By Hand London- Anna #2- With a Twist!

Tags

Anna Dress, By Hand London, clothing, easy sewing projects, fashion, Jersey Anna dress, patterns, sew exhausted, sewing

My class reunion was last Saturday and I decided the day before I would make something new. I was digging around in my garage looking for something that would strike my fancy and I stumbled on a black and white ITY jersey I had been hoarding. Hmmm… black and white (my 2 fave colors when I am sewing) and ITY jersey will make the perfect dress so in the washer it went.

After making my first By Hand London dress a month or so back I knew I would be revisiting the pattern several more times. When I found the black and white jersey out in my stash, the Anna pattern came out again to grace my cutting table! I cut the bodice (using the same bodice pieces I ended up with after my first foray in to Anna making) and then laid out the skirt. I knew I would be making the long version again because there is something about a MAXI I love! I wear them often, definitely more than I wear a “regular length” dress. And a MAXI with a thigh high split seemed like a perfect thing to wear to a reunion on the beach.

Trying to SQUEEZE on the pattern pieces… But no joy

But HORRORS!! I was 6 inches short! SIX inches! No matter how hard I tried there was NO way I had enough fabric to make the long version and I did not want to make the shorter version… OH, what was I going to do? I posted on Twitter and Laura H. said to add a band but in my head I kept thinking a black band at the hem would cause too much weight and ruin the line of the dress especially since this was a JERSEY KNIT. I posted on Instagram and Rachel of House of Pinheiro suggested putting the band up at the top of the skirt. SALVATION!

I am thinking it turned out pretty great! I removed 7 inches from the top of each of the skirt pieces (added seam allowances), and cut it out in a solid black. Oh happy day! I was so pleased with the finished dress I wore it again on Sunday when I was taken out to The Yellow Deli for my birthday.

Because I was adding a black block to the skirt I decided to add black bands to the end of each sleeve. I really like the look it gave it. I was tempted to do the boatneck but I am ever so fond of V-necks that I again went with the V. I love the V and think with this dress it looks right.

I mentioned earlier that this dress was made from a jersey print like my first one. This is not the recommended fabric but with some pattern adjustments it works. I actually LOVE it in the jersey. It really is comfortable and easy to wear. This one has a thigh high split although I don’t seem to be showing off enough leg in any of my photos.

Using a jersey knit means I did not have to put in a zipper. 😀 Not the most flattering shot of my backside but oh well…

The ANNA is a very easy dress and I highly recommend it. The skirt pieces can get a little confusing- I confess with my first one I had to remove one of the sections because I had put it on the wrong way- but this time I pinned little scraps of paper with the corresponding pattern piece letter and laid them out properly on my floor before sewing them together.

The color blocking is awesome also if I do say so myself. If I had not cut out the bodice I think I would have put it directly under the bust darts in more the waist area- but that can be an experiment for next time! 😀

For my birthday we ate at The Yellow Deli. It is the most adorable little restaurant. It reminds me of the Swiss Family Robinson tree house with a curved stairwell and all kinds of nooks and cranny’s where they have tables tucked away. Or you can sit on one of the many balconies or patios. They have a pretty basic menu but the best thing is everything they use is organically grown on their own little farm. The people work the farm and run the restaurant and live together in a commune. Definitely has overtones of the 60’s but I kind of like the concept!

The Yellow Deli

It’s a great little place to go to for lunch! My girls and I definitely enjoyed ourselves.

Me and my girlies…

And that is Anna #2… I am thinking about making a tropical print one next. But Fall has arrived… I live in California though so maybe I can squeeze a fun tropical dress in to my fall sewing. I may even go really nuts and make it out of a cotton or challis like I am supposed to!

If you haven’t entered the SewExhausted giveway be sure and do so before Thursday night the 10th!

At The Yellow Deli in Escondido.

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Cool! A Giveaway!

Tags

blogging, easy sewing projects, fabrics, fashion, Giveaway, patterns, projects, sewing, vintage patterns

I have so many things to celebrate this month.. A year of it being just me… a year of blogging… a year of getting back to sewing and finding that sewing is definitely MY thing… a year of finding more of myself… a year of creating and getting excited about something again… a year of making new friends… and dang I could keep going but I will stop there!

