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Would you vote for me, please?

Evening, friends! I am dropping you a quick line to let you know that my recent make, the halter maxi dress in the Anna Maria Horner Sinister Swarms fabric from Hart’s Fabric is entered in their weekly Sew Your Hart Out contest. You can help me win a $50 gift card to Hart’s by liking this photo. And while you’re at it, I would love for you to “like” Susie Homemaker, MD on Facebook, too.

Think you would like to win a prize from Hart’s? They are giving away weekly prizes for items made from their fabrics. You can also enter to win the grand prize of a brand new Janome sewing machine (no finished garments required!).

I hope to get some sewing done this weekend and will try to bring you another completed project next week (and this next one may be quite fancy). I may also have a Thirsty Thursday in the works. Stay tuned and happy weekend! And thanks for voting on my photo!

Tags: dress, fabric

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects, Fabric Shopping!!!

Simplicity 1610 — The Moth Halter Maxi

4 Sep

Happy National Sewing Month, friends! I hope everyone is enjoying the end of summer (or winter for you South of the Equator folks). Life has been busy in these parts with back to school (both at home and at the office). But don’t worry — I have found a little time for sewing and have a small backlog of projects to share with you.

First up, though, I had to share this maxi dress made from Anna Maria Horner Sinister Swarm rayon challis in tangerine. I ordered this from Hart’s Fabric a few months ago, and since they are hosting Sew Your Hart Out September, I thought this would be a great first post for the month.

I have become a huge fan of rayon challis lately. It is soft and silky but not as slippery as silk. It isn’t quite as easy to work with as cotton but it is heaps better than charmeuse! You’ll hear more about my recent charmeuse shenanigans soon.

I love the large, bold print of this fabric. The background is a combination of two shades of blue and it is covered in huge moths in bright colors. It has a little bit of an 80s feel to me and right now I think this is the closest I am going to get to all the psychedelic colors I am seeing everywhere. I think I am still a bit too scarred by all those horrible 80s fashions we had to wear as children!

For the pattern, I wanted something that would showcase the large-scale of the print, so I chose a maxi dress. I had been wanting to make up Simplicity 1610 because of the halter bodice with princess seams, so it was a perfect match. The skirt is shaped by several pleats along the waistline and this worked well with the soft drape of the challis.

Instead of a traditional FBA, I decided to cut the shoulder and bust according to my full bust size and then just add some length to the front bodice. I did this because my upper bust and full bust measurements are less than 2″ difference (although I am a D cup) and commercial patterns recommend the B cup based on this. But since I know that commercial patterns made without adjustments are always too short in the bodice, I added length to account for that.

I have to say that I am not pleased with the results. The princess seam lines do not cross my full bust point and the neckline on this dress is a little boobalicious. And despite that, there is excess fabric above the bust. I guess I am just shaped weirdly and I should listen to my instincts when making pattern mods (i.e. note to self — you always need to do a FBA on commercial patterns).

The pattern calls for a lapped centered back zip so I obliged and handpicked the overlap while I was getting a pedicure. It’s not my best work but it definitely gets the job done! I still have to attach the hook and eye at the top.

I did stray from the pattern specifications on the neck strap closure. The pattern calls for buttons and fabric loops but because I cut my straps a little long and didn’t feel like altering them after they were sewn, I just hammered a snap onto the end of each snap to secure the halter. I think it turned out just fine.

The pattern calls for lining the bodice only so I used some navy cotton batiste and serged the waistline seam to finish it. I used French seams to finish the pocket bags and skirt side seams. I finished the dress with a narrow 1/4″ machine stitched hem.

I reinforced the zipper opening with some fusible interfacing — I just wish I had applied it to the wrong side of the bodice pieces so it wouldn’t be so visible. That’s not a deal breaker, though. The pattern also calls for running elastic along the upper edge of the back bodice. I did this step but did cut the elastic pieces shorter than directed because I find Big 4 patterns always leave the elastic too loose. If I ever make this dress again, I will redraft the bodice pieces so elastic is not necessary as I don’t really like the look and it doesn’t really help hold the dress up.

I stitched the surplice wrap front so that it wouldn’t gape open and you can see the stitching from the wrong side (but not the right side). I also eased some clear elastic into the surplice seams to help them hug my body (it is hidden under the bands).

Finally, you can see the dress on me but all I have are a few shotty iPhone pics. I am definitely pleased with the overall result of this dress. While there are a few things I would do differently next time, I will be wearing this dress often.

For this “photo shoot” I paired the dress with a wide coral belt, my Cole Haan clutch, Reef flops, and my Kluster coral necklace.

