SunnySewing

Crafting ~ Doll Clothes ~ Simplicity 7083

2013-05-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Miss K goes in spurts on what she likes to play with. Some days it is Barbies, other days it is Legos. Once in a great while she pulls out her American Doll girls - like this week.

Awhile back I made some clothes for her dolls out of Miss K's old favorite shirts. She got a kick out of it. Just this week when she was playing with the dolls she asked me to make them some new clothes.

This is such a great way to make her happy inexpensively and uses up scraps in the process!

I used Simplicity's Pattern 7083 to make a nightgown and a top and shorts set. View G and View I & B
The nightgown is the same fabric as Miss K's vintage pajama outfit; and the top and shorts set is from Miss K's puppy sundress.

I used buttons on one and snaps on the other.

The pattern was written fine, no mistakes or confusion. They came together fast and I think they turned out cute. In the future I would use less than the 11 inches for the elastic in the neck. I think I'd try 10, or maybe even 9.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Back from Vacation!!

2013-05-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hello, Hello!

We are back from vacation in sunny Florida!

The good: our trip was great. There was lots of sun and fun. The kids loved Universal and Disney. It was cool to see the countryside on our drive down. The mountain was amazing!

The bad: the truck broke when we tried to head home, ended up having to rent a uhaul and trailer to bring it home because they told us it was the engine. We got home on time but $1400 over budget due to this - plus, my mechanic here says its only the spark plugs.... which we told the FL mechanics but they said no way. UGH! We also hit the bad storms in IL and WI on Sunday night. We saw a tornado trying to form right next to us near Decatur!!!! Scariest thing in my life.

Anyway, we are glad to be home and still glad we took the trip. We all enjoyed each other. Here are some pics of our great time!

Laying an egg - Universal Day 1

1st Day at Magic Kingdom - Day 2

Alice is my favorite!

2nd time at Universal - Day 3

Lollipop Lollipop, Oh lolli-lollipop! Universal day 3

Yay for 1979! Universal day 3

This thread made me miss my sewing stuff - Universal day 3

Last day of Disney - Day 5

Disney Day 5

So much line waiting - Disney, Day 5

Now I'm chomping at the bit to get back into my sewing room.

Hope you all had a great week!
~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Upcycle ~ 3 Adult T-Shirts to Kids Tanks

2013-05-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned the other day, we are vacationing soon. Mr. T had only 1 tank top to wear in the warm place we are heading. I looked in the stores and wasn't satisfied with what I saw, plus the price was $15 per tank!

I had saved these T-shirts to upcycle and tanks seemed like the perfect thing.
I used the "Tools" tank pattern from Ottobre 03/2011 (#33); I went with a size 146 - T is skinny and wears a 10 in RTW. I modified the straps to be straight and not envelope. I whipped up 3 of these puppies for a few cents in thread and ribbing. I saved us $45 and Mr. T is super happy with all 3 tanks. I especially love the Pokemon one!

Tank 1:
My old Green Hurley shirt that became way too big for me.

Tank 2:
Hubby's old World of Warcraft shirt that had un-fixable holes in the armpits. (I even managed to save the Blizzard symbol on the back!)

Tank 3:
So I forgot to take a picture of the before shirt :( It was a plain blue long sleeve shirt that is way too big for me now). I cut a square of the Pokemon Ash and Pikachu from T's old Pajama shirt that is too small now. I attached it to the front with fusible tape and zigzagged around the edges.

I'm so happy with how all 3 turned out! They are "school worthy" and ready for our vacation!

Here is all 3:

And T in action:

I must say, this pattern is one of my favorites now. It is fast to sew, fits really well, and looks RTW.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Upcycle ~ Grandpa's "Golf" Shirt to Kids Tank Top

2013-05-02T16:55:00.001-07:00

The past week and a half has been crazy, stressful, and enlightening. Crazy because we are leaving for Florida in a short bit here for vacation. Stressful because I had finals week for school and this class was a nightmare ~ it ended today thankfully. And enlightening because I've been terribly ill for the last 4 1/2 years with no answers and I received some answers yesterday.
Whew! What a ride!

I didn't sew in this last 1.5 week span but I sure thought about it! It seems I dream about sewing and it consumes my daytime thoughts as well. I walked into my sewing room a few times just to browse and feel the fabric; I also browsed my patterns and Ottobre magazines. These things comfort me.

My mom gave me some clothes to take to Goodwill this week and I snatched up a few things to re-purpose. Here is a shirt that Grandpa no longer wants for some reason or another. I decided to mesh together the Zen T-shirt pattern from Ottobre 6/2011 and the Tools Tank from Ottobre 03/2011 to turn the Grandpa shirt into a Tank for Mr. T.

before after front after back

I saved the bottom hem so I didn't have to resew that. It is a little longer in the back than in the front because of the original shirt design.

I also used two different ribbing techniques to see what I liked better. The ribbing on the left is the bias method. I sew it onto the right side and then flip over itself, turn it up and top-stitch. The ribbing on the right I fold in half then sew right sides together, serge, then flip, press, and sew the serge edge down. I think I like the looks of the ribbing on the right and it is a bit faster/easier.

That's all I've really be up to. Countdown to vacation begin!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Resolution Totals April 2013

2013-05-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

In keeping up with my sewing resolutions for this year I plan on doing a tally-type thing on the first of each month regarding the prior month. I hope this keeps me on track for the year!

April 2013

Items Completed: 7
Resolution: 3

Unfinished projects completed: 0
Resolution: 1-2

New items in the Etsy shop: 0
Resolution: 2

Avg Blog Posts Weekly: 2.25
Resolution: 1

Tutorials created: 1
Resolution: more

Overall:
It seems I sewed 7 things in March and 7 again in April! That rocks! I was motivated by the Pattern Stash Contest on patternreview.com which helped a lot. I didn't complete anything from the unfinished project box but I'm ok with that as long as I'm completing things!

I really let the Etsy shop slip this month. School was very difficult this last month; however, I will be surely adding things in May as I just picked up some awesome vintage patterns and fabric to add.

Having this in print makes me see how I'm doing and fuels my fire to make more things. May will be a busy month as we are going on vacation but I am determined to get some summer clothes sewed up!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Puppies and Flowers Sundress ~ Simplicity 1867

2013-04-26T10:35:00.002-07:00

Have I mentioned before how in love I am with almost everything Riley Blake Designs makes?

