Sewing - For Me

Once upon a time I sewed nearly all my clothes (and many for my children, especially when they were very young), yet it's been over 11 years since I last sewed for myself - and that was a maternity dress. 

I have always had something of a minimalist wardrobe, largely content to rotate through three of four outfits, wearing them all year round, with the addition of a couple of jackets for cooler days. Several of our children follow my lead, while others have a 'need' for greater variety when it comes to clothes.

After wearing the same few outfits constantly they were beginning to wear out, as my clothes tend to do. Despite casually looking for replacements over the last few months, I hadn't found what I was looking for. Then one morning a few weeks ago I woke up with the idea of making that skirt I hadn't been able to find, using a fabric bought on clearance (at $1.99/yd) in 2010, originally intended for a quilt back.

Some thread and a zip were purchased that day, and while at Lincraft (fabric/craft shop) I found some white broderie fabric for a top and lovely soft cotton voile to line the top. They happened to have a fabric sale on at the time which made the decision easier. Just like in the past, I didn't use a pattern but chose to use clothes which fit well as my 'pattern' guides, adjusting as I go.

The photos tell the story from there. The skirt has a centre back zip and some light interfacing in the waistband and is just the length I wanted (one of the benefits of making it myself). The top is a loose fitting, slightly flared, pop over the head style, and very cool for our warmer days which are fast approaching. In fact I liked the top so much I have already made a second identical one (yes, I often buy/make duplicates when I find something I'm really pleased with - am I the only one who does that?). 

Being encouraged by these results I have purchased some more fabric with clothes in mind.....

Do you sew any of your own clothes?

Being You

'Being you is the only thing at which 

you will always be the best in the world'

'You will always know more about what you're thinking about than anyone else.

You will always look better than you think you do in the mirror. 

The face you see will be far less warm and attractive than the face seen by a friend.

Expressions make a face....

Never let anyone write you off.

And never, never write yourself off.'

 

Extract from the (library) book "One - living as one and loving it" by Victoria Alexander p.87

Photo - Ned Kelly grevillea, an Australian native, yesterday morning in our garden.

Through The Lens

Images from the last week or so, memories I want to savour.....

* Miss G enjoying birthday sparklers for Miss O's birthday.
* Miss O made a delicious ice cream cake for her 13th birthday - we currently have 5 teenagers.
* Miss O enjoying using my new sewing machine - this delights my heart!
* Some of Miss O's creations, some filled with rice, others with lavender.
* Our twins had a wonderful friend stay a few days, they taught her to play ukulele.
* Neighbourhood amarillas/hippeastrums in full bloom.
* Miss E senior was home from Sydney for a few days, arriving and leaving in the dark.
* Discovered some 'ruins' behind the town's Sherif's office today.
* Miss O and Miss V had their first cricket game for the season this afternoon -
* which didn't finish until 7pm - no textures or apps, just dusky graininess from my phone.
* Raspberry Lemon Muffins which I baked for Miss O's birthday, using some home ground flour.
* Miss E with Miss O's birthday sparklers.
* Miss O enjoying her birthday (which happens to be the day after her father's).
* Trusting you will also find some beauty, joy and contentment in your day, for each day IS special!

:)

Silk Threads

The hand quilting on Peaceful Night is around 90% complete - and I'm loving the silk threads even more than before!

What's not to love about the brilliant colour saturation, gorgeous sheen, durability and amazing silky smoothness of these threads.

Gutermann Buttonhole Silk Twist - R 753

Gutermann Buttonhole Silk Twist - R 753

Now for some silky details which I have gathered over the lat few weeks. If you have no interest in silk threads just enjoy skipping through the photos.....

 Fujix Quilter Silks from Superior Threads (16 wt) and Gutermann silk Buttonhole Twist R 753 (12 wt) are almost identical to work with. I do like the larger diameter of the Quilter's Silk spools (see below) and the careful way the thread has been wound onto the spools which keeps the silk in pristine condition, especially as each spool comes in its own shrink wrap. However the cost of the Fujix Quilter Silk (20m) is greater and only available in 36 colours.

Unfortunately you can no longer purchase Guteramnn Buttonhole silk in Australia as the major retailers/suppliers no longer request it. I have found a small Australian seller on ebay but this is only while stocks last. If you live in Australia and are half tempted to try Buttonhole silks then now would be a good time to buy some while you can.

I have located two retailers in the US, both primarily supplying the tailoring world, who sell Gutermann Buttonhole silk. Bergen Taylors sell Gutermann silk Twist in 10m spools and also 400m cobs, however they will only ship to US addresses. Bay Tailor Supply will ship internationally but only stock the 400m cobs of Twist and in a limited range of colours (but are happy to make special orders of any colour available). A colour chart from Callum of Bay Tailors arrived today for Gutermann Mara polyester threads. The R 753 silks are available in 180 colours of these colours (not all the colours shown below). You can view a Gutermann silk chart here.

I am keen to try silk threads in machine sewing too, both for quilting and decorative use on clothing and other items. The very fine silks like the Kimono #100 below are brilliant for detailed machine quilting. Some silks come in #30, #50 and other thicknesses. Even the 12 wt Gutermann Buttonhole twist can be used in machine stitching as long as you use a 90-110/14-18 size needle with a large eye (topstitch needle perhaps with an elongated eye) and adjust tension as needed. 

 Silk is of course a natural product, made by silkworms. Silk threads can be either filament silk or spun silk. Filament silk is premium silk, made by twisting several long strands of silk together and is stronger, shinier and has minimal lint compared to spun silk. Spun silk is made from the 'tails' or shorter, broken pieces of silk fibre which have been spun together. One place you can learn more about silk threads is here at Superior Threads.

There seems to be quite a variation in silk thread quality and thickness, even within the the same thread wt. Above you can see the 16wt Quilter Silk in the middle which I am using on Peaceful Night. On the right is Kimono Silk 100 wt from Superior Threads, a beautiful, shiny very fine filament silk. It looks and feels similar to Bottom Line Thread only softer, finer and more natural. On the left is a spool of Gutermann S 303 silk which is also listed as being 100 wt but is considerably thicker, and somewhat dull with visible lint, making me think it is a spun silk (I have since found out the 'S' indicates it is a spun silk).

As with all threads, you will find slight differences between dye lots and the colours are particularly difficult to accurately choose due to silk's wonderful reflective properties. A colour chart which contains actual threads is a very wise investment if ordering online and I would highly recommend viewing/buying a sample spool to try before making any major purchases.

Silk threads are the queen of threads to me, they are a joy to hand quilt with and a delight to the eye even while still on the spool. I'm looking forward to further exploring the world of silk in the future.


Sharing at WIP Wednesday.

Superman Wins the Day

With perfect weather, the annual Bridge to Bridge Ski Classic was a spectacular sight, and sound, this morning as our usually quiet river gave way to fast, colourful action. Around 100 boats competed from all over Australia, along with a few overseas entrants, in various classes in the 108km race from our bridge to the next bridge downriver and back again. Superman won for the second year in a row with a record time of just over 36 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 180km (112 miles) per hour. 

This is only the second time in 17 years of living in our town that I've watched the Bridge to Bridge (we are usually at church) and I thoroughly enjoyed it!



Sharing at Our World Tuesday.