Quite some time ago Lynne and I (Kitty) split two different fabrics between us. The fabric Lynne shared with me became a top for each of us. The results of that fabric challenge can be found here. Now it’s time for the second shared fabric swap results to be revealed! The fabric I split with Lynne was a more difficult one to work with than her lovely floral knit. Mine was a bold print … Continue reading Shared Fabric Sewing Challenge #2
Still moving forward on my core wardrobe. This is the tough part, editing the closet. Twice a year I change from a spring/summer wardrobe to the fall/winter. And, every year I put a few things in the ‘Donate’ pile. Well, it’s about to get a bit ugly this year. With my goal of sewing a core wardrobe it’s important to get rid of things that … Continue reading Operation: Core Wardrobe – No Pain No Gain – Editing the closet
The Fabric Mart Fabricistas are currently running their second Fashion Sewing Contest! They’ve included a “play along” flickr page where the sewing public can post photos of their sew-along entries. I decided to give it a whirl! Continue reading “Copying My Favorite Ready To Wear Garment”
I usually am not the type of person who makes the same pattern multiple times, but I’ve been thinking that maybe my sewing projects would go a little smoother if I had a few tried and true patterns to work from. So, sorry to bore you, but I made another Archer. This is my 3rd one – I think three is a pattern duplicate record for me. Continue reading “Colorblocked Chambray Archer”
I’m so happy to have found an Advanced ScanNCut class being offered at Rocky Mountain Sew and Vac in Arvada, Colorado. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get that darn machine to do what you want in the vacuum of your own limited experience. Even though there is a multitude of YouTube videos and online blog posts about how to use the ScanNCut, nothing substitutes for some hands-on use with a knowledgeable instructor and a classroom full of eager students sitting in front of their own machines. Continue reading “ScanNCut Class #2”
Recently I took advantage of a great sale at Craftsy.com. I purchased the class “Project Upcycle: Thrifty Sewing Projects” with Betz White for only $9.99. I’d already experimented with some of the refashion projects taught in this course like the felted tote, but the class was still well worth the price. Continue reading “Craftsy Project Upcycle: Kimono Wrap Skirt Refashion”
My husband loves his fire truck and no fire truck is complete without a Dalmation! Well we don’t have a Dalmation, but we do have Ginger Pickles. So I made her a little jacket to wear to turn her into a Dalmation when she goes out on “calls”. Continue reading “Fire Dog!”
Big news everybody! The Denver Sewing Collective has decided to start doing monthly challenges. We thought it would be a good way to unify the blog a bit and push us all outside our comfort zones once and awhile.
Everyone is invited to sew along with the challenges! The due date will be the 15th of each month. You can post your creations on our Flickr pool at https://www.flickr.com/groups/denversewschallenges/ , and we’ll do a round up post at the end of every challenge where we’ll show off whatever you post in the Flickr pool. If you like, you can add a description of your make or a link to your own blog in the comments of the Flickr photo and we’ll add those to the post as well. Are you ready to hear the October challenge?
Use a fabric that you’ve been hanging onto a long time. We probably all have fabrics in our stash that we love so much we’re afraid to cut into them… but they’re not doing us any good sitting in a closet. Be brave and cut into it! It doesn’t have to be silk or anything fancy, just something you’ve hung onto for awhile.
When I got close to the end of the alphabet in my 
series several friends asked me what I planned to do next for my DenverSews blog projects. Hmm, it’s a good thing that they asked, I’m not a planner – I had no idea! I answered one inquiry with a surly “I’ll sew whatever I want instead of something that starts with a particular letter.” But I honestly had no idea what I wanted to sew – my answer had revealed the truth, I hadn’t thought beyond completing Z. Luckily those questions jump-started my contemplation of this dilemma.
I came up with several ideas for subsequent series. Being a non-planner, a series is a more efficient use of my time, allowing me to spend my time sewing instead of spending my time trying to figure out what to sew for each individual post. And with my giant sewing collection I had lots of different series possibilities to choose from! Continue reading “A-Z is Complete. What’s Next?”
If talcum powder was a fabric it would be a tissue knit. Good Lord, this stuff is so amazing against the skin. I want to be married, carried and buried in it. I bought this on a whim (no?) at Hancock’s discount bin. There is no manufacturer or fiber content information available. All it came in was white. And, I wish I would have bought the whole lot of it. The wonderful feel and absolute lightness of it more than makes up for the ginormous pain in the tuckus that befalls those who choose to work with it. Continue reading “Working with Tissue Knits and a Review of Vogue 8536”
I had a plan for the the PatternReview.com “One Pattern Many Looks” contest to make up a bunch of Grainline Archer button-up shirts. I’ve made this pattern before and really like it, and I figured that since I wear blouses more than any other type of garment it would be a good thing to have several of. Now, Kitty tried to warn me that making up multiple button-up shirts in the span of a few weeks was a bit ambitious, but I was too stubborn to listen. And to make things worse, I chose this drapey silk-feel polyester that is perhaps the shiftiest fabric I’ve ever worked with. Seriously… I cut the button band exactly along the selvedge and by the time I lifted the pattern piece it was a crazy wiggly worm of a strip of fabric. Eeeesh. The reverse of the fabric has a ribbed look to it so I think perhaps the weave pulls it in a wavy line, because I swear I cut it straight! Continue reading “Grainline Archer Buttonup Shirt”
For the last post in my series, the letter Z, I chose to sew a skirt with a zebra print panel from the Simplicity Amazing Fit Collection. My pattern is Simplicity # 0503, a Misses’ and Miss Petite skirt in 3 lengths, with individual pattern pieces given for slim, average and curvy fit. I made view C, the above the knee-length version, in the curvy fit size 14. Continue reading “Z is for Zebra Print – Simplicity 1541- A Pattern Review”
My first knit dress had a definite learning curve. It was not an “1-Hour Dress” as the pattern envelope claimed. McCalls 6074 is a basic Pullover dress with front elastic casing detail, deep V-neck, flare skirt and a stitched hem. I made view D with cap sleeves and a length of about 2″ below the knee. Continue reading “McCalls 6074 – My First Knit Dress | Jane Dugger”
A Denver Sewing Collective member, Sylvia, asked me weeks ago to digitize a rose design that was referenced in Threads Number 161 July 2012. The article is by Jennifer Stern-Hasemann. The project is to cover a bodice with a bouquet of sewn roses and it is quite lovely: Continue reading “Sylvia’s Rose”
Denver Sewing Collective 