It’s Baaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkk…

Tags

By Hand London, clothing, daughters, dress, fabric, fabrics, Fall Sewing, Family, projects, quilting, sew exhausted, sewing, vintage pattern

Hey Peeps… Long time, no chat. And long time, little sewing!

I deleted my last post but want to thank EVERYONE for the kind thoughts, advice, and reading material! They were all treasured. Guess every now and then it is nice to see that others DO care! I deleted it mostly because I was interviewing for a new job. I made it through all 4 “cuts” but did not get the job in the end. I was happy I made it that far. (Well I would have been HAPPIER had I gotten the job but…!) Anyway, it was for the Executive Asst position for the ceo of WordPress. And I thought it was better if my last blog post had not been one about the stress of my life and a panic attack! But I DID appreciate all the comments! xoxo So hugs to you all.

That said, I am still stressed and still working on making some changes but I seem to be handling things a bit better at the moment! I am hoping for a good job in Houston OR a higher paying job here in San Diego.

So, what’s back? I think my Sewing Mojo has been rekindling itself. I made a Fall List! I got pretty excited going through my fabric stash and choosing some things to make over the next few months. I am calling it my Fall Sewing List but I doubt we will get much of a Fall Season. Bums me out too because I sure would like to wear some long sleeves and tights! And maybe a scarf now and then. But alas it is 90 degrees as I write this. And on Monday it is supposed to be 103! YECK!

Anyway- here it is. My list in progress. I have more Christmas items to add to the list and who knows what else. But I think this is a pretty good start! By the way- the list is NOT in order. Except the top item happens to be almost ready to go! So, without further ado… My Fall List:

Whenever I think about the Lady Skater pattern by KitschyKoo I start singing “He was a Skater Boy.” Avril Lavigne. Totally not even my era of music but my girlies used to sing it. Well, I am going to have ME a Lady Skater in this realllllly awesome floral medium weight knit from Purple Seamstress Fabrics. Despite the sweet flowers I can feel a little rebellious wearing those skulls. LOVE this fabric! And I think I am going to have enough left over to make a 2nd Burda Sweatshirt. (Up next is going to be my first Burda Sweatshirt!)

I just loved this pattern in the most recent Burda magazine. Sadly it is my last issue. Happily this will be the first thing I have ACTUALLY made from the years worth of issues I have. This knit is a lighter weight slinky knit. I am going to use a similar solid black for the sleeves. If it turns out well I am going to use the leftover floral/ skull knit from above for a 2nd one. YAHOO for lightweight sweatshirts!

Ever since I bought this pattern on Etsy I have been dying to make it. I was just lacking some eyelet fabric! Then at the LA Bloggers Meetup I attended a few months back someone was graciously giving this one away. I snagged it knowing this sweet little 70’s number would finally get to be made up. It is for Holly- because that girl wears EVERYTHING I make her. All the time! Love sewing for someone who WEARS what I make! 😀

I bought this denim in Los Angeles when I was shopping with some fellow Sewists. At $3 a yard it LEAPED into my arms! I already have a lovely jade green lining in my stash AND I bought the zipper quite a while back as well. So this baby is ready to Rock N Roll. I am excited and nervous at the same time. It seems like a BIG project!

I know! I KNOW! It is FALL and I am making a swim suit? This is California, people. And she has been waiting PATIENTLY for a swimsuit all summer long. I NEED to get this made for Holly! (And now that I think about it I better go dig out the orange fabric Juliette got for HER swimsuit!)

I made this pattern already and LOVED it. I have yet to blog it- but will get to that soon. This black and white Aztec print is another knit I picked up from PURPLE SEAMSTRESS FABRICS. (She has GREAT knits- and if you follow her on FB you can be tempted DAILY! LOL) I am actually waffling between this Simplicity pattern and another BHL Anna dress. I have 3 of those already though. But I want ALL the Anna’s… so I may change my mind!

