Isla dress in Pineapples/Coconuts

Hello everyone!

I admit it, I like a bit of trend in my garment sewing.  And what trend isn't bigger than pineapples right now??

In honor of my birthday back in June, my wonderful best friend (who also sews) gifted me a gorgeous double-brushed poly with none other than pineapples and coconuts!  I knew as soon as I saw it that I would make another Isla dress:

Since this is a TNT for me, I made all of the same adjustments that I made in this post here.  My only snag with this version came with the length.  I used clear elastic as I did with my last version, but this time I could not get the fabric to shirr properly.  After I realized that, I knew I had two choices--take it out, or cut it off.  As you can see from the length of the dress, I chose to cut it off.  There was just no way that I was going to invest hours into removing all the stitching embedded into the clear elastic.  No thank you, lol!

So, this is a shorter version!

I wore it this way a couple of weeks ago, but I will probably make some brown leggings to wear underneath.  That should also take me through Fall as the weather gets cooler too.  But, overall, I love this dress!!!!  It is so comfortable, and so soft! I just can't help smiling when I put it on, and hope I can squeeze in at least another month of wear out of it.

As far as sewing for this month, I have been off to a slower start again.  Now that I work part-time, I have a lot more tired days, lol!  I did start a dress, but it didn't come out how I liked, so it will be relegated to PJ status.  So now I am back to my sleeveless blouse, and hoping that the Ottobre pattern will be kinder to me.

In the midst of working on my plans for this month, I did spy an amazing class on Creativebug that I wanted to shar!.  Maddie Flanagan, of Madalynn Intimates, has introduced a three part series class on sewing intimates.  The first release is the Noelle panty:

If you have ever dreamed of sewing your own intimates, what a wonderful opportunity to give it a try!  The first class looks pretty basic, and has the total beginner in mind.  While I think I could make my way through sewing underwear, I am mainly curious about understanding the different materials used for intimates, especially when it comes to bras. Also, Joann Fabrics has a discount code to get a month of Creativebug for FREE.  I tried it out after seeing the code on one of my receipts, and absolutely love the Creativebug platform, as well as the quality of instructors they have on there. 

If you have taken or seen this class, let me know!

I hope to be back soon with another finished item!

Stay sew filled!

August Recap and Sept. Plans

Hello everyone, and Hello September!

I am a bit elated to share my August Recap today because...it has been a while since I had garments to share!! 

Overall, August was a busy time with school starting back for my kids, and activities related to that (such as curriculum night, homework, extracurricular activities, etc.)  I am grateful that these pieces all got done in the midst of transitioning back to a more regular schedule:

From the top left to bottom right: Tiny Toes Ottobre baby outfit, Isla dress, and Kalle tunic 

I really love everything I made, but my favorite part of the month has to be the Kalle shirts.  For the striped blue tunic, it took me one week to make it.  However, the orange swallow version only took three nights of sewing!  I imagine it is because I had more of an idea what I was doing, but I admit I have never gotten something done as quickly as that.  Maybe one day I can get everything done in an evening??? A girl can dream right...  I know there are some of you out there that do, lol!

The Isla dress was my fun garment to make, and I will do a separate post of that one soon.  

September Plans

Before I reveal all of the things I am thinking about for September, I have some wonderful news to share that affects my sewing plans--I got a part-time job!!!  I will be working a couple of days a week as a teacher at a preschool.  It is so dear to my heart, and lines up with my passion for little ones.  I am starting in the under 2 room, with hopes of advancing from there.  The hours allow me to still be available for my own children so it is a great fit for all.

That said, I spent last week working and preparing our classroom.  And in the middle of that, I realized that I am not exactly sure what I will be wearing!!!  The dress code is dressy casual, and jeans are allowed as long as they are not ripped, faded, etc.  Leggings are allowed under dresses, but not with a top that is cropped.  So, I will have to do some evaluating of my closet.  I would love to wear dresses most days, yet I am uncertain how that would affect my mobility with such little ones in the classroom.  I think I need more nice pants!!!!!

Keeping all of that in mind, here is what I am aiming for...

I will be dedicating one week to working on a few unfinished items I never got to in August.  There is a woven top, denim shorts, and a button up shirt dress that could easily be finished with a little devotion of my time.

