A late post of my to favourite pieces of me-mades, the Laurel and Beignet

Well, this is awkward..... One of my favourit pieces was finnished almost 5 months ago, and I have`nt blogged about it! (what kind of blogger am I?.... dont answer that....)

I made a second verison of Colette Patterns Laurel dress. My first was this one. It was ok, but not GREAT.
So I wanted to make another one. This time whit the cute ruffled things on the arms.
And allso, I made pockets. A dress neeeeeds pockets! I made them whit a contrast cotton fabric.
I am very impressed whit this dress, as it has a great fit and gives a nice silhouette. I use it to work as well as more special occacions. Simple to style up or down whit different accecories and shoes.
It is the most worn me-made item in my wordrobe.
But I had some fitting issues this time around on the Laurel, since the fabric is a bit more bulkier. And it has some stretch...
So I put in a few extra darts on both the back and on the bust area. Allso the waist got some, and it gave the dress some lovely tucks.

''

Along whit the grey suited Laurel dress, the Beignet skirt, allso from Colette patterns, is allso one of my biggest prides sewing-vise. You can read more of the Beignet here.
These two pieces are both made out of the same fabric. Unfortunately, now I am out.....

The perfect Lady Skater Dress with a twist

By now, I am pretty shure that "everyone" has heard, or even made Kitchy Coo`s famous Lady Skater dress. As usuall I am late to the party... I overthink and over-process the whole thing EVERY TIME I have my mind set to make something. That means hours and hours of Pinteresting for ideas, reading and searching other bloggers thoughts about the pattern, and looking at pictures of the finnished results.

I really liked the pattern and the dress, but I am very self-conscious about my stomach-area (show me a woman who`s not!), therefore I had a problem whit the whole knit-dress-stomach-hugging thing.
ALLSO! I have been wanting a wrap dress since FOREVER! And I thought that the Lady Skater pattern would be perfect for that kind of thing.... I just had to convert the bodice to a wrap... but how?
I am not a fan of self drafting patterns. I am more like the "Hey! A perfect pattern that hundreds of people have allready tried out and aproved"-kind of gal`.
Now that I allready had the LSD-pattern  (wow... did that just spell LSD??...) I needed a pattern that someone else allready had tried out. That`s when I found Sew a straight lines` hacked version of the Lady Skater Dress, altered into a wrap dress! It was a wrap! Litteraly!  Check out here super tutorial on how to make you`re skater dress to a faux wrap dress!

It was all very easy peacy! The Lady Skater is pretty simple to sew up. Could that just be because I got a serger for my birthday a few weeks ago? Hahaha.. It was actually my first project ever on a serger.
A little nerve-wrecked over the fact that I coul cut the fabric on the serger-knife. But It worked out just well.

And now for some pictures...

Such a great pattern calls for a great introduction ;)

Close up on the waist-belt wich I can tie round my waist 2-3 times,

the 3/4 arm-cuff and the bodice wrap. I stitched the pieces together whit 

a few stitches just to avoid my girls falling out...

I am very please whit the results, and it will defenitely not be my last one, since I love wrap dresses.

I personally think that a wrap dress whit a belt like this helps to camuflage the stomach area, and that was eccactly my intension! Mission acomplished.

Have you made Kitchy Coos Lady Skater Dress? What was your verdict? I would love to see pictures:)

My Colette Beignet Skirt

This has been coming for a loooooong time!
Actually, I have tried to make it up for weeks and weeks, actually, months! And finally, it was time!
I think the main reason why I never got around to it was that I had my mine set on making this in a dark blue cord fabric, just like the one Shona has made. I just love it!
But I did`nt have any blue cord, so I had to find something in my stash.
When I went to Oslo before Christmas, I brought home some sort of grey-ish wool-ish knitted suit fabric whit just a hint of horizontal stretch. It is actually quite nice! I made the Laurel dress whit the same fabric.
Unfortunately, I have not blogged it, even though it is like half a year since I made it! *bad blogger*

Aaanywho....
From drafting to cutting to finnished skirt, it took me about 3 weeks. Again, the 1 hour here and 1 hour there-concept. Wery famous for that....

I decided to skip the whole lining, and just interface the inside whit a nice contrasting floral cotton.
After I had cut all the fabric, I suddenly realized that the main fabric has some stretch and the facings has not, so I was very anxious about that. I even made fabric covered buttons, a whole 12 pcs! That is my first time, so I must say that was quite fun, and made a very nice detail on my skirt.
The pockets are the same fabric as the facings, by the way.

I asked my better half to take pictures, outside, during freezing wind. The pictures were quite bad, but it will have to do for now...

I really love my Beignet skirt, it has a great fit and i feel slimming and feminin in it. 