Tags: challis, dress, halter, maxi, rayon, simplicity

Comments 17 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

In-House Patterns Blossom Blouse

9 Aug

Howdy, friends! I hope you have been busy sewing/baking/creating tons of wonderful things. I have been sewing a good deal but have recently had some minor computer issues with my 1-year-old iMac (read: failed hard drive that is requiring replacing), so blogging has been a bit difficult lately. Luckily, I had already uploaded these pics to WordPress before the screen of death descended on my computer so I do have one project to share with you.

A little while back Alexandra of In-House Patterns (you may remember her Belle Bow Blouse I sewed up previously), contacted me to see if I would be interested in trying out her new Blossom pattern. Since we all love a freebie and I know Alexandra drafts an excellent pattern, I quickly answered in the affirmative and she sent me the pdf file.

With this pattern, she tried something a little different with the tiled pdf pages, and I must say I love it! Instead of having to fold and cut and overlap pages to make the pattern page, you simply butt the printed pages up together and tape them — no cutting or folding necessary! This is awesome in my mind since I hate cutting with scissors (I am a rotary girl). The only drawback (if you can really call it that), is that the printed lines do not extend all the way to the edges of the paper — they stop within about 1/2 inch of the edge — so you may want to fill those in before you cut. But I didn’t and everything worked out just fine.

I pulled a fabric from my stash for this top — a luscious tan silk charmeuse with black polka dots of varying sizes. I picked up two yards of this dreamy fabric two years ago in Atlanta at Gail K’s. I can’t tell you how important it is to use a drapey fabric for this pattern. I considered using a cotton lawn but that would have been a disaster. You really want something that floats and moves around your body. And if you enjoy petting it because it feels so good, that’s an added bonus 🙂

While the Blossom blouse is not my typical style as I go for more tailored or fitted clothes, I think Alexandra did a good job of designing this blouse to look loose and airy while not having a maternity look. Especially since there are separate pattern pieces for different bust cup sizes, you don’t get a lot of excess fabric draping out from under the bust (or the tent effect!). On a side note, our downtown has been quite the tourist attraction this summer so I thought I would join the fun for these photos and mingle amongst the shopping visitors 🙂

As I found with the Belle Blouse, this shirt is also drafted very close to the pattern measurements. I cut the medium and it fits well overall but I could probably use a tad more room in the upper bust/shoulder area as it pulls a bit when I move my arms forward, but this isn’t a surprise as I have broad shoulders.

Everywhere else fits great, and as usual, the directions for finishing are wonderful and even include some techniques I had not seen before.

For example, the directions tell you to sew the sleeve hem band on right side to the wrong side of the inside of the sleeve then turn it out and fold it up then topstitch in place on the right side of the sleeve. What a professional looking sleeve!

Alexandra also drafts the pattern without excess seam allowances so pay attention to this (she mentions it clearly in the directions). I love this since I hate trimming seams.

The only change I would make on my next version would be to create an inner back yoke piece instead of the back facing. I just think this would look cleaner.

I would also raise the neckline as there is no way this top would ever be decent on me without a cami underneath. Style thought: this pattern in a longer version would make a great swimsuit coverup.

So in summary, the Blossom blouse is a wonderful new pattern by independent designer In-House Patterns and I highly recommend it!

Tags: blouse, in house patterns, silk

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

Simplicity 1664 — Bustier-Style Peplum Top

4 Jul

I’m back with another completed item and a sewing pattern review for you!

You may remember seeing this top for the first time during Me Made May (on days 17 and 25). It is Simplicity 1664, a Threads magazine-designed sportswear set pattern, which I must confess I bought solely for the shirt pattern. But at $1.99 who can resist?

I was pleasantly surprised by this pattern as it didn’t have excessive ease and the instructions were excellent.

Did I mention I used a pink satin lining? 🙂

Apparently they were written by someone from Threads so they included details like edgestitching the facing to the lining, a feature I have never seen in a commercial pattern. As written, the pattern yields a very professionally finished, well-fitted top.

The only change I made was to ease some twill tape along the top neckline seamline to prevent some gape-age that was occurring. This method was a trick that I learned from Gretchen Hirsch’s Bombshell dress class on Craftsy. I cut the tape 1″ shorter than the neckline on each side of center and eased it onto the seam allowance and then sewed it just outside the seam line to make the top of the shirt hug my body better. This trick worked like a charm!

I didn’t do a full bust adjustment on this pattern, I just graded from a 14 at the should and neck to a 16 at the full bust, back to a 14 at the waist.

Top: Me Made!
Skirt: “Vintage” Studio M white linen sailor style (med school era)
Shoes: Michael Kors wedges
Sunglasses: Ray Bans
Jewelry: Kenneth Cole bangles, Premier necklace

On my next version (which may show up as a dress), I will cut a 16 through the shoulder and bust as the underarm area is a little snug and the bust fits great, and I will taper the waist in to a 12 as there is a bit too much ease there. I will also add 1/2″ in length at the front center tapering to 0 at the side to account for the full bust.

