Do you ever feel like you don't sew enough?

February 8, 2018, 9:00 pm

≪ Previous: The Year of Sewing from the Collection

I pose the question because if you're on Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Blogs) it seems as if garment after garment passes our screens (phone, iPad, Computer) with different sewists turning out these amazing pieces in the blink of an eye!

Now I'm a pretty quick sewist but I do go through my dry spells. Times when my mind thinks about sewing but I'm just not motivated to go through the act of actually constructing a garment. I also think I'm a pretty productive sewist but even I sometimes wonder how the other sewists get all of that sewing done.

I'm sure that I'm not alone with these thoughts. Especially since sewing is no longer a solitary thing. You make a garment now and you can discuss all the ins and outs of the pattern/fabric in a Facebook Group or ask a question on Instagram and get instanteous reactions.

So the Question of the Day is, "Do you ever feel like you don't sew enough?" This can be compared to other sewists, your fabric collection, the new pattern collection releases, etc.

Talk back to me because this is the Question of the Day!

...as always more later!

↧

Shirt Inspiration

February 19, 2018, 5:04 pm

≫ Next: What's Going On...

≪ Previous: Do you ever feel like you don't sew enough?

It's been awhile since I posted. Some of it was because I was on a sewing tear and didn't want to stop to post and take pictures...and then this weekend, I got the crud again. It came and went faster this time, probably because I didn't try to fight it not wanting to make myself sicker. So I went to bed and sweated it out even though I had a full weekend of sewing planned.

I don't have any finished garments to share. Those will be in future posts but I did want to talk a little about what I'm obsessing over sewingwise ~ SHIRTS!

(from Chicos.com)

(Love the floral shirt and the matching tank with shirt is nice too!

These are from ColdwaterCreek.com)

I bought the lace for an all lace shirt last year - now to just make it!

(This one would be great to use up shirting scraps)

A few things I've learned that I like when making shirts ~
1. I like a longer shirt - something thigh length and butt covering
2. I like a princess seam front, yoked back with full lower back silhouette
3. The cuffs is one of the details I like to change up
4. The buttonband on the front can be cut on or sewn on - both work but the sewn on version allows me to add some more visual details to the shirt.
5. A mandarin collar works just as well as a collar and collar stand version.
6. I like a fuller shirt rather than a fitted one.

Mostly though I like making shirts because of the details. They aren't a simple sew, there are steps you need to follow and making them allows you to use a variety of sewing skills.

(Isn't that an amazing detail on the button band!)

Shirts are also versatile pieces in my wardrobe and have become my new dress - the garment I love to sew and wear. I can wear shirts over jeans, leggings or my denim skirts. They can be worn closed or open...with a tank top, sleeveless turtleneck or t-shirt. I can change up the details on each shirt to make each one distinctive while maintaining the silhouette I like. All of this is challenging me creatively especially since I've collected quite a few shirting fabrics.

(Details on my latest shirt - just waiting to be photographed!

There are numerous shirt patterns currently available. You can buy them from the indie designers, Grainline Studio & Cashmerette to name a few, or from one of the Big4 pattern companies. My TNT is a combination of Butterick 5678 and Vogue 7700 both of which are out of print. I've used this pattern combo six times, so my fitting challenges are all worked out...now the fun sewing begins.

That's what's under my sewing machine needle and on my cutting table. Hopefully I will have some pics of finished garments (a couple of shirts and a vest) to share with you soon.

Thanks to everyone who left such thoughtful comments on my last two posts. I really appreciate that everyone felt free to leave their opinion whether they agreed or disagreed with me and that the discussion remained civil.

...as always more later!

↧

What's Going On...

March 10, 2018, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Carriage Corners Sew Camp 2017 - Part One

≪ Previous: Shirt Inspiration

My last post was February 19th and I was just getting over the crud. I went to work on the Tuesday after the President's Day holiday, came home sank into bed and have been in the midst of a minor health crisis since. Y'all know me so you know I'm not gonna go into details cause the Internet lives forever! But I am grateful to have a job that allows you to work from home when you're not feeling well and that provides sick time when you need it.

I'm finally coming out on the other end, starting to feel like myself again, so my sewing plans for the end of February and beginning of March have been trashed.

Here is where I left off:

The chambray denim blue pin dot shirt just needs buttons sewn onto it. Something I want to do today. The glen plaid vest is done and is just waiting to be photographed. The black cotton shirt with the gingham accents has been hanging the longest because I just couldn't decide upon a finished length. I think I'm gonna go longer so it needs a hem, buttons and buttonholes.

Even though the calendar says it will be spring in 10 days ~ it really is still the end of winter here as evidenced by the nor'easter that came through and dropped about 10" of snow on us.

It probably won't start to warm up until the end of April so my unfinished sewing plans will still work. Also, Imma be more realistic about warm weather, it doesn't become comfortable dress wearing weather until the middle of May around here and even Memorial Day is questionable. Some years it's hot and some days it rainy and damp.

So with shirt ideas still on my mind, here is the pile of shirting that I'm working my way through.

End of Month Totals ~
Realistically I only completed one garment in the month of February ~ the vest so I have 4 yards out and 3 yards in. When I went to pick up my next quarter fabric allotment from Elliott Berman, there was this amazing piece of double-sided wool that I just couldn't leave behind.

I wanted to make a new Easter dress but that's out the window now, so I'm glad I paid for that piece myself. Anyway, my yearly totals so far are 13.5 yards out and 3 yards in with a total of 5 new garments.

Going forward ~
I'd planned on sewing for my daughter at the beginning of March but she's totally let me off the hook on that one. I will be able to attend Sew Camp as planned so I'm thrilled about that! Cause believe me I was starting to get worried but I believe I will be well enough to hang with my friends and I need that after the last 3 weeks.

I will get the two remaining pieces finished this weekend and hope to get some more shirts cut out. Then I have to determine what I'm bringing with me to Sew Camp to sew. I know I'm going to cut and prep 2 or 3 projects because that's what I realistically think I can make during the time.

If I feel up to it next weekend, I will photograph the finished garments and hopefully there will be new blog posts. Otherwise there will definitely be blog posts after Sew Camp.

So that's what's been going on...hopefully things will be back to normal here on the blog.

...as always more later!

↧

Carriage Corners Sew Camp 2017 - Part One

March 26, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Carriage Corners Sew Camp 2017 - Part Two

≪ Previous: What's Going On...

I had the BEST time at Sew Camp! There were eight of us this time - Andrea, from Knit Knac, Bernice (who has attended Sew Camp for her third time!), Cennetta from Magahony Stylist, Coralee who just reads my blog but who is now my new bestie, LaQuana from Made by LaQuana, Nakisha from Dressmaking Debacles and myself.

It was a full house with an atmosphere like a college dorm...we didn't lock the doors to our rooms or just left them open. We visited each other just because and we had the BEST time!

I took ALOT of pictures and a couple of videos because the trip started with Nakisha and I fabric shopping in NYC, then training to PA to meet up with our Sew Camp sisters. Because I documented everything and I mean everything except for the scrumptious meals that Gaylen served this is going to be a two part recount. Y'all there are just too many pictures!!!

This post will cover the NYC Garment District and the Fabric Mart shopping pics - because Fabric Mart was off the chain! I'm sure the saying dates me and is no longer cool but I don't care, that's how I felt about the trip to Fabric Fairyland.

The second post will cover the actual Sew Camp activities and information on how to register for the next one and the ones in 2019.

Day One of the Sewing Vacay ~

Nakisha contacted me after I announced that I was going to Carriage Corner Sew Camp and we worked it out that she would fly to NYC, fabric shop in the garment district and then we would train to PA.

Well Mother Nature didn't like us making plans in the middle of March because the East Coast experienced it's 4th Nor'easter in 3 weeks! Nakisha was on one of the last flights into the area on Wednesday. However by the time she got to NYC, everything was closing! Then Amtrak cancelled our train on Thursday! So we had to scramble to get on another one - since they cancelled like half of them!!!

