Knit Sew Much

An Easter Dress for my Favorite Girl

2009-04-21T22:50:00.004-08:00

Obviously this was finished a while ago. I am finally getting around to posting. This ended up being a pretty quick project especially since it was smocked (I started pleating the fabric--the first step in this project--6 days before Easter. Needless to say I was under a bit of stress to get this one done). After I was finished I was quickly on to other things and didn't get around to sharing it with you until now.

My inspiration for my daughter's Easter dress came from the latest issue of Australian Smocking. I love to make smocked dresses for my daughter. She is getting older and I wanted a style that was smocked but more sophisticated than the usual smocked dress. The Australian Smocking issue had a black floral sheath style dress that was beautiful. I didn't want to spend $15 on the issue since I only wanted the one pattern. I didn't think that a pattern for a simple a-line sheath style dress would be hard to find. I did have a little trouble but finally found Butterick 4220.

This dress had the right shape. I was a little leery because it didn't have a real person in the dress so was hard to tell the exact fit. I was also a little concerned because this was supposed to go over the head. I wanted it to be a bit fitted and there might too much ease if it was designed to go over the head. The fit ended up being perfect. I was very happy with the results and so was my daughter.

Here is a picture of my favorite girl and my boys ready for church on Easter morning. My review follows the pictures.

A close up of the smocking.

Pattern Description: Pullover, a-line dress, above ankle or mid-knee length, has stitched hems. A, B: lined.

Pattern Sizing: 7-10 and 12-16 I made a size 7 for my daughter who wears a RTW 9 slim (she could wear a 7or 8 RTW but she need the length).

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, except the skirt on the picture is more full than the finished garment.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I didn't pay too much attention to the directions. This is a very easy garment to put together. I do think that the directions for attaching the lining is not correct.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like how quickly it went together. The pieces fit together quite well. I didn't like that the pictures shows a smooth set in sleeve but it is really quite gathered.

Fabric Used: Stretch cotton. I wanted the dress to have a bit of body, not as much drape. This worked well.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I cut out a section in the middle of the bodice and inserted the smocking panel. The smocking panel did not go all the way under the arm to the side seam so I added dress fabric to the sides of the panel. After adding the side panels I had one large rectangle. I laid the original dress pattern over my rectangle and cut the armhole.

I also added an invisible zipper in the back seam. I am not sure how my daughter would get this dress on without the zipper (maybe if I used the suggested drapey fabric it would have been able to be a pullover). Her measurements matched the size 7 almost perfectly and it fits her perfectly .

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes it is a nicely fitting dress and looks cute. I think next time I would cut the bodice and make a two color block dress. I would look very different.

Conclusion: This is a nice pattern. It is a good basic dress that has a lot of potential to make different many times.

As soon as I finish my daughter's Jalie shirt I will share those. Hopefully soon!

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Burda 8-2008-121 Finished!

2009-04-19T18:32:00.005-08:00

Yeah! I finished my skirt. ( Click here to see my process on this skirt) It took a lot longer than I thought it would. I think it was because I topstitched all the seams on both sides. I really like how it turned out (even though it is a little big). I finished it late last night and it fit perfectly. This morning when I put it on (now with nylons) it was a bit big. I could still wear it. I might take it in but I would have to rip out understitching, topstitching, the waist seam and side seams. I might do this later. Right now I want to move on to something else (really I should finish up some of my other UFO's) and since it is wearable I probably won't tackle it now. Here are some pictures and my review.

front
back

Pattern Description: This slim skirt is sure proof of just how elegant lurex flannel can be! Godets (cut-in-one with the skirt panels) furnish walking space and swirl nicely on this very figure flattering garment.

Pattern Sizing: 36-44 I made size 44 which fit well late at night when I finished but not in the morning with nylons. :)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Exactly

Were the instructions easy to follow? They were pretty easy to understand.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like how feminine the bottom flippy part looks. Seriously, the pattern was so well drafted. All of the pieces fit so nicely together even after I fiddled with them a bit. I really liked how the seams were numbered. This was my first BWOF pattern. I haven't seen numbered seams like that in a very long time. It was very helpful for know which sides went together. All the pieces looked very similar so that bit of info was very helpful.

Fabric Used: I am not exactly sure what it is or where it came from. I am pretty sure that it is mainly polyester but it must have some lycra because it has some stretch to it. It might have some rayon also. It drapes very nicely.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: After reading other reviews I learned that this is a very curve hugging skirt. I really wanted to make this pattern but didn't want it to hug my rear very much. As I looked at the pieces I noticed that they all tapered in just a bit below the hip. I straightened this out on all the pieces. It wasn't very much but when I added this to all 8 pieces it gave just enough room. Now it gives a bit of shape to my rear without hugging in too much. I also topstitched on either side of my front three and back three seams. I really like the finished look of this.

I also omitted the lining since the wrong side of my fabric is silky.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Definitely! I am not sure what fabric I would make but I certainly will make it again someday.

Conclusion: Fantastic skirt. It is so fun to wear. I love the flirty bottom.

I really enjoyed sewing my first Burda WOF pattern. I sure can see why so many of you are hooked. right after I finished I went looking on their website to see what other mags I might be interested in. I only have Aug 2008 and picked up Feb 2009 in Portland. The preview for May was up on the website. I looked through it and loved quite a few things. I immediately preordered this one from Sew Baby. It should come mid-May. I may have to seriously consider asking for a subscription for Mother's day. I should sew up something else soon to help me decide.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Burda 8-2008-121 Muslin

2009-04-15T00:26:00.004-08:00

Well, I have not blogged in a bit but I have been sewing instead. I finished my Jalie top, have partially completed my daughters, partially finished some burp cloths for a friend, and smocked and sewed up my daughters Easter dress. Not bad for less than two weeks.

