tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54861956482522168212024-03-12T19:56:45.318-07:00Sewing BitsDesigning...Drafting...Sewing....Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-32491472478299445152011-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:002011-02-08T12:10:57.843-08:00Moving....I just realized I haven't written in about a year. A lot has happened and a lot has changed. And together with all the changes, it's time to leave this blog in the past and move forward with a new one.<br /><br />My new blog will still be about sewing and pattern drafting, and also about random adventures and bits of my daily life.<br /><br />I hope I'll see you at my new blog : <a href="http://powderpinkworld.blogspot.com/">Powder Pink World</a>Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-65549433141281285882010-02-17T07:32:00.000-08:002010-02-17T08:30:38.845-08:00On saying goodbye ...Lately saying goodbye, one way of another, has become a really huge part of my life. <br /><br />This month, I had to say goodbye to one of the important men in my life. On February 1st my grandfather lost his battle with cancer. He was a great and wonderful man, very inspirational, although strict, tough and stubborn (I take that after him). He would have been 86 years old this May. He lived a full and fruitful life and left a great legacy behind. He did a lot for his community, he even wrote and published a book about the history of his village. Even though we had our share of differences, he taught me some valuable life lessons like importance of self-discipline, having beliefs and sticking to your guns, and, most important (well, for me at least), that being stubborn actually gets you somewhere. He was a dear dear man and he will always have a special place in my heart.<br /><br />Saying goodbye sucks, regardless how you look at it. Dealing with death is something we all have to do, but we're never really ready; and no matter how well you prepare yourself for it, it still comes as a shock, still rips your heart out and leaves you hurt, empty and confused. But, nevertheless, you can get something positive from dealing with loss. Awareness of life and mere shortness of it for example.... <br />For me, all these goodbyes and letting goes made me even more aware of the fact that life really is too short not to live it to the fullest extent and taking chances actually pays off. So from now on I decided to throw myself into opportunities, love, friendships, give it all, give my best, and surely something wonderful will happen. Like they say, if you don't go, you don't have a story.... <br /><br />And I really do have to mention another great man who lost his own battle this month... Alexander McQueen, a genius, an innovator, a huge talent that will be greatly missed by the entire fashion world. His work will continue to inspire generations to come.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-49590295959414051832009-12-30T14:20:00.000-08:002010-02-17T08:30:44.803-08:00Looking Forward and Happy New YearThe last day of 2009 got me thinking about the past year. And despite all the obstacles and set-backs, it actually was a pretty good year, especially the last month was absolutely wonderful. <br />Just to name a few things that marked my 2009:<br />- found some truly wonderful friends<br />- figured out what I really want to do with my life and stopped caring how that fits into other people's expectations and plans<br />- started exercising regularly<br />- danced at the belly dance performance, sober :)<br />- started learning Italian<br />- became less self conscious about sewing, my body and my abilities in general<br />- ended a long-term relationship<br />- got a new job and got promoted soon afterward<br />- made a huge step towards accomplishing my dreams by enrolling in a designer course <br /><br />I do feel like 2010 is a sort of a new beginning for me. I'm starting the year single, with wonderful friends, with a new promotion and enrollment papers for Milan in my hands. Pretty good, huh? Now if my closet was full of designer shoes, I could easily be the fifth friend in the Sex in the City. lol <br />For me, 2010 will be about following my dreams and passion.I'm determined to improve my sewing skills, my pattern drafting skills and produce some original designs of my own. And all that before I go to Milan.<br /><br />So motto for the 2010: Just do it! Not very original but indeed words to live by. Sometimes you just have to do the things that scare you. <br />Probably the only thing I dread about 2010 is one thing I will have to do and that is: turn 30. But I guess I'll survive.<br /><br />I wish you all a Happy 2010 and be sure to live each and every day to the fullest! May all your dreams and wishes come true and most of all I wish you all health and happiness.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-80772700281692028382009-12-24T01:08:00.001-08:002010-02-17T08:30:44.804-08:00Happy Holidays EveryoneHi guys, <br /><br />[Warning: some cheesy emotional lines coming up]<br />Life has been so good to me lately it's unbelievable. <br /><br />The greatest news is that I have applied for the Fashion Design Summer Course in Milan, got accepted and already paid the admissions fee; so it's official... I'll be spending July in Milan, one of the fashion capitals in the world. Now, how exciting is that?<br /><br />Then yesterday, I received a new contract at work, got a promotion and from the January 1st I'm officially the manager of the brand.<br /><br />Probably the most important thing I have realized lately is how incredibly lucky I am. I realized that I'm surrounded by the most amazing and wonderful friends, I could ever hope and wish for. People I can truly count on and who I love deeply.<br />It also seems like all the pieces of the puzzle are coming together, I feel at peace and at ease with myself, everyone I meet is willing to help me in some way on my road to achieving my dreams. I feel truly blessed and happy.<br />[end of cheesy lines]<br /><br />Anyhow:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/wishes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/wishes.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Happy Sewing everyone!Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-21614307438468728142009-12-09T11:58:00.000-08:002009-12-09T13:30:02.604-08:00Patrones 07/08-2007 #64 - Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080033.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080032.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080032.