New year, new plans.

Can I say I'm glad things are starting to go back to normal? The end of the year festivities certainly put a hold on my sewing and I'm glad I can get back into gear to start with all the things I have planned.

And these are my plans for the near future. In the order in which I have planned to make them. (Sorry for the sometimes crappy layout).

1. Blouse / KnipMode 1998-12-23.

I love this blouse for its slim fit and the way the buttons are fastened: with little loopholes made from the same fabric. I made this one before but I now have to go up 2 sizes. It wás rather small than to be honest.

The green fabric I bought in my local store some time ago. Don't know what kind of fabric it is but it feels soft. It looks a bit like suede and has just enough body for a nice blouse.

2. Bathrobe / Knipmode 2003-12-01

I have been wanting to make one for a long time, and am now also desperately in need of one as the old one starts to get holes in it. Not much to say about the fabric. It's soft-pink, cotton terry-towelling. (I hope that's the right word for it). It's a simple pattern (one dot) so it should be a quick fix.

3. Pyama / Knipmode 2003-12-03 and 04











The fabric is 100% cotton. Quite thin so probably best worn in spring.










4. Dress / KnipMode 2009-06-20

 

This is a pattern I've been wanting to try since I first layed eyes on it. It was hard to find a fabric I liked. Some time ago I actually purchased fabric with this specific dress in mind, but I'm afraid it's too thick which will ruin the effect of the draped collar. This new fabric seems more up to the job. It's a viscose (96%)/lycra(4%). This kind of fabric never let me down before. I hope that successtory continues with this dress.

Oh, and there are also plans in my head for a skirt, blouse, coat, trousers and a knit top, a.k.a. my mini-SWAP. All of them burda-patterns. More on that later. I'm trying not to bite off more than I can chew.

I'm really looking forward to read about your plans for spring/summer 2010. It's gonna be a great sewing-year don't you think? I can feel it in the air already.

Gr.

Lilian

Bring on 2010......I'm ready for it !!

(Sorry, no pictures this time, but I hope you will be so nice to read my post. Thanks).

Having had a few days free from work, I've had lots of time to read loads of blogs. And as I already expected (and hoped), lots of you have done some kind of year-review. I would have loved to do one myself but my blog is only a few months old, my digital camera only a few months more and I can't even remember all the things I sewed this year. But..

if I look back at 2009, what do I see?

- Lots of sewing. Some of the things I made were really great. Most of them just great. And some of them I have never worn. And thát's not a good thing. It made me realise that I have to think very carefully before I decide on an outfit or a fabric. Most of the times I went wrong was when I really liked the fabric before it was cut, but once it was made into a garment it was looking funny-strange-not to my liking. Lesson learned!

- A new sewing-machine, as my old and dear Pfaff died suddenly in spring. It has been serving me for at least 17 years, so that was a machinelife well-lived. T'was a short-felt pain though. I'm ever so glad with my Pfaff Expression 2026. That I wanted a Pfaff again was not a question for me. In those days I kept thinking of an old dutch commercial-advertising about Pfaff-sewingmachines. It was broadcasted in my younger years and it went something like this: (a woman's voice says:). "My grandmother had a Pfaff, my mother has a Pfaff, I have a Pfaff and later my daughter will want a Pfaff-sewingmachine as well"
And no, I'm not joking, my mother had a Pfaff also..LOL !... 

- A serger: Pfaff Hobbylock 4842. (Yes, Pfaff....sigh...I'd like to state right here and now that I don't get payed for all this advertising, by the way). Can't speak of a new one because I never had one before. It's great. Especially since now I'm able to use all that jersey I was craving. It's a joy to use and it gives great results and a nice and professional finishing. What's not to like?

- A strange sewing-insecurity that occurred in the second half of the year. I absolutely don't know what it is or where it's coming from but I've been sewing for years now and all of a sudden, this year, I started questionning my sewing-skills. Being suddenly 'afraid' of using certain sewingtechniques that I had used many times before, and successfully I might add. Strange, but not something that can't be handled.