I had an evening to sew and did I head for my partially finished projects? Of course not! I decided I wanted to make a skirt. I read a blog entry by the Slapdash Sewist recently about how she was evaluating different skirt styles on her pear shaped body. I also have a pear shaped body and found it very interesting. I usually make slightly a-line skirts. I don't think I own a straight skirt (although I do have a couple of wrap skirt that are straight). I am not quite ready to try a pencil skirt I did want something a little straighter. I decided to go for something with a flared hem.

I perused through my pattern stash and landed on pattern #121 in my Aug. 2008 issue of Burda magazine (my one of only two mags). It was exactly what I wanted. I was pretty excited. This would be my first Burda pattern. I decided to look for pattern reviews on this one. I was a bit concerned about the fit. Straighter skirts can often fit tight and I want to get some insight from anyone who had already made the pattern.

I found two reviews on PatternReview. One was from Karen (here she mentions the skirt in her blog). She said that it really accentuated ones rear. This is not what I am interested in but really wanted to make this skirt.

As I was looking at the pattern pieces I noticed that each piece had a nice hip curve out and then cut in a bit just below the hip. Hmmm. I thought to my self. I wonder if I can just straighten out the line from the hip to the godets at the bottom in order to make it less form fitting.

So I gave it a try. Here are pictures of my first attempt with cheap fabric. Please excuse the bad picture and messy background. My husband wasn't home to be my photographer.

Back: I am pretty happy that it doesn't hug my rear at all and just slims my hips. It fits my lower back well without any gapping.

Front: The goopy side is just pinned. There will be a zipper in this skirt. So far I like the look.

This is a very easy skirt to put together. I am not doing the lining because the fabric that I am using has suede like right side and a slippery wrong side. It will go faster without the lining. I wanted it to be finished by tomorrow but since it is now 1 AM I must restrain myself and go to bed.

Possibly I will finish tomorrow and by some miracle, get a picture and post the finished skirt.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Jalie 2682 In the Works

2009-04-03T22:00:00.008-08:00

I have been working Jalie 2682. I am in the trial stages. I like the fit but I think I can tweak it to make it better.

I like the look of the front. It feels a little tight across the bust. Obviously the back is a little tight. The made a size V but tapered to an X at the hip. I had to make the sleeves quite a bit larger. I didn't want skin tight arms.

Deciding how to fix my problems is kind of a challenge. The bottom of the shirt seems to fit well. I think I have enough room even if I make it in fleece. I need to add to the bust and the back under the arm. I don't need the room above bust so I don't want to add width to the whole length of the bodice. I am going to test my seam alteration method with this pattern. I want to add width to the side seam under the arm without adding width to the bottom part. I might add to both the side seam of the back and also the center back. I am also going to shorten the length. I think it is more flattering on me a bit shorter. This also helps the back look a little better.

I will post about my alterations after I finished.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

A Very Prairie Dress

2009-03-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

My daughter chose Laura Ingalls Wilder for a report and project at school. The third grade did a wax museum. Each child chose a person from our American history. They the had to write a report, create a background, come up with a costume and props. I encouraged my daughter to choose Laura Ingalls Wilder because I wanted to make the dress. Yes, I asked her teacher and she said it was okay for me to make the dress.

My first challenge was to find the right fabric. It needed to be something that looked very simple and old fashioned. It needed to be inexpensive (I was going to need about 5 yards). I found some fabric at JoAnn's a few weeks ago on sale. I spent about $20 for the fabric which wasn't too bad. I washed it up and of course it was a wrinkled mess! You get what you pay for. Actually, wrinkly cotton wasn't too bad for this project. I think that it was more authentic this way.

I used McCalls 9424
The pattern was pretty easy and straightforward. I didn't have any difficulties. I didn't change anything either. I did omit most of the interfacing. I didn't put it on the collar or the back facing. Both turned out just fine. I did interface the brim of course and also the front facing for a bit more crispness. I think it turned out pretty well. My daughter was certainly pleased with it. She wore it all Friday hence all the wrinkles. :)

Portland Fabric Store Tour Stop #3: Rose City Textiles

2009-03-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Rose City Textiles

2515 NW Nicolai
Portland Oregon 97210

This was the one store that I really wanted to hit. I really wanted to get some good wicking fabrics. I would like my kids to have some nice wicking shirts for camping and they can be quite expensive in stores so I will have to make them. I also wanted some nice lightweight outdoor fabric for some Ottobre pants for my sons. This store was a high priority and didn't want to miss it.

This store is located a little out of downtown. It is in a bit more industrial area. The street it is on has train tracks running down the middle. At first we couldn't find the store. I knew we had passed it so I turned around. Going the other direction down the street I easily found the store. The sign above the door says RCT.

I walked in and knew right away that this was going to be an awesome store. At first when we went in we didn't see anyone but after a few minutes Annette came and let us know she was there if we needed anything. They had bolts and bolts of wicking knits, lycra knits and gorgeous fleece. Around the corned was a plethera of mesh and supplex and other outdoor fabrics. Through a couple of double doors in what they call the Annex was lots of elastics and trims and other fun stuff. I couldn't tell you all that they had. Once I was out in the Annex I found the motherload. I was looking through some bolts of fabric that were stacked out there on some shelves. One of the men who worked in their warehouse informed me that all on those shelves was $1 a yard. Blow me over with a feather! $1 a yard! I couldn't believe my ears. I was quite overwhelmed though. I didn't really know what I was looking at.