I told myself when SewExhausted hit 10,000 views we would have a giveaway. Well, that time has come and here I am with even more to celebrate! And actually in the last week or 2 we have shot well over the 10K mark so I am lagging! But it seemed like a perfect month for it to land. We started the blog 3 years ago but it was pretty much ignored for 2 of those years. Last October though we got going “for reals.” And here we are! 🙂

FIRST.. THANK YOU to everyone who has ever read one of Sew Exhausted’s posts. I could not have this giveaway with out you! I truly enjoy writing and sewing, and being able to share what I create is just pretty darn cool. (This is where I thank the internet! lol)  Just being a part of the blogging world has been a joy. I LOVE to read blogs and see what you are making. I also get ideas and feel challenged to do better with my sewing when I read what you are up to, or cheer you on, or learn something new from you. Seeing you on Twitter, or Facebook, or Instagram makes my day! Joining in with you on various sew-alongs and challenges is great fun too. I finished TWO vintage dresses this last month because of you guys. 😀

Here is what I have for you. And if I could ask one thing it would make it all the grander. (I saw this recently on someone else’s blog for their anniversary giveaway and really liked it!) If you would like to be in the drawing, when you comment, please tell me one thing you like about my blog, and a suggestion on a way I could improve. (I know there is ALWAYS room for improvement!)

And now to the giveaways.

Giveaway #1- I have this fabric and pattern from Simplicity. 3 and 1/2 yards will do up ANY of these views in any of the sizes. (Just let me know which pattern size you want me to mail you if you are the winner!)

Giveaway #2 Three patterns in sizes 6-14. I love the flowy dress on the right. It would make a pretty spring dress or something pretty for a special occasion. The pattern with the skirts has some great options!

Giveaway #3 Three patterns in sizes 8-18. The middle one I have carried around for years but still never used it. I adore foofy skirts… but realize they just don’t look good on me. But I know they look fab on quite a few of you!

Giveaway #4 One yard of this plummy Marc Jacobs quilted suede. It is 60 wide so if you are in to vests it would make a GREAT one- or maybe a pencil skirt? It for sure will make a great suede bag. That is what I am doing with the other yard! You can use the pattern I included or use on of your choice if you are the winner!

Leave your comments and let me know which giveaways you like. If you want to be in for all 4 that’s good too! I will be drawing next week on the 11th so be sure to check back after that. I will also ship ANYWHERE.

OH- and another thing. Most bloggers I know love comments, and I am no exception to the rule. I get really excited when someone takes the time to leave an idea or suggestion, a compliment or an observation. I try to always respond. 🙂 To date I have 746 comments- of course half of those are mine but I really wanted to give one of my “comment makers” a gift as well. Those comments sure can make your day when you have posted something new whether it’s an epic fail or a fabulous success or even a cry for HELP.  🙂 My top commentor is Gjeometry! She has commented 38 times on my posts!

I’d also like to thank  SewingForFun  who comes in at 23 comments, Pretty Grievances  and my flicker sewing friend Shar who come in tied at 21 comments. Thank you so much ladies!

Whew… giving stuff away is fun and exhausting! And I have not even done the drawing yet!

Finally, I wanted to mention something else. For those of you that have been a reader for the last year you may wonder where Kerrielee (my sewing partner in crime and cousin) has been. You also know she is a momma to 5 kiddos 2-18 years old. Welllll… she and her hubby are in the process of adding #6 so she has been taking a break. I hope she isn’t too busy to come back, and I hope I will suffice for now!

xoxo Laurie

PS… I think I will do this EVERY October… it is MOST fun!

PPS. I have another Anna dress finished and an exciting new project. (Well, it is exciting to me anyway!) I will share soon!

Mrs. Teapot and an OOOPS… #FallForCotton

Tags

challenge, clothing, fabrics, Fall for Cotton, fashion, patterns, sew exhausted, Vintage, vintage dress, vintage patterns

I live on the West Coast, and it is 8:32 PM PDT. I figure I am good to go and will make the Fall For Cotton deadline. Right? I never thought about time differences and just knew I needed to be up by midnight- But midnight my time is good I hope!

I finished Holly’s vintage Fall For Cotton dress last week and you can read all about it here. Mine was next (although I squeezed in an Anna dress in between for my class reunion). My Fall For Cotton Vintage pattern came from Vintage Martini and I thought it was a great dress and would be suitable for me. It is Butterick 9499, and when I googled it, I got varying dates so am not certain. It is either late 1950’s or early 1960’s. Thoughts?

