Miss Fancybelle

Spring Sew-Along Update

2013-05-13T06:53:00.001-05:00

Hi there! We just finished up our Colette Patterns Laurel dress sew-along and I will post a pattern review along with photos of my finished dress very soon. It turned out great! My friend Cara from My Little Lady Designs made herself a Laurel top and it's super awesome!! For now, you can check out pics HERE at our Flickr group. We took a little break afterwards and starting today we're going to tackle a Jamie Dress Sew-Along, pattern by Sis Boom. Mine will be in Jennifer Paganelli's beautiful Eloise fabric shown in the pattern example photos, and perhaps I'll do another in a yet to be decided fabric!

Here is the proposed schedule for our Jamie dress sew-along:

Mon 5/13: Print/assemble pattern, cut pattern pieces
Tues/Fri 5/14-5/17: Sewing!
Sat/Sun 5/18-5/19: Finishing touches/adjusting fit

Excited to keep you updated on our progress! I think our next sew-along will be Sis Boom's Vanessa, which will be perfect for the upcoming hot summer months! Can you tell that I'm becoming a Sis Boom pattern collector? They make it too easy with all the convenient digital patterns. :) I'm also planning a few projects from the Colette Sewing Handbook, which arrived at my house from Amazon last week. I'm really looking forward to soaking up more sewing technique knowledge as I dive into that book. The Truffle dress especially seems flattering and fun to sew! Looking forward to all these fun sewing adventures ahead!

Laurel Dress Sew-Along Begins Soon!

2013-04-09T10:25:00.001-05:00

Next week we're starting a sew-a-long of the new Laurel Dress pattern by Colette Patterns! You can follow that link to purchase a PDF pattern if you want to join us in showing this very cute and versatile shift dress. Then all you need is some fabric and a zipper, I guess!

Photo courtesy of Colette Patterns

Here's the tentative schedule:

Mon-Tues 4/15-4/16: Printing/assembling pattern, cutting pattern pieces
Wed-Fri 4/17-4/19: Sewing time!
Sat-Sun 4/20-4/21: Finishing touches, adjusting for fit

If you want to join in, here's a link to our Flickr page: April 2013 Sew-Alongs. We'll be posting photos of our work as we go along and sharing our progress! Can't wait to see how this dress turns out. There are a lot of little options available on the Colette Patterns' website. I'm still debating whether I want to add the pockets or not. I'll have to figure that out pretty soon!! :) Have a great day!

Sis Boom Meghan Pattern Review

2013-04-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

We just finished up sewing our Meghan peasant tops by Sis Boom and are ready to tackle the Laurel dress by Colette Patterns! But first, I'll give you a quick review of the Meghan pattern. Here I am in my "Lauralee" fabric peasant top...

Meghan tops West Indies and Lauralee fabrics by Sis Boom

Sis Boom patterns are typically very easy to print, assemble and understand. This is a very simple project that's perfect for a beginner! I wanted my Meghan to be a hip-length top so I cut my body pieces to a length of 15", then added 1 1/4" for seam allowance (total: 16 1/4" in length). Of course, I'm quite tall at 5'10", so you might want to adjust yours according to your own measurement.

The pattern states that if you want a more fitted peasant, you should go down one size. Still, since I'm usually a medium, I cut a medium...but now I wish I had done the small. Oh well! An adjustment I did make was to cut all my elastic pieces an extra two inches longer than the pattern called for. I just didn't want anything to be tight or constricting!

Also, the pattern calls for hemming the body/skirt pieces before attaching them to the bodice. I wouldn't do that next time around. After I tried on my finished Meghan, I realized that I wanted a closer fit in the body, so I took in both my tops over an inch on each side seam. Obviously, it's much easier to hem a garment after making adjustments for your own body type.

Finally, there's a choice of three cutting lines on the bodice pattern pieces according to your cup size. I actually think cutting a larger (2 or 3) bodice piece regardless of your chest size would give this top a little less of a potential maternity look. After having three babies, I'm definitely not into wearing anything that seems like it could be found in a maternity shop!! That being said, if you are pregnant, this pattern could be easily adjusted to fit a growing baby belly. :)

Overall, this was a very quick sewing project. I think I could've finished sewing both garments in about 2-3 hours...if I could get that many solid, uninterrupted hours!! I definitely love sewing Sis Boom patterns, you really can't go wrong if you decide to give them a go!

April Sew-Alongs!

2013-04-02T12:59:00.001-05:00

I took a brief hiatus from updating my blog, but now I'm back with info about a whole month of sew-alongs for April 2013! My friend Cara from My Little Lady Designs and I will be tackling several dress patterns from Sis Boom and the new Laurel dress Colette Patterns just launched. Here's the schedule:

4/3-4/7: Sis Boom Meghan Peasant Top
4/8-4/14: Colette Patterns Laurel Dress
4/15-4/21: Sis Boom Jamie Dress
4/22-4/28: TBD (Sis Boom Rebecca?)

Here's the Flickr group I created to share photos: April 2013 Sew-Alongs. Should be great fun and will definitely put us all in perfect Spring mood by the start of May!!

My side project for this month is also sewing the Sis Boom Lucy Halter as a maxi dress in two different fabrics. It's my first time sewing with some Jennifer Paganelli fabric and I can't wait! Here's one of my fabric choices:

Thanks for dropping by!

More Colette Shorts! Madeleine Mini Bloomer Review

2012-08-07T07:58:00.003-05:00

Seems as though I'm on a shorts-making kick this summer! Kind of ironic, considering I'm more of a skirt and dress kind of girl. In any case, I recently came across Colette's free pattern for the Madeleine Mini Bloomers and thought they were so adorable! And I figured I didn't have much to lose trying them out, considering the pattern was free (!) and I had plenty of fabric leftover from my last shorts-sewing extravaganza.

