I’ll be back with more exciting projects as soon as my workload is under control.

Thanks for stopping by!

To answer the question, the answer is no, this is not a new length for me, but the fun thing about this question is that it got me thinking about hemlines. What is a good skirt length for me? And what is a good skirt length for others? I went through my closet, and pulled out some skirts I have made the last couple of years to see if there were any similarities in lenghts:

I have taken a pic of all skirts wearing the same top, tights and shoes, just to make it easier to compare the lengths.

The results are inconclusive. I seem to wear all kinds of lengths! Although most of my skirts are “around knee”, I have some that are shorter as well, for instance, I have made Burda 8237  three or four times, so shorter lengths attract me as well as longer. The funny thing is that a lot of the skirts I make come out shorter than I intend. I am ten centimeters taller than the average height that the pattern companies uses, and so I really should add at least ten centimeters when I make skirts, but I end up adding too little, and most of my skirts thus become shorter than I plan for them to be.

I love pencil skirts that has a mid-calf hem line, but I never seem to manage to make one for myself. Actually, taking these pictures of myself, made me aware that I think that my skirts are longer then they in reality are! Both of the Vi 3324 patterns for instance, are intended to be tea-length. Yeah, right. They are both obviously ending just below knee. The same goes for Burda 02-2011-107 too. I was supposed to make it below knee, but there was too little fabric. Note to self: If I want a skirt to be both high-waisted and mid- calf, I need 90 cm of fabric, not 60 as I in my imagination think I need…

It´s funny that a seemingly insignificant detail of a garment like the length can cause such a stir. I mean, how many other parts of a garment have been affected by the stock market?  Some women are very specific about their hemlines, I have friends who only have a small flexibility between just below knee and mid-thigh, others never go above knee, then there are even those who never wears anything but maxi skirts. Fascinating.

With all that said, I fuss very little about the length of my skirts. I seem to wear whatever length. I am aware of that having those extra ten centimeters makes more hemlines available for me than for others. And so to my next point.

I try to sew for others as often as I can, but most of my friends and family live far away, so fitting becomes difficult. And since I know that hemline placement is an issue for others, it´s tricky to know how the length of a garment will look on that person. I know that there are some opinions out there that say that shorter women should stick to knee- or above knee length. What do you think, are there any general rules of what is flattering on women of different heights and shapes, do you think, or is it a individual thing, depending purely on the tastes of the specific woman? I´d love to hear you opinion on this, and also what your favorite skirt lengths are!

I for one, will try and make at least one mid-calf pencil skirt this year!

Today I present to you the first installment in my new segment Fun!. If you are interested in joining in on the fun, you are more than welcome, just grab the code below, paste it in one of your sidebars,  leave a comment about it here, and off you go. I´d love it if you´d tell me if you are joining me, the more the merrier!

<a href=”http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2012/01/fun/”><img src=”http://solvi.se/delfinelise/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/fun_button.jpg” alt=”" /></a>

This dress was made on a whim last autumn, but I haven´t actually begun to wear it much until now.

The inspiration for this dress is a combination of two things. I really wanted to make a navy dress with lace inspired by this incredible dress that Zoe made, and I thrifted the lace for this dress (it´s really a table cloth) ages ago. My second reason for making this was a longing for clothing with no waist definition. Now, don´t get me wrong, I love high- waistedness, thoroughly documented here, here, here and here, but after a summer of wearing mostly waist-clinching garments, I longed for something that was a bit more relaxed.

Personally, I believe that the main reason for the fashion change from the fifties to the sixties, was women who wanted more breathing space!

Well, here you have it, my review of this pattern, it is yet another BurdaStyle pattern, the only obvious change I made was to skip the sleeves.

BurdaStyle Magazine 01-2010-130 Shift Dress

Pattern size: European 36-44

Avaliability: BurdaStyle Magazine and BurdaStyle.com

Pattern Description: Cap Sleeve Shift Dress

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Apart from the fact that I omitted the sleeves, yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I didn´t follow the instructions much (although I probably should have), but what I used was quite clear.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really like the simplicity of the pattern. A really classic style, that can be used for lots of different styles.

