Oh, they grow up so fast...

They clean up nice, too.

Unexpected frustration

I was very busy on Saturday and I didn't expect to do a lot of sewing, but after the running around in the morning I was able to sit down around 4 p.m. to sew until 8. I can't believe I almost finished a dress in that time including the alterations.

I decided to make this sundress pattern: http://www.simplicity.com/assets/6557/6557t.jpg.

From Sewing

I thought I would start with making the lining and then putting it on to see if it fit. It barely got around me! I was so disappointed. So I took out the basting stitches and decided I would use smaller seam allowances.

From Sewing

It wasn't until I tried to put the lining to the back of the dress that I realized that the lining fabric, in spite of being washed, dried, and pressed, had shrunk when I ironed the seams! There is a good 2" added to the back on each side! I am not fatter than I thought I was! I added some fabric to the back seam and took larger seam allowances on the sides.


It still doesn't fit quite right. I have to fix this area:

From Sewing

It doesn't look like much on the picture, but this bunch of fabric is due to the lining shrinking that much. I am bummed a little bit because I love this fabric, so I will do my best to salvage this, but this may be something I only wear around the house. I don't have much of that lining fabric left so I won't run into this problem with my other dresses. I am proud, though, because I did a sway back adjustment. I usually have fabric bunching at my lower back. I have not determined if it is due to a sway back or a big-butt protrution, but it is the same adjustment either way so I say it is a sway back!

Day one, prepare to sew

My first day sans homework, studying, or classes. Yeah me! What will I do with the next 288 hours before summer classes start? SEW!

ewww...that's going to be a problem....

You like how I hid some of the mess behind a folding table?

I have long given up trying to organize my sewing room. I figure the only way it is going to get clean is if I sew this fabric into something. Today was prep day...

Nothing is as pretty as freshly washed, ironed, and folded fabric ready for cutting when the spirit moves. Usually at midnight. For Mitchel's sake, whose room is next door, I refrain. He goes to college after next school year. Then I can have my sewing all-nighters back again!

I am on mission this week to sew my daughter's and my summer wardrobes. My teenage boys are going on a school trip and my husband is on a business trip to CA until Thursday. I really have no excuses other than laziness (which I have been known to claim). The hardest part for me by far will be deciding which pattern to use for each fabric. My goal is to post at least every other day with pictures and do reviews on PatternReview.com of each pattern by the end of the 288 hours.

I did get some sewing done today along with the prep work. Actually, it was embroidery, but I had to make the PJ pants. They are a present for my daughter's friend for her birthday tomorrow. Shhh...! She has to pick which shirt she wants to give to her friend. I already made a pair of pants for my daughter, which is why I made 2 shirts.

Voyage into silk

My first blog post! Like I need another thing to do, but I thought it would be fun to document some of my sewing pursuits. I don't particularly like talking about myself; I find it indulgent, but I have found through participating in facebook that I can talk about myself and others can choose to read about me or ignore my babblings. I like sharing what I sew, so read as you wish...

Ok, is this not gorgeous? I don't have fabric that looks like this, but it is equally as yummy! I think one of the biggest challenges with sewing is envisioning a flat, 2-dimensional piece of fabric as a 3-D item of clothing. Will it turn out the way I want? Did I just waste this $20/yard fabric? What did I just get myself into? (Yes, I used a preposition at the end of the sentence. Did you know that is okay to do? http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ending-prepositions.aspx Did I mention I like English? Didn't think so...)

Anyway, I have a lovely piece of silk http://www.gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=6128 and it looks even better in person. I just like touching it. I want to make the blouse above with this fabric. I am mildly scared. I will be using some yucky print polyester chiffon that I got in a mystery bundle (thx to fabricmart) before I cut into this stuff. You are supposed to cut it between pieces of tissue paper so it doesn't shift around and use silk thread and make french seams...way more fussy than I am used to being, but that's the point. It is time to start making it look like I spent over $100 on a blouse that I really only spent around $20 to make. That's still less than some cotton blouses at Walmart (not that there's anything wrong with Walmart).