Annette to the rescue. I asked for a bit of help and she was more than willing to point me in the right direction. She showed me all kinds of great fabrics. I ended up leaving with about 60 yards of fabric. Most, but not all of it was from the annex. I left with some fantastic deals.

Now, I would like to gush about the customer service. It was fantastic! Annette was so helpful. She is quite the enabler salesperson. I really liked working with her. When she found out that I was from AK she said that she does a lot of business with Alaskans. She said that if I needed something to just give her a call and she would send me samples.

This was such a great find. I am so glad that I made a point of stopping at Rose City Textiles. If you are in need of high tech fabric go online or better yet give Annette a call. She will be more than happy to help you out!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy your day!

Until next time...

New Jalie and Kwik Sew Patterns

2009-03-24T12:12:00.004-08:00

Dawn informed me yesterday that Seams like Home (our local sewing store) just got in Jalie patterns. I had been in a few months ago and they had one Jalie pattern. I got really excited and asked if they had any more. Now, Seams Like Home was originally a quilt store. The owner purchased Three Sister Fabrics (a fashion sewing store) and combined the two. So, the woman I talked to must have been a quilter and had no idea what I was talking about. Saddened, I left hoping that someday they just might carry more of these patterns. Yesterday was a happy day (although the owner had to point out what I was talking about because the woman I asked to point me in the right direction must have been a quilter :) )! The patterns were still behind the counter. Hadn't even been put out yet. They were so fun to look through. I was like a kid in a candy shop. :) Here is what I came home with.
It is only two of the many patterns I like but these two were my must haves! I have seen so many great shirts made out of this pattern. I was going to purchase a half zip sweatshirt/jacket pattern but since I didn't have specific fabric in my stash for it I decided to go for a Kwik Sew pattern instead.

Yes, Dawn, I said Kwik Sew. Let me explain for the rest of you. For a while now the store has had the Kwik sew pattern books. But, they didn't carry the patterns (except for a few leftover old ones). To me it didn't make sense why they would have the book and not the patterns. I am so excited that they now have both! I know that this may seem trivial to most of you but it was exciting for me. I haven't tried one of their patterns because I haven't had access to them locally. I see so many of you making great things with their patterns and am really excited to finally try one. I bought the this one because I have so much wicking fabric to use and I really like this style. A couple of my favorite t-shirts are this style.

I am so anxious to start the Jalie pattern on the left with my blue microfleece. It will have have to wait until I finish a project for my daughter. I am making a prairie dress for her for an activity at school. It is on Friday so I will have pictures later. I have enjoyed this project. It has been a good "get back to sewing" project. I didn't have to do any fitting. There has not been any difficult sewing. Just fun to get my juices flowing again.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Portland Fabric (and Yarn) Store Tour Stop #2: Knit Purl

2009-03-23T14:22:00.004-08:00

Knit Purl

1101 sw alder
portland, or 97205
(11th and alder)

Knit Purl was a fantastic yarn store right next to Josephines Dry Goods. We had a great time looking around in here. Every thing was so neat and inviting to look out. The people working there were very helpful. As we were leaving my mom and I saw the cutest baby sweater. Usually, I don't consider making baby sweaters. They grow out of them so fast and the recepient of such a gift does not always fully appreciate the gift. But I have a friend having a baby in August who I knew would really would appreciate this sweater so I just had to buy the yarn to make this really cute sweater for her. What is also really fun about this is the yarn I bought is lucious. It is Shibui sock yarn. I was told that the owner of Knit Purl created this yarn. Too fun!

(Picture courtesy of the Knit Purl website.)

I am really excited to make this for her. I haven't started yet since I have so much to sew and I have plenty of time. :)

Here is a link to the Knit Purl Blog.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Ooooo La La!

2009-03-20T23:56:00.003-08:00

Look what I got from Dawn!

Yep! A bunch of luscious fleece. This is gorgeous stuff.

The green and blue are Polartec 100 microfleece. It is so soft. The funny thing about the blue is that I have a hooded Columbia fleece jacket that I bought from Nordstrom probably 8 years ago. I absolutely LOVE that jacket. I wear it all the time. I have always loved how the fleece is thin yet very warm. About a year or two ago the bottom of the zipper broke. Did I throw this beloved jacket away? Of course not! I just don't unzip it very much. I step in and out of it most the time or unzip with the ultimate care. Guess what! This blue Polartec is almost the exact fabric that my jacket is made of. It's fabulous!

The red is Polartec 200. It is a little thicker than the 100. This is what caused my heart palpatations when I saw Dawn's Etsy store. When I was in Portland I saw fabric very similar but didn't buy any. I tried to go back to the store on the way to the airport but didn't have time. I have been kicking myself that I didn't get it in the first place. I really wanted to make a specific Ottobre jacket for my middle son. When I saw that Dawn had this I contacted her right away to get some. This is when she informed me that she had all kinds of other stuff. She is an evil woman!! :) Such an enabler!

