A Garment A Month January Plans

Chanel Spring rtw 2014 is the inspiration behind my next garment. I really like the lines and textiles of this collection and want to see how I can play with them for myself. I'm going to use this in my little white dress.

Self drafted of course and details to come soon.

Until next time, happy sewing...

Make Garment A Month Challenge

So its been a while since I posted and the last time I posted I mentioned a sew along I was planning on joining the Fall Essentials Sew Along 2013. Its been while and I still have yet to sew complete anything for it but that doesn't mean I'm not working, as a matter of fact I have been working a lot but not as productive as I would like. I'm still working on my shirt from DIY Clothes but with all of my modifications and testing its taking a lot longer. But more on that in the coming days.

Now some recent news, I just found another more long term sew along, the Garment A Month Sew Along hosted by SarahLiz, which I think is more doable for me. The rules are easy. At the beginning of each month post your garment for that month and it has to be for yourself. Once its completed.  lable your blog post 'a garment a month' and blog about it, easy peasy. I'm starting a little late since I just found the sew along couple of days ago but I still plan to try for the month of October. I really need something else besides the shirt which is still in the muslin/drafting stage to get me going again. What will I make for my AGAM, not sure yet but whatever it will be I plan to self draft.

Until next time, happy sewing...

I'm Still Here and Still Working On

I'm still around just not as much as I would like right now. Besides going back to homeschooling some of my kids this school year,  my internet availability has been very sporadic and it looks like that will be the case for a few more weeks, I get on when I can.

On anther note I'm still working my way through DIY Clothes, but I have slowed down a bit since I'm working with wovens now and have to fit the pattern so it can be used for future designs. With this extra work I am learning a lot about fitting and also about my unique shape.  I hope to post something soon about it within the next few days on what I have done so far. I also have a ton of blog reading to catch up on, but one that got my attention is the Fall 2013 Essentials Sew-Along. This is right up my alley since part of my patternmaking is to have a set of those patterns that make up MY wardrobe essentials. I already have most of my Fall sewing planned which mostly includes my patternmaking projects and a few extras.  I'm hoping that the sewing and blogging will pick back up once I have a base pattern I'm happy with.

Until next time, happy sewing

Funny How Time Flies

So its been a month since I last posted, sometimes things are out of my control such as having reliable internet service. Moving on though I have been sewing slowly and making plans along the way and I have a few pattern reviews and post coming soon hopefully.

I'm also participating in the Sew Your Own Wardrobe for a Year Challenge, so I have been working on muslins, sorting through my pattern collection and really concentrating on what I really wear and what flatters me. This has been a goal of mine for a while and I have been working on this but now I have a deadline, April 1, 2013. So much of my sewing time is lost to fitting and I'm tired of it really, I just want to sew, a rant that has been repeated a few times on this blog. But I think I am getting to the point where I have a few patterns that I have fitted not perfect but workable and be the bases of my own sewn wardrobe.

For this month PR.com has the fitted blouse contest going on, while I was hoping to participate I can't now due to new rule. So I still plan to sew along and use the shirt pattern that I plan to use for the challenge. More on that coming soon. I'm also fitting a pair of pants and another top, again more on those later. So I have a pretty filled month which means lots to blog about.

Until next time, happy sewing...

A Quick Update...

Since I have not really posted in a while. I am still working on my corset shirt, as a matter of fact I am almost done, but I don't think I am going to do another one for the contest. For one with the collar and cuffs taking up more time than I expected its going to be cutting it close to get at least two more done right now for this month (more on that) and two I'm once again stalled due to lack of notions buttons in this case. To make this even more difficult the kids are home for three weeks for end of term break which means  a lot less sewing for now and to make it even more difficult we are in the middle of a sudden move. So this just killed my January sewing contest plans but I am working when I can on somethings but I'll save that later for another post.

Until next time, happy sewing...

Waiting and Waiting

My sewing has basically been put on hold for one simple thing, interfacing. I have tried for the past four weekends to get down to the souk but life with a large family,things just happen. So  have decided to move on for now from Simplicity 2473, but I hope to get back to it real soon since I do not want this to stay as a UFO for long.
On another note, Patternreview has finally posted the contest for next year, and I THINK

I will be participating in the very first contest of the year. From Jan.1 to 31 the OPML (one pattern, many looks) will be taking place and I THINK I’m in for this one. Once again I’ll be using a top pattern, as of right now I THINK I’ll be using Simplicity 2614. I’m really loving the patterns that already come with the different cup sizes, it just make fitting a bit easier for me even though I’m still figuring out which size is the best for me. 

