The value of being a sewer

Remember this dress (Butterick 5030)? More details about it here.



I absolutely LOVED this dress when I made it. I intended the dress to be a business dress. The first time I wore it I received multiple very nice compliments. But the second time, something weird happened. Not one but two different random strangers (men) in an airport made similar comments along the lines of, "Wow, that's a BOLD dress." I don't think they meant it to be an insult but I started to second guess my judgment about the appropriateness of the dress in a business setting. As a result, I let the dress sit in my closet for over two years.

Well fast forward to a few weeks ago. I happened across the dress and showed it to the man. His reaction: "Wow, that is HOT!" So I figured I needed to take Ms. Flower Power out of hiding and transform it from a business dress to a date dress.

When I tried it on, somehow the dress appeared to have shrunk [cough, cough] after sitting in the closet for two years. Since the dress only has a snap closure, I shifted the snaps a wee bit farther apart. Of course, that lowered where the bodice crossed and it now requires a cami underneath. No big deal. I also thought it exuded more of a springy-summery vibe so I decided to change the sleeves. I considered sleeveless but these days, I'm more comfortable with something covering the top of my arms so I went with a short sleeve. I also considered removing the collar but took the lazy way out and left it on.

VOILA! The results:



I wore it last night for a wonderful date night. We went to Bayfront Bistro in Fort Myers Beach. I highly recommend this restaurant. Drinks were excellent; food was wonderful; view was spectacular; and overall evening was definitely one to remember.

Ruffled Dilemma - B5320 vs M6024

I have wanted to make a ruffle collared dress in bright yellow since last spring; maybe longer. Kinda like this one:




Fortunately, ruffles are still in style. I have some great fabric and two patterns that would get me to a similar look but I need some guidance to choose between option 1 & 2:

Option 1:
Butterick 5320 appears to be a little more difficult to construct with a pleated neckline and full lining. PR reviews are favorable although it sounds like it takes quite some time to pull together. It looks a little more professional than option 2 below and I do intend to wear this for work but I think Option 2 is still professional looking.



McCall's 6024 was highly touted in PR reviews (see here) and I love that it has different cup sizes. I also love that Option A & B have the ruffle going all the way down. However, there were some complaints that the wrap aspect of the dress tends to malfunction at times and the facings are deemed lamed.


I don't want to spend a ton of time combining the positive features of each into one dress. Anybody have any experience with both these dresses?

What to do... what to do... Please leave a comment and let me know!

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Oh my!

I was very excited to receive an email from McCalls Patterns that my version of McCalls 5977 is being featured on their Facebook page! How fun is that?!!!

Jacket with Bell sleeves, Simplicity 2977 - Item 6

Simplicity 2977 Wardrobe, Jacket View E

Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. I was aiming for a jacket that I could coordinated with the brown skirts and tops but would be a little more casual than a traditional jacket style. I read a few good reviews of this jacket on various blogs and at PR so I thought this would be a good choice. But I can't stand how it looks on me. I'm not sure if it's simply too big or if I just don't like that boxy, flowy style but every time I've tried something like that, I don't like the results. I guess it's time to accept that I shouldn't keep making this style! LOL.

I used the fabric from the Ascot Top for the facing and LOVE how it looks. I also used the same buttons that I used on the skirt but in a smaller size. Too bad this one is going in the trash. :-(

Ascot Top McCalls 5977 - Item 5 in Wardrobe

I loved this pattern when I purchased it. I assumed it was for knits but was surprised to find out it was for wovens. I had purchased this fun animal print charmeuse and decided it would be perfect for this top.

McCalls 5977, View C

I LOVE how this top turned out. I forget what size I made but I ended up taking it in a bit at the waist. Because it's made from a woven, there isn't any "give" when you put the top on. If I make this again (which is likely), I think I will tailor the sides even more and add a side zipper. Animal prints can be tricky in a work environment but I think under a jacket or sweater, this top is still professional looking. I decided to use the excess fabric as the facing for the coordinating jacket (more on that in a subsequent blog post).

