First project of 2014! Maxi beach/bathing suit cover-up

Woo-Hoo!!! First project of the year is done. It feels nice to be on a good start:)

For 2014 I have accepted the challenge to not purchase any ready to wear clothing for the entire year! With the exception of panties, bras and socks. There is a button on the side bar of my blog, check it out.

I was going to work on a new bathing suit today, however due to all the snow I'm pretty much stuck in the house for the day! And I need to pick up supplies. I'll pick another project...

More about the beach cover-up.

My husband and I are headed on holiday in a couple of weeks! I found that I needed a nicer beach cover up that I could slip on and wear to a beach restaurant and look/feel nice in. 

I used McCalls 5890 view E, a princess seamed dress that I lengthened to a maxi. 

This fabric was a REAL challenge to work with. It is a Missoni-like nylon open knit that I really had to do quite a few test sample on before I found the best seams and edge finishing. I finally ended up doing the entire project on my serger with a 4 thread overlock stitch with differential feed and with each thread in a different color. This helped to blend the seams better through the see-through knit. On the shoulders I ended up using clear elastic to stabilize the seam. But what a process! Ay my serger I had a piece of tissue paper, clear elastic and then the fabric front and back. This was the only was I could get a nice looking seam. :)

Another challenge of this fabric was how to use it, I mean really, this is a huge in your face print and color! Ideally I would have like to have matched each of those giant chevrons across the side and princess seams. However, it would have taken double the yardage to do that with a ton of waste. Plus it would have been cost prohibitive especially for a beach coverup!

the only change to the pattern was the length. I wanted a maxi!

The edge finishes also took quite a bit of testing. The pattern says to fold over and stitch. This looked quite like a nightmare! These teeny tiny nylon fibers kept getting caught on the feed dogs and it was messy. I finally ended up using a three thread narrow hem overlock stitch. It still ended up slightly wonky in some parts of the armhole but I'll take it! It looks a thousands time worse on the dress form, not very noticeable when it is on.

Happy 2014! Chicagoland is welcoming 2014 with a great big snow storm!

Antique Buttons and fun stuff

I did not get into the sewing last weekend like I wanted to. Life kept me out and there were some other things going on that dampened my sewing mojo... stress and sewing don't go well together!

I did spend valentines day with my husband going antique shopping. It was a wonderful day spent together :)

I picked up some more buttons for my antique button collection as well as some other goodies... All of these buttons were made in France in the date range of 1860's to the 1890's. A great find for me!!

Card of antique buttons

Retro vest pattern from McCalls

Scarf and detail from about the 40's or 50's.

I loved this!

It reminded me of the headless horseman cartoon.

Another birthday gift

I finished Melissa's birthday robe today. It came out very, very cute and I think it is perfect for a young lady turning 22!

The pattern I used was McCall's M5989 from the Easy/endless options line. It is for a misses robe, belt, top, nightgown, shorts and pants.

I used 'Ultra Cuddle fleece' that I picked up at JoAnn's when they where having one of the year end sales. I still have enough of this fleece left to make a matching pajama set of pants and a top. However, I am not sure that I want to!! While this fabric is a dream to cuddle with, rub your cheek against and just generally fondle... it is awful to work with. It sheds like crazy along cut edges and makes a HUGE mess everywhere. Thank goodness I have a serger, otherwise it would have taken me forever to finish every seam.

I included the picture from the pattern front of the robe. As you can see the arm and lower ruffles on the model are quite a bit more ruffled than in my version. I honestly think the super ruffle on the arm looked a bit much. So instead of doing a traditional gathering technique of running 2 lines of stitches and then gathering it up I just used the differential feed on my serger to do a slight gather and I did a rolled hem on the gathers to keep it from being too bulky.

I really like this robe, it is fun and up to date and not a 'granny' robe!

Top: my version

Below: McCall's version

The fabric and the mess!!
It was everywhere... it even followed me through the house,
I had to vacuum quite a bit to get it all up!

Close up of the front

Back View

I think she is going to love it! (or at least I hope so!) Now I just hope that she doesn't decide to take a look at mom's blog to see what I have been up to. I really doubt that will happen since she is so darn busy with school right now.

But... just in case... Mel if you do happen to check this out do me a favor and act surprised anyway!! LOL!

While I was sitting at my machine I kept hearing this crinkling noise and finally I heard a tearing noise. I got up and there was Baby Blue with one paw through the sleeve pattern and the lower corner of it happily in her mouth! She heard me get up and walk around the table and she just froze, maybe she was thinking that if she did not move I would not see her eating the pattern piece??? Silly dog!

The chewed up pattern piece

My sewing room helpers :)

A birthday gift for my Dad

The frost on my den window

I am working on a new project. It is a birthday gift for my Dad :) I don't think that I have ever sewn him an item of clothing before. Maybe always thinking that I was not quite good enough or doubting my abilities. However, lately I seem to have majorly thrown all of those issues over my shoulder and am just enjoying myself and my creative time.

It is a short sleeve Hawaiian style shirt with vents at the side so it can be left out or tucked in. The fabric was one from my stash that I bought several years ago because I just liked it. I had just enough fabric for the shirt. Not enough to fussy cut and match all the seams but I was able to match the breast pocket quite nicely.

The pocket is on, the collar is made but not attached and the front and backs are together at the shoulders. I did not have my Dad's measurements but I know he wears a size large in RTW. After a search on patternreview.com I found that most people felt this ran true to size of RTW. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will fit well. It should since it is a pretty basic shirt and not a fitted shape.

Pattern: McCalls 2149

The fabric with my 2 choices of buttons...
ivory or orange???



The pocket, matched pretty nicely!

Sewing helper #1: Chloe

she is the good one, stays on the other side of the cutting table and out of the way.

Sewing helper #2: Baby Blue
Always having to lay down right under me!
75 lbs of hound dog always in my way :)

MOM... don't show Dad!!!