As of this post there are 50 reviews of this pattern and for the most part the all of them seem to be positive reviews, so I’m hopeful.
My aim is to make seven different tops, one for each day of the week, but my goal is three. I already have a few ideas swirling in my head and all have a RTW top as its starting inspiration. So stay tuned for that. I have 8 days until the start, so I’ll be muslining (I know that is not a real word or verb for that matter) and trying to find fabrics in my small fabric collection. So stay  tuned.

Until next time, happy sewing…

How Many Patterns Do I Need

Last year I tried to give myself a little challenge for 2012, and I failed miserably for various reasons. I won't go into detail why but I am learning with my sewing and goals. This coming year I have some goals planned but I will not expose them until I have completed them except this one which is a variation on this year's challenge and that is to try and use fewer patterns. Why? you might ask would I want to limit myself when there are so many wonderful styles out there.

1. Firstly, FITTING I hate it, it takes up so much of my precious time, and when you have a large family to manage personal time is extremely precious.  
2. Secondly I just want to be able to lay my pattern down and take my time and make a beautiful garment that flatters me.
3. Thirdly , patternmaking, its a goal of mine to learn it so why not try to use it more on simple patterns and create new styles myself  and not be a slave to the pattern companies, I mean most of what the pattern companies put out are just variations from a sloper.
4.  Fourthly, its not cheap or as easy anymore, back home in America it was but not here.
5. Fifthly I just want to sew (yes I know I already said this one).
6. I seem to be attracted to same patterns anyway.
7. I hate the idea of becoming an old woman with a hoarding problem and nothing to show for it.
8. I just want to sew.
9. I just want to sew.
10. I JUST WANT TO SEW.

\Okay you get the picture, anyway I'm not going to restrict myself that is just asking for failure but I am going to try and keep the patterns to a minimum. All other goals will be reveiled as I complete them.

Until next time, happy sewing...

M.I.A. But Still Working Sort Of

Oh I hate excuses , but I do have one and hope to make up for the last two weeks of no blogging. First off I got a bit obsessed with figuring out my size so, I took the original pattern and traced every size above 14 to 20. Then I started mixing and matching sizes in muslin, so I would do a 14 front with an 18 back or a full 14 bodice. While it was a bit boring and redundant I did learn something new about my body, I have a VERY broad back. I'm still learning but I think I have a good starting point. Also during this time I became very sick and was on antibiotics for a while and I mean for the first two days I was bed ridden. I'm still not at 100% but I am a lot better. So that is what has kept me away for two weeks. I'm hoping that the next will be much better.

 I have already started working on my lbd but I don't expect it to be done in time for contest. I'll just keep working on it until its done and of course blog about it along the way. I don't expect for it to take long, I just started working on it yesterday and think it will take me about 3 sewing sessions to complete.

Also for the month of December I'll be participating in #reverb12. So I'll hopefully be blogging a lot more for the month and reflecting on 2012 my success and many failures.

Until next time, happy sewing...

Wearable Muslin FAIL

Lesson learned, when you fit a muslin make sure you fit ALL of it. Before starting my wearable muslin I used some cheap cotton mix, and I fit most of the dress other than the sleeves. Now on to the wearable muslin, I don't know if the zipper made the problem worst or what but I did have some pooling of fabric in the back just above my hips but when it came to the wearable muslin with the zipper in it was more like a lake back there. Then once I got the sleeves on which I did not fit in the first muslin it was too tight in the armscye. The last straw happened when I tried to zip it up on my own and the front just split right down the center, which you can see in the pic above.  I have had it for now, two wadders in a row. I'm going to still try and make myself a LBD but I'm going to take my time. Fitting myself with now help is frustrating and sometimes a little discouraging.

I'm going to go ahead with my craftsy Couture Dress class and just take my time. I have to remember "quality not quantity". I'm using Simplicity 2473 which I loved when it first came out but for some reason put it aside. Now after seeing all of the reviews I know I want to make this for myself.  The pattern is not much different from the one what is offered with the class and the only reason I am using it is because the pattern was sent to my Dad's place , the class was a gift from him. So "quality not quantity" is the motto for this and future projects.

I think for next month I'm going to concentrate on working out my real size and my fitting issues. See this is why I need some TnT patterns.

"Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

Until next time, happy sewing...

Its That Time Of The Year Again

SWAP or Sewing With A Plan time, lots of other sewist, are talking and thinking about it over at Stitcher's Guild. I have attempted a few times in the past but never finished and I know that the first time I tried my plan was not that well thought out and other times too ambitious and when time was quickly going and nothing was getting made I just gave up. Now after my recent mini wardrobe success, finishing on time and working together, I think I can push myself to do this one.