So because of weather drama, we ended up only having four hours in the garment district so we were strategic about her shopping trip.

Mood Fabrics
Pacific Trimmings
Metro Textiles
with drive buys of Steinlauf & Stoeller and the Around the World Bookstore

We met LaQuana on the train and Gaylen picked us up from the train station. After a marvelous dinner and a lot of conversation filled with laughter, we headed back to the B&B. Since it was early enough we set up our sewing machines and I'm almost sure that both of them started working on their projects. They weren't letting any grass grow under their feet!!!

Day Two of Sew Camp ~

The trip to Fabric Mart...*sigh* is like going to Disney World for Fabricaholics! I know I showed you the fabric shopping from last March's Sew Camp but this version was beyond words. First there were nine of us descending upon Fabric Mart without fabric budgets!

All of us with Julie from Fabric Mart

Julie graciously spent four hours with us - touring, cutting, having her team bring bolts from all over the place and even doing a burn test on some of the fabric...

Since I tried my hardest to refrain from the extreme fabric joy, I was able to photograph my fellow campers enjoying the moments. Here are the pics of each camper with their piles of purchases:

Bernice with her pile - hey she was a 3 timer so she showed some restraint!

Cennetta with her "take everything on the bolt" pile!

Coralee who squealed at anything green!

Nakisha with her cut pile - she was the Pre-Cut Queen!

One more of Nakisha waiting with her haul to be cut

LaQuana with one of her two bags - that she had shipped home

...and here is great pic of Gaylen wearing an Ottobre dress made with Fabric Mart fabric...

Sadly Andrea kept adding to her pile so I never got a pic of her and her goods but she's posted them to Instagram so you can see what she bought here!

Even I bought more fabric than I intended too! You know that I said I was only purchasing three pieces - well that's not quite how it turned out. I bought one piece at Mood...

An appliqued denim border print

...and five pieces at Fabric Mart!

from l-r:

ITY border print knit, silky cotton yellow gingham, white linen with black pinstripe, paisley rayon challis, navy double silk georgette w/white pinstripe

However, with all the fabric temptation that was present, I think I showed admirable restraint! LOL!

After a wonderful lunch, we headed back to the B&B, for those that arrived on Friday, machines were set up and sewing ensued until after midnight!

The next post will be about the next two days and all of the sharing, sewing, laughter and frank conversations that happened.

...as always more later!

↧

Carriage Corners Sew Camp 2017 - Part Two

March 31, 2018, 4:21 pm

≫ Next: April is Shirt Month

≪ Previous: Carriage Corners Sew Camp 2017 - Part One

After Friday at Fabric Mart and lunch out...everyone headed back to the B&B to sew. As mentioned in the previous post, sewing machines were either already set up or were just being set up and sewing lasted at least until midnight.

One of the things that I really like about Sew Camp is that you sew at your own pace and time. Since I roomed with an early riser, Kisha was downstairs early every morning getting her sewing in. It's also probably why she finished four garments during Camp!

Me, I'm a late riser and have to drag myself out of bed to make it on time to breakfast (served promptly at 8:30am) because I like to sew late into the night. I think there was an even mix of early & late risers at Camp this time!

Besides sewing, there were so many conversations about fitting, sewing tools & construction and life & politics. Some of the conversations were heavier in nature and some just made us laugh and laugh.

Here are a few pics of the fitting that occurred between campers:

Andrea discussing how to draft darts in patterns ~

Andrea fitting LaQuana's Ogden Cami to Gaylen ~

Cennetta fitting the Concord Tee to LaQuana ~

Cennetta checking LaQuana's shoulder seam ~

Bernice and Coralee sharing a technique ~

Also here's a link to Kisha teaching me the burrito method. Cause I've tried and tried to figure it out by reading the instructions and always got lost! Now both shirts made at Sew Camp have the yoke burrito rolled.

...and where was I? Ummm I really was being the social media director between sewing my own projects, of course! *LOL* I just wanted to share with you the camaraderie, the knowledge that's shared, the unlimited time to sew at your own pace, and the wonderful atmosphere of the B&B.

Which leads me to the schedule of the next Sew Camps at Carriage Corner.

There is one more CarriageCornerSewCamp Weekend scheduled for 2018 and the date is: Friday, September 14 through Sunday, September 16, 2018.

If you are unable to make that one, these are the dates for 2019:

March 29 – 31, 2019

June 20 – 24, 2019 – this one is 4.5 days

September 20 – 22, 2019

Some of the feedback that Gaylen received from this group of campers was that it could be a little longer. To accommodate that she added a June 2019 Sew Camp for 4.5 days. Honestly quite a few of us have already signed up for the 4 day June event and for this September also. I will be attending the September 2018 and June 2019 Sew Camp, I mean if you care! LOL!

If you’d like more information about Carriage Corner and the Sew Camp Weekends please send an email to: hello@carriagecornerbandb.com and Gaylen will add you to their mailing list. Or you can call or text Gaylen at 717-768-3059 or send her a direct message through Instagram with your email address.

See multiple ways to reach out or schedule a weekend at Sew Camp. Personally, I hope you will attend because it's a wonderful way to spend a weekend!

My next posts will be about shirts...lots and lots of shirts!

...as always more later!

↧

April is Shirt Month

April 1, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: The Hurrying Spring Along Shirt!

≪ Previous: Carriage Corners Sew Camp 2017 - Part Two

I was discussing my sewing with a dear friend and lamented that you, my blog readers, were going to be tired of shirt post after shirt post appearing here. See I've been on a serious shirt sewing tear. I'd originally thought that I would make a couple of shirts every month and mix them in with the other tops and vests that I was also sewing.

Well due to illness and a host of other life things, including my photographer going on vacation, I'm just getting around to scheduling time to photograph my new makes. There are presently 5 shirts sewn with another 5 waiting to be cut and sewn. This dear friend suggested that I have a "Shirt Month" on the blog.

So April will be dedicated to my new found love of making shirts. All of these shirts are made from my TNT pattern which is a mash-up of Butterick 5678 and Vogue 7700 - both of which are out of print. Now that I've got all of the fitting issues worked out with the pattern, my shirt making is all about fabric choices and design details.

My new shirts are chock full of fun and flights of fancy. 98% of the fabric is from the collection - which thrills me to no end! I've mixed prints. I've played with sleeve widths. I've let interesting fabrics take center front and buttons were chosen to add drama to the shirts. I've thoroughly enjoyed making each and every one of them. I love the construction process and how each individual shirt has it's own design story.

I've sewn so many shirts in the last two years, that when these latest versions are done, I will have made a total of 17 shirts...

I hope you enjoy "Shirt Month". If you get bored halfway through the month, tune back in during the month of May, where there will be new sewing adventures! However, I can't promise that there won't be more shirts or shirtdresses cause I really want to make my own version of Carolyn's Perth Dress!

...as always more later!

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The Hurrying Spring Along Shirt!

April 6, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Do you own a Black Shirt?

≪ Previous: April is Shirt Month

This is what I woke up to on April 2nd...

It was supposed to be spring like 3 weeks ago! So continuing to sew shirts is appropriate for April. Especially since I'm thinking it's gonna be a minute before it gets really warm in my neck of the woods, especially since more snow is forecasted for today. Oh spring, where art thou?

At the same time, Macy's is having their Annual Flower Show on the main floor of the Herald Square store. I thought it would be the perfect place to take photos of my latest make but of course being the slub that I am I just couldn't make that work. It's a lot harder than you realize to cart clothing, camera pieces and extra hair from NJ!

So my ever resourceful daughter thought up going to Michaels to take pictures in their floral department. She said that there is a #MichaelsChallenge where the store is encouraging people to take photos in their floral department. So we headed there to take the pictures and no one bothered us.

Onto the shirt ~
This is my quarterly make for Elliot Berman Textiles. I saw the fabric on their Instagram feed and walked over to see if I could have some. Now I got this fabric in early February. My plan was to make this shirt over President's Day weekend. Well we all know that didn't happen and why! But I was determined to get this finished, so I took it to Sew Camp with me.

