Don't Hate Me Cause I'm Lucky.

BOOM.

I could effuse on my love of all things hotpatterns, 

but you all probably want to cut me right about now.

I heart Trudy.

.

that is all.

j/k!!  There's more!

I cannot WAIT to see what amazing patterns

are coming my way next year!!!!!!!!!

and...

WOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Know what is even sweeter?  My birthday is tomorrow!  How appropriate. Yes? In honor of my disgusting random draw good fortune, I will be setting aside all UFOs and cutting out and sewing up this gorgeous vintagey blouse, the Metropolitan Tie Me Down Blouse:

See you on the flipside, Black Friday shoppers!!!!!!

i heart u giveaway.

Have I mentioned that I really love all of you? No? Surely I've mentioned it.

I do! I heart you all at least <----------------------------> much.

So.

In honor of the Christmas season, and to share my love of sewing, books and vintage-y patterns, I've put together a giveaway for you. My sewing blogging buddies.

First, a brand new copy of Sew Serendipity:


Fabulous skirts and jackets and dresses, oh my! This entire book is filled with yummy prints and easy patterns. Just the thing to thumb through with a hot cup of tea or cocoa on a snowy, winter day.

I'm also including this fabulous Hotpattern, the Metropolitan Tie Me Down Tops:


Can you get any classier than a tie-front top? I love this one for the vintage-y shoulder yoke shirring and the V-neckline.

I'll also include a few little surprises in the winner's box.

Here are the rules to play! 1) This giveaway is open to followers of my blog only. I love to meet new people too, but this gift is intended for the people who aren't just passing by to enter a giveaway. 2) Leave a comment by midnight on Sunday, December 19, and tell me one sewing project or technique you'd like to master in 2011.

That's it! I am very lucky in so many ways, but especially I feel lucky to have the chance to interact with all of you on a regular basis. If you all weren't out there, somewhere, I'd be bursting at the seams with sewing chatter and no one to share it with.

I'll use a random generator to pick our winning seamstress on Monday!

winner winner, turkey dinner.

Yes, that's right. I won the $75 - 2nd place prize in the 2010 Hotpatterns Giveaway! Woot!

Leave it to my lovely sewing buddies to clue me in via email (Thank you Kristine, Carolyn, and Sondra!) or I might have missed this (or, at the very least, not noticed for a good long while.) See, I saw the HP Black Friday email, but honestly? I was going to skip it because I was trying to be good and NOT shop for moi this weekend. Oops. That'll teach me to put others first!

Here are my Hotpattern choices:

I put entirely too much thought into why/how to choose these patterns. Suffice it to say it came down to which types of HP's I already own/do not own and then a game of "let's fill in the holes".

(Thus, the pants. I don't sew many pants because they're more work for bootylicious me to alter and fit. So I chose 3 pants patterns. Only another sewist would understand that kind of twisted logic.)

I'm still trying to decide if I should go ahead and order the "rejects" from my pattern prize list. Like the Criterion Blouse:


Or the Sheer Decadence Blouse:

Or the Cocoon Coat:

Or the Summer in the City Shirt, Tunic and Dress:


Yes, I could do some real damage to the Christmas funds now that the pattern fast has been broken.

A huge, gigantic, THANK YOU to Trudy and Jeremy for this amazing giveaway. They'll be cherished and put to good use!

in progress: HP Belle Wrap Skirt

I've been pining for a mustard yellow skirt for, oh, about 8 months. And as long as I'm procrastinating on the finishing of that anthro-inspired top anyway...might as well cut out another project!

I'm using this Hotpattern, the Classic Nouveaux Belle Wrap skirt.


I'm not enamored of the big square patch pockets, but, on the other hand, they do add a little panache to an otherwise simple design. The decision to leave them off was made for me when I discovered I didn't have quite enough fabric to include them. Here's a shot of that fabric, a corded twill in yummy goldenrod:


This fabric is a medium weight, with nice body, and I have NO idea where I got it. Fashion Fabrics Club? It's a mystery. I love the color!

