Sneak Peak

I'm waiting for a picture moment/photographer to make pictures of my finished long sleeve seamed dress (burda edition 08/2012) But in the meantime I can give a sneak peak of my new project. A Dior inspired suit in a plaid fabric. I'm taking a huge jump in the dark with this project. I've never made a jacket and I've never worked with plaid! I hope it ends well ;)

The jacket I didn't make myself, but it is one of my favourites.

Serious fabric shopping

Beneath you can find an update of my stash. I thought that my stash was very small. Especially comparing with some other bloggers ;). So yesterday I made a shopping trip to my favourite fabric store 'Maison Dorée'. I knew what I wanted, thank god, or I would have spent hundreds of Euros. I did some damage control and managed to leave the shop with 100 Euro less in my pockets.
I bought two fabrics, one red cotton sateen and one sapphire blue jersey to make myself some blouses. It will be the first time that I will work with jersey. I also bought lining to make a dress out of my beautiful birdy silk chiffon. I bought hair canvas (much more expensive then I thought) and some interfacing to reinforce the plaid jacket I'll be making very soon. Finally I bought a burda pattern, some hand-sewing needles, a twin needle, two shades of yarn, buttons and an invisible zipper.

The other fabrics in the picture are part of my stash. some I bought earlier, the lovely striped fabric in the middle my grandmother gave to me.
The plaid fabric and red lining I also bought at Maison Dorée.

I realise just now that my stash is very colourful :D

Anna Karenina

 

Kiera Knightly at the premiere of 'Anna Karenina'

You got to love this gown! I'm totally in love with it. I'm going to do some pattern spotting to create my own (one day ;)).
I also love her make-up and hairdo! Such a beautiful women!

I love Fabric!

You probably know I bought Claudette on Ebay. This was my first Ebay purchase ever. But you know how it goes. I think I have to admit I'm becoming a fabricoholic. After my first purchase on Ebay I started checking sellers of fabric. Someone recommended a seller on her blog (sorry but can't remember who). When I visited the Ebay store May's Silk store I fell in love with a fabric. I just got to have it! At first I was a bit doubtful, but then my love for the fabric won! I bought it, and today (10 days) later the mailman rang my doorbell :D

It is even more gorgous then in the picture and I'm so happy with it. Here you can find the link of the fabric I bought.

The seller claimed it was 100% silk. I had to test this!

Test one: 

When you rub the silk together it has to sound like walking in fresh snow.
The fabric DID sound like walking in fresh snow! What a delicious sound. Reminds me of my holidays in the mountains and snowboarding!

Test Two:

The legendary burn test. When you burn a little piece of fabric or a thread it should smell and behave like you're burning hair. When I burned it it definetly smelled like burned hair. This website says the fabric should stop burning when the flame isn't near it. Mine kept burning, maybe it would stop eventually but I panicked and blew it out immediately :D So I'm not sure about this one. The ash was the same like described in the above website (see picture below). I think it is a 100% silk or at least it contains a lot of silk.

What matters to me is that I'm totally in love with the fabric.

The big Question!

I've never worked with silk so this will be my first! But how will I manage to do this? I don't even know what to make out of it!

I have several questions.

1. Can you pin silk or will it be ruined when you do?
2. How do you sew silk??? I have a hunch that this won't be easy because the silk I bought is very very very thin!
3. How do you finish the edges?Zig-zag won't do I assume? I think I will use the French seam technique, but what do you advice?
   
   French seam. The French seam is a couture seam finish used in high-end clothing and is one of the most beautiful seams for any type of fabric—not just silks. It completely conceals raw edges and is sometimes used on the outside of garments. Since it ultimately has many layers, it is best used with lightweight and sheer silks such as three-ply or four-ply silk or silk crepe, crepe de Chine, charmeuse, chiffon, and georgette.

   With wrong sides together, sew a 3/8-inch seam.

   
   To make a French seam, start by pinning the fabric with the wrong sides together. Sew a seam 3/8 inch from the raw edge. Use your bird and clamp tool to hold one end of the fabric, and carefully trim the seam allowance to about 1/8 inch.

