Additions to the Fabric Collection

Honestly I haven't been adding much to the fabric collection since I've made the commitment this year to sew from it. However, it was my birthday last week and I collected some gift cards, as well as, birthday funds so I redeemed the cards and bought a few yards of fabric.

24.5 yards to be exact:

Here's what I bought ~
First stop is Sawyer Brook Fabrics. 
I had three pieces in my cart and kept closing it out to determine which pieces I really wanted. Every time I opened the cart, this piece was added. So since I'm only trying to purchase pieces that excite me, this piece ended up coming to me.

It's called Tobago and unfortunately it's sold out. I bought two panels however, each panel contains two of these prints. So I have four panels and no I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I bought it because it's pretty.

Next on the fabric train is - Emmaonesock
EOS was having a 10% off everything sale and I wanted another piece of denim. Though after reviewing all of the latest additions to the site, I also put a piece of double gauze into the cart. 

This what came from EOS:

Top is 2.5 yards of a floral paisley printed stretch cotton denim

The bottom is 2 yards of an organic cotton double gauze - denim dots

These are awesome pieces of fabric and both are still available on the site if you're interested. Even Miss Lena who touched the gauze and declared it "the softest" was impressed. I do know what I want to make from these ~ a dress and a top.

Fabric Mart was the third stop
Fabric Mart was having a 50% off the entire site sale and then a day or two before they'd emailed a code for free shipping. While I didn't have a gift certificate, I did use birthday money cause those were awesome sales! Here's what arrived from them this week:

Two linens and another panel print. Isn't that panel print A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! After the success I had with the last panel print, this one literally leapt into the shopping cart. You can find it on the site here.

I love linen and there is quite a bit of it in the collection, in solids, prints and geometric prints. So there was no need to add either of the above linens to the collection except I really wanted them. The top piece is 3 yards of a blue/purple/white floral linen and the second piece is 3 yards of an apricot striped linen. Both are still on the site and I know exactly what I want to make from them - dresses!

My final gift certificate was from Joann's.
Now y'all know I'm not that big a fan of this particular store and had to think long and hard about what to purchase with this gift card. After I realized that I could buy fabric and with a consultation with Gaylen about the Nicole Miller fabrics that they are presently stocking, these arrived:

I will buy from them online but I still can't handle going into one of their NJ stores. I really should get over this grudge I have against them *sigh* cause it has been years. Anyway, I bought 3 yards of the cotton pique on top, 3 yards of the Nicole Miller twill in the center and 3 yards of the embroidered eyelet on the bottom.  The pique is for me for either a dress or skirt. The twill is more polyester-y than I thought, so I will hold this over for fall and think about it then. The bottom piece will become sundresses for the grandbabies and the leftover will go to their mother. 

Oh and each piece is 3 yards because that's the minimum amount you can buy online. Now I had another linen print in my order but they were sold out of it. So I have a few more dollars on the gift card that I need to figure out what to do with. I haven't linked to these pieces because so many of you shop at your local Joann's that I'm figuring you will be able to find them in your store.

Conclusion ~ 
My last fabric buy was late February/early March during the Sewing Expo and I've been sewing from the collection since. Because I'm not buying like I have in previous years, this feels a little piggy...gawd what a year brings! *LOL* Before I would have purchased 25 yards from Fabric Mart alone during a sale just to assuage the hurt/dislike/distaste of my former job. I guess joy really does change your perspective.

Also, did you notice that all of the fabrics I purchased are bright, happy prints! Yes, I'm adding prints to the collection in a big way...however, let me state that I've always loved a good print and I'm glad that I can now wear them to my heart's desire! I've linked to the fabrics that are still available. If you're in the mood to purchase some new pieces, go for it!

One last thing...thank you to everyone who commented on my Reflections post. I truly appreciate each and every comment. Honestly though I appreciate EVERY time someone leaves a comment on ANY blog post! I understand that blogs aren't as popular as they use to be, so for you to stop and take time to comment is truly awesome! So thanks again!!!

There are more garment posts to follow...

...as always more later!

Vogue 7271 - Out of Print Koko Beall Dress

I've bought several panel prints from Fabric Mart over the years and I've watched as others have used them successfully. When I purchased these I knew they wouldn't work for my lifestyle them but I loved them so much that I bought them anyway...hoping that I could use them sometime in the future.

Well the future has finally arrived!  This is what I posted to Instagram two weeks ago.

...and here is the finished dress..

