Fabric Inspiration

Let me tell you how this latest fabric combination came to be...

First, I was browsing my favorite internet fabric site...say it with me, Fabric Mart! *LOL*  And I picked the navy blue (not so navy blue in the shot below) wool stretch suiting.  I'm tired of my black work suits and wanted something a little more "Creative Corporate" to replace one with so I put four yards into the cart...along with the other fabrics that came to visit.

Then the next day (because my day is not complete without a visit to Fabric Mart) I saw the blue mesh and thought, "Wow! That would really play nice with the navy blue pinstripe!"  I quickly called Fabric Mart and asked if they could include a yard in my package - that was already cut and sealed - though they didn't tell me that! Instead they said, of course (best customer service evah!) and added it to my package.

Seriously when the package arrived, it was taped to the outside of the package! But this combination is amazing and so pretty in real life! 

These pieces didn't even make it onto the fabric shelves...they were placed right on the cutting table. I'm using the empire waist/square neckline version of my TNT dress to make another version of the dress...

...last made here. The first version was also inspired by fabric, guess this dress silhouette is just determined by fabric choices for me. I will check the width on this version although I'm less worried about it since it already fit a little closer to my body than some of my other dresses.

Here's how far I've gotten with it...

So this is what I'll be working on this weekend!

...as always more later!

Can we talk about sewing for our lifestyles?

Many times someone leaves a comment or sends me an email with some semblance of this phrase in it..."you really know your style and sew for it." It is true but it's true because I have one rule that I abide by when I sew.

IT MUST WORK FOR MY LIFESTYLE!

So a few givens:

• I love a dress. I'm happiest wearing one and feel most confident in some combination of a dress/cardigan and/or jacket.
• I believe that a straight up and down look works best on my frame. The more it elongates me, the better I look.
• Use as much color as I can manage for my workplace.
• Add details - details set my garments apart from my co-workers since RTW tends to skimp on the details.
• Stay just within the confines of what's acceptable for the conservative atmosphere of my workplace.

...finally make sure that I abide by my five rules above. However, when I'm surfing the sewing blogosphere and I see some of the amazing things my fellow sewists are making, my creative side comes bounding to the surface pleading with me to sew just one of those things.  

Truly I'm tempted. To take just one giant flight of fancy ~ plan some awesome artsy dress, coat, pair of pants or use a pattern that I normally wouldn't use and I think about fabric, color, embellishments. I'm pretty far down that creative road when I come to a screeching halt because I ask myself the question, "Where would I wear it?"

Seriously just like that I'm shut down...down...and out for the count! Because at this point in my life my sewing time is limited...therefore very precious to me. I don't want to spend weekends sewing something I won't wear. I'm not thrilled at the infrequent times it does happen. So while I'm sure that I'd enjoy the creative sewing journey but if I won't wear it in the end, what's the point? Why did I make it?  Why did I waste my valuable sewing time? 

These are the thoughts that go through my head...but what about you?  Do you sew for the life you lead or the one you want to lead? Are you influenced by the amazing garments you've seen on the internet?  Do you buy a pattern because of another's success with it, even though you know it won't work for your lifestyle? Or is it something different?  Is it because you haven't quite figured out your style so you emulate others? Trying on different hats/styles/patterns hoping to make them work for you?

Talk back to me because this is the "Question of the Day!"  BTW, I've listed a few of the amazingly, wonderful, creative garments that's been rocking my world lately!

• Shams - Wool Coat with Knitted Sleeves
• Gayle's Amazing Vest
• Ruth's Alabama Chanin Outfits
• Anything Alabama Chanin by Carolyn
• Bunny's Ikat Jacket
• Anything that Tany makes - dayum I want to sew like her!

...always more later!

Muse - Final

I started making my Muse dress interpretation with Vogue 8805, which I've obsessed over since it was released in 2012. I've even blogged about it a couple of times here. I thought I'd have to make several alterations to the pattern but after I finally located it in the sewing cave, I saw that I'd already altered the front pattern pieces.

