Crime Scene Adele

The second top I finished on THE WEEKEND was the StyleArc Adele top which is a lovely tee with an asymmetrical point on the hem.

Why do I call it the Crime Scene Adele? Take a look at the fabric I used!!

Thought it would go well with my red Barbs.

The only change I made was to lower and widen the neckline a little as the girls need their space. I also had to cut my own neckband as I had changed the pattern. I used the shorter sleeve version and did not sew the side slit.

I held the pattern up against me and thought I wouldn't need to make the 2 inch (5cm) lengthening adjustment I normally make to StyleArc ( I am a tall chick) however looking at the pictures I think the front could come down an inch or so. For my next version (I do like it so I will make another) I will add the inch to the front by way of lowering the point rather than just adding an inch to the pattern as I think the point needs to be bigger on my bigger bod.

The fabric is a cotton rib that I purchased online from Denver Fabrics and has been marinading in my stash for a couple of years. I do love the fabric but a touch of lycra would have been good to give it recovery.

I was a little worried on how to do the point on my coverstitch and ended up starting at a point and sewing around to the back point. Then starting again at that point. It worked okay. If anyone has a tip on how to do points with 2 needles I would be very interested.

Overall happy for a first go at this pattern. I don't like doing muslins but I will call it a wearable muslin. I am considering putting darts in the bust of the next one. What do you think? There are some that don't like darts in knits but I think the girls might need them.

Still need to hem the other items from the weekend. 

Wot I dun on the weekend by BeaJay

First let me apologise for the title of this post. I have just finished 4 weeks of training Certificate III in Business and some of my students were just out of school and insisted on calling me "Miss". Groan groan. Took me right back to kindy.

Anyway my weekend was wonderful.

I have had a fabulous couple of days down at Stanwell Tops! I was joined by about 29 other sewing ladies from the Australian Sewing Guild and in particular the Rhodes and Alexandria groups, for a weekend of stitching our way through tonnes of fabric.

This is picture heavy but I do have a new outfit picture at the end of the post for show and tell.

This is where we stayed:

Arial View - Picture from The Tops Conference Centre website

Outside view - Picture from The Tops Conference Centre website

Accommodation - Picture from The Tops Conference Centre website

It had a real fun camp feel to the weekend and I couldn't help but sing Kumbaya. The air was fresh, the sky blue, the surrounding countryside an amazing green and food was delicious.

Here we are stuffing our face - they didn't stop feeding us.

Above are some great friends from my sewing group.
Front left Sharon from Petite and Sewing
Jinty - no blog
Kristy from Lower Your Pressure Foot
Sandra - no blog but you can see her marvelous work on Pattern Review where she is Dilliander
Cathy - no blog
Gail from My Fabrication
A new friend who's name I can't remember
And Wendy ( in green top) - no blog


Below is our sewing room with Wendy industriously at her machine.

Here is my area with my weapons of mass construction

Someone brought a friend. Babs was highly annoyed that I didn't invite her. I told her there wasn't room in the car. She is still not talking to me.

Here is Kristy, Jinty and Di hard at work cutting and prepping.

Wendy from Costumes from a Shoe Box is always highly entertaining and makes it even more of a fun time.

Here is the view from our sewing room:

I managed to rustle up almost 6 tops. I say almost as one was a UFO and only needed finishing, 2 have been completely finished and 3 need hemming. After making all of my different coloured Barb pants I needed tops.

Here is the UFO now finished - sort of. I do want to bring the sides seams in a bit.

It is Butterick 5855 which I have sewn before but this time I kept the "sleeves" shorter as the first time I was trying to incorporate a border. It is pictured with a pair of lime green StylyArc Barb pants that I have cut off at under the knee to make capris. I thought a full pant in lime green might just be OTT. I also gave the Barbs a tiny "flare" at the bottom. Warning warning warning - put on your sunnies. I can direct traffic with this high viz gear.

Photo by Sandra (Dilliander) - thanking you

The wrinkles on the bengaline pants are from hours sitting and sewing. The Bengaline is from StyleArc and the groovy 60's top fabric is from Vogue Fabrics.com. It was labeled as a knit but is quite a firm knit with very little stretch. I must admit that I do like the flashback deco look of it. It is still available if anyone else wants to be safe at night. It has now sold out.

All in all a very comfy outfit that will do well for my weekend wear. I see more Barb capris and Butterick 5855s coming up in my future. Maybe more toward our Spring as we will be starting Winter in 5 days - not that you would know it with a balmy 28 degrees Celsius (82.4F) forecast for tomorrow.

More later - I will take piccies of my other items when I can.

A big huge gigantic thanks to the lovely Sharon from Petite and Sewing for organising such a wonderful weekend.

