Melbourne Frocktails and another Vogue 8904

Ever since 2016 when I made Vogue 8904 (aka the shingle dress) for the first time (blog post here), I'd been keeping my eye out for the right fabrics to make the sleeveless multicoloured version.

Sometime in the middle of this year I found myself at a Fibresmith open warehouse sale and there they were; five different colours of knit fabric, all of the exact same weight and make and the same stripe width. It was finally going to happen.

I squirrelled the fabrics away to wait for summer, and then, as Melbourne Frocktails was fast approaching I thought, why not? A raw edged, easy to sew and easy to wear, singlet dress is exactly what this busy party organiser needs.

Secure in the knowledge that I'd already sewn the dress pattern once before and it would be barely a day's work, I decided that Melbourne's untrustworthy weather might require something warm and I started panic knitting a cardigan. I finished it about 5 days before Frocktails and just as a heatwave hit the city. C'est la vie. Needless to say, it didn't get worn and will have to be photographed and written about another day.

Of course that left me with a few evenings spare leading up to Frocktails so I zoomed around to some beadshops and bought 11/0 Mizuki Delica beads that exactly matched my fabrics and made this little bracelet.

Having just come back from a holiday to Fiji, the banded stripes remind me a little too much of sea snakes! I'll have to remember to write a blogpost about the sea kayaking trip and the sewing that I did to prep for it. It was amazing. The holiday that is.

Having the pattern pieces already traced from the previous dress, it really was quite a quick and easy sew. This time, being a bit smaller than in 2016 I sewed exactly as per the pattern sizing and used the 5/8" seam allowance as directed.

Here I am with my Melbourne Frocktails co-host Lisa. Her dress is all kinds of amazing with handpainted silk and a laser cut leather belt and necklace that references lyrics to a song her husband wrote. I truly don't mind being outshone and I was happy in my comfy singlet that left plenty of room for cocktails and canapes! Play to your strengths kids. :)

Super exciting news is that we had the Guardian Australia come along and here's a link to their write up of our not-so-little-anymore cocktail party! Click on the picture below for the link

KCW: Mid week report

Kid's Clothes Week: I am having such fun sewing. I've done what I always do and become carried away with projects. It will take until the end of the week before I come up for air and get to see what everyone else has made.

First up, I made a simple turtleneck sweater for A.

The fabric is a gorgeously soft merino fleece that I bought at the recent sale at The Fabric Store. While I was shopping there I bumped into Jorth and Nikkishell of Handmaker's Factory fame! Of course it was the one day of the week that I wasn't wearing my Carnaby Cape. I think that would have been one of very few opportunities to meet a pattern designer while wearing their pattern. Rats.

And, of course, the cream merino fleece that was exactly what I wanted was one of the few fabrics that wasn't on sale. Never fear, they were carrying plenty of bags and I was about to fill mine, so it was a very happy shopping experience and rendezvous for all!

Google images came to the rescue with an image of a red deer. I added those dodgy looking hooves myself with paint.net as every deer photo that was posed well had the deer standing either in long grass or in snow. Those critters sure don't show their feet off!

I packed my lovely Noodlehead pouch (thanks Suzy!) and headed into town for a lesson in how to sew beads.

In a beautiful building in town, (The Nicholas Building) is a shop I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never been into before: Maria's Beads and Trims. Here I found jar after jar after jar of the most perfect beads. Even better, I found a very helpful Mary, who was interested in my project and perhaps quite bemused by this very enthusiastic, complete novice who'd wandered in off the street. She invited me to come back to be shown how to sew beads. And so yesterday I did.

Every year when Le Tour comes around I seem to unconsciously pick some involved hand sewing project, and it just works perfectly! If you can't ride in France, then sit on the couch and sew, and dream about riding in France.

I've been making steady progress, and am well beyond this last progress photo...

However, I hadn't been home long past my sewing lesson, when I managed to snap the only beading needle I'd bought. So the beading project was laid aside for a while and I hit the machines.

I had previously bought a remnant of the same gorgeous merino fleece in a deep red colour, so I figured it was time to make the Issey Miyake inspired peplum top:

Keen to try another kid's T-shirt pattern I printed off the Oliver + S School Bus T-shirt. I chose the size 3, then, for no real reason, added 3/4" to the sleeve length. Then I lopped of about 4" from the bottom and drafted a pattern piece for a peplum. The Oliver + S tutorial site suggested 150-200% the width of the t-shirt. I went for 175% and it was just the right amount of gathered!



I didn't have ribbing of the right colour for the neck, so I did a bound neck finish using the same wool. Before I'd done that it was clear that the wool had a bit less stretch than would be required and the neckhole looked mighty small. I deepened it at the front by about 3/4" tapering that to the shoulders. Then tried to finish it without losing any stretch. It was ludicrously difficult to get on (and off again at the end of the day) so I'll have to go back another day and chop off the binding, making the neckhole bigger and then bind it again.

I bought a new beading needle, and a bag of necklace beads hoping I could keep A entertained while I did some more beading....

She concentrated fiercely, but did end up pricking herself with the darning needle, threw a wobbly and I had to finish her necklace for her after all.

And then we picked up P from school and he drew a vampire which is going to go on a T-shirt. He drew with a transfer pencil and then I ironed the image onto the fabric. Now I've painted over it with puff paint (he couldn't have all the fun!) and once it's dry I'll sew up his School Bus t-shirt.

And the cream turtleneck sweater got it's buttons and buttonholes, and there's one more garment in the works.
Phew.
How's your KCW going? You don't have to answer til Sunday as I may not resurface again until then either. Happy sewing!