Here's some pics! BTW, I won't be modeling these for photos as they are quite brief...very cute to wear, but I draw a line on sharing that on the interwebs! ;)

My pattern review:
Such an easy pattern and a quick sew! Literally, an hour or two to sew these up. A perfect project for a beginner. In fact, there's only 2 pattern pieces, and the only part I found time-consuming was inserting all that elastic and ribbon in the casings. The waistline is made with 2 rows of 1/4" elastic and then there is another casing for ribbon ties at each leg opening. Next time around, I will sew my casings a little more accurately so I don't run into any difficulties inserting the elastic.

Another note: cut this pattern for your hip measurement, not your waist size. My hips are quite narrow, so I should've cut a size smaller. I had to take this pattern in at least an inch and it's still a little poofy in the hip. "Normal" hips should have no problem, though. Of course, since I like to make patterns in multiples, I've already cut fabric for two more pairs...both in a silkier rayon blend. I'm really excited to see how those wear in an even lighter, more lingerie-y type fabric! The pair above is made from a relatively lightweight cotton poplin, which is perfect for summertime wear.

Next up will be a review of Colette's Lily dress! I just finished it last weekend in Amy Butler Kasbah fabric with a aqua chevron accent fabric. Really, really pretty.

Honestly, Kasbah is way more "pattern" that I'm used to wearing...but I still love how it turned out. Then I'm done with Colette for awhile...she and I need some space. Ha! I'm moving on to Sis Boom now, specifically the Angie dress. Jennifer Paganelli, I hope your fit will be kind to me! ;)

Colette Iris Shorts Pattern Review

2012-07-12T11:30:00.001-05:00

Even though I haven't been posting much this summer, that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing! I recently finished sewing two pairs of Iris Shorts by Colette Patterns and I going to write up a quick pattern review right here, before I forget how I made the darn things! ;) First...some pics:

Obviously, I chose some super wrinkly cotton fabrics for this project! Both were purchased from Mood Designer Fabrics...I highly recommend them, btw. The Iris pattern recommended pique, poplin, twill, etc...and I went with a striped seersucker and a khaki poplin with tiny chocolate polka dots. If I were to make these shorts again, I'd probably go with a heavier twill fabric instead. The poplin especially is so lightweight that I could've/should've done a lining. Oh well! They'd make better pajama shorts or something, but I digress. Here are the seersucker Iris shorts:

Front view

Back view

Full view

I'm a Colette Patterns size 12, but I cut the waist panels in a size 14 so I could wear the shorts a tad lower on my waist. This is a very high-waisted shorts pattern and, in my opinion, that's not a very flattering look from behind. Making them more "low-rise" seemed to solve that dilemma somewhat.

Also, I noticed the shorts are quite a-line in appearance as they fall around the thigh area. Just a little too full for my taste. So for my second pair in poplin, I used a larger seam allowance from the hip down. As you can see in the following pics, the poplin Iris shorts are more fitted to my shape...

Front view of Iris Shorts in dot poplin

Back view of Iris Shorts in dot poplin

This was my first foray into using a Colette pattern and I'm super pleased with the overall experience! I used their digital pattern so I can print it out again whenever I want. The pattern pieces were easy to use, the instructions were thorough, and the end product is comfy and cute. Best of all, sewing these shorts went pretty fast and everything was straightforward. An advanced beginner could tackle these shorts easily, and even a beginner looking to stretch their skills into working with zippers and interfacing would be fine attempting the Iris shorts. I will definitely use this pattern again, perhaps doing an elastic waist pajama shorts version?? We'll see! :)

Our Dining Table Makeover

2012-05-25T07:38:00.003-05:00

Hi there! I'm tackling furniture painting projects left and right these days now that our summer has begun! I've been wanting to do something...anything...with our very worn out dining table top since last winter. When I saw this pos t from Domestic Imperfection, I decided to go for it before I could talk myself out of it all! :)

Here is the before picture...

The blonde and white dining set went much better in our old house, but seemed to clash with the gray walls we inherited (and love!) in our current dining room. Plus, you can't tell from this pic how badly the previous finish on the tabletop had been worn off in the "high traffic" areas!

Initially, I had wanted to paint the whole thing white so I had plenty of paint on hand but I was nervous to leave such a blank canvas, so to speak, for my kids to put marker and paint stains all over. I thought a patterned tabletop would help disguise any kid-related snafus, maybe! The new table concept would involve sanding down our tabletop, painting a stencil across it, applying a darker wood stain, then sealing the whole thing with polycrylic.

Lucky me, I already had a really cute $4 fleur-de-lis style stencil on hand from my curtain project! I just didn't want to spend $50 on a large-scale stencil...but it took many hours of stenciling a repeating pattern in exchange, way into the late night hours! I started in the middle and worked my way out. I love how it turned out!

Here "she" is! (The table and I are besties now, after all these hours spent together!!)

My husband used his orbital sander to remove the old blonde finish...thanks dear! Then I applied three coats of Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut. I also sanded with our orbital sander in-between each coat. This was my first time working with wood stains, and whew...what a smell! I'm not a fan.

The final step was applying a polycrylic sealant, also a first for me. I'll definitely use it again on all my painting projects! It really leaves such a nice, professional (and durable) finish. I did three coats, lightly sanding with a fine grit sanding block in-between coats.