Simplicity 1867 It's so Easy ~ Pattern Stash Contest

I assumed the dress would go together quick without issue and that the directions would be great as this is an "It's so easy" pattern. I wasn't let down! I chose View A but made it long like the dress, not the tunic. There are 4 pattern pieces 1, 2, 3 and 4 -however I substituted the long skirt #7 for #3 and cut 2 on the fold as #3 suggests. The dress is lined on the bodice. I just love the cute top buttons on the design. Miss K is still barely young enough for this but just edging out this style. (Makes me sad my baby is growing up). She is an 8 RTW so I sewed the 8.

front of the dress

There were no issues with the instructions, they were good. I didn't do the ribbon steps - K doesn't like them. Sew the bodice and it's lining; add the pockets to the skirt and gather, attach and do the buttons and hem. Nice and fast.

back of the dress

FABRIC: Pattern calls for 1 1/8 yard for the tunic skirt, however I used the longer skirt/dress so I used 1.5 yards. Bodice called for 7/8 yard and I had 1 yard with a bit leftover - I think you can get by with .75 yards. Fabric is Dress up days floral aqua and Dress up days bikes yellow, both from Fabric.com. I got the aqua print for $6.49/yard and the yellow puppies for $7.63/yard. Both were ordered just in February this year. Buttons are from my vintage bucket.

close up of bodice

Total for the dress minus thread: $17.94

Love these buttons!

and these puppies!

Conclusion: I love the dress - it is so sweet! I think I will only make it this one time though because Miss K is just edging out of this younger style. Plus it is unique enough that one is enough. I highly recommend it though!

one more view of the front

And YES! I took pics outside today! It is a luscious 63 degrees finally here in Wisconsin. I'm in heaven - except for the vicious spring allergies!

Finally got some pics of Miss K in her dress :-) The below pics were added 5/8/13

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Simplicity 3750 ~ Tank Top ~ Pattern Stash Contest

2013-04-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Simplicity 3750 "6 made easy" - it sounds promising, right?

In RTW I am a size small on top, usually a 6-8. I chose to sew View E. The pattern measured me at a 12-14 on top and 18 at the hips. I wen't against their judgement and cut a 10 on top to waist, grading to a 12 from waist to hip. The top ended up a bit more snug than I like so if I sew it again I'll cut a straight 12. There are 6 pieces for this top.

Instructions: For the most part the instructions are what I expect for an "easy" pattern. In step 1, make sure to sew just a tad above the big dots as I did as the instructions stated and sewed through them; in the end my stitch lines were showing after I sewed the seam allowance here. Also, if I didn't already know the concept of bias attachment the instructions would have lost me. I skipped over reading them in steps 14-15 and 32-33. Also, the pattern called for 1/2" wide single fold bias tape. I used my bias tape maker for 1/2 inch and the bias was tiny, too tiny for my liking because it ends up being 1/4" after attaching. Next time I will use my 1" maker so the binding is a nice 1/2". The band ties are too short - I would cut them each 5-6 inches longer (pattern piece #5). The chest gathering part is a bit short in height. The band doesn't fully go under my chest area (by about 1- 1.5 inches). In the future I would make that area about 2 inches larger from bottom to top. To gather on the bottom I used my elastic tape instead of sewing two rows and such. It worked out great and turned out nice gathers. The top is gathered by elastic - you sew a casing.

Fabric: Pattern calls for 1 yard of 45" wide for main part and 7/8 yard for contrast (the belt and ties). I originally picked up this fabric 9/15/12 for a skirt but ended up not liking that pattern after first use. I purchased both from Hancocks; Turquoise cotton lawn at $3.95/yard - I had 2 yards and used about 1 1/4. Black royalty broadcloth, cotton sateen at $3.99/yard - I only had 3/4 a yard and managed to just squeak out the belt and ties. The fabric is almost see-through so I may have to wear a thin tank under it.

Total for the Tank, minus thread: $7.93

I think it is a cute top but I need it to be slightly bigger. I would say the pattern is just ok - I'm not crazy about it but I don't dislike it either.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

New Look 6613 ~ Cute Sundress ~ Pattern Stash Contest

2013-04-21T11:40:00.001-07:00

Pattern Stash busting still in progress here! I'm on my seventh pattern now and I feel great about it. It is a good feeling to be using the patterns I intended to use but never got to!

New Look 6613 Cute Sundresses

I chose to trace, cut and sew View A/B (the top two) in a straight size 8 for Miss K who wears a size 8 RTW. There are only 3 pattern pieces for this dress, which is nice; one for the contrast band, one for the bodice, and one for the skirt. The bodice is lined. When looking at the pattern envelope, you don't see the back - I never knew the back had elastic gathers! LOL. It turned out so cute and only took about 1.5 hours to sew. The longest thing to tackle was hemming the skirt - because it is so full it took a bit of time.

front of dress

back view of dress

Instructions: Not one issue; perfectly fine and written well. I chose not to add the bow, ribbon, or lace trimmings because Miss K isn't too keen on them. I almost was able to match fabric pattern in the front. I think a contrasting top to bottom fabric would be lovely. The only part I didn't like was attaching the back of the straps. After you sew everything together you measure their placement and then simply top stitch over the previous casing lines. As seen below.

Fabric: A lovely 100% cotton print I picked up ultra-cheap from Hancock's a bit ago. It was on sale for $2.49 a yard. The pattern calls for 2 1/8 yard of 45" wide but I eeked it out of 2 yards just fine.

Total for the dress, minus thread: $4.98.

Love it! I think I'll be tackling some other views of this dress because it is so fast and so lovely. The full skirt really makes the dress.

I had the dress done Friday but Miss K has had a 103.5 degree temp the last 3 days and I just somehow managed to get her to do pics today... she must be delusional from the temp lol

straps are pinned here for measuring but I finished them right after this (as seen above)

back view, inside out

And how is April treating us here in Wisconsin?

View from my front window....today April, 21, 2013!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Vintage Simplicity 8072 ~ Amazing Tank! (Peplum-ish)

2013-04-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have been a busy bee the last 4 days! Shamefully, it took me those four days to make this tank but I love, Love, LOVE it!!!

Pattern Stash Contest ~ Vintage Simplicity 8072

First I traced the pattern - The version I have is a size 12. In RTW I am a size small on top - however, in vintage years I'm about a size 10-12.... LOL. Anyway I wanted to make a muslin first because I had a certain saved fabric in mind for View 4 (the brown one on top right).

(finished tank - more pics below)

So Day 1 I traced the pattern pieces and haphazardly slapped a quick muslin together

MUSLIN

I loved it. However, what I failed to read carefully is that the band is on top on the OUTSIDE! not the inside. Anyway I plugged on adding 3 inches to the length and took 1 inch off the sides from top to waist and leaving the width at the waist to hips.

Day 2 I started sewing the top. Lucky for me, my walking foot arrived the same day. It was nutso surgery to put it on my machine until I realized what the thing wanted me to do. The walking foot worked perfect for my slippery rayon challis fabric. I sewed the gathers on the top and put together the backs and attached to the front. Then I went to the band and realized I forgot to cut the interfacing. End of day 2!

Day 3 I finished most of the sewing. Tragically I attached the band upside down at first and had to seam rip the entire top part. Then I put the band on inside out..... OMG and had to re-seam-rip the entire top part again. Frustration! The seam ripper is evil. Nonetheless I plugged on and got it right. I added the back buttons - my favorite part, and called it a day.

All night I kept thinking of the tank. I couldn't wait to get up today - albeit raining and gloomy. I finished the hem and straps. LOVE!

