Back to School: Butterick B5217

Posted on January 10, 2012 by peggyspickles

This week was the start of the spring term at Morley College where I am doing my sewing classes.

On Mondays I am in the beginners clothes making class. Yes, despite my lack of patience last term with my skirt, I have gone back for more!

This term we are making a simple top, and I have chosen version D of Butterick B5217.

As with the skirt, we were given quite strict guidelines as to what we could choose so that the class isn’t too broad with skill levels.

My normal style would be something much more fitted with bust darts, but as the top will be finished about March time I will have changed shape quite a lot by then. Instead I wanted something that will be comfortable to wear over my bump. I will also be learning about facings and fitting sleeves which I have done on my own before but it will be good to learn how to do it properly.

In the class yesterday we took our individual measurements, and my waist has grown by over 8cm since October! It’s odd getting used to the changes when you’ve had the same familiar body for 30 years. And the rapid growth of my bust over the last 3 months is more alarming than I thought! According to the Butterick size chart I am now a bust size 18, and a rest-of-me size 12. Watch out London – there may not be space for all of us!

This combination of measurements should however mean that I learn quite a lot about altering a pattern to fit me. This will be really useful as it was a problem (not quite so extreme, mind) before I was pregnant anyway.

So, come along for the Butterick B5217 ride. I will be learning a lot, getting frustrated even more, but will hopefully be a happy bunny at the end of it…

Finished project: V1179 dress

Posted on January 9, 2012 by peggyspickles

Just before Christmas I finished one of my What Next? projects – the V1179 dress.

This is the pattern cover:

And this is my version:

Now, my plan had been to get the dress form and then not have to pose awkwardly to show you what I’ve made. However, as I’m sure many of you realised long ago, this won’t really show the clothes off as well – it won’t show how they really fit me etc. So, I’m just going to have to get less camera shy! I should take a leaf out of Peggy’s book – she can’t wait to get in front of the camera. Here are a couple more posey shots (especially for you Emma D!!)

Dave and I are also going to have to get better at taking photos, maybe that would help a bit.

Anyway, back to the dress! I first saw the dress on Karen’s blog, and initially thought it would be super comfy for the flight to New York I will be making in February. It then turns out it will also be pretty handy as my tummy gets bigger over the next few months!

I’ve worn it loads over the holidays, and it is really comfy. I made it in a size larger than I need at the moment, but wanted to give myself extra tummy room for later on.

As it’s not very fitted, the only alteration I made was to the length as it swamped me a bit. The main challenge I had was sewing with jersey – something I’d never done before, and which turned out not to be as scary as I imagined. Next time I just need to make the stitch length a bit longer, and actually remember Karen’s tip for hand sewing in the collar!

I made the dress at the end of a day of work experience at Phannatiq so that I could use the overlocker. I was due at a Christmas party so the pressure was on and I know I wasn’t as careful as I could have been. I also didn’t have access to the internet and couldn’t remember what Karen’s tips had been. Sure enough, I tried sewing in the collar using stitch and ditch, and I did miss bits. Next time I’ll take your advice I promise Karen!

Another new addition…

Posted on January 6, 2012 by peggyspickles

No, I’m not expecting twins (although maybe it would be better to pop two out in one go and be done with it?!), my lovely family all got together to get me a dress form for Christmas and my birthday.

I ordered it on Wednesday from here (by far the cheapest I could find, although it seems to have gone up by £10 since Wednesday!), and it arrived on Thursday – blimmin’ quick if you ask me.

All in the name of Peggy’s Pickles, Dave kindly recorded the construction of my new rather poshly named Lady Valet (manufacturer’s name, not mine I would like to point out).

What's this I wonder?

Those who have been around me and big boxes before, will know that I often think I can fit in them. I can't, but it doesn't seem to stop me trying.

It comes with it's very own screwdriver! Hands off David!

Pretty sure my tongue was sticking out with concentration at this point.

On it goes.

Maybe not the most accurate way of making the waist the same level as mine, especially as I'm not entirely sure where mine is these days...

It's going to need some serious bulking up over the next few months!

Now, as the last photo shows, we were getting on swimmingly post-construction. How quick these things can change…

Dave took it upstairs to the sewing room, but left it peeking round the door. I forgot all about it being there and then had the fright of my life when I got to the top of the stairs to find it looming there in the dark. I had to close the door, and then check it hadn’t been opened in the morning. Scary stuff people, scary stuff.

Therefore, I am definitely of the Tilly school of thought – these things should never be named. And it is definitely an IT, not a She.

Despite the slight sense of unease I have around it in the dark, I can’t wait to size it properly and use it when making my next creation!

What a lot of news!

Posted on January 4, 2012 by peggyspickles

I’m back! Happy New Year everyone – I hope you all had a lovely Christmas break.

On New Years Eve I celebrated my 30th birthday. Check out the sewing related presents (Peggy not included) I was given – it seems word has got around!

Can you believe it – there’s an original Singer sewing machine in there!

The celebrations started the day before with cocktails overlooking London from Paramount Bar, and a yummy meal at The Swan.

Yes, me and my sister look very alike 🙂

Then on my actual birthday we had a dinner party at home. Now, I know that many of you have been asking about, and waiting to see the dress I was making for the party. I have a confession to make. It never got made. However, I am hoping my reason will excuse me because…

I’m having a baby! Dave and I are both so excited / scared (what do I know about babies?!!!!), but it did mean that the dress never made it past toile stage. My waist has been rapidly disappearing, and I have just generally been feeling a bit fat (no nice baby bump yet!), which meant that I didn’t feel great about wearing a cinched in 1950s dress.

Instead I had changed the plan to this pattern that my Nan originally made for my Mum.

But the dress was obviously not meant to be. You may remember me being ill before Christmas, which was mostly due to a nasty cold but was made worse due to being pregnant. Unfortunately I had set aside that time to make the dress, so when I was better I had to admit defeat and make a trip to Beyond Retro (no great hardship really). Instead I wore this 1980s (am guessing) crazy jumpsuit thing! The top is velvet with gold fireworks on and the bottom part is plain black something-or-other.