Speaking of BHL– I plan on making the new Holly jumpsuit for my Christmas outfit. Ya, here in California Christmas day is usually a lovely, sunshiny day. Blue skies and upper 70’s. So I thought- jumpsuit? Oh YA! (Watch we get some freakish weather this year and my lovely jumpsuit has to stay in the closet! lol)

Speaking of Christmas– We already have Holly’s dress all picked out. OK OK… I confess… This was supposed to be her dress LAST year but I never got to it. THIS year, IT”S ON! And I have everything I need! Boning- CHECK. Zipper- CHECK. Lining- CHECK. She is going to look darling in this! I have informed Juliette and Kadi that they better pick their dresses out SOON! I want them to be done PRE-DECEMBER. (So unlike me- usually my sewing machine is running the night before holiday dresses are needed!)

My son Casey has requested a few button down shirts for Christmas. He would like Chargers, Green Bay Packers and a Hawaiian print. I have had this particular fabric in my stash for at least 15 years! (We are talking Quillow days gang!) Anyway, it is going to get USED! Finally! And I should have enough left over for a pillowcase OR a pair of boxers. 🙂

Another item on my list is the McCalls 6966 Maxi skirt. This black and white stripe (again purchased from Purple Seamstress) has 1″ wide stripes. I have been wanting to make one of these for a while now- and it is time. I think I will make a black Sewaholic Renfrew to go with this. WAIT! I HAVE a black Sewaholic Renfrew! Woot Woot! A complete Me Made Outfit!

And finally… I am going to FINISH this Log Cabin Quilt. It was the VERY first quilt I ever made. And it has been languishing unfinished for 18 years or so. This can no longer languish! And it won’t! It is a twin size quilt and I always have batting in my stash so this quilt is going to finally get some snuggling this winter!

I am pretty happy with my list. I have a few hopefuls waiting in the wings. But they do not have fabric yet and the one thing I wanted to do when I created this list was start using up some of my stash. Especially since money is tight right now! But I feel like I have some GREAT pieces and am pleased to finally be making these up.

I also have quite a few unblogged items. A Marvel Comic dress, a Saltspring, a Gabriola skirt, several new tops, an ugly “yellow” dress, a turquoise jacket, a red jacket, a Simplicity Maxi dress… wow. I better stop. I see a long photo shoot in my near future!

Take care friends and Happy Sewing! xoxo

 

 

 

McCalls 6834- I Am In Love

Tags

daughters, Family, McCalls, McCalls 6834, sew, sew dresses, sew exhausted, sewing

I am a little late on this post but Eldest Daughter (Kadi) likes PERFECT pictures. And she loved her latest dress so much she wanted to have them taken by a photographer friend. Now that I see the photos I am so in love with the dress AND the photos I am happy I waited. 🙂 A very SPECIAL thanks to Darnay Luckie of Darnay Luckie Photography for these beautiful images!

I made this dress for Easter. All 3 girls got a new dress for this occasion and getting them done on time was quite a challenge! Thankfully, by noon when we had to leave, all 3 dresses were complete! WHEW!

For Kadi we chose McCalls 6834. She loved the pleats and the whole look of the dress. The challenge came in finding a fabric she wanted to use. After several trips to JoAnns, she kept going back to this lovely piece of cotton voile I had picked up at Angels Textiles in Los Angeles. The fabric is so soft and drapey and oh so pretty I could not resist it! Not only that, I snapped it up for $2 a yard!! Now I wish I had purchased more! I think it has a vintage look with those roses and that pretty shade of blue.

The pattern called for more of a midweight fabric and I admit I was a bit worried how the pleats would turn out and how the general flow of the dress would work with the dress. But I really believe it worked beautifully! The iron was DEFINITELY my friend during the making of this garment! (Ack! I see a thread!)

The pattern piece’s are quite a few “panels” sewn together. If you take a look from the neckline to the hem- that is all one piece. No waistline and bodice/skirt pieces. Just the panels. Then the pleats! As a said, I was worried if they would hold but once I had them ironed up they looked AHHMAZING! (In my humble opinion!) I think the whole shape of the dress is very flattering because of those panels!

McCalls 6834

I did not match up my roses. To be honest I never even THOUGHT about matching up the roses until I was sitting here thinking about it and writing this post! I suppose I would have been extra ahhhmazing if I had done such a thing… but ah well. I did not think about it and I think the dress still looks great!

