A Little Bit of This...Little Bit of That...

I have an intense short list of things I'd like to sew. I'd really like to get more pants. I'd really like a couple of jackets/blazers. And I'd like more tops. I'd like to start replacing my RTW items that are taking up space in my closet with me-mades. Really, really nice me-mades. So that's the plan.

As mentioned before, I cut NL6035 pants in a wool crepe and was left with enough fabric to cut the A-line skirt included in the pattern. I want to make the shell and blazer too; it's a nice complete wardrobe pattern! What I get for not muslining, the pants are a bit narrow than anything I'd normally buy, but they're fitting quite well. I need to add the waistband next. I want to line them because after all, they're wool!

Saturday I just wanted to SEW! You know, I just had the bug. I should have worked on the aprons I need to finish as I could have probably gotten them done. But I cut NL6150 (was going to do the version with the rouched sleeves, but ran out of fabric. OOPS!!).  BUT, I like it as a shell! I will finish off the neckline and arms this week. I hate knit bindings. Meh.

The knit is a small floral rayon knit that I got from FM the last time I was tweaking for fabric. This yard of fabric cost me $1.80. Yes, you read correctly, $1.80. This is a top that's less than $2 and it's cute!

The skirt is made with 100% wool crepe in chocolate, also from FM. $12 for the 2 yard cut and I got pants and a skirt from it! I'd say $8 for the pants and $4 for the skirt. Yep. That's how I'm going to do it :) Add in a zipper (50% off sale) and lining that I got in a FM $8 bundle and this wool skirt is like $6. I like it, I like it a lot!

I'll get pics of me wearing it soon. We've had rain and rain and rain for days. So it's been dark and dreary here and our already tiny apartment is getting no sunlight. I can't go outside and take pictures because my lovely* neighbors like to stand outside and congregate and stare at us. So I'll have to wait for a sunny day or until I wear the items!

I also washed and ironed the fabric for S1696, Amazing Fit pants, a green garbadine picked up from Hancock. It's slightly richer than the green fabric I had for the failed skirt. I paid my daughter $1 to cut the pattern pieces out! :) I had already did a rough cut and iron but still, one less job for me. Yay!

Then I cut out the jacket from M6519 in a navy rayon, linen-look suiting. 

The pattern pieces looked weird - "What is up with those weird extensions on pieces 1 and 4?", I thought.  I tissue fit and decided I needed to take a little bit off the back and bring the waist down in a little. Great. Then I messed up and stitched the dart too far down. And later discovered I went too high up on the dart too. Then I realized the fabric shifted at some point and the pieces for #1 aren't exactly the same. Then I decided the pocket was just silly and fiddly. But I got the back vent down correctly, then I basted pieces together and errr...I choose the final measurements based on "normal" top ease...it's a jacket. It has to go over tops. Soooo I guess it'll go over tanks/shells only. Oops. Then it got fiddlier. I knew I should have quit. And this happened:

Puckers and gathers and what's that random piece of disconnected fabric? Yeah. Put. It. Down. I'll have to pretty much pick the whole thing apart...save for the back center seam! LOL! This fabric isn't as drapey as it seemed but that's okay. The 2 1/2 yard cut cost me $7. So if it ends up being a muslin, I'm okay with that.

I think I'll like it if I can figure out my sewing mishaps!

Lastly, I baked about 20 dozen cookies today. Yes. Dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies. Pounds of butter and sugar. I baked cookies for a cousin who lost his last batch to the TSA agents as he was leaving Minneapolis. I baked cookies for my mom, for my co-workers, and for my greedy, cookie-loving family. Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Chip. 

Finished Item: New Look 6025 & Taking Plunges

I am rather enjoying my foray into sewing. It is rewarding and kind of cool in a kick-ass way to take a big 'ole rectangle of fabric and turn it into something three dimensional that that you can actually wear! :)

Consequently, I have entered each contest that I've been eligible to enter on Pattern Review. Would it be nice to win? Sure. Are there loads more talented sewers out there than I? Yep. But I figure it makes me take on a challenge and makes me step my game up to something that I'm not only comfortable wearing, but that I'm comfortable putting up for scrutiny by others.

