Happy Howlidays!

Another Bib

I soooo love these Michael Miller fabrics!  This bib is for a little boy, who will make his arrival next month.  I hope that I have enough fabric to make another similar one for another little boy who will be here in February.  Both of the moms are teachers, too.  I really enjoy simple little projects when the rest of my life is busy and crazy!



   

A Simple Bib: Lots of Babies Coming Up

Two boys, one probable girl, and two unknowns.  This is for one of the unknowns.  I'm not at liberty to say anything more.  I hope that someone's premonition is correct.  And for the record, I made something for the baby before she did!

 

Jacket Collar

This past summer I bought the book Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt.  I made a simple version of the skirt:

 

 

And a tunic:

Neither of these pictures do any justice to the garments, either how they look or how I feel wearing them. (A new camera would really be nice, but since that's out of the question at the moment this is what you get.  Also, in the tunic shot, my 'photographer' has no patience, so after several shots, I was willing to go with what he had!) 

I'm really not a ruffly sort of girl, but I soooo love the ruffle on the bottom of the skirt.  I'm sure I will up the design ante by playing around with the pattern and fun fabrics for next spring/summer for a fun skirt.

For the tunic, I again was a good girl and made a muslin, incorporating changes for a FBA.  Even though I'm on the tall side, my original changes of lengthening the bodice top was too much, so I ended up adding the most length to the center front, and not much at all on the back and sides. 

At first, I wasn't sure if I would even make the jacket in this book.  But, one day after looking at the different versions of the jacket, a brainstorm came to me for a collar.  I did not have any denim pieces large enough to cut out the entire collar, so this is what resulted:

There are a variety of shades and textures of denim and I really like how it looks.  I've also sketched out something similar for cuffs.  Now, just to do them. 

And to find the right khaki color fabric for the main part of the jacket.

And to make a muslin.

And to decide if I want to line it or not.

And to find the time.  Sewing fun time is really limited this school year.  With all the projects I currently have going on or have planned, I need to prioritize what I really want to finish first.   

Sew many decisions, sew little time.  

   

      

 

Remembering Veterans...

...past, present, and future. 

 

Reconstructed Tee Neckline

No tutorial today, and not even a second picture of another tee that I did just like this.  Just taking photos seems like a chore these days, because most of my "spare" time at night and on weekends is spent on my day job.  OK, complaining is over.

This was a man's tee.  You know the kind.  The ones that are made for men and look like a sack on girls.  I cut off the sleeves, some length from the bottom, then cut the tee up both sides.  From a fitted tee that fits me well, I made a sleeve template, so that the sleeve is more like a set in sleeve.  Side seams were determined from my own particular curves and I figured out where I wanted the sleeves to set on my shoulders.  I sewed the sleeves on, then the side seams, and hemmed.

From the tube of fabric that was cut off of the bottom, I folded it in half and gathered.  I cut the neckline to where I wanted it to be.  The gathered ruffle was sewn onto the neckline.  I made my own narrow bias tape and used that for the embellishment on the neckline.  Voila!  Man's shirt turned girl's shirt.

Easy Fabric Flower Tutorial

Last week was Spirit Week at my school.  I took advantage of Crazy Hat Day so that I could "dress down" on Thursday.  This is the flower that I made that morning, so you know it did not take very long at all!

Materials: 

Main Fabric: 3" x 24"

Contrasting Fabric: scrap size to cover button

Iron-on Interfacing: scrap size to cover button

Button to cover

Thread

Needle

Sewing Machine: You could do this by hand, but I have a sewing machine & know how to use it.

Buckeye Necklace:  Doesn't everyone have one?!  OK, you don't actually need this.

1.  Grumble because you have to wind a new bobbin. 

2.  Wonder why you're grumbling, since you have a great machine that makes step #1 easy.

3.  With right sides together, sew the short sides of the main fabric.  I used 1/4" seam allowance.  Size  

     doesn't matter on this.

4.  Press open seam, then press fabric tube in half, wrong sides together.

5.  Set machine to basting stitch.

6.  Beginning about 1/2" before the seam, sew one row of basting stitches all the way around.

  7.  Sew a second row of basting stitches all the way around.

8.  Pull up the bobbin stitches that do not go over the seam, and begin to gather.

  9.  Gather entire length as tightly as you can.
10.  Pick up bobbin threads from basting that goes over the seam.  Gather as much as you can.