FABRIC: Ok, I've had this stuff a year and was afraid to part with it. The fabric is a beautiful soft and buttery rayon challis. Foolishly I only ordered 1 yard and they sold out quick. I waited for the perfect project to use this stuff. The official title "Rayon Challis Deco Turquoise/Orange" from Fabric.com. $2.99/yard. What was I thinking!!! I should have ordered 10 yards. ugh. kicking self.
The muslin was a cheap remnant of some nasty polyester stuff at Walmart for $0.60
The tie I picked up at Hobby Lobby for $1 - It is a satin navy.

Total Cost of Tank: $4.59 Besides Thread and Interfacing

inside view of front with casing (I made it with my bias tape maker! It was easy!)

My favorite part about the top - the back buttons!

Super sweet vintage buttons I found in my stash that surprisingly matched!

Front view

Instructions for pattern were great. When I took the time to read and do each step everything was clear. I had no issues. I did not slip stitch the back pieces where the buttons are; I sewed them for a little more support. I did not slip stitch the band facing, I stitched in the ditch on the outside of the top. Other than that everything was smooth.
I plan on making it again because I love it so much! The rayon challis is lovely for this design but I think it may be a little too flimsy for the ties pulling through. I might try a cotton next time - although the drape of the rayon is great here.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Pattern Tracing Paper ~ What works best?

2013-04-10T09:24:00.001-07:00

Unless you are a rebel when it comes to sewing, most likely you have used some sort of material to trace your sewing patterns. If you are like me, you want to find one that works well and is economical to boot. So which pattern tracing paper works best? Continue reading for a list of pros and cons of the top 3 tracing paper types most sewers use.

From Left to Right: Freezer Paper, Swedish Tracing Paper, Medical Exam Table Paper

Let's weigh out the pros and cons. Here is a lineup of all three in a completed traced and cut pattern.

From Left to Right: Freezer Paper, Medical Exam Table Paper, Swedish Tracing Paper

First up: Freezer Paper

Pros:

Not very expensive $5.76 for the box which is 33 yards x 18 inches wide or about $0.17 a yard
Can write on it easily
Pencil erases on it
Thicker paper - not likely to tear easy
Can iron it on to slippery fabric to cut it out easier as it sticks right on; once cut you can just peel it off the fabric or even sew with it still attached and remove after.

Cons:

Can not iron out the fold lines from storage - ironing will melt it to whatever it touches
It's thicker fabric so it may dull scissors
It is harder to see through to trace patterns as shown below.

Next up: Swedish Tracing Paper
Birch Street Clothing Swedish Tracing Paper - 29"x 30' White

Pros:

Can write on it fairly easy with a dull # 2 pencil. A sharp one tears at the paper
Can iron out the creases from storage
Doesn't wrinkle easy
Very quiet as it is more like fabric than paper
Thin like interfacing - not likely to tear easy
Holds nicely to fabrics when you are trying to cut them out
Easy to see through to trace patterns (see below)

Cons:

Expensive $16.94 including shipping for the roll which is 30 yards x 29 inches wide or about $0.56 a yard
Pencil does NOT erase on it

Lastly: Medical Exam Paper
Medline Exam Table Paper - Standard - Smooth, 21" x 225 ft - Qty of 12 - Model NON23326

Pros:

Very Inexpensive - Box of 12 rolls totals 900 yards of 21" wide for $35.98 or less than $0.04 yard!
Can write on easily
Pencil erases easy
Can iron out the creases from storage (low setting)
Easy to pin to fabric when cutting out
Easy to see through to trace patterns (see below)

Cons:

Wrinkles very easy
Very noisy (it is just like the stuff you sit on at the doctor's office)
Very thin - possible to tear easier however I have not had issue with this yet

And there you have it! For me the winner is The
Medline Exam Table Paper - Standard - Smooth, 21" x 225 ft - Qty of 12 - Model NON23326

Why? Because you CANNOT beat that price! Plus it is see through and works well for my needs. I have a box of 12 rolls/900 yards that will probably last me a lifetime! I can deal with the noise - it is just the same with the pattern tissue paper noise. I can deal with the wrinkles because I can iron them out on low setting.
I just cannot justify the cost of Swedish Tracing Paper anymore. Plus, I won't run out now in the middle of a project! The medical paper is slightly more thick than the pattern tissue paper to give you an idea of what it is like.

*note: it is easy to trace Ottobre patterns onto the medical paper too. It is nice and easy to see the colored pattern lines through the paper.

So what are your thoughts? What do you use to trace your patterns?

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Summer Fun Tank Top! New Look 6822 ~ Pattern Stash Contest

2013-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

It's been rainy the last few days here in Wisconsin and you must think I'm crazy to be sewing tank tops! It's ok though, we are going on vacation soon to Florida so we will be using these summer clothes sooner than normal :)

I'm still busting through some of the patterns in my stash for the Pattern Stash Contest.
Here is New Look 6822.

I'm not even sure why I have this pattern but I thought View D looked cute. I traced it in a size 8 as Miss K is size 8 RTW. It is in knit fabric so I figured it would be pretty forgiving size-wise. After I traced it and put the shoulders together I had K try it on. We both realized it was long ~ a tunic and not the tank we both were imagining from the pattern picture. She told me where she wanted the hem to be and I marked it as shown below with my clips.

We also decided to adjust the casing line at this point too. Miss K is higher waisted than the pattern called for. However, in the end I moved the hem down an inch from my clip marks(4-5 inches shorter than pattern) and I moved the casing line back to what the pattern states.

When sewing the shoulders together I didn't like how they wanted the casing for the elastic. It would be really flimsy to sew the seam allowances together and have the elastic just hang out floppy. I stitched the seam allowances down and toward the back of the tank to make the casing and I really like the result.
I also used 2 inches for the elastic; I'm not sure what the pattern asked for.

front side of shoulder elastic in casing

wrong side of shoulder elastic in casing

inside finished view of tank with bias casing on waist

finished tank

Sewing the rest of the tank went good. I straight stitched with my ball-point needle and then zigzagged the seam allowances. I had NO idea what the directions were saying to do to finish the bias binding part on the V-neck part. I used ribbing instead for the neck and armholes choosing to sew right sides together and then topstitching instead of the normal bias way. I didn't add any bows to the shoulders because Miss K doesn't like them.

neckline

I chose a rolled hem because it added a more feminine touch and I am tired of doing folded hems! The rolled hem is really way to easy.

rolled hem

The directions for all Views are meshed together so it was a bit crazy to read then and find the next step.

FABRIC: This is the last of my knits I ordered in February from The Fabric Fairy. It is a wonderful cotton jersey knit called "He Loves Me Not" by David & Goliath. I don't see it available anymore but I had 1 yard, 60" wide for $8.33. The pattern calls for 7/8 yard of 60" wide. I used only 1/2 - 3/4 yard because of the shortened length. The ribbing is from Fabric.com "Designer Cotton Blend Rib Knit Fushia" 50% cotton/50% poly. It is a great medium weight rib knit.

back view

front view

side view

Close up of front view - notice the sad pouty lip!!!