Can you believe all of this started with one tiny fleur-de-lis stencil?? I think it has a cute little French country look to it, which I love. More pics...

As you can see, we have the ubiquitous $20 gray floral rug Ikea rug that's just such a great value. Our dining room is strangely the largest room downstairs, so I decided to put two rugs together to span the table area instead of going sans rug. At twenty bucks each, no one is too heartbroken if our our troop of young children spill something our our conjoined rugs. Which they do...a lot. ;)

I'm so in love with our "new" table!! We actually served dinner on it last night and it was such a cool experience! After using our rickety extra drop-leaf table for the past several days, we felt like we were in some kind of fancy restaurant...ha ha! And I'm so happy with our all-white chairs. They even seem easier to clean now, thanks to a final coat of polycrylic.

Thank you so much to Ashley from Domestic Imperfection for inspiring me to do this table makeover and providing great guidance! I have a few other furniture DIY projects to share in the upcoming weeks, including our decoupaged bookcase that is something I just love. :) Thanks for stopping by!!

Lotus Sew-a-Long Day 5 and Pattern Review

2012-05-14T10:24:00.004-05:00

Whew! What a week! Our Amy Butler Lotus Tunic Sew-a-Long is now over and done with. Yippeee!!! So great to have a finished garment, and just in time for Mother's Day weekend too! Please check out our Flickr group to see even more pics, including those of my partner Cara's top/dress too. Click on the links below to get up to speed on our progress this week:

Lotus Tunic Intro
Lotus Day 1: Tracing and Cutting
Lotus Day 2: Sewing
Lotus Days 3 and 4: Lining

I'm not going to keep you in suspense any longer! Here's my shortened version of the Lotus Tunic:

I made this top about 5 inches shorter than the pattern called for since I wanted something to wear with leggings or jeans. I am so pleased with how it turned out! On me, the fit was perfect! There is definitely something to be said for a nicely tailored garment. If anything, I'd take it in around the natural waist/hips a little more, but I'm happy with a figure-flattering a-line look too. Here's the back:

I just think the sleeves on this garment are adorable!!

By the last day of our Sew-a-Long, all I still needed to do was hem my garment. However, I inadvertently made my muslin lining just a touch smaller than the outer shell. Ooops! So I had to open and fix one seam, then I was able to hem it just fine. It went really quickly, thankfully!

Just a few notes about this pattern, in the vein of a review: the Lotus Tunic is a very easy pattern to follow. This is the third Amy Butler pattern I've used so far and I've been happy with the results every time! As with any garment you're working on, definitely try it on midway and adjust for fit issues. My hubby is a good helper with this. He does computerized drafting all day long, so measurements come naturally to him! I ended up making my seams around the bust/shoulder area smaller than the pattern called for (about 5/8" as opposed to 1/2") and a smidge bigger than 1/2" from the hips down. What can I say...I'm kinda a giant rectangle!!

Also, if you decide to shorten the tunic like I did, you might need to trim off more than 5 inches. I'm nearly six feet tall, so 5" wouldn't be nearly enough for you petite ladies. :) And I'd advised shortening it if you are of average or petite height. The tunic was absolutely more of a dress on my friend Cara, my Sew-a-Long partner.

In any case, please note that this pattern calls for more fabric than necessary, especially if you're going to shorten it. This shortened garment is a size Large, and I used 1 1/2 yards of main fabric and maybe a little more than a fat quarter's worth of fabric for the coordinating pieces. For the full tunics I'm making for my sister and my second top, I used 2 yards of main fabric.

Finally...about the lining: I can see making this top piece by piece with the lining already sewn to the pattern pieces. Muslin is so light and pliable, I don't think it would add any discernible bulkiness to the seams that way. Maybe, but I don't know. Any more experienced seamstresses want to weight in on this?

I better run! Next up I'll be posting pics and a pattern review of the Amy Butler Blue Sky Sun Hat! I made two, one for my Grandma's Mother's Day gift and then one for myself. :) And, of course, I'll soon be finishing and posting pics of the other two Lotus Tunics I have in the works. Can't wait!

Lotus Sew-a-Long Days 3 and 4: Lining

2012-05-11T22:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks for following along with the Amy Butler Lotus Tunic Top Sew-a-Long that I'm working on this week with Cara from My Little Lady Designs! Check out our Flickr group for lots of fun photos of our progress, but here's a quick recap of what happened on days 3 and 4 of the sew-a-long...

Day 3: Well, things certainly started to slow down for me mid-week. On Day 3, all I managed to do was install zippers on all 3 garments and then wrangle my muslin linings. Sounds easy, right? Not if you have a certain 11 months old that wants to participate!

"Is this my new blanket, Momma?"

Hey, come back with that muslin!!!

Anyway...here's the muslin lining after I rescued it from my youngest kiddo (and ironed it!):

Front

Interior

This section of the pattern calls for finishing or serging all the seams, but I boldly chose to skip that step after consulting with my mother. All the seams will be encased in the interior of the garment after it's complete, so I didn't really see an acute need for all that extra reinforcement. Plus, I was running short on time! Actually, the muslin came together really quickly but I only had an hour or two to put into it all.

On Day 4, I attached the lining to my main garment and then completed the sleeves. At this point, it became crystal clear that I would only be able to finish one of the three tops I was constructing by Friday. Oh well! There's always next week. :) Here are some pics...

Front

Back

There was some wonkiness at the outer corners of neckline that required a little extra clipping and stitching, but otherwise I was super pleased with the results! It was my first time understitching anything so I had to google it to figure out exactly what to do. Easy peasy, though! Here's the video I used to figure it out.