Supplies ~
3 panels of a printed cotton jacquard from the collection via Fabric Mart
20" invisible white zipper
white linen bias binding
Large blue rick rack trim purchased from Joyce Trimming

Pattern ~
Out-of-Print Vogue Pattern 7271
I have a couple of these Koko Beall patterns purchased when they were popular at Vogue Patterns. Like the Adri patterns, they have never been used but since I've been on the hunt for a good empire waisted dress, they are perfect for what I need.

Construction Information ~
The most important part of making this dress work was successfully cutting out the panels. Cutting the bodice and skirt pieces so that they looked like they naturally flowed into each other was a must.

One of the reasons why I hadn't used the panel before, was that I needed a pattern that had a few pattern pieces that I could use to cut the panels into. All of the versions I'd seen using the panel fabric were dresses with waistlines and you know I'm so not into a waistline dress.

A few things:
~  The empire waist is not as high as I thought it was. That fact is concealed in the print I used. 
~  Even though I added several inches to the dress, it has a closer fit than I'm use to. 
~  I added darts to the armholes of the dress to remove some excess space. 
~  I used bias binding on the neckline. 
~  The armholes are turned under and stitched flat. 
~  I omitted the facings in the pattern. 
~  The dress is also shorter than I like but that's because I ran out of fabric/space in the panel so the hem is 1/4" before I added the rick rack.

The dress set for a week and a half after I made it because it was lacking something when I put it on. My first thought was to pick it apart and add some navy blue piping to the waistline and a blue linen panel to the bottom of the dress...but I kept wavering primarily because my invisible zipper insertion was on point and I didn't want to remove it. 

rick rack at waistline and hemline

rick rack at the empire waistline

Finally I decided on buying some blue rick rack and adding it to the dress because it's kinda fun and unexpected. Also rick rack in no way says corporate dressing at ALL, another reason to go with it.

A few pictures ~

Conclusion ~
Of course the dress is fancy and as it's pictured above is how I plan on wearing it to work. Though I have to admit it was quite warm this afternoon when taking these pics...but since I live in manufactured air, I should be fine. 

I will make this dress again.  I already have two versions in my head. Another knee length version and as a maxidress. For the next versions, I will lower the neckline about an inch at center front. I'm thinking a linen or challis from the collection for the maxidress and maybe color blocking the knee length version.

However, I'm sorry that I waited so long to use this pattern because it has great bones. I've seen a few on eBay so if you want to try it out, grab one!

We spent a lot of time today taking pictures of my backlogged garments, yes I've been sewing! By the time you read all of these posts, hopefully my next set of garments will be ready to photograph because I'm going to spend tomorrow sewing items off my list. It's not that I don't have clothing to wear, it's just that I'd like to get back to wearing me made as much as possible. I'm sure you all understand that.

...as always more later!

Reflections

2015 was a year of change for me.  2016 has been a much better year. So why am I writing a reflections post in the middle of the year? It's because I started this job a year ago yesterday - June 1st. Technically I should have written this then! 

However, I thought I would look back with appreciation, gratitude and a sigh of relief for the new direction my life has taken.  As with all things sewing is first!

Sewing in 2015/2016 ~
My biggest challenge and the start to almost every blog post for months (aren't you glad that's over!) was getting myself a casual wardrobe. Then adjusting to the fact that in the meantime I would be wearing so much more RTW than me made.  I still wear a lot of RTW but there is a greater percentage of me made casual pieces in my wardrobe now.

You would think this wouldn't have been as difficult for me as it was but I'd worn and sewn professional clothing for so long, that those types of garments were a part of who I was. Breaking that mindset and learning something new was a challenge. Although, I'm still a little dressier than my coworkers but they are younger with amazing bodies of youth. Me, I'm still proudly working my life worn body that I appreciate more every day!

A few favorite pieces that I've sewn this year:

1. Tamarack Jacket

This was my all time favorite piece that I sewed last winter.  I love this jacket and how flexible it is in my wardrobe. I must have worn it 2 or 3 times a month which is ALOT for me! I even found another quilted piece of fabric in the collection that I want to use in September to make another one.

2. McCalls 6559

I made a ton of these last summer for a couple of reasons. One because maxis could only be worn on Casual Fridays at my old job. I love maxidresses and skirts so the fact that I could wear them anytime I wanted meant I went a little crazy. Two I could use bold bright prints - something else that was lacking from my pro-fessional wardrobe. So I made quite a few of these in both maxi and knee lengths. This dress/pattern was the basis of my summer wardrobe last year.

