Tasha Sews

So I have a confession to make.... After being so good at the start of the year at using up my stash I have let loose and bought some exciting fabrics. Let's start with the fun stuff from my trip to Asia. I was in Kuala Lumpur with work, so although I didn't get to explore too much whilst I was there I did spend my free day visiting the textile and craft museum and doing a tour of the fabric district. For those of you that can pop to Malaysia to do a spot of shopping it's reminiscent of the area in the Sacré Cœur and is based in the 'Indian' quarter. There is the large fabric shop called Jakel and lots of smaller fabric shops around it and in the market.   Let's start with the traditional Malaysian batik fabrics. I am going to make a simple summer top with this print that I picked up from the textile and craft museum:- I visited Jakel - the biggest fabric shop in KL. It's 5 floors, similar in size to Marche Saint Pierre in Paris. They had...

Pattern Review: Kwik Sew 3844 I know that I have blogged and sewn this pattern 3 times, but it's such a good way to use up fabric remnants. Plus I love this pattern! Seeing as I have mentioned all there is to know about this pattern here and here  I will keep this post short and sweet. The leopard print jersey was again purchased from Brixton during a sewing group fabric shop outing. This time from Simply Fabrics, priced at £2 per metre. As per my previous tank, I french seamed this bad boy for a neater finish on the inside.  As you can see the back is cut out in a contrast black jersey. This was a malfunction on my part. I am actually using the leopard print fabric to make a skirt as part of a sewing group sew-a-long. However, after I cut everything out I realised I had only cut two yoke panels instead of four. So I sacrificed the back of the tank for the yoke panels and re-cut it using some black jersey from my stash. I think that it worked out even bette...

Pattern Review - Vogue 8667 I can't believe that it has been a month already since my last post - I always forget how short February is! So for anyone who read my last post , you will notice that my March garment has changed.  We have a big conference coming up at work and my wardrobe doesn't contain many smart work clothes so I opted for Vogue 8667 . I have made this before, (blogged about here ) so decided that it would be an easy sew before I travel.  This fabric was purchased from a stall in Brixton Market on a fabric shopping trip with my sewing group. The fabric only cost £3.30 per metre, so was an absolute bargain. It sewed up really well, but did fray a fair amount, despite finishing this a week ago I am still finding bits of the fabric around the whole flat! I opted for the a sheath style this time and went with view D. There was nothing hard about this, although I spent a fair amount on the fit. I cut a size 14 on the bodice added some length to...

I have been super keen with my February Garment and finished this at the beginning of the month. As mentioned in my last post, I opted to try out a sheath dress and created this wearable muslin using Simplicity 2146 . There is not much to say about this, it came together very quickly. I pinned and basted all of the 5 pieces together and sewed them all at the same time. I cut a size 14 and tapered it in underneath the bust and around the waist. Looking back on this I definitely should have graded the hips out to a 16 as it is crazy tight across my hips. Truth be told this doesn't make it the comfiest dress and I pretty much have to hitch it up to be able to sit down or bend over.  However I am glad that I made this dress. It was a learning curve as to what my figure can get away with. If I were to make this again I would think more closely about my fabric choice, (fine though as this was a wearable muslin). I also think that my curves need some more shaping and inte...

Pattern Review: New Look 6123 I am pleased to say that I have finally finished New Look 6123  after this when on hold in 2013 due to sewing machine issues. This dress came together really easily and am delighted with the result.  The fabric is a wine coloured ponte knit that I picked up from Ridley Road Market in Dalston, priced at £6 per metre. The fabric was a delight to work with as it is sturdier and thicker than jersey.  I had to take in a fair amount in at the back towards the neckline, but other than that I pretty much sewed this out of the envelope. I am sure that this is because I was working with a stretch fabric. I cut a size smaller than usual and relied on the negative ease to do the rest of the work.  To be honest, if I cut this out in a woven I have no doubt that I would be plagued by fit problems, such as grading in at the waist, out at the hips and dealing with the wrap bodice. I am pleased to say that although the V neck is a...

I know I am super late with this kind of post, but I thought that it would be really important for me to do this process. This is one of the reasons I decided to create a blog, so that I can look back and reference what I have made. One of the great things that I can see is that my sewing has definitely improved over the year. At the beginning of 2013 I resolved to do a couple of things, for example to make more muslins, to really take time over fit and matching seams etc and I think that this is apparent in my finished garments. Anyway here are my best and worst of 2013. Click on the pattern names to link through to the relevant blog post. Best/Most Worn Kwik Sew 3844 This has to be one of my most worn items that I have sewn. I wear it to work, out in the day and also dress it with heels if I am heading out in the evening. The pattern itself is just a standard tank, but I think that my fabric choice for this top is what makes it such a versatile piece in my ward...

Pattern Review: McCalls 6695 Hello and Happy New Year everyone.  I had a lovely festive holiday spent with family here in the UK and with my godparents in France.  I did finish this dress before the 1st Jan but was without internet in France so this post is a bit late. Not that this is anything new! I celebrated my birthday 10 days early and had a joint birthday celebration with some friends yesterday. It was great fun and I had made this dress for the occasion, although I decided to go a bit more casual on the night and ended up wearing a top and jeans. Anyway here is the review of the party dress. The pattern is McCalls 6695.  Both the pattern and the fabric have been in my stash for ages, and I just needed the right excuse to make the dress. Initially I was worried that all of the pleats around the waist and hips would make me look large, but I think that it is fine. Surprisingly, there are not many reviews on Pattern Review for this dress, so I di...