- A change in the patterns Burda and KnipMode are producing. I don't like them anymore the way I did some years ago. I had a subscription to KnipMode from 1993 up until 2008. I have 22 loose numbers of Burda, varying in years from 1995 up until 2009. I played with the idea of getting a subscription to Burda but I never did. And now I'm glad I didn't. I sometimes feel I have enough patterns here to last me a lifetime. I pick up both magazines in the shop every month (I know I'm lucky to have easy access to both of them) and look through them. If one has an interesting feel to it, it comes home with me. But most of the time it doesn't.

Looking forward to 2010, what do I hope for:

- Lots and lots more of sewing. Especially dresses. I'm lacking dresses soo badly!

- Less wadders.

- Building up my fabric-stash. Yes my dear readers, the number of pieces of fabric I have waiting to sew up, is pathetic compared to what some of you got. I don't think I will go overboard with this one though. I'm the kind of girl who would get bloody nervous if she saw all that fabric, compared to the time she has to sew. Just a nice, decent and comforting amount. That will do.

- Which brings me to my next hope for the coming year: more time to sew. Which could be achieved by applying some kind of time-management. I'm not good at planning my time. That is one of my new-year resolutions as it happens. And that one could easily be linked to the one: making my job/work part of my life. NOT making my life part of my job/work, as I feel I've been doing the past year.

- Lots of pleasure in blogging, be it reading others or writing my own. It's a source of inspiration, joy, relaxation, that I now can't live without any more.

***

I think that will be enough. For now. I have other goals as well but they relate more to my personal life. Probably not that interesting for y'all.

At this moment, as I'm writing, only 5 hours and 23 minutes of that year 2009 are left here in the Netherlands. A year cursed by some, loved by others. All in all a year lots of us will remember because of certain things that happened to us, good or bad. I think we can wish for a wonderful new year but we can never expect to get it as life involves all kind of events that hit us or pass us by, weather we like it or not. It's just part of it. And it's a cheesy saying but oh so true: because of the bad moments we know how thankful we should be for the good ones.

I don't have to tell you all this. You already know.

I'm wishing you and your loved ones a new year in which there will be many moments to be thankful for and hope you can say at the end of it: It's been a góód year!

Cheers!!

Gr.
Lilian

It doesn't often come that easy

In less than an hour I finished this garment. Cutting the fabric took more time than sewing it.
When  I had finished it and put it on I had a real mwah-feeling about it. First thing I thought was: I don't hate it but I am definitely never, ever gonna wear this outside my home. Than a question: If I only wear this at home, will I get a lot of wear out of it? And at that point the love for this garment started to grow. I could see myself using this in the summer as a quick pull-on when I get a bit chilly. Or on other days when you don't want to wear a sweater but only a shirt is not enough. Or if you want to read in bed and you need something to keep your arms and shoulders warm. Man, I can tell you, I took these pictures today and as I write this post I'm still wearing it. The love keeps growing. Isn't that amazing?

But it has a problem:

On my left side the ribbing is standing out, like a little pocket. That's actually the main reason why I don't want to wear this in public. I took the advice of Mary-Beth from The Sewing Divas and cut the ribbing a bit longer than the pattern prescribed. I'm glad I did or else I think this wouldn't be wearable. Not with this ribbon, which is quite stiff compared to the very soft and light pink fabric. Now, some of you may perhaps think: why don't you redo that part? Yes, that could be an option but as I said, if I'm only gonna wear this at home, I can live with this minor imperfection perfectly.

There is, however, a way I could solve this problem without having to go back to my sewing-machine: if I would wear it like this. But that would mean I have to attach some sort of fastening to it (right now I'm thinking of push-buttons). It would somehow alter the character of this garment and I don't want that. So I think that will be a no-no and I will wear it just like it is.

***

Next thing on my sewingmind is getting me a real sewingplan.

Or in other words: a SWAP.  It's not gonna be a big one, I'm a SWAP-beginner after all. But I will think it through thoroughly and carefully. The plan is to use only BURDA-patterns. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Parting shot:

Remember when I posted a week ago that we had snow in The Netherlands?

Well, this is what is left of it at my place. Typical dutch! But I think we shouldn't complain as a lot of you in America and other places in the world are really suffering from the bad winter-weather. My heart goes out to all you people and I hope the weather-conditions will improve soon!

