Finished Item: Simplicity 1317 & Fabric Mart Fabricistas Challenge

More Selfless Sewing...

DD really loved the floral tee and dug around the stash to find another fabric for a second one. She came up with this blue tissue weight jersey and lace! I loved her idea and was pretty eager to sew it up.

The lace had 4-way stretch but was very narrow so I cut it cross-grain to the selvedge edge. I then hand basted(!) the lace and jersey layers together and constructed the top on the serger. I used easy knit tape in the hem and hemmed the two layers as one.

The lace was purchased from the remnant bin at Hancock for $1/yd! The tissue knit jersey was from FabricMart at $1/yd! Score!!!

She wore it on her birthday!

 

To school...

 

And out to dinner!

When I hit up SR Harris a couple of weeks ago, with the lovely Jess of The Sometimes Sewist, 

 

I picked up some fantastic fabrics and one of them was this insanely soft cotton knit with a fun cherry print.

 

We got some serious goodies! Cherry print is on the left.

DH asked me to make something for my daughter for her birthday, from him :) So I made another S1317 because, why not!

This cotton was so lovely. Seriously!! I didn't even need the knit tape to get a lovely twin-needled hem. So now the plan is to buy MORE of this and make a hoodie from M7026 for myself. Which I've decided is totally okay so...

I plan to use some more of that blue jersey to make a wearable muslin for the boy of KS3299.

If I can nail the fit on a tshirt pattern for him, it'd be pretty epic.

*******************************************************


FabricMart challenge  - Congrats to Beth of 110 Creations!!! She won 2 patterns from Grainline studios. Unfortunately, Jenese of Needles & Fashion was "sent home" this week :-/

However, this means, I am safe!!!!  Yay!

The judges liked my top but thought I could have gone a little further in my design.

Week 2 is all about FIT!!! We have to make a fitted garment in a solid colored fabric. I decided right away WHAT I wanted to make and pulled out some pattern possibilities. A partial muslin on one has been worked up -- again with the muslins! Sheesh! ;-) Hahaha!

Tune in Wednesday for the 7 finished looks. I'm *SO* excited!!

Week 1 winner & Week 2 challenge

WIP...and Stuff

Blogger.

Ugh. I think it's time to move platforms. I get that it's free but even if you're offering something for free (and you're GOOGLE), it should work. Seriously. 

Does anyone know if you get any better service when you have a paid site through Blogger? 

*************************

We got our first challenge yesterday! We are to make a basic pattern...not-so-basic.

This challenge is actually going to be tough for me! Mainly because I'm not an embellisher. I just don't really have that type of eye. Secondly because I've avoided the Scout like the plague!  A dartless, pleatless, gatherless woven tee is scary when you have a full bust! So I'm kicking around some ideas to create a cute, one of a kind top that I'd love to wear. Wish me luck! :)

Read all about it here

**************************
My jacket is progressing. I made a few tweaks to the pattern but perhaps it's not enough. The shoulder still looks a little too wide (maybe it'll improve when the lining is inserted?) and the bust point looks a little too high still.

(sorry to chop my head off...I looked crazy in this pic!)

Looking in the mirror, it appeared as if I had TONS of excess fabric in the middle of my back. So glad I finally got someone to take pictures...it isn't as bad as I thought. I'm guessing this is a swayback adjustment needed?? Also, I always forget about my lower left shoulder. Sure, I could cut two fronts but we know that's not going to happen. I usually just sew a slightly larger shoulder seam and "fix" it that way.

Does anyone know what to do about this little 'dead space' at the back of my upper arm? Is there a sleeve adjustment for this or is it just the way I'm standing? I'm not sure...

I had it on with a long sleeved knit tee to be sure multiple layers works. it was fine. I think the sleeve is a little full (from the bicep down) and perhaps shorten the sleeve hem just a tiny bit more (the right sleeve hem is pinned up).


Also, if you look at the front and back pics, the right sleeve is wonky!!! :) I set it first and thought it was pretty good...until I set the left one. It went in darn near perfectly and now ALL I can see is the right sleeve wonkiness! I'm going to be a good seamstress and rip it out and reset it.

 

ahhhh. The joy of finding PERFECTLY matched thread. Do you see red stitches?!? Me neither! LOL!

Now, I WILL wear this jacket as-is but I am also treating it as a wearable muslin. I love this pattern so far and want to make the view A (without contrasting lapels) and view D as-is for a lightweight fall coat. So I want to hash out the fitting issues.

 **************************
Jess of Sometimes Sewist is hosting Sew Selfless September! Now, when I started blogging I really wanted to call myself "the selfish seamstress" but she already existed (and should come back already!). The idea is to pledge to sew something for someone else this month. I do sew for my daughter here and there but think that this month I'll try "sewing for the boys" too.

She wanted a makeup bag but I pretty much have done horribly at making any sort of zippered bag/pouch/etc. So I was hesitant.

I found this tutorial by Flossie Tea Cakes and whaddya know! It worked!!

 

DD picked it all out after I gave her a pile of quilting cottons and the zipper basket to choose

Even with minor wonkiness I was SO proud that I immediately wanted to make another one!

For this one, I used this tute by Sew Mama Sew. I made it err, a little bigger... :) **I just realized I missed a step. I was thinking "this doesn't stand on it's own"...I forgot to do that part! If I can pry it away from her I might change it. Or just sew ANOTHER one! :)

 

I picked out this combo and she loved it.

I REALLY love these two together. I hope to get some more green zippers from Wawak and whip up a few of these for my nieces (I have like a thousand nieces! Ok...I have 8. But 3 of them are ADULTS. Sheesh!!)

Also, today is my parents 40th anniversary. YOWZA!  Love those two :-D