Then it was sleeve time! The pattern calls for gathering stitches or basting at 1/2" and 3/8" on the sleeve piece, but next time I'll stitch at 1/4" and 3/8" to avoid having to clip those seams out later. I also made the circumference of my sleeve just a little bit bigger than the pattern called for. The size Large top has a 9 1/2" sleeve, but mine ended up at 11". I was worried it might look too poofy, but I'm happy with the end results. Plenty of room to move my arms around! Isn't it so cute and feminine?

Another first for me...I used Amy Butler's method of attaching bias tape instead of my quick, one step (and maybe incorrect!) method! Here's a tutorial on sewing bias tape on a curve that really has great step-by-step pics: Bias Tape Tutorial. Pretty cool, really! I'm a convert!!

Mother's Day weekend is upon us, so I'll have to post my Day 5 finale and pics after the weekend. So excited to share photos of my finished garment with you! Yes, I actually finished it...ha! So adorable and worth all the work...plus, the fit is just perfect for me. :) Can't wait to wear it on Mother's Day! Thanks so much for visiting my blog and Sew-a-Long!

Lotus Sew-a-Long Day 2: Sewing

2012-05-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

Hey there! It's our Amy Butler Lotus Tunic Sew-a-long week and now we're getting into some real work here! Monday we traced and cut our fabric pattern pieces and Day 2 was the start of sewing them together, which is always exciting! I love seeing the garment come together!

The first step was to tackle the darts for our back pieces. Here are some pics...

Dart from the "wrong" side

Completed dart

Remember, I decided to sew 2 tops for myself and then I added a third top per the request of my sister. I'm a nice sister, right? Ha ha! Actually, I'm not sure if I'll finish hers this week, but it's good to get a head start!

Although the pattern called for inserting the zipper practically right away, I decided to hold off until Day 3 because I realized that I didn't have the right zipper on hand. It won't change the final product anyway. Here are my three Lotus tops through Step 8 of the pattern:

I just love the sweetheart neckline on these tops! I've never sewn a garment like that and I'm definitely happy with the look.

Then I attached the upper bodice pieces. Easing around this curve wasn't so much fun, but I was getting more efficient by my third top! Still, check out how many pins I needed!

It was about 10:30pm when I called it quits, and here's some shots of how far I got...

At this point, I'm all the way through Step 10 (minus inserting zippers) and ready to start sewing my muslin linings. I'm actually not too thrilled with the color combo on my sister's green/aqua Sandlewood top. I hate to change it now, but I plan on getting her opinion ASAP and proceed accordingly!

Just a quick note...be sure to try on your top at this point and see if any fit adjustments are needed. I tried on my sister's top first and decided to use a smaller seam allowance on my two tops where the shoulder attaches. I happen to be quite tall (5'11") and I could use a tiny bit more length in that area compared to her smaller stature. Otherwise, I was very happy with the fit and really looking forward to wearing these tops eventually!!

Next up...two more days of sewing, and then Friday to finish up! Check out our Flickr group for more pics and also please visit my friend Cara's site, My Little Lady Designs, to read all about her progress with the Lotus Sew-a-Long!

Lotus Tunic Sew-a-Long: Tracing and Cutting

2012-05-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

Today's the big day! For those of you who are just joining us, we are starting a sew-a-long for the beautiful Amy Butler Lotus Tunic Top. Check out or join or Flickr group for even more pics and you can follow along with our progress on this blog or my sew-a-long partner's blog: My Little Lady Designs!

All ready to trace this pattern and cut my fabric...

By the way, I've decided to cut two tops and sew them both this week. Wish me luck! Actually, my sister saw how cute this pattern is and immediately wanted me to make a top for her too, so I might add a third to the mix if I can squeeze out enough time! I'm pretty busy as a stay-at-home mom with three kids aged 4 and under, so I'm not super optimistic about finishing it all!

A few notes about this pattern...the pieces are in tissue like a traditional McCall's or Simplicity pattern. I'm not a fan of that. Since I've been exposed to digital patterns on paper, I just prefer their sturdiness. Oh well! I also like to use parchment paper to trace my pattern pieces, when/if they'll fit. Then I can re-use them and not worry about tearing or excessive crinkling.

Here's my Amy Butler Sandlewood fabric:

Since I didn't have a full 2 yards of this fabric on hand, I decided to make a hip-length version of the Lotus Tunic. Thus, I trimmed 5 inches from the bottom of each body pattern piece. The other option for a shorted top was to use the Cami pattern, but I wasn't as happy with how the fit looked on example pieces I've seen or having buttons up the back.

Here are some of my Sandlewood pieces with my coordinating fabric, Lodge Lattice by Joel Dewberry:

For my second top, I scrounged up some random fabric made for Joann stores that I barely remember buying. That's okay...since I had two yards, I was set to make a full-on tunic! I chose Amy Butler's Fresh Poppies in fuchsia for the coordinating fabric...

Not a super hard pattern to trace and cut, but time-consuming. There are six pattern pieces and almost all of them need to also be cut out in a lining fabric (muslin). I just finished my muslin pieces, and I didn't bother with pics of those, alas. Just happy to still be on schedule! :)

Next up...two days of solid sewing! Ha, I wish. More like two days with a few stolen hours of sewing during my kids' naptimes and after they go to bed for the night! Here's a recap of this week's schedule:

Monday (May 7): Tracing and Cutting Pattern
Tuesday-Thursday (May 8-10): Sewing
Friday (May 11): Finishing

I'm so excited to get started tomorrow, especially now that I can more easily envision the finished product! Hope you can join us! :)

Amy Butler Lotus Top Sew-a-Long!

