Sewing Swap 2013 - I see a swimsuit in my future!

First off I just want to say that sewing swaps are awesome!  Receiving a surprise package of sewing goodies from someone else who sews is way more exciting than someone who has a list of stuff you like.  (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but a hint of mystery can be nice!)  I had a lot of fun taking part in the swap and can't decide which was was better - giving or receiving.  Who am i kidding, they were both equally great!  Major thanks to Kerry of Kestrel Makes for organizing a successful Spring Sewing Swap 2013!

 

I was teamed up with Ms. McCall from Brown Paper Patterns.  She first started sewing a few years ago and has fearlessly tackled projects like jeans, swimsuits, bras and even wetsuit repair.  It was a fun challenge shopping for someone you know only through her blog but I had some immediate ideas.  Having sewing in common helped a lot and I had to take one pattern of my idea list when I discovered in an older post that she already owned it.  I took that to mean I was on the right track.

 So I was very excited when this arrived on my doorstep. I managed to hold back my desire to rip it open just long enough to take a picture.  I didn’t even bother to check if it was in focus.

 

Eep!  I literally squealed when I saw the contents.

 

Pattern?  Check.  Fabric?  Check.  Lining?  Check.  Elastic?  Check.

 

KwikSew K3695

 

Just in time for summer and the swimsuit mania sweeping the Internet I am now in possession of everything necessary to make my very own swimsuit.  I'm planning on making View A on the left with the scoop neck rather than the cutouts.  (I don't tan but imagine View B could lead to some interesting tan lines.)  And the fabric!  A lovely Hawaiian paisley print in white and my very favorite color: aqua.  Like if I had to pick a color to wear for the rest of my life it would be in the aqua/teal/turquoise family and I’d never tire of it.

 

This was perfect timing since a swimsuit has been on my list of things I want to sew this year.  Which is funny since I hardly ever have the need to wear one. As in once a year when I take part in the local polar bear dip on New Year’s Day in the lake I think is too cold in summer.  (I actually used to spend a lot of time in college at the beach or pool so swimsuits were a crucial part of my wardrobe but that’s Miami for you.)   So next year I plan to be one of the best dressed crazies out there.  I’m hoping for a warm summer so I can find a reason to wear it before then!

 

Thank you so much Ms. McCall!!!!!

 

 

In the meantime I ran out of paper to trace pattern pieces and ended up at Costco.  It’s one nearby that has a specialized restaurant section where you can buy pizza delivery bags, steam tray covers, industrial coffee makers and plastic fast food baskets to your heart’s content.  Unsurprisingly they also had massive rolls of butcher paper to cover tables with.  Naturally I decided to be practical and bring a 20lb roll home with me.

 

I’m scared of the day when it runs out because I know that someday it WILL run out and I will have to come to terms with the fact I went through 1,000 feet of paper.  Finishing off a roll of freezer paper always surprises me so I can only imagine what that day will be like.  Plus if I have people over to eat and the food isn’t ready yet I can pull out crayons for entertainment.

Here's some gifts wrapped using just a paper grocery bag, tape and a few staples.  I like how the bow made out of the handles turned out.

 

 

I’m still slogging away on my cross stitch project and have a few FOs to share but my computer and camera are feuding right now and this was all I was able to get.

Distractions From Sewing...

Usually sewing occupies a lot of my free time… but not lately.  I’ve been on a big cross stitch kick and it has definitely pushed sewing to the side.  It doesn’t help that I picked the largest project that I have ever attempted.  It's from the Cross Stitcher magazine Designer Stitches special issue.  Once I saw the flamingos I knew I had to make it up!

 

But I’ve really enjoyed watching it take shape.  Despite the long hours of stitching I’m starting to feel like I’m in the home stretch.

 

These are in progress photos taken about a week apart.  I really need to use the large frame and it gets awkward and in the way frequently – adding a fair amount of time as I rotate it around trying to find the most comfortable (i.e. easiest) position to stitch in.

