A New Outfit

Being around other women who enjoy sewing,is one of the perks of my job.They often share the joy by giving.

This pattern is an OOP,Vogue 8092. It was given to me by one of my co-workers. I made this during a sew-in with my sewing friends. I made the pants(a longer version featured in a previous post) from Mccall's 5592 ,during our second sew-in. I wore both to work yesterday and I was cool and comfortable.

The top is made from a light weight linen blend, given to me by my friend and co-worker, Ebony. It is so comfortable and the folded drape hides some of my folds. :) The pants are twill with a bit of Lycra from Joann Fabrics.This is the second time making the pants and there will be many more.They have a fly front,side pockets,back yoke,and a contour waistband.I'll post pictures of the details later while I make a third pair.I think sewing may be the only way I can get a great fitting pair pants.

My First Tagging

I've been tagged by Cennetta.She so nice. So here goes.

1.What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was a stressed,depressed,mess. I worked as a Drill Instructor in a prison boot camp program and part time as an aerobic instructor.I was the first female drill instructor in a male prison,so I had to be really cold,hard and mean.The problem was,that behavior also flooded over into my personal life. I'm sure you can imagine the problems that cause if you've ever been around a "controlling psycho b----".I didn't sew very often.I didn't do a lot of anything but complain and blame.
To make along story short,I didn't like how I was,so I prayed,and changed.Thanks to GOD.

2. What are 5 things on my "To Do List"today?

Prayer and meditation
Cut out muslin for my coat.
Write plan for a sewing class,I'm planning to teach.
Bring fabric,which is hidden in the truck of my car,into the house.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour.

3.Snacks I enjoy?

Nacho Cheese Doritos
Buttery popcorn
Strawberries
Lemon Heads candy

4.What would I do if I became a Billionaire?

Tithe
Quit my job.
Move into dream home with ultimate dream sewing studio(Yes,I would still sew).
Move my Mom and Dad into their dream house in a great location of their choice.
Travel,travel,travel
Give gifts to family and friends.
Give,give,give

5.Places I have lived?

Born and raised in Detroit,Michigan
Ft Dix New,Jersey-US Army
Ft Lee,Virginia-US Army
Ft Bliss Texas-US Army
Stuttgart,Germany-Us Army
Ft Stewart,Georgia-Us Army
St Petersburg,Florida
Macon,Georgia-currently living and loving it.

6.What type of work have I done ?

Babysitter
US Army Soldier
Hair Stylist
Stand Up Comedian
Magician
Drill Instructor in prison boot camp
Aerobic Instructor
Sales Associate
Mary Kay Rep
Alterations Specialist in a menswear store
Sewing and Alteration business owner
Artist
President of Middle Georgia Art Association
Home Decor Consultant
Fabric store supervisor

7.Five people I would like to know more about?

Ebony-A Needle For My Thoughts
Amerykah-Sewl Sister #1
Melody-Crazed Sewer
Alethia-Kassmin's Creations
Angie-Jemima Bean

Sew In The City

The adventure begins with with 4 "sewing scissor sisters ",some cash,a free Saturday and 3 fabric stores.
These "sewing scissor sisters",connected not by blood but by sewing thread,hopped into Ebony's "sewmobile"and rolled to the enchanted kingdom called "Atlanta"in search of precious woven treasures.
The first destination was Hancock Fabrics in Morrow,GA. The sisters were greeted by the delightful store manager,Bobby,now referred to as,"Sir Bobby the Duke of Hancock".
This store is newly remodeled an Sir Bobby gave us a grand tour.In this picture he is not smiling but,he is very charming and he can sew! The doll in the display case are wearing his creations.
Here are some model garments.The next stop was,Gail K.Fabrics in Atlanta,GA. This store was filled from floor almost to the ceiling with gorgeous fabric,trim and buttons.Check out more pictures of the inside of the store at Faye's blog .I was temporarily under the spell of fabric euphoria and didn't take more picture inside.

Here is Ebony in a deep fabric induced trance.

Here we are with our treasure.

