A Vision in Plaid

I just caught a vision and I have to share before I forget.
I received my Lola Goes Shoppin' bag pattern from Izzy and Ivy this week and just stuck it in my pattern bin with all the others waiting for some love.

THEN... I ran across this brand called Ness and caught a vision for my Lola bag.

I'm not usually interested in plaid, but these tartan bags from Ness are too cute.  I think a Lola in tartan would be perfect for cold weather.  

Now to find a tartan as cute as the ones on the Ness website...

McCall's 6078

In my McCall's order with sewingpatterns.com, I couldn't resist adding  number 6078 simply because of the back of View A.  I already have a cowl neck tank patern, but I couldn't resist at $2.99... and I knew my hubby would like it.  

I was right.  I showed him the pattern and he said something I won't repeat here, but, suffice it to say, he wanted to see that top on me.

Behold.

I made this up in a slightly stretchy olive green polyester rayon something or other that I found on the remnant table.  This shirt cost me about $10 including the pattern and thread.

It was only a few hours of work.  Nothing really difficult, just a lot of tedious pleating, but the pleating looks very sophisticated, so it was worth it.

The design of the shirt is great because, even with the exposed back, it allows for a bra.  I wore this out on a date the night I made it and was so glad that I could wear a regular bra.  I do have to mention that this shirt just rests on the shoulders.  There is nothing holding it up, so I was pretty nervous all evening.  A couple of safety pins on the bra straps would've been a good idea...

I left the sleeves unfinished.  I've seen plenty of rtw clothing with an unfinished edge like this, so I have no shame.

If I made this again, I would use it as the bodice of a dress and connect it to the skirt of another pattern.  That could be a really va va voom dress.

The only difficulty in this pattern is the pleating.  Three pattern pieces, no closures and easy-to-follow instructions make this a definite thumbs up from me.

Fall Wardrobe Patterns

SewingPatterns.com had a $2.99 sale on McCalls and then a $5.99 sale on Vogue!  Did they read my last blog post??

I bought:

from McCalls

and

from Vogue.

SewingPatterns.com didn't have the wrap shirt pattern.  :(  and I was too scared of the wrap dress I picked, so I chose another one.  Vogue 8631.  This version from Green Apples cinched it for me.

I intend this to be a long-sleeved dress, but I've also seen this in short-sleeves with a long-sleeved shrit underneath and it looked pretty good to me.

Updates will come when available!

Some Fall Picks

Me Made June was so fun and inspirational for me.  I was challenged to wear and appreciate the things I'd put the time and effort (and expense) into making, but also encouraged to look at my wardrobe with a critical eye.  I was able to identify some gaping holes and better plan for future sewing.
Speaking of planning, Self-stitched September will be here before I know it, so I'm already starting to strategically plan my me made fall wardrobe.
Here are some picks from both new and old patterns published by various brands.

McCall's 6203 Misses' Tunics

I like all versions of this top and think it could look very Anthro.

next:

Vogue 7876

I like the look on the main girl there to the right.  I also like the short-sleeved and sleeveless versions of this same top, so this could be a very useful pattern.

I'm so scared of pants, but this is Very Easy Vogue...

Vogue 8751

I can see these as khakis, in a tweed, or even in denim.

Now for a dress, DKNY, no less:

Vogue 1257

I believe this is a faux wrap dress.  I'm a little nervous about that detail at the waist.  I have a sneaking suspicion that it could go very wrong.  I may be waiting to see some reviews on this one.

And last, but not least, because seeing a version of this pattern in the Me Made June Flickr group is really what got me started thinking about my fall wardrobe...

McCalls 5525

My fave is the version on the top right.  The collar, the sleeves, oh yes please.  I think it would be nice to have a short trench like the one on the bottom right as well, so, once again, this is a pattern I can see myself getting some good use out of.

Of course, if I do actually make any of these, I'll post them here!

Voile Circle Scarf : Styling Options

Socialite Dress - Pattern Review

was never interested in sewing this dress and now it has become the new favorite in my closet. I think a big factor in why I didn't want to buy this pattern was the styling of the finished product on the pattern jacket. (You can see it here.) No offense to the stylist or to Anna Maria, but the fabric chosen, the gray tights and the seeming lack of shape to the dress were all unattractive to me. I'm starting to learn to catch a vision for things and really make them fit my own personality and figure needs. This dress is a perfect example of that.

