On the Move

We are finally moving into our recently purchased and newly renovated apartment this weekend and I cannot wait.  I'm really happy with how it's all turned out - I think we only kept one of the original internal walls so it's quite a change.  My little custom designed sewing studio/occasional guest bedroom is just right for me and I can't wait to show you that next time.  

Meanwhile, just to give myself more stuff to move I went on a fabric shopping spree with a friend who is leaving Hong Kong shortly - she forcibly dragged me there I tell you.  This is the fabric market in Sham Shui Po - it's either heaven or hell depending on your mood and the weather, but the prices are unbelievably cheap so now and again it's worth a trip.  There are around 8 long aisles piled floor to ceiling like this with totally random stuff.  I think it's basically excess purchased from garment factories in HK and China so you can find some interesting things if you are prepared to dig!

Here's my booty, I've already given one piece as a gift and made the brown and pink paisley up into another version of the dress from my last post - I will take pictures of that after the move.

BWOF 05/2009 - 114 Dress

Firstly thank you so much for the encouraging comments on my jacket, it definitely spurs me on to keep trying new things and be a bit braver with colour and details.

Now you only need to look at this blog for 5 minutes to realise I am not one for planning my sewing.  However as I have been looking at everyone's projects it's clear that I needed/wanted the following;

- clothes for dealing with Hong Kong summers, I'm always unprepared

- more colour and prints

- more dresses

Well tick, tick and tickety-tick, here is a great little summer dress from BWOF that I can see me making again.  

On the hanger (can't wait to get my dressform out of storage - 10 days to go!)

On me - this is a night shot and I can't decide if it's easier to see the details with or without flash so here's both.

This is very easy to make, the pattern is supposed to be cut on the bias and I didn't have enough fabric for a bias layout, but this is a stretch cotton so I figured it would be OK.  It does look closer fitting on me than the model but I think that is more my, erm non-model shape than the bias vs straight grain.  

I used a self fabric drawstring in this version, and remembered to read the cutting instructions this time so I could add in the right seam and hem allowances.  However I didn't read the sewing instructions and incorrectly put in the zipper before adding the neckband, so I had to finish the top of the band with 2 hooks and eyes.  Bit fiddly to do up myself, but better than taking out the zipper I thought!

BWOF 04/2009 - 116 Jacket Finished

Finally!  Here's a reminder of the pattern;

Back in February, Sigrid made a lovely BWOF linen blouse/jacket and was wondering whether she should line it or not. I remember commenting that it would probably be quicker and easier to line it to get a neat finish on the inside. So why did I not take my own advice and instead choose to omit the lining in this jacket? That was definitely a question I was asking myself while putting this together, but basically I wanted it to be a light summer jacket that I could throw in the washing machine.

So after much hair loss here is the finished jacket, it's in a bright green linen (I am trying to inject more colour into my wardrobe this year) with white plastic buttons and white topstitching. My button spacing is a bit unconventional but this is what worked best for me!


The inside is finished in a whole bunch of ways depending on what would be obviously visible if I wore it open, which I will most of the time.


Overall I am happy with how this jacket turned out, it's a well drafted pattern, as we've come to expect and the instructions even make sense!


I feel like I have got good use out of my April issue and now plan to move onto May and try out some dresses.