The Make and Do Studio

So what are some good hints if you are tracing a pattern?

This is one of those real odd postings as I had my Dressmaking Isnt' Rocket Science workshop this morning and one of the areas that I cover is the tracing of patterns.  We spend a considerable time looking at how to trace and then doing it. But the hard part is when you looking at size lines REALLY close together and sometimes you just can't get that line right.  And then when I checked my blog feed, I saw this at blog at Boosie's Blog :

For the rest of it,click on this link and save yourself the squinting that I have endured for all these years!

 

 

 

Part 2 - want to know my OTHER favourite (small!) on-line shop!

Just back from a few restful days in Edinburgh and am getting ready for our workshops that we have coming down the pipeline - the next one is the Dressmaking Isn't Rocket Science on Wednesday. For this workshop, I use the pattern Schoolhouse Tunic from an American company called Sew Liberated via the Backstitch website.

The package came delivered the next day via First Class post, wrapped in paper with a lovely ribbon and Backstitch sticker holding it all together. I was impressed with the care taken for such a small order - and the fact that she had the pattern in stock! Her price was great too.

They also have a fantastic selection of fabrics - and the website is a breeze to get around.  

What more could a modern day sewer ask for?  Oh - I know - she is on Facebook and also on Twitter @BackstitchShop -  so there you go...

Hope you all have a great weekend and get some sewing/crafting/creating time in!

 

Sewing a sundress is easy - Heather Ross's free pattern does the trick!

With all this sun, I thought I would post this great free pattern for this Heather Ross sundress - and then when I did, the sun went away! But as I am ever the optimist, I am going to to post it any way and tell the rain to go away! I made this sundress a few summers ago - I felt smug as I was just ahead of the whole flowy dress thing - and it was easy.  The only thing is the bottom of the dress, as I had made it longer in length, was a bit tight, so I inserted a slit up the seam. 

You can find the full set of instructions here. In order to achieve the puckered look on the top (shirring), you will have to use elastic thread.  Here is a quick video on youtube on how to wind the elastic on the bobbin. 

Come on sun - time to come back so we can wear some lovely dresses!

If I am thinking of sewing this dress, I must be on the mend!

I must be feeling better as I think I am going to have a go at this really simple pattern found at Oopsey Daisy  for her simple Paper Bag Dress. 

I have moved from "no sew" mode to "low sew" as this does look really simple. I always wonder if this will make me look......well, like a telephone box as it looks as if it might be slightly on the shapeless side. If I make it, I will try and post a photo so you can decide for yourself!

I've been thinking about adding macrame as a workshop.....but this made me think again!

I have had a few people contact me to ask if I had a workshop in macrame. To be honest, my memories of macrame were those tangled plant holders that always seemed to hold ferns (why ferns I don't honestly know).  So I thought I might try and put out feelers to see what if I could find someone to put together a course.....and then I saw this:

But even more interesting, were the photos that appeared on the inside of this little beauty - if you have just eaten, you may want to tune in later....

And a bit like watching a car crash, you can't help but look at what is sure to be destruction:

Thought I would leave the instructions for those shy hot pant wearers - hey, you never know, you might just wake up one morning and want to make one!

Thanks to the website awful library books for this beauty! 

How does Dolly do it?

When I work on Make and Do stuff from the luxury of the Beech Road outpost, I can listen to whatever I want and today, it is Dolly Parton.  My musical taste really does have a bi-polar feel to it and I am by no way religious but she has a new album out The Gospel Collection and it is great though my personal favourite album is Little Sparrow.  I digress...

Photos from our dressmaking workshop - we had a day to chat, layout patterns, chat, talk about the pattern, chat, cut, stop for a lunch of ginger and roasted squash soup and home made rolls, sew, chat, sew....I think you get the idea. But I have to say in our defence, you really do work hard and at the end of 8 hours of pretty much keeping to task, you have a lovely shirt/dress that gives you the strong foundation needed in order to understand basic pattern language, cutting techniques, putting it together before you sew and then working with the machine to get the best possible outcome for your shirt/dress.

School House Tunic as it is seen in paper form....

Getting ready for the cutting....those scissors were my grandmothers!

And the fabric is on its way to being this....

A versatile, top that is from a great little pattern company in the states called Sew Liberated. Sarah, the keenest of all my sewers, sent a photo to me via her iPhone of her finished dress on its first night out - I am still trying to get it off the phone but will post it if I do!