Back to Blogging & 2015 Plans

Why hello there...

Did you miss me?

It turns out I had a somewhat unplanned but probably needed break from blogging over the Christmas and New Year period. A combination of returning illness, taking on a new (full time) job plus the general busy-ness of the Summer time all combined to knock me for 6 and ended up with me seriously downsizing my creative projects for quite a few months.

So what's new? Well where to start! I'm now working full time at Uni SA only 10 minutes from home. Originally I didn't want to go back to working a regular full time job since I knew it would severely cut into my StaceyMade time but when this position came up it seemed too good to pass up and well, here we are. Fortunately I work with a great team and it has been a really positive change.

Festive Red hair at Christmas

Yes, sadly this does mean StaceyMade is on the back burner but I am still sewing up occasional projects for the shop and, after almost 3 months off, have finally taken on a full custom order again. I don't want to burn out so I am being really careful about not taking on too much but I don't want to let the business fizzle out when I think it has so much potential to be the right choice for me. So it's just ticking along in the background for now.

The same goes really for everything not work related in my life right now. Some minor medication tweaks in August ended up sending me into a spiralling decline and meant that while I was really happy to start my new job, after 3 months off, pretty much all I had energy for was work and nothing to spare left over. I'm hoping to have finally turned the corner now but I'm still a long way from 100% and thriving. So my motto for the year's beginning seems to be "slow & steady & one thing at a time".

Loving this hair colour - maybe next??



Other New Things? I had Ruby Red Cherry Bomb hair for about 2.5 months over Christmas - sadly it is very high maintenance so I'm now a more subdued red colour but I did love being a "brighthead" and despite how much I hate it when hair colour washes out I am still dreaming of having bright Red, Pink or Purple hair...watch this space hehe. I also re-upholstered our dining chairs since it's been 13 years since their last change and wow, upholstery is seriously hard work. The chairs look great but I don't know if they will hold up through another re-cover so this could be their last hurrah. I'm pretty darn proud of the results though, worth the blisters and sore hands in the end I think.

I have still been sewing during my little blog hiatus - a couple of cute dresses for the Summer and some nice basic tops. Oh, and a giant adult tutu...because WTF not?! I'll post on them separately since I don't think I will get much chance to sew for myself in the coming month or so as I have a big custom job plus some gifts and smaller repairs to work on for other people. I've been feeling very uninspired creativity wise lately (being exhausted all the time and gaining weight while just feeling yuk will do that to you) so hopefully these outward focused projects will help kick-start my enthusiasm for my own projects.

Magical tutu-ness plus a nice basic T-shirt

In terms of 2015 I have a varied run of projects coming up. There is this custom job which, at least in the muslin/fitting stage may involve a sister project for me; some half finished tops to wind up for work wear; in March is a special little lady's birthday which will hopefully involve an Elsa costume plus a Thurlow trouser-a-thon with some sewing gals; September and October we have 2 weddings (1 family and 1 close friends) so there is definitely going to be at least one demi-couture lace and silk outfit in the works! Phew!

Some upcoming projects - one is finished and one is languishing, can you guess which is which?

I'm also having a go at the Colette Sewing Wardrobe Architect Series (check it out here) in an effort to sew more mindfully for myself. I'm right at the limit for number of clothes I own - Yes I hear your expressions of shock and outrage - and really only want to sew things that are going to get a decent amount of wear this year. I liked the concept of the Wardrobe Architect when it first came out but wasn't really interested in sewing too much "cake" for myself at that point. Now I have the StaceyMade shop as an outlet for all my pretty girly fantasies I'm suddenly more interested in sewing practical, but still pretty, stuff for myself! As a result of all this musing I ended up with a Pinterest account and oh my god isn't that a time waster of pretty things. Follow me at www.pinterest.com/staceymade to see what I'm pinning.

I'm sure there is loads I'm leaving out but can't think of anything else to include here right now...I wasn't sure the blog was going to survive into 2015 but now I'm actually writing a post it has made me realise how much I missed it so I think it will live to see another year!

Here's to more blogging in 2015

OXOX
- Stacey

New TNT - The Burda Bat Wing Top returns

In the spirit of my bright new organised sewing room I have resolved to start finishing off some of my half done projects or UFOs (Un-Finished Objects).

 These two have been languishing half finished since July! It only took about 2 hours to finish them both off!!

First on the list - something easy (we'll work up to that coat that is half done...). After such success with my first try at this Burda pattern I immediately rushed out to buy fabric to make some more! 

Fabric Close Ups - This one is a bit sheer so a neutral tank works well underneath

Texture, Texture, Texture - The red top is super warm since this texture comes from a double layer of fabric

I went back to my fave haunt - Ferriers Fashion Fabrics since I had seen these fabrics on my first visit but didn't want to spend on luxe fabrics if I wasn't sure the pattern would work. Now I know it works and looks good I am quite happy to spend a little more to get quality in my end garment. 

