Dutch Label Shop asked if I would like to try their labels. I said yes! Read below for a quick review, plus a discount code to try Dutch Label Shop labels yourself. The website is easy to navigate and there are lots of fun options to choose from. You can choose clothing labels, brand labels, hang tags and stock labels. I concentrated on the clothing labels. … Continue reading Dutch Label Shop Label Review + 15% Off For Friends of DSC
McCalls #7054 is such an easy swingy skirt. It may look complicated but it’s not. The only thing you need to keep track of is which panels connect with which side. This is done by making accurate markings and notches on your fabric. I made this is a rayon crepe from Fabric.com. Crepe type fabrics are my all-time favorite fabrics to work with. The lining … Continue reading McCalls 7054 Sewing Pattern- Cha-Cha Skirt!
Many of you have probably heard that Craftsy has now rebranded itself as Bluprint. Craftsy will still have the same great classes for creative learning but since NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment became a major shareholder, things are shaking up for types of content and how we view online classes. There are all kinds of changes going on naturally, you can read a great synopsis from the … Continue reading Watch 1st Episode of BluPrint’s Re:Fashion with Marci Harriell
I was at Colorado Fabrics for an event and saw this amazing fabric. It has such a nice feel and drape to it. It didn’t have any fiber content but it doesn’t shrink, has a bit of stretch but feels like there’s a bit of cotton in it. I asked my fellow colleague and sewing buddy Amanda what I should do with it. Without hesitation, … Continue reading Review: Named Patterns Inari Tee Dress
I’ve wanted to make a pair of velvet pants for a while and have seen gorgeous inspiration around the web. Earlier I made a faux wrap dress in a stretch burn out velvet that went really well. This is my first time working with a more traditional velvet. Being a newbie to the temperaments of velvet, I read Katherine Tilton’s recent McCall’s post on working … Continue reading Butterick 5893 + Velvet = Awesome Pants
I’ve been wanting to make a jacket for fall 2016 and McCalls 7513 was the one. This pattern is a wearable muslin. The fabric is from an American Sewing Guild Denver fabric sale last year. It’s a wool blend of something, very nubby. I lined it with two different shades of silk from my stash. The pattern sews up very well. However there are a few … Continue reading Pattern Review: McCalls 7513 Close Fitting Jacket with Peplum
For as much as I love vintage sewing, I’m even surprised that I only recently attended my first ‘costume’/historical ball. It’s held twice a year; once in summer and again in the winter. I bought my tickets back in January and that was about the time I started thinking about what I was going to make. I think I bought about 20 yards of different … Continue reading Vintage Pattern Review – Advanced 4826
Ever have those sewing projects where nothing seems to go right? This pattern was super easy and the problems were not with the pattern but rather the universe (or me).
Continue reading “McCalls 6794 – The Battle For Victory: A Review”
The dress represents for me my overall madness for sewing. Madness in a good way and sometimes in a “black heart I stab at thee” madness. That kind of craziness that comes over you and you drive yourself mad trying to figure it out and you’re just stuck in this endless insanity. Usually I have the good sense to bail, but this one, ah, she was different….
I bought this pattern back in the 90’s and have always been a big fan of the shirt waist dress. Very popular in the 40’s and 50’s and every other year or so we see it back in various styles. Michael Kors had something along these lines for Spring 2015. All very lady like and really, hands down my favorite look. I think the style of dress is dress at it’s best.
If you like to look through vintage sewing patterns from the 40’s you’ll see this style in many incarnations, some housework casual others lunch with the ladies chic. There are hundreds of patterns new and old that have a similar look. But, for whatever reason, I HAD to have this one work. There are a few I have worked on with varying results but always longed for my white whale of a dress: Style 2708. Continue reading “Style 2708: My Moby Dick Of A Dress”
Ah, culottes. AKA gauchos, knee breeches, skorts or my favorite, bifurcated skirt. Whatever name you call them there are few garments that cause such passionate debate. There are two camps, those that love ’em and those that don’t.