3. Circle Vest 

This was another favorite that I wore a lot and always received compliments on. It was perfect over leggings and jeans with a sweater, turtleneck or worn with a white shirt under it. All RTW, by the way cause it takes time to sew an all me made wardrobe! I'm intrigued by the thought of making this up in a lace for summer.

4. Vogue 1247 Toppers

I made three of these and wore all of them a lot! Because not only did I love sewing them and the challenge of taking a skirt/dress pattern and making it into a topper, but they were also easy to wear as well as being my style! I know I will make more in the fall because this is my style now and I love the pockets! 

This not a very long list even though I did experiment with constructing several different types of tops/blouses. I'm still on the fence about them. Not sure if it's because I've never really worn a lot of tops or if I still haven't found the one I love yet. I'm still learning what works for me but I can tell you that I'm no longer as distressed about the process.

There is a list of more garments I want to sew, t-shirts (I have a pile of knit fabrics pretreated and waiting their turn), also a few more maxi dresses and skirts and let's not talk about my new found obsession with denim. Of course, I have loads of ideas just need time to sew them!

Healthwise ~
Taking this new job has been the best thing for me. I'm less stressed, eating healthier and not missing Drs appointments anymore.  I've managed to keep the weight off and am even still steadily losing the 1-2 lbs a month the Dr insists upon. I won't live forever but I am living healthier!

Things I've found out about myself ~
I hate my thighs! LOL! I never use to see them much before so I didn't notice them. I guess I could do something about them but nah I'm too busy sewing!

I'm not a jeans girl. I mean I wear them (when it's cold, dark, rainy) but they will never be what I reach for first.

I'm fancy. It's what my co-worker calls me and I believe it's true.  I like jewelry and matched sets.  I like fashion and interpreting it for my lifestyle. I will never be sloppy casual, it just doesn't work for me.

I love classic heels and I miss wearing them. I wear wedges and more casual type heels now but I truly miss a good pump!

Conclusion ~
I'm really happy for the first time in years! It's definitely because I changed jobs and got my life back. I get to see my grandchildren and friends more. I spend less time commuting and more time doing me. And every now and then I still get a random "Good morning Sexy" from a good looking man while walking down the street. Life is good! *LOL* It's been a great year and hopefully I will carry the joy forward.

I've got quite a back log of garments to share so look for them soon. Also the birthday fabric has started to arrive so I will share it in a post shortly...and I've been visiting a new trim store in the Garment District so I'd like to share that with you too.  It's gonna be post heavy here during the month of June...especially since Instagram has really worked my last nerve so I will probably be blogging more!

...as always more later!

The End of a Sewing Weekend

It started slow. I slept late on Friday probably because I got in late from my birthday celebrations on Thursday evening.

Dinner with friends, coworkers and a few sewing peeps you might recognize

Then we had drinks on the Monarch Rooftop Bar with a great view 

of the Empire State Building

My daughter and I on the train home

On Saturday I shopped online. Hey there were Memorial Day Fabric Sales and I had birthday money and gift cards to spend. Cause I'm not the kinda woman that holds onto those waiting for inspiration to strike. No, me I spend my funds/gift cards right away...so there will be ALOT of packages arriving over the next couple of days.  I promise to share fabric buys here when they arrive.

Saturday afternoon I prepped a bunch of white fabrics for Concord Tees and a button up...and on Saturday night I finally cut something out and started to sew.  Sunday and Monday were good sewing days and I ended up with these finished pieces hanging in The Sewing Cave.

One pinstripe 4 gore denim skirt, 

the Ann Taylor eyelet and lace trimmed skirt, 

and another Pinterest inspired denim dress

I finished up early enough Monday afternoon to think that I could get another dress cut and sewn. However, I ran into some inspiration problems, so it's sitting on the cutting table waiting for me to figure out something to make it pop!

My daughter is scheduled to come by next Sunday to take pictures so blog posts will be up after that. Hopefully I will have figured out what to do with that linen dress laying on the table.

BTW, thanks for the suggestions on my last post. I have an idea on how to make the dress work and will pick up some trim this week. It will be applied next weekend and pics of that dress taken then too.

