Weekly Round Up - 6/29

Not the most productive week, since I technically finished the blouse/dress last week.

Which means I only made one piece this week, another of the maxi dress from Simplicity 2189. I had made this a couple weeks ago in a tan knit, and decided I needed to take in the bust area, which worked perfectly. I also added  six inches to the length so it was a true maxi.

front view

back view

I definitely didn't need more fabric, but I did buy some at Wal-Mart yesterday.

The top two are going to be dresses, but I haven't decided on a pattern for them yet. The bottom left is kind of like a chiffon, it's very lightweight and slightly transparent, I'm planning to make a blouse out of it. The bottom left is a dark blue denim, which will become a pair of jeans.

Have a great weekend!

Projects Completed

Blouse (dress) - Vogue 8772
Maxi Dress - Simplicity 2189

Works in Progress

Blouse - Vogue 8772

Projects To Do

Shirred Dresses (for my friend's niece) - no pattern - shirred fabric (need to buy)
Men's Shirt (for son #1) - no pattern chosen - camo cotton
Men's Shirt (for son #2) - no pattern chosen - red/white/blue cotton
Shirt Dress - McCall's 4769 - camo floral silky in stash
Tee Shirt - Butterick 5215 - blue and grey knit in stash
Maxi Dress - Simplicity 2189 - floral knit in stash
Blouse - Vogue 8772 - grey silky solid in stash
Blouse - Vogue 8772 - black chiffon in stash
Jeans - Butterick 5682 - dark blue denim in stash
Dress - no pattern chosen - teal floral in stash
Dress - no pattern chosen - grey tropical print in stash
Shirt Dress - McCall's 4769 - purple poly shantung in stash
Dress - Coffee Date Dress, free Burda pattern - black/white silky print in stash
Peasant Top - Simplicity 3956 - teal paisley print in stash
Pants - Vogue 2907 view A - green suiting in stash
Men's Bi-Fold Wallet (requested by a friend) - my own design - no fabric chosen
Purse (for me) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Wallet (for me) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Dress - Simplicity 3506 view A - black/purple silky print in stash
8 Gore Skirt - self drafted pattern - cream suiting in stash
Top - princess seam bodice - red silky solid in stash
Bolero - Simplicity 3921 view ? - green velvety fabric in stash
Top - Vogue 2987 top - multi-colored knit/jersey/stretchy in stash

Blouse Turned Dress ~ Vogue 8772

I finished this dress almost a week ago, but I just got around to taking pictures of it.

This dress is the inspiration for the dress I made. I knew the fabric I had did not have the same drape as the original and I wasn't looking to replicate it exactly, I just wanted something kind of similar.

source: venus.com

I used Vogue 8772 (view E).

source: voguepatterns.mccall.com

The changes I made were to not add side vents, move the button placement a bit, secure the overlap below the bottom button, and add two ruffles to the bottom.

front view

back view

side view

Sorry about the washed out pictures, not sure why they came out that way.

I am not totally sold on this dress only because of the 'stiffness' of the cotton fabric on the upper ruffle. I'm going to wash it a time or two, and hope it softens the fabric enough so the top ruffle isn't as poofy as it currently is. I may also top stitch the ruffle down to see if that helps at all, but I'm going to see what washing will do first.

If I can't tame the ruffle, I'll probably end up chopping them off and making it a blouse. I also now know that I don't need any alterations to this pattern for a good fit and I can cut into my more expensive fabric I had gotten to make a blouse out of this pattern. If I was to try and make a dress like this again I would probably only add the bottom ruffle.

Now that the end-of-the-school-year madness is done I'll have more time to spend in the sewing room, the past couple weeks have been crazy with all the extra activities going on for the kids.

Weekly Round Up - 6/8

I could have done more this week, sewing-wise, as I could have every other week, but I chose to spend some of my time reading rather than sewing. I miss reading books that I want to read as much as I miss sewing during the school year.

I completed two dresses for my niece's birthday...her party is this Sunday and Hello Kitty is one of her favorite things, so I'm sure they will be a hit.

