Finally, Some Fabric

Melissa and I headed over to the Bolt Liberty 25% off sale this morning. I have been waiting to purchase this particular Liberty fabric, Dotty, for a while now and was very excited that it was still available. I also bought this coordinating red and yellow crossweave cotton from Moda. These here fabrics are my choices for the Rooibos dress. The Liberty will be my contrast fabric and I am planning to make my own piping with it for the neckline and pocket trim. The fabric is in the wash now. I am spending some time this afternoon making a muslin of the dress bodice to determine the proper size to sew up. I want this dress to have a closer fit, so I think the size four may be a little too big for me.

PS I also ordered the yarn for the Heather Hoodie Vest. I had a hard time finding the Lamb's Pride Bulky in grey heather. It was out and backordered in all the local yarn stores that I checked, as well as online. I finally found it at KK Wools.

Nothing to Show

So, I was all excited to buy some yarn today for the Hoodie vest, but the LYS was out of what I wanted. I decided to go ahead and use the specified yarn, Lamb's Pride Bulky in grey heather. I also stopped in at the fabric shop, but I couldn't find what I wanted for the Rooibos dress. I think the problem is that I don't know exactly what kind of fabric I am looking for and am just waiting for something to jump out at me. I guess I need to be patient and do more waiting. It's hard because I'm itching to do some sewing and some knitting!

Sencha Blouse

I finished the Sencha blouse last weekend. You can see more pictures here and a pattern review over at the Bolt blog.

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472 Tunic

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472 Tunic
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I sewed up this tunic in a couple of hours yesterday using the Anna Maria Horner voile I bought the other day. I used the same Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472 pattern that I used for this dress. I love the diamond motif on this fabric, so retro and fun!

Little Folks Voile

I stopped in at Bolt this afternoon to browse among the fabrics, hoping something would catch my eye. And here's what caught my eye. These are a couple of fabrics from Anna Maria Horner's Little Folks voile line. That's Diamond Mine and Baby Bouquet. This fabric is really nice and is very similar in weight to Liberty lawn, which I love. I plan to make a couple of shirts with these fabrics this week. Stay tuned for photos of finished projects!

Lovely Blouse

Photo from saraicat

Local Colette Patterns has five great new patterns, just in time for more holiday sewing! There are several new dresses, a coat, and this fabulous blouse, which I had to purchase immediately. All patterns are available for pre-order now with free shipping. Check them out!

Holiday Sewing

I sewed up Amy Butler's Liverpool shirt this holiday weekend. Look for a pattern review and pictures posted at the Bolt Neighborhood Blog.

A Spring Dress for Winter

I finished sewing on the sleeves this evening. It was easier than I thought it would be. I think all the pleat markings on the pattern intimidated me. I finally figured out how to insert the zipper too. Essentially, you clip the seam allowance above and below the pocket and fold those sections over to form a continuous seam allowance with the pocket on which to sew one side of the zipper. I don't know if that makes sense, but once I figured it out, the illustrations in the directions completely made sense. Unfortunately, it's much too cold to wear this right now. It'll be on the dress form until spring!

Tulip Skirt

I still hadn't sewn up the olive green linen that I scored from Fabric Depot a couple of weeks back, so yesterday I cut out the Tulip Skirt pattern by Jenny Gordy that was in the fall 2008 issue of Stitch magazine. Due to the time change, I woke up pretty early this morning and decided to start sewing up the skirt. The pattern was pretty simple to follow, though I think the placket instructions weren't completely correct. You are supposed to cut out two plackets and two placket facings, but the directions only seem to address one placket. There didn't seem to be any errata for this particular skirt, but I was able to figure it out easily enough. The only mods I made included adding topstitching on the waistband and placket and using five buttons instead of four. This linen was a dream to work with and holds an excellent drape. I think the skirt turned out cute and will be perfect for wearing with tights and boots.

Next Up

I have this fabric all prepped and ready for a project. I'm thinking I'll probably use the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2497 pattern.