My company starts Summer Fridays next Friday where the office closes at 1pm every Friday until Labor Day in September. Hopefully that will translate into more sewing time for me since I have no vacation planned for this summer...well that's the Fridays I don't have things scheduled though I seem to have quite a few activities this summer! *LOL*

Anyway, there is sewing going on and items coming off my to-sew list. Actually it's kinda encouraging to have so many "DONE". There are even a few holes appearing in the fabric shelves...not sure if that's from actual garments sewn or the fabric I have stocked on top of everything that I'm "planning" to sew! But I feel like progress is being made and it will be shared with you soon.

...as always more later!

A list and some free time

Okay more like a couple of days off for Memorial Day weekend...but I do have a list! A sewing list that is...and except for the fact that I babysat the grandbabies last night for their parents date night...I'm staying home to sew.

One of the good things about my job now is that I no longer work the horrible hours I use to, so I haven't felt the need to hunker down and sew. In my old life, that would happen every three months like clockwork. Now that I have my life back, I don't feel that need as greatly anymore.

However, the feeling is here and very strong my fellow sewing friends. So I'm going to spend the weekend buried in the sewing cave, working on a few things from my list.  Because I'm sewing for the weekend, that will mean no pics and no blog posts...but if you follow me on Instagram, I will more than likely send some update posts or food requests through there! hahahahahaha!

I worked on this pattern last weekend ~

Which resulted in this dress ~

...and even though it's been hanging for a week...I'm still not sure I like it...because it needs something. I will address this dress this weekend too.

Anyway, just wanted to drop in and let you know that I'm around, sewing, and I'll be back with some finished garments soon!

If you're in the US, hope you have an amazing Memorial Day weekend!

...as always more later!

A Pinterest Denim Dress

This denim dress from Pinterest influenced the making of my second denim dress. 

The Pinterest denim dress ~

My version of the dress ~

Supply List ~
Black Denim from EOS purchased in December 2015
Pleated black pleather also from EOS
18" black invisible zipper
Pattern: Vogue 8824

Pattern choice and construction details ~
I honestly thought I was going to start this dress using my TNT dress but after the latest issue of Vogue Pattern Magazine arrived in my mailbox, I saw how they revived Vogue 8824 and was inspired. Then I remembered that I've made that dress. Unfortunately it was one of the dresses that was purged because it had become too big to wear. It was a favorite so I have fond thoughts of this pattern.

Assembling the Bodice ~
The front of Vogue 8824 is perfect to reproduce the Pinterest dress. I started with the largest size the pattern offered - an XXL which is actually smaller than the traced pattern pieces I originally used. So I used the lengthen/shorten line on the pattern front and back to cut out the top of the dress.

I added a 5/8" seam allowance to the front so that I could make sure my top matched the inspiration dress. I also added a 5/8" seam to the bodice back. One of the things that I didn't like about the original dress was that there wasn't a zipper in the back to make it easier to get into the dress.  With this dress, I rectified that problem.  Though the only zipper I had on hand was a 12" invisible zipper so I added it, figuring that with the wide front neckline opening would help with the shorter zipper in the back.

Tissue fitting helped me to make sure the darts landed in the right place and that the length was good on me. Then after I sewed the top together and tried it on for fit, I realized that I wanted to make the front opening wider. So I folded the front pieces down one more time.

Assembling the Dress Bottom ~
After cutting the dress front and backs out, I measured the front of me and determined that I needed to add another 18" to the bottom of the dress to get the length I wanted.

I love the strips on the inspiration dress but to me there are just two many for my shape. So I divided the 18" into 3 and cut 6" wide strips the full length of the fabric which I cut off on either side after the strips were sewn to the dress.

When the strips were assembled and added to the dress bodice front and back, I basted one side seam together to insure the seams matched. Then stitched it flat and pressed it open. That's when the topstitching began...all the topstitching! 

The Topstitching~

• To make the topstitching, I used the triple stitch on my machine with a length of 4 using regular Gutterman thread.
• I first did some topstitching on the bodice front pieces in black but it melded into the fabric so it wouldn't be worth the time and effort and I really wanted topstitching.
• My choices were a purple, a royal blue and a teal thread.

I went with the royal blue choice after sending a sample to Gaylen asking her opinion.

So the topstitching commenced...though about halfway through I started to feel as if I'm repeating myself. All of the topstitching reminded me of this dress that I made in July/August 2013. It made me wonder if I'm just repeating myself or if I actually have anything new to add?! *sigh*

This was also the longest part of making the dress...and the most boring! It took me forever to get the topstitching done because I had to sew slowly and be precise or the topstitching would look awful.