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />I made this dress for the New Year's party at work. This was one of those Project Runway moments when you race to finish the dress at 1 a.m., go to bed, wake up at 6 a.m., work all day and party half of the night.<br /><br /><b>Pattern Description: </b> Dress - top is a tube top ending in V-shape; bottom part has ruching on the hips.<br /><br /><b>Pattern Sizing:</b> The pattern comes in sizes 40, 44 and 48. I started with size 40. <br /><br /><b>Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?</b> Yes, except I intentionally omitted the applique on the top.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080063.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 338px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080063.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Were the instructions easy to follow?</b> I didn't follow them, because the only word I understood was 'vestido' :-)<br /><br /><b>What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?</b> I love everything about the pattern. I had a few issues with the V point, but I knew that was going to be the most challenging part of the pattern.<br /><br /><b>Fabric Used:</b> rayon-lycra knit<br /><br /><b>Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:</b> First I took in the pattern. As I wrote above, I started with size 40, but ended up taking the pattern in quite a lot. On the top part I took in: 3cm at the center front (the V part), 2.5cm at the side seams and at the back 1cm on every seam. The back consists of 4 parts. I then changed the skirt part accordingly.<br />I also omitted the applique part, mostly because I didn't have anything appropriate at home.<br /><br /><b>Sewing:</b> I've sewn the entire dress on my SM, no serger. I did the ruching by sewing with the largest seam length and gathered it by pulling the thread, I then pinned it and slowly sewed it to the top.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 373px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PC080024.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />For the upper part of the tube top there is a facing pattern piece. I used the facing, but reinforced the seam with clear elastic. It worked perfectly. I minimized the slipping of the dress. I only had a few of those pulling-up the dress moments :-)<br /><br /><br />The only part I didn't like is sewing the V-part. The fabric kept stretching and the V didn't look good at all. I finally managed to put it into a satisfactory state. I'm not entirely happy with it, but oh, well. <br /><br /><b>Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?</b> I probably won't sew it again, but I do recommend it.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion: </b> Great party / evening dress. <br /><br />Dress on me:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/CopyofPC080055.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/CopyofPC080055.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/CopyofPC080043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/CopyofPC080043.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Btw, did you notice I made a white cover up for Mimi. I like it better than the red one she came in.<br /><br />I have some more great news, but I'll share them in my next post. Until then....<br />Happy sewing everyone!Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-27478983139244565542009-11-20T22:19:00.000-08:002009-11-20T23:14:45.010-08:00Let Me Introduce You to My New Friend...Hi guys. My life has turned upside down in the past month. In a nutshell: my long-term relationship ended; a few other people also left my life, new ones entered; a few doors closed, new ones opened. Everything made me re-think my life, my goals and my priorities. I finally feel I'm doing things right and I feel awake, alive, my creativity is through the roof, and I feel a sense of peace and calmness. I guess sometimes in life you need one huge shake to get back on the right path.<br /><br />Anyhow, meet my new sewing buddy Mimi:<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PB200017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PB200017.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I got Mimi a few days ago. I think she'll be a great help with sewing, fitting and detail work. Plus, I'd *love* to learn draping. I'm planning on getting some draping books. After reading reviews, these two ended up on my wish list: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draping-Apparel-Design-Helen-Joseph-Armstrong/dp/1563675501/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258786542&sr=1-2">Draping for Apparel Design</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Fashion-Draping-Connie-Amaden-Crawford/dp/1563672774/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258786542&sr=1-3">The Art of Fashion Draping</a>.<br /><br />I did manage to get some sewing done. I have two small craft project to show. First one is an eye-mask I made for my ex-BF's mom:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/DSC00134.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 320px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/DSC00134.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />It's made of fashion fabric which I interfaced with Pro-Tricot Fusible interfacing from <a href="http://sewexciting.blogspot.com/">SewExciting</a>. (Btw, don't you just love her interfacing.) Then I sewed together two layers of black jersey to make the inside of the mask soft and so that no light comes through.<br /><br /><br />And the second one is an sunglass case for me, since I lost the original one. I lined it with some white jersey, so my sunglasses don't get scratched.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PB200019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 290px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/PB200019.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Next on the sewing table is a dress for my work's New Years party, so stay tuned.<br /><br />Happy sewing everyone.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-38011195231623765082009-08-28T00:13:00.000-07:002009-08-28T00:18:03.360-07:00Just a Quick NoteHi everyone!