   Use a bird and clamp tool to help you hold the fabric steady as you trim.

   
   Position the seamed fabric on an ironing surface with the seam allowances showing. Press the seam allowance to one side. This step helps you get a good, crisp edge in the next step.
   
   Now, with right sides together, fold the fabric along the seamline over the raw edges and manipulate the fabric between your fingers to bring the well of the seam to the very edge.

   Fold the fabric with right sides together over the previous seam (above). To finish, sew a 1/4-inch seam, and press to one side (right). The seam allowances are completely hidden.

   
   Pin and sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Press the seam to one side; then press again from the right side of the garment. (http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3702/seam-finishes-for-silks 

I hope someone can give me some advise.

To look for a needle in a haystack

Today I lost my favourite embroidery needle :( Can't find it in all my rubbish!

And I finally made the decision which books (about sewing) I will buy. Looking for the right book is like looking for a needle in a haystack! I've been looking and looking and comparing and doubting, but never quite found what I was looking for. Then I found a book but there was a negative comment about it. Today I didn't care about negative comments and ordered anyway!

The first one I ordered is "Tailoring: The classic guide to sewing the perfect jacket".

 

Al my up comming projects will be jackets or coats so this will come in handy! Gertie (Gertie's new blog for better sewing) recommended this book in one of her tutorials about 'how to make a coat'. 

The second book I bought is Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer. 

 

This one was recommended by Frabjous Couture. I hope I'll be learning a lot new techniques! 

The books will arrive within 7 days (how is it possible to wait that long??). I almost burst with excitement!

My thoughts are with Colette

I just got very sad news. One of my colleagues is in the hospital because of a brain haemorrhage. At the moment she is kept in a artificial coma. I hope with all my heart that she will recover. I'm really devastated. Before the autumn holidays she came to me to ask me some sewing advice. She was very enthusiastic and wanted to take up sewing again. She just bought a new sewing machine and was looking forward to start a new project. I can't believe she is in the hospital right now.
All my hopes and thoughts go to Colette.

Finally The Cape

The inspiration for this cape was the cape of Red Riding Hood. I wanted one for a very long time! I've finished this project a while ago but didn't find the time to make a picture of it. I'm not a person who likes to be in pictures so I kept delaying the picture moment of this Cape.But a few days ago I got my knew best sewing-buddy 'Claudette.

This cape is one of my most frequent worn self-made garments! I'm totally in love with it. But have no illusions! It's also the most unpractical garment, try carrying a shoulderbag!

This cape is based on the burda pattern # 132 (08/2012) For this cape I used a cheap wool velvet (80% wool, 20% polyester) I've found on www.stoffen.net

 The buttons I bought at Veritas. They where very expensive! 3,25 euro à piece!

 

My machine embroidery stitching went very well (to bad I couldn't take a clear picture of it) I'm quite proud of it!

 

Above you can see the detail of the armholes. I didn't make the paspel armholes as in the orignal design, but instead I opted for armholes in the side seams. I did this because of practical considerations. Armholes in front of the cape would make it even worse to carry a purse!

I can proudly say that the inside of my cape is as beautiful as the outside! I love this lining fabric! You can buy it in different colours (again on stoffen.net, search for Futter Jacquard Paisley)

This cape wasn't difficult to make and lots of fun! I recommend this pattern!

Ps: beneath the cape Claudette is wearing my self-made skirt based on the burda pattern #111a (08/2012)

Presenting Claudette

Last sunday 'Claudette' became my new best sewing-buddy. I found her on Ebay.  Although she hasn't the exact same measurements as I do, I bought her because she was a bargain.

She'll have to do until I've saved enough money to buy me a tailor's dummy that is adaptable.

Thanks to Claudette my pictures of projects will be posted a lot faster, because I don't have to wait until I have a picture moment :D I hate being in one!

I'll also start designing my own patterns soon (thanks to her).