A Vest

I started this vest in May 2019, y'know in the before times. It began life as a jacket. Then it sat because I had a challenge with the sleeves. I did move this unfinished project with me in 2020 and for the last five years it's been hanging in the sewing loft.

Honestly, it hung there until earlier this spring when I realized that with the weight I've lost it would fit again. By then the sleeves had gone missing and when reassessing, I thought it would make a great vest. Also, the amount of work I had already put into this piece made it hard to let go. 

It's made from a navy linen I bought from Fabric Mart's brick 'n mortar store during a Sew Camp. I added some navy/white gingham scraps to the pocket flaps and back neck facing. I also added navy gingham bias binding to the front facings.

Some of the construction was blogged about back in May 2019.  I'm not gonna send you back there, I'm just gonna share it here. 

First here is a construction picture...

I removed one breast pocket. They just weren't laying right. I did the same thing when I first made jacket so maybe these breast pockets don't play well with my body...or I'm just not skilled enough to get two pockets to lay right on a jacket...whatever! Three works.

When I picked it back up it looked like this...

I did so much work with the topstitching and lining the pocket flaps in navy gingham...

There wasn't much left to complete it. I added bias binding to the armholes to finish them.  Then I added bias binding to the hemline before hand stitching it down.  

Made buttonholes and buttons...then stitched the buttons on.  Finally gave it a good press.

Here are some photos of the finished garment...

It's a great transition piece so glad I added it to my vest collection. I have several more I want to make for fall/winter using actual vest patterns so stay tuned!

*I know Blogger has made it more challenging to sign in but would you kindly sign your name if you use anonymous.  It makes it easier to talk back to you.  Thanks so much!

A Different Sewing Focus

I needed to write a "biography" to share my sewing background. I honestly can't remember all of the stuff I've done since it's been awhile. So I googled my name plus Diary of a Sewing Fanatic and EVERYTHING I've done in the last 20 years came up...that was truly a little overwhelming.

However this article I wrote in August 2017 really struck me. It was on The Curvy Sewing Collective blog called, "Does Your Pattern Speak to You?  Or why I Pattern Hack!"  At that time, my sewing was all about pattern hacking. The article even links to some of my greatest pattern hacks. Then my TNT dress pattern was the gateway to fantastical journeys I made using fabric, scissors, pattern paper & tape to end up with garments that no one thought a plus size woman should wear.

Seven years later, I can say my sewing journey is all about the fabric! I don't create nearly as many garments as I made in 2017-2018.  Now I really like challenging fabrics.  Fabric that makes me think about how to cut it out so that it speaks effectively to the garment's design. Fabric that's different and unusual - not something you'd find at JoAnns. Now while I own a lot of fabric (understatement of the year!) I'm always on the lookout for an amazing panel print, border print or combo of fabrics that are unusual and unique.

Here are a few of my border print/panel creations from the last two years. Garments I'm particularly proud of since they represent my love of taking a flat piece of fabric and making it into something distinct.

Mimi G Katie in a Sunflower Panel

Simplicity 8658

HSN/Christine Haynes Verano Dress

Hacked Cashmerette Washington Dress in a border print

My TNT shirt in African prints

Back view

My TNT shirt in a Mood border print

I'm in the midst of making an amazing topper using a TNT pattern and a border print in a fantastic cotton corduroy. More details about it will be shared shortly.  I just needed to record here what my sewing focus is now and how I will be moving forward. I love fabric especially the different and the strange.

....as always more later!

The First Shirt of the Fall Season

It's October and while the month kicked off with some warm late summer type weather, we all know the dark days of winter are coming. Now while I'm no longer wearing my lightweight summer clothing, it's not yet time to bundle up in the wool and cashmere.

It is shirt wearing season though...so this is my first fall shirt.  I used the close fitting version of my TNT pattern.