On this version, I didn’t have the separating zipper that was called for, so I used a regular zipper and left a 1″ seam sewn at the bottom and did a lapped zipper application above that. Since the zipper is purple and my top is navy, I have plans to eventually replace the zipper with the appropriate type and color. I also botched the hook and eye at the top of the zip so I plan to correct that eventually, too.

All in all, this is an awesome top pattern that I can’t recommend highly enough. The directions are excellent and the results are very professional.

And if you haven’t noticed yet, this top features a peplum — are you starting to wonder if that’s all I know how to make (case in point)?

I hope this review has been helpful and inspiring, and for my USA readers, I included a little red, white, and blue for you in honor of our country’s birthday — Happy Independence Day!

Tags: blouse, fabric, peplum, shirt, simplicity

Comments 16 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

McCall’s 6559 — Knit Maxi Dress

11 Jun

Ladies and gentlemen, I have found my official pattern for summer — McCall’s 6559. This knit tank dress pattern (post-tweaks, of course) is nearly perfect — easy, casual, chic, and comfy. On top of that it is quick and easy to sew up since it only involves two pattern pieces plus neck and armhole bands. My fabric for this dress was one of my treasures from last year’s NYC trip. I don’t know the exact fiber content but I would guess some viscose and elastane. It is a lightweight, soft knit with great recovery.

M6559

I strayed from the pattern instructions (didn’t even look at them, actually) for the neckline and armhole binding. I have never been satisfied with the bands that most patterns call for so when Lauren at Lladybird posted about this binding method from Megan Nielsen, I was all over it. I LOVE the results and don’t think I’ll ever go back to the bands unless I have a fabric that is uncooperative. I stabilized my neckline with knit staytape from Emma Seabrooke and used Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 and a twin stretch needle for my hem. I have gotten so many compliments on this dress, especially about how professional the finishes look.

As with all Big 4 knit patterns I have encountered, this one runs huge so I just based my size choice off of finished pattern measurements, going with a 12 in the shoulder, grading to a 14 at the bust/under the arms for a cheater FBA, tapering in to a 10 at the waist and then back out to a 14 at the hips. If I had gone by the measurement chart I would have cut a 16 in the bust, 14 in the waist and an 18 in the hips!

I started with a wearable muslin from a sturdy cotton knit and realized that I would have to make all future versions with a center back seam if I wanted it to fit my figure. I had to take a 3/4″ swayback adjustment and then added a 1″ wedge back in over the derriere to accommodate for the swayback adjustment plus some for the junk-trunk.

There will definitely be more versions of this dress in both the long and short varieties. On the next rendition, I think I will go ahead and trim the seam allowances down to 1/4″ for serging and I will raise the neckline a bit to make it more work-friendly. I will also take a bit more out for the swayback adjustment so it hugs my low back better. Finally, because my fabric is a bit heavy, this dress could use some reinforcement in the side seams to support the weight. I will be adding some clear elastic to the seam allowances from the underarm to the hip to prevent stretching and will keep this in mind for future versions if the fabric is really stretchy. I don’t think it will be an issue with less stretchy knits.

So what do you think? Could knit dresses be your go-to this summer?

Tags: dress, easy, knit, McCall's, new york, quick

Comments 26 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

Me Made May ’13 — Part 3

1 Jun

Well folks, the month has finally drawn to a close and I have successfully completed my first Me Made May challenge. I must say it was a great confidence builder to be able to wear self-stitched or altered items each day for 31 days straight. I even managed to make it more than 2/3 of the month without repeating an item! As you have seen from my photos, I have several new items that have yet to be given official blog posts, but I will do my best to get those documented in the upcoming weeks. So without further ado, here are the last 12 days of my month’s wardrobe:

Me Made: Simplicity 2599 ruffle blouse
RTW: Nordstrom pencil skirt, Tessyla necklace, Cole Haan shoes

May 20 (Monday) — Today was a full day in the office. Nothing exciting to report.

Me Made: Refashioned David Kahn white jean capris
RTW: CAbi seahorse camisole and lacy jacket, turquoise necklace, nude patent flats

May 21 (Tuesday) — Another day at the office. I hosted a CAbi party at my house the next night so my friend who sells the clothing brought her entire collection to my house a few days early so I could “test” things out. I borrowed the cute seahorse cami and lacy jacket to wear to work this day with some refashioned white jean capris. The capris are at least 5 years old and had a very flared hemline until I slimmed them down. That was my first time to ever work with denim. As long as no one looks up close at the seams and hems, I will be in good shape 🙂

Me Made: In-House Patterns Belle Bow Blouse
RTW: Cookie Johnson straight leg white jeans, Kluster white coral necklace, Franco Sarto nude bow pumps (worn only for photo — being returned because they are too small)

May 22 (Wednesday) — My day off and my first repeated item. I spent the morning dropping my car off to get serviced then met a new sewing buddy for some fitting help with a jacket project (Thanks, Nancy! You are incredible!!!) Nancy was so sweet and sent me away with an armload of awesome sewing goodies — patterns, fabric, notions — I feel so spoiled!

