Nametag Holder for PR Weekend

I'm heading to Chicago on Thursday for the Pattern Review Weekend - a conference of sorts for sewers. I've watched with envy all the fun everyone has had in weekends past and decided to bite the bullet and join the great group of ladies! They are expecting a record crowd this time with just over 100 attendees.

Weekend activities include organized shopping trips at various fabric and notion stores, sewing lectures / discussions, and a private meeting with the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Sheila Simon who is an accomplished sewer! She even sewed her inaugural suit and gown for the inaugural ball! Of course there will be lots of food and cocktails and socializing in between and I can't wait to meet some of the bloggers I've been following for a long time!

One of the optional aspects is to create a nametag holder for the conference. I think there are even prizes for various categories - most bling, largest, etc. Someone mentioned batteries!! Now, I can follow a pattern pretty well but I'm not very creative so when I read about that, I decided I would pass. But while I was at a work conference last week, I was sitting in a session wondering why they always make the nametag lanyards so long. Mine hung down to my waist and I don't need colleagues looking at my stomach when they're trying to remember my name.

As I sat there pondering this and twirling around my nametag (it was a boring session!), I had the thought that if the lanyards were elasticized, they could be shorter and still fit over heads. Which gave me the idea for my simple lanyard. This is certainly not going to win me any prizes but at least it won't clash with my outfits! :-) BTW, where you see my name is where our actual nametags would go. I thought it made sense to put my name in there for example but I realize now it simply looks stupid. LOL

Because it's black, it's a little difficult to see but here is what I did. Made a long tube, finished width approximately 1 1/4". Stitched a tunnel down the middle and inserted a piece of elastic. Stitch it closed and stitched onto a split ring. Made a 1" ruffle piece out of coordinating fabric and glued to the back of the plastic nametag holder. And because I can never leave well enough alone, I added a little yoyo with a bow on top. This holder was recycled from last week's conference.

McCalls 6324

Because this is supposed to be a sewing blog, more about my Derby dress. The pattern is McCalls 6324.

I loved the simple lines of the dress and the exposed zipper adds a little zing! I preferred the little cap sleeve and wanted all one color so I made view C but left off the bottom band. I wanted it to fall just above the knee and without the bottom band, that's where it landed on me with no adjustment.

Although the pattern has a lot of pieces and took some time to cut out, the sewing itself was fairly simple. The directions were clear and easy to follow although I had to read the exposed zipper instructions several times. No fault of the pattern; it was my first time doing an exposed zipper and I wasn't quite sure how it worked. I didn't make a muslin (simple laziness because of all the pieces) but wished I would have because the bodice is a wee bit wider than I'm comfortable with. I should have reduced the width and I probably would have also added about 1/2" to the neckline to bring it in just a smidge. Tip: I marked each pattern piece with its number so I would not get the similar pieces mixed up and I would be sure to keep the right sides out!

Here it is modeled with my Derby hat (purchased on ebay - great source if you want to avoid spending hundreds of dollars on a hat!) I'm standing next to my lilac "tree". It smells beautiful right now!


The bodice and sleeves are supposed to be lined in the same fabric but I used a contrasting fabric for 3 reasons:

1. The fabric is a lightweight stretch twill and I was afraid it would be too bulky if I doubled up.
2. I didn't quite have enough fabric to squeeze out the lining pieces anyway.
3. I thought it would look cute! I LOVE contrasting linings.
   

Note: Due to my pose, the zipper looks crooked but it's not!

Derby Party 2011

Every year, my neighbors have a Derby Party. They are the best hosts and always create a fantastic party! From the Bourbon Slushies in the frozen drink machine, to the authentic Mint Juleps, the delicious food, the horse "auction" (more later), the door prizes, the flaming shots (somehow they have become tradition although I passed this year), and concluding with a firepit - a good time is always had by all!

The first couple years they included a hat contest and the creations were hilarious! Although the contest has been discontinued, the ladies all still wear "Derby Attire" which of course includes a hat. I found mine on ebay this year at a very reasonable price. Like usual, I made my dress (see subsequent post).

The Hosts (polka dot dress & megaphone/visor) during the horse auction:
Over the years, they have established different methods for betting on the Derby horses. The one that seems to be most popular is to hold an auction and let people bid on the horses. The most expensive went for $160 and the least expensive went for $45. Payoff to top 5 horses and this year the winner received $800! Our horse placed fifth and we received $80 ($20 over our bid).


