The Pattern Pact and McCalls 6559

1 of 14.

I periodically binge on either patterns or fabric.... usually a sale I can't resist is the culprit.  It seems one pattern company is always on sale at either JoAnns or Hancock Fabrics and there is always another sewing blogger that makes a really neat version of a pattern I don't have.
After some bingeing, then I get overwhelmed with all of the projects I'm going to have to complete.  I HAVE to make things sooner rather than later, because if the fabric and patterns just sit there, it's kind-of like not having them at all.  This is my brain, people.  So I feel pressured and guilty.

In one of these pressured, guilty moments, I decided to tell my husband to give me a percentage of unused patterns from my stash that I needed to try before buying any more.  I told him to be nice.  Knowing a man's mind, he would have easily spat out "why don't you just use all of them before you get any more?"  You and I know that that's just out of the question. Thankfully, in my moment of vulnerability, he was kind.  He said I should sew garments from 50% of my pattern stash before I get any more.
Next step was counting.  I really wasn't totally sure how many untouched patterns I had.  My guesstimate was 25.  I was close.  I have 28.

It has begun, the countdown.. and the time period in which I do not worry about what cute patterns I might want to make one day.  I instead focus on all the wonderful patterns I already have that I would really like to be in my closet instead of just in envelopes in my pattern basket.

I present to you McCalls 6559.

I have wanted a t-shirt maxi dress for many months.  I began pinning them on my Sewing Inspiration board and then, as if McCalls had seen my pins, they released 6559.

I got the fabric here.  It's so hard to imagine this much of it from just a swatch, but I got lucky.  I really like it a lot.

After reading other's reviews, I raised the front neckline 2" and it's perfect for me.

I used Green Apples' method of finishing the arms and neck.

I pretty much have to have the belt.  The fabric pools atop my ample booty.  A sign of my growing knowledge, though: I knew this was going to happen.  Without a waist seam, darts or at least a seam down the center back, there's no possible way to adjust for sway back.  I wasn't surprised when it happened.  I just went to my closet with the dress on to pick out a belt that would work and, voila, problem solved.  :)

One down, thirteen to go.  No rush.  No guilt.  I actually feel relieved and excited that I get to focus on the patterns I have without distraction.
Anyone want to join me with their own Pattern Pact?

More Sis Boom Love

First this dress was featured on the Sis Boom blog with my pretty little two-year-old...

At the same time that I cut out the fabric for this dress, I had also cut the same fabric to make another for my four-year-old.  It's taken me a while, but an upcoming beach trip finally gave me the boost I needed to make it.  Now it's featured too! 

I have one more dress cut out using the St. Croix fabric from the bottom tier of the mini-maxi above.  This time, it's for ME.  And guess what?  I'll be using a Sis Boom pattern too.  I'm just feelin' the love.

MeMadeMay 2012 Round Up: Days 26-31

Day 26: Vogue 2899 dress and on my daughters - Brownie Goose Nelle dress pattern, Whimsy Couture ruffle pants in denim and Walmart tee with gathered fabric rectangle as skirt.
When we got home from church and lunch, I changed into a lace-yoke t-shirt.

Day 27: me-made pj's that I didn't photograph

Day 28: Happy Memorial Day!  I wore my Colette Clovers and enjoyed hotdogs grilled by my husband, sweet potato fries cut and cooked by my husband and an excellent Mojito made by my excellent husband. :D

Day 29:  Sis Boom Jamie Dress and my living room as it actually looks most of the time.  My girls love to play with all the pillows on the floor and I am forever placing them back on the couch.

Day 30: orange tee from Old Navy and favorite Amy Butler gathered elastic-waist skirt.

Day 31: New Sorbetto from Sorbetto Sew Along and Colette Clovers.

here are the sew-along links. 

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Finito

I had a really great time this month making use of my Me Mades.  I'm still struggling with wearing the things I make on a regular basis, so this is just the kind of thing that helps to spur me on toward being more comfortable in my me-made wardrobe and shows me what I really like and dislike.
I'm already looking forward to next year's me made month!

Sorbetto Sew Along: Finito

We're done!  Well.. you might not be done, but you should be well on your way.  And if this version of the Sorbetto wasn't quite to your taste, don't be afraid to come back to it again and try something different.  Take Gillian for example.  You can see her version here and read about it here.

More focus issues with my dern camera, but you get the idea.  I thought I'd try to make things even more patriotic by adding a scarf from 1976 (celebrating the bicentennial of the USA) that I got from my grandmother's estate.

You can see that my bias tape doesn't lay flat on my neck.  I think it's probably because of the flimsy netting I used on top and because I couldn't press it.

