Happy Birthday to Me!!

Just popping in to leave a quick update. Today is my birthday! We aren't going to talk about which one I'm celebrating... because that's unladylike! Of course!!

That's exciting, but even more exciting, my five year old baby boy started school today! So bittersweet! I am also excited about starting school next week. I'm going back to college and I'm going to make it count this time. 

I've been sewing a lot of projects in preparation for school. I've got lots to share with you. Problem is, I've got no pictures yet. :( Sadly, in my mad rush to get everything ready for the start of the school year, I've had no time to set up any photos. So hopefully I can get that done this weekend for you all! I've got some great stuff to show you.

 If you follow me on Instagram (click the link on my page) you've been seeing it as it's coming off the machine. If you don't follow me on Instagram, do it!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day. Good luck to all the mommy's out there with kiddos going back to school! 

Until next time!

Finally... New Look 6457

 The saga that is New Look 6457 started here, in October of 2014. It was finally completed in April of 2015. All that time it was hanging up without a hem or zipper. Otherwise, it was completely finished. Why did it take me so long to finish? I have no answer for that. I'm going to say it was partly due to winter blues here in Ohio, but I'm sure there was more to it. I just don't know what.

I have to say though, that I'm kicking myself in the pants for not finishing it right away. It is easily one of my favorite dresses this summer and I've been wearing the heck out of it. The fabric is light and on the thinner side, but not poor quality thin, just comfy lightweight thin. 

It did take some work though getting the fit just right. I made a muslin on this one for the first time. I'm so glad I did because when I cut the 16 (per my measurements) it was easily 1-2 sizes too big. I went back and cut it again at a 14 and it was much better. Did a little more tweaking at the bust line and finally had a fit I was happy with.

  

I added a nice navy piping detail in the bodice and I really like how it turned out. Looks fancy!!

There really aren't any more construction details on this one though. Once I got the bodice fit right, it was a breeze to put together, I just neglected to finish it for so long. Here they are, finally, the pictures of the finished dress!

I'm a bit more busty than my trusty assistant Millie. So the fit isn't as good on her as it is on me. I'm working on that. Millie is going to be getting a pretty cover and some padding in the right places very soon. :)

That's it! New Look 6457 view C, I believe. Finally complete and fabulous! Thanks for following along! I'm getting ready to start school in a couple of weeks and am making two new skirts, a dress and a shirt before school starts! I'm ambitious, but I think I can make it!

Until next time!

Watermelon Two Piece 50's Style Playsuit

This just might be my favorite sewing project so far! I picked this fabric up 3 times in Joann's and put it back every single time, telling myself it was too over the top. It was on sale recently and I finally had to give in to temptation and scoop it up. To me, nothing says summer, more than watermelon! 

This watermelon playsuit is a collaboration between my trusty 3/4 circle skirt #Simplicity1200 and #Simplicity1426 version A! 

 

Normally this is something that I would feel far too self-conscious to wear. Honestly though, I feel like my fears are completely unfounded in this. It's so flattering and when I wear it, I feel like a million bucks! It's just so much fun. In this post, I'm going to talk mostly about the top, because the skirt is #Simplicity1200 which I've done several times now, here and here, no point in rehashing those details.

The only thing I changed on #Simplicity1426 was the neck band on the top. I mistakenly only cut out one piece when two was needed. After cutting everything else out, I didn't have enough fabric to fit one more. So I improvised and used the same simple black bias binding that I used to bind the hem of the skirt. I'm really glad I did too. I feel like having the black at the top and the bottom of the set creates a cohesiveness that I really like.

I used simple black buttons on both pieces so they would be minimal and understated. I wanted them to blend in with the outfit. I feel like they do just that.

#Simplicity1426 was a great pattern to sew, it sewed up quickly and the directions were really simple to follow. I'll be sewing this one again in one of the other versions I'm sure!

There isn't much else I can say about this make. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. Now I just wish I could have an excuse to wear it more often!!

Thanks again for stopping by! This makes #vintagepledge number 9 for me!

Until the next time!

Vintage Polka Dot Top Refresh

I found this super cute bow tie blouse at Goodwill a few weeks ago. The only problem with it was that the sleeves simply wouldn't go over my arms. So, I removed them. This was a really simple project. There isn't a lot to talk about on this one. On to the pictures!

This is the blouse before I removed the sleeves. Even though this blouse was serged in the seams, making it harder to removed them, the seam was sewn in with a daisy chain stitch, which when pulled just the right way, comes off in one simple tug. Think of the stitching on the tops of dog and cat food bags. That made the removal of the sleeves a little easier.

I'm pretty sure this blouse is genuine vintage, but I haven't done much research on the tag. From what I've found, Styled By Terry Chicago, and most of their bow blouses date to the 70s. I'll have to keep looking to see what I can find.

My favorite part of this tag is probably the union tag for the Ladies' Garment Workers Union. How cool is that? The top is still just a bit snug on my trying-to-lose-the-baby-weight-mommy body, but I really do like how it turned out!

So there you have it. A little update to a vintage thrift store find. Nothing special, but now I can wear and enjoy it!

Until next time!