2012-04-30T07:21:00.000-05:00

Anyone interested in sewing another Amy Butler pattern with me? Actually, my friend Cara from My Little Lady Designs and I will be sewing the Lotus Tunic Top week with our own sew-a-long!! Cara and I were college roommates and even though we live in different states, we are having so much fun sewing "together"! :) It's not often that I sew just for myself, but I'm on a roll and loving it!

Here's the proposed timeline:

Mon May 7: Trace and Cut Pattern
Tues May 8-Thurs May 10: Sewing
Friday May 11: Finishing

I even made my first Flickr group so we can share our photos: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lotuspattern/!

My plan is to sew a shortened tunic with sleeves using these two fabrics...

Amy Butler Sandlewood in Tangerine and Lodge Lattice by Joel Dewberry

I might even try to sew a second top along with this one if I can scrounge up some fabric to use in my stash!! Can't wait to get started and the share the process with you! :)

My Amy Butler Shower Curtain!

2012-04-24T10:41:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love Amy Butler. I guess it was only a matter of time until each of the rooms in my house had some kind of Amy Butler fabric in them! A shower curtain seems like such an easy project, right? Well, stick with me and I'll give you some practical tips to help you sew a new shower curtain of your own.

A little less than a year ago, I picked out her Arabesque in Ivory for a nursing cover that a friend made and left it hanging in the bathroom.

"Hmm," I thought. "That looks good in here!" It even went with our existing bath towels. Although we have a teeny-tiny powder room, there's no reason it can't look great! This the view from inside the doorway:

A close-up of the edging I used to add visual interest and a little bit of weight to the bottom:

A shot of the curtain top, with a grand total of TWELVE buttonholes!

Looks really nice with our pearl grey paint color and white beadboard walls! Wish I could get you better pics, but it's not easy with such a skinny room! Believe it or not, we actually had an even more miniature bath in the first apartment my husband and I had in Minneapolis...so, to me, size doesn't matter as long as it's pretty. And when we start shopping for our "forever" home later this year, I'll just be happy to have more than one powder room!! :)

The finished size of this curtain is about 73"x73", just a tad larger than a standard shower curtain measurement of 72" x 72". To make this curtain, I purchased 4 yards of fabric cut into 2 yard sections. Then I put the two 2-yard pieces right sides together and peeked between them to see if the fabric designs lined up, which they didn't. Sigh! I had to pin and then check the alignment...pin and check...pin and check...until I was fairly pleased with the pattern match-up. Obviously, this wouldn't be an issue if you used a solid colored fabric.

Once I had my sections pinned together properly, I trimmed off the excess fabric leaving about one inch of a seam allowance. You could easily do less of a seam allowance, but I get nervous and like to leave myself with plenty of room! Then I sewed the two pieces together using a french seam because I don't have a serger. Here's an easy tutorial if you want to try out a french seam: How To Create a French Seam. You could also finish your raw edges with a zigzag stitch or serge it, then press your seams open.

After that, I took my excess pieces of fabric that I cut from the seam area earlier and decided to use them as edging around the top and bottom areas of the curtain. I cut each piece to the same width as the finished curtain and then folded each piece horizontally, right sides together. Since the plan was to sew buttonholes along the top for the shower curtain hooks to go through, I figured it would be best to use a double thickness of fabric for that area. I'd suggest adding light interfacing inside the edging/buttonhole area too, if you are so inclined.

The next step was to sew my edging pieces to the main body of the curtain. I lined up each piece right sides together, raw edges together, and sewed it with a 1/2" seam allowance. I finished my raw edges by trimming them with a pinking shears and then sewing over the edges with a small zigzag stitch. The final step was to hem the sides of the curtain. For this, I pressed the edges under twice and then top-stitched. Here's more info on how to sew a basic hem: Sew a Simple Hem.

Since I had twelve curtain hooks, I needed to sew twelve evenly dispersed buttonholes on the top edging of my nearly finished shower curtain. For this, I used my old curtain as a guide for where to place the holes, and then marked the placement with a chalk pencil. Some of the first buttonholes I ever made are on this curtain, and it was shockingly easy!! (If you can guess...I did a few test buttonholes on scrap fabric just to get my bearings!

My Singer came with an automatic buttonhole foot, but very skimpy directions on how to use it. Here is the video tutorial I found that really helped me with my automatic buttonhole foot: Sew a Buttonhole. I also suggest reading this excellent article on sewing buttonholes from Sew for Home if you're also new to sewing buttonholes.

I still can't believe I'm all done sewing this shower curtain! I'm totally loving it. In the end, each panel measured 36 1/2" wide and edging pieces were about 2"x73". I think it took me about 6 hours total to sew up this project, but I could definitely make it again in less time. What do you think? Ready to start your own shower curtain?? Please contact me if you have any questions, I'd love to help!! :)

Here's a sneak preview of two new projects I currently have on deck! First, Iris Shorts from Colette Patterns.

So far, I just have my paper pattern pieces cut out. This will be my first time using Colette Patterns, and I'm hoping to write a review once I'm all done! Now, if I could only settle on a good fabric to use!

Second...

Yep, that's me stenciling with fabric paint onto burlap! Eventually these hunks of burlap will be accent edges on our living room curtains. Can't wait!! Have a fabulous week!!!

Cabo Halter Day 4: All Done and Pattern Review!

2012-04-16T07:52:00.000-05:00

It's been just a blast doing the Amy Butler pattern sew-a-long via the Living with Punks blog! Big thanks to her for arranging this and getting me sewing something just for myself! It's been so enjoyable and motivating that a friend of mine and I have decided to do the Amy Butler Lotus Tunic pattern together next!!! Check out her blog: My Little Ladies.

