Black and white can be fun!

Needed a black and white evening dress for a black and white gala event.
Don't like black and white.....
Found black and white/cream skull print.
Thought that was fun!













Pattern - self drafted, 4 panel skirt, tight fitting top with little sleeves and a U neck in the back. Darts moved so that they end in the centre at the waist, to line up with the seam in the skirt.
Fabric - crinkle chiffon, polyester?, black piping which I had in my stash, sequin ribbon from Carolina's for belt with bow.
Underlined with thin cotton as I can't stand the feel of geena ( fabric sold locally as lining) on my skin. As the chiffon is quite transparent, the color of the lining changes the color of the fabric. I choose a creamy white over a pure white as I found it more flattering. I underlined (basted the lining to the individual outer fabric pieces and then treated them as one) the dress as opposed to lining it for the following reasons:

1. Underlining hides all the seam allowances - as the fabric is transparent, I didn't want all the seam allowances visible from the outside
2. Underlining gave more body to the fabric than just lining it would
3. The fabric was very unstable and I wanted to make sure the rows of skulls stayed straight accross the dress and didn't start wandering off at funny angles. Basting them to the much more stable cotton lining kept the skulls exactly where I wanted them! This also helped make it possible to match up the pattern across the skirt seams, and even though I say so myself, I think I did a pretty good job matching up the little black faces!

And as I bought all the fabric they had in stock, I though my husband needed a black and white Barong (transparent shirt men traditionally wear in the Philippines) ! More on that once I finish it!

Tip: don't forget to pre-wash and iron fabric/lining and trim before you sew or have it sewn up. The last thing you want is to put a lot of hard work into your dress and find that the dress or the lining shrinks after the first wash! 

V8858: nothing left over!

Update on evening skirt V8858 (first post here)

1. Fitted muslin - everything was OK.
2. Adjusted all the flounces for changes in skirt length. This is fiddly as you are sewing the inner edges of the "donuts" to your skirt seams. Measure these curves carefully, you have some allowance to play with, but if this is not enough, you will need to make the diameter of these donuts slightly bigger ( and this is why we should all have paid more attention in school geometry classes!) and adjust the diameter if necessary. The bigger the diameter the longer the seam.
3. Laid out all pattern pieces on fabric and slept over it one night as I had zero room for any mistakes! 
4. Cut the next morning and this little pile of fabric cuttings on the left is all I have left over!

V8858 Vogue evening skirt

Not enough fabric? V8858 is a fabric hog!

V8858

HAVE: Vogue V8858 for a long evening skirt (only finished versions online seem to be here and here)
HAVE: 5 1/2 yds green embroidered taffeta from Carolinas CM Recto, bought about 4-5 years ago.
NEED: 6 5/8 yds
NEED: to lengthen skirt by 3" in front (skirt has longer back sweep)

PROBLEM: not enough fabric! I was missing over a yard of fabric.

SOLUTION:

1. Reduce width of skirt. I took out about 1.5" at all seams except centre front and back. This enabled me to cut the front and back out of one length of fabric each, with enough left over for the long back ruffles at the side.
2. Make a muslin so you can reduce seam and hem allowances to a bare minimum!
3. Shorten the back so that it is the same length as the front.
4. Ditch any though of cutting in one direction. Even though this fabric has a one way / un-symmetrical embroidered design,  it won't matter on this pattern, as the skirt body will be covered by the flounces, and the flounces themselves will hang in all directions anyway. The hip portion is the only part you need to be careful with if you are cutting any patterned fabric.
5. Cut single layer.  Explanation: normally home sewers cut from a double layer of fabric, so you cut both left and right side from the same pattern piece at one time. Factories have a separate pattern piece for each and every part needed to make up the garment, so there is a separate left/right front, top/bottom collar etc.  These are laid out on a single layer of fabric, and lead to a much more efficient fabric consumption. So, I duplicated all the pattern pieces,( the brown are the originals and the white the duplicates on tissue paper) so I had a piece of paper for every piece I needed for the garment, and laid this out. 