Conclusion: I love the tank. I wasn't sure if I'd like it when it was coming together but I'm really pleased! Miss K was in a foul mood today after school so I'm glad I even got any half-way decent pictures of her in it! I'm surprised at the success of the tank because I wasn't sold on even trying the pattern in the first place. I think I might want to make the cute little dress in View B now! I really like the cinched shoulders and elastic in the waist, it gives the tank some nice shaping.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

McCall's M6547 Sundress ~ Pattern Stash Contest

2013-04-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've been happily sewing some patterns from my stash lately and it feels great! I am so glad when I actually use the patterns for what they are designed for... making things!

Friday I tackled McCall's M6547. This is a pattern Miss K grabbed last year sometime; she liked it because of the ruffles on a lot of the dresses.

I chose to use some of my recent knit on View C - a cute little sundress. I didn't want to do a contrasting top so I merged Pattern pieces 3 to 6 and 4 to 7. I also added a full lining instead of just the top pieces.

I read through and followed the directions because I wanted to "test" the pattern out completely. I had no issues with the directions. Really, I only had 3 pieces to sew up, plus two from the lining. My lining was slippery and light so I sewed it with my straight stitch and ball point needle, then serged each edge. I did the same for the fabric. When I attached the lining to the top it didn't like the straight stitch - it wanted to pull apart and show threads. I re-sewed them with a zigzag and then top-stitched with a zigzag as well.

I chose a rolled hem for the bottom and left the lining hem raw.

I liked that it was easy to make, and a fast sew. I didn't like that the shoulder straps have a gap on them in the back. I'll have to readjust them before Miss K wears this out.

(Gap in shoulder straps in back on both sides)

Overall I'm satisfied because it was so fast, easy, and inexpensive. This was my first rolled hem too! Mainly because I didn't want to perform surgery on my serger to get the left needle out and remove the stitch finger. I was scared to take things off the serger! All went ok and it worked out great.

(rolled hem)

Fabric: Pattern calls for 60" wide 5/8 for main body and 3/8 for contrasting top. I had 1 yard of 58" wide and it worked good. I had a small bit leftover. The fabric is one I picked up from The Fabric Fairy in February. Miss K calls it her "Hawaii" fabric. Really it is called "Hawaiian Honeycomb Cotton Knit Fabric by Fresh Produce." It is a great knit in my opinion. Medium weight 100% cotton jersey. $7.99
Lining I purchased from Fabric.com. It is a Stretch Lining Jersey Knit White. 96% polyester and 4% Lycra. It reminds me of swimsuit lining or something you would make a slip from. I like how soft it is! Sadly I don't see it on their site anymore. I picked it up for $4.98 a yard.

(topstitching on front of dress on neckline and armholes)

(full lining)

Total for dress besides thread: $12.97.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Vintage McCall's 6479 ~ Pattern Stash Contest

2013-04-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

I love vintage patterns. I love looking at them and being transported to the era. I have a bad habit of acquiring vintage patterns with the intention of using them, but never actually sewing from them.

I changed that bad habit today. Enter Vintage McCall's 6479 from 1976. This is one of my favorite patterns. It features cute pajamas for little girls - a full length nightgown, a tunic-like shirt and long pants, or a tunic-like shirt and FOOTED-pants!! or the view I chose, View D, a tunic-like shirt and bloomers :-)

I picked this up early last year in a size Medium 6-8 and I hoped it would fit Miss K who is in a size 8. I traced the pieces first because I didn't want to cut into the pattern (I have an uncut one, completely new and unused).
1 piece for the bloomers, 5 pieces for the top, including the loop for the button. I hoped it would be a nice, relaxing and easy sew. The pieces are very detailed and I enjoyed all the markings.

I followed the directions for the top up to the sleeves. There is a facing for the front and I enjoyed how it was put together - you attach the facing, sewing the back slit line and cut it after you sew. It made sewing the top so easy. After attaching the facing, turning to the inside, and pressing, I top-stitched all around it. I then stitched in the ditch of the shoulder seams to catch the facing to the top (I didn't "catch-stitch" as the directions stated).

I attached the sleeves before sewing the sides of the top. I find it is much easier to attach the sleeves on a flat shirt. I didn't gather the sleeve tops either, I eased them in. The sleeves, top hem, and bloomers have narrow hems. I used soft fuzzy bias for the casing on the elastic. Miss K doesn't like things tight on her so I made the elastic pretty loose on the sleeves and bloomers. This works good on the sleeves, but the bloomers don't really "poof" like they are supposed to. Oh well. Comfort over style :-) I didn't follow any instructions after attaching the facing of the top because it was all self explanatory.

cute side view of the top

I loved sewing this vintage pattern. It was great at showing step-by-step instructions, the pieces are marked well, and it was easy to sew. I can't wait to try the footed pj's next!!

The "Mom, please don't take any more pictures of me" look

Fabric: For a size 6-8 the pattern calls for 1 5/8 yard of 44/45" wide. Notions include:1" ruffling in 2 1/8 yards, 1/4" elastic in 1 7/8 yards, 5/8" elastic in 7/8 yard, single fold bias tape in 2 3/4 yards, thread, and one 1/2" button.
I didn't use any ruffling, though it would have been cute. I used 2 yards of turtle flannel fabric that I purchased on 11/19/2011 for $6.94 total from Wal-Mart. I used some fuzzy bias tape I had leftover from the Rainbow Brite costume. I used tiny 1/8 inch elastic for everything. I had an adequate amount of fabric and if I was to sew this again I'd buy 2 yards again.

Conclusion: A+++. I love it; loved tracing it, sewing it, and seeing it on Miss K. It is a winner in my book!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Resolution Totals March 2013

2013-04-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

In keeping up with my sewing resolutions for this year I plan on doing a tally-type thing on the first of each month regarding the prior month. I hope this keeps me on track for the year!

March 2013

Items Completed: 7
Resolution: 3

Unfinished projects completed: 0
Resolution: 1-2

New items in the Etsy shop: 7
Resolution: 2

Avg Blog Posts Weekly: 2.75
Resolution: 1

Tutorials created: 2
Resolution: more

Overall:
Wow! Did I really sew 7 things last month? Awesome. I was very productive in March; I need to keep it up! I didn't complete anything from the unfinished project box but I'm ok with that as long as I'm completing things!

Having this in print makes me see how I'm doing. Let's keep the ball rolling and have April be just as productive!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Easter Dress ~ McCall's M6273

2013-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

Foolishly I decided to finally sew Miss K's Easter dress on Thursday and Friday (needing it for today, Saturday). I've had M6273 in my stash so I figured I would attempt it. Miss K picked View C (the pink and white one on the left).

I traced the pattern, pre-washed the fabric, cut and marked it on Thursday and then sewed it all on Friday. All in a size 8 which Miss K wears in RTW. The dress is fully lined so it is like sewing 2 dresses. We drive a bit of a distance to visit relatives and the dress looked great after the long car ride!

There are a lot of pieces to this dress. The pattern calls for 2.25 yards in 45" wide for the dress and 1.5 yards in 45" wide for the lining. You will also need 2.25 yards of 2" flat eyelet trim, a 16" zipper and a hock and eye. I waited to the last minute to get any supplies - picking all but the lining up on Tuesday night (Hancock's).