You can revisit the details of my progress with the Cabo Halter at the links below:

Cabo Halter Sew-a-Long Intro
Day 1: Cutting Fabric
Day 2: Sewing the Bodice
Day 3: Zipper, etc.

For even more pics of everyone's projects, click HERE to see the Sew-a-Long Flickr group.

Here are photos of the completely finished garments!

After sewing two of these Amy Butler Cabo Halters, I feel ready to write a little pattern review for you! First of all, I would definitely use this pattern again. In fact, I already have plans (and fabric!) to make another halter for my sister. :)

If you've used paper patterns before, this pattern won't give you much trouble. I made two of these halters in a little less than 4 days, during evenings and my kids' naptimes. I found that the pattern pieces were very fully and accurately labeled, which made assembly a little easier. Amy Butler's step-by-step descriptions were largely adequate and assembly was very straightforward. It would have been nice to have a few extra drawings about how to construct the dart, especially for first-timers, but it wasn't an issue for me because I had sewn them in previous garments.

The Cabo Halter pattern was pretty much true to size for me. After comparing my measurements to the pattern instructions, I chose to sew a size large and I'm glad I did! If anything, this pattern runs a tad small in the bodice. If you are more well-endowed, I'd suggest cutting the bodice pieces a size up from your body pieces. Actually, this pattern call for a 1/2" seam allowance throughout, which is more than generous to allow for extra sizing tweaks. On my second halter (Temple Garland), I made the bodice pieces using a 3/8" seam allowance, but kept the 1/2" allowance for the body. I think the fit of that garment worked out best for my body type.

Another note about the bodice...I decided to add a few stitches where the two bodice pieces cross over just to minimize the cleavage effect. I even added some lace to the yellow halter's bodice area to obtain more coverage. For more details on how to make this top more modest (so to speak!), check out some ideas from the Living with Punks blog HERE.

Finally, I would suggest using muslin for lining the bodice pieces so you can save on fabric. I've heard that Amy Butler patterns call for way more fabric than necessary, and that is definitely true for this garment. A size large calls for 2 yards of fabric, but I needed about 1 1/2 yards for each garment. Absolutely good to know when planning to sew this pattern!! :)

I better run! Feel free to contact me in the comments if you have questions about sewing this pattern. I'd love to help out with whatever you need! Have a fabulous day! :)

Cabo Halter Day 3: Zipper, etc.

2012-04-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been busy couple of days doing this Cabo Halter sew-a-long! All my kids' afternoon nap-times and plenty of my evening hours have been devoted to sewing these days, but well worth it. Just to catch you up, I'm participating in an Amy Butler pattern sew-a-long via Living with Punks. You can revisit the details at the links below:

Cabo Halter Sew-a-Long Intro
Day 1: Cutting Fabric
Day 2: Sewing the Bodice

Here are some pics of my progress from Day 3! All is done except the hem on my Temple Garland piece!!!

Most of Day 3 involved sewing the body pieces and attaching the zipper. I had to rip and re-sew my seams a few times on the yellow shirt I completed first. I just couldn't get the side seams to match up exactly the first time around! I had the fabric pieces pinned okay, but I guess I nudged it out of line somehow while sewing. Oh well, I compensated accordingly on the Temple Garland halter and no problems arose.

There are tons of tutorials and videos online about sewing zippers, but I use a method I learned from the Sew Mama Sew blog. Click HERE for her tutorial. It's basically in line with what my mom told me, but fuses the zipper directly to the garment before sewing, eliminating pins and any wonkiness. I love it!!

Day 4 is up next, devoted to finishing up the garments. I'm going to install my hook and eye closures, do some ironing and then call it a day! :)

Cabo Halter Day 2: Bodice

2012-04-11T19:00:00.001-05:00

Day 2 of Living with Punks' Amy Butler Cabo Halter Sew-a-Long is here and I'm almost done with both of my garments already! Man, I am getting so speedy at sewing now that I rearranged my sewing nook and I can leave all of my projects out to tackle whenever I have a spare moment. Here are some shots of the bodices I finished last night, but check out the Flicker group to see more pics of everyone's work so far!

I'm making two halters simultaneously, just because I know I'll get sidetracked and never go back to make more with this pattern later!

I thought they were so cute when I draped them to check the fit, and I'm really excited to finish up!! Check out my original post HERE for more details on this Sew-a-Long.

Cabo Halter Day 1: Cutting Fabric

2012-04-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

Have you joined Living With Punks' Amy Butler Cabo Halter Sew-a-Long yet? I'm so glad I did, because this sure is fun! Check out the Flickr group for lots of fun photos. The first day was devoted to tracing and cutting the pattern pieces. The Sew-a-Long's host has a great post on how to tackle that part of this pattern HERE.

Here's a pic of some examples of my pieces. I'm making two halters, one with Tanya Whelan Picnic damask (white and yellow) and the other more colorful one is Temple Garland by Amy Butler.

It took me an hour or so to trace and cut fabric for two halters. So excited to eventually wear these garments!!! The temps here have dipped down lately, but I still have summertime in sight! :)

Show Me Your Fabric Stash

2012-04-09T08:15:00.001-05:00

If you're anything like me, half the fun of sewing is building up a fabric collection...AKA "fabric stash"! I have loads of fabric that I totally intend of eventually using...I hope...but just haven't gotten the time. Me, and pretty much every other sewist I know, is in the same boat! :) Anyhow, here's your chance to show off that stash! Info below courtesy of the Amy Butler website:

"To celebrate the launch of my Gypsy Caravan collection I am running a contest so you can show me YOUR stash! The rules are simple, just upload one picture of you and your fabric stash to my new Flickr group HERE by May 15th. I will be randomly picking three winners from the photo pool for an exciting prize of Gypsy Caravan fabric, books and patterns."

