Making it Well took some excellent photos of MrC with her state of the art camera, and a much better eye for composition than I ever have, thank you Jo! :)

 Contrast inner collar stay - the under collar is also contrast.

 

Pattern matched front with diamante buttons. Yes, my husband is a showpony ;-)

 Back view - can you see the panel saying Nevermore centre just below the yoke? Then again on his butt? THAT is how long the horizontal repeat is on this fabric. And no vertical repeat at all. So, it is a consumer of fabric all right!

 Just because :)

From the front showing the contrast underside of the cuffs.

One more down. Three at least to go! Well, he has to have at least one for every day of the week, surely?

Quoth The Raven Shirt #2

Finally, I have returned to David's Nevermore - Quoth the Raven Shirt. After cutting it out, I parked it, and while I got a little bit done at the last WSBN social sewing day, it was high time to get stuck in again.
Of course my sewing was cut short by the quake yesterday, but I did make some progress!

 Trying something different/easier with the front - a false placket made by folding under twice and top stitching. With such a busy fabric it's hard to tell the difference. And of course, the pattern matches!

 The pocket already applied. Whaddya mean you can't see it? ;-)

Shortage of fabric brought about by extreme pattern matching of huge repeat meant I lined the yoke with the contrast fabric. MrC loves the blood red. I had no idea he had such a macarbre streak!

One sleeve set in and flat felled. Gosh this fabric is so interesting, I keep seeing new things. Candelabra, filigree, bats...

Progress shot - one sleeve in but underarm not sewn. I got as far as putting the other sleeve in flat when the rockin' rollin' ridin' started and Work Ceased For The Day.
Now I am making myself a Pavlova Top. So, No More Nevermore for a while :)

Total lack of skulls and ravens for a while...

Ouch!

I woke up three days ago with a pain in my right hip that left me hardly able to move. Even after a session with my osteopath, it is still very sore indeed. So it is cramping my style and no sewing is being done, as I feel better moving not sitting anyway.
But on a much happier note, I have won a giveaway! Rachel at House of Pinheiro drew my name for a free copy of The Newcastle Cardigan from Thread Theory.
My initial response to this pattern was that it is too hipster for my 50+ year old beloved, but then there was another photo of it being modelled by an older man and I could see how versatile it is. That is exciting!
It's still not MrC's cup of tea, but I have other men in my life who I can truly see rocking this look. I can hardly wait to get cutting!

The Nevermore Shirt

Not named because I am vowing never to make another shirt! The fabric is called Nevermore. Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, it is a delicious collage of macabre elements and MrC and I are as in love with it as we are with one another!

 Nevermore - Quoth the Raven, from Michael Miller. The bird cages are about 5 inches tall.

 I also bought a yard of this, no idea why but I love it! Nevermore- Edgar's Pens. Yum.

This was another pattern matching mission though. Like the peacock fabric, it has no repeats across the width, only along its length, and so the two fronts were cut out in what looked like a mad and random way - the first at one end, the other floating around in the middle of the fabric a few feet further along!
Luckily, there was just room in the 3 yards to match the fronts and still cut out the other pieces.I have had to move the pocket down a little to match the pattern, at the expense of the turnunder along the top so I will have to fiddle with that. With the two fronts and pocket, that is three lots of repeats, and as the repeat is less than a shirt length, I really could have done with another, but I would have had SO much fabric left over, again.

Source

My pattern this time is Simplicity 5325. I love this pattern, it is from 1972, and has all those great early 70's features like a slim cut and big collar. The collar has rounded points - I'll be sharpening them up however! And take a look at that tie - it is fully a third the width of the waist. Sexy...

Compared with our Goto pattern to date:

the shoulder is narrower but otherwise not a lot has changed across the decade in terms of cut. 

What I particularly like is the "proportional sleeve" pattern piece - it is drafted to the longest length and has two places to shorten it. For my beloved long armed hubby, they are perfect just as they are! This little touch of acknowledgement that maybe people sew because they are not a standard size is something I wish we saw more of in today's patterns.

Anyway, all cut out now - no photos however as I left the darned camera at the shop.I don't have time to make shirts but I am just itching to create things! 

The next step is all that fusing and marking. I really enjoy the preparations for a make - getting all of this done first really helps the construction to go smoothly. 

Today I leave you with the other fabric I bought at the same time. I have not decided what to do with it yet:

but I just had to get a panel. They are not the right shape for a tablet cover - perhaps an intrepid bag or, if David gets his way, the back of a waistcoat? :)

A Peacock Shirt for my Fella

My darling peacock loves his new shirt.. He is soliciting compliments from everyone who comes into the shop today. I suspect some are just being polite about it. It IS gorgeous, even though I say so myself, but not to everyone's tastes!

