Simplicity 8337

 I sewed! :-D I did not sew a birthday outfit (first year since I started sewing that I didn't!) I wore RTW:

I had dinner out with my husband, brother and sister in law, I got lots of fantastic gifts, and I went to the White Sox v. Twins game on the day of...it was a great birthday all around.

Last Saturday, the Twin Cities Sewists group got together for the first time in a long time - it was awesome! We got together at a local lake (the weather was thankfully very mild that day). Talking sewing is always inspiring and I came home and cut out this pattern! 

I'm a very average height, just a bit under 5'6", and removed an inch in length

It's all sizes in one envelope - XXS to XXL - and I cut a size medium. I shortened it an inch at the waist and made no other adjustments. I fully intended to add a bit across the upper back (I've put on some weight there) but I forgot. I was cutting this from scraps and had to play pattern tetris. I laid it out and just forgot to adjust the pattern piece. Womp. Womp.

It's a little tight across the upper back as a result. The puddling is partial due to posture, and a reality of making something without a CB seam.

I also departed from the pattern instructions on finishing - do not use pre-purchased woven bias tape to finish the neckline of this jersey knit top. That is just silliness. I cut a strip of the knit against the grain, at 7/8". The neckline seam allowance is 3/8", so I'm allowing for 1/8" turn of cloth, and 3/8" to finish. I didn't worry about folding the fabric back on itself.

I then turned, pressed, and used a narrow zigzag to secure.  The armholes were supposed to be finished with a double fold binding method and I just folded my binding in half and serged in place.

Wrong side will show, so keep that in mind if you choose something other than a single jersey. I am one that doesn't mind raw edges if the application is right (in this case, be sure to cut the ruffle with a rotary cutter for a neat edge), you can also do a rolled hem if a raw edge bothers you.

I really love the color (I hate that I can't wear the dress made from the fabric here), it's just super baggy in the chest / neckline. I'm so happy I was able to get a wearable (and versatile!) garment from the scraps. Yay, scraps! LOL!

Oooh - I (finally!) ordered a Beatrice dress form! (NAYY) I am SO excited! It'll be awhile before I actually have it in hand, but I plan to document the process throughout. 

They are currently releasing a limited number of forms each month, so that they can keep up with production, and I missed out in May and June. July - scored! 

Step 1: Complete an intake form. There are some basic questions and measurements so that they can send a scanning kit out.

Hopefully we will have a nice, bright day that will allow me to get a good scan (my husband will do it). From there, they verify the scan is good and then the form goes into production. I'm thinking I'm going to spend the extra $250 to get the half scale form - we'll see!

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My grandson is 10 months old! he's such a big boy, it's mind-blowing! He just moves around like a big kid now. He's reached the point where he scoots down off of the couch or bed and I'm about ready to send a consultant over to give baby proofing advice! 

He is very active, very determined, AND he's a big kid at 25lbs and he's tall. They're going to have to be quick on their feet! :-D

June Wrap-up and July Plans

Hey, remember me?  I have had such little sew-jo, and June was absolutely insane. 

I lost a couple days at the start of the month to a migraine. I'm sure the near 100 degree temps didn't help.

June 4: Grabbed my daughter's cap and gown from her college, bought some (expensive!) fabric from Sewing Lounge to make a simple cami style dress for her for commencement (she graduated last year but the ceremony was virtual)
June 6: Picked up daughter, sil, and grandson from the airport
June 6-8: Sewed the dress
June 8: Commencement 
June 9: Picked my parents up from the airport
June 10: Niece's birthday party
June 11: My dad's birthday, younger niece's HS graduation, cousin's bday dinner
June 12: Younger niece's grad party, aunt's bday dinner (dad's sister that traveled up for his bday)
June 13: Cousin's (mentioned above) birthday, dropped kids and grandkid at the airport
June 14: Started my new job (exciting but exhausting!)
June 19: Parent's last weekend, family dinner
June 20: Father's Day
June 23: Dropped my parents off at the airport
June 25-29: Girl's trip to Savannah

Like, seriously! 

