KMN 2019: Itch To Stitch Plitvice Top

I have the Itch To Stitch Plitvice Top on my #makenine 2019 knit list, partially because I bought it on release and really want to make it (as well as my other impulse buys) and partially because I already had an outfit I wanted to wear it in as well as the fabric already in my stash. Did I mention it is also for a Sewing Contests & Sew Alongs Facebook Group Challenge? Yes indeed everything seemed to line up perfectly.

I bought this red jersey knit at my (then) local to me Walmart when they started carrying apparel fabrics for $3-$6 a yard. I grabbed several yards and while I did make a George & Ginger I Heart You Top from it, it ended up getting refashioned into the side front panels of the Plitvice after me wearing it, it getting passed to my sister and then passed back as a refashion or donate. This jersey was almost a tissue knit with little recovery and is on the almost sheer level so I chose to cut double layers and line the whole front of the top. I didn’t line the back on the premise of planning on wearing this top under a cardigan or blazer with business casual styling, or under a jean jacket or casual cardigan for at home. I have no inspiration pictures for the casual outfit, but I have worn a draped cowl with my jean jackets before so I know it works for me.

Like this outfit in the Bravo Tv series Girlfriends Guide To Divorce. Photo from WornOnTv.net

 I found it pretty easy to put together, despite cutting double pattern pieces for the front cowl and side fronts. For the cowl I put the lining and outer together right sides facing and straight stitched them together across the top and then flipped them right sides out and assembled the front as instructed. Being very careful to catch all layers in the seams. I thought it could have bulky seams with all those layers but with such a thin knit it was like sewing through air. I do not particularly find the seams bulky at all, thankfully.

1 AM sewing. A real but elusively pictured phenomenon. Sometimes you have to sleep when the kids do. And sometimes you must sew.

I am so glad I made this pattern. Even though I have the Rad Patterns Angel Top in my tried and true section of my Pattern stash: I really love how the Plitvice looks; and yes they are both draped cowl neck tops in a knit fabric…but they really do not look alike. The cowl construction and height on the Plitvice is unique and I think it will be easy to style professionally. A go to pattern for under blazers and cardigans. That higher cowl is definitely a bonus when you are in customer service and leaning over a cash register even a little. Not that I am anti cleavage. I just try for eye contact. I am well and extensively blessed by the bosom fairy and well…draped cowls are notorious for the hint-o-peep when leaning or bending downwards.

As a styling plus, it is easy to style casually with the crazy print Greenstyle Aspens I made for the Sewing Contests & Sew Alongs group challenge.

Looook at that print! Bold! Beautiful! Viewable from space! Lol maybe not viewable from space but certainly memorable!

I love crazy prints and Aspens are my go-to pants pattern. I think my sister might regret buying the fabric at a sale and bringing it home to me…she is not nearly as flamboyant as I am with the prints. She also does not sew though. Me thinks these things are related.

She did do a little sketch for me when I was debating my top layer for the challenge though and I am so in love with it! It brings me all the joy ❤

The blazer pattern she thought would look best is from Lekala Patterns. I love the hair style she drew on me, I may have to attempt getting my hair in that one. It look super cute in sketch certainly!

 

January 2021 update:

As with many of my me-made’s, I have expanded quite a bit in 2020 and now need to remake this top in a nicer fabric and larger size.

KMN 2019: Comino Cap Dress

I cut this out after the Plitvice was cut out, but it was sewn first. After looking at photos of other bloggers makes from this pattern I wanted to make sure when I cut my fabric out it didn’t come out to short-I do not wear anything above the knee anymore. Just my personal preference. When I held the pattern pieces against my body it was very obvious it would be to short on my so I added 5 inches in length to the skirt alone. I thought the bodice would fit me well enough with the waist seam hitting at a good point so I left it alone for this first one.

I think in retrospect of having made and worn this Comino Cap Dress, that I will add 1 inch to the bodice length at the lengthen line and see if I prefer that length. If I don’t it will be easy to remove it for a later rendition.

Overall review of the pattern, easy to put together. Minimal pieces, clear but slightly unusual sizing-the size range is not your standard paper or indie size chart style but it is easy to understand.

Even though I made some pre-cutting adjustments as well as adding that inch to the bodice after sewing this one up ( set yourself up for success, if you need an adjustment do it immediately after your muslin or make and document it on the pattern and on your pattern envelope/file etc. I use files and write all my changes on the folder along with my make tally using that pattern. ) I really love the fit on this pattern-it is so flattering! I think styling this dress will be a breeze with the basic stripe print and if I find myself at a loss there are tons of ideas and graphics on styling striped dresses on Pinterest.