HURRAY! It all fitted !

BUT after a discussion with a designer friend, I decided that I really want the back to be longer as this makes up quite a bit of the appeal of the skirt. She suggested cutting the flounces ( the donut shaped pieces on the photos below - there are 9 of them - not all are visible on the photo below) in half to gain 12" or so of fabric, so that the back skirt could remain longer than the front. So I cut up some flounces (don't forget adding seam allowances if you do this) and laid everything out on the fabric again!

INTERIM RESULT : I have gained about 10" for the back skirt length (the strip of empty fabric between the 2 rows of skirt pieces. I will now go an make up a muslin before I cut the actual fabric out!

Tip: if you ever make up this skirt, baste the skirt body together first so you can check the length. Any adjustments to the length will result in you having to adjust the length of the flounces. shortening is easy, but depending on how much longer you made the skirt, you may have to rethink the diameter of your donut flounces, so that they fit the new length.

Buying sewing machines in Manila

Obviously, if you want to learn to sew, you need a sewing machine.

There isn't a huge choice of brands for home sewing machines here in the Philippines. For home sewing you need one machine which will do pretty much everything for you: stitch seams, make buttonholes and finish everything off with a zig zag. These are the minimum requirements and they should at least come with a regular sewing foot, zipper foot and buttonhole foot. I also like machine which can do a 3 step zig-zag as that is useful for sewing on elastics.

If you buy industrial machines (which are widely available here), you would need one machine for each of those functions and it would cost you a heck of a lot more! That said, if you are sewing professionally, industrial machines do a much better job than household machines.

If you want to buy a new household machine, your only choice here in the Philippines is Brother or Singer. Brother usually carries 3 to 4 basic machines of varying price levels starting at P9,000. The cheaper ones come with standard stitches.  I usually recommend you get the one where you can adjust stitch width and stitch length manually, so you can adjust your zig-zag to whatever you are sewing, which is especially important if you want to start sewing jersey fabrics. They also carry a home serger/overlocker which is great for making anything out of jersey as well as finishing off seams in one go (they overlock and trim the edges at the same time) but at over P20,000 you have to do  a lot of sewing to make it work while. Brother has the advantage that they are available in most Automatic Centers, although if you have a particular model in mind, then call them first! Brother's Service centre is in The Fort which makes it easy if you live anywhere around there.

Singer has a website showing a wider choice of sewing machines, but I have never seen them sold retail except at their own outlets. You can call the importer MONTEVERDE SEWING MACHINE INC  tel 362.0712 or go down to the depths of Manila (somewhere behind Divisoria) to see the machines. Although their website says that they have an outlet in Makati now as well. I have not yet been there, so can't vouch for what is available there.

I don’t have a particular preference for either brand as I own both. It just depends on your budget and what you want the machine to be able to do. I never recommend you buy a machine from abroad, as chances are that they won’t be able to find the spare parts here. If you do, buy a basic machine and not an electronic one with all the bells and whistles as you definitely won't find spare parts or anyone to repair it if something goes wrong.

If you are on a budget, you can buy a machine in the second hand market down in Manila ( the Port Area, 13th Street off Anda Circle, opposite The Philippine Star). These machines sell for around P3000. They are usually from Japan and 100V so you will need a transformer and they rarely come with a manual! Again, I recommend staying away from any of the digital ones, as if something goes wrong, local mechanics won’t be able to fix them. And unless you do a lot of children’s clothes, you’ll never use all those fancy stitches anyway!

We Love Sewing on Pinterest

We love sewing is now on Pinterest. Follow us to stay updated with pictures of anything sewing related around Metro Manila as well as what is in inspiring us at the moment!

We have a board for sewing stores in Manila so if you have suggestions, send us a picture and your comment to welovesewing@gmail.com and we will add to our board.

More fabric shopping in Manila

Many people in the Philippines have their clothes made by the local sewing lady/gentleman, so there are still many fabric stores located all around the city. Most malls have at least one or two stores carrying a wide range of fabrics, from chiffons for evening wear to (man-made) wool for men’s suits. So whether you sew yourself, or plan to have your clothes made, there is plenty of choice. That said, you will find higher end fabrics such as pure silk, wool, cashmere etc. harder to find.

Unfortunately, the staff in most fabric stores are not very well trained, so will really have no idea what they are selling. Fabric content is rarely marked on the rolls. For instance, if you are looking for silk, the staff may show you a lot of fabric which may look like silk but is actually polyester or some other man-made fabric. So be slightly skeptical about what you are buying: if it doesn’t feel like silk, it probably isn’t. It doesn’t help to argue with the staff about it, as they generally won’t have a clue what you are talking about! Some stores have abysmal customer service anyway and too few staff for the busy hours. Carolina’s and Fabric Warehouse are probably the most guilty of this, so if I can’t find what I want elsewhere, I try and go early during the day, when they are not so busy. It also helps to actually talk to sales staff and ask (and remember!) their first name, so that next time you come, they will also actually remember you! Stores in malls are normally fixed price, but if you are buying alot of fabric and the owner is around, strike up a conversation with him or her, and you may get a few pesos off. In Divisoria, Taytay and Kamuning, you can try to haggle a bit as they sometimes raise their prices if they see someone they perceive to be rich (i.e. a "foreigner"!). But the discounts won't be that big unless you are really buying a substantial amount. 

These are the places I shop the most:

SM Megamall, Ortigas 
The basement on the Shangri-La side has 5 or 6  fabric stores in a row next to each other so it is one of the most convenient places to go for fabric! There is also a Carolinas (one of the only shops outside of Divisoria where you can get sewing notions such as lace, ribbons, buttons, zips, threads etc as well as mainly evening wear fabric) on the second floor. You can also get some sewing notions in the SM department store next to the lingerie department.

Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas
2 quite nice fabric stores: Bloomingdales and Expressions. They both also have branches in other malls and seem to be part of the same "family" as you sometimes find the same fabrics in both stores. Bloomingdales is the only store in town (that I know off) which sells special knitted wicking fabric for rash guards and sportswear, as well as waterproof/repellant raincoat fabric.


Market Market, Taguig /Fort
Cotton Touch, (a sister company of Cotton Depot) which sell the biggest selection of printed cottons in town: a huge range of florals, but also a lot of fabrics suitable for children's wear including car prints etc for boys and good for quilts as well). A small Carolina's and a couple of smaller fabric stalls including one which sells some pure silks.Metro Department Store also has a very nice fabric department on the top floor and a good selection of sewing notions.  

Glorietta, Makati
Quite a few fabric stores, including a big Carolina's, a huge Fabric Warehouse and a big Cotton Depot (Parttimehomemaker posted some photos here). They used to all be on the top floor of Glorietta 5 but now many have moved to the new Glorietta building, so I'm not 100% sure where they all are yet. The Cotton Depot seems to have stayed on the top floor of Glorietta 5. 

Greenbelt 1, Makati
Fanbi is the only fabric store in this mall but well worth a visit! They have some really nice fabrics as well as a good selection of men's shirts and suit/pants fabrics. There prices are higher than some of the other stores, but some of their more uncommon fabrics are also worth it.


Carolina's in Dian Street, Makati
This store is not air-conditioned but is less full than the other Carolina's stores, so I always drop by if I am in the neighborhood. There is parking right in front of the store which is also good to know!

Greenhills, San Juan
There is a Fabric Warehouse here as well as Designer Prints which although a bit more expensive than other stores, has a really good selection and is well worth a visit.

Fabric Warehouse Libis / along E. Rodriguez opposite Eastwood
Fabric Warehouse has quite a few stores all over Metro Manila, but it can be incredibly hard, if not impossible to find anything, just because the stores are too full. The name "warehouse" actually sells it all! The biggest Fabric Warehouse is along E.Rodriguez in Libis (although the new one in Glorietta is also large) but parking can be difficult as the few lots in front get filled up quickly. They do have a huge selection of all sorts of fabrics and as they have more space than their stores in Megamall or Greenhills, it's a little easier to find what you are looking for. Haute Fashionista posted a photo of the store here.

Mall of Asia, Pasay
The only fabric store I know of here, is a small Cotton Depot selling mainly cotton fabrics. It's above the Nido Science Museum.

Divisoria
Where do I start? Divisoria merits a post all to its self! Tutuban Mall has fabric stores if you want to shop in air-conditioning! Otherwise there are hundreds of small stalls in Divine Market, the building between Ilaya and Tabora ( enter behind the stalls which line the streets). You'll also find a lot of fabric sold on Ilaya street (literally on the street as the rolls are all just piled up on the ground!) along Ilaya. These stalls often sell misprinted fabric as well as dirty (no wonder!!) fabric so check when they measure and maybe buy a little extra. The fabric is so cheap here, that it won't hurt much to buy a few yards more. There is another building on the north side of CM Recto with a lot of fabric stalls too, including some which sell cut lengths of washed denim. 

Kamuning
I've never actually been here, but I am told its a good place to shop for fabric. There are even tailors here where you can have men's suits made. Bespoke Man documents his experience on his blog. My lawyer also told me she has her business suits made in Kamuning, so I think I need to take a trip there too some time.


Update: In the mean time I have been here. There is not a huge fabric section and I did not really find anything which would interest me. However I did see some interesting and reasonable curtain fabric, and it also seems to be a good source for men's shirtings as well as suitings although the fabric was not high end. There were a lot of tailors around, so its probably a reasonable place to have something sewn.


I am sure that I have missed other places with good fabric stores, and if you have any recommendations, or favorite fabric stores, please let me know in a comment. I always love to discover new places to shop!

Marking fabrics

When sewing, there are always pattern markings you need to transfer to your fabric. I grew up using dressmaker's carbon paper, tailor's tacks or chalk but since working in the garment industry where they used pens with disappearing ink, I became converted and ever since used special pens sold for quilters such as this one. Needless to say, they are not available in the Philippines, so I always had to buy them abroad.

One day, it occurred to me to test the washable markers sold for children's art. I bought 3 packs at National Bookstore, draw some lines on a piece of white fabric I had lying around, ironed it (heat sets some dyes making them more difficult if not impossible to wash out)  and threw it in the washing machine. I was really happy to find that all the marks washed out! 

Now, not only do I save quite a bit of money as I don't have to buy expensive quilter's pens from abroad, but I also have a selection of different colors. This can be really useful if you are having many fitting challenges, and aren't sure which was the latest change. I use a different color every time I have to mark a new sewing line so always know which was the latest adjustment! 

WARNING: Even though I have been using washable markers on all sorts of fabrics for some time now, I still test every new pack I buy and would highly recommend you do the same before drawing all over your beautiful fabric with them. You never know if a manufacturer may change their ink recipe, or if an ink reacts to the heat from an iron differently on some fabrics. I also keep my pens separate from my daughter's art supplies and mark them with some colored tape, so I don't accidentally use one of her permanent markers!

Pattern review: Giraffe print dress, Knipmode

Pattern Description:

KNIPMODE magazine pattern #3 08/2008 sleeveless dress with cut-on standing collar, pleats at shoulder, elastic waist with tie belt

Pattern Sizing:

European 38 to 46. I used a size 38 at the top and 40 for the skirt.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, considering I omitted the tucks on the skirt and wore the dress buttoned all the way up!

Were the instructions easy to follow?

KNIPMODE magazine instructions are very minimal and as I am a pretty experienced sewer, I rarely refer to them except if it’s an unusual construction.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

It’s very comfortable and cool for our tropical weather.

Fabric Used:

A cotton print from Bloomingdales in Shangri-La Plaza.  They still have it in a slightly darker brown and I have seen a navy blue version in one of the smaller fabric stores in Glorietta. I really like animal prints and found this giraffe print slightly more unusual. I pre-washed the fabric and to my surprise I found that the print bled. Usually prints are pretty colorfast, but this one bled quite heavily into the white, so the white looked a bit dirty. If you buy this fabric, I would therefore recommend washing it separately by hand (don’t leave to soak!), rinsing in vinegar, wringing out as much of water as possible ( wringing in between 2 towels generally helps remove most excess water) and drying in the sun so it dries quickly without the print running into the white areas. As the fabric is quite thin, I lined the skirt with thin white cotton from Fabric Warehouse.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I removed the tucks from the skirt, as I didn’t think they would be very visible in this fabric.  I also added in darts and the shoulder to stop the back armholes gaping.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I would as it is a very easy dress to make. I’d probably make it in a solid color and put the tucks back in again maybe with contrast top stitching.

Pattern Review: panel print dress

Pattern Description: 

KNIPMODE magazine pattern #2 08/2008 sleeveless dress

Pattern Sizing:

European 34 to 42. I used a size 38 as this looked wide enough to go over my size 40 hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, considering I changed the front neckline

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Knipmode magazine instructions are very minimal and as I am a pretty experienced sewer, I rarely refer to them except if it’s an unusual construction.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

It’s incredibly comfortable, but not that flattering, as the pattern pieces have a slight balloon shape, narrowing to the hem. This gives a lot of extra weight around the hips. The pattern actually also includes pockets in the side seams which I did not include as that would have added to the hip widening effect! The straps are also well placed to cover bra straps although the back view shows, that I should have shortened the right strap a bit to compensate for a lower shoulder on that side.I also just saw from the photos taken this morning, that placing a panel print with a big flower right on your bum is probably also not a good idea! It just goes to show that no matter how much you think about pattern placement, there are always surprises lurking somewhere. …

Fabric Used:

A rayon crinkle from Expressions in Glorietta which I actually did sew up immediately after I purchased it, but am only blogging about now. It is quite transparent, so I lined it with a very thin cotton from Fabric Warehouse in Libis (near Eastwood). I’ve worn and washed the fabric many times now and the black print is starting to fade. A print like this can fade due to abrasion in the washing machine and the strong sun, so really should be washed and dried inside out. Like most rayon’s, it does crease a lot, but actually lining it has helped to lessen that a bit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I changed the front neckline to a U rather than square as I thought the corners would be weak, as well as a U being more flattering for my skinny chest. I added a lining as especially the lighter portions of the fabric was rather transparent. I also moved the zip to the side seam, as with the panel print I didn't want to be fiddling around matching patterns up the centre back.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I will as it is a very comfortable dress for Manila heat and doesn’t look too much like a muumuu! I would straighten out the side seams though.

Conclusion:

I’ve already worn this dress a lot and even though its not the most flattering dress I own, it is one of the most comfortable in hot summer weather.

More than a year later.... a fabric purchase

This certainly is not the only fabric I have purchased in over a year, but I think I will start with this one as I bought some last week and had to go and get more today. It's a panel print (one huge flower) and the first piece I had bought, did not quite have a full panel on the second flower, so I could not centre it on the back. Had to go and buy another yard today.

Fabric: probably some sort of viscose/rayon with a crinkle effect
Cost: P350/yd ( one panel is about a yard)
Where: Expressions 245 Glorietta 4, Ayala Centre, Makati. ( There is a row of about 4 small fabric stores near the toilets, below the cinemas)
They have another store in Shangri-La but I didn't see this print there. If you need to make a animal costume for Halloween, both stores have very nice tiger,  leopard and zebra fake fur with a short pile. If I lived in a colder country, I would have bought some to trim a coat!

Now, hopefully having posted this fabric here, I will now actually so it up with a reasonable amount of time!

Fabric shopping in Manila

I’m often asked where to find good fabrics in Manila, and usually tell people to go where there are the most fabrics stores in one place so you have the most choice in one trip. This is either the basement of Megamall or the top floor of Glorietta 5. However, if you are in the Greenhills area (buying pearls or fake handbags!), do stop by a small fabric store in Virra Mall called Designer Prints. 

They are opposite McDonalds (which is now being either demolished or rebuilt – I wasn’t sure which one when I was there last week!) and Krispy Kreme. They have a small window facing the street with a few bolts of fabrics in them so you can find them quite easily. The shop is in the same alley as Fabric Warehouse but about 5 or 6 stores further down. Designer Prints carry a very nice range of fabrics all imported from the US. It’s an excellent place for cotton piques as well as cotton twills. Not necessarily the cheapest place in town, but a slightly different collection makes them well worth the visit! Like most fabric stores in Manila, they have much more stock in their shop than they really have room for, but the staff and owners are very friendly and are happy to dig out rolls from the back of the pile for you! This time, I saw a beautiful cotton border print pique, some very nice printed cotton jerseys (have to go back for the aqua striped one which was still on the boat from the US!), even some solid real silk chiffon ( and real silk is not that easy to find in Manila!) as well as solid linen and some beautiful evening dress fabrics. I restrained myself once again and only came home with a yard of this printed cotton stretch twill 60" wide for P390 / US$9.20 / Euro 6.39 for a skirt.

Second version of Burda 04-2011 115

My first version first version of this pattern was so comfortable, I made a second one. I stumbled across this fabric at Fabric Warehouse in Megamall. Stumbled is probably not the right word, as this store is so over crowded you can't move enough to be able to stumble over anything! You have to stand your ground somewhere and dig your way through rolls of fabrics. I only saw this rayon jersey because I am tall and could look over the other rolls of 60" fabric and see this one all the way at the back. At P190 (US$ 4.48/ Euro3.11) per yard it was a pretty good buy. I only used 1.5 yds but probably should have gotten a little more so that the print at the back would have been centered rather than draped over one shoulder. This time, I didn't use any facings but some left over black cotton jersey and bound the neck and the armholes.

Fabric shopping In Shanghai

I knew that Shanghai was a great place to shop for fabrics, but I totally underestimated how much they actually have. Once again I was with a group, none of whom were remotely interested in fabrics so was trying to find some time when I could wander off alone. Luckily someone kindly offered to baby-sit my daughter for me for one afternoon (she thought that going through the "fake" markets was much more interesting than hunting fabrics with her mother). Although I had the address of quite a few fabric markets in Shanghai, I started with South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market  which seemed to be the most popular (and therefore probably the most expensive) among foreign tourists and expats. The market covers 3 floors of an old rather dark building but is jam packed with fabrics as well as tailors where you can have whatever you like made in 4 days! They had wool and cashmere for suits and coats, tons (literally tons!) of lightweight printed silks, linen in all sorts of weights, assorted jerseys, including cotton, cotton silk blends etc etc etc. All in all it was really quite overwhelming and after a while it just became so hard to make any decision on what to buy or what not to buy! Luckily I ran out of cash or I might still be there! Prices were about the same as Manila (between 40 and 60 Yuan / P230 to P400) but they had so much more choice of fabrics in natural fibers than we have here. I ended up coming home with these fabrics:

cotton silk border print

cotton stretch twill

cotton jersey with some lycra

I also bought some solid light weight linen for shirts but as the photos are not particularly interesting, I'll wait to post them until they are actually made into something. Of course I now regret not buying some silk...... I wonder if I could get a tour group together to go back to Shanghai again......

Burda 07-2011 105 floppy front blouse - pattern review

Pattern Description:

sleeveless top with asymmetrical draped front pieces

Pattern Sizing:
European 36 to 44. I used a size 38 and just widened at the hips to a size 40, although this turned out not to be necessary and I reduced the width once I had fitted the top.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, taking into consideration the changes I made

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I downloaded the instructions  from the German website and these were pretty clear.  I couldn’t follow them as I added a lining but there was another review saying the English instructions were useless. I can’t comment on that as I couldn’t find the instructions in English on-line as this pattern does not seem to be sold on  the US Burda website for some strange reason.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I liked the unusual draped front pieces. The pattern actually did go together well and fitted once I made my usually alterations. After wearing for a few days, I find that I really dislike the fact that every time I bend over, people can see all the way down the front of my shirt to whatever I happen to be wearing on the bottom! It’s pretty typical for this type of style and the only real solution is to wear a camisole underneath. Living in the Philippines where it is always hot and sticky, I really dislike having to wear two layers of anything ( there are some days where I would even like to forgo underwear but I am definitely too old for that! ) so I would love to find a another solution! Any suggestions?

