Showing posts with label sewing statistics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sewing statistics. Show all posts

Resurfacing...... and winning

Sunday, 14 August 2016
Finally all the mundane but necessary things going on in my life are easing up and I hope to get back to my normal easy going, non stressful and placid life! To celebrate, I bought myself three pieces of totally unnecessary but pretty fabric when I was at the fabric store a few weeks ago buying more gold sequin fabric for the school sewing project I've been working on. But not only have I already sewn one of those three pieces into a finished garment already, check out my little blackboard that hangs above my sewing machines keeping track of my sewing statistics:


Can you see how much fabric I've used this year compared to how much I've bought? That's what I call winning! Of course it doesn't make a dent in the extensive fabric stash I already have, but I'm slowly edging ahead in my twisted fabric stash mathematics. And those statistics do not include the 39 metres of gold sequin fabric I've spent the last few weeks making into 28 jackets.

After putting in many many hours I have now finished sewing all those jackets for my daughter's school dance group. Sewing this project was a major pain in the neck and far from enjoyable - the tips of my scissors would always catch the fabric, the sequins would stick to each other and the needle kept getting sticky so the thread stuck because the sequins are actually foil dot stickers. Pressing the fabric was nearly impossible, and there are no facings or linings - the edges are simply turned under and topstitched, but since they are costumes that will be seen from afar and worn two or three times I figured it was good enough and it was the only way to get through it quick enough:

gold sequin top coat with tails pattern pieces www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

I used Burda patterns as the basis for the jackets, and then altered the pattern to have the pointed cropped front, the long tails at the back and the shawl collar. I think they turned out ok:

gold sequin top coat with tails jacket www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

This jacket looks a little large on Anna because the jackets are made for the older kids in her school - I have no idea how well they fit the kids I sewed them for though, and frankly I don't care anymore!

And now let us never speak of gold sequin fabric ever again.....

February Sewing Stats

Monday, 2 March 2015
This month I am very pleased to announce that I bought NO fabric or patterns at all! In fact I only bought 1 black zipper and some white overlocking thread. Admittedly, February is the shortest month of all but still, I went a whole month without buying fabric or patterns.

Sewing: 9 garments (5 for me, 3 for Anna and 1 for Anna's friend), 1 repair to husband's shorts. I'm so behind in my blogging, so you're just going to have to trust me on these projects!

Fabric out: 9.5m this month, 18m year to date

Fabric in: 0m this month, 10m year to date

So to end the world's most boring post, I thought I'd share some photos from the 1957-1958 pattern catalogue from the Australian Home Journal. I have quite a few of these pattern catalogues, but sadly no actual patterns but they are still pretty to look at. Enjoy!

Australian Home Journal Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalogue 1957 www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

 Australian Home Journal Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalogue 1957 www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

Australian Home Journal Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalogue 1957 www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

Australian Home Journal Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalogue 1957 www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

Australian Home Journal Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalogue 1957 www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com

Australian Home Journal Vintage Sewing Pattern Catalogue 1957 www.loweryourpresserfoot.blogspot.com


January sewing stats

Wednesday, 4 February 2015
This will probably be of limited interest to anyone, but I find keeping track of things on my blog is the most reliable method for me. I'm going to keep track each month of garment sewn, fabric bought and fabric used. If you're feeling guilty about buying more fabric than you use each month, then these posts will remind you that you're not alone! In fact you could 'fess up if you too have bought more than you've used too!

Garments Made: 8 (3 for me, 3 for Toby, 2 for Anna)

Fabric Used: 8.5m

Fabric Bought: 10m (5m each from Tessuti and The Fabric Store due to their too tempting sales)

stretch cotton sateen, textured poly/cotton, textured white cotton from Tessuti
Marc Jacobs knit, Tory Burch poly cotton, stretch linen, cotton twill from The Fabric Store
Other: a bajillion patterns made their way into my stash this month, so many that I had to buy a third chest of drawers to fit them all in. Firstly a sewing friend gave me a quite a few patterns at our sewing day at Tessuti Fabrics earlier in the month, including some great suit and jacket patterns which are right up my alley (thanks Sandra!).


Then I bought sight unseen a big box of patterns from an auction house, which had loads of Designer Vogue patterns which were mostly hilarious and somewhat ugly ones from the 1980s, but a few earlier patterns and a few decent ones that I will use (one day):


And then my dad found this massive pile of patterns at his local op shop that he bought for the princely sum of $10! Again there was a bit of craziness but also quite a few lovely patterns too: