EVERY SEASON IS JUMPSUIT SEASON

I'm continuing my -apparent- theme colours for this fall; here in a jumpsuit I sew myself in a dark, plum-brownish shade.

I've noticed that sewing is perhaps the closest to a hobby I have, as I otherwise don't really have time for one (unless buying lipsticks counts as a hobby). While I have to do a lot of sewing for work (costumes) too, sewing for my everyday-self is something of a threat as I am not able to do it whenever I'd like, and it is not something I have to do but want to.

I made this based on a thinner jumpsuit I have, bought last summer.  That one fits and hangs great but the fabric was cheap and got floppy very fast. So I decided to make a new, better quality version. As you may remember I am not used to working with patterns, but I often copy things I see. Cutting is always the hardest part, sewing is easier. I will still need to make a small lift in the waist as it gets a bit bulky there, and I want to add a couple of decorative buttons in the front - but otherwise this was a rather quick and painless project!

The difference to the original jumpsuit turned out to perhpaps be the over-all feel - while this fabric is better and sturdier, it does not drape, or rather hang, as well as I thought it would. (Making a fitted dress or a short-legged romper version out of this material might have been the optional use.)  It did turn out quite nice in any case although it is not a straight copy of the old one, but it is just as comfy! And that's the big deal here.

RED LEO COMBO

It's that weekend, or rather, week of the year, again that seems to have more hours than the rest of the weeks and in the same time way too few, as you don't really get to sleep and everything all blends into one long day. A very long such, during which I have managed to manage more things and details than one could possible think of, one of them being putting this pencil skirt tie-top combo together between one and three am two nights in a row. It turned out really good; the past years I've spent more details on how the clothes I sew look on the inside too and I've gotten used to how to cut the pieces of fabric for myself I usually get it right once away without having to correct the seams (I don't use patterns, just cut straight from the fabric) afterwards.

We are producing the Pin-Up Finland event this year again, thus the long days and short nights this week; and if you head over to Lahti tomorrow (or, it might be today by now already) you can catch me wear this on stage when I also host the event at the Autot & Viihde happening! Lots of great looking cars, bands, custom goodies to shop and lots of aspiring pin ups. And me, running on Choca-cola (that's caffeinaited chocolate for ya) for the xx-day in a row. So come, it will be fun!

THE TURNED-AROUND DRESS

I made myself a new dress!

A sixties styled A-line dress from a mint green pepita-patterned fabric I bought last (or might even be the year before that) and had moved so far down on the want to-section of one of my to-do lists I had basically forgotten about it.

I have never sewn with, or properly learned to take advantage of patterns but make them up myself as I go along. Sewing for myself for almost twenty years I have learnt a lot along the way, and now plan more before cutting, thus mainly have to make the seams once (as in opposite to before, when I'd often make the piece a little bigger to be on the safe side, and then sew the seams smaller a couple of times over and over..). It's been a lot of trial and error during the years, and nowadays there's also the internet to consult when in doubt. So the clothing I make these days even look neat on the inside! Win.

I had a mint green decorative metal zipper that I had intended to put in the front of the dress, and was thinking to perhaps add a collar to it.

But then I changed my plans halfway trough, switched some darts and ended up making the back the front instead!

Also, I have to add, the mannequin was very much worth the investment, especially also when it come to (stage-)costume making. I still do the final try-ons and adjustments on myself, as the doll still lacks breast and behind even though the measurements are the same,  the clothes still looks a bit different on the body. So if you like to sew even a little bit I really recommend getting a mannequin to work with/on!

The zipper got to look pretty on the back of the dress instead.

And after some thinking back-and-forth I decided to go for the version with the collar.

Spot the black cat.

My shoes are the Daisy shoes by Frollein von Sofa. She really has so pretty shoes, and they are vegan and comfy as well, so do check them out!

As a bonus; every time I take outfit photos a few of them look like this; Dag absolutely has to pose in them himself. He is very proud of his outfit as well - it is a constant outfit nowadays; he does not only dress up as a red ninja, he IS one. I had to go and get a few pairs of red sweatpants to him as herefuses to wear anything else, and he has a few of these red Ninjago t-shirts... He also asks to get the scars painted on every day.

I have a bunch of other fabrics waiting to turn into dresses and tops and skirts. Sewing is fun! I just rarely have the tie to do so anhymore (nor wear the clothes) but I guess it's kind of just like a hobby...

FOUR THINGS TODAY

Today-

-it was raining.
I do enjoy the summer rain, and how fresh everything looks and how sweet it smells after it, but only if it comes every once in a while. On a day when you have things you need to do the rain is welcome, as one does not get a bad consciousness from sitting inside when the sun is shining outside.  Since summers here are short we are all taught since childhood "not stay inside when it's sunny outside". So all the time during summer, when you're not on your holiday but working indoors that rings in your ears and you feel a bit guilty to the sun on the other side of the window. Sort of.

So it was also a bit too rainy in order to wear the prettiest shoes in the world, shoes that are MINE. But I took a little moment to admire them instead. These velvet bowed beauties are by Frollein von Sofa.