Okay, the last one is so fantastic I can hardly stand it. It is plum on one side and lavender on the other. It is so soft I can't even describe it. It is a Polartec 300. It has great properties. Wind resistant on the plum side and wicking on the lavender. This is perfect for up here. The funny thing about this fabric was that a few months ago I saw this at our local store. I was drooling over the color and the softness. I dragged my daughter over to see the color and feel the softness. She wasn't as impressed as I was. Silly girl! I didn't purchase any because even though it was a 20% off day it was still way too expensive at the original price of $26 per yard and I didn't know exactly what I would do with it. I dropped my teeth when I saw this from Dawn and she was parting with it for soooo cheap. I couldn't help but get a couple of yards. I still don't know exactly what I am going to do with it but who cares. I think I will just pet it for a while. :)

So, go on over to Dawn's shop on Etsy. She has lots more fantastic stuff. Just try not to drool all over your keyboard. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Until next time...

Portland Fabric Store Tour Stop #1: Josephine's Dry Goods

2009-03-16T22:31:00.004-08:00

Our first stop was going to be Bolt Fabrics. According to an article in Threads Magazine it was one of the best Fabric stores in Portland. Unfortunately, we were there on Monday which is the day it is closed. So we headed on to our next destination.

Josephine's Dry Goods
521 SW 11th Ave. Portland, OR 97205

This store is located in downtown Portland . It is on the bottom floor of a taller building. The store was small but very nice. The quality of the fabrics was great. They had some very beautiful fabrics I would have loved to take home. The prices, while not inexpensive, seemed reasonable compared to some other stores we had been at. The sales woman was friendly and helpful but let us shop on our own. They also sell Burda World of Fashion Magazines so I was able to pick up the February issue. I was very excited to actually look through a magazine in person. I loved so many of the styles in this issue. The shirt dress is fantastic. I might have to try making this.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Back from Puyallup

2009-03-14T22:39:00.002-08:00

Okay, I'm back from the Sewing and Stitchery Expo. Well, actually I have been back for a while but I have been catching up on stuff. This afternoon was the first chance I had to unpack my very large box of fabric and stuff that I brought back.

My mom and I had tons of fun! We took so many great classes and learned so much. We took a class with a new to me way of altering patterns for a better fit. Lorraine Henry (I think that's her name) taught two 1 hour seminars and a 2 1/2 hour hands on class about the seam method. She taught how to alter patterns by cutting off the seam allowance, making "hinges" and then pulling out the seam allowance to the correct measurements. I think I understand this way of doing it but haven't had a chance to try it on my own yet. I will blog about it when I do it later. All that she taught is from a great book called Fabulous Fit.

Here is a link to a Threads article by Judith Rasband (a co-author of Fabulous Fit).

We took some other great classes. I absolutely love Peggy Sagers of Silloutte Patterns. She helps me focus on the fun of sewing and not on the rules. Actually she throws out a lot of the "rules". I have taken her seminars every time at Expo. Each time I listen to her something is cleared up for me to understand and use. The first time she taught me about setting in my sleeve flat without using pins. I LOVE this way of putting in sleeves. It is so easy! I don't pin at all and my sleeves ease in beautifully. The key to doing it is to have the sleeve on the bottom so the feed dogs can do the easing for me.

This year I finally understood LCD after hearing it three times. L is for length. C is for circumference. D is for Depth. Any alterations are done to the length first, then circumference (width) and the you can change depth (darts ususally). She talked about the bust circle that is a 2 1/2 inch radius around the bust point and that all darts and princess seams just have to go to or through the bust circle not the bust point. She said lots of other great things that I might be able to remember later.

Along with great classes we did lots of shopping. That was so fun too!! Since I do not have everything unpacked I don't have any pictures. Maybe I will take some pictures of some of my goodies in the future. I also brought home tons of fabric for so many great projects. After Expo we went down to Portland to some great fabric stores. I will tell you about some of the stores in the next few posts.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my ramblings. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Another Superior Threads Giveaway

2009-02-24T11:52:00.002-09:00

I usually don't post about giveaways and now here I go and post again because Superior Threads is having another giveaway on their blog. The things I will do just to get another entry. :\ They are giving a $100 gift certificate this time. Wow! I would LOVE to have $100 to spend on their thread.

Thanks for humoring me. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Alaska Quilt Block #3

2009-02-24T11:43:00.003-09:00

Wow! This has been a long time in coming. I am finally posting about this block. This one came from Diana's Cozy Cabin Quilt Store in Eagle River, AK. It is a nice little store about 20 minutes from my house. Eagle River is technically in the Municipality of Anchorage (but it has a character all its own) so I didn't post the map also.

I won't be posting for at least a week. I will be at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA. I leave tomorrow and I am so excited!! I am excited to go to lots of classes and learn lots of new stuff (not to mention a trip without any children). I am even taking a hands on class for altering patterns to fit. I am hoping this is a good class. I am very excited to do some fabric shopping also. After the expo, my mom and I are driving down to Portland to visit some fantastic fabric stores. It is going to be a very fun and very busy week. I will try to take pictures.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Ottobre Pekka T-Shirts

2009-02-21T22:39:00.003-09:00

I needed another quick t-shirt for my son during their Spirit Week at school for Space Day. I know, that was a long time ago. I am finally getting around to posting about these shirts.

I found some perfect space fabric at JoAnn's. At first it was going to be just another plain t-shirt but then I found the red rib knit at home and decided to make a double sleeve t-shirt. Ottobre had the perfect shirt. I used the Ottobre Pekka T-shirt pattern (04-2008-25). It was perfect.

I made the space shirt for both of my sons. My younger son just had to have something made for him too. Since both boys are the same size around I made them a 122. This length was perfect for my older son but I had to shorten the length for to a 110 for my younger son. Unfortunately, I forgot to shorten the arms also for my younger son so they are a bit long. I could still do it but probably won't. They are fine rolled up. Sorry, I don't have a picture of my younger son in this shirt but it looks exactly like this one. They both like these shirts and actually wear them!