Speaking of scrutiny...every time I tell myself I'm not going to post on the "fitting woes" board for advice, then go back and do it anyway, I get frustrated. Now, I'm not sensitive by any stretch. I can hear and respond well to criticism. But most of the comments really end up as a discussion of ease. I don't need 6" of bust ease. I don't need or want 4" of hip ease. I want my clothes FITTED for the most part. There are garments that are obviously meant to fit loosely (like my top below) and there are garments that you want a certain amount of extra ease in depending on how you want to wear the item. But I don't want a stretchy, black pencil skirt to fit like I'm on my way to Sunday mass. I want that sucker body hugging. I think that the Vogue skirt that I'm making has horizontal wrinkling because as one person pointed out...the "hips" of the skirt do not match my hips. Which I can understand because I do not have very defined hips (or is it that I lack a defined waist?!). I have nice, work appropriate (or church for the times that I am in a church) skirts, yes, they skim the bum and hang from there. *I don't want this skirt to hang* wahhhhhhh. I'll keep working on the fit on my own and hope to figure it out.

Anyway...I entered the Accessory challenge, where the look is inspired by a pair of red/gold gladiator sandals. I decided to go literal and make a red and gold top, as I saw this bright rayon in Hancock and had to have it.

New Look 6025 has a couple of different length and sleeve options, along with a tie belt option. I made the tunic view because I liked the tabbed sleeves, but kept it blouse length. I'm too short and blocky for tunics.

The neckline on this top is ridiculous. Luckily, I scan pattern review and the internet for every pattern before I sew it up. The huge neckline was a universal issue and I already have to cut a smaller neckline on most top patterns. I ended up cutting a size 8 neckline in front, size 10 neckline in back, with 14 sleeves and bust and size 12 side seams. Yeah. I tissue fitted on myself and Lillian -aka- Lilly -aka- my dress form! :) I knew the neckline would still be too low so I took extra liberal shoulder seams. So perhaps this top isn't all that great unless you want to fiddle a lot or if you plan to layer it over something.

Don't get me wrong, I like it, and it sewed up quickly. I mean, front and back and tabs. Done. It has dolman cut-on sleeves and both front and back are cut on the fold. I cut out the pattern one day on lunch, cut the fabric later that day, and sewed it up in one evening. Seriously about 3 hours total, even with the fiddling. I have since decided I will become an uber flat-pattern measurer. I cannot become a musliner. I can't make a muslin for every garment because then I'd just see it all as a chore and it won't be fun for me. So there. Obviously I'm not saying I'll never muslin, but I won't do a muslin for everything. Gah and GAH. So boring, in my 4 year old nephews voice.

 

Paired with Ann Taylor wool trousers in a reddish heathered tan, brown shoes, gold accessories

Close up of sleeve tabs

 

 

Next up are my entries for the Natural Fibers contest. I had 2.5 yards of a lovely chocolate wool crepe. I cut out my pants and low and behold I had enough fabric for a (VERY) simple A-line skirt. Front and back have the same pattern piece, cut on the fold. Easy Peasy.

But guess what *I* did?!? I underlined the skirt! YAY!!!! I knew the wool crepe wasn't quite right on it's on and I had this lining that I'd scored in a bundle so I decided to take the plunge and do something (simple) that I'd feared.


Those posts coming soon, skirt preview:

 

 



 

Chocolate crepe, pink yoke facings

Mother's Day Spoils! (photo heavy)

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out in the blogosphere!!!! I hope you had a fantastic day today and was able to do whatever it is that you enjoy doing today. If you are without your mom, my thoughts and prayers are with you. My husband lost his mom as a kid and this day is hard for him. If you are trying to become a mom, my thoughts and prayers are with you. While I haven't experienced it, I've seen the monster that is infertility. I know this day is tough on you too.

I have two teens in the house so I didn't expect much to happen before 10 a.m. because well...that's when they normally roll out of bed on the weekend. We were all up early and they were itching to give my gifts - yay!

