tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62404362121898054312011-12-01T19:12:29.455+13:00The cathartic enjoyment of starting from scratch.~noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-32450813504243502212009-05-19T17:05:00.003+12:002009-05-19T22:49:05.646+12:00

Just to let anyone know who maybe curious about my absence, I have been quite ill for the last month. My thyroid tanked in a spectacular fashion leaving me utterly debilitated. It is unusual for someone of my age to have thyroid problems and so there have been some wrong decisions made in treatment, but finally i got to see a endocrinologist, and i seem to be on the mend. Hopefully i will be back

~noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-83276688912609086282009-04-15T00:41:00.003+12:002009-04-15T00:45:01.018+12:00

I feel like I haven't done one of these in ages, and I haven't. Hopefully I am now on a roll again and I will soon have eleven and twelve joining their mate. That is a very wintry wardrobe though I am going to have to do something about that soon

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-62938796306460519902009-04-14T22:55:00.015+12:002009-04-16T17:20:37.621+12:00

I have finished the final tweaks and now declare the skirt done! I am happy with it, I kind of think I am going to have to do something about the back vents, but more on that later. It is your classic pencil skirt; It has a waistband, it is slightly pegged, which on the mannequin makes it look like it has massive saddle bags, as lamented before this baby does not have back, and it hits at the

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-32503489742830779932009-04-10T20:00:00.019+12:002009-04-12T11:03:12.535+12:00

Taken off the ironing board and this is what we have! It looks a bit odd with the one white and one black lapel but I ran out of tape; that will prove to be a bit of a theme on this jacket.A day's sewing later and we have this. Looks pretty much the same as it did this morning doesn't it ... ... except it now has one of these! (A back) ... and also one of these! (A buttonhole - My Pfaff's

~noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-56455732101037223562009-04-08T08:01:00.014+12:002009-04-08T22:55:20.727+12:00

So we had a little misfortune and all the painstakingly precise photographs that I took of my method for sewing the pockets were "accidentally" erased off the computer, so we have these amateur blurry pictures to describe the process instead ... So what did I do? Oh yes I ended up removing the underlining from the fabric pieces as I decided it would ruin the pockets to have all that bulk around

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-46945351253705964712009-04-03T12:57:00.015+13:002009-04-06T22:33:18.071+12:00

I decided to follow through with the making the lining first initiative even though I will not be using the lining as a muslin for the jacket. That said I followed the same basic order of business as sewing the skirt while constructing the decorated seams: Picture A. Finishing the seam edge with zigzag BEFORE stitching the seam. Picture B. Applying packing tissue paper strips on the back side of

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-76443895770512222112009-04-02T20:33:00.007+13:002009-04-03T10:08:23.076+13:00

I know I have been AWOL for the last few days but I was doing the tedious stuff on the next item, the jacket. I am sure you do not want repeat information so I will only mention a couple of points of interest. First is a tip from my oft quoted friend, Roberta Carr. In an earlier post I showed how I grained up fabric before cutting. A second step I do is that I roughly layout the pattern pieces in

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-4278080945174341692009-03-30T10:08:00.018+13:002009-04-03T10:29:09.635+13:00

Since I found the tutorial at the Sewing Diva site invisible zippers have become my new friend. I think everyone suffers the frustration of the little bumpy gap at the end of the zipper when they sew them in the traditional (official way). This way the seam is sewn shut BEFORE the zip is stitched in and while the usual degree of precision is required to match things up there is no bumpy gap and

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-23806811811871380322009-03-27T14:42:00.009+13:002009-03-27T21:55:09.195+13:00

I think I have mentioned that the skirt has darts in the front and princess seams in the back, that makes for quite easy fitting and seeing the way this skirt is turning out in fit, comfort and just plain good looks this skirt may be taking up residence as my go to straight skirt for awhile. I just used a normal straight stitch for the seams on a 25 stitches per inch setting and am happy with the

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-33420607611667431332009-03-24T18:28:00.018+13:002009-03-24T21:47:03.768+13:00