Weekend Sewing

I started this skirt project yesterday afternoon and finished it up this morning. I used the houndstooth corduroy I bought at the Fabric Depot sale last weekend. The pattern is Simplicity 2656. I made view D, not thinking it would be a mini skirt, but it ended up being pretty close. The finished length is about two inches above my knee. The pattern was straightforward and easy to follow, though that crazy yoke was sort of a pain to sew with the pockets and gathers and all. Speaking of pockets, I lined them with some of my leftover Small Susanna Liberty fabric. I like the contrast of the floral with the check. Once I saw this zipper at Bolt, I knew I had to buy it because it would be perfect to sew on the outside of the skirt.

PS Thanks Amy for the zipper/skirt inspiration!

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2472 Dress

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2472 Dress
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I stayed up a little later than I should have last night to finish this dress. It was a relatively quick project, taking about three hours total, including cutting out the pattern and fabric. This is a super simple pattern and only has three pieces since I used seam binding for the contrasting trim: front, back, and bottom band. The dress has Dolman-style sleeves that are cut as part of the front and back. See the technical drawing here. The fabric gets wrinkled very easily, but I love the color. My favorite thing about this dress? No fasteners, it just pulls on over your head! See more detailed photos here and here.

PS Thanks to Mariko for the cute seam binding!

Fabric Depot Score

Fabric Depot Score
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I headed out to Fabric Depot this afternoon, not realizing it was a 35% off sale day. It was pretty packed in the store. However, I did find some great fabric. The moss and brown oversized houndstooth is a corduroy from Robert Kaufman. I had a hard time deciding between that and this other Kaufman print that is reminiscent of Orla Kiely's stem pattern. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. The army green and eggplant colored fabrics are linen/rayon. The red and black plaid is a very lightweight flannel. I've been jonesing to sew, but hadn't seen any great patterns or projects. I found these two new Cynthia Rowley dress patterns, 2472 and 2497, and I think I'll make the shift dress with the eggplant linen. I was also inspired by this Marc Jacobs top and want to draft up a pattern that is similar. I love his oversized sketched plaid fabric. Maybe I could print my own?

Labor Day Sewing

Schoolgirl Dress
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I started this project during the long weekend and finished it this morning. The pattern is from a Japanese craft book. I really like the contrast between the soft pinstriped cotton and the crisp black linen. The only mod I made was to make the cuffs a lot shorter. In the pattern, they are extremely long and look weird to me. The only other problem is that the cotton reminds me of a dish towel and the dress sort of looks like pajamas to me. Maybe because it's so wrinkly. You can also see a close up here.

Loose Shirt

Loose Shirt
Originally uploaded by actionhero

After staying up late the last couple of nights working on this shirt project, I finally finished it this morning. I just had to sew the buttonholes and buttons on, but there were only five, so it didn't take too long. I like how the shirt turned out, but it is very loose-fitting, even though I made the smallest size. And since I took off a bunch of the length, it looks a bit boxy to me, especially with the dropped shoulders. I do like that I can easily pull it on. I think I'll still get a lot of wear out of it.

Some New Sewing Projects

I got some great fabric at the Bolt sale this past weekend. Amy gave me this Japanese pattern book a while back and I bookmarked this shirt and dress that I want to make. I bought the Liberty fabric, a print called Small Susanna, for the shirt and the cotton pinstripe and black linen is for the dress. But I'm not sold on the shirt pattern. I'm looking through my other patterns and books to see if something else jumps out at me. Maybe I should design something instead?

Making Muslins

Kelli left a comment regarding making muslins and asked me these questions: Do I always make muslins when trying new patterns? If so, what do I do with the muslins after I've made them?

I only tend to make muslins if I've had experience with a designer's patterns and know the fit will be weird. This situation most often happens with Japanese pattern books. My measurements seem to be standard enough that I use the same size across commercial pattern companies. I make all my muslins, or draft patterns, from actual muslin fabric that I bought in a bolt. I will sew up a muslin using only the basic pieces, enough to let me get a sense of the fit. I will mark changes on the muslin, but I do not use the muslin as my pattern. I transfer the changes to the commercial pattern or to the pattern paper if I traced it. After I've made the muslin and my alterations, I will keep it if I can reuse it. Otherwise, I will just throw it out.

