Another Concord

This is my second Cashmerette Concord T-Shirt make. I cut a size 12 G/H. For this version, I went with the curved, faced hem, the v-neck, and long-sleeves. I shortened the sleeves by 1.5"-- but as a general rule, I seem to just push them up (didn't realize until this moment that I don't have any pics of the sleeves not pushed up... whoops!). The fabric is a soft, 100% poly ribbed knit that I purchased from Fabric Mart last summer.

Based on the fit of my first Concord T make (and of the other Cashmerette patterns I've made-- this seems to be a consistent issue for me across styles), I did a broad back adjustment to add a total of 3/4" to the upper back. I feel like it fits my back a bit better now, giving me a bit more room to move such that it doesn't feel tight. I am starting to wonder though, if maybe I should also try going up a size and see how that works for me. Hmmm...

I followed the instructions for everything for the most part. I did stabilize the shoulder seams with some regular stay tape. And then also added the additional step of stabilizing the neckline with SewkeysE fusible knit stay tape. On the one hand, the neckline is nice and smooth and pretty. But, it also doesn't "hug" my body the way I want it-- it seems to stand away from my body. I need to do a bit of research to figure out how to remedy this.

And a lesson learned on this one: pay attention to the hem facings. The front and back are, in fact, different. :P I accidentally attached the front hem facing to the back and had stitched and serged. When I went to attach the back facing to the front, I realized my mistake... doh! But I was not wanting to deal with a re-do. So I went with it. On the outside, it looks fine. But it is a bit janky on the inside.

I am happy with how this came together. Though I am a bit bummed that I haven't had a chance to wear it yet. It has been a warm summer (yay!)-- and this poly is on the warm side. But it will be perfect come fall!

Hiatus

So, last spring I decided to take on the position of president of the PTA at my sons' school. The job really ramped up in early August, and since then-- I have pretty much found myself with a nearly full-time unpaid job. Crafting fell by the wayside. Like WAY by the wayside. While it just hasn't been in me to blog at all over the last few months, I have managed to make a few things:

A Concord Tee from Cashmerette Designs:

LOVE this design. I've purchased fabric for two more.

A cute, swingy dress from McCall's 6957:

Check out that stripe matching under my arm where no one can see it! But I know it is there. I don't think this is supposed to be a high-low hem (at least, not according to the line drawing), but that's how it ended up, despite the fact that I did a 1.25" swayback adjustment. It's fine though, because I like it.

An unintentionally sexy top from McCall's 6963:

I think the lowness of the drape is a result of the FBA I did. It is definitely a date night kind of top!

Some wizard vests (from Simplicity 8023), robes (from a lovely pattern from the SewingPatternPixie available through Etsy), and wands (no pattern there):

The accessories-- ties, scarves, glasses, Gryffindor patches, white button-down shirts, toad-- were all purchased.

I can't even get over my boys. They are awesome. And they just. keep. growing.

I also managed a few holiday gifts, including some Kismet Trinket Boxes from Sew Sweetness. (LOVE this design!!! These are seriously so fun to make!)

These are all the medium round size, measuring about 4.75" tall. I put little treats in them and gifted them to teachers and friends.

Finally, I also made some maxi-pads and panty-liners of my own design.

I feel like I should note that I do not generally make a habit of giving feminine hygiene products to my friends/family. My sister-in-law specifically requested these. :P

Relative to my usual output and craftiness... the last six months has been a serious dry spell, creativity-wise. PTA has kind of been all-consuming, leaving very little energy for anything else.

So! My new mantra starting a couple of days ago is "Life Balance." I am going to make a conscious effort to be present with my family, make my home a better place to be (cleaner, more organized), while at the same still doing my PTA job and also taking better care of myself by eating better, making time to exercise again (I miss running!), and plan dedicated crafty creative time-- including, hopefully, a little blogging. No problem, right? But, if I am conscious of these things, maybe it will help me to make better choices along the way. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you have had some wonderful holidays and I wish you a joyful start to 2017!

Pink lightning capris (because lightning makes you run faster)

This was actually my first-ever activewear project (finished before the Jalie skort I blogged about earlier this week), but I didn't actually work out in them until this morning when I took them out for a run.

These are the capri length leggings from the Fehr Trade Duathlon Shorts pattern. I've paired them with an ill-fitting (but cheap) top I picked up at Macy's. (Note to self: need to work on making some activewear tops that actually fit!)

For my first attempt at activewear, I figured I couldn't go wrong with Fehr Trade as I have only read positive things about instructions and fit for all of her designs. Sure enough, the instructions were great! Very straightforward and clear throughout. The fit is pretty good as well. Based on my measurements (32" waist, 42" hips), I went with the Medium. They aren't super tight-- there is actually some looseness at the top of my thighs in back which is a little weird, but also fine... I guess I was expecting a bit more compression. Other than that, I feel like they are great all around.

