Quote

Black Lives Matter

Wednesday 29 August 2012

PR mini wardrobe contest

I never met a wardrobe contest I didn't like, although I don't necessarily complete them, or wear all the things I make even if I do.
Here's my initial storyboard for the PR mini wardrobe contest.

Click on the picture (or this text) to get it bigger.

The knot front dress is already cut out, so the idea is to sew that up and have it as the 'Key Piece'.
The jacket can be worn over it. The camisole top and leggings can be worn under it. The turtle neck top can be worn either under or over, so the whole lot could all be worn at once!

As usual in a quick Ruthie wardrobe, many of the garments are quick to sew knits, and the jacket is a relatively simple cardigan style. Patterns TBA but mostly Burda and New Look I expect.

Burda and Diana Magazines

I've been away on holiday to Gdansk (Danzig), Poland which was great. I looked for unusual sewing magazines as I always do in other countries, but only found the standard German ones in Polish, so bought them - Burda and Diana.
Both have some quite wearable items, though nothing I liked so much I was off running for the tracing paper.
It was a really good holiday!



Friday 17 August 2012

Bernina 800DL: operator problem

About 2 years ago I bought a Bernina 800DL from the lovely people at Jaycotts.co.uk.
I used one on a course and was amazed at how much quieter it was than my old Janome 134D.
It worked great for a while and then I had trouble keeping it threaded, I moved house twice and got divorced in between and went back to using the noisy old Janome becuase it was just too hard to work out what was up with the Bernina.
This last week I went of on holiday with extended family, and Jaycott's was about half way on the journey, so the Bernina got to take a little holiday to North Wales, and having prewarned Noel I was coming I stopped in on the way back today and explained the problem I had with it.
It turns out the problems were all down to operator error and the Bernina was fine, despite all the mean things I've been saying about it.
Noel showed me carefully how to thread it and found me some paper so I could write some notes to remember his tips. He then demo'd it doing a perfect stitch, left the thread in for me and sent me on my way.
So I would like to say a huge thank you to Noel at Jaycotts, for sorting out the problem user, and 800DL, I take it all back, and have some great sewing planned for you for this autumn/winter.

I never did finish my Olympics sewing, and keep banging my legs on the living room furniture arrangement, so the machines are all going back into a reorganised sewing room, so the armchair can get out of the doorway.

Friday 3 August 2012

Simplicity 1784 - poss for Autumn?

I really like this Simplicity wardrobe pattern, and would probably make all the items in it.
The colours are so not me, but I would wear a blouse like that.

I wonder if this is a new Autumn 2012 offering?
Patterns are very expensive in the UK, so I often buy them on sale at shows etc, and have so many I was going to not buy any more other than Burda magazine. But this one really appeals.
Its $2.99 at Pattern Review, so might bizarrely make sense to buy it from there. (Nope not with International shipping rates!).
The question is do I really need it, or do I have similar patterns for the individual components already elsewhere and should just use them for the same look?
I definitely have similar skirt and trouser patterns. I love the blouse, but do have a simpler Prima version. I also have loads of jacket patterns, though not one quite like that.
Hmmmmmmmmmm.