Tutti Frutti (2.5 yards) $17.48
Eyelet (2.5 yards) $4.35
16" zipper $1.99
Total without lining: $25.13 ~ the lining I had already at home and I used exactly 1.5 yards and most of the Tutti Frutti and Eyelet. I would say the entire dress cost about $30; this could have been cheaper had I planned ahead and picked up the fabric and notions on sale.

I followed most of the directions up to the hemming. #19 and 20 I did not hem the ties as suggested because I didn't want the edges showing. I sewed them right sides together and turned them inside out - like a tube before attaching them. This worked but they are skinnier than they should be. I serged the bodice sides after step 22. I forgot to serge the lining and dress sides as well as the back of the dress before the zipper. Mostly because I was pressed for time; I went back and pinked what I could.

The zipper is really long and doesn't need to be. You could get away with only doing the zipper from the skirt gathering up to the neck; maybe a 9" one? or a 7" one?. It was a real pain to sew on all those gathers! I used elastic tape for the gathering itself but it was tough. It felt like I was making 3 feet of fabric fit into 12 inches. My machine hated attaching the skirt to the bodice with the 2 fabric layers, 2 lining layers, and elastic tape in the middle. I broke 2 needles and bent a lot of pins. I also was trying to be so careful to keep the bodice straight underneath but ended up sewing into it and had to rip it out and do it over.

When I got to the hemming I was plain burnt out. I didn't follow the directions really. I serged the bottom of the dress fabric, turned up an inch, pressed and sewed. I then turned the lining up 1 inch, turned it up again 1 inch into a double fold and sewed it. Finally I attached the eyelet by laying it on top of the very edge of the lining hem and sewing it on. Is this right? I don't know but it worked!

We didn't attach the bow because I liked the dress without. The "drape" on the front waistline didn't really want to drape at all.

Too bad it is so cold still here in Wisconsin so Miss K had to wear leggings and a long sleeve shirt underneath! This is a cute sleeveless dress but there is way too much work involved for me to do it over again. We plan on having Miss K wear it to 2 weddings this summer so at least we get some use out of it!

Overall she looks cute in it and the dress looks pretty- it was just more work than I wanted to deal with on our busy Thursday and Friday. Miss K got lots of compliments at Easter though so maybe it's great? We took the pictures as we were walking out the door this morning (15 minutes late). I wish the weather would turn nice so we can get outdoor pictures again!

I hope you have a good Easter.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Liebster Blog Award ~ What is it? and Thanks for mine!

2013-03-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was recently nominated for a Liebster Blog Award by black label (thanks Angelique!). At first I wasn't sure what it was. After some searching I came across some great answers. In a nutshell, it is basically a blogger's way of saying "You're one of my favorites! Great job." It is a great way for fellow bloggers to nominate or pat on the back other bloggers that they admire. I'm pleased that I came to someone's mind and quite honored :-)

So here are 11 questions that Angelique came up with for me to answer. Next, I get to nominate my own favorite bloggers and they get to answer my own 11 questions I devise. How exciting! This is a great way to get to know each other.

{Q1} How long have you been sewing ?

I started sewing long ago in high school. We were offered home economics as a choice and I thought it would be an easy A. My mom always sewed our Halloween costumes and things growing up so I had a bit of exposure to it. My final project was a sunflower sundress. I did a good job and actually wore it! After that I sewed here and there up until December-ish of 2011 - I've been sewing heavy since then.

{Q2} What is your go-to pattern & why ?

I think I am a one-night-stand pattern user. I tend to use a pattern once and then move on. There are so many that I want to try and each time I use a pattern I learn something and get better. If I had to choose one pattern that I love and made many times it would be Simplicity 2377; I've sewn from that pattern 4 times. I love the tiered look, it's fast and easy to sew, and my daughter loves the fit. Green Sundress, Kitty dress, Easter dress, and my favorite, the Owl dress.

{Q3} Is there a pattern that scares you but you still willing to give it a go, if so, which one ?

Not too much scares me in the world of patterns. I'm willing to try anything once. I do not sew Butterick because I've found their directions stink. Ottobre had me a bit worried at first because of the tracing of the patterns (there are tons of lines on those sheets!) and then the instructions with no pictures. I've found that once I get into a pattern my worries dissipate and I just go with it.

{Q4} Have you ever made something for yourself & then never worn it ? & why ?

Oh yes. I made this skirt here. I was so excited about it and loved the fabric. I didn't like the end result so I have not worn it, ever. *Personal information incoming* I haven't sewn much for myself because I've been on this crazy health roller coaster the last couple years. Getting my gallbladder removed Feb 2012 was the icing on the cake; I have some pretty severe issues with eating foods - my stomach just refuses a lot of things. So anyway I've been loosing tons of weight - this makes it hard to sew because my size keeps changing. However, I've maintained my current weight for the last 5-6 months and hope to sew lots for myself soon! (I just got a dressform for my birthday too! This should help).

{Q5} BurdaStyle, Ottobre or Patrones magazine – which is your favourite ?

I am in love with Ottobre. I have to admit I just subscribed in January and just started sewing from them, but I'm hooked! I haven't tried BurdaStyle yet but I just might.

{Q6) Do you have allocated time for sewing or do you grab the moment when it presents itself ?

I don't really have allotted time for sewing; I mainly just do it when the moment grabs me. This is usually when I'm feeling up to it. I like to sew during the day when no one is home, though!

{Q7} Do you stash fabric or buy as & when required ?

Oh I hoard. I hoard fabric by the masses. I love it! I'm obsessed with all the different textiles, prints and patterns. I like to look at fabric and can imagine it as the finished product so I buy it and there it sits. I'd love to have my own fabric store so I could admire all the awesome prints but yet not put us in debt! LOL.

{Q8} Besides sewing, do you have any unrelated hobbies ?

I do! I am also a World of Warcraft addict. We are video game junkies in my house, always have been. My husband and I have been playing World of Warcraft together for the last 7ish years; both my kids have played at some point. We also enjoy our Wii U and Xbox 360 often. If I'm not sewing I'm usually on a video game.

{Q9} If you were given cash (€100, USD100 etc) what is the first thing you would spend it on ?

Fabric. I'd spend any amount of money I was given on more fabric!

{Q10} What could you simply not live without ?

My husband and kids. I know it's a corny answer but it's true. Without them I wouldn't have a purpose.

{Q11} Tell me one thing I dont know about you!

I just turned 34 and my internal clock is no longer ticking; It's screaming at me. I would love, love, love to have another baby. I'm not so sure my body agrees with that (see Q4) but it is one of my goals for the next year or so. (Maybe that was too personal? LOL).

How about this, I used to be a coupon addict as well. I spent 2011 getting a lot of things cheap or free. It took me a whole year to realize most of the stuff we don't use and most of the things with coupons are not very healthy - so I dropped the habit and gave a lot of it away to friends and family that needed it.