<br />I just realized I haven't posted in a month. There are a lot of wonderful things happening in my life at the moment. I'm meeting and re-connecting with lots of wonderful people who are all somehow connected with my interests and who are offering me wonderful opportunities. For example, my best friend's cousin is belly dancing and would like me to sew costumes for her. I'm really scared to do this one, though. Then, I re-connected with a friends from elementary school (gotta love the Facebook) and he's a yoga master and his club needs someone to sew tunics and pants for them. Talk about coincidences and opportunities. <br /><br />Then, the best news I've had in a long time: I found a wonderful fashion summer course in Italy, I want to attend next year. It's a fashion design course and involves everything from designing to pattern drafting to sewing on industrial machines. Plus it's designed to meet the needs of individuals and to the level they are at. It's not cheap, so I'm saving all my cents, because this would be a dream come true for me (well, one of the dreams anyway). I started learning Italian and I'm getting the basics down pretty fast. The classes are available in English, but I'd like to shop (did I mention the school's in Milan) and order food in Italian. <br />Consequently, I applied for a position at a multi-brand store and I'm waiting to hear from them sometime next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this one. <br /><br />As for the sewing, I'm working on the <a href="http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V8386.htm?search=8386&page=1">Vogue 8386</a> dress. I've cut it out and sewed the bodice parts. I'm planing on finishing it this weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P8280053.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 301px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P8280053.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P8280002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 384px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P8280002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-77898373629874423682009-07-28T10:39:00.000-07:002009-07-28T11:18:34.761-07:00New Addition to My Sewing Room<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 347px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280004.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is the newest addition to my sewing room. It's an old Singer Hartley machine. I bought it off from a friend who wanted to throw it away (!!!!). <br />I have no idea which year it is from. It's still working though. I haven't tried it on the fabric yet, I still have to figure out how to thread it :)<br /><br />Here are some detailed shots:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 423px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280025.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280029.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 281px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280028.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280030.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 352px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/P7280008.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Isn't it pretty?<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Update on my machine: It's working perfectly. Apparently it can't sew with the thick denim thread. I took it to the shop and they checked it and it sewed perfectly. It wasn't until I got home and tried it again, that I discovered that the thread was the problem, not the machine. Knowing that before hand would have saved me some time and an embarrassing moment in the shop. But hey, it's working and I saved some money.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-9036156975850767602009-07-25T05:45:00.000-07:002009-07-25T06:31:14.658-07:00Plans and a RequestToday while I was trying to hem some RTW jeans, my machine got jammed, well actually the jeans and the thread got jammed, and while I was trying to save the jeans, I must have moved something inside the machine. My machine is a bit off now and doesn't sew nice stitches. I'm taking it to the shop on Monday morning. <br /><br />Anyway, this leaves me time to do some planning. I made a promise to myself that I will try to sew as many summer fabrics as I can before the summer is over. <br />And the other promise I made myself is that I will try to incorporate more dresses and skirts into my wardrobe.<br /><br />First thing on my list is the <a href="http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V8386.htm?search=8386&page=1">Vogue 8386</a> dress that I will be making in this brown and white knit fabric:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 466px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250005.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Then, I'll be making the <a href="http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V8489.htm?tab=dresses_includes_designer&page=4">Vogue 8489</a> using this off-white knit with red dots:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 444px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250012.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Then there are two fabrics I don't have patterns for yet. The white cotton eyelet will definitely become a skirt. I'm leaning towards wide gathered-at-the-waist style.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 411px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250009.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />And then is this knit fabric: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 399px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250006.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />This fabric has been in my stash for 2 years now and I love it. I'd love to make a dress, but I'm having issues with the print. The print is quite big, so I'd need a pattern with minimum seams, but a style that would complement this sort of tribal print. Any ideas for the pattern?<br /><br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />As for the request: Would anyone be interested in making a swap? I have this Patrones Ninos magazine. It's spring/summer 2009 issue. I'd like to swap it for the new <a href="http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V1119.htm?tab=whats_new&page=1">Vogue 1119</a> dress pattern.<br />Here are some photos of the magazine:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 359px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250013.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 342px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250021.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 388px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7250019.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Anyone interested in a swap can contact me at: aikkam [at] gmail [dot] comMajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-61579774400937639982009-07-11T13:48:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:50:23.799-07:00Hot Patterns: Weekender Sunshine Tops - Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110012.