Are we ready for the Jungle: AKA I have been sewing

We exercised vigorously to make sure we were fit for the trek into the Jungle.

We have made sure everything is packed for the trip.

We looked closely and checked that all paperwork, visas and passports are in order.

And now it is off to Anne from Pretty Grievances' Jungle trek.

Of course we had to dress to blend in..

This is the StyleArc Frankie dress.

Although looking at the photo it is way too short for me so I will be cutting it down to a top.

When I made the Creative Cate top the first time I mentioned that I would like to make it into a dress. Rather than mess with the pattern I purchased the Franki dress which is similar in shape but a whole dress. I think I will try the Creative Cate as a dress as I think I would prefer it to the Franki.

The cowl keeps wanting to turn to the outside but a little tip from the Gorgeous Ann from Gorgeous fabrics has fixed that. Thanks Ann.

The armholes were too big and the band for them too small. I ended up cutting bigger bands which helped fill in the armhole.

I also wasn't sure about the length and it ended up being a bit too short so I have hemmed it with a narrow hem.

I have already added sleeves to the Cate and I think the cowl is a little different too.

I do like it - but I don't love it. It will do it's time in wardrobe probation until I decide if it is a bad Franki or a good Franki.

Here it is with a cardi (RTW) which is how I will wear it - even as a top.

Next two items are the StyleArc Barb pants (sewn in StyleArc's Bengaline) and the Island Ali Top from StyleArc.

Alright alright - the top isn't exactly animal print but surely a trekker gets extra cruise bar credits for wearing the actual jungle itself!!!

The Barb pants are my December item for Make a Garment a Month and the top is my January item.

Simple review (I will do a detailed review on PR)

Barb - Love them. They are more slim lined than Linda and perfect for the Bengaline that I have been amassing. I also made the waist band double the width and slightly smaller than the body of the pant and therefore - no elastic needed.

Island Ali - hmmm - love the style but maybe a little tight (all that Christmas pud and cake - what - who said and wine????). This was a little more of a complicated sew than I am used to. Lots of concentration. Thanks to JillyBe for the guidance on her blog.

The neckline is too high and will have to come down a couple of inches (even though I had already taken some off)

I haven't added the elastic - a bit too tight for that.

One thing that confused me greatly was the side panels.. They were not symmetrical and no indication of whether the higher bit went at the front or back - so I just guessed. It looks like this.

I thought what better fabric to create an Island Ali in than this gorgeous fabric from Knitwit.

New things

- Using my rolled hem foot for knits (thanks JillyBe)
- Using FOE (Fold over elastic) - liking this but not liking the fact that it is not readily available - I still have envy of the wall of FOE that Alison came across in NZ. I did buy some on ebay but having the right colour available at the right time isn't easy.

Reflections

There have been a lot of reflections and top 5s around the blogisphere which I have enjoyed immensely. When you read someone's blog on a regular basis you loose track of all the wonderful items they have made and a snap shot of the year is like a smorgasbord.

I am not going to do a top five - simply because my sewing isn't at the stage where I can pick 5 I am totally happy with, nor will I do a five misses. Just some reflections on the year and on a few different items.

One of the things that I am heartily sick of is pilling.

Killed by the pill - these have gone into weekend wear as my gentle front loading washing machine has pilled the fabric already. Both the dress and the top didn't hold up. All my other garments are doing fine but these were 2 of my favourites and were quickly killed by the pill.

Most worn outfit for 2013.

Last year was the year of the dress and I enjoyed making and wearing them - and will make more - however this year (the beginning anyway) will be mainly separates to try to build up my wardrobe with the exception of today's Franki dress and the dress for my SWAP.

I also enjoyed initiating the Plus Sized Pattern Pyramid and Scary September.

Ahead in 2014

I have joined Sarah in the RTW fast. I have only purchased 2 items since I started sewing 2 years ago (with exception of undergarments ;-) and want to keep that up. This is one of the reasons that my wardrobe needs to be built up (my sewing has been slow and sporadic in successes LOL). I may have to break this fast to purchase an interview outfit as I will be hitting the sidewalk looking for a job soon and my sewing isn't up to job interviews just yet.

I shall also continue on with SarahLiz's Make a Garment A Month Challenge.

One of the things I am committing to in 2014 is purchasing quality fabric. Now you will still see some cheap and nasty fabric appearing in my sewing and that is because I have already purchased it. I want quality now.

I actually need to do a fabric purchase fast too but I have tried them in the past and failed dismally.

In just the short span of days of this year I have purchased the following:

*sigh* that doesn't even count what I purchased at the end of 2013.

I make this pledge - I will TRY not to purchase any more fabric..... I will TRY to only use fabric from the stash.... I didn't really stretch my skills last year. I will TRY to do better this year and try to incorporate new skills.