My closet is void of summer tops. So, I put it upon myself to make a few this summer. This started out as a muslin, but it is a wearable muslin for sure, with mistakes minor and hidden. Here’s a down and dirty review of New Look 6871. Name: New Look 6871 View: D Modified Size: 10 Fabric: From stash, Project Runway silky – no longer available. Level … Continue reading New Look 6871 – Finished! Easy Summer Top
For the 19th post in my 
series, the letter S, I’ve sewn a Simplicity pattern, #7499.
I had A MULTITUDE of Simplicity patterns to choose from in my pattern stash. Judging from the number of Simplicity UFOs (unfinished objects) I have stored in my attic, apparently Simplicity was once my favorite pattern company. I’m actually embarrassed to admit to my UFO count.
Let’s just say it’s a good thing my attic is quite large. Continue reading “S is for Simplicity 7499 – A Pattern Review”
The July issue of Burda just showed up in my mailbox which made me realize I’m a month behind in reviews. I think I was putting off reviewing June because there was so much I liked, I knew it would take awhile. Warm up your scrolling finger and let’s do this…
Continue reading “Burda June 2014 Review (International Edition)”
This new pattern for summer from McCall’s looked like a great collection of basics – tank top, short sleeve, mid-length sleeve, and long sleeve with V-neck or round neck. I love wearing sleeveless tops in the summer and thought I’d give this one a try. If the fit was good, I could use this pattern in the cooler months for basic tops. Continue reading “McCall’s 6964 Pattern Review”
Kitty made this dress in May and reported on it here. I loved it so much I thought I’d give it a try myself. At the time, Kitty brought the neckline up by 3/4″ and adjusted the back waist to be more curve-hugging. I thought I’d give it a try without any modifications. Continue reading “McCall’s 6074 Pattern Review”
The next in my series of new McCall’s patterns for Summer is this batwing. I love batwings, but I think this one is a bit too much like a smock or poncho or cape. It’s super comfy to wear, but I feel very vulnerable without wearing a tank top or cami underneath. If I lean forward, the front just flops open and I think the smallest breeze will probably blow the thing right off of my head. The neckline is just too low. Next time, I need to modify the pattern by possibly making the shoulder seam allowances something like 2″. Continue reading “McCall’s 6962 – Pattern Review”
It is Memorial Day Weekend here in the US. Memorial Day is the day we remember and honor our fallen war heroes. I personally don’t know anyone who has died while in service to our country, but am exceedingly grateful for those who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way. That’s a lot to ask of anyone. And though we may not be a … Continue reading McCall’s 6961 – Pattern Review
For my 2nd post in my quest to sew at least one project from every sewing book I own, I’ve sewn another purse. I didn’t have a choice as to what to sew this time – the book I used is “Making Vintage Bags” by Emma Brennan. “Making Vintage Bags” was published in 2007 and contains instructions and patterns to create 20 original purses. This handbag sewing book is unique because the purses are vintage-inspired. The styles are reminiscent of bags from the 1920s through the 1950s, with 5 patterns representing each decade. Continue reading “Making Vintage Bags Purse Project”
Yet again I have a new book sitting on my shelf, beckoning me with fun projects. “Sew Gifts!” from That Patchwork Place has been tempting me for a few months now. I purchased it largely for the project on the cover and the Dresden Pouch shown on the Introduction page. I am indeed getting lazy because I know I can figure out most projects in the book without instructions, but I just don’t want to anymore! Continue reading ““Sew Gifts!” and the Zippered Dresden Pouch”
Considering the summer styles are usually when Burda patterns seem to drop off in complexity and I start to lose interest, I was pretty happy with the variety in the May issue. Let’s jump right in… My favorite dress from this issue was this v-neck raglan sleeve dress with contrast bands along all the seam lines. Unfortunately for me this was a tall pattern and I don’t know that I have the enthusiasm to shorten it. Continue reading “Burda May 2014 Review (International Edition)”
At the last Denver Mancuso Quilt Festival, I purchased some quilting tools that looked extremely promising. The first was a tool for trimming perfect half-square triangle blocks from Bloc Loc. The second was a set of tools from guidelines4quilting that promised to make cutting strips easy and ruler-slippage a thing of the past! Continue reading “Some Cool Quilting Tools”
I cannot help but be intrigued by a cute, usable fabric box with a seemingly complicated design on its exterior. I’ve been thinking of buying the privilege of watching this video for some time and finally did. Continue reading “DailyCraftTV – Chevron Fabric Basket REVIEW”
I’ve been trying to limit myself to sewing with fabrics and patterns I already own instead of adding more to my collections. For support in accomplishing this goal I joined a Facebook group called Stashbusting Sewalong 2014. Stashbusting Sewalong members dedicate themselves to sewing from their current fabric stashes rather than buying new fabrics. A worthy goal, and one I’m seriously working on. But recently I realized that in addition to my fabric and pattern hoards I have another guilty stash secret: my sewing books! So I’m also pledging to quit using my sewing books just as dust collectors. I’m going to sew at least one project from each of the sewing books I already own before I buy any additional sewing books. Continue reading “How to Make a Purse from Old Denim Jeans”
please excuse the wrinklesThe Facts
Pattern:
Butterick 5917, view B sans ruffle. Dress has ruffles, semi-fitted, lined bodice and inset, raised waist and back zipper.
