Monday 12 July 2010

I finished something!

Not the chemise. I already wore the chemise on Saturday, as a dress around the house, but it's not finished yet - I still need to do the bottom hem, and maybe re-do the sleeve hems with bias tape - but it's wearable, and I needed to wear something cool (in the original sense of the word), because we're having very hot weather. It was fantastic for it. I'll have to make myself a dress of that kind, one day, when I will have finished at least something of the things I want to make now...

I made a headband yesterday. By taking a remnant of red velvet ribbon that I got from my grandma (along with many other amazing things) and sewing a piece of elastic to it. I got inspired by the things Disney from Ruffles and Stuff makes: simple, effective and feminine. It seemed to be the most natural thing to do with the ribbon when I laid my hands on it yesterday. So I did it.



I have to share at least something new about the chemise - my first eyelets made with a tailor's awl:



One bigger than the other and so on, but they work, and look quite nice.
The awl is another of the wonderful things I got from my grandma - actually the one that started the spree. More on that later. As usual.

And look at the tiny tiny tiny stitches I did at the neckline! I'm very proud.

4 comments:

  1. Oh, Hana, I'm so impressed with your patience and skill as a seamstress! Those stitches are beautiful (I really only know machine stitches, though) and even and so small! I'm excited to see a picture of the chemise... but it will be worth spending the time to get it right. So -- no rush!

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  2. Thank you. :-) I realy like the sense of accomplishment I get from sewing, especially sewing by hand - I make something useful and pretty at the same time, and I like learning techniques new to me, especially those that were used in the past, that makes me feel like I'm continuing in a tradition and maybe will pass it on later. Using a tailor's awl that probably my great-great-grandma, and surely my great-grandma and grandma used, that's part of that... So I try to do my best at it.

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  3. The stitches look lovely! I'm hand sewing a chemise too. I always have so many projects going at once I only need to hem the sleeves.

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  4. I usually have many projects going on at once as well. That's why this time I decided to focus solely (almost solely... hello, headband!) on the chemise. At least now I have a good hope of finishing it, which is more than I can say about most of my projects!
    I think you should do it and hem the sleeves, and be happy that you finished something. :-)

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