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Pattern Description: </b> Relaxed scoop neck tops gathered onto a deep neckband, choice of short, cap or no sleeves and 2 lengths plus banded finish.<br /><br /><b>Pattern Sizing:</b> Multisize 6-26. I made my muslin in size 8, which should be the right size for me according to my measurements. I found it to be too big, so I made my final garment size 6.<br /><br /><b>Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?</b> Yes, except mine looks ore gathered at the front.<br /><br /><b>Were the instructions easy to follow?</b> I actually followed the instructions on Pam's <a href="http://off-the-cuff-style.blogspot.com/search/label/Sewing%20Tutorials">Off the Cuff</a> blog. <br /><br /><b>What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?</b> I love the style of this top. I, however, don't like the gaping neckband at the back. I had to re-draft the neckband piece.<br /><br /><b>Fabric Used:</b> Rayon - lycra knit with a wonderful drape.<br /><br /><b>Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:</b> As I mentioned before, I first made this top in size 8. First thing I did, in order to fix all the gaping parts, was I went down a size. That solved everything except the gaping at the back. I took some scraps and made a neckband piece and played with it and slashed it until I got the desired effect. Here's how my pattern pieces look like: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7090004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 269px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7090004.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7090003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 281px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7090003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> The red lines are alteration lines.<br /><br />This is the neckband piece looks like after using my pattern alterations. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 327px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110007.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />You might be wondering where did this brown come from... Well, I wanted to have a contrasting neckband, but the final look was just not what I had pictured in my mind :)<br /><br />As you can see, due to all the alterations, the neckband piece turned out quite pointy. The red lines on the right are the stitching lines (except less wonky, I can't draw with my mouse). I went in 2cm on the inner edge of the neckband because I found the original too wide. On the outer edge, I just smoothed out the pointy part. <br /><br />I interfaced the inner neckband piece with <a href="http://www.sewexciting.blogspot.com/">Sew Exciting's</a> Pro-Tricot Fusible interfacing and I truly cannot say enough good things about this interfacing.<br /><br />I also didn't use the ribbing on the waistband. I used my fabric and made 2 bands 14cm wide, folded them in half and sewed them to the top using a narrow zig-zag stitch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 281px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110020.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Back of the top:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 445px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7110016.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><b>Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?</b> After the alterations I made, I will definitely sew this top again. And I do recommend it to others.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion: </b> I have to admit I was a bit frustrated with the neckband, since I didn't find any reviewers who had this problem. But, as they say, all's well that ends well. All in all, this is a great top and I'm sure I'll be making a few more.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-63867051643454290732009-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:002009-07-06T09:22:29.849-07:00Hot Patterns: Weekender Sunshine Tops<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/HP1071WEWNDERSUNSHINEenvf_0xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 368px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/HP1071WEWNDERSUNSHINEenvf_0xl.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />photo credits: <a href="http://www.hotpatterns.com/">Hot Patterns<br /></a><br /><br />I just made a muslin for this top. It was supposed to be a wearable muslin, but I have some fitting issues with it, so it ended up being just a muslin.<br /><br />The front view:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7060038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 447px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7060038.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />First of all, I had to sew the side seams 2cm wide (instead of 1cm), to eliminate the gaping at the armhole. That fixed it a bit, but unfortunately not entirely, as you can see from the photo.<br />Also, you can see that the neckband doesn't lay completely flat. <br /><br />One even bigger issue I have, is the gaping at the back:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7060043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 367px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7060043.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />I think making it in size 6 should fix these issues. Even the gaping at the back, or should I make additional alterations. What do you think?Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-18418429555900824802009-07-04T11:08:00.000-07:002009-07-04T11:27:20.174-07:00Burda 06/2007 #119 SkirtThere's a funny story behind this skirt. I made it yesterday and only today while I was writing my review on PR, I realized that the pattern was in fact a bubble hem skirt pattern. Well, I'll be darned..<br />However, there were some clues along the way, but I guess my mind was off yesterday. First clue should be that the pattern called for lining and that the lining was a lot shorter than the skirt. Then the fact that I had to shorten the skirt length by 20cm should be another. <br /><br />However, I love my new skirt:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7040018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7040018.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I wore it to lunch today and I got compliments on it; so it's all good.<br />Anyhow, lesson learned: it's ok not to read the instructions once in a while and that mistakes truly are design options.