On the Road Again.....

Just in case you have been wondering where I have been....


This is the marking I have been bringing home from the Certificate III in Business that I have been teaching so no sewing has been happening at Chez BeaJay.

I did take a day off on Sunday to welcome the gorgeous Lynn from You Sew Girl to Sydney Australia and a bunch of us sewists went on a fabric tour of Cabramatta which is like a little Vietnam here in the land of OZ.

It was fantastic to meet Lynn - what a real treat to have a face to face with a blogger that I have followed for a long time - she is now a honorary Aussie.

Lynn was so kind as to bring gift from across the sea to us. Gifts that she had made herself!! I am so honoured and to think that they had traveled all this way in her luggage. A beautiful cup and some hand made buttons - you should have seen all of us bower-birds when the buttons were put on the table. The cup was a special gift and I also managed to snag myself some of the buttons.

Aren't they gorgeous? Lynn is a very talented potter.

Those with an eagle eye may have spotted some fabric in the background of the first picture. Well - you can't go to a suburb with so many fabric stores and not buy anything.

Silk burnout which will be a long light jacket

Linen to make a version of my TNT dress

A snakeskin knit to be made into a StyleArc Creative Cate top

Next weekend I am off to Stanwell Tops for a sewing weekend with some of my favourite people and I am like a kid waiting for Christmas. I have purchased new PJs and undies because I am GOING AWAY and there is something so nice about packing new never worn undies and PJs.............. so much to pack. I have made a list but am sure I will forget something! I am sure that I will have lots of pretties to bring to show and tell after.

Have a good one.

Update

The lovely Lynda from Lynda's Sewing and Swaps stopped by my blog to see if I was okay as I haven't blogged for a month and have also been a little behind in my blog reading. How lovely to think that someone across the ocean is thinking of you. It really makes my heart feel warm to know that I have made such good sewing buddies. So I thought I would update you on what is happening on the road to sew wear.

First I would like to thank all who gave advice on the problem I was having with World Press. Chris - your solution of pulling down the edges worked. Thanks.

Also a huge thanks to Rhonda Buss from Rhonda's Creative Life who posted to me all the way from the USofA a wonderful Sew Stylish magazine that she is featured in. I was lucky enough to win it on her blog (on my birthday at that!!!!) and I really enjoyed reading all of the great articles. Very informative.. It was very generous of her to pay for the postage (which was eye popping) - what else would you expect from someone who put a lot of time and effort into her inspiring Mary Bridge project and is a pilot who rescues animals. My absolute hero.

And I was also amazed to see our (Australia's) gorgeous Pete Evans on the inside back cover...

If you want to see Pete in action you can watch episodes of My Kitchen Rules on Chanel 7 where he is a judge along with the smooth and delicious Manu Feidel. Yum - and I am not talking about the food.

I would also like to say a big thanks to Fiona from Seams Straightforward and Lynelle from You Sew Girl  who were worthy recipients of the Leibster Award and kindly passed it to me.  Also the gorgeous and prolific creator of lovely suits Dorothy Dotdot at Sewing fun things, who received and passed on to me the Sunshine award. Thank you ladies - I am warmed and humbled by your awarding this to me. As I have been a past recipient of the Leibster  (thanking Valerie from Valerie's Own Blog) I won't go into all of the questions and passing on but I do want you to know how grateful I am that you read and enjoy my little blog.  

In other news I spent some time a few weeks ago exploring a bit of the "wholesale" end of sewing in Sydney. Thanks to a class I attended with my local ASG (on fitting - fab class) I found out that there is a gem of a place in Surry Hills called E M Greenfield (30 Ann Street Surry Hills) which is a warehouse for sewing bits and bobs. Up two flights of stairs (Phew puff puff) I found an Aladdin's cave of magnificence. 

A while back I purchased this much 2 inch knitted elastic (great for the waistband of the SA Barb pants) for $7.50 a metre

1 metre $7.50

Yesterday I purchased this much of 2 inch knitted elastic (exactly the same) from EM Greenfield for $12.50 for the WHOLE ROLL - a massive 50 cents a metre.......... Woo hoo.

25 metres for $12.50

There was so much stuff that I would need a week just for one aisle. And I didn't even venture up the next flight of stairs to the fabric. Gotta love this place.

I also sussed out Standard Knits but alas they no longer sell by the 5 metre min. Only by the roll and a roll is way too much for me.

After being disappointed at Standard Knits I moseyed on to the old favourite Remnants Warehouse - which strangely enough is not a warehouse (like EM Greenfield) and purchased some off-cuts off their off-cut table.

If you look closely at the above pictures of the elastic you can see some lovely striped suiting fabric that will be made into a jacket and pants (or skirt depending on my mood).

