April Plans

Hello everyone!

Thank you to everyone who left a kind comment about my March sewing month!  I really appreciate it, and it warms my heart!  Today I will be sharing my April plans with you.  

About a week ago I decided I would do some spring cleaning, and slowly start attacking all of the places in my home that needed organization.  I started with a small hall closet, worked my way into our back laundry room, and ended up in (of course) my sewing room.  At first I only wanted to make things more orderly, but soon I discovered a stack of "forgotten treasures":

Does anyone remember the US edition of Burdastyle?  I subscribed to it when it first came out, and never made a single thing from it.  Not one thing!  Once I opened the magazines, I could see why.  While there are a lot of patterns, only select ones are included on the pattern insert.  The rest of them are pdfs.  From the pdfs, a few are free, and the rest you must pay for.  Since I didn't download any of the free pdfs, it is too late to receive them on Burda's re-vamped website, unless I buy them.  I guess I am 6 years too late, lol!!!  As I flipped through some of the designs, I got an idea!  Why not make something from one of these!  

I haven't decided on a particular pattern yet, but here is a sample from one of the roundups in the issue.  I am going to start with something easy, and move on from there.  I will be able to get my bearings with how these patterns work again.  Apparently, the seam allowances are included, so that is a plus!  It has been a LONG time since I have sewn anything from Burda magazine, so I am excited to see where this goes.  If you have any experiences with these past issues (they are no longer in print for the US version), please share with me.

Out of the styles I have seen, this tank is at the top of my list.  It has a cute cowl neckline, and doesn't seem to dip too low.  I have a few leftover scraps of fabric that I think will work perfectly as a wearable muslin.   

Now, just to note, I own a lot of Burdastyle magazines....a lot!  However, even though I have a stack of about fifteen to twenty, I am aware of the patterns I own because I have photocopied the line drawings and filed them away with my pattern collection.  I usually browse these from time to time, and pull the necessary magazine pattern sheet to sew.  This next one got away from my system!  It is the Burdastyle from 06/2019, and there are so many ones I noticed in here:

Here are some of my favorites:  

I love this basic tee with a sleeve tie.  Or maybe I am just loving twist and ties lately.  This one is made from a silky fabric, but I would love to try it in a knit.  

 This top here is an absolute love!  I always appreciate a V-neck, and I love the bow feature on the back x 2.  I am pretty sure this one will be traced out for this month.  

So, here are my thoughts.  First I will be finishing my Simplicity coat.  I only have a few more finishing steps to do, and then I will reveal it to you.    For the rest of the month, I will be turning my attention to my newly uncovered Burda treasures, and focusing on making a few nice tops.  If everything works out beautifully, I will also choose from these patterns on my wishlist:

Simplicity 8053--I love the color-blocked version, and have been wanting to try this top since I purchased the pattern.  I would probably leave off the pocket flap detail.  I am not against pockets or flaps.  I usually cut out the pocket pattern, sew it up, then pin it to my shirt so I can make a final decision on it.  Sometimes it looks wonderful, and other times...yes, I leave it off.  

Simplicity 1463--I have already made version A on the model to the far left.  It is a batwing top with cuffs, and it is wonderful!  I told myself I would made quite a few versions for Spring.

Simplicity 8389--I love the pants with the tie top belt!  I need to peruse my stash and see if I have any appropriate fabrics because I really want to make this one!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my plans, and are making some of your own!

Stay sew-filled!

 

 

 

 

March Recap

Hello everyone!

It's Spring Break (at my house)!

I admit that quarantining at home was not the way I imagined this Spring Break would go.  We made plans to finally take a vacation with my mother-in-law who recently retired. However, we quickly had to rearrange those plans--along with others.  Thankfully, there was nothing we had to cancel or be reimbursed for, so the adjustment was mostly mental.  

I am now entering the third week of being home with my kids, and some of the days have started to wear on me.  Surprisingly, it isn't what you are probably thinking.  I don't dread the day to day, or hate our routine.  I find those things comforting, as well as getting to spend more quality time with my children.  The challenge for me is enduring without losing hope.  The more days they add on, the more I wonder when the whole thing will end.  Yes, we are all looking forward to when this ends!!  

My encouragement is taking one day at a time and not getting too far ahead of myself.  God has enough grace in each day He provides, and I truly believe that.  It has also continued to be therapeutic for me to sew, and I would love to share with you the items I made for the month of March:

For March I got a chance to sew for my kids!  I have been looking for opportunities to make things for my family here and there, but I really planned so much for myself that it has been a little more challenging.  This top is called Raw Edge Details from Ottobre Spring 01/2017, and it is my daughter's TNT shirt.  The first time I made it we loved the fit, but found the neckline a little too high. I fixed that by scooping it some, and now it fits her perfectly.  Now anytime I am fabric shopping I will inevitably purchase a yard of her "favorite" design to set aside for this quick and easy tee.

Next up are a pair of pajamas I made for pajama day at school (some weeks ago).  Again I used her TNT Ottobre shirt pattern, and Simplicity jogger pants.  I used this cute print I bought at Hobby Lobby last Spring, and had white ribbing in my stash that matched perfectly.  

For my youngest son I received a request for a button front shirt.  Let me tell you, this little one is full of requests! He wants a jacket, shorts, pants, and basically anything he sees when we flip through my Ottobre back issues.  We landed on this pattern and he just loved it.  I was on a shirt kick so I conceded.  It is called Zebra Run, from the Summer 03/2015 issue, made in a quilting cotton from Hobby Lobby from a few years ago.

This went together quickly, and my only change was to cut 2 pieces of the yoke so it would finish nicer on the inside.  I thought for sure Ottobre would have this feature already but it was left out of this particular pattern.  It is still a wonderful pattern that fits spot on, and a nice beginner level shirt without the yoke lining. It is a little hard to see the pocket, but there is one...and I even worked some magic by lining the print up for this area.  I have such a great appreciation for people who make it look so seamless when they work with printed designs.  It was no easy feat!

Moving on to things I made for myself, M7975 turned out to be a winner!  I so love the twist front once I tacked it and handsewed the front twist.  I am planning another one, possibly in Navy.  

  

This denim button up from Simplicity is my most favorite of favorite shirts!  I only had finishing details to do for this one, and it worked out much better than I planned.  Can you believe I was ready to throw this shirt out halfway through the sewing process?  I took many mini-breaks from it, and am glad I decided to see it through.  I highly recommend this pattern, though OOP (Simplicity 2311).  It has a nice amount of ease, and the cup sizing enhanced the overall fit.

These Ginger jeans right here!!! All I can say is that sometimes small faux pas lead to big rewards.  They are slightly cropped because I cut them a little too short, but I love the length and like to wear them rolled up a bit.  You might see one more pair of cropped Ginger jeans on the blog, then I think I might be ready to venture out some.  I absolutely love this pattern, though there are other version of jeans/pants that I would like to try to.  So, expect some variation soon.

Lastly, what do you do when you have sewed so much that you need a breather?  You sew a wardrobe staple!  Well, that is what I did!  For my last garment of the month I cut into this gorgeous double brushed floral print from Joann.  When I saw all the colors I knew it would complement my finished wardrobe perfectly.  Also, it is so soft and the colors are so vibrant! On this version I sewed View B, the short sleeve, wider neckband one.  I was not sure about the neckband, but the wider width suits this scoop style nicely.  Kwik Sew 3766 for another win!

Overall that makes 1 pants and 3 tops for me, and 1 pants and 3 tops for my kids. The things I enjoyed most was completing a wardrobe that I really do wear.  I even like going into my closet and choosing the combination that brings me joy--even if I will only be at home.

I hope your sewing for March went wonderful for you!  We will all get through this time together, and life will eventually go back to what it was.  In the meantime, enjoy your craft, enjoy one another, and enjoy this life!

Stay sew filled!

