I have been sewing...really!

You know, I think I've used that title before! ;-) I even have proof! This is one of the new patterns being released for spring by Colette Patterns:

It's the Violet Blouse. Here's the back, too:

I have to say, I really love this blouse. I was a little hesitant at first when Sarai sent over the line drawings. I was concerned about the collar looking too childish but it really doesn't. Honestly, it fits so well and goes with just about everything. I've worn it with jeans, skirts, and my white capris like I am here. It looks super under my jean jacket too. My husband even noticed it (he never notices my clothes, unless it's underwear) and said he really liked it and the vintage feel it has. Yes, MY husband said that! I used a cotton voile that I found at my local thrift store. I'm not sure if it's vintage but I love it just the same. For all my sewing sistas out there, I used the size 18 and made no alterations. I think I will just lower the bust dart a bit (yes, there's one in there...) to accommodate my ginormous rack...although it is getting smaller! I had to buy new bras even! Gasp! I just haven't had time fiddle with fitting a new pattern, let alone make any new ones.

Anyhoo, I also made the Ginger skirt but I used a horrible mustard brown fabric to test it and I can't bring myself to photograph myself in it. I have a cute stiped denim that I want to make it up in using Version 3 for the chevron effect.

I've also been busy testing for Pattern's by Figgy's. Below is the Jane Dress and Blouse that will be available soon! It's a lovely little dress with two sleeve variations and a blouse that has a hip sash as shown below. Both sleeves can be used for the blouse also.

The little dress is made from cotton voile that may look familiar...

The blouse is made from a lightweight cotton seersucker.

That's it for now. I've got more pattern testing going on here at the ol' sweatshop. More on those soon!

Have a very Happy Easter is you celebrate it! If not, have a nice weekend!

Good Morning

Hello, everyone! No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth! I just happen to be highly disorganized and bogged down with school. I really envy the ladies that are super busy and still have time to sew and post! How do you do it?!

Anyhoo....enough whining!

I haven't sat down to my machine in what feels like weeks. I will be soon as I've been asked to test some more patterns for Colette Patterns! Whoo hoo! I think you're gonna love 'em! Also, Sarai has some lovely tutorials up for inserting lace for the Nutmeg pattern that you definitely must check out! I tested that pattern last year but lost my photos when the lightning struck our house and killed the comupter. I need to pull those out and retake pics! The knickers really are devine and I wear them often!

Hope you all aren't snowed in too badly!
Have a great weekend!

Testing...1,2,3...

I think I mentioned something the other day about testing again for Patterns by Figgy's. This sweet little kimono-styled jacket is the "Bamboo Little Woo" being released this Fall! It really is a cute design and very easy to sew up! I made this up in a super soft baby-rib. The woven is a loose-weave cotton.

Also, remember forever ago when I mentioned Colette Patterns had some new releases coming soon and I was pattern testing again? Well, I just saw the new patterns are out and have been for awhile. I have good reason to be late, being out of the loop and all. I tested the Nutmeg set and it is gorgeous and sexy! The pieces are also very simple to sew up, the bralette being a bit more difficult. I have no pictures at the moment due to my crispy, deep-fried computer situation (we lost a lot of pictures! *sigh*) so I'll have to shoot some more. This is more of a heads-up that Sarai has new offerings! 

 

                                         

Here I am at the lake this last weekend. I look like crap but you can kinda make out my melting figure. I was pleasantly surprised...

Colette Patterns: Lady Grey...in red!

Finally I got some pictures of the pattern I tested for Colette Patterns! It has been gray and dreary so I gave up on sunshine and just went into my kitchen to take the pictures. Alas, they aren't too whippy and you'll have to forgive my mom jeans. The red was hard to photograph and my camera just sucks. I think she's dying, to be honest.

Anyway! This is the Lady Grey pattern and, I must say, I love this coat! It has a gorgeous shape and I think it's very feminine and flattering to my curves. This is a wrap coat with princess seaming and topstitching. It ties with a long belt and also has one button on the outside and one on the inside to secure it. The collar is wide and just waiting for your favorite brooch. The hem is full and it flares out just right over the hip. Just for reference and for all my sewing peeps, I made a straight size 18. No FBA or nuthin'! The only thing I did was trim the sleeve cap down a bit 'cause it was poofing up and not in a good way.

