I got tagged

Ruthie K tagged me and here is how it goes:
1. someone tags you
2. you post five things about yourself that you haven’t already mentioned on your blog
3. you tag 5 people you’d like to know more about

So, five things about me that I haven't already written here....
1) One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't become an actress. Theatre actress.
2) I could buy illimited quantities of shoes. I love shoes, plus I can't make them...
3) I am completely repulsed and frightened by snakes. Can't bear to see them on TV, can't bear to see them in photos. My worst nightmares are with snakes. Lots of them. And to think that the snake is the symbol of wisdom...
4) I cannot wear clothes I don't like on me, even if everybody else says I look great in them
5) I am secretely pleased when my husband is away on business for a couple of days, because I can sew the entire time.

OK, I might tag people who already got tagged, sorry for that.
I tag:
Linda F - www.patternfabricandthread.blogspot.com
Summerset - http://scpbanks.blogspot.com/
Shannon - http://hungryzombiecouture.blogspot.com/
Laura TS - http://saving9.livejournal.com/
Betty F - http://bettyf-sewingroom.blogspot.com/

SWAP and non-SWAP sewing

This is not a SWAP-related item. It could fit in my SWAP but it wouldn't work with the jacket. It will work with all the blouses, so it's definitely not a waste of time. I used a pattern from Burda Magazine no 4/2006. The Burda skirt was in only one fabric (one with big flowers) and unlined. For my skirt, I used a piece of wook in black and white check that my mother gave to me one year ago - she had it for 20 years :) It was a small piece of fabric, enough for a pencil skirt but nothing more, therefore I decided to use it in combination with a black wool and do this skirt. I've been in love with this skirt since I bought the magazine - I like the idea of pleats in the back. Using wool, I lined the skirt. I like it very much, viewed from the front looks like a straight skirt and from the back like a schoolgirl one. Sorry for the bad pictures of me wearing the skirt, I took them by myself, in the mirror and the only mode on my camera that doesn't give a huge blinding flash in the mirror requires me to keep my hands perfectly still which I discover is simply impossible :(








And now my fourth SWAP item, the Hot Patterns Slouchy Man Pants.
God I love them and want them in every colour possible, they're the perfect office pants and very comfortable. They fit really well although for the next pair I might deepen the crotch a tiny bit (1 cm). I've decided to ditch the cuffs on the pants. Everybody says that cuffs on pants tend to shorten one visually. Although now I'm a bit sorry I didn't make the cuffs, I would have liked them as a detail plus the pants being black, I kind of doubt they would have shortened me.

I miss my kid sister

Well, she and my brother in law moved to Stockholm a week ago. I know it's not a long time since they're gone, it's just a week. But the fact that I cannot simply call her and chat or say I'll come by for a coffee and a chat (they used to live 15 mins from my office) seems quite painful right now. My parents moved at 350 km 5 years ago and I see them three or four times a year. Now Livia has moved too...
She will be quite angry with me for calling her kid sister.
But I miss you so much, Schwesterlein, you mean so much to me.

Bought fabric, of course...

The first one on the left of the front row is a silky satin, the second is a cotton/lycra jersey, left on the second row jersey, the last one is a nice wool, probably perfect for my Simplicity 4047 jacket/cape. By the way, I think my Simplicity patterns have arrived. Now I have to wake up really early and cross the town to go to the postal office where I'm supposed to pick them up before going to the office. I'm not a morning person ouch! My mother says it's because I was born at night but who knows?

SWAP update

I'm progressing both on my reversible blouse and on my Hot Patterns Slouchy Man Pants.
It's amazing, the pants seem to fit perfectly, didn't have to alter them a bit so far. I'm really anxious to have them done, I love this kind of pants and don't own any.
I'll try to be finished by the weekend and post some picture. Meanwhile, I'm learning (by doing :)) FrontPage and Swishmax, can you believe this? I normally know nothing nor have anything to do with web design, but...
I love learning new things, but I'm also craving for more sewing time... Whenever I have a very busy time at work, ideas for clothes seem to really crowd my mind and I feel my fingers itching for the sewing machine...

Your Birthdate: September 23

Your Birthdate: September 23

You're not good at any one thing, and that's the problem. You're good at so much - you never know what to do. Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long. You are destined for a life of travel and fun. Your strength: Your likeability Your weakness: You never feel satisfied Your power color: Bright yellow Your power symbol: Asterisk Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

SWAP second, third and fourth items

I managed to finish the houndstooth jacket and skirt and I am quite happy with them. While sewing the jacket, I decided to add little round pockets. When I finished the jacket, I thought I would like it belted and did a self-fabric belt. No buckle, just a tie-on belt. After trying the belt on, I discovered it went a little over the superior part of the pockets and decided to ditch the pockets. Off they went.

Then I've also decided I don't like the look of the self-fabric belt so much and thought that a red belt would be just the necessary colour accent for the jacket. So I bought a small piece of red false leather and a nice buckle and there it is. It is the third belt that I made. This false leather really was a pain! Even with my teflon foot and wash-away stabilizer, I kept getting skipped stitches. And when I undid the topstitching I ended up with lots of ugly holes in the false leather, of course! I finally solved the trouble by putting scotch tape on the belt and topstitching on it. But then the scotch tape, being quite a cheap one, was hell to take out. It was worth it however because I like the final result. Just click on any photo to see a larger version.






















Close-up so you can see the fabric. Also, the belt is threaded through thread loops. Therefore when/if I decide to wear the jacket without the belt, the loops practically "disappear" into the fabric.

I'm quite proud of the dare I say perfect way I matched the seams on the skirt...
















Close-up of label and silvery grey satin lining with decorative stitching.











Buckle
The Vogue 2859 blouse I have to redo. I don't like the fabric, well, I don't think it is suitable for this pattern. The pattern instructions advise for silk, satin or crepe. I used a fine cotton batiste which might be a little bit stiffer than satin. I bought a nice white satin and I will sew the blouse again. Think that the sleeve will drape a lot better in satin. What do you think?


















Changes that I will do to the pattern: I might lengthen it a bit (the present length does show a bit of skin at the waist). Also, I will ditch all the narrow hems (they drove my crazy, I have to buy a narrow hem foot), trim those allowances to 1/4, serge them and then hem. The blouse that you see here has French seams (I was out of white thread for my serger, also very curios to try French seams - never tried them before, and the fabric was appropriate, being a bit sheer). I don't think I will do French seams on the satin blouse however, the raglan shoulder on the back being a bit curvy of course, serging seam allowances might prove a better solution.

And now the shirt I've done for my husband. It's a nice beige quite stiff and a bit elastic cotton, with dark red stripes. As you see, the buttons and the topstitching are dark red too. Florin seems to be very pleased with the shirt, he now wants another one. For this second shirt, I think I will use a denim blue cotton/linen. I will also make a mix between this pattern (copied after a RTW shirt that he loves) with a Burda shirt that is cut closer to the waist - both the front and the back are done in two pieces, a bit like a woman's jacket.


























My Hot Patterns Slouchy Man Pants are cut, serged and I did the pockets. I've also cut the Bustle Back skirt (copied after the Hot Patterns skirt, using a pattern copied from RTW and altered accordingly - the original pattern has 4 gores in the back, starting like a pencil skirt and then flaring a bit at the them; the hem is also longer in the back) and serged all the seams. I think I will cut my reversible item - the seeitsewit blouse and start working on it. Maybe tonight...