Me Made May 2014 - Days 14-18

Day 14 - My Sewaholic Renfrew made from two fat quarters of Spoonflower knit, a men's mustard yellow tee from Goodwill and a coral Old Navy tee.  You can see the original post about it here.

Day 15 - I wore my Vogue 1378 ponte pants.  More details here.  And some more pictures in this post as well.

Day 16 - This was a themed Friday over in the Flickr group and the theme was "Too Pretty To Wear Pants" after a commenter in a previous Me Made month made that comment about one of the participants.  So it is a bit of an inside joke to the Me Made Flickr group. I wore a maxi dress made by altering McCalls 6559 a bit and carried my Gretelies Josipa bag. Dress blogged here.

and bag blogged here.

Day 17 - I wore my denim knit leggings that took me from lounging/sewing during the day to attending my husband's grandma's birthday dinner in the evening.

Day 18 - I carried my Josipa bag again today that you saw up there with my maxi dress and that is the only me-made I can claim for this day.

Random highlights of today - 

I got two pairs of denim shorts at Old Navy today that I love the fit and the look of.  When I can buy something I love for less than the cost of the materials to sew something similar (not to mention I am not even ready to sew jean shorts with rivets and such) I definitely have no regrets buying it.  I am grateful for sales and getting two pairs of shorts for $25 makes me very happy.

We went to the High Museum of Art for a members only preview of their latest exhibit, Dream Cars, and saw the neatest thing!

It's a BMW concept car covered in fabric!

This concept car is covered in two layers of fabric stretched over an aluminum/carbon fiber frame. There is an under layer of wire mesh and an outer layer of polyurethane-coated lycra that is resistant to water, heat and cold. It was designed with customization of the shape of the car in mine, according to changing consumer desires.  

I could see the stitches down the center of the hood.  It was so cool.

Will a Spoonflower contest of the future be to design a the fabric to cover the exterior of a car?

Me Made May 2014 - Days 9-13

Back again with another Me Made May encapsulated update to try to get up to speed.

Day 9 - My husband took my girls and I to breakfast.  You may be able to tell in the picture that I am still bleary-eyed and have not yet had my first cup of coffee.  It was a Friday challenge day and the theme was "blue" (Every Friday on the MMM Flickr group, there is a theme.) so I wore my Colette Clovers made from turquoise bengaline stretch material.  I had to take them off soon after we got home because they were not stretchy enough to adjust to the big breakfast I ate!

Day 10 - Oops... I somehow lost track of this day and don't know now what I wore.

Day 11 - Mother's Day!  We went to church and then had a lovely buffet lunch at the country club my husband's grandparents belong to.  I wore McCalls 2187, not fully blogged, but pictured and mentioned here.

Day 12 - My underwear was my me made of the day.  It's from when I tested the Jocole Ladies Basic Brief Bottoms, which are easy to sew, but anything but a basic pattern.  With a million and one variations of leg openings and waist heights and even a ruched butt option, these are the only panty pattern you may ever need to try.  I won't post a pic, but you can find my tester picture (pink and red fox panties) at the bottom of this page.

Day 13 - We went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and I tried out a bit of a mixed up style with shorts and a 3/4 sleeve cowl made from the Sewaholic Renfrew pattern.  Preppy spring?  I dunno.  I carried my Handmade Therapy Satchel and wore my favorite Crocs.

Me Made May 2014 - Days 4 - 8

I knew my Me Made posts would start to lag behind and here we are, already halfway through the month.  I won't hit you with 10 at once, so we'll just look at days 4-8 today, k?

Day 4 - This was the first time out for McCalls 6841.  I figured out a way to style it with a tank top under and a cardigan over.  I was pretty pleased with that look, but I hate to only be able to wear it in cool weather.  We'll see.

Day 5 - I used the Ki ba doo Raglan pattern and some euro clouds to make a fun tee.

Day 6 - My only me-made on the 6th was my Handmade Therapy Satchel Bag.