Next we headed to Joanns Fabric in Fayetteville,GA. to make good use of our 50% off coupons and gather more treasure.I didn't take pictures(low battery),but I wish I could.This fabric store is wonderful.Clean,well lighted and fully stocked.

After Joann's we grabbed some delicious junk food and headed back to our own kingdoms...I mean "queendoms"and sewed happily ever after. Totally not the end.

Fitting Muslin 2 and A Happy Ending

The second muslin was made in a fabric with more drape than the first muslin,shows a little tweaking is needed in the bust area and for the first time ever,no under arm gaping.My pattern adjustments were a FBA and reduction of 1 inch in the shoulder area between the neck and sleeve shown here.

Finally the finished product,a dress which doesn't gape at the neck,bust or arm hole. I wore it to work today. This fabric was given to me by my friend Ebony .What a joy it is to have sewing friends.

Concerning muslin making,I am forever changed. I will take the time to make them. The time I invested in sewing 2 muslins was made up for,when I zipped through the final product. It's like a pattern/fabric audition to see which one will be the star of the show.

Muslin Making Part 1

I must confess. When it comes to making a muslin,I am extremely lazy. I will find every excuse in the world to avoid it. Because of this laziness,I've had quite few sewing disasters.I ended up wasting time,fabric,notions and money. I read a lot of sewing blogs of which the clever sewist wisely invest her time making a muslin and ending up with a fabulous fitted garment and have become motivated to develop this discipline. I always knew I had to do an FBA on all tops and sometimes add a little to the side. Now I've recently found out that, I have sloping shoulders.

When you take the time to do a muslin it forces you to really look at your figure and what makes yours unique. I took a lot of pictures and selected one to show what a difference a little fitting can make.This is the first muslin with excess fabric pinned up for a better fit.The left side is pinned with red arrows pointing to shoulder pinning and a red line under the pinned bust area. Notice the excess fabric on right side in the same areas.

Now back to the pattern to make the adjustments and a second muslin.To be continued tomorrow.

Meanwhile,I wanted to join the Coat Sew Along back around Memorial Day,but found it is closed.I had purchased a cool pattern along with a few good notions at the Hancock Fabrics Memorial Day sale.Check it out. It features some details I've been wanting to master,like bound button holes and welt pockets. I'm loving the cuffs and collar too. So I'm going it alone. I think it will be challenging and fun.

Saturday Night Sew-In

Spending Saturday night alone with your sewing is nice.Now add sewing friends like Faye , Ebony and Sharon.Spread out a few snacks and drinks.Don't forget to set the table.

Now you have a perfect 'Girls Night In"which is priceless. We got together at 7pm and didn't stop till midnight.We shared tips,techniques,ideas and sewing disaster stories.We discussed future sewing/fabric hunting adventures we could enjoy together.It was so much fun to be among wonderful,positive women who all share and enjoy the same interests. This is our first "Sew-In" but it is not the first time we've gotten together.Last month we took an 1.5 hour drive to Joann Fabrics and shopped till we almost dropped. We plan to do it again soon.

Between the 4 of us we nearly completed(up to hems) a pair of pants(Faye),2 dresses(Ebony and Sharon) and a top(me). I had a wonderful time.My friends are truly blessings for which I am truly grateful.

Dress Blues

Tuesday,I had the joy of spending the day sewing,while my DH was at work and DD was in school. I finished this dress. More and more I'm finding,that making a muslin should be a required part of all my sewing. It would probably save me a lot of frustration.

Here is my version with the following changes.

1.I did a FBA and I not really sure about how to do that properly on this type of top.

2.After finding the FBA left the top still to scanty,I added solid color additional fabric for

more coverage.

3.I closed up the deep cut v,again more coverage.

4.Eliminated the back zipper.

I'm still not happy with it.Can you see how wonky that neckline looks and the gaping at the armhole.I think I'm going to scrap this and try it again at a later date.If you have any tips please share. I'm going to check some of my fitting books for bedtime reading tonight.

Here is the back view. Back to the cutting board.