I cut it out during a brief Nanowrimo break. Next is pinning/basting my pleats into place and the rest of construction will likely have to wait for bits and pieces of time during the week.

Not too long though...I really want to wear it with some snazzy new tights I have coming. It's a fairly straightforward project too, I've muslined it once (but never made a fashion-fabric version).

New week, shiny new project!

lovely extra minutes.

HOLY cow, how'd the first week of November already shoot by me?

I'm exhausted, because the TIME NEEDS TO CHANGE AND BE DONE WITH IT ALREADY. Thank the bejeebus that it finally will this weekend AND I'll have one special additional hour added. Oh, lovely hour.

In one hour, I could cut out and tissue fit this lovely Hotpatterns that begged me to drag it out of the pattern bin a couple of days ago:


Or, I could write 800+ words on my nano novel.

I could do (nearly) two loads of laundry.

I could bake some brownies.

I could give the dogs a bath and their monthly flea treatment.

I could play with my fabrics and old BWOFs until I'm delirious from the perfume of as yet un-prewashed fabrics fresh from the fabric store. (Don't you find that said delirium often leads to that dreaded infliction, projecto non-start-ems? Me too.)

Nah, I think I better stick with the Hotpattern. (and them some hardcore nano.) Because...it's the weekend and I've got ONE EXTRA HOUR!!!

How will you spend yours?

wadderville.

Of course as soon as you want to sew something up "quick and easy" you end up with a wadder. It's like the Murphy's law of sewing. I cut out this Hotpatterns tee a few weeks ago and have been fiddling around trying to finish it ever since:


I had been hanging onto a blue & white beefy cotton knit (interlock?) for YEARS. I thought it would work perfect for this tee, since I had plenty to work with and could do the cool bias neckband and pocket, as featured on the cover illustration.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a draft error in my copy of the pattern. The neckband piece is WAY too short. Here's the neckband from the front:


There was no way to attach the neckband without super-stretching the t-shirt neck out of whack, resulting in numerous puckers and gathers. AND...on the back, there are at least 2 inches that I simply cannot ease into the neckline. I had less than 1 inch of neckline left but more than 2 inches of neckband left to ease in!

A quick perusal of PR shows a couple of reviewers had the same problem.

I think I've been spoiled by the excellent results I've had with Ottobre Woman neckbands and bindings. In my experience, the OW neckbands/bindings are always spot on as far as length, so I completely trust the pattern piece. I never have to fiddle with putting those bindings on.

I probably should have measured the neckband piece more carefully against the neckline, but really? If I pay this kind of money for a pattern, I expect someone to have done all that for me. (Yup, I'm still a little annoyed about it.)

Sigh. Now I have to either toss this whole shirt (I've saved this fabric for *literally* a decade!) or pick out that neckband and cut a new one, if I can find enough scraps to do so. The other alternative is to find some white ribbing or possibly use some of my FOE to bind the neckline.

For now I'm moving on to the new Ottobre Woman I posted about earlier this week. I can't wait to get started on those garments! And here's a sneaky-peek of my new baby...Can you guess what she is???


More pictures and drooling to come.

neeexxxt....

I've been digging around, trying to find a project. I'm out of sorts this week. I have the blahs...


So I'm thinking an easy, comfy (yet stylish, snap!) garment is due for a run. Like this Hotpattterns, the Classic Nouveau Uptown/Downtown Knit Dress.


I have a soft, soft green beefy knit, a gift from the fabulous Julia, that will be perfect! I think a little mindless tracing is just what the sewing doctor ordered to brighten my week.

And a song on my playlist right now...

Brandi Carlile - The Story

link via youtube

HP Miss Moneypenny Pussycat Blouse

Wow, that pattern title is a mouthful! Remember, this is one of my Emma Pillsbury top knockoffs! Everyone needs a good tie-front blouse, right?

