Vintage pattern pledge! Update 1!

So as many of you know I'm taking part in the vintage pattern pledge this year, I've decided to finally have a go at the pattern my dad brought me years ago.... So let's have an update! 

The pattern - vogue 9255

Where? - brought from a stall at the goodwood revival

Price - five English pounds! 

Details -  it's a dress (well durr) which you can have with or without cumberbund and bow and with or without sleeves. 

No. Of pattern peices 10! All of which were there and intact although some had been altered! More on that later!. 

Instructions where also included (wipes brow) 

The view I'm going to try and achieve is view A! But there is already at least one change I'm going to make! 

Okay so what have I done so far? I've copied the pattern onto spare wallpaper so I don't have to risk damaging the original pattern!

Fun fact! Vintage patterns have no markings! Seriously it's just holes! Like a five year old had been let loose with a hole punch! I mean what the fizzle wizzle!? How do you no what to do? Well you stare, you make a brew, you squint and then you go hmmm well that's where the darts might go and theirs holes and they are in a triangle shape! EUREKA! 

Here you can just about see the alterations the previous owner made, I'm guessing she knew what she was doing as the fold to take out the excess what tacked down. The bodice front and back pieces had excess folded over and the skirt had it folded over and tacked and also pinned at the hem, I can see why she/he did it though becuase even with the folds the skirt still looks five stops past modest, I'm not sure what that levels called though? Mother Teresa ? 

And that's all really!

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

A new Lilou and a lesson learned

If I could give you two peices of advice it would be these: 

Always wear clean pants

And don't combine your first time working with slippery fabric with your first time pattern matching! 

That's what I did , I decided for my second lilou (from love at first stitch) I'd use the lovely striped drapey fabric that I got from abakhans, I could tell you what it is but I think it's poly something? It's slippery and silky and it moves faster than a hyperactive toddler when you try and cut it! 

Now that's all very well and good until you realise that all the stripes are a continuous pattern of different sizes, and that all you have to do is blink and you pinned fabric shifts half a yard! 

So I patiently (whilst cursing) pinned the folded fabric along each stripe so I wouldn't move! Then I pinned my pattern pieces and I cut. And I'm not sure I took a breath the whole time. 

Anyway after swearing profusely whilst cutting the bodice peices I decided that a  gather skirt as suggested by tilly would look much better (and not require me to pin anymore blasted pieces!) so I used the snip and rip method to get perfectly sized skirt pieces! 

Anyway here it is....

I think it's a super cute summer dress, the bodice is still a little big but I'm calling  that Icecream room. 

The back gapes a little bit too? What is that? Where do I need to adjust? Is it my shoulders? Do I have a "sway" back? What's a sway back? Somebody help me!!!!!

I like the horizontal and vertical stripes together! Makes me feel like a circus tent! (In a good way) 

The only thing left to mention us that I top stitched me sleeves and neckline, it's just a personal preference thing. 

Now shall I make one more lilou and try for the perfect fit? Or shall I make a megan? Decisions decisions!!! 

Much love 

Frankie

Xxx

A lil piece of home

When lil Knitwit started nursery they asked us to provide a home link box. Basically this would be a small box filled with things from home that would help to settle him if he was feeling sad or missing us. 

Needless to say as a mother who was allowing someone else to care for her child after two years of being a stay at home mum. I threw my heart and soul into decorating that box. My baby boy would have the best box on the shelf! 

I stencilled his name. 

Hand drew thomas (his favourite)

And placed baby bunny and a few other things in! After I lined the box with shiny paper and thomas decals.

I went all out, and to be honest doing it made me feel a little bit better about the whole situation, it was nice to know he always had a little peice of home and that mummy's crafting skills had been useful! 

Ironically he never used the box, didn't touch it, wasn't interested. 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

What's a toile? Like a muslin... A draft.... It's me giving it a go!

I'm becoming quite a fan of making a muslin. I never used to do it, I was very much a fan of winging it. But I've come around, I've made them for my trousers and megan dress, these were both throw always but now I've made a wearable one for my lilou dress! 

This is the last dress from love at first stitch (please let a book number two be in the works)

It's a little bit big (I'm gonna shave another cm of each side Seam for my next version) 

The top part is a piece of cotton from my grandmas stash, I'm pretty sure it's a quilting cotton. And the bottom is a bed sheet. To be honest I didn't have a long enough peice of either fabric! But I think they effect of the two fabrics is quite pretty. I used an old piece if white sheet for the lining (smug face, I made a lining) 

That's the excess, but I'm leaving it becuase I'm hoping that it will be nice and cool for the summer, that also explains the length, which is a bit more modest than I usually go for but I needed something auricle for rtips to nursery in the summer (didn't quite fancy flashing my pants to all and sundry) 

And it has twirlability! 

For those of you who weren't raised by the zoo I like to call family, twirlability is the name my tomboy sister gave to dresses with full skirts. According to my mum the only way you could get my sister into a dress when she was younger is if it had twirlability! 

All in all I love it! And it brings out the goofy so yay! 

Stay tuned for version two! 

And congratulations to tilly for being awarded best book of the year! It's definitely well deserved! 

Much love 

Frankie

Xxx

Reach for the moon, because if you fail you might just land in a star.

We are a bit toy story obsessed at the moment, and I think it's just Brillant that I can share something with little Knitwit that I enjoyed so much as a child/grownup. 

He was lucky enough to recieve the figures for his birthday and has played with them everyday since.

Lil knitwits favourite line is "to infinity and beyond" and it was his suggestion for this weeks embroidery. 

I also think it's a pretty inspiring message, be all you can be and more sort of thing! 

