KwikSew 3854 and Jalie 2805 for the WIN!

 Isn't the sailor short cute? I've never sewn anything with this sort of button closure on it. This is one of the patterns I bought for $0.10 at my local fabric store. I made the medium but I could have probably made the small. My hip measurements are right between the two sizes, but since KwikSew tends to be larger on me, I should go with the smaller size.

Here it is in a dark denim. This is a remnant from a pair of Eleonore jeans I made. I really like how it fits. The legs are so wide, it looks more like a skirt than a pair of shorts. The top is Jalie 2805 also made out of remnants. This is one of my favorite Jalie patterns EVER. So many options.

This is the second Jalie top I made for these shorts. This is also out of remnants. I always feel good when I can use things up. This is a Girl Charlee knit. Since it was a remnant, I didn't have enough for the sleeves or the back. So I had to get creative.

I put the back on the cross grain but it works with this fabric because it is pretty stretchy both ways.

The back of the shorts has two shaping darts and a wide waistband.

First, I put on the cutest red, white, and blue buttons. But, because they are probably 20 years old and plastic, two of them broke after I put them on. Dammit. So then I went with the pink buttons.

I didn't have enough fabric for the entire pocket so I just made a lining piece and added a small piece of the denim to the top. The construction of these shorts is pretty cool I think.

This whole bib-flap-thing folds down which kind of makes for unusable pockets. But the pockets are a cute addition, right?

Have I told you how much I love my new sewing machine with the perfect buttonholes??

I made a pretty large swayback adjustment on these. I think the total was one inch over three different places. But this waistband was on the fold so it would be two inches total.

Over all, it's a win! I've been vacation sewing the past few days because we head to San Diego again in a few weeks. I have another thing to show you too. 

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Goodies

Did you guys snag any good sewing stuff for Black Friday/Cyber Monday? Last year, I bought a bunch of fabric and patterns. This year though? I wasn't really feeling it. I did snag some fun though.

I used this opportunity to buy about 40 randomly-colored zippers. I buy loooong zippers that I know I will have to cut off. This way, I always have a zipper for projects like my Charlie bomber jackets. The difference in price between the 18" and 28" is only $.20 or so, so it's totally worth it. I bought about 10 with the brass teeth, 10 with plastic teeth (like these in the picture), and I bought 11 white zippers that are closed on the bottom. I really only needed six for Jalie 3244 Christmas pajamas. I could either buy six of them for $1.10/each or I could buy "bulk" and buy eleven of them for $0.42/each. That was a no-brainer decision. They are all long zippers so I will just cut off what I don't need.  They had a free shipping plus 40% deal and I took full advantage of it. The metal zippers at Joann's are about $6-$9 for each one!

I also bought two more Hot Patterns. They had a 30% (I think?) plus free shipping promotion going on. I really want to love this company. I've adored their line drawings for years. I did finally bite the bullet and buy three of them not too long ago. Out of the three, one was a hit-it-out-of-the-ballpark winner, one was a what-the-fuck-were-they-thinking, and one of them was okay-but-needs-alterations. Those aren't good odds, especially when I'm used to Jalie, Ottobre, and Burda. Anyway, I did it again. I figure, it's a damn tote bag, how can it go wrong? I've been carrying around a lap top a lot more lately and struggled to find a cute, larger, non-frumpy tote bag lately. Then I had a face palm moment and I was like, "Dawn. Dawn! Why don't you just sew one." I've sewn the Nairobi bag before and it was easy to sew the leather. I used the bag for years until it wore out. I'm going to do it again with this bag.

I also bought this one which is so old now that it's considered Vintage Hot Patterns. Again, though, this is one I have admired for years. I'm hoping for another hit-outta-the-ballpark. I've seen so many versions out there (and I remember the neckline issue!) and they are all lovely. This is exactly the type of thing I love in the winter too. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I want to love you, Deco Vibe Cosmopolitan Dress, please do not disappoint me!

Jalie 2788 Twist Top

This is a Jalie oldie but goodie. I've made this top so many times before. I still think it's a classic. This is the remainder of a polyester ITY. I made another shirt out of it here. 

The only change I made to this top is to make it a regular back. The pattern has a low dipping back with a tie. I wanted something that wasn't as breezy . 

Jalie and Black Friday

Jalie is doing something new this year. They are releasing a holiday pattern and this year it's all sorts of gift bags. I've made all of them so far except the bento bags and they are Jalie quality just like everything else. My favorite is the one I posted a few days ago. You can get 50% off this pattern, but only for a few days! 

You were right! Green is The One!

You guys were totally right. This is a fun green coat. I was skeptical about the color against my skin, but I think it's okay especially since I'll probably be wearing a big chunky scarf much of the winter. The coat was very fast to construct since it had just a few pieces. There were no closures to futz with so finishing it up was really fast.