Fabric Used: I used a heavy cotton sateen with quite an amount of stretch, not entirely suitable for this style. I wouldn´t recommend this fabric for this type of dress – try either something really stiff and heavy for a boxy effect, or something with a better drape for a softer shape.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I omitted the sleeves, as I didn´t want it for my version, I made an FBA on the bust darts, and because my fabric is stretchy, I omitted the back zipper.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I might make it again, perhaps with the sleeves, and I would recommend it to others.

Conclusion: A really simplistic design, and a nice shape for a shift dress. A good pattern!

Hope you´ll like it!

Oh, and if you find any bugs, don´t hesitate to tell me about them!

Since I spent most of my sparetime yesterday cutting fabric, I was curious if anyone else does that too? Cut fabric for more than one project at a time, that is?

Yesterday I cut out six projects, two dresses, two skirts, and two shirts for my darling.

I think it´s a good way of saving time, as my dining room table gets to step in and play the role as cutting table, I like it to not be covered in fabric all the time. I also find that it´s easier to begin a new project if it´s already cut and ready.

How about you? Are you one of the lucky one´s with a designated cutting space, or are you stuck with similar solutions to mine? I´d love to know!

The last couple of years, I have been focusing on putting together a thought-through and balanced wardrobe, but this year, in 2012 I am going for the fun!

As I now have a closet full of practical everyday wear, I want to focus more on unique clothing, and on evening wear. Updressed casual daytime clothing is where I excel, but I´d like to not have to rummage my closets in panic each time I´m going to a party or I´m going out for drinks. I usually end up in black, and although I love black, it´s not really representative for me to always wear black – I love color too!

So here are the colors of my Fun!-palette. These colors are bright and fun, and I love to wear them. The emerald-ish green color represents everything green in my plans. I have a couple of different fabrics in a range of greens and teal, and I want to wear more of them! I used to wear red all the time. But as my wardrobe is slowly changing into a handmade one, the red didn´t come along! This has a lot to do with the fact that I´ve had such a hard time finding red fabric, so when I´ve finally found some, I have been excused from my Stash Bustin´and have bought a couple of meters. The navy blue and the eggshell white are both staples in my wardrobe, and the coral is so fresh and spring-y. I have one particular coral colored fabric that I´ve been wanting to use for ages! This is the time for it!

When it comes down to picking patterns, that will be more difficult (yet Fun!), because there are so many gorgeous ones to choose from, and I really want to explore unique styles and techniques. One guideline will be Sewing trough the Decades as I still love to explore patterns from different eras and styles.

So there you have it, I am going to have some fun this year! Hope you will too!

]]> http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2012/01/fun/feed/ 17 http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2011/12/how-do-you-use-online-sewing-resources/ http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2011/12/how-do-you-use-online-sewing-resources/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:20:32 +0000 Sølvi http://solvi.se/delfinelise/?p=1298 Hi everyone, and a belated happy holiday to you all!

I was having a Twitter conversation with the darling Sarah, asking for advice on an online forum for sewing, similar to what Ravelry is for knitters and crocheters. She came up with some great suggestions, like My Sewing Circle, and the forums at The Sew Weekly and The Coletterie.

A more traditional approach to learning a craft (Source).

My absolute favorite function on Ravelry however, is the advanced pattern search. I use it all the time, and it´s sooo convenient.  All the big knitting and crochet pattern companies and designers are represented, as well as indie designers and yarn distributors. The patterns search options are endless, and you can filter as much or as little as you´d like.

Imagine having this type of feature for sewing? Where you could for example enter fabric, yardage and garment type, and add specific design details, then hit search. And up comes all alternatives from both big and small pattern companies and other members projects. Wouldn´t that be fantastic?

The online sewing resource I use the absolute most is Pattern Review. It might seem a little overwhelming at first, as it has so many different functions, but I like the fact that I can go there and see what other people have made with the pattern I´m considering and what their experiences were. From time to time, the community at BurdaStyle can give similar help, but in my experience, the reviews aren´t as thorough as those at PR. I also use Pinterest as a place to keep all the tutorials I stumble across on blogs and web pages.

Now, onto the actual topic. How do you guys make use of online sewing resources? I know I have my way of searching, but we all work differently, and I´d love to learn about how you use the Internets for this. Do you have any other sources you could recommend? Are you satisfied with what is available, or are there any other search methods or resources you are missing in the sewing community?

