June in Review...

Sewing

Most of my month has been dedicated to making the most adorable little girl dresses. I have to admit that this has been the most fun I had sewing in a long time.  

And then there was sewing for the stash-busting contest over at Pattern Review where I realized that there are people with larger fabric stashes than my own. Yikes! I managed to come in 10th in the overage yardage used count. I managed to use up twenty-three point four yards of fabric that has been in my stash for six months or longer. Of course, that might change by mid-night today. I should confess that I found some lovely silk noir and wool on sale over at Northwest this month and added another twenty-four metres of fabric to my stash. So that wipes out all the good I did during the stash-busting contest. As of right now, the person in the lead has used eighty-two point eight yards! The whole group stash-busted a total of eight hundred forty-five point three yards. That unidentifiable sound you hear is some back patting going on around the globe. I'm refraining from back-patting because I'm busy stroking my wool and silk finds.   

RTW Fast

I did a horrible job this month when it came to my pledge to stop buying ready-to-wear clothing when I actively sought out work-out clothing. I picked up a jacket with pockets to hold my iPod while working out.  And a pair of biking shorts that actually fit. Oh yeah and that striped Kate Spade Saturday tee-shirt in the most gorgeous cotton knit fabric. And that Donna Karan mock-wrapped knit skirt. My bad.  

Stats

Sewing Supplies	Used from Stash	Additions to the stash
Basting Tape	2.08 metres
Bias Tape
Buttons	24
Chain		1.3 metres
Elastic	.83 metres
Fabric	48.34 metres	83.9 metres
Interfacing	1.46 metres
Lace Trim	1.2 metres	6 metres
Lining	1.9 metres
Needles
Hooks and Eyes
Pattern	6 previously used 16 new	22
Ribbon	12.7 metres	13 metres
Serger Thread	2
Sewing Machine Needle	2
Snaps	4
Spools of Thread	7	4
Velcro
Zipper	2 - 22” invisible 1 - 12" invisible 1 - 8”  invisible 1 - 7" invisible	1 - 18" zipper 1 - 8" invisible 1 - 22" invisible

  

Items	Totals-to-date
Tops	4
Pants / Shorts	1
Dresses	11
Sweaters	0
Coats	0
Jackets Shirt	1 1
Skirts	3
Hats	0

Happy Sewing!

Mizono #5

Stash-busting 2015: Lynn Mizono Reversible Dress 

Fabric:     2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of various cotton fabrics 

Buttons:   4 recycled buttons 

Ribbon:    2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of ribbon 

Pattern:    Vogue 1455 (already priced out with previous versions)

I hope you're not sick of seeing (or reading about) yet another version of Vogue 1455. 

I don't know if there is anything else to say about this dress pattern other than to show and tell. And the only thing I have to tell you is that this is the fifth version of Vogue 1455 that I've made and the third  one sewn in a size two.  

Here is the reverse side, I used up the last bit of this cotton that I used for a kAtheRine Tilton top I made a few years ago. This black and white cotton along with the pink plaid has to be my favourite pieces of fabric that I used for these dresses.  

Well, I think that will be all of the Mizono dresses I'll be making for awhile. The next sewing project will be an adult sized creation.  

Happy Sewing!  

Vintage Boy's Shirt

Stash-busting 2015:  Simplicity 4166

Fabric:           1.14 metres (1 1/4 yards) 100% cotton

Interfacing:    0.11 metre (1/8 yard) fusible interfacing

Buttons:         4 vintage buttons

Pattern:          Vintage Simplicity 4166

I made this short sleeve shirt for a friend's son who likes to wear ties. Lately he hasn't been able to because the temperatures have made a long sleeve dress shirt a crazy option. Sew a short sleeve dress shirt seemed like the perfect project.  

I found the pattern on etsy and was thrilled when it was a local seller selling it. I felt confident that it would arrive in ample time to whip this up before the end of the school year. The envelope did arrive in record time but it was the wrong pattern. But luck was on my side as the seller quickly sent the correct pattern on it's way and this was a quick make.  