This was from EB's feed on IG

It was also available on Emmaonesock but is long sold out!

I'm sharing this pic because of the amazing shots EOS took of the fabric.

Supply List ~
* Cotton Sateen Border Print from Italy - this fabric was in panels and I used 3 panels.
* Light Crisp Shirting Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply
* 8 1/2" flower buttons from the collection

Construction & Design Thoughts ~
Now that this pattern's fit issues have been resolved, my shirts are all about the fabric choices. When I saw this on Instagram, I KNEW it would make an amazing shirt if I could get the border print to lay down the front of the shirt. This is challenging because I don't use a flat front on my shirts. My shirts have a shoulder princess seam...so layout would be important.

This is what I shared on IG when thinking about my layout:

Then it was how do I make the border print work most effectively for the shirt.

A few things:

1. The border print ran horizontally, so I made sure that all of the main pieces (fronts, bottom back and sleeves) were cut in the same direction.

2. While I cut the collar, cuffs and back yoke on the straight grain, I've done this before and know that it doesn't affect the hang of the shirt.

3. I cut these pieces to work most effectively with the shirt's design flow.

4. Full cuffs for the sleeves instead of a button cuff was the way I went with this shirt. I just liked it. It was totally my choice - it could have gone either way - this is just the direction I chose.

5. Originally I thought that I would pleat the lower back piece where it joins to the yoke. I did pleat and baste it together but the pleat seemed to diminish the effect of the border print. So I went with gathers because it worked better with the yoke and collar.

6. I've been making shirts for awhile now but I haven't been able to master "the burrito method" from all of the written instructions. However, after a lesson or two cause Imma admit Kisha helped me with the second shirt too, I think I've got it now!

I used three panels and only had scraps left. Some other design ideas thought of but discarded:
- covered buttons from the floral area of the border print (decided it was too much)
- really full sleeves (wanted them fuller but there wasn't enough white space between the border

One more thing ~
I chose sew on button bands instead of the fold on ones due to fabric layout. As I was adding the front button bands on, I realized that I sewed one on folding to the front and one folding to the back. I was kinda upset thinking that I would need to unpick the back one. When Coralee piped up and said you should just leave it alone.

Coralee at Sew Camp looking sassy in her Miyake coat!

She was right! With the band going to the back it leaves a cleaner finish on the button band and I will now be using the "Coralee Method" when sewing on button bands!

Here are a few pictures of the finished shirt ~

Doesn't that pink plant falling forward look like an octopus or sea creature?

I love the back swing of this shirt along with how the

border print works for the cuffs and back!

Sewing Tip for Sewing Shirts ~
Since it's Shirt Month here on the blog, I've decided to add a sewing tip for all of those sewing or reading along and thinking of making their own shirts. Today's tip would be to use the speciality feet for your sewing machine to make the sewing as easy as possible.

This shirt was sewn on my back up sewing machine - Janome 6600P - during Sew Camp. I own a straight stitch foot for this machine and it made constructing this shirt so much easier than on my main machine. I've since rectified that and purchased a straight stitch foot for my main one. However, look at the stitching line and how close I got to the edge without having to change to the edge stitch foot.

Purchasing extra feet for your machine may seem like an unnecessary expense but believe me it's money well spent!

Conclusion ~
Just a reminder that this fabric was given to me by Elliott Berman since I'm collaborating with them to showcase the awesome fabrics they have in-store and online. I did a quick search of their online store and here is compilation of border print fabrics if you're interesting in purchasing some of your own! Cause y'all know I love a good border print!

This is the kick-off to Shirt Month and emphasizes that fabric CAN make all the difference in making shirts...so step outside the box and use a fabric that's not typically thought of for a shirt.

Next up is my black shirt ~ do you own one?

...as always more later!

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Do you own a Black Shirt?

April 9, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Dot...Dot..Dot in Chambray

≪ Previous: The Hurrying Spring Along Shirt!

I know all of the fashion pundits tell you that you should own a good white shirt. It appears on all of the Top Ten lists. However, if you think about it, you could use a good black shirt too. It would work with a black skirt (denim or otherwise), a pair of trousers, jeans or leggings.

So do you own one? I didn't. It came up last summer when I wanted to make a jumper/sleeveless dress for fall. I had a pattern, the fabric ~ a black/brown wool blend check, tights and shoes but no shirt to go under the jumper. So it didn't get made because I was missing a vital element to make the look work.

Then I started to think on it and realized I didn't even own any black shirting fabric...which started it's own search. I didn't even ask myself the question of why didn't I have any with such a large fabric collection...because the answer was simple...I'd never needed it before.

Supply List ~
I found some at Fabric Mart of course. It's a 100% cotton, 57" wide fabric that was the deal of the day for $2.99 per yard. At that price I bought 10 yards. This was purchased last fall and was on the website until recently when it sold out.

The black 'n white gingham is from the collection and I've had it for over 10 years. I bought it to be accents on a white corduroy denim type jacket that still hasn't been made...*sigh.* Even though I used it for accents on this shirt there is still plenty left for the corduroy jacket, some day. The buttons are from the button collection. That makes the shirt a total "from collection" sew. Yes!!!

Construction ~
Imma be honest. When I sew shirts I don't flat fell the seams. I guess I should care about using the technique but I don't...I just want a shirt to wear. So my seams on this version are serged finished first, stitched together and then topstitched down.

My TNT shirt pattern has the button band included on the front of the pattern. It also has front princess seams. The back has a yoke and a gathered one piece lower back. The set in sleeves have a band that can have an opening with a button and buttonhole or a band that's just added to the bottom of the shirt. I've made this shirt eight times with a variety of changes, most of them detailed in this blog post.

However, if I want to have a different fabric for the back of the button band, which is what I wanted in this version, I had to make a change to the pattern to achieve that look. It was a simple alteration. I redrew the front pattern piece leaving the 1/2" past the center front on the pattern.

Then I drew the button band piece with 1/2" seam allowance and the rest of the band from the front pattern piece.

For this shirt, besides the front band in black 'n white gingham, I added a fold up cuff using the gingham for one side of the cuff, inside the collar stand and the back yoke.

Since I usually add a label to the back yoke of my shirts, when I went to add this one, it kind of melted into the background. So I sewed the label to a piece of the black shirting and finished the piece by using my pinking shears. It was then stitched to the yoke.

It's not a huge detail but I love how it's just one more thing that adds to the fabulousness of this shirt.

The inner band and sleeves with cuffs

A few pictures ~
...taken with casual shoes which I thought were black 'n white gingham...Surprise! They're blue!!!

...taken with red velvet heels...to wear out with friends.

Conclusion ~
I've worked out all of the issues with my pattern and have the perfect shirt pattern now. This look is becoming my daily uniform. Its so comfortable to wear that I've decided to use different details for future shirts to make them distinguishable. I've been inspired by changes Cennetta made to several of her versions, as well as this Instagram post. Her post has really challenged me to think outside the box when adding fabric details to my shirts.

As you know, this will not be my last shirt this month or this year. I counted. I have enough fabric to make another two dozen shirts and that's only including one from each of the 10 yards of white & black shirting I own. *sigh* Yeah I kinda went for it when I started buying shirting fabric but I blame Fabric Mart and those amazing sales for that - TOTALLY! LOL!

Lastly, lest you think I've forgotten about the Crazy 8 Wardrobe ~ this is item number 4 from the wardrobe. It's also the first shirt I made when I decided to make a bunch of them.

The next shirt on the blog to celebrate "April is Shirt Month" is a chambray dotted shirt...

...as always more later!

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Dot...Dot..Dot in Chambray

April 12, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Dot...Dot...Dot in Reverse

≪ Previous: Do you own a Black Shirt?

After making my black shirt with the gingham accents, I really wanted a few more shirts which is what started me down this rabbit hole and ultimately ended up as April being "Shirt Month."

This shirt is made from fabric that was part of my first order from LA Finch Fabrics. I purchased it during their Black Friday sales in November 2017. While it's not a long time occupant of the collection, I consider this a collection sew, nonetheless.