I also had this striped fabric laying around that I thought I would use to make the same shirt since it also went with the red rib knit. I didn't like the result that much (I don't think my son actually likes it that much either. He hasn't worn it yet and I had to beg him to put it on for a picture). I decided to embroider the front to give a bit more interest. Whoops! Something happened while I was embroidering my older sons shirt and I ruined it. I only partially messed up my younger sons shirt. He can still wear it but it certainly isn't my favorite. A solid sleeve would have been much better.

Full Review:

Pattern Description: The long-sleeved two-in-one T-shirt combines solid colored and striped interlock knit. It has double layer sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 92-128 I made a 122 for both sons in the width and shortened to 110 length for the younger son.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? They were very easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the easily the double layer sleeves went together. The whole shirt was very easy to put together.

Fabric Used: For the older son I used an inexpensive waffle knit. For the younger son I used an inexpensive maybe jersey knit. The contrast red in both shirts is rib knit.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I bound the short sleeve edges in the rib knit and I did not put the stripes on the short sleeves.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? DEFINITELY!!

Conclusion: This is a fantastic basic shirt. You can do so much with this style shirt. You can use this pattern over and over as a basic starting point and make many different looking shirts. I will get tons of use from this pattern. Oh, next time I would be more careful not to pull the binding too tight on the sleeves.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Superior Threads Giveaway

2009-02-14T10:51:00.002-09:00

I usually don't do two posts in one day but right now I have the time. I could probably do 5 with all the different things I could write about. I have a few finished garments, a sweater in the works, quilt blocks and blankets. But I don't want to go into those things right now. I just want to do some quick blogging in order to quickly get back to sewing.

Superior Threads is having a giveaway on their new blog. I love Superior Threads. I use their So Fine thread for constructing garments. It is such wonderful thread. There is hardly any lint at all. My machine stays so clean using it. When I first purchased some thread I thought it was a bit expensive. But once I started using it I was hooked. It stitches beautifully and so smoothly. For me it is worth every penny. And actually it is cheaper per yard. The up front cost is a little more but it will last a long time if you get the big cones.

Check out their website for all their products. They carry tons of different quilting and embroidery threads and many other kinds too. They have lots of great info on their website, in their newsletters, and I think on their blog in the future.

Thanks for stopping by again. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T10:43:00.003-09:00

This picture is a part of my new blog that I wanted to share with you. I am not sharing this because I think that you will be interested but because it shows that I am working toward fulfilling the things I set out to do at the beginning of the year.

I have started a new blog called Capturing Each Day. Each day I will post a picture that I have taken that day of something relevant to my life. One of the things I really want to do this year is to get better at taking pictures. The only way to do this is to consistently take them. So this blog is an attempt at stretching myself toward better picture taking abilities. The pictures are not great but hopefully in time they will get a lot more interesting. If you want to take a look please do but it is not at all crafting related. Although some pictures I am sure might be since it is a big part of my life.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Until next time...

Camo Day

2009-01-30T22:15:00.004-09:00

This past week has been Spirit Week at my kids school. Tuesday was Camo and Pink day. My kids didn't have anything camo so on Monday evening I decided to make them something. I wanted to use my Ottobre 301 t-shirt pattern and just needed some fabric. My youngest son and I headed to JoAnns for some knit camo fabric. I really wanted some pink camo for my daughter. That would have just been so perfect. I went in hopeful to find what I needed. I searched and searched but was having trouble finding what I wanted. I thought I was going to have to settle for fleece. Of course, there was not any pink camo. As a last effort, we headed to the clearance section and my son spotted some camo fabric that was perfect. So, that evening I spent making two shirts. My kids loved them!

I used my Ottobre t-shirt pattern for the first time. It was a wonderful pattern. It fit my kids beautifully. I am amazed at the accuracy of the measurements in Ottobre patterns. I am so impressed with Ottobre I don't think that I can go back to patterns from the big 4. I would much rather spend time making something that I know will fit my children rather than hoping for the best (which is what I do with big 4 patterns). I am so bummed that I didn't start using these patterns sooner (I have had a magazine for a couple of years am just now using it). Well, now I will just move forward with these great patterns.

Here is my review:

Pattern Description: Unisex long sleeve t-shirt either straight or more fitted cut

Pattern Sizing: 92-170 I made size 110 for my son with size 128 length for his long arms. I made a size 122 width and 140 length (146 arm length) for my daughter.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes the instructions were very clear.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the instructions for putting on the binding and putting the sleeves flat and then seaming the sleeve and side seam at one time.

Fabric Used: very stable knit without a whole lot of stretch

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't make any alterations

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Absolutely! I am sure I will make this many, many times in the future.

Conclusion: The finished garments fit my children exactly. I love how accurate the pattern size is to the measurements given. This is one of the best t-shirt patterns I have ever tried!

I used my coverstitch machine for the ribbing and it worked wonderfully. I still have quite a bit of practicing to do to get my hems and ribbing close to perfect but even as unperfect as they are I still think they look great. I love this machine.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time (hopefully soon, I have a lot to show you)...

Facelift Again!

2009-01-23T22:47:00.002-09:00

As you know from my constantly changing blog that I have never been happy with how it looks. Well, Melissa posted about a great place to get fun and FREE backgrounds. So, I played around with it for a bit (I am supposed to be sewing) and came up with something that I think I actually like and might stick with for a while. There are so many fun ones so don't be surprised if this blog looks different next week. :)

There is a button you can click on in the upper left hand corner that will take you to the Cutest Blog on The Block site and you can find your own super cute background. Such fun!