From MJ - a card. It was a cute card! He got a pass because he's been gone since Wednesday on his orchestra trip.

From Douglas (my daughter's nickname!) - a vented laptop lap desk because I'm always looking for something to put under my laptop while it's on my legs, or worse, when I have it directly on the sheets/covers/couch.

From my husband - cool kitchen accessories from Anthropologie. Don't you just LOVE that place!?!?

This adorable mini, teeny-tiny salt and pepper shaker set with carrier.

CUTE!

I want to bake right NOW with these little measuring spoons. ADORBS!

Then I got breakfast.

Omelette, bacon, sausage and DELICIOUS German Pancakes. One with strawberries and one with Nutella and bananas. MMMMMMMM!!!!

After breakfast, I was asked to get something out of the bedroom. Now, I don't know when the managed to sneak this in but...dum, dum, dummmmmmmm!

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!! Our 4 year dating anniversary was May 2nd and he was too overwhelmed to get the dress form. He just knew he'd get the 'wrong' thing. But it's not wrong of course, it's PERFECT! He finally just asked, "What are your measurements?" :) He then threw me off the trail with the Anthropologie gifts. I didn't think he'd gotten the dress form.

I wanted to sew today but didn't I decided that I didn't want to spend the whole day in my sewing cave. But I did decide I'd tackle my serger today. Hancock was having a sale today PLUS an extra 15% off coupon! I picked up serger/Maxi Lock thread! Yay! I only bought 4 spools each of black and white, figuring that was good enough to start. I got a few packages of bias tape (it was 30% off, plus the extra 15%) and a zipper that I needed.

FYI - zippers will be 50% off, in addition to Coats & Clark thread May 16-19. 

There's also a pattern sale happening - Simplicity $1.99, Butterick $.99. I bought Simplicity 2337 which has an outdated vibe with their styling...but I think view A with the sleeves of view B - and in black - will be a hit! I also picked up Butterick 5672, which I thought I already had in my stash but didn't. I think this silhouette will be flattering and can be made as 'fancy' or basic as needed. 

THEN, we went to the movies to see Tyler Perry's Peeple's. It was a romantic comedy based on the classic "meeting of the parents". Cute and funny! Partially biased because I love Kerry Washington (SCANDAL!), but it was a cool flick and David Alan Grier was so funny...As was S. Epatha Merkuson. 

After taking a little bit of time to relax and talk to friends and family, we went to dinner at Friday's. I should have gone with my first thought to order Chinese takeout and sit around the table and gorge, but...it was good all the same. Jack Daniel's chicken should regenerate in my kitchen. Ahhh...Add a nice cold Stella and yep! Good stuff!

I didn't get a chance to wear my Mother's Day dress because it was too chilly...so I guess it'll become my Father's Day dress! :) Now, knowing the tundra, it'll be like 112 degrees and I won't want to wear so much fabric. Gah. GAH!

Review to come as a separate post!

What I wore today: 

Peplum tank from Target

Skinny jeans from Old Navy (my favorite! I always need the waist taken in but otherwise I love the fit for the price!)
Super high wedges from Target ($9.98! in store but $32.99 online. Boooo)
Converse jacket from Target

I LOVE TARGET! LOL! They have a super stylish clothing section imo. I would have been shopping up a storm had I not invested so much in sewing over the past three months!

The best part of this outfit? I catapult to being the 2nd tallest in the house! 

Sew Envious

Envy is one of the cardinal sins, right?

I haven't had any tiiiiiime (super whiny voice) and I have been stalking the blogosphere and me made May and everyone's awesome finished objects and wahhhhhhh!!!!!

Because Minnesota is a stupid tundra, we got snow pretty consistently through the beginning of May. My daughter's entire softball season has now been crammed into 2 weeks. She's had games everyday this week and will through Friday, with only Sunday off. So between work and picking kid #1 up and dropping kid #2 off and picking kid #2 up and dropping kid #1 off and watching softball games and doing dumb stuff like sleeping and cooking...well, there's no time to sew or knit. Booooo.