 

 

I took a small break the other day to work on my Chantilly and just have the zipper, sideseams and hems to finish.  Ideally this will happen this week.  I also traced off a couple McCall’s patterns for some cute summery knit dresses, including refashioning a dress I made last year but never really wear.
 

Because I can’t spend all my time stitching I’ve also picked up working on the sleeves for my Central Park Hoodie.  The body is done and the sleeves are knitting up quickly.  Once done it will totally coordinate with my Chantilly.

 

 

On top of all this I’m planning on whipping up some PJs in time to join Karen’s Pajama Party.  Some pretty lofty goals for the rest of the month.  Hopefully I’ll have everything done soon so I can do some more FO posts soon!

Me-Made-May Week 5 Round Up

Hooray!  Me-Made-May is officially over.  Ironically today I reached for a me-made to wear today out of habit.  I’m glad I completed my goal and didn’t find myself struggling too much.  It was nice to focus on making sure my makes are part of my everyday wardrobe but I will admit to missing some of my favorite RTW pieces.

 



Day 25

• Sewaholic Renfrew in white cotton interlock
• I have a list of basics I want to make and this white t-shirt was on the list.  It may not be a make as exciting as a cocktail dress but will definitely get worn a lot more.  I seem to be a bit obsessed with both this pattern and this fabric but I don’t care.  It goes with everything and fits better than any of my other white t-shirts.

 

Day 26

• Sewaholic Renfrew in turquoise stripe jersey
• This is my all-time favorite Renfrew.  It’s my favorite neckline, color and as a bonus: stripes.  The jersey has more drape than my interlock versions which made it a bit more fiddly to make but not too bad.  I probably would’ve worn this more if I wasn’t taking photos every day!

Day 27

• Sewaholic Renfrew in red cotton interlock
• Sewaholic Crescent in blue seersucker
• It’s Memorial Day and I was feeling patriotic hence the red, white and blue.  It wasn’t until the evening I remembered that this Friday’s theme was red and I planned on wearing it then.  Whoops!  Oh well, I won’t be seeing the same people both days and will just wear it again.  The weather was a little cool for a summer skirt but most of the day was spent inside.

 

Day 28

• Sewaholic Renfrew mini dress in navy cotton interlock
• I wanted a navy knit miniskirt and figured altering my favorite pattern was a good place to start.  I had wanted it to be slightly drop waisted so I just added a simple gathered skirt instead of the waistband.  This made it too low and just looked off.  So I unpicked the serged seam and chopped a few inches off the shirt and reattached the skirt.  I also redid the hem preserve some length – I wanted it to stay a mini dress, not a tunic that required pants!  This winter I forgot I had eggplant tights but I love them with the grey boots and will be repeating this look in the fall.  The purplish shade is fun without making me look like a little girl.

 

Day 29

• Simplicity Project Runway 2473 OOP in navy cotton stretch sateen
• This is a dress that I made a few years ago but always felt was a bit off.  I wish it fit my waist a bit better but don’t really feel like ripping out the serged seams and topstitching.  But my first time sewing a kick pleat turned out pretty good.  I thought of adding a belt but none really looked right at the time.  I’ve since picked up this one and think it works.

 

Day 30

• Sewaholic Renfrew in turquoise cotton interlock
• Simplicity Project Runway 3538 in yellow ikat printed twill
• Yet another Renfrew… not much to say about this one except this time I used the scoop neck.  I figured not every version needed a v-neck.  This jacket is a highly modified version of Simplicity 3538.  It’s drafted with a yoke in front and back but I really didn’t want to break up the ikat print and knew there was no way I could perfectly match everything up.  Despite having made this a few years ago I have yet to add the buttons, perhaps this year.  After deciding I needed to add more yellow and blue/turquoise combos to my wardrobe I was excited to remember I had this jacket.

 

 

Day 31

• Sewaholic Renfrew in red cotton interlock
• Sewaholic Crescent in dark denim
• This is probably my favorite skirt I’ve made and fits better than any other denim skirt I’ve owned.  I finished this up just the other day and learned the lesson that cold medicine and sewing don't always mix when I realized I was removing the wrong line of topstitching.  I'm debating whether or not to just finish ripping it out or going back and fixing it.  Didn't stop me from wearing it today however.  Also I decided my cold was really allergies and have much better (non-drowsy) medicine for it.