I started this top (my "muslin") back in March. I got mad at the neckline/collar/tie directions and had to set it aside. I picked it back up today to finish because I've got to get the UFO pile under control before I start anything new. And, I really wanted to finish this one because it was turning out so cute! See?


It's not perfect, but it was just intended to be a wearable muslin. I didn't have enough of this cute lime/yellow/blue print (from Hancock's!) to make the facings or the 3/4 sleeves. Or the ties! I had to piece the ties, but my "seam" ends up right where they "tie" so it's covered. They're still not quite long enough to tie in a nice bow though.

I substituted a white cotton for the facings, which isn't terribly noticeable until you're up close to my neck like the photo below. This also shows a closeup of the collar/tie that gave me such fits!


Essentially where I screwed up the first time I started this top was that I mistakenly thought the tie/collar was a BAND, not a rolled collar. I had the collar/facing all kinds of screwed up, because the collar portion WILL attach like a band (and looks fine.) There's just no way to add the facing if you do that!

I ended up ripping it all out and redoing it. It just took me a few weeks! Unfortunately, my limited fabric also means this little top is a tad short. I knew it was going to be, but there was just no way to fix it. I took a 1/2" turned up hem, so its wearable, but just barely.

I used the short, puffed sleeve from a different pattern because I didn't have enough for the original sleeves. My plan was to gather and bind the lower edge of the sleeves, which I did. That's what will probably make this top unwearable, because the bindings are TOO TIGHT! Grrr.


I could take the bindings off and do something else for the sleeve hems...but right now I don't want to fool with it. Maybe in another month!

What I will change for my future versions (because I really love the style & the fit!): I think I need to lengthen the upper bodice front another 1/2 inch, and add length to all of the bottom bodice pieces. This is one short top as drafted.

The back (which I didn't get a shot of because it was sprinkling on me in these!) fits great, but needs a "petite" adjustment on the upper back.

One UFO knocked out! Sort of. I still need to figure out what to do about the bindings, but technically I could hang this in the closet now and get it off the sewing table!

Kyoto Sew Along, Anyone??

Shannon & I are thinking of having a Hotpatterns Kyoto Skirt Sew-Along!


Now, there's a lot of stuff going on with this skirt! I think both Shannon & I are leaving off the toggles, but I may do a drawstring. I might try the toggles, but I'm not sure I can find any local and I'd rather just use what I have on hand to make this. I might be leaving off the patch pockets, I'm somewhat undecided on that part.

For fabrics, I've been holding onto this pretty, fairly lightweight, pale khaki twill. It's not even "khaki" really, it's even a touch paler than in these photos. It also has a slight "sheen", which I thought eliminated it as a bottoms fabric (my buns don't really need a shiny surface). But what the hey!? I can't find my other khaki twill anyway!

For bias trim fabrics I'm having trouble choosing. The pattern needs to be small enough that bias trim will carry the print consistently along the design lines (curved yoke seam, and I believe the hems are faced with the print too. I may do my drawstrings out of the print if I have enough!)

I have plenty of this aqua/olive/cream print and it IS my favorite color (and looks good next to the twill). The print is rather large and oddly spaced though. I'd have to cut a bias strip to see if I liked it.


A paisley print would be perfect since it is basically small scale, covering a large area. This coral color paisley really pops against the khaki:


I have a bit of this aqua AND coral paisley (who knew? The bounds of my stash truly knows no limits). Which seems like a perfect combination of my favorite parts of the above two fabrics...except I don't think I have enough for bias strips. Grr.


I have more fabrics (ha. Understatement.) that might work, lighting is a bit off in this picture. The cheetah print would be fun (it's not as "yellow" as shown below). The brown with red dot might be interesting too, but I'm not sure what the bias strips would look like.


Since I typically need some sort of motivation to finish projects, we'd love to have some of you Kyoto-owners (or owners to be) join us!! Shannon doesn't typically need motivation. She's better than me with that whole focus thing.

Kyoto Sew Along. Any takers?