Every year there is some sort of twist to the contest and this year there is a 5+5+1 or two different coordinating groups of five which are linked together by 1 piece concept. I'm going to keep as close to the original plan whilst having two different groups which means no dresses. I wear mostly separates anyway so this would not be that hard. I'm also trying to tie in my learning to sew garments as well if I can since I still plan to start working on it again the beginning of next year. Also since I'm still working towards building a small collection of TnT patterns, I want to working with patterns I hope to use more than once. So I have a lot of planning before the start date (Dec. 26, 2012), but if it does not work out that is also fine with me.

Until next time, happy sewing

My LBD Is A Maxi

Okay, last time I talked about this I said I planned on using BurdaStyle 9-2012-109 as my little black dress. Well the more I think about the length I'm going to have to add to it, the more I think its not going to work. I don't want something that is going to look like a sack and its hard to tell from the line drawings how much shape is already drafted into the pattern. So at this point I'm still debating with myself which pattern in my collection to use. At this point Simplicity 2359 is the front runner with BurdaSyle in second and a few others behind but I won't reveal those at this point since I'm not real sure about them.

Which one would you choose?

Until next time, happy sewing...

P.S. Surprisingly I have no black fabric which means a shopping trip soon, I'll keep the camera phone out for pics ;-)

BurdaStyle 9-2012-109 In A LBD

Remember that post a few weeks ago where I talked about all the things I wanted to make from the September issue of Burdastyle. Well now I'm ready for my first item with a plan. I'm hoping to use the shift dress in the LBD contest coming up next month over at PR.com. Once I finish up my jeans I want to start fitting it and have it ready on October 1 so keep an eye on Instagram. I'm still waiting for the rules to be posted but I don't think there will be any surprises.
On another note, I think I am done with my jeans pattern but my fabric was not ready, so while that was washing I took time out to look for a basic dress pattern for the contest, so studio time was put to good use.

Until next time, happy sewing...

Up Next: Skinny Jeans

BurdaStyle 07-2010-103

Vogue 8330

Just a quick post on my next project and that is skinny jeans. I have been wanting a pair for a while now and with me sort of participating in the make all your clothes for a year sew along, why not. So above you can see the three patterns I have in my collection and I plan to choose one of these. I have already started reading up more on pants fitting and hope to start fitting one of these soon.

As far as my vest, I have not gotten as far as I would have liked to today but I'm almost done. A few more stitches some buttonholes and a good press and I should be done tomorrow I hope.

Until next time, happy sewing...

Changing Plans.... Slightly

So recently HotPatterns came out with a new dress/top pattern and as always I checked it out along with the accompanying youtube video. Well as soon as she mentioned about the the new denim dress in J.Crew's new line, I had to check it out and lo and behold I had already seen it and even eyed it quite a bit but did not think much of it since I had other sewing plans. Well after revisiting the site and thinking about the denim I'm already going to use for my skirt ,I think I have just enough for a dress. I can use the dress pattern I already had planned Simplicity 4118 and morph it a bit with Simplicity 3827 to get the look they both are apart of Simplicity's cup sizing collection, so I think it will be easy to do. So I'll still be doing my dress for the month but slightly different.  I'm going to use the lighter denim you see in the pic below. I bought that one here and the darker one I got from fabric.com a few months ago. The darker one has a bit of stretch to it while the lighter one does not. I decided to use the lighter one since for one it was washed and ready to go and also if needed I could get more easily since I got here instead of waiting for another shipment from the States.

I still have not sewed anything yet for this month and this because of some pattern work I had to do but I'm still optimistic I can get all or at least most of what I had planned done.

Until next time, happy sewing...

March Plans

So my sewing plans all center around black and SWAP. I'm hoping to finish my shirt before the start of March, so I can start with a fresh plate. I still need to finish the other sleeve and add the buttons so I'll be up tonight trying to get it done in time.

So for March I have:

• Black sateen skirt
• Denim skirt
• Black and white dress
• Black floral tunic
• Black cardigan

Until next time happy sewing...

Another Anthro Inspired Item

 So one of my March projects is a black and blue floral top inspired by this Anthroplogie top. I have had this picked saved in my inspiration files for awhile and when I walked into to fabric shop and saw this print it instantly reminded me of this top, so I got 3 meters.

I'm not sure yet if I'm going to use my TnT top pattern or my simplicity shirt pattern and just modify for the right look.

I have already washed my fabric and have it folded and waiting. Once I have decided which pattern, I'll need to add length to make it more tunic length and also I'm not sure if I want to do a self fabric belt. I still have a few more days before I'm finished my current top, so I have time to think about it.

A Gift

 Its only been 26 days since I last posted :-) , hopefully it won't be that long again for a while, it just that sometimes life can throw some mean curve balls. Anyway speaking for curves, look what I got last week from a really good and close friend here, a arm curve and pant curve. To say that it made my day, week, month,  me feel a lot better is an understatement. I was grinning from ear to ear all day long.