Making this shirt was an exercise in patience and practising my technical skills, great fun! Based upon the same pattern as the last shirt, a 1970's western style pattern, this time I took the points off the front yoke to simplify it, but left it in the back. There is quite enough going down with this print already.
The front button plackets,cuffs, collar and collar stay are all backed with a contrast fabric. But the best fun of all was matching the peacocks on the front across the plackets. The pocket was easy, but the fronts don't match in the middle because of the added plackets, and so positioning them on the fabric to all line up...well the whole process of cutting it out took five yards of fabric and five hours.
I now have a bunch of this fabric left over. I do love it and a use will surely reveal itself some time!
Two down, two to go. I think I may try another 70's pattern. I love these slim fitting, big collar shirts!

Introducing...The Shirt

It resists being named... :)
My darling David loves his new shirt! He wore it to the shop on Saturday and apparently got heaps of compliments (I was elsewhere - more later)

The shirt with no one inside him, all pressed and waiting for its photoshoot. Please note pattern matched pockets!

My Man!! Strikin' a pose. All 6' 3" of him. The shirt is a slim fit. This is a polite way of saying that I kind of made it a little snug. But apparently it is very comfortable anyway.

Because he was smiling in this one. He has a lovely smile but like most of us, the minute a camera comes close, it turns into a  rictus!

Close up to show the pattern, the detailing (piping everywhere!) contrast inner collar stay, and the amazing, enormous collar of win!! We decided it had to stay, and the Peacock shirt is having the same sized one.The underside has the contrast fabric too. Unlikely anyone will see it, but we know!

Cuff turned back to show the contrast fabric. Hmm, should I have used a dark green thread? As I had to unpick all of the front buttonholes, having put them down the wrong side, I couldn't face it!

We love it. It suits my man's flamboyant personality. It was a big job - but nothing compared to the Peacock, which took a record five hours to cut out!!!! More on that beastie later...

So, thank you again to Oobop for bringing the beauty of this pattern to my attention. I wish I had your photographic skills though! :)

Tutorial: Matching a pattern for a pocket

Dear ones, The Shirt is coming along nicely. I matched the rather wild pattern on the patch pockets and thought it might be useful to others to know how I do it. My method, which I first used 33 years ago to make a leopard print shirt for a friend, is super easy and quick and it works!
Matching patterns on a busy fabric is not just a showoffy thing to do, it also stops the garment from being cluttered and busy in a bad way.

1. Separate the two shirt fronts and pin the pattern tissue back onto one of them, with the fabric right side facing the tissue. In the photos, the pattern is upside down-whereas for the other side it would be right side up.

 

2. Now pin the pocket pattern piece over the pattern, matching the markings. In this case, I've matched the inner edge only because of the folded adjustment, but if you can, match all the placement lines.

3. Now using a chalk pencil (because it rubs out), carefully trace over a few key reference points in the fabric pattern. Not all of them, just a few. I'm using a purple chalk and you may be able to make out that I've traced a leaf and a flower just above where my hand is in this photo.

4. Now unpin everything. Place your pocket piece onto the remaining fabric and carefully line up your chalk marks with the pattern. It takes a teency bit of patience but not too much :) It's hard to see in the photo, but this stage is simpler because you only have one layer of tissue to see through. Cut your pocket out.

5. Rub the chalk marks off the pattern piece (I brushed them off with a dry microfibre cloth) and repeat the whole process for the other side of the garment.

This is my piped pocket all lined up on the shirt front ready to sew. You don't even have to match the placement lines - use the pattern matching to place them, it ought to be just right. This works just as well without piping, of course.
I thought about it but in the end decided I wasn't going to match the patterns on the pocket tabs - instead I cut them on the bias. But I wouldn't have not matched the pockets themselves as with the pockets and tabs unmatched, it would have churned up the front too much.
So, I hope that was useful for anyone who has ever wondered how to do the matching thang.
If your pattern is too faint to see through the two layers of tissue, you can trace your pattern onto the front pattern piece in something a little easier to see, then put the pocket piece over it and trace THOSE lines instead. But hey, I'd only do that if I really had to :)
This pattern is a one size 42, and the hubster is really a 40 at most, maybe even a 38. Thus, I have folded out a little width in the collar, collar stay, fronts, yokes and backs to reduce the width. It's an easy enough adjustment to make, but unlikely to work for dramatic decrease in size. And I've left the folds pinned as the peacocks are yet to come, and I just ordered ANOTHER fabric for him. I just hope I don't run out of this creative productivity phase before I get them all finished! :)

UPDATE: Turns out the excessive ease of modern patterns did not happen in 1980! The shirt fits but only just. So, I'm going to have to rethink the adjustments for the next one!