Have a happy New Year celebration!

You know I love Burda Magazines, right? Imagine my delight when I discovered a 1961 issue on Swedish ebay! I knew I just had to have it, and to my surprise, nobody else was bidding on it, so I won it! Yay! Not only did I win that lovely issue, I won another pattern magazine, a Finnish mag called Beyers, from 1956. Oh the joy!

Both magazines are complete with instructions and pattern sheets, and I can only begin to imagine all the wonderful things I can make from these. I´ve taken some pictures so you can enjoy some lovely mid-century fashion as well!

(Click on the photo for a larger view)

Oh, and to Sicilians, Scandinavians and others who celebrate it, I hope you had a good St.Lucy celebration today! 

]]> http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2011/12/christmas-came-early-this-year/feed/ 9 http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2011/12/fall-essentials-sew-along-the-summary/ http://solvi.se/delfinelise/2011/12/fall-essentials-sew-along-the-summary/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:28:07 +0000 Sølvi http://solvi.se/delfinelise/?p=1279 Although I haven´t made everything I planned on making, and even if I have made some changes, I feel that I have completed the Fall Essential Sew Along. It´s been so much fun to see what everyone have been doing over at the Flickr group, and reading all the blog posts! I love these types of sew-alongs, where we all just cheer each other, and everyone can sew in their own tempo. It fits my schedule perfectly, as I have some of spare time in certain times of the year, and zero in other.

Just to refresh your memories, dear readers, this is what my original FESA- plan looked like:

Now, I made some changes during the fall, and you can read all about my different choices here.

I ended up not using the houndstooth fabric and one of the dress patterns. I do plan on using both the gorgeous fabric and the pattern, but I´ve decided that fabric and pattern didn´t work together that well. I want to make a little outfit with a skirt and jacket out of the houndstooth fabric, and I am itching to make a red dress pretty much like the one on the cover of Simplicity 7766, but I don´t have an appropriate fabric in my stash, so I´ll have to go hunting for one, if I´m going to be able to make it.

Out of all the items I made, the BurdaStyle dress is the one item I´ve used the most. I wear it all the time! I work from home a couple of days of the week, and there isn´t much that can compare in comfiness to a knit dress, warm tights and a cardigan! The yellow shirt is what have gotten the least wear, I´m not quite sure why, but I´ve been in a casual dressing mood of late, and silk shirts doesn´t really fit into that category. I am sure I´ll get more use for it when I change into another, more up-dressed mood.

Here you have them, all of my FESA- items in one collage:

As you see, I´ve added my Tabby Tam as well, as I thought it fitted into the color scheme rather well. It´s been great fun sewing and knitting this autumn, and a big thanks to Ali, Sarah and Alessa for arranging the Sew-Along!

If you are participating in this or other challenges, how are you doing? Have you been making any changes in your plans?

Happy sewing!

What I have been most occupied with though, is knitting. I have made a meter of a Doctor Who scarf for my darling, I´ve finished knitting Wisdom (it still needs assembling), I´ve cast on a new cardigan and a pair of lace gloves. And so today I’m sharing some recent knitting projects that are actually finished, the Woodland Cowl (Ravelry link) and the Tabby Tam. Both are great, well- written projects and the patterns are free!

This is the Tabby Tam and it is a design by Asami Kawa, published in The Fibertarian, and avaliable here. It´s a cable knit pattern, which makes it look a bit complicated, but if you´re familiar with cables, it really is quite easy! I made it out of what was left of the contrasting color from Wisdom, Rowan Felted Tweed in colorway 154 (although I had to buy another skein to finish it).

This is the back view, I really find the design quite striking, such a lovely way of utilizing the cable pattern.

Next up is the Woodland Cowl. It literally took an hour. Not much more. So easy! Just 26 stitches in garter stitch back and forth for a while, et voilá! A cowl! I used DROPS Andes for this, and I really loved that yarn. It´s a chunky wool/alpaca blend, and I have already ordered more yarn from my local yarn shop to make this gorgeous smock-top jacket that Kristen has designed. Isn´t it wonderful? I am making my version in a bright red yarn.

Autumn really is the perfect time to knit, don´t you think?