HP Delicious Dress pt 1

Just doing my part to keep the UFO pile large and unruly. I started this Hotpattern, the Deco Vibe Delicious Dresses:


Being a print-match-er, I love love love the mixed print view. But I chose to test out this pattern (no muslin! Eek!) using a poly knit print I purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics a couple of years ago.

The pattern itself is fairly straightforward to put together. The neckline is a bit fiddly and I could have used a few more notches to match up to the seams on the dress body (when attaching the neckband). I used alot of pins, not my normal habit. The directions are pretty sparse too, but there are some diagrams to help you along.

Part of the neckband fiddliness was due to the fabric choice though, entirely my fault. Let's just say I won't be making this dress in a poly knit again!

Here's how far I got this afternoon:


Really hard to tell what's going on in that crazy busy print! I chose to make the view with the long, ruched sleeves. Here's a closeup of the neckline, which is super flattering (reminiscent of the Sunshine top in fact):



Still really hard to see anything, but you can see above that I haven't finished the neckband. I only have that and hems to do, and this dress is finished!

All in all, I like it, but I don't love it, and its all due to the fabric. The pattern does call for a stable knit or drapey woven, and this is most definitely not a stable knit! I can't wait to make it again in a better fabric choice, although I do plan on wearing this one!

Unfortunately I won't be finishing it tonight. I have a stiff neck and a headache and I plan on lying in front of the tv for a while.

Cross your fingers that I'll find time to do a HP Delicious Dresses Part 2 later this week. In that post, I'll give you size & alteration specifics and my other thoughts on this pattern.

happy blogiversary!

Today is the first day of my 5th year blogging. Wow. Yesterday was actually my blogiversary, but I forgot to post about it! I can't believe I still have stuff to talk about after all this time. Thank you to everyone who reads and visits my little spot here on the web. It would be a boring place without you!

And...I feel SPRING COMING!!! Woohoo!!

Sorry I haven't photo'd the HP Sunshine top yet, I'll get to that this weekend. Hopefully I'll have two things to show you, because I cut out this pattern this week, the HP Deco Vibe Delicious Dresses:


I don't have a snapshot of the fabric I'm using (well I do but I can't find it on my hard drive. Yikes I have a lot of crap on here!) But, it's the red/coral/pink/black floral featured on the far right dress in this SWAP storyboard I did 2 years ago.


By the way, I love this storyboard. I made about half of these garments, but not the dress. I think that fabric (which obviously has been marinating a while now) will make the Deco Vibes dress extra Delicious. hehe.

Hey peeps, it's...

TGIF!!!

baby things & a sunshine top

I really enjoy sharing my beginning projects with you, and you've been so sweet with comments. Even though I don't currently sew baby garments, I know many of you do. But even more important, you might be able to take a technique I used on one of these garments, and incorporate that into a current project.

Today I'm bringing you two baby/toddler garments that I loved. Lu was a mid-summer baby, so lightweight, cool clothing was a must in her baby/toddler years! Plus, the child just hated clothes. The first is a pink rosebud voile baby romper, made with the Old Fashioned Baby's Summer Clothes pattern.


I added folded release tucks at the shoulder seams and a dainty lace ruffle around the neckline. Three pearl buttons are for decoration only in the center front.


There is beading and lace trim around the leg openings. The crotch closes with buttons and buttonholes because I was still afraid of snaps at this point!


The romper buttons up the back.


This was such a sweet baby garment! I know it seems a little impractical with the crotch buttons, but it actually wasn't. Lu was a year old at this point and I wasn't changing diapers every hour like when she was tiny. I saw a discussion recently where a grandmother was lamenting her daughter-in-law throwing the handmade, lace-adorned dresses and rompers in the washer and dryer. I'd like to point out this romper is 12 years old and was washed & dried in the machine many times. Looks pretty darn good to me!