Whew! That was fun! I hope you all learned a little more about me. Now here are 11 blogs that I love and follow - they inspire me to sew more! (No particular order).

1. The College Seamstress - Elizabeth you rock!
2. 21 Wale - Joy sews amazing Ottobre - she inspired me to subscribe
3. daniKate designs - Angie is another great sewer, I love to see what she's made
4. Whoopsy - I've followed Kristianna for a long time now!
5. Toferet's Empty Bobbin - I recently started following and love her humor!
6. Hammer & Thread - such cute crafts on this blog!
7. Amanda's Adventures in Sewing - seriously wonderful sewing
8. Queen of the Flies - beautiful dresses and cute children's clothes
9. NanaCompany - awesome stitching! beautiful fabric choices
10. Made by Meg - recently started following - great sewing!
11. True Bias - a mixture of everything crafty and wonderful

And here are their questions.

Q1. What drew you to sewing?
Q2. What is is your most favorite thing you've made thus far?
Q3. How many hours a week do you sew?
Q4. What is your favorite pattern company to sew from?
Q5. Who do you like to sew for most?
Q6. Roughly how much fabric do you have stashed? some, a lot, or I'm buried!
Q7. What do you like to do besides sewing? Other hobbies?
Q8. Who inspired you to start sewing or who inspires you now?
Q9. What made you want to start a sewing blog?
Q10. What sewing item are you dreaming of getting, regardless of cost?
Q11. Tell me something about you that most people who read your blog do not know!

Thanks for reading and thanks for participating!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Pattern Stash Contest ~ McCall's M6549

2013-03-24T10:22:00.002-07:00

I've had this pattern sitting in my stash for some time now. Miss K grabbed it last year; I think in the Spring. She likes view E (the dress), but that called for quite a bit of yardage. This cute pattern has options for leggings, dresses, tanks, and a cover-up jacket.

I have been wanting to make the cute tank, View C. I used a straight size 8 for this tank; Miss K wears a size 8 in RTW. I did cut and quick sew a muslin of just the bodice to see if it would fit her.

I couldn't decide on the fabric choices at first but then fell on the two you see below. I love the combination of them together! The pattern calls for 1 1/8 yards of 45 wide for view C. It doesn't show the contrast fabric measurements on the envelope but states to look inside for them.... ? This is bizarre to me because when you are at the fabric store you don't want to open the pattern out there to find your yardage. Anyway the contrast needed 1/2 yard plus a 14" zipper and a hook and eye closure.

front view

back view

FABRIC: I used Feather N Stitch Bird House Blue 100% cotton for the main parts (see end of post for link to fabric). I had 1 yard and it's about 44" wide. This is a one way fabric and I had just enough for my pattern pieces. For the contrast I used a scrap piece of fabric from my A-Line skirt pockets; I had 28 x 19 left and it worked fine. I squeezed each piece on and they just barely fit. For pattern piece #9 I had to turn it vertical to make it fit the second of the 2 pieces; my print was not directional on this fabric so it worked fine.

SEWING: This is a great pattern to sew. It is easy to understand and there are no weird "what the heck" moments. I did make the straps 1/2 inch longer before I read the directions that they are adjustable before you sew them in and have included a longer length for just that. After sewing the straps on the one side I used my pinking shears to trim the seams to 1/4 inch before turning them right side out.

Step 5 is silly in my opinion. You can leave it out. It doesn't make sense to baste the edges of the straps only to baste on top of the same spot when attaching them to the bodice.

Step 10 I didn't want to slip stitch the band (I prefer to use the machine and not hand sew). I folded the band in half and sewed it to the tank right sides together. I then serged the edges, pressed the hem to the band side and it worked fine. See pic below.

I like that there is no hemming or finishing required for the neck and arm holes. Since the top of the bodice is lined this is done for you.
I also pinked the seams to 1/4 inch when attaching the bodice and lining together. Clipping the armholes seam allowance is necessary as it likes to pucker if there isn't enough give.
I also didn't slip stitch the tank lining band on the inside. I pressed the bottom under 1/2 inch and then stitched in the ditch along the front of the tank to catch it in. See both pics below.

inside view of lining attached at bottom band

outside view of stitch in the ditch

CONCLUSION: I love this tank! My husband said it was his favorite thing I've made so far; I think it's a winner! I like the pattern and had no real issues. I would love to sew it again. I think I may try the halter top, view D next and maybe the heavy yardage view e sometime in the future. It's a great pattern to add to the wardrobe.

Like the fabric?
They no longer have the bird house fabric but they do have more from the Feather N Stitch line
Feather N Stitch Eggs Blue

They also no longer have my contrast fabric (Black, White & Currant) but they do have this similar fabric
Sugar Blossom Ditsy Floral Red

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

How to Sew a Zipper Fly

2013-03-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I would show my steps on how I sew a zippered fly. This is for Girl's pants; For boys you simply flip it the opposite way.

1. Constructing the fly shield. It should look like this:

Fold it in half, right sides together. Sew only bottom edge. Trim seam and flip so right sides are out. Press.

Serge unfinished side.

Apply WonderTape to the right edge

Remove WonderTape backing and place Zipper on that edge (You may need to shorten zipper first as I have below).

Using zipper foot, sew close to zipper teeth dow the right side. Keep Zipper pull in teh middle and stop when you reach it. Keep needle in fabric, lift presser foot and pull zipper past foot to the top. Then put presser foot back down and continue sewing down the right side to the bottom.

Serge raw edges of both sides of pants.

2. Fold seam allowance on narrow edge of zipper placket to wrong side (shown on right, below). Place WonderTape on fly shield over the zipper tape on the right side where you just sewed one side of the zipper in above steps.

Put fly shield under folded over zipper placket as seen below. Align, remove WonderTape backing and stick them together as shown below. Sew on the right side zipper placket from the top down to the bottom of the zipper.

Here is where I sew crotch seam from back waistline to bottom of zipper placket. I double stitch the seams on the crotch to reinforce.

3. Now we will WonderTape the left side of the zipper tape on the placket and attach it to the other zipper placket. We have already serged the raw end of this larger placket and folded it under. Align it so the crotch lays smooth and use the WonderTape to stick the loose side zipper tape to the other placket.

Below I have WonderTape on left side of zipper tape and the curved placket is at the way bottom waiting to be laid on top

Unzip zipper so that the loose tape is stuck to the large placket as seen below.

Now fold open the placket and sew on the loose zipper tape.

4. Top stitching. I always look to the inside (wrong side) of the zipper shield and plackets and stick a pin in the bottom of the shield.

Then I go to the right side and pin my placket down so it stays smooth. I make a mark where the underneath pin pokes through. This is where you want to catch the fly shield in your stitching on the top. You only want to catch the bottom of the fly shield in your stitching.

Now I mark out my top-stitching with a quilter's pencil. Make sure you know where the fly shield will be brought in to the bottom.

Unzip zipper (See my sloppy lines on the bottom slope? I had to reconfigure to make sure I caught all of the placket bottoms into my top-stitching so there would be no holes in the crotch. The top two straighter lines wouldn't cover it so I slopped them down more).