Skirt with Inverted Pleat (New Look 6969) - Item 3 in the Wardrobe

Another item in my mini-wardrobe.




I have no idea where this fabric came from. It's a linen-y type with embroidery and sequins. It's a fun fabric that I thought would make a cute little skirt to wear once or twice. When I started designing the mini wardrobe, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to use it and selected New Look 6969, View D. I had some turquoise buttons that I was going to use for embellishment, similar to the pattern but with all the busyness of the fabric, it didn't need them. I added a lining. The pattern went together easily although I had a little trouble with the pleat - it wouldn't hang correctly. I think I finally made it work.

All in all a cute skirt that I suspect I'll wear a few times this spring and then retire it.

Perfect Fit Skirt, Vogue 8603 - Item 2 in Wardrobe

Now that I've finally accepted that I'm not quite the same size/shape that I was 5 years ago, I am making perfectly fitting clothes. LOL. I absolutely love this skirt. I know it looks boring in the photo but I am just tickled pink with it and it will be a great wardrobe basic for me.

Vogue 8603, View C
Fabric: lightweight stretch gabardine

Jalie 2921 - Item 1 in Wardrobe Capsule

Jalie 2921 Scarf Collar Knit Top, View A
Fabric: Purple mystery stretch

This was another item from my mini wardrobe. The first one completed, in fact. I love the look of this top but it is just a wee bit too snug to be deemed perfect. More motivation to get the weight off!

The construction of this top was very clever. A bit confusing at first but once the light bulb went on, I realized it was ingenious! I did end up wearing this one in Saipan. The photo on the right was taken by the elevator of my hotel. LOL.

Shrug-look Top - McCalls 6284

McCalls 6284, View C with View B sleeves.

This pattern is very similar to the Vogue top that was so popular a few years ago (Jeez, I wish I was still that thin. [sigh] Wait a minute... I just remembered WHY I was that thin. Never mind.



I like this McCall's version better. The pattern directions made more sense and it is sized better.

Turquoise t-shirt - Butterick 5493 Item 4 in the wardrobe

This is one of the items in my mini wardrobe. It can be worn with either skirt.

Ruffled-neck top in turquoise interlock; Butterick 5493, View D

I loved the ruffle around the neck of this top. I wanted to wear it to work so I added short sleeves (not crazy about sleeveless on me at the office!) I like how the ruffled neckline turned out but to be honest, the shirt itself was just ok. First of all, it had darts. Darts in a knit? How odd. The shirt also came out just a bit short for my liking. I would have preferred it be 2" longer but stupidly, I didn't think of that before cutting.

I will wear this one and I like some of the other neckline ruffles but I will not use the base shirt pattern again.

Wardrobe Update

Remember the mini-wardrobe I designed for my February trip to Saipan? Well, as expected, I only got 4 pieces done before I left but I subsequently worked on the pieces and finished 7 of the 8 pieces. I am going to do some reviews at PR and will highlight some of the individual pieces but here is a synopsis:

Completed and happy with results:
1. Scarf tie knit top in purple lycra; Jalie 2921, View A with short sleeves
2. Pencil skirt in lightweight brown stretch twill; Vogue 8603, View C
3. Bolero wrap in brown lycra; New Look 6559, View A
4. Ascot top in brown / cream leopard charmeuse; McCalls 5977, View C
8. Ruffled-neck top in turquoise interlock; Butterick 5493, View D
9. Skirt with inverted triangle pleat in brown embroidered linen; New Look 6969, View D

Wadders:
6. Gathered side top in purple slubby knit; Simplicity 2977, View B (Couldn't get the fit right; fabric was too flimsy.)
7. Jacket with bell sleeves in brown stretch twill, facings in leopard charmeuse; Simplicity 2977, View E (style is unflattering)

Incomplete (can't decide whether I'll do this one or not):
5. Straight skirt with pleated overlay in purple, turquoise, cream stretch sateen; New Look 6918, View E

I was happy to pull together a mini collection and although there were some failures among the successes, it was fun to develop and implement a collection, rather than just pieces along the way.