Construction ~
This shirt is sewn as is with no design details added to it. I wanted a chambray shirt with character and the small dot of this fabric provided that. It's a medium weight fabric that will work with a tank top under it or worn alone. Since I want to be able to wear this one in the spring/early summer, I used the button cuff and continuous lap. I noticed that the sewn on cuffs don't work well in the summer heat.

I use a lot of buttons when I make a shirt with a buttoned cuff. This shirt took 12. Thankfully there were loads of white/cream buttons in the stash with 12 or more buttons. I also cut this one a little fuller than normal. I think I was feeling "fat" at the time I was cutting it out but it's cool that it has a more relaxed fit.

Lastly, this is a total collection sew. Fabric, buttons and interfacing all from the collection ~ nothing purchased to make this shirt!

A few pics of the shirt ~

...and yes, I'm wearing velvet slip-on sneakers...

Sewing Tip ~
To me button placement is so important on a shirt to prevent gaping. As I said before I use a lot of buttons on my shirts. The first button I place on the shirt, is in the valley between my breasts. Then one is placed above and below that one. This is to guarantee that there's no gaping. I also use more buttons than suggested and place them closer together ~ typically 3.5" apart.

This is the beauty of making your own shirt. You can use as many buttons as you like. I also used a larger button than most RTW shirts have. I hate trying to button those tiny shirt buttons so I've sized up. As a plus size woman I find that good button placement and a great fit add up to a well-fitted shirt. I highly suggest that you use the size button and a placement that works for your body, not just what the pattern suggests!

Wearability Factor ~
This shirt was comfortable to wear and worked. It just worked for my everyday life! It was the perfect marriage of fabric and design details. While I was wearing denim on denim, it didn't matter in my work environment. I even got a compliment on this shirt! It was a total winning sew!

Conclusion ~
This fills that spot in my shirt wardrobe of an interesting denim-y type shirt. It was a simple sew since I didn't make any changes to the pattern or add any design elements. Sometimes a shirt just needs to be a shirt!

Oh and one more pic of the shirt with my denim jacket that I think I will finally be able to wear later this week! Cause denim, on top of denim, on top of denim...works for me!

Continuing on with "Shirt Month" the next shirt has everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it's construction and YET it works! So look for it next on the blog!

...as always more later!

↧

Dot...Dot...Dot in Reverse

April 15, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Inspired by Carolina Herrera

≪ Previous: Dot...Dot..Dot in Chambray

The next shirt is a journey in details. This shirt is loaded with special things I did to it. I didn't start out to sew a shirt where the details could possibly overtake the actual shirt design. My original intent was just to use the front and back sides of the fabric.

Here is how the shirt became a project...

First the Supplies ~
1. This fabric is from Fabric Mart and was purchased during one of their 60% off shirting sales. So this one is $5.20 per yard and I used 3 yards or $15.60 for the fabric.

2. The buttons I chose for this shirt are from SIL and I think I paid $3-4 a pack and I bought 3 packages.

3. Interfacing is from Fashion Sewing Supply and is the Light Crisp fusible interfacing.

Design Changes & Construction ~
I went all in on this shirt. I added some interest to it by using the reverse side of the fabric for the button band, collar and cuffs. I used my "Coralee" method for the shirt front band and I added white topstitching to the collar, cuffs and button band.

I also added a box pleat to the back of the shirt instead of the gathering that I typically use. This one was inspired by the Talbot shirts in the "Shirt Inspiration" post.

I wanted to stitch the seams down since I don't flat fell the seams. But when I went to topstitch the seams with black thread they just got lost in the fabric's design. After pondering it for a minute, I realized that handstitching the seams would make them noticeable especially if I mimicked the dashes in the fabric.

So I hand stitched the shoulder seams, the back yoke, the side seams and each of the princess seams, as well as the hem. I doubled the thread in the needle so that I had four strands for each pass through and I tried to keep my stitches small. I know I wasn't always successful but to me it adds to the charm of the handstitches.

The sleeves were cut fuller and gathered into the button on cuffs. After much deliberation and a couple of choices I went with a white shank button down the front of the shirt to emphasis the lighter side of the shirt that was used for the button band.

A few pics of the shirt ~

Almost didn't include this shot cause seriously I look like a wide

load trailer in this shot! But honesty rules the day!

Sewing Tip ~
I always add an extra button to the shirt by sewing it into the side seam of the garment. That way I never have to worry about a button if one falls off. I know this isn't a fitting or construction tip but it's something that no one thinks about because we're sewists and we always have buttons, right? But sometimes we don't always have the button we need and this insures that you don't have to worry about it.

Wearability Factor ~
While I'm not sure about the pleat in the lower back of this shirt, it didn't bother me when wearing the shirt. It was comfortable to wear, fits my lifestyle and feels age appropriate but not stodgy. Though between this shirt and an upcoming one that also has a pleat detail, I'm thinking that the pleat is not working with the pattern piece. Or that maybe a pleat is not the way to go for me. I won't be adding a pleat to future makes because the gathered back is what really works for me.

Conclusion ~
Since I'm now approaching double digits with shirt makes, I want to use design details to make them different from each other and also so the unsuspecting non-sewing public won't realize that I'm basically wearing the same shirt. LOL! The buttons are a mother of pearl shank button also from the collection. So again another shirt made totally from items from the collection.

As I was photographing this group of shirts and writing up the blog posts, I've started to wonder if anyone even cares about seeing shirt after shirt. Some of these blog posts are for me ~ I like having a record of the garments I've made and the notes of what I've done. My blog has become an archive of garments I've sewn over the last 12 years but this is my benefit. I'm wondering if any of this benefits you the reader?

Or if your eyes have glazed over and you've tuned out...cause honestly I have more shirts to share. I'm halfway through a sewing tear and I have more to document. So do you have any questions? Is there anything I'm not sharing that you need more info on? Ask and I will answer the best I can or throw it out to others, some who have way more experience than I do, so a discussion can occur. While I'm not writing a question of the day for this month - let this post be that about shirts, sewing them, choosing fabric, buttons or trims.

Of course up on the blog next is another shirt! LOL! This one is an inspired by...

...as always more later!

↧

Inspired by Carolina Herrera

April 18, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: An Orange Isaac Mizrahi Shirt

≪ Previous: Dot...Dot...Dot in Reverse

This is one of the shirts I took to Sew Camp and finished most of the construction there. However, I still needed to do a little bit of work to it when I got home. I was inspired by this ad I saw on Instagram. Now while the ad is actually featuring the purse, I was drawn to the shirt the model is wearing, and added it to my "shirt sewing" list.

I love the detail of sewing shirts. The many components, how the silhouette can be changed, how fabric can alter the look and especially how I can add my own touches to make each one individually mine. Cause seriously there are tons of shirt patterns out there but what makes each shirt yours? The details you add to it of course.

Fabric & Findings ~
The fabric for the shirt is from Fabric Mart and was also purchased during one of the 60% off shirting sales. The accents are white shirting from the 10 yards I purchased from Metro Textiles. Buttons are from Pacific Trimmings. I checked the collection and had some that would work. However, I needed to get some for a shirt I'm currently working on and stumbled upon these which I liked better. Since they were just 25 cents a piece (12 for $3) and it's the only expense I'm incurring for the shirt, I bought them.

Construction and Design ~

This is the third shirt in the series where I've changed the front bands, collars and cuffs. It's a detail I really like playing with.
Originally I wanted a chevron stripe on the back yoke but when I sewed it together it didn't work.
So I went with the horizontal striped yoke I'd cut for the inside of the shirt and switched the mismatched yoke to the inside.
When I went to put my label on the yoke, it disappeared. As I looked down into the trash box under the ironing board, I saw a scrap of Kisha's mustard stripe fabric.
I really like the dichotomy of the black 'n white stripe and the mustard stripe together so I sewed my label to it.
Then I sewed that to the yoke. It's the kind of interesting detail I really like to add to my garments and it also adds a little Kisha to the shirt!