Muslin Resources
Sew, Mama, Sew! Blog: Making a Muslin
Video from Taunton Press: Making a Muslin

Machiko Kayaki Tunic

I started sewing this tunic up on Friday afternoon and couldn't stop until I was done about seven hours later. I really like how this shirt turned out. The pattern is from Machiko Kayaki's latest book My Favorite Shirt. I ended up using this home dec weight fabric from Alexander Henry, so I did not use any interfacing at all. The half-inch I added to the armhole depth was just enough to make the fit more comfortable. The only other mod I made was to cut the top part of the pockets on the bias, so there was a little bit of contrast. The sleeves are a touch too long, but I can always roll them up. This will be a great shirt to wear with leggings.

Tunic Muslin

Here's a muslin of the tunic that I sewed up on Sunday. Most of the Machiko Kayaki patterns that I've sewn up have been small in the armholes, so I wanted to see if this pattern had the same problem. It did. So, I ended up altering the pattern a bit and added some depth to the armholes. Hopefully, that will create a better fit!

Tunic

Here's my next sewing project: a tunic from the new Machiko Kayaki book My Favorite Shirt. I'm using a home dec fabric, Heath, from Alexander Henry. I'll need to trace the pattern pieces tomorrow.

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2587

Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2587
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress last night. It was a really quick project and it turned out a lot better than I expected. I had made a muslin of this pattern and I was worried because there was too much ease. I thought I would have to make a dress that was two sizes smaller than I normally would make, but I ended up only going down one size and it was a perfect fit! Aside from the size issue, I didn't make any modifications to the pattern.

Simplicity 2587

I had been looking for a new sewing project to start when I remembered that I still had a Cynthia Rowley pattern that I hadn't tackled yet. I am going to make view B of the strappy dress, which is the shorter version. I found this awesome Liberty print, called Sydenham Place, at Bolt. I especially love all the colors. I'll use the dusty pink for the contrasting trim.

Bolt has a Blog

Check out local favorite fabric store Bolt's new blog here. You can get the latest on classes and new materials and resources in the store.

Mendocino Sundress

Mendocino Sundress Front
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished the sundress this afternoon. It was a quick project, but the shirring took the longest. I only did 20 rows of shirring because I wanted more of an empire waistline. Other mods I made include adding some halter-style straps and cutting five inches off the length of the dress. I think it's pretty cute! You can see the back here.

I've Got Mail

I came home to find this package of yarn from KnitPicks waiting for me. I ordered six hanks of Bare Merino Wool DK for the Aran Waistcoat project. I thought about dying the yarn, but then decided against it. I rather like the natural color. I hope to do some swatching before the week is over.

The other night I was looking through that Japanese skirt pattern book I just bought and I couldn't remember why I purchased it. I couldn't find one pattern in it that I absolutely loved, so I exchanged it for the newest Machiko Kayaki book, My Favorite Shirt. There are some really cute shirt and shirtdress patterns that will be fun to make.

Weekend Update

After seeing Mariko's extremely cute sundress, I was inspired to make one of my own. The pattern is from Heather Ross and you can download it for free here. I headed over to Bolt on Friday and bought Rabbit Hole from the Wonderland fabric collection by MoMo for Moda. I had eyed this fabric previously, but didn't have anything in mind to make, so I left it sitting on the shelf. I love the big random polka dots. The project shouldn't take long once the pattern is cut out.

This afternoon, on a trip to Kinokuniya with Mariko, I got these Japanese craft books. I was debating on whether to get the new Machiko Kayaki shirt book when I saw the Pattern Magic books. I had wanted those for a long time, but when they first came out, they were more expensive and I think they were only available on eBay. The other book is all skirts. There are some really helpful technique pictures along with the patterns.

