Time to use the sewing machine again...
Since I had to work in Lugano last weekend, there was no time for fabric and thread - although I was not really complaining...except that it was maybe too hot for my swedish genes.

View from the hotel

Luckily there was no need to work this weekend so finally I could continue with the last summer projects, before it is time to get going with something suited for a colder climate. Although it is still 26.5 degrees Celsius in the sewing room it was acceptable to work.
The project to be finalised today was a pair of trousers, with the fabric being a very nice cotton from Toronto.

 I can see a lot of possibilities to wear these trousers, but one of my favourites will probably be to wear it with this top, a kind of jacket that I found in New York last autumn, at the Off Broadway boutique , and for which I have had some difficulties to find the right match.

It is too hot in my seewing room - nothing gets done!

Interesting exhibition, Zurich

Custom Fitting & Trueing

Blue tunic
The blue tunic is ready - took me just a few hours to make since the pattern is really simple and the fabric very easy to work with.

Since this was one was so easy to make I decided to do one more - in a totally different kind of fabric...we will see how that one goes...

Blue dress
Did it again....planned to finish off this linen dress in a fabulous blue colour

Instead I started cutting two other fabrics...

This fabric, navy blue with white dots, will be a tunic, using an old pattern - already tried this one and it worked very well, unfortunately the red tunic I made the last time is too small and can not be used anymore...
The fabric is a leftover after making a dress last summer, and the fabric I bought in Berlin.

Here is the second one - one of the fabrics found in Toronto earlier this summer. 

Obviously this will turn into a pair of trousers.

So, back to the blue dress - will it be ready in time to use this summer? Something tells me no...

Cutting a suit
Oh, how easy it looks when they do it....

Dressmaking or tailoring for women?

Link to photo                                                                   Link to photo

Here is an interesting text about the Difference between dressmaking and tailoring for women

Toronto

Spending a few days in Toronto recently it turned

out that they have a nice choice of fabric stores.

Could not visit all of them, and the size of the luggage was somewhat limited, but the following two had a great choice of very nice material - Affordable textiles and Designfabrics (even more here the best fabric stores in toronto)

Four different fabrics were bought, and the most likely is that at least 3 of them will turn out to be trousers 

 The fourth will most likely be a dress, and maybe even a jacket (should be enough material to do this).

 

Except for buying fabrics and visiting second hand / vintage stores, there were other interesting things to do: Visiting "Toronto Steam punk fair" (admit I did not really know that this existed) with some nice singing 

or walking along Lake Ontario

After that it was time to work for another two weeks, and then - holiday. This means that there are other things that has to be done, other than sewing ...

Summer trousers
The third time I use this pattern - now for a pair of summer trousers in a soft cotton, bought in Berlin in January.

I was a bit afraid that this would be the kind of fabric that looks really bad after sitting a hot day in the office, but actually it was much better than I thought - not particularly wrinkled, even after several hours.

Think I will continue to use this pattern for some time!

Sewing course
A long time ago, more specifically at the end of the eighties, I taught some sewing classes. I have not done it since then until today, when I helped a friend of mine to make a skirt. 

When we went to Berlin for a course in January this year, I brought her to a very nice fabric store - and after I told her that making an A-line skirt is as easy as making a cushion cover she decided to go for it, and bought a nice khaki-green cotton fabric.

Today it was time to see if I was right...
I could tell that she was not a novice when it comes to using a sewing machine, but so far she told me her experience has been mainly to make cushion covers and similar things. 
We spent less than 4 hours with me telling her what to do and her doing exactly what I said - it is really great to have such pupils - and we we're both very excited over the result!

Just look at this zipper - I would be happy if mine would always look like this, and I have been sewing since...no, lets not go there...

The skirt fits very well, my friend is very happy and can not wait to make more skirts like this - and I am a very proud teacher!

Passing by Paris anytime soon?

If you are passing by Paris before 16 september 2012 - why not visit this exhibition?

The rain is pouring down
The good thing about rainy weather is that you can stay inside without having a bad conscience - and if you are lucky you might even finish off the summer sewing projects before the summer is over.
The fabric for this skirt I found in Leuven, Belgium. It was on sale and only 1 meter available. Since you can see through it I used a white cotton fabric as lining, this should do it.

 Although I like to wear cotton / linen in the summer, I really do not like working with it - I miss my wool, that can be shaped into a nice form... 
If I am quick and finish off the remaining summer projects I can go back to my wool dresses....