See even though I really wanted to make this pattern, I'd never found the "right" fabrics to emulate the Preen designer dress I admired. Since I'm never lacking for an idea to sew/create, after awhile I just moved on and totally forgot what work I'd done with the pattern.

So some stats:
Fabric ~
Black pleather originally purchased from Sawyer Brook
Blue cotton ponte purchased from Mood NYC
Black 'n white cotton from the collection - I honestly don't remember where this came from.

Notions ~
18" gold zipper from Pacific Trimmings
bias binding
stitch witchery

Pattern Alterations:

• Originally I used my TNT dress pattern to alter the pattern pieces.
• To get the look of the original dress, there was one additional alteration to make to the pattern front. It was for the blue color band on the front of the dress.  I made the center of the band 3" with a 5/8" seamline on the top and bottom of the pieces. (see pics below)  
• I also added 2" to the hemline of the sleeve.
• I added a 5/8" seamline to the center back pattern piece - to change it from a cut on fold back piece.
• The middle and bottom pieces were taped together to form one pattern piece.

Pattern Alteration Pics:

Dress front with width added 

and line drawn to cut off the band

Band cut off and 5/8" seam allowances added to both pieces

Connecting the middle and lower bands together

 to form one dress front piece

Construction Techniques:

• I changed the back of the dress from a loop and button closing to a zippered closure. 
• That meant adding a center back seam to the dress' back pattern pieces.
• My zipper choice was a gold plated one that I'd picked up from Pacific Trimmings. I don't really like the exposed zippers with the zipper tape on the outside of a garment. So I only exposed the teeth from the zipper.
• Because of the pleather used in the top of the garment, I installed the zipper by hand...exposing the amount of zipper teeth that I wanted...yet not having to worry about machine stitching through the pleather.
• I've lost 30 lbs in the last year and that means that my TNT dress is a little large on me. So the original pattern alterations I made were for a dress a lot looser than I wanted. I ended up sewing one inch side seams, trying the dress on, and then taking in another 1/2 inch.
• The dress' shape is still boxy but it doesn't look like I'm wearing the wrong size.
• The dress is unlined.  The pattern doesn't call for a lining and for once I followed the pattern. I will wear a slip with the dress.
• The neckline is finished with a bias tape finish. After some internal debate I went with some stitch witchery to hold it flat and then I hand stitched the bias binding down.
• Since the yoke forms the sleeves and I've made it in pleather, I've opted to leave the sleeve hems unfinished. There's no need to do anything to them since the pleather won't fray.
• The dress hem has stitch witchery in it but I also added a line of machine stitching to the hem.

Construction Pics:

Dress front sewn together

Gold zipper pinned into the dress back

Dress back and yoke assembled

Inserting the binding around the neckline 

...with the handstitching to hold it flat

A few more pics of the dress:

Conclusion:

I like the finished dress. It's a little edgy ~ hey anything with pleather on the top and the sleeves ain't exactly corporate ~ the black and white ponte bottom though gives it the corporate finish...so "Creative Corporate."

It's an easy dress to sew. It just took me so long to complete for a variety of reasons. However, I'm glad that it's finally done and hanging in the closet, waiting to wear.

Parting Shots:
The shots above were taken on our way to the kiddie playground in my complex. My daughter shot pics all along the route including some of the grandkids. I've included these two as parting shots...

...as always more later!

There and back again...

I am powering through my days and nights without much thought of sewing, so even though Erin told me that she'd posted an interview I did with her a couple of weeks ago...I actually forgot about it. You can see it here:

Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic on Sewing and Style - Seamstress Erin Designs

				Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic on Sewing and Style... Today in my series of interviews with sewing bloggers on their connection between sewing & style, I’m delighted to feature Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fana...
				View on seamstresserin.com	Preview by Yahoo

I have, however, been participating in #bpSewvember on Instagram. Amanda who blogs at Bimble and Pimble is hosting a sewing photo a day for the month of November...

30 days of sewing related photos...yeah I can do that!  Actually it's the only sewing that I've thought of for the last week...

Obviously I never got out of my funk last week to actually sew...so no promises for this weekend. Everything at work should settle down by Thanksgiving, hopefully I can find my way home by then! Keep your fingers crossed for me! *LOL* 

...as always more later!

