Mini Pip

New Years Eve Skirt and Crop Top

Have you ever been in a fabric store, picked up a bolt of fabric that you really liked but didn't have a use for and right before putting it back, someone else walks over and you get so nervous that they will nab it that you keep it for yourself? Well, that's what happened.

I fell in love with this beautiful plaid but had no use for it. I've been telling myself to use up my stash but couldn't put the bolt down. There wasn't much left on it and when I saw someone walking over to where I was, I couldn't bear to let anyone else have it! So I bought two yards. It's ok, it was on sale.

 

Fast forward a few weeks and a New Years party invite came my way. What better excuse to make a new outfit? Out came that fabric. My original idea was to make a high low skirt but got distracted by this pin (damn you pinterest).

The "tablecloth" skirt came together pretty quickly. The tutorial was super easy to follow and the fabric was fantastic because I didn't have to match the plaids (!!) I decided to make the skirt high waisted with a zipper closure and the hem raised a bit higher than in the tutorial. I thought this would look cute with a crop top and made a quick one to go with the skirt.

I made the crop top by taking my front and back bodice sloper that I made years ago and just straightened the sides and removed all darts. I made the front and back out of this black knit that I got as a remnant. I cut out sleeves before realizing that I didn't add seam allowance and didn't have enough to make new sleeves so they had to be cut out of a different fabric. It turned out to be a happy mistake though because I really love the look!

Take a closer look at this fabric: do you really blame me for not passing it up?

 

Happy New Year!

 

Turkey Day Dress!

Another holiday means another party dress! I bought this beautiful knit during our vacation to San Diego. It's a heavier weight knit and the print is gorgeous, making it perfect for a fall dress. I used my trusty Cynthia Rowley pattern, the same as this dress, for a quick sew.

Since this fabric has a good stretch, I didn't need a zipper but I did have to watch my print. I'm proud to say all seams just about line up!

I decided to sew down the pleats because I wanted them more defined. When this pattern is sewn with a cotton, or sturdier fabric, pleats are more noticeable but with the drape of this fabric, I wasn't sure the pleats would be as pronounced.  

This dress is so comfy and a great holiday feast dress because the stretch allowed for more turkey ;)

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Two Toned Tee

I have an internal goal for myself to make a new garment each week. This isn't a goal I planned or really declared out loud, just a little thought in the back of my mind. Last week I made the raglan top and the week before I finished my anorak. This week I made a quick t-shirt.

Again, I had some fabric from Girl Charlee to play with and a t-shirt has been on my "make" list for a while. I took my basic bodice pattern and the top pattern from this book to make a separated yoke. I first made a petal sleeve but that did NOT work out. After that failure I made a roll up sleeve and loved the way it looked.

 

Now that I'm making more of my own patterns I really need to keep a checklist by my sewing machine to remind me of simple things like, adding a seam allowance. This shirt came out a little tighter than I wanted but it still fits and it's super comfortable.

I tried so hard to make the seams line up and think it worked pretty well.

I have already planned what next weeks garment will be! Thankfully this one doesn't require me to make a pattern...

Red Sparkle Raglan with Elbow Patches

When I was officially discovering the wonders of sewing knits a couple months ago, I bought a few different fabrics from Girl Charlee. This fabric was a last minute add on. I saw it and just thought it had a great little sparkle and would be a nice fabric to experiment with.

Now that I'm working in my studio three days a week, I can't exactly wear my pretty dresses to cut fabric on the floor. My wardrobe has been sweaters and leggings lately but I still want to feel "presentable" even when sewing. To add a little 'sparkle' to my new working closet, I decided to use this fabric to make a raglan top!

I followed my trusty flat pattern book to alter my sleeve pattern for this top. If you have any desire to make your own patterns, this is a fantastic book to have in your library.

 

At first I wanted to add a kangaroo pocket to the front but it would be a little heavy with this fabric so I added some fun to the sleeves. Elbow patches should be on every single long sleeve top. They are adorable, easy to make and add just the right amount of interesting to any project.

It's a little difficult to see the raglan sleeve but it's there! The elbow patches were actually pretty easy. I made a paper oval a little bigger than the size I wanted the patch to be. I cut four ovals out of red knit and sewed each pair together (leaving a small space open). After turning them right side out and pressing, I adjusted where to put them on the sleeve and sewed them on!

I love making my own patterns and with simple projects like this, I feel like I'm making progress in ultimately not needing a book to make garments. Don't get me wrong, using commercial patterns are a huge time saver but this really lets me turn a little design in my head into a real, wearable piece.