This was also the night of the CAbi party that I hosted for my friend Catherine. For the party I made peach margaritas, fresh guacamole, and strawberry cupcakes with strawberry swiss buttercream; I picked up a party platter of fajita fixings from a local Mexican restaurant to round out the menu. Yum! We had a great time having a girls’ night in. Photographed here with Jennifer, one of my best friends since first grade.

Me Made: Simplicity 2648 as a peplum top
RTW: LOFT denim jacket, vintage (college-era) black maxi skirt, turquoise necklace, Cole Haan purse, Cole Haan black peep toe low heel pumps

May 23 (Thursday) — A full day at the office at usual but in the evening my 5-year-old niece graduated from her pre-K school. I cannot believe she will be a kindergartener next year! The black skirt you see me wearing here is at least 12 years old. I bought it when I was in college and have hung on to it since, knowing that it would come back in style again. Unfortunately the elastic in the waistband has dried out so I will have to replace it before I can wear it again or I will risk wardrobe malfunction. I am posing here with the niece of honor and my mom.

Me Made: Unblogged Jalie 2921 scarf neck tee with ties wrapped to back (so glad I figured this out!)
RTW: Cookie Johnson white straight leg jeans, Etsy necklace, nude Nine West low heel pumps

May 24 (Friday) — TGIF and I’m not on call! Plus this is the weekend I get to spend sewing nonstop at the Sandra Betzina workshop at All About Sewing. In this photo I am working on McCall’s 6559 which you will see more of later in the week.

Me Made: Simplicity 1664 top (will blog soon!) and McCall’s 6654 skirt
RTW: Silpada necklace and Cole Haan tan peep toe heels

May 25 (Saturday) — The Sandra Betzina trunk show took place this day. She went through the samples of all her patterns and discussed different techniques for altering and modifying each pattern. Although most of Sandra’s patterns don’t appeal to me right off the cover (I don’t think I am in her age demographic), changing fabric and/or features can definitely make them more attractive (see my project from last year’s workshop here). After the trunk show, we each sat down with Sandra and our chosen pattern (Vogue 1291 for me) to select our size and make any fitting adjustments to our flat pattern. We then all went home to cut out our fabric.

Except a few of us didn’t go straight home — my sewing bestie, Dianne (far left), invited Sandra, me and Joni (far right) over for dinner at her beautiful new home, spouses included. I was asked to bring a cocktail, so I made a double batch of the Strawberry Riesling Slushies that Annie recently featured on her blog (if you couldn’t tell from the empty glasses and pitcher, the drink was a hit — not too sweet but very refreshing!). Mr. Homemaker and I had a wonderful time — our dinner companions were lively and entertaining and our hostess prepared an excellent meal for us to feast on. Thanks again, Dianne!

Me Made: Trina Turk knit tank altered to open up an extra buttonhole
RTW: Citizens skinny jeans, red Franco Sarto patent flats

May 26 (Sunday) — Our first full day of sewing with Sandra and my first day to wear something that involved only a minimum of sewing skill on my part. None of my attire is me-made but this top only had two functioning buttonholes when I bought it. On a less busty person I don’t think that would have been an issue but for me that made the shirt gape like crazy and revealed more than I liked. So I got out my handy seam ripper and tore this shirt a new one — a new buttonhole that is 🙂

Me Made: Golden Renfrew
RTW: Cookie Johnson white straight leg jeans, Kluster red coral necklace, nude patent flats

May 27 (Monday/Memorial Day) — This was our second full day of sewing. I finished almost all of the construction of my shirt on Sunday so I just had to hem it and stitch down the neck band when I got to the store on Monday morning. After that I made a few more flat pattern alterations to my knit maxi dress (McCall’s 6559) based on a knee-length muslin and cut out my fashion fabric. Before we finished up for the day I had my shoulder seams sewn, the neckline finished with my new favorite method, and my side seams sewn. All I had left was to bind the arm holes and hem it.

This photograph is a group shot of some of the ladies at the workshop. We all had a great time and got tons of sewing accomplished! Sandra is a great teacher and I always learn lots from her and the other students who all have more experience than me. I am already looking forward to when she returns to our area next year.