For an update 6 months later-I have had this post in drafts that long! I wore my striped Comino Cap dress to work and really love how easy it is to style. I did find that I needed a few inches of extra length added both to bring the waistline seam down slightly and to provide my preferred hem allowance amount. And I ended up taking the sleeve bands off…they came out beautifully but as I wore it the confluence of seams at the underarm really drove me crazy. I think I will need to adjust that area in some way to make it looser or extend the sleeve length to space the band away from my armpit.

January 2021 update:

As much as I really loved this dress-so easy to wear and so very easy to style! It did shrink up some along the hem, which made it to short. And then I grew outwards to much. The lack of events in 2020 really did not inspire movement and fancier dressing. Hopefully 2021 will be better in that manner! That being said, this dress was donated to a local charity thrift store and I have already seen it around town looking fabulous on someone else! What a joy! I was, however, at the largest size when I made this dress-so with my 2020 personal expansion-it certainly does not fit and I am highly unlikely to grade it larger to fit me anytime soon. So while this is the end of the road for me and the Comino Cap Dress; I do recommend it for anyone in their size range for an easy and extremely cute knit dress.

Sew Long Summer Blog Tour 2019

Has this year flown by to you? I feel like we just started 2019, it just started to warm up for summer…and it is time to work on Fall sewing. How fast is that?!

Today I am joining in on the Sew Long Summer Blog Tour to show you what I have been making myself for fall. My current make for me obsession is Ponte pants-I want ALL the Ponte pants! I turned 30 this year and have only grown…wider. And all I really want to wear is comfortable things; comfortable and flattering is even better though! I finally jumped onto the New Horizons Portlander Pants train. I even put it on my #MakeNine plans this year, hoping to motivate me into actually getting some assembly line sewing done for me. It took a couple months to get all my fabrics lined up and ordered. Eventually I may have ponte pants of some variety in every color of the rainbow. Well, maybe just the colors I wear 😉

I already have made 3 pairs of ponte pants-2 pairs of Portlanders, and 1 pair of my TNT Greenstyle Designs Aspen pants-all with Girl Charlee sale and clearance knit. I really love that section of their site! While all fabric used is technically in neutral easy to wear and match colors…they are also in pretty noticeable graphic prints. So solid tops with those three is best! I love wearing them with a solid top, cardigan, and a long statement necklace. I love wearing print and colors so much better then solids!!! Hmmm…as I sit here typing wearing a solid navy shift dress and solid red cardigan. Maybe I like solids more then I thought? I love this outfit actually. I feel fabulous and put together while still being comfortable. then again, I love both example outfits I wore earlier this year during #MeMadeMay19

Girl Charlee Ponte Knit New Horizons Portlanders

Vintage Double Knit Greenstyle Aspens

I wanted to balance out having those printed pants with some solid colored pants to wear with my crazier print tops. I have so many of those to work with I definitely need to get wear out of them. So I looked through my fabric options and settled on making these two solids into Portlanders to do that.

Stylish Fabrics on Etsy

This Black ponte came from Fabrics Universe on Etsy

I cut these out while my son worked in tying his first quilt for 4-H

He was so happy to finish his quilt top here. He did end up adding some borders. It turned out beautiful! He really hated blind stitching the binding by hand though. That…will probably never happen again…if it can be helped.

Isn’t it great? I am so proud of him! All that hard work got him a red ribbon at the fair.

I really liked cutting these out in multiples, it seems like a very efficient way to work.  I had a complete brain fart moment and decided to cut the first one in a single layer and couldn’t wrap my mind around that I had enough fabric to just cut these pants out on the fold so I failed my pattern tetris assignment in forethought. Luckily I can sew my leftover fabric into a big enough piece no one would have known if I hadn’t mentioned it. But, ya know. Honesty. I love reading other sewing mistakes and how the person corrected them.

Tada! I can see these pants going with so many of my printed tops. The black pair goes with just about everything of course. So I really didn’t feel the need to take pictures of the black pair next to anything…these russet-ish ones I have harbored some secret  doubts about so I will admit I took more then a few pairing idea pictures! It is interesting to me how pictures of the same fabric, in the same light, at the same time, with the same camera look different saturations etc. depending on what top is paired with them. They do look nice with quite a few of my tops!