 

 PJ Bonus #2

• Colette Sorbetto & Madeleine mini bloomers in lime seersucker
• I made these bloomers out of left over fabric when I made my seersucker Cambie.  I like how they fit but replaced the leg ties with an elastic casing.  This works better for PJs as I don’t have to worry about the bows coming undone or the ribbon slipping out of the casing.  Then I went and bought more fabric to try out the Sorbetto.  There was about a year between the purchases and I definitely prefer the bloomers fabric.  It’s softer and doesn’t seem to get quite so crinkly.  Next time I make a Sorbetto I will take in the side seams some and also maybe take width out of the center front and back as well.  But this was always meant for PJs so I didn’t feel the need to go back and make the adjustments.



• I also made KwikSew 3554 view B with the shorter length and ruffle.  No picture of this one since I’m not posting photos on the Internet of a slip I can’t wear a bra with for modesty!  But it’s made out of the same turquoise stripe jersey as my Renfrew with white lace trim.  Very comfy but the spaghetti straps totally grew a few extra inches the first time I wore it so I had to take them up.

 I haven’t quite finished looking over my entire month of outfits to determine what I wore the most (other than Renfrew of course) and any gaps I need to fill.  That’ll be a quick post later.

Me-Made-May 13 Week Three & Four Round Up

So far I’ve made it through three weeks and don’t feel like I’m in a slump yet. Although clearly I’m addicted to Sewaholic patterns – as much as Tasia loves her frosting she designs some seriously awesome cake. When in doubt I reach for a Renfrew and never feel sloppy, which is what I reach for when I want a quick, satisfying project as well. I’m hoping the rest of May warms up so I can pull out more of my summer dresses but until then I’m a jeans girl.

Day 13

• Sewaholic Renfrew in lilac cotton interlock
• I wore this on the ride home from Portland and shucking some corn for dinner. Due to a lack of on-grain fabric I had piece the neckband in the back, omit the sleeve bands and use my twin needle to hem it instead. It behaved and I didn’t have to adjust anything at all – I love it when that happens.



Day 14

• Sewaholic Pendrell in navy polka dot poly
• I try and avoid sewing with poly but couldn’t help myself when I saw this print. The fabric has a nice drape to it that worked out well for the ruffles. Plus I love the combination of green, white and navy. Today I picked up a copy of the Robson to make the trench of my dreams. 

Day 15

• Sewaholic Renfrew in red cotton interlock
• Another of my many Renfrews – these are great everyday casual wardrobe staples.  Lately I've focused on making more separates and I could make a million of these. 

Day 16

• Sewaholic Alma in yellow cotton eyelet
• The first Alma I’ve made and my first time sewing yellow fabric. Like a lot of people I’m hesitant about yellow but love this fabric and think it works. It was a little see through so I lined it in yellow cotton as well. I love the clean edge of the lined sleeve hem especially since the arm seam is finished with bias binding.

 

Day 17

• Simplicity Project Runway 2724 dress OOP in teal plaid
• This is a fall dress I made a few years ago and pre serger. This fabric wanted to fray like crazy and I zigzagged the edges but would’ve been more satisfied with a serged edge. Not that I would ever go back and add that. I always think of this as more of a fall/winter dress but while switching out my clothes I thought I’d give it another wear before packing it away. It helped that the weather was overcast and threatened to rain. I only wore this half the day as I needed to recaulk my bathtub and this doesn’t exactly say home repair.

Day 18

• Sewaholic Renfrew in banana cotton interlock
• I was so pleased with my first foray into yellow sewing that when I saw this fabric I knew it was time for a repeat performance. I like the contrast with the light blue jacket and need to find more ways to work this color combo into my wardrobe.