The dress did not have lining but this fine cotton was so fine I felt the need to line the dress. All I actually did was line the bodice fully to the waist area and tell her to wear a slip. But the other night I was thinking about this dress and decided I could actually attach a “slip skirt” to the bodice lining and then it would be completely wearable without a slip. DUH… Not sure why I did not think of this before. I will blame it on the midnight sewing! I seriously thought to myself, “Man, I am NOT going to line the skirt because I don’t want to do double pleats…” Uhhhhh- what was I thinking?

Now that I LOOK at the back of the dress I see my roses COULD have been placed better. But next time I will remember that detail! I was seriously cutting this out the night before Easter Sunday. It was one of THOSE nights!

I will definitely make this dress again. The only negative is ironing the pleats. YES… they will need to be ironed after every wash and wear. The fabric is just that kind of fabric. But honestly I think that 10-15 minutes in ironing time is well worth it. It is SUCH a pretty dress!

I will leave you with a bunch more photos… Cause I just can’t resist sharing them!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo Laurie

 

 

FINALLY Something Juliette will wear…

Tags

clothing, daughters, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, Family, fashion, McCalls, McCalls 6751, patterns, sew exhausted, sewing, summer sewing, summer wardrobe

Whew… I did it. I, Laurie, mother and sewist (somewhat) extraordinaire, finally made something Juliette, my youngest daughter likes and actually wore to school! She also wants a few more. After the Christmas dress debacle I have not made her anything. WELL- I DID make her a pair of hip hop pants WHICH she wears!

Juliette is a clown… and she LOVES the camera. Trust me… From the time she was a little girl she has enjoyed her picture taken. She is always posing and always looking in the mirror. One day a few years ago she flipped the visor mirror down and stated, “Quick mom, give me your phone. I look really good right now!” (Camera phone- her FAVE possession!)

Here are her Hip Hop pants– I need to make her more because she takes several classes a week and really likes these. These are like the animal print ones I made Kadi for Jungle January. No pattern but super simple!

When I made her a dress for Christmas she dutifully wore it… once. You can see it all about it here. But at least she wore it! Since then I have dragged her in to the fabric store several times asking her WHAT she would like me to make her. And last week she picked several- including 2 swimsuit patterns. (YIKES)

I immediately set about making this McCalls 6751…  

Super simple. Super cute. She wants MORE! SUCCESS!

This is quick and easy- one yard of fabric and a package of bias tape. I used a cotton but am going to try a knit as well.

I should have trimmed and pressed the keyhole opening better but other than that? I still feel I have reasons to celebrate… Isn’t the back great?! I plan on making her several for summer… and some shorts! And a sundress… and the (drum roll) swim suit, which I already have the fabric for (bright orange!)

I feel pretty good now! Summer wardrobe for Juliette is on it’s way!

If you look to the right- you will see that Kerrielee and I are doing GREAT on our 100 hours of sewing in the month of April pledge. I have a feeling we will BOTH make it and have lots of projects to share. Both of us started and finished an ENTIRE quilt already this month. We will photograph and blog those next week.

And our panty parade? Well, we are finally under way. I was having trouble figuring out the settings and what to do on my machine and was getting a bit frustrated but last night I finished a pair and finally worked out my process. I plan on making a few more tonight and we will blog about those as well. If you joined us, how are YOU doing??!!

That is all for now! Must get back to our machines to make the 100 hour mark!

Laurie

Sewing for my boy!

Tags

clothing, fabric, fabrics, Family, fashion, McCalls, Men's patterns, patterns, projects, sew, sewing for boys

Kerrielee here! I have been doing so much sewing lately,  2 of my boys have recently asked me to add them to my list of peeps to sew for (right now I mostly sew for myself and my daughter with a few quilts thrown in here and there!)

Son #1 is 18, what the heck am I going to sew for him that he is going to think is “cool” enough to wear!? Any suggestions? I have looked in the McCalls pattern book but was not impressed by anything.

Son#3 is 7 and loves to wear a button up shirt, unbuttoned, over his t-shirt. I can do that! I knew I wanted to make him one with a skull print, he is really in to skulls right now. So I found some pirate skull fabric at Joann’s and picked up a discontinued pattern at Yardage Town, McCalls 3416 .

