Christmas gifts for Artie

Can we go for a walk now??

This is our son Tony and his partner Georgia's, French Bulldog Artie. He is one year old and so fabulous. I call him our Granddog. We love to dog sit him and we looked after him for over one month last October while their band performed in Toronto on a National TV program. You can read about it on my main blog here if you like.

I made him a couple of jackets for Christmas and designed this pattern to fit him by sketching the shape first and measuring him in all different directions and adding overlaps for the velcro in front across the chest and on his underside. I made the overlaps with velcro as large circles on the fleece one so they add a bit of warmth in those areas. They fit really well. I bought the batman fleece first and made it reversible with the same fabric on both sides and the large Batman logo in the middle back. We were supposed to have a cold winter so I thought it would keep him warm.

The other fabric I was delighted to find in my favorite second hand shop and the two pieces of fabric were both in the same bag. There was the waterproof green fabric and the red Georgia bulldog fabric (how perfect was that for Georgia's bulldog) that I lined it to make it reversible. I also bought the strip of iridescent iron on fabric that shows up so well with the flash and great for night walks. Georgia and Tony were pleased with these and Artie is getting used to the velcro closures so that is great.

Deep teal knit outfit

I love having this blog as a journal of my sewing and to save links I have enjoyed.

Here is an outfit I made in November when I really started on a roll with sewing. These were easy patterns that fit and worked well. I also made a slim skirt out of the top printed material that looks like a dress with a belt. I really love all the mix and match possibilities with sewing if I get enough of each fabric to make different outfits. I had some fabric left over of the deep teal so I made a scarf that I can wrap twice at my neck or just use it like the bottom photo. The top is a really cool fabric and great for dancing, I made it from an older pattern from 2003, 3968 Butterick, adding to the length of the arms and body and taking it in down the sides. The 6 gore skirt is from 6735 New Look and I like fullness and flip of it. The cardigan is 1945 Simplicity, nice cut, made the sleeves a bit longer. The cardigan sketch on the pattern is not the same as the photo and the folds start much lower than the sketch. You can see the patterns I have scanned in blow. I also made a pair of slim fitting pants in dark teal crepe that really add to the outfit as well.

Pink Flair Top

I finished this knit top and I love it. The knit fabric is so soft but very stretchy... I had to make the V neckline higher. I made the maroon necklace a couple of years ago from a vintage necklace and dark amythist bead chunks. I love the vibrant colours with such an artistic swish of design.  I like the diagonal line of the pink. (diagonal lines are supposed to be slimming). I did lengthen the body and the sleeves. I have bought quite a few tops from Olsen's and really like the way they fit, so I have been adapting most of the patterns I have made to be the same size as their knit tops. I have made this pattern before and enjoy wearing it dancing because the lower neckline is cooler. We line dance (19 years now) and ballroom dance so keeping cool is important to me. I also have this fabric for a top in aquas so I'm looking forward to making it.
There is a small amount of fabric left over and I'm thinking a small cowl might work well on the top.

Burda 8082 pattern... I really liked the different way the sleeves were set in, they go to a V at the upper shoulder.

Navy Lace over Satin Skirt and Knit Top

I've been needing some new skirts for dressy and ballroom dances. The lovely Kat from Petticoats & Peplums made a beautiful blue lace over satin skirt last week for Sew Weekly. I loved the look of lace over satin. It reminded me of some nave satin I had bought a few weeks ago. I found some border lace and looked through my patterns to try to find a pattern that would take less than 1M of fabric and show off the border design. An older Burda 3584 worked really well. The slit is very handy for dancing too. I should mention that the two navy colours do work well together, they look quite different in the photo.

Before Christmas I found a remnant for the knit top. I thought it would be good for the holiday season and dancing because it is stretchy enough for lifting my arms. I used a pattern I had made a couple of times before, New Look 6735. I cut the neck a bit lower, made it and the sleeves a bit longer too. It looks nice with the necklace I bought in Ponta Delgada in the Azores when visitied on a cruise around Great Britain last year.

I wore this outfit to a dance on Saturday and it felt great. I scanned in the two pattern covers below, you can see the slit in the skirt better I the scan.

Infinity Scarf and Tam

While I was knitting this infinity scarf, I noticed the light coming through the fibers and thought it was rather magical and such a lovely fiber, soft and fluffy. I used large needles for the scarf and just did a stocking stitch of three knit and three pearl stitches. I had used a similar stitch for another couple of scarves and was pleased with the springiness. The tam I crocheted and didn`t use a pattern because I knew I just wanted it to fit and open into a circle. This set is the same colour as one of my winter quilted coats, it is sort of aqua grey in real life. The best part was that I found the wool second hand and both pieces only cost $3.00. I love wearing it, so soft.

Sewing Inspirated from Antique Postcards and Thrifty Environmental Sewing

Every time I look at some of my antique postcards I think how wonderful they would be for fashion inspiration today. The special fabrics with their fine attention to detail are so lovely. These postcards are some of the digital downloads I sell on Etsy.

My own sewing has been going really well. I'm working on a fifth pair of pants, all the same pattern but I keep varying it is different ways. It is an older slim Vogue by Sandra Betzina and fits really well. Because we do a lot of Ballroom dancing I wanted some good quality pants for practices. I even found a beautiful deep navy crepe from my mother's stash that will work well too. Heaven only knows how old it is but it prewashed beautifully. A piece of fabric I got yesterday was from a thrift shop and it is a lovely very dark teal crepe so I'm making them today and it washed up well too. Thrifty, recycling and getting new clothes!! Doesn't get better than that.

Tangerine Tango and New Sewing Form

I have recently received an email from Pantone with the photo above mentioning that Tangerine Tango was chosen for the colour of the year 2012. Wonderful to start off the New Year with such a vibrant, exciting colour!! For those of you who might not be following Pantone's predictions and great colour palettes with 175 new colours, their web site is
http://www.pantone.co.uk/pages/pantone/index.aspx
Here is a link to Pantone's Spring Colour predictions too, very interesting and inspiring and a great tool when shopping for new fabric.
http://www.pantone.co.uk/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=20910&ca=4

I'm thinking I might look for a scarf in this colour or fabric to make an infinity scarf, there is a free pattern in with the Simplicity news letter that I found before Christmas and they are fun and very quick to make.

Recently I have started sewing again. I get such enjoyment from making my own clothes... from picking out the pattern to wearing what I've made. The clothes just feel that little bit more special and it is a chance to make clothes that really suit me and fit! Sewing also makes me feel more in control compared to trying on 12 pairs of ready made pants and not having any of them fit exactly the way I would like.  I received a dress form for Christmas which was something I always wanted and it has been very rewarding to make the patterns fit the form. I hope to share some of my experiences with you and show you some of the items I've made. It has been a wonderful time looking at sewing blogs and seeing the exciting outfits and crafts everyone has been making. I hope to add my favorite sewing blogs to this site soon.

I should add that I really try to be environmental so I love finding wonderful patterns and fabrics in thrift stores for a bargain and seeing how I might use them but I do love buying new patterns and beautiful fabrics too so it all balances. Another good value is the Burda Style magazine I just found today in a local book store with so many great patterns in it to trace. I collect vintage patterns, antique sewing magazines and notions so I just love all the sewing retro blogs that are out there too.

For 2012 I would like to sew up the fabric I have and do more of my own designing by mixing patterns and adding my own touch. 

Hugs, Jean