The Ladies Picture:
Notice the red roses on the table; my neighbor had roses everywhere - they were beautiful!! Note to self: do NOT stand next to beautiful Jen next year. (Notice how she's trying to scrunch down yet her legs STILL seem to end right at my chest level!):



My Daughter and me:
My daughter stopped by before heading to her own party; Isn't she gorgeous!:


Flaming Tequila Shots :
Directions: Pour a shot of vodka. Top with a thin slice of lemon. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Pour small amount of high proof alcohol (e.g. 151 rum) and light. Blow out flame (in dark to make sure no flame remains!!), take shot, suck lemon.



It was a great time!

Put Me in the Zoo top - McCalls 6078

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Mark surprised me with these beautiful roses!



So what do roses and Mother's Day have to do with a sewing blog? Well, I wore my latest project to Mother's Day brunch with Mark and the kids.

Remember the leopard who could change his spots in the Dr. Seuss book Put Me in the Zoo? I LOVED that story. And I love polka dots!


When I returned to sewing after a 10 or so year hiatus, the first thing I made was a polka dot dress (pre-blogging; no photos). I'm always on the lookout for polka dot fabrics that are not too obnoxious for an adult so when I saw this fabric, I had to have it. McCalls 6078, View B (the orange and animal print shown below) had been in my queue for a while but I hadn't found a fabric for it yet.

When I saw the dots, I knew it was a match made in heaven!!



The pattern was lightening fast to sew - 45 minutes including cutting and marking! There are only 2 pattern pieces. I love how the facing wraps in the shoulder seam, ensuring the facing doesn't turn out. I made a small and the fit was perfect. The cowl drapes to the perfect depth - not too low/not too high; right on the edge of what I am comfortable wearing in the office setting.

The fabric is a bit sheer but I intend to wear it with a light cardigan over it anyway as shown.

I love the other two versions, too and will probably try them. I would also like to make View B with a sleeve on it.

It made the perfect outfit for a wonderful morning with the people I love the most!!

Flowy Skirt - S2184

I love flowy (is that a word?) skirts and was happy to find out they are back in style this season. I recently ordered a few New Look and Simplicity skirt patterns from SewingPatterns.com (love their service!) and with some stretch rayon from Fabric.com that is FABULOUS!! I settled on Simplicity 2184 for my skirt. It's just a simply bias cut elastic waist skirt.

It coordinated nicely with a top I posted earlier, McCalls 6164. Here's a crappy photo taken in my hotel room mirror:

This was a quicky zippy project - approx. 1 hr and 15 minutes including cutting. I did hang it overnight before hemming.

Short Trench - FINALLY! Vogue 8480

Once upon a time (2008) in sewer blog-land, someone posted about purchasing a fun fabric for raincoats - a water resistant twill in fantastic colors (turquoise, red, tan, black) that was fused to a Burberry-looking fabric to create a medium weight fabric suitable for rainwear. A buying frenzy ensued with sewers around the world buying up this fabric to make raincoats. Like the good little lemming that I am, I purchased some in turquoise from Michael's Fabric and planned on making Vogue 8480 - a short unlined jacket (unfortunately, now out of print). The jacket was highly rated by some of the best sewers in blog-land and I really wanted one of my own.

In spite of purchasing the fabric and pattern in 2008, it languished in my stash until recently. I am so thrilled I finally got around to making this jacket. I absolutely love it! I did make some alterations including lengthening the body, reducing the width of the sleeves (changed from bell shape to a more modest flare) and increasing the length of sleeves (changed from 3/4 length to full length). I also moved the buttons around a bit. Full review at PR, if you're interested.

We have been experiencing the wettest spring in Cincinnati history so it would have been nice to have this done a month ago but that's the story of my life!

Flasher pose to show the "Burberry" lining:

On the dressform as I pondered button placement:

"A evening to remember"

In my last post, I mentioned that the night I wore my re-fashioned flower power dress was "...definitely an evening to remember." Well, here is why:



Mark proposed!!! Now that we've told all our family and close friends, I can post about it. It was a complete surprise to me. We've been together for 2 1/2 years and had discussed our future plans so he knew I would say yes (hee hee) but he spent several months designing/selecting the ring so he could surprise me. He even planned a proposal several weeks earlier in which he was going to propose at the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day on the KissCam. I blew that with an unexpected business trip that came up several days before that caused me to miss Opening Day.

Plan B meant a proposal while we were on a mini getaway at our home in Bonita Springs. The actual proposal came at the end of a fabulous dinner at a wonderful restaurant in Fort Myers Beach. By the way, I highly recommend this restaurant (even if dinner doesn't include a proposal!) - Bayfront Bistro.

We haven't set a date and will likely wait for a year or so.

A few more photos: We stopped for an after dinner drink on the beach:

Engagement congratulations from my daughter. Tulips are my favorite flower:

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!

Free poll maker

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.