Silk-tastic: My Asaka kimono

The Named Asaka kimono sure packs a punch. It's such a simple make, but the sleeves are seriously amazing and really set this piece apart from other kimono patterns out there. It's my first Named make but, in spite of being forced to trace AND add seam allowances (lazy sewer says argh!), I am so impressed I will definitely heading into Named territory again and again.  As you can see, it's a pretty relaxed style so I made a size 40 with no changes.

I admit, I'm a little crazy for the silk I used for this make. It was 30% off at t he Tessuiti sale so I bought enough to also make a skirt and summer top. Hmmm...you'll sure see me coming when the weather warms up.

Let's face it, this is not the most practical garment, but every wardrobe needs a bit of bling here and there. Besides, I got to wear it to Frocktails when I scored a last-minute ticket. Thanks again Kat and Helen! That night I was even told it would be the perfect piece to wear on a cruise ship.  You know, as a bit of an Aaron Spelling tragic I do enjoy a Love Boat binge when I'm in the need of a pick me up. Cocktails and hot-patootie sailors, here I come.

Birdie dress

Every girl needs a frock with a giant, orange-eyed bird plastered across her lady lumps, am I right?

I saw this fabric on the Tessuti website and had an Oprah-esque lightbulb moment. Come home with me, it called. You and I? We are destined to be one. A little stalkerish, perhaps. But I don't mind  my fabric leaning toward cray-cray.

Can  you spot the zip? Neither can I!

At first I thought I'd make a Sewaholic Yaletown frock, but I really wanted to showcase the bird and I don't think I would have been able to with such a full skirt and bodice.  Then I remembered my beloved New Look 6070 and it became a match made in fabric paradise. A viscose/elastane, this fabric has quite a bit of stretch and I ended up taking in the back by a whopping 10cm. I also omitted the back vent as the stretch of the fabric means the skirt is comfy and easy to walk about in without an opening at the back.

I love, love, love this fabric. It's a Manning Cartel remnant and it drapes beautifully. The only problem I had was when I pre-washed it the colour ran all over the place, leaving my lovely white birdies looking kind of disease-ridden. I considered returning the fabric but I really wanted to make it work so bought some of that colour run remover stuff from the supermarket and took a punt. The packaging said it might not work on fabric that contains elastane, but luckily for me the birdies were cured of their unsightly rash. Phew. I'm hoping it won't happen in the next wash. Fingers crossed.

Fabricaholic Fridays

Step 1: Acceptance

My name is Winnie and I am a fabricaholic.

Step 2: Belief in a greater power

Oh yes, I believe in the power of a fabulouso fabric

Step 3: Share this belief with the world

It could be worse. I'd rather be addicted to fabric than, say, heroin. So embrace the fabric, I say. Embrace.

Here are my favourite fabrics of the week:

Viscose/elastane crepe

A new beauty from Tessuti. I'm thinking a Sewaholic Yaletown? Or even a Megan Nielsen Eucalypt tank or tank dress? I'm all about transeasonal pieces right now.

pompomtastic - you should have been mine

Since spotting this pompom knit at Rathdowne remnants I've become obsessed with making an oversized pompom cardi to take me into spring. But I hesitated, angst-ridden as I wondered to myself, 'Will I look like an oversized Christmas tree? A diseased elephant?' I finally decided I wouldn't let self-doubt hold me back. Then I returned to the store, planning to buy 2 metres. And it was sold out. Noooooo....

Penguin french terry -  so cute!

If money were no object I'd grab a metre or two of this beauty to make some mini Hudsons for my penguin loving kiddo. Alas, it would end up costing about $50 a metre if you include shipping, so I must remain strong. If you want to check it out, you can find it on ebay.

swan print rayon

I'm planning a Sewaholic Nicola frock with this gorgeous swan rayon. You can find it here on etsy.

crazy rabbit fat quarter

I really want to make a cushion with this neon rabbit sensation. From one of my etsy faves, Miss Matatabi.

Until next week...

Eye'm back

There's no doubt about it. This is one creepy cut of fabric. And by creepy, I mean AWESOME. Every girl needs an eye print frock in her wardrobe, am I right?

