Happy New Year

I know it's not quite new year yet, but have a lovely 2014 when it comes.

My new years resolutions mainly concern unfinished or yet to be started projects, namely:

• my blue woolen dress
• Lindsay and Rich's housewarming (!) quilt
• Stephanie and Sandy's engagement present
• a quilt for myself (but I need to go to Paris in February first to get the fabric)
• my tweed bag with leather handles
• two tweed make up bags

If I can get all of these and more finished in 2014 I'll be very pleased!

Through many dangers, toiles and snares

My toile is sort of coming on ok. I had a few minor set backs. My one week crash diet (HA!) worked a little too well and now my toile is a bit big across my back, but now totally fine at the bottom. Ok, so I really just let out the seams. I've had to chop big bits off of the bottom of the bodice since, according to my tutor, I have 'a short back'. Great, I'll put that on my CV.

But just look at this (horribly edited so it shows up against the white backround) baby, IT ACTUALLY RESEMBLES A DRESS! I know my pleats aren't in line with my seams (I agreed with my tutor that I'd fix them on the real thing because I wasn't willing to sacrifice another stitch unpick on this thing) and the bust is now uneven (I had to take it in a little). But come on, this is my first real dress making project and it already has a skirt and everything!

There have been a few hurdles, I didn't transfer the dots from the pattern since I didn't know what they were (and my policy seems to be, if in doubt, miss it out), I didn't stick to 'right sides to right sides' which I TOTALLY know, and I didn't mirror my markings... These are small mistakes but meant time was wasted, going back to re-mark. I needed the dots to sew the gathers...but I missed them out and pleated instead anyway. It'll be fine....I've unpicked more of this pattern than I've actually stitched. Sewing is a frustrating business!

I also took in the bust, which has made it wonky. So to remedy this I'll measure the two sides, add then half the total then adjust so they're even. I whined at my tutor 'do I have to'. She looked at me, laughed and said 'do you want it to fit or not?!'. I guess I'll be measuring and adding tomorrow then...

I'm really enjoying the class and I am definitely learning a lot. I'm so glad I started with a toile...but then I realised the toile fabric was more expensive than the real stuff. Whoops...

What are you working on?

Puzzle

Tuesday night's evening class went well, Cardonald isn't the handiest to get to but it's a lovely new college.

I've got everything pinned to my fabric, ready to cut out to make my toile. It took me the full 2.5 hours to get through cutting the pattern out and pinning it- although I did chat a little too much! This dressmaking business is rather time consuming. It is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, you have to fit the pieces on to the fabric so they all face the correct way. Of course certain pieces must be on the fold so it's a bit of a faff!

I nipped into my favourite fabric store last week and picked up some rather lovely lining for my dress at a pound a metre. It's navy blue and spotty so looks perfect with my navy fabric.

I also bought myself a new sewing tin (I've been needing one for a while). Ok, so it's an M & S shortbread tin, but it's the perfect size for all the bits and pieces I need to take to my class. I'm a little bit in love with the Royal Family so this will go nicely with my Royal Wedding tins!


The toile should start to take shape this week so hopefully I'll have something a little more interesting to report soon!

Machines

It's almost time for my next night class and I still haven't written about last week's! Well, not much to report other than...I learned to use an industrial sewing machine which was trés exciting. Threading machines up poses little difficulty now (I've been shown how to thread at least 6 different machines, I'm now quite happy to just sit down and have a go) and the fact that it was proper heavy duty made it very novel. I won't babble too much about the machine, but using one of these bad boys could be likened to driving a car you have lusted after for many years. It had all sorts of little added niceties, you can cut the thread with the pedal as well as lift the foot, which made it a dream to sew with. I'm looking forward to using it for the next few weeks.

I've chosen my fabric (see previous post) and my pattern so I'm ready to go. I had another wee wander to the Fabric Bazaar to pick up a little more material to have a go at making a skirt too. I'm nothing if not ambious!

Pin's Purchases: I'm so excited

So I was going to write a blog post about Wednesday's class, which I will later, but I'm FAR TOO EXCITED to do that yet. You see, yesterday I went to a new fabric shop for the first time.

I've heard a lot about the Fabric Bazaar on London Road but I've never had a chance to go seek it out. Every night class I've been to has recommended it as the cheapest fabric shop in Glasgow and I concur that it is most definitely worth a visit. I've chosen my pattern for my dressmaking class (Simplicity 1913, it has appeared in quite a few blogs recently and I must say, every different version looks beautiful) so I desperately needed some fabric to use.

As you can see I got a bit over enthusiastic- all I went in for was dress fabric.  I went a little wander round a few of Fabric Bazaar's competitors (who for now will remain nameless since I'll assume they were having a bad day) but was left uninspired. I had an idea in my head of what I was looking for, but I didn't know what it was called or what colour I wanted. Anyway, on perusal of FB's shelves I happened across a nice, plain, navy cotton. I thought it was the one for me so I went to get some cut. But then, suddenly, a beautiful, navy, polyester wool mix practically leapt off the shelf at me. It was love at first sight. At £1.99 a metre. FB, I'm in love with you. (On another note, I have no idea if this will actually work out...but if it is no good for this dress then I'll get a lovely pencil skirt out of it)

As you can see I also have a bit of a love affair with zips, particularly the big teethy ones. Lovely. Oh, and buttons, shiny, shiny buttons. And thread. I bought the pink on a whim, I think I might topstitch with it. But then again...

Anyway, this lovely pile cost me a massive £11.96(I ended up with 3.5 metres of fabric). So in conclusion, Fabric Bazaar is a little out of the way (it's down by the Barras) but it is well worth a trip. I get the impression it's the kind of place you'll never know what you're going to find. 

I'll post a wee blog post about what I class as being a sewer's best friends, but for now I'm going to upload  a photo of my latest Cath Kidston purchase. I'm a big Cath Kidston fan and can regularly be found perusing the aisles of the lovely new (ish) Glasgow shop on Gordon Street. I've had another case in the past with mini spools of thread in it, I much prefer this new version with a thread pleat (love love love these things). 

The scissors were from a craft fair in the SECC a few months ago- an impulse buy but I rather like them.