Thursday 17 July 2008

Pattern tracing

In the past I have never traced any of my patterns but just recently, after reading many different blogs, I have found that lots of people trace their patterns and keep the original pattern without mutilating it in any way. As I have said many times I really do mutilate my patterns and I have made lots and lots of mistakes while trying to alter them. Now as I am a follower and not a leader I decided I would trace my patterns from now on, believe me when I say how smug I feel knowing that my original pattern is still intact after I have made a mistake on my copy, then if I have mutilated my copy I can always trace another copy until I get my alterations right.
That said, I got out my my pattern paper, cellotape, pencil and the original pattern, to begin..... the pattern paper that I use is thick, white paper..... plain on one side, dots and crosses on the other an inch apart........ it is nice sturdy paper for patterns...... nice and sturdy it might be but very opaque, so much so I couldn't see my pattern markings to trace them. I tried and tried but I was giving myself a headache trying to see the damned things, so I put it down for the night to have a think about it and this is what I came up with the next morning.....
I taped my pattern to the pattern paper then taped everything to the window and hey presto I could see my pattern perfectly underneath......I just had to trace around it with a pencil.....this isn't my idea, cardmakers use this method to trace patterns, I just adapted their idea.
Another little tip I have picked up along the way.....those little glue pens are much better to use than cellotape for altering patterns.

Saturday 12 July 2008

Finished.......at last

I like these trousers and the colour is very versatile, especially for warm days and I can wear my pumps or my strappy sandals......the only thing that is wrong with them, they are going to crease easily as they are a cotton and linen mix.
Onwards and upwards, hopefully.......I need to use my coverstitch machine, so maybe some knitted fabric tops.
This top I made last year goes lovely with these trousers....this is also Vogue 7063. I have a lot of alterations to do to my patterns, as I have mentioned before, so I have to make them out of various fabrics and make them last because it is such a laborious task to alter them. this top is made out of a polyester chiffon with ties at the back, just for a change. I made a camisole to go underneath...the nearest colour I could get to go underneath was a lining fabric, it matched perfectly.

This is the top I made a couple of weeks ago....yes I thought it would go with these trousers and I think it does. This top is Vogue 7935.

Here are the trousers worn with a white linen blouse ( Vogue 7063 )...... it looks nothing like the pattern, I just did my own thing as usual. I made this top about 3 years ago and it washes beautifully.....I love good quality fine linen....I also have a beige one I made after I made this one and they come out every summer.




This is the lining of the waistband being applied.....this is the nearest colour to my fabric that I could get at my local store, next time I do this technique I will use a colour nearer to my fabric and also a better quality.......I would probably have to order from the internet.