Seamstress In Training

Simplicity 1254 Progress (and zipper clarification)

2014-11-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to order my fashion fabric (it's a royal purple wool from mood) so the motivation to sew up my muslin has finally arrived.

There's been some talk on PR about the zipper insertion on this pattern & since I'm working through it, I thought I'd take pictures as I went along. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not done with my muslin, so at this point there's no proving that I'm doing this right :) The instructions have you insert the right side of the zipper in step 2, while the left side of the zipper isn't put in until step 17. That's right. There are 15 steps between inserting the two sides of the zipper. Ahem.

Ok. So the pattern originally has 3 lines along the center front seam. These are the solid purple lines on my muslin (I added the blue dashed--more on that later). From left to right we have the Center Front marking, the "fold" marking, and the zipper stitching line.

The instructions read "Separate zipper. On OUTSIDE, pin zipper half with slider & pull tab face down on RIGHT front, placing teeth 1/2" from the fold line & top stop just below seam line at neck edge. Hand-baste along stitching line for zipper. Using an adjustable zipper foot, machine stitch zipper in place along basting. Remove basting. The remaining half will be applied later." (FIFTEEN steps later).

Okay then. I drew a dotted line 1/2" away from my fold line so I could see where to line up the zipper teeth. I also drew the zipper stitching line on the wrong side of my fabric (in addition to the right side). I started hand basting the zipper but that got old real quick & didn't seem to be helping much. So this is what it ended up looking like. You can see that my stitching line is right along my (crooked) basting stitches.

Now, my zipper foot placed my stitching closer to the zipper teeth than the pattern's "zipper stitching line" is. So I used my regular zipper foot & nudged my needle alllll the way to the left. If you look at the wrong side of my fabric, you can see that this put my stitching pretty darn close to where the pattern wanted it. The most "off" I got was 1/8". My stitching line (apparently I used purple in my bobbin thread--sorry) is to the left of the pattern's line.

This is what things looked like with the zipper flipped right side...right. I'm fairly certain that Simplicity could have just marked where to apply the zipper & have you stitch it regularly....but they might have been trying to keep this pattern "easy". In doing so, though, I'm afraid they may have over-complicated things.

My initial thoughts on the fit (without sleeves or the other half of the zipper...eye roll) is that I'll need a broad back alteration and I might actually have to take the hips IN. A first for me, that's for sure.

Simplicity 1254--Plan B and some WIPs

2014-11-12T18:01:00.003-08:00

I got the dreaded call from Mood that the fabric I had picked out for my coat was sold out & it's gone for good; not re-orderable. My heart is broken. But I'm on the prowl.

I reached out to Sunni (of A Fashionable Stitch) inquiring to see if her wool crepe is would be suitable for a coat & she very kindly offered to send me swatches. There's one that I really, really like, but it's better suited for maybe a lighter jacket or suit.

I've also ordered some swatches from Mood & I received some wool swatchSd from The Rain Shed, but they're Melton weight & I'm worried that the hood won't drape nice.

All that to say that I'm at a stand-still with the coat; I haven't even started sewing my muslin because (and this sounds over dramatic) I'm inspiration-less without a fashion fabric.

In the meantime, though, I'm in the process of stitching up 2 different tops. The first is the famous scarf collar top from Jalie (which I've sewn twice before) and the other is the my recent purchase Simplicity 1280. I got it mostly stitched up, though, and tried it on and the sleeves were a really poor fit. I compared it to the armsyce of the Jalie top & figured out that the back is too narrow. So I'm considering the first version a muslin & will stitch up a final version soon. Sorry for the iPhone pictures :)

When I was cutting out the green one I kept thinking "This fabric is too crazy." But then when I put it on I really liked it. It's definitely not something I would even try on in RTW & I'm still not sure what I was thinking when I bought the fabric, but it sure has grown on me.

Grand Plans-Simplicity 1254

2014-10-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Most of the shawl collar coats I've been seeing this season look like wool bath robes. Which is fine, if that's what floats your boat. But because of that I had kind of skimmed over all shawl collar designs. Until now. Behold! The beauty that is Simplicity 1254 by Leanne Marshall. I'd link you to Simplicity, but apparently they can't be bothered to post their own patterns to their own web page. So to PR, you go!

I still adore my Minoru jacket. In fact, I put it on the other day & my husband said "It's pretty warm out, you won't need your coat." I softly replied, "But I love her," as I tenderly stroked her sleeve...

Ahem.

My Minoru is the perfect casual coat, but I'm going to be needing a dressier wool coat this winter. I bought one 4 years ago at a thrift store and the lining is ripping out and the shoulders are too narrow for me, so it really is (past) time to move on.

I ordered this pattern from Hancock's earlier this week (for a total of $7, the shipping cost about what it would cost to drive to my not-so-nearby store) and in a moment completely lacking of self control I ordered 3 yards of a "Heathered Purple Wool Flannel". I was originally just looking for a nice grey, but I couldn't resist the purple in this fabric. Mood also suckered me into buying the lining when it listed it under "Related Products." Don't mind if I do, Mood. That's one stop shopping for you. Wanna see what my coat will look like? Of course you do.

I'm slightly concerned about this project for a few reasons. One: I've never sewn with wool. Two: This is the most expensive fabric I've ever bought. Three: The pattern was just released so there's no reviews of it yet. Despite those concerns, though, I'm really very exited to get started on it!