Also this lovely rib knit

This is my favourite - a wool blend with stitched detail. The colour is closer to the 2nd picture but doesn't show the detail as well as the first. It is also a matt felt look not at all shiny.

This is what it looks like in colour and texture - Will it be a dress or a long skirt to wear with boots????

On the table 

I have almost completed the StyleArc Haper Jacket out of beautiful Navy Hybrid Stretch Crepe from Emma One Sock - just need to cover and sew in the shoulder pads (that I purchased at EM Greenfield for $1.50 a pair) and give it a final iron.

And then I shall do a crepe version of the Linda pant out of the lovely matching navy Hybrid Crepe.

Unfortunately sewing has been put on hold for a little while as I have been given a full month's worth of work (commencing on Monday). A lot of people think that you turn up on the day and train but I have to write activities, session plans, prep assessments, compile excel records etc etc which takes a lot of time. I have a class of 14 and weekends will be spent marking work and projects and then prepping for the following week (although I will take a little time out for a get together of sewing friends)

Also, straight after the last day of training (Friday 23rd May) I will be leaving for a lovely sewing weekend away so therefore I have been spending time cutting patterns out and putting sewing projects together so that I don't waste time away.

Problems with World Press or problems with my computer????

Is anyone else out there experiencing the following problem when trying to comment on World Press?

See where you have to type in your comment - It won't expand out.

This has been happening on all the World Press sites I comment on and has been for a few weeks now. I have tried googling it but all the results are very old.

Anyone have a solution?

Sewing Sister's Sydney Social Stay

Hey all, the gorgeous Lynnelle (L from You Sew Girl) is coming down under and we are getting together in Sydney on Sunday 18th May..

Lynnelle is currently hosting a trench sew-a-long on her blog and I am really excited to be able to meet her (not that I am participating in the sew along - trenches are out of my league at the moment).

Remember the magnificent coat that Lynnelle made.

If you would like to get together with us on the 18th please let me know. Haven't got a place yet but will let you know when I know possible numbers. Any suggestions?

Also, any great ideas on what Lynnelle can do in Sydney? I have put forth the following suggestions..

Climbing the Sydney harbour bridge

Visit the Opera House

Powerhouse Museum

Sydney Zoo

Sydney Aquarium

The Rocks (first settlement of Sydney)

There lunch cruises too on Sydney Harbour

Would love to get a group of sewing sisters together.

A Bundle of Barbs - On trend or so last week?

Well you know I love me some StyleArc and I have finished 3 pairs of StyleArc Barb Pants in StyleArc Bengaline. They go together so quickly and I LOVE the way they feel.

As I had sewn them twice before - the first one in stone and the second (tweaked) one in cocoa I knew I was okay with fit (well - my version of okay - I haven't worked out if seams are right and what the pulls mean) and at this stage I am happy so I purchased new rotary cutter blades and cut the fabric for all three pairs at once. I then took them along to the SewInn at Tessuti's on the 8th and sewed them all up in the morning. I hadn't hemmed them though which is why they haven't had their photo taken until now.

Here is the version in Paprika Bengaline along with a previously sewn Cate top. Excuse the wrinkles - they have been out in the car and shopping.

Alright - alright - they are orange - but if StyleArc can call it Paprika then so can I!!

I had originally put them on with the spice coloured Michelle tunic but thought that it was much too much orange for one person in one outfit at one time. Am I finally learning restraint??? God I hope not.

Here is a hanger shot of Mint and Red..

I have also sewn (but not completed yet) a lime green adaption of the barb to be a more Capri length.

So - am I on trend with my bright coloured pants - or am I several leaps and bounds behind the herd?  ......... I am not that worried about trend - I just love my bright pants.

The style is something I wear a lot for business and purchase at Ezibuy but these are the colours available -

Oh joy - so colourful - not. They cost $50 per pair or 2 for $89. Now the cost of StyleArc Bengaline and my size makes it a little cheaper to make ($32) but not a massive amount- but oh the colours when you make them yourself!!!!

My cocoa coloured ones were Bengaline from the The Remnants Warehouse and ended up only costing $14 to make as their Bengaline is sooo much cheaper - a little thinner - but still good - but I love the colours of the StyleArc ones.

BTW - I just purchased a whole lot of Aubergine coloured Bengaline from StyleArc and sooo want to make another pair of Barbs but the colour is just so gorgeous I might make a work suit. Egad - that means jacket and skirt.

I am not putting these forward as my March garment for MAGAM - still hoping to get something "new to me" done.

Next up is my lime coloured capris and a lime coloured caftan top (maybe too much lime??)

What is on your sewing table?