Tsurah designs – Measure Twice Cut Once

Posted on 29/01/201619/06/2019 by Susan Goodwin — Leave a comment

Tsurah Designs patterns now available here!

Sometimes you love a design so much you wish you’d thought of it yourself. I feel that way about the Tsurah Designs straight skirt. Not only do I own many of my own I use the pattern when I’m teaching sewing too. It’s such a flattering skirt and so easy to make, it just ticks so many boxes on what makes a good design.

The brains behind Tsurah Designs is Rebecca who like myself is a veteran of the Australian Fashion Industry. We got to chatting and I offered to help sell her designs via the Measure Twice Cut Once website and she loved the idea.

All the designs are now available as pdf patterns in the webstore including the maternity patterns.

I hope you enjoy making them all up as much as I do.

Posted on 28/01/201628/01/2016 by Susan Goodwin — 1 Comment

Sewing Adventures: Tsurah Designs Straight Skirt Sparkly edition

In my head I refer to this skirt as “The Lizzy Made me do it skirt”. After Lizzy had been down for the Shibori Workshop last year (actually the year before last as I’m more than slightly behind in blogging all my makes) we had talked about shapes, proportions and trying new things just to see where they go. On Pinterest I had admired images of sequin skirts worn casually and I always wanted to give it a go.

Spurred on by Lizzy I grabbed some sequins and got to making. I’ve made the Tsurah Designs straight skirt before here and here. So I knew it would be fast to make and I could alter it to fit in the sequins.

The sequin has slightly less stretch than the Ponti and isn’t quite as strong so I wanted the back of the skirt to hold more of the weight of the garment. So I cut it fractionally bigger from hem all the way to just above the hip but kept the waist the same width. Then cut the sequin panel the same.

This gives it more room which is nice and it doesn’t pull the sequins at the front. I kept the wide waistband as I thought it could add to the look by being worn up for a very long silhouette or folded down which is lovely and comfortable. The hem is twin needled but apart from that the rest was entirely sewn on the overlocker. I did wear my clear lens running glasses while sewing to prevent flying sequins into eyes but honestly it sewed like a dream with no problems at all.

I find it a surprisingly comfortable piece. I have to be slightly careful as the sequins do like to snag themselves on things and it gets handwashed too. Apart from that it’s very easy wear and always gets compliments! I’ve been wearing this to work for over a year and it’s still going strong, made for a whim it’s certainly become a mainstay of my wardrobe.

Thanks Lizzy for spurring me on to try something I thought was out of my comfort zone and yet became one of my most worn items!

Oh and I look slightly pinker than usual it’s because I’m sunburnt, I got roasted on Australia day despite wearing a hat, keeping to the shade and doing all the usual things to avoid the sun. It was a beautiful day out, despite the resulting burn. Here’s the Russian Roulette’s as they came across the Bridge.

Pattern: Tsurah Designs straight skirt made many times before.

Alterations: Shortened skirt, added width over hips and down side seams to allow for sequins.

Fabric: Stretch Silver purchased at Pitt Trading, Grey Marle Ponti purchased at Cabramatta.

Posted on 31/08/2015 by Susan Goodwin — 12 Comments

Sewing Adventures – Japanese top and Tsurah Designs skirt

This past weekend there was a Sydney Spoolettes meet up with everyone invited to come to Pitt Trading for some Spring Fabric Shopping and indulge in some Cupcake Dolly cakes (just up the street from Pitt Trading).

I work Saturdays at Pitt Trading so it was fun to see the Spoolettes on work time and I grabbed the opportunity to get some photos taken of my new work top while at work. Huge thank you for Maria for taking the photos for me.

This is Top G from the Japanese pattern book Kristy nicknamed rectangles and circles with head holes.

This is one of the first times I’ve had problems understanding a Japanese pattern. Mostly because there was no way my neck or arms were ever going to work with the tiny pieces allowed for the neck and arm bands. So I calculated out my own bands and used them instead. I also cut the front neckline down a little lower as I don’t like things pressing against the bottom of my neck it makes me feel gaggy. I also twin needled down the neck and armbands. Fist Pump for twin needle stitching like an absolute dream and making the finish look so pro. I love my twin needle.