This is a pretty stable ethos for me - New Pattern? Start off with a 'wearable muslin' in a cheap fabric so if it is a disaster at least I haven't destroyed beautiful and expensive fabric making it! Then, when all the kinks are ironed out, move on to fabrics I love to wear. I think this is also how I discover if a design is worthy of the TNT tag - and why I made 3 versions of my wrap dress in the previous post before finally making it up in luxurious Italian Jersey (just fabric for this make was around $70!!)

But back to these girls - there isn't much to add to what I wrote last time. Construction and sizing didn't really change although I did leave the interfacing off for the purple version as you could clearly see it at the neckline through the lacey fabric.

These aren't the most exciting things to post about but they are real sewing "cake": good basics that fill a hole in my wardrobe. I am trying to be much more thoughtful and aware of what I sew for myself since my wardrobe has some gaps that need filling with more "cake" rather than just sewing pretty pieces of "frosting". 

But Summer is Coming!! And that means lots of chances to sew and wear some pretty dresses - definitely my favourite type of frosting :-D

So I promise some pretty sweet treats next time I post!

OXOX

Stace

PS - What do you think of my new photo spot in the new room? Should I mix it up with some new locations? It's soooo much easier to get better light here plus I can balance my camera on my cutting table to take pics Yay!

The Cuddliest Trousers - Thurlows the Second

After such a success with my first pair of Thurlows from Sewaholic I definitely wanted to make more of this fabulous pattern.

Slight Goober Face

I also wanted to try a newly discovered fabric spot at Ferriers Fashion Fabric in Adelaide. After being exposed to so many gorgeous fabric stores in Sydney and Melbourne I really wanted to look for smaller stores here in Adelaide that retail different/better quality fabrics. Ferriers came up on this search and since it was only round the corner from work I decided to check it out. If you've read my last post you'll know this was a successful visit since I've been back 3 times since!

On my first visit I really fell in love with this soft grey herringbone pure wool flannel - I saw a brown version of this fabric at The Fabric Store in Sydney but I wear more grey than brown  so I am glad I waited and purchased the grey version instead.

Let me say first off - This Fabric ROCKS my world!! It looks very tailored but due to the soft brushed insides it feels like I'm wearing my PJ's :-D

What's that? You like my pants???

The combination of excellent pattern and beautiful fabric was an almost guaranteed success and I am certain that these are going to become a favourite pair of trousers! I top-stitched the back welt pockets this time and I love the finish so will do this again from now on.

Welt Topstitch Detail - Oooooh!

I lined these pants using the left over cotton lawn lining I cut out for my last pair of Thurlows but couldn't use due to the sheerness of the fabric I was using. Having fun linings and funky buttons always make me happy and isn't that the point of sewing for yourself?

Crazy Fun Linings of Joy

One word of warning - I cut my usual size 4 and sewed a normal back seam allowance which actually produced a pair of pants slightly too big for me. However, I'm extreeeeeemely slack about pre-washing fabric and after the first cold-water wash I found these shrank up quite a lot so they are now the perfect fit. Just something to keep in mind since I've rarely worked with 100% wool fabric in the past but I will certainly continue to use it in the future.

I was really excited to find an actual 4" metal teeth 'trouser zip'

I once again used the Lladybird tutorial and these came together in just over a day. I think this pattern is fast moving to become my TNT pants design - they are constructed beautifully and are easy to fit and wear so wins all around!!
And yes - I do have more fabric to make another pair, this time in pin stripe velveteen once again from Ferriers so more Thurlows shall grace my future blog!

Sunshine! Lollipops! And Rainbows! Pot-of-gold Thurlows

This is one of those completely irrational projects. There were easier pant patterns available after all. And more sensible coloured fabric. But for some irrational reason I had to have golden yellow wool trousers. With welt pockets. And a fly front. It was time for my first Thurlows!

The role of fabric in Sydney that started it all!

I found this beautiful wool fabric in The Fabric Store in Sydney. It only came in this colour which I wouldn't normally wear (mustard yellow is sooooo NOT my colour, put it near my face and I look like I have jaundice). The longer I looked at it though the more I liked it! Plus this fabric feels amazing. I figured since it's not up against my face it's ok to wear and it does match back with a lot of my tops since I wear so much purple, blue and green.

This is seriously the best welt pocket I have ever constructed! 

I haven't sewed up the Thurlow pattern from Sewaholic before so a muslin was in order. I tried a size 2 but found it was a little tight across my hips so I made a size 4 up in my good fabric instead. Good thing too, since I ended up needing to open up the centre back seam by about 1cm to 1.5cm to get a good fit in the final pair. Fortunately the pattern is designed for this, and is shaped to fit in at the waist so you don't end up with pants that fit in the hip but fall down at the waist. I suspect every pair of these I make will need to be basted and fitted at the back seam each time to check the fit before the final sew. It is a small price to pay though, as these are seriously some of the nicest pants I have ever owned, let along made!

My first fly front finish - aaaww yeeeaaahh!