This russet-ish brown pair I plan to pair with my russet colored RTW cardigan (if you know anywhere that has fabric in or close to this color please leave a link below) and my olive green RTW cardigan as shown. And black cardigans would go with them as well of course 🙂

My favorite pairings are with me-made tops: My Itch To Stitch Lago Tank and my Sew By Pattern Pieces Ladies Fun Tee

Itch To Stitch Lago Tank

Sew By Pattern Peices Ladies Fun Tee

I ended up wearing these pants to work with my refashioned(and refashioned yet again) tank top made from Simplicity 7034. Due to my multiple refashion past, there is some odd seams you cannot really see in this tank that I wish were not there. I did the scoop neck sleeveless version shown on the pattern envelope below. Overall I love the top-super flattering tucked and untucked! and it looks really good as an outfit on 🙂

I think I will love having some solid ponte pants in my wardrobe! That being said…these ponte fabrics are in the stash and up next! I don’t know if I am bold enough to turn that solid magenta ponte into pants though…I have a blazer in that color (as well as several shirts) so I could do a full magenta suit look…but I live in a very small town and that would be very noticeable in perhaps the wrong way. What would you do? Would you make pants or a skirt out of it if it were you?

Boho Fabrics

Boho Fabrics

Boho Fabrics Jaquard

Fabulace Fabrics on Etsy

I found a ponte with fairly high polyester content at my local walmart with a print like this that matches a RTW Blazer I have quite well.

 

The full tour includes these talented sewists, so I hope you’ll follow along and comment on their posts this week.

Sept. 9th Sewing A La Carte, mahlicadesigns, Sewing Vortex, Sewing With Sarah, Fils Anddraps

Sept. 10th The Bear and Pea Atelier, Auschick Sews, Stitched by Jennie, Miss Marah Sewn

Sept. 11th Sew Cute Couture by Kathy, A Rose Tinted World, mahlicadesigns

Sept. 12th Little Heart Threads, Lulu and Celeste, The Crafting Fiend,

Sept. 13th Petite Font, Sew 4 Five, The Sewing Scientist, Sew Cute Couture by Kathy, Kitty Makes It

 

#MeMadeMay19 Week 1 & 2

Selfish Sewing, Food For Thought

I see this term “Selfish Sewing” all over the sewing community, it is a hashtag with 41,862 posts on Instagram alone. When I first read it, I loved the idea, the bluntness of sewing for yourself-with such joy-as various bloggers and seamstresses seemed to show. It resonated deeply with me.

Then as the term use progressed, I read about the fallout. The not so positive reactions of family, friends and acquaintances over the seamstresses use of “Selfish” in relation to their sewing. Not everyone had a bad reaction of course, not even most. But it got me to thinking, is what we are doing selfish at it’s core? I don’t think so. In other areas and subjects they have adopted “Self Care” so it is clear it is healthy and positive and even necessary to our mental and emotional health. So why not sewing? Can we replace “Selfish” with “Self Care”? Which do you prefer? As a side note, does your sewing machine view look as messy as mine? Let me know in the comments below.

A Knit 2019 #MakeNine

This make nine seemed both the hardest and the most necessary for my wardrobe. I love woven garments but you cannot beat the comfort (and realistically, the easier fit) of a knit garment. So this list I went back over and over again and wondered if I could really make this nine in addition to the woven nine…and trying to settle on which of the knit patterns I already owned that I should make. I decided to limit it to 1 Pattern per designer so it isn’t all one or two designers.

I also had to choose patterns I already had the fabric in my stash for. I could buy more in the future but I am currently not working so I don’t want to commit to something that I may not be able to complete-even if it is a commitment to myself.

That being said, I want to make the Love Notions Tidal Dress. A pattern I snapped up upon release, delighted at the thought of making scrappy front dresses…and you guessed it; I never made it. I plan to make this one in a navy and ecru Greek key printed center front with navy sided and back. The print is a rayon spandex from the USA Girl Charlee sale section, and the navy is from Simply By Ti Fabrics and is also a rayon spandex. I have had this bought and planned as a maxi dress since June 2018. I love the ease of throwing on a maxi dress and not having to worry about layering anything to look put together.

As a not make nine side plan I will be making the Kitschy Coo Penny Pinafore as a head to head pattern comparison with the Love Notions Tidal Dress. This may be a maxi length or knee length depending on which fabric I end up using. I would like to do a contrast center front and possibly back panel for this one.

 

 

The next pattern on my Make Nine list is the Pattern Emporium Spellbound Dress in a maxi dress length. I have had a brightly colored patterned ity set aside that I bought for this pattern specifically from Fabulace on Etsy. This is to replace a boho print ity maxi I bought at a boutique in 2012 while I was pregnant with my middle child. Perhaps needless to say but this dress has been worn to death in the years since. This pattern was another upon release buy that didn’t get printed until I bought the fabric for it.