Maybe I should rephrase that... I took a few shortcuts since I was short on time. Instead of sewing flat felled seams I opted to use my serger to finished the seams.  

The fabric, buttons, interfacing and thread were all found in my stash. The fabric has been in my stash for quite some time to be completely honest I don't know where or when I picked it up. The four buttons were left over from a used package and turned out to be the perfect amount. White thread is a staple in my stash so there was no worries about matching here.  

Well, one more wee-item to sew... 

Happy Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

The pattern I have been waiting for arrived on Thursday.  

I'm so happy that I ordered from a local seller because otherwise I don't think it would have arrived in time. Despite the fact that I need to make this by Monday, I haven't even started it. I've been sick this month fighting a cough that won't quit. After a visit with the doctor yesterday, I'm now on a round of antibiotics for a lung infection. Could my timing be worse? But I digress... 

Along with this little boys shirt pattern came a couple of other items. I swear, it feels like it is Christmas or my birthday or something where gifts are involved.

There is another little boys' shirt and pants pattern, Butterick 2122, but in a size 6 and a card of sewing needles that came with the Simplicity boys' shirt pattern. What a sweet gesture and total surprise.

And I also received a very generous gift certificate from Fabricland from one of my co-workers this past week.

Well, that's all in sewing news today...

Happy Sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

Last week I purchased this pattern.

I came home from work on Friday, thrilled that an envelope had arrived. I opened it and was quickly saddened to find this pattern.

I didn't order this pattern. As a matter of fact, I actually have this pattern in my stash in a larger size. I'm disappointed because I ordered from a local seller thinking that it should arrive shortly which it did except it was the wrong pattern.

I wanted to make a little short sleeve shirt for another co-worker's child and this week is our final week at work. Thankfully, I was able to reach the seller and she graciously apologized and offered to send the correct pattern on its way. She even offered to let me keep the pattern that was sent but I won't feel right about keeping it so it is also on its way back to the seller. So she offered to reimburse the shipping cost I will occur from shipping it back.

So Sew that leaves me with some free time until it arrives. Yup, it still hasn't arrived. Fingers are crossed that it will arrive tomorrow. I do have one more Vogue 1455 that I could whip up.

Talking about Vogue 1455, I did hear some feedback from one of the Mom's. Her daughter received and tried on this dress in a size 4 and reported that the dress front neckline sits too low and that it needs to be taken in at the shoulder seam.   I actually had that problem with the adult version of this dress, Vogue 1410. I guess this is a design flaw? It just seems odd that it is the same issue I found in my own version. Something to keep in mind when I made another.  

Well, that is all that is new in sewing news today...

Happy Sewing!

Mizono #4

Stash-busting 2015: Lynn Mizono Reversible Dress 

Fabric:     2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of various cotton fabrics $13.78 ($5.99 on sale + taxes)

Buttons:   4 vintage buttons 79₵

Ribbon:    2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of ribbon $1.17 (0.45 + taxes)

Pattern:    Vogue 1455 (already priced out with previous versions)

I have to admit this one is my favourite of the bunch because it has a silk plaid fabric that I used to make my niece a dress seventeen years ago. This gorgeous piece of fabric has been in my stash for even long than that as it came back with me from my Toronto days. I'm actually thrilled that I was able to make another dress with this fabric. The pink contrasting cotton sateen fabric also originated from Toronto over twenties years ago. I have a small piece of this fabric left and in the past I made a men's shirt and used it as pocket and front fly lining for a pair of jeans.  

The reverse side is more made out of more recent fabric; years recent, not decades. The cream and light grey coloured grosgrain ribbons were in the stash and I can't remember how long. And the four pink buttons were on a card that was priced under a dollar, that's how old they are.   

The four Mizono dresses are packed up and ready to deliver tomorrow, fingers crossed that they are well received.  

Happy Sewing!  