Day 19

• Simplicity Built By Wendy 2863 in jade jersey
• This was one of my first makes made with my serger.  I loved this jade jersey and immediately thought of a dress.  I like this dress but think it looks best with a belt rather than just the elastic waist.  If I make this again I will probably change the neckline, it's not my favorite style and doesn't always lie flat.  It's comfy in that I'm wearing "going outside" clothes but feel like I'm wearing PJs type of style.  Plus it looks great with my rainbow polka dot wedges which are some of my favorite shoes!

 

Day 20

• Simplicity Project Runway 2359 in cotton lawn
• I first made the maxi dress version of this pattern but prefer this length on this second try.  Nothing against maxis, but despite being short I must have a long stride because there's not quite enough fabric in the skirt for me to walk normally.  (It's not a problem when I walk with somebody else and also walk slower.)  At this length I don't have that problem.  I love how a cardigan can make a sundress more wearable.

Day 21

• Sewaholic Renfrew in navy cotton interlock
• Colette Clover in biking red stretch sateen
• A completely me-made outfit!  The skies were grey and rainy so I dressed like it was already fall.  These Clovers were my first pair of pants and I got lucky with the fit, having to only make minimal adjustments.  I should probably make a warmer weather version of these for summer.  They're made out of a stretch sateen and don't get too saggy by the end of the day which is always a bonus.

 

Day 22

• Sewaholic Alma in yellow eyelet
• Yesterday I dressed for fall so today I was determined to dress for spring.  I dug this grey skirt out of the back of my closet and initially intended to wear my pink seersucker Alma with it.  Then I remembered I had shoes with yellow polka dots on them and went with this yellow version.  I really liked this outfit until I started to walk around and remembered why this skirt is in the back of my closet - I can barely walk in it!  There's no slit or kickpleat so it's baby steps only and no rushing anywhere.  I think I see myself making a grey skirt in the future...

 

Day 23

• Simplicity Project Runway 2403 in blue seersucker
• This was my seersucker gateway make and one of the first things I used my serger on.  I loved using the rolled hem on the front ruffles and sleeves.  I was really not looking forward to sewing a teeny, tiny hem on those bias cut ruffles.  The skirt seemed roomy enough so I omitted the side slit and can still walk normally.  Looking at this photo I wonder if I should shorten the skirt just a smidge.

 

Day 24

• Sewaholic Alma in white Swiss dot
• Sewaholic Minoru in hunter green twill & lined in plaid flannel
• Today's MMM13 theme is your hometown so I headed to Kerry Park, one of the most used photo op spots in the city.  This outfit is pretty classic Seattle with a hooded jacket, jeans and Converse sneakers - if only I was wearing Levi 501s and a flannel... And yes, our love of flannel is still going strong in a completely non ironic/hipster kind of way!  The Minoru lining does satisfy my plaid flannel fix.  The Peter Pan collared Alma keeps it firmly out of the 90's and makes the outfit that much cuter.  I added flannel inseam pockets which are nice and cozy when it's chilly and used snaps on the inside pockets.  I also went a little OCD and matched the plaid on those pockets so they blend into the lining.



 

Bonus photo!  In addition to wearing me-mades each day I've been wearing them at night as well.

• Butterick B5653 in blue seersucker
• Colette Madeleine Mini Bloomers in seersucker (not seen)
• I made version C which is a top with ruffle hem but since I'm short it's more like a nightie. It turned out a bit big and being PJs I couldn't be bothered to make proper changes I didn't want to make it too fitted since there's no type of closure. The top is lined and I used the hem allowance to make a casing to add elastic to the waist. This makes it much more wearable since without the elastic it was pretty big and shapeless. I also made a pair of Colette Madeleine Mini Bloomers to wear underneath.

Crafting ADD

This week I’ve been suffering from crafting ADD and worked on several projects simultaneously.  Most things are almost done but nothing is actually completed.  Soon, they’ll be done soon… or at least I hope so.  I’m better prepared after doing some zipper shopping so at least the clothes shouldn't take much longer.