Thanks for stoppin by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Alaska Quilt Block #2

2009-01-19T13:32:00.004-09:00

I would have posted this a couple of days ago but I have been having computer trouble. But now I will post block #2 and hopefully I will get it done before my computer crashes again.

This block is from The Calico Cow in Delta Junction, Alaska. To give you an idea of how far Delta is from me it takes about 6 hours to drive there (330 miles).
My grandparents picked this one up for me as they traveled out of Alaska back to Texas. When I first saw the fabrics I was unimpressed. I thought they were boring. Even as I was making this block I didn't think I would like the finished product. To me, it seemed boring. When it was all finished I was pleasantly surprised. I like the simplicity. The simple fabrics help to enhance the star in the middle. It will never cease to amaze me how you never really know how something will look until it is all finished.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

My Sewing and Knitting Backstory

2009-01-13T19:58:00.003-09:00

I have been reading the histories of many fantastic seamstresses in blogland. So many started when the were very young. My sewing and knitting history is long and short at the same time.

I grew up in a fabric store. No, not really but I was there with my mother very often. None of the fabric stores are still in the same place and most are not around anymore but I can clearly picture them in my head due to frequent visitations. My mother sewed beautifully all my life (she started in junior high). She saved the first baby dress she ever made me. She made many, many special dresses for me as I grew up. She would ask me periodically if I wanted to learn to sew but it was never an interest to me when I was young. I was way too busy doing other things. I did take home ec in junior high but had a horrible teacher. My mother couldn't believe the ways she would tell me to construct this one garment I tried to make. This experience really turned me off from taking the time to learn to sew.

Then comes Christmas of 2000. My mother got a new fancy dancy embroidery machine for Christmas. Since she had no need for her old machine she GAVE IT TO ME! I was now very excited to learn. I was 26 and my first child, a daughter, was only 4 months old. I really wanted to learn how to make my daughter cute things. My mom started me out guiding me through my very first garment, a really cute pair of overalls. I was hooked. My mom was a great teacher but I decided that I wanted to have focused time to learn. With my mom learning would be hit and miss whenever we would be able to get the time together. I decided to find a sewing class. I found a wonderful teacher and for a year went every week for 2 hours to learn how to sew. She taught me so much. I really appreciated how she taught me to think outside the box and gave me confidence to not have to follow the pattern guide sheet. She let me make whatever I wanted and guided me through giving me many tips along the way. The garment I will never forget was a pair of real overalls made with purple twill complete with lots of topstitching. By the time I finished them I hated them so much I think I only had my daughter wear them once.

During the summer of 2001 I think sweaters with everything must have been in. I was seeing cute sweaters everywhere and I decided I wanted to learn to make them myself. I contacted a knitting teacher and my mom and I sat a couple of Saturdays on this lady's couch while she taught us to cast on, knit, pearl, increase, and decrease. This was my only knitting instruction. Most of knitting I have taught myself (well, actually, I go to my knitting guru friend all the time with questions).

After the year of sewing classes my husband said that I had learned enough and said I couldn't go back to the classes. They were too expensive. He has no idea how much there is to learn with sewing. Since then I have been learning on my own and stretching myself to get better and do more complicated things. Twice I have gone with my mom to the Sewing and Stitchery Expo (2006 and 2007) and learned a ton of fantastic tips and tricks. The second year I picked up smocking. We are going to go again this year and I am so excited to learn some more. I only really discovered sewing blogs and pattern review (I actually signed up for PR in 2003 but forgot about it and never went to the site) about a year and a half ago. Wow! What a wealth of inspiration and motivation. I have loved this resource and has helped me grow tremendously as a seamstress and a knitter.

So as you can see sewing has always been a part of my life but I only have been doing it myself for the past 8 years. Boy, have I come a long way! I can't wait to see what the next 8 years will hold.

Thanks for stopping by and reading a bit of my history. Have a great day!

Until next time...

A Dress for a Wedding

2009-01-11T16:32:00.004-09:00

In the past I have read about many people who have had a wedding to go to and therefore made a dress. Before reading these blogs the thought wouldn't have crossed my mind to make a dress for a wedding. Plus, I don't go to too many weddings. Most of the people I know are already married. Well, recently a co-worker of my husband got married and I made a dress for the wedding!

This was a huge step for me. I have never made a dress for myself. Shirt, yes. Dress, no. I used a fairly easy pattern. Butterick 5206.
I read the reviews on Pattern Review and was pleased to find out that most really liked the pattern and the finished results. I think they all said that they had to take in a few inches and this really helped me decide what size to make. My pattern only went up to a 14. This was fine for my bust but too small for my waist and hips. After reading the reviews I felt confident that I could just cut a 14. I did add an inch to the back after measuring the back bodice piece because I have a wide back. I also added a bit to the neckline because all the reviewers felt the neckline was quite low.

The pictures aren't the greatest. They were taken inside at night and there is quite a bit of shadow. I tried to lighten them up a bit so you can get an idea of how it looks.I have to say that this is the boldest print I have ever worn over my whole body. I cannot believe I made it for myself. It is very daring but I kind of like it though.

Pattern Description: Mid knee length dress has close-fitting mock wrap bodice, flared skirt, contrast binding, side zipper, two sleeve lengths and tie belt.