So this happened...

I will let the pictures speak...

All of the fabrics are from Fabric Mart:

top to bottom ~ 5 yards of black tricot knit, 3 yards of a gray embossed ponte

houndstooth border print ITY knit, emerald/yellow/black/white lg box plaid,

light blue/black print mesh, navy & lt. blue pinstripe stretch wool

How I'm going to use the mesh and pinstripe fabrics together

A full shot of the ITY knit - love this pattern and it's still available on the site

I've been working a lot lately...over six weeks at a crazy pace.  I was able to get into the sewing cave during some of this time but not in the last two weeks...so that's how the above happened.  And wait, I broke my "no ponte until January" rule.

This is what happened yesterday ~

Guess I'm not the only one who thought that was a good deal because it's all sold out now. I am the lucky purchaser of 10 yards.  Not only is this good for the collection but it's also good for my daughter.  My intent is to add some long sleeves to McCalls 6886 and make a couple dresses for my daughter to wear to work for fall/winter.

A shimmery ponte also landed in the cart. No picture of that until it arrives because it's sold out too. Guess it has something to do with the fact that everything at Fabric Mart is 40% off right now.

I've been doing so well with the "no fabric accumulation" and it was stress at work that encouraged me to hit the buy button...that and the fact that I'm a fabricaholic with a ponte problem. *sigh*

This is what it looks like outside right now...

So I'm in the sewing cave finally starting to work on my Muse dress. The pattern alterations are done and it's on to cutting out the fabric.  Hopefully I'll have a new dress to wear to work this week.

BTW, has anyone seen the new program on Lifetime, Project Runway Threads, with teenagers as the designers? It's an interesting take on the Project Runway theme. I've watched an episode. Not sure that I will be an avid follower but it's a nice riff on the concept. Here's a YouTube video with a sneak peek of the season:

...as always more later!

Best Sewing Blogs of 2015

Earlier this year, Madalynne published a list of The Best Bloggers of 2014. There was much discussion about that list.  Hey I even weighed in and it's my most viewed post evah.  So Madalynne is back at it, this time looking for the Best Sewing Blogs of 2015.  

Picture courtesy of: www.madalynne.com

Here are the categories:

• Most Inspirational
• Sew Jo Boosting
• Best Tutorials
• Best Knitting
• Up and Coming
• Vintage Inspired
• Best Basics
• Funniest
• Fastest
• Best Mom Blog
• Best Guy Blog
• Blogger You'd Most Like to Meet
• Best Indie Pattern Company
• Best International Blog
• Best New Blogger
• Best Curvy or Plus Size Blogger
• Best Pattern Making Blog
• Best Couture Blog
• Best Textile Arts
• Best Bra Maker
• Best over 30 Blogger 
• Makes You Want to be a Better Sewer
• Sewing As An Art

A really wide range is represented here. Madalynne has opened the voting up to anyone who wants to participate. The information on how to cast your vote(s) and when the vote(s) are due are here. 

I think Madalynne has really made an effort to reach out and encompass the entire sewing community ~ so vote! If we all vote, then the list will be reflective of how the sewing community feels about our sewing brothers and sisters.

This sewist is heading over to vote!

...as always more later!

Blog Hopping

Well I guess it's my turn since I've been nominated not once but twice...first by Leisa from A Challenging Sew and then by Debbie Cook from Stitches & Seams.

First the four questions ~

Why do I write?

I've been blogging for 9 years. In January it will be 10 years and some days I can't believe that I'm still doing it. Especially since quite a few bloggers that I started out with no longer blog which saddens me. I'm not sure if they lost interest or if they just moved on...however, I am hoping that they are still sewing.  So why am I still writing? Probably because I haven't run out of things to say or sewing adventures to share. When I started out I was one of the few plus size sewists sewing and that was my thing.  The plus size chick who wasn't afraid or ashamed to show her fat arms, her large abdomen and her bodacious booty in my own creations. Now there is a group of plus size women sewing and blogging and I'm thrilled to be in their company!

