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....

View from hotel window in Barcelona

Just have to show the fantastic view I had this week in Barcelona - unfortunately it was a very short visit...

Not just sewing....
Thought it would be fun to do something else than sewing for a change, so I looked in my drawers if I had anything I could play with - and was lucky to find material for a necklace:

I bought the material several years ago at the museum shop at the Louvre Museum in Paris - think it was actually meant for kids to play with but I think it's pretty OK like this!

Summer preparation continues...
So, the summer clothes are slowly coming together, just finished off a tunic in a red cotton fabric with white dots.

I have to admit that I am not fully convinced about the pattern. It was Burda again, number 6/11, and the arms was difficult to get to look nice - I prefer round armholes, not square.

Think it will still work though, and the color is great.

Browsing Through Tender Buttons, on the Upper East Side

Browsing Through Tender Buttons, on the Upper East Side

Have to go there!

(Pictures from the great blog New York Portraits)

Paris is calling...


As always at this time of the year I feel the need to go Fabric shopping in Paris...


It is time to book a trip!

Finally some free time
After a couple of busy weeks - at last I had some time to get going with my sewing projects again. The first thing to do was to finish off two projects that had been lying around for the last weeks, starting with a sleeveless tunic for the summer, made be a red really heave linen fabric.

 The pattern originally had small sleeves, but it was not really comfortable so I decided to remove them and finish off with these nice bands instead.

 After the tunic was ready it was time to move on to a pair of trousers - made of a lightweight corduroy in a blue/green color (the pictures does not really show the color correctly). I used the pattern I had recently used for my Barcelona trousers and it worked very well also for this fabric.

 Now what I need to do is to go pattern-hunting, would really like to find a nice tunic-pattern for the summer...

Continuing the Scottish theme
Since I was visiting Stirling, Scotland, this week I though it would be nice to continue on the kilt theme...

Not a lot of sewing...
Neck and shoulder pain together with a heavy schedule at work for the coming 2-3 weeks...there will not be any time left for a lot of sewing I guess...
Luckily there are lots of interesting films to watch on Youtube, so as long as the Internet works in the hotel I should be fine....

Harris Tweed

Wikipedia - Harris Tweed

Waiting for the waistcoat lining...
It is getting busy at work so the planned trip to the fabric store to get lining for the "restoring of waistcoat"-project did not happen yet, unfortunately. In the meantime - let's dream of summer, even if the weather outside is a bit too grey for my taste - although not as bad as in my hometown in Sweden, where it has been snowing in time for easter!

This dress I prepared for last summer, and it is a navy-blue cotton fabric. The fabric was bought at Frau Tulpe in Berlin, a great shop if you like colors and patterns.

 The pattern is from Burda 7/2011 (yes, I do use a lot of Burda patterns), and although I was a bit worried that the fabric would be a bit "stiff", it worked out very well.

Now I can only hope that the weather gets better so I can start wearing it - why not when sitting on my already "summer-ready" balcony?

I want to visit this basement - I just have to find a tailor to join me....

Londons best basement