Some stats ~
Fabric:
100% cotton from Zooks in Lancaster, PA

Notions:
Rick Rack from Home Sew via the collection
12 4-hole 1/2" white buttons from the collection
Light Crisp Shirting Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply

Additional Info ~
There are no new construction techniques for this make. The difference with this one is the embellishment I added. I'm a fan of rick rack and I added it to the collar, left front button placket and in the back yoke seam. I've used it on a number of garments and think it can be used in adult garments as well as children's no problem.

While I'll make various versions of this TNT pattern this fall/winter, it will be the fabric, the embellishment and trims, I use to make each one different. I'll be documenting them here because this is my diary/record of my makes. It's a great place to keep a photo of each one. Long after they've been discarded or donated, I have a record that I made it. It's one of the things I love about my blog.

Pictures ~

I added a little rick rack to the back yoke too

Conclusion ~
This is the first one of my shirts for fall/winter.  However, I do have a few other shirt patterns I'm planning on using. I'm loving this one though, due to the fabric and color. Perfect for the weather we're having now and easy to wear.

...as always more later!

It's Fall Y'all

I borrowed that title from a Draper James ad - my new RTW obsession! See I've been thinking about what I want to sew for fall because it is getting chillier here. In the last couple of years, I've bought about 15 pairs of jeans and another 10 pairs of leggings in ponte, pleather and a thicker knit.  So my bottom situation is solved...and no I probably won't be making jeans this fall/winter.

However, I'm still fascinated with shirts and blouses so I know I will be adding more of them to my wardrobe. Especially since I love the process of making a shirt.

I've also become enamored of this Nancy Zieman shirt...

I can imagine some amazing new shirts made from scraps of other shirting fabrics (I'm accumulating a collection) or by manipulating stripes and prints to get some great new shirts for fall.

There are also a few toppers on my list.  I have three patterns pulled that I want to work with and will share more as they come up in the queue. I didn't make any cardigans last fall/winter and want to add a couple to my wardrobe. There's loads of sweater fabric in the collection and I want to use some of it this year.  Also, some of my cardis are starting to look old & worn so it will be time to move them out of the wardrobe. A cardi, a shirt and jeans was last winter's go-to look.

As far as I can tell, my fall/winter sewing will be all about the separates. I have a list (a short one for a change! LOL!) that I will be working from using TNT patterns and fabric to make the pieces interesting. I even want to use some dyeing and fabric manipulation techniques this year.

Fabric In/Out Totals ~
Well September started out being a good month. I used 12 yards of fabric to make 4 garments.  I gave away 56.25 yards of fabric so my total out for the month was 68.25 yards.

Then I got an email from Fabric Mart for Premium Members and fell down that rabbit hole - 9 yards of chambray tencil showed up. Work has been challenging this month (as well as that whole Supreme Court Justice circus) and another 12 yards showed up from StyleMaker Fabrics.

This leaves me with 68.25 yards out and 21 yards in with a YTD out total of 191.25. While this number seems high, I don't really feel like I'm winning here! *LOL* Gotta remember not to stress fabric shop though it's definitely better than stress eating!

Next up ~
I feel like I've figured out who I want to be for this final stage of my working life and my sewing can now reflect that. I will be sharing a couple of garments that were finished in September next on the blog.

BTW, tomorrow is the last day to leave a comment on the last post to win the $50 gift card from Fabric Mart. If you're interested in winning some free fabric, leave a comment!

...always more later!

Sewing for Fall

The September Fall Fashion Issues have arrived and I've pawed through them. The fall patterns are in the pattern catalogs and the calendar is ticking towards September. It's time to start thinking about sewing for fall.

In the last couple of years, I've planned what I NEEDED to sew for my work wardrobe due to my current situation. However, this year I'm thinking about what I WANT to sew. How I can get creative with some patterns that I've already used, as well as sewing some new patterns.

