Sunday, February 19, 2012
Progress and problems with Simplicity 1914 Amazing Fit dress.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I've made some progress with my Simplicity 1914 dress. I managed to sew the shaped waistline and pleats.
I'm now ready to fit the sleeves but before doing so, the facings for the long -sleeved version have to be finished. I've attached them to the sleeve and trimmed the first one, and I'm ready to understitch but there seems to be too much bulk where the sleeve seam and facing meet. I'm not sure if I have made a mistake even though I have followed the instructions (12, 13, 14, 15) carefully.
Can anybody offer some advice, please, especially somebody who is making or has made View A of this dress?
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Is anybody making Simplicity 1914 Amazing Fit dress?
I've been working on Simplicity 1914 Amazing Fit dress for about 10 days and it's proving to be the most difficult sewing project I've tried so far. I managed to sew the pleats and shaped waistline but now I'm having difficulty with the sleeve facings in View A. So far nobody has written a review of the pattern on www.patternreview.com or elsewhere but as it's one of Simplicity's most recent patterns, there must be a lot of people sewing it at the moment. It would be so helpful if those who are sewing the same pattern could somehow get together in blogosphere and share their progress and problems. If there is anybody else who has sewn this pattern or who is working on it at the moment, I'd be really grateful for your advice and opinions.
Here's a link to the pattern.
http://www.simplicity.com/p-6746-misses-plus-size-amazing-fit-dresses.aspx
Here's a link to the pattern.
http://www.simplicity.com/p-6746-misses-plus-size-amazing-fit-dresses.aspx
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Simplicity 2058 skirt finished
I've finished Simplicity 2058 Amazing Fit skirt. I wasn't expecting great results with the fabric I used but I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out and ready to make this skirt in a variety of fabrics.
Here is the review of this pattern which I wrote for www.sewingpatterns.com
Pattern Description: Misses/Women's skirt in 2 lengths with individual pieces given for slim, average and curvy fit
Pattern Sizing: 10-18 and 20W to 28 W. I made a Size 16 - Curvy.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it looked like View B
Were the instructions easy to follow? Very easy.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? This is simple pattern which is comfortable to wear and flattering.
Fabric Used: This is a difficult one to answer because I don't know! The fabric has been in my stash for more than 20 years. I think it's got a certain amount of viscose in it.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I made the waistline area a bit wider for a comfortable fit.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will definitely sew it again in different fabrics. It's the kind of skirt I enjoy wearing. I would definitely recommend it to others. You can chose the length you prefer and it's easy enough for beginners to sew.
Conclusion: A well-designed, basic skirt pattern which can be used to make skirts for all seasons.
I'm still waiting for the two dress patterns I mentioned in my last post to arrive and can't wait to get started on them to take my mind off the freezing, winter weather we are having at the moment.
Here is the review of this pattern which I wrote for www.sewingpatterns.com
Pattern Description: Misses/Women's skirt in 2 lengths with individual pieces given for slim, average and curvy fit
Pattern Sizing: 10-18 and 20W to 28 W. I made a Size 16 - Curvy.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it looked like View B
Were the instructions easy to follow? Very easy.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? This is simple pattern which is comfortable to wear and flattering.
Fabric Used: This is a difficult one to answer because I don't know! The fabric has been in my stash for more than 20 years. I think it's got a certain amount of viscose in it.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I made the waistline area a bit wider for a comfortable fit.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will definitely sew it again in different fabrics. It's the kind of skirt I enjoy wearing. I would definitely recommend it to others. You can chose the length you prefer and it's easy enough for beginners to sew.
Conclusion: A well-designed, basic skirt pattern which can be used to make skirts for all seasons.
I'm still waiting for the two dress patterns I mentioned in my last post to arrive and can't wait to get started on them to take my mind off the freezing, winter weather we are having at the moment.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Recent and planned sewing projects.
Another New Year's Resolution I've made is to get back to my sewing and make the various projects I've been planning over the last few months.
In November I made a blouse using Simplicty's Amazing Fit 2151
http://www.simplicity.com/p-6163-misses-miss-petite-amazing-fit-tops.aspx
The fabric I used had been in my stash for more than 20 years so it was definitely time to make something out of it. Anyway, here is the result:
I'm sure it's a bit too bright and flowery for many people's tastes, but at least I used the fabric and it looks quite nice worn with black trousers. Anyway, I like bright, cheerful colours!
I also bought another Amazing Fit pattern - 2058 and hope to make a few skirts using it.
Two new Simplicity patterns also caught my eye. Well, to be honest, I like a lot more of them than that but can't afford more than two at the moment. The two dress patterns I've ordered are http://www.simplicity.com/p-6746-misses-plus-size-amazing-fit-dresses.aspx
and http://www.simplicity.com/p-6745-misses-miss-petite-dresses-project-runway-collection.aspx
I'm not sure which views yet but the fabrics I have in mind are two I bought about 10 days ago from a my favourite fabric shop in the Mahmutpasa area near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul which is full of beautiful fabrics.