Me Made: Vogue 1291 butterfly sleeve top
RTW (not shown): Elie Tahari pencil skirt, Cole Haan coral wedges

May 28 (Tuesday) — Back to the real world. Here’s my version of Sandra’s pattern, Vogue 1291. Although this photo was taken during the workshop when I tried on my completed top (notice the mismatched necklace), I actually wore it to work the next day with a cobalt blue pencil skirt and my coral Cole Haan peep toe wedges but I just couldn’t get a flattering photo that I could bring myself to post for all the world to (potentially) see. Sorry 😦

Me Made: Sewaholic Cambie as a peplum blouse
RTW: Cookie Johnson denim capris, Tessyla necklace, Cole Haan wedges

May 29 (Wednesday) — My day off but this was a pretty busy one with running errands. I started out with stopping by the hospital to check on my grandfather after he had surgery (he did great), then I had a dentist appointment, dermatologist appointment, grabbed a quick lunch, packed up some of my sewing stuff, headed to a friend’s house for a sewing playdate for a few hours working on tracing off and making flat pattern adjustments to the Colette Chantilly pattern, ran to the grocery store, then came home and cooked dinner for my husband. I actually scored a “This is one of the best things you’ve ever cooked” from Mr. Homemaker so the recipe will be making an appearance here in the future. Be on the lookout.

Me Made: Simplicity 2599 ruffle blouse, Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt
RTW: Tessyla necklace, old belt, Via Spiga blue suede pumps

May 30 (Thursday) — Back to the office. Two me-made pieces this day. I added a belt over the Hollyburn skirt and I really like the look.

Me Made: McCall’s 6559 maxi dress in a drapey knit from Elliott Berman (from my NYC trip)
RTW: Old belt

May 31 (Friday) — Yay! I made it!! This is my most recently finished project — I started it during the Sandra Betzina workshop and finished it up the Thursday evening after so I could wear it before the month ran out. I will dedicate an entire post to this pattern, but can I just tell you that I LOVE it! It is so easy and once you figure out your fitting tweaks and the sizing, it is such a flattering and comfy dress. I am going to make up more versions in both the long and short varieties.

And can I just apologize for the awful photo? After 30 days of remembering to take daily outfit photos, I hopped into bed last night and remembered I hadn’t taken my photo for the day. Well, I wasn’t going to mess up on the last day of the challenge so I jumped out of bed, threw my dress and belt back on and tossed my iPhone to my husband and made him snap some photos of me in my bare face and bare feet. While I was at work, I paired the dress with my denim jacket and some white leather d’Orsay pumps. After work, I nixed the jacket and changed into some white flip-flops for a casual business dinner. I also paired the dress with a multistranded Silpada necklace (seen on May 25).

Reflecting on the month, I feel like I have grown in my sewing skills, especially in fitting. I finished several new items during the month — 7 total — and overall they each fit really well and I don’t have any major construction complaints. I do need to bite the bullet and start working on fitting myself for pants and shorts. All in good time, I guess.

Well, guys, thanks for following along. I have several pattern reviews to bring you as well as some recipes for desserts, drinks, and main dishes. Stay tuned!

Tags: blouse, dress, fabric, knit, McCall's, me made may, peplum, sandra betzina, Sewaholic, shirt, simplicity, skirt, top, vogue

Comments 16 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

Me Made May ’13 — Part 2

20 May

Well, the month of May is almost 2/3 of the way done and I’m proud to report that I am holding strong on my Me Made pledge. I have even managed not to repeat any items so far! I will likely have to repeat something this week, though, as I am running out of items and I can’t sew fast enough to keep up (but don’t think I haven’t been trying!). So without further ado, here’s May 10-19:

Me Made: Sandra Betzina Vogue 1045 blouse
RTW: Citizens of Humanity Jeans, Cole Haan purse, New York and Co. necklace, red patent flats

May 10 (Friday) — We joined some friends and attended our local annual Rotary Steak Cookoff. While the location was moved this year because of threatening weather, the grills were still going strong and we enjoyed tasting lots of different steaks. In this photo, I am posing with my friend Catherine in front of one of the team’s displays. It was too funny not to have a photo-op!

Me Made: Renfrew #1
RTW: Kluster necklace, Citizens jeans, coral Cole Haan wedges

May 11 (Saturday) — Since this was the first weekend my husband and I have had to ourselves in a while, we drove to Pensacola, Florida (just across the state line) and had lunch at a cute little burger joint downtown called the Tin Cow. They also had delicious milkshakes and I can’t pass up a milkshake. After our lunch, we went to Joe Patti’s to pick up fresh sea scallops for Mothers’ Day dinner, to Four Winds market for steaks, and then met up with Matt’s dad and sister for dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

Me Made: Simplicity 1808 shorts
RTW: New shoes T-shirt from Nordstrom

May 12 (Sunday/Mothers’ Day) — For the majority of the day, Mr. Homemaker and I piddled around the house doing chores and preparing food for dinner guests. That evening my parents, sister, nieces, future brother-in-law, and friends Leslie and Danny came over for surf and turf. Matt grilled the steaks and I prepared the scallops from Ad Hoc at Home that I have posted before as well as a Caesar salad and baked potatoes. My sister brought bread, dessert, and sweet tea. It was great to spend time with my family and friends.