The Facts
Pattern:
Burda 7207, view B LH. A wrap style Beach Dress with flounce
I thought this month’s issue of Burda was stellar. The features were varied enough that there were styles for everyone, and most of the looks were fairly original patterns I haven’t seen before. Let’s dive right in! My favorite pattern this month is this dress below with the crossover front bands. The fabric listed for the photo is a jacquard, and I think finding a fabric that looks slightly different at different angles is key to being able to see the front bands. I’m considering for myself whether it would work in a suede. Another option might be stripe or some directional print. Hmm, a ponte stripe sounds great too… do I need two of these dresses? I should also mention that this is a petite/short pattern. (Yay for me.) Continue reading “Burda April Review (International Edition)”
This jacket is from Islander Sewing Systems and it’s my 
“I” project. The pattern is Jacket Express #218 and it was designed by Janet Pray. There’s also a great craftsy class on the construction of this jacket called “Sew Better, Sew Faster: Garment Industry Secrets with Janet Pray”. You can order the jacket pattern here for $22.95 plus shipping, but if you wait for a craftsy class sale you might be able to get the deal I got: the pattern (including shipping) and the craftsy class for only $19.99. A super deal IMO! Continue reading “Craftsy Sew Better, Sew Faster Review – I is for Islander”
I recently made two bags, both of which I like very much. One is the Two Zip Hipster from Erin Erickson (Dog Under My Desk) and the other is the eClutch iPad pouch from Schoolhouse Patterns. Continue reading “Two Zip Hipster and eClutch Pattern Reviews”
It’s hard for me to review the March 2014 issue of Burda because there is so much crazy WTF in it that it’s all I can focus on when I’m flipping through it. However I do greatly prefer weird to boring, and since I’m afraid hurting Burda’s feelings might lead to a regression to the rectangle based patterns of this summer, I’m going to try and focus on the positive. The best part of this issue is that they chose a pair of jeans for the “sewing lesson for beginners” feature. That means four glorious pages of color diagrams on how stitch pockets, insert a fly front zipper, and attach the waistband. Useful! Continue reading “Burda March 2014 Review”
I just finished reading this autobiography written by Nancy Zieman. It was excellent! If you sew, you probably know Nancy Zieman as she is well known for her television show “Sewing with Nancy” and for Nancy’s Notions. Continue reading ““Seams Unlikely” and Nancy Zieman”
I received the March issue of Burda Style and the Spring/Summer issue of Burda Plus in the mail on the same day and decided to pick the better of the two magazines to review first. Sorry “regular size” ladies… Burda Plus is where it’s at this month! First up, can we talk about that sheath dress on the cover? Perfection. I don’t remember if they’ve always done this, but a few of the patterns in this issue are petite plus size which means zero alterations for me personally. This dress is going straight to the top of my make list. Continue reading “Burda Plus Spring/Summer 2014”
I have two embroidery machines, a 6-needle and a single-needle. The 6-needle is great for production work. But the single-needle is not as efficient for repetitive embroidery. It is, however, excellent for making in-the-hoop projects. An in-the-hoop project is a project created on an embroidery machine which yields something other than fabric embellishments. For example, you can make small stuffed animals, luggage tags, small bags, door knob hangers, and many other things. My favorite resource for in-the-hoop projects is Embroidery Garden. Continue reading “In-the-Hoop Fun: Owl Sewing Kit”
Pattern:
Sewaholic 1202, Cambie, view A. Fitted, lined dress features a sweetheart neckline, darted bodice and extended cap sleeves with slim A-line or full gathered skirt.