After this one hung for awhile, I realized that I used such a conservative fabric for it that I wanted some of the "shirt" details back...so I curved the hemline to make it more shirt-like. ALL of my other versions have a straight hemline but for this one I wanted something different.

Since I'd cut the shirt originally with the straight hemline, I needed to make a change to the shirt get the new curved hem I desired. I used the original shirt pattern piece to mark the curved hemline.

The other change to this shirt is a back pleat again to give it a more conservative look. Otherwise the shirt is sewn exactly as it's predecessors were.

A few photos of the shirt ~

Sewing Tip ~
When sewing the sleeve in I add a second row of stitching from underarm notch to underarm notch over the original stitching. I usually have the most stress on my underarm seam and by adding another row of stitching I reduce the possibility of a seam popping.

Wearability Factor ~
While this shirt looks good in photos and in person, the fabric is a little suspect. It doesn't feel or handle like a typical shirting. It actually feels a little plastic-y. (not a word I know) Now while I like the white collar and cuffs, the pleat doesn't work in the back of this shirt because it emphasizes my backside. The gathered back doesn't do this, so I won't be using this design detail going forward. While the shirt isn't a fail, it is a disappointing wear for all of the work that went into it.

Conclusion ~
This is the fifth shirt in my shirt sewing extravangza. I have a few more to share and make before the month is over. Hopefully you are enjoying the series, if not come back in May where there will be a bunch of other garment posts!

...as always more later!

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An Orange Isaac Mizrahi Shirt

April 21, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Everyone needs a white shirt, right?

≪ Previous: Inspired by Carolina Herrera

I bought this fabric years ago from Fabric.com around the time they had the Vera Wang fabrics. It was purchased because I liked it not because I had specific plans for it. So it sat on the shelf waiting it's turn to be used. I went looking for it because I wanted to make a different type of shirt ~ something a little fun and funky!

What I forgot was that all of those little orange shamrocks had to be matched up. Which resulted in some very #slowsewing to get those shamrocks to match across the fronts and at the yoke and back seams.

Supply List ~

3 yards of a midweight cotton stretch shirting by designer Isaac Mizrahi purchased from Fabric.com also from the collection
1/2 yard of gray/orange print batik from the collection
12 1/2" 4-hole orange buttons from Pacific Trimmings
2 pkgs of 1/2 foldover bias binding from Pacific Trimmings
Light Crisp Shirt Fusible Interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply

Construction & Design ~
Most of the shirts I've sewn use the silhouette of yoke & gathered/pleated back with a straight hem. I was weary of that shirt type. It prompted me to make some changes to my existing pattern pieces. I thought I would add the back princess seams into the mix yet keep the back yoke. I also wanted the curved hemline typical of button down shirts.

After some pattern alterations, I had new pattern pieces to use for this new version of my TNT shirt pattern.

Adding space to the lower side back piece

Added space to the center back piece

Putting all the pieces together to insure they work

I know the question is, why not just use a new pattern with the features I want, because I do own quite a few shirt patterns. However, I would have to start the fitting process all over again using a new pattern. I know where to make changes for my body using these pattern pieces. I'm not starting new...I'm just adding to the pattern that's already working for me. Plus I really don't like to fit new patterns...it's one of the reasons that I use TNT patterns over and over and over again.

After sewing the shirt together, there was excess fabric in the back seams. So I took it all out...everything that I added to the pattern pieces was taken out...*sigh!* I need to adjust the pattern pieces because I really want to make this shirt silhouette type again.

The other challenge was to get the print to match across all of these seams, as well as from the yoke back to the back princess seams. So I single cut the back pattern pieces. It took a lot pins, some slow sewing and a good layout to get it to work. It matches across all of the seams except one under arm seam and I'm good with that.

Binding ~
The design change to this shirt is that I added bias binding to the collar, cuffs and hemline. I wanted to use the binding to enhance the shirt's print. Adding it to the collar and the hemline were pretty standard. But I had to stop sewing for the night and sleep on it to come up with an idea for the application to the cuffs.

I photographed the process so when I want to use it for a future shirt, I can refer back to it. Readers if you want to incorporate this into one of your shirts, please feel free to borrow it.

Apply the band to the sleeve, then press it in half

up towards the sleeve

Align the binding next to the creased line of the cuff.

Stitch the binding down with a row of stitching on each side of the binding.

Finish and apply the cuff following the pattern instructions

I really like how the binding is applied but the cuff has a clean finished look. Which is what I wanted more than anything.

A few pictures of the shirt ~

Conclusion ~
Honestly I never thought about the logo print on the fabric when I dreamed up this shirt. I'm not sure I would have used it if I'd realized I would be matching all those stripes and the print beforehand. I just wanted to make some pretty shirts. Thankfully, I did use the fabric because this shirt is different from the previous ones I've made...though I used my seam ripper ALOT...this was slow sewing...really slow sewing! Also, this shirt has a slimmer fit with more button down shirt features.

This is shirt number 6 for the month and I have 2-3 more to make before I'm done. Since the weather is cooperating by just starting to warm up, I think I will get those last couple of shirts completed before it gets hot.

My next post is about my shirtmaking tips. I felt like including one tip per blog post wasn't enough. Having one blog post with all the information seemed more appropriate so that's what's coming up.

...as always more later!

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Everyone needs a white shirt, right?

April 29, 2018, 3:02 pm

≫ Next: Shirt Sewing Tips

≪ Previous: An Orange Isaac Mizrahi Shirt

I always knew that I was going to add a white shirt to this collection of shirts. I just couldn't decide if I wanted a classic white shirt or my TNT version with the gathered back. After some thought I went with both...I mean why not? I have the fabric and notions to create both shirts!

Materials ~
White cotton poly/lycra blend purchased from Metro Textiles
(I bought 10 yards of this so I could make a couple of white shirts)

7 - 1/2" shell buttons from the collection for the sleeveless shirt

10 - 1/2" novelty buttons from the collection for Poet's Blouse/Shirt

A Classic White Sleeveless Shirt ~
I used the same pattern pieces that I used to make the Orange Mizrahi inspired shirt for this one. I was happy sewing it and spent all day working on it. Topstitching all the seams and getting all the details right.

(Like adding lace to my label before adding to the back yoke)

Then I hung it up for the evening vowing to finish it during the week. When I went back and looked at it, I realized that I really liked it sleeveless. That it would work well under cardigans and jackets for spring cause spring is finally here. So my classic white shirt turned into a sleeveless white shirt.

Construction Techniques ~
- I hemmed it using a 5/8" hem allowance.
- I bound the armholes with a 1" twill tape I had in the notions stash.
- Then added buttonholes and some shell buttons again from the stash.

Pictures of the finished top ~
The first pictures are of me wearing the shirt with a jacket that I made in 2011. This is how I will most likely wear the shirt. The jacket is from a floral cotton sateen and you can read all about it's construction here.

Some pictures of the shirt alone ~

A White Poet's Blouse/Shirt ~
I really wanted this one to be more of an artiste's type shirt with a looser fit.

Construction & Design ~
a. I cut the sleeves larger than normal by 4-5" - I freestyled this alteration.
b. A longer cuff was made by not folding the cuff in half. The edge was finished by topstitching it flat.
c. The back was cut a little wider to give the shirt a looser fit.
d. I used these funky novelty buttons for the front of the shirt to add to the artiste flair!
e. An eyelet fabric was used for the inside yoke to add interest to it.

Otherwise this shirt was constructed exactly as I made my other back yoked shirts with the looser fit. With my first shirts I pulled the gathering threads by hand. For this one I used my new gathering foot which you can see in action here. If you can buy a gathering foot for your sewing machine, I highly recommend it!

A few pictures of the shirt:

Conclusion ~
I now have two wonderful white blouses with two separate personalities to add to my wardrobe. But what thrills me most is that everything to make these shirts came from my collection. With these last two, I've made 15 shirts in the last couple of years and highlighted 8 new makes for Shirt Month.

