My First Moneta!

So, I'm about a year behind the sewing 8-ball on this (because everyone else in the whole sewing world has long since realised the amazingness of the Colette Patterns Moneta Dress) but hey - better late than never!

I present - my most amazing Moneta Dress!

I sewed a straight-up medium based on boob measurements, and it fits perfectly (hurrah knit fabrics and no need for FBAs and pesky things like that) and it was really easy to make. The hardest part was having to order clear elastic online and wait for the delivery!

The fabric is a thick-ish black knit that I got at one of the shops on Goldhawk Road (next door to A1 I think, although honestly so much fabric was bought that day, it's hard to remember!). I *think* it's a ponte, but I'll admit I'm guessing. It's got this overlaid/embossed black pattern over it which I just love. It looks sort of fancy, but it's jersey, so it's the biggest cheat ever.

The reason it's taken me so long to make a Moneta is that I was certain this was going to be one of those patterns that streaks through the sewing cybersphere like a bat outta hell with rave reviews, but that is not actually something that would suit me. One of the things I'm slowly getting better at with sewing is learning what fabrics and patterns are things I'll actually wear (and that will suit me). I never wear gathered skirts and so I was sure that while Moneta would be comfy, I didn't think I would like it on me style-wise. I am delighted to say I was wrong. If anything, this might be my new fave silhouette! It gives me a tiny waist!! (in fact, the friend I had visiting when I finished it and tried it on asked if I'd lost weight because I looked "tiny". HA. My summer of gorging on booze and fried stuff says otherwise, but I'm happy as hell if the dress disguises it!).

And finally - how on god's green earth have I gone so long without having pockets in my dresses?? No more! From now on, everything must have pockets!

I have already made another Moneta made, bar the hemming and top stitching. It's turned out quite different to this one, as it's a much softer, drapey knit, but it's also super cute. I will post on that soon! (I fear this is going to be my new sewing obsession. Bring on the army of Monetas!)

Cherry, cherry baby...

A new dress! Cute, no? It's another Tilly Buttons Megan dress, and its making has not been without its drama! But the finished product is cute, I think. Just what I had in mind...

So, the first issue I had making this was that I cut the bloody fabric up the wrong way! I had it in mind it was a random pattern, but nope. Once I opened it out, I realised the pattern was very directional. Oy. I had thankfully bought enough to squeeze another skirt and bodice out, so it was all ok in the end. 

Then, somehow, I lost the sleeve pieces. They just vanished. Poof! How can you lose pattern pieces?? (actually, I shouldn't ask this, because this is the second Megan dress that I've lost the sleeves for. The first is a UFO that I got in a hissy fit over trying to pattern match, and when the sleeves vanished, I gave up!). My OH reckoned he'd seen fabric looking very similar to my cherry dress lying on the ground down the street. I scoffed. How would it get there? No. We must have thrown them out as scraps. But then yesterday, I had to walk to the shop for milk. And what should I see on my travels than a very soggy, very muddy sleeve!! HOW DID IT GET THERE? Seriously. It's been missing at least 10 days! SO weird. And where's the other one?? 

Anyway, I washed it when I got it home, but it was a lost cause. Thankfully becasue of the earlier cutting out issues, I had a front skirt piece I'd cut up the wrong way that was big enough to squeeze another two sleeves out of. Oy again! 

I do have some fit issues though - this wavy back zip thing. It happens with all my dresses that have zips up the back. It's like there's too much fabric. I'm sure there must be a standard fit alteration I can make to stop this - maybe it's a sway back adjustment? I don't really think I have a sway back though, to be honest. I'd LOVE suggestions/help on this if anyone has ideas. It drives me crazy. 

But, now, after all that, I have a new cute dress and I really like it. We're coming into winter so I'll just wear it with a cardigan or blazer and no one will see the wavy zip thing! 

Made Up Challenge Complete!

So...it's been a while. Like, a long while. I have been sewing, but just haven't been blogging. I have, however, been travelling (to NZ) and hosting almost all my family from NZ over the summer. It's been wonderful, but I've been properly lax on the communications. I've had curtain-making lessons from Mum, knitting lessons from Grandma, and have made a number of things. But finally I am blogging about something...my first ever pair of trousers, made in honour of the wonderful 'Made Up' initiative, by Karen at 'Did You Make That'. Such a wonderful cause, and a great motivator to push me to try something totally new.

Making trousers kind of scares the bejesus out of me. Having made a pair, it still does! But still...I did it. And while they are FAR from perfect, they do resemble trousers and when I wore them outside, no one pointed, laughed or stared at me, so I'm guessing that's a good indication that they do at least pass as trousers.

So. Here:

Apologies for the truly terrible pictures. I forgot this needed to be blogged about today, and so had to take pics indoors at night. Please excuse the poor lighting, unfinished floors and walls and the photo-bombing cat. Keepin' it Real. 

The pattern was Sew Over It's Ultimate Trousers, and in the pic I'm wearing them with yet another Emmeline Tee (yes, I admit it, I have a problem! But it's my fave tee, no question!) I made up a test version in calico first, made loads of size adjustments, and then went ahead (with time running out!) with these in a lightweight stretch black denim that I got on Goldhawk Road. I am bigger in the waist than the hips and arse, which frankly makes sizing a pain (it's so much more normal to grade up to a curvy hip/butt shape than to be fat in the stomach area and scrawny of arse). My practice run was miles too big, so I took it down a size, but I think I could have gone even smaller because I ended up taking out quite a bit in the side seams and legs. They look ok if I pull them up, and stand still. See:

Excuse the bum pic, but I think they actually look like they fit quite well in the behind.

But. Well. There are lots of issues with these, and to be honest, I'm not at all sure how to fix them! I think the next pair I might shorten the crotch? There's a lot of bagging/wrinkling, and if I move or walk (quite important in life, generally!), then they slide down and I get a saggy nappy situation. See:

It's actually even worse than it looks here. I reckon they hang below my crotch by a couple of inches.

But they also sit pretty low on my waist, and I'm not sure if that's normal? And the facing at the back, despite having understitched it, it flips out when I move.

So, yeah, not a wild success. I think I need a higher waist, a shorter crotch and probably a few other alterations in my next pair of trousers.

BUT. I have learned that I can make trousers in one form or another, and that's pretty cool! I'm so glad I gave it a shot, and that I did it for a great cause! It's a pretty amazing thing that the sewing community has managed to blow Karen's target out of the water! Great work all round chaps! x