Sewing All Day

I had a wonderful sewing day. I made a bag to carry my knitting projects,from recycled materials. One pair of old jeans and three bandannas equals one bag. This type of bag is really not my style but I wanted to do something easy and I need a bag that I can take to the park or beach without worry about it getting dirty. I can just toss this in the washing machine. I used an OOP Butterick pattern as starting point,then I just went on to all kinds of experimentation. I going to carry it around tomorrow to test it out.

I want to knit something but I don't know what. I need some inspiration. That's why I love reading blogs. One stylish lady,Toy

,has some beautiful knit and sewn fashions on her weblog.

Another is Sheila
She knits,sew and crochets.Her garments are sophisticated and fit her perfectly.

Maybe I'll get there someday until then,I'd better find something beside scarf and hats.

I know I promised a ruffler tutorial today but I need a bit more time to do a really good one.It will be worth the short wait. I also made a dress that caused a few more gray hairs to sprout from my head. More on this later. Now here's a picture of one of the items I completed during my blog absence.

I did view A.

The hem is not crooked. My skirt fell down a little in front after my DD told my to "suck in your gut". It is made from challis which I think,is too light weight for this type skirt. However it is cool and comfortable. I'm not going to make it again.

Wearing The Anorak

As promised,here I am wearing the anorak jacket. Thank you all for the sweet comments. It's very light weight.Perfect for places that over do it with the air conditioning. The pattern is very easy.I want to try a shorter version in linen or denim.

I don't have to work tomorrow and plan to spend the entire time sewing.My DH will be at work and DD will be in school. I've got one UFO which need a hem and it will be finished. I been thinking about a new tutorial. I've been working with my ruffler foot and I absolutely love it.It seems like every top and dress features some type of gathering,this season,so I thought put it to work. So tomorrow,I PROMISE,a new tutorial.

A quick bit

I'm so ashamed that I haven't posted anything in a month. I must do better.It's an hour after my bedtime (11pm on workdays) and I wanted to post at least one thing.Even though I haven't been posting, I have been sewing. So here is a little bit. This pattern is from a previous post.This is my jacket made from purple crepe back satin. I know this is a bad picture (low battery).I was in a rush to post at least one picture. I'll post many more tomorrow. I PROMISE.

I Got It From My Momma

My Mom,brother and two nieces came from Detroit to spend a week of "spring break "with me. My Mom always arrives bearing sewing goodies for me. This time was no different.She brought two huge boxes of books,patterns and notions.

My mother taught me how to sew when I was 13. I was a totally unwilling student of any needle arts,preferring instead,comic books and horror movies.I usually griped and complained through every minute of the sewing process.However I did manage to create a couple of wearable items,under her instruction. During her recent visit she gave me one of my earliest pattern purchases. I'm not putting a date on this but some of you may remember when you had one in your closet. I was wearing that red jumpsuit proudly back then. Looking back now,I probably look a bit like a tomato pincushion.LOL

I'm glad she had the patience to teach me the craft that I now enjoy.You know it,"Mother knows best". Here are a few of the fantastic collection of vintage sewing books she gave me.
Some people read novels before bed,I read sewing books,magazines and pattern instruction sheets.I love the older sewing books.They cover every detail from A to Z. The Crochet book list 500 stitch designs.This is just a small peek at what my Mom brought.There is also a series of books(12) called 'The Art Of Sewing"by TimeLife. I'm still browsing the stacks.Thanks Mom.

I'm Back

I've had an incredibly hectic few weeks (art festival organizing,judging art competitions,work and family visiting) which kept me away from blog land,but I kept on sewing through it all. Sewing was a real stress reliever in these past weeks. I made sure to spend time each day in my sewing room. Sometimes I'd just browse through my sewing books or patterns and unwind.

This pattern is an oldie but a goodies.I purchased this pattern last summer.

Here is my version.No adjustments were needed. I wore it to work the next day.
Next up is a pattern that is almost exactly the same style.I purchased this pattern last month.

I used a printed chiffon from my stash and lined the body with batiste,leaving the sleeves and ruffles sheer. Sorry for the dark picture.
I finally my jeans back from being on display at Hancock Fabrics.Model garments are on display for six weeks. I used this awesome pattern.