I have a lovely dress almost made for Mother's Day but I'm not sure it'll be warm enough for it. <<fingers crossed>>. I have a nice but simple pencil skirt almost done, just needs waistband and hemming...and for someone to teach me how to finish the kick pleat. I have NL6035 pants cut in a lovely wool crepe (part of PR natural fibers contest). I have NL6025 cut in red rayon (part of PR accessory challenge contest). I want to cut S1796 view C in this patterned cotton lawn (because I love the fabric and it can be entered into the natural fibers contest). I want to cut S2512 view B in this awesome cotton imitation like ikat (at least *I* think it looks like an ikat print!).

So of course, I want to make one of everything.

I did not finish my gifts (that I wanted to give for Mother's Day) because I have not even plugged my serger up. I cannot believe myself!!!! Sheesh.

I am also all over the place and wanting that pattern and THAT one and that one TOO!!! It doesn't help that between JoAnn and Hancock, Simplicity, McCall's, Butterick and Vogue are all on sale right now! New Look is always $3.99 ($2.97 if I make it to WalMart) and there you have it...dangerous territory.

I want this Vogue top. I might hate it. Might. But since the tall one (my daughter) decided she's not going to the dance (boooooo!), I'm thinking I might use her navy crepe backed satin (the non-shiny side) and make this. That should make it nice and flowy. I have 3 1/2 yards of that fabric so expect to see a couple of navy garments! LOL! This top only needs 1 1/2 yards so I will probably make a dress from the rest of it.



Tomorrow, my daughter has to be at the high school at like the butt-crack of dawn...aka 6:30 a.m. and my son is gone out of town with his orchestra. My husband will be dead to the world at that time. I'm thinking a Frappucino and that Brother 1034D and I have a date!

((I secretly really, really, really want to make a trip to SR Harris. I need (NEED!) some knits. Or rather want some...what's the difference? But I Have a free shipping code for FM coming up next week and wondering if I should save my pennies in case I see something awesome that I. Must. Have.))

Finished Item: New Look 6130 Top

I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to sew - boooooooo! I have a few almost done projects. My dress I intend to wear on Mother's Day is almost done. My black pencil skirt is almost done. My red shirt is ready to start.

Hopefully I'll have some time this weekend to sew, we'll see!

This top was just awaiting finishing. I ended up having to sew two pleats into the front because it was gaping badly. Now, what I noticed, is that I didn't account for how much I'd take it in with adding the bias tape to finish the neck and arm holes so now it's slightly snug. Oy! This is what happens when you make a fitted garment with no muslin. Lesson learned.

Also - INVISIBLE ZIPPERS ARE THE BEES-KNEES!!!!!!!!

Why doesn't everything include an invisible zipper?!? So much easier than the silly top stitching. And a lapped zipper? Pfft. No thank you. All lapped zippers shall be forever replaced with invisible zips.

**I've been watching the Great British Sewing Bee so it's a 'zip' and not a 'zipper'. :-) With that said - Congrats Ann!!!! Impeccable sewing and a lovely personality to boot!

I'll have to get better pics when I wear it, but here's a quick one with my M3830 skirt.

Love the new fake hourglass figure! 

Review:

Pattern Description: 

Misses' peplum top with neckline and sleeve variations.

Pattern Sizing:

8-18, I cut a 14 (I could have cut a 12 and made some alterations)

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

Yes (except I left off the ties)

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love the peplum. I don't know why I waited so long to sew a peplum!!! I love the shape it gives me. I love the flirtiness of the style.

Fabric Used:

Stretch cotton twill from SR Harris 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

My front neckline was gaping something awful (and I of course hadn't made a muslin! so I made a couple darts in front). My neckline in back is too high, I have to figure out how to fix that. I think I'd lengthen the bodice just a bit. I keep pulling it down. 

I left out the facings because I hate facings. I did bias tape on the neck and armholes.

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

Yep! I want to make it in a polka-dot.

Conclusion: 

Cute, easy and great wardrobe staple, especially in black.