The Great Module Sew Along Wrapped Up

Hello everyone!

I made it to the finish line!  I completed and entered the Great Module Sew Along with these six pieces:

Here are my original plans:

It came down to the wire finishing up my second pair of Ginger Jeans, but in this case, my TNT pulled through!

Let me give you a rundown of each piece of my wardrobe

• Simplicity 2339 Button Front shirt in a lightweight denim
• Mccalls 7975 Twist top in a poly knit
• Ginger Jean in stretch dark denim

• Simplicity 8393 Cardigan in poly knit
• Sewaholic Renfrew in cream sweater knit
• Ginger Jeans in an olive gabardine 

I really wanted to convey a theme that centered around my first completed piece, the olive Ginger jeans.  I didn't have much olive in my wardrobe and I knew I wanted to make a way to wear this color more often.  As I began to do some research on coordinating colors I discovered that olive is not the easiest color to incorporate.  It IS treated as a neutral, however, I struggled to find a combination that suited me.  

Overall I found that I liked photos that used creams with olive the most.  This helped to guide my sewing, and in the final stretch I threw in some blue too--since I like it so much.  Moving forward, I have plans for more creams, golds, and blues.  While this wardrobe is a good reflection of Late Winter/Early Spring, the pieces I will add are going to be for Spring. 

Of course this wardrobe had a few hitches here and there.  I cut my twist top piece backwards (ha!), attached the cuffs on my button front backwards (is there a theme here?), and cut my dark denim jeans a bit too short.  But you know what?  I rolled with it, and really like how all my pieces turned out in the end!!  Even more, I know what I will do differently next time.

Lastly, this challenge was SO MUCH FUN!!! I struggled with my summer wardrobe pieces from last year, but I think this wardrobe was a bit more cohesive, and my approach more relaxed.  I imagine that sewing this way is a bit like a muscle that you have to exercise.  As you sew more and more, your sense of style and choice of pieces becomes stronger and clearer.  

If you would like to see more inspiration, see  #thegreatmodulesewalong on IG.  It is amazing to see all of the fantastic wardrobes people are creating off of this 3,2,1 concept.  I am definitely going to use this concept some more this year.

Thank you so much for reading! I really do appreciate all of the feedback you have given me in the comments, and I love seeing the things other sewists are working on and finishing as well.  

Stay sew filled! 

Great Module Sewing

Hello everyone!

What a difference there has been in the world since my last post!  All around the country the Corona virus is hitting hard, and people are doing everything they can to deal with what seems so surreal.  Here in Georgia I have been home with my kids as my older two participate in online learning.  It has been a learning curve for sure, but something we will have to get used to since it may be weeks before anything changes.  For now we are taking things day by day and doing what we can to remain hopeful.  Being able to sew has come in extremely handy, and has brought a sense of comfort for me too.

That said, I am here today to talk about my plans for the Great Module Sew Along challenge.  The deadline for posting your completed module is March 24th, and I am racing to finish, as always!  If you know me, then you know I seem to like the last minute pressure of getting things completed.  I plan and plan, but still experience the squeeze in the end.  

Here are the plans I came up with:

Now please don't panic, I fully admit that I have been sewing since February, and have all my pieces completed except two.  I have finished my Renfrew, S8393, S2339, and 1 pair of Ginger jeans.  I am currently working on my second pair of Gingers in a dark wash denim, though I may have cut them a little too short while up late last night.  It will be a make it work moment for sure.

I love M7973, and made it last summer as a muslin.  While it was easy to construct, I wasn't a fan of the way the lower twist hung.  There have been some great versions of this top, including a recent one I saw made by Nakisha from  Dressmaking Debacles, who recommended tacking the twist.  I plan on revisiting this top and hopefully making it work.  But if I can't, I will probably switch the pattern out for a short-sleeved Renfrew so I can finish it all.

I look forward to checking back in once everything is complete. If you get a chance to participate in the challenge too, best wishes on creating (or having created) a wardrobe module that you love!

Stay sew filled!