Now that the weather is finally warming up this is a good place to stop and move onto other garments. That's not to say you might now see another shirt or two made during this spring/summer since I have loads of shirting fabrics still in the collection. There will definitely be more shirts made come fall since this is a silhouette that I really enjoy wearing and making.

I know that in my last post I said that I would share a shirt making tips post and that will be up in the next couple of days followed by a wrap up post for Shirt Month.

...as always more later!

↧

Shirt Sewing Tips

May 1, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Shirt Month Wrap Up

≪ Previous: Everyone needs a white shirt, right?

I added some tips to a couple of my shirt making posts and then I decided to just put all of the tips in one post ~ also adding some more information and links to blogs and equipment in case you need them. So while this post is a little long, I'm hoping that you can refer back to it whenever you need tips on making your own shirts.

Buttons/Buttonholes ~
- Buttons
To me button placement is so important on a shirt to prevent gaping. As I said before I use a lot of buttons on my shirts. The first button I place on the shirt, is in the valley between my breasts. Then one is placed above and below that one. This is to guarantee that there's no gaping. I typically set my buttons 3.5" apart.

This is the beauty of making your own shirt. You can use as many buttons as you like. I also used a larger button than most RTW shirts have. I hate trying to button those tiny shirt buttons so I've sized up. As a plus size woman I find that good button placement and a great fit add up to a well-fitted shirt. I highly suggest that you use the size button and a placement that works for your body, not just what the pattern suggests!

- Making Buttonholes
I use a seam gauge to mark my buttonholes down the front of my shirt. However, another method of marking is to use a simflex guide. I've made a lot of buttonholes in my sewing career. There are many ways to mark your buttonholes and loads of tutorials on the internet.

I honestly use pins to mark the top of my buttonholes because I can line them up on the red lines of my buttonhole foot. I snug my buttonhole foot between the stitching lines on the buttonhole band so my buttonholes fall exactly in line and stitch from there. You can see a quick video of my sewing machine in action here. Let me stress that this is NOT the right way to do things.

You should use proper markings to line up your buttonholes. A great example of this is a picture from one of the people I follow on Instagram - here. Look at how Sarah has marked not only the start of the buttonhole but the length of it too.

I mark the way I do from experience. Although I will tell you that I start making my buttonholes from the bottom of the shirt and work up. This way if my first or second buttonhole sucks (it happens even after making a test buttonhole) I can remove the thread in an area that's not quite so noticeable.

My final tip is to use a chisel and block to cut open your buttonholes. Afterwards, I apply Fray Check to the front and back of the buttonholes. Also, I let the Fray Check dry before cutting the buttonholes open. I've found this method prevents those little flyaway threads that can occur when cutting buttonholes open.

Interfacing ~
My interfacing of choice is from Fashion Sewing Supply. Pam has the best interfacing for garments. I used both the Pro-Woven Light Crisp fusible interfacing or Pro-Sheer Elegance Medium Fusible for my shirts. I highly recommend that you purchase an interfacing sample set from Pam so you can feel the different weights.

Otherwise, I apply interfacing following the pattern instructions.

Making shirt collars ~
I know that Pam Erny who runs the Fashion Sewing Supply online interfacing store has a collar technique on her blog, Off the Cuff. It's the post that's dated, October 8, 2012. Sewists have successfully used her method to get great collars since she's an excellent shirtmaker so they come highly recommended.

However, I don't use her technique. I use a set of steps that I've done for years. I wanted you to have the professional way of making a perfectly pointed collar before I explained how I sew mine.

1. I sew the long side of the collar first using a 5/8th seam allowance.

2. Then I stitch each side seam also using a 5/8th inch seam allowance. However, I double stitch over the intersecting seam portion.

3. The corners are clipped.

4. Next I take the collar to the ironing board and press it over the pointed end of my clapper.

5. Then I trim the sides of the collar and the longer edge

6. I use my bamboo pointer and push the collar edges out as far as they will go

7. Another press to set the collar flat

This is my method. I'm sure others use a different method or Pam's. Drop a comment in the comment section letting me know which method you use.

Matching Prints/Plaids/Stripes ~
You know I advocate a single layer technique when you need to pattern match. I also believe you should run your pattern pieces in the same direction to insure that you get a pattern match all the way across your garment. I've talked about this in numerous posts.

However, Gaylen of GMarieSews does an amazing job of pattern matching pockets on her husband's shirts. When we were at Sew Camp, we got to see the shirts she makes for her husband in person. So here are a few of her tips:

First - I trace my pocket pattern onto medical table paper (you can use any tracing paper you have on hand for this). I use this for my pattern work because it's easy to see through. I cut out several pocket patterns so I always have a fresh one to work with for each shirt.

Second - Once the left front of the shirt is cut out, I position the pocket pattern on the front where it needs to be sewn. When I have the pocket where I want it, I take a pencil with a rounded point so I don't rip the paper and trace the critical elements of the design onto the pattern piece.

Third - I lay the pattern piece directly onto the fabric matching the print to my drawing, carefully pinning it in place, then cutting the pocket out.

Fourth - prepare the pocket as you normally would. When you're ready to sew the pocket to the shirt, line up the print, pin the pocket in place and sew it down leaving the top open.

Gaylen's husband wearing the shirt

Design Changes ~
I don't know if this qualifies as a tip but I'm adding this. I talked design inspiration in this post. However, I really want to encourage you to think outside the box on the details you add to your shirts. It's what makes each of them different and reflective of your personal style.

Embellishments like piping and binding, embroidery and ribbons can be used. Different fabric for the undercollar, cuffs and button bands really add a creative touch to shirts. The fabrics don't need to match, just coordinate which gives your shirts an artistic flair.

Also, please realize that you can use fabrics that aren't normally used for shirts. I've made 13 now and used a variety of fabrics...polyesters, shirtings, cotton sateens. I have several more in mind that I want to make using linen, silk blends, some voile and cotton. Since you're the designer, you're not limited to standard fabric choices.

Simple Common Sense Sewing Techniques ~
1. Change your sewing needle.
I changed mine after every two shirts. You want your stitching to be precise especially in the topstitched areas and a dull needle won't give you the stitch quality you want. So change your needle!

2. Add a button to the side seam.
I add a button into the side seam of all my shirt makes. That way if I lose one I don't have to search through the loose button stash to find one.

3. Make sure you're using the correct foot to sew your garment. I noticed a huge difference in my stitches when I changed to a straight stitch foot and throat plate. So if your sewing machine comes with different feet try them out and see if they provide better stitches than just using the basic foot on your machine.

Sewing Library Suggestions ~
I always think you should own a book or two on sewing...or maybe even start your own personal sewing library. To that end, I recommend the following books to help sew the best shirts you can:

1. Shirtmaking: Developing Skills For Fine Sewing by David Coffin

2. The Shirtmaking Workbook: Pattern, Design, and Construction Resources - More than 100 Pattern Downloads for Collars, Cuffs & Plackets also by David Coffin

3. Easy Guide to Sewing Blouses: Sewing Companion Library by Connie Long.

For web inspiration, definitely read Pam's Off the Cuff ~ Sewing Style blog. It's a treasure trove of shirt making techniques and tutorials, as well as being chock full of inspirational sewing. There are pages of tutorials on Grainline Studios blog. You can access them here.

Hopefully something in this compilation of information will help you when you're making a shirt or deciding to make one. As you know there are quite a few shirt patterns out there - both from the Big 4 and from the Indies. Hopefully you will be able to develop a TNT pattern so that you can take creative journeys with your shirt pattern.

Next up on the blog is the wrap of Shirt Month...I've really enjoyed sewing these shirts. I hope you've enjoyed following along!

...as always more later!

↧

Shirt Month Wrap Up

May 4, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Met Gala - 2018

≪ Previous: Shirt Sewing Tips

April was some month, huh?! I've shown 8 shirts that were sewn either earlier this year or specifically during the month of April. I combined them all together so that they were given the platform they deserved, thus April being Shirt Month! I'm finished sewing shirts for awhile because the weather is finally changing and I have loads of spring things I want to make.