I went with a green cotton broadcloth, keeping in with the Fall For Cotton Challenge. I bought this a while back, and paid $1.99 a yard for it- which means this dress cost me about $10 bucks to make. 🙂

Cotton… I gotta say it needs same spray starch and a better pressing than I was able to give it. The dress was ready yesterday, but I had noone to take pics! Hence the barely made deadline!

When I came out in all my glory yesterday my youngest told me I looked like Mrs. Teapot. My eldest told me I looked like the lady who had a bunch of stuff in her suitcase. Ahhh, children! I let them BOTH know I felt like Beavers mother. (And I received blank stares) 🙂

I like the dress for the most part. The cuffs are fantastic… I covered my own buttons for both cuffs. The 2 buttons on the bodice came from my button jar. The belt is dreadful. I am going to make my own belt and make a few changes to the dress. I love the dress but I am not sure the pleated skirt is flattering to my shape. I am thinking about removing the skirt and making it an a-line skirt. I love the bodice and the collar though. And I really like the shade of green. 😀

I do have to confess to an “ooops.” I did not notice it until I was buttoning up the cuffs for picture time! I put one of the cuffs on backwards! Not sure where my head was at that moment but I guess I will have to remove it and see if I can fix it. I may have to make a whole new cuff though!

And this is my Fall For Cotton/ Mrs. Teapot/ Vintage dress. Should I change the skirt out to an a-line? And do you use spray starch to iron your 100% cotton dresses?

OH! By the way, this dress also takes care of one of my Sewlutions from Jan 1, 2013. I wanted to make 2 vintage dresses for myself in 2013… WHEW!

~Laurie

Sewing Camp

Tags

clothing, dress, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, fashion, patterns, project, projects, sew exhausted, sewing, Vintage, vintage patterns, Vogue 8577

Camp… Do you remember going to camp as a kid? I was only able to go a few times during my childhood but those few times were awesome! When I was 14 I went to camp and focused on Astronomy for a whole week. I learned all about the constellations, took night hikes to view the stars and had a grand old time bonding with my fellow Astronomers. Fun times for sure!

As an adult some times we just don’t get to do some of those fun things we enjoyed as children. Mainly I suppose because we have so many responsibilities. Work… kids… households to maintain… Sometimes life can get a bit overwhelming! Well, a few weeks ago I realized I had 192 vacation/PTO hours collected. And upon doing a quick search of my employee handbook, and realizing I was going to start losing some of them if I did not use them,  I put in a request for a week off.

With no place to go, and funds being a bit too tight for gallivanting off to all those dream places on my list,  I decided to enjoy a blissful week at home. And because my 3 daughters are of an age where they do not require me to keep an eagle eye on them, I get to focus on me and what I enjoy doing.

And what could be better than a week of sewing?

I am just starting to come off a dry spell sewing wise. I found myself having trouble dredging up enough energy to sit at my machine and make something- and frankly that feeling lasted for close to 2 months! But, today I  finished a  little halter sundress for Holly- It is quite pretty if I do say so myself! And I am chomping at the bit to start on something new!

So, tonight I started choosing a few more “I have to make this” projects I have wanted to make. I have high hopes I will be able to finish all of these during “Sewing Camp.” AND I have high hopes I will be able to enjoy some time at the beach, walking and hiking, drinking some beers with my friends, and spending some quality time with my girls.

Up first, and I confess I already have it laid out and the pattern pieces ready to cut, is this little number for Juliette. I think this color is going to look amazing on her! I plan on doing the short version of C and can hopefully find some pretty white daisy buttons for it.

Then  I have this marvelous coat. Yes, it is from the 90’s era and I just adore it. The shorter coat in the top right is the view I plan on using. I got this pattern and a few others from the wonderful Katie at Kadiddlehopper thanks to a Twitter conversation we were having one day. She mailed them to me when I expressed interest. THANKS Katie! The fabric is a light weight plum colored wool/ rayon. Because I live in California I do not need thick, heavy, warm coats. But I LOVE coats and think this will be a nice one that I will actually be able to use in the “dead” of a Southern California winter. 😉

This pattern also came from Katie. I have a pretty floral challis that I think will be perfect for it. Ooo- I am so excited to have this skirt! I had a similar pattern way back in the 90’s I loved- and wore a lot. It has a solid black background and I’d like to find a short sweater type pattern that buttons in the back to make in black to go with it. (The one with the pattern shows a little skin and I am pretty certain I need to keep my skin covered!)