Me Made: Unblogged Simplicity 2648
RTW: LOFT jacket, Nordstrom belt, Cole Haan wedges, The Limited necklace

May 13 (Monday) — Back to work this day and wearing a pre-blog Simplicity 2648 in a ponteroma knit. This dress is a little big now but it’s okay when covered with a belt and jacket.

Me Made: Vogue 8032 top
RTW: Old white belt, Nordstrom pencil skirt, Nine West pumps

May 14 (Tuesday) — Sorry for the blurry nighttime iPhone photo. This day was just business as usual with a full day in the office.

Me Made: Unblogged Margarita Tank Top
RTW: Citizens jeans, black flats, Kenneth Cole necklace, Ray Ban sunglasses

May 15 (Wednesday) — My day off was spent sewing a new top (see May 17), getting a hair cut, and seeing a house with my realtor. This tank top was refashioned from one of my husband’s old T-shirts using the A La Mode Margarita Tank Top pattern. I haven’t blogged this top but I think it is a nice little pattern for a tank. Next time I make it, though, I will lengthen it a bit and lower the arm holes a tad as they are a bit constricting.

Me Made: Unblogged Jalie 2921
RTW: Kenneth Cole ponte pants; red patent flats; Kenneth Cole necklace

May 16 (Thursday) — Back to the office this day but nothing exciting to report. This Jalie 2921 is unblogged and largely unworn because I don’t like the ties. But when I pulled it out to wear it, I decided to try wrapping the ties around and knotting them in the back and I loved the effect it gave the top so I think this will be getting a lot more wear now.

Me Made: Unblogged, brand new Simplicity 1664 top
RTW: LOFT capris, Kluster necklace, Donald Pliner red patent slides

May 17 (Friday) — TGIF and the weather was beautiful so my stepson and I put the top down on the convertible and drove to the local Marriott Grand Hotel to take pictures of my brand new Simplicity 1664 top. Can I just tell you, I LOVE THIS TOP! It fits true to the pattern sizing (must be because it is a “Threads” pattern and not standard Big 4). I didn’t do a full bust adjustment, just graded one size up in the bust area. It sewed up really easily and was completed in 2 evenings’ time. I will give it a dedicated blog post soon.

I offered Kris $5 if he could catch a mullet jumping in the background of one of my photos. Well, I owe him $5 now — can you see the fish?

My handsome stepson/photographer, Kristofer

The grounds at the Hotel are beautiful. Mr. Homemaker and I try to find a reason to have a weekend staycation there at least once or twice a year.

Me Made: McCall’s 6654 skirt
RTW: Nordstrom chambray shirt, Silpada necklace, Frye shoes, old belt

May 18 (Saturday) — I have been on call this weekend so that keeps me close to home and pretty free of major plans. On the up side, though, it allows lots of time for sewing and other crafty pursuits! I whipped up this skirt to wear in the span of about an hour and that included time spent waffling about which size to cut and measuring the pattern pieces. You can read more about my experience in my last post.

Me Made: Unblogged Vogue 8887 halter top
RTW: Nanette Lepore skirt, Kluster necklace, Steinmart shoes

May 19 (Sunday) — This is also a new, unblogged top — Vogue 8887. I sewed this halter up in a silk I got on sale from Sawyer Brook. This pattern gave me fits and I am not 100% happy with the final product. At least in this photo you can’t see all the things that drive me crazy. I will try to get this one blogged soon, too. My husband snapped this photo in the middle of our picturesque downtown. Our city swaps out the flowers on all the street corners regularly but the May planting is always one of my favorites with the star-gazer lilies. We even have flowers on top of our trash cans 🙂

Well, that’s all for now. We’ll see how many more days I can hold out before I have to repeat something! Thanks for reading 🙂

Tags: ad hoc, blouse, halter top, jalie, me made may, quick, sandra betzina, scallops, Sewaholic, shirt, silk, simplicity, skirt, top, travel, vogue

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

McCall’s 6654 — Knit Maxi Skirt

19 May

Well, friends, I have been on a sewing spree this week! Me Made May has been Motivate Me May for me! I have completed three projects this week, this skirt being the most recent. I think I have been so eager to complete projects because I have made it 18 days into the month without repeating an item. While that wasn’t part of my original pledge, I am amazed that I have made it this far with no repeats. I am afraid I will have to show some reruns this week, though, but I will try to style them differently. Aside from this skirt, I have also made two shirts, one of which you can get a sneak peek of on my Flickr stream and I will have reviews forthcoming for both tops.

