Graduation and Prom 2009 - Oh My God!

Commissions for prom and graduation dresses are starting to pour in. I'm limiting myself to only a few. Quality over Quantity is the goal. I really want to do more sewing for myself. Next Saturday, I have two appointments to talk about dress designs and fabric.

A few people approached me for other sewing jobs. Some I said yes to and others I gracefully said no. I promised myself no more stressful client sewing in 2009 or forever.

On the table:

I'm finishing up two jackets that I started at the end of 2008. All is left to do is hemming and pressing. My full reviews will be posted in a few days. Both jackets will complement skirts and pants already in my wardrobe. Next, I'll dig through the UFO's and find something that is nearly completed as my next project. Perhaps something for DD.

Happy Sewing!
C

Year End Review - Sewing Projects 2008

Happy New Year!

I'm full of hope for a prosperous new year and am grateful for the blessings of God. In November and December I thought about last year's resolution and wondered about how how of it was accomplished in 2008. Well, Lindsay's Year End Review was the first one of several reviews that I read on sewing goals and accomplishments. I was impressed by the testaments of my fellow bloggers and started to put together my own review. I borrowed bits and pieces on formatting from several posts to help me write my review.

My grade on achieving the goals set for 2008 is about C+ as I'm carrying several over into 2009.

*More Challenging Projects - The two most challenging projects were for clients - Vogue 1015 and Vogue 8355. I was pleased with the outcome of both, but at the same time recognized the flaws and areas where I need to refine and/or perfect my skills. Practice makes perfect. The rose belt was inspired by a dress/belt featured in Cadena magazine.



*Quantity over Quality - Hmmm ..., I sewed a lot considering, work and family. I think quality has improved. Last year I tried a few couture techniques and was pleased with the the look and affect of the new skills. I only accepted three commissions and a few alterations in 2008. For that I am pleased and proud of myself for learning how to say, "No, thank you."

I took a look at my Flickr photostream to count the number of garments made in 2008. To my surprised, I sewed 48 articles of clothing and accessories. Here's the breakdown:

Skirts = 1 + (1)
Pants = 8 + (5)
Tops and Blouses = 7
Jackets/Coats = 5
Gown = (1)
Accessories 3
Suits 1 + (1)
Dresses = 14 + (2)

() denotes articles sewn for someone other than myself

Make something from Leather - Researched the techniques and processes, but didn't try it yet.

New Specialized Sewing Machine - Researched - no purchase.

Refine Terms and Conditions for Clients - Written but still not finalized.

*Purchased More Reference Books - I purchased several craft book. Check.

*Organized - Working on it.

*UFO's - I only sewed three. The UFO's have increased by 20 percent. Grrrr!

* denotes On going goal.

Networking/Join Craft Organization
- I was fortunate to participate in two "Meet Up", one in Chicago and the other in Philly. But did not attend any conference or seminar. Still on the list. I did, however, become a member of ASG.

My Favorites 2008

Vogue Divine Details - 8355 Made for Ms. Paulette Bell. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of this suit. And so was Ms. PB.

New Look 6824 - My Birthday Dress. This dress was inspired by the 2008 Lace trend. Love it.

McCall's 5269 - This is a favorite too. The fit and style is just right for me.

McCall's 5466 - Can you tell I like satin. lol. After finishing Ms. PB suit, I didn't have much time to make a dress for myself. We attend the same church and were going to our Pastor's 31st Anniversary dinner. I missed it, stomach flu. But I wore my dress and matching jacket to two other occasions.

Most Worn in 2008

Dresses are my favorite; but because of my "occupation" I tend to wear pants more. All of the VC's Tech groups are in the basement of the administration building (Chicago campus). My group, in particular, gets to travel between the campuses for meeting and presentations. So I made several pairs of pants from V2812, M5710, and M5597 for comfort and ease of wear.

Least Liked 2008

New Look 6561 - This top just didn't work for me. The fit of the underarm, the position of the waist and elastic. I passed this on to my sister.

Simplicity 3673 - I didn't pass this dress on to anyone, and I do wear it to work. Its just not a favorite.

Well, that's it!

Happy Sewing! Enjoy life and learning!
Peace,
C

Bold Necklace - Fashion Trend 2008

My best Christmas gift was crafted my DD. In August I posted five must haves and planned to at least make the dress and blouse. Needless to say, neither was made (yet).

The inspiration necklace was priced at about $2 grand. I expressed the desire for the bold gold necklace to my DD (jewelry crafter). She and I went to a new bead store across the street from Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt to see what they had to offer. We picked up several types of beads, but didn't find any that resembled the bold gold necklace that I wanted.



