I’m back.  It’s been a few months since I’ve posted but like always happens, life gets in the way.  Work became really busy and I was doing a lot of overtime.  Then spring came a little early and it was time to clear land overrun with weeds, build planting boxes, installing watering systems, designing chicken coops and figuring out ways to keep the rabbits out of our vegetables. Plumbing problems in the new house has also been a challenge and ate up much of my time.

Sewing was put on the back burner but, luckily, all the extra work around the homestead manifested in a 16 pound weight loss without even trying.  Woo hoo!!!  You can imagine my surprise and happiness when I stepped on the scale that morning.  Inspired to continue the downward trend on the scale, I embarked on a Couch to 5K running program and ran my first 5K race at the beginning of May.  I was very proud of myself and have signed up for a mud run and water obstacle course in the following months.

But, the sewing bug is biting hard and I desperately need to get back in front of the sewing machine.  The weight loss means that everything in my closet is about 2 sizes too big and I’ve lost 2-3 inches on all my measurements.  I’m literally having to wear belts to hold my pants up and the temptation to go on a shopping spree for smaller sizes is rearing it’s ugly head.  I’d better get to sewing before I spend money on cheap clothing that won’t last beyond this summer.

So, I think slacks will be the next order of business for me and then probably some Clovers from Colette Patterns.  The last time I made the Clovers, the fabric didn’t hold up well.

The Negroni I made my husband over the winter was fun and I’d like to make another dress shirt for him.  The fabric I used for the Negroni was cheap and shrank after one washing even though I prewashed before I made it. So, I’ll be using much of my cheaper fabric for muslins and practice garments.

I’ll keep you updated with posts and pictures.  Until then…..

Pattern sizing

Hi, Everyone!  It's been a busy week around the homestead and I've been prepping my next project, Simplicity 2562.  I saw this pattern when it first came out but didn't really take notice until Erica Bunker made her wonderful yellow version. I'm getting excited to begin cutting and sewing.

I'm using a brown and black houndstooth fabric that I think will look very nice....

Here's my conundrum: the pattern sizing has me wearing the size 22.  Now, in ready to wear, I'm a size 12-14, depending on the label but I've noticed increasingly that pattern sizing has me far over and above my normal size.  I know that patterns do not run the same as ready to wear but I've never encountered them to be that far off!  Even the finished garment measurement at the hip has me at between a 16 and an 18. Luckily, I know that I will have to measure the pattern and make the necessary adjustments to attain the correct fit but, boy I tell you - there's nothing worse for your psyche than seeing your measurements off the charts large.

I've encountered this problem once before when making a Vogue pattern last year and I never finished it because I was so turned off by the pattern sizing having me - again - at a size 20. It hung on me like a sack of potatoes and was quite beyond adjustment. I know I *should* make muslins but I just hate having to do it.  Yet, I realize that they are becoming a necessary evil to keep me from wasting my good, more expensive fabric.  Drat!!

I need to remember that the pattern measurements are a jumping off point and not the end result. Perhaps I can make just a mock muslin for other future projects.  These pants, however, should not require one since they are meant to adjust to fit. 

Wish me luck.

I just can't help myself.

I was walking around the fabric store the other day because I need to make a baby shower gift.  As I walked through one of the quilting aisles, my eyes fell upon this:

Isn't it lovely?  Yes, it's quilting fabric but I thought it would make some nice pajamas.



Then, this past weekend, I went to a model train show in San Diego with my husband and low and behold, a small fabric company was there selling fabric.  How could I resist? Since I was making pj's for myself, I thought my husband and son would like some, too.  Father/son matching pj's?  Whaddya think?

Of course, making pj's are a quick and easy sewing fix and just something to quickly whip up in between projects. But they're so fun to sew and I can use all the great quilting fabrics that shouldn't be used for apparel sewing. 

In other news, as I mentioned above, I need to do some sewing for the baby shower of a co-worker.  I have the fabric and pattern picked out and I will post those when I get them.  I had been fairly unhappy with the fabrics I found at Joann's for this project because it was all so - ordinary.  Nothing fun or cute really stuck out.  So, I went online and found some really cute Robert Kaufman fabric at Fabric.com.  I can't wait to see it.  It really should make a darling outfit for a baby boy.

Until then, folks, have fun sewing!

Finally Finished!

Yes, Friends, the Negroni is at long last, finished.  I had to stay home today with my little one due to a cold he's been fighting and it gave me the opportune time to finish it up.

If you remember, I had to start from scratch on a second Negroni because the first one ended up being too small.  This pattern runs very, very small and next time I make it, I'm considering going up to the large size.

This was also my first time for sewing with stripes but luckily, the stripes weren't so prominent that I had to match everything.  In fact, I did no matching at all and it still turned out pretty good.  I had been tempted to cut the yoke and pocket on the bias (or is it against the bias??) to give the shirt more interest but I just didn't.  I left it as is.  My husband likes it so much he wants another one in a solid color.  Yes!

Pattern Description:   Men's shirt

Pattern Sizing: s-xl

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, very much so.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, but the sewalong on Male Pattern Boldness blog helped a great deal

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I loved that it was so easy.  It taught me skills I hadn't known for example, sewing cuffs.  I was also able to use some features on my new sewing machine that I hadn't used yet.

Fabric Used: cotton shirting

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I sewed the shirt with one pocket instead of two.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  Yes, I plan to sew more shirts with this pattern.