This skirt (McCall’s 6654) is one of the simplest things I have ever sewn — it is three straight seams plus a waistband casing with a piece of elastic inside. I didn’t even bother to hem it. It is really quick and easy if you have a serger but I can’t imagine that it would take much longer with a regular machine — just remember to use a narrow zig zag stitch so your stitches won’t break, especially on the waist.

My only beef with this pattern is that it runs HUGE! But I find this to be the case with all Big 4 knit patterns. I suspected this going in so I did a little preparation before I started cutting. I first looked at the pattern pieces to see what the finished measurements were for each size. Unfortunately, the finished waist measurements weren’t given so I measured the waistband casing piece and subtracted the seam allowances. I then realized that if I cut my size according to the size chart, this skirt would be GIGANTIC, so I decided to see which size corresponded to the waistband size I wanted. Basically, I looked for the size that most closely matched my waist measurement plus seam allowances so there would be zero ease at the waist. I didn’t want a bunch of excess fabric gathering at the waist of this skirt that is supposed to have an A-line silhouette. I then checked the finished hip measurement for that size, and saw that it was only 1″ smaller than my hip measurement so I decided that I could live with that. But honestly, there is no way this is 1″ smaller than my hips — do you see any negative ease? My final skirt ended up being 2 sizes smaller in the waist and 4 sizes smaller in hips than what the size chart recommended!

Overall, I highly recommend this pattern for anyone. Seasoned sewists will find it a breeze and a great palate cleanser after more complicated projects. Beginning stitchers will boost their confidence with the 2 simple seams and elastic waistband. What do you think, should I shop my stash for a floral knit for my next version?

For more details on the construction, visit my post on Pattern Review.

Tags: easy, knit, McCall's, quick, skirt

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

Me Made May ’13, Part 1

10 May

mmay13

Well folks, I’m about 1/3 of the way through Me Made May and I have to say I’ve been doing pretty well. I haven’t repeated anything yet and I have even worn two me-mades that I have yet to blog (but I promise I will give you more details soon!). So without further ado, here’s my Me Made May days 1-9.

P.S. You can follow my Flickr MMM set if you want to see daily updates.

Me Made: Cambie Peplum Top
RTW: Citizens of Humanity jeans, Cole Haan wedges and clutch, and Kluster necklace

May 1 (Wednesday) — Sorry for this lousy photo that I took with the timer on my camera after dark. I wore this on my day off while doing volunteer work and running errands.

Me Made: Yet-to-be-blogged Simplicity 1796 View D
RTW: Tessyla necklace, old white belt, Cole Haan pink patent pumps and wristlet

I also wore this dress on May 1, for date night with my husband. I will blog more about this pattern soon, but I have to say before my mother calls me that it came out waaaaaaay shorter than I anticipated. I was hoping to end up with a cute, easy knit dress for the summer but unfortunately it will be reserved for occasions where showing a bit of leg is more acceptable. I’m sure my mother will ask if those occasions really exist 😉

Me Made: Sewaholic Lonsdale
RTW: Boden cropped cardigan, camel flats

May 2 (Thursday) — On this day I had to travel to Destin, Florida, for a board meeting. Since I was staying at the Grand Sandestin Complex, I decided a sundress was in order but because conference rooms are cold, I topped it with one of my favorite cardigans. The night culminated with an impromptu gathering in my condo for pina coladas!

Me Made: Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt
RTW: Elie Tahari ponte blazer (love!), silk shell, Kluster necklace, and Via Spiga blue suede pumps

May 3 (Friday) — I didn’t get to stay at the beach long because the very next morning I had to get up early to drive back to the Pensacola airport to fly to cold and rainy St. Louis for another work conference. I know most people opt for comfort when traveling but I also like to look put together so my Hollyburn, ponte blazer, and low-heeled pumps fit the bill. This photo was taken in the mall in St. Louis after I got my Nordstrom fix 🙂

Me Made: Vogue 8603 skirt
RTW: Boden cardigan, Limited shell, Stuart Weitzman pumps, Tessyla necklace

May 4 (Saturday) — I was still in St. Louis (obviously) on this day, attending the conference. This is my favorite Me Made May photo so far. I have just learned to use the filters on the Flickr app on my iPhone so I had a lot of fun sprucing this shot up. Thanks to my excellent employee, Lesleigh, for taking the shot for me!