  It bothers me, but I think it's one of those things that I need to let go of, because no one will likely notice when I wear it.  Lesson learned about working with flimsy netting.

If you aren't aware, this fabric is from the Little Lisette line by Leisl Gibson.  JoAnn's carries it.  Aren't the paper hats/boats cute?

If you want to link to a picture of yours in the comments, I'd love to see it!

Vogue 2899

...or, The "Oh My Goodness, Did I Really Just Make That?" Dress.
Thank you Guy Laroche.  I don't know if you just designed the dress, or if you helped with the actual drafting of the Vogue pattern pieces, but thank you.  You have just given me a huge boost of confidence because I was able to be successful in making a fantastic dress that I will be proud to wear at my husband's end-of-year award banquet.

This was my first time sewing with matte jersey.
This was my first time lining an entire dress.
This was my first time sewing anything with this many pattern pieces and markings.

I have nothing bad to say about this pattern.  It runs small, so beware.  To compensate for my derrière, I cut a size bigger for the two back panels than I did for everything else.

My only wish is that there had been some sort of option for a shorter torso (like I have).  Because of the intricacy of how all the pattern pieces join around the waist area, there wasn't any obvious way to shorten.  I ended up with wrinkles around my middle.  I couldn't stand them, so I took a double-ended dart (is that even what it's called?) from the top of one faux pocket to the other, taking away about 2 inches total in the middle.  What's one more seam on this dress, right?

Since I'd never sewn with matte jersey before, I didn't know what to expect at all.  This particular material came from Denver Fabrics.  I thought it would be softer, but it's kinda scratchy. :(  It'll be ok for an evening.  

All of my seams were drawing up at the bottom of the skirt and I thought for a few days that I would have to cut it off to just above my knee.  I received a lot of great advice about sewing with jersey from the ladies participating in the MeMadeMay Flickr Group, but nothing that wouldn't involve a seam ripper.  Now, probably like most seamstresses, I have a love/hate relationship with that thing, but mostly hate..... and loathing.  If I can cut it instead of rip it, I will.  If I can live with it instead of rip it, I will.  So before I went the desperate route of ripping out the skirt seams, I steamed the heck out of it.

Lo and behold, it worked!  (cue angels singing)

What a relief!

And here's the main thing that attracted me to this pattern, the low back.  It's a bit inconvenient.  I'll have to wear a stick-on bra, but I just can't resist a dress with a low back.

You can see my *almost* invisible zipper... inserted without an invisible zipper foot, mind you.  

And that's all she wrote.   Mission complete.  I needed to finish this dress before next Friday because we are leaving for vacation and not returning until the very day of the award banquet.  I'm so glad to have it done and so glad that I'll be proud to say "I made it." if anyone should ask.

MeMadeMay 2012 Days 21-25

The first two pictures were taken at my parent's house.  I left back on the 20th to stay there and attend my Grandmother's funeral.

Day 21: One item you've already seen, my Grainline Scout Tee, this time paired with some altered Old Navy sailor jeans.

 Day 22: Baby girl has the remote and I couldn't get the camera to focus on me for ANYTHING.  I stood everywhere in the frame, even filled up the frame and waved at it, but no luck.  Here's the best shot we got.  I'm wearing shorts from Day 17 with the Target tunic from Day 9 and I'm really enjoying the shorts now that I'm not worried so much about the poof at the top that happens when I walk because the thighs are too tight.

 Day 23: Driving back from staying with my parents...Blouse made from McCalls 6510 paired with purple jeans from Bisou Bisou, altered with darts to fit at the waist.

Day 24: I tried out my zebra leggings (McCalls 6173) as workout gear.  I got compliments on them, but felt horribly sticky and hot.  There's a reason certain knits are more suitable for athletic gear, apparently.  This is not one of those knits.

Day 25: Date night!  I went to dinner and to see the Avengers with my hubby.  This doesn't actually qualify in my Me-Made pledge because it's only altered, but I'll do penance.  This top started it's life as a dress on a rack at TJ Maxx.  I cut the dress in half and now I have a top and a skirt.  You can't see it but I added a band of stretchy black fabric to the bottom of the top and I'm wearing it here with black pants.

The hand washing at the theater was the best I could do for the water challenge in the Flickr group. 

Sorbetto Sew Along: Part Five

Hemming!  The most dreaded part of the process sometimes, isn't it.  It's often not that difficult, but we're at the point where you just want to wear the dern thing, not perform a tedious task like hemming.
But let's push through and get it done so you CAN wear it!

Come back on the 30th to see my finished product. Oh, the suspense. :)