Pattern Description:
All the sophisticated swank, but none of the suffocating seams. This little number will graciously flatter your sewing skills and your sense of style.

Pattern Sizing:
XS - XL

I chose an XS since I read the pattern runs pretty true to the sizing guide on the jacket (as it should).

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yep... only better. hehe.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
This is where I have to gush about Anna Maria Horner. The first pattern I sewed by her was the Multi-Tasker Tote. That thing is crazy amazing in it's design. It's complex and simple at the same time. I was soooo impressed with her pattern design and instruction skills and that made me excited to see what the design and instructions would be like for the dress. Suffice it to say that she is definitely in my top three on my list of pattern writers that I admire. In my opinion the steps to making this dress couldn't be one bit clearer.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I WOULD have disliked the armholes if I hadn't known from reading other reviews that I should add at least an inch at the shoulders when cutting out the pieces. That means adding to the front and back of the dress pieces AND to the front and back yoke pieces AND their coordinating facings. If I make this dress again, I won't hesitate to add a little more length even than I did this time. The armholes are just ALMOST too tight.
I particularly like the fact that the inside of this dress looks almost as pretty as the outside. Well, not really, but it's the most finished looking inside of a garment I've made to date.

Fabric Used:
2 yards of Amy Butler home decor fabric in Trumpet Flowers. (found for $10/yd on Etsy) I have had a love affair with this fabric from afar ever since the LOVE collection debuted. I have nowhere to use it in my home, so I decided to swath my body in it.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
The shoulder lengthening mentioned above was the only change I made.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I don't know how many of this style dress I want in my closet, honestly. I HAVE to belt it, because I don't really go for the sack look and my derriere sticks out considerably in the back causing the dress to gather and sit on top of it after any bending or sitting. What I'm saying is, it might not be that versatile. I could make it in a solid color to get a completely different look, but I've got other dresses to sew before I resort to that.
PLEASE, if you are an intermediate sewer and you are looking for a new pattern, try one of Anna Maria's. You won't be disappointed.

Conclusion:
This dress turned out to be the perfect easy-to-wear option for the event it was worn to and I'm very proud to have it in my closet.

Me Made - Days 3, 4 and 5

I actually exceeded my goal for the first week and wore THREE me made items.
The third was my Anna Maria Horner voile circle scarf that I wore while we traveled for 13 hours by car to our week-long vacation in St. Simon's Island, GA.



This scarf is HUGE! I got precut strips of fabric in a kit for $20 and, my goodness, there is not way you could buy a scarf this beautiful, soft or massive for $20. It's so nice to be able to sew, isn't it? :)
I plan to make another with AMH's new Loulouthi voiles and maybe one with velveteen on one side for winter. mmmmmm! yummy! I can tell you one thing for sure, I will not be making my fabric cuts quite as long or quite as wide as these were. This is a lot of scarf for a little person.

I started off the second week with some me made lounge pants.
I was introduced to Matilda Jane clothing by my cousin and have admired the little girls' clothing for a while, but didn't know until fairly recently that they also made ladies clothing. I thought their big ruffle pants for "big girls" were so neat, but I didn't care for the one fabric available in their fall line. Enter the "I can just do it myself" attitude and off I went to Hancock's to find some material I liked. I found this soft grey sweatshirt fleece on the remnant table, drafted a pattern from my fave Gap lounge pants (+ an 8" ruffle) and just did it! The waistband needs some work. It's a little wavy in the back and the center seam in the back isn't totally centered after some fitting adjustments, but I do love them so and I always feel cute and unique in them. I mostly wear them for sleeping and lounging, and then in the winter, under a long sweater or dress. I want to try again for another pair I could wear as regular slacks, but I haven't found the right material yet.

My second me made for week 2 is my Sis Boom Jamie Dress. This dress is becoming more and more of a favorite. It's just one of those dresses that I'm not worried about how it's laying or fitting or what it's showing or hiding while I'm wearing it. It just works for me and my body. I already have some cotton fabrics washed and ready to make another whenever I decide to fit it into my sewing queue.



That's all for today!