Pasta with Chicken, Broccoli, Pesto

If you start with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, this is a very quick meal. 20 minutes including boiling the water! Spinach can be subbed for the broccoli.

• 12 ounces rotini pasta
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ pound fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons pesto
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1-2 cups chopped cooked chicken (use rotisserie chicken!)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts

Steam broccoli until crisp tender.

Bring large pot with water to boil. Cook pasta until done. Drain.

Heat oil in skillet. Sauté garlic and pesto sauce in the olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broccoli, and chicken.

In pasta pan, toss cooked pasta with vegetable – chicken mixture. Add grated Parmesan cheese and pine nuts and mix well. Serve immediately.

Spring Rain Jacket

Ages ago, I purchased this very cool two-sided rain-resistant fabric [purchased from Michael Fabric] with the intention of making this little rain jacket [OOP Vogue 8480].


Returning to warm weather in Cincinnati has pushed this project to the top of the list. I'm going to cut it out today. I plan to modify by eliminating the flare on and lengthening the sleeve. (What is the point of a cropped sleeve on a jacket - that would just annoy me!) I would also like to make the jacket longer so it covers the tush. Since the jacket is not lined, I think I can try the longer length and if it doesn't look right, trim it back to the design length.

JoAnn's has buttons buy one/get one free this weekend so I'll zip over to pick up coordinating buttons this morning.

Birthday Goodness

My middle child turned 20 on Sunday. No more teenager years. (Can I get an Amen, people?) Her birthday present request was for data service for a Blackberry (she already had the phone). Boring present in my mind but it's her birthday, right?

But I also gave her the cutest sweatshirt. Kristine of "Just Keep Sewing" showed some adorable designs she created here and here and I knew my daughter would love one. I emailed Kristine and she agreed to make a couple for me. She uses Vera Bradley fabric for the letters. My daughter goes to Ohio State so I thought she would like that. (She LOVED it!)


And I had to get one for me adorned with my initials.

Baby Shower Package

I finished the last of the baby shower presents this morning. In addition to the bathrobe I finished last week, I made two hooded towels and 5 bibs.



The hooded towels are made from one bath towel and one wash cloth. I used this tutorial as a starting point but I added some bias binding and the heart appliques for extra cuteness!



I found a bib template here but I didn't use the same instructions. I added some interfacing to the two tabs to strengthen where the snaps would go and I added a contrasting bottom, rick rac and appliques. The back fabric is flannel. I also chose not to use seam binding but instead sewed right sides together, trimmed seams and curves, turned right side out and top stitched. As you can see, I used the bath towel and bathrobe fabrics as well as some other purchased fabrics. I dug out my handy dandy snap setter that hadn't been used in at least 14 years (when my now almost 17 year old son was 3!) I LOVE this tool and enjoyed using it again.



Finally, I purchased a baby "spa" (seriously, a baby spa???) off the gift registry and a few other goodies to complete the bath time theme.

Baby Bathrobe

Mark's daughter is pregnant with her first baby and the baby shower is in a couple weeks. She is having a girl and you all know that means cute baby clothes! I have a few things in mind but the first thing I've finished is a reversible bathrobe. I made this pattern a few years ago for my co-worker and it turned out so cute that I wanted to make it again.

The pink side is flannel and the ducks are just a woven cotton. The pattern is Simplicity 3711 and is still available.

