Sewing Fails...

Unfortunately we all have them... I think that's what prevents people from becoming avid sewers - one bad experience to sour what could be a wonderful hobby (or more!). I'm definitely still a novice, although perhaps "intermediate beginner" might be a better term. I can follow a pattern, sew many types of fabric, and even am getting the hang at putting in a zipper (!!!), and most of the time I can actually wear the garments I create (ha ha ha). That being said, I don't believe the majority of us are above The Sewing Fail.

My latest Fail (yes, it gets a capital F) was when I tried to create my own version of American Apparel's Le Sac dress. It looked like, well, a sack. (Please excuse the bad hair and lack of makeup - it was early morning but the light was nice). I had all sorts of visions of a stylish dress that could be worn in oh so many different ways - perfect for when I go on backpacking trips for weeks/months at a time. However, reality doesn't always equal your plans... This was the first thing I ever sewed out of jersey fabric, so I didn't realize that I should use a stretch stitch on my machine. Also, the fit was waaaaay too big and super un-flattering. Luckily I was able to salvage the fabric out of it to make a romper (more about that later).

Hopefully you all have more sewing Wins than Fails!

Spring Sewing Projects (Part II)

Back in April I made this top using Simplicity 3964 (another Built By Wendy design - gosh I just love her stuff!). I didn't have any problems with the yoke, but the top is too balloon-y for me... I still need to take it in several inches on either side - hopefully will get to that soon. I also added a tie bottom just in case I wanted to cinch it up rather than just wearing it loose. I might also keep the volume in the top as we are thinking about starting our family soon-ish and it would make a great maternity top... hmmm...

I made some comfy, stretchy straight-leg brown pants from the Built By Wendy: Sew U book. These were actually a muslin for my False Religion jeans, but I ended up finishing the jeans first because I wanted to wear them on a trip to Saskatoon. They were a great learning experience and I will definitely wear them, but the belt loops need a bit of fixing and the crotch kind of looks weird I think... I definitely prefer the jeans.

I like to follow the trends somewhat, although I think I will be giving all the new pants with front pleats a miss... As a child growing up in the 90's I committed some horrendous crimes of fashion involving front pleats and I still can't move past it, so I'm not about to try THAT trend... However, a fun 80's trend that I'm loving for spring/summer is all the rompers featured in the latest fashion magazines. I made this romper for myself out of some jade green jersey that was rescued from a sewing fail. I found the pattern at the thrift store for $0.25 and altered it to make it a bit longer in the crotch as I am quite long in the body. I totally love it! I wore it as a bathing suit cover-up when I went boating with my in-laws the other day - it was perfect!

My best friend is expecting her first child in just over a month, so I figured I better get cracking on the handmade portion of her gift (I found some adorable outfits at the thrift store already that are going into the gift package). I used some leftover cotton blend fabric from a dress I made for myself to create this ridiculously adorable jumper for the little guy. I used Simplicity 6948 (circa 1975), which actually looks a lot like this Oliver+S pattern... Seeing how I paid only $0.25 for my pattern at the thrift store, I'm fine with any differences between my finished garment and the lovely Oliver+S playsuit! Since Gavin will be arriving in late July, I figured size 6 months wouldn't be big enough (since he would be 6 months old in late January and Newfoundland winters are anything but mild), so I had to size it up a bit. I'm not sure if I was too zoned out watching the World Cup game while I was cutting out fabric, but I forgot to increase the size on the back and front facing pieces - oops! So I had to insert a small piece of extra fabric to make the facings fit with the main part of the suit... le sigh... Oh well, it was worth it. I love soccer (or football, heheh).

My sister-in-law is visiting from the UK for a few weeks and she made me some iron-transfer labels for my finished garments. She is an amazingly talented artist, you can check out her stuff here. So I used a large one in Gavin's playsuit and a very small (hardly noticeable) one in the lingerie bag I made for my friend's shower gift. I think they look nice and add an extra personal touch to my creations.

Spring Sewing Projects (Part I)

It's been a little while since my last post... I have been so busy with work that I haven't had time to take pictures of all my latest sewing accomplishments, never mind writing about them!!!

First of all, I used the Jane pattern from BurdaStyle and the free Madeleine pattern from Colette Patterns to create a lovely satin lingerie set for a friend for her upcoming wedding shower.

I used both parts of the Jane pattern to create some jammies for myself as well (these were actually a muslin to test the fit of the Jane pattern). The top was actually an upcycle from an old, old nightie I received for Christmas nearly 20 years ago. I should try to find a photo from Christmas 1993 just so you can see the nightie in it's shining glory (plus it would be a good laugh I think!), but here is a photo of it in its well-worn status pre-upcycle.

I ran in the South Okanagan Wine Association's first annual Half Corked half marathon with a few friends the other weekend. What a blast! The route was 17.5km along the beautiful wineries and vineyards between Oliver and Osoyoos. I entered with a few friends and we opted to do a Disney theme for our costumes. With my short, dark hair and pasty white complexion, Snow White was an obvious choice (lol). I recently got a job where I work 4 10-hour days and then get Fridays off, but needless to say I don't accomplish much during Mon-Thurs. I wanted to make my costume from scratch but didn't have enough time... I borrowed some yellow shorts from a friend, and then embellished a navy tank top with some baby blue jersey sleeves and a white satin collar. It turned out pretty good and was easy to run in (although I did get a heat rash on my legs though...that sucked).

I've got a few more projects to blog about, but those will have to wait until I can get my hubby to take some photos! So that will give you something to look forward to!