This month I sewed 1 thing, total of 1 1/4 yards of fabric. Sighhh

I used the Kommatia patterns (Studio Calicot) Claire bodysuit pattern lengthened to a dress using M6886

Yep. That's it. No photos on her...I took these two pics from my IG stories

I tried various methods of using my Brother Coverstitch bias binding tool...it did great with a woven fabric (with either knit or woven binding), but not so great with knit-on-knit binding. And I was running out of time so I did it all on the sewing machine.

It turned out really well!

Now, this weekend is the 4th, my birthday is Tuesday, and I'm tired y'all! I want to make an outfit for Saturday, but I just do not see myself having the ability to get it done. If I can get the pattern cut out and adjusted tomorrow (doubtful), I can sew it Friday evening/Saturday morning & afternoon. Maaaaybe if I switch my idea from a jumpsuit to a dress, it'll be doable. We'll see :)

Otherwise, I really need to do a massive clean-up. My closet feels stale and is a mess, my sewing room is a mess, I've been having weird (for me) self-doubt. Like, it took me days to start that dress because I was worried about the binding. I look at patterns and think, "too complicated" and then, it sits. Wah. 

I try not to sweat it when the mojo goes...it just seems like I'm in a looooong slump right now. 

May Wrap Up

This month I sewed a total of 7 things for a total of 10.75 yards (plus a 2 meter project for Minerva - more to come)

• Butterick 6621 dress - 2.25 yards
• taupe jersey from Stylish Fabrics
• McCall's 7465 dress - 1.75 yards
• heavy navy jersey from Stylish Fabrics
• elastic
• Simplicity 9273 tee x2 - 1.25 yards each
• black & white striped jersey from stash (likely Fabric Mart)
• black rayon blend jersey from stash (I have no clue where I bought it!)
• McCall's 7465 dress - 1.5 yards
• blue and white floral & striped ITY from stash (Fabric Mart)
• elastic
• McCall's 7920 dress (WIP) - 2.75 yards (45" fabric)
• buttons (assuming I complete it!)
• Burda 1/2018 skirt (Minerva project) - 2 meters (not counted in my total)
• ditsy print black & white cotton poplin
• invisible zipper

mini'd M7465 in ITY

Favorite: I am probably most excited about the navy M7465. It's such a basic pattern but it fits SO well and the jersey is fantastic. I will be posting the review on this one tomorrow (apparently I did NOT schedule the posts I thought I scheduled! LOL!)

Accomplishment: Not much in the way of stretching the skills this month, but that's okay. I did continue to "fly by the seat of my pants", and overall, I'm happy with the new adds to the wardrobe except...

FAIL: I'm not sure about this white M7920. It is looking kind of nurse's outfit mid-construction. I am going to plan to finish it. We'll see!

Other things...

I finally put away all of my winter clothes (we were having lows in the 30s still near the end of the month) and pulled out spring and summer clothes. I then proceeded to try on EVERYTHING. If I hadn't *just* worn it/bought it/made it and knew that it fit, I tried it on. 

IT WAS EXHAUSTING!

But it was good. I have a lot of clothes (which is okay!), and having stuff hanging up and taking up space is pointless. If it did not fit in that very moment, it went back in the bin. And then, I sorted the bin with stuff that I cannot fit but want to hang on to on bottom and stuff that was pretty close to fitting on top, and some stuff went in the donation pile. 

RTW: 

I saw these pants in Target and thought they were worth trying for $25. SO much extra front length. Bleh. And they were twill and very stiff. Not what I was looking for.

I ordered these wide legged pleated trousers from Calvin Klein from Nordstrom Rack and I've checked at least 7 times to make sure they weren't "tall'. Nope. Just super, extra long for some reason. I tried them on with 4" heels and STILL need to lose 2 inches. Bananas. But, the fabric is really nice, they are fully lined, and fit well otherwise. At $45, they were worth it, even with the cost of alterations.

In case you are wondering - I have a tailor. I do not alter RTW clothing.

I was sort of interested in the shoulder-pad tee trend but not enough to fully commit. I like this muscle shirt from Target. It gives the look without the pad. I do wish the neckline were a little more open.

I really scored on a few items at LOFT. But that's one of the few places I shop consistently. I just LOVE this smocked top. The pants are new too! I also picked up a pair of slim, cropped black trousers. Great fabric, waistband faced with wide elastic, double darts in back...they are fantastic. 

I am pretty picky about RTW now, not surprisingly. I saw this white top in Marshall's one day and thought it was a little too long for tucking and so I left it. 

But then, I could NOT stop thinking about it! 

Yesterday was a perfect weather day here in Minneapolis, and there was a Simplicity that I wanted to pickup so I hit a JoAnn that's a bit further away, just to go for a ride. I happened to stop in Marshall's and I FOUND THE SHIRT!!!!!!!! Woooohoo! I didn't know that Beach Lunch Lounge was a "real" brand ("discount" stores often are just selling house brands made for their store). It's 100% viscose, fits well, and since it's so soft and drapey, it actually tucks just fine. (I have it on over an off-shoulder jumpsuit so ignore the weird shoulder bulges!)

Lastly, here are some RTW inspiration pics I rounded up for summer, all from Nordstrom (I like to look there and Net-a-Porter for inspiration!)

I mostly participated in Me Made May. I think I did everyday, but I didn't document daily so I'm not 100% sure. One of the BEST things about MMM is finding new people to follow. Totally makes it worth it!

I've got about a week with nothing happening but then, June gets insanely busy (in the best ways!) so I'm only going to set a few goals:

• Finish the WIP, Burda 1/2018
• Sew a matching tank with the leftover fabric
• Do as much as I can to finish stalled WIPs and UFOs

As always, more later!

Burda 4/2019 - More than a year later!

I sewed this jacket April of 2020, and then, there was no need for it. I've been getting a lot of usage from it this spring, and figured I'd better write a review while I have SOME of the details still pinging around in my brain. 

I've sewn 5 or 6 garments from the 4/2019 issue - it is really a winner! I wanted a casual jacket in a black that had some interesting details. It took me awhile to settle but this jacket has such great details while still being relatively simple in construction. And, the modeled pic really sold me. 

I used a size 42 and added an extra inch to the back hip via a slash and spread. I can't remember now if I made any adjustments in sewing seam allowances smaller or larger - sorry. But, I will say that a 42 bust and waist and 44 hip is typical for me with Burda patterns! 

I purchased this black cotton twill from Mood last March for about $25 for the 2.5 yard cut. I'd previously ordered swatches of black cotton twill and then got sucked in by a Rag & Bone sale. DOH! This fabric was much stiffer than the one I originally settled on, and it attracts so much lint. Sighhhhh. I washed it a couple times and have washed the jacket. It'll soften up eventually I suppose. 

Ultimately, I really enjoyed sewing this. Topstitching was such a breeze on this fabric! 

Since the pattern contained a collar stand, I decided to add a throat latch of sorts, purely for decorative reasons. There's no way I'll ever buckle this, LOL! But it was a fun detail to include. I believe the storm flap is lined with pongee poly lining, the remainder of the jacket is unlined, with the seams serged.

lint. lint. more lint.

I used the pocket from Burda 2/2016 #127 (a plus sized jacket pattern). It is essentially a really long rectangle with a soft fold at the top. I used packaged bias tape for the strap detail - I ironed it flat (the ironed side is on the inside since it was tough to really get that crease out), topstitched it, and used D-rings to finish it off. 

Idk what that white stuff is so just look at my top stitching!

I am a huge fan of three-quarter length sleeves, so these were right up my alley. The button and tab are decorative. 

Speaking of buttons! Do you recall when Fabric Mart had all of those notions from Milly and other buttons and stuff on the site? I paid $0.53 for 20 buttons! SCORE! The buttonhole required was too large for my Singer Quantum Stylist 9985 but, I don't remember how I solved it. I know I performed some type of workaround...and skipped the not-necessary buttonholes on the tabs here. 

Like many other things, it fits a little more snug now, but I've been wearing it non-stop this spring!

I'm still looking for larger D-rings for the belt. If I'd planned ahead, I could have made the belt a little narrower to accommodate what I had on hand. 

I still have ALL of the same WIPs as I did in my last post (are they UFOs now??), but I did sew both M7465 and B6621 as mentioned, along with two versions of a newer pattern, S9273. Hey, its just how things go around here! I did a Live on Instagram with Cecily of Sew Creative Lounge and the topic of my erratic sewing came up :-p Give it a listen if you're into that sort of thing! 

B6621 - since completed

I've been mostly participating in Me Made May but not posting regularly. Here are a few faves!

S9273 top worn for a trip to Gale Woods Farm in Minnetrista, MN, and a virtual graduation party

M6964 tee worn for a 10 mile e-bike ride around Hastings, MN 

Burda 1/2021 cardigan/jacket just because it's CUTE

S9011 dress worn for Mother's Day
Burda 1/2021 top worn for an interview

Burda 1/2021 because it is truly one of my most favorite garments made recently and I LOVE it!

(Yes, Burda 1/2021 over and over! There are still garments I need to make from that issue!)

I have a few posts scheduled (YAY!) to review:
Burda 5/2020 silk top

S9273 tees

B6621 and M7465 dresses

And before we know it, it'll be June (HOW?!)! More later!

April Wrap-up and May Sewing Plans

This month, I sewed 6 items for a total of 7 3/4 yards, almost all from stash

I sewed:

• Burda 6/2018 jacket (WIP) - 1.75 yards
• striped cotton boucle from Fabric Mart 
• brass jacket zipper, brass snaps
• McCall's 7542 top (WADDER) - 1.5 yards
• cotton shirting in solid pink and black & white stripe from SR Harris and Fabric Mart
• no notions used due to being a wadder
• Burda 5/2019 dress (WIP) - 1.5 yards
• print poly woven 
• zipper
• Butterick 5760 skirt (WIP) - 1 yard
• green wool boucle
• zipper
• Burda 5/2020 top - 1 yard
• chartreuse silk georgette from SR Harris
• covered button
• Butterick 5760 skirt  (WIP) - 1 yard
• navy cotton lace
• zipper

Favorite: Hard to say since I have multiple WIPs. I'm going to go with the Burda top right now. The color is so pretty and, SILK! 

Fail: The McCall's top and not just because it didn't work out. I liked the idea in theory but it was just too much contrast for me. 

Accomplishment: I didn't go too far out of the box this month. 

I am going to be promo'ing the Paprika Patterns Nautilus swimsuit and popped into SR Harris for swimsuit lining and found a very interesting cotton woven in the designer section. It feels incredible, we'll see how it washes up. I got 3 yards due to it being just 44" wide. I also bought 1 Simplicity pattern and 1 Butterick at recent sales. There are a few McCall's from the new release that I plan to add to stash at the next sale! I am also ready to cull a few more - we will see.

May Plans

Me Made May

I have almost always participated in MMM. I will just pop in my standard message - it is NOT about pictures or "showing off". If you feel some turn it into that well...that's their path. It really is about being encouraged to wear our handmade garments (proudly!). It isn't about making a bunch of new stuff to wear. It isn't about a closet full of handmade garments. It is self-designed and the parameters are up to you. 

As someone who has a lot of handmade garments, I've set various challenges over the years. This year, I am taking it back to the basics. I will plan to wear a handmade garment every day. Appropriate for Covid times, where I've given up on getting dressed most days. 

Other plans

Now that I've created a plethora of WIPs, I will plan to get them finished :)

• Burda 6/2018 jacket needs lining constructed and bagged
• Butterick 5760 v1 needs hem finished and v2 is in very early stages
• Burda 5/2019 dress needs side seams finished, facings sewn, and hems

applique scissors are a MUST for laces - buy some!!!

I'm also planning to stick with this fly by the seat of my pants sewing, for now. I will be swapping out my closet this weekend, so I will have a better idea of what I need for the warmer months, soon. But, it's May in MN which means, wild weather swings e.g., today it is 64 low/81 high...on Tuesday there'll be a low of 39 and high of 57.

I am realizing I really don't need pants :/ I like sewing pants! LOL! I really scored at Ann Taylor and LOFT the last couple of shopping trips (e.g., wool blend trousers for $15.88, casual pants for <$9), so we will see!

For now, I'm thinking that in order to (finally!) finish those WIPs, I'll probably need some breather work in between. 

I'm thinking:

McCall's 7920 for that white fabric I mentioned above. I like the longer version but with 3 yards of 44" fabric, it may not be possible. We will see!! 

McCall's 7465 and Butterick 6621, both TNTs, in a solid color. I really want the Butterick twist-front dress in this navy jersey, I just have to make sure it isn't too heavy for that pattern (I don't want the front to be bulky). Otherwise, I'll use the navy for the McCall's and the Butterick in a taupe-y jersey. 

More later!