Inspirational Sallies from I Sew Therefore I Am, House Of Pinheiro, Crafting A Rainbow, Sewing and Slapdashery here and here.

To continue with the one garment dressing, my next planned pattern is the Sallie Jumpsuit from Closet Case Patterns. I love the look of this jumpsuit on everyone! I particularly loved it on Mary Alice of Well Sewn Style in this Curvy Sewing Collective blog post. And the one in Sew Beckie Jo‘s post here. It certainly felt like everyone in the sewing world other then me had made it and I loved them all so I bought the Sallie in 2018. While I would love to have a sleek all black, aubergine, or navy Sallie-Really any solid fabric would look incredible-But I do not have the fabric in my stash for that. So I decided to aim at a fun print Sallie from this fabric I got from Fabulace as a hopefully wearable muslin. I will be partially lining it with a knit thrift store fabric find in the same lighter turquoise-ish blue as in the print to combat the potential of the main fabric being sheer looking in the sun come summertime. I love my SUAT Scrundlewear but I certainly do not want to give a peep show when I run errands.

Next, I plan to make the famed New Horizons Designs Portlanders in a pretty mulberry and tawny brown floral I got from Girl Charlee’s sale section. I bought this fabric intended for the next pattern on my list; but decided I really want some comfortable knit pants in a fun print to wear all my solid tees with. I am rather notorious in real life to family and friends for wearing crazy printed pants-usually Greenstyle Aspen Pants in vintage Polyester knits. I plain wore out my last several pairs so I need more-Aspens, and I think Portlanders- will both look pretty chic in print with a solid cardigan and top. Thrown on some statement jewelry and it looks very put together for secret pajamas 😉

The pattern I originally intended the mulberry floral fabric for was the Kitschy Coo Comino Cap Dress, another one of those highly popular patterns from the past. I wanted this pattern and finally bought it after falling in love with all of Crafting A Rainbow Gillian’s Comino Cap collection. She has quite a few posts about the pattern in her Tried’n’True patterns section. I love how each one looks amazing in crazy prints and how totally awesome they all are. It looks like a fairly easy dress to make in a variety of fabrics once you get your muslin fit down and very simple to style day to day. Since I tend toward crazy printed everything it makes perfect sense to have a super simple dress for those prints to shine. To start out with though, I want to use a less distracting basic print for the wearable muslin. I want to use this Navy and Ecru thin striped knit from Fabulace. It looks far brighter then it is in person. I bought this fabric to make a tee shirt or a-line basic dress to wear over tights in winter and with cardigans in summer after seeing the many many graphics showing a striped dress mini capsule like in this post here from Bonnie and Blithe, and this post here at the Just Posted Blog, and yet again here from Un-Fancy.

This pattern planned next has that same basic lines appeal as the Comino Cap but it has so many included options it is anything but basic; the 1 Puddle Lane Ruby Tuesday Dress. I won this pattern in a Bella Sunshine Designs giveaway and was so thrilled! I have read so many positive reviews and posts like this one by Ti of Simply By Ti Fabrics and Sewing By Ti Blog that it is thrilling to me to get to play with this pattern. It definitely looks like it could be another tried and true make it in all the fabrics pattern. I am thinking I will use this fabric from Girl Charlee. As for what options…well I don’t really know that yet but I will make it!

This next dress pattern as well as the top pattern after it I bought within hours of release. As soon as they started sharing teaser photos of the testers for the Halla Patterns Elise Dress I knew I had to have it! That retro inspired neckline with the tabs and a faux wrap bodice? Sign me up immediately! I bought the pattern and started shopping for the fabric in minutes. I grabbed this floral in pinks, blue and greens from Fabulace, it reminded me of some of the 1940’s floral print crepes so I thought it would go perfectly with that 1940’s retro inspired neckline and bodice.

As for the top pattern I mentioned above, I am not sure if I have talked about it before much but I adore a draped cowl neck top so when Itch To Stitch released the Plitvice Top with its draped center panel I had to have it! Maybe I also have a weakness for center front panels in patterns as well? It might be so…I love the pattern but knew I would never make it with that hip band at the bottom so I added the same length as the hip band would have to the pattern pieces. I may add more after my first muslin, how short it looks on testers even with the band concerns me a little. If I want to wear it with any of my modern cut bottoms it may be to short and ride up. The length should not be an issue with my high waisted skirts and vintage reproduction trousers though. I will be making this in a red on red marled tissue knit I grabbed at Walmart when my local store started carrying knits.

