February Plans

Hello everyone!

I am back to talk about my February sewing plans!  

Before I do that, I wanted to share a little about this past Saturday.  I got together with a few friends to sew, without knowing that snow was expected in our area.  Approximately three hours into sewing and chatting, we started to see the most beautiful snow flurries coming down! It was so pretty!  I don't think we could have planned a more perfect morning!  After that we all started daydreaming about getting snowed in so we could sew all day, but the snow was melting by the afternoon, lol!  Oh well!  It was still one of our most memorable Sew Days ever!

Focused on our craft

I got a few things accomplished at that Sew day, and look forward to what the rest of the month will bring.

Let's get started:

BASIC TOPS

Kwik Sew 3766

Photo Credit

I made this Kwik Sew top last month and I really like it a lot!  I made another one in a gray animal print, and think I will keep up this tradition of sewing a few basics each month.  They are always useful in all seasons and in different colors!  If I sew a couple each month I hope to always have what I need for my wardrobe.

Kwik Sew 4069

Photo Credit

I ordered this pattern last month and was elated when it came in.  I took a gamble that it would fit well, and be a good turtleneck pattern.  I was right! I made this at my Sew Day in a black waffle knit.  It will fill a category for my basic wardrobe challenge.

Speaking of challenges...

Photo Credit

I am stoked to be joining my first "challenge" this year!  It is the capsule wardrobe sewing challenge that I discovered on TomKat Stitchery's channel, and I decided to join in for many reasons:

• it consists of what I am sewing already, and I just need to choose garments that coordinate well from what I have sewn
• I sewed a capsule using this module formula last summer and would like a do-over, lol! 

If you are interested in joining, here are the details: from now up until March 24th, you must sew a 6 piece wardrobe consisting of 3 tops, 2 pants, and 1 topper.  The hashtag #thegreatmodulesewalong already has lots of great makes and planning photos from others who have joined in.  So, if you can participate, please do!  I will gladly reveal the pieces I choose once I am finished.

Okay, back to the rest of the plans...

TNT

Photo Credit

It's time for another cardigan too, lol! This time I chose a striped olive knit that matches my olive Ginger jeans.  Since green is not a colorway I usually wear, this additional is surely needed.  I started this at Sew Day and just have to do the hem, and decide if I want pockets.  

Butterick 6388

Photo Credit

This choice is a "love at first glance" sewing pattern.  Yes, as soon as I saw this dress, I just fell in love with the look of it!  I chose a french terry knit in sandy beige, and am midway through finishing it.  My surprise in constructing this came with the additional seam details that are hidden from the photo above, due to the solid fabric they used.  My fingers are crossed that I will still appreciate the style once I am done.  I will keep you posted.

Simplicity 2339

Photo Credit (out-of-print)

This last one is an OOP pattern in View A, the classic button front shirt.  It is on the list for my casual wardrobe, and I will be adding another chest pocket to the front. I have chosen a lightweight denim in a medium wash.  It will replace an older shirt from my closet that has a really worn out collar that has faded so much it is unwearable.  I am excited for this because I enjoy shirtmaking!  Everything is cut and interfaced for when I can get to it.

That wraps it up!  Of course, I am still plugging away on my Make Nine Jacket in the middle of all these plans.  I have been a bit stalled on it as I await the fusible tricot interfacing I ordered (Joanns was out of stock), but I plan on using the time I have now to work on other things.

If you have sewn any of the projects I have plans for, let me know! 

Stay sew-filled!

Make Nine#1 S2311 Planning

Hello everyone!

I am back to share the planning for my first Make Nine Short Coat of 2020!  Meet Simplicity 2311:

This is an out-of-print pattern from the Project Runway series some years back.  I bought it because I liked View A, the short coat to the far left in the Caramel color.  Once I purchased the pattern I stored it away, and it has not been seen since lol!  I am pretty sure I forgot I owned it!  While browsing through my Outerwear patterns, I stumbled upon it and knew I was still excited about putting this one together.

I realize I am starting this coat when the weather here can burst into Spring at any time.  It's a risk for sure, but most times it starts to warm up in March.  The forecast these past weeks have been in the high 60s and low 70s, so I definitely started to worry a little bit.  But, it seems to have dropped to the 30s, so I might be able to wear this coat a few times before packing it away for late Fall.

Now, on to my plans...

I am starting with a beautiful jacketing I ordered from Denver Fabrics (aka Fashion Fabrics Club). It is a cotton and polyester twill weave with a brushed flannel side, and an untextured reverse side, in a butterscotch color. I love the brushed side! It is super soft, and I think it will work well for this pattern.

Already cut out pattern pieces

I planned on a size 14 graded to 16, but made a few adjustments when I created my muslin (more on that later).  For the lining, I mistakenly ordered one yard.  No matter how I tried to wiggle around it, I didn't have enough fabric for all my lining pieces, so this is what I did:

The sleeves are pinned because the shoulder seam attaches in two places due to the shawl collar, but I had to use to a coordinating solid for the sleeve lining.  My thoughts are that you won't even see it with the final garment.  The lining is a black/buff animal print in dobby crepe.  It is so amazing in person, and I just couldn't resist the animal print for a pop of pizazz!

