A day trip to London (Fit Modelling & Goldhawk Lane fabric binge)

As posted back in Jan this year, I was chosen as one of the three plus size models for the upcoming Voodoo Vixen plus size range, and so on Tuesday I travelled into London for a 2nd dress fitting session. I was only in there 20 minutes but I love the dresses they have chosen to upsize and I am soooo hoping they let me have one after the shoot! I didn't get to see the other girls Sarah and Helen this time sadly as we couldn't make the same date, but will at the shoot which will hopefully be scheduled quite soon. I wore my Hell Bunny Souvenir dress which I won in the Hello Dolly competition. Is it good to wear a rival brands dress to a fitting session? Well why not. Keep them on their toes :)

Of course as I was only there for 20 minutes, that left me a fair bit of time to indulge in some fabric shopping. I hopped on the tube and headed for Shepherds Bush market, and Goldhawk Road - the fabric lovers mecca.

It was all a bit overwhelming frankly. Like a kid in a sweetshop, I was almost unable to choose anything at all. Then I spotted the Hawaaian fabric I'd been after. The stuff they used for this Hell Bunny dress. 5 metres for £25. Bargain! I probably could have haggled. I think you're probably supposed to, but I didn't. It would cost twice that much on ebay so still happy. 

What I really want to make for my 40th birthday night out dress at Whittlebury Hall, is a hawaiian sarong style dress. Not halter. I love the look of halter, but I don't like the feel of it, and hate wearing halter bras. So I want something a bit like this stop staring dress:

I've decided I'm going to attempt it with my new fabric, as a hybrid of Butterick 5880 (for the skirt) and Vogue 8280 for the bodice (view A)

I may well change my mind before I start it, so we shall see what happens! I also bought some gorgeous red cotton which is crying out to be a sarong dress as well. Its lighter than the hawaiian stuff and will probaby drape better, but I'm not sure I have time to make both. I ended up spending about £75 quid on fabric, which was quite restrained, and I have enough for 3 dresses, and quite a lot of bags!

I should also mention that I'm happy to follow the Curvy Sewing Collective, which is pretty much what it says on the tin. Ladies with curves, who sew! 

I generally don't specifically point out when I'm sewing, what size it is that I'm using. Or at least I don't think I do, because mostly it isn't really relevant. 

I don't have issues finding patterns in my size (I'm a UK 18, however for sewing purposes I'm a 20 or 22 as they are not generous like shop sizes!) However I am always happy to see the outcome of a sewing pattern on someone who is more fuller figured, as I can get a better idea of what something's going to look like on me. I do have to make adjustments on most things I make and alter. 

My arms are chunky and some patterns just don't take this into account when grading. I am short-waisted and always need to chop off a couple of inches around the midriff region. I have a portly stomach which is proportionally bigger than my bust and hips (even though I have a massive arse LOL)

So all tips and advice and suggestions coming from this new site are most welcome.

Beautiful Sunshine, Butterick Sale, new fabric, and progressing with the Swing Dress

This weekend was so lovely wasn't it? We made the most of it, heading to Hunstanton on Sunday (which is a bit of a trek in the car for a 3 and a 6 year old - the boys we're complaining mightily by the time we arrived) It didn't seem that sunny when we got there, but it was warm enough to play on the beach. My freckles even made an appearance!


This is the boys before they got covered in beach mud. It didn't take too long ;)



On Monday, Grafham Water had an all day taster event. Sadly Noah was to young to do anything, and protested loudly at this, poor boy. I don't blame him - the sailing looked really wonderful on a sunny day.

However Joey got to have his first go at a real climbing wall (as opposed to local playground climbing walls) and he is amazing. He just monkeyed up them like a rat up a drainpipe. I'm looking into his joining the climbing club as he really enjoys it (and to find something he enjoys other than lego is always a bonus!) That's him in the green t-shirt. He did the wall on the left of this one, and the wall to the right too (which is an overhang - arrgh!)