Simplicity 1692 - Blue Cherry Blossoms

Whew! Two posts in a few days. Being able to get several pieces photographed over the weekend, gave me a surplus of material to put up here for you! As you can see, I changed my blog design again... cause I'm cray cray like that. ;) Mostly, because I'm a creative soul and need to redecorate every so often to make me feel good. So what do you think of the new colors/header/redesign? Hopefully you like it and find it easy to look at/read from.

Now, on to the stuff you are really here to see. I recently completed a second version of #Simplicity1692. You can see my first one here. This time I'm sewing View D, without the little ric-rac bow... I'm still thinking about going back and adding that, but I'm on the fence. What do you think? To Bow or Not To Bow? 

I used a nice quilting cotton (because I lurve them so much!) in this pretty light blue and navy cherry blossom pattern. I also used a navy ric-rac to trim it out. *Sewists note... always check your trim for content and watch the temperature of your iron. I pressed this cotton shirt on the cotton setting, without realizing my ric-rac was some kind of synthetic. It got all melty on me. I may replace it, but honestly, you have to get REAL close to notice. And if you're that close to me, you better be buying me dinner first. ;)

The construction was super straight-forward. The sleeves are cut in, so no setting them into the shirt. You literally just sew in the darts/tucks, front and back, put in the facing for the neckline and buttons on the shoulders and then sew front to back and turn and hem the sleeves and bottom. I love the button detail on the shoulders and I wish I had gotten a better picture of that part. I honestly didn't even think about it when I was taking photos. (That's what happens when you're trying to get as much done as possible during the baby's nap.) It is a really cute feature of the blouse. 

I paired this with a navy pair of high-waist shorts. I believe they are Voodoo Vixen brand. All in all this blouse is very comfortable and easy to wear. Because I made it of cotton, it's pretty cool and breezy on these hot summer days.

This blouse has a great fit. Especially through the back and shoulders, which is a recently discovered problem area for me. I'll be posting more about that in the near future.

I really have no complaints about this top. As I said before, construction was a breeze and it went together very quickly. The fit is great, and flattering thanks to the front and back darts/tucks. This project cost less than $5 to complete. The pattern I bought on sale in a 5 for $5 Simplicity sale at Joann's and the fabric is from their Quilter's Showcase and it runs $4.49 a yard not on sale. I'm pretty sure I got this on sale. If not I used a 50% off coupon, so either way, I didn't pay more that $2.50/yd and I bought two yards. The buttons and ric-rac were in my stash, so they didn't cost anything to use.

This was #vintagepledge number 7 for me.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time!

 

Two Peasant Tops... and a Partridge in a Pear Tree??

My title has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas... just saying. When I typed Two Peasant Tops, that's what followed in my head. I know, I know, I've got problems. 

But that's not why you're here... is it? Hopefully you're here to see what I've been sewing! I got a chance today during little girl's long afternoon nap to snap some photos of some finished projects (five to be exact, look for the rest coming soon) and I'm excited to post them for you!

A couple of weeks ago, while binge watching Miss Fisher on Netflix, I whipped up two peasant tops. 

I used #Simplicity8741 and slightly modified the lengths due to being just a bit short on fabric. Oops.

I made a black one, and a white one. Nothing fancy at all. Just a couple more basic separates to add to my closet.

Enough of my rambling, on to the good stuff!

I've been quiet for the past couple of weeks because I've been moving into my NEW sewing room! YES!! A room just for me. With a door. That I can use to lock small children out!! This is the best thing ever. Trust me!

Just a really simple bright white cotton peasant top. I'm wearing it here with my Unique Vintage Catch of The Day bottoms, a great pair of high-waist sailor style shorts. Perfect for summer, and totally worth the $15!

This top is slightly different than the white one, it has elastic along the bottom. I had to cut this length much shorter on this one, as I was really short on fabric. So this one is more of a crop top, but I have worn it tucked in to a circle skirt, with a belt, so it's pretty versatile.

 

I'm still trying to get comfortable wearing it as a crop top, but with the high-waist shorts it's really quite flattering even with my mommy tummy. These high-waist shorts hide so much!

Well there you have it! These were pretty quick to put together, I sewed them both in one evening, about 3 hours start to finish. They are made of simple quilting cotton, probably broadcloth, I bought on sale. The pattern is one I've had for some time, graded up only slightly because I prefer a more snug fit than peasant tops usually run. 

If you're looking for an easy project to finish quickly, these are definitely the way to go!

I'm still on the fence about whether or not I should put these on my #vintagepledge list. They are not specifically vintage but they are vintage inspired and that is how I will wear them. The jury is still out on that part. What do you think? Should they qualify?

Until next time!

Purple Flowers (Circle Skirt #2)

The second of the trio of circle skirts completed two weeks ago from #Simplicity1200. This one is much more muted and office worthy as compared to my cupcake skirt. This is the softest cotton fabric and it has a fabulous drape. I made a matching bias for the hem and there is a side lapped zipper. 

I found this coral colored cardigan at a local thrift store several weeks ago, with the tags still on! It just happened to be the perfect shade to match the flowers in the skirt. I love it when things just work out! The cardigan is light and works well for spring and summer in the office.

There really isn't much more to say about the construction that I didn't already discuss in the last post, but I think this is my favorite of the skirts so far. 

This is #vintagepledge number 8 so far this year! I'm thinking I can easily double, maybe even triple, my original pledge of five this year! 

Thanks for stopping by!