I can se my self whit more Beignet`s in the future

"In-between-sewing"

I allways have some bigger projects on my sewing table. And when I say big, it`s not necessarily BIG, but becuase of familiy and, well.... life, it can take up to weeks before I finish something. You know, the famous one hour here and one hour there. Like the Colette Beignet skirt I JUST finnished! It took me about 3 weeks from drafting to finished results. Ohhhh!... I cant wait to show you! I am so happy whit the results! *squeeel*
 But, in between, for my own sanity, I need a quick fix. A hat is so quick and easy, it does`nt get better.
I have made 4 of these, all for different receivers. My daughter is going to a classmates birthday party to day, and I made her this. A super girly baggy hat whit shade.

I allso made this one a couple of weeks ago to an other birthday girl:

Super cute and super quick. Just the way I like it :) And by the way! They are reversible!

It`s about time we take cotroll over our wardrobe!

This really could`nt come in a better time! If you read my last post about building a new wardrobe for spring/summer, than you`ll probably understand why Colette`s latest blog post struck my good ol`sewing-nerve. More then twice (probably half of what I ever made) is a misfit or just a big FAIL! Either it be colours, shape, fabric or the quality of it.
So this time I have decided to constructively plan my pattern bying and sewing. The thing here is to find the read thread that goes thrue all of the pieces. And I am to make pieces that I can match with each other.
Why have`nt I thought about that before, you say?! Well, when it comes to pattern and fabric shopping, I am like a child in a candy store! I just cant think rationally.
To quote Colette:

  "Let’s think about form and function, the deeper implications of our choices, how clothing reflects each of our identities, and how we can sew more and buy less."

So now it is time to take a step back, and actually think a bit before I buy or make anything new.
That is why I am hopping on this train that is about to leave the Colette Station, and take us on a trip of wardeobe-building and self-searching. I think, actually I know that this will be a very interesting and experiensing trip.

All a board!!

Thoughts, dreams & ideas of the perfect spring/summer wardrobe. Yes, I`ll have to start early...

Happy New Year to all my readers! Hope you all had a happy holiday.
Suddenly january was knocking on my door, before I even got to think twice! Better let it in, I say. The quicker it gets in, the quicker it can leave, and make room for spring! Spriiiing... S P R I N G..springggg!
Taste that word. Can you feel it? the tingling in your toes, and the delightfull sensation of hope? Hope that the degrees will creep up, small signs of summer in the pavement cracks (you know, flowers..), green leeves growing on trees and bushes. And the sun! Oh, the sun! Ray of sunshine beaming on my waaaaay to pale, freckled skin (us vikings....).
Did I mention that it was only yesterday I threw out the christmas tree and decorations? *sigh*
I guess it is still some time left before all this will come, but a girl can dream. Dream about a new wardrobe. Because a girl neeeeds some fine spring and summer clothes suitable for every occasion!
That is why I want to get a heads up, and start early. If I know my self (and I do...) I`ll never finnish in time.
So better hurry up!
After watching other blogs and the allmighty Pinterest, my head is full of ideas and patterns. Here are some of the items on my to-do-list:

The Banksia top by Megan Nielsen. So simple and necessary!

This is Hazel from Victory Patterns. I love the bow! So sofisticated!

I should have that look...

This is allso from Victory Patterns. I love the chanel look on the pink dress, detailed 

whit lovely buttons. Allso super qute pockets! This one is a must!

Not quite finnished whit Victory Patterns yet...

This is Simone.http://www.victorypatterns.com/products/simone/ It can be made both as a dress and as a shorter version. I love both!

The long version would be great at the beach.

Then its the AVA dress/topp. I have seen so many versions of this! It can be made up in a various versions.

The Jasmine Blouse from Colette Patterns. 

Just in case it gets chilly (Hey! I live in Norway! So the odds are not on my side...).

This lovely jacket is the Cordova Jacket from Sewaholic Patterns.

I am shure I mentioned the beach somwhere up there, so I guess I would need a bathing suit then? If not for swimming, then absolutely to sunbathe in! This amazing bombshell swimsuit that Sophie over at Cirque du Bebe made is to die for! Read all about it!
Shorts would allso be proper, if the temperatur let it! I am up for suggestions there....

All the items I mentioned up here were very "hot" in 2013. It just took me a while to realize it. Haha...
But I am shure, that even before I can get my hands on these patterns, there will be more recent temptations and wants for my spring/summer wardrobe.

Siblings whit new, shiny wests!

Well hello everyone, and merry christmas! Although christmas is almost over, theres still a little bit left.
A few weeks ago I won this great book in a blog contest. It was on the top of my wish-list. So emagine my happiness when I actually won it! I was very happy to say the least:)
So the last couple of days I have been finding some me-time in front of the sewing machine, in my NEW sewing room! (jepp, we moved, and I got a whole sewing ROOM!).

These patterns are great for sewing whit scraps. I got to use many different fabrics and patterns on these two vests.

This girly-girl vest is fit for a real diva! The front has purple merino wool, deep pockets and all sorts of pink and purple. Whit stars, and everything! And a big elf-hood, allso lined whit the starry fabric. My 6 year old loved it!

As you can see, great for using scraps! I have a total of four different fabrics here + the ribbing.

This vest futures a pirate-team, because, well..... my little guy is a straight up pirate! "Eeeyy!..."

I am hoping they will have a lot of use in these. I love them!