Tasha Sews

Pattern Review - Vogue 8645 Dress To continue with the instant gratification rush that I seem to be on, I whipped up this  Very Easy Vogue Dress . I bought this polka dot satin in Morocco last August and instantly knew that this was the pattern that I wanted to make and added it to my wishlist. I stubbornly waited until Vogue patterns were on sale just before Christmas before purchasing the pattern.  Close up of the gorgeous satin This dress was incredibly simple to make - so it really is a 'Very Easy' pattern, even for a Vogue. There are no darts, zips or elastic casing etc. so it would be perfect for a beginner. Because it is a loose pullover dress there are no fitting issues. I cut a 14 and sewed it straight out of the envelope with no alterations. Initially I was going to french seam this, but as it was lined I didn't bother. However I did go the extra mile and hand sewed an invisible hem.  Although I did make the tie belt, I really like t...

Pattern Review - Simplicity 1884 Looks as though I am still on an instant gratification rush. I cut this top  out last week and finished it on Monday night in time for my birthday celebrations on Tuesday. This pattern was very simple. It consists of 5 pieces and fitting is very simple, I sewed this straight out of the envelope, cutting a medium (size 14-16).  The fabric is a lovely silky satin that was a present from my godmother when visiting France last May. It  is quite slippery and live, which probably added a little bit of extra time to the construction process, as did the french seams. I finished the hem and armholes with bias binding. I used sew in interfacing for the collar as I had run out of iron-on and am having a stash-busting January. However, I think that this works really well with the floatiness of the fabric and stops the collar being too stiff.  I think that I prefer this tucked in? Or maybe I like that this top looks nice...

Pattern Review - New Look 6933 I cut this out before Christmas and managed to finish it this weekend. I have made this pattern before as a dress . However, I decided try it out as a top. This time I omitted the pleats in the skirt. I like it without the pleats but the downside is that it is a bit big around the waist and tight around the hips.  Front View The fabric is from my stash and was purchased years ago from Shepherd's Bush market. I lined and underlined the top with red lining that I had in my stash from Fabricland.  Back View  As you can see it gapes slightly at the back and the front. I think that I could probably get away with cutting a 12 rather than a 14, but I was initially worried that there wouldn't be enough room in the bust.  Side View Overall I am a bit disappointed with the fit, but considering I already had all of the fabric and pattern in my stash I don't really feel as though I have lost anything and ...

Simplicity 2690 After needing a quick fix, I decided to go with an easy top that I could whip up in a few hours. Obviously, this didn't go exactly to plan... For some ridiculous reason I read the reviews on Pattern Review after I cut out the top, and a couple of people mentioned that the front bodice is cut a little small if you are larger than a C cup in the bust. I ummed and ahhed for a while and then decided to re-cut the front bodice and modesty panel adding 2". To make the pattern fit I graded the bodice pieces from the same length as the back bodice at the sides. So the shape of the empire line seam is more of a W than an upside down V. On the plus side - the fit is perfect. I guess that the only change that I would make would be to possibly make the sleeve depth shorter as it is quite deep and there is a slight risk of it not being bra friendly. I was worried that the empire line elastic and gathering would bulk at the tummy, but it's fine. ...

Pattern Review - Vogue 1189 Yay! I have finally finished this dress. After much blood sweat and tears over the plait it finally all came together.  If anyone has read these reviews, you will know that doing the plait is a mission, and extremely time consuming. However, this dress has hardly any reviews on Pattern Review, which I am really surprised about - as soon as this pattern came out a couple of years ago I picked it up asap and knew instantly that I wanted to make it with black jersey. I picked up this black jersey from Simply Fabrics for £2/metre. It has a lovely sheen on the right side, and is really easy to work with. Sorry - Southbank Centre doesn't have the best light I love the pockets on this dress! This is the first time I have made pockets where it is topstitched to the skirt front. I think that it works really well. It also makes the dress amazingly comfortable. The only things that I changed were to omit the topstitching on the elastic on the c...

So I am no longer a curtain virgin! For some reason I was stressing that it would be really complicated. (probably because I didn't have a pattern to fall back on) But once I had figured out the measurements required it was really easy. I didn't tack or baste anything, just pinned and sewed. The lighting in our living room is not the best, but here are some pictures anyway:-  The fabric is a heavy satin upholstery fabric, purchased from Simply Fabrics in Brixton for £6/metre. I lined the curtains with some kind of heavy cotton polyester mix for £2. These curtains definitely help to keep out some of the draft that comes in through the large bay window. When these curtains are drawn and our log fire is going, the living room is so cosy! Couldn't resist a tourist shot Other sewing news is that my machine is poorly. So it's being repaired this week. Something is catching around the bobbin area and it causes everything to get jammed. It's ...

  New Look Patterns!   I have been a bit absent of late. This is partly because I have been away with work, but mostly because I took a sad trip to Wadderville.   But anyway, at least I have some new patterns (thanks to the New Look sale which meant these were all £2.95 each!) to soothe my wadder woes...     New Look 6122     I would make this pattern as a cute halter top - not a dress. I would like to maybe make view A as a cute top too.     New Look Pattern 6122       Who doesn't love a fun maxi dress - I think that the shorter version is nice too, but I would have to make sure that it doesn't bunch too much at the tummy, especially as this pattern is drafted for a knit rather than a woven.     New Look 6782   Nothing very exciting here - just some standard wardrobe building.     New Look 6123     I have seen lovely reviews of ...