Last September I sewed for the grandbabies. I'm skipping that this year, though I will be making them some jean jackets for fall. I'm concentrating on upgrading my fall/winter wardrobe. I've discovered that I love sewing blouses/shirts. I've added some more shirting fabrics to the collection to use for new versions of my TNT pattern mashup. I'm also on the hunt for some fabulous white shirting for a couple of white shirts. 

Planned are more denim dresses and a few shirtdresses made from fall fabrics, worn with tights or leggings and shoe booties or sneakers. I've finally broken the "corporate dress look" block in my head and I can see casual dresses in fabrics that fit better in my current work atmosphere. So I have a few ideas that I'm very excited to sew up.

I collected quite a few interesting fabrics for jackets & toppers last year. I didn't get around to using them but I definitely want to sew some of them this fall/winter. I used McCalls 7481 this spring and I want to work on a couple versions this fall. There was another Tamarack Jacket on my early spring list that needs to get made this season too. It will work for fall so that's on the list too. Especially since I wear my Kantha Quilt version ALOT in the deep winter on Monday mornings because our office is so cold.

Here's a look at the patterns I'm thinking about using for my fall sewing...

I've made a short list of items I want to sew because those short lists seem to be working for me. I think I only left three unsewn items on my summer list of 16 - not bad.

So it's the last week of August and Labor Day weekend is approaching. I have 3.5 days off to sew this weekend, plus the 3.5 days I had last week, so I've started working on my fall list. How about you? Are you thinking about fall sewing?  Have you started planning yet or are you riding out summer and waiting until you have to start wearing fall clothing? Cause it will be fall and cold before you know it!

It's gonna be a minute before finished garments show up here because I'm burrowing in and sewing! 

...as always more later! 

Three Times the Charm

So I lied. Let's just start right there. When I saw this Isaac Mizrahi top on QVC, I knew that Simplicity 8094 would be the perfect jumping off place to make my own version. 

Here's a picture of the inspiration garment ~

A picture of me wearing my version of the inspiration garment ~

Supplies used in this top ~
Fabric:
Brown ponte from Fabric Mart via the collection
Floral print ponte from Tessuti Fabrics via the collection

Notions:
foldover elastic binding from Pacific Trimmings
stay tape

The only change I made to this version was to add 4" of length to the back piece. The hemline was then rounded off to duplicate the back of the inspiration top.

Seriously, I made this just like the other two except I didn't two tone the sleeves...just added a little foldover elastic to the neckline. I even added the godets, in brown ponte so they blend in yet give a little extra swing & space to the top.

A few pictures of this top ~

Conclusion ~
If the photos are a little blurry, it's because they were taken on my iPad. My coworker and I took them around the corner from my job. I work by Herald Square and since they've built these pedestrian spaces, we thought they would serve as a great background.

This top was a quick sew. I finished it over the weekend. So of course I wore it to work yesterday...I mean that's one of the reasons I sew...to have new stuff to wear!

This time I'm not going to say that I'm putting the pattern away because who knows.  There just might be a fourth version of this before I do it again in merino wool. It's such an easy top to wear, comfortable, on trend and works well with my RTW ponte jeans.

Next up on the cutting table is another top. I went back and forth over what to make next and I really just wanted another new top - so top it is! Here's the sneak peek of the top in progress on Instagram.

...as always more later!

Simplicity 8094 - A Fall Tunic

I've loved this pattern since it was issued. However, I'm such a dress girl when the weather gets warm that I knew I would never make it as a summer topper. But in a nice ponte or sweater knit for fall, yes, I can do that!

So even though the temps are up and down here lately, I decided to make my first version to wear now. I really want this in a merino wool for later in the winter cause I can always add a sleeveless turtleneck under it for warmth and wear it over my skinny jeans.

Fabric choice for version one ~
It's made from a rayon/lycra knit that I won from Elliott Berman last Thanksgiving with black ponte sleeves from Metro Textiles. When I first pulled the fabric out of the pile, I was worried that I didn't have enough to make the body of the tunic but it worked out.