Pattern Sizing: 8-14 I measure 14-16 in the bust and 16-18 in the waist and hips. Since I had read other reviewers had to take the dress in about an inch or so I decided to cut out a 14. This worked great for me. I did add an inch (total-half inch to each side) to the bodice back because I have a wide back and after measuring the actual back bodice piece I realized that was needed.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes very much like the picture.

Were the instructions easy to follow?Very easy to follow although I didn't really use them too much since it was easy and I wanted to do things a little differently. I but the top together before doing the binding on the top. I wanted to make sure the top fit well before going through all the trouble of binding the edge. I also set the sleeve in flat rather than per the instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the simplicity of the pattern and the result didn't look simple. I think that I must not have attached the waist very well because it looks messy. This is completely unnoticeable under the belt.

Fabric Used: probably a polyester knit from Michael Levine Loft

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
1)I didn't have quite enough fabric so my ties were not as long as the picture.
2) I did the binding a bit differently. I cut it on the crossgrain because this direction had a comparable amount of stretch as my fashion fabric. I stitched the binding on the garment right sides together. Then I folded the binding over the seam allowance to the other side and stitched it down using my coverstitch machine. This gave a nice finish to the wrong side. Since my fabric was black you can barely see the stitches on the wrong side of the tie. This was a very easy application of the binding. I would have rather used a binding attachment for my machine and done the whole thing in one step but since I don't have a binding attachment yet I had to do it in two steps.
3)Eliminated the zipper per recommendation from other reviewers. It slips over the head just fine.
4)Bound the arm and hem. It was easier to bind these edges instead of trying to turn and stitch them down.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I am not sure. I love the dress and love how it looks but I am not sure that you can have many of this style in one closet. I might make it in a solid. I think that would look different enough from the print.

Conclusion: I would definitely recommend this pattern. It was easy to sew and to fit. This is a great first dress and a nice beginning pattern for sewing knits. I really like the belt as it covers a multitude of mistakes.

I took pictures of putting on the binding but since it is black it is just too dark. You can't see anything so there is no point on having pictures. Sorry about that.

If you are looking to make an easy dress that is quite nice give this pattern a try. I think it is a great knit dress. Oh, I think that it is a bit low too. I have it pinned but I think next time I might wear a tank underneath.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Alaska Quilt Block #1

2009-01-10T22:16:00.004-09:00

Twelve days ago I made the commitment to make one quilt block a week. You are probably think that I already messed up. Well, I didn't really. I didn't get the Thangles (which is necessary to making the blocks) until last Saturday. Since it has only been a week since I had all the supplies I am right in my time frame.

Let me tell you about Thangles first. They are quite interesting. Since my blocks are 2 1/2" finished I will used these measurements. You start with 3" strips. Then you pin on the Thangles 2.5" strips. The strips are 3"wide paper strips that have triangle lines marked.

As you can see in the picture there are multiple diagonal lines. The middle one is solid and the two on either side are dotted. You stitch on the dotted lines. This one strip will make 4 triangles. This is a picture of the backside and you can see the stitched lines.

To make the triangles you cut on the solid lines.

Last you take off the paper and you have a very nice square.

Sorry I don't have a picture of one finished square. I do have a picture of my finished block. This block kit came from Seams Like Home here in Anchorage. It was pretty easy to get. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great Sunday.

Until next time...

To Go Cheap or Not to Go Cheap? That is the Question.

2009-01-04T19:30:00.004-09:00

I rediscovered an Ottobre yahoo group recently that I subscribed to long ago. All of the messages were going to my yahoo mail that I never check and boy have I been missing out. I set it to go to my regular email and now I will be able to keep up. This is not the reason for this post though.

One member of this group posed a question to the others. She wanted to know an average price for making different garments and if it was possible to sew for less than you can purchase clothing a stores such as Target or Children's Place. The discussion got quite interesting with people sharing why they sew and what quality fabric they use. Some members sew to save money and strive to make garments for the least amount of money possible. Other members bought the fabrics they loved regardless of price because they wanted to make one of a kind outfits. There was also many responses in between.

I thought this was a very timely question. Something I have been pondering lately. When I began sewing 8 years ago I couldn't wait for JoAnn's 50% off clearance fabric sales. I loved getting fabric for $2 and $3 a yard or even less. I could make outfits so cheaply. I did quite a bit of sewing with this type of fabric. I didn't even go to the independent fabric store because I couldn't imagine paying those prices.

After a while I started going in to our local fabric stores and would find fabrics I really liked that were on sale. I bought a few cottons for $5 and $6 a yard. Thus began my love for high quality cotton fabric. I noticed immediately how nicely it sewed up. It would press beautifully. It didn't come out of the dryer a wrinkled mess.

Then I decided to make a wool skirt for myself. I wanted nice fabric so I went to my local store and purchased some nice wool. It was a delight to sew and I loved the result. My love for nice fabric was just beginning. I still couldn't bring myself to pay a lot for fabric on a regular basis so I worked on finding good deals when I could. I would go to Denver Fabrics Annex when I could. I stocked up on some nice fabrics when I went to the Sewing Expo in Washington and found some for good prices. I would get cottons twice a year when the quilt stores had their sale day or get it from their clearance bin. All the while I continued getting cheaper stuff also.

Now in my stash I have an assortment of a few nice fabrics, some decent fabrics, and quite a few cheap fabric choices. Every time I sew with my cheaper stuff I have great difficulty. It just doesn't sew up as well. It doesn't make sewing fun for me. It just becomes frustrating and the results are often not exactly what I would like. Take for instance the three polka dot dresses I just made. I purchased the fabric from JoAnn's. It wasn't clearance fabric. It was their regular stuff for about $6 a yard which I got on sale. This was fairly decent fabric. It sewed up alright but when I finished they just didn't have the crisp look I was going for. It just seemed like the fabric was never completely pressed. While these dresses are cute I wish I would have purchased nicer fabric. I would have gotten the result I really wanted.

