I finished the dress! It's Ellie and Mac Slow Sunday dress with mid-scoop neckline, fuller skirt, and short sleeves. I added the pockets to the pattern myself because they were inexplicably omitted by the designer.
I was going to make the high neckline but it would have needed a complete Full Bust Adjustment, whereas with the mid scoop neckline it just needs a decent bra.
Attached: 1 image Stage one, the bust alteration is good. Next, waist alteration, I think.
So today I avoided adjusting the top by starting on a pincushion I can wear on a finger so it's handy when I'm fitting things or ironing things.
Long long ago, when I made facemasks, the fabric layout resulted in a lot of same-shape scraps. I kept them because they looked like leaves or feathers or something. #Sewing #ScrapBusting
Attached: 1 image Stage one, the bust alteration is good. Next, waist alteration, I think.
I had used orange frixion pen to mark the fabric as I was pinning it etc so I used black to trace along all the basted seams on both sides before unpicking them.
Then I could lay the fabric flat under my tracing paper, and copy the new black seams in orange. And finally I used the original pattern under the newly traced one to see how different it is -- very. #Sewing
I did it! It's not ironed but I'm so pleased with myself. I want to finish it off now -- seams and neckline and buttons -- but I'm satisfied that my paper pattern is good enough.
After taking these photos I had a phonecall in the warmest bit of my space before changing out of it and now the underarms are a bit ick. I'm going to rinse them in cold water and then finish sewing. #Sewing
Attached: 4 images The case of my 1940 Singer 201K handcranked sewing machine. The way the storage and case works is so, so simple and clever. #SewingMachine #Sewing
So I'm back at the chair cover. I've unpicked all the pieces I think I need to, to make pattern pieces, and I've started tracing around them. But I've realised I need to learn a lot more about inserting a zip, because this looks very neat and I don't know how to do that.
Attached: 3 images So today I'm looking at my chair cover. I bought the fabric AGES ago -- possibly years? -- but I was going to wait until I had rewebbed the seat. I'm not going to do that. The cover I'm replacing was made with a remnant which wasn't quite big enough but it will still give me a good idea of how to start, I'll just have much more in the way of seam allowances so I'll be able to finish it better. I think my mother made it 15 years ago. #Sewing #Mending #Upholstery
Decided to prewash at 60C, so started the day by putting 400cm x 141cm of fabric in the washing machine. Now I'm back on my bed with coffee, looking at the last pieces of the previous chair cover which I have yet to transfer to paper pattern pieces.
The label on the parcel says 100% cotton but the website info panel says 52% cotton 48% polyester. #FibreContent
Attached: 1 image I got tired of transferring chair shapes to pattern paper so I decided to improve my sewing space. This desk is permanently in the room, but when I need to I can clamp an A1 drawing board to a little folding table for a large flat surface. #SewingSpace #Organising
My elbow hurts from threadmarking but I've done the back of the back, the front of the back, the seat, the front of the front, and the backs of both wings so far. I've cut out the fronts of the arms but not marked them, and I've yet to cut out the fronts of the wings, the insides and tops of the arms, and the outsides of the arms.
Then I need to make a pattern for the seat cushion, and use that as a practice for making and attaching piping, and fitting a zip.
Then I can assemble the cover.
All the pieces are cut out and only the two smallest have not been threadmarked. Tomorrow I'll make a pattern for the cushion (I bought the foam ages ago, wrapped it in a sheet temporarily, and have been sitting on it ever since) and hopefully cut the cushion pieces.
I will need to teach myself piping. #Sewing
I've cut the pieces for the seat cushion. I think I'm going to make the bottom of the cushion from scraps pieced together. The two pieces for the three long-zipped box sides were as long as the width of the bolt of cloth so what's left is *extremely* tidy and I have lots of interesting scraps for antimacassars and so on.
Having a little rest now and then I'll see about finding my rolls of zippers.
PINS ARE SHARP
*bleeding very slightly*
Basting in the zippered panel for the three sides of the cushion, which is fine until I reach the curved nose. I do not like sewing the curved nose. But I think this is ok?
When I've finished basting the top edge with the curve, I'll do the bottom edge and see if the cushion fits. It *should* but I'd rather find out before I sew a million tiny stitches with a hand cranked machine. #Sewing
Finished the fiddly basting, put the inside-out cover on the cushion and pinned the base in place, and *unzipped the cover* so I could just sew everything.
It's not perfect, and the internal seams are not finished, but it's done. #Sewing
I've started basting and pinning the pieces of the chair cover together. The wings are ok. Both sides of the arms are ok. The front of the arms seems to be too big but it's hard to tell how much right now.
I stitch-marked the original seam lines in light blue, I'm basting in dark blue, and my pinheads are yellow. I'm really glad I stitch-marked because the chalk is almost completely invisible on every fiddly curve after basting. #Sewing
Edited to add: the close-up is a much closer colour.
I'm actually attempting to baste the seat into place. It's extremely gathered so that the seams won't be stressed if someone stands on the chair and all their weight is in the middle.
If I re-webbed the seat of the chair I wouldn't need to do this but that's beyond me at present.
Ailbhe
Kincaid