Finished! Butterick 6031

2014-10-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

Pattern:Butterick 6031, Gertie's slip pattern

Fabric: When Gertie did the sew-along, she offered kits in her etsy shop (which I bought)...I think this is a Micro Jersey.

Notions: Stretch lace, elastic, bow, bra strap sliders & rings

Size sewn: Size 10 with the C cup. Which was a mistake. My measurements indicate a size 12 & 14 in the waist & hips, but since the big 4 are almost always too big, I sewed a straight 10, which fit, but it was SNUG. Instead of giving up on it, I decided to go back & add 2" panels to the side seam, tapering to (more or less) nothing at the bust :) It's a design feature (wink wink).

Alterations/Design Changes: Just the aforementioned side seam panels, heh.Oh! And I used bra strap elastic on for the back straps instead of stretch lace to achieve a little more stability.

Likes: I love this fabric! The pattern is quick to put together, runs true to size (surprise, surprise!) and is just flat out lovely.

Dislikes: None that I can think of. I was unsure about the darts, but they turned out fine.

Time to Complete: It sewed up pretty fast! with the lace & everything it seems like it would be more fiddly but I was pleasantly surprised by how easily it came together.

New Techniques: Sewing lace!

Total Cost: The kit cost $31 & I imagine I got the pattern for about $2. I was able to find RTW slips for cheaper, but if they fit in my bust they are too small in the hips. They are also usually made out of inferior fabric without lace. Plus! This is purple! I really like that because it will offer opacity to any dress without showing through white. Something else, tricot fabric would be less expensive but still slippery. I would like to make a nude version with black lace. Rawr!

In Conclusion: Love this pattern! It got me thinking about sewing lingerie again. It was a really straight forward make & a welcome addition to my wardrobe! Gertie recently posted about altering the pattern into a bralette, which I really like.

Finished! Belcarra Blouse

2014-10-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

When Tasia gave a sneak peak of the Belcarra with the Gabriola, I was pretty excited. But then the pattern came out & I was really unsure about the wide neckline. With my narrow & sloping shoulders it seemed like a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the fact that I'm not so good with wovens. Where most seamstresses fret over sewing knits; wovens make me nervous. Anyway, Tasia had the Belcarra PDF on sale for awhile there so I bought it.

I've had this silk/cotton blend in my stash for a long time. I originally bought it to sew the Pendrell (the muslin proved difficult due to the fabric choice but I feared it was the pattern) and that was 3 years ago. Since then I had decided to stop using black as my "go to" so in the stash it stayed. But, really, who DOESN'T need a versatile black top, right??

Pattern: Sewaholic Belcarra blouse

Fabric: Silk/Cotton blend from Hart's Fabric. This was a dream to work with. It pressed nicely & has a really nice sheen without being crazy shiny.

Notions: Just thread :)

Size sewn: 8 & it's a bit big (but not big enough to need to take it in). Next time I need to sew a size smaller. (Do you hear that, Jenna?! SEW A SIZE 6!) I never know what size to sew in any pattern because I'm very small boned but I'm also quite curvy.

Alterations/Design Changes: I narrowed the neckline according to the tutorial found on the Sewaholic blog

Likes: The pintucks are so simple construction-wise, but they really pack a huge punch. My hubby makes a habit of telling people I made stuff when they compliment me and everyone was like "You sewed these little tucks?!" LOL. I also really appreciated Tasia's little tips within the pattern when it comes to sewing on the cuffs.

Also, this PDF printed out so nice & straight. Tasia was thoughtful enough to have 1" (I think they're an inch) grid marks on the background so it was easy to make sure everything was lined up. I loved that!

Dislikes: Hmm, the pattern doesn't instruct you to stay stitch the neckline & mine stretched out despite incredibly careful handling. It was stretched out enough that the binding was a tad too short, but not enough that I could actually gather it as a design feature, so there are some wrinkles at the neckline. I also think the neckline as drafted is too wide. But a contributing factor to that is my sloping shoulders. I'm just really glad to be able to change it...I don't even try wide necklines on in RTW because they always fall off my shoulders!

Time to Complete: Very little! This sewed up so quickly.I could probably make it start to finish in 2 nap times if I needed to :)

New Techniques: Binding the necking. I'd never done that on a woven.

Total Cost: It's been forever since I bought the fabric, but I know it was more spendy that what I usually buy. I'm guessing it was $12-14 a yard. But I'm not counting it because it was eons ago. As in like, one whole child ago :) And I bought the PDF when it was on sale for like $11. I think this top definitely would have cost way more if it were RTW.

From Wadder to Wearable-Pleated Skirt

2014-10-01T14:51:00.001-07:00

I know. A month ago I was all "I'm back! Yay!" And I was. I've been sewing my little heart out. Honestly. I have 3 finished objects. But apparently sewing and blogging about sewing are 2 different things :) So here goes the blogging portion of the program :) I apologize in advance for the abysmal pictures. Natural light is hard to come by in my house, and a blank wall is even more challenging to find. Also...LOOK! My in laws found a dress form for $25 at yardsale & got it for me! I still need to pad her out but she's pretty handy so far.


I got a little carried away in Photoshop. Just did away with the whole background

I had originally planned on sewing this skirt to wear at our annual convention. Two (three?) months ago. It didn't go well. The fabric I chose (a lightweight home dec) was too stiff for the pattern and it just looked huge & bulbous. So I literally wadded it up & threw it in the corner.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I found a pin of this tutorial & was like "Hey! She used Home Dec fabric for her pleated skirt!" So I dismantled my skirt, pressed it, hacked off a good 8-9 inches from each piece (front & back) to match the dimensions the tutorial gave, and voila! I had planned on cutting a new waistband, but the waistband from the original pattern actually fit!