I bought the last 2 yards of this printed jersey fabric over the summer and was looking for the right pattern for it. Unfortunately for someone my size, 2 yards doesn’t give you a lot of options and I wanted to make something a little more interesting than a t-shirt. I had the idea of making a waterfall cardigan because I liked the way the black lines looked when the fabric was bunched up a bit, but with two yards that seemed impossible. When I was riffling through my StyleArc patterns and I saw this cardigan only required 1 3/4 yards, I did a double take! Continue reading “StyleArc Nina Cardigan”
The bag above is my 6th project for , “F” is for Felted. Felting is the process of applying heat, moisture and friction to cause wool (and some other natural fibers) to bind tightly together to create a felted fabric. After felting the fibers are fused and will not ravel. Continue reading “F is for Felted”
Pattern:
New Look 6224, view D. Misses dress with sleeve options. A great wardrobe builder.
The Billie Top by StyleArc is a an interesting top made out of (basically) one piece. By “one piece” I mean that the front and back are all one giant piece with a single side seam down the right side. (There is a neck facing too, but more on that later…) I made this up in a black and tan striped knit that was 50% cotton, 50% rayon. I think the rayon helps with the drapiness, and the stripes really highlight the craziness of the pattern. Continue reading “StyleArc Billie Top”
Ever since I saw my friend Jane parading down the runway at the Rocky Mountain Sewing Expo in a pair of “Laurie’s Pants” from Silhouette Patterns, I’ve been thinking about making a pair for myself. Jane said the pants were comfortable. And for me, they just looked fun. But I wasn’t sure that all that swishy fabric would look good on me. Curiosity overwhelmed and I finally bought the pattern. Continue reading “Silhouettes Patterns – Laurie’s Pants”
I have a RTW (ready-to-wear) top that I found at a thrift store that I have always loved – it is a V-neck ruched top that is snug fitting and comfy. It is the one on the left in the collage and the tag says “j.t.b. petite”. I have always wished I had more of these tops so I was pleased to find a similar pattern by Kwik Sew.
Continue reading “Kwik Sew 3915 – Ruched Neck Tops”
For my fourth project I made a denim skirt for the letter D. I have a favorite light blue, above the knee denim skirt which I bought at a thrift store many years ago. It’s looking tatty now though, so I thought I’d try to recreate it. Continue reading “D is for Denim”
After having made two Kwik Sew 3891 Batwing tops that I *love*, I remembered that I made this batwing-like top over the summer, hoping to look like the lovely lady on the pattern envelope, casually posing with her bicycle.
I have a running hypothesis with just about all pattern magazines that the number of patterns I like in an issue is inversely proportional to the attractiveness of the cover. Hence I was stoked to receive this month’s issue of Burda UK in my mailbox because… well, just look at that fugliness! It reminds me of the color scheme of every bathroom in the Midwest I can remember from the 80’s. Let’s see if the patterns live up to the cover… Continue reading “Burda February 2014 Review”
Okay, I’m the first to admit that I’m thrifty. Really, it’s a genetic thing! My ancestors were all frugal Yankee farmers – I can remember my relatives wrapping stray bits of string into a big ball and making sausages from scary scraps of meat. I learned from them to be frugal with my purchases, but recently it occurred to me that perhaps my thrifty ways are not as cost-effective as I thought. Especially when it comes to purchasing my sewing patterns. Let me explain what I mean. Continue reading “Indie Patterns – Worth The Price?”