11.  Pull both sides of bobbin threads tight, and tie into a knot to secure.

12.  Smoosh (technical term) potential flower in half and begin hand stitching together in the seam allowance.

13.  Rotate flower 90 degrees and sew seam allowances tight.

14.  Continue to rotate flower and hand baste, forming a tight center.

16.  See step 15.

17.  Continue until you are happy with the shape of the flower.

18.  Sew button onto center of flower.

19.  Use an advanced technilogical invention to attach flower to item.

20.  Admire completed project that coordinates with reconstructed t-shirt.
21.  Get dressed for the big game.

22.  Text sister who just had carpal tunnel surgery and can't do anything with her hands.

23.  Check dog's wardrobe and dress her for the big game.  Decline the penalty of washing her collar.

24.  Laugh at DH's shirt for the big game.  It's a tie-dye that he didn't do, and it's even the wrong sport. 

GO BUCKS!

Sister Sister Sunday

Clothing Construction

I'm feeling the crunch of time with school starting soon.  Next Tuesday for me and August 9 for my new kiddos.  There are many positives for the upcoming year and the negatives are things that can be dealt with...like there's a choice.  As excited as I am for the upcoming year, a big part of me will miss my days of doing what I want, when I want.   

Last month I decided to try clothing construction again.  Making clothing was my earliest introduction to sewing from 4-H when I was about the age of my 3rd graders.  To this day, you will never find me making any kind of drawsting bag or triangular head scarf, since those were the very first things that I made, learning to sew.  Don't get me wrong, there's nothing the matter with either of those, but they take me back to more years ago than I will admit.  And I need to move on.

So, in the wonderful era of internet that we live in today, I did some research on how to make commercial patterns fit me.  My problem is "the girls."  I need an FBA (Full Bust Adjustment).  Just to set the record straight, if you do not need this, be thankful!

I had a simple top pattern, Simplicity 5921.  I followed the graphics from So-So Sewist using the McCall's method for my modifications.    It seemed (seamed?!...sewing joke...haha!) to address my concerns and ended up working very well for me.

I was a good girl and made a muslin from my initial changes to check the fit...that was a first for me!  This fits nicely, although it could be better if I had had someone to help me with the fittings.  And the picture could be better if I had had someone to help me with the photography!  

I added my own touch with the bias trim on the neckline, armholes, and hemline.  Love the results, even though it took a lot of time to do.  Now, I have fabric for another top from this pattern and have an idea of how to change the neckline, armholes, & hemline.

Time to go experiment.

  

Check out the fabulous finds from these links:

Fabric Fun Thursday @ Cheap Chic Home

Make It Wear It @ The Train to Crazy (Absolutely LOVE the name of this blog!!!)

Finished for Friday @ Lit and Laundry

Sew & Tell @ amylouwho

Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table and Dreaming

     

   

Easing into Work

Does making items for my desk at school count as working?  Earlier this summer I made myself a sewing basket to see how well I could handle sewing with vinyl.  I did OK, so I made a covered basket for school.  This really is a needed item, since I traded in my big bulky teacher's desk for a computer table and now have no desk drawers.  I love it when functional meets pretty!  

Embellishment:  My first zipper project!

Then, I played around with covering a clipboard to match.  Using light colored fabric for the front, I should have used two coats of paint before applying the fabric.  Lesson learned. 

Embellishment:  Free-form flower.

 

The flower was an after thought.  The big metal clip just looked too bare, and heaven forbid that a clipboard is naked.  I looked and looked, then looked some more online for flowers to make, then ended up coming up with this on my own, because I wanted to use a variety of fabrics.  Haha...and my first choice of a flower called for WOF and I was primarily working with scraps.  The petals are simply cut circles, with a part flattened.  If anyone wants a tutorial, just holler!  (Like I have people reading this little blog!)  

As pretty as this turned out, it simply will not work for my everyday clipboard that is my lifeline in the classroom.  I broke out into a cold sweat one morning at work last year when I realized that I had left my clipboard at home.  How did I function that day?!  My clipboard gets thrown into my bag (or cart, depending on the amount of work I take home) and I'm sure that would wilt my pretty little flower.  So...

Sparky!  Go ASU!  (and OSU)

Next, I made some little back-to-school trinkets for my co-worker, Joy.  She really is a joy to work with.  Honestly!  That was not sarcasm!   I used remaining fabric from the Professional Tote that I made for her a couple of years ago.  Here are the items: clipboard (her lifeline, too), magnets, coaster (I put a Diet Coke on it...that's where we really differ...should be Diet Pepsi!),  fabric fortune cookie, and a cover for our second lifeline, a district calendar.

 

See how I got my name on there!

The above picture is the inside of the calendar cover.  I'm really liking the ribbon sewn on to hold sticky notes and pencil.  Must make one of these for myself.  

  

Linking to:

Sew & Tell Fridays @ amylouwho

Fab Friday @ Frugal and Fabulous Design

Fabric Fun Thursday @ Cheap Chic Home

Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple   

Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

DIY Linky Party 8 @ Fine Craft Guild  

Boost My Blog Friday @ Design It Chic