New Fabric and Wardrobe status

I succumbed to yet another fabric sale. Good Lord. What am I going to do with all this fabric??? Anyhoo, Fabric.com had a good sale on ITY knits. I purchased 4 of the knits and also 2 charmeuse satins (poly) to use for linings. They goofed on one of the ITY's and instead sent a (really ugly) gold woven linen like fabric but just got off the phone with them and they are sending the correct fabric right out. All fabrics appear to still be in stock so if you're interested, click on the photo to be taken to Fabric.com. The four knits:

The knits are all a nice weight and the colors are vibrant. I've had mixed results with knits from Fabric.com in the past so I'm very pleased with the quality of these fabrics.

And the two charmeuses (is that a word? lol) that I will use as linings to jazz up plain skirts, dresses or jackets.

My wardrobe progress (see here) is not going as well as I'd hoped. I have the two knit tops done and hope to complete the skirt and bolero this weekend. I will prepare full reviews later but the quick version is I LOVE the Jalie top (what a clever construction method!) and am not terribly fond of the other purple top. The armhole openings are quite deep, so much so that I don't think I'll be comfortable wearing without something (like the bolero ) on top. The front was very floppy and I had to take it in quite a bit. Probably should have attempted a SBA on this but I fudged it to work. I will probably wear it on my trip and pitch it when I return.

The reason I am behind is I found out a baby shower for a close family member is WAY earlier than I expected so I am frantically pulling together some baby projects to try to have at least some done in time for the shower (in two weeks!)

My First Wardrobe Capsule

Year after year I watch the "SWAP" contests and the mini-wardrobe contests and all the blogs in which people develop wardrobes and I think to myself how fun it would be to create one. But I've always been intimidated and have never taken the time to attempt even a mini capsule. Instead, I make random items depending on my mood. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but with all the trips I take, it would be helpful to have a coordinated grouping so I wouldn't have to stand in front of my closet picking and choosing items that go together.

Well, last night, I took the plunge and developed a capsule for an upcoming trip to Saipan (people usually ask so see here for more about Saipan). Saipan has a tropical climate and the people dress very casually. As a consultant, I still need to look professional but not overdressed. Men can simply throw on a golf shirt or short sleeve button down and a pair of khakis and voila, they're ready. More difficult for women.

I started by looking in my fabric stash for items that go together and came across a print fabric from which I made the following dress:

I can actually wear the dress (with a jacket/wrap) on this trip so that became my starting point! I am only going to be with the client for 4 days so I really only needed 3 outfits other than the dress, plus I intended to include a RTW pair of khaki capris as one of my bottoms. But I couldn't narrow my pattern/fabric choices down so I've expanded the plan to include the following 9 pieces:

• 3 skirts
• 4 tops
• 1 bolero style knit wrap
• 1 jacket

I strategically planned the sewing order so I will have at least 3 outfits in case I don't get done (which is almost certain since the trip is in 4 weeks and I have several other business trips in between that will take away from my sewing time.) I frequently have trips to warm climates so even if they don't all get done in time for Saipan, I will get plenty of use out of them. Not all items go together like a true SWAP (i.e. the leopard charmeuse top and the purple turquoise paisley skirt!) but each item does go with at least two things. I think...

Each item in the order I plan to sew:

1. Scarf tie knit top in purple lycra; Jalie 2921, View A with short sleeves (I forgot to photograph the purple lycra for this one.)



2. Pencil skirt in lightweight brown stretch twill; Vogue 8603, View C


3. Bolero wrap in brown lycra; New Look 6559, View A



4. Ascot knit top in brown / cream leopard charmeuse; McCalls 5977, View C


5. Straight skirt with pleated overlay in purple, turquoise, cream stretch sateen; New Look 6918, View E


6. Gathered side top in purple slubby knit; Simplicity 2977, View B


7. Jacket with bell sleeves in brown stretch twill, facings in leopard charmeuse; Simplicity 2977, View E


8. Ruffled-neck top in turquoise knit; Butterick 5493, View D


9. Skirt with inverted triangle pleat in brown embroidered linen; New Look 6969, View D