I stitched the CB pleat closed so it would lay nicely

Pattern: McCalls 6706, but not really.

Fabric: Premier Prints Polka Dots Twill

Notions: Thread, 2 hooks & eye, zipper

Size sewn: 10

Alterations/Design Changes: I took in the side seams 8-9" to reduce the overall volume

Likes: The lapped waistband (but that was almost the only thing I kept from the design)

Dislikes: The result was too voluminous for the fabric I chose.

Time to Complete: For.Ev.Er. But not due to the pattern.

New Techniques: Blind hem by machine (which turned out great!) lapped zipper.

Total Cost: A little under $20.

Hello again.

2014-08-25T16:31:00.003-07:00

I've had this sewing blog for nearly 4 years now. I think it's appropriate to end my hiatus, firstly, by acknowledging that. Looking back through my archives, it's neat for me to see both how far I've come in my sewing and how much there is yet to learn.

I completely disappeared from the internet sewing community for the last few months. After my last post, I still had a pink pencil skirt to review but decided I hated it. That began what was a long slew of self stitched wadders & UFOs. I did manage to make the kids' outfits for our annual convention & I will post those pictures (if nothing else it is fun to see how much they've grown the last few years).

Not only did I stop blogging, I stopped reading sewing blogs, reviews, message boards. I allowed all sewing inspiration to stop. My failures hit me hard. They made me question what I was doing sewing if it was all just a waste of time and money. I mostly sew because it feels good. Being able to have something useful that you made; that's cool. Being a homeschooling stay at home mama, my days are full but all too often, at the end of the day, I find myself with many items on my to do list left un-done. And to spend hours working on a sewing project only to have it fail, and fail hard. It hurt. And it was project after project. I did try to get back on the horse, but man! It just wasn't happening.

The mistakes were always different. Couldn't get the fit right. Bought the wrong fabric. Got sloppy during the cutting stage. Rushed zipper insertion. Took a short cut & didn't line the skirt. Pre-shrunk fabric shrunk significantly after being sewn. A sewist's heart can only take so much.

But then my sister wore the dress I made her 3 years ago to her baby shower. And being the good little sister she is, she made sure to tell everyone who complimented her that I sewed the dress. That I had made the majority of her maternity wardrobe (that I had sewn for myself 2 years ago when I was pregnant with my third).

And gosh darn it. I CAN sew. I'm good at it (mostly). I love it. This hiatus, though, has taught me a few things. I've learned the importance of cleansing my palate with TNTs. Of focusing on the positive; the things I have successfully sewn. Something is better than nothing. Perfect is the enemy of the good. Stewing a basic t-shirt is better than stewing over the custom dyed lace dress that never got past the muslin stage (sob!)

So. I'm back, I think. My first project will be a color blocked tunic. Vogue 8950. It's rated Very Easy. It's a knit, which, well is the very epitome of my comfort zone and it requires just a smidge over one yard of fabric. Hopefully all goes well.

If that goes well, then I've got big plans. I've had my eye on the Robson pattern every since I made the Minoru and this is what I envision.

Simplicity 1467

2014-02-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

I don't typically get really excited about newly released patterns. I usually end up sewing patterns looooong after they've gained popularity. Some of my favorite patterns were voted "Best Pattern of the Year" in 2010-12. In fact, I think this is the first time I'm the first reviewer of a pattern over on PR.

But Simplicity 1467 was an exception. I loved it from the first minute I saw it. I love wardrobe patterns, in theory. But they always seem to be missing on component or another. I really liked all of the components this one had to offer. I bought it as soon as Simplicity patterns went on sale at Joann Fabrics & ordered fabric for it right away.

Pattern: Simplicity 1467-the blouse, view A
Notions: Fabric, thread, interfacing & two buttons
Fabric: Cotton voile from fabricmartfabrics.com. It was on sale for $3 a yard.
Size sewn: 8 in the bust (though I used a 1/4" seam allowance) and graded out to a 14 at the hips. It is a smidge too tight in the bust. I'll probably grade up next time. I also took the back seam in an inch at the small of my back.
Alterations/Design Changes: None other than the sizing alterations described above.
Likes: I love that it's sleeveless, but has plenty of coverage. I like where the neckline hits, I like the yoke. It looks great paired with pants & skirts.I love the little buttons on the back, too.

Back

Dislikes: None. I had my doubts about the facing, because I tend to hate them. But this was the first time that I'd seen the armholes & neckline both finished with a single facing piece. It worked out very well & doesn't seem to have the problems that I usually find with typical facings.
Time to Complete: Not long at all. I started this top while I was waiting for zippers to arrive. I had it muslined & everything within 3 days.

New Techniques: Just the fact that I used a woven fabric & everything that entails. :)
Total Cost: Pattern: $.99; fabric $5. So, a $6 top!! Gotta love that!!

Spring SWAP

2014-02-12T08:05:00.001-08:00

Rumor has it that Spring is on its way. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and don't anticipate "Spring" weather until May or so, but nevertheless I decided to come up with a plan for my next few projects. I've found that creating "capsules" really focuses my sewing energies.

Again, I'm focusing on dressier pieces. Jeans & a t-shirt are my day to day at home wear, and though I do have hopes of branching out, I'm just not quite there yet.