As I am 92% sure that this skirt is going to fit as well as I can manage today it was time to bite the bullet and cut the fabric, as a good Roberta Carr disciple I grain the fabric by pulling a thread across the width of the cloth and cutting it to get a straight edge and then I pin and press the fabric into submission on the grain board. This fabric was willful as I expect gabardine to be ... it

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-90695680209086646872009-03-22T22:21:00.002+13:002009-03-22T22:27:59.011+13:00

The skirt is a simple straight skirt which is slightly pegged at the hem. The only difference from a standard style is that the front has darts and the back princess seams. Flat measurments indicated that the skirt should fit without any dramatic alterations but I still thought it wise to do a muslin or two. The easiest muslin is a paper one, though this is not ideal for fine tuning, it does give

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-80776472705978951662009-03-19T21:32:00.026+13:002009-03-21T22:55:24.881+13:00

Yep I am stretching Section One out as far as it can go! Explanations coming up; Sections 11 and 12 are for specific special occasions that are coming up or anticipated, and ,as was mentioned earlier, it is going to take approximately 117 years to get that far down the sewing list. I rather expect that the events will be well and truly over by then, so I have decided to break those last two

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-89255084766836816962008-11-23T20:22:00.002+13:002009-04-15T00:21:35.615+12:00

The theme for my house is blue. In each room there is a contrast toning colour, but the main colour is a lovely navy blue. I decided on silk for the main bedroom because I wanted some luxury and nothing is more luxurious than silk, in my opinion. The fabric when it arrived was this colour, which while lovely was not the navy blue that I wanted. The fabric was also a little too shiny, as

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-81713037950461450692008-11-23T17:34:00.002+13:002009-04-15T00:19:48.375+12:00

I know I said that the last post was the last one for section one; I fibbed. As part of the regeneration project I am also tidying up the house so I will be doing a home maintenance/decoration project at the end of each section. That way I do not get bogged down and bored, doing a lot of one thing can do that for you. I find if I do a little detour into curtain sewing (or whatever) I cannot wait

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-13831812415331224692008-11-22T10:23:00.000+13:002009-03-15T09:31:21.542+13:00

So to the final post for Section One. I am going to try something out, it may all be discarded as too hard, too useless or too weird, but for now we will give it a whirl. Experimentation abounds here at the House of WR! In section one I completed 9 garments: A purple wool coat, a purple jersey dress, a black wool coat, a red/black/beige jersey dress, a grey and black knitted jumper, a black wool

~noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-78824450549927480082008-11-21T22:59:00.000+13:002009-03-14T18:22:36.650+13:00

As it was my original intention I thought it only fair that I continue with this outfit as planned rather than skipping on to the additional and zippier outfit I added on later. So here we are and her name will be Sauerkraut ... I kid, I kid. I seem to have hit upon a food motif for the last two outfits and and sauerkraut is just about the only Germanic type food I could think of, that and

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-47255152172085295042008-11-21T22:50:00.005+13:002009-04-15T00:42:10.743+12:00

The wardrobe is really starting to look full isn't it? Ok so it is partially an illusion as there are alot of empty plastic bags in there, but the point is that there are three, 3, III, full ones. And, more importantly I have choices! And thats not all. I now have something nice to wear in a variety of places ... ... because I have nine garments and all of them wearable! So this is the second

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-89796755875845637002008-11-21T22:37:00.024+13:002009-04-15T00:26:07.830+12:00

PATTERN REVIEW Here they are. I feel like I am channelling Fraulein Heidi. Well not really, in fact the fabric is so lovely my eyes almost completely skip over the gathering. I am not a gathering sort of person usually, though I do have a soft spot for peasant blouses with gathered necklines, but that is a whole different story. Anyway,

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-3531521941050926012008-11-16T21:30:00.011+13:002009-04-15T00:26:46.529+12:00