Both fabrics are crepe but I don't know exactly what they are made of. Unfortunately the photos don't do them justice. I think I'll use the second fabric to make the Amazing Fit dress shown in the picture on the pattern envelope. Before I attempt the Runway 1913 dresses, I would prefer to read reviews of this pattern, but I'm more confident about the Amazing Fit dress. I know that most of my readers are more experienced dressmakers than I am so I would appreciate your advice and opinions.
In November I made a blouse using Simplicty's Amazing Fit 2151
http://www.simplicity.com/p-6163-misses-miss-petite-amazing-fit-tops.aspx
The fabric I used had been in my stash for more than 20 years so it was definitely time to make something out of it. Anyway, here is the result:
I also bought another Amazing Fit pattern - 2058 and hope to make a few skirts using it.
Two new Simplicity patterns also caught my eye. Well, to be honest, I like a lot more of them than that but can't afford more than two at the moment. The two dress patterns I've ordered are http://www.simplicity.com/p-6746-misses-plus-size-amazing-fit-dresses.aspx
and http://www.simplicity.com/p-6745-misses-miss-petite-dresses-project-runway-collection.aspx
I'm not sure which views yet but the fabrics I have in mind are two I bought about 10 days ago from a my favourite fabric shop in the Mahmutpasa area near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul which is full of beautiful fabrics.
Both fabrics are crepe but I don't know exactly what they are made of. Unfortunately the photos don't do them justice. I think I'll use the second fabric to make the Amazing Fit dress shown in the picture on the pattern envelope. Before I attempt the Runway 1913 dresses, I would prefer to read reviews of this pattern, but I'm more confident about the Amazing Fit dress. I know that most of my readers are more experienced dressmakers than I am so I would appreciate your advice and opinions.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
I haven't really made any New Year's Resolutions apart from one and that is to start posting on my blog again. It's more than 6 months since my last post and I'm even not sure if I remember how to write a post!
We spent the Christmas weekend in Istanbul which is only about 6 hours away by bus. For the first two days the weather was awful - very cold, windy with heavy rain, but the next day even though it was still very cold, the sun shone and we were able to enjoy a walk down Istiklal Street as far as Galata Bridge after which we took a taxi to Ortaköy. (We'll really have to learn how to use public transport there) Winter is perhaps not the best time to appreciate the beauty of the city but in spite of the cold I managed to take a few photos which I'll share with you now.
I'll be posting again soon with more news but until them I would like to wish my readers a Happy and Healthy 2012!
We spent the Christmas weekend in Istanbul which is only about 6 hours away by bus. For the first two days the weather was awful - very cold, windy with heavy rain, but the next day even though it was still very cold, the sun shone and we were able to enjoy a walk down Istiklal Street as far as Galata Bridge after which we took a taxi to Ortaköy. (We'll really have to learn how to use public transport there) Winter is perhaps not the best time to appreciate the beauty of the city but in spite of the cold I managed to take a few photos which I'll share with you now.
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| Galata Bridge |
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| View of Boshporus at Ortaköy |
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| New Year decorations at Taksim Square. |
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Summer cooking.
A Seasonal Cook in Turkey: Dolma: Summer Vegetables Stuffed with Meat and Herbs
I happened to come across Claudia’s recipe for stuffed summer vegetables and was inspired to make my own. Of course this is a very popular summer dish in Greece too, but as it’s rather time- consuming, I rarely make it. The good thing about it is that it can also be eaten cold, especially if you make it with just a rice filling, so it’s handy for taking on picnics near the beach during summer. Here are two photos of my stuffed vegetables ( ‘Gemista’ / ‘Dolma’) They turned out quite well although next time I will make them a little more spicy. Anyway, thank you, Claudia, for your recipe.
I happened to come across Claudia’s recipe for stuffed summer vegetables and was inspired to make my own. Of course this is a very popular summer dish in Greece too, but as it’s rather time- consuming, I rarely make it. The good thing about it is that it can also be eaten cold, especially if you make it with just a rice filling, so it’s handy for taking on picnics near the beach during summer. Here are two photos of my stuffed vegetables ( ‘Gemista’ / ‘Dolma’) They turned out quite well although next time I will make them a little more spicy. Anyway, thank you, Claudia, for your recipe.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Another dress using Simplicity 2174
The dress I finished a few weeks ago using Simplicity 2174 was so comfortable to wear on a hot summer’s day that I decided to make another one in a different cotton print. ( Please see previous post for a review of this pattern). I haven’t got a photo of me wearing my latest version of this dress yet, so here’s a photo of it on a hanger.
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