I used the tutorial for the Thurlow trousers from Lladybird to help me follow the pattern instructions and the extra pictures and notes definitely helped me get such a high quality finish. I think these might be the nicest finished and most complicated pants I've ever finished. And I looooove them!

Sunshiney pants for rainy days? Yes Please!

I originally meant to line them in this gorgeous printed lawn fabric which also had a yellow background but after sewing one pocket perfectly I discovered the wool was more sheer than I had thought and you could see the print completely through the fabric. So I'm saving the crazy lining for when I have a darker fabric to make these up in and I used some basic white poplin from my stash instead. 

It was great to make a pattern with so many little details that make them look "not-home-made". These are the sort of pants that people are surprised when you say "I made them" and I love that about this pattern.

Why helloooo perfectly constructed pockets :-)

I skipped adding belt loops -  I made them and they were pretty but as soon as I sewed them on they looked tacky and very home-made in the worst way. So I unpicked them and will consider adding them sewn into the waistband seam next time. This whole belt loops thing set me back about a week on hemming these babies but they are finally finished.

Excuse the VPL - I was standing in the rain for these pics so speed was of the essence! No time to adjust!!

I probably could have made a size 6 given I added another seam allowance to the back seam but I was worried they would be too baggy around the upper thigh and that would ruin the nice tailored look of this pattern. Given the design is made to be altered I'm happy with this fit and will probably use the same size again for future pairs. Oh yes there will be more Thurlow's in my life - I'm already planning a charcoal suiting pair, a grey herringbone wool pair and some cute green shorts come next Summer. Plus there is the possibility of changing the leg style to skinny and making these up in denim *gasp* could it be TIME FOR ME-MADE JEANS??.... Duh duh daaaaaa! I always swore I would never make jeans since you can buy them so cheap but having lost a little weight now none of my jeans fit and I soooo like the look and feel of these trousers. Hmmm thoughts for the future.

Finally, thanks to Dad for taking these great pics for me despite the rainy weather - I am really glad to have help with photos for this blog - photographer I am not :-D

It has been cold, wet and rainy all week here but every time I wear these pants I smile because they are so cheery and bright - Do you have any clothing reserved for rainy days just because it makes you so happy?

Stay Cheery and Warm!

Stace

OXOX

Me Made May '14 - Day 2

So I can tell that MMM 14 is going to make it easy to tell which days I'm working and which days I don't leave the house if I can help it...

Here is outfit 2...

It's super sexy!

I actually have to confess that this outfit was covered up by at least another 2 daggy layers, on account of it is freezing cold right now, but if I put those on you wouldn't be able to see the only me-made part of my outfit!

Details
Leggings: Cotton On

Top: Made by Me - McCalls 6164  (listed as out-of-print online but probably still available in some stores) - View A

Ugg Boots: Kmart!

I am already learning that on days when I only dress for comfort I am going to struggle to find me-made items to wear because I tend to sew "dressier" items. Not that they aren't comfy, just that I don't usually bother sewing things that I'm only going to lounge around the house in. I would like to try making leggings since I have finally discovered how comfy and amazing they are. Maybe a future project?

I think I will try posting daily until Sunday then I might try doing a weekly post at the end of the week and see which method I prefer. 

Happy Weekend!

Stace :)

Me Made May '14 - Day 1

So May is here and Me Made May has begun!

here is outfit No. 1:

Sorry for the dodgy image quality - I am not a good selfie taker! (and yes - this is my messy messy sewing room in the background)

Here's a better go taken by the FFA!

Details
Pants: Made by Me - New Look 6947 (listed as out-of-print online but probably still available in some stores)

Top: Westco

Scarf: Made by Me - using 2 balls of ombre ruffle yarn from Spotlight

Hat: Vintage! Purchased at the Burra antiques Fair

Not sure if I will keep posting daily or will move to posting weekly round ups.

See how we go!

OX
Stacey

Post Box Joy

Monday, November 11th, 2013

Yay! So excited because look what I got in the post today!

I have been coverting the Mae blouse for awhile now since I have the perfect fabric in my stash for it and when I saw there was a flash sale going on I jumped on it finally!

Abby over at Bluegingerdoll is fantastic - she helped me sort out some issues with the sale code and is so enthusiastic about seeing her gorgeous designs sewn up. As a fellow Aussie I can't rave enough about this great local business. Check them out at www.bluegingerdoll.com.au

I think this design will be really cute (even the packaging is cute!); hopefully quick to stitch up and the perfect filler in my wardrobe full of dresses. I keep trying to sew separates but I'm always distracted by pretty dresses! Speaking of - if my love for Mae is confirmed after the first sew I might have to splurge and buy Billie - Jean as well :-O

Can't wait to dive into sewing this but some projects and repairs to do first, not to mention packing up our whole place for the move in a couple of weeks so sewing time will be rationed for now. Maybe I'll trace off my size tonight if I finish my To-Do List?

Mae makes me feel like Spring even if it hasn't been the warmest weather this last week!

Stace

:-D