Pin fly shield out of the way for now. You don't want to stitch it yet.

Top-stitch the lines you drew. Stop at the bottom where you had the pin come through and are now sewing the fly shield to the bottom. Unpin the fly shield and lay it nicely into place. Sew over the bottom of the fly shield when you continue your top-stitching. (See second pic for more detail)

This is a view at the wrong side. See the green arrows? This is where I caught just the bottom of the fly shield in my top-stitching.

You now bar-tack the two lines at the bottom. (I was experimenting with this here, they should not be curved but straight My bar-tack stitch I haven't quite got right yet. Next time I will use a short zig-zag stitch back and forth on the two spots).

Here is a view of the completed Zipper Fly!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Ottobre 06/2011 #24 Wide-Wale Round Two!

2013-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Back on February 15th I traced, cut, and sewed these cute shorts in a size 140 for Miss K. (She is a size 8 RTW); They ended up being way too snug. So I walked away from them for a good month. Sometimes I need to do that when I'm frustrated!

I wanted to try again in a bigger size to see if I liked the shorts or not. This time I traced and cut a 152 because I had Miss K try on her brother's Harrison shorts I made on February 25th and they fit her with a little room.

I used the same fabric for the shorts because I liked the look of the first pair. The corduroy was on sale at Hancock for $2 a yard when I picked it up awhile ago. I had 2 yards so I had enough for the second pair. I also had just enough of the owl fabric in scraps to pull this off but it was close! When I was finished I picked out the most amazing purple-pink button from my vintage pail.

After all the work and anticipation I have to say I really don't like the shorts! The pleated front poofs out and Miss K doesn't like that either. I love the back and the dart shaping there but the front just isn't our style. I doubt these will get worn much this summer. So I'm still searching for a great shorts pattern for Miss K.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Ottobre 04/2011 #34 Glow-worm tank

2013-03-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Before starting this tank I re-measured Miss K because I wanted the fit to be good. She measures in the size chart at a 128 for the top; I traced and cut a 134 to be a little extra sure. Last time I went against all measuring and traced and cut a 146 for her with the T-shirt and it was slightly big. (She is a size 8 in RTW).

Well, the tank turned out small. It was a bit short in length as well as high in the armpits. I'm not sure if this is because of the size being too small or if it's the pattern itself. I'm going to have to make another go at it in a bigger size.

As for the pattern, it is just two pieces to trace and cut. You add elastic tape to the neckline on the front. This was easy to do with no issues. I like the way the tape gathered the neckline. I was not paying attention when I put on the binding.... the wrong way. Ugh. I first sewed it to the wrong side and then it flipped to the right side. I made it work great except for the one side shoulder. I didn't bother serging the top because I was too lazy to change my thread from white... lol. So I just zig-zaged all seams together.

This is an easy project and pretty quick. My fabric was slippery so I used WonderTape to tape down each seam before sewing it; this helped a lot.

I like the tank and I like the look; I just need to make it bigger! Also, When I used the twin stretch needle to hem the bottom, the thread snapped within an hour of her wearing it. Next time I will just zigzag the hem.

FABRIC: Stretch Jersey ITY Knit Royal Blue, no longer at Fabric.com. I bought this back on 01/23/2012 $4.19 for a yard. I'm sure it's 60" wide and I only used a tiny fraction of the fabric for this tank but that is because it is 60" wide. I think you could get buy with only a half yard.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

How I Sew Hems on Knits with a Twin Needle

2013-03-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago I was asked about sewing the hems on my recent knit projects so I thought I would take some pictures and share my process with you.

I love this method of finishing hems on knits because it looks just like RTW clothing and it finishes the back and front at the same time. Plus, it is super easy to do so I love that too!

First I must say, I took these pictures at night in my sewing room so the lighting isn’t the best.

Hint: Use WonderTape. It will become your best friend. I was hesitant at first because I didn't see the point in it but now I see the results and find it a necessity. This stuff is cheap to buy and lasts awhile too. It is like a two sided tape that holds things together but then washes out when you are done. This is what the Dritz brand looks like:

So here is my unfinished shirt bottom and the WonderTape.

Step 1: Press up hem bottom 1 inch with the iron.

Step 2: Add the WonderTape to the underneath of the hem. Put it just below the one inch mark so that it covers the top of the fabric line but doesn’t show above it.

Step 3: Pull off the WonderTape backing and press down hem with your fingers. It is not a good idea to iron the WonderTape because it can melt and well, you just don’t want that.

Also needed is the twin needle. I use a Schmetz Stretch Twin Needle as seen below. I love it on knits.

Also, you need to prepare your machine. I have one thread in the normal spot and then I have this rod attachment that came with my machine, which I put on the bobbin winder spot.

Here it is with the thread. Then I wind both of them down and around the normal way and thread each one into an eye of the twin needle. (You also have a normal bobbin in the bobbin spot).

Step 4: Sew the hem with the twin needle. Sew from the top or right side. I use a moderate speed, not slow, not fast. Also, it is very important that you don’t stretch or pull on the knit. Let the feed dogs do their job here and just guide the fabric.

Here is a picture of the final hem. See how nice it looks? Here is from the front:

Here is what the back looks like.

That is all there is to it. However, I did want to show you the difference in how the WonderTape helps.

Here is a picture of how it turns out without the WonderTape. See how the hem is all wonky?

And here is how nice and even it is with the WonderTape

And one more of the wonky wobble without the WonderTape.

I hope the pictures help you out. Thanks!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Ottobre 03/2011 #33 "Tools" Sleeveless T-shirt (Tank)

2013-03-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is the final thing I sewed for Mr. T for the "celebrate the boy" sew along. I have 5-ish things for Miss K up next as well as 2 for myself. Also I'm still pretty sick with this retched cold.

Ottobre 03/2011 #33 "Tools" Sleeveless T-shirt (Tank)

TRACING: There are only 2 pieces for this pattern. They look a little funky at first because of the way you overlap the back to the front. I traced and cut a size 152 for Mr. T who wears a size 10 RTW. I knew it would be a bit big on him but I wanted it to last all summer. I liked the look of this tank with the cool neck line overlapping.

FABRIC: Pirate Adventure Cotton Double Knit; 25-35% Stretch. 44"/46" wide. Pattern called for 3/4 of a yard of single jersey with 30% stretch. I had a good bit of fabric left over. The binding was a Designer Stretch Rayon Blend Rib Knit in Cobalt. It has 50% stretch and was really slippery to work with. In the future I'll go for more of a cotton rib and not a rayon rib.

SEWING: There is a lot of binding in this pattern. That took almost the whole time of sewing the piece. You bind the front neck and back neck pieces. Then you overlap them and bind each armhole. It is smooth sailing after this because you just sew the sides and hem the bottom. This was a fast project with great results. I would suggest making sure the overlap pieces are just right because when you bind them they will look funky if you didn't get them just right (see bottom pic). Also, the tank is long in length so keep that in mind.

I love this tank. I think I'll make a pink version for Miss K.