Cranberry Anorak Jacket

I love jackets. Something about a good jacket just makes me so happy. While I have ...quite a few... jackets in my wardrobe, I didn't have a nice basic fall jacket. I was looking into buying an anorak but it was hard to find one that wasn't an army green. Don't get me wrong, I love the green! But I love to be unique just a little more.

I decided on Simplicity 2153 after reading over some reviews and looking at other finished projects. I found the site Fashion Fabrics Club and bought a few yards of the Cranberry Red cotton twill.

 

 

I made view D, which is the full sleeve option. This was a very slow project. I cut the fabric out back in September and finally finished sewing it last Wednesday. But thankfully the fall weather has been kind and it got a few wears this weekend alone!

The pattern was decently easy to follow. I didn't have a problem with the instructions until attaching the collar. The thing I had a huge problem with was the sizing. I get this is supposed to be a jacket so a little over sized, well, that's natural. But following my body measurements I cut out a size 10 and this thing was huge! I chopped off at least 4" from the bottom and took in the sleeves and sides about 3". I hate making muslin versions of apparel before the real one because I'm impatient and want instant results. But I think I'll make a size 8 next time I use Simplicity.

 

Anyway, besides my issues with sizing, this pattern is awesome. I love how large the pockets are and I love the waist gathering. The fabric is perfect for fall because it's light enough to breathe but put a sweater under it and it's warm. I would make this again, but probably not for a while. I'm ready to go back to my quick sewing projects. And with Halloween at the end of the week, my costume is next on the sewing list!

 

 

Bombshell on the Beach

It happened! I finally got to the beach, at the very end of the summer. But that's ok because I busted my butt to have my one piece bombshell to wear! Drew and I visited his family on Long Beach Island on Sunday and we got 3 whole hours of sun and sand!! (and a half hour of some of the best ice cream I've ever had)

You may remember my swim skirt from the bombshell pattern. I made that first to get an idea of how the one piece would come together and fit. It went together super quick and very easily. I even added cups to the top for a little added support.

What I wish I did was take into consideration that this pattern is made for a woman 5'6" tall. Being 4'10" I had quite a few inches flapping in the midsection. It wouldn't have been that bad if I made a solid color suit but with the print, the overlap was very noticeable. All I did to fix this was sew down a few inches in the side, basically making a tuck to hide the extra bits. It isn't perfect, but I'm happy with it and I've never felt more comfortable on the beach.

The fabric is from Spandex House and I can't tell you how much I love this print. It's been hard finding a swimsuit fabric that had a print other than polka dots. This has polka dots, but those giant florals give this such an awesome look.

After making my own swimwear, I'm not sure if I want to buy a bathing suit again. This was such a lovely pattern and it has really opened my eyes to sewing more active wear...which might help with my upcoming half marathon...

 

Let's Go To Arizona Cardi

I'm going on vacation!! For the first time in two years, Drew and I are finally getting out of New Jersey together for a whole. entire. week. We split the trip into two parts, the first part my choice, the second part, Drew's. We've been throwing around places to go for a couple months and I finally decided on Arizona. I've wanted to visit the Grand Canyon for years and I think now is the perfect time to go. Drew decided on Napa Valley in California for his half, but I'm much more excited for my half.

Since we are going on this wonderful trip, it sounded like a great opportunity to add some clothes to my travel wardrobe. I found a cute free pattern online for a wrap cardigan by Megan Nielsen and had just purchased some lightweight knits from Girl Charlee.

This is the result!

I should also mention I got a new haircut and a new camera! (So much newness!!)

This cardi only required one yard of fabric and silly me started cutting without thinking about print placement, I cut out the two sides (which required the most fabric) then cut the back. When I went to sew them together I realized the print didn't match up. Luckily the print doesn't have much to it and after cutting off about 2.5 inches from the front pieces, I was able to line up the prints. This actually worked out pretty well since I would have wanted to cut it shorter anyway.

I also had some issues with making the sleeves too big, so I had to make some adjustments. If you make this in a solid, this would take probably an hour or so to finish. Because of my fabric errors and fit errors, it took a few hours. But all in all, it came out so cute and I can't wait to pack it in my suitcase!

My pretty seam!

I took over 300 photos of the farm this weekend with my new camera so I have a lot of editing to do! Hopefully later this week I'll post some of my favorites. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

''What a Beautiful Print for a Wedding'' Dress

I mentioned in a previous post about making a new dress for a wedding I was attending, and here she is!

This is vogue V1174 by Cynthia Steffe. I bought this pattern what feels like years ago to make a birthday dress but just never got around to it. When my boyfriend was invited to his friends wedding, I did actually try to shop for a dress. I knew it would be less stressful, but probably more expensive, to just buy but there wasn't anything that I liked! So that left me with one option: just make my own dress.