Continue reading “McCalls Sewing Pattern 7131 – Warning: Culottes Ahead!”
I made this dress over the weekend. It is similar to Vogue 8645 I made last year. This is a very easy pattern to sew. Here are the changes I made to the pattern. I lengthed it by about four inches. I cut out the size XS. I did not use the facing pieces but instead put in bias binding along the neck line. I … Continue reading Simplicity 1810 Completed
I’ve been looking for a pattern for a small hipster or cross-body bag that could securely hold my phone, a credit card, some cash and maybe something else like a camera or some ladies’ accoutrements, shall we say. Most hipster or cross-body bags I’ve seen have been too big or without many secure pockets, but this Zip & Clip bag I found on Craftsy is just perfect! The pattern is by Lisa Amundsen whose website is aroundthebobbin.com. Continue reading “Zip and Clip Bag – A Perfect Bag for a Night Out”
If you follow me on Instagram I have posted photos of my journey to a better more organized life. I’ve read organizing books and made attempts here and there to de-clutter and get my sh!t in proverbial order with little luck. I found Marie Kondo’s book at B&N during their New Year – New You promotions they do every year. Immediately, it resonated with me so I brought it home and read it cover to cover.
Continue reading “The Magic of Tidying Up – Getting Rid of Stuff #konmari Style”
My quest for structured bags continues! This week I made Sara Larson’s Crimson and Clover Train Cases. This cute pattern comes in 3 sizes. I made a medium and a small bag, omitting the interior pockets. Continue reading “Crimson and Clover Train Cases”
I bought the Sew Sturdy Travel Organizers Craftsy class last August! I love trying to make structured bags and I just couldn’t resist something that looked like a suitcase. But I was dismayed that I needed some specialty items that I didn’t already have: Soft and Stable foam stabilizer and some very very long purse zippers. Sometimes it’s a little off-putting to find that the instructor is selling more than just her pattern. In this case, Annie Unrein (the instructor and pattern author), is also encouraging us to buy her “By Annie Soft and Stable” foam stabilizer and long purse zippers. Neither of these two items are specifically mentioned in the “materials” list on Craftsy. This was annoying enough to me that I gave up on this class. Continue reading “March Challenge – UFO: Everything In Its Place Bag”
This is the recently released Jasper Sweater by Paprika Patterns. (Full disclosure: I received a copy for free in exchange for an honest review.) I made it up in a rayon double knit from JoAnn’s. The pattern calls for a stable heavy weight knit (sweatshirt fabric, basically) but this is a little bit stretchier than recommended because of the high rayon content. I made View A – the pattern also has versions for a longer dress version and a turtleneck instead of the hood. Continue reading “Jasper Sweater Review + A Giveaway!”
One of our Sewing Collective members, Sylvia, has been sewing up a storm lately! In response to our January Threads Challenge, she completed a dress she was inspired to make from the July 2012 edition. If you may recall, Sylvia asked me many months ago to digitize the rose that Jennifer Stern had drawn for her machine embroidered embellishment. I wrote about that process here. You never know what becomes of these requests, so I was astonished when she told me she had finished the dress! Continue reading “Sylvia’s Threads Challenge and Bionic Gear Bag”
For several weeks I’ve been in a terrible sewing slump. My sewing mojo’s been MIA and every project I’ve attempted has turned out badly. So I decided to make some quick and easy winter tops to try to turn the tide. I looked through my pattern stash and pulled out the top patterns that struck me as the easiest to sew. Continue reading “McCall’s 6796, A Pattern Review”
The January edition of Burda magazine is always a low point because they devote a section to costumes for Carnival – a holiday in Germany where you dress up like Halloween, I guess? This month there was also a maternity wear section with a bunch of dresses that didn’t really interest me, so double disappointment. There were still a few good patterns to be had though… Continue reading “Burda January 2015 Review (International Edition)”
