FESA2014 plans: 3. Fabulous Frocks and 4. Underneath it All

Sarah says Fabulous Frocks includes "Dresses of all styles; mini, midi, or long! Keep yourself warm in your modish designs, layering with tights and boots!'

I am not confident about making a dress. However, I was talking with a friend about it recently and as we were chatting, realised that I can make a skirt and I can make a top. Masking a dress is just taking those two and joining them together - okay not quite, but if I do make myself a dress it will probably be along those lines.

Underneath it All: " When you're spending months covered from the neck down, a glamorous underpinning of your choice adds a secret, luxurious touch that chases the cold away!"

I am not planning anything very exciting for this section. One day I would like to learn how to make my own bras, but I think I need a lot more experience first. My FESA make for this will be a simple slip to wear under some of my skirts.

I might need to buy some fabric for the slip, but here are some of the fabrics in my stash that I am going to play with for this sew-along

FESA2014 plans: 2. Chic Chemises for Cool Climates

For this category in FESA, Sarah says "Blouses, tops, vests, cardigans, and sweaters! These wardrobe essentials can carry you from day to night, not to mention provide necessary layering to keep out the chill."

So my plans are:

1. Vest/tank top - already a knitting WiP. I started this in the summer with the aim of it being a sleeveless top to wear in the summer and a layer to wear over a polo neck or shirt in the cooler weather. I have the back knitted and a few rows of the front. With no sleeves it shouldn't take long to finish it off so I can wear it.

2. A long-sleeved top. I have sewn nearly three kimono-style tops this summer (since it has cooled down I seem to have abandoned the partly made one, but I really ought to finish it off.

  

The first two kimono-style tops

I want to try to modify this to give it long sleeves and to be less spacious, so the winter draughts can't creep in too easily.

3. Another WiP to finish off. I have a lacy-cable jumper that I've been knitting on and off for at least a couple of years now (possibly longer but I've not checked back to see if I noted when I actually started it). I have the back knitted and have cast on for the front but not got very far with it. So I am picking this one out of my knitting WiPs to try to get finished.

I think three items is enough to have in a category. If I have time, I will try to finish off some of my other knitting WiPs that come under the FESA categories.

FESA2014 plans: 1. Fashionable Foundations for Frosty Weather

If I wait until I have the time, energy and organisation to write about all my plans for FESA, it will be next year's sew-along before I get around to it, so I have decided to break it down into smaller blogbites.

So my ideas for Fashionable Foundations, which Sarah explains is: Trousers, skirts, legwarmers and more! Anything that keeps your lower portion fashionably cozy fits perfectly here! The chilly weather necessitates the donning of bifurcated bottoms and sassy skirts!

1. A skirt. Specifically, I would like to make myself a circle skirt, and I have some lovely purple fabric for the purpose. By Hand London have even created an app that will do all the maths for me. They also have a couple of tutorials that will be very helpful for making this.

2. Wide-legged trousers. I made myself some cropped trousers (please excuse the bad photo) last month - just in time for the weather to cool down, so I abandoned my plans to make a second with pair until it gets warmer again next year.

I'm thinking something similar to these, but with full-length legs and better hemming. Possibly switching the drawstring waist with elastic.

3. If the trousers are successful, and I have enough time, I might make a second pair.

I'll be back with plans for the other categories. Are you joining in the sew-along? What are you planning to make?

Joining in a sew-along

I once joined in a knit-along (KAL). The aim was to knit a pair of socks to a theme provided each month. I did January and February, then trailed off in March to focus on other knitting projects that were more exciting, or had a gift-giving occasion deadline.

I started this year with the aim of knitting myself a pair of socks a month. I'm about to turn the heel on the first of my May socks, so that's an improvement of sorts! February was my best month. I not only knitted myself a pair of socks, but also knitted two pairs for gifts.

Anyway, that's slightly (but not completely) off the topic for this post.