I already have all the fabrics & patterns for these pieces. The pink skirt is in progress (along with a non-SWAP tweed skirt) and the geometric print top will be finished today. I love how it turned out. The jacket is my 'branching out' pattern. It's a woven, and will definitely need muslining (and likely alterations) prior to the actual construction. It also calls for shoulder pads, which is something I've never done.

I ordered a Brother 1034D serger yesterday & it should be arriving next week; I hope to whip out Vogue 1314 as it's maiden project.

A New TNT!

2014-01-28T11:22:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to photographing my new top. Dh was home from work for a week & a half on vacation & I just didn't get it done. But here it is. I do wish I could've taken better pictures, but these'll do. :) Also, I had my husband cut my hair, so, yes, it is different :) in case you were wondering. :)

Pattern: New Look 6735
Fabric: Cotton/Lycra knit from Girl Charlee
Notions: Thread & seam stabalizer for the shoulders. Wooly Nylon in the bobbin for the hems.
Size sewn: 12 in the shoulders, bust & waist, grading out to a 14 at the hips. I ended up using a 1/4" SA on the side seams instead of the 5/8" as the pattern suggested. Just wanted a tad more wiggle room.
Alterations/Design Changes: This is the exciting part! I added gathers to the neckline & sleeve caps to take this from a "t" to a top. I blogged those alterations here.Also, since I messed with the neckline, I drafted one myself using this tutorial. It worked out well! I also did a double fold hem instead of the single fold that the pattern suggested.

Likes: Everything? It's a super fast sew and I was able to squeak this out of 1 yard of fabric. I really wish I would have made 2 or 3 at once, but I wanted to make sure it worked out first. Next time! I love that it can be dressed up or down.
Dislikes: None. I thought I'd dislike the center back seam, since I don't think I've ever seen it in RTW, but it really does provide some nice shaping.

Time to Complete: Not too long, but I took my sweet time with it. It could probably be finished in just a couple hours.
New Techniques: Pattern drafting :)
Total Cost: $6 for the fabric, everything else was from my stash! SIX DOLLARS!

In progress...

2014-01-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

I was all excited to reunite with my TNT S4076 for my next project. Those little cap sleeves, that little gathered neckline...swoon. But when I got out my tracings I realized that I did not have my original tracings OR original pattern tissue. All I had was the pattern I made for my maternity version. And the pattern is OOP; I've found a few copies of it on the web, but none in the smaller size range.

After some pouting and a whole lot of rummaging, I decided to just take advantage of this conundrum. I've been wanting to delve a bit into drafting & making design changes to TNTs. So this was a great opportunity. I started out with the very popular t-shirt view New Look 6735 and set out to add the neckline gathers. I asked the opinions of more qualified seamstresses, and I also found this video.

First I traced the pattern in my size (or what I hoped would be my size). Then I traced the bottom portion onto freezer paper and then I pivoted my pattern piece beneath the armscye.I moved it about an inch at the CF, and truth be told I was really worried about the changed neckline shape, but figured that (in theory) that gathering would pull it back to its shape...more or less.

Here's how my new pattern piece compared:

And then I got to thinking about other ways to dress up a basic tee. I eventually decided to gather the sleeve caps. I used the instructions for the at clothingpatterns101.com. First I traced my pattern on to freezer paper and removed the seam allowances, just to ensure that I didn't mess those up. :) I never really realized how much space those 5/8" seam allowances take up.

And then I sliced & spread. I probably have sliced the same distance from the center dot on each side, but it turned out ok in this instance.

After that I traced my new pattern & added the seam allowances back.

I only had 1 yard of fabric for my final top, so I made a practice sleeve & armscye from some scraps to check my drafting and it turned out great.

I should have pictures of the final project next week, it's just waiting to be hemmed now.

Finished x2 Jalie 2921

2013-12-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

I was originally going to sew a cowl neck Renfrew for my 6 PAC, but Jalie 2921 kept calling to me. I had 3 yards set aside for this project, so I had lots left over to sew a little dress for Laila. I hope to take some better detailed pics soon, but I wanted to get this post up before 2014 :)

Pattern: Jalie 2921

Fabric: Cotton/Spandex knit from Girl Charlee
Notions: Just thread and seam stabilizer.

Size sewn: I sewed a G (size 3) for my DD and for my self: T in the bust, grading to a U in the waist & a V in the hips.

Alterations/Design Changes: I cut DD's top off at the waist marking & added a pleated skirt. This was my original "vision" Don't be jealous of my mad fashion sketching skillz.

For mine, aside from grading out at the waist and hips, I raised the neckline 1/2" and will raise it another inch next time. I also lengthened it 3/4" and did a double fold 5/8" hem.
Likes: The results are so professional!!
Dislikes: I could have stuck with size T all the way through I think. The sleeves are symmetrical, which is a pet peeve of mine. But, they do seem to have a better fit than other symmetrical sleeves I've sewn.

Time to Complete: Not much! I think mine took one nap time to construct (90 minutes?) and another 20 to hem? Fast.

New Techniques: Rolling the shirt into the collar (the "burrito"). Drafted a pleated skirt for DD.

Total Cost: I had all the notions on hand, so.....about $15 for each.
Fabric: $18 for 3 yards
Pattern: 12.98

Looking back on 2013

2013-12-30T16:06:00.002-08:00

2013 was a good, solid year for my family and my sewing. I fell a bit behind in blogging, but that's just the rhythm of things, I suppose.