Once I picked the pattern, picking the fabric was easy. Joann's, of course, had a sale...and coupons... so I bought this beauty. It's a thicker fabric, damask, which didn't make it necessary to add lining, but I did anyway.

This pattern was the most intense I've sewn, with so many pattern pieces to cut and instructions to follow. As I use more patterns, I'm finding that I actually follow the instructions much more than I used to.

This lady had so much detail! From pockets and pleats to boning and piping.

 
 

Never have I been so happy with the inside of a dress as this one. I even took pictures because it's so beautiful!

 

There is one thing this pattern has taught me. Take a closer look at the picture on the pattern envelope. I was not prepared for the way the skirt was attached and at first I was unhappy with how unfinished it looked. After I sewed the skirt on though, I didn't mind it.

I highly recommend this pattern, but for a more experienced sewer. I cut the size way too big for my body and had to alter it quite a bit. I thought my measurements were right but it was way off. The bodice is very secure with the boning included but because I didn't alter it enough, I did pull it up quite a bit throughout the evening. I might add a spaghetti strap so the wear is a little easier from now on, especially at work.

Thankfully no one at the wedding thought it was handmade, that's one of the greatest compliments I can get!

'A Sign of Spring' Dress!

Are those flowers I see on the trees outside?? Green grass peaking out in the fields? Has spring actually arrived?! It has!!! Jersey has been having beautiful weather (mixed with a few cold days) but to have that 65 degree sunshine hit your skin is heaven.

I started this dress months ago as part of my "new year, new sewing" kick. The quilting detail took forever and that turned me off from this dress because, like usual, I wanted instant results. So this sat on my dress form for months, without sleeves and without a hem. With so little work to actually finish on the dress, it was a very sad sight and I finally got tired of looking at it!

The fabric was on sale at Joann's (before christmas, so it is pretty old). The pattern is a Cynthia Rowley (my fave!) #2586. If you haven't picked up one of her patterns, run to the store! They are cute, easy to follow, fashion forward and a great intro to fabrics other than cotton. She is my pattern making crush- if there is such a thing.

I made 'view C' this time around. (I made view A a few years ago) but I'm debating if I should turn this into a top instead of a dress. Opinions about the quilted bottom? Keep or go? Let me know!

 

Overall I'm happy how this came out, and happy to have a cute, handmade, dress to wear to work. I love the fabric, love the quilting detail all over the dress but wish I made the sleeves a little shorter (short arms over here) and I'm still debating on top vs dress factor.

 

In other sewing news, Drew and I were invited to a wedding which is the perfect excuse to make a new dress...that and I'm really not liking the dress options in retail world. This one is a Vogue pattern, which I've never used. The top has so. many. pieces. It makes me nervous. But I'm excited! And will post about it if I finish!

 

The Parisian Jacket

Today I have a very old sewing project to share. I made this jacket over a year ago, and have even worn it many times, but never officially showed it!

The pattern is from Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt. This was the second pattern I've used from the book. I've made two of the Multi Fabric Skirt (one here) and have wanted to make The Parisian Jacket as soon as I opened the book. Let me just be honest for a sec, I love pattern books. I love looking at the images and knowing I can make everything in the book because the patterns are all right there. Needless to say, I own quite a few of these books. This one is so pretty. The patterns, the styling in the photos, the page designs and even the instructions are so cute! I know it was unavailable for some time but if you have a chance to get your hands on it, GET IT!

This jacket was great to add my own touches to. I turned the 3/4 sleeves onto full sleeves, added a lining and definitely had fun with adding the buttons on the button tabs.

I'm not quite sure what fabric this is. It's similar to a wool but not as heavy which is why I added a lining (a stretchy knit) for a little more warmth. This has become a nice jacket for fall, but a great jacket for winter days that aren't super cold.

I have some issues with this fabric. It does not wear well over time. It has become a little pilled and some of the weaving is so loose that it starts to rip at the seams. At first I thought it was because I made the jacket too small but that really isn't it because it is happening in multiple places. I've had to fix this jacket a few times because of the fabric, but I love it so much.

My favorite part of the jacket is the button tabs. Because buttons are my favorite thing!

 

And a shot of the lining:

Sorry the lighting is a little wacky. I go to work in the dark and come back home in the dark so getting natural light in winter is impossible! It also doesn't help that the polar vortex has made its way to new jersey so it's a complete mess outside! If you are in this bad weather right now, stay inside if you can!

And as always, thanks for reading!