deondergangvanmijnouders

Yay! So happy to show you my sewing today! Last week I had a little window for sewing (I’d traced the Briar Top Pattern - size S - the week before) and so I jumped quickly into cutting & sewing this Megan Neilsen Pattern... If you look through any of my sewing creations from 2009 , you’ll see how much I love sewing with knits ! Peak Knit Sewing Year for me, 2009 when I sew-ed and sew-ed all the stretchy things. They are SO quick! And while I’ve never sewn this Briar Top pattern before… I just knew an hour of cutting and sewing would be enough and I was spot on with the estimate! LOVE a quick project. So the Briar Top is definitely a popular pattern and I've seen SO many great results with it, but I only bought it last year after thinking about sewing with knits again … I’m a little stranded without my sewing books here in Shanghai (however maybe I gave the Sew U Stretch away? Can’t remember what’s in storage anymore!), so bought this pattern to try out for winter… and as alwa...

My first sewn up thing to show you this year! And very unlike me, it’s a top... that’s woven! It’s also not my best effort but oh well, it’s wearable! I saw online that Lilith & Eve needed pattern testers for their second pattern, released last month, and thought I’d volunteer… mainly because it’s a woven top, and I wanted to sew something like this for something different. I always sew stretch fabrics when I wear tops and t-shirts, I'm so boring! The Lilith & Eve patterns are pretty new, I don’t know much about them, but I like the idea that they offer two versions (a Lilith and an Eve one) of their patterns and had some time in November so volunteered to sew their second release LE201 , a long maxi dress or a casual top, both with the raglan sleeve/neckline. The positives for this top is all the Lilith & Eve design, it’s cute and relaxed. The pattern is really clear, and I didn’t have any major concerns with the pattern pieces, or the instructions. (The girls had...

Being in Shanghai, on one income, our family has a modest budget. So I’m welcoming the time to sew & be a pattern tester on the odd occasion for the independent pattern designers around the world. Plus, I’ve always been thrifty! This week, the Daisy Chain Top 06 was launched by Debbie for her Lily Sage & Co pattern collection and last week I finished it up for a play date in the park! It is just WONDERFUL and completely quick to sew up. When sewing kids things, I want a pattern than is super quick but is really good looking and this Daisy Chain top is that kind of style for me. I love the shape and if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you might remember I tried this kind of hemline (with great wearability as I wear it ALL the time) a few years ago. Love it! Debbie describes it as "a loose fitting, swingy, baby doll top that is perfect for Summer days. It has a fully covered, button up back, little sleeve ruffles, a flattering hi-lo bodice, and a gathered midri...

Last week, I posted my Holly Palazzo Pants and I'm wearing a Deer & Doe Plantain tshirt ... yes... a tshirt pattern that is NOT a Built by Wendy one. Back in the day (2009-2011) I started sewing stretch fabric like the world would end and we needed supplies... it was so easy and fun and once I got the overlocker all was well... the Sew U Stretch Built by Wendy was my main inspiration and I used those patterns as blocks and created my own versions for dresses mostly for me and all my friends. Lately, of course, I am in Shanghai without my usual supplies (no BBW books!)... but I actually think that's a good thing, because now I can try other patterns instead of the same ones... AND test what works for my current body shape... instead of attempting something that suited me 5 years ago. I have seen oodles of Plantain patterns made up, so considering it's a free pattern, it's a quick & cheap one to try. But it's not a cheaply put together pattern in my opinion!...

I made a little toddler tshirt from my Mum's hand me down tshirt: A refashion! Mum bought a couple of tshirts recently from Target, and this blue stripey one was just a smidge too small... knowing I'm on a sewing saga, she left it on my machine and I had to turn it into a little boys shirt. It's lovely soft cotton stretch, so I kept the sleeve length and BeeDee can wear it when it's super sunny, and it'll be cool to wear but cover his little porcelain skin from getting burnt! I cut the side seams of the bodice and the sleeves, and the sleeves at the shoulders/under arm bits, and then lopped off about 2 inches of the shoulders and just graded down the underarm bits of the bodice. Using the overlocker, I did the shoulder seams first (a bit dodgy below, but not really noticable on the boy) then re-attached the sleeves at the armholes (I did grade them down a bit on the shoulder making it a more toddler length) and then I finished by sewing the sides together from bodic...

It's hard to photograph a black knit top... without looking funny and angular. So here's another selfdrafted pattern (this week it's been non stop DIY, man) that I used with the tshirt in the first photo here , because it's floppy and lovely in the warmer weather. I got some cotton knit stuff (maybe a Japanese fabric actually) from Spotlight recently, and just copied the neckline and the width from the grey tshirt, but I wanted arms... so this tshirt is pretty much a wide rectangle, with little holes for the armholes, but instead at the underarm/shoulder, I made them just above the elbow (as you can see in the awkward/angular photo above). URGH, hard to explain, but I think you get me, right? In ode to Megan Nielson and all the Briar tops, I made it short at the front and long at the back. I'm sure Meg's pattern is far more gorgeous, but hey, this works for now! Hooray. Those leggings are just too good, I wore them two days in a row! Happy Sunday to you as well...