Vogue 8577 has also been lurking up at the top of my pattern pile waiting for it’s turn. I have a few shirt dress style patterns but want to try this one. I am not 100% certain it will look good on me. Those pockets are located right at my biggest problem area- But I am going to give it a go anyway. I have a very nice olive colored broadcloth and plan on adding red buttons. Yes, I can guarantee I will be sporting a pair of red pumps when I wear this dress. And I am breaking out of my little self imposed box with this olive dress. I have always liked the color but never owned anything olive. Olive and red… makes me smile! 😀

Finally, I have this ITY print in a dark navy, off- white and red that has been at the top of my fabric pile. If all goes as planned I hope to have a maxi dress accented with a red solid hanging in my closet by the end of Summer Sewing Camp.

I have more I would like to do but I did not want to overwhelm myself. The whole point of vacation is to relax and have fun. If I finish all of these and have time to spare I will gladly start on another project. After all, I have PLENTY waiting in the wings!

Take care! ~Laurie

The Great Style Adventure

Tags

challenge, clothes, dress, fabric, fabrics, fashion, patterns, projects, Seamless Pledge, sew exhausted, sewing, Stevie Nicks, style, style over 40

I am a studied contradiction when it comes to style. Currently, I don’t consider myself to be very stylish OR have a style of my own. I want one! Honestly, I LOVE clothes. I would like a closet full of them. Up until now though, I have never really focused on it.

*(I googled SLOB Images and basically came up with heavy older men in wife beater shirts with a beer in their hand so decided NOT to add a sloppy, fashionless pic here- but you get the idea right?)

I am not even close to being stylish, not for lack of desire- more for lack of cash AND because I have been in that era of my life where I was focusing on other things. Like my kids and surviving! I had a brief few years where I worked in retail. Millers Outpost (The Fashion Answer at that time- lol), I was single and 18, and a nice chunk of my money could go to dressing myself. Alas, it didn’t last long because I was married a few years later and welcoming child number one. My brief spell of shopping and wearing cute clothes was over for me. And never lasted long enough to develop ANY sense of style really.

Well, my kids are all practically grown up (here is me with the 2 eldest), I have started sewing again, and I WANT a wardrobe. I want a stylish, fun, classy, wild wardrobe. Not black on black or black on denim which is what most of my wardrobe consists of.

And if you noted the adjectives I used to describe the dream contents of my closet you may see one of my problems.

The fact is I cannot determine my “style.” I cannot figure out what I should focus on and frankly where I should even begin! Two things I DO know.

1. As I pledged to NOT buy ready made cheap clothing (or even ready made expensive clothing!), I have to MAKE this “stylish, fun, classy, wild wardrobe.” (Or thrift it!)

2. AND, I need to figure out WHAT my closet is going to be filled with. And that seems to be my biggest issue!

To accomplish this I started combing the internet. (Key words- Stylish women over 40… What not to wear at 45…. etc) I DO know what I like. But now that I am in my later 40’s (cringe), can I still sport some of those styles I am attracted to? There are so many young looking clothes out there that are FAB but should just be worn by my oh so beautiful, cute, trendy daughters. Not me. 😦 Frankly, I think the above picture pretty much shouts- LAURIE- Do NOT wear this! The below picture? Ooo- I  LOVE the skirt! But I should stay away from the midriff baring lace top.

Sigh. Super big Sigh… Waiting for “my day” means I have missed out on a lot. But I am not ready for polyester elastic -waisted pants and track suits. (Hey! Are black velour “track suits” still in fashion?)

Question for you– Can I have an eclectic wardrobe? If I bounce from Romantic Country to Bohemian to Classy to an edgy (but classy) rocker chick look, can I even say I am developing a style? It seems to me that when you google a person, they tend to be typically dressed in a “look” that suits them. (good plan of course! I want everything I wear to suit me!) And they are ALWAYS in that same look.

But oh! I crave to dress like Stevie Nicks some days. I just adore her free wheeling, lacy, flowing, old fashioned bohemian style. On the other hand I have always adored Jaclyn Smith’s style. Clean, crisp, classic and she is so gorgeous it all looks amazing on her!

How about Country. Lately I am lusting after boots. I would love to own 4-5 pairs. A basic black cowboy boot, a brown suede pair and a fancy pair of wild and colorful ones. (Not to mention a classic pair of black knee high ones too!)