I also made some progress with the swing dress. Unfortunately its a case of one step forward, two steps back. Firstly I realised after attaching the waist piece, that whilst it looked ok hung up, it really didn't do me any favours when 'on'. I'm short waisted anyway (and have already made the adjustments for this), however it just looked wrong on me, so I had to unpick, hack a chunk off it, and re-sew. You can see the photo on the top is the original, and on the bottom is the modified version. I suspect with someone less dumpy the original version would be perfect.

I also discovered to my horror than I am much fatter than I thought. I have had to add side panels in order for the dress to fit.

On the up-side, I only have to attach the sleeves, sew in the zip, and hem it. Yey!





Also, I have been buying again. Minerva Crafts have a 40% sale on butterick patterns. It was tough, as there were many I would have bought had I endless dosh, but I kept it to 4 that I know I will wear, rather than patterns I hanker after but probably won't either make or wear (like Gerties coat and dresses).

Butterick 5748. I have a sundress that I modified which I bought from Peacocks for a fiver, and I want another one. This is a fairly close approximation of the pattern, and I think I'll use the cheap fabric I bought on ebay for it.



Butterick 5837 Really simple, but so cheap I couldnt resist. I will probably make a shorter version




Butterick 5030 I love this style, and I'm not sure what I want to make with it, but I know I want it in my pattern stash!



Butterick 5846. I've been umming and ahhing over this pattern, but the sale sealed the deal. I really love shirt dresses, although I would probably make mine longer as I don't like my knees showing (having said that, this model is probably 6ft and my knees won't show anyway!)



The one I can't afford:

Vogue 8577. Its £12.95, so its on hold. I love the shape and I love that it has pockets.



Other fabrics I bought over the weekend are this one:

which I love. I have New Look 6183 View A in mind which I have already.


This one was a wildcard. I have no idea what the fabric is, but theres about 5 metres of it, and it was supercheap. We shall see! I hate that there are no fabric shops near me, or market stalls that I can get to. Relying on ebay takes the fun out a bit.

Book Purchasing Bargains

I've been looking at buying Sew U Home Stretch (bizarre title) for some time, after I 'd been hankering after Tillys nautical knit dress.

Luckily it happens to be on offer for £3.99 at the moment at the Works. Unluckily, when I nipped in there today they didn't have it instore, so I've had to fork out postage, but still a great deal compared to everywhere else selling it. I may have bought a couple of other books <cough> whilst I was at it. BUT they were ALL bargains I tell you...Bargains!

Finally started work on the swing dress!

I've been itching to start it, and as you can see the bodice is starting to look something like a bodice. I did find the instructions incredibly confusing though, and nothing seems to fit quite right. I checked and double checked my pattern, but I've cut it all out as instructed (apart from shortening the bodice, but I did that both front and back in the place they marked to do so)For instance, the back shoulder section, where the bodice back meets the (gathered) bodice front, is not long enough.

As a result I had to sew it at a bit of an angle and use the tiniest seam possible (About 1/8 inch). The result of this is that the yolk (which is topstiched down) is not in line with the inner edge of the front bodice.

The gathering (which I did between notches as instructed) seems way too far towards the armholes, with not much near the inner bodice (towards the neck) You can see that in the photo below (actually, my point is, you can't see the gathers at all in the photo below, which concerns me - but you can see them in the photo above) I'm hoping it will look fine once the dress starts to come together. I'm also hoping it fits. Its seems a bit small.

However, I'm not cutting out a new back bodice. I am going to soldier on regardless and see what happens. If I like the dress, then at least I know next time how to modify. I love sewing with this cotton though, and so does my machine. Don't seem to have any of the issues I get with other fabrics. (Probably shouldn't have said that so early on!)



I would sooo love to have a dressmakers form, but maybe that's what I can ask for in August (birthday) Not sure where I'd put it though.

I also subscribed to Cloth Magazine. Its £5 for three issues to see what I think, and I feel like I'm allowed a subscription as JP gets Viz. Admittedly I read that in the bath (I like readers letters and tips!) so its kind of for both of us. I don't think he'll be reading my sewing mags!