Supplies ~
Stay tape
Fusible stay tape

Pattern Alterations for Version One ~
I know that this appears loose fitting on the pattern envelope, but the pattern only goes up to a size 20. So I was a little leary about how it would fit me. I added 1/2 inch to each side seam from the underarm down to the hem. I wanted to make sure that it skimmed my bodacious body. 

The biggest change was to the sleeve since the pattern only has short sleeves. I used the long sleeve pattern from my TNT dress pattern and made a pattern sandwich. TNT pattern, Simplicity pattern sliced and spread and tracing pattern on the top then I altered the pattern to insure it fit my biceps.

Those were the only changes made to the pattern pieces for version one.

Construction Info. ~
Honestly, I just glanced at the pattern instructions especially after they suggested that you sew the knit sleeves in the round. I NEVAH sew knit sleeves in the round. I always sew them in flat and that's what I did with this top.

Also, the pattern suggests that you use bias tape to finish the neckline. I mean I understand why they suggest it but my knit is a little thin and I thought this would make the neckline bulky. So I applied some fusible bias stay tape to the neckline, pressed it flat and stitched it down using a twin needle.

The other change that I made to the tunic besides lengthening the sleeve was to add a piece of the body fabric to the sleeve hem to tie the look together. I just eyeballed this but I did make sure that I added a 5/8" seam allowance to the top of the insert. 

Here's a pic of the sleeve with fabric choices ~

I also sewed the side slits lower than the pattern suggests. I didn't want the sides of my abdomen showing and scaring people so I sewed my openings to mid-hip.

A few pictures of the first tunic in action ~

I made that first version as a Sunday Sew. I wore it to work on Monday because the temps were back into the 70s-80s and it was really warm. Though after wearing it with black leggings, I kept thinking that I wanted to make it again without the side splits. I hated that the sides fell open and exposed the sides of my legs. Also the fabric is an ITY ~ thin and clingy ~ not my friend. So while I love the fabric's pattern, I was uncomfortable in how the tunic fit.

Fast forward to picture taking day and it was only in the 40s outside, so I wore a cotton tank top under it which then solved all the clinging issues. I even wore my black skinny jeans and while my side view leaves much to be desired (hahahahaha!) I liked the top much better.

Version Two ~ 

However based on wearing version one, I made a second one closing up the side seams adding godets to them. 

I made the godet pattern piece by pinning the front and back pieces together from the underarm seam down to the notch where the side seams were left open. Then I traced the opening and added 5/8" seam allowances.

To add a little more width to the front and back pattern pieces, I did a pivot and slide on the fabric adding an inch at the waistline to both pieces and two inches to the hemline. 

I also two toned the sleeves of this version using the fashion fabric that I bought from JoMars during my trip in June. The black ponte is from Metro Textiles.  The godets were made in the black ponte to tie everything together. 

Another change was the neckline. When I tried the top on to make sure that everything fit the way I wanted, I realized that I liked the neckline just as it was. So I rambled around in the notions collection and found some black foldover elastic and added it to the neckline so that it wouldn't change.

The last change was the length. This version is considerably shorter than the first one. I just didn't like this fabric in the longer length so I cut 6" off the hemline and hemmed it using a 1" hem.

A few pictures of Version Two ~

Conclusion ~
This is a simple to sew tunic. There are no big surprises and would be easy for anyone from beginner to advanced sewist to construct. What makes mine different are the design details I've added.  Long sleeves vs. short sleeves, color blocking the sleeves and adding solid color godets to the second version. I think these details give it that Chicos Chic look that I've been trying to sew lately.

I like both of these versions ~ the second just a little more than the first ~ however, I'm putting the pattern away and moving on to other patterns. Maybe I will get back to it when the weather gets colder making a merino wool version...maybe. 

The next top up is a heavier weight summer linen that I'm wearing into fall...

...as always more later!