Here's the back. You get a better sense of the hem. You can't really see it but there are two belt loops in the back.

Here's a close up of the front without the belt so you can see the button closure.

And a closeup of the back. There, now you can see the belt loops!

I made this from a wool gauze that I got from Fashion Fabric Club. It was like 5 yards for $35! It's a little bit lighter weight than what is suggested but I love the drape and it's really soft. The lining is a polyester.

All the new Colette Patterns are up for pre-order here! Check 'em out!

Busy weekend!

Well, as my previous post stated, I finished up my Colette Patterns test sewing! Yay! But before that, on Friday, a milestone was reached for someone very dear to me....

My little man turned 5!!!

I can hardly believe it! Love you sweetie!

Next, I want to (finally) show you all the lingerie set I made for my daughter a couple of weeks ago!

I used a vintage Kwik Sew pattern and this is the fabric and stretch lace from Elingeria.de. It's a super cute cotton knit screen printed with hearts and 'love', etc. I love how it turned out! She just adores it and wants to wear it all the time. This feels pretty good to me since most of the stuff I make her these days doesn't get worn. She's at that stage.... *sigh* It's all about skinny jeans (gasp) and Converse! I didn't sew for her very much when she was little and now I'm wishing for those days again. She is in desperate need of undies so I can always do that. I also realized over the weekend that she needs some lounge wear! Of all things! That should be easy to throw together. I have some great Jalie patterns that will work perfectly.

Lastly, I want to give you that sneak peek I promised....

Have you all been good...hmmmmm?

Oh well, even if you haven't here it is!

Alright, that's all yer gettin! But don't fret! The new patterns are available for purchase this Friday! Yipee! So be sure to keep your eyes on the Colette blog. I wanted to point out how well my seams matched up. See how pretty? This is always a source of joy and satifaction for me. I just love when that happens!

Next up for me is the HP Uptown/Downtown dress. The pattern is all laid out on my big table waiting to be traced! I keep seeing everyone's amazing creations and I just can't wait to have one of my own!

P.S. Today I'm wearing my fuschia We Love Colors tights. I'll give a review on them (hopefully tomorrow) and the socks from Sock Dreams. I've worn both of those and, let's just say.... well, you'll have to come back and find out!

Hugs & Stitches!

Colette, my love...

Just a quickie update. I finished the test pattern for Colette Patterns today and got all my feedback sent to Sarai like a good little girl. I'm tellin' ya...I love this li'l coat! That's all I'm sayin'. It's late but if you're all good I may give you a sneaky peek tomorrow!

Is the curiosity eating you away.....

Teehee!

Awesome Thrift Score, Awesome Pin-Up, and Awesome News

Can things get any more awesome?! Teehee! Well, it is Friday after all.....

I wanted to share a bit of awesomeness that has come my way in recent days. First off, I went to the thrift store yesterday to see if I could find some fabric for a coat I'm making (more on that in a bit). Instead I come across a shoe box of mugs that I thought looked terribly familiar. See, I used to work at a gift shop as their Bridal Consultant, which basically means I just registered brides for all the stuff they wanted people to buy them for their big day. Anyhoo, these mugs looked familiar because they are made by a brand that the shop carried. Okay, are you ready....They're Denby Greenwich! DENBY!!! Hello?! I only paid $2.75 for 10 of them!!! The lowest price I could find online was over $20. EACH! Honestly, I felt kinda guilty because they had no idea what they had. But, here I sit, sippin' my coffee, in my new mug, and it's feelin' pretty good! ;~D hehehe

I also found some clogs that were brand new for $4. The brand is Indigo by CLARKS! For Heaven's sake!