Clearly I cannot resist a new bag pattern that catches my fancy! Kitty recently made a couple renditions of Kwik Sew 4093 (bag B) that I loved for its size and patchwork potential. Kitty entered her wool tote in a Pattern Review contest and wrote about it here. It looks great in black, grey, and red. Continue reading “Mo Bags – Kwik Sew 4093 and The Lucy Tote Bag”
I found these two great patterns on Craftsy for the Tooly and the Bionic Needle Organizer. For any given project, I use only a small subset of the many tools I have. The Tooly is perfect for keeping only those items I’m using right now nearby. And the Bionic Needle Organizer is a great way to keep a stash of sewing needles handy and to keep track of whatever needle you have in the machine. It may be past Christmas, but these make great gifts for yourself or your sewing friends any time of the year. Continue reading “Gifts for Sewers – Tooly and Bionic Needle Organizer”
I love refashioning! There’s just something so satisfying about taking an unwearable garment and making it cute and wearable. And of course I’m super thrifty, so making something from nothing is a kick for me. In 2014 I had a lot of fun with refashioning, so I’ll definitely be doing more of it in 2015. It was hard for me to pick just 3 favorite … Continue reading 2014, My 3 Favorite Refashions And My 3 Least Favorite Garments
2014 was a banner year for me as far as completing sewing projects. One of the reasons I wanted to be part of a sewing blog was that I knew it would compel me to finish the projects I start. In the past I’ve been much more adept at starting than finishing my sewing projects. Having to post photos on DenverSews has kept me focused on the end result, although I will … Continue reading 2014, My 3 Favorite Garments And My 3 Favorite Crafts!
I purchased Embrilliance Essentials not long ago for the sole purpose of creating cut files for my Brother ScanNCut (for appliques). It works beautifully for such purposes and I talked about it here. Lucky for me, Embrilliance recently released a reasonably priced digitizing package as well called Stitch Artist. It works on both the Mac and the PC and comes, for the moment, in Level 1 and Level 2. I have been hoping to find an embroidery design package that is relatively easy and convenient to use so my husband can make all of the patches he’s ever dreamed of making. To this end, I purchased Level 2 and gave it a run-through. (For this review, I am using version 1.137 on a Mac running OS X 10.9.5, but as of today, there is a new version 1.138.) Continue reading “A Look at Embrilliance Stitch Artist Level 2”
My daughter has a large collection of Care Bears, purchased in the early 2000s by her mother. I love these little bears, but thought some were a little far removed from the original collection of Care Bears from the 80s: Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, Tenderheart Bear, and Wish Bear. I mean, really, who is “Share Bear” or “Harmony Bear”? These must be the politically-correct cousins. Anyway, I always thought Grumpy Bear was underrepresented. I’m generally a happy person, but sometimes I’m just masking a melancholy undercurrent of holiday anxiety. Anyway, a vintage challenge is a fabulous opportunity to finally make that Grumpy Bear pattern I purchased on eBay a few years ago (Butterick 6228). And if you don’t believe it’s vintage, try and decipher this copyright year: MCMLXXXIII. Continue reading “December Challenge: A Vintage Grumpy Care Bear”
This month’s issue of Burda was a bit of a let-down for me. Generally the December issue has some fun party dresses and fancy tops, but the dresses this month bored me and the tops were mostly oversized and shapeless. There were a handful of items I liked though and the plus size section was great so it’s still worth the subscription price to me. My first pick is this 70’s style A-line skirt with a front pleat and decorative tabs on the side. I’d make the tabs from leather and perhaps add some buckles or other hardware to snazz it up a bit. Fantastic styling for once – this whole look is really in right now. I was just at DSW and there were two full rows of black knee high boots so they must be having a moment right now. My only complaint is that I really wish Burda gave us the pattern for that top too! Continue reading “Burda December 2014 Review (International Edition)”
If you struggle with pants fitting and you have a rather flat behind, this pattern might be for you! Thanks to Jamie, I found out about and ordered this new pattern from Style Arc: the Flat Bottom Flo. You are forced to choose one pattern size when you order. My measurements fell in-between sizes. After asking Style Arc which pattern to order, I ordered the larger size. Continue reading “Style Arc Flat-Bottom Flo Review”
