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!

a pinterest make

I LOVED my maxi-skirts this summer and have been trying to find the right way to style them for fall. I was inspired by this image on pinterest: 

Image from stylemint.hardpin.com

I had yards and yards of blue, floral challis from my mom's stash, and used McCall's 6567 to whip up a simple elastic-waist maxi skirt. My fabric doesn't read quite as blue as the inspiration outfit, so I'll have to make sure to punch up my outfit with accessories or else this look could go frumpy really quick!

I then used New Look 6216 (same pattern used for my slouchy-lace t-shirt), this time view A and added cuffs at the wrist. I had some grey, rib-knit in my stash from a $1.95/yard sale. It sewed up really great on my serger! And I did a much better job with the neck band this time!

The top is a little long for me, so after these pictures were taken I shortened it just a few inched and finished it with a band so it fit a little more snug right above my hips. I'm really loving this simple pattern! I think it will be my new go-to casual top pattern, although I have a Renfew project planned for the near future....

a quick knit

No, no, you haven't stumbled onto a different blog! I occasionally knit, and not terribly well. The most complicated thing I ever knitted was a mitten. That's right, ONE mitten. But knit 1, purl 1, yeah I can do that. Especially when using a quick-to-knit chunky yarn!

As you might remember, I'm really into mustard yellow for fall. I love how the introduction of just one new piece in a new color can transform all your basic outfits into a whole different season. Recently I've  pinned a lot of looks with cozy infinity scarves. They are kinda trendy right now, but also kinda ingenious as you don't have to keep fiddling with you scarf to keep it wrapped up right.  I picked up one ball (skein? package? what's the technical word for it?) of chunky Lion Brand Yarn (I've used them before and are always pleased with my results) and set of large size 13 knitting needles at the Joann Fabrics. I think the all together the cost was under $6. Not a bad investment to try out a trend.

I did a rib knit (k1 p1), 12 stitches wide. After I got going on it I realizes that 1.) it was too wide and would be way too chunky to wrap around the neck twice and 2.) I wouldn't have enough yarn to make it long enough to wrap around twice anyway. So I knitted until it was long enough to wrap loosely once around, then finished the edges and whip-stitched the ends together to close the loop. I finished the whole thing in one lazy Sunday morning watching t.v. on the couch with Mr. Sew Rachel, and eating way too many popovers (Mmm). That's my kind of knitting project. 

So it's really more of a cowl, but a slouchy cowl that gives the illusion of an infinity scarf. Next time I'll only do 8 stitches wide so I can actually wrap it around a couple times, and there will so be a next time! I already love this thing and was a red one and a black one, AND my sister in Philadelphia totally crocheted me a super nice grey one! It's in the mail as we speak and I promise to show you all when it gets here!

a handmade purse for fall... made of pleather!

That's right. Pleather. I've never used pleather before BUT I found some soft, not-so-plastic-feeling, brown pleather at Joann's (originally for a bookmaking project which worked fabulous) and thought I'd give it a try. I'd been wanting a new purse, as mine is falling apart pretty bad, but haven't found one that 1.) was the perfect fit for my style/lifestyle and 2.) was not outrageously expensive! That's when I stumbled upon this on pinterest.com:

From "Make It Handmade" Blog. http://www.makeithandmade.com/2013/08/the-foldover-tote.html

"Hmm, I bet I could make that into a perfect fall purse!" And then this happened:

I followed Palak's excellent tutorial, making just a few changes to turn it from a tote to a purse. First, I scaled mine down in size, as her's was a nice big tote. As you can see, I left the top handles off for now. I may add them on later after I use it a smidge.

I also added a lining, partly because I had this fabulous fabric in my stash that was just calling to be a purse lining!

Isn't it lovely? I don't usually buy fabric without an idea for a project already in mind, but this was an exception 'cause I just loved it! (And I still have another yard and a half left for a future project.) To make the line I just followed the same instructions as the bag body (minus the D-ring tabs), to end up with two identical-shaped pieces. I also added an interior pocket for my cell phone and keys to the lining, just below where the bag folds over.

You can't tell from the outside, but I also double-stiched all my seams, just to add some extra strengh.

There is one thing I will do differently from the original tutorial next time. Notice how the top of the bag tapers in slightly, so that the fold over flap isn't wider than the bag body when worn. Palak has you start with two rectangles, stitch the entire sides, THEN measure your desired taper for the top, cut (through the original stitch line) and sew the new sides catching the D-ring tabs in the stitching right where your new taper begins. The problem I found is that I had to unpick some of the original stitching in to get the D-ring tabs to go right at that spot. To make a long story short, if you do this tutorial I suggest measuring and cutting your desired taper BEFORE you sew any side seams.

Over all I think it turned out pretty well, especially with all the fussy-ness of learning to sew the pleather! But that, my friends, is a whole 'nother blog post...

a yellow, linen, picnic blanket skirt!

First off, CHECK OUT MY NEW BLOG BADGE! ------------->

And second, I made Tilly and the Button's Picnic Blanket Skirt!

I'd been pining after a mustard yellow skirt for a couple seasons (even though yellow is usually NOT my color), pinned some inspiration photos on pinterest.com, then spied some yellow linen on sale at Joann's a few months back and took the plunge! I originally planned on making a pleated, paper-bag waist skirt using the Adventures in Dressmaking tutorial, but eventually concluded that a paper-bag waist may not quite be the most flattering look for me. I'd been wearing my Gertie Gathered Skirt a lot, so decided to try Tilly's skirt which had a similar silhouette.

I made only a few changes from Tilly's design. Her's calls for cutting one rectangle for the skirt back, and two rectangles for the front, once stitched becoming a long piece roughly 2.1x your hip measurement. I had two yards of fabric, and my hips measurement is 38", so I decided instead to cut just my fabric lengthwise for the entire skirt piece putting me at just under Tilly's recommended measurement BUT a seamless piece. That did mean I had to omit the side pockets since there were no longer side seams. In retrospect, I wish I had dealt with the extra two seams to have had those pockets.

I also didn't include the interfacing in the waistband, but not on purpose! As I was moving along I thought to myself, "weird how she doesn't put interfacing in the waistband..." Actually, she does tell you to do that in an earlier step that I obviously wasn't paying enough attention too! It's totally wearable (I've already worn it on more than one occasion in fact!), but it would lay a lot nicer with the interfacing.

Another thing I will do differently in the future involves the placement of the buttons. I put the first one on the waistband then  the rest evenly 3" apart, but the skirt likes to pull apart that section where the waistband meets the skirt. Interfacing may have helped with that as well, but in the future I will start with the waistband button, then a button directly below the waistband AND THEN start with spacing them 3" apart.

On the plus, the linen was lovely to work with! It held a nice crease when creating the plackets, and it was just nice to work with a simple woven again. Remember how I needed to re-learn to use the automatic buttonhole foot on my mom's (now mine) machine? It turns out most of the feet she gave me don't actually go with the machine, including the buttonhole foot! I know it had a buttonhole foot so next time I'm there I will search for it, but in the mean time I FREE-HANDED THE BUTTON HOLES AND THEY CAME OUT AWESOME! (Can you tell I'm a little proud?)

 And topped it all off with lovely brass buttons. :)

Lastly, here is my mother-in-law's cat that kept photo-bombing my photo shoot. Until later!