What am I working on now?

On another site, they called my dresses & posts, "Another Boring Sheath Dress" so what am I working on ~ another boring sheath dress! *LOL* Well actually I've decided to embrace my boringness and I'm doing a series of boring sheath dresses.  The series will include three new patterns, a designer knock off or two and a TNT dress project.  I love dresses and I'm quickly running out of time to wear them cause winter is coming...so I'm gonna sew them until it gets too cold again to wear them out and about!

How does my writing process work?
From the inception of a new project, I'm writing blog posts. Personally I like writing about a garment in three separate posts ~ the inspiration post, the pattern alterations post and then the reveal post where I incorporate everything and show pictures of me wearing the garment. I keep my camera handy to take pictures of each step of the process and when I write the posts, I pick and choose from the photos to add to it.

I have to admit that if I had to write just one post I would inevitably forget something. Also by using this three step process, when I go back later to review a garment or a pattern, I know exactly why I did what I did. I understand that this is unusual and seems like blog filler but it is part of my process and what helps me stay excited about a project.

There are also the Question of the Day posts that usually come to me when I'm deep into the process of making something. They really are written free form and then refined before I schedule them. BTW, I schedule most of my posts. If I didn't schedule them, I don't think I would post as often because of my day job. During a good sewing weekend, I could write 2 or 3 posts which are then scheduled over the course of a week. If something new comes up that makes me want to write, then I just reschedule the posts in the queue. So that's why there always seems to be something new on the blog.

Now when there are days when there's nothing new, I'm probably either in a creative funk or too busy with my day job to sew & write. This will probably be the last post for this week since I haven't sewn in two weeks and have nothing to say. Hopefully I will be sewing next weekend and will have more to share then.

Who Shall I Nominate?
The first person I'd like to nominate is Sheila of SheilaCTK. We both work in corporate environments and I love what she makes to wear to work, as well as, how she refashions an already sewn garment. Also she loves fabric as much as I do and I love seeing what's come home with her lately!

My second person would be Diana of SewPassionista by DIANA.  Diana is retired but she sews such interesting pieces. I love the details that she puts into her garments and she always inspires me.

And I'm going to totally break the rules and also nominate Claudine from Rolling In Cloth. I want to be Claudine when I grow up. She sews the most amazing things from the most interesting fabrics.  She dyes fabric, hand embroiders pieces and just makes jaw dropping garments.  Yeah, I want to sew like her when I grow up.

Hope you learned something new about me and if not, hope I didn't bore you! However, I really hope that you hop on over to the blogs mentioned above. There are some amazing sewing bloggers out there that are still sewing up some awesome garments, even though they are no longer shiny and new!

Finally thanks Debbie and Leisa for nominating me...

...as always more later!

Muse

I've been a fan of the dresses from this company for years. I subscribed to their emails and have an entire folder of luscious dresses.  Though it doesn't look as if the site has been updated since last spring...which is sad because they made a great, trendy dress that could be worn for young and upcoming women in the workplace. (Just received an email from www.MaggyLondon.com showing their dresses and Muse dresses.  The sites have been combined!  Mystery solved! So go on over and check them out!)

Sad about that but so glad that I've saved so many images of their amazing dresses.  I stumbled upon this picture on my work computer and I realized that I own these fabrics.  Yes, every piece of fabric in the dress to the left (to the left, to the left - yeah totally had a Beyonce moment there! LOL!) is in my fabric collection.  

I don't know if I bought them to make the dress because normally I don't copy a RTW or designer garment fabric for fabric, I interpret it as I see it.  I usually "see" it with a twist...but this time...I want to make it EXACTLY as Muse created it.

First a pattern...I'm thinking of starting with Vogue 8805.

Vogue 8805

I believe the pattern alterations will be easy to make to this pattern since the pattern is already in sections. I will be adding slightly longer sleeves, just because. It will be the only deviation from the Muse dress. I'm also adding a center back seam and an invisible zipper...just don't like the button and loop closure on the dress back. Is it just me that always feels a little undressed when wearing a dress or top with the closing?