Mizono #3

Stash-busting 2015:  Itsy-Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Yellow Polka-Dotted Dress

Fabric:     3.8 metres (4.14 yards) of various cotton fabrics $47.23 ($22.00/metre - 50% off + taxes)

Buttons:   4 buttons $1.36 ($1.20 + taxes)

Ribbon:    2. metres (2 1/2 yards) of ribbon $1.17 (0.45 + taxes)

Pattern:    Vogue 1455 (new pattern size), $10.76 ($5.99 online sale + shipping costs + taxes + exchange rate))

So Sew this was the fabric combination that I went with after consulting with the little gal's Mom. The little gal that will be receiving the dress loves the colour yellow. Of course, that meant that I had to use the yellow fabric for the main body of the dress. After tracing out the size seven, I feared that I might not have enough fabric after cutting yellow hem bands for this dress. Thankfully, I was able to squeeze out enough yellow for the main dress fabric. It didn't help that my fabric widths were thirty-nine inches. I contrasted it with the same type of fabric in the orange. The reverse side I went with the white and cream batik fabric with the dark yellow fabric as the contrasting hem band. 

And this is how it turned out.  

For the yellow fashion fabric I went with a lighter yellow ribbon with white polka dots instead of the yellow ribbon I initially thought about using.  And the ribbon with the white and cream side is actually a taupe colour but somehow it looks more on the pink side in the photograph. 

The pattern is still on my favourite list but I should mention that I found on the smaller size combination that some of the notches did not match up correctly. I found the same issue on this size combination as well. But there is no need for alarm because this is a well drafted pattern that is easy to put together even without any notches.  

Happy Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

Guess what I found when I was out and about this weekend?  

I was all over this ornamental Singer sculpture. But wait, it gets better. It sits on top of a little box.  

Perfect for storing my sewing machine needles. Cute and functional, what more can a gal ask for?  

In other sewing news, I'm having a hard time deciding on the next set of fabrics for the final version of Vogue 1455.  

The little gal who will get the next dress likes the colour yellow. I was thinking about using the black and white prints before I discovered that important piece of information. And then I discovered this yellow piece in my stash. 

What do you think about the cream and white fabric (top left) for the main dress part with the opposite black and white print (bottom right) as the hem band? The reverse side I'm thinking the yellow for the main dress part with the white and black print (bottom left) for the contrasting hem band. Do you thing the prints are too matchy-matchy?  

Or I could go with these fabrics... The yellow in the centre I could use for the main dress piece with the orange fabric as the hem band. And for the reverse side, I was thinking the white and cream fabric for the main dress piece with the darker yellow (top right) as the contrast hem band.  

Decisions! Which fabric combination do you think I should chose? Opinions are most welcome.  

Well, that's all in sewing news today.  Happy Sewing!  

Mizono #2

Stash-busting 2015:  Lynn Mizono Children's Dress #2

Fabric:     2.75 metres (3 yards) of various cotton fabrics $25.28 (prices ranged from $5.99 to $8.00/metre + taxes)

Buttons:   4 buttons @ $2.25 ($1.99 + taxes)

Ribbon:    2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of ribbon $1.17 (0.45 + taxes)

Pattern:    Vogue 1455 already priced out with the first one.  

This little dress is made in size 4. I'm still having fun sewing these dresses up. I love that they are reversible and that adds to the puffiness of the bubble hem. At risk of sounding bias, this pattern is the cutest!  

The fabrics came together after much searching based on some red ribbon. One of the contrasting hem bands were cut from left over fabric from this project.  The red and white fabrics used for the main body of the dress were found at Northwest Fabrics about a year and a half ago. It is the only fabric that has some stretch. And the other contrast band hem fabric in yellow came from Fabricland last year. I would have never imagined that these fabrics would come together in one project when I first picked them up.

Although I chose the white fabric with the red dots because it was a lighter cotton, I should have interfaced the area where the buttonhole went on the front. I found that my buttonholes were not as perfect as I wished them to be because of some shifting. It also happened on the contrasting fabric. Luckily, it is not noticeable when the ribbon is tied. 