Every machine I’ve ever owned had stitches on it that I’d never used. The challenge this month was to try using some of those mystery stitches on something, anything. Continue reading “November Challenge – New Machine Stitches”
Well, this was unintentional, me posting a kimono right after Jamie. Plus, we’re having a Kimono night at the Denver Sewing Collective’s next meetup. I’ve got kimono on the brain. This was an super easy jacket to make. Basically a rectangle folded over and the side sewn where your arms go through. I like the drapey band that Butterick has here. I bought the fabric from … Continue reading Butterfly Kimono from Butterick 6065
Well the highly anticipated Brother Dream Machine is finally here! I think many potential customers are intrigued by the possibility of creating their own embroidery designs on the machine. And I am certainly one of them. So let’s see what it can do. Continue reading “Brother Dream Machine – My Design Center Review”
Kwik Sew patterns are a favorite of mine. One of my first successful garments was made from a Kwik Sew pattern, and that success, after a string of failures with other pattern lines, inspired me to keep sewing. So during a recent Kwik Sew sale I stocked up on seven of their new 2014 patterns. Kwik Sew doesn’t go on sale as often, and isn’t as deeply discounted, as McCall’s, Simplicity, and Butterick, so … Continue reading Kwik Sew 4093 – A Patchwork Purse
When Jamie threw down the gauntlet to use a fabric you’ve been hanging onto a longtime, I knew this was the push I needed to finish/redo my failed attempt with Cynthia Rowley’s Simplicity 2406. Continue reading “October Sewing Challenge – Jane’s Results: McCalls 6346”
I love the fall because that’s when the best jacket patterns come out, and the cover for Burda’s October issue did not disappoint. More pictures below of this jacket in a plainer fabric so you can see all the details. The lapels and peplum are both flounces (pieces of fabric cut in a spiral so that one edge is longer than the other), and they … Continue reading Burda October 2014 Review (International Edition)
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”
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”
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”
If you’ve forgotten Burda is a German magazine, the Oktoberfest theme throughout the September should remind you. What? You don’t have dirndls and fabric pretzels at the top of your September sewing list? Fine, I’ll start with the (somewhat) normal stuff. If you remember from the preview last month, I called this lovely pic “Grease extras with a wardrobe malfunction”. Burda apparently calls it “Oh so very British”. Who can keep those English speaking countries straight anyways?
Continue reading “Burda September 2014 Review (International Edition)”
I had the chance to check out the latest top-of-the-line home sewing and embroidery machine from Brother courtesy of Rocky Mountain Sew and Vac in Littleton, Colorado. It’s called the Dream Machine and it truly makes you dream. Note: I am not associated with Brother or with Rocky Mountain Sew and Vac in any way. I am just an interested consumer of sewing and embroidery machines! EDIT: For a more recent review of My Design Center, see this blog post. Continue reading “A Look at the Brother Dream Machine”
For the 25th post in my series, the letter Y, I’ve chosen a “You Sew Girl!” pattern, the A-Line Skirt. This 2011 pattern is from Australian designer Nicole Mallalieu. Nicole Mallalieu began her pattern drafting career as a handbag and hat designer, but once she ventured into garments her A-Line Skirt also garnered excellent reviews on PatternReview. Although I already have several A-Line skirt patterns, when I read “the skirt is a great … Continue reading Y is for You Sew Girl! Patterns
For the 24th post in my series, the letter X, I made McCall’s 6751, a summer top with a cool X-back design. Continue reading “X is for X-back Top: McCall’s 6751 – A Pattern Review”
For the 23rd post in my series, the letter W, I made a Wrap Dress from a vintage 1994 pattern, Butterick 3485. 3485 has been in my stash for quite awhile – I purchased it for 30 cents at a thrift store in Arizona at least 5 years ago. This pattern is rated Very Easy and I totally agree with that assessment. The only closures it has are ties, and with only 4 pattern pieces, what could be easier?