The pink fabrics are from an activewear binge from Fabric Mart last December, both nylon/Lycra blends. The bit of black is some activewear jersey (92% Poly/8% Lycra) I picked up from Fabric.com.

I LOVE the rise in these and the elastic at the waist. Very comfortable and nothing moves.

My one wish is that the side pockets were a bit wider so that I could stash my phone in there if I wanted. And without any elastic or anything at the top edge to help secure it better, I'm not sure I'd trust to put much in the pockets.

As for how they felt-- very comfortable! There was no funky rubbing or anything. Everything stayed put. I'm excited to try them at my next HIIT workout-- I think they'll be great for that too. These are going to get a lot of wear!

Jalie Skort

It took a few months, but I am finally using some of the activewear fabric I picked up last December:

A goal for the upcoming winter break: activewear! Thanks to an awesomely enabling sale at @fabricmart, I have lots of beautiful fabric to get me going! #sewing #fabriclove

A photo posted by Robin (@furicious) on Dec 9, 2015 at 11:35am PST

First up is Jalie 2796, the Multi-Sport Skort:

This is my first time using Jalie, and I am really impressed with the drafting and the instructions. The line drawings are particularly well done and offer very clear illustrations of the written steps. I wish though that the drawings and instructions were together... I was having to flip back and forth between the two. But now that I've made them once, I probably wouldn't even need the written instructions-- the drawings would be sufficient.

Based on my measurements, I cut a "W" for the waist and graded out to the "X" for the hips downward. I think the skort fits pretty well-- nothing felt overly tight or loose. I used my regular sewing machine and stitched all of the seams with a narrow zig-zag followed by serging them. I used my coverstitch for all the hems and the pocket.

I went for a run in my new skort yesterday (thus all the sweaty pics) and found them to be pretty darn comfy.

I love that they give the coolness of shorts and that the skirt covers all of the lumps and bumps (which are very evident in the pics of the shorts above). So awesome!!!

Bonus: my Galaxy S5 actually fits in the side pocket! I ran with my phone and it was great-- no bumping or jostling-- it totally stayed in place.

I used the full (wide) waistband and found that as I ran, it just ended up curling over on itself. I'm not sure if that is because I really need a bigger size, or if that is just what happens since there is no elastic helping to stabilize it. It wasn't uncomfortable and definitely still felt secure (i.e., my skort wasn't going to fall off or anything). But I am considering using the low waistband option next time.

The other thing was that after a few minutes of running, the shorts crawled up my legs. While it wasn't annoying enough for me to stop and tug them back down in front of random peeps on the road, it did feel weird. Near the end of my run (when I got to a quiet street with no people), I tugged them back down and after that, they actually stayed in place. So maybe my sweat helped somehow? Anyway-- I'm on the hunt for a solution. Melissa of Fehr Trade suggests in her Duathlon Shorts pattern instructions to try "silicone sock paint" to help the shorts stay in place, so I'm going to start with that and see how it goes.

Remakes!

Now that school is out, I've managed to do a bit of sewing. Yay! I started with a few re-makes.

I started with another rendition of Kwik Sew 3513:

Here I've got the top tucked in so you can see the foldover waistband.

I loved this the first time I sewed it up, and my love remains constant. It is a simple, straightforward, and effective design! I again made a size Medium. My only change was to add 5" to the length in order to make it into more of a maxi-skirt. The fabric is a Maggy London ITY knit from Fabric Mart.

The aqua top that I'm wearing with the skirt is another remake of the Maria Denmark Kirsten Kimono Tee. This is the third one I've made (version one | version two). This time I used a poly/lycra jersey knit in a pretty Caribbean blue from Fabric Mart. This is the Large with a 1" dartless FBA (Maria Denmark offers a friendly tutorial for no-dark fronts). Such a fabulous design made even more so because Maria Denmark offers it as a FREE pattern when you sign up for her newsletter.

And here is another Kirsten Kimono Tee:

So the only remarkable thing about this rendition is that I somehow managed to cut two of the same piece... I put back in the photo above, but looking at it now in comparison to the aqua one, I think maybe I cut two fronts? (It was really hard to tell because I also messed up in cutting the neckline a bit... sigh.) Anyway, I didn't have enough fabric to cut a new back. While it definitely doesn't fit quite right, it actually is in fact wearable. Phew! The fabric is another ITY knit from Fabric Mart.

All of these pieces are now in regular rotation in my wardrobe. Tried and true!

Chevron Appleton

I think this is it! The last unblogged project from 2015!

This is my Appleton Dress from Cashmerette. It is a classic wrap dress. I stitched it up a couple weeks before Christmas using a happy ITY chevron print from Fabric Mart.

If you haven't heard about Cashmerette patterns yet, they are designed for curvy ladies, size 12 and up, with cup sizes going up to H. No FBA required!!! Woo! My rendition is a size 12, G-H cup with 3/4-sleeves. The only alteration I made was to chop 4" off the hem.

The instructions were straightforward and everything went together without a hitch. And I love the result! I feel so pretty when I wear this dress. Sexy, even! That V-neck is no joke... it is deep. And, while it is secure, I have to be very careful about which bra I choose, as anything with a wide bridge ends up peeking out after a few minutes. Fortunately, I have one bra that works pretty well. Of course, a cami is always an option as well, and would lend to a bit more modesty in general. I haven't tried that approach yet though.

I love this dress. I've been eyeing other potential fabrics, but haven't found the perfect one yet. Hopefully, soon! I'd love to make a short-sleeved one for summer!

Sit & Stitch Pincushion

This is yet another completed project from last year (only a couple more left, I swear!).

It is the "Sit & Stitch Pincusion" from Cindy Taylor Oates (of Taylor Made Designs). My mother-in-law gave me the pattern for Christmas. I was so smitten with it, I jumped in and finished one that weekend.

Shopping my stash, I found a happy array of fabrics and and then got to work.

I did a couple things differently than the pattern suggested based upon the supplies I had on hand:

• Used woven interfacing (Pellon SF101) rather than the Pellon 808 called for in the pattern.
• I made my bias binding the old-fashioned way as I didn't have a bias making thingy of the correct size.

Both changes seemed to work well.

The whole thing came together in an afternoon.

It is designed to drape over the arm of a chair or couch. I think it is going to be perfect next time I'm downstairs doing some stitching in front of the television! (Note to self: find a project to work on in front of the tv!)

A pair of Jenna Cardis

Also left unblogged in 2015 were a couple iterations of the Muse Patterns Jenna Cardi.

The first one, completed in early December was from a hatchi sweater knit purchased from Fabric.com awhile back.

This print makes me so happy. My only regret: I wish I had used some sparkly buttons. There is gold threading through the fabric, and some crystaline buttons would bring that element out a little more and look so fun! If I run across the right buttons, I may still change 'em up.

I made Variation A, the hip length with long sleeves. Alterations included:

• 1" FBA, after which I removed the darts by following Maria Denmark's "How to: Removing Bust Darts from a Pattern."
• Shortened sleeves 2".
• Used 9 buttons (spaced ~2/25" apart) instead of the 8 suggested in the pattern (as I had added length when doing the FBA).

I wasn't sure how removing the darts would work, but, as it was only a 1" FBA, I decided to give it a go. And I am super happy with the result! I am not sure how effective it would be if the FBA was any bigger though.

The second version (also Variation A with long sleeves) is from a chocolate brown poly/lycra sweater knit from Fabric Mart. It was finished toward the end of December.

The only change to this one from the first was that I narrowed the sleeve width a bit. I just felt like my first one, the sleeves were looser than I wanted.

I very unscientifically trimmed, tapering the width starting from about 1" below the armscrye, ending at the hem where about 1.25" of fabric was removed from the width (and then I adjusted the sleeve bands accordingly before attaching). The picture above shows a comparison of the sleeves between the two versions.

Construction on these was straightforward and the instructions were great. It is a very quick project to construct!

I wear these cardigans quite often. The chocolate one is already starting to pill as it has been in such regular rotation. LOVE.

Recently, Muse released an add-on for the Jenna that includes a V-neck and collar variations. I snatched it up! More Jennas are definitely in my future.

Cute kitty skirt!

This was a skirt I have been thinking about for a long time-- ever since I first saw this happy Lizzie House Catnap print nearly two years ago! The print just spoke to me. And I could not get it out of my head. But I didn't pull the trigger on buying the fabric until I saw that Hawthorne Threads had put it on sale, at which point it immediately went into my cart (along with a coordinating Denyse Schmidt print).

Now it is a Cute Skirt! Literally. The design is from a pattern from Favorite Things called "Cute Skirts." I made the view with contrasting gores. It is a simple design, and it showcases fabrics so happily. This is actually the third skirt I've made from this pattern (the previous ones were pre-blogging). So clearly, it works for me.

Construction was straightforward. My only quibble was with the instructions for the gores.

The instructions have you sew the gores from hem through the point all the way to the edge of the gore fabric. As a result, they just look a bit janky. I mean, from the outside, all is well, but they could be much cleaner on the inside. If one stitched from the hem and stopped at the seam allowance at the top (rather than stitching all the way through to the raw edge), I think the gores would not only look prettier inside, but also sit a bit flatter overall. It had been so long since I made this view (I made my first one in 2005) that I just didn't remember. So-- I'm writing this down so I remember for next time!

My only tweak to the design was to add a line of stitching through the elastic in the back waistband. I didn't do that once, and was constantly fighting with elastic getting all twisted up in there (I really hate twisty elastic-- it's just not comfy!).

I sewed up the size 14 based on my measurements, which I think worked out well. But the sizing is also pretty forgiving since you can easily adjust the elastic during construction.

Here I've styled the skirt with a cozy sweater and boots. Comfy, cozy, with kitties!