I can retire this pattern in sizes CDD (2-3-4-5) and move on to the other size combination CL (6-7-8).  I have one more to make in a size 7.  

Happy Sewing!  

National Sewing Machine Day!

Did you know that National Sewing Machine Day is celebrated two times in a year?  Today happens to be one of those days and the other occurs during National Sewing Month on September 10th.  

I'm going to be good to my machine and clean out all that lint that has collected in the bobbin and feed-dog area. And then I'm going to get back to the dress, Vogue 1455, sitting on my cutting table. What will you be doing to celebrate?  

Happy Sewing!  

Cutest Dress Ever!

Stash-busting 2015:  Lynn Mizono Children's Dress #1

Fabric:     2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of various cotton fabrics $13.78 ($5.99 on sale + taxes)

Buttons:   4 buttons (recycled)

Ribbon:    2.3 metres (2 1/2 yards) of ribbon $1.17 (0.45 + taxes)

Pattern:    Vogue 1455 $10.76 ($5.99 online sale + shipping costs + taxes + exchange rate)

This itty-bitty reversible dress is the cutest thing I've made in the longest time. I'm making up three as teacher gifts this year with the understanding that I get to blog about it. Here goes... 

The first dress out of the three I'll be making is a size two. I used four different fabrics from my stash. This is a great pattern for using up those small pieces left over from other projects. Some of the fabric pieces that I pulled to mix-and-match are fabrics used from when my niece was a wee-little gal (who is now in university). The bird print has been in my stash for quite some time, it is a lighter weight cotton that I mixed with a purple and white floral print. The contrasting purple and white cotton print was a length taken off  a dress that Mama R was holding onto for some reason. It worked perfectly for this occasion. The blue and pink ribbon shown on this side has been in my stash for decades I'm sure. Quite possibly as long as that purple and white floral print has been in Mama R's stash.   

The pattern is Vogue 1455, a mini Lynn Mizono design. And the pattern pieces mimic the pattern piece from Vogue 1410. Except this little girl's dress is reversible and the dress front and back pieces are cut in two to create the contrasting band pieces. Hidden buttons on the side seam create the bubble hem.  

This mini-me version didn't call for French seams. Instead, it asks for the seams to be double stitched which I feel is unnecessary but I did it anyway. All my seams edges are finished with an overlock stitch.

Here's the reverse side. This fabric is a heavier weight than the other cottons I used on the dress. It is the only piece of quilting fabric that makes up this dress. I mixed this orange, pink and grey X's and O's print with a pink and white polka-dot print. And I used a wider width of white ribbon for this side.  The dress also requires four buttons to create the bubble hem and since those are hidden I was able to recycle two different pairs of buttons from my stash.  

This pattern is a complete joy to sew just on the cuteness factor alone.  If you're looking for a little gal pattern to make, I think you should give this one a try.  

Happy Sewing!

McCall's 7122

Stash-busting 2015:  Maxi-Length Dress

Fabric:    3.10 metres polyester knit fabric  (to be completely honest I couldn't tell you how much I paid for this fabric)

Pattern:   McCall's 7122 $5.65 ($5.00 pattern sale + taxes)

Okay, let me start by saying I really like this dress. Seriously, I whipped this one up in an afternoon.  

The fabric has been in my stash for many, many moons. I actually put this fabric in the donate pile a long time ago. Mama R rescued it when she realized what I was up to.  She held onto to it for many years and it recently made it back to my stash.  

I thought that I would use it as a muslin test fabric but to tell you the truth I'm kind-of-all-smitten over the retro print. Who would have thought?  

The fabric reminds me of polyester fabric from by-gone days. By the way it feels you would think that I found it in the authentically retro basement section of Mitchell Fabrics. But I do remember picking this up at a bargain price when Fanny Fabrics was shutting down.

The learn to sew for fun pattern, McCall's 7122, is an easy and quick make. This is really a great pattern for beginners. It is well-drafted and the pieces fit together perfectly.  

