October recap and plans!

October was a wild ride sewing wise, can I say that?  Can anyone relate?  I feel so very blessed to be part of the Fabric Mart Fabricista challenge in which I finished 3rd!  I am still feeling great about that challenge.

So here is my October recap:

I made my first ever Marfy pattern.  I do like this pattern but I must admit that weighing the cost of the pattern versus the result is a toss up for me.  While I am glad I completed this item on my bucket-list, I think my money might be spent better elsewhere.  Not entirely sure how I feel about this pattern.  I mean I like it, but am I madly in love?  Hmm......

How freakin awesome is my obnoxious yellow trench coat?  This I LOVE!  The Sewaholic Robson Trench pattern is VERY well drafted, the directions are excellent and the finished result is something I am very proud to wear!  I modified the pattern since it is designed for pear-shaped women by cutting the waist and hips two sizes smaller than the bust.  I so want to make this coat again in a wool with a more substantial lining.  I may even try to figure out how to make a detachable lining piece.



























Next I made a second version of McCall's 6531 which is my new favorite pattern of all time.  Why?  The DETAILS of course!  How freaking RTW is this jacket?  And, I love this army green version as much as my first.

McCall's 6996 was an instant gratification project that I used this unbelievably beautiful knit from Marcy Tilton. Isn't it gorgeous? I love everything about the pattern.  It has an adorable peplum in the back.  The length is perfect for me and the drafting is great as well!  LOVE this and will make many more as I love layering pieces for work and home.





















Next up is my rendition of Simplicity 1316.  I had originally thought about making this top for the Fabric Mart challenge as an art piece but am glad I made the bright yellow trench coat pictured above instead.  This top fit sort of weird when I made my first muslin and the contrast stitching I was thinking about would have been a pain in the you-know-what.  So, I made this simpler version instead and do love it a lot.  I highly recommend a muslin to test the fit and I like the longer sleeves I made by lengthening the sleeves.  With winter rapidly approaching, this pattern will have to go in the wait to spring pile.  The metal studs were easy to apply with an iron but be aware and wait a bit before touching them as they are hot.  Why didn't I realize that before I burnt off the top three layers of my fingertips?

 

As I look at this picture, I am reminded of how badly I am in need of a hair cut!  And also, this is my first Ottobre pattern and it won't be my last.  Isn't it unique and awesome?  It runs large and I took this in tremendously but wow do I love it and plan on more!



My last garment of the month is this awesome and colorful cardigan from Mouse House creations.  This pattern was part of the perfect pattern parcel which you can sign up for!  This was the sixth parcel up for sale which benefits education and allows you to try Indy patterns.  Gosh I love this!  The fabric was from Fabric Mart and while it is bright, I simply love everything about it!
What a great layering piece.



Plans?  I do have plans for the rest of 2014.  I really need a medium weight jacket/coat that is warm and I can move easily in.  When I am on the playground, I must have a warm coat.  Some of my current coats aren't cutting it.

I love layering pieces as some classrooms I visit are way to warm and others I am freezing in!  Other than some of the cardigans I used recently, I am hoping some of you can suggest some great patterns.  I need some ideas!

Thanks for reading!
Sue :)

Julia Cardigan from Mouse House Creations

With no buttons or zippers, this cardigan features an open front with a drapey, rounded collar and 3 sleeve lengths: long sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, and the super cute extended cap sleeve. Recommended fabrics are jersey knit, sweater knit, lycra, interlock, but the stretchier the better!

How cute is this?  This was part of the perfect pattern parcel.  Never heard of it?  Oh, you must check it out!  This is a way to promote indy patterns and a charity cause.  You can sign up to receive notices here!

I made this pattern first.  And, isn't it adorable?  I love the shape of the cardi and I see so many uses for this pattern.  As a bonus, it uses a modest amount of fabric, sews up quickly and is easy enough for a beginner.  Plus there is versatility with the sleeve length and the differences fabrics will make in the overall feel and design.