This outfit has a bit of a history and has gone through several incarnations. Initially I had the jumper ... It took three years to finish, but I always had in mind a kind of peasanty style skirt with perhaps a petticoat ... ah la this kind of thing ... I know I am like 2 years late on the petticoat trend, but that is my usual MO. I am not a dedicated follower of fashion, I do not haunt the

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-64353839344157802762008-11-15T21:54:00.001+13:002009-03-12T21:02:31.348+13:00

My first knitting success story now lies cozily with it's kin that have been knitted by other people (usually sweatshop workers in China by my reckoning). My sweater drawer is looking kind of full so I think I will have to institute a one in/one out policy, the trouble is I have already done the major purge of nasty and cheap, so what is left I like and has quality. Mind you at the speed I

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-46637619897230996752008-11-15T21:14:00.007+13:002009-04-15T00:23:46.705+12:00

Well I couldn't really do a planning post on a jumper that I have been knitting for three years now, could I? Though I have to say that this is a very special jumper. Why? Because after 5 tries I have actually finished something I have knitted!!! It's from a pattern and yarn that I got from http://www.foxcollection.co.nz/. The yarn is made up of two threads; a black and a pearl/grey, the

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-89334066209086675552008-11-11T22:43:00.010+13:002009-03-10T11:12:56.941+13:00

Another great reveal and I think this outfit shall be called Paprika. The reason should be obvious! Spicy and hot is the word! I decided that the jewellry should be understated and classic like the coat to combat the rumbuctousness of the dress, so I have chosen small gold hoop earrings that are about double the width of sleepers, a gold bracelet watch, and just some simple gold band rings ...

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-2408199079092830082008-11-11T21:55:00.007+13:002009-03-06T15:43:28.500+13:00

Wow, I really feel like I am on a roll now. It's becoming quite warm and summery now with longer days and brighter light which has me more in the mood to sew. The odd thing is that I am sewing winter clothes for some reason. The third outfit I have planned is also wintery but I promise I will start on some summer stuff after that. Oh but don't think we have finished with Outfit Two yet, part B is

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-4804681550738559522008-11-11T20:30:00.013+13:002009-04-11T09:19:48.918+12:00

PATTERN REVIEW Scrumptious, that is the word that comes to mind when describing this coat. I really love it when something comes together so well you feel incapable of criticising it. Rare but precious. The fabric was a dream to sew, the underlining/interfacing worked perfectly, even the slippery, skiddy lining behaved impeccably thanks to a little spray on starch. So here it is in pictures.

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-9658834167264494122008-10-30T19:23:00.006+13:002009-03-06T12:21:46.615+13:00

It's coat time again! As I mentioned I want something serviceable, that goes with everything so I decided that it had to be black and classic. Funny enough there were no inspirational ideas for this item either, just like the dress. However, I do like the idea of a bit of a challenge, so I am looking for something quite tailored. The fabric is a nice wool melton from http://

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-27435586545213369512008-10-29T18:30:00.003+13:002009-03-05T22:47:32.807+13:00

Ohhh look part three already. Now I know I am still imagining what will be there more than actually seeing dramatic progress but I am truly feeling like I can claim ownership of something that is starting to be worth having. The next item on the list is another coat ... while I am still in love with my purple one I decided I needed something a little more serviceable .... it will probably

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-57008674159974395452008-10-29T13:24:00.008+13:002009-03-10T11:03:50.767+13:00

PATTERN REVIEW Another one bites the dust! This dress is so fun. How often do your clothes make you smile? Well, whenever I look at this frock, I smile. I am not sure why. Maybe it's the colours or the bold pattern or maybe the flirty design. It also fits well, and is so flattering ... though I am yet to get any feedback on that, so we will see. Oh and the neckline alteration worked

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-14360842983491624512008-10-27T12:00:00.007+13:002009-03-05T20:07:28.414+13:00

Jersey became the fabric dujour this year in sewing circles it seems. I can see why after the first dress I sewed (apart from learning that it's really not a good idea to leave a jersey dress sitting on the manniquin over night. That is unless you are really long torsoed and your hips actually hit somewhere around knee level), it went together wonderfully and looks polished, and most importantly