Fabric Used:

A thin cotton or rayon woven fabric, which I think I bought at some market in Holland . It’s been in my stash for at least 15 years. I originally wondered if it would be suitable for the pattern as Burda made the top in a silk chiffon, but my fabric was very supple I decided to try. As it is a floral print, I had to line the front pieces so that the draped flaps, which would normally show the inside of the fabric, would look good on both sides.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I made plenty! I carefully read the great review by The Slapdash Sewist and at Home Made Couture before starting so benefitted from their comments! I generally put a dart in the back ( see photo 1) as well as add to the back length at the shoulder point to correct for my protruding shoulder blades and generally bad posture.

( armhole line still has to be smoothed out)

I omitted the band at the bottom as I felt there was no point in it as I wasn’t going to use a contrast fabric, so I lengthened the blouse by 6cm and made a deep double hem at the back to give the garment some weight and help it hang better. I also felt that the seam that holds the 2 front pieces together was too close to the armpit, so moved it 1.5cm closer to the centre front and trimmed the same amount off the edge of the flounce so that it wouldn’t be too wide.

I used the same fabric to line both front pieces edge to edge, so that the inside of the printed fabric would not show on the collar flounces. This was a good decision as I could encase all the raw edges on the flounces as well as at the bottom and at the armholes. On the back I used self bias binding to finish armholes and neck line after having added some interfacing to stabilize. The original left front pattern reaches the centre front at the top and then curves away to the stitching line holding the front pieces together. (if you look at the pattern pieces here, you will see what I mean) I felt that this was a bit weird (especially if your fabric is a bit transparent), so made it a straight line to the hem.

The 2 previous reviews had mentioned that the triangular flounce on the left side hung a bit weirdly. I thought about taking it off, but decided it would be better to anchor the 2 front togther i at the centre front so it could not drop away, but would roll over like a small collar. I tacked them on the centre front at the same height as the stitching line which holds the 2 fronts together. (on the pattern pieces above the new lines are drawn in red)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes I would! If you don’t cut on the bias (as the instructions tell you), and use a reasonably stable fabric, it is not that difficult.  But if you line it edge to edge like I did, you should be an experienced sewer as it fiddly.  I would also shorten the strap and tack both fronts together higher at centre front as it is a bit too open at the neckline for my comfort.

Conclusion: 

I want to make this pattern again in a solid fabric without the lining and with contrast topstitching as well as a contrast strap folding up the flounce. This would also be cute as an evening top in a crepe, if you add some beads to that little strap as well! I was even thinking about lengthening it and using it for a dress made out of a heavier knit so I can leave all the edges unfinished!. The fabric doesn’t have to be that thin, it just needs to drape well, so should be suitable for most jerseys.

Downloading Patterns

One of the big barriers to more people sewing their own clothes here in the Philippines has always been the fact that you couldn't buy patterns here. Fortunately nowadays there are many that you can download from the internet. I've been wanting to make a simple dress for the hot weather we are currently having and found one I liked on Burdastyle.

Burda is a large German magazine conglomerate who has been publishing magazines with traceable sewing patterns for decades. They also have regular patterns sold in envelopes which you can also order at various websites online. And now you can also download a selection of their patterns from their different language websites. I speak German so went straight to the German website. Strangely enough the German site has many more patterns available than the english language site and the particular dress I choose (115 from magazine 4/2011 ) is not available on the english language site (yet). Downloading and sticking all the pieces together were pretty easy for this dress, as there were only 2 main pattern pieces and a few facings.

