CHICKPEA SEWING STUDIO

Ottobre Sew Along 2.0

I want to thank you for all the nice comments on my latest disaster, it really gave me a nice pick-me-up and I got off the floor and tracing again. This time with seam allowances! I choose 1/2 inch, it was just easiest with my quilting ruler. I would love to hear about what width of seam allowance you usually use, especially in metric.
The new project is going to be for Finn, it's a sleeveless jacket with a hood. The design comes from the 1/2008 Children issue, and it's for girls, but I am modifying it to look more manly (!). In short I am skipping the ruffles and lady bugs.
The lining is double gauze from Reprodepot and the outside a bottom weight chino from Joann. I bought lots of it to make pants too, I think it looks quite strong and could handle some knee-against-concrete rubbing.
I hope to get going on this during the potential afternoon nap.

 

How not to Ottobre!

Finn became ill yesterday, an after-effect of the MMR vaccine possibly. All he wanted was to sleep, all day sleep, sleep and sleep... I just didn't know what to do with myself. All this unexpected yet worrisome free time... I decided to get going on my Ottobre Sew Along project and to say it went poorly is an understatement. Maybe my heart wasn't in it. I made one critical mistake to start, the fabric I chose, gray linen with fine stripes was very stretchy and fraying constantly, very irritating. Then after searching the entire magazine for the seam allowance I decided wrongly that it must be 5/8". Big mistake number 2: Ottobre patterns do not include seam allowance! I knew that, years ago, I guess...

Things were not going well, and that when a normal person should know to quit while they are ahead, but not me, too stubborn or too proud to admit it's hopeless. In those cases I always keep working as if it was magically going to somehow turn out ok, all the while telling myself: 'well, at least you are learning something!'.  I made the all thing, except the sleeves, you really need the proper seam allowance for those! Even the giant zipper in the back, although that too was completely unnecessary since the shirt is big enough to fit over my head and shoulders (expletive!). If I get this finished this week, I'll stick with baby clothe for a while. My luck has just been so bad lately, I lost most of my confidence, I think I am pretty much rubbish and wondering when things are going to turn around.

Ottobre Sew Along! Let's get started

After spending the entire evening unpicking that ill fitting skirt, I came to no decision on which pattern to start on from the Ottobre mags. I think therefore I might start two! My all time favorite top (5/2008) and another pair of pants or short for Finn. There are so many kids pattern that I would love for myself I feel tempted to try one in the largest size. I wonder if it's wise though, with all the bad luck I've been having in my sewing lately...
For the skirt, I just wasted to much time on the detailing not to wear it. I am just going to use a "real" pattern and re-cut the pieces on top of what is already made.

If you are interested here is the Download Size_charts of Ottobre in inches.

A gray linen with tiny stripes is in the wash as I type, I just need to decide which version to choose, for the sleeves and the length, dress or tunic #1,2,3 ?

Ottobre Sew Along!

Hello everyone! I have some exciting news! After talking it over with my Sewing Republic  Blog accolite Stacy, I decided to lanch an Ottobre Sew Along . What is Ottobre? It's a Finnish magazine published in English, German, French and more (Finnish too of course) six times a year. They have four kid editions and two women editions. When you think of cool patterns in the USA you might think of Built By Wendy, with Ottobre you get a whole book of patterns, all of them modern, unique and very wearable. Many of us have been hoarding the magazines for years, by this I mean exactly that: acquisition and failure to use! Why? What is the problem? Well... you have to trace the patterns, and here the lazy bone shows up. This Sew Along is for all of us hoarders of Ottobre to get motivated, finally get tracing, maybe even sew a few things for our spring wardrobe and give the store the cold shoulder. Although I wouldn't mind for my shoulders to be a bit warmer right now! darn rain....
If I peaked your interest and you don't own any Ottobre mags, check out their website, you can browse the magazines and download free patterns too. They have recently posted a very nice bag pattern there.

My dear Karin made this fabulous button for us to use:

We have a Flickr group here.

Button code:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1042297@N24/" title="A button! by chickpeastudio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3551/3423545929_cab2e45c07_o.jpg" width="129" height="96" alt="A button!" /></a>