I delved into bra sewing, which was more of a miss than hit, I suppose. It was a confidence booster construction wise, but it was a bad idea to take it on while I was breastfeeding. Too many fluctuations in size & I've never really loved breastfeeding, so I'm a bit more self-conscious then anyway.

That aside, though, the things I did manage to make this year were more solidly built than things I've made in the past & I'm also getting a knack for sewing what I *need*. I still carry my Necessary Clutch every time I leave the house and it ALWAYS gets compliments. I've been told more than once that I should make & sell them.

I actually had quite few wadders this year. I'm at an odd place technique-wise. I think I'm a solid advanced beginner, moving into Intermediate territory. But when I come across a technique that I'm unsure of, instead of proceeding with caution & being diligent in my actions I just plow through.That's precisely what happened when I attempted the Bombshell swimsuit. I have every confidence that I'll be able to conquer that this summer. A large reason that one blew up in my face is that I was determined to add a bra to the pattern. Which, in theory should have been straight forward. Because I make bras. Or I did. Then. So I think if there is ONE thing that will help me to advance my skills in the next year it will be to SLOW.DOWN. My Minoru jacket is an excellent example of what I'm capable of when I take my time.

Speaking of which, my pièce de résistance was my version of the Minoru jacket. I just love it. I've got my eye on the Robson coat for this spring. It's rated as Advanced....but maybe, just maybe I can pull it off.

It seems that my sewing projects of 2013 were either raging successes or dismal failures that didn't even make it to the blog. :) Hopefully 2014 will be a little more consistent. And I plan to start blogging my failures a bit more just for my own personal record.

Sewing Space Makeover Reveal

2013-12-20T13:12:00.001-08:00

Ages ago I announced my intention of prettying up my sewing corner. It is in our "office" which happens to be the first room guests walk into when they enter our home. We've been remodeling our house room by room & for some reason, this room was the last one to get done.

I've been combing the archives for a suitable "before" shot, but can't really find one. This is the room when we first moved in. The blue carpet, unfortunately, remains. We've decided to wait until the kids are done spilling things on a daily basis to replace it. Oh, how I yearn for that day.

The unsightly wood paneled walls adorned every room (except the kitchen) in our house. We've dry walled over it in the master bed, wallpapered & painted over it in the living room and just flat out painted over it in the remaining rooms. I dislike the look of it painted, but I hate the look of it unpainted. And of course, time and cost is always a factor when remodeling.

Just as a reminder, here's my initial inspiration board:

And here is how everything turned out. This is close to what it looks like all tucked away when I'm between projects or in the middle of projects but expecting company. It is incredibly easy to reconfigure. Please note these photos were taken while the kids were napping. Typically the hot and/or sharp objects are far out of reach :)

You can just see a peek of the curtains I made. My fantastic husband and I made the sewing table ourselves using Ana White's Collapsible Sewing Table woodworking plan. We put it on 4 caster wheels so that it's easy to maneuver.

Originally I planned on using one of the leaves as a pressing board, but decided against it since I didn't want to have both leaves out while I was sewing. When I'm cutting or tracing patterns, I fold out both leaves like this

If/when we make this table again I'll make it taller & deeper with thicker legs, but it's working out just fine so far. Once I'm ready to get to the actual sewing, I collapse one of the leaves & voila....

I didn't make a pressing board, but I still wanted to use the green fabric so I recovered my mini ironing board. It fits perfectly underneath when it's not in use.

I'm still trying to figure out the ideal pegboard configuration. Right now everything is just kind of thrown on there willy nilly. The baskets are from the dollar store.

So that's my sewing space. Or as I like to call it "Where the magic happens" LOL. I'm really happy with my little corner and I just adore how easy it is to put it all away while keeping it close at hand.

Two Strikes.

2013-12-14T08:08:00.003-08:00

I'm off to a miserably bad start with my SWAP. I picked out a cheap, polyester suiting from Joann Fabrics for my Hollyburn & it shows. It just looks all wrong. I'll be saving the zipper but trashing the skirt.

And as for my Red Velvet Dress. Yeah. That was just one disaster after another.

Firstly, had I realized the dress featured facings, I never would have bought it. I have no love for facings, particularly in knits. And throughout the sewalong Steph (the pattern designer) reiterated time & time again how easy this particular neckline was to stretch & distort. Which made me nervous.

I hemmed & hawed and finally worked up the courage to draft my own binding. Which was successful! THEN the pattern designer said some rather ugly things on Debbie Cook's blog & that totally robbed me of my motivation to continue participating in her sew along. Yick.

Then I hated the bust pleats. But I decided they were well camouflaged in the print of my fabric & continued on. Then the "scissor" pleat looked silly (I think this was an issue with me rather than the pattern). Whatever. But now I am blissfully in the final stretch--hemming.

And I've run out of thread. Completely. After hemming one sleeve. I don't even have "this will do" color. Nearest notions shop is an hour away.

So I think it's time to call it quits. Despite the fact that the dress would have been wearable, I've just got too much resentment built up toward it I think. It will likely end up as a dress for my 3 year old daughter.

So that's 2 wadders in a row. But my Minoru is still fabulous, so I've got that to hang on to :) I keep using that as proof to myself that I can, indeed sew.

On to the next thing, then! I'm going back to the land of knit tops for now. :)

Red Velvet Dress and Winter 6 PAC

2013-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

I was pretty excited when Steph released the Red Velvet Dress pattern. I've been looking for a knit dress pattern that had neither a pencil skirt nor an a-line. I didn't know what type of skirt I wanted, but when I saw the RV pattern, I knew it would be worth a shot.