I used this funky knit fabric from Fabric Mart.  It sewed up beautifully but I wondered if it would need any special treatment and it didn't.  That was a bonus!  I had just about two yards and was able to squeeze the entire thing about with just a bit to spare.  What I really love is that the sleeves are plenty long enough for my 5'7" frame and the length is plenty long to cover my booty.  The stripes do run lengthwise on the body unlike many stripes that run around the body.

DD1 says that it is 'loud' but I like it!  Luckily I had a perfect t-shirt that matched so bonus!

I love my cardigan and wore it with black skinny jeans and boots and received MANY compliments on it at work!  Isn't it fun to make your own unique clothing?  I can't imagine a better hobby!

Thanks for reading!
Sue :)

Ottobre design New Boheme Jersey Tunic

So I received my first Ottobre Woman recently and fell in love with this awesome tunic.  Isn't it darling?  I love the lines and of course the pockets!  Everything about it is just perfect.  I HAD to make one of my own.

If you've never seen an Ottobre, picture a Burda sewing magazine's pattern directions and you'll know what you are in for.  The pattern pieces are all together on several glossy sheets of paper and color and number coded so you can locate them.  As I traced the pieces off I needed, it really wasn't that bad.  You do need to add seam allowances which is pretty darn easy.

his is a loose-fitting top.  The sleeves are about 3/4 length and the overall length of the tunic is perfect as it covers my bum and upper thigh area!  I didn't even have to lengthen this top at all, which is a bonus for my 5'7".  If you are shorter, you may want to check the length before cutting as you may have some extra length to deal with.

This top went together intuitively and easily.  All the markings lined up well and the instructions were more than adequate, although sparse.

South Dakota is known for the wind and it was windy today!

What I altered was the width of this top!  It was huge!  I took an additional 5/8" at each allowance and that helped tremendously with the fit.  What that ended up doing however was narrow the neckline quite a bit as well and thank goodness it did as I barely had enough to make a neck binding as it was!  I had to piece to strips together just to get the right width needed.

I do love this animal print I used from Fabric Mart.  It was lovely to sew with!

I wore this top today to church and received so many compliments!  I will be making more of these, especially in some heftier knits for the upcoming winter.

Thanks for reading!  Try Ottobre if you haven't!

Sue

simplicity 1316 top

So this is a pattern I recently picked up, I mean it was less than a dollar and fifty cents, so I had to!  I had fun putting this together, although I do feel like it was sort of a labor of love.  What?  With such a simple top?  Yep!  Hang on, I'll tell you why.

I made a muslin for this top.  It reminded me a lot of Grainline's Scout Woven Tee, which I ended up making two muslins for!  With a woven top that is not loose-fitting, I think you need a muslin just to make sure you like it enough to proceed.

 
I took a wedge out of the upper side front (above the bust) and back that amounted to about an inch of fabric starting at the princess-type seam and tapered to nothing before the underarms.  This made a huge difference on how this top hung on me.  I also made a swayback adjustment which was very necessary!  I lengthened the sleeves as well, although I wonder if they would look better as the pattern is designed?  I can't decide....

I really liked view D and that is what I choose to complete.  I found the little metal-type accents at either JoAnns' or Hancock's that are the perfect complement to the pattern.  They were very easy to apply although beware, they get VERY HOT!  Not sure what synapses weren't connecting in my brain but for some stupid reason, I touched them after heating up the front and the back and practically burned my fingerprints off!  Don't do that!  Take it from me, it hurts!

I also hate seeing facings that show through on white fabric, so I cut two front center pieces, sewed them right sides together, turned, edge-stitched and then treated those two layers as one for the remainder of the construction.  I like how this top turned out!  I love cobalt blue and white together.

This was a fun pattern to put together but I felt like I spent a lot more time on it than necessary.  Not sure why but I did.  I am sure I will use it again in the future, but I will most likely wait until spring.

Thanks for reading!
Sue

McCall's 6531 Round 2

So here is my second Anorak jacket using McCall's 6531.  I LOVE this pattern!  It is so RTW!  Can I make it at least 10 more times without being weird?  I hope so!

Anyway, here is round 2....This is a loose-fitting, unlined jackets that have a mock front band, long sleeves with seam opening and button cuffs, concealed snaps and zipper closing.  A: Stitched hem.  B: pleated pocket and band.  C: Elastic waist and pockets with gussets, flaps, and button trim.  D: Topstitched belt, collar, waist.  A, hem B, C, D: Purchased cord and stoppers.

So, I made a modified view by using the length of C/D, the pockets from B, and the drawstring cord of A.  Since this was my second version, I didn't really need the instructions.  What I really love is how ready-to-wear this jacket looks and feels when completed.

This does run roomy, and my first time, I made an XS because I wanted a closer fit, more of a top or layering piece than a regular jacket.  This time was no exception except with the fabric I used this time and how it had more heft, I made closer to a small.

What did I add?  Metal snaps on the front faux band and jacket, cuffs, and sleeve tabs.  I found the cute little plastic dealies at the end of the cords at the neck and waist.  What are those dealies called?  They sure add a nice touch!  And, speaking of a nice touch, how freaking awesome is the red zipper and cording against the army green twill?  Gorgeous?  I think so!  I love those two colors together!
When I cut this out, I somehow cut something incorrectly and had to piece the front band together.  To make it look like a design detail instead of a mistake, I joined the pieces on the bias, topstitched and had the seam intersection placed 2/3 of the way up the jacket rather than dead center.

Another thing you might notice is that I evened up the hemline on the back so it was straighter, more like view A and B.

I love everything about this jacket.  We are experiencing some warmer than normal days, so I hope it cools down about five degrees so I can wear it to work!

Thanks always for reading.  What are you wanting to sew this fall?  Is the weather cooperating so you can actually wear it?

Sue :)  

McCall's jacket 6996

So this is a super easy jacket made from knits from McCall's.  Remember the uber popular little knit jacket (McCall's 6844) everyone made last winter?  

I made three of them myself! When I saw this pattern, McCall's 6996, I snatched it up right away!




So this is an instant gratification project.  There are very few pieces: front, back, peplum, and the band.  Wow, do I love projects like these! 

I made this with a wonderful mesh-type knit from Marcy Tilton.  I have such great luck with her knits and this was no exception and aren't the colors just awesome?  I love everything about it!

I also added little bands to the sleeve hem as it was difficult to get the fabric to hem like I wanted.  The bands gave the fabric a little overall heft as well so they hung better--if that makes sense!

So I stabilized the shoulders with 1/4" clear elastic and the front and lower hemlines I serged and turned and stitched.  I tried a few combinations with the mesh and this worked best.  Looks like with this pattern I need to make a bigger swayback adjustment.  But don't you love that peplum?  

I've worn this several times already this fall and have received many compliments.  I see many more of these in my future!  

This is a GREAT pattern!  

Thanks for reading!
Sue 

3rd Place! Yay!

I finished third and wow, what fun it was to participate in the Fabric Mart Fabricista challenge!  I ended up with three garments I am VERY proud of and LOVE wearing!  I also win a gift certificate!  My goal was to make it to the top five and I surpassed that so everything else was gravy!  

Here is a recap of what I made!

Round 1--the Scout Woven Tee 

Round 2--all about the fit! 

Round 3--Ready to wear knock off!

Round 4  The Little Red Dress!

Round 5--the mystery bundle challenge!

Round 5--Inspired by art!

Wow, do I love everything I made! 

I learned a lot from participating least of which is to make a muslin if you want a great result!  

I can't tell you how many times I skip this step out of sheer laziness!  

Think, think, think about the fabrics you choose for your garments.  

I typically do this until I drive myself nuts, but the right fabric for the right pattern is essential.  

This is something I will do in the future and that is to try and add a little pizazz to each garment I make--something unexpected, like a super fun lining, just something!  

If I met you through this challenge, I feel doubly blessed!  

If you hung with me throughout--a huge thank you!  

Again, thanks for reading!

Sue :)