Hancock Fabrics recently had one of their 99c pattern sales for at least one of the big 4 companies. They also had a sale on Kwik Sew patterns. I always give Kwik Sew patterns a look – they seem to have a lot of nice looking basic, functional patterns for wardrobe building. I was perusing the catalogs looking for a nice basic skirt pattern for my daughter, whose next cosplay outfit is going to be Jade Harley wearing God Tier. She’s from something called HomeStuck. Continue reading “My Favorite Pattern-of-the-Week: A Batwing Top”
For my third project, the letter C, in my quest to 
I chose a Christine Jonson Pattern. Recently Christine Jonson had a holiday sale and there was a 30% discount on sewing patterns. That was enough of a savings on a single pattern to cover the shipping cost. Since I can never pass up a bargain, the time was right for me to try the Christine Jonson pattern line! I immediately ordered pattern #107, the Tie-back Top. Continue reading “C is for Christine Jonson Patterns”
I’ve been making dresses all summer long – mostly sleeveless ones from stretchy polyester fabrics. I love wearing dresses! They’re comfortable and cool. I think men are definitely missing out in the comfort department.
But it always seems to me that as soon as September rolls around, it starts getting cold mighty fast. Then I usually abandon my bright-colored floral dresses for darker colored pants. But my waistline seems to “improve” each year, making it harder and harder to fit into the small selection of pants that I purchased in 2007. Thankfully I’ve been slowly adding stretchy yoga-type pants to my wardrobe. Continue reading “Seeking a Winter Dress – Kwik Sew 4026”
“The Wardrobe Wake Up” by Lois Joy Johnson.
I love books on wardrobe building so I loved “The Wardrobe Wake Up” by Lois Joy Johnson. I thought it brought forth a lot of sound and moderate advice. For anyone who sews, this information will work as a guide to help you find the right patterns to build your wardrobe from scratch. I did think the book could have used more detailed photos – like on how to tie scarves. I also think many readers would have loved to see some of Johnson’s ideas in plus sizes, i.e. the cropped pants. Continue reading “Wardrobe Wakeup by Lois Joy Johnson – A Review”
For my second Sew All 26 project I chose a Burda pattern for the letter B. Burda 7739 is the first Burda pattern I’ve ever sewn. I made the dress in the center. Continue reading “B is for Burda”
My daughter attended Nan Desu Kan 2013 last September. 2012 was the first year she attended but this year she wanted to go in costume! One of her favorite anime shows is “Attack on Titan” and she wanted to attend as one of the soldiers:
I nearly had a heart attack! She would need a custom made shirt, jacket (with embroidered patches), strapping, and a “skirt”. Thankfully I knew I could buy the pants and the boots. And I would need to complete all of this in about a month. Continue reading ““Attack on Titan” – A Cosplay Jacket and Shirt”
Way back in July, BurdaStyle.com made an announcement that they were working on a release of Burda magazine for the United States. For those of you that aren’t familiar, Burda is a sewing pattern magazine that originates in Germany but is translated to many languages and sold in about 90 countries around the world. A sewing pattern magazine looks kind of like a fashion magazine with spreads of styled photo shoots, but instead of displaying designer clothing the garments are made from patterns which are included in a sheet that you trace from. Continue reading “Burda US versus UK/International Comparison”
I’ve joined in on an idea from no big dill to . Sew all 26 is a pledge to sew an item for each letter of the alphabet, from A through Z. My A project is this sweet angel. Continue reading “Sew All 26 – A is for Angel”
This freebie pattern from Tessuti Fabrics was highly praised by Jill, who made her own in a lovely grey/silver fabric. At our last meetup, we were discussing whether or not this particular top would look good on all of us. Jamie tried it on and though I missed actually seeing her in it, I heard that everyone said she looked great in it.
It took a little while for me to come around, but I finally decided to give it a go. The pattern is free, after all, and I did have some appropriate purple stripey fabric just waiting to be used. Continue reading “Tessuti Fave Top – The Stripey One”
I love the Tessuti top! It’s a free download from Tessuti Fabrics, a fabric store based in Australia. All levels of sewers will love this top. It sews up quick and provides lots of opportunities for customization. On mine I lengthened the sleeves about 3 inches and didn’t interface it or even do bias binding, I just folded over the edge and stitched. I wrote a bit more on this top HERE. All in all I love the top, belted or not, and it’s one of the tops that I reach for time and time again. What do you think? Love it or not so much? Continue reading “Tessuti Fave Top – Jill’s Favorite Free Sewing Pattern”
Denver Sewing Collective 