Some time ago I organised my sewing area and found a bag of forgotten fabrics that have been waiting to transform into (mainly) dresses. Got started, a little bit, on one of them! (Although, that was not really one of the things that I was supposed to be doing).

Then I made a set of quinoa cookies. Or, perhaps they should be called 'quinoa balls' when in this shape. Not really first on my to-do list either but oh-so worth it anyway; they really are very delicious! Getting back to those some day here soon.

I also fought with my computer(s) for a few hours (that was what I was suppose to be doing. In short, my old mac is dying and my new one does not recognise my external hard drive I had all stuff stored on and the old maccadelic is not really into migrating itself over or to upload anything to icloud, just the spinning rainbow wheel of death, and all this right here is definitely one of those things testing how long it will take before you lose your shit for good, you know, as in both the shit on the computer and the shit in your MIND). But then I left the computers to suffer alone and had a long late night production meeting. New work and projects coming up on the showbiz front. That's a lot more to do (once more) but it will also be fun!

THE PEACH DRESS

This peachy/salmon pink dress is one of my favourite dresses. I've always had a thing for shirtwaist dresses and this one has pockets as well which kind of seals the deal. I bought it at a vintage store in Berlin when we were there with Eddi in 2010.

But -there's always a but - it is a bit too tight over the chest and is now hopefully next to my sewing machine waiting for alteration!

The top always was a bit on the smaller side and I'd often wear a slip of lace top underneath in order to be able to keep the buttons opened as far down as possible. But nowadays it just makes me look stuffed, so I can't really rely on that trick anymore.

I have been thinking about how to alter it to add spaced around the bust; adding a strip of fabric in the middle of the dress, under/next to the decorative panel that runs vertically across the top, or make it diamond shaped or so? Or do I just add more fabric from under the arms? The dress it's rather well made so I am afraid to fck it up. Any sewing wizards out there with advice?

SEWING FOR TWO

Sometimes I manage to surprise even myself with the amount of things I am able to get done at the same time. Or, in some (most) cases; the amount of things I manage to do when postponing something else that I actually should be doing.

So because organising my paperwork for my bookkeeper brings out the creative need in me instead, I sew a slipover for Dag -

A slipover pretty much the only thing I can come up with to sew him "just like that" as he is not a little girl I can sew dresses for  -he could have worn those kind of mini muumu-style baby/toddler dresses when he was smaller if I'd made him but I think he's beginning to be to old for such. So slipovers it shall be!

I made this for winter out of a warm stretchy soft fabric. Might try to give a pair of (simple) pants for him a go too!

As I was on it I also sew myself a skirt! I always had this cute-and-stupid idea of making matching mom-girl dresses if I had a girl but I can do it like this instead!


It is something of a 1/4-circle skirt -normally I always measure and do the circle-skirt maths, but because I was kind of in a hurry (=wanted to wear it straight away) and since the fabric is very stretchy and easy, I just measured it on me from one corner; how much I needed to get it to cover my behind. Then I sat down and cut the quarter of a circle straight on the fabric. I sew it together in the back and added a two small darts in the front and two in the back for a slimmer fit, and then attached a thick waistband afterwards.


I also added suspenders.


The suspenders can be attached or removed with small hooks for variation.


And now we are adorably silly and matching!

The fabric is from Eurokangas and my knit top is from KingLouie, shoes Frollein von Sofa. I've worn them all Christmas whenever we went somewhere.

A PRODUCTIVE RAINY DAY

The other day when it was pouring down outside I finally got around making use of some fabrics I had had waiting around for a while.

I made a teal blu combo of a stretchy poly-blend; a skirt with pleats.

And a top with small cap sleeves and a collar. (I think I will mostly wear them separately though.)

The skirt was rather easy to make per se; I made four large pleats and sew one seam + zipper in the back. It would have looked good also without the waistband, but I put one in anyway.

I also managed to Finnish off this project that I had started some weeks earlier;  a mint green (! Yey.) combo. With a stretchy skirt (pull-on, with an elastic in the waist, no zipper) and a matching top.

With an attachable peter pan collar.

That can be reversed!

Now it'd be great if I also got around wearing these... The weather is finally getting warm and sunny again so I even stand a chance. But otherwise I feel like I never have anything to wear these days, and wonder when the hell I will be able to wear everything I already have ( file as first world problem, I know...). The answer is: when I no longer have small children.

(And global warming kicks in and it's plus 20C here all year round...)

MEIRA CAFE HIENO WINTER EDITION DIY : THE PRETTY WINTER SKIRT & TOTE BAG DELUXE FOR GIFTS

As a blogger part of the Indiedays Inpsiration-network I was selected to participate in a DIY-project campaign. The task was to make use of Finnish Coffee brand Meira's Cafe Hieno Winter Edition fabric. The print is designed by graphic designer and illustrator Georgi Eremenko, inspired by cold winter mornings and warm kitchens. And hot cups of coffee, of course.

The campaign is a collaboration between Indiedays and Meira's Cafe Hieno.