I also finished a purse and matching wallet for a friend, who has a birthday this month and still uses one of the first (and horribly embarrassing) purses I ever made.

The purse I made her a few years ago lacks body and structure, and looks very home-ec to me, but she loves it and I am hoping she loves this one too!

I kind of started working on the sandals for my other friend, but haven't gotten much done there really.

Next week I am finishing those sandals, possibly getting a shirt made for my son, and hopefully getting at least one item made for me.

Projects Completed

2 Shirred Dresses (for my niece) - no pattern
Purse (for a very deserving friend) - my own design
Wallet (for a very deserving friend ) - my own design

Works in Progress

Sandals (for a friend) - inspired by an etsy tutorial

Projects To Do

Shirred Dresses (for my friend's niece) - no pattern - shirred fabric (need to buy)
Men's Shirt (for son #1) - no pattern chosen - no fabric chosen
Sandals (for a friend) - inspired by an etsy tutorial
Purse (for a very deserving friend) - my own design - grey & silver cotton in stash
Blouse - Vogue 8772 - red cotton print in stash
Shirt Dress - McCall's 4769 - camo floral silky in stash
Tee Shirt - Butterick 5215 - blue and grey knit in stash
Maxi Dress - Simplicity 2189 - floral knit in stash
Blouse - Vogue 8772 - grey silky solid in stash
Shirt Dress - McCall's 4769 - purple poly shantung in stash
Dress - Coffee Date Dress, free Burda pattern - black/white silky print in stash
Peasant Top - Simplicity 3956 - teal paisley print in stash
Pants - Vogue 2907 view A - green suiting in stash
Men's Bi-Fold Wallet (requested by a friend) - my own design - no fabric chosen
Purse (for me) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Wallet (for me) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Dress - Simplicity 3506 view A - black/purple silky print in stash
8 Gore Skirt - self drafted pattern - cream suiting in stash
Top - princess seam bodice - red silky solid in stash
Bolero - Simplicity 3921 view ? - green velvety fabric in stash
Top - Vogue 2987 top - multi-colored knit/jersey/stretchy in stash

Simple Dresses With Pre-Shirred Fabric

Power and internet has been flickering here, so this post is going to be short and sweet...

I finished the dresses for my niece today...She loves Hello Kitty.

I zig-zagged the elastic in place before pre-washing, and then cut the fabric so that after sewing with a 1/2" seam there would be 3" of negative ease. I opted for a single seam in the back.

I used bias tape to make the straps, and after my niece gets the dresses I will shorten them if needed. They are just simple ties at the shoulders. The dresses were super simple and came together very quickly.

One of my friend's schedules changed this week, so we didn't have a chance to get the fabric for her niece, so I still have another one or two to make whenever we do get the chance. I did get out to get the materials for the sandals for my other friend, but I'm not doing too much with them this week. And I'm working on a purse for yet another friend of mine, as well as a matching wallet. I don't think there will be any sewing happening on items for me this week.

Weekly Round Up - 6/1

As I predicted I didn't get much sewing done. I finished a knit dress using Simplicity 2189. I have enough fabric left to make a sash/belt for the dress if I want.

I also finished the draped/cowl tank I had started last week, which was inspired by this tutorial. I added arm bands to the armholes, which I made a bit smaller then the actual arm holes. This helped the gaping some, just not as much as I had hoped. Overall, I am happy with the top and will definitely wear it.

Front View

Back View

I didn't serge the seams in the top, but I did serge the neckband and then folded it over and stitched it down. I also used the coverstitch on the hem, and it worked better than my first attempt on the dress, but even with less bulk at the seams it still gave me trouble going over the seam area. It seems that there is too much pressure being applied by the presser foot, and I am not sure if there is any way to adjust that.

You can barely see the difference in the stitches over the seam area, but they are definitely closer together.

Next week I have at least two, if not more, super simple and quick shirred dresses to make for my niece (her birthday party is next weekend) and one or two for a friend's niece (she asked me oh so nicely when she heard about my niece's dresses and I couldn't say no). There is some Hello Kitty fabric among the shirred fabric at my local Wal-Mart, so all I have to do is a single back seam or two side seams and possibly attach straps.