So anyways, I was in Tessuti looking for some silk to make an Asaka kimono. Winter was well and truly coming and when it's freezing and dreary I believe it's best to be in denial and construct inappropriate clothing. Which is when I saw this eye fabric on the bolt and thought, OMG. I love that fabric. OMG, it is $100 a metre. So I didn't buy any because I am a disciplined fabric shopper. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. And then the new collection by Papercut patterns came out and I happened to see the YoYo dress and well...what can I say? If sewing heaven exists, this match was made there.

Construction was straight forward. I didn't make any changes to the pattern and simply cut a small, grading to a medium for the skirt. My overlocker worked overtime, though. This was one fray-hungry fabric and I ended up serging all the edges first just to prevent it from disintegrating right before my eyes like the HEALTHY tofu chocolate pie I just ate without realising. Whoops.

The skivvy I am wearing underneath is also by Papercut patterns. It's the Rise and Fall Turtleneck and a great quick sew. I used a cotton jersey from Rathdowne Remnants for this one and have made quite a few since then. Some people might say you can buy basic layering pieces so cheap why bother making them? But seriously, this top takes less than an hour and you can control the fabric quality and fit in a way you can't when slopping through the depressingly loveless garments at H&M.

Overall rating? Success!

I heart this dress

There are some frightening kids sewing patterns out there, no doubt about it. But when Simplicity released 1382 I knew it would be a winner. Not only is it super cute at the front, check out the back.

We bought this fabric from Tessuti during a trip to the city during the school holidays. We also went to H&M for the first time. One word. Depressing. There were piles of clothes all over the place, crammed in and completely disrespected. Sure they are cheap and some of them are cute, but seriously, there is no joy in fast fashion. 

In contrast, I loved making this dress. It's hard to see in the photos, but it has a lovely princess seam bodice that is partially lined. The skirt is pleated with nice deep pockets. It's a bit like a kids Belladonne. I cut a straight size 10 and it fit my eight year old perfectly. It's been a little while since I made Ivy a dress and sewing for kids is so much fun. No real fitting issues and it's relatively quick, though I took my time with this make and it was a bit more involved because of the fancy back. 

Maybe I'm biased, but I think she looks gorgeous in this outfit. 

Thank you for being a friend...

Which Golden Girl would wear this jacket? My money's on Dorothy, but I have a feeling Blanche would give it a go.

This is Tessuti's Tokyo jacket made up in a sparkly silver jacquard. It was a risky fabric choice, but there I stood in Tessuti, premenstrual and craving silver. NOW. So against professional advice I decided to sew up this jacket in a heavier, stiffer fabric that is not recommended for this pattern.

I think if kind of works but I wouldn't say I am in love with it. It is darker and more sparkly in real life but in the pics it kind of looks like a painters jacket or something Dorothy might wear on a mediocre date at the opera with a stuffy and distinguished gentleman. Ah well...you live and learn.

I do like the rest of my outfit though.

The top is a Nettie made up in a lovely Jersey also from Tessuti. I tried and tried to make a decent bodysuit from this pattern but I could never get it right. First off I printed the pattern out using incorrect scaling so when I sewed it up it was so small it fit my eight year old! Once I figured out what I'd done wrong I made another Nettie using really stretchy fabric and the body was too long and even the bum was massive, which is saying something on my figure. Then I made another and the snaps were bulky and annoying and looked terrible. Then I gave up. But I do love the scoop neckline and back so I decided to make a Nettie top and finally - success! It doesn't even ride up so I get the convenience of a top with the smooth lines of a bodysuit. Score.

I think Colette's Zinnia makes for a pretty great midi skirt. I have made a billion, okay maybe just four, and I get a lot of wear out of them. This one is a drapey silk-blend from The Fabric Store that has a bit of weight to it. The pleats are more flattering than gathers, though I didn't stitch them down like the pattern recommends. I simply folded the pleats and basted them in place along the top of the skirt before attaching the waistband. Colette patterns are always a bit of a hit and miss for me - I have made a few duds, that's for sure, but this one is a keeper.