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-57540704280398651302008-10-26T20:06:00.012+13:002009-03-10T10:55:00.752+13:00

So here she is, and we will name her Passion flower. Why? Well, while the passion flower is not purple the fruit is, and passionfruit just doesn't do it for me. It should be obvious why I want Passion in her name! This is the jewellery I thought I would wear, though I am not sure about the broach now. When I bought it I had not done the transition in my head to the felting on the coat, so

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-75719734572020752212008-10-25T19:36:00.004+13:002009-03-04T20:01:58.326+13:00

Whoo hoo. I have an outfit! I now have something to wear that does not involve a T-shirt! The wardrobe still looks alarmingly empty but somehow I feel like my plans are starting to come together ... or maybe that is just my delusion. Oh and I know they* say that I should not be using plastic clothes bags, but rather cloth ones, but I have to make those too and well, at present, the clothes

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-15162425708565465742008-10-25T17:55:00.006+13:002009-03-04T19:47:04.473+13:00

PATTERN REVIEW So here it is! Did I mention I love coats? I love this one in particular. I love the design of it with the 50 - 60's styling, and I love the felting, which turned out to be easier but more time consuming than I imagined (this coat took three weeks to make!). The underlining idea I had worked really well, but it did render things weighty so I can't see the coat being used too often,

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-64751928980198353952008-10-02T15:43:00.029+13:002009-03-10T10:42:43.030+13:00

Phew, I thought for a minute that all there was ever going to be was that one dress sitting all alone! But wait there is more ... I love coats. I don't really live in an environment where a lot of coat wearing is warranted, perhaps 10 days a year are truly cold enough, mostly you can quite happily get by with a cardi and a brolly. But as I said ... I love coats. The luscious fabric, the

~noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-32887212635761211892008-09-26T10:12:00.001+12:002009-03-04T14:24:18.894+13:00

Well the wardrobe is still empty but progress, albeit small, has been made. This feels miraculous especially after the last couple of months which have been one of the stormiest and wettest winters we have had in a looooong time, as well as being one of the sickest for me. First there was the flu which I thought was going to kill me. I had temperatures of 40 degrees celsius and a heart that

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-52677992986816547772008-09-26T08:54:00.007+12:002009-03-10T10:29:21.530+13:00

PATTERN REVIEW So here it is and I am 89% happy with it. I wish I could have matched the pattern on the seams but it proved impossible as the pattern on the fabric was not uniform and the seams had shaping, still everything is on the same level so I beat down my inner perfectionist and decided to be happy with it as is. The other thing that left me less than happy was the neckline. I think I took

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-26528189751306644262008-09-23T21:33:00.014+12:002009-03-04T16:02:28.004+13:00

It started with this dress, well actually quite a few dresses similar in style to this that lead me to this particular dress. Of course the $2,000 price tag put paid to any idea of getting my greedy paws on the original so the fabric hunt was on. I loved the multi tonal theme in the original and I spied the perfect alternative at http://www.gorgeousfabric.com/ . While not having the

~noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-38236874532479338662008-09-10T13:31:00.013+12:002009-03-03T20:30:58.198+13:00

I tend to ascribe to the idea that it's possible to eat an elephant if you approach the task one plateful at a time. While my mission is lofty, I do intend to completely remake my wardrobe from the ground up in approximately 12 - 18 months, I know the only way to keep myself on target is to attack the project one chunk at a time so with that in mind here are the plans for SECTION ONE: Winter -

~noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6240436212189805431.post-4447292658994159922008-09-04T20:17:00.004+12:002009-03-02T22:36:32.748+13:00

Yep, that is one empty wardrobe, nothing can disguise that fact. So the plan is to record my progress at filling said wardrobe with clothes made by me. Why? Well when I make something it feels a little anti-climactic, especially at the magnitude of the sewing I have planned, so I decided recording each project in picture and text might give me that "finished" feeling. I guess I will see if

~noreply@blogger.com0