Sounds cool, right? More details to be found HERE. I just uploaded a pic of my stash to the Flickr group this morning. Here's a shot of me in my sewing area, with my stash always nearby and at the ready!! I snagged my hubby to take a few pics yesterday after our Easter festivities, otherwise I wouldn't be so dressed up! ;)

My desk is NOT usually this messy. Okay...yes, it is. Actually it's typically much more messy than this, but for once I cleaned up a tad after finishing whatever I was working on last.

FABRIC!!!

Gotta run! Just a reminder that tomorrow is the start of the Cabo Halter Sew-a-long if you want to join in. Yippee! :)

Easter Projects Complete!

2012-04-06T16:57:00.002-05:00

How are your Easter projects going? For once, I'm actually done ahead of time. This never happens!! Just wanted to quickly post a few pics of the heirloom Easter dress I finished yesterday for my daughter, plus the coordinating accessories I made for my two boys. Everybody's going to look so dapper!

The fabric is Tanya Whelan's Picnic Damask and then I made an overlay with silk organza edged with three-tier lace. I also added a pleated eyelet trim to bottom edge of the skirt.

The dress includes lace butterfly sleeves and a long sash at the waist. I made up my own pattern as I went from mostly impromptu ideas. I really let my creativity loose on this one!! :)

Here are the matching ties I made for my sons. The oldest gets to wear the "daddy tie" and my baby boy will wear a bow tie this Easter Sunday.

Can't wait to see my kiddos in their new finery! I just finished constructing some matching hair clips for my daughter and I, but haven't gotten a chance to take pics. Hopefully I can update this post later on with more photos! Take care and have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Easter Dress Preview

2012-04-05T07:23:00.003-05:00

As part of my mission to sew more clothing items for my daughter, I've been working on a very special Easter dress these past few nights. Here's a preview photo of the work in progress from yesterday afternoon...

This dress is made from Tanya Whelan's Picnic Damask fabric with a silk organza overskirt. I happened to have some fancy-schmansy organza in storage from wedding supplies I purchased a long time ago. Feels great to put it to good use! :) I made up my own pattern as I went along, but I'm using an old romper pattern from my youngest son's baptism outfit to guide me through. I added a three-layer lace as edging to the overskirt and did three levels of pintucks just above the lace.

Really, I think I deserve something so fancy and pretty too! I'll have to think of how to use some lace and pintucks on an adult garment...hmmm...

Hope all of your Easter projects are going great! My next step is to install the zipper on this dress and finally be done. Then I'm making coordinating accessories for my boys. I'm thinking of ties or belts?? Have a fabulous day!

Cabo Halter Sew-a-Long

2012-04-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

It's my first sew-a-long, and I'm so excited! My good friend from My Little Lady Designs is participating and when she shared the info with me, I couldn't resist! Living with Punks, a great blog with so many cool sewing tutorials, is hosting the project. Here's the link: Amy Butler Cabo Halter Sew-a-Long.

It just sounds like so much fun to make myself a summer top (or 2) with actual timelines/deadlines to motivate me. Maybe (hopefully!) this project actually gets completed. ;) I haven't totally decided what fabric I'm going to use, but I have about 2 yards of Picnic Damask in Yellow by Tanya Whelan leftover from my daughter's Easter dress.

Otherwise, I also have a large chunk of Temple Garland in Clay by Amy Butler...

Hmmm...maybe these fabrics would look good together! We'll see. I have been trying to whittle down my giant fabric stash these days. I just gave my mom a big bunch of fabric with her promises to make simple peasant-style summer nightgowns for my daughter. Excited for those!! Otherwise, I'm hoping to use the whole month of April to work on a few outfits for my kids...shorts for the boys and dresses for my girl...plus a skirt or two for me. Should be fun!

Next week I hope to post some pics of my daughter's Easter dress! I'm making my own pattern for this and I'm still working out the details. All I know is that I have a lot of cute lace to use and too many ideas!!! Have a great week. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T11:08:00.006-06:00

This Valentine's my husband and I are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the day we met and started dating! So crazy to think that all of this started ten years ago...and now we're a family of five! :)

I wasn't going to do anything special for the kids this year, but an idea popped into my head yesterday afternoon and I decided to take an hour to make these cute little Valentine's Day shirts for my little ones!

All three shirts have a simple heart applique that I drew freehand. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy...as my oldest son would say! For my boys, I decided to put their hearts on their sleeves (ha!) to go with the tattoo print of the fabric I used. Then I hand-stitched a large running stitch with embroidery floss around the inside edge of their hearts to give them a sewn patch look. I love how it turned out!

Of course, I couldn't resist making a matching hair clip for my daughter! In fact, I churned out two while watching "Castle" last night with my hubby. What romantic nights we have, right? Ha!

She picked this one:

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you lovebirds out there! Happy Crafting! :)

Baby Wipes Tutorial

2012-02-08T14:20:00.004-06:00

After our third child was born with even more sensitive skin than the last, I decided to explore the option of homemade baby wipes. With a little experimentation, I'm pretty happy with our current wipes recipe. So easy! So economical! And it uses items you probably already have at home. Man, I really wished I had started doing this YEARS ago, instead of months. As long as there is a roll of paper towel in the house (and we buy it in bulk!) we will never run out of wipes again. Yippee!!