And last but certainly not least! I need to make some shorts to go under all these dresses I have planned for 2019. I will be using the Stitch Upon A Time Willow Shorts the fitted option will be wonderful for under skirts and dresses. I am hoping they will come to just above my knee by an inch or two so my knee length dresses with cover them. I won this pattern in a rather unconventional way I suppose. I won 12 Patterns if my choice from SUAT for winning their 25k Member celebration, “Design a Pattern Contest” with my design for the Mary Peplum. I will be using the navy and the denim cotton Lycra from Simply By Ti Fabrics. I will likely order more of both as well as black cotton Lycra for leggings for me and my girls. I wear mine as tights while they wear theirs as pants and tights. You just cannot beat the quality!

Whew! *collapses in chair* I think this might be my most link heavy post yet, sorry if that bothers anyone. None of them are affiliate links or anything like that. I just enjoy being able to find things mentioned in blog posts with one click instead of having to search for it so I try to include as many links as I can, when I can.  Now to get sewing!

#MakeNine Goals…How do you choose?

Have you heard of the #makenine challenge? It all started with Rochelle of Lucky Lucille.

She talks about her reasoning here for her Make Nine Post if you want to read more direct from the lovely lady. I really love so many of her makes and her photography is gorgeous! I also loved how instead of looking back at what were “top” posts or makes etc. she wanted to look forward with a dream of creating. Oh yeah! Let me tell you, that is my kind of challenge right there! I love planning and dreaming up sewing projects-it is my favorite part of the creation process! But…where to start? How do you choose?

I know some seamstress’ leave spots open for potential new pattern releases that come out and are practically burning a hole in your sewing table, desperate to be made right now this instant! Do I want to do that? Probably, that seems like a great way to check a make off the list of nine. Then again,  what if I don’t fall in love? What if I do and there is no new pattern budget? Hmmmm…thinking about this made me really consider if I wanted to plan for a new mystery item, what about my previous impulse new pattern purchases? Had I made any of those? I went back through my email and tracked down all my Etsy/Ebay/Indie pattern purchases of patterns for me (let us not talk about kids patterns and impulse buying right now *hides head in shame* I always have such good intentions I swear!) for the last several years. How many do you think I made? Can you guess? For the sake of clarity, I am of course, not including any patterns I was a pattern tester for. I tend to make several of those in testing and after release as I gain inspiration from that release rush of makes we all get into and tend to make more. I am however including free patterns as well as paid.

Let me make a little list for you (emphasis on little) of things I impulse bought around release time and actually made:

I bought and made the Pippa Wrap Dress , from Designer Stitch It didn’t make it to my wardrobe mostly because of finishing techniques I ummm…well…didn’t use. That was compounded by fabric that stretched due to not stay stitching the pattern pieces. I do intend to make another Pippa Wrap Dress and carefully follow directions as the problem was me, not the pattern.

I fell in love with the Wardrobe By Me Hera Blouse upon release and spent two late nights sewing it up. Oh wait, did I mention I wanted a true wrap blouse most of the way through construction? Yes, another loved item with a side of self sabotage. I really need to sit down and dedicate myself to following instructions so I can get a lovely wrap or faux wrap top and dress made for me. Clearly I desire one right? This one also has left my wardrobe. Ish. It is tucked away in a box of might bring out again makes. I really enjoyed it as a over shirt type layer in the summer over maxi dresses and my  tanks that I would never wear out as shirts but when it was to hot for much coverage, they were great under my Hera. It is really great as a top and as a layering piece-I loved using it over my maxi dresses the most for a ’70’s vibe of complete comfort and joy. It may come back out once it warms up, there is no predicting these things sometimes.

You know when you see a pattern and there is no doubt in your mind it is meant for you? That was the Rad Patterns Angel Top upon release, I have a serious weakness for all the draped cowl neck patterns. Seriously. All of them! This one looks so fabulous on plus sized ladies I snapped it up and made it post haste and have worn it to death…

Hold on, let me think about this a bit…actually I snapped it up and lovingly thought about it constantly, promising I would make it next until the All The Sleeves Add On was released and I made it with flutter sleeves that night-literally-that night. I really highly recommend both the Angel and the All The Sleeves add on pack!

Does that make it a win? A somewhat belated win but still a win. Amazingly…I think I have one picture of it that I took for #MeMadeMay but let me assure you I have worn this top soooo much. I need to make more. I wish there was a time store where we could get extra sewing minutes. If wishes were fishes and all that jazz.