I just made two garments from fabric I purchased at the Denver Fabrics Annex and from Michael Levine's Loft-nice fabric at less expensive prices. I was very pleased with how both sewed up. One of the garments was a knit. My knit experiences to this point have been less than great. Recently I made a knit shirt for my daughter. The shirt material was from Michael Levine's Loft and it was fairly nice to work with. It needed contrast and binding fabric and so I purchased some from Joann's. I had great difficulty with this fabric but it just might have been because it didn't have as much stretch as I needed. With the garment I just made I also needed fabric for binding. This time I got it from my local store. It was a little more expensive but it was a joy to work with.

So, through this fabric journey I have learned a few things. Sewing is much more fun when I use nice fabric. Nice fabric might cost a bit more but in the long run it is worth the extra expense. I am happier with the result and am more likely to wear (or encourage my daughter to wear) the garments that I make. Using nice fabric just makes sewing more fun.

As a result of this ponderings I have made it one of my goals to purchase more quality fabrics for my stash this year. Now, I still have a very frugal side so this will be a challenge but one I think I am up for. It is just going to take some savvy shopping.

In answer to the question on the Ottobre group how much I spend on fabric. I guess that would depend on the project. I might try not to spend very much on something that I know is not going to last long (like shorts for my children for a short Alaskan summer). But, I will not skimp on something I want to last a while. I have to remember that the garments I make could not be purchased at cheaper clothing stores. They would be found at the more expensive botiques. So if I spend $20-$25 (I usually spend lots less on nice stuff) on fabric for an outfit I am saving a lot of money compared to the expensive stores where I would like to purchase clothing.

I know that many of you already have come to these conclusions about purchasing nicer fabric. This has been a process for me. Actually this is kind of funny because I figured this out a long time ago with purchasing yarn for knitting. I simply cannot bring myself to purchase cheap yarn. I figure that if I am going to put hours and hours into something I am going to use the good stuff.

Wow! This is a long post. I will leave you with a picture of a typical activity at my house. Thank you so much for reading. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T23:32:00.006-09:00

Many other bloggers have been talking about their past year and looking forward to the next. Well last year I didn't make any specific goals to look back on now. I will just give you my thoughts on the last year which are a few.

3. My family is healthy and doing well. God has blessed us tremendously and provided for us in so many ways. I am so thankful for His care and concern for us over the past year.

2. I didn't sew a whole lot of garments but I learned a lot by what I did make. I am pleased with this years progress.

3. I finished 3 sweaters. I began 2 of them this year and finished up one started a couple of years ago. This was awesome progress for me. Yeah!!

Now, as for looking forward. I am not into New Years Resolutions. I never keep them. I think I have a commitment phobia. As soon as I think I have to do something I don't want to do it no matter how much I like the activity. I am such a rebel! So instead of resolutions I will nail down a few things I would like to accomplish. But remember there is no pressure here. Since I like to keep this blog mostly crafting I will restrict myself to crafty accomplishments. If I went through the things I would like to work on in my personal life the list would go on, and on, and on.

1. I want to purchase better quality fabric. I have a tendency to gravitate toward good deals. I need to put more quality stuff into my stash that I would actually want to wear. I also want to concentrate on coordinating fabrics and not just purchase things singly that I later have to find something else to match.

2. I want to spend more time crafting and not just vegging out. My main time for crafting is the evening and I am often pooped. I don't want to do anything but when I don't do anything I feel like I wasted a bunch of time. I will still veg out I would just like to do it a bit less.

3. I want to finish sweaters (and sewing projects for that matter) within a reasonable amount of time (not two years). I have been getting better at this and want to continue this success.

4. I want to sew more for myself which would then include increasing my fitting skills.

5. I want to make a chart to keep track of my projects. I really like the chart Karen made and want to borrow the idea. This will really help me see my accomplishments and be a motivator. Then at the end of next year it will be easier to count up my projects and yardage. I would really like to know exactly what I made and how much fabric I used. Oh, and I would like to fill the chart by the end of the year.

6. Lastly, I would like to figure out my camera and learn how to take better pictures. My pictures don't have to be museum quality just better than they are now. I really want to get some good pictures of my kids.

I am sure I could think of more but I will just stop here.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Alaska Quilt Block Shop Hop

2008-12-30T14:00:00.003-09:00

Back in 2006 14 different quilt stores across Alaska joined together to create blocks for an Alaskan quilt. I spent the summer of 2006 on a quest for all the blocks. I thought I had them all but it turns out I only have 11. Oh well back to my story. I obtained these block kits through different means and it was a lot of fun. Of coursed I planned to make up this quilt right away. That didn't happen and now almost 2 years later I think I should finally get to it. Wow! I can't believe that I am going to make a commitment to do this. I really want to finish this project and this is the only way I would do it. At first I was going to commit to one a week but I think that might be a bit much. If I do one a week great! But as I am writing this that seems like a huge accomplishment. No! I WILL commit to one a week and I will post my finished block here so you can see my progress. There! I'm going to do it! Now all I have to do is find out where I can get the Thangles that the pattern calls for. This might take me a couple of months. :)

I will leave you with this picture of my kids playing in the trees. They had such a ball.

Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...