<br /><br />Here's another photo where colours are more true:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7040027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 431px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P7040027.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />For more information and more pictures check out my review on PR: <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=41150">click</a><br /><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />On a different note, there are a few sales going on: <a href="http://sewexciting.blogspot.com/">Sew Exciting</a> is having an interfacing sale; then Ann at <a href="http://www.gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/index.php">Gorgeous Fabrics</a> is having one and also <a href="http://www.hotpatterns.com/">Hot Patterns</a> have one. <br />Make sure to check them out :) Oh, And I'm not in any way affiliated with any of themMajahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-42969030918370813942009-06-29T11:56:00.000-07:002009-06-29T12:44:50.774-07:00Cleaning UpI finally had some time off to clean and organize my sewing room. I re-folded my stash and organized it according to fabric type:<br />top shelf: knits<br />bottom shelf: wovens<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 452px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290012.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Here are my nicer and more expensive fabrics:<br />top shelf from left to right: knits, wovens and miscellaneous fabrics<br />bottom shelf: wools and coating fabrics and my mom's fabric<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 318px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290014.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />As you can see I don't really have much of a stash; at least not as large as I've seen them online.<br /><br /><br />As for the patterns, I do have many of them. <br />I keep my patterns in brown manila envelopes which are then placed in plastic bins: (these are not all the bins I have)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 242px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290015.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I store my magazines in these magazine holders from Ikea. <br />(from left: Japanese magazines, Patrones - 2 holders, Rundschau Damen magazines and Threads magazines)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 341px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290020.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I don't save Burda magazines as they take too much space. I cut out the fashion pictures of the patterns I like and store them in 4-ring binders according to pattern type:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 301px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290027.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />These binders also hold my envelope patterns together with their traced versions:<br />(yes, I trace all my patterns)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 318px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290029.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Every binder is labelled according to the type of pattern it holds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290030-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 376px; height: 400px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290030-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I do photocopy Styles at Glance pages and keep them in a separate binder and I mark the technical drawings I like:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 387px; height: 500px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290021.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Traced magazine patterns and self-drafted patterns are stored in sheet protectors with quick reference and pattern number:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 328px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6290016.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This is how I organize my stash. It took me a few days to get it done, but I really like having all my patterns stored in binders. I tried different storage options before and this one takes up least space and is the cleanest, at least for my taste.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-61885597705726916342009-06-29T06:18:00.000-07:002009-06-29T12:42:43.722-07:00Belly Dance Costume - Skirt FinishedJust a quick note on my belly dancing skirt...<br /><br />Here is the photo of the finished skirt:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/Copyofskirt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 395px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/Copyofskirt.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The performance was great, it was loads of fun. I honestly cannot wait for the next season to start. I also got to see the other performances at the rehearsal, and I fell in love with bollywood and tribal fusion. Next year I'll be taking one of these classes as well.<br /><br />After the rehearsal, we, the performers, had a small Arabic food dinner, and it was delicious. <br /><br /><a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=40997">Here</a>'s the link to my PR review where you can read more about the pattern and the construction of the skirt.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-16717602335927658812009-06-16T12:36:00.000-07:002009-06-16T13:47:45.817-07:00Belly Dance Costume - Skirt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6160015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6160015.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I have a belly dancing performance on Friday (wish me luck). It's a production at the end of the course where every group will perform one dance to show what we have learned.<br /><br />I drafted the pattern for the skirt following the instructions from the book Skirting the Issues. I made a full circle skirt with two panels. Usually it's three, but I bought the whole fabric from the bolt and there wasn't enough to make three panels. <br /><br />This is the photo of the pattern piece, it's 1/2 of the circle and it's huge:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6160013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 514px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6160013.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The skirt is made of two different layers, the darker one on the outside and the lighter one on the inside, to lessen the see-through quality of the fabric. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6160009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 607px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6160009.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Fabric used: 100% polyester <br />The fabric gave me lots of problems. I had so much puckering, I managed to get it almost to none at the end, but still... I was so mad. I tried using starch on the fabric, but it didn't wash off completely, so I decided not to use it. <br />Using the sharp microtex needle helped. I let all the seams dry and cool off flat after pressing, which also made the difference.<br /><br />Construction: I used the French seam on the side seams. The skirt is not finished yet. I will let it hang over night, add the elastic at the waist and hem it with rolled hem. <br /><br />I'll post the pictures of the finished skirt tomorrow.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-72974846934995483832009-06-07T23:16:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:52:50.084-07:00Harem Pants - Self-drafted<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6080011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6080011.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This is the final trial version of the harem pants for my belly dancing class before I cut into the pretty fabric. These pants are wearable, I already wore them to a class last week and everyone absolutely loved them. I already received a request from another girl. <br /><br />I followed the instructions from the <span style="font-style:italic;">Pants for the Dance</span> book I wrote about in my previous post. I started with a pattern for yoga pants, morphed together both, front and back, sides to eliminate the side seam, widened the pants and dropped the crotch. The book encourages you to start with a commercial pattern so there are no actual measurements, except recommendations for widening the pant leg. Which means that everything I did was pretty much an educated guess.<br />Two days later I found this diagram on the internet:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/HPInsideSeamPattern.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 298px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/HPInsideSeamPattern.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />credits: <a href="http://www.zilltech.com/FAQCostumeHP.html">http://www.zilltech.com/FAQCostumeHP.html</a><br /><br />I measured my version of the pattern and realized I was off by mere 0.5cm = 0.2in. (Sweet!) <br /><br />The pants really simple to put together. There are 2 inside seams and a crotch seam. For the waistband and the ankles I folded the fabric and inserted the elastic and voila! my own custom-made harem pants. It took me less than an hour to put together.<br /><br />Fabric: I used a gauze-like cotton fabric I had in my stash for a while. <br /><br />Here are a few extra pictures:<br />front:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6080006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6080006.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />back:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6070022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6070022.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Here you can see the width of the pant leg:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6070013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 492px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6070013.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Detail of the elastic at the ankle. You can also see the fabric here:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6070001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 362px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P6070001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I'm planning on making the same pants from this polyester fabric:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5280002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 459px; height: 600px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5280002.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The darker fabric will be on the outside and the lighter will be used as lining. <br />Construction wise, these pants will be more challenging because of the see-through quality of the fabric. Although I have seen the seams on the store-bought pants simply serged together, I'm leaning more towards the French seams... I'll try and see which will work best.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-23098237354613898812009-05-26T12:04:00.000-07:002009-06-08T00:52:39.516-07:00Books and Sewing PlansFirst of all, I took some pictures from the All About Silk book I wrote about <a href="http://sewingbits.blogspot.com/2009/03/now-i-know-what-everyones-talking-about.html">here</a>. I cannot tell you enough how pleased I am with these books. They are worth every penny IMHO.<br /><br />Here are 2 pages from the book. Click on the pics for the larger image.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260115.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 373px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260115.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260116.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 390px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260116.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Also, I bought the Adele Margolis' <a href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260123.jpg">The Complete Book on Tailoring</a>. It's a wonderful book and I deeply recommend it to everyone. I bought it over eBay and I found a wonderful surprise inside. I found an article on suede written by Sandra Betzina. It's from a newspaper, the bottom of the page says: 1982 Chronicle Publishing. I was 2 years old when it was published. Finding it was such a wonderful surprise, for some reason it seems I own a piece of sewing history - hehe I'm such a nerd sometimes. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260125.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 517px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260125.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now for my sewing plans:<br />My sister is begging me to make this kind of a maxi skirt Nicole Richie is wearing on this picture:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 427px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/021.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />credits: NicoleRichie.org<br /><br />The pattern for the skirt is pretty straight forward, long wide A-line. I'll be using some mid-weight black viscose knit I have in my stash. I think with this kind of skirts it's all about the drape and weight of the fabric. <br /><br /><br />Since I started belly dancing, I'm in desperate need for some costumes. So, second on my plan are a long circle skirt and a pair of harem pants. My class is having an end-of year show in July and I need a skirt to wear. I wanted to buy one, but everything I found locally was a rip-off. Everything was made of cheap, and I mean really cheap, polyester, poorly made and over-priced. Plus all the colourful skirts had black lining, which killed the vivid colours of the over-skirt.<br /><br />I bought two belly dance costume booklets online: Skirting the Issues and Pants for the Dance. They cover a variety of belly dance skirt and pant styles used for costumes; as well as pattern drafting diagrams, sewing techniques, embellishment ideas, etc. They are wonderful additions to my sewing library and I'm sure I'll be using them a lot. <br />Here's the photo of the booklets:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260128.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 315px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P5260128.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />So, off to sewing. I'll post pics of my fabrics tomorrow when lighting is better.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-67124176971374326712009-03-20T09:09:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:54:13.134-07:00Jalie 2445I needed pants for an oriental dance classes I started taking, which are, by the way, so much fun it's unbelievable. I'm loving it! I was looking around in stores and all the pants I liked were considerably over-priced. So, I decided to make them myself.<br /><br />I used this Jalie pattern, which turned out to be another winner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/2445.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 397px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/2445.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><b>Pattern Description: </b> Women's loungewear pants and shorts - The comfortable pants you have always been looking for! Easy-fit stretch pants or shorts, with drawstring wasistband for incredible comfort, straight for a flattering look.<br /><br /><b>Pattern Sizing:</b> All sizes from children to women. I made size R without alterations.<br /><br /><b>Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?</b> Yes.<br /><br /><b>Were the instructions easy to follow?</b> Very easy.<br /><br /><b>What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?</b> I love this style, it's very comfortable and straight leg is very flattering. I love the fact that I made the pants in less that 2 hours from tracing the pattern to the final seam.<br /><br /><b>Fabric Used:</b> Cotton - lycra knit. This knit is quite heavy in weight and has amazing recovery. It's perfect for this type of pants.<br /><br /><b>Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:</b> I omitted the drawstrings in the belt and made the waistband from a simple band, that I cut 3cm shorter that the waist. This way the belt is stretched just enough that is comfortable and makes the pants stay put. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3200076.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 252px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3200076.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?</b> I'll sew it again very soon and I do recommend it to others. I've seen pants made from this kind of fabric that are priced around 30 or even 40€. I definitely saved some money on this one.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion: </b> Great loungewear, yoga pant pattern. Very easy and fast to make. Another winner in my book.<br /><br />Here are photos of the finished project, front and side view:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3200074.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3200074.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3200079.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3200079.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-29059127809914202232009-03-18T08:11:00.000-07:002009-03-18T08:35:48.270-07:00Now I Know What Everyone's Talking AboutBrocade, chiffon, double knit, satin, taffeta, organdy, poplin, seersucker, etc.<br />I've been reading these and many names of types of fabric for years, but never knew exactly what those were. Fabric stores here only label fabrics by their fiber content, so I never knew exactly what I was buying. I simply relied on the feel of the fabric. And, that's also one of the reasons why I was afraid to shop online. <br /><br />I heard a lot about the All About series, and I decided to order the three books: All About Cotton, Silk and Wool from the <a href="http://www.raincitypublishing.com/index.html">Rain City Publishing</a>. And let me tell you, this was the best decision I ever made. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/Image1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 135px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/Image1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />(pics taken from the Rain City Publishing website)<br /><br /><br />Books come with numerous helpful information about different types of fabrics, their care, sewing guidelines and, my favourite part, fabric swatches. Now I can feel different types of fabrics with my hands and recognize the fabrics in my stash. <br /><br />This was by all means one of the best purchases I ever made. These books are a treasure. And taping swatches into books was really fun. <br />I probably don't even have to mention what a Doh! moment feeling all those swatches was for me.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-4521853407459782502009-03-15T13:10:00.000-07:002009-07-11T14:54:25.590-07:00Vogue 8379<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/V8379.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 369px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/V8379.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />First of all, let me just state that I'm still alive and well. I've just been preoccupied with life. <br /><br />As for this dress....