However, when my daughter showed up to take the pictures, it was the part she noticed first and commented on.  So I guess all of the time sewing that topstitching was worth it!

Sleeves ~
I cut the sleeves out with a seam down the center of the sleeve for two reasons.

One because I was using the original sleeve pattern and was worried that it would be too tight through the biceps.  Two because originally I thought I would leave a slit in that center sleeve. But when I started working on the sleeves, I realized I had enough space and that nothing should take away from the topstitching. 

Though can I talk about the fact that I should have removed some of the ease from the sleeve cap because gathering that excess ease and inserting it into the sleeve? Cause it was a pain. I like smooth sleeve caps and this denim was thick and not easy to manipulate. I took the sleeves out a couple of times and reduced the bulk of the gathers as best as I could. However, it should have been removed prior to cutting out the fabric.

A few more pictures ~

The wind was blowing so hard that my updo 

was blowing all around!

Conclusion ~
When I put the dress on for the final fitting, I was sooooooo happy because not only did the dress fit but it was everything I wanted. Plus it's denim AND a dress, what's not to like!?!

The insert is from a piece of pleather I purchased from Emmaonesock after Christmas last year. I decided to just baste it into the dress front so that it can be removed when the dress is washed and dried.

Finally I love the details of the dress. I loved the challenge of sewing this dress, it made me feel like me again. It will be a great dress for the rest of the chilly spring days we're experiencing. I can also pull it out again in the fall to wear with some tights for another look so it was worth the effort.

I have two more denim dresses I want to make to before I move onto other pieces. Although as I look at these pics, I realize that I really don't know how to do casual! *LOL* But I'm wearing this to work anyway!

...as always more later!

Featured Sewist

It's always an honor when another blogger wants to feature you on their blog. Faye from Faye's Sewing Adventure, has been doing an amazing series on sewing bloggers and I'm up next. If you get a chance surf on over and read not only the interview she did with me but some of the other awesome sewists she has featured.

BTW, another denim dress is up on the blog tomorrow...

...as always more later! 

A Denim & Faux Leather Dress

I've been on the hunt for a great denim dress. I've spent quality time snoop shopping at Macy's Herald Square. I've searched the internet and especially Pinterest and I've come up with a list of denim dresses that I'd like to incorporate into my spring/summer wardrobe.

There are several reasons why denim dresses hold so much appeal for me now.

1. It allows me to wear a dress in my very casual work environment.
2. Denim dresses are something I've never really sewn before. I know that jeans are in and everyone is making them but I'm a dress girl so denim dresses really speak to me.
3. The dresses I've found and been inspired by are stored in an album on Pinterest. They've really sparked me creatively.
4. By limiting myself to the fabric I have on hand, I'm challenging myself to think outside the box and that's also exciting me.

So I'm making a couple of these as part of my Chicos Chic wardrobe. That said I did go my own way with this one.  I originally meant to sew a denim shift dress sort of like the examples I showed in my May Day post.  However, after pulling denim pieces down (yardage left over from making granddaughter dresses) nothing worked together like I imagined it.  Then I started to pull pieces from the pleather collection to see what would work with the denim remnants and that's when inspiration finally reared her head!

Here is what I came up with ~

This dress is made from a yard and a half of denim plus about a 1/2 yard of the faux leather. Since I started with my TNT dress pattern there are no instructions to give for this because I totally riffed it. I measured as I went so that everything matched and worked.

When I took my first pic and posted it on Instagram, I was awed by how cool it looked. I'm even more awed by the finish product. A TNT dress pattern that I reworked for my new life, yes!!!

A few things ~

• I used every piece of the yard and a half of denim in this dress. Even piecing some together to get the sleeves...there are only small scraps left.
• Surprisingly, the faux leather and the denim are similar weights so they work together and not against each other.
• Because the dress is unlined (who lines a denim dress?) I had to make facings for the dress...and those came from the scraps too.

Some more pictures ~

The first set of pictures were taken in the office...

...and these were taken at home...

Conclusion ~
There are several dresses in the pattern catalogs now that you can use to achieve this look, if you're interested. I would suggest Vogue 9017 or McCalls 6988. 

I'm thrilled with my new dress especially since it wore so well at work and I got quite a few compliments on it. However, even though it was denim, I still looked dressy for work. Good thing I had a dinner date with friends after work so I used that as my excuse! Look for more denim dresses to come since I've finished one more and started another!

...as always more later!