There were a couple projects that needed finishing before son #3’s shirt, but I finally got started Thursday and in about an hour I had his shirt finished! I did not add button or buttons holes because he keeps the shirt open, so I figured why waste buttons or my time, and for this time around I adjusted the pattern to short sleeves. I am so happy with his shirt and so is he. He wore it (and posed for these pics) Friday to school, Saturday around town, and wanted to wear it again this morning but it was dirty and stinky in the laundry pile! I told him I would have it ready to wear tomorrow! Guess it’s time to order him some more fabric and whip up a few more of these shirts.

Projects for the rest of the month include more panties (I have only 2 pairs done so far!), a bathing suit for the daughter and a couple outfits for our Palm Springs trip coming up in May. Oh and of course I will be on the look out for the perfect pattern and fabric for son #1!

Happy Sewing! Kerrielee

Sew For Victory- Late but complete…and made from a sheet!

Tags

1940's vintage pattern, easy sewing projects, fabric, Family, patterns, projects, retro, sew exhausted, Sew For Victory, Vintage, vintage dress, vintage pattern, vintage patterns

I finished. Late. I do not know what I was thinking. I KNEW April 1, but it did not click that April 1 was passed. Ah well. I am finished with my blouse, and I am pleased with it.

My pattern was a 1940’s blouse pattern I bought off Etsy from Vintage Girl. It came to me all the way from the UK, but I had to have it… I fell in love with the sleeves! Initially I was going to make the long sleeved collar one with the great cuffs, but the more I looked, the more I wanted to do View 3. And so I did!

I had a lot of trouble getting started. Mainly because I could not find a fabric I wanted. And when I finally found an aqua poplin I liked at Fashion Fabrics, it was time to pay the rent and I could not spare the cash. So in true #SewForVictory spirit I spotted an unused purple sheet in my garage and BINGO! It became my blouse!

See? Aren’t those sleeves great? Although, oops, they seem to require a bit more pressing! I am wondering if I should add the shoulder pads. I KNOW they were the thing in the 40’s… and 80’s… Hmmm- do you think they will be back any time soon? I think the shoulder seam would be in the perfect spot WITH the shoulder pads. I may try it out!

The pattern was pretty easy! I was surprised, because I admit I was very hesitant to begin. I looked at those completely blank pattern pieces with punched holes scattered throughout, and ONE page of directions for several days before I even got the courage to start… and finally I just dived in! And it wasn’t bad at all. As a matter of fact the manner in which they did the collars was very simple! And despite there being quite a few darts, once I had marked and pinned them all they went in easily! And I really like all the darts and tucks. They add a nice fit! So feminine!

On a side note- No pattern pieces were harmed in the making of this blouse. 😀

Inside I used all french seams. Oh how I LOVE the look of the inside of a garment with french seams. I put up the hem by hand using hem tape (lace)… I think the inside looks almost as nice as the outside!

I was also worried about the button holes. It has been years since I have done any, and frankly using my daughters $80 sewing machine (mine is still broken) made me wonder if my whole blouse would become a wadder once I tried fighting with it. BUT they went in without a hitch! Easy as pie… I covered buttons because I wanted a nice clean look.

When I was finished I got out the dye. The color of the sheet was a wishy washy kind of purple and I wanted to deepen it so I bought purple dye, and added in a bit of blue. I think the color turned out perfect! BTW- Purple is HARD to photograph! It is a deeper purple than the one below- It is more like the first pic of me…

I wanted to look like the girl on the pattern but my hair is too long so I pulled it back… BUT I did add a black ribbon as a tie. 😀 I am very happy with my blouse and absolutely WILL wear it! Probably sans the ribbon tie!

I think this is a blouse I will make again. I would change the length of the blouse- I would add on a few inches I think. I would LOVE to have a dressy long sleeved one made from silk charmeuse… and I am still pining after a pretty aqua cotton poplin blouse- maybe the short sleeve one for a springy/ summery top.