For the muslin, the construction of the shawl collar was new to me.  I found a wonderful video by Diane Deziel and saw that the process is quite simple once you mark your stitching lines.   I am still bad at marking, lol!!  

I am pleased with the overall look of the muslin, and I appreciate the clean lines of the back.  If you are making a coat for the first time, and have some sewing experience, this pattern is a good choice. 

For my adjustments, I added 1" in length as I usually do.  I left out the forward shoulder adjustment only because I wasn't sure how to do it properly since the shoulder seam intersects with two pieces.  On the final version I will make a straight size 14.  That should clean up some of the additional fullness, and still give me enough ease to wear sweaters underneath the jacket.  I imagine the additional layers from the lining, interfaced pieces, and shoulder pads will add structure too.

So there you have it!  My first Make Nine choice is on its way!!!

I have already cut out my pieces and have to swing by Joanns again to try out another type of interfacing, since the Pellon 931TD didn't adhere properly (sigh).  I have heard good things about fusible knit tricot via My Bluprint, and will see if I like that instead.  

This weekend I also plan to meet with a few friends to sew.  I will update you on how that goes, as well as any additional plans for February next week.  

Stay sew filled!  

January Recap

Hello everyone!

Today I am recapping what I sewed last month.  As you know, I have been on this journey to sew a stylish wardrobe this year.  To aid in this journey, I have adopted a sewing template from Alison Lumbatis' Get Your Pretty On "Closet Staples Wardrobe Builder." This is a yearly plan, and it provides a list of clothing, outfit combinations, and store links for shopping.  

Since this is a plan I purchased, I will share the pieces I am sewing, though I don't think it would be right to reveal the outfit combinations and other info without ruining all the work Alison has put into her product.  However, I will continue to share my experience with you, and how sewing all the pieces is working out for me. 

That said, get ready for a "TNT fest" because here are the pieces I sewed for January:

This is the Sewaholic Renfrew pattern done in a navy brushed sweater knit.  I chose the cowl version.  I have sewn the Renfrew many times before, and each view on the envelope has been successful for me.

Here is another Sewaholic Renfrew with the scoop neck option.  I needed a striped shirt, and had a similar one in my closet that had seen better days.  I immediately knew I would recreate it, and ended up with this version.

Once again, another Sewaholic Renfrew in a scoop neck.  This time I chose a gorgeous 1" wide rib knit from Boho Fabrics in Ivory.  Where have I been with Ivory and Cream?  They are not colors I wear often but I really liked the way this one turned out.  I even had the pleasure of wearing it to a Woman's event with one of my friends!

My next top is Kwik Sew 3766.  This was my first time working with this pattern, and I was extremely pleased.  I purposely chose TNTs or simple top patterns so that I could have a chance at finishing this wardrobe before Spring.  I can't believe this, but I had a really hard time finding basic designs with the Big 4!!! Kwik Sew ended up coming to my rescue with their designs. I even found a turtleneck pattern to try too.  

Once I fill in the holes for my best Basic patterns, I plan on using them year-round.  Then, after each season's capsule is complete, I will turn my attention to the "fun" items that I have been eyeing.

For my day dress option, I chose to go with the Colette Moneta in a black cotton/lycra knit.  I only have one little black dress in my closet, but it is dressier than I like to be in real life.  This version fits much better for casual wear, and I just love it!  I will probably do another version for warmer weather since it is such a versatile piece. 

Simplicity 8393 is my go to cardigan pattern.  I love this the pattern pieces so much that they have started to wear out. I really need to copy it on tag board soon.  You know what that means-- I WILL be using it to create LOADS of cardigans this year!  This one is already a fave! I made it in a charcoal ponte knit and the structure of this style is just what I need.

Last but not least, I made these! Yes, another pair of beloved Ginger jeans.  I will warn you now...there will be more pairs in the future so I hope you don't get tired of seeing them.  These pants in particular gave me fits though because I made them out of a STRETCHY Dark Moss Twill Bengaline from Hobby Lobby. I have always wanted to use Bengaline, and was extra curious about this fabric when I saw VivMom Sews make a pair of pants from this.

While I do think it was a good choice for pants, I could have easily gone down a size in order to compensate for all the stretch.  I was definitely careful to interface everywhere I needed to, and I even had to switch out the interfacing I used because my midweight interfacing kept pulling away from the fabric. 

Overall, I love how these turned out! They are my first pair of olive pants, and I can't believe I haven't ventured into other colors before!  

Here is a view on the inside:

Doesn't that just make you smile?  There's nothing like cute little pineapples on the inside of your pants!  

So that wraps up my sewing month for January!  1 pair of pants, 1 dress, 1 topper and 4 tops, for a total of 7 items.  In order to complete my winter sewing, I will sew 2 more tops, 2 toppers, and 2 pair of pants, at least.  Since some of the pieces will transition to Spring, and the weather will be changing soon, I will transition appropriately.

Thanks for reading!  I will be back by Friday to check-in on the progress of my first Make Nine jacket.  I finished the muslin and lining, and look forward to starting on my final jacket soon.  

Stay sew filled!