Oh yes, my order from U-Handbag arrived. Uber-quick. I'm v. happy. Will post pic once I recieve the fabric and other gubbins to make my handbags with!

Fond Farewell ju-ju-be packabe

Last night I sold my changing bag on ebay.

It was time. Noah is after all a pre-schooler now and Joey is 6.

I used it constantly for 5 years after my friends bought it as one of my birthday presents. Pounds per use, it was the best bargain ever. Especially after it sold for £26.50!!! (yes you heard that right)

The end of an era. Goodbye old friend, you have served me well. (now where's that fabric I had my eye on - I can afford it now ...)

Whoops - I did it again. Cath Kidston Alert!

Firstly, can I just say - MY NEW SHOES HAVE ARRIVED _ WOOO!!

I am very pleased. Mostly, because I wouldnt call them grey at all. I'd go so far as to say they are taupe. This means that I won't have to dye them. I didn't realise all the trimmings were blue (obviously I noticed that the shoelaces are blue!) The laceholes, and the soles are blue, and there is also a very narrow blue leather trim below the fabric section, but I'm not too worried. Will figure something out to get them to match my dress.



Secondly, I did have a valid reason for heading to CK again - my stepmums birth day is coming up. I didn't manage to find her anything but some lovely bluebell handcream, but I did get Noah some supercute pj bottom for £4. ( I bought Joey a dinosaur set a while back too - but stashing those till his legs get a bit longer!)




Finally though, they had these cards in the bargain bucket. It took me a while to figure out they are baby congratulations cards (I only saw the boys one first)

EURQUHEART?!!!!

  

I'm like some sort of crazy shopping person this week

I need to rein in the spending this week. I mean its not like I spend loads, but I have purchased thus far (bearing in minds its only Tuesday):

1/2 metre nightfox fabric £10.95

Earrings from Dotty P Sale £1 (how can that count -really)

CK pouch £6

and now Poetic Licence Shoes in grey. I like the retro style;  and the fact that they were £13.05 (thats including postage - I'm being an honest spender!) However I really want to dye them. Dark green probably. Which will knock up the actual price.

£31.05 this week. Oh deary me. I'd better sell something. Those Laura Ashley curtains will have to go...

The drawbacks and benefits of working v. near the Cath Kidston Outlet...

The drawbacks are obvious. I spend lots of money on things I probably wouldn't even think about if the shop wasn't RIGHT THERE and I have very else to do on my lunchbreak. I just bought this to keep my phone in. Yes I could probably make one. But this was the last of its particular kind in store - and we all know that THAT IS A SIGN. That I should have it, I mean. So I bought it.



The benefits: well they do occasionally have some amazing bargains - and CK stuff makes great pressies. I bought some bags recently that I'm stashing for such use, and they were down from about £45 to a tenner merely because they had a musty smell. That is what febreeze is for!



I also got a metre of this recently for a fiver - down from £35pm. Its sort of velvetty. I want to make a graceful kelly bag with it.



Then of course theres my polka wellies. Down to ten pounds. We all need wellies!

Present Purchasing

It was Tanja's 40th on Friday (surprise partay - yey!) and I was the one organising the joint gift(s)

I love shopping - so this wasn't a particular hardship.

I decided the way to go was to buy her some lovely 'forever' jewellery, and then something a bit more wacky.

The necklace I chose was this dragonfly by Emma Ginnever. We (we - the gals - moi, Lucy, Alice, Jess, Pauline and Sonya) all agreed from the selection I suggested, that this was the most gorgeous and just right for her.



I also decided that she should have these Iron Fist Indecent obsession shoes and bag. A bit (ahem) OTT. But I know she was eyeing them up on the Blue Banana website after I went a bit mad in the sale and bought four pairs of shoes.

Whether or not she ever wears them further than her local (two doors down quite conveniently) or not, I don't know, but she'll have fun teetering!