fall sewing ideas

I'm not going to be so confident to call this a fall sewing plan... because let's be real, I don't really know what my fall schedule will allow for sewing time now that I'm back to work and school. So here's a reasonable "wish-list" of things I'd like to make for me! You'll notice a lot of basics in basic colors, kinda boring for you I suspect, but I've noticed some wardrobe gaps and wanted to make things I know will get a lot of wear using some of my newly-determined tried-and-true patterns.

1.) Scout Tee

I bought some black, white and ivory rayon fabrics to make few of these, as well as a poly with a slight luster to attempt a dressier version. The fabric has the same look as the cotton/silk blend I used for my black maxi-dress, but was 1/4 of the cost. If it comes out well I'll splurge on some more of that lovely fabric for winter!

2. simple tops

I purchased some lightweight, crinkly bright coral poly (I know...) and a soft, semi-shear, grey-scale print to make into and easy  Megan Nielsen Eucalypt Tank. I wear my cotton version all the time, so it;s time to make some more!

I may also use some leftover fabric from the Scout Tee for a Lemon Drop Top by SBCC Patterns. They make patterns specifically designed for petites... I need shop from them more often!

3. Jeans! Burda 7214

I've been itching to make jeans ever since the Ginger Jeans popped up all over the blog-o-sphere. They all look so good! But they still seemed a little scary... with all the fancy jeans details (even though all the blogs assure me she makes it super simple!). Then a few days ago One Small Stitch posted her Burda 7214 success, and I decided these were the next pants I want to try! She talks about how easy it was to fit this pattern, which is something I can have challenges with. The pattern is discontinued and it took me a few days to track down a copy online. I would make a plain and simple version without any extra fancy details in denim first, and if that goes well maybe black. 

4. Tan Greenstyle Taylor Shorts or Simplicity 2258

If you've looked back in my blog you'll see I've made both of these patterns recently (plus one more skirt yet to blog!) and like them a lot. I have 1.5 yards of dark khaki bottom-weight cotton with ab it of stretch, and think it should be come on of these two patterns. If I decided on shorts I better make them soon before it gets too cold! If I make the skirt, it would be view C but with the ties from A, and maybe add a center front and back seam to get a more RTW look. What do you think I should make?

5. Tilly and the Buttons Fifi Set!

Because I deserve some pretty pjs! And this grey challis is sooo soft!

6.) Pencil Skirts

A grey wool and a black, quilted leather(ish) pencil skirt using my custom-drafted skirt pattern. I know... quilted leather? But they had a fabric at Joann's that look very cool.

7. Black A-line or sheath dress.

I'm thinking about either extending the length of the Scout Tee (that I love so much!), or trying the Laurel by Colette Patterns (which I hear nothing but praise for!). I have yet to find the right fabric, so that my determine my pattern choice and timeline for making it.

8. A Sport Coat for Mr. SewRachel

He's been asking for one for a while (does he understand how hard a men's jacket it?!?!), and now he has a job where he will need to wear one once in a while... but lets look at the list above and be real... probably not going to happen. Haven't even picked out a pattern....

This winter....

When I was visiting Italy this summer I splurged on some fun, designer Italian silk! I was only going to buy a meter to make a top, because it was a little pricey, but he ended up selling me what was left on the bolt for a meter and a half... so now I have 2.5 yards! i can make a dress! I think this print would be great as a Papercut Patterns Midsummer Night's Dream Dress. This dress is not something I'll need for my fall/winter wardrobe, so it's not too high on the priority list. Maybe I'll make it when I'm on winter break, as I'll was time to make a mock-up first before I cut into my lovely silk!

mmm'14 update and new tops

MMM'14 Selfie!

Thanks for all your kind comments on my last post! I'm glad me-made-pjs count when you are feeling cruddy. I'm feeling a lot better finally (and my house bunnies are starting to feel better, too!), and have actually put on real clothes the past few days.

May 2nd - One of my favorite makes from last year, McCalls 6751!
May 3rd - A brand new Grainline Hemlock Tee... which doesn't really go with the hat, but it was sunny out on the deck :)
May 4th - Here I'm wearing a favorite infinity scarf out to dinner with some friends. I was wearing my grey, knit maxi-skirt earlier... but sick bunnies meant I had to change before going out, and before I'd taken my MMM'14 photo.
May 5th - A new  Megan Nielsen Eucalypt Tank with gold sandals, skinny jeans and a cardigan.