Gotta love disney

Much love

Frankie 

Xxx

First ever trousers!

I should probably mention this is the third time I've tried to write this post! 

Anyway after being inspired by the great British sewing bee, I decided to try and make trousers. 

I've never made trousers before, pjs yes but I generally don't wear them outside of the house, unless you count that time we all had to flu and I have to do a midnight run to tesco to pick up medicine and on that occasion I was just glad that I didn't collapse in the aisle. 

But anyway here's my effort! I used the free pattern from sew magazines January issue it's simplicity k1699. 

To be honest I'm not sure about them, I can't decide if I look fabulously retro or like a 70 year old woman on a cruise, (before she finished the sherry and tries to seduce the captain)

I think I prefer them rolled up? It seems more youthful? 

Alterations wise I took a 1cm of each side seam for a better fit and did nothing with the crotch area (giggles) as it all seemed to fit quite well and I didn't want to ruin it by trying to make it better. 

Another change I made was to do a back zip instead of a side zip. My side zip wasn't really working and I only had a black one to hand. 

All in all I think they are okay apart from the fabric. I used a rose coloured cotton that I inherited in my grandmas stash. I kind if like the colour (maybe I wish it was a lil darker?) but it creases like no ones business! Seriously sat down for ten minutes and suddenly my backside has more wrinkles than a pugs face! 

So all in all I think I like them (and momma and poppa Knitwit think they are cool) I am not however looking forward to ironing them! 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

These are my feet this is really the only angle I've got ...

I made slippers! Well like little sock ballerina things! 

Please ignore my pasty white legs! They are from a back issue of knitting magazine that I was given by nanny. And I knitted them in a lovely lilac wool given to me by nanny. I brought the buttons though! 

They knit in the flat which is nice for beginners like me, you just have to watch your increases and decreases. 

Now the heel is a big square on mine, which is either a pattern flaw or a Frankie flaw , and seen as I can't see the models heel in the magazine, I'm gonna say pattern flaw! 

There's also an option for crochet edging but me and my hook are on bad terms at the moment. 

Now after wearing them today I can say they are nice and warm even if they are a little big. I'm tempted to make a pink pair and put some ribbon on so I have ballerina slippers that will definitely stay on! 

Have you been knitting recently?

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

Full Clemence skirt!

Here's my full clemence skirt from love at first stitch! Basically for this one I used full pattern pieces and didn't just squeeze it from the bare minimum of fabric! 

Disclaimer- aware posing, terrible lighting and spectacles, I've had a spot of conjunctivitis becuase of my cold, apparently it's quite common in people who wear glasses.

I squeezed it from the last if my brodiere anglaise fabric. That I also used for my mimi blouse which means I can pair them together and they kind of look like a dress!

The lace you can see peeking out is my slip the fabric of the skirts a bit thin so I have to wack a slip in or I'll be showing my under garments to the world.

It's lovely and full skirted it sort if makes me feel like a ballerina!!! 

And my zips are getting better! Now I fully intended to do French seams on this and I did but them I attached the waistband on the wrong way round, so rather than undo my waistband and stitch in the ditching I just unpicked one side of the French seam! 

It was actually a pretty good way of correcting the mistake! Ever cloud eh! 

Much love 

Frankie

Xx

You don't need three sewing machines! You can't use them all at once! X

I realised I never gave you all a good look at my latest sewing machine that I got for Christmas! 

It's already had some TLC! Grandad shipped it off because he wasn't happy with the cable situation! He used to be an electrician so I trusted his opinion! And he said he'd put me at the top of his to do list so I was happy to let him take it! 

It came with the booklet and the little box of attachments.

And some oil screw drivers and bobbins as well as the key to get the box off! 

That's the original wire! 

That lil lever is how you alter the stitch length. 

And that's the tension dial! 

It's a top loading bobbin which still throws me! I've only ever used bottom loading! 

It's such a beautiful machine! And I can see why so many people still use them! 

This is my third sewing machine to date (well technically there's four but ones strictly for display!) 

And ones in the loft and only comes out for specific projects due to the needle only sewing nicely when it's off center, although I did fix this by measuring from the side needle position and taping a new 5/8 seam allowance using electrical tape! So I'm sure that will be coming out when me and my sister are sewing coats side by side! 

So what do I want next?

An overlocker - lidl did a great deal on overlockers before Christmas but sadly I missed out due to not being speedy enough , the customer care lady said some stores sold out that day and that they were completely sold out after three days! 

A singer treadle! - you know the one with the pedal underneath? Like she uses in "war bride" , Brillant film by the way! 

A Potters wheel, - mr Knitwit said he could probably make one of these for me but then realised if need a kiln , so this has been shelved until we win the lottery (and Patrick swayze turns up)

A loom - not like a huge Victorian child labor one, but I'd like a small one. So I can weave little things, my nan and grand had a cigarette tray made from an old shuttle and I found it fascinating! 

So yeah that's my current wish list

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

Up, up , up and away!!!!

Did you all have a lovely valentines? 

I did I got most of the sewing on a new dress done and watched "the talented mr ripely" which is up there with my top ten favourite films! And the costumes are awesome! 

I'm in love with this skirt!!! And she looks so beautiful although I'm pretty sure gwyneth Paltrow could wear a bin bag and still look beautiful! 

And then during the day I did this. 

 

It's based on my original up! Embroidery which I sold on etsy. I love the movie so I thought I better replace it. 

I love doing embroidery but I can never find the motivation to make them cushion covers! 

I love buttons! And this is so great for show casing them! 

Much love 

A still slightly under the weather

Frankie

Xxx