Then, I've been meaning to finish a tutu wreath for a friend's daughter and I ran out of pink tulle. And lost the letter. And yeah...that was a week and a half ago. But I found the letter! And I bought more tulle!!! It's prettier in person.

Also, I was looking at old pics today, choosing which to frame and adorn my bookcase with at work, and came across this pic of the boy next to me (right) from last May. He's taller than I am now. That's ridiculous. He's not supposed to grow that fast! Just wait! Hold on a minute!!!! Alas, he's only 13 so I may see another crazy growth spurt at some point. Darn kids.

Got The Mojo -- Got No Time

I work full time as a chemist. I've been crocheting on the side -- which has to be cut dramatically with my increasingly troubling tendinitis and carpal tunnel. I have teens and a husband; all of whom I actually like spending time with ;-)

Yesterday, with all of the things on our agenda, I was away from home from 7 a.m. until about 9 p.m. This is typical for us and so exhausting. But I had the mojo! Something fierce. I wanted to sew. I thought, I can sew up - or at least get the body done - S2406; the Cynthia Rowley dress.

I may never sew with charmeuse again in my life. Maybe I was tired or something but I ended up wadding the dress up and throwing it on the floor. I'm assuming things were slipping around during cutting (I used stabilizer!) because it was so ill fitting that I couldn't believe it!

I like that dress! I want to recut it in a more stable fabric - maybe a linen blend or cotton or sateen or SOMETHING.

I was disappointed and felt like I wasted that hour of sewing time :)

Today we have to go see a couple more places and probably won't be home until around 6:30, but I'm hoping to get a couple hours of sewing in. Maybe I should finish my peplum and skirt.
******OH!!!

I just realized it's May 1 and I can cut fabric for both the Accessory Challenge Contest and the Natural Fibers contest on PR!

YAY!!! I just got really happy!

I should make S2406 out of cotton so I can enter it. I'm making NL6035 pants out of a chocolate wool crepe. And for the accessory challenge, I'm making NL 6025, view B in rayon challis.

Everything should be made of rayon challis.

Another Sewing Filled Weekend

As you may know, I've been learning to knit. I've become enamored with knitting in short order. I spend tons of time (more than I'd care to admit) browsing awesomeness on Ravelry.

I've been focused on making tops for work as it was an area that was lacking in my wardrobe. Now I need pants and have two pair cut and ready to sew. But I wanted to make something FUN this weekend.

So, I cut S2406, view B, in a blue/black/white animal print (What animal?) charmeuse. I think that the shape is simple enough to handle a busy print. I haven't sewed it yet.

I bought some black stretch (cotton twill?) fabric from SR harris for $5/yd on one of my trips there. I bought 2.5 yards of it and was able to cut a top and skirt from it - SCORE!

Since I needed a fun and cute sew, I decided to do the peplum thing. I don't know why I waited so long! I had NL6130 in my stash. It was probably the 2nd pattern I bought. It looked complicated so I kept putting off sewing it. It was an easy sew. Not fast necessarily, but easy.

Now, I'm not much of a muslin'er. I should have made a muslin and I'm not willing to consider this a muslin - as in throw away. I like it too much. I cut a size 14 and ended up taking 3/4" side seams and trimming an inch off the back before adding the zipper...the finished bust measurement on the 14 was 40" and on the 12 was 38".  So I ended up with a finished bust of ~38.5" and my full bust is 38.5". The amount of stretch was more than I expected so zero ease was perfect.

I do have gaping around the neckline that I'm wondering if I can take two small pleats to fix it. I could probably unpick the shoulder seams and trim it but I'm scared of messing it up.

Gaping at the neck and also slightly too big around the armscye

But SO much potential!

I also cut V8672, The drawing made it look more pencil skirt-ish than it is. It sewed up very straight. I didn't want a straight skirt. I wanted a fitted pencil skirt! I sewed a 16 and it looked like a cute skirt for work or church. I didn't want a work skirt and I don't go to church. So I took in another 1/2". Still not to my liking. So I tried pegging it, but didn't do a good job and got some bubbling after the hip. I'll have to try to fix that. 

But together....eeeeeeee! I like. I like it alot.