McCall 7480 - Super Easy Coat

Holding it close as the wind was very high.

Happy Monday!

It's a great day to be on this side of God's creation.  I'm happy to be alive with a reasonable portion of my health and strength.  I hope everyone is well.  I'd like to also thank those who continue to stop by my blog and leave a comment.    These days, I'm not the blog stalker I used to be because of time limitations.  I hope to get better soon.

My review today is on a very easy McCall vest/coat.  I bought the pattern in the fall to make for winter, and I'm just now getting around to making a coat.  My original plan was to make something close to view B; but after shopping my stash and the new fabric that I purchased in New York,  I decided on a coat similar to view C.

This was a very easy sewing project.  I cut it out several weeks ago along with several other projects.  On Friday evening, instead of watching TV or the TV watching me, I went to "my sewing studio" and made my coat.


It's described as: Misses' vest and coats - loose fitting, unlined wrap vest and coats have length variations.  A:  Raw edges. B:  Welt pockets. C:  Contrast facing and sleeves.  The available sizes are:  XS to XXL.  I used a large, but I could have gotten away with a Medium as it is very loose fitting.  Anyway, I will certainly be able to wear chunky sweaters underneath  on colder days.

The drawings and the photos are spot on with how it suppose to look.  No belt for me today, it's was about 50 degrees, windy with some rain mist and overcast.

The instructions were typical. No confusing parts.  The coat sewed up with no problems.  As a matter of fact, I really didn't use them past sewing the back to the front.  Afterwards I took a look at the entire guide sheet for the sake of the review.

I used a heavy wool ponte knit that was gifted to me last year and a double clothe from Mood Fabrics.  I wish Mood had the double clothe in more colors.  It's really nice.  I picked it up when I was in New York in January.  At first, I was concerned that the marrying of the two fabrics wouldn't be a good one.  But as it turned out, they do complement each other fairly well.  The entire front of the coat and the collar is double the fabric, which creates a heaviness in the front of the coat.  So I decided to add some thickness to the back and sleeves  to balance it out a bit.  For the lining I used some left over crepe back satin.  The back and sleeve linings were cut using those pattern pieces respectively.  Outside of that I really didn't make any alterations.

This is a nice basic, easy coat pattern.  The pieces were sewn with no problems.  There are no real fit issues for me.  It's very over-sized.  I think I will sew it at least one more time for myself.  I want View D in a beige tone with a round collar.

I recommend this pattern to all level sewists.  It's stylish, easy to sew, and no serious fit issues.

Crocheted Hat, Scarf and Fingerless Gloves - 

I crocheted my matching accessories.  This was the first time I made fingerless gloves.  I really like them.  The band has a ribbed affect created using a double crochet and back post stitch.  The entire project was easy.  Most of it was done while showing my favorite TV shows.

That's all for now.  More to come.  Stay tuned.


Happy Sewing!
C

Working My Way Back To Blogging

Lately, I've had a hard time finding time to blog. Work, sewing, the season..., can't pinpoint why. But I have sewn plenty; now I need to finish something and blog it. In my sewing queue are:

- 2 coats
- 2 jackets
- 3 dresses
- 3 pants
- several accessories














A side from that I have been crocheting like crazy. It all started about three months ago when I gave my sister a bag of hats and scarves (some crocheted and some sewn {velvet}). They sold like hot cakes. Both of us were very pleased with the sells. So now I'm working on filling orders (I don't like specified orders - I prefer free styling). Anyway here are a few of the styles that I've sold. My niece is always the willing model. Of course, she put an order in too.


Hopefully, after I get some rest (today I'm too tired to sew), I can get sewn garments finished.

Happy Sewing and Happy Holidays!
C

Flower Power - Crochet Bouquet

I hope everyone had a fine resurrection Sunday. My family usually goes to church, even those that do not make the commitment to attend a place of worship every Sunday. After morning service, we all made the trek over to my mother’s house for dinner. I love it when we are all together, talking and laughing, enjoying one another.

The day was beautiful and I was happy for three reasons: resurrection, family and spring like weather. The sun was shining; the earth is starting to show greater signs of green trees and floral blossoms. I’m glad spring has finally arrived in Chicago. I’m ready for it.



This morning as I was dressing for work, I thought about my spring and summer sewing projects (for me). It occurred to me I have three more dresses ready to sew that are cut from a floral print fabric. (Hmmm.., I need some solid color garments, for sure.) Over the weekend I made a trip to JoAnn’s Fabric just because. I find my way to the book section. All of their stitching books were 40 percent off. I found three that I really liked. But I put two back in the rack. I have several books. Most only have one or two projects that I really like. To exercise some self control, I picked the book that could give me the most “bang” for my buck. The winner is Suzann Thompson’s “Crochet Bouquet”. It teaches easy designs for crocheted flowers.




I think it’s a great book and the flowers can be a great way to adorn garments and accessories. It is beautifully illustrated and the gives clear step by step instructions on how to make them. I’ll probably get a lot of use out of it. We will see.

Just a Little Crocheting in 2008

My niece so willing to model my crocheted hats and a scarf.

Playing Catch Up

It is days like today when I really appreciate the benefit of working for a technical/functional support unit. Occasionally, I have the opportunity to work from home. All I need is a computer, a phone, and access to all systems that help support our users. I don't have to "dress" for work, no rush hour traffic, and lunch from my very own kitchen. sweet.

