A VERY late post for a garment a month: July - the Ella Top

First up I should say that this post has been written since the 31st of July. I have just been too busy to get onto a computer and post it (don't get me started on the challenges of blogging on a mobile device...)

There hasn't been too much sewing going on at Casa Moobird recently. First off, it has been school holidays and we all went over to Western Australia for a much needed break. If you haven't been I highly recommend it. We all came home tanned and with a twinkle in our eyes. Ms Moo also came home with pink hair.

Then various work commitments have kept us all busy. However, knowing that July was going to be a crazy month, I chose a pattern that I thought would be reasonably quick. It was and I just managed to squeak in for the month (even though I was a bit tardy blogging about it)! I taped the pattern together and cut it out one night whilst watching tv and pieced it in a few hours the next night. I do love a fast sew!

Ta da! The finished top. Still havent mastered the art of a decent selfie. There needs to be a "selfie for bloggers"tutorial!

I thought the Ella top by Liola Patterns was a great pattern. Like the Sutton Blouse I made last month, the Ella looks just as good on the inside as the outside. 

Just as pretty on the inside. The internal finishes give me a great deal of satisfaction

It also has a pretty nifty construction where you bind the neck / armholes before it is completely assembled. It certainly made attaching the binding easier. I find that when the binding is attached to a completed neckline it is much harder to attach and it is harder to avoid puckers. 

This version was truly a scrap buster. I used the left over backing from my Sea Star quilt with a scrap of chambray from my Alder skirt. 

I really love the look of the contrasting yoke and the definition that little piece of chambray gives. 

So quibbles... Based on my measurements I made an XL and the neck binding wasn't long enough based on the pattern piece. Since I was using leftover fabric I didn't have enough to make a longer piece to had to sew a bit on the end. Not major since the binding is in the inside, but a bit of a pain.  

Also the way the top is constructed does result in a few bulky seams. To be fair, the pattern recommends lightweight fabric and I used quilting cotton, but some of those seams were hard core. I broke two needles finishing it off! 

These minor issues aside, I'd make it again, but maybe in a voile or lawn to combat the chunky seam phenomenon. I am keen to try out different fabric combos - with the yoke and binding there are so many fun options for putting your own personal touch on it. 

This is a finish from my Q3 FAL List. 

A finish: Wee Wander Roly Poly

I bought a bundle of Wee Wander probably close to a year ago to make a birthday quilt for my eldest niece. I made quite a decent dent in most of the prints, but I didn't touch either of the panel pieces. They were just lovely and it seemed criminal to cut them up, yet I couldn't quite get my head around what to make with them.

Fast forward to now, and here is Wee Wander Roly Poly in blue.

The fat quarter panel easily fit in the front piece of the pattern (I made a 2T). I used chambray for the exterior side pieces and a cute Lisette green and blue check print for the lining. 

The pattern was a pretty easy make. I was hampered a bit by my inability to read a pattern the whole way through but I still managed to sew up the whole thing in one night. 

Someone mentioned on Instagram using their blind stitch foot to get even top stitching, so I used that which was a great help (thanks for the tip, whoever you are!). 

And here are some shots of my Ms Bird "modelling". Anyone with kids knows how impossible this sort of task is - especially when you want to keep the clothes clean so you can't bribe with food. 

Perfect for conquering the playground

Next up is a pink one for my eldest. 

Linking up for my February ALYoF goal. There's a button in m side bar if you want to play along.

2015 Sewing Goals

The middle of 2015 will mark two years since I first dipped my toes in the great sewing pond.

That first year was all about just jumping in and getting my feet wet (you'll have to excuse all the water references, it is hot and I have swimming on the brain). I made some little girl dresses and a dolly for Miss Moo which was to be her baby to stop her feeling left out when Miss Bird came along. I made a baby quilt for Miss Bird with some charms of Kate Spain's Cuzco (using the fab tutorial from Amy at Diary of a Quilter) and bam! I was hooked. Then I discovered blogs and Instagram and a whole new world opened up to me. 

This last year has been about trying new things. I was ridiculously ambitious in some of my project choices and had to park them for a while, but I have learnt so much from both blogs / tutorials and excellently written patterns.

(Case in point #1: The StudioCherie Travel Duffel  - never made a bag before? No problem! Um.... problem. I found this so hard I had to park it for 12 months while I got some sewing experience under my belt. But now, man I LOVE this bag. And I should say that when I pulled all the pieces out and finally made it, it was pretty straight forward. The problem was my experience, not the pattern).

 

(Case in point #2: My Noodlehead Super Tote - This pattern was great, like all Noodlehead patterns in my opinion, but my sewing machine died and I HAD to have it made before I went back to work from mat leave. Yes, I wanted a swanky handmade bag to lug my work gear around in. It had to have a pieced pocket. I hired a machine and finished it the night before. Talk about doing things the hard way!)

And then I discovered "social sewing" - swaps, bees and such. So. Much. Fun!!

(The mini I made my partner for the Schnitzel & Boo Mini Quilt swap Round 2)


So what are my aims for 2015?

1. Try FMQ - I now have a machine capable of doing it. No more excuses
2. Blog! 
3. Learn how to take good quilt photos. Dimly lit 11PM ones just don't cut it. 
4. Sew some clothes - my goal is one garment per month. I think that is achievable
5. Finish some of my mountain load of WIPs
6. Be more realistic about how much time I have and being ok with spending it making stuff for myself. I am currently in three swaps, a handmade birthday club and a bee - it can get a bit much with work / family commitments. I love making things for other people but if I spend all my teeny bit of sewing time doing that then I will never accomplish 4. and 5 - there were times last year which were a bit crazy and I am going to try to avoid that this year. 

What are your sewing goals this year?