I made a coat, 17 days until Christmas

A while back, I believe in September, I wrote to you that I wanted to start sewing. Well, I finally started. The first project I took on was sewing a coat. And guess what it is not falling apart. Although I do have to admit there was a lot of help from my mom, but I am just a beginner.

Before you can actually start sewing you will need a couple of things a sewing pattern, to help you with what to do, fabric, needle and thread, sewing machine, in this case buttons. Although this may seem logical and not that hard, but I didn’t expect there would be so many decision-making. Making decisions is not really a talent of mine.
First step, the sewing pattern, a step where you need to choose from hundreds perhaps even thousands of patterns. Trying to find the one closest to what you have in mind. After you find one you can on to the next step, because now you know how much you need.
Step two, on the hunt for  fabric. The fabric, not that hard I though, I already had in mind what I wanted exactly. And finding that kind of fabric I was looking for was easy, this happened rather quickly. But unfortunately if you want a coat that is actually kind of warm you will need lining, and this fabric comes in many different shapes and different colours. And even though this is coming from the inside of the coat it will show through every now and then to see. So it is important that it go’s well with the fabric you have chosen, but as well you have to have in mind what look you’re going for. Bright green could be fun, but if you want your coat to go on for a while and would like to change up the look now and then by scarf, you might be better off with a more natural colour.
Step 3: Do you want shoulder patting. Apparently with the coat I wanted it is custom to have that. But I’m not really liking the look of broad shoulders. I did get them, but have now a much thinner and less obviously patting in there, that might or might not stay in (depending on whether I like the look or not).
Step 4: Buttons (if you need them). This might seem as a miner decision, but when the details are not right, it is going to look cheap. And there are many buttons to choose from, some may look like each other, but because of a small detail in them they can change the look of the coat.
Of course you need a couple more things, but they aren’t much of a decision. They are needed and you go with what the saleslady says are the best.

Where the first problem presented itself. I was in the store already made all the decisions I had to make, ready to make some more for other projects, when we founded out that the pattern we had chosen was not right for the coat I wanted to make. The mistake we made was we didn’t look properly at the drawing of the coat and missed that the seams were not where I wanted them. This made that I started to freak out. In my head, I started to worry, I made myself believe that all these people in the store were thinking I was stupid, dum. How could I make such a stupid decision. I wanted to leave the store instantly, my breathing started to be heavier. And I very much believed everybody was looking at me.
I know this might sound a bit stupid, probably most of the people there didn’t notice me and most definitely didn’t know of the mistake I made. And if they were now looking at me it was probably that I now was acting foolishly. The only people who knew was my mom (who made the mistake with me) and the sales lady who pointed it out, but wasn’t by all means judge mental. Actually, she was quite nice.
So with me panicking, we left the store, with the fabric and sorts, but not with any other fabric for other projects or with a pattern we could use.

Luckily we did end up finding the right pattern and we could get started.
Step 5: Drawing out the patterns, pinning the on the fabric and starting to cut out the fabric.
Step 6: Of course my mum help me a lot here. The times I sewed before are not worth mentioning, so I needed a whole lot of help. I am in the learning progress and did as much as I could. The most difficult parts are done by my mom, I did wanted for the coat to look good and didn’t want to fuck it up.

I do think the end result is perfect. I love it, it is comfortable, and it does look well made. Definitely a coat for years to come.  

DIY: Circle skirt

I had planned to do this post last week, but unfortunately I didn’t. First it was a bit harder then I thought to make the steps clear, so you could understand. And I got sick over the weekend, something that wasn’t helping either. But better late then never, right?

What do you need?

• Fabric
• Scissors
• Measure tape
• Pins
• Sewing machine (or a needle and thread if you want to hand sew)
• Zipper
• Zipper food (only if you use the machine)
• Iron
• Nose-rag
• Webbing waistband

 Before we can begin with sewing our skirts, we will need to measure our waist first.

Your waist (mostly the smallest part of your body)

Then we need to do a little calculation: your waist (W) - 5/6 (in cm).

The next step is to measure from up your waist down, this is to get to know how long you want your skirt to be. Mine measurement was 40 cm.

If your going to use a sewing machine for the first time, ask someone to help you use it. Think of your mom, neighbour, ant or someone else you know can use a sewing machine.

Step 1: The first step will be folding the fabric in half. What I did was starting at the closed side to measure out your measurements.

Now take a starting point, and start measure your outcome from W - 5/6 and pin a pin on place, keep doing this till you have a small half circle.

The next step will be; to measure out the length you want for the skirt, starting with the outline of the small circle. Also her pin a pin in place and keep doing this till there will be a larger half circle.

Step 2: Cut the circles out. But leave 1 cm space from the lining with pins. In my drawing I made the line you have to cut red.

Now you should have one whole circle if you would fold it open.

Step 3: You now already have the base of the skirt. The only thing you have to do with this step is cut a straight line, starting from the inside out. The line you have to cut I made red.

Step 4: for a skirt you need a waistband. You take you waist (without the calculation) and at around 5 cm, this will be the length of the waistband. The width of the strap is 10 cm. When you cut it out, you have a rectangle.

Step 5: For this step you will need the iron, your fabric for the waistband and webbing waistband. Place the sticky side of the webbing waistband on to the fabric. Then place another peace of fabric (I used a nose-rag for this part) over the waistband and the webbing and start ironing this. (the nose rag is used to prevent it from sticking to the iron, if you accidentally place the webbing waistband wrong). The webbing should stick to the fabric (not to the nose-rag). You do this step so the waistband is more secure.

Step 6: Fold the waistband (horizontal) in half. Before you going to attach the waistband to the inner circle. You want to finish the ends of the band. Fold the waistband in half, but with the webbing out. Sew the ends of both sides (I made those lines green). After you have done that turn the inside out, so the webbing becomes the inside. Now your going to attach the band to the inner circle (the smallest one), but both of the ends from band have to be at the split in the circle. Attach them first with pins and than sew them together.

Step 7: Get the zipper and measure how much room you need to for the zipper, the rest of the room you sew together, I made those lines red. (the zipper will come at the open side of the big circle.
hand sewing

Step 8: This is the tricky part, you might ask someone to help you with this. Your are going to sew the zipper to the skirt. See here how to do so.

Step 9: Now, you want to finish the raw edges. See here how to do so.

Step 10: The only thing left to do is sew on the button.

I hope this was helpful.

Love Esther

creative with Autumn

My mom and I made this beautiful autumn piece. I love the colours of the autumn.