So, a couple of days ago I went to Gail K. and shopped their out-of print/discard sewing patterns for $1.00.  I found two gems that I want to make right away:

I am really loving both versions of the wide leg pants.  The dark blue version is a gaucho pants with a pleat feature in the front.  The light blue version is also shown on the model, and looks so tailored and pretty.  Out of the two, I think I am leaning toward the gaucho pants because they scare me.  Not the construction, but the style.  I love sewing in my comfort zone, but each month I am working to pick at least one thing that allows me to explore something new.  It may work, it may not.  But, at least I had the courage to try. Who knows, maybe I will even try both versions!! 

The other OOP pattern is Simplicity 8966, a 2 hour dress:

I love these dress options!  As soon as I saw it, the V-neckline drew me in immediately.  It usually works so well for my frame.  So, View B is what I want to sew.  I also like the way the seaming is dropped well below the waistline.  Perhaps I could achieve this effect with something I have already, but sometimes I like not having to guess.  The dress on the far right with the big pockets (View A) is also a favorite view.  I would love to know if it really comes together in two hours of sewing time.  When I put this to the test, I will let you all know! 

I also recently visited Fine Fabrics with one of my best friends. I have been wanting to sew her a dress as a birthday gift from me, and I wanted her to be in on choosing the fabric.  She has always said that she liked the dresses I sewed, so we decided the Isla would be perfect for her. 

Here is her chosen fabric:

I am a little nervous because I will be doing a full bust adjustment for the FIRST time!  I like learning new things, though, and she has a wonderful personality.  She told me she would wear it no matter what.  I love that!

Next,  I really, really, really want to make a jumpsuit!!  I had good intentions to sew one earlier this summer, but those intentions have been delayed.  I think I own three jumpsuit patterns, but Simplicity 8178 is my favorite:

My goal is to sew this entire look.  I love the little jacket, and think it would transition beautifully into Fall, and with other things. While searching for finished versions, I found a Youtube tutorial by Brittany J. Jones here. I will definitely check that out!  Her version looks great!

And, last but not least, I want to finish this Ottobre sleeveless blouse that I started (left):

I got on a roll until I got to the part where I have to make the button loops.  Turning such a tiny length of fabric was horrifying!! I couldn't find my loop turner, and even tried a few other methods on Youtube to no avail.  I think it will go much smoother once I get past this part.  At least I hope so.

And now I am off to work on all these plans!  I will check back in with my second Isla dress and update you on how the unfinished items are going in my next post.

Stay sew-filled! 

Yes to another Kalle tunic

Hello everyone!

Who's in the mood to see another Kalle tunic version?

I am now convinced that it is hard to go wrong with the Closet Case Kalle pattern!  This is my second version, and dare I say that I like this one even more that the first one I made?

I am sure a lot of that has to do with the fit for this one.  I added a 1/4" broad shoulder adjustment, and the additional roominess is heavenly.  It feels exactly the way a button up shirt should feel, and is made in such a happy color.

This is a cotton sateen shirting that I ordered from Fabricmart Fabrics this year.  It is orange/cream with little swallows all over it, but not as stiff/structured as a typical cotton shirting.  It has a soft hand, and presses well.  Oh how I wish there were more fabrics like this still available from them!!  It really creates a wonderful button-up!  It felt so light and easy when I wore it for the first time.

I decided that the back felt good with the broad shoulder adjustment, so I left the rest alone.  I now feel good enough about the fit I have achieved that I want to make a lot more colors and variations. For more details on sewing this shirt, you can visit my post here. 

So, after finishing this shirt, I posted it to my IG account, and got this response:

Apparently, there is another Kalle out there in this same fabric, lol!  I wonder what the odds are that two people would unknowingly buy the same fabric and have the same pattern in mind? What a great coincidence!!!  And, just in case you are curious, I LOVE @sewfrantic's Kalle too!

Overall, you can't go wrong with this pattern!  It is definitely a wardrobe staple for me, and I look forward to wearing it different ways.

I will be back to show you all the garments I ended up sewing for August!  Until then, here is a sneak peek of an Isla dress I completed just in time to include in my August rundown.  It is a lovely DBP (double-brushed poly) that I was gifted by a friend in none other than pineapples and coconuts!!!

Stay sew-filled!