Conclusion:   This is a great pattern to sew.  My only problem with it is that it runs extremely small/slim. My husband is in no way a large guy and I still think I should have sewn the large size.  In addition, I think some of the steps are a little too fiddly for me i.e., the flat felled seam around the armseye (but I hate doing flat felled seams so perhaps that's a user issue, heheh). Still, I can see myself making many more shirts for my husband and he has sure enjoyed me making custom shirts for him.

Here are some detail pictures...

New Fabric

                                         photo credit: Thinkstock.com

Well, just over a month past the new year and I've already broken one of my resolutions which was not to buy any new fabric (unless it was men's or boy's wear fabric).  I didn't buy any new patterns but alas, I couldn't resist the fabric. 

 

 

This mint is a t-shirt knit that I plan on making a hoodie with.  I'm taking the Sewing with Knits class on Craftsy and I didn't really have any knits to sew with. So, that's how I'm justifying this purchase.  It is very light weight and will work well during the spring and summer.  It is such a luscious color that I just couldn't resist and since I'm wanting to have more color in my wardrobe, I caved and bought it.  I'm hoping to have enough for a t-shirt and a hoodie but we will see. 

 

 

This fabric is a drapey and silky woven that I think will be great for Vogue 8669.  It is a Very Easy Vogue pattern that I can wear to work or on the weekends with jeans.  I'm very picky about patterned fabric because I really don't feel I look good in them.  I usually end up buying solids as that's what I feel most comfortable in.  But, I fell in love with this fabric and it's a huge step for me.

 

So, needless to say, I've added two more items onto my growing list of project for the year.  But, I'm determined to fit more sewing into my schedule.  Both my hubby and my son need my skills.  My husband's wardrobe is deplorable since he is never able to find much that fits. It's mostly too big and he drowns in it and I hate dressing my son in the cheap junk that I find in department stores.  It's all littered with cartoon characters or pictures of cars and trucks.  I'd like to see him in different clothing - something with a little style. So, you can see that I will be making most of their clothes.  That's easy enough as men and boys have far fewer curves to deal with than us women.

Fashion Inspiration

I am always on the lookout for good color and outfit combinations for my wardrobe.  Like many of you, I like to browse Polyvore and Pinterest for fashion ideas and new trends.  Luckily, I am often inspired by those around me whether it be from a person on the street, something I see in the blogosphere or by someone in my office.  Since I don't consider myself to be a very fashionable person, I appreciate the efforts other women make to look their best and keep in mind the elements they use so that someday, maybe, I can use it, too.

Well, today I've been inspired by a lovely lady in my office.  Her name is Katrina and she always looks so great!  She wears the cutest outfits and I envy her wardrobe.  Now, it is easy to envy a younger woman her figure, her wardrobe and her ability to wear things we can no longer get away with but Katrina is a little different because she's not as young as she looks.  I won't tell you her age but I was shocked when she told me how old she is because she looks so much younger.  She is certainly blessed with good genes. 

Friday's at our office is casual dress day.  Most of us wear jeans and tennis shoes.  Occasionally, Katrina will also do the jeans and tennies but today, this is what she's wearing:

A simple black dress with a distressed denim jacket.

With her hair up in a bun, the hoop earrings and the necklace, she looks very casual and put together. Her outfit is comfortable yet sexy. It's really the perfect outfit for a warm winter day.  She has such a pretty face and generally wears a natural make up that compliments her skin tone and features.  Isn't she gorgeous?

The shoes, she told me, are Jessica Simpson and she got them at a local boutique for a song (under $30!).  Along with a really cute pedicure, the shoes make a really nice statement and compliment the outfit.

As I looked around the web to find patterns that would allow me to replicate this outfit.  I found a Kwik Sew pattern on Etsy for the jacket but it looked a little 1980s and not modern at all.  McCalls 5860 is a possibility but it would need to be shortened to achieve the same look. 

So, I was wondering, with the plethora of resources available to us, where you get your fashion inspirations from?  From the Internet?  From fashion magazines? Or do you get it mostly from those you see on a daily basis?

Fabric Sewing Guides

I’ve been working on the new Negroni for my husband.  I was almost finished when he returned from his business trip so I had him try it on and it was too small.  So, I had to start from scratch and make a new one.  I went to Joann’s and bought up the last of the fabric, prepped it and began again.  It’s been slow going but it’s coming along so hopefully, I will be finished with it by the weekend.

In other news, I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately and went to my local library to peruse the sewing books they had.  Well, they had a deplorable selection but they did have one book that I thought might be kind of interesting.  It’s Claire Shaeffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide and I thought it would be a good idea to improve my fabric knowledge. 

I’ve wanted a fabric guide for some time so I’ve been shopping the book stores to see what’s available.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what I’m looking for in a fabric guide, and I’m sure that many sewers love this book but frankly, I didn’t get it. It has a great deal of fantastic information – how to handle the fabric, what kind  of needles and thread to use with it, what kind of garments the fabric works best on, etc.  I think perhaps that I’m trying to read it cover to cover and not reading it as it was intended – an encyclopedic volume of information.  It’s the kind of book that will sit on the shelf more than being used and that’s not such a good thing. Certainly not worth spending the money on a book that won’t be used much.  I’m glad I got this from the library instead of buying it sight unseen.

Kitty wanted my attention!

So, I have a question for you, dear readers - what fabric guide do you like?