Work/Travel

My team has started traveling again. Travel days can be at most a 16 hour work day depending on the circumstance and the distance. For me it takes awhile to recover, but it's all part of getting the job done. Most of my travel is to the Urbana campus with an occasional trip to Springfield. No travel to Rockford and Peoria for at least 2 1/2 years. We also usually meet at two of three extensions sites to discuss best practices for the use of our application. Recently, I have had the benefit of traveling to more than our typical milk run. Last month I traveled to New York City. Upcoming trips to Philadelphia, PA and Naples, FL. I won't get my hopes up for a chance to shop in Philly. It's a one night, one day, trip. I will have a chance to shop and visit some local attractions while in Naples. It's the annual user group meeting (4 days) hosted by our product vendor.

Bringing my New Year's Resolution to Life

Sewing

No sewing, but plenty of reading and gathering of materials/information. I subscribe to a few sewing and fashion mags. So I been playing catch on the latest trends and styles. I've also purchased several books, one is the most recent publication of Vogue Sewing. I already own the 1982 version and thought the new book would offer new information. Not really.., The most noticeable changes/updates were the layout of the book and the order of the chapters. My copy is a hard cover the new one is paperback. My preference is the older version which comes with several photos to illustrate a style or technique discussed in the book. I decided to give the latest publication to my niece who is learning to sew. I think it is a must have for anyone who sews.





Several people have ask if I would sew for them this spring/summer season; to most I said not at this time. Three I answered yes to. With their permission, I will post my activities.


This month I've been actively pursuing the goals that I set at the beginning of the year. My book list is at least 20 publications long. Not all are sewing related, but include crocheting, knitting, and cooking. So far I've snagged:






My Crocheted Projects:












I haven't started to practice what I'll learned about sewing leather. Most of the recommended equipment and supplies (Sewing with Leather and Suede) I already have, but there still a few items I want to purchase before testing my ability. Karen suggested that I practice using leather goods purchased from a resale shop before buying a new piece of leather. I have two old leather jackets that I can use. BTW- Karen just finished a beautiful black leather jacket.

Workshops, Expos, Groups

Marji recommended the Stitches Midwest Convention (Rosemont, IL) held in the summer. I did not find any 2008 event postings on the net. It may be too early. Previous conventions were held at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Attending an Expo was also highly recommended by Carolyn.

So Sew Lost recommended Meetup. There are a variety of groups that use this site to solicit new members and organize club activities. I found one knitting/crochet group of interest: South Suburban Knitting and Crochet Group , Matteson, IL. The meeting place is about 10 miles from where I live.

Finally, I'm still considering the ASG . I haven't made up my mind, but I plan to participate in at least one of them.



Blog Reading

There are so many interesting blogs. I simply can't keep up with all the latest news. Of course, the sewing blogs are my favorites, but I also read, crocheting/knitting, cooking, thinking, political, and beauty blogs.


Shopping

Fishman's Fabrics has a lot of their fine wools, cotton, and silks on sale. I pick up two nice pieces on Monday afternoon. I had been skying them for about three weeks hoping they would reduce them some more. Each pieces is about 2 yds long and sold for $10.00/yd regularly $29.95/yd. Fishman's has some of the most beautiful fabrics; they also have some "beautiful" prices.




I picked a few notions at the President's sale (JoAnn's and Hancock's). Brought yearns at Walmart. That's it on shopping.

I Think I Was In New York

First I would like to thank Carolyn and Alethia for their kindness and generosity. Both invited me to meet with them during my visit to the Big Apple. Special thanks to Carolyn, who recommended that I shop at Metro Textiles and gave me her work number in case I had questions. I absolutely love this community of fashionistas.

Let me tell you, this was one of my most disappointing business trips ever. This was suppose to be a two-hour site visit at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Upper East Side NY, with time to spare (shopping). My flight should have arrived in NY at 10:15am, but due to the weather conditions the flight was delayed by an hour or so. My 2.5 hour shopping spree was cut in half. Not enough time to shop and too much time to sit around doing nothing. So from the airport I went directly to the Wales Hotel were I was to meet my colleagues for lunch. After about 10 minutes of waiting in the lobby, I asked the hotel hosts if there were any fabric stores or textile distributors close to the hotel. They suggested: Marimekko, Saint-Remy, and Cora Ginsburg. All of which seem too far away from the hotel. So they suggested that I try Annie and Company, 1323 Madison Avenue.



Annie is a quaint little shop that sells yarns, threads, handmade garments, beads, and books. They have an exquisite selection of threads. Annie's offers private lessons. (Photos are not the best; taken with camera phone) Go to their website and blog for more details.



Annie's Website
Annie's Blog

Unfortunately, I was back at the airport by 5:15pm. My flight landed at 9:38pm, also delayed due to weather conditions. The closest I got to Manhattan was passing it on the express way en route to the Wales Hotel. I was not a happy camper. Oh well, I'll have to go back to NY on my own dime.

Happy Sewing and Shopping!

First Crochet Project of the Season

I finished the scarf that I started while waiting for the mechanic to service my car, needed break pads. Next project, a cap, both to wear with the charcoal fannel wool coat I plan to make.