 

Gr.

Lilian

Almost finished for this year

The year has nearly come to an end. I've sewn quite a lot. Since I started blogging in september, I've shown you everything I have made so far. So here goes one more time:

Again, I'm very, very happy with this blouse. I was not sure wether this puffy sleeves would still be in fashion, but after browsing a lot of the stores lately I can safely say that they still are.

I had forgotten how cute the buttons are.. Don't you agree on that? 

Funny thing:
If you keep looking at this picture (slowly move your eyes up and down at the line where the shadow is darker) it seems like the fabric on the right is laying on top of the left side. Which is not the case of course, it's the shadow that's playing tricks with your eyes. The left side with the buttonholes is lying on top of the right side on which you can just see the line of stitches peeping out.

I'm not done sewing yet! I still want to make the Slinky shrug. Yep. Got everything washed and dried and am ready to cut it out and start sewing. My goal is to finish it and post about it before the year ends. Should be doable imo.
But of course I too have some Christmassy stuff to attend to in the coming days so I'm gonna be absent for a few days. But next week..I'll be back!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

Gr.
Lilian

Merry Christmas everyone

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to all my fellow-bloggists and their families

Starting blogging this year has been

a wonderful and exciting experience.

I'm glad I've entered this sewing-world

in which we all love to take part.

Thanks for all your comments and

thanks for all your wonderful blogs.

Thanks for the relaxing time they give me

and the distraction from everyday's worries.

Thanks for inspiring me and thanks for

all the sharing and caring.

Lilian

We've got snow!

Last wednesdaynight it started snowing in Holland. So now we have a beautiful white world surrounding us. I love it! Makes me think of my youth when snow was a rather common thing in the winter. Now we sometimes have years when it's not snowing at all, or there is not enough snow (and frost to accompany it) to let us enjoy such a view. So I enjoy this very much. It brings out the little girl in me that got so excited when snow was forecasted. The anticipatition of waking up in the morning to this wonderful white world that had so many promises in it. Couldn't wait to go outside and play in the snow.
With the years I've grown a bit wiser of course. I stay in and enjoy the view from behind my windows... Well, I had to go out to take these pictures of course. But I made sure there was some hot coffee waiting for me when I got back in :)

Today is the first time I see my own neighbourhood this way because in this time of the year I have to leave for work when it's still dark and then return in the dark again. But guess what...today is not only the beginning of the weekend but also of my TWO-WEEKS HOLIDAY. Ok, ok, I'll have to go back to work for one more day in those two weeks but who's complaining right? So there will be plenty of time to sew....or do something else. I won't promise a sewingmarathon with loads of posts writing about it because right now I'm not sure I can live up to that promise. We'll see, right?

I'll leave you with some more snowpictures. Have a nice weekend/holiday everyone!

After 10 minutes he begged to come back in.

Frontview

Backview

Okay birdies, today's lesson: Walk in a straight line!

Gr.

Lilian

A few things on 'cuffs'

First of all a big thank-you to the commenters on my latest post, for the compliments on my blouse-under-construction. They are well appreciated.

A second big thank-you to Sigrid who suggested a link to a tutorial for sewing a collar with a stand, the way I've done on this blouse (and some blouses before). This is definitely the technique I was talking about, Sigrid.

And as I promised, for everyone who's interested to read and see more:
http://off-the-cuff-style.blogspot.com/2008/05/collar-part-2-hotpatterns-blouse.html . As you can see this is part 2 so check out the other parts too for a complete tutorial.

After a busy week, today I finally had some time to do more sewing and I finished both sleeves. I love the way they are finished at the cuffs, it's so feminine. The cuff is just wide enough to put my hand through (which is normally a lot smaller than the pattern suggests). Here's a detail:

(I promise you the sleeve was there first ......)

So the things left to do are:

- Inserting the sleeves
- Buttonholes
- Attaching buttons
- Hemming

Shouldn't take too long right? My next post will show the finished project and, for a change,  I'm planning on showing it 'in the flesh' :)
Till next time.

Gr.
Lilian