I would like to thank Rochelle of LuckyLucille for hosting Sew For Victory (and apologize for being late!) What a great opportunity for us to peruse all the wonderful clothing, learn about what the sacrifices the women made during the war- like working at jobs that typically men held and holding the families together. During my research just seeing the changes in styles from the early to the mid to the late forties was an education! I definitely have a greater appreciation for my grandma! My grandpa was a soldier in the Marines for many years! I definitely enjoyed this foray into that period of time and plan on participating again next year!

That is my grandad! He was a career Marine and joined up in the early 1940’s… Later on he became a recruiter and recruited my mom and several of his sons! 🙂

And that concludes Sew For Victory… Better late than never I hope!

Tomorrow- I will post my David Bowie inspired blouse… Yes, I have been slightly BUSY!

Laurie

The Two of Us…

Tags

costumes, crafting, daughters, dress, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, Family, patterns, projects, quilt, quilting, quilts, sew exhausted, sewing

I thought it was high time for a proper introduction… and so here it is!

For those of you that have been reading a while, you may have noted that there are two of us. Cousins… and we love to sew! And we LOVE our families! I, (Laurie), am older and admit it- SIGH… and when Kerrielee was 3, my mother and sister and I moved down to the San Diego area. Kerrielee became like my little sister. 😀 We lived next door practically, and she was always over (I could get her to help me clean my room) and when she was 8, I’d take her on dates with me- YES- my chaperone!

Through marriage and kids we have remained tight. Both of us started sewing as teens and we have kept it up. But only in the last 10 years did we start sewing together… and boy has it been fun! Anyway, here is a little about US…

Here I am with my kiddos… I have four. A son, who when he was little I would make button down shirts for, and three daughters. When I was pregnant with my eldest daughter I started sewing her clothes. She had a FULL closet before she was even born! I’d make matching bloomers for her dresses to cover the ugly diapers and because it was the 90’s she even had lots of matching hats. My youngest daughter had 3 times as many clothes because she got the hand-me-downs and new ones! Those were some well dressed girls! I still sew for them… and I sew for me too!

Here we all are- Casey, Kadi, Holly and Juliette. (And me)

Kerrielee has five children. Four son’s and one daughter. They are all much younger than mine and so she is kept a “little” bit busier in the “mama” department!

OKAY! Getting 5 kids to all smile at the same time can be a chore! But here they are- looking mighty adorable if you ask me! Kerrielee makes super quilts and even has designed a few. I keep telling her we need to turn those in to patterns and SHARE! But we seem to always be busy doing other things. You just wait though- one of these days!

Kerrielee and I sew together twice a week- Thursdays which we have affectionately dubbed Drink and Sew Thursday… and Saturday. From 11 AM and on until we can’t sew any more! If we have something hanging over our heads we may add an evening or 2!

We like quilting… and sewing clothes. We love reading all your crafty/ sewing/ quilting/ cooking blogs… We are on Facebook and Twitter… and you can follow us Via BlogLovin. OH! And Pinterest too- We can spend WAY too much time on Pinterest!

Most of the posts will be written by me- I have a little more time on my hands. But Kerrielee finds great tutorials and helps keep the FB page up. And every now and then I will nag her in to writing a post! 😀

And that is US- In a nutshell pretty much.

He he he…

Laurie and Kerrielee

Kerrielee: Gee, Laurie, what do you want to do tonight?

Laurie: The same thing we do every night, Kerrielee – try to take over the world!…

Laurie: Umm.. I mean SEW!

I Pledge Allegiance…

Tags

clothing, dress, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, Family, fashion, sew exhausted, sewing, Simplicity

OK- OK- Not to a flag- But I am pledging to go Seamless!

I, Laurie, being of sound mind and body, am taking the “Seamless Pledge.” If you read about clothing you will find that a lot of the stuff we buy is “junk.”

“Cheap fashion has set a trap for us, where retailers like H&M, Target, Old Navy, and Forever 21 lure us into stores on a continuous basis to keep their profits up. Americans are hooked on buying 20.5 billion garments a year or 68 garments and 8 pairs of shoes per person, and the fashion industry’s enormous environmental footprint is growing by the year. We nurture our overconsumption by expecting our style icons to wear something new every single day. Marie Antoinette was rumored to never wear the same thing twice, but she didn’t live in an age of overpopulation, strained environmental resources, and out-of-control consumption.” – Elizabeth L. Cline, The Good Closet

And what about who MAKES those clothes!? It is a vicious circle if you ask me. Can you IMAGINE? Just AMERICANS buy 20.5 billion garments a year! So, to start out I am not going to buy anything new (other than undergarments and shoes!) for the next 6 months. I may go longer! But for now- I will sew my own clothing, and I will thrift quality clothing. When I sew it fits ME! And I know every Tina, Donna and Henrietta isn’t sporting the same thing!