Now, I will admit that I did make a few changes.  I cut this out in a medium and kept it close-fitting at the bust but just below the bust towards the hem I added some width to the dress to allow for more ease around the mid-section and hip area. I did this by adding a total of three inches of additional ease. And there is no side slit on this version. I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  

Happy Sewing!  

Sorry for the Delay...

So Sew sorry for the delay in announcing the pattern give-away winner.

I'm going to use the random number generator and will use this order:

1.  MaryEllen
2.  Dk's Wife
3.  Paula
4.  twotoast
5.  Janet
6.  andib

And the pattern give-away winner is:

Janet, Congratulations!  I'll be sending you an email shortly.

Happy Sewing!

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Stash-busting 2015:  Jacket

Fabric:    1.9 metres 100% cotton jacquard @ $30.06 ($28.00/metre - 50% off + taxes)

Lining:    1.9 metres Bemberg @ $17.18 ($16.00/metre - 50% off + taxes)

Pattern:  Vogue 9096 @ $8.48 ($7.50 sale price + taxes)

This pattern is a keeper! I like everything about it. It is well drafted and came together perfectly. The fit is spot on, I didn't have to adjust a thing (more on that later). And I adore the asymmetrical design between the two front pieces.

And I came up with this jacket which I will add is super comfortable and perfect for work in the warmer months. I made it out of a rose motif cotton jacquard fabric found at Fabricland in the home decor department.   

The jacket is fully lined to the edge and top-stitched. Even the applied upper right front piece is lined. I do wish that I had underlined my fabric with silk organza to give the left front piece more shape but to be completely honest that is a minor concern. Just something to remember for next time.

I really do like the raglan sleeve on this jacket. It is a two-piece sleeve similar to the the dress I recently completed with the seam extending from the shoulder line.

I did give the back pattern piece a little more width at the centre back hem area. And that was my only adjustment to the pattern. I'm just surprised that a jacket without pockets could make me this happy.

Happy Sewing!




  

WooHoo! (And Pattern Give-away)

I have reached a blog milestone; 1 000 published posts! Actually, this one makes 1 001. First off, thank you to all of you who visit the blog and leave comments. It is really absolutely inspiring and motiving to be part of this online sewing community. I would like to thank you in words and with a pattern give-away.  

As you know, Marcy Tilton is one of my favourite designers over at Vogue patterns and I have Vogue 9035 in size combination E5 (includes sizes 14 to 22).  

Here's the drill:  

✄  Leave a message in the comment section telling how you follow this blog.

✄  Promise not to sell it.

✄ Provide a good home for this pattern where it will be cherished, used, shared and made into fabulous garments.  

✄  Leave a method that I can reach you if you win (email contact info)

✄  I promise to draw for the pattern on Friday, June 5th.   

Happy Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

I've been busy this weekend cutting out circular shapes for baby jar covers. This project is for work. The jars are part of the volunteer appreciation gifts.  

The last of the emerald green silk

I cut a total of seventy-five from silk fabric that was found in my left over stash of fabric. Twenty-five in a mint green silk duponi, twenty-five in a mint green silk noir and the last twenty-five in an emerald green colour. It was nice to use up the rest of this fabric. It was too small to make a garment but perfect for this project. Although, I can tell you, my hand is killing me. I think I need to put down the pinking shears, step away from the computer, put on the brace and pick up that book for a bit.  

Would you believe I'm only starting chapter four? [holding head in shame]

I will put the book down again once my hand feels ready to return to sewing. I have teacher gifts to make. This year I'm going to make little girl dresses for two of the teacher's daughters. I'm using one of the new Vogue patterns. The pattern pieces are the same shape as the grown-up version but this dress is reversible. I think it is adorable but then I might be bias because I love my own version very much!   

I need to make three dresses, one will be in this fabric combination.

And the other two will be in these fabrics.

I'm trying to use up fabrics from my stash in hopes to participate in the stash-busting competition over at Pattern Review.  And there is a baby onsie to make for a preggy co-worker. It looks like June is going to be a busy month. 

Happy Sewing!