first quick skirt...

ok- so here we are- the first pattern of December! :) just a quick little side note, i actually ended up buying on of those adjustable size mannequins- it was black Friday and it was on sale half price! so this is my first little test on this new little manni.

i draped it up and quickly started drawing up the pattern. after a bit of pencil scratching, fiddling with the ruler and tape- i was finished! :) i basically just copied the drape onto the paper. time to snippy-snip the pattern out! :)

 at left- i tried modeling this with the paper pattern, but it just doesn't quite work out too well with paper... :)

above- time to snip out fabric and hit the sewing machine!

ehm- ok, just to let you guys know- there was a bit of a snafu in the pattern making. i have forgotten the simple rules of draping 101. i didn't quite mark the drape with nothces! and after drawing up the pattern and i didn't bother measuring the pattern pieces together and notching that up either... oopsies! so after sewing, it up, i had to cut the side seams so they were even... hehehe.

TA-DA! here it is! so it DID make the skirt a little shorter than i originally wanted, but eh! that's ok. live and learn, right? :) here is also a close up of the fabric, it's a reprint of a vintage print. :) i originally wanted to make this dress with a zipper but since i was in a bit of a rush, i went ahead and finsihed it off with an elastic waist band- it will do. :)

Welcome to my bloggy!

hi! welcome to my new sewing and crafty blog! this blog will be solely to track my progress on pattern making, grading and of course- last but definitely not least- making myself cute fabulous frocks to wear! :) i'm so tired of draping dresses on my manniquin (not my size manniquin) and then not being able to wear them properly- what fun is making clothes if you can't wear them!!!  so i think it's important for myself to know how to grade patterns- cos not all people fit a one sized manniquin or even ready made patterns. :OP

so after literally YEARS of cursing my lack of skill- i thought it was about time that i dust off my old pattern and sewing books that i got while in college and take the time to work on patterns and grading. my goal will be to make at least 1 pattern a week. these are the book s i'm planning on using. i got all of them- except the grading book from my college days... those were some crazy, silly, fun filled days indeed. :)

lately i've been falling in love with styles from the 40'sand 50's, perhaps its all the old movies i end up watching with my husband for his blog research- it's all rubbed off a bit on me i suppose. i also have accquired a massive fabric stash (i.e. a full ikea box cubby shelf at my house AND bins upon bins of fabric in my mothers basement- yikes!). i end up snagging all this great fabric and then end up never making anything! so, in december- learning patterns and sewing will mark the start of my journey and hopefully a fabulous start to a closet full of homemade dresses for 2011! i'm excited! :)