My oldest has been asking me to make him a shirt for a while now, and recently asked if I could get it done before the end of the school year, so that will have to happen next week or the week after. My biggest problem with his request is he is between boy's and men's pattern sizing, so I will have to go some grading to make it work.

I am getting together with the friend I am making sandals for next week to get the necessary supplies/materials. Another friend has a birthday at the end of the June and I really want to make her a purse, so there are a number of projects for others I need to get to work on.

Projects Completed

Maxi Dress - Simplicity 2189
Knit drapey tank - inspired by Morning by Morning's drapey tank tutorial

Works in Progress

Knit drapey tank - inspired by Morning by Morning's drapey tank tutorial

Projects To Do

Shirred Dresses (for the little girls princesses) - no pattern - shirred fabric (need to buy)
Men's Shirt (for son #1) - no pattern chosen - no fabric chosen
Sandals (for a friend) - inspired by an etsy tutorial
Purse (for a very deserving friend) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Blouse - Vogue 8772 - red cotton print in stash
Shirt Dress - McCall's 4769 - camo floral silky in stash
Tee Shirt - Butterick 5215 - blue and grey knit in stash
Maxi Dress - Simplicity 2189 - tan knit print in stash
Maxi Dress - Simplicity 2189 - floral knit in stash
Blouse - Vogue 8772 - grey silky solid in stash
Shirt Dress - McCall's 4769 - purple poly shantung in stash
Dress - Coffee Date Dress, free Burda pattern - black/white silky print in stash
Peasant Top - Simplicity 3956 - teal paisley print in stash
Pants - Vogue 2907 view A - green suiting in stash
Men's Bi-Fold Wallet (requested by a friend) - my own design - no fabric chosen
Purse (for me) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Wallet (for me) - my own design - no fabric chosen yet
Dress - Simplicity 3506 view A - black/purple silky print in stash
8 Gore Skirt - self drafted pattern - cream suiting in stash
Top - princess seam bodice - red silky solid in stash
Bolero - Simplicity 3921 view ? - green velvety fabric in stash
Top - Vogue 2987 top - multi-colored knit/jersey/stretchy in stash

Simplicity 2189 Brown Knit Dress and Some Exciting News!

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I certainly did! I got to see a friend I hadn't seen in a couple of years Saturday night and my boyfriend and I enjoyed an evening with no children Sunday night (a rarity since we each have two boys and unheard of for them all to be elsewhere all at the same time). My boyfriend officially popped the question (and of course I said yes).

My lovely engagement ring! It is part of a bridal set and the wedding band will 'lock' in with the engagement ring when we do get married.

It will be a few years before we actually get married, probably after I get my Bachelor's degree, but that's a good thing since I would go crazy trying to plan a wedding on top of going to school.

source: sewing.patternreview.com

I finished my first try at Simplicity 2189 (the maxi dress) and overall I am happy with it. I think I may add a bit more length next time and I adjusted the bust area on my pattern so hopefully the armholes won't gape.

Front View

Ignore the messy sewing room - I have to sweep. I did not incorporate the side seam slit as the pattern directs, because I didn't really want one, and there is no problem walking in the dress without it.

Back View

I serged all the seams, and I am feeling pretty confident with the basic overlock stitch now. I tried to use the coverstitch on the neckband, but the seam at the center back was just too bulky so I gave up after two horrid tries and just used my regular machine on the neck and armbands. I did use the coverstitch for the hem, and again I had issues at the side and center back seams, but I pushed through them (since they were a bit less bulky). I am fairly pleased at the result, even if it's wonky at the seams, it is perfect everywhere else!

Coverstitch and serged seams.

I am going to tidy up the sewing room and spend my afternoon with a book. Not sure how much sewing I will do this week, since my head is all abuzz with wedding ideas (even if it's a few years away). I am seriously contemplating sewing my wedding gown, and have a vision of what I want in my head, but I'm not sure I can draw it out. If I do manage a semi-decent sketch (or even a bad sketch that gets the idea across) I'll share it with you all.