Here are my fabric choices ~

A black 'n white graphic print from "The Ponte Collection."  I think it's from Mood but I'm not sure because this piece no longer has a label. It has been prewashed and a piece cut from it.  So I'm wondering if my daughter used a piece of it for something.

The royal navy (although it looks purple in the pic) is also a cotton ponte from Mood. I know because this piece is marked. I love their ponte aisle and had a hard time staying out of it when I was a Mood blogger. There were always so many amazing treasures to find there!

Finally the black faux leather is from Sawyer Brook Fabrics. I bought many yards of the faux leather in black and brown and have used it for accents on several pieces in my wardrobe.  This won't be the last time this winter that you see faux leather in a garment.

Next up will be pattern alterations. I will leave the boxiness in this pattern because the original dress is slightly boxy also.  BTW, I made a list of garments that I wanted to sew back in early September. This is item number four on the list. I've skipped the wool/lace version of McCalls 6988 to make later.  However, there are only three more items on the list (one is another new pattern) and I'm kinda thrilled that I'm working my way through the list.

...as always more later!

Revisiting a Friend...

There are a few good things about actually losing some weight...a few pieces that I held onto now fit really well again.  I didn't actually mean to hold onto this dress, though. It just got packed in a bin and recently I found it when I went digging for a piece of fabric. One good thing about not buying so much fabric this year is looking for older pieces to use!  Anyway, I found this dress...Simplicity 3631...which I made in January 2008.

In 2008

Simplicity 3631 was a really hot pattern back in 2008. It was one of the first patterns from the Simplicity/Threads collaboration.  The jacket that was included in the pattern was made quite a few times on PatternReview. I actually made the jacket with a few changes to "corporatize it" with a matching skirt and that suit is still in my closet. 

The dress though had a slimmer shape and was a challenging pattern to fit. The black version was actually my second attempt at sewing this dress. My first one is blogged here. This post has a little more pattern alteration information in it. Honestly though, I'm surprised that I made it again because I had such a hard time getting the pattern to fit.

I rotated it out of my wardrobe a few years ago when I gained some menopausal weight. So when I found it, tried it on, I couldn't believe it fit again...guess I have lost a bit of weight!  

A few pictures...

Alone ~ now

With my favorite RTW black cardigan
back and front view

Dress with Simplicity 2958 Jacket 

circa 2011

So I just lost a favorite garment and now I've gained another one...I guess things have balanced out and that's a good thing!

...as always more later!

Can we talk about our pattern collections?

I've been sewing since I was 11 years old and seriously collecting patterns since my 20's.  That's 44 years of sewing and over 35 years of collecting.  At one point in my 30's, I took every pattern I had put them in manilla letter sized folders, labelled them and put them into legal sized banker boxes. Then I put the pattern envelopes in plastic sleeves. The sleeves were placed in black binders and for years I used this system.

I had hundreds of patterns stored this way. Whenever a new pattern was purchased, I added it to the collection.  However, this system became cumbersome to move from place to place and I slowly stopped using it.  Then the pattern boxes were stashed in storage places and the backs of closets.  I rarely touched them...finally my daughter in an act of defiance, grace or better acceptance than myself tossed the lot in the garbage.

That did hurt and I was angry for a minute until I came to my senses.  I hadn't touched those patterns in at least a decade.  Acceptance came but I do regret that they hadn't been donated because honestly I was never going to eBay them or open an Etsy store to sell them.  My daughter's rationale, I still owned hundreds of patterns and they all currently reside in the sewing cave.

Honestly I've cut way back on my pattern purchasing because if I sew 50 pieces a year, more than half are from TNT patterns, the next 30-40% is from a variation of one of my TNT patterns so maybe 5-6 new patterns are actually sewn every year. I'm buying way more patterns than I sew now.

Thankfully I've invested in storage space in the sewing cave so most of the patterns are stored and easily accessible. I have only one troublesome area...where new patterns are presently being "dumped" upon their arrival in the cave. But this drop off place is also helping me to realize that I need to sew more from the stashed patterns and be more judicious with my purchasing.