This next little dress is actually a pink pinafore, made from poly/cotton batiste. This dress features something I was sort of obsessed with figuring out at the time, the "t-yoke" dress. The yoke & center front of the dress form a "T", and then the side portions of the skirt front are gathered to the arms of the "T". It's a very vintage look.


The pattern was a free one in a back issue of Sew Beautiful (my older issues are in storage, so I don't have the issue number handy! Let me know if you want it!)

This little pinafore is just precious. I adore the sweetheart neckline and the t-yoke. I trimmed the neckline and armholes with flat lace edging, and then pin-stitched over the lace header.


I traced the little rabbit applique (it's a needle-turned applique, done by hand) and embroidery design from a great vintage book reprinted at about the time Lu was a baby. It's called "How to Make Handmades for Your Baby". The entire book is adorable. The rabbit is white batiste, and all of the embroidery is done using plain cotton floss.


I mentioned this was a pinafore, although it definitely passes for a sundress or suntop! But here's the back, where you can really see how cute this design is. The back closes with 4 buttons, and the back skirt is circular, creating a cute little flair.


Underneath is a plain white batiste slip. Lu wore this slip under most of her high yoke baby dresses. She had 3 or 4 of these because they are so easy to make. I traced the armhole and neckline from a bodice pattern, then scooped each out just a bit more. I turned under the seam allowances and did a shell hem for a seam finish. The bottom of the slip is finished with a lace-trimmed ruffle.


Baby clothes are so much fun to make. I wish I had saved everything of Lu's, I'd probably be sharing it for months if I did! I hope some of the techniques or patterns you see from my stash might inspire you in a future project.

Speaking of my Lu, she had a band concert tonight. Can you believe this beautiful girl once wore those tiny baby dresses? Amazing.


This weekend turned into a Hotpatterns weekend of sorts! I not only made the Once, Twice, Three Times a T-Shirt, I also made a HP Sunshine Top. Here's a sneak peek:


You'll have to wait for some daylight so I can snap a picture of it on moi! I love love love this tee. I need about a dozen, immediately. If you don't have this pattern you most definitely need it!

HP once, twice, three times a tee

That's a mouthful, huh? This isn't going to be a long post...I'm off to pick up some Tex-Mex for dinner! But I whipped up this interesting little tee this afternoon and wanted to share! I dedicate this one to Dawn, who's waited a long, long time for it. heh.


It's the HotPatterns Once, Twice, Three Times a Tee.

Super, super easy to put together. It's basically rectangles of fabric. I'm not a fan of "slot" necklines like this and indeed I don't care for the way it flops around, or for the way the facing doesn't want to stay put. (I'm ok with the fact that I need a tank underneath. I wear a cami or tank every day anyway! I'm just old fashioned that way.)

In fact, I might be drafting a keyhole alternative neckline tonight & fixing it up. I have plenty of this muted pink & khaki tie-dye to do it. Then I think I'll be in love with the whole top. I already love the funky sleeves and the fit.

Speaking of fit, I cut a 14 in the neckline (and could have used a 12 in front I think, which might have helped my slot neckline a bit). I swung out to a 16 at the armhole, then bumped out at the bust to an 18 for a "cheater" FBA. Then I followed the 18 down to the hem, but I did cut in just a bit of shaping at the waist. Otherwise you're looking at one long rectangle for the front and back.

The front/back as drafted is LONG. I cut off 3 inches at least. I'm probably not going to hem it, I like where it's hitting me right now. I likewise didn't hem the sleeve frill. I love knits! I typically have to shorten tees because I'm pretty short-waisted. I'm 5'5 and most of that is legs!

In good mail news, I received these awesome zippers from an Etsy seller. If you're interested, I'll dig up the name! **UPDATE for that heifer beangirl: The seller is "ButtonsandSuch". There now you have zips. I can't do anything about your short legs. Muwahahaha. They ship from Asia so it takes a couple of weeks, but how darn cute are they?


Here's a closer view:


Obviously they're for exposed zipper projects, but I can't wait to use them on some cute summer skirts!

I hope you're having a fabulous weekend!