Day 7 - My Piko top that I made because of all the patterns I was sewing while promoting the Sew Fab sale.  I've worn it twice now.  It's very easy to wear and nice and cool on hot days.  This was a good make and a great way to finally use this fabric leftover from my wadder.

 and Day 8 I didn't wear anything me-made except when taking photos for my Rigel Bomber post...so I'm counting that.

I've sewn about 6 items for me already this month, which is awesome, even though that wasn't part of my pledge.  I'll be back another day with another update!

Papercut Patterns Rigel Bomber

Wow, you guys!  Just wow.  After my recent tear-inducing faliure trying to make coats for my girls for Easter, I was really nervous about the pattern I chose about a month ago for my guest spot on the Pattern Revolution blog.
I was honored to be invited to do a post in the Runway Deconstructed theme.  My partner, Teronia, and I put our heads together and chose the polka dot as our fave runway trend.  Then it was time to choose a pattern.
I bet you've seen some of the many examples of Papercut Patterns Rigel Bombers out there, but if not, take a look here, here, and here.  There are so many more pretty ones out there and I really wanted to try my hand at it.
Papercut Patterns graciously donated the Rigel pattern when Robin of Pattern Revolution asked them if she could feature it on the blog.
So here is how it looked when I opened my package all the way from Australia.

That folded paper is like a brown paper bag and not the lightweight tissue you often find in paper patterns. I have mixed feelings about that because tissue is easier for me to pin to fabrics and plays nicer with slippery fabrics, but this brown paper is heartier and will last through many makes.
A look inside...

And once I got all my pattern pieces cut out...

If you did not come here from the Pattern Revolution blog, you can read more about my fabric choice and see photos of the finished jacket in the Runway Deconstructed post.

If you have come to The Pretty Pickle from Pattern Revolution, you can read on for some behind-the-scenes details I didn't have room to share over there.

Once I cut out my fabric, which included cutting pieces for a lining which I wasn't sure I was going to be brave enough to tackle, I started going through the steps in my folded booklet.  

(Quick side note:  The only modification I made when cutting pieces was to cut a few inches extra length on the sleeves after reading several reviews that they ran short.)

I struggled a bit with piecing the sleeves together, mainly because I had neglected to clip my edges to mark the pieces properly according to the pattern.  When you have three different sized triangles in front of you and have to put them together like a puzzle to form a new shape, it's a little hard without the pattern markings.

I also wanted to make sure I did two of the three triangles with the fabric wrong-side out to play with the shiny and dull sides of the fabric and highlight the shapes of the pieces.  You can see how it works a bit in this picture.

So I got to step 5, the welt pockets, and then I chickened out.

I slept on it and came back with new determination and, as it turns out, there wasn't anything to be nervous about after all.  I felt like the instructions were not too wordy, but very clear and the diagrams are very helpful and clear as well.

I had to take a picture in case I ruined it with the zipper and the attempt at lining.  Nervous again.

But then I did it and it was a little challenging to work with a seperating zipper, but it just took some extra time to line it up and some extra pins and it was ok!

  

I have to give credit to my four-year old for these pictures.  My camera remote is being finicky and likes to be at a certain place by the camera before it will get the signal.  So I set up the camera and then got my girl to stand next next to the camera and push the remote button.

I had the mirror right there so I could check how my jacket was looking before shots if I needed to.

Look 2.

I'm proud of the inside.  haha.  I keep holding it open.

Thanks for stopping in to see me!  It was an honor to be featured at Pattern Revolution and I am so grateful to Papercut Patterns as well for the chance to try the Rigel Bomber.  I loved making it and I will love wearing it!

Piko Top

You probably know that I enjoy sewing for myself almost as much as I enjoy sewing for my girls.

After many makes that ended up not really being useful in my wardrobe or just weren't the right shape for me, I am much more commited to carefully considering fabric and style of the garments I sew.  I try to see what attracts me in a shopping mall and then sew based off of those observations about myself.  Yes, I want to sew something unique, but not so unique that I never feel comfortable taking it off the hanger to wear.

I was happy to find that the Piko Top from Everything Your Mama Made was included in the Sew Fab pattern bundle this Spring because it is exactly the kind of pattern I need.  I like to buy specialty patterns.. the kinds of things I can usually only justify sewing once because having five of them would be weird.