Then I fell head over heels in-make it right now-love with the Itch To Stitch Nottingham Top as soon as I saw the blog post with the collection of makes from testers and made it that week, twice. Oh yeah, bring on the impulse sewing. I have another for my sister I need to get sewing post haste…because it was originally intended for her birthday gift…in July…and again for Christmas…yeah I suck at requested sewing for other adults. That makes 4 patterns I bought and made immediately for myself, 5 if you count the Angel and Sleeves separately. I guess that is a resounding NO I shouldn’t leave open new release spots. I really need to sew what I have, clearly right?! How embarrassing. Does anyone else buy upon release (or any other time I suppose) and amass a library of brand new never used patterns and then think…oops, maybe I should make those before buying more? This isn’t even including my Big 4 paper sewing patterns. Shhhhh those can be a secret a little while longer. They don’t take up that much room I swear! *covers pattern totes with pretty fabric* Tadah! Side table(s).

Imagine the silence as I scroll through my Patterns I own Pinterest board for myself. I spent so long tracking all of these down through receipts and pinning them. So long people! It took hours…Maybe I should consider the challenge on Youtube, #patternfast or #patternnobuy I think it is called? Food for thought.

Moving on. We know I need to use only what is in my pattern library for my #MakeNine .Pdf or Paper patterns? Indie or Big 4? Woven or Knits? Cake or Frosting sewing? A mix of all? Whew, that would release me to choose what have you. But…there are so many things I want to make! What about a woven #makenine and a knit #makenine? Okay, sounds good. Ambitious but good. 85% of the time I am sewing clothes to replace others/cover my growing children…all three of them. Then another 8% is mending, and sewing for non my kidlets. A grand total of 7% of sew for me time. I can do it though; I just need to manage my time better. And consider keeping my sewing table clean of non sewing ephemera.

Okay, now the question is this; Cake or Frosting sewing? I live in a quiet, well out of the way area with practically no events other then a summer event called Prospector’s Days and our county Fair. So making fancy clubbing outfits or movie night specials does not make much sense for this rural single mother.  “Cake” sewing would probably be on the lines of jeans/trousers/skirts with either knit tops or woven pullovers and buttonups. Clothes you can look pretty but still work in-work being defined as something like stacking firewood, mucking out a chicken coop etc.-I tend to prefer skirts to trousers and jeans, both for aesthetic (they make me feel pretty and feminine) and for ease of fitting (hello diastasis recti turned mum tum pudge ball) I do want to start my comfortable fits me jean journey but that brings me more to my “Frosting” I love vintage fashion. Enough that when I moved back here I took massive advantage of people not knowing me and released that inner vintage inspired vixen I felt awkward releasing earlier in my life. So while I can (and do) still work in my retro and vintage inspired clothes, they are slightly more on the frosting side of the spectrum for me. I would love some 1930-1940’s inspired jeans and trousers, and of course; vintage dresses make my heart swoon and I absolutely do wear them. I guess I better get planning these! Knowing me, it will be an all the things plan that will morph and change but I will have this guideline to keep me on a (somewhat) linear sewing path. Thanks for sticking with me on such a long, dreamy and scattered planning thought process post! This may turn into a mini series with as much dreaming as I already am.

What is on your #MakeNine? Do you sew with a plan?

 

So Long Summer Blog Tour 2018

Welcome to the Sew Long Summer blog tour. I am joining today to show you what I have been making for my younger daughter as we edge closer to the end of Summer.

Not only are we sewing bloggers are going to share with you how we say “Sew Long Summer” But we’ll be asking you to join in with a Social Sew too (read on to the bottom of the post for details and prizes) How fun is that?! I love sewing along with other people on a general themed topic.

Where we live it is now getting quite cool at night and in the morning but heats up by noon so it is time to make and wear pieces that can be layered into Autumn and Winter. With that in mind I knew I wanted a fairly basic but still cute top pattern to fill her shirt drawer with. And knowing I dislike making repetitive basics I knew it needed options so I could use one pattern and be done for this growth spurt.

When I was looking through the things I pinned to my style board for her on Pinterest she liked This Dress From Persnickety Clothing

It is pretty dang cute right?! I actually bought an orange and pink stripe knit from Fabulace on Etsy and made her these first three for her birthday (the big #3! We skipped terrible twos and are now firmly in threenager mode) to somewhat mimic this dress.