<br /><br />I needed a dress for my BF's grandmother's 80th Birthday party. And since I found nothing appropriate in my closet, I decided to make a dress. This turned into my own little Project Runway moment. Naturally, I decided to make the dress the last minute and ended up hemming it minutes before I had to leave home. <br /><br />All the rushing aside, let me tell you I LOVE this dress. This pattern instantly became one of my favourite patterns. <br />I made size 10 straight out of the envelope, I made no special alterations to the pattern, except shortened it. <br /><br />Click <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=37719">here</a> to read my review on PR. <br /><br />More pics of the dress. Please excuse my choice of pictures. I don't have any decent ones, so I'll just post the ones from the party :-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144851.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144851.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144827.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 175px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144827.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144834.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144834.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144932.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 378px; height: 640px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/SG/P3144932.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />(ignore my smile, my lips tend to spread without limits)<br /><br /><br />I also made some really nice sewing-related purchases lately and I'll share them in the next post in a day or two.Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-28041542282071728122009-01-03T07:51:00.000-08:002009-03-15T13:45:07.648-07:00The Winners and Sewing Plans for 2009First of all let me wish you all the best in 2009. May this year be filled with creativity and sewing; and most of all success, happiness, prosperity and health.<br /><br />And boy am I glad 2008 is over. This year has been quite tough on a lot of people. The absolutely worst thing for me was that both of my pets, my bunny and my dog, died in 2008. I still cannot fully understand and believe it. <br />But, I refuse to focus on the bad, and I'm really looking forward to everything the new year will bring for all of us.<br /><br /><br />Now for the winners: the winner of the La Mia Boutique is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Tany</span>; and the winner of the Patrones magazine is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Alicia</span>. Congratulations to the winners! <br />Please send me your mailing addresses on: aikkam at gmail dot com. All the magazines will be sent on Monday.<br /><br /><br /><br />A lot of my favourite bloggers have written post about their sewing resolutions. I, too, have been thinking a lot about the last year's projects and what I want to accomplish in 2009 with regards to sewing. <br /><br />First thing I will start doing is I'll start sewing wovens. Lately, I've been stuck in the rut sewing knit tops. <br /><br />Second thing I promised myself to do is, I will get rid of the fear of making a mistake. This one is the major reason that I kept sewing knit tops. I've fallen into this comfortable zone with sewing knits.<br /><br />Third resolution is, I will stop sewing basic garments I can easily buy. I will instead focus on making garments with more interesting design features, designer-inspired clothes, etc. Those are the thing I actually want to have in my closet.<br /><br />And last but not least, I'll make at least one coat/jacket this year. It just breaks my heart to see how many wonderful outerwear patterns are in my stash and I have sewn none. Same goes for pants, dresses and skirts; but jacket and coat patterns hurt the most.<br /><br />This is it for the first post in the 2009. Until next time...happy sewing :)Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-22864692003829598592008-12-27T02:48:00.000-08:002009-03-15T13:45:07.649-07:00The Winners And the Last GiveawayWinners of the Patrones Kids magazines are: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lory</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Elizabeth</span>. Please send me your mailing addresses on: aikkam at gmail dot com.<br /><br />I'd also like to ask <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sharon</span>, the winner of the first giveaway to send me her address. <br /><br /><br />In the last giveaway of this year you can get the Patrones Pleno Verano or the La Mia Boutique June 2008. Both are spring/summer issues.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/PC270001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/PC270001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />As usual, I'll send magazines to any part of the world. Put down which magazine you'd like to have.<br />Closing time for the giveaway is December 31st 24.00 EST. Good luck :)Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-46835389809123689192008-12-25T03:35:00.001-08:002009-03-15T13:45:07.649-07:00Happy HolidaysI wish you all happy holidays...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/ornaments.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/ornaments.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-27596657079512375672008-12-17T05:36:00.000-08:002009-03-15T13:45:07.650-07:00Magazine Giveaway No.2Ok, next giveaway.....<br /><br />Here are two Patrones kids magazines. The first one is Patrones Ninos Fall/Winter 2008 issue; and the second one is Patrones Disfraces, which is kid's costumes issue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/PC170058.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f67/Aikka/PC170058.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />To enter, please leave a comment below. Closing time is Monday 22nd 24.00 EST. <br />Please put down which magazine you'd like to win.<br /><br />I forgot to mention in the last giveaway that I'll send the magazines anywhere in the world.<br /><br />I will choose two winners, of course, if only one person enters, that person gets both magazines :)<br /><br />Good luck...Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486195648252216821.post-63146498854597492182008-12-17T05:16:00.000-08:002009-03-15T13:45:07.650-07:00And the Winners Are....I decided to have two winners, so each one gets one magazine. My sister drew the names from the bag.<br /><br />The winner of the La Mia Boutique is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sharon</span>.<br /><br />And the winner of the Burda Easy Fashion is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Dawn</span>.<br /><br />Congratulations to the winners. Please send me your snail mail addresses. My email is: aikkam at g mail dot com.<br /><br /><br />Another giveaway coming right up......Majahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276944638528655257noreply@blogger.com3