Summertime shorts

I'm STILL not on vacation (t-minus 20 hours or so), but at some point it will be summer break for me, since thankfully, it's kind of inevitable.  I'm done with pencil skirts and wool pants for a while; on to summer attire!  So, shorts.  I'm so not a fan of shorts (still not after making these, truthfully), but they are practical and all that.  

Not wanting to spend actual money on a pattern, I located the *free* "Pleasant Pathways Shorts" pattern by Anna Maria Horner.  With only super minor tweaking (crotch curve and lengthening the legs a tad), this pattern worked remarkably well!  I like the clean styling of the faced waistband, side invisible zip and hem facings.  Good blank canvas for some fun fabric.

I added some back welt pockets (referencing my own pattern/ tutorial, which I had to look at to remember :)).  The super crazy print makes them hard to see, but there are two on the back.

Speaking of the fabric, this was a purchase I couldn't resist.  I got this during a big sale at a local store, and it's vintage Hawaiian cotton barkcloth!  Perfect for summer wear and I have enough left over for a skirt of some type, too.  Is it crazy to consider a pencil skirt?

Worn with a different top for a more summery look:

Invisible side zip

This was actually the second pair I made--the first was from an equally loud print, home dec fabric leftovers from making pillows.  My son actually commented that I looked like the office pillows :)  

A few more sleeps until our east coast adventure, with a lot to do before we leave.  Wish more time could be spent sewing my summer wardrobe!  Time to pack what I have!

 2015 Resewlution, June garment #3+4 (still have pants and two blouses yet unblogged!  Eek!)

Late to the Plantain train

So the free Plantain tee pattern was released by Deer & Doe, what, like 20 years ago?  I had printed the pattern, taped it all together and then promptly slide the entire thing under the bed in my sewing room.  I don't recall the circumstances that put it there, but there it sat for months.  Months.  I finally got tired of sucking it up in the vacuum cleaner, so I pulled it out and made the darn top.  

I can't believe I wait so long.  This is a fabulous pattern.

I used the smallest size (34" bust) and shortened the torso 1/4"-1/2".   I'm not sure I've ever cut a single size for a pattern, but there seemed to be enough flare at the bottom of the shirt to accommodate my larger-than-ideal-proportions waist and hips.

Disco dancing? Sure!

The fabric is Anna Maria Horner Sealing Wax, a beautiful knit.  The fabric is pretty stable and easy to sew, not overly stretchy and is super comfortable to wear.  The print is directional, though, so I wasted a bit of fabric trying to flip pattern pieces around (oops!).

I used my new serger  to sew this one up, and here she is:

After being super duper annoyed with my machine for my last wrap dress, I impulsively bought a machine from Amazon, the Juki MO-654DE.  It's a tiny little thing compared to my 5-thread overlock/coverstitch Singer (essentially this one).  I've only used the new Juki a handful of times, but so far I'm impressed.  I chose Juki soley because it's the brand we have at school for both sergers and straight stitch machines.  I'm not scared of threading sergers (so no need for air-threading or it's price tag),  I just wanted something reliable.  It's quieter, smaller, and faster than my other serger, AND the tension isn't all messed up, so hooray!   I was happy enough to buy a bunch more knit fabric, so  I guess that  says something. :)

Anyhow, back to the tee....if you haven't tried out the Plantain pattern yet, go get it!  It's a lovely staple top and a super quick sew.

Sewing Resewlution 2014, November garment #2 (not counting the 2 pairs of undies I made today... :)

Blue ribbon dress

No, no awards were won for this dress--hope I didn't misrepresent myself there!  However, the fabric (Anna Maria Horner's Flower Circuit in linen) is what I bought with a gift certificate as part of the prize for my winning skirt from Skirt Week 2013! That counts for something, right?  Mostly the print just reminds me of fair ribbons...you see it, too, yes?   I've had this fabric ear-marked for this dress from the start, so it's a shame that it's been about a year sitting in my stash.  The linen is a bit scratchy, but I wore it for the afternoon and it wasn't awful.  The things we do for fashion!

This is my fourth (first, second, and third) versions of the simple and flattering, yet unfortunately out-of-print Vogue V7871.  I altered the pattern as I always do by adding pockets (on seam, using the sweet Jay-Cyn Dottie print quilting cotton):

I also changed the neckline just a bit; instead of a more boat-neck shape, I lowered it to a slight scoop neck. It wasn't as dramatic of a change as I had hoped, but after 4 versions, I wanted something a little different!

I made an effort to match the giant pattern, and it was a failure almost all around.  I've been distracted lately by kids at home and other more major things going on, so my best efforts were not as good as I'd like.  Oh well!  Here's a view of the serious un-matching in the back (along with the wrinkles from sitting through dinner in a linen dress):

For the construction, I used a serger to finish most edges and cut the facing with the dotted cotton with bias binding.  You can see on one of the pockets that I cut into the selvage--why not use those extra fractions of an inch? :)  I also bias-bound the cap sleeves on the inside.  It makes for such a clean finish.

I didn't try on the dress until the very end, to determine the hem length and it fit just right.  I love tried-and-true patterns!  

Resewlution 2014, July garment #1

Sundress struggles

Some projects take longer than others.  Some walk that fine line between "worth finishing" and "garbage-worthy".  Case in point: this dress.  This dress hovered over the trash can on numerous occasions.  So many ripped out seams, so many alterations, so many changes to the construction.  The pattern (Vogue V1086, by Tracy Reese) had sketchy instructions ("sew {this impossible} seam as show in the {single, oversimplified} drawing").  It had no final garment measurements and strange construction. Initially, I had high hopes when I saw that the instructions specified French seams, but it all went downhill from there.  Among other changes, I  raised the neckline by multiple inches--my less than abundant chest couldn't fill out the very blousy and full bodice.  I know--I should know better by now what works on my body, but we can all hope, right?  Omigosh--and no pockets!  And I couldn't even work them into the design because of a side zipper. 

The fabric, rayon challis from Anna Maria Horner's Field Study line, was purchased at Hart's Fabric in nearby Santa Cruz, CA.  For Mother's Day, I requested family strawberry picking and time at a new (to me) fabric store while the boys entertained themselves at the beach.  Pretty win-win for everyone!  This rayon is definitely not the easiest to work with, but it really makes a lovely, flowy dress, so it's worth the extra effort. And the fabric design really hides the flaws in the dress! 

I'll definitely wear the dress, it's so darn comfortable, but it doesn't fit as well as I'd like.  The midriff is pretty loose, but perhaps that's the reason for the comfy-ness!  It's going to be nice when the weather gets really steamy.

Too dressy for a picnic?  At least with the full skirt, I can sit on the ground with modesty :)  One thing is for sure: after all my sewing troubles with this one, the next seriously needs to be a no-fuss project.

Related note: Melly Sews is hosting a whole month of sundresses!  Hop on over to see the impressive line-up of tutorials!