Happy Friday! I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. As promised, photo of me wearing Simplicity S9598.
Happy Sewing!
C
Julia Baker meets June Cleaver ..., Home Economics is still en Vogue
Happy Friday! I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. As promised, photo of me wearing Simplicity S9598.
Happy Sewing!
C
Summertime is in full affect here in the mid-west, and it can be challenging to look polished, cool, and comfortable when temperatures are in the upper 90's and the humidity is 95 percent. It feels like a sauna. So, the best thing is to go with the flow, look your best, and enjoy the summer months while they are here. In no time at all, it will be September, which will usher in another season for us.
My comfort look is soft and floaty. It provides comfort and style for the season. And that is how I feel wearing my latest summer dress.
I used McCall Daisy M8103 to make my latest summer dress. With the slightest breeze, the skirt dances in the wind. That is one of the things I love about it.
I purchased the fabric from Joann's a few months ago. They may still have it in stock. It's a cocoa brown guaze type viscose fabric. It is very soft and easy to handle. There is one small draw back though. It is very loosely woven and has the tendency to "grow" throughout the project. So be careful.
I used size 16 with modifications. This pattern comes with multiple cups sizes for the upper front. This may save a little time for most sewists. For me I used the D cup. But I hate the one huge dart. It never turns out like intended. So, I tweaked the pattern a bit and created three darts in the upper front bodice.
There are many qualities that I like about this pattern. The one that drew me to the pattern is the flounces. Love them. They do take a lot of time to finish. I devoted one sewing segment to finishing the hem and attaching the flounces to the waist and hem of the skirt. Another like is how the skirt is attached to the bodice. The faux wrap crosses over the entire front of the body. So there is no worry of "exposure". Wink, wink. The separate cup size pattern pieces are a plus too. All of these things, in addition to the floaty fabric, made this a loveable sewing experience.
Now, I do have a few dislikes. The expansion of the fabric during the entire project was annoying. I had to keep making adjustments as I went along. Oh yeah, I did make a muslin. The fabric that I used was tightly woven and didn't present the challenge that I experienced with my fashion fabric. It would be wise to do some stay stitching on some pieces to hold the shape.
Other changes I made:
Today is the last day of June and it is 98 degrees HOT! Great time to wear my latest creation, using a red and black, Ankara fabric that I purchased at the Textile Warehouse. I began sewing this dress last Thursday and finished it on Sunday.
My photographer, DD, was available to take a few pictures of me wearing it this afternoon. The sun was high and bright. The heat was on. Lol
This will be a short and sweet review as I don't have pictures of the pattern alterations. Sorry. If you check out many of my previous princess fit adjustment makes, you'll get a good idea of the changes I had to make for this pattern.
Pattern Description: Misses and Petites with bodice and skirt variations. The bodice options include a crewneck with slit or a halter, and the skirt can be made straight or flared with pockets. I made View C with modifications, size 14 graded up.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it did. Of course, I lengthen the skirt and made a few other changes.
It is a steamy 102 degrees in the Chicagoland area. At least where I live. HOT! HOT!
Summer is definitely here. So instead of complaining, dress appropriately. Rayon Guaze from Joann's Fabrics is the perfect match for McCall's M7405 Easy dress. I could easily have a dozen of these comfy dresses in my wardrobe. It's perfect for any occasion.
This pattern has been out for a while. I never noticed it until my fellow sewists across the Instagram platform started posting their beautiful dresses. And of course, I had to get on the bandwagon too. ;-)
McCall's pattern description: Loose-fitting, sleeveless, pullover dresses have neckline gathers, back neck slit and hemline variations. C: Belt, and side slit. D: Elasticized waist.
I didn't follow any of the versions as indicated on the envelope. I did my own thing. My version is view B with elasticized waist and belt. I used between large and medium sizes.
Basically, my dress does look like the drawings "combined". Tee Hee. This is how I wanted my dress to look. I often think of patterns as being templates to help me design the project I have invision.
The instructions were super easy, and I did not encounter any confusing steps.
This pattern is very easy to like and very forgiving on the figure. My likes are it was easy to sew, stylish, and versatile. I was so excited sewing it together and couldn't wait until I was done. No dislike to note. However, I made a few little changes.
One thing I was concerned with was how it would fit in the bust area. I didn't want to experience any gapping at the lower armhole. Luckily there wasn't any. But the armhole was a bit too low. So, I brought it up about 2 inches. Also, after I sewed the sides, it was too big in the upper portion of the dress. I just tweaked it a little until it was right for me. Another small change I made was the placement of the elastic. I tied the belt around my waist to act as a marker. Then I used a mirror and safety pins to mark that location in the back and used needle and thread to run a base stitch around the front. In the end, my elastic waist placement is very different from the front and back of the dress. But you cannot tell when I have the dress on. So, it works for me. After making the change, I also thought about the placement of the elastic in general as it can be lower or higher depending how you want to style the dress. The final little change was with the bias tape to create the elastic casing. I used a strip of fabric to make my own casing to match the dress.
As I stated earlier, my fabric is from JoAnn's Fabrics. They have a nice selection of cotton guaze in a variety of colors and prints. I loved this floral print. It was easy to sew and a great choice for a summer dress.
You know I will sew this dress again. I like it a lot! ;-) It is designed for beginners. So all level sewists could make it with no problem. This ends my little pattern review for this one!
Happy Sewing!
Cennetta
My little collection of TNT patterns is growing. It's the simple style lines and easy sewing that makes
I started this project with making the pants. I wanted to add a tuxedo style stripe down the sides. Like I said to try something new. Personally, they turned out to be a great looking pair of pants. After I finished them, I saw that I had about 3/4 yard of the knit fabric left. So, I attempted to "squeeze" out a little cardigan. But of course, I had to use another fabric for the stripe and the sleeve to complete it. The difference in fabric didn't matter. In fact, they complement each other.
In the end, I not only made another great pair of pants, but I also have a nice little cardigan to match.
Just to provide some details on the fabrics, I purchased the ponte knit from Vogue Fabrics last winter. I only bought two yards which was more than enough for the slim pull-on pants. The ribbed black knit (used for the sleeve and the stripe on the cardigan) came from Joann's. It was a remnant from another project.
Also, for the cardigan I used snaps and buttons for the closure. I didn't want to make buttonholes. So, I sewed on snaps and sewed buttons to the right side of the front closure.
I like how the outfit turned out. It is definitely an early fall project. The ponte knit is too heavy for summer weather. Lol I'll save this outfit for the right time and weather conditions.
Happy Sewing!
C
Surprise, Surprise!
I'm back. Lol
It's good to be back. I missed blogging and sharing my sewing projects. There are so many things going on. And lately I seriously wanted to spend my limited free time sewing.
So today, I'm reviewing one of my outfits made in early May. This little leisure set was easy to make and didn't take much time to do so. I do want to point out that I could have given myself a tad more move across the bust area. In the photos I notices a little pulling across the bust. Anyway, here is my review.
Pattern Description: Misses' close-fitting tops can be worn on or off the shoulder; close fitting cropped pants have elastic, drawstring waist. Slippers are lined.
Pattern Sizing: This pattern comes in size A(XS, S, M, L, XL, and XXL) I used between medium and large. I should have just used the large for the top. It would have been better for me across the bust since I didn't want to fuss with making a FBA.