 

 

This third one has little rainbow pastel hearts on white, it was harder then I thought to catch this one on camera.  I will admit though that doing three similar versions in the same fabric can get confusing when she wants to wear them back to back…or hauls a dirty one out to wear again before it hits the washer. This happens more frequently then I would like, but it does show that she loves them. That is always wonderful when you make something for someone else.

I knew she needed tops instead of dresses so I chose the Faux Layer Low Waist Top option of the Sew A Little Seam Blythe Top, Tunic, and Dress Pattern

It came together so smoothly I whipped up the first three for her birthday and when I came across some nice knit ladies shirts a couple days later I grabbed them up to refashion into 3 more Blythe’s for my little. And there is yet one more almost finished on my sewing machine right now…how many is to many? I am never quite sure myself.  I find refashioning quite joyful and love going to thrift stores to pick things out in fun fabrics I couldn’t get in yardage and combining them in fun ways. For example, one of the shirts I refashioned has cuffs that I kept and think look super cute-being able to keep details is great!

For all of the Blythe’s I have made so far I have used the bound neck keyhole option due to my kids being fairly tall and slender and having large heads so having that keyhole closure makes getting her dressed so much easier!

 

For both striped versions I didn’t have enough fabric in the shirts for the gathered skirt so I just added the length of the skirt so they are long enough and made the two A-line tops you see here. Equally as cute and comfortable. I think little adjustments like that really helps you get the most mileage out each of your patterns. So full price this pattern is $7.00, if you consider how many times I have made it already (6) my price per make is $1.16 each for the pattern. I used size 3 this time and it goes to size 12 so there are many more years and sizes left to use. Not to mention that I have two daughters so double the use. If I make any more Blythe’s it just keeps going down. And so on, until that pattern has completely covered it’s purchase price many times over. How many cute shirts can you buy for $7.00? Remember this next time you have a spur of the moment pattern purchase…not that that happens often. Right Ladies? Yes, excellent. We agree to rationalize it away lol impulse pattern buyers unite! Now if only I could clone fabric yardage…

Are You ready to sew with us? Our theme this month is all about getting those transitional wardrobe pieces ready; finishing up all those things we meant to make this summer; and well, basically whatever Sew Long Summer means to you.

Share what you’ve been making to say “Sew Long Summer” and use the hashtag #SewLongSewcial18  to be entered into our random drawing.

Continental US participants will be entered to win a $20 store credit from Simply by Ti Fabrics.

All other participants will be entered to win a pattern of choice from DG Patterns.

To enter, please tag your sewing project with #SewLongSewcial18 on Instagram or Facebook. You can also leave a link in the comments on the mahlicadesigns intro post. Please limit your entries to items you’ve sewn between Sept 10th and Sept 28th 2018. Winners will be notified and announced shortly thereafter.

Sept. 10th Sewing A La Carte, Tenille’s Thread, A Custom Clothier, Made for Little Gents, Miss Marah Sewn

Sept. 11th Manning the Machine, mahlicadesigns, Sewing Vortex, Crafting Fiend

Sept. 12th Auschick Sews, Aurora Design Fabrics, My Heart Will Sew On, Vicky Myers Creations

Sept. 13th Flaxfield Sewing, Sewing with D, Musings of a Seamstress, Make it Sew with the Bear and Pea Atelier, Petite Font

Sept. 14th Sewing à la Carte, Sewing by Ti, Stitches by Laura, Sewing with Sarah, My Sewing Roots

 

Itch To Stitch Lago Tank

Have you tried the Lago Tank from Itch To Stitch? It is a free pattern! Oh the joy! Oh the love! I was a tester for the Lago Tank and fell in love, it is a great fitting tank and fills a hole in my wardrobe for warmer weather. I don’t like wearing sleeves much. So short sleeves and sleeveless tanks are right up my alley.

 I may have to order that fabric again to make a doppelgänger tank to this one. I loved wearing it with this cardigan.

This Instagram picture and my fit and style pictures are all I have to document my original tester tank…when I moved last year I packed the tank in my duffel to wear for the moving and unpacking period and did wear it for that but then it disappeared  somehow. Not even joking. I have no idea what happened to it and wish I did because I could be wearing it right now in comfort and style. I used This Fabric from Simply By Ti Fabrics for my original and it sewed up like a dream!

Ye gads. The fit of these RTW pants is terrible in retrospect. And to think they were my favorite pair forever! They are a knit and I finally bought Ponte and that is indeed what they are, though I got a lighter ponte then they are made of. 