Me Made: In-House Patterns Belle Bow Blouse
RTW: Citizens of Humanity jeans, Via Spiga blue suede pumps, Kluster necklace

May 5 (Sunday) — What do you do when you are stuck in the Atlanta airport for 2 hours? You take silly pictures for your Me Made May Flickr set! I finally got home that night around midnight and boy was I glad to see my husband and my own bed!

Me Made: Knit Peplum Top
RTW: Ann Taylor denim jacket, Womyn ankle pants, camel flats, Kluster necklace

May 6 (Monday) — Back to the office and my regular routine after a delicious but short night in my own bed. My husband and I joined a friend from residency for dinner after work.

Me Made: Sewaholic Renfrew Cowl Neck Top
RTW: White pants, Cole Haan wedges, Kluster necklace

May 7 (Tuesday) — Typical day at the office. Looking forward to my day off the next day 🙂

Me Made: Yet-to-be-blogged Megan Nielsen Kelly Skirt
RTW: CAbi top, Reef flip-flops, Silpada necklace, Ray Ban sunglasses

May 8 (Wednesday) — Whew! My first real day off to relax in over 2 weeks! I enjoyed it by hanging around the house, doing a few cleaning chores, but mostly SEWING! When my husband got home from work, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite Italian places and had a nice, quiet dinner together. We stopped at one of our local public piers to take this photo on the way to the restaurant.

Me Made: Consignment shop silk skirt altered to raise hemline ~8″
RTW: CAbi top, chambray shirt, Cole Haan peep toe pumps, Tessyla necklace

May 9 (Thursday) — This is the first item that is not made by me but has been altered by me. I purchased this 100% silk skirt from a local consignment shop last year sometime because I loved the fabric and shape. What I didn’t love, though, was the mid-calf hemline. I marked my desired hem length using a yard stick then marked another line 4″ below. I then serged the skirt off at the longer length. I turned up the serging and pressed then turned up the shorter marking line and pressed this as the new hem. I then hand stitched the hem in place. For the lining I followed a similar procedure except I just stitched a narrow machine hem. I am guessing from the tag (Rickie Freeman Teri Jon Nites), that this skirt is from the 80s or 90s, but with the updated hemline, I think it has a definite Kate Spade vibe. I have always worn it with a basic black top but this go around I was comparing it to various other things in my closet and got the idea to pair it with my chambray shirt. What do you think about the outfit?

Well, that’s it for May 1-9. What’s your favorite outfit so far? Favorite photograph? I’ll be back soon with more good stuff to show and tell!

Tags: knit, me made may, megan nielsen, peplum, Sewaholic, silk, simplicity, travel, vogue

Comments 17 Comments
Categories Completed Sewing Projects

Perfect Shell — Simplicity 2599

2 Apr

Here’s my most recently finished sewing project — and I actually just finished it this week! This is Simplicity 2599, a great basic blouse pattern that includes sleeveless and short-sleeved versions as well as several different trim options. It also features different pattern pieces for B, C, and D bust cups so you don’t have to do any adjustments for that department. The blouse is quick and easy to put together once you work out any fitting issues. And really, there can’t be too many fitting issues when there is just one main piece for the front and one main piece for the back 🙂

As you can see, the neck in this version (E) features a cute ruffle which is created by gathering a single layer of bias cut fabric and attaching it to the neckline through the blouse and facing. This technique is great because it keeps the facing from flipping out and because the facing adds an extra layer of sturdiness to anchor the ruffle.

In this photo you can see what the shirt looks like untucked. Please excuse the wrinkles since I had it tucked into my skirt all day. I had to tweak the pattern to achieve the waist definition you see here. When I first sewed up the shirt, it was a complete box. I ended up grading the waist down two sizes from the size that I sewed in the bust and hips. This makes it a little hard to get on over my head since I also omitted the button opening at the neck but it is possible.

From the back view you can see that I did an awesome swayback adjustment — well, pretend like you can :). It is wrinkly from being tucked in but before I made my swayback adjustment, the back of this shirt pooled like crazy. Now it glides over my junk-trunk much more gracefully. For finishing, the seams are all French seams and the armholes are finished with self-bias binding.

And just to show you one of my favorite flowers and why this is my favorite time of the year. Azaleas make me so happy. These are some of the small azalea bushes outside my office. When I left work yesterday afternoon, they were so full of blooms and the sunshine was so pretty, I just had to snap a picture for you. Unfortunately azaleas grow really slowly so it will be many years before these bushes reach the massive size of the plants that I so admire in our surrounding neighborhoods, but at least my little babies make up for it in quality!

And one last shot to show you the outtakes from my first attempt at self-photography. Apparently 10 seconds isn’t as long as I thought it was. Or we can pretend I was doing exercises in my skirt and heels. In front of the camera. I’m still amazed that I even figured out how to turn on the timer on my camera without having to consult the manual…