Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Coat for Sissy- in progress

My latest project is a long dress coat for Sissy.  I found this super cute green 21 whale corduroy at Fabric.com and a red polka dot for the lining.  The pattern is OOP Simplicity 3978.  I have had this pattern for a few years now, and I am glad it goes up to a size 8.  I have been wanting to make the coat for some time now.  But now I am afraid that maybe I was a little too adventurous with the colors?  It is going to be very long, down the calves, so all that green?  And it is kelly green, nice and bright.  I think I have decided to go ahead and continue with this length.  But before I finish it up I will decide if it needs to be shortened.  Sissy likes the length and is excited for the finished product. 


I want to make the other coat eventually as well- but maybe a more conservative color/print this time?

what I have so far...

you can see how long it is here, the mat underneath is a yard long

polka dot lining pieces

Of course, if it doesn't cool down here in Japan, she won't wear the coat for some time.  Last night at 9pm it was still 80 degrees out, it had been over 90 earlier in the day.  I have not checked the temp this morning, but I can see that it is nice and hot out already.  I am dreading driving my car today, as the AC doesn't work!  It makes me sweat just thinking about it...

Monday, September 20, 2010

Downside to letting people know you sew...

I know many people have talked and blogged about it, but I experienced it first hand today for the first time.  I stupidly raised my hand at the last wives' meeting (Navy wives here on base), when someone asked if anyone sews.  I ended up hemming someones dress.  That was not that big of a deal- and frankly the hem was straighter after I was done with it.

But.  Someone in our community friended me on Facebook.  You have to understand I live in a fishbowl.  It's a small community I live in and eventually you meet EVERYONE, seriously- at least once.  I am terrible with names, so I assumed I had met her before.  Plus, she knows everyone I know.  Well.  I was at a dinner last weekend and I saw her.  I still was not able to really place where I had actually met her.  She never said anything to me and nor I to her, the whole night.  I did smile at her a couple of times though.

The next night some of the ladies from the dinner posted pictures of us on good ole Facebook.  This person I wasn't sure I knew, then comments that she didn't realize that was me at the dinner.  What?  You mean we haven't actually MET before?  OK- well she is on the board of the wives' group- she was just adding everyone that belonged, right?

Today I found out her TRUE intentions of getting to know me.  She started chatting with me online about her dress she bought for Navy Ball and how it doesn't FIT her.  She was so obvious!  She is preggo, so she can't find anything to wear.  Because of the dress fiasco- she decided not to go.  I started to feel bad.  Then I remembered, this will be my FIRST time going, and I have been married to my sailor over 14 years.  The one time I did get Hubby to agree to go- I had a newborn and realized there was no way I wanted to try to find a dress to fit my post-partum figure.

I still feel a little bad- but I didn't give in.  I made no indication that I knew she wanted me to offer to tailor her dress (which I am not sure is even possible as I haven't seen it.)  And she didn't have enough nerve to come out and ask me.  If she were a close personal friend, I would look into it.  But hey, I am a busy lady!  I have projects of my OWN I want to do!  In fact, if I had time- I would make my own dress for the Navy Ball.

By the way, I ordered my RTW dress from Nordie's.  I hope it fits!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Meet My Twin!

She got here earlier than I thought!  I am so excited!  I bought my first dress form.  Joanns had a sale (she was $99)- so I went for it.  It is the Singer dressform #150.  Reading the reviews over the past year (I have been looking at it forever)- I knew it might not be the most sturdy contraption and there was a chance it might need to be returned...

arrived in one piece!

It is not as pretty as a custom made model (which I would love to have some day though my weight fluctuates a lot so I am not sure it would be worth the expense).  To be honest- I was a little horrified at how MUCH I had to open her up to make her my size. I ordered the small size, and I am at the large end of that small (I wear a 10 in RTW).  And then- looking at her- I thought- am I really that big around the waist? *gasp*  That shock has worn off and now I think she is pretty fine looking. *wink*


here she is- before I had kids...

A little plug for Joanns- I had held off ordering because I thought they would only ship parcel post to FPOs (military PO boxes).  That would mean it would take about 5 to 7 weeks, or more.  Instead of going by airplane- it would be on the "slow boat" to China  Japan.  But it only took about 2 weeks instead, maybe less.  Needless to say, I was over the top thrilled when the guy at the post office brought out my big box!!