I did have to make some adjustments to the pattern for my personal fit preference. I shortened the arm bands by several inches so the fabric would cover my bra, I try not to show bra or bra straps if I can and you could see a little bra from the side so I shortened the band to bring it in at the designers suggestion. This picture shows how low it was before I unpicked and shortened the bands to bring it up.

I had to lighten this ridiculously to be able to see the difference in the Lago and the under tank I wore to cover my bra. 

I also shortened it. It is meant to be a tank that covers you if you bend over and it still does, I am just a few inches shorter then the pattern is drafted for. This pattern is perfect for making several for assembly line style sewing. It is a very quick make! I actually made one for my sister this summer, a cropped high low tank using the Lago out of this Girl Charlee fabric. She loves it which made us both happy!

However, on a note about this particular fabric: It is printed onto the fabric and it was not printed on grain. Trying to get any kind of pattern matching is practically impossible.  Which is quite unfortunate as the print is really pretty in person and the fabric is lovely if it was not for that.

I want to make a few for summer wear but have not quite settled on a fabric…perhaps one of these? This post by Sewing By Ti using that same olive damask print (but a different pattern) makes me lean toward that fabric, and in fact; was why I bought it…sometimes it is hard for me to stick to my original plans. Originally the green damask was for a Lago, the pink floral a Mary Peplum, the fuchsia ikat a Lago or Ladies Fun Tee, the turqouise print for Polliwogs Leggings for my daughters, the blue and black broken chevrons were made into a Mary Peplum with Portlanders in mind for the remainder. The purple damask was intended for an Angel Top, and the animal print was inspired by another Lago tester-Ilse’s animal print version. She is so stylish! I highly recommend looking through her wonderful makes on her blog or Instagram.

Fabrics 1, 2,  4, 5, and 7 are from Simply By Ti Fabrics and are all still available. Fabric 3 is from Girl Charlee and fabric 6 is from Fabulace and neither are currently available from them, though similar prints are.

So if you are looking for a tank top for spring and summer wear I recommend trying the Lago and especially in a Simply By Ti knit! Robynne of Robynne And The Bobbin did a head to head comparison of using Simply By Ti cotton Lycra vs rayon spandex here if you are wondering how the fabrics compare.

Happy sewing my friends!

It’s Gonna Be May Tour with Petite Stitchery & Co

Today I am joining in on the Petite Stitchery & Co. spring blog tour.  I know they have beautiful women’s patterns (have you seen the Woman’s Emerson Top? So pretty and on trend!) But today I had to go for the super adorable Tansy Slim Ruffle Pants for my older daughter. This spring isn’t quite yet spring-y weather wise (though I admit today has been so gorgeous it does seem more spring like) and she has grown so much she had no pants! This is quite a problem as you could imagine.

Tansy is a super cute elastic waist, pull on, slim ruffle pant with a capri option. Three ruffle styles are offered in the pattern with sizes 2T-12 included. Good news to everyone with growing kids! The pattern will cover you in the cute ruffle pant department for quite a while.

I chose to do a size 6 for my daughter, that is a little big on her intentionally, she is in a growth spurt and I wanted room for her to grow. so the ruffles on these may look a little short-that is because they are practically halved in length with a quite deep hem to let out as she grows. That being said, I love the proportions on these pants and how quick and easy they sew up! Quick sews are always good in my book when it comes to my kidlets.

I made this pair out of a rather vibrant vintage polyester that I knew my daughter would love (and would be busy enough to help hide the dirt and mud she likes to play in) Most of her knit tops are solids in pinks, purples and blue greens so they should go with anything. Such a huge plus when they are independent and want to dress themselves but you want them to look more put together! I really loved her choice of this faux band graphic tee so we went with it for this mini photo-shoot. Can you tell she has an attitude as vibrant as the pants?

I have another pair cut out and ready to sew up as I write this; this pair is another vintage polyester. This time a more subdued tan tweed print with little rainbow flecks and some very pretty vintage cream lace. They were actually a muslin for my StyleArc Barb’s Pull On Pants that didn’t work out and I loved the fabric enough I had to use it somewhere-the Tansy’s are perfect for projects like this! They will have lace on the ruffle and on the square patch pockets I want to put on the back. I think Tansy’s are a great pant to add pockets of all varieties and ALL THE TRIM. Seriously. Lace, ric rac, piping, appliques, if you can imagine it; Tansy’s are a great base to embellish! Have a dramatic print like this pair? Well they look fabulous in a print too!

Be sure to check out the other stops on this spring’s blog tour!

 

 

And don’t forget to enter into the giveaway! Sponsored By Southern Belle Fabrics; Link to giveaway at bottom of post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway