Love Notions Rhapsody Top

I love indy patterns companies, how about you?  The variety of styles, styling, fit, I am just so amazed when I use an Indy.  I saw Deepika from SPR review this recently and decided to check out this pattern.



I had never heard of Love Notions.  I really love the styling of this top--so many options for making this pattern in at least 8 sleeve options.  Who does that?  Indy patterns do, that's who!

Would you look at the design of this top!

I really love the overall fit.  That back pleat is very cute.

Let me tell you about the fabric I used.

Since this is a new to me pattern company, and since I am trying to whittle-down my closet to things I really like or have no use for, I took an old RTW linen skirt that I loved the fabric but hated the fit and made it into this top.  

The uneven stripe in the shades of blue was super cute as a skirt.  Too bad that it fit so poorly, or shall I say that this was a great excuse to make this into something I might really like?

The pattern instructions have you compare your high-bust to your full bust to determine if you need an FBA.  In the big 4, I always need an FBA.  With Love Notions patterns, you measure and then determine if you need to use the regular front bodice or the bodice pattern pieces with the built-in FBA.  Surprisingly, I did not need the FBA.  What???

Is that stripe fun or what?  Typically I make a swayback adjustment but I didn't need to with this pattern.  Sorry about the wrinkles.  It's linen, wrinkles are inevitable, right?

Since I had such limited yardage, this top is slightly shorter in the front and back.  I just didn't have quite enough to make this as long as the pattern suggests.  You will also note that my sleeves don't match stripe-wise.  Again, I didn't have enough fabric to make two duplicate sleeves.  I only had enough to make bias sleeves and they wouldn't be mirror images of one another.  It's okay.  I think it adds visual interest. 

Let's talk about the neckline finish for a moment.  I typically hate using bias tape for the neckline but in this instance, it turned out great--a finish I am really proud of!

For this, I simply didn't have enough fabric to make my own bias tape, which I am a huge fan of!  I used a remnant of the purchased binding from another project.  Sometimes I wonder if I keep too many scraps of things.  Do you ever wonder that for yourself?  In this case, it was just enough to finish the neckband and create ties!   

I really love making narrow hemlines.  I used 1/4" fusible seam tape and ironed it on.  I gave it a double turn and stitched.  I am so happy with the finish.  It duplicates RTW. 

I used the same technique on the lower hem.  Damn, I did I great job with this top!  Is that okay to say?  I hope so as I am super happy with how it turned out.  DH also loves it.

I think I see many more Love Notions patterns in my future!

Thanks for reading!

Sue :)

Ottobre 3/2013 #4--Harem-type pants for Elaina!

How cute are these little pants?



When I was looking for a few things to make for my little Elaina, I found these pants.  I just had to make them as how comfortable do they look? Perfect for 90 degrees and 70 or so percent humidity.

Yes, this is another pattern from Ottobre design 3/2013.  This is pattern #4.  This is sized for infants from 56 cm to 92 cm.  I made size 62 cm or for a 24 inch-ish baby.  Since they are so loose fitting, she will have plenty of growing room.  



These pants are super slouchy and full.  They literally hang low and that is how they are styled. There is so much diaper room that two little babies can hang out in one pair.

These take almost no time to make either and can be created with minimal yardage.  The drafting is clever as there is one center back seam, two inner leg seams, a waistband, and ribbing at the lower legs.

These would be such a great project for a beginning seamstress who has little people in her life she wants to sew for.

Did I mention that they are also darn cute?  I see more of these in Elaina's future!  BTW, it is tough to get a photo of an active baby!

Thanks for reading!
Sue :)  

Rova summer dress by Jalie

The instant this pattern was released, I ordered it.  I love EVERYTHING about it--the styling, shape, length, options, so with so much love going on, it took me until this week to make it!

But then again, it took until about two weeks ago for summer weather to arrive so I guess my timing is just fine.  :)  

Please pardon the blowing hair, it was super windy on this hot and very, very humid morning.

I love this black linen from Fabric Mart.  It has been in my stash for over a year now.  What on earth took me so long to use it?  

For once in my life, I felt like I thoroughly read through the directions.  Typically I read them but don't necessarily devour them, there is a difference, right?

See the back, I will let you know about that soon!

So I made this based on my full bust...typically I use my high bust and make an FBA.  But since Jalie says to use your FULL bust, I decided to try it thinking I would have to recut the front piece as it would gape and be too wide at the neckline.  Turns out Jalie knew exactly what they were doing (gasp!) when they said to use your full bust.  The bust on this is may I say, perfect?  

I did however had to take the hips in quite a bit.  That's okay with me!  Anytime I can take something in is a good day!

Now, let's talk about the back for a minute.  My original idea was to do some cutwork embroidery on the back section.  I had a nice design going on and then the neighbors stopped over to test out our new backyard furniture and fire pit.  Well, 8 turned into 9, turned into 11:30 and when the hubby entered the kitchen (yes for some reason I took my sewing machine to the kitchen), he unplugged my machine mid-embroidery!  I hadn't saved the hacked design and wasn't able to recreate it so I tossed it.  AHHHHH!  I didn't have enough to create a second back from the main fabric so I used this eyelet from my stash.  Thank goodness the blacks were the same intensity and had the same depth of color!  Actually, I think I like this version much better than had I used the embroidered.  I will try so cutwork emboridery again on another garment.

No matter what I did, my bra straps showed.  It doesn't bother me but it does the DH.  

Here is a peek at the insides.  You make your own bias tape, attach it, and then fold it to the inside and stitch.  I didn't create this exactly as written, but it is the same idea and it works.

Those pockets are just awesome!  They are roomy, fit your hands perfectly and are cute.  I also installed the drawstring at the waist and used an athletic shoe lace and cord stops at the ends.  

I really love this dress.  I will make it again either in a tunic length or maybe a maxi!  This pattern is a definite winner from Jalie, but what's not to expect from Jalie?

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

The Camas Blouse

Would you look at this cute top by Thread Theory Designs?  This is the Camas Blouse.  I didn't know Thread Theory made women's patterns.  

I had what I think is just the right fabric for this top.  This is a linen knit in a very pale green.  If you've never sewn with a linen knit, they are wonderfully soft but you need to take a few precautions.  

First of all, look how low the neckline is on this!  I knew it would be low but I also knew that with the lightness of the fabric I'd wear a cami underneath.  

This knit also gathered really well!  

Both the front and back yokes are self lined.  If your knit is super stretchy, you may want to consider adding a fusible, stretch interfacing.  I did not.  On every knit garment I make, I staystitch stay-tape just inside of the seam on the wrong side of the garment.  This small step ensures I don't get anything to stretch out of shape.

I used steam-a-seam on the hems.

I also choose not to have functioning buttonholes.  This went on and off easily so no need!  

I used a rotary cutter when I cut this pattern out and carefully fused a high-quality interfacing to both sides of the bands prior to stitching on.  No matter how careful I was, I still had an area or two where I just didn't have the same width so I used a quilting attachment.  That is that bar thing you can see above.  This ensured that when I stitched these bands on, I had an equal width everywhere around it. I simply love sewing tools!

Here you can see more of the front gathers.  This is a great pattern.  I hope you will try a new-to-you pattern company this summer!

Thanks for reading!

Sue  

The Bridgewater Backdress dress by Sew House Seven

I have been drooling over this pattern for at least a year and now finally have created one of my own!

  
But, do you have lust over a pattern, purchase it, tape the pdf together, and then aren't as wowed as you'd hope you'd be?  
Welp, that's me.  I do really like this but I wanted to l-o-v-e it more than you can imagine.

                     

                                    As you can tell, this pattern is by Sew House Seven.

We just received our new patio furniture today and my photographer told me to sit in one of the chairs for photos.

I happily obliged.  He told me to stick my leg up or something so I did.  

And then I did it again...why not?

The back is what really makes this dress with that cute way it dips.  I am too old and too chesty to not wear a bra so I will wear a cami underneath.

There is a lot of side boob show so if you dare to wear this without a bra, be aware the world may see everything you've got.

I made a sloping shoulder adjustment but not an FBA. I also rolled the sleeves.  They look much better this way.  Another alteration was to take the lower portion of the sleeves in by 1 1/4".  It wasn't enough but I didn't want to take away from the overall design of the dress. 

See what I mean by side boobage?  Glad I am wearing a cami!  

I didn't have quite enough of this gorgeous lightweight denim or chambray and I wanted this to be dress length so I did the next best thing and grabbed a scrap of this blue lace to add to the bottom.  The chambray was from Fabric.com.  The blue lace is from JoAnn's.  I really, really love this chambray.  The maker is Telio.  I've purchased quite a few of their fabrics and have loved every single one of them!

I like it, DH wasn't impressed with the addition.  Doesn't he know lace is everything this summer?

Thanks for reading!

Sue