Sewing
Built by Wendy, FINALLY Sewn by Lizzy
It’s been a while coming, but the Built by Wendy sheath dress is….finished? I wish I could write that it is, and it very nearly is finished. I had hoped to wear it on the weekend since the weather was hot, but I got stuck on the buttons (more about this below; please keep reading).…
Read MoreBuilt by Wendy meets Puce Floral
Do you remember the Built by Wendy sheath dress I started back in September? Unfortunately I only got as far as a toile fitting before being paralyzed by fabric and styling indecision. Since then, though, I’ve dug through my extensive fabric collection and come up with a very old cotton sateen pink/purple/puce floral. I can’t…
Read More3 Useful sewing ideas
A short post this week, with three unrelated sewing ideas I hope you’ll find useful… Unpicker cover The Clover unpicker, while expensive, is considered by many to be the unpicker of choice, with its smooth sharp blade and comfortable handle. However, it comes with a flimsy sleeve to protect to blade (which I lost). …
Read MoreBuilt by Wendy, Sewn by Lizzy
The arrival of spring weather has given me the urge to sew a summer dress. Does this happen to you when the season changes? I was also inspired by a library book: Built by Wendy Dresses: The Sew U Guide to Making a Girl’s Best Frock. The book was published in 2010 and has had…
Read MoreOverlocking: A perfect beginning and end
A question that sometimes comes up during sewing classes is How do I secure the beginnings and ends of overlocking? There are a few answers depending on the situation… If the overlocking will eventually have another row of stitching or overlocking over each end (probable examples are side seams, shoulder seams and in fact,…
Read MoreThat old dressmakers model Part 3: Got it covered
It’s now the final week of my dressmakers model makeover: the cover. This turned out to be harder than I thought. (For the background on my dressmakers model, read part 1 and part 2.) Cheers! PS, Adelaide readers, it’s not too late to book for this…
Read MoreThat old dressmakers model Part 2: Armed intervention
The arm pattern I made last week for my dressmakers model has been corrected, cut out and sewn in the “good” fabric, which is calico. I went ahead and cut out a pair of arms instead of just one. Read about the beginnings of this project here. …
Read MoreThat old dressmakers model
Sometimes people ask me: Is it worthwhile to have a dressmakers model? My answer is usually no. Dressmakers models have their uses though… They lend an “authentic” air to your sewing room. Useful to store half-made jackets, tops and dresses on. Great for shaping collars. Spook family members when they walk into the room and…
Read MoreA conservative skirt
This week I just finished making myself a lined wool pencil skirt, a project so conservative and ordinary I wondered if I should blog about it. It took two evenings to sew, after I’d cut it out, and I wore it yesterday for the first time. It worked out really well and was very comfortable.…
Read MoreGoodbye Handbag
There have been some moments in the past few years where I’ve thought Why am I carrying this large handbag? I never thought of myself as a handbag person but I’ve been carrying one around for nearly a decade. It started innocently enough: I had a baby and carried around a baby change bag. Then…
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