Steph is hosting a sewalong starting on the November 11th & I'm hoping to join in. The fabric I have picked out (but not ordered) is this fushia polka dot knit.

This dress will actually be the first piece of my Winter 6 PAC. I recently discovered the Artisan's Square forum & they host a myriad of fantastic sewalongs. This "6 PAC" means making a mini wardrobe (6 items) & is hosted each season. I'm completely going against the recommended guidelines, but they are just recommendations & the most important thing is making things that I need in my wardrobe. Here's my initial inspiration board. This color scheme is what I've been shooting for in my entire wardrobe the last few months. I'm in dire need of skirts, so that's my focus right now. I've already started on the grey Hollyburn. I'd forgotten how easy that skirt is. Unfortunately I was dumb and didn't look very closely at the fabric I bought & it's a bit sheer (c'mon Joann Fabrics-really? sheer suiting? I hate you.) so I'll also be making a slip :)

Anyway, I realize all these colors look incredibly bright when put together :) but I'm hoping for a mustard yellow for the pleated skirt, so that will -hopefully- tone things down a bit. But even though it's very colorful, they do all "go" together. That's the brilliance (not my brilliance) of picking a color scheme & building off that.

Finished Object. Goal Accomplished.

2013-10-24T11:02:00.002-07:00

Well lookee here. I sewed myself a coat!! Early on in my sewing adventures, Gertie hosted a sew along for the Lady Grey coat & I was entranced. I couldn't believe people could actually sew their own coats. While mine isn't a tailored masterpiece, per se, it is definitely my proudest sewing accomplishment to date. Here's the facts. And only the facts. After the facts I will ramble. Proceed with caution.

Pattern: Sewaholic Minoru

Fabric: Stretch twill from Fashion Fabrics Club
Notions: Thread & 2 zippers. Huge shout out to Zipperstop. I mailed a swatch of my fabric to them to match on Friday & had my zippers on Tuesday. Amazing customer service.

Size sewn:I muslined both a size 6 & 8. In the end, I sewed the 8 since I underlined with flannel & will possibly be wearing under bulky-ish sweaters.
Alterations/Design Changes: Added welt pockets. Shortened (at hem) 1.75". Raised elastic 1". Added .75" for broad back alteration. Omitted sleeve cuffs. Instead I made a self facing by lengthening outer sleeve fabric 2". I also graded down to a size 4 at the hips & probably could have gone down to a 2.

Also, instead of stitching the ditch for the collar, I hand sewed it. I just couldn't' get my stitches just right on both sides.
Likes: Loved the process. Love the finished product.
Dislikes: I do wish it had outer pockets, but there's about a billion different ways to add yoru own pockets, so it's no big deal.
Time to Complete: I cut my fabric out on October 2nd, and wore my finished coat on the 20th. I didn't sew every day, and I took my time getting things just right.
New Techniques: Welt pockets! Separating zippers!
Total Cost: $57.85
Fashion Fabric $11.85. Lining fabric $27. Zippers $11. Thread $8. I'm not counting the pattern cost because I bought it almost 2 years ago :)

Alright. Let the rambling commence! I actually pre-ordered this pattern when Tasia first released it. I was all set to participate in her sewalong and then I discovered I was pregnant. So it got set aside. For a year and a half.

With Fall approaching I decided to get this baby sewn. I muslined a size 6, which fit perfect. But in the end I decided I wanted a bit more ease to accommodate the flannel underlining & bulky fall sweaters.

The welt pockets were a major cause for concern. I've never constructed them before, but I also needed to figure out where to put them, what angle to have them & how deep to construct the pocket bags...without having them interfere with the hem or plackets. All in all, I'd say they're just right. But I left the internal pockets just in case my welt pocket design was lacking.

I lined the hood, removing 3/8" to account for the seam allowance rather than a hem allowance. I also tacked it down by hand along the center seam so the lining wouldn't bag out.

The lining itself is a horrendous polyester; you know the type. It frays if you look at it wrong. So even though the seams were all enclosed I was really diligent in zigzagging (and sometimes fray checking) my seam allowances.

Instead of stitching in the ditch at the collar seam (couldn't get it to all line up just right even though I hand basted first) I just sewed it by hand. It took a little extra time, but all in all wasn't too bad.

I omitted the sleeve cuffs, but I didn't want my lining to peek out at the wrist, so I created a self facing (I might be making that term up) by lengthening the outer sleeve pieces by 2 inches. This gave it a really nice, clean finish & if I sew another hooded Minoru, I'll likely use the same method on the hood.

In conclusion, I love this coat. A lot. And it was a good sewing exercise for me, too. It's the first 'Intermediate' pattern I've sewn (not counting bras) and I'm really happy with the results.

Minoru fabric choice

2013-10-01T07:58:00.002-07:00

Left: Organic Canvas Cotton from fabric.com Right: Magenta Pink Stretch Twill from FFC

I ordered 2 different fabrics for my Minoru. I never do that. But I wasn't positive either was what I wanted. I ordered on the same day, moments apart, and of course, my fabric from fabric.com arrived a week earlier than that from Fashion Fabrics Club.

Once I received the twill (from FFC) though, I was glad that I had waited to cut into my fabric. The canvas looks quite dull compared to the twill. But what really sold me on the twill was the price. The Organic Canvas Cotton cost $40 while the twill was a steal at $18 (including shipping).