Anyway- the fact is I have heard about it- but Gillian at Crafting a Rainbow has pushed me over the edge and I have decided to join the madness. I mean sanity… I think it is VERY sane. 🙂 I am rather excited!

I made these two tops last night. One for day and one for night. One for Summer and one for Winter. One dressy and one casual. It is exactly the same pattern as my knit top I made the other day. I love this pattern! And now I have 3… It is a start… Let’s see what other things I can create to join these two tops in my closet! And if you want to be a part- go here and read all about it!

-Laurie

Wordless Wednesday – Matching Made by Me…

Tags

clothing, daughters, dress, fabric, Family, sew exhausted, wordless wednesday

I apologize for the blurriness- Wish I had taken more back then! And YES- I even made the hats…

 

~L

Wordless Wednesday… Taking it Back Old School

Tags

Christmas, Family, quilting, sewing vintage clothing, Vintage, wordless wednesday

1966

1985

What’s in Store for 2013?

Tags

2013, blogging, clothing, daughters, dress, fabric, Family, fashion, Goals, quilting, sewing, sewing vintage clothing, Vintage, vintage patterns

Hello friends and Happy New Year! First I’d like to thank everyone who has stopped by to visit. As a new blogger it has been very exciting to see the views accumulate and read the comments you make. I have also enjoyed getting to know a few of you and found so many great blogs, lots of good advice, and have appreciated the cheers along the way.

2012 was not the best year for me. I think every area of my life was hit in some way negatively- But… along the way I rediscovered my joy of sewing and have returned in a big way. I dusted off my machines and started going through my “stash.” Years ago I had switched to quilting, but after reading about the junky clothes polluting our world I really wanted to get back to sewing clothing. (Not that quilting is out of the picture- I have several I want to make this year! including a Beatles quilt!)

That was 8 weeks ago. I have not accomplished a lot- BUT I did make 4 new dresses, 3 skirts, a bunch of makeup brush holders, and finished a bunch of UFO’s like 5 pairs of pajama bottoms! And, I started blogging again! I have “met” some wonderful new people and my horizons have opened up. I feel so inspired and challenged at the same time! I want to be like these intelligent, creative, fun sewing bloggers! (not a bad goal right?)

So, here I am – entering the year 2013. I am so happy to say goodbye to 2012. I have 365 blank pages I get to discover! Bring it on!

Here are some of my goals. My main personal goal is to be who I want to be- Not who everyone else wants me to be. Yeah- it has taken me a LONG time to realize the importance of this. If you don’t like me- oh well. I like me! Yes! I can admit to that long time crush on Rick Springfield, that I have a love for Bubble Gum music, the fact that my bed is not made (horrors), and that I need to lose 30 pounds! (Oh, I AM going to lose 30 pounds this year!)

And I am going to sew up a storm! I have 2 vintage dresses on the horizon. I want to make a coat this year (shall it be the Minoru from Sewaholic or the Lady Gray from Collete?) I am going to make MYSELF some clothes. I am going to dust off my knitting needles and knit a pair of socks. I am also going to study fitting (so I can make properly fitted clothing) and I just bought a wonderful book on couture. I really want to challenge myself and grow as a seamstress!

Where do I start? Well, it IS January and I will be sewing up a a few items featuring animal print thanks to a challenge issued over at  Pretty Grievances. I am actually going to be REALLY ambitious (why not start the new year right!) and make something animal print for me and each of my girls! We will all be sporting jungle wear. I am purring with excitement already!!! (Oh, CAN I PURR with excitement? Is that possible?)

I hope you all have a blessed and happy 2013. I am looking forward to getting to know more of you and sharing with you in the upcoming year.

Take care! xoxoxo

PS. I just went and made my bed! 😉