DD made my first bold necklace from some black marbled stone. It's nice, but didn't quite satisfy the desire. Unbeknownst to me, DD went on a hunt and found an online supplier of gold and silver materials for jewelry crafters. This was her "Big" gift to me for Christmas, and she made a pair of earrings too!

Just a Little Crocheting in 2008

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

Butterick - Fast, Easy and "Stylish" 5247

This pattern comes highly recommended by several fellow bloggers. I thought I would gave it a try for something fast, easy, and stylish.


Pattern Description: MISSES’ TUNIC, DRESS AND BELT: Semi-fitted, pullover tunics A, C or above mid-knee dresses B, D have cowl-like collar, short or long dolman sleeves and belt. Purchased top, pants and belt.

Pattern Sizing: Sizes 8 to 24. I used 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it did.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I didn't read them. This was a super easy, super fast pattern to sew. I took me about 1 1/2 hours to cut out and sew on Christmas morning.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like that is was fast and easy. I wanted to make something that didn't take a lot of time.

Fabric Used: Matte Jersey from Vogue Fabric.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I only make a few minor adjustments. I wasn't to worry about the FBA because of the roominess across the chest. So I just added about a half inch to the side seam from the curve of the underarm to the length of the dress. I also added about three inches to the length. And finally, I made a broad shoulder adjustment.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I plan to make the tunic.

Conclusion: This is a fast, easy and stylish pattern that you can make under two hours. Try it! ;-)

Vogue 8438 Sew Along Coat - Finished Part III

For the past four years I have been fortunate enough to make at least one winter coat per year. Last year, I made a coat for the first time for DD; the year before that I made my sisters coats for Christmas; and three years ago I made a coat for the first time for myself.

Last Spring Marji created a blog called: The Great Coat Sew Along. She invited fellow sewists to participate. Each contributor selected a coat of their choice, posted the various stages of making it, and published the finished coat. Several bloggers and members of PR become contributors to this awesome movement. The Coat Sew-Along is a great source of encouragement and allow each participant an opportunity to take advantage of several tutorials posted on the blog. Big Thanks to Marji for creating and maintaining the site.

At the beginning of the year, the blog will be made available for everyone to view. Several people are still working on the final stages of their coats.


I finished my coat on Christmas Eve and am happy to post my final review of the process.

Pattern Description: MISSES’ COAT AND SASH: Loose-fitting, lined coat, above or below mid-knee has princess seams, front snap closures, shoulder pads, center back pleat and side seam pockets. A, B: ruffled collar and collar band, two-piece sleeve. B: purchased belt. C: standing collar, sleeve with cuffs and optional sash.

I made view A.

Did it look like the drawing: Yes, it did. I added a few inches to the length and made some fitting alterations.

Where the instructions easy to follow: No problems there. Typical instructions for putting together a coat with princess seams.

What did you like or dislike about the pattern/coat: The thing that drew me to this pattern was the "flower petal" shaped collar. I'm always looking for patterns with odd or different accents. The other thing that drew me was the sleeve variations. The sleeves for view C could easily be exchanged between a variety of coat patterns.

After I attached the collar to the coat, I fell out of love with the coat thinking the collar was too big for me and the coat. This back and forth with like/dislike happens occasionally as I go through the process of finishing a garment.

My sister saw the coat Saturday, and she just love it! Especially the collar! She already put her bid in for a swing coat made of "beautiful" wool. No hurry, next winter is fine.;-)

Fabric: Bright Navy - Lightweight Melton CoatingBright Navy - Lightweight Melton Coating purchased from Ann's Gorgeous Fabrics. The lining is a brocade from Hancock. I didn't underline the coat so I thought the brocade would help fight against the strong Chicago winds.

Preparing the fabric: Before pre-shrinking the fabric, I trued the grain making sure the cross grain was perpendicular to the lengthwise grain. Then I folded the fabric in half and basted the parameter. I didn't want to go through the trouble of pre-shrinking it myself. So I sent it to the dry cleaners.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: First I made a muslin to check the fit. Then I transferred the observed changes to the pattern. After posting the muslin photos, I noticed I hadn't sewn the correct seam allowance for the center back seam. Instead of the usual 5/8 inch allowance, the pattern called for about 2 inches seam allowance.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Not for myself. The collar is so unique that I wouldn't sew this version again for me. But I would recommend it to others. It's a fairly easy pattern to follow for a stylish coat.


Conclusion: I'm back to my original thoughts about this pattern. It's stylish and offers a unique collar to a otherwise standard design. It's a nice pattern to try. I wear my new coat on Christmas, everyone love it!

Here are all posting related to making this coat.

Happy Holidays!