So, I was sent over the fabric for my projects and some matching coffee to help me along.
Btw did you know Finns drink most coffee in the world per year per capita? Eddi has more coffee than water I think. I am a more moderate consumer :)

My first thought was to sew a circle skirt. Well, as you know, my first thought is always to make a circle skirt when I come across cute patterned fabrics. All forms of circle skirts (full, half, three quarter) hang so beautifully. Pretty much any fabric works well for a full skirt, both fashion and interior, thick and thin. In fact I think heavier fabrics work very well;  if the texture is sturdy the skirt will stay pretty big with an "ooompf" also without a petticoat underneath.

Circle skirts are very easy to make as long as you know the basics. In the end there is not so much sewing to do. What you basically need to know is the measurements; the radius of your waist circle and the radius of the whole circle (the length of your skirt plus your waist radius). It's that good old school math making itself useful; the radius is the circumference divided by Pi divided by two. The internet has a lot of great tutorials and well explained how-to's on circle skirts out there already, so for measuring and cutting you can check these two out for example: circle skirt math & the circle skirt how-to.

(You can click the images for a bigger view)

I could have cut this skirt out as one big circle (a basic 140cm wide fabric like this is just enough for my measurements to get it as long as I like; to hit the knee) and made a slit for the zipper in the back but I wanted the print to hang in the right way both front and back (cut as one circle it would hang upside down on the other side), so I made my skirt out of two half circles instead, which actually makes it easier in my opinion; placing the zipper in the seam on the side.

As with all things made by hand preparation is king (sadly I must say, as I just like to dig in and get on it right away), so measure and cut properly and be nice to yourself in advance: zig zag all the edges of your pieces -  in this case, two halves of a skirt and one waistband - and iron the hems as you go along You will thank yourself a few minutes later then.

It would be optimal if you could allow your skirt to hang over night, as it is a full circle the grains that go across the fabric will stretch out (the bias stretch). So I let my skirt wait before sewing the waist band and hemming it. (You can read more abut the bias of a fabric and how it falls here.)

I fold the waist band over both sides of the waist line on my skirt. I put a hook in (by hand) to fasten the waistband. I hem my skirts with a rolled hem line, no pinning needed, just roll it up a bit and sew along. 

Done!

Since the print on this fabric is in white and gold I was thinking the skirt would turn into something of a party skirt for the Christmas season, so I didn't put in pockets. But now that it is finished I see it can still be styled for everyday wear as well as fancy-smanchy. So I might add a little pocket somewhere after all :)

But, I still had fabric over which meant I could try out another little idea I had; making tote bags.

Well, as with skirts I have lots of tote bags as well, and you wouldn't think a canvas tote bag that special. But  you can never really have enough of them. I keep one folded in my purse for grocery shopping. And the thing is a tote out of pretty fabric is a great way to wrap a gift as well - you may remember me liking to pack my gifts in a useful way -less trash more joy - in jars and boxes. And why not in totes too! So now that the gifting season is coming up, why not make a little stash of bags to use for later?

If a circle skirt is easy to make a tote is pretty much idiot proof, just folding and sewing a rectangle together. If it bugs you that the pattern will be upside down on one side just cut the rectangle off in the middle, flip one side the other way around and sew the bottom together.

And this will be the deluxe version of a tote bag, which means it will be all clean and neat on the inside. To deluxe it up, so that is not only more neat but more durable, put your seams on the printed side of the fabric first -you can sew close to the edges with quite little seam allowance- then fold inside out and sew seams in the inside.
Ta-da, clean and neat on the inside!
Then fold the opening over twice and sew around the edge.

I find the easiest way to make handles is to sew the seam on the inner side and turn the handle inside out with the help of a safety pin. Iron the handles flat and smooth before sewing them to the bag. Sew the handles properly on with a square and a cross to be able to carry your books, groceries and whatever stuff you like to carry around.

To wrap a gift in a tote bag, just tie a ribbon around the top of the bag into a big bow (you can add the handles to the bow  too), or wrap it as you would wrap a gift in paper as well - it will be a little bit more bulky though. Fold the handles in the bag first. Tie the gift together with a matching or contrasting ribbon.

You can of course use this all year round, not just for Christmas. Something freshly baked packed in a cute bag is a lovey present, or,  in this case:  a pack of coffee in a matching tote makes a great coming-over gift!

You can see the rest of the DIY projects, which are coming up one by one during the following weeks, on Indieday's Meira campaign page, where you also can vote for your favourite DIY. By voting (trough Facebook likes) you also participate in a competition to win a Meira goodie bag!

THE CHECKED SUMMER DRESS

I finally got around to make myself that new dress I've been thinking about! All in all, it took me about five to six hours once I got started.

It will be good for nursing as it can be buttoned up- or down, depends on how you take it.

But for now it is still serving as a maternity dress.

And I know somebody will ask; the answer is NO, I did not use a pattern. I have never used patterns so it might be that I don't even know how to :) I looked at some of my shirts and dresses and draw upon the fabric according to those. But we can look into the details some other time.