And Rocker Chic. Wanna know a secret? I OWN a pair of biker boots. Black Harley Davidson’s… I feel quite awesome when I put those on with a pair of jeans. Can’t you just see a flowy romantic blouse like this with a rockin’ pair of biker boots and jeans?  OR, should I put away the boots and white lace so I don’t become a cliche. I do NOT want to be a cliche or ever on an episode of “What Not to Wear.”

What about when I want to don a Madmen style dress… or imagine myself in a Steam Punk Skirt or Edwardian blouse? I LOVE those looks too! Isn’t that velvet coat and blouse amazing?!

After writing all this down and combing Pinterest and numerous style blogs and images on the net, I am starting to think my Style is not only eclectic but discombobulated. SHOULD I be wearing a white eyelet country skirt with a pair of boots, or a black top hat and steam punk skirt? Maybe I SHOULD stick to velour track suits?

Well sheesh- I don’t know. BUT I think I want to FIND OUT!

My biggest quandary? How the heck am I going to mix all the above styles to make a style of my own that flatters me and makes me feel great? Can I rock a boucle navy jacket with a white chiffon shell, slacks and spectator pumps one day and a bohemian maxi dress the next?

And even MORE of a quandary? Can I SEW all of this? Where do I start? Not sure yet, but I am going to embark on “My Style Adventure.” Because I need to, and want to. After all, we only have one life to live, and after neglecting that side of me for so long, I wanna get out there and create really cool clothes. Clothes I can wear, and feel good in. Clothes that can fill my closet with awesomeness. AND clothes that will fit my every mood and whimsy! And frankly, if we have just one life I wanna enjoy the rest of it feeling good about myself!

Hahahahaha- I crack myself up sometimes… BUT I AM going to do it. I am going to do my best to sew some classic basics and then start adding in some of the wild fun things I want to wear. And I will keep you posted on my progress!

Take care peeps. I apologize for the break I have taken. Work, life, and several other things have knocked me a bit off the path BUT I am getting back on it and hope to be able to share this latest adventure with you…I have missed you all and will probably need to read 2 months worth of blog posts from each and every one of you to catch up on what you are doing!

xoxo

~Laurie

The Millenium Falcon Dress- Simplicity 2250 Cynthia Rowley

Tags

clothing, Cynthia Rowley patterns, daughters, dress, easy sewing projects, fabric, fabrics, fashion, patterns, sew exhausted, sewing, Simplicity, Simplicity 2250

I just had to call it that- because… well- when I posted THIS pic on Twitter Ann “thought” that was what I was creating. In reality, I was creating a really sweet sundress for my youngest daughter Juliette. But seriously, this bodice piece sure makes you think of the Millennium Falcon!

For 3 evenings I toiled over this little delight. But it was worth every minute spent! She loves it. I love it. I am not sure I could improve on anything! Well, I suppose it is not perfect- BUT the entire inside is lined, I hemmed by hand and did plenty of other hand sewing, the fit is just about perfect. She loves it. I love it!

Simplicity 2250 Cynthia Rowley

In all honesty, I could have redone a few of the darts. It wasn’t till I had done a few that I discovered THE way to do darts- as in no backstitching- Just make a “tail” of thread at the point and hand tie a knot. I love learning little tricks! And this little trick ensures you don’t have any awkward “puckering.” I think learning is always going to be part of the process… no matter how good I get! I am most definitely not there yet! But some day I hope to sew as good as The Great British Sewing Bee winner- Ann. That woman has it down to a science! Patient, steady and fantastic results- Someday….)

I used Simplicity Pattern 2250- By Cynthia Rowley. I actually chose it thinking it would be simpler than the other dress patterns Julie chose but the bodice piece negated that! So much for trying to pick something easy. But decided to forge ahead and tackle each step one by one. Yes, I READ the directions!

I used a piece of fabric Juliette had picked about 11 years ago. Obviously the pattern we picked was not going to be appropriate anymore- She was 5 back then and is now 16. But this pattern seemed perfect for it. I have no idea WHAT it is- must be a cotton w/ some man made poly because of the shimmer. But it has a nice hand and feels soft. I can wash it in the washer too! It will need some iron touch ups though when it gets out of the dryer. I really LOVE the sparkle this fabric has.

I did an invisible zipper. 🙂 I have avoided them since my last catastrophe but with the help of Twitter and 2 tutorials (Gertie and Collete) I made it through! Whew!