Fancybelle's Baby Wipes Recipe:

1 roll Bounty paper towel
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp baby wash
2 tbsp baby oil
1 round container, at least 6" wide and 5" tall

If you don't already have a round container to use for this project, you can see what your local store has available. I found this set of two bowls that fit the bill:

I like using basic Bounty paper towels for our wipes. I've tried a few types of paper towels including store brands, but Bounty towels seem to do the best job overall so far. Also, I don't like using select-a-size paper towels because I always seem to tear off only the smallest size when I need a larger size (and vice versa) which just frustrates me!

Okay...let's make our baby wipes!

1) Use a bread knife or a knife with a serrated blade to cut a roll of paper towel in half horizontally

2) Put one half of the roll in your bowl with the cut side facing down

3) Add your choice of baby wash and baby oil to 2 cups of warm water

4) Pour the water mixture all over the half roll of paper towel.

Here's what it will look like...

5) Put the lid on and flip the container over. Let it rest for about 5 minutes.

6) Flip the container back upright and open the lid. Reach in and remove the cardboard tube. It will be wet and very easy to remove.

7) Pull a sheet of paper towel out from the center, and you'll be ready to start using your new baby wipes!

So exciting, right? I usually make two bowls of wipes at a time and they seem to last for weeks! And we have a baby just turning eight months old right now, so you know we're running through a ton of wipes. :)

As you start using homemade wipes, you can tweak the ingredients a little until you figure out what works best for you. I like our wipes to be fairly wet, but maybe you'd be more happy with using less water. And, obviously, you can make your wipes with all-organic materials if that is your preference.

Other wipes recipes I've found online use a touch of vinegar to make the wipes more anti-bacterial or to prevent mold growth. Honestly, I've never felt the need. Even though our wipes last a long time, I've never stored them long enough for mold to form!!

Hope this tutorial was helpful! Have a terrific day!

5 Question Friday: 2/3/12

2012-02-03T08:19:00.002-06:00

How is it February already? I can't believe Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. And, in just a few short days, my hubby and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary! We always celebrate the date we started dating on V-Day because we met the weekend before. A whole decade...whoa!!! Maybe we should try to get a babysitter and actually go out for dinner together or something. Ha!

I'm back participating again in "5 Question Friday" over at the My Little Lif e blog! I've really missed these Friday questions, they are such a fun way the end the week and I love answering random questions, apparently. It's a great skill to have as a parent! ;)

If you want to join in, head over to Mama M's blog right here:

1. What have you done recently that you are proud of?

I've attacked most the clutter areas of our house and reorganized our cabinets to make things more efficient. SO worth the effort even if just blends in, completely unnoticed by anyone but me and my hubby! ;)

2. What is your favorite way to work out? Or if you don't workout, what are you wanting to try?

I hate sweating. Period. Pilates is more my style, or the New York City Ballet workout series. Awesome for toning and keeping your back strong. If I am going to *really* work out, like I did after baby #3, then I go for no frills basic routines like: Pauline Nordine (The Butt Bible), Jillian Michaels (30 Day Shred), Gilad Janklowicz (Bodies in Motion), etc.

3. If you knew you best friend was cheating on spouse would you tell?

Don't hate me, but no. That's between the friend and her spouse. It wouldn't be my place to interfere.

4. If you could afford a live-in maid or nanny, would you have one?

Absolutely! The maid, for sure. Actually, I don't know about "live-in". That could be pretty awkward in our tiny house, if not impossible!

5. Do you stress out about birthdays (specifically the age) or do you enjoy them?

I do, a little. I still enjoy them anyway! Birthdays are the best excuses to celebrate and have fun!! I think 35 will be a tough one for me. Sigh! Oh well, I will celebrate it with a fun girls weekend in Bayfield, WI/the Apostle Islands and that will take the sting out!

And, a bonus question from Scott, that I wasn't brave enough to put in as a regular question...answer at your own risk, or not at all! (Or something...)

Bonus: Lights off or on?

I defer on this one...haha!

Thanks so much for reading and have a fabulous weekend!!

Getting Organized

2012-01-24T15:01:00.000-06:00

Hello again! It's been a crazy couple of months, but now that I've got the household on a regular nap/sleep schedule, I can finally devote a few minutes here and there to blogging! One of my big resolutions this New Year's was to get my home more organized. I've been slowly attacking our clutter-prone spots and it's been a lot of fun. Thank you Pinterest for inspiring my little changes!!

Here's a shot of the new coffee station arrangement in my retro yellow kitchen:

Even though she doesn't fit in, I still really love my Hello Kitty toaster! Maybe I should make a cover for it? It's taken some getting used to having open shelving in the kitchen, but you can't argue with it's simplicity. It forces you to keep things rather organized, I suppose!

My other big project this winter is a makeover of my sewing/laundry room. This is my favorite room in house, just because it's my space to retreat for crafting purposes. Inspired again by Pinterest, I organized my fabric stash by color. Love this change!! These are just stacking totes purchased at Walmart.

I used photoboxes from Joann fabrics to store my sewing notions, trims and specialty yarn.

Next on my to-do list is sewing a new ironing board cover, curtains and a sewing machine cover. Can't wait until this fabric arrives so I can get going!

Bali Gate in Pink by Amy Butler

I'm going for a modern shabby chic look in this room with a palette of pink and aqua with neutral accents. And it involves a lot of furniture painting. Wish me luck! :)

This is what I currently see while at my sewing and crafting desk:

Hubby just added the extra shelf. I love it! However, there's always room for improvement. I have a plan in mind, of course! :)

Have a fabulous week!