Since my sewing room makeover put a halt to all sewing for a couple weeks, I'm really looking forward to getting started on this! As it turns out, Pattern Review's Lined Jacket Contest starts today, so I'll be able to participate in that, too! There seems to be a number of us who are planning on sewing Minorus.

Sewing Space Makeover

2013-09-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

It is past time to pretty up my sewing space. Ever since I started sewing, my machine has migrated around the house. It's currently housed in the "office" which works out well except that its the only room in our house that we have yet to remodel. The walls are wood paneling. The furniture is a bunch of odds & ends that we've procured from random spots (including the side of the road). It is without a doubt my least favorite room in the house and it's time for that to change.

I'll be purchasing a new (cheap) white desk (for the "office" portion of the room). And painting our bookshelf from black to white (that should be interesting). And I'll be making that collapsible sewing table you see above. I sew--woodworking can't be that hard--right?? Right! The wood paneled walls (gag) will be painted with that beigy-taupe you see above which is the same color we have in the adjoining living room.

I'll use the green fabric to make a pressing board on one of the leaves of my (made by me) collapsible sewing table, the rectangle fabric will be backing on my soon-to-be-white bookshelf and that turquoise blue fabric will become simple curtains.

I've seen been hunting around for pegboard inspiration & have not been disappointed. I'll be using one to house as many of my tools & notions as possible. Feel free to take a look at my Office Makeover pinterest board.

I'm very excited about the whole thing, particularly having a pressing board attatched directly to the sewing table. And I like that the table can just fold away when sewing is forced to take a back seat. I love even more that I'll make it with my own 2 hands.

I find planning to be much more exciting than the actual execution of said plan, but that's alright.

On the sewing front, I've muslined the Minoru, traced & altered my lining pieces, and now I'm just waiting for the fabric I ordered from Fashion Fabrics Club. I ordered purple canvas from FFC & fabric.com and I'll be sending one back. I really like the canvas I got from fabric.com but FFC is much cheaper, so I'm holding out to see what their's is like. I also still need to get thread & zippers for my coat, but I anticipate getting my fabric cut out by the end of this week! Woo Hoo!

Minoru Muslin

2013-09-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

I got my muslin all sewn up & I find myself putting it on just to wear around the house. I love it that much. It is quite fitted, which I wanted, but I'm thinking I'll need a little extra ease in my final version since I'll be using a bit thicker fabric & I'm also planning to underline with flannel for extra warmth. I'm toying with the idea of just sewing with a smaller seam allowance at the side seams.

I did make some minor adjustments that I'll transfer over to the final pattern. Here's what I've done:

Shortened 1.5" at the hem
Raised the waist elastic 1"
Took it in at the hips 1" at each side seam (My hips are a size 4 according to the pattern measurements, rather than the size 6 that I cut out)

I'm also feeling some tightness in the back when I stretch my arms forward, which is actually really common for me in jackets. But I never associated it with a broad back. Fit For Real People recommends cutting & slashing the pattern down the back for a broad back alteration in a Raglan sleeve so that's probably what I'll do. I just need to figure out how much to slash. I DO have a raglan sleeve sweatshirt I can measure & compare to the pattern.

Sewing mostly knits, I've never really went from fitting a muslin to transferring the changes to the pattern pieces and on into the fashion fabric. It's quite daunting :) I'm just taking it nice & slow and tackling it one alteration at a time.

I'll also be adding welt pockets to the outside. This is something I've never tried before so I'm really excited to delve into something new!

I'm still awaiting my fashion fabric & once I have that in hand, I plan on sending a swatch to zipperstop.com so they can send me the closest matching YKK zipper.

Coordinated Kids' Clothes

2013-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. Some of my readers will remember that I've made my kids matching outfits each summer for our annual District Convention. Well, this year I had three little outfits to sew & I'm happy to say that this year's outfits...by far, are my favorite.

I started out knowing that they would be coordinating, rather than identical. Mostly because my oldest boy, Shawn, has pretty strong opinions these days and prefers to wear red. And by that I mean the only tie he'll wear is the red one I made for him 3 years ago...which is falling apart.

When I found these fabrics, I knew they were exactly what I needed.

But Shawn wasn't sold on the polka dots. And the sailboat fabric was blue--not red.
So I kept looking & we found the winner in a white quilting cotton featuring little red & blue whales. He loved it. Quite by accident we found ourselves going with a nautical theme.

I'll post an individual review of the dress, but here's the outfits. We still haven't managed to get one picture of all three kids together (and I'm not holding my breath!) but we did get some cute individual shots (sorry about the quality & the formatting). I'm happy to say that Shawn will now ONLY wear his whale tie & he's gotten a TON of compliments on it. I had one mom even stop me to ask where I bought his tie so she could get one for her little guy. I felt a little bad telling her I made it :)

Grand Plans: The Minoru

2013-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've loved the Minoru since the first time I saw it. When Tasia released it, I bought the pattern right away. And then I started planning on participating in the Sewalong. I traced my pattern and then...

I found out I was pregnant.

And that pretty much put a halt to any jacket sewing plans I may have had. Until now, that is.

I was planning on entering the Mini Wardrobe contest over on Pattern Review, but I have doubts that I'll be able to see it through the the finish & I'm pretty determined to keep my fabric stash down to a minimum. As in, muslin a pattern, buy the fabric, sew the fabric. Lather, rinse, repeat. No stashing. Anyway, I could see myself buying fabric for all 4 wardrobe pieces & only sewing 2 or whatever. And plus also, sewing a jacket will fulfill one of the goals I've had since I started sewing. So that's cool.