So let's review ~

First was the "Hurrying Spring Along" shirt that was made from a border print cotton sateen and a sponsored post for Elliott Berman fabrics.

Next up was a Black shirt with black 'n white gingham accents - because I don't own a black shirt and need one.

My third shirt was a mid-weight chambray shirt - the perfect casual shirt to wear over jeans and one of my personal favorites for the month.

Then there is the black/white/gray dot shirt - that had so many techniques included in it's construction and still it worked.

The fifth shirt was a designer inspired pinstripe shirt with white collar and cuffs - the one that will probably get the least amount of wear.

A funky orange print shirt was the sixth shirt...a lot of print matching with that one!

Seven and eight were versions of white shirts because everyone needs one right?!

I'm happy with most of the shirts but that's due to wearability factors rather than sewing ones. I've gotten sewing the buttons on by machine down and am using two new sewing machine feet...especially my gathering foot which is a time-saver and revelation. By sewing so many of the same garment type back to back, it's caused my sewing skills to elevate to another level - so I'm thrilled about that!

I love being able to play with the design features - adding contrasting fabric to the collars, cuffs and front button bands, changing the sleeves, adding embellishments and making fabric choices - these all have contributed to making sewing so much fun this month.

Quarterly In & Out Totals ~
I've used up quite a bit of fabric - 21 yards - which doesn't include the Border Print Shirt since that was a sponsored post. That total makes me happy because that's 21 yards out of the collection. However, my March totals for fabric in (from Sew Camp weekend) is 21.5 yards and then I bought some more shirting in April from Fabric Mart (y'know the stuff that wasn't on the website when we were there) another 14.5 yards. Then I bought 3 yards of an amazing digital linen that was on sale at Fabric.com and 3 yards of an embroidered stripe from EOS.

This makes my end of quarter results - 13 garments sewn, 34.5yards of fabric out and 42 yards in. That means I've added 7.5 yards more than I've sewn out. Imma have to be really careful for the next few months about purchasing fabric before Sew Camp. I know I can't escape buying fabric from Fabric Mart with an onsite visit but I need to be more vigilant until then. Since my main goal this year was to sew out more than I bought in at the rate I'm sewing, Imma need to burn my credit cards! *LOL*

Conclusion ~
I want to thank everyone for following along, leaving a comment and/or suggestion and appreciating my shirts. I've enjoyed making and sharing them on social media. My shirt wardrobe has really been beefed up and I will be ready when fall rolls around. I truly hope that you gained some inspiration, maybe a few design ideas and some sewing tips/techniques from the series. Because now that it's May, I will be moving on to sew a variety of other garments.

Thanks again!!!

...as always more later!

↧

Met Gala - 2018

May 7, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Butterick 6261 in Glen Plaid Suiting

≪ Previous: Shirt Month Wrap Up

The theme for this year's Met Gala is "The Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination." Besides the normal fashion mags covering the event online, you could also watch it live on the E! Network. The stars were asked to wear their "Sunday Best!"

I haven't written about a Met Gala in years because I've felt so-so about the dresses but this year I LOVED 90% of what was worn! So this is a picture heavy post that I've divided into categories based upon my interpretation of the theme. All pictures are credited to Getty Photos which I yanked from the Internet.

Okay let's start with the co-chairwomen of the event ~

Amal Clooney in Richard Quinn

Reminds me of an outfit Lana Turner wore in Imitation of Life

Rihanna in Maison Margiela by John Galliano

The Twitterverse went crazy over this look! Me not so much!

The other co-chair was Donatella Versace and I was unimpressed by what she was wearing.

Next up - The Angels ~

Amanda Seyfried in Prada

Rachel Evan Woods in Altuzarra

Kate Bosworth in Oscar de la Renta

Katy Perry is a literal angel with those wings!

She's wearing Versace

Yara Shahidi in Chanel

Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Ralph Lauren

...that halo headpiece!

The Madonnas/Matrons of the Catholic Church ~

Ariana Grande wearing the Sistine Chapel as interpreted by Vera Wang

Blake Lively in Versace

Emilia Clarke in Dolce & Gabbana

Rita Ora in Prada wearing another amazing headpiece!

Sarah Jessica Parker in Dolce & Gabbana

Cardi B in Moschino and I kept thinking a Tudor Queen

Diane Krueger in Prabel Gurung with a Philip Treacy headpiece

The Knights of the Round Table ~

Zendaya in Versace

Priyanka Chopra

Michelle Williams

The Looks I Just Liked ~

Come through Ashley Graham!

She's wearing Prabal Gurung

Lily Aldrige in Ralph Lauren

(expect to see a version of this on me this summer!)

Nikki Minaj in Oscar de la Renta

Tracey Ellis Ross beautiful in pink wearing Michael Kors

Lena Waite wearing a Gay Pride cape!

These are my picks! They are what made me sit up and take notice or sigh in wonder. I LOVED the choices the actresses, designers and stylists have made. I loved the amazing headpieces. And one more time, I can't wait to see this exhibit. The exhibit runs from tomorrow, May 8th until October 8th. I hope if you're coming to NYC during that time that you make your way over to the Met to see the Exhibit!

...as always more later!

↧

Butterick 6261 in Glen Plaid Suiting

May 10, 2018, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Sewcation Eve

≪ Previous: Met Gala - 2018

If you've been reading for awhile you know that I swore off Butterick's Connie Crawford patterns years ago after having a bad experience with one. But this one came across my feed and I thought I would give them another try...

My version is not exactly the same as the pattern picture but it works for me because it has the elements I wanted. It's a swingy topper with some interest made from one of the many glen plaid fabrics from the collection which goes perfectly with a pair of black jeans.

Materials ~
- Black 'n White Wool Glen Plaid from the collection by way of Fabric Mart
- Black lightweight fusible interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply
- 4 buttons from the collection

Another garment made totally from items in the Sewing Cave which makes me soooooo happy! This is a ltwt. wool vest that I can wear during the spring before the heat sets in and it will be perfect again come fall. I made this in February. I'm just posting it to the blog because well it was "Shirt Month" last month.

Pattern Information ~
Can we talk about the pattern and it's sizing, first. Since its a Connie Crawford pattern the sizing goes up to a 6x. It's also a loose-fitting pattern and I needed not to succumb to my tendencies to choose a size with too much ease. To help me with this, I googled the ease wearing chart and came up with these two resources. The first one is an article on Craftsy by Patti Palmer about Ease. The second one is the actual ease chart on the Butterick website.

Via Craftsy website

After reviewing the chart, I decided that 10" ease qualified as loose fitting (check that it's 5 7/8" to 10" for a jacket) and anything else would end up looking sloppy on me. With that decision, I chose to make a size 2x. Though I'm printing that chart out and putting it with my measurements on my bulletin board so that I don't have to look for it again!!!

Construction Info ~
I made this considerably more challenging because I used an uneven glen plaid instead of the even small check that the pattern was photographed in. All that plaid matching took time. Then I decided to add black piping to the front of the jacket and the collar. More time but I like how the solid line of black defines the front of the jacket.

Additional construction information:
1. Added black bias tape to the shoulder seams to stabilize them
2. I used 4 buttons instead of the three recommended. I usually like an odd number of buttons but I put an additional one above the bustline seam.
3. I also added a small snap to the front to keep it closed.

Sleeves:
Disregard the pattern instructions where it tells you to sew the sleeve into the jacket and then hem it. You can do it but then you have to drag the entire jacket around the sewing machine.

I topstitched the hem facing and then hemmed the sleeves before I inserted the sleeves into the jacket. It was just easier to do these tasks.

3. Even though the pattern tells you to machine stitch the hems down on the jacket and the sleeves, I hand stitched them. I wanted a clean finish on the jacket.

I cut my sleeves on the bias because I was too lazy to try to match the plaid across the front and back of the jacket. I figured the bias wouldn't need to match, it would just coordinate...because bias! And then no matter what I did, the sleeves did not go into the jacket right.

Even after I worked out a solution to make the sleeves fit and hang properly, when I put a lightweight turtleneck under the jacket, it felt awkward on. So I decided to ditch the sleeves entirely and make it a vest.