My fabric is a poly/lycra I bought from Pitt Trading. I like to wear their fabrics when I work there as I find it can be a good icebreaker with customers to talk about the fabrics and sometimes you see a fabric made up and it sparks a whole bunch of ideas you may not have thought about earlier? This is the same quality I’ve used for the Burda Swimsuit and the Nookie Bikini. It’s soft handfeel yet super stable to sew with and has a lovely drape. It really does work for so many patterns and styles.

Talking always talking..

Overall I like the top it feels lovely and swishy on and is a great loose fit through the torso which I so like to wear as it’s so comfortable. Some people find the boxiness of some of the Japanese styles a bit overwhelming. I like the odd shapes as it gives me a chance to experiment with drape and proportion. At times like now when I’m feeling less than svelte I find it nice to still be able to wear an interesting piece that isn’t super fitted or super clingy. It gives me a chance to approach dressing on a different level than just trying to cover up what isn’t currently working for me.

The skirt I’m wearing is the Tsurah Designs straight skirt, which I pretty much live in at work (I now have 4 of them, you can see another one here) for me it’s the perfect ponte skirt. It takes about 30 minutes from cutting to hemming and BAM! new skirt. Love it.

Top Pattern: View G from rectangles and circles with head holes.

Alterations: dropped front neck, increased length of neck and arm bands, bands were attached and then twin needled down. Also no hem, the lycra doesn’t fray so I just cut super straight and left it raw.

Fabric: Printed Polyester/lycra purchased at Pitt Trading.

Skirt Pattern: Tsurah Designs straight skirt, made many times before.

Alterations: Shortened skirt to suit my height.

Fabric: Grey Marle Ponte purchased at Cabramatta.

Posted on 01/05/201530/04/2015 by Susan Goodwin — 10 Comments

Sewing Adventures: Traffic Cone Top and Tsurah Designs Straight Skirt Purple edition

I made a traffic cone! or at least a top that makes a pretty good impersonation of one.

The top is Sleeveless Flare Blouse (view O) from I Love Tops (Japanese pattern book by Yuko Takada) and made without any modifications with the exception of eliminating the back neck slit (the scuba has a slight stretch so I didn’t need the slit to get it on over my head. Yoke fabric is a laser cut Scuba Knit and lower is a cotton burnout and lined with cotton voile. Only the lower portion is lined, the scuba knit is unlined and features raw cut edges on neck and armhole.

The sizing is great around the neckline and armholes and I’m hoping the fabrics all soften down after a few washes as it’s currently very voluminous feeling and looking.

It’s kind of big and I’m still not sure if it’s in the kind of big this is awesome type way or in the wow this top gets in the way it’s got so much fabric type of way?

So far we’ve decided it would be a good traffic cone, smuggling space to carry the cat on cold days so she could act like a hot water bottle or perfect should I ever want to eat my bodyweight in Mexican food and still be comfy.

Only time will tell if it becomes a favourite or a dud, the skirt however is already a firm favourite and possibly one of my go to TNT or Tried N True patterns.

I’ve made the Tsurah Designs straight skirt a few times all of which are currently not yet blogged, so while this is only the 2nd one I made in terms of timeline it’s the first up in the blogging queue.

When cutting I added the smallest extra bit extra over the hips as I felt my first one was a little too tight over my bottom and had the tendency to work it’s way up my body. I also cut the foldover waistband down in size as in the heat of summer I found the extra height or weight a bit hot.

While I love the colour of this skirt I don’t think I should’ve added the extra over the hips as this is a much softer double knit. Am leaving it as is for the moment but am interested to see how it goes after a few wears. I might take it in a fraction if it does stretch out. Good news is it hasn’t stretched out but I have lost a fraction of weight and now it’s a tad too big. So I may well run it back in over the hip only.

Top Pattern: Sleeveless Flare Blouse (view O) from I Love Tops.

Alterations: eliminated back neck slit

Fabric: Laser cut scuba, burn out cotton both purchased at Pitt Trading.

Skirt Pattern: Tsurah Designs straight skirt, made once before.

Alterations: Shortened skirt, added width over hips, made waistband half the height of the pattern.

Fabric: Purple Double Knit purchased at Pitt Trading.