A camera, some cushions and a shirt walked into a bar...

Finally, a camera again! Just a little one, but it IS red. So it takes photos faster ;-)

Sorry peops but it is so hot here, I cannot be arsed bothered getting all prettied up in my new makes for you. In the meantime, by means of apology, here are the other things going down:

 Out in the Square is on 19 January - last year, I sold some cushions made of hunks and heroes fabrics, and could have sold twice as many. SO this year, I've MADE twice as many. In this higgledy piggeldey pile are 19 cushions. featuring cowboys, firemen, Hawaiian maidens, Frida Kahlo and many more. Lots of fun. And if they don't all sell, I will unstuff the remainder and pack them away for next year.

Aren't they a riot of colour!

Next up is the sensory experience of MrC's going-to-be-shirt. We found the green, ochre and black fabric in my fat quarter box, a perfect contrast. It looks a bit tooo black in this photo, but in real life, it does an excellent job of balancing this busy pattern and adding a touch of the masculine to it.

A longer shot taking in the pattern.
Seeing - thick lines, one size only, seam allowance marked in, takes me straight back to the first years of my sewing - WELL before this pattern was ever printed. Opening up this pattern and spreading it out was such a thrill!
Hearing - the instruction papers are so crisp, they make a wondrous rustle. The tissue rustles too, in a much deeper, more mature way than the young new patterns being born these days.

Smelling - Oh the smell! The dry, cuminy spicy scent of old patterns is one of my favourite smells. It smells of possibilities, like books do. things on paper are so exciting because they are only the beginning of the experience to come - the pattern yet to be made is like the story yet to be read.

Touch - the tissue is thicker, the paper thinner than new patterns. It is far easier to handle as it settles quickly, not floating all over the place like modern tissue. 

Taste - Aha! I am not nibbling on it to find out! Instead I will refer to taste in the sense of style, not flavour. This pattern is ornery, and yet it has the prettiest rose embroider transfer that I may have to try somewhere some time. With piping in the dark as well as cuff and collar linings, I think it will rock any party.

And now, to the cutting table! AKA the kitchen bench!! :)

What's on my Ironing Board

Well, for a supposed sewing blogger who is always putting her tuppence in on others' blogs, I don't post much about my own sewing. Mainly because I don't get much time to sew. However, I am on a ROLL, people! I've set up on the dining room table downstairs as upstairs is like a sauna, and so it is super easy just to go do some sewing any time I'm home. My ironing board is, I feel, an appropriate place to take photos, given this blog is sent from my iRon ;-)
I've made two things already, but these projects are still WIP:

Ruffle neck smock in Bellagio pattern quilt cotton. I fell hard for this fabric and simply HAD to have a garment in it. I nearly finished it while away on retreat on 2-3 December, but it was way too big. Cut from a voile one I made a few years ago that could handle the extra volume, but this heavier cotton just couldn't.

 This frill is hand hemmed in a tiny roll. I love doing that stuff! I have cut it down considerably and just have to put the sleeves back in and the side seams and bottom hem and buttons, should be done by the time I go to bed this evening. Fingers crossed :)

A better shot of this fab fabric. I am no match for any black fabric with red flowers on it - half my wardrobe is based upon that singular passion. And with some nice olivey greens, mmmm!

Far less advanced - all that has happened so far is fabric prewashed and pattern ordered from afar, is MrC's shirts. The new trend for men's shirts to be in candy colored checks is so dull. My extroverted hubby who works in his own business half of the week loves a bit of flamboyance, and inspired by a combo of a dear friend's recent shirt purchases in Sydney and the wonderful Oobop's adventures with Butterick 5007, I've decided it is time to put my sewing machine where my mouth is and make the lovely MrC some shirts.

Honestly without Oobop's make of this scary pattern, I'd never look at it twice! It is winging its way here from afar as I type.

Exhibit #1, yummy autumny colours with enormous peacocks. It will be a fun extra challenge to match this big pattern across a shirt placket...

Exhibit #2 - A shabby chic Jacobean print by my much loved Jason Yenter. 

I have a few other summer weights to make up - a lighter version of the ruffle smock to truly replace the cool (in both senses) original, and a couple more maxi dresses. I am living in lightweight maxis in this crazy heat!

My other sewing task right now is a big pile of cushions for a fair next weekend. 5 down, 18 to go! arrgh!!

I just realised that all of these makes, cushions included, are in quilting cottons. Excellent quality one with a good drape, and perfect for these types of garments.
So what's on your ironing board, apart from scorch marks? ;-)