I used this pattern for my jacket.
Here's my version. I wore it today for a media interview and art show reception.
Here is the back view of the jeans.
This is my first time sewing jeans and believe me,I will be doing it again! I love them. They fit so well and are totally comfortable. No compromises.

My friend Faye came to the art reception and after we had coffee and "sewing talk". She had a bag of fabulous fabrics and shared her plans for upcoming sewing adventures. I can't wait to see the finished fashions. I've got to catch up reading her blog and all my other favorites.I have missed y'all.

I've got a lot more to share but I'm sleepy.Plenty more to come tomorrow.

What I Do With My Scraps

Carolyn asked the question,"What do you do with your scraps?" Here's my answer.

Sometimes I fold them and place them into my scrap box and they are never seen again.

Sometimes,I give them away.

Sometimes,I make dolls.

Sometimes ,I make little bag for gifts or to sell at craft fairs or bazaars.

This one is pieced together and was inspired by one of the local fiber artist.This one became a canvas for one of my paintings.

This one features fabric scraps and a knitting gauge piece.

All are lined with more scrap fabric.
I'm planning to make a few pin cushions which were featured in "Quilts and More " magazine. Scrap projects are great when you need an immediate gratification boost.Especially after a difficult or frustrating sewing project.I glad Carolyn asked that question. She's so inspiring.

Steam-A-Seam Tutorial

I think tutorials are so helpful and I've learned a lot from many others by reading theirs . So I thought I'd try6 and give back by sharing a little joy of mine called Steam-A-Seam.I use it often but most recently in a shirt yoke application. Steam-A-Seam (I will refer to this as SAS) is a fusible tape that doesn't gum up your machine needle and it doesn't add unneeded thickness to your fabric.I was making a cotton shirt using McCalls 5587 which has a yoke in back.This is the method I use.

Here's my first tutorial I hope it's helpful..This makes yoke application and top stitching a breeze.First tear of a strip of SAS and apply the sticky side down to inside shoulder seam allowance which has been press and trimmed to 3/4 inches.

Peel away the paper,exposing the fusible webbing.
Apply the folded,webbed edge of the yoke facing to the shoulder seam and outer yoke.

Press with steam and do not move the fabric until it is cool.

Now you are ready top stitch without the worry of slipping layers. I use a blind hem foot to give me straight top stitching.Simply butt the edge of the seam to the lip of the foot and sew.I hope this picture is clear enough to see that the white plastic in my foot is touching the raised edge of the seam. Adjust the foot to the distance of your choice to sew from the edge.I like 1/8 and 3/8. The result is 2 parallel rows of top stitching and a joined yoke in fewer and faster steps than the usual method of hand stitching.It looks equally as nice inside as well.
I also use SAS to attach patch pockets.I respect the art of couture hand stitching but most of the time my sewing time is limited and I need great clothes fast. Try it you'll like it.I finished this shirt and a second this past weekend. I have to sew on the buttons and then I'll post photos.

The Sewing Expo

This past Saturday I went to the Original Sewing Expo in Atlanta with my friend Faye .We shopped,enjoyed fashion shows,and shopped some more. Here's Faye enjoying Vogue Fabrics. She is so much fun. I'm glad she was with me.

Here are the goodies I picked up. The lavender fabric is linen and the booklet are from Louise Cutting.The patterns and double tracing wheel are from Vogue Fabrics.

I also got this fabulous Rowenta iron,which I have already put to the test and I love it ! It steams forever. I've aways hated ironing but after using this baby,it's a cake walk. I even ironed DH work clothes and DD school uniform for the week.They usually iron their own clothes and were quite surprised.

The thing that I like most about the sewing expos are the New Designer Fashion Show.I enjoy seeing how the designers use the a few patterns to create several different looks. They make small changes,use different fabrics and embellishment techniques to make a full and flattering wardrobe. I never make changes and mostly stick to the suggested fabric listed on the pattern envelope. I have returned from this show filled with inspiration. The pattern is just a vehicle,I can take it as far as I want,in any direction. I love sewing!!!