Anyway, when I initially traced my Minoru, I traced size 10; my measurements ranged from sizes 8-12. Now, my measurements are in the 4-8 range. So I'll have to retrace. I'll start out muslining the size 6. I made the Renfrew in size 8 & it was a bit on the too big side, so hopefully I'm on the right track.

For the outer fabric, I'll be picking up a purple cotton canvas. And I've chosen a leopard print satin for the lining. I plan on including a flannel underlining for additional warmth & I'll add some sort of pocket on the outside, either side seam or patch; I'll decide once the muslin is all sewn up.

Finished: Hollyburn!

2013-08-13T13:16:00.001-07:00

This skirt has been finished for months. MONTHS. And I wear it all the time. But I just finally got around to photographing it. And most of the pictures were blurry. It seems some little finger smudged my camera lens. Sorry.

Fabric: Gorgeous coral stretch denim (no longer available) from Harts Fabrics (LOVE them!)
Pattern: Sewaholic Hollyburn
Notions:Thread & zipper. A bit of interfacing for the waistband
Size sewn: 12. View B.
Alterations/Design Changes: It ended up being closer to the length of View A (because I'm short) but it is the perfect length for me. I couldn't find a zipper to match, so I was left with the option of doing a contrast teal zipper or using a grey one. I decided to do a lapped zipper. I don't really like how it turned out. Definitely looks home made...as in "I couldn't find a matching zipper so I used this one and desperately tried to hide it" (which is exactly what happened) I think I'll probably rip the zipper out & the centered teal zipper (since writing this review months ago, I've decided to live with the grey zipper--it's really not that bad...time heals all things?)
Likes: The pockets!! It's a simple style, came together really quickly (save for blind hemming by hand; that took forever). Definitely well suited for beginners!

Dislikes: None. Though, I definitely should have staystitched my skirt pieces before the pattern suggested. I had some definite stretching, & the pattern suggested sewing a gathering stitch along the top of the skirt before applying the waistband, but by then I already had the pockets and staystitching done so I couldn't really get it to gather nicely across the seams. Anyway, I ended up cheating & just chopping an inch off at one of the side seams.

Time to Complete: Not long...a couple days?? If I were to sew it again with a deadline I'd give myself 3 days.
New Techniques: Blind hem by hand
Total Cost: Eek. Ok. Pattern: $17.25 with shipping. Fabric & thread: approx. $30. All told, $47.25. Holy Moly. Suddenly the cost of the skirts from Mod Cloth don't seem so ridiculous. I've never spent that much on a RTW skirt! And in case you couldn't tell...I didn't do the math BEFORE hitting "add to cart".

After having this skirt a few months-I'm going to go out on a limb & say it was worth the cost. It comfortable, can be dressed up OR down, the fabric is great, the color is FUN....I'm super glad I made it. :)

Creating a Custom Storyboard

2013-08-10T16:00:00.002-07:00

I'm strongly considering sewing myself a mini wardrobe in September & participating in Pattern Review's Mini Wardrobe Contest. In preperation , I created a storyboard using my possible fabrics & patterns. A couple ladies wanted to know how it was done, so I made this tutorial. Keep in mind I'm using PSE8 and can't really speak to other versions. :) You'll need a image of the pattern line drawing and a digital swatch of your fabric (just copy & paste from your browser).

Edit to add: There's a number of typos & I apologize :) PSE doesn't spell check & this tutorial was a long process. I hope you find it useful anyway. :)

This is incredibly long & you'll need to click on the pictures to make them bigger. (You can also view via this flikr album. Here we go!

TIP: If you ever find yourself having trouble, double check that the layer you want to be selected is selected. :)

Bombshell Sew Along

2013-06-15T16:51:00.002-07:00

Have you guys seen this pattern from Closet Case Files!?!? When I first started delving into bra making*, I thought 'Wow! It would be AWESOME to make my own swimsuit.' In searching the internet I saw Heather's orginal emerald green suit & fell in love. It was perfect. Unfortunately, there wasn't a pattern for it. And altering an existing pattern is quite possibly out of my reach.

But LOOK who's been working her tail off so the rest of us can look fabulous on the beach too! Heather's hosting a sew along starting on Monday to sew up the Bombshell and I am. so. exicted. The fabrics have been ordered and I am ready to go! I originally was going to order from SpandexWorld, but their shipping was positively outrageous. $17 to ship 3 yards of fabric. NoThankYouVeryMuch. But The Fabric Fairy had this pretty purple swimsuit fabric (& I ordered a nude lining) AND as a bonus, she carries swimsuit elastic, too. $25 including shipping. If all goes well, this suit will cost me only $35 to make. I should even have enough fabric left over to make a matching suit for my daughter.

I'm really excited to get started on this! I may end up adding a bra for support...but maybe not. :) We'll see. I don't want it to be something I get hung up on. Besides, I think I might end up needing a 2nd suit at some point anyway.

*I've burned myself out on bra making. I haven't blogged my triumphs & (mostly) trials, and to be honest I'm still a little let down by my lack of success. Part of the challenge is that I'm still nursing. The other part is that while bra sewing is very cheap compared to buying RTW (at least in my size), it is CONSIDERABLE investment both in time & money on the outset. I still dream of being able to whip out a beautiful, well fitting bra, but for now, I'm taking a break. I think my next "move" might be to find a great fitting RTW bra and clone it. The other option is to GULP draft my own block. Someday.