So let's talk about why we buy so many patterns?  For me, it's the inspiration...the creative stimulation...and the hopes and dreams.  At the time I'm purchasing a steeply discounted pattern, I don't think about if I'll ever actually sew the pattern, or where I'm going to store it...I'm only thinking of the dream.  That amazing garment that I'm going to have a thrilling time constructing and the ooohhhs and aaaahhhs that are going to come when I wear it. Seriously, every pattern I've purchased, I've imagined it sewn up. Can't see a possibility for it, I don't plunk down the credit card for it. So what is it for you?

Why do you buy patterns?  Why do you hold onto patterns that you bought years ago and have never used?  Do you have enough storage space for them or are you just jamming them anywhere?

Talk back to me because this is the Question of the Day!

...as always more later!

I'm in Mourning...

I made this skirt a couple of years ago...

...I went to try it on to wear to work last week and it no longer fits...too big...so into the giveaway bag it went...because I don't alter, I sew.  Over the years I've been meaning to make another one.  Well I guess I now need to add it to my fall/winter sewing list.

Instead as I was putting the taupey beige ponte back into storage, I realized that it coordinated well with a new cardigan I'd recently purchased.  Still being heartbroken from losing that skirt, I whipped up a quick basic elastic waist skirt from my TNT skirt pattern which would give me a new outfit to wear to work.

A few details...

Have you ever had a slight issue with pushing the elastic through the channel and having it get stuck at the seams?  I solve this problem by stitching down both sides of the seams.  After the elastic is inserted and the waistband stitched closed, I add a row of stitching in the side seam..."stitch in the ditch" to hold the elastic steady.

A ribbon at the back waistline to tell the front from the back...

A little stitch witchery in the hemline instead of a row of stitching...

In 90 minutes a great new skirt to go with the new cardigan and a RTW tank:

I definitely plan on making another Vogue 1247 skirt soon...

...as always more later!

McCalls 6988 - Final

Let's start with a picture ~

This is another one of those closer fitting dresses that I'm trying to get used to although mine is not as fitted as some other versions I've seen. The pattern alterations are in this post and the inspiration for the dress in this one.

Here's the stats:

Fabric ~
The dress is made from ponte fabric all from Fabric Mart.  The print has been in the collection for at least two years possibly three.

Notions ~
beige rayon bemburg lining
22" beige invisible zipper
black piping

Construction Details ~
I used the D Cup pattern pieces for the dress front. However for my next version, I think I'm only going to remove 1/2" from the inch I added to the center front piece.  The front seams are just a smidge past my bust points...not something noticeable but something I notice when I'm wearing the dress.

Following the inspiration dress, I colorblocked the back of the dress and for the zipper insertion, I added fusible interfacing to the center back seam.

I added a lining to the body of the dress although the pattern doesn't suggest it. I would have only worn a slip with it so for convenience sake I lined it. I did use a rayon bemberg lining with the ponte. I've used this lining before and have never had an issue with it. So I went with what's worked for me before.

Black piping was also added to the neckline. I like how this adds a finishing touch to the dress front...however, I did stretch the neckline out on the dress front. I think it happened during the week I allowed the dress to hang. I needed to make some adjustments to the lining to make it work.

The sleeve hems were topstitched down while the hemline of the dress has stitch witchery in it to finish the hem. I went back and forth over whether to topstitch the hem or handstitch it. Finally I decided that the stitch witchery was a cleaner finish.

A few more pictures of the dress ~

I've included this one because my daughter

likes it ~ me I'm not so sure!

These were taken in the house in the evening.  I can definitely tell the difference between these and some outside shots we did earlier in the day. However, I'm trying to experiment with the lighting in the house because it's getting darker earlier & earlier and I only have the weekends to sew. It seems to limit the amount of sewing time I have...gawd I miss summer!

Anyway, I really love the dress and I'm glad that I made the ponte version first. It gave me some ideas on what I need to do for the pink wool & lace one which I've decided I want to wear to the company Holiday Party. So I've pushed it's construction back to November.

This wasn't the only sewing I did this weekend so stayed tuned for more.

...as always more later!