I have decided to join in this year's Fall Essentials Sew-Along (it is called a sew-along, but knitters and other crafty types are also included), hosted by the lovely Sarah at Rhinestones and Telephones and the lovely Lisette at What Would Nancy Drew Wear? - As an aside, aren't those both fantastic blog names? Mine is so boring *pouts*

The aim: Stock your wardrobe with quality pieces that you will wear again and again.
The time: 1 September to 30 November

There are seven categories but no requirement to create something for each one.

1. Fashionable Foundations for Frosty Weather 
2. Chic Chemises for Cool Climates
3. Fabulous Frocks
4. Underneath it all
5. Tender Tootsies
6. Those Cozy Nights
7. Baby It's Cold Outside

Details of what the categories involve and inspirational pictures can be seen here and here (knitted underwear anyone?).

I am intending to incorporate my pair of socks a month into the Tender Tootsies category, so have cast on the first sock for my September pair (let's ignore the rest of May, June, July and August for now). I will come back with some ideas for the other categories soon.

Anyone else tempted to join in?

A new problem

Those of you who know me well (and possibly people who know me a little) will know how I frequently want to knit ALL the things and cast them on right now.

Now I also want to sew ALL the things right now!

15 things I have learnt since I started my new adventures in sewing

1. Sewing draws more blood than knitting
2. Measure and measure again
3. It is possible to mislay three stitch rippers in 24 hours (one still missing)
4. Do not sew the fabric over the bit the back of the zip needs to glide over
5. It matters which way round you put the bobbin in the bobbin case
6. My husband is unable to resist pushing pins further into a pin cushion
7. Measuring fabric on your lap is generally not very accurate
8. It is a good idea to take your foot off the pedal when you have stopped the sewing machine, rather than resting it on it
9. You need to be careful when cutting off loose ends not to snip the fabric
10. If I am going to make a habit of laying fabric out on the floor to measure and/or cut I ought to vacuum said floor more often
11. Sewing has just as much potential as knitting to keep me up late while I "just do this bit" before I go to bed
12. Sewing is not as scary as I thought it was
13. Carefully handstitching a hem is quite calming and relaxing
14. Despite my newly discovered love for sewing, I have not lost one speck of my love for knitting
15. Pins like to go exploring. That is the only way I can account for finding one in the fridge.

New adventures in sewing

I decided it was time to get over my fear of my sewing machine and make friends with it. I have owned a sewing machine for years and have intended to sew myself some clothes for a lot of that time. I have made a few items of clothing in the past. As a child various items for my Sindy doll - then at school all the girls made a wraparound skirt when we were 11/12. There's also a gingham apron I made myself at some point. I didn't enjoy sewing lessons as much at high school - I remember sewing a blouse but I don't think it was ever finished.

In my first term away as a student, I made myself a skirt. I got the pattern from a magazine - it was a long skirt, with six panels and pockets in each side. I bought some blue fabric, thread and elastic at Oxford market and spent the autumn/winter evenings sitting in my bedroom at my lodgings sewing it. I had no sewing machine back then, so the whole thing was handsewn.

That was 25 years ago and that was the last item of clothing I successfully made myself. There was another attempt at a blouse in the early 1990s (again handsewn) but that was a failure and unfinished. The shop I bought the fabric from also sold other sewing items and I moved onto sewing tapestry and then counted cross stitch (some of which I still unfinished).

In more recent years, although I've been sewing my hexagon quilt, I've mostly concentrated on knitting. I have however, not forgotten my plans to sew and have read lots of sewing blogs for inspiration and have built up quite a fabric stash ready for when I got around to it.

So last Sunday I took the plunge. I knew I wanted to make a skirt and it would be similar to the skirt I made 25 years ago with panels. This time I wanted to alternate the panels. I picked out some fabric for it a few weeks ago and last Sunday I picked up the scissors and started cutting.

Then I put down the scissors and found my cutting wheel, which was much more efficient.

The end result would not win me any awards on Great British Sewing Bee - in fact, I'd probably get sent home when the judges had recovered from their horror at my wonky seams and haphazard techniques. But I wore it for an evening, danced it in and it did not fall apart - so I'm happy with it.