 

 

Flamingo Cross stitch

• Because what I really needed was to start yet another project!  I make no apologies for my love of all things flamingo and can't wait for this to be done.   I tried not to start this one but couldn't help myself.  I spent several hours last night on just the blue but the pattern does say it should take 90+ hours to complete.

 

Colette Chantilly

• I really like this blue lawn with circles – not quite polka dots but the fabric is super smooth.  I’m excited to wear this when the weather warms up again and am hoping it will transition into autumn later on with a sweater, tights and boots.  Hopefully I’ll finish it up this weekend now that I have a matching invisible zipper.

 

Denim skirt

• I’m trying not to overthink the topstitching on what should become a nice wardrobe staple.

 

Central Park Hoodie

• I got distracted by spring sewing and this was set aside.  Luckily Seattle summers usually provide plenty of hoodie weather so I won’t have to wait for the fall to wear this.  I'm knitting the sleeves at the same time to make sure they match exactly.  My stitches on this project are turning out a bit... unusual but consistent so I'm calling it part of the design.

 

 The good news is I did complete the most pressing project: recaulking my bathtub.  Not very exciting but necessary, I probably scraped 20+ years of shoddy caulk touchups off.  I made the effort to do it properly and hope it will hold up for some time.  I wish I could say I acted maturely during the entire process but couldn't help but giggle at times.  I mean really, who wouldn't?

Me-Made-May 13 Week 2 Round Up

Week 2 is over and I’m still going strong.  Of course the warm weather the Pacific Northwest has been experiencing has helped a lot.  I find it a lot more fun to sew and wear my warm weather clothes.  On top of that I went down to Portland for the weekend so had to take that into consideration as well. 

 

Day 6

• Simplicity 2444 dress in floral cotton sateen
• I’m not really much of a floral girl in but there was something about the slightly abstract print and colors that I found intriguing and figured I should try something new.  I haven’t worn this dress for a while because I feel weird wearing a dress with a white background and tights but can see it coming out of the closet more often now that the weather is nice.

 

Day 7

• Sewaholic Crescent skirt in blue seer sucker with added lining
• This is the skirt I spied in one of Tasia’s Minoru sewalong posts and had to have one of my own.  The weather has finally warmed up I’m excited I can finally wear it.  It also looked good with the grey hoodie I wore half the day which is always a plus for a casual skirt.



Day 8

• Sewaholic Alma in pink seersucker with a white cotton Peter Pan collar
• I really like pink but haven’t made too much with it – maybe because I find it hard to find pink fabric I like that isn’t polyester.  At home I was wearing it with army green cargo shorts but changed into this skirt when I ran some errands.  I like both casual looks and think it will be easy to dress it up too.

 

Day 9

• Sewaholic Crescent skirt in blue seersucker with added lining
• I can’t find the photo I took today of this outfit, but I wore the exact same thing as I did when I wrote my Crescents post.  I really like how this turned out which is kinda obvious since I’ve worn in twice this week.

Day 10

• Sewaholic Renfrew in turquoise stripe jersey
• Sewaholic Crescent skirt in white seersucker with added lining
• I headed down to Portland to visit my sister and spend Mother’s day with family.  This was comfortable to wear while sitting in the car for a few hours and also walking around.  Plus this outfit seemed puppy approved. (Although I may have bribed him with a walk...) 

Day 11

• Sewaholic Thurlow shorts in plaid seersucker
• At this point I think I’m ready to join the seersucker mafia or move to the South.  This is the fifth day in a row I’ve worn some version of that fabric!  So far May in the Pacific Northwest  has been perfect seersucker weather which in my mind requires a warm weather.  This outfit was perfect for the Beaverton farmers market and the dog park.



 

Day 12

• Sewaholic Renfrew in turquoise stripe jersey
• I can't believe this is only the 2nd day I've worn pants this month and the first I needed a (light) jacket.  That hardly ever happens!  The weather cooled down a lot today but this tee was great for yummy Mother's Day brunch and checking out the Portland rose gardens.  Packing for this weekend was a bit of a challenge knowing about the temperature change but not wanting to pack too much and on top of that trying to avoid any exact repeats.