 In the background you can see that I started on my skirt sloper from Building Patterns and I hope to play around with these rulers soon. I already had a ruler similar but they are not the same so they will be really useful for me. One can never have too many drafting rulers.

 I have started back sewing a little, my machines still aren't fixed but I was able to get my sewing working well enough to work on wovens I can no longer do anything with knits I think the problem is down in the bobbin area but it really needs to be fixed. I'm trying not to cause more damage. My serger I don't know what that is its just making a funny noise when ever I use it almost like the skidding of a car. I plan to buy a back up sewing  machine soon but not sure if I can get a back up serger, it was so harding finding one here and then just asking questions about it is out of the question.I won't be able to take my machines in to get fixed until the beginning of March at the soonest. So I plan to contine to sew but it will have to bee at a much slower pace. So I guess more time for drafting.

 So I'll have some pics to show of what I have been slowly working on soon.

Until next time happy sewing...

A Designer's Dozen

So it is 12 for 2012, I know the last time I talked about how many patterns I was going to use I said it would be  no more than 10 but then I remembered 2 patterns I just could not leave out. How could I deprive myself of patterns that I really like and fit me well, the whole point of this challenge is to develop some good basic TnT  patterns and learn to maximize on their potential. Then there were some patterns I just have try such as a  Burda magazine pattern and a vest, jeans, a jacket or are apart of my Learn To Sew class like the jumper. So with that I came up with 12 patterns and I am calling them the Designer's Dozen. So for the next 12 days I'll introduce each pattern or item and tell my reasoning for it. Some of them I have patterns for and for some I'm still looking.

I recently went over a few threads about TnT patterns and it reminded me that getting a TnT pattern is an on going process and that I just need to get a pattern I like and is flattering on me and work with it. The only exception to my 12 pattern rule is anything that I draft or patternmake. I don't think I'll be doing a lot of patternmaking but just in case. So starting tomorrow I'll be starting my 12 days of patterns for the Designer's Dozen.

Until next time happy sewing

7 for 12

Well I have most of my patterns picked out, I'm still trying to decide if I want to add a jacket. I don't own that many and they would be good for going into places where the AC has been set to max. I'm just not sure if I'm really going to find the time to sew a jacket or even find the right fabric here. For now I'll leave it off my sewing board.

So it is called  7 for 12 or 7 patterns for 2012. For my blouse I choose Simplicity 2614, and my cardigan is a OOP Hot Patterns, and dress is Simplicity 1993 formaly


1. Blouse- Simplicity 2614
2. Shirt - McCall's 5138
3. Pant - New Look 6570
4. Skirt - Self Drafted
5. Dress- Simplicity 1993
6. Cardigan- Hot Patterns Riviera Mini-Midi-Maxi Cardi
7. T-shirt- New Look 6735

for now this is the plan, I have until Dec 31 to make any changes I'm hoping there won't be other than maybe adding a jacket then it would be 8 for 12.


Until next time happy sewing.........

Planning Fall 2011’s Most Wearable Trends to sew

Mustard: Still not sure what I am going to make with this one yet, its a knit that I have had for about 3 years now. Its really brown with a mustard yellow paisley print, I had no idea the print was so large when I purchased this one online from fabric.com. I have seen it made up few times on patternreview a couple of times, but still not sure how its going to look on me. I love the print don't get me wrong but it needs to be made up into that right piece for my body. But i don't plan to work with it until I have something to make to go with it, I dislike sewing up orphans

 Granny Plaids: Here is another tough one for me, I love the print but not sure what I want to make with it. Its not that I'm short on ideas, only short on fabric. I know some will say its only fabric and just get some more. But here in a country where I can't drive, don't speak the language well at all, and doesn't get deliveries very well. I have to make the most of what I have. And also make the most of my time and money when I do get a chance to go out and buy more.
Well for this one I'm leaning towards a maxi skirt with a white knit turtleneck top. I would use my self-drafted skirt pattern and Burda 7742 for the turtleneck.

Chunky Sweater and Maxi skirt: Love the look, I remember loving this in high school. My only problem is finding a pattern. Oh and a nice chunky sweater and skinny jeans is totally me also. I can't wait to start on this look.

 Bright Pants: I remember the neon phase of the nineties  and the hot pink look also and I couldn't do it then and I don't think I could do it now but also when I think of bright a loud candy apple comes to mind and white so I can rock that. I only have two yards of the red twill but I'm hoping I can squeeze some skinny pants out it. The white is a Ralph L. I got from a Fabric Mart bundle a few years ago. I have enough of it to make at least three things but with kids going out with white its always a good thing. So I'll have to plan well with both.

Polka Dots: I have never done ploka dots, but depending the style I like the look. So I'm being bold and I'm going to try and make it work for me. As you can see this one goes with the fabric I have for my bright pants. This could a mini 3 or 4 piece wardrobe.