That's when I decided to add the piping to the armholes to tie it to the front of the vest.

A few pictures ~

Conclusion ~
I'm still not sure I like Connie Crawford patterns. I'm sure these patterns probably work wonderfully for others, it's just not all patterns are for all sewists. I'm just one of those that it doesn't work for and this is a one and done sew for me. I'm totally uninspired to use this pattern again.

So a couple of things:
- I'm kinda bummed because I tracked this pattern down and paid 50% off for it instead of the normal $2.
- I'm glad that I used a fabric from my old "professional" life for this project. It shows me that I can use these fabrics in my new life.
- I love the flare/swing of this vest.
- The black piping and black buttons are the best part to me.
- When I wore this to work, it was comfortable and even though I looked a little dressier than normal, I would wear this outfit again.

I'm moving on to the next garment...

...as always more later!

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Sewcation Eve

May 24, 2018, 8:07 pm

≫ Next: The End of My Sewcation

≪ Previous: Butterick 6261 in Glen Plaid Suiting

When the seasons change...when the earth reawakens after a cold winter...or when the season turns to the days of darkness...I have a yearning to spend quality time with my sewing machine...making new garments for the coming season.

At that time I have soooooooo many ideas fighting each other in the creative area of my brain that I almost feel like I'm drowning in ideas to sew. I make lists. I buy fabric. I make plans. Anything to release some of that creative pressure...especially since I have a day job and am unable to just sit and sew until there's a release.

That's normally when I schedule a Sewcation. It allows me to get some of the garments out of my head or off the paper and into my closet. It's like a gate opening, things flowing out, relieving some of the pressure and allowing a release of the creative build up.

I don't know if this happens to anyone else but it definitely happens to me every season...for as long as I can remember. I mean I used my Summer and Christmas breaks in high school and college to just sew. Even in my married life, I bargained with my husband, one week of being alone to sew. It's just something I've always needed to recharge and refresh my creative batteries.

So we've reached that time of the year when I need 7-10 days just to sew. I have a plan. I've picked some pieces to sew that are a little complicated to intrigue me. However, there are a few pieces that are easy sewing to quell the fast, faster, fastest part of me that still lives in the dark recesses of my creative soul. And most importantly I've tried to be realistic with my list...no long list of garments to be sewn that will frustrate me.

Here's what I've chosen to sew ~

Butterick 6333 - View B

Butterick 6551 - View B

McCalls 7404 - View B

...cause I love a good high/low hemline

McCalls 7470 - a straight shirt dress

I want View D with some short sleeves

& View C again with short sleeves

I've pulled together some fabrics mostly new (hangs head in shame - NOT!) that have been prewashed and are ready to be cut. There's a theme here and just to let you know blue is my favorite color.

I've also gone through the notions & buttons stash and picked out what I need to complete each garment. So everything is prepped and ready and I sit here typing up a post...anxiously awaiting for tomorrow to occur when I can go in.

I may or may not have a post before the "show you what I made" posts go up. I may also put a few in-progress pics on my IG account. So follow me there if you aren't already. Well that's everything...

...as always more later!

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The End of My Sewcation

June 3, 2018, 8:02 pm

≫ Next: Sew the Garment Making Book by Barbara Emodi

≪ Previous: Sewcation Eve

So it's late Sunday evening and I've been sewing since Friday, May 25th...and it's all I've been doing. I didn't take pictures. I haven't posted here to the blog because I just wanted to sew and sleep late. Mission Accomplished.

Here's a peak at what I made this week ~

Some pieces still need some finishing, buttons & buttonholes and one is a downright failure but I enjoyed the experience and learned a few things.

One ~
I love shirtdresses but not shirtdresses with a waist seam. No matter how much I want to love this style, it doesn't love me or my body. This was the last time I'm going to try to make one work.

Yes that's the Warriors/Cavs game playing in the background!

Two ~
Sewing one new pattern per break is about all I can handle. After weeks of waiting for the sewing break to come, all I really want to do is sew...not fit and sew. So while one pattern worked - one did not and I was happy to move onto a TNT pattern where I could just figure out what embellishments I wanted to add to it and sew.

Three ~
I have a style, don't deviate from it for something shiny and new...as in patterns. Cause not all patterns work for my almost 60 year old body!

Four ~
I love to sew TNT patterns and when I can just sew, I'm the happiest.

I'm headed back to work tomorrow and I want to thank everyone who followed my journey on Instagram. While I didn't share a lot of photos, cause really I just wanted to sew, there were several and quite a few new followers. I appreciate it and thank all of the new followers.

I sewed up until the end so photos will be taken next weekend. I'm really thrilled that I added three new dresses, a new top and a maxi skirt to the wardrobe. Those pieces will be photographed alongwith the two Simplicity 8612 wrap skirts and a new sleeveless TNT shirt.

BTW, I'm happy with what I accomplished. I wasn't trying to sew a record number of garments, I just wanted to sew for days at a time without interruption. The patterns I didn't use during this week will make an appearance during the summer.

Finally ~ a fabric in/out wrap up for May
I've purchased 14 yards of fabric during the month of May and I've sewn 19 yards of fabric. That amounts to - 4 dresses, 2 tops, and 2 skirts. This leaves me with a 5+ yard overage for May...except I was 7.5 yds in the hole at the start of the month. So I'm still 2.5 yards in the hole. Hopefully I can do better in June!

The good thing is that I'm attending the Baltimore Destash that MissCeliesPants is holding at the end of June - details here. I plan on donating 20-30 yards of fabric which will help lower my totals! Yes...cause I need some fabric relief! *LOL* Even my oldest daughter who hadn't been in the Sewing Cave in months was like "fabric overload!"

As I said earlier, the posts for the finished garments will be up after next weekend...

...as always more later!

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Sew the Garment Making Book by Barbara Emodi

June 6, 2018, 5:39 pm

≫ Next: Little Girl Dresses from Hobby Lobby Fabric

≪ Previous: The End of My Sewcation

I've known that Barbara was writing a sewing book almost since she decided to write it. Occasionally she's posted a pic to Instagram showing what she was sewing for the book which was released on May 7th.

Of course I ordered it as soon as possible and received it a couple of weeks ago. The name of the book is, "SEW The Garment-Making Book of Knowledge: Real-Life Lessons from a Serial Sewist." And I can honestly tell you that even though Barbara says she wrote the book for the new and/or returning sewist I'm an experienced sewist and I learned a few things too, as well as, having a few things I knew reinforced.

I love the format of the book. Each chapter has a name. One of my favorites is "Chapter 7 - The Gear Side of Sewing" OMG isn't that a great name to describe all of the equipment we acquire for sewing?! So each chapter has a description then mini-lesson to help you learn a skill. The thing that absolutely thrills me is Barbara's Tips which are at the end of every chapter. Each one is written in Barbara's voice - at least I can hear her speaking - and is full of interesting things that you learn from experience. Things that she's sharing for all sewists to know.

Okay let me back up and give you some other chapter names..."Why Sew,""If it Fits, They Will Wear It,""Choosing and Cutting Fabric" and another fave, "Sewing for Joy" - each chapter is chock full of information along with the tips, and mini-lessons! Sewing Terms are called Sewing Speak! Now as a beginner or a returning sewist wouldn't you have loved a book that explained in detail what all those words that sewists threw around meant? Barbara explains them so that there are no questions...at all.

If you are acquiring your own sewing library and not just relying upon the internet, this would be a good book to add to it. And if you're feeling lucky, leave a comment below to win a copy. See Barbara being the amazing friend that she is, offered me a copy, not realizing that I'd already bought one. We decided that one lucky reader should own it.

In the comment section below, please leave your name and one sentence about why you'd like to win the book. ONLY comments left on this blog post, not in bloglovin' or any of the other blog readers will be eligible to win the book. You should leave your comment by Saturday, June 9th at 11:59pm EST. I will announce the winner on Sunday, June 10th and Barbara will send the book out to you. Good luck!

...as always more later!

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