Summer of no pants 2013

I decided to revive this blog with a sew-along going on right now online. The summer of no pants! Here is my first skirt, plain and simple. I have a daycare, so my daily wear is functional and comfortable. This is a knit skirt with a wide band on top. No elastic, just a folded band of the same knit I used for the skirt, this pattern has only 3 pieces! 

Here it is, and basically I copied a skirt that fits well, making 2 pieces for the main skirt. The waist is simply my waist measurement in length and a 4 inch wide strip cut for maximum stretch. And her's the finished skirt on :)

Happy sewing!

Domesticated wrap skirt...

So I am behind on updates, but here is my project of the week. It is an online tutorial, The Domesticated Skirt.

See how it reverses? I LOVE that part. I think it would be even better in a knit... And I plan on making up a knit version next week. I am really into knits lately :)

Week 2 of January, Wrap Skirt...

Since I am not going to finish dress this week, I wanted to do something I could finish. Skirts are quick and easy, so I decided to browse the internet and find a wrap skirt pattern. I wanted a curved front (like a skirt I already have) but otherwise this is a straight forward wrap skirt. My favorite tutorial was this one.

So here it is! I did a little embellishment on the border, but otherwise a basic wrap skirt in cordoroy.

January 2012 week 2

Ok, so I said one garment a week... But my dear sewing friends, this dress continues to sit on my sewing table taunting me. The pattern is great, the instructions are clear, I love the alterations I made: but I hate the fabric.

I can't begin to tell you how many times this has happened to me over the course of my years sewing. But this time it is particularly frustrating because this pattern is not easy, and I put a lot of hours into making it fit.
So to look at where I am and say, "I love it but I look like Wednesday Adams in it." is a disappointment to say the least. *sigh*

I do think I will finish it, and salvage the outfit with a light colored cardigan... But I am planning on seriously searching for a better fabric and making it again soon.

The availability of fabric is a problem that continues to vex me... So, what thoughts do you all have about sources for great fabric online? How do you choose well when you can't see the fabric in person?

First week of 2012

I just wanted to give a quick update about what projects I have going currently; since my main idea in blogging this endeavor was accountability. So, I have two garments going right now. The Colette Ceylon I did the muslin of, and a sweater vest I am knitting.

I have finally decided on the darker of two shades of gray wool gabardine for the dress. It's fairly light, but still a nice fabric for a winter dress. I searched for some cotton print that called to me to become this dress... No luck. I am still looking, and plan to revisit the pattern once I find some.

I like to have something knitted because I can take it with me. But I have a bad track record of abandoning projects I can't finish quickly... So, I hope I will see this vest in my closet not my UFO collection. I have to try right? I chose a bamboo/wool blend, I am interested to see how it goes. I was feeling cheap, otherwise I would have gone with something more washable. I figure a sweater vest doesn't see the laundry pile that often, so washing it carefully is not a big deal.

So there you are... My plans for the week. Happy 2012.

Ceylon progress

I know all the pattern alterations I am doing are needed and will look great in the end... But so far I traced the pattern, made the muslin, fitted the muslin then re-drew the pattern to account for the alterations I made to fit the muslin. At this rate I may be making this THE dress pattern for 2012.

The good news... I altered almost every piece of the pattern in some way, and it would NOT have fit me if I hadn't done that. I can't wait to share the finished product.

My first time...

I have never made a muslin. So, here I am with this new pattern from Colette patterns which is very fitted and I think it's time to give it a try.

In spite of the fact that many home seamstresses seem to be making them now, I think you probably don't need to do the extra work on every garment you make. I have been fitted with them before in my theatre days, but I just never thought I would be brave enough to do a garment that was tailored enough to bother. 

So here it is, my first muslin for a dress I hope I will love and make more than once (thus justifying the extra work). For starters I changed the pattern when I traced it to account for the fact that my waist is one size and my bust is another. This problem is a common one for me, so I knew to do it before I cut anything. Hopefully the muslin can be used to shorten the torso because I usually need to do that too, but I wasn't sure where to take up the excess.

Wish me luck friends, tonight we fit!!!