Even without the scarf, I don't think it looks too dressing gown-ish. Because it has a very relaxed silhouette, there were not many fitting issues. I did add my extra inch between neck and bust (without disturbing the armholes) and did a small swayback adjustment. I did make a muslin of this before I even got my wool

The inside closes with ties, shown here.

Isn't the lining like a Monet? I found this silky fabric at JoAnn's. It's just beautiful!

Of course, little Miss Thing had to come and check it out.

This is not a fully bagged lining. The wool hem and lining hem are not connected. The wool hem is hand stitched up under the lining.

The wool is great to work with. It's plush, thick, and fabulous. I put both of the wools in the washer and dryer on the Wool/Hand Wash setting and they both came out looking fine. I always do that to pre-shrink my wools. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping me make up my mind with the green. I think you guys were definitely right! At work, I've already gotten a load of compliments. This was a fun and satisfying project to make up. 

Oh, and the bag on my last post? Yes, it's a special Jalie pattern they are putting out just for next week. You'll save 50% on the Galaxie 1 pattern. The coupon code is 50OFF2017 and it's valid from November 24th to 27th. This pattern is ONLY in PDF format.  There are several bags in this little pattern and they are all cute. My favorite is the one on the last post but there is also a wine bag, pencil box, gift bags, and the one I made. 

Can you guess??

There is a new pattern coming out. Can you guess who created it? No hints. Just guess. It is not FABULOUS? I love the handle. It's a bag within a bag. The totebag and inner bag are connected (you can also make it without the inner drawstring bag). I'll use it for workouts. My shoes can go in the outside bag and my clothes can stay clean inside the bag. There is also a smaller version of this bag. It's the perfect size for lunches. Actually, the pattern has a ton of bags. This is just one of several. Any guesses? 

I Need Help - Sassy or Hideous?

I love this Ottobre coat. I love the simple lines and the closure. Inside, there is a tie from the front to the side and then there is a self-fabric tie front. I always find in the winter that 1) I'm too rushed to button all my coat buttons and 2) I'm wearing a variety of bulkiness. Sometimes I'm wearing a thin knit top with skinny jeans and sometimes a thick, chunky sweater. If I have a very tailored coat, it is tight when I'm wearing my sweater, but loose when I wear the thin knits. With this coat, you'd be able to snug it up when you needed to.

Here's my dilemma. The other day I was needing some retail therapy and I had this coat in mind as I shopped. I bought three yards of both of these wools. Yes, I bought the green. Why? I don't know. I was apparently having a crisis. I do like the green but would it be too much? Mind you, I do like bright colors and flashy coats. I don't know why I didn't buy one of the jewel tones on the right. My wine wanted the green, I guess. Should I do it? It would certainly make a flashy wool coat.

On the other hand, I also bought this somber black with white. It's kind of boring, but it would make a very nice, if boring, coat.

Here's what I can tell you. Both of these fabrics are high quality, thick, and nice. Any thoughts? 

Ottobre Knit Top - 03/2017 #38

I knew when I first saw this in the Spring Ottobre that I would make it. It's nothing crazy, it's just a t-shirt with a hood. But this is why I think Ottobre is fun. The hood is interesting and the trim application is something new. I love those little details. I figure they can wear this with a tighter t-shirt underneath. You could totally do this with a regular t-shirt pattern.

I used a cotton knit for the front and hood and a Merino wool knit for the sleeves and back. I used orange FOE for the hood trim.

First you use FOE to bind the hood and then you use a contrasting strip to hide where the FOE comes together. I think it's a cute detail.

I nailed the FOE application by using my center guide foot. I used this dotted orange as a fun accent. I also like it because it has the gold dots like the main fabric does.

The back is a purple Merino wool. I think it will nice and warm as a cover-up. All of this fabric was in my scrap bin. I love using up scraps!  

Ottobre 05/2017 #18 - Simple Knit Dress

This is another Ottobre knit dress. This one is from the most recent Ottobre Women's magazine. This is a super easy pattern. There are just three pieces. I used a very stretchy knit for this dress. There is very little waist shaping on the pattern and I expect that it will look very different in a different knit.  

You can see that the neckline in front is pretty high. In the back it is lower. 

I did do a slight sway back adjustment on this dress. It's hard to tell if I need to do more of an adjustment. This knit is heavy as well as thin and the skirt material pulls down on the bodice.

Overall, a very simple knit dress. I live in knit dresses in the winter time. You can add a cardigan, a chunky scarf, or a belt. Then slip on some knee high boots and you're dressed! 

Ottobre Dress - 05/2015 #1

This is another Ottobre knit dress. I made this before in a polyester ponte knit. This time I made it in a sweater knit. I love the long sleeves and the cozy design. I had forgotten how short it was. Next time, I'll add a few inches. It's so short that my mini-skirt slip shows sometimes! This baby is shhhoooooort. 

I used my coverstitcher binding attachment to add the neckline and pocket opening binding.  

I love these colors together!