Next up is the "new girl" I drew for my hubby's band logo. I think she turned out pretty awesome:

Lastly, you may or may not know how much I love Colette Patterns. Well, the other day Sarai had a call on her blog for test sewers for her new line of patterns coming out soon. I thought "what the hey" and contacted her asking for a slot. Lo and behold, she emailed me back and said I'm in! Awesome!!! Without giving too much away, I signed up to make a short wrap coat. The line drawing is great and her sample is just gorgeous. I ordered fabric and it's on it's way. I chose a wool gauze in a lovely, deep red and a dark purple for the lining. I just got the email this morning that it had finally shipped. 'Bout damn time! I was getting a little panic-y about not having it here in time hence, the thrift shop run.

Well, that's my awesomeness for the week. Do you all have any awesomeness to share?

Oh yes, the word for today is awesome. See how many times you can use it!

A Bra for Amy

When my friend Amy found out I was making my own bras she asked if I could do the same for her. Of course I said "heck YES!!!" After a few failed fitting attempts I had her try on a bra I had just made myself using the Queen Elite from Needle Nook (see side bar for link). The band was too big but the cups fit fairly well, being a smidge too big for her, and the wire size was perfect. Using this information I traced off the next smaller cup than what I used. I used the same pattern piece for the underwire and shortened the back to basically make it a size 32 band. I made an ivory colored trial bra and I think it fit her really well. I gave it to her so she could wear it and see how it really fit. She said it was a winner so I made her a "real" bra in black. The fabrics and notions are also from Needle Nook. The stretch lace was some I got in a bundle off Ebay. Here you can see it on my dress form:


The cups look all wonky because the bra doesn't fit my "model". It kinda gives you a better idea of what it looks like than if it was just laying on my cutting table. Trust me, I tried this....

Something else I added was a power bar. This is a little something new. I've read about it in my bra making books but hadn't tried it yet. Power bars are used kind of as an inner sling to provide uplift. This is especially important to us curvy gals. I really like how it turned out and will do this to my own next time. You can see it here:



Okay, sorry for all the technical sewing gobbledygook. I know a lot of you sew bras too so you'll get me. ;-D This is also an attest to how perserverance pays off. I just want to make sure all you budding bra-makers out there (Andrea, I'm talkin' to you!) don't give up! It can get frustrating for sure but the hard work really pays off. I learned a lot by fitting someone else, too. I really enjoyed the process and hope I can do it again. Hey, maybe this is the start of a lucrative career for me. That would be awesome! Spending all day sewing....and playing with pretty fabric and lace... hell YEAH!

Colette Beignet

I finally got my review up on Pattern Review for my Beignet skirt. I still haven't made the belt but, oh well! I thought I'd post my review here, too. And can I just say that I never realize just how big my rack is until I see pictures of myself! I mean, good grief.... Okay, sorry, TMI.

Pattern Description:

From website:

High waisted straight skirt provides a very flattering shape with paneled styling: not too loose or too tight around the hips, with a very fitted waist. Buttons up the front, has side seam pockets, and includes a self tie belt, which can be swapped out for your own narrow belts. Skirt has a faced waist, button placket and full lining.

Pattern Sizing:

0-18. Sizes run similar to RTW.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?


I think it looked pretty close considering I'm a bit more on the ample side! LOL!



Were the instructions easy to follow?


Oh, the instuctions are great! Seriously, I think that a beginner could easily follow along. Plus, Sarai has a glossary in the back with some of the sewing terms she uses throughout. The diagrams are wonderful, too!



What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?


This pattern is so well written and beginner friendly! It has quite a few pattern pieces including all the lining pieces but I really found it to go together quickly. The subtle shaping at the waist and hip just skims over the body and it fits so nicely!
Back.
Another front view.
It also comes in an adorable little booklet format and it's binding is, fittingly, stitched! CUTE!



Fabric & Notions Used:


I used a peach-y/coral-y cotton twill I found at the thrift shop last summer. The lining is just some white nylon tricot. The buttons are some big ol' fat buttons that came in one of those big button grab bag kinda things you can buy at Hobby Lobby and the like. I couldn't believe I had twelve of the exact same button. They are a bit too thick though and are more intended for a coat or something. Next time I'll use a smaller button. Do be sure to read through the pattern to see what all you'll need. I noticed the supply list on the back has a few errors. I'm sure it will be fixed in the next printing but just thought I'd put that out there for ya!



Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:


This pattern goes up to an 18 and my measurements would put me at a 20 if the sizes had continued on. Each size increases by about 1/4" so I just added that much to each piece where the sizes graduated up and not to every seam. Does that make sense?? One thing I should mention, too, is that although the pattern calls for 2 1/2 yards of fabric I used maybe 1 1/2 yds or just a tad more. The extra length printed on the pattern is due to the length of the self tie belt. If you piece the belt instead of cut it as one long piece you should be good to go with less fabric. (I still need to make the belt, btw. I just haven't gotten around to it.)I was also able to squish the pattern pieces closer together using even less fabric.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?


Oh yes, I'd really like to make this again. This was more or less a test garment to see if I'd like this shape on me. I don't normally wear skirts this short but I think it looks okay on me! I do recommend it as well! I think this style will look great on lots of different body shapes.



Conclusion:


This is an awesome new independant pattern line and the designer, Sarai, is super sweet! I love all her designs and have most of them so far. Go out and support our independant designers!!!

Sewing along

I finished up the danglez DB3 custom bra the other day and here it is on me:

It's really droopy because I didn't add any support or lining. It's just one layer of fabric all over. BUT, the fit is much better! The top cup is a bit large but I think it's due to the lace being a little too stretchy and the bottom cups need about 1/2" shaved off the bottom. I sent some pictures to Dini and she sent back a PDF with the alterations to make to the cups. Groovy! So, that'll be my next project. Also, in bra making news, I joined Sigrid's Lingerie Sew-Along. It should be fun and hopefully I'll learn some more. I'm hoping to get that dang tutorial done too. I've been trying to organize it in my head but I've never done a big tut so I hope I do it right and don't ramble on like I usually do!

I'm currently working on my Beignet skirt from Colette Patterns and I'm so excited about it! I got the pattern cut out and will try to get the fabric cut today. With babysitting and all I just don't get into the sewing room much. Today is the last day though so I should start crankin' more stuff out soon. There won't be any sewing this weekend though because my hubby's band has a gig in Borger, TX tomorrow and I'm an unofficial roadie. Yep, I help load/unload/tear down all their equipment. It's tiring for sure but I enjoy watching them play so it's okay. :-D I also have fun drawing logos for them. The pin-up on the website is mine and I drew the original pin-up that they use on their t-shirts. (Wow, that was a shameless plug, huh?! LOL!) Anyhoo, we won't get back home until early Sunday and we'll be totally exhausted.

I never did get pictures of my new vintage lingerie! Oh well, it'll have to wait till next week. I hope you all have a rockin' wekend!
xoxo,
Heather

New bra!

I got busy yestersay and finished up the Danglez bra from my custom drafted pattern.

I just need to shorten the straps a little and then it will be done. The cups are still a bit big but I think it'll be okay to wear. I'm sort of afraid to make anymore bras since I've started losing weight (3 lbs so far! wOOt!!!). I always lose boobage so I dunno what to do. Anyhoo, I think I will shave off a bit from the bottom cups next time and see how that works. The cups should fit into the band better too since I seem to have to stretch the band to fit the cup. I'm not really sure if that's the way it should be.

I recently found a new independant patternmaker! They are Colette Patterns. They are gorgeous! I purchased three so far and I'm thinking I need the other two!

These are the three I got. I'm thinking about making up the skirt first. From the people that have made up her patterns so far they are drafted tremendously well and the garments fit like a glove. Plus, the pattern sizing is more like RTW and they all go from size 0 up to an 18. So I'm talkin' 46" bust, 38" waist, 48" hip for the size 18! Cool! I personally think that's awesome. Also, the packaging is sooo pretty. Each one is a little booklet with stitched bindings. The instructions are very thorough and include several well drawn diagrams. Yay!

I didn't get the pictures of the vintage lingerie since I was sewing ALL DAY yesterday. I'll try to get that done during naptime this afternoon (maybe). I also took pictures as I was going along so I'll have the tutoral for making a full bra band look like a partial.

I better get going for now. Gotta take the little ones outside for some playtime!