Continue reading “W is for Wrap Dress – Butterick 3485 – A Pattern Review”
For the 22nd post in my series, the letter V, I chose to sew Vogue 1247. This pattern is a Rachel Comey design that had tons of favorable reviews in 2011 when the pattern was first issued. The pattern is a skirt and top, and the skirt, “a semi-fitted A-line with front in-seam pockets” quickly became a favorite with the blogosphere sewing community. Continue reading “V is for Vogue 1247 – A Pattern Review – AKA: My Vogue Curse”
Have you ever made something that whenever you put it on you feel like Audrey Hepburn or a ballerina, or whatever your feminine ideal is? Well, Vogue 8645 is it for me. I LOVE THIS DRESS. I love its simplicity, I love the fabric I picked, the way it looks everything. And, the funny thing is it’s riddle with sewing errors!
Okay, maybe not riddled, but there are a few things I would do different next time. Continue reading “Vogue 8645 Summer Dress – Completed”
I’ve been subscribing to Burda for about four years and they seem to cycle through high and low periods. After the last stinker of an issue I expected them to be a slump for a few months but… this issue was surprisingly good! I’ll start with my favorites because I’m a “dessert first” kind of gal. The crazy (in a good way) seamlines in this dress look great colorblocked or in a solid. I love the idea of the print mixing on the left. Or, I could see it in a solid with top-stitching to make the seamlines really pop. Or, how about a mix of black ponte and faux leather? So many possibilities. Continue reading “Burda August 2014 Review (International Edition)”
My local library, the Longmont Public Library, has a collection of 31 sewing and fitting DVDs from Cynthia Guffey (she’s the one in the purple jacket above), thanks to the Friends of the Longmont Library. Having pants on my mind, I checked out the two relevant titles: “Pants Fitting” and “Tweaking Pants Crotch Depth Crotch Length”. Try searching for “crotch” at your local library and see what you get. Besides the “Tweaking Pants” DVD, I got a medical guide for cyclists and “American Shaolin: … and the legend of the iron crotch”. Too funny. But I digress. Continue reading “Cynthia Guffey Pants Fitting DVDs – Review”
For the 21st post in my 
series, the letter U, I decided to make underwear. (Believe me, there’s not much choice when it comes to items to sew that start with U!) Although I’d never attempted to sew panties before I had two underwear patterns in my stash, Jalie 2568 and McCall’s 5651. Jalie 2568 had 100% positive reviews on PatternReview, so I chose the Jalie pattern. Continue reading “U is for Underwear – Jalie 2568 Pattern Review”
Sometime last year, I (Lynne) found some fabulous knit fabric at the ARC Thrift Store in Louisville, Colorado. There were actually two pieces, each costing $3 or less. One I kept and one I gave to Kitty, in a challenge to see what each of us would make. At long last, we are ready to reveal our masterpieces! Continue reading “Fabric Swap #1 – The Floral Knit”
What goes up must come down and Burda is no exception. After the excellent issue they put out last month, they seem to have gone into a death spiral. I’ll try to stay positive and give you the good news first. My favorite piece from this issue was this color blocked raglan sleeve top. The suggested fabric is jersey, but I could see going up a size and making it in silk (with a zipper in the side probably). Continue reading “Burda July 2014 Review (International Edition)”
For the 20th post in my 
series, the letter T, I made the “Tie-On!” sundress.
I needed a sundress to wear to my June “Sew ‘N Sudz” meeting. The Sew ‘N Sudz meetup group was created by lovely Tish of HISS Studio to provide an opportunity for home sewers to showcase their handmade garments. As a retiree I wear jeans almost every day, so this group is an excellent incentive for me to leave my comfort zone and dress creatively, if only once a month. Continue reading “T is for TieOn! Dress: Butterick 5482 – A Pattern Review”
Denver Sewing Collective 