Pattern Post! And decisions, decisions.

I love getting post. Some people are all down on it because of bills. Whatevs. I’ve got that direct debited so no misery for me- all post is good post in my world!

Especially today’s post. Eeeeeeeeeee!!!

This beautifully-wrapped parcel arrived from Patterns From The Past as part of the prize I won in the Stitcher’s Dream give-away (yes I think I’ll have to link that post for the next few months!)

Three lovely patterns: (which are photographed the wrong way and apparently very stubborn as they won’t rotate. grr.)

This gorgeous coat dress.

I’ve lusted over a coat dress ever since I can remember and found the perfect pattern but it was $65. $65!!! I very nearly bought it but luckily for my wallet somebody bought it before me and then I found this beauty. The skirt isn’t as full as the other one and the buttons come down into the skirt in this pattern but I can work on that 😉

This.

I’m not particularly in love with it but I had like an extra $3 or something to spend with my voucher so I just chucked it in. You know I make the most of everything 😉

This I could probably do something with

This I’m not so sure

It’s like a peplum gone wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.

Finally, I ordered this.

Which I love.  I love that style of blouse so just having that pattern would be enough but the fact it COMES WITH A MATCHING SKIRT OMG.

I mean technically, that’s a dress. I know that. I could just make a dress. But why do that when I can make it INFINITELY COOLER by making matching separates and then whipping my skirt off to show everybody? Huh?

I’ve seen some that include matching shorts too but they were in sizes way too small for any natural human being so I’ll find another shorts pattern for that and then I’ll be the coolest person in the entire galaxy for having matching shorts, skirt and shirt. Hah.

Also in Pattern Post news I have received the Georgia dress from By Hand London (another giveaway winning. Thanks to Fabric Godmother for that 😀 )  and also the Clara Dress from Dragonfly Fabrics.

Unfortunately, I haven’t actually made a single thing.

Well, that’s a lie, obviously. I made my Miette skirt which will be blogged about very soon, but apart from that….

I just can’t decide!! I keep thinking yes, I’m definitely going to make that pattern from that material and then…

What if it’s the wrong thing? What if I could’ve made something better?

I need to snap out of it or I’ll have nothing to wear! (Also a lie.)

Pattern Post! And er, something happened…

Yay! More patterns!

I feel obliged, as a fellow sewist, to let you know that Mccalls, Simplicity AND Vogue are on sale in a lot of places. I got mine from http://www.sewessential.co.uk (who I’m very pleased with by the way- they arrived two days after ordering which is amazing, but not only that they only sent the ones they have in stock. Meaning I can play with my new patterns now and not sit around waiting for all of them just because of this one pattern they’re missing! They know how a sewist’s mind works…)

Anyhow, how could I possibly see a sale (and half price too I shall have you know) and not buy any patterns? That would be a sin, would it not?

So what did I get? Not enough….

I did get Simplicity 2145 , McCalls 6263 (because it was £2.97, how can you not?) and a skirt patten is on its way which I can’t even remember what it is. I got lost in the heady world of pattern buying and just shoved a load in my basket. Then remembered I wasn’t a millionaire… sigh. Anyway, the skirt is on its way so that means I get double the pattern post and double the excitement! I would take pictures of the patterns but they came Friday people, you know for a fact they’ve already been cut up and shoved back in the envelope (because who on earth can actually fold those things up the way they came out?! Pattern makers are miracle workers. Or elves.)

 

So that was my Friday pretty much sorted you might be thinking. Well, sort of. But Saturday got a whole lot better…

My friend is getting into sewing. This is a very exciting time for me. Nobody I knew (up until now) had the same interest. I couldn’t talk to people about how I finally cracked a button placket, or how I found the most amazing fabric…. Ok, so I did still tell people about these things but the difference is THEY DIDN’T CARE!!! Now one of my closest friends is also my go-to for all sewing related talk and as a formal introduction into the world of sewing we spent a Saturday in the heaven that is Walthamstow!

As one might expect I came back with some fabric

But I do sew most of my own clothes and sew every night so this was to be expected, no?

My friend came back with the same amount!!! I have taught her well. You can call me Sensei Makesphere from now on.

On Saturday we woke up to a blanket of snow with more snow in the air and a generally miserable day. But despite all this we had a lot of fun- it’s so much nicer buying fabric with somebody rather than on your own. You can ask them if something suits you, whether you really need that fabric even if it is only 50p/yd (yes, this fabric exists and yes I bought some! Because it was 50p a yard people!) and have you got some room in your suitcase because mine’s completely full….

I’m sure we looked like complete fools dragging round our suitcases in the snow, but we did make a friend

I have been reliably informed that he is a Pied Wagtail.

It would be safe to assume that much of that fabric is already cut into pieces, and even safer to assume I have a plan for the ones that haven’t yet received the chop. I’m sure it won’t be long before my next post 😉

 

The Betrayal

Today is Saturday, I am off (bar an hour of flute teaching in the morning, but that’s nothing.) That makes Saturday a good day.

What makes Saturday a great day?

Pattern Post!

I went all out and finally bought the ever-popular Simplicity 1803. I have coveted this pattern for so long, but buying a new pattern for a tenner is like eurgh, compared to some of the pattern bargains I’ve had.

Anyway, I decided to go for it and finally make the dress I’ve been planning for aaaages.  I was a little disappointed- stupid postman ripped my envelope 😦 Luckily the pattern itself was fine. I opened up the envelope and look at this little treasure!

This was such a cute addition to the pattern and not one I’ve seen mentioned when reading discussions about the pattern elsewhere. Here’s a closer view:

I’ll be honest, it’s not something I’ll use since I already have a sketchbook with design plans in, but since the pattern focus is on ‘Project Runway’ I thought it was cute that they thought about the user designing their own clothes rather than using a pattern straight out of the envelope.

Then, after the instructions and the naked model were taken out of the envelope came the tissue. Ah. Remember a couple of posts ago when I said I hate pattern tracing. Sigh.

My Nan always told me to trace the patterns onto tissue paper or greaseproof paper, NEVER EVER CUT THEM OUT!!!

Nan, I’m so sorry.

It’s not my fault! I didn’t have any tissue paper left, nor did I have enough greaseproof paper and why trace just some? I couldn’t possibly have left it and missed out on a whole weekend of sewing, could I? You wouldn’t want that, Nan, would you?!

So my pattern is all cut out. I can’t start sewing the dress however as I have a whole load of business-related sewing that I absolutely must do before I do any fun sewing. 😦

Perhaps I didn’t need to cut the pattern out after all…