Perfect armholes!

See the green arrow? This is where I didn't quite overlap good enough and the arm binding didn't catch the neck binding all the way.

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Ottobre 03/2011 #19 Young Designers' T-shirt; A+

2013-03-05T13:52:00.001-08:00

We have had a foot of snow fall on us in the last 12 hours; it has been beautiful to watch from the window and I'm so glad school was cancelled so we didn't have to go out. Even Mr. Sunny Sewing stayed home today which is sweet because it's our 8 year anniversary of being together.

Yesterday I made a list of patterns I wanted to tackle in the next few weeks and this shirt was on the list. It is from Ottobre 03/2011 and is #19. What I love about it is that it is a plain and simple T-shirt. We like classic and comfortable in our house.

I had 1 yard of 48" wide double knit fabric. It is nice and soft with 25% stretch and considered medium weight. I traced and cut a 146 which is the highest this pattern goes. Miss K is a size 8 RTW. The pattern asked for 3/4 yard of 60 wide single jersey with 30% stretch. I had plenty of fabric for the shirt and some left over.

The tracing and cutting went fast as there are only 3 pieces. I opted not to add a design to the front of the shirt because my pattern was busy enough. Sewing was also fast and easy on the shirt. I didn't look at the directions because the sewing was pretty straight forward; Shoulders, binding, sleeves, sides, hems.

My wonderful husband went into the fabric store alone last night on his way home to pick me up another twin stretch needle (since I broke mine last week). Perfect timing on the needle because I used it on this shirt for the hems and for the shoulder/sleeve top-stitching.

Great pattern, quick sew, classic look and the pattern can be easily manipulated in the future for long sleeves, pockets, tank top, etc. The fit is a bit loose on Miss K but she loves that. The shirt is also a bit long - I like that because she can be wild without her belly showing. This pattern earns a spot in my top favorites.

Ah binding, why was I ever afraid of you? You get better each time.

I love double needle top-stitching (this is the shoulder and sleeve view)

Miss K likes that there is wiggle room

just enough stretch in it

I love this fabric. Reminds me of spring and April. Even with our never-ending snow! I picked it up just recently from The Fabric Fairy for $7.19 for the yard.

Now I'm actually off to bed because a nasty cold has settled in my lungs. Yuk. No pneumonia please!

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Ottobre 06/2011 # 36 Bathrobe ~ Coolest Thing I've Sewn to Date!

2013-03-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

Brace yourselves. This is probably going to be a long post.

I set out to make the Ottobre 06/2011 Bathrobe. It is # 36 and called "Ju-do-ka-ko." I wanted to make it for Mr. T because he has no robe at the moment and because he loves martial arts.

We are a household of techies and video game freaks. All four of us from my husband down to Miss K love any form of electronic or video game. When I saw this "Geeks gone wild" pac-man fabric I knew I had to make something epic and awesome out of it.

Let's fast forward to the end product. Don't you love it!

fully lined with soft flannel

Eek! I love the chevron's!

Ok, now let me take you through the process.

TRACING: In the magazine there are a total of 10 pieces you want to trace out. There is a 1a front and 1a back as well as a 1b front and 1b back. The a's and b's attach. This was time consuming. It took me an hour and a half to trace and seam allowance it all. I traced a size 152 for T even though I knew he was a 146 because I didn't want it to be too small too fast. This robe pretty much fit me! (and I'm a small on top and a 10 on bottom). As I was tracing I pre-washed all my fabric.

FABRIC/CUTTING: Next comes the fabric. This project is a fabric HOG. The instructions call for 2 yards of the black shell, 2 yards of the blue flannel lining, and a little over a 1/2 yard of the red chevron. The black shell and red chevron are to be 58"-60" wide; the blue flannel 44" wide. I wanted the black fabric and it was only 44" wide so I ordered 3 yards to be sure. The red chevron was also 44" wide so I ordered a yard to be sure. The blue flannel I ordered 3 yards as well and it was 44" wide. **** THIS WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT **** I sweated, prayed, and begged the pattern to fit the fabric. Luckily the black is a 4 way print and I was able to literally eek out exactly what I needed. The flannel also was just enough. It was super stressful to cut this out. The red chevron was the hardest. The pattern piece #4 and #7 NEED the 60" wide. I had to piece this all together instead of having a whole piece. I also had ONE inch!!!! of this fabric left. Please, if you want to make this, order 60" wide fabric and save yourself the headache! Cutting took me at least 2 hours.

SEWING: After two days I finally sat down to sew. I traced one day, cut the next, and came to sew the third day. The first step is the pocket, this was a breeze. I did use 2 of the chevron for the pocket and not 1 of chevron, 1 of black shell like they called for. Next was the front band of red chevron you see all around the robe. There was no difficulty here but I had to piece together 4 pieces instead of the two because of the fabric issue above. Top stitching was utterly boring and thread gobbling but I got through it. The sleeve bands were also constructed the same way as the front band and was easy to do. Next you join the shell together - this was the fastest, easiest, and most rewarding part. No issues here. The same was to be said for the lining. Joining the shell and lining was where trouble began. First you place them right sides together and sew all around the front but keep the red band in between. This was easy and I had no issue. However, then the pattern states "Bring sleeve edges of shell and lining end to end, line up edges and pin them together, right sides facing and with sleeve bands in between, and stitch. Note that sleeve and lining are not within one another." WHAT?? HUH? I did not get this at all. A picture would have been a million times better. I could not envision this so I made do with my own way. I pressed the lining hem under, slipped it into the arm hole the way it should go (wrong sides together) and then top stitched around the outside on the very edge of the red band. I know it isn't right but T won't care and inside is where it looks goofy. (If anyone knows what they meant please, let me know).

see how the lining is folded and sewn to the band, this is the inside view

From the outside view below the stitching looks like it is part of the band's top-stitching

The next problem came when I had to attach the lining to the shell on the bottom. I didn't know exactly what the directions meant but at this point I didn't care to read them in depth either. I was too anxious to finish this project. I folded under the lining at the hem and from the shell side I top-stitched with my twin needle, catching in the lining hem on the reverse side. The belt was last. This was simple but contained more boring top-stitching. After all the work on the robe the belt is attached to the back through all layers. I assume this is for strength but I was not happy I ruined the inside look of the lining. See below. Sewing time was probably close to 4 or 5 hours. I spread it out over 2-3 days.

View from inside where belt is attached

View from outside where belt is attached

CONCLUSION:
If you want to make your child a special robe - go for it! This project was LONG but worth it to see how happy T was when I gave it to him. This is a very time consuming project. It is also fabric consuming. Total cost of fabric was $45. Despite the challenges and time, I'm glad I made this robe. Would I do it again? I'm not so sure! Thanks for sticking with me on this long post!

Interested in the fabric?
Geeks Gone Wild Pac-Man Black 100% cotton

Urban Flannel Stripe Blue 100% cotton

Remix Zig Zags Red 100% cotton

~ Happy Sewing! ~ Kristin ~

Resolution totals for February 2013

2013-03-01T06:38:00.000-08:00