Parfait is Done

Parfait is Done
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress over the weekend! Sewing the buttons on took longer than expected since there were six. I followed the pattern as it was written and made no modifications. I did have to resew one of the straps because the chevron stripes on one strap were going in the opposite direction of the other. Luckily I caught that before I was too far along. The fit has enough ease that I could wear a t-shirt underneath if I wanted, which is perfect since the sun seems to have disappeared and layering looks to be necessary!

Parfait Progress

I started working on this dress last night. I put it off because I didn't want to sew that curved midriff waist on the front. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was anticipating, so I was able to make lots of progress with this project. All that I have left to do is sew in the facings, sew on the pockets, and add buttons and buttonholes. I should have a new dress to wear by next weekend!

Fabric for Parfait Dress

Here's the fabric I selected for my Parfait dress. It's from the Darcey collection by Anna Griffin. The floral fabric will be the main fabric and the chevron stripes will be the contrasting fabric for the straps, waist, and pockets. This will be a fun project!

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2584

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2584
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress tonight. I really like how it turned out. The only modifications I made were to sew in an invisible zipper rather than what the directions called for: a contrasting zipper that is sewn on the outside. I also did not sew the tuck the is supposed to be at the bottom of the dress. I thought it was unnecessary. It's pretty low cut, but with a cami underneath, it should be fine.

Yoke's On Me

Just finished sewing the facing to the yoke and the front of the dress. Once they pieces were sewn together I had to slash it down the center, which I'm always paranoid about because I think I'm going to end up cutting the dress too. As you can see, I used some brown binding that I had in my stash to finish the facing edges. The fabric is thick enough that it doesn't really show through to the right side. I just didn't want to have to go and buy a bunch of facing when I could just use what I had on hand.

Simplicity 2584 Dress

I started working on this project Sunday morning. So far, so good. I had scanned the directions briefly a couple of weeks ago, but for some reason, I thought the project would be more complicated than it is. I wanted to experiment with some different seam finishes and decided to sew some binding on all the exposed seams for a neat professional look. It's definitely taking more time, but I think it will be worth it. I'm using the binding that I have in my stash, so it doesn't all match. I'm still trying to decide if I want to add the sleeves or go for a sleeveless look.

Colette Patterns: Parfait, No. 1003

Colette Patterns: Parfait, No. 1003
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I got my Colette pattern in the mail today. I love that the the pattern and instructions come in a booklet format. It's a very clever and handy presentation. At first glance, the instructions look easy-to-follow and clear. This project is next on my list to sew after the Cynthia Rowley shift. See the rest of the pattern booklet photos here.

Simplicity 2593 Tank

This is the first completed project using the Cynthia Rowley patterns that I bought. I had wanted to make the shift dress first, but the tank was a quicker project. I sewed this over the course of a couple of days because I started on Saturday night. It only takes a couple of hours to make. I used some Moda fabric I had in my stash that I completely forgot about. I think the polka dots are perfect!

Colette Patterns

I'm excited to check out this new line of sewing patterns called Colette Patterns from local PDX designer Sarai Mitnick. First on my list is Parfait, a cute pinafore-style sundress. These patterns should be out at the end of this week. [via The Archer]

Over the Top Tunic/Dress

I finally got around to making this dress this afternoon. I love how it turned out! The pattern directions are very simple and easy to follow and there were only seven pieces to cut out. I did not add the pockets. The dress is sleeveless, but when it is on, you get a sort of cap sleeve effect. I also like the addition of the belt, so that you can have a more fitted silhouette. I may have to make the tunic version of this top too. I definitely recommend this pattern.

More Sewing to Do

I first saw the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity tunic pattern via Craft. When I searched the Simplicity website, she had three other patterns too. I ended up buying these three. I like the simple lines of her styles. I want to make 2584 first, the dress that's featured on the model. I'm not sure if I want a solid fabric with some texture or a print. A trip to Fabric Depot this weekend is in order!