I made the Grainline Hemlock Tee with a sheer, striped,  sweater-knit from Fabric.com. I love the look, but it already started to snag after only one day of regular wear. Also, I constructed this on my serger, and the seams didn't come out great. I know a lot of folks like to sew knits on a serger, but I just don't have the hang of it yet. I do better constructing on my regular sewing machine with a zig-zag, and neatening up the seams afterwards on the serger. It's a wearable shirt that will be good on days I'm in the art studio, nothing I'll be upset over should I get it covered in ink. Still, I do really like the pattern and may make another version!

I made my  Eucalypt Tank from the same fish-print cotton that I used to line my me-made purse. I love this print! For this version I cut the fabric on the bias to allow a little more stretch and shape. Even with that, I think I will add some bust darts next time I use this pattern. I used french seams, a narrow curved hem, and homemade bias binding along the neck and armholes. I'm really, really pleased with the construction on this top.

I've also finished my black, silk, copy-cat maxidress! But that will deserve it's own post, so stayed tuned. :) 

In the first week of MMM'14 I've realized I need some khaki pants to go with a number of my me-made tops, so that's what I'm sewing currently. I found some nice twill (I think?) with a fair bit of stretch that had come from my mother's stash and have started a pair of Simplicity 1696 Amazing Fit Pants. It probably would have been way smarter to use the StyleARC Elle Pants pattern that I had success with before... but I guess I just want to make things difficult for me! Really, I wanted a more traditional pant look with front pockets and a lower rise waistband, and I found this amazing red version while searching pattern reviews that are seriously cool! I at least laid my StyleARC pattern pieces on top of the Simplicity pieces to (hopefully) confirm a similar fit... but more on that project later!

keeping my promise: another summer maxi-skirt

In my last post I promised to be better about blogging my makes, after wearing 3 un-bloggged skirts during Me-Made-May. I'm keeping good on my promise, so here is one of those skirts:

I had picked up the light weight cottony fabric on a trip to Sewfisticated Discount Fabric in Dorchester, Massachusetts. I just LOVE the big bold floral print in this almost retro color palette of teal, olive and goldenrod. At first I was thinking about making Butterick 5886. It's a fabulous dress, and I was this close to cutting the pieces out, but because this print is just so cool I decided instead to make something I would wear more often. And a light breezy maxi skirt with a simple tank or t-shirt has become my summer uniform! (Although, I still plan on making this dress before the end of the summer.)

It's a simple elastic waist skirt with french seaming. At first I made it full, with something like 120 inches gathered at the waist. It looked really bad. So I hacked it below the knee, took the top half in to about 60 inches, then reconnected the full bottom half as a gathered tier or ruffle. Perfect! Well, except... do you know how when you are sewing french seams your brain thinks you are sewing the pieces backwards even when you are doing it right? This time my brain was right. I had stitched the bottom tier on inside out so the seams were on the outside. This fabric is so light, and I didn't have much wiggle room in length, so I was afraid that I would damage too much of it if I took out the seam and sewed it up again. Instead, I pressed the french seams down and added another line of stitching right along the edge of the seam, so it kind of looks like a cover stitch. Pretty clever! You would never have noticed it unless I pointed it out, would you?

Speaking of clever, I will let you know that I re-made and attached the bias strip binding to the Eucalypt Tank and this time it was perfect. I'm so pleased with myself that I'm adding bias binding to my current project as well! But that, my friends, is another post...

a (late) me-made-may '13 wrap-up and my indie creation

Sorry I'm so late for my last MMM '13 post! After my last post I wore:

• a self-drafted black knit pencil skirt out to dinner with Mr. Sew Rachel on the evening of May 23rd. I made the skirt in April for an opening night party when visiting my sister in Lancaster, PA. (She was working at at theater in the middle of Amish country. Weird, right?) I haven't blogged it yet, but will soon, I promise!
• my striped cardigan to work on May 27th. I love this pattern! It was a great free download from the iCandy Handmade blog. Note to self: make more of these!

• and out with a couple girlfriend on May 30th I wore this:

Yup, that's a self-portrait of my bottom half! I finished this great self-drafted maxi skirt that same week. Again, yet to be blogged so this is a teaser!

Overall, Me-Made-May '13 was totally successful! I exceeded my pledge of wearing handmade twice a week, and found that it was actually was not hard to reach for handmade in my closet.  Overall this month wore 11 handmade garments (7 skirts, 1 dress, 1 pair lounge pants (yoga jeans), and 2 tops), wore handmade on 15 occasions, and finished 5 new items, including one for someone else! WOO HOO! Maybe for MMM '14 I'll be able to pledge a whole month of handmade! I learned that skirts are both easiest to make and to wear. I also learned that my blogging is not keeping up with my sewing! I promise to work on that, and so on that note...