A shirt like the Piko can be made in several different fabrics, with and without sleeves and provide a range of different looks.

The pattern calls for a knit, but I changed it around, as usual and chose a silky rayon print for the front and short sleeves and knit for the back.

I compared the pattern pieces to a similar style knit shirt I already had and decided to take in the side seams several inches based on the fit of my other shirt.  I still left plenty of ease, though, since I wasn't using a stretch fabric for the front.

I didn't have enough of either of these two fabrics to make a whole garment, so the fabric mixing idea allowed me to use some fabrics from my stash that I loved and didn't know what to do with.

It would be hard to find an easier sew than this top.  This will be a great addition to my Summer wardrobe, but imagine it made in a yummy thick french terry or sweatshirt fleece and layered over a long-sleeved shirt in winter.  Ooooohhhh!  I totally need to do that!!

This shirt had it's first outing yesterday when I took my girls to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Recognize my bag?  Heck yeah, it's my Handmade Therapy Satchel.  I was rockin' the Sew Fab bundle yesterday.

Haven't heard of the Sew Fab Sale?  Want to know more?  Read this post for details.

Have you been following along and finally decided you need the bundle too?  Purchase here. (affiliate link)

The Satchel Bag by Handmade Therapy

Here is the first installment of Sew Fab posts where I show you how I have experienced, first hand, the fabulousness of the patterns in the Sew Fab sale.  Today, let's take a look at The Satchel Bag by Handmade Therapy.
 First of all, can we just take a moment to recognize the awesomeness of the name of this shop?  Making handmade is SO theraputic for me.  Perfect name for a pattern shop.  Hilda, the owner, sells not only patterns for bags, but also some lovely bags made from her patterns, as well as scarves, chapstick and more. You can see everything in her shop here.

 Now on to the particular bag pattern included in the Sew Fab package, the Satchel Bag.  Here's mine.

     























 Y'all... Mother's Day is Sunday and how cool would this bag be as a Mother's Day gift?  It's a great basic, but very stylish bag.  I love the examples from the etsy store in solid colors.
You might want to go ahead and buy the bundle and get started. (I get a portion of each sale made through the links I post.  Thanks in advance!)

























We are just not going to mention the embroidery, ok.  It was a nice idea, in theory, but I should have made some different choices with it to get the full effect.  Oh well.

If you've followed my makes here for any length of time, you know that I am usually going to change something about the pattern or add or omit something based on my preferences.  So, as you notice this week that I keep doing things differently than these patterns, know that it is not a reflection on the pattern, but just me using my sewing knowledge to get exactly what I want.
























 This bag was no exception.  I made all the pattern pieces larger by about an inch.  I added an inseam pocket to the outside.  I added an interior zip pocket and ommited the patch pocket.  I chose not to add the long, adjustable strap and just have two shorter straps, but didn't make them removeable as the pattern calls for.  You can also see that I didn't use fabric for my straps. In the next couple of days, I'll share with you over on my Molly Blossom Design blog how I did the straps and the exterior pocket and the interior zip pocket, just in case you like the same things I do.
 If this is your first time seeing a post about the Sew Fab Sale, you can go here to learn more and see what other patterns are included.
And if you haven't entered the giveaway, you need to visit the page I just linked to make sure you are in the running for the awesome prizes!

The Sew Fab Spring Sale is HERE!

This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase the Sew Fab Bundle through those links I earn a percentage of the sale. Thank you so much for supporting the Sew Fab Sale! We all appreciate your business!

It's the Spring 2014 Sew Fab Pattern Sale!

  It's that time of year again… time for the original pattern bundle sale, The Sew Fab Pattern Sale! I'm so excited to announce this season's pattern bundle to you today. The excitement has been building over the last few weeks, and today it's finally available. Nineteen incredibly talented pattern designers, some who are very well known in their field and some who are quickly making a name for themselves, have come together to bring you a great bundle of patterns that will take you through the spring and summer. For one week only, you can have nineteen patterns (plus a fun bonus pattern), chosen specifically for this sale, for only $29.95! That's over 80% off the retail value of the bundle! Plus you can enter to win one of two amazing sewing themed giveaways!

For less than $30 you get a library of sewing resources that you can use over and over again.

If you’ve never sewn with a PDF pattern before, let me tell you how great it is! After downloading your pattern, you will print out the pattern itself, creating pattern tiles, if you will. Simply tape the tiles together to create the full pattern! At that point you can cut out the size that you need and pin the paper pattern directly to your fabric, or you can trace the pattern size that you need onto sewing paper or tracing paper and cut it out, saving the paper pattern for later when you need to sew another size. PDF patterns are so convenient because you can print them out as many times as you need!

Now for the part you've been waiting for… the patterns!

A collection of 19 PDF Patterns from 19 well-known and up and coming designers are instantly accessible to you by PDF download upon purchase of the Sew Fab Pattern Bundle. Imagine all of the combinations that you can put together with this bundle of patterns, with many transitioning to fall and winter as well! Here are the patterns that you will receive (click on the links below the collage for more information about each pattern.): The Laurel Dress or Tunic by Greenstyle Creations, The Satchel Bag by Handmade Therapy, The Lexi Knit Dress and Top by MODKID, The Piko Top by EYMM, The Bowling Shirt from Scientific Seamstress (unisex), The Seraphic Pant by Figgy's (unisex), The Tulip Pinafore by Too Sweets Patterns, The Big Tote Bag by Things for Boys, The Doll and Carrier by Patchwork Posse, Poppy and Pip Penguins by Betz White, Leather Accent Foldover Pouch by LBG Studio, The Norah Dress and Tunic by Mouse House Creations, Crayon Art Folio by Gingercake, The Tennis Skort (12M-12Y) by Heidi & Finn, The Ruffled Bustle Top by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Long Beach Board Shorts (unisex) by Terra's Treasures, The Cupcake Top (unisex) by Sewing Mama RaeAnna, The Saffron Twirl Dress from Paisley Roots Designs, The Sweet Tea Shorties by Molly Blossom Designs. New this year is the Sew Fab Pattern Tour! Some of our favorite sewing bloggers will be sharing their versions of the Sew Fab patterns on their blogs this week, so be sure to check in with them throughout the week of the sale to see how versatile these patterns are! Here are the stops on the pattern tour… This Sew Fab Pattern Bundle is only available for one week and will never be available again! You can purchase the bundle from May 5th at 8 a.m. EST through May 13th at 11:59 p.m. EST and there will be no late sales offered. Due to the nature of the sale there are no refunds. The pattern bundle expires six months from the end of the sale, so please download and save your patterns upon receiving them.

You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to purchase a ready made collection of 20 PDF sewing patterns from 19 of the best designers out there!

 

And now for the always exciting Sew Fab Giveaway!

This spring there are two prize packages up for grabs, and both will inspire you in your sewing! I’m so excited about these giveaways! Can’t buy the pattern bundle? It’s okay… purchase is not required to enter. There are lots of chances to win and each entry applies to both of the giveaway packages. Just use the Rafflecopter widget below the prize descriptions to enter as many times as you want, no purchase necessary.

Prize Package #1 includes...

The Lane Raglan Pattern from Hey June, an organic fat quarter bundle of the yet unreleased Everyday Party Collection by Emily Isabella, from Fabricworm, The Washi Dress Pattern from Made by Rae, a $50 gift certificate to The Delhi Store, a free class from Craftsy.com, a fun gift package from Sew You Studio, a custom made Geranium Dress from Nest Creations, a Sew Happy print from Pen+Paint, and a $15 gift certificate to GYCT Designs!

Prize package #2 includes...

The #ISEW necklace from Hello Cheeseburger, created especially for the Sew Fab giveaway, a collection of vintage buttons and 20% off your purchase at Anna Mia Clothing, the Playdate Bag pattern from Fishsticks Designs, The Kensington Dress and Tee Pattern from Hey June Handmade, a $30 gift certificate to Casa Crafty, a $40 gift certificate to Girl Charlee, 3 yards of laminate fabric from Anne Kelle, The Essential Sewing Reference Tool by Carla Crim, a "Happiness is Handmade" print from Pen+Paint! a Rafflecopter giveaway Sign up for the Sew Fab Newsletter to get the latest Sew Fab News!  Winners will be announced in the newsletter as well as upcoming sales and other news pertaining to the Sew Fab Sale and the world of PDF patterns.

The Sew Fab Spring Pattern Sale!

Sew much inspiration, right at your fingertips...

only $29.95!

Get your bundle now!

**For answers concerning sale terms and customer service questions, please see the FAQ page.

Me Made May - Days 2 and 3

Yesterday, I took the girls to the playground.  I took our dog, Dolce, on a whim, which turned out to be a bad idea.  There was a sign banning dogs from the playground, so she and I had to stay out.  I wanted to tie her up to the fence, but she wouldn't stop barking until I walked around with her.  I had to stay close to the girls, so I just walked the length of the playground, turned around, walked back and repeated.  Finally, Dolce decided she could be content in one spot and that gave me a chance to take a picture for my daily outfit photo.

top - Grainline Hemlock Tee (free pattern!) in knit from Girl Charlee
necklace - Liberty lawn covered wooden beads
pants - Old Navy (I have these in about 6 colors)
shoes - Crocs (I want these in more colors)

Today, we went as a family to Fernbank Museum of Natural History.  We are members and enjoy the permanent and changing exhibits, but today, they had a special "Pirate Day" theme with activities for kids.  I homeschool my girls, if I haven't already mentioned that, and we are going through the alphabet, one letter per week, to guide our studies.  This week was letter "P" so we couldn't pass up the chance to celebrate "Pirate Day."  We didn't dress for the ocassion, but we did have fun.

blouse - Simplicity 2246 in chambray (shortened from the dress I originally made)

shirt - Old Navy girls XL (I totally check out the girls' section in stores)

jeans - Target

shoes - Target

Me Made May - Day 1

HAHAHAHAhahahahaha!!!  I just wrote "Day 1"  in the title of this post which seems to mean that I would subsequently have a "Day 2" and "Day 3" and so on.  Well, maybe I should re-title it because we all know that AIN'T gonna happen.  At this point, you can either breathe a sigh of relief that I am not going to try to make an entire blog post out of my outfit every day or you can lower your expectations of me and plan on getting your daily fashion inspiration somewhere else.

Gracious, I'm feeling saucy this morning.  Maybe I should have gotten more than halfway through my first cup of coffee before writing?

Alright, enough.  On to my outfit from May 1st.

The stairway in our last house was a nice spot for photos.  I had my husband grab this shot really quickly in the carport of our "new" rental as we were headed out to an orchestra concert at his old highschool.  I think I like the brick and may have found my new photo location, at least on sunny days at about 5 o'clock when the light is perfect.

Outfit details:
top- Grainline Scout Tee in cotton lawn
bottom- Molly Blossom Magnolia Breeze pant (currently in testing) in chambray

Want to know more about Me Made May?  Go straight to the source over at So Zo... to read all about it.
And if you decided to take the challenge, there's fabric and patterns to be won with added giveaways this year!

Only A Few More Days!

Coming soon, for one week only, nineteen pattern designers will be joining together to combine their best PDF sewing patterns and selling them to you for the incredible price of $29.95! That’s over 80% off of the combined retail value! The Sew Fab Pattern Sale is the original pattern bundle sale! Grab the bundle when it goes on sale next week and you’ll be all set for the spring and summer seasons! You have to wait until next week to see which patterns are included in this spring’s bundle, but take a look below to see which designers you'll find! I think you will be as excited as I am to see some previous favorites as well as several amazing designers that are new to the Sew Fab Sale. Greenstyle Creations, Handmade Therapy, MODKID, Everything Your Mama Made, The Scientific Seamstress, Figgy's Patterns, Two Sweets Patterns, Things for Boys, Patchwork Posse, Betz White, LBG Studio, Mouse House Creations, Gingercake, Heidi & Finn, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Terra's Treasures, Paisley Roots, Molly Blossom Designs, Sewing Mama RaeAnna. Sale sponsored by The Southern Institute. See you right here, bright and early on Monday morning!