This is my review of the pattern which is also posted at Sewing Pattern Review. There is another review for this dress in a completely different fabric which shows how versatile it is. Funnily enough this reviewer is from Singapore so it shows that this is a particularly good dress for the tropics!

Pattern Description: 

This is a simple straight dress with gathers at front and back in the neckline and elastic dropped waist. The magazine has a blouse and a couple of dresses ( pattern numbers 112 to 115) which use the same pattern.

Pattern Sizing:

I used size 38 which I always wear in European sizing. I just added a bit of width around the hips as I didn’t want the dress too clingy.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I rarely use instructions for easy patterns but I glanced through them ( the german language one) and they seemed pretty easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

The only problem I had was with the neck facings, which kept popping out despite being under-stitched and tacked down at the shoulders. This is mainly due to the gathering at the necklines so the body of the dress is much looser than the facing. I ended up trimming it down to about half an inch and sewing it down with small stitched between the gathers so that they wouldn’t be flattened. The next time I would use a wider facing (more like a small yoke on the inside) so that I can tack it down on to the sleeve facings as well. A one-piece facing including the armhole and neck facings would be better.

Fabric Used:

I used a thin cotton jersey.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

As above. Personally I don’t like side seam pockets as I find they bulge whenever you put something in and make funny bumps on the hips so I did not make them in this case. I also dislike necklines, which are too high as I feel they are strangling me, so I lowered this around 1/2inch in front. Next time, I would probably lower it a bit more, maybe down to 1 inch. I also made the skirt slightly wider at the hem so that I would be ble to walk more easily and have no need for slits.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes I would. I live in the Philippines so I am always looking for loose dresses which are comfortable in the heat, but don’t look like a sack!

Conclusion: 

A nice simple dress with good details, which keep it from being boring.

Knitting

Although this is really a blog about sewing, I also love to knit and have taught some friends. Again the challenge in Manila is to find knitting needles and yarn. The only yarn locally available is a cheap and nasty acrylic and a thin cotton mainly used for crochet. I have knitted and crocheted bags and blankets out of the cotton but used it double so I can use bigger needles. Some of the yarn in this (still) unfinished Babette blanket is the local  Monaco or Canon yarn.

It works well on a European 3.5mm crochet hook or knitting needles and by taking 2 different colors, you can get quite nice variegated effects. I once knitted pot holders using up all my leftovers and 6 strands (but that is a post yet to come)!

I usually teach the continental way of knitting where you hold the yarn in your left hand as it is easier and faster. I can across this video at Love Affair With My Brother And My Janome And My Bernina And My Singer (and I would love to have all those machine...sigh!), so in case any of my students  forget once they get home, either call me or look at this video!

First post!

This is the first post of my new blog which is intended for anyone who loves to sew or who would like to learn to sew and lives in Manila.  I am Dutch, married to a Filipino and have been living in the Philippines for 23 years now. I have sewn ever since I was 10 years old and, as certified seamstress, I have taught classes to both children and adults.

So if you have any interest in learning to sew, need help adjusting patterns, finishing projects, or just with fitting, or maybe would like some company whilst sewing, maybe I can help!

Classes are completely flexible and for any level of sewing. You can start any time and work on a project of your choice whether it’s clothing for your children, curtains for a new house or an evening dress for yourself! Patterns are impossible to find in Manila (other than in Japanese pattern books), but more and more are becoming available as downloads from the internet. I also have a library of European pattern magazines you can use and for the more advanced, I teach pattern making as well. If you can sew already but just need a second pair of eyes and hands to help fit or mark your hems, I can help you there too.

I’ll also be posting photos of projects my students have made as well sharing some of my 20 years experience of sewing in Manila! You will also be able to find a list of where you can get various sewing supplies here . Should you have discovered any good addresses yourself, please let me know and I will add them.

If you have children, please also take a look at our sister blog ILoveCrafts which shows projects we make during our craft classes for kids

Do get in touch for further details or if you have any questions/suggestions, would like to share your own experiences sewing in Manila or need any sewing related advice! I look forward to hearing from you!