TA DA! Here is my first project from my independent pattern purchases! It's Megan Nielsen's Eucalypt Tank. I love that she includes instructions for french seams right in the pattern directions.  I think this would be a great pattern for someone learning to sew. The neck and armholes are finished with self bias strips, which I had never done and was a little nervous. But the instructions were nice and clear, and look how nice they came out on the front!

The inside was another story. I found a didn't enough fabric to fold the raw edge of the bias strip under to finish, most likely due to my uneven cutting. I thought I had found a smart solution by leaving the raw edges, then covering them with a fine, fusible stay tape to prevent fraying. WRONG! The stay tape didn't stick, I had to peel it all off, and ended up with this big frayed mess:

So I was left carefully cutting all the binding off at the neck and arm openings and will start again. THIS TIME I'm using a rotary cutter for nice strait cuts and making my strips just a wee bit wider for some more wiggle room when stitching it on. Always still learning!

they're here! they're here!

My indie patterns arrived! And early! I only ordered them from Sweet Little Chickadee on May 22nd, and according to the USPS tracking they were scheduled to arrive on May 28th, but they're here!

I opened the mailing envelope to find everything beautifully packaged! Of course, I was so excited to get into the patterns that I didn't take the time to take a picture. Oh well, next time. And after this package, there will SO BE A NEXT TIME.

The patterns were wrapped in blue tissue paper and twine, and on top was her business card in a little fabric pouch with a few pieces of CANDY (which I ate.... so no pictures, either)! How nice?

This is my first experience buying independently produced patterns, so I'll show you what I found in the blue tissue. Here are my two new Sewaholic patterns:

Inside looks very much like a traditional pattern printed on tissue paper with a large folded instruction sheet. I already have fabric picked out for these!

Now I've seen a few Megan Nielsen makes on other blogs and, to be honest, haven't been overly excited about them, especially for a $20 pattern. I decided to try her new Eucalypt Tank Pattern because I had been searching for just this kind of simple tank pattern that would give me lots of options for summer staples, and a lot of sewers seam (get it?) to love her patterns. Now that I've got my hand on one, I can see why. First off, the opening of the envelope is on the long side and has a Velcro closure to make it easier to store the pattern.

And once you open it up, you find a full glossy booklet of instructions and pattern variations!

And the pattern pieces are printed on nice, heavy, white paper, something that will really hold up to being traced and used over and over again. It's so beautifully produced and packaged that I just have to make it, like immediately! Maybe I'm seeing what all the hub-bub is about!

Like I said, I will be ordering from Sweet Little Chickadee again! She had a great selection of patterns from many different designers, including Australian and UK designers like Sewaholic and Megan Nielsen, but because she's US based it means quick shipping, no international conversion credit card fees, or extra taxes for this US chick! Check them out!

indie pattern summer wishlist

Following many of the sewing blogs out there I've discovered so many amazing independent pattern designs.... and yet haven't bought any! This summer I pledge to buy and make at least one indie design... but which one? Here are my top contenders:

Sewaholic Cambie Dress

One of the first blogs I discovered in the sewing blogosphere was Tasia's Sewaholic. She has SOOO many beautiful patterns that would be perfect additions to my wardrobe, but the Cambie dress I think it the perfect dress pattern. I've come across many lovely renditions on the interwebs, like these amazing versions by one of  favorite bloggers Scruffy Badger Time.

I think I will eventually need to own many from the Sewaholic line, like the Thurlow Trousers and the seemingly perfect knit Renfew Top. But before those on my indie pattern wishlist is...

The secret new Sewaholic Pattern!
The next Sewaholic pattern is out on Monday, but those who are on the mailing list (including yours truly) have had a sneak peak. I'm excited!

Collette Hazel
Another great summer dress! Don't you love the interesting seaming on the bodice? I've got a lightweight cotton stripe that would be amazing.


Avocado Hoodie
I discovered this pattern while exploring Lladybird sewing blog by Lauren, when she pattern-tested it here a few months ago.  Designed by Disparate Disciplines, it's more than a perfect fitting hoodie. It also includes back pockets for when walking with arms around your best-y on a cold day, and comes in men's and women's! I think I see a present in Mr. Sew Rachel's future (which means I'll just have to make one fore me, too. I mean... they ARE a pair!).

Eucalypt Woven Tank & Dress by Megan Neilse
I've seen a lot of folks who love Megan Neilsen and I haven't been convinced until I saw THIS new pattern! Maybe you see a simple woven tank, but I see so many possibilities! She illustrates some of those on her blog. Plus, what a great summer wardrobe staple.

Clutch with Bow by Constructivism

Where am I going to take it? I don't know! But look how pretty it is! 

What are some of your favorite indie patterns? Have I missed something really good?