Beach bags

I've just had the perfect beach holiday...morning swims, lunchtime daquiris, nanna naps and afternoon walks.  The first thing I did to prepare for my holiday was to sew some new tote bags to replace my worn and ripped bags from a few years ago.  Usually I make totes out of remnants or other fabrics for which I've lost the love, but I've had a bit of bag envy lately, so I broke out the good gear.

First up, Vogue 8485 (View C), using a Japanese cotton from Tessuti.  This bag is a great size and shape for carrying picnic blankets.  I made a few modifications to the pattern.  I eliminated the 2 shorter handles and attached the long strap directly to the bag.  I quilted some bamboo batting into the shoulder strap.

 I added an external zippered pocket.  Very neat, if I do say so myself.

 Here you can see the way Vogue adds the magnetic snap closures to their bags.

I changed the internal pockets to zippered pockets.  When I read through the Vogue bag reviews on PR, changing the internal pockets to zippered pockets seems to be a very common modification. 

 This second bag is the Hotpatterns nomad hobo handbag, currently available as a free download from fabric.com.

 This bag has a square base, so it is very roomy, which makes it great for carting all those snacks and drinkbottles to the beach.

For the exterior, I used 2 different Amy Butler fabrics.  For the lining, I used a stretch terry towelling left over from a baby change mat that I made almost a decade ago.  It felt good to finally clear it out of my stash and it absorbs the condensation from cold drink bottles.  I also changed the pocket configuration on the interior to suit my needs.

I made this next little pouch a while ago, but have only just got around to photographing it.  It is a waterproof pouch, for bringing home all the wet swimmers.  I wish I had made it years ago.

I used this tutorial for a lined, triangular, zippered pouch, only I made the dimensions bigger.  The exterior is cotton twill.  The interior is waterproof PUL, which is not my favourite fabric to sew.

Rumpled Vogue 8552

Can you believe I ironed this not long before the photo was taken? My sister was visiting and I wore the dress to take the opportunity of a non-complaining photographer.  I don't think the rumples show up as much in real life, otherwise she would have noted and I would have re-ironed it.  She has gone now, so I will make do with the rumpled shot.  (And she naffed the pattern, without my knowing, so it can't have looked too bad.  I got the pattern back in the mail today, so stay tuned to her blog for another version.)

This is my second version of V8552.  The first was in a lipstick pink zebra print knit.  This time I used a linen, with black threads in one direction and olive threads in the other.  The fabric is very dark, almost black, but much more flattering to me than black.  The dress has proved quite versatile, matching lots of different shoes and necklaces in my wardrobe.  Other reviewers on PR have left off the pockets, but I think that they are a great feature of the dress (go and look at Sewing in the Wind's review to see the pocket and pleated neckline details in a lovely, ironed version!). 

Minty striped bikini

The first time I bought frankie magazine was because it came with a bikini pattern. frankie is an Australian magazine, with a bit of alternative fashion, a bit of arts and craft, a bit of travel and bit of politics, with a vintage vibe and city feel.  I don't buy it all that often, mostly because it makes me feel old :(.

The edition with the bikini pattern came out several years ago, but I never got around to making it up.  The tope ties at the front and the bottoms tie at each side.  I dug the pattern out this week for a friend's daughter.  I saw that I had already traced my size.  I couldn't really pass on a pattern without testing it now, could I?  So here it is.

Now if you're looking at that photo and thinking that it looks all a bit skimpy, you would be right!  Cute, but skimpy.  Not so skimpy that you'd need a Brazilian Wax, but it wouldn't take much for a bit of crack to show at the back.  Like I said, I don't think that I am the target demographic for the magazine!

The striped lycra is from Tessuti.  I forget where I got the spotty fabric from, possibly Spotlight. The lining and elastic is from Beach Bubble Swimwear.  You can see that I haven't bought white overlocker thread yet.

The pattern was provided by Nookie.  This bikini, from their current line-up, looks like it is made from the same pattern.

I did make some changes to the pattern.  The pattern in the magazine was aimed at beginner sewers, so there was no mention of elastic.  I added elastic to mine.  Instead of using a contrasting fabric as the lining, I sewed the ties separately and attached them to the bikini after sewing in the elastic.  This was because I couldn't think how to use a contrasting fabric and elastic.  I have thought about it some more, and this is how I would do it next time.

Firstly, for a reversible bikini.  Cut 2 of everything, in contrasting fabrics.
1. Sew pieces, right sides together, leaving an opening in the tie area for turning through the garment.
2.  Attach the elastic to the seam allowances, but not extending to the tie area.
3.  Turn through the garment.
4.  Topstitch (zig-zag or coverstitch) the elastic in place.

For a lined garment.  Cut main panels in fashion fabric and lining.  Cut a tie facing in contrasting fabric.
1.  Pin lining and fabric pieces, wrong sides together.
2.  Apply elastic to the wrong side, stopping short of the tie area.
3.  Clip at the end of the elastic, turn elastic in and topstitch.
4.  Sew tie and facing, right sides together.
5.  Turn through tie and stitch facing opening closed.

I also used a single tie for the straps instead of 2 ties.  You can laugh at my co-ordination, but I find it difficult to put on a bikini if both the top and the back needs to be tied!  The ties pass through casings on the side of the bikini bandeau, so it is easy to adjust the position of the bandeau and straps once it is on.

There was no mention of seam allowances in the pattern instructions.  I used 10 mm, because I think a lot a swimsear elastics are 9 - 10 mm wide.

This bikini is very cute.  I think I might scale down the pattern and make one for my daughter...she is the right age for cute.

I think that this dress is the one...

For some time now I have been pondering what to wear to my 20 year school reunion.  Does it matter?  I'm not sure, so I have been seeking counsel.  One of my closest friends says that it is important to "look hot".  I can see her point, but I don't really do "hot".  Another friend said to be modest.  Now where is the fun in making a modest dress?  Another friend said she just wanted to be skinnier than all the girls who teased her at school.  Personally, I can take or leave skinny.

Now, acknowledging that most people are too busy thinking about themselves to notice or remember what anybody else wears, I realise that this dress is really just for me.  To be the person I wanted to be after 20 years, stylewise at least.  I think that this is it. Gorgeous fabric.  Beautiful colours.  Simple, chic style that doesn't need fussing with.  And this morning I bought a pair of shoes to match (just a shame they aren't a smidge more comfy!)

Pattern: Vogue 8529.  When I bought this pattern, I was looking for styles that I could use as a starting point for some Marni garments that I had been drooling over (Oh I wish Vogue would do a collaboration with Marni).  I did not realise that this was a knock-off of a Michelle Obama dress until I read the reviews on PR.  Mine looks nothing like Mrs Obama's dress, largely because of my fabric choice.

The front of the dress has sleeves cut in one with a a yoke.  The yoke has a cowl neckline.  The pattern has princess seams below the yoke.  I eliminated the princess seams, added some extra width and put in a centre front pleat.  I find that pleats or gathers in the bust allow the extra width I need at the hips without distorting the side seams.

The back has raglan sleeves and princess seams.  I kept the princess seams at the back,.  I would have liked to have added more width across the back hips but I was short of fabric.  Consequently, my side seams swing to the back a little, but only a sewer would notice.

The fabric:  a silk jersey with a lot of drape.  More drape than I have sewn with before.  I had already shortened the pattern my 10 cm, but I had to cut a chunk more off because the weight of the fabric pulled it much lower.  This has dragged the front yoke lower, especially at the centre front where the pleat is.  The pattern actually has a straight yoke, but mine appears curved.  I don't mind this effect.  The dragging down at the back has led to not such a great fit, but I did not think I could do much about this.  If I had more experience with this fabric, I guess I could have modified the pattern in advance. 

To sew the fabric, I had it sitting in a puddle just to the left of my machine, just feeding a short length through at a time, to stop the fabric dragging down at the front of the machine. 

I did have a hard time picking a thread colour to match.  In the end, I used black on some seams, white on others, and on the hem I used 4 different threads (black, off-white, olive and fuschia).  At one point I thought about shortening the dress by another inch, but realised that I did not have the patience to change thread colours 4X again.

Drapy tank

I thought that I was done with sewing exercise clothes but this remnant was quick to sew up this afternoon, and I wanted a quick project that didn't need a change in overlocker threads.

I got the idea from this drape drape project.  I think mine is shorter and possibly less voluminous, because I was working with a remnant.

I started with a tank pattern (I used Vogue 2946 and cut away the back armholes to give more of a racer back shape).  Then I extended the underarm horizontally, as much as the fabric width would allow.

I'm planning on wearing it over some of the sports crop tops I made.  It is very airy, which will be good in summer, but doesn't offer any sun protection, so it will be more for indoor exercise.  It would look great layered over a black long-sleeved tee, but I don't have one of those.

Can you see my halo glowing?

This last few weeks I have been most diligent about pulling something off the mend / alter / complete pile rather than start a new project every time the urge to sew comes over me.  Not too much is interesting to report, but I did put the binding on this quilt that I made at Easter.  The quilt is based on the one in Amy Butler's In Stitches, although I did change the layout a little and I used different piecing techniques.  The fabrics are all Amy Butler fabrics.  The backing is a gingham sheeting.

Edit:  The quilt is the size of a single bed.  It has been made to go on the couch on my verandah, which is big enough to lie down on for an afternoon nap.  You can see the matching cushions in this photo.