I hemmed with some hem lace and stitched the bodice lining closed. I love hem tape. I love the way it looks inside the garment. And This matches but I think using a red tape on a black skirt is eye-catching- Well to the wearer anyway as I assume noone else will see the inside of a garment. But making the inside nice really ups my sense of accomplishment!

As I said- three days later it was ready to be worn. If you remember Juliette was the one daughter I had not really sewn for- she is a trifle quite particular and needed to play a part in the process. And that is A-OK with me! I am happy to have her pick patterns and fabric, make sure everything is a good fit, and see her wearing something she is happy to be in. 🙂

Simplicity 2250 Cynthia Rowley

And that folks… Is The Millenium Falcon dress.

Last week I lost my Sewing Mojo… I did 30 minutes.  I hit the Fabric store yesterday and hope that will help us get back to business this week! We will keep you posted!

-Laurie

Me Made May 2013

Tags

challenge, easy sewing projects, fabric, fashion, Me Made May 2013, MMM13, patterns, projects, sew exhausted, sewing

We pancaked- I mean waffled back and forth on whether to do Me Made May or not to commit. It wasn’t that we don’t fully support making and wearing our own clothes. We do! (I have not purchased a single item of clothing since I made my Seamless Pledge.) It is just that because we have just returned to clothing sewing we did not feel we had enough to make it through the month! Frankly these kids keep us busy. “Would you make me a dress?” “When are you going to make my skirt?” “Mom, how come you didn’t make my shirt today?” “Is it done yet?” It is enough to drive you mad!

Our US sewing is constantly interrupted and as a result I know I do not have enough to make it through an entire month. BUT we wanted to participate, and so we came up with this. Our PLEDGE for Me Made May 2013.

We, Kerrielee and Laurie of Sew Exhausted, pledge to have ourselves or one of our family members sporting something made by us every day through out the month of May.

I think this is something we can handle! Even though, to be honest, most days I am dressed in yoga pants and a tee. Actually, this Me Made month is going to be difficult for me. I work from HOME and start at 5 AM… Some days I don’t even brush my hair until 2! This means I have to actually put on some clothes and brush my hair so I can take a pic!

But for The Cause, I shall persevere.

Both Kerrie and I started the month out right yesterday and dutifully posted our pics on Flickr. I confess I am sitting here this morning still pondering what I am going to put on today!

I wonder how many things we will whip up this month the night before in desperation? Well, if anything that in itself will help us grow our Me Made wardrobes!

Laurie and Kerrielee

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

Little China Girl- David Bowie Inspired Top

Tags

Bowie, Bowie Challenge, challenge, China Girl, David Bowie, fabric, fabrics, fashion, projects, sew exhausted, sewing

I’m a mess without my… little china girl
Wake up mornings, where’s my… little china girl…

HERE I AM DAVID!!

The song China Girl was on the album Let’s Dance– released in 1983- and not necessarily my favorite DB album, but because it was released my Senior year of High School, it had quite an impact. We always seem to remember those really stand out years- I was 17… I had moved and was at a different high school… so most of my days after school (and I was out before lunch!) were not spent with friends, they were spent watching soap operas at home and listening to music. Remember MTV? Haha- well, MTV is still around but the format is way different! I feel like every time I had it on I was treated to David Bowie or Billy Idol!

I chose this because, I really like the look of the Asian style tops and had wanted to make one anyway. Probably not as creative as some of the other amazing things I have seen come out of the Bowie Challenge BUT I am happy with it, and will wear it.

I bought fabric for this- a turquoise brocade but then I found this in my stash- and decided to use it instead. I just loved the fabric. It is a cotton- probably a quilting cotton to be honest but I did not care. I used a New Look Pattern… I am glad I used the cotton instead of the brocade which was a bit more expensive. The fit is a little off so this can be my “wearable muslin!”  I would add some darts. There is one set BUT I think it needs to be a little more fitted. It sort of just “hangs”… Other than that, I like it. And every time I wear it I will think of David. Can’t be all bad! 😉

My attempt at “Oh baby just you shut your mouth…” (Can you hear that voice? I CAN!- sighhhh)

I actually am looking for an Asian print knit– I want to make it in a knit, with some black comfy crops for sleeping. I think I would feel very stylish padding around the house in some David Bowie/.China Girl inspired jammies!

Thank you Tempest… I had loads of fun keeping up with your David Bowie tidbits, videos, and the incredible compilation of “All Things David Bowie” you put together. It was great fun!