Browsing Archive: February, 2017

Pleated Skirt

Posted by Abi Currer on Friday, February 24, 2017, In : Abi's Projects

I absolutely LOVE pleated fabrics and couldn't help myself but buy some from 'Chrisanne Ltd' to make a skirt. I bought two half circles of coral pleated georgette, I then used non pleated georgette & satin chiffon to line it so that it wasn't sheer.

I covered elastic in coral lycra for the waistband, and flipped the skirt onto the waistband so that there was a neat join.

The half circles came 100cm long which meant that once I had the fullness evenly distributed I needed to level the hem.

I used...

Mini Project - Bibs

Posted by Abi Currer on Thursday, February 23, 2017, In : 2017 New Years resolution

I used up some extra cotton fabric that I bought to make bits and pieces for Olivia by making some bibs. It is such a small pattern piece that I could fit it into the scraps.

I backed the bibs with micro towelling, it feels a bit weird to touch but does the job perfectly.

I sewed the two layers together with right sides facing. Then I clipped the corners to reduce the bulk when I turned it through.

I left an opening at the bottom of the bib so that I could turn it through. I slip stitched it clo...

Neck styleline alteration

Posted by Abi Currer on Thursday, February 23, 2017, In : Alterations & Upcycling

Ed gave me a dress as a gift! I love the pattern and the colours, but when I tried it on the neckline was really unflattering SO rather than return it, I thought I would change the neckline so I can wear it this Spring!

I pinned a new style line on the manikin and then cut 1.5cm away from the pins so that I have seam allowance for hemming it.

I turned over the cut edge twice so that it had a double hem. It is harder to hem a curve as you sometimes get puckering, especially with stretch fa...

December - Sequin shift top

Posted by Abi Currer on Thursday, February 23, 2017, In : 2017 New Years resolution

I have decided that my New Year's resolution is going to be to use up fabric and patterns that I have already got at home! It is so easy to hoard fabric and keep things just incase I may need them, in a very specific situations. Which NEVER happens!

SO, I am going to try to make one thing; either a garment or project, a month using either fabric or a pattern from my vast array of stored 'what if' fabrics.

The first project for my New Years resolution is a pink sequin shift top which ticks both ...

Flowery Trousers

Posted by Abi Currer on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, In : Abi's Projects

At Cotton Club we made a pair of trousers so that we could learn zip flies and pockets, this pair of trousers are made from the kwik sew pattern 3540.

One of the ladies on the course had a fabric I loved s much that I went out to buy the same from C&H fabrics in Tunbridge Wells, it was a one way stretch cotton, perfect for trousers.

Pockets take a lot of concentration...

...So do zip flies.

I did an overlocking stitch over the raw edges to encase the fraying fabric in the seams.

Peter Pan Collar Top

Posted by Abi Currer on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, In : Abi's Projects

I made the peter pan collar top from the Sewing Bee book.

The sizing came up way off, very small, so I had to make the top bigger and increase the sleeve head twice! which meant i almost ran out of fabric.

In hindsight I would have also made the top longer so that I didn't feel self conscious when I raised my arms.

I cut all the pieces out.

The collar was made from a sheer fabric, I interfaced it to stiffen it so that I could manipulate it to lay flat as the collar should.

I may be a sucker for ...

January - Pushchair insert

Posted by Abi Currer on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, In : 2017 New Years resolution

I had a fair amount of fabric left over from re-covering Olivia's rocking chair, and making a set of cot bumpers, so I decided to make a pushchair insert to use up more of the fabric.

I cut out the fabric and then 3 layers of wadding to pad it out.

I had to really carefully measure out where the strap holes needed to be, and then I sewed a buttonhole. I had to freehand the buttonhole as it was too big for the machine foot.

I rethreaded the straps through to check the positioning and the ...

February - Cotton Club Sewing Machine Covers

Posted by Abi Currer on Monday, February 6, 2017, In : 2017 New Years resolution

With the machine covers at Cotton Club looking worse for wear, ripped and useless, I decided to undertake the project of making EIGHT new covers.

I had lots of white cotton fabric in my chest of drawers so thought I could use that to make the body of the covers. I also cut out pockets to go on the back of the cover.