One of the things I had read about the Singer dressforms is that they are hard to make the adjustments on.  Reading the directions that come with, I can totally get that.  But I figured it out.  If you have to make "large" adjustments [ie. more than 2 or 3 inches], then it is easier to start off small on ALL of the dials, and then go back and gradually increase them.  So I started at the bust, then the waist and then the hips- each time little by little. 

I made a dress for my Singapore trip (actually- I made two)- I didn't take it with me though.  I thought it was a 70s pattern- just looked and it says 1981- close enough.  It is Simplicity 9898...

 I made this dress back in high school out of red Kona cotton, I wish I had kept it.  I forgot and failed to notice when I was cutting out the pieces this time around, how LOW it is in the back!  I am not a fan of backless dresses- mainly because I high those unsightly back rolls.  I will still wear it- but I will have to wear a jacket or sweater to cover the back.  Otherwise- I love the dress, and especially the fabric and print.  I just love Amy Butler.


do you see what I did wrong?

do you see it now
Technically- I didn't have enough yardage for this pattern.  But I was determined to make it work!  Unfortunately, I cut the bodice pieces upside down!  So not only was I short on yardage, but the pattern only goes one way!  I looked up the fabric on Fabric.com's website to be sure I had the leaves pointing the right way.  For some reason I still cut the bodice pieces wrong.  Seeing that I had NO fabric left, I couldn't make new pieces.  In fact, I had to piece-meal the waistband and tie.  This is what happens when I stay up late sewing.


backside- very low back
 I have been so very busy lately and frankly I should be in bed instead of blogging.  I have another dress I made to display for you as well- though I will have to iron it first, lol.

I love her!  My sewing space in my living room, so she is standing next to my sewing table.  It takes some getting used to.  I keep seeing her out of the corner of my eye and I have to do a double take because I think there is someone standing there. LOL!!

Monday, September 13, 2010

my own little "revolution"

There's a wonderful little blog I like to read called Plays with Needles.  Susan Elliot is one ubertalented lady armed with loads of creativity.  I saw this project she did with her neices called Pants Pants Revolution.  I was smitten.  I planned and I plotted, and saved some of Sissy's jeans that got too short for her.

So just before school started I got Sissy together with her BFF (who brought her own pair of too short jeans)- and we had our little "Pants Pants Revolution."  The girls had a ball picking out the fabrics and decorating their jeans with fabric markers.  I love that sissy's BFF drew a "wardrobe", as in the wardrobe from the Narnia books.

I followed Susan's tutorial by taking out the seam to make sewing on the fabric appliques easier.  I have to say with well washed jeans that was the easiest part.  I had fun using my machines different stitches (it is still pretty new to me) to sew on the different pieces the girls picked out.  One thing I would do different is cut out a bunch of pieces beforehand, as that took up a lot of time and I wasn't able to finish in the daylight hours.  (Note to self- don't start a project such as this when the next day starts before 5:30 am for a tour.)  I think I got maybe two hours sleep?

 I had SOOO much fun.  I am going to make my own eventually- maybe with some nicer fabrics.  The girls' pants have that 70s bellbottom vibe going, they love it!

Thank you Susan for the inspiration!

The big mess, AKA loads of fun!

laying the pieces out...
Butterflies cut from recycled fabric.
end result- taken with my iPhone very late into the night

Sunday, September 12, 2010

The serger has gotta go...

My serger is ancient.  It was a "big" purchase for me on Ebay about 11 years back.  Wow, time just speeds on by, doesn't it?  It is a New Home, three thread serger.  I believe New Home is now Janome.  I think that the serger probably needs a good servicing- but being in Japan makes that hard to figure out.  Honestly- I really need/want a new modern 4 thread model.  Problem is- I just bought a new machine.  Hubby is out to sea, but I am sure he would notice a new "toy" when he gets home! ha ha

For the time being- I think I need to figure out how to get my current serger working right.  The problem is that the stitches unravel like crazy- something is wrong with how it is threaded or something?

On a side note- I am working more with knits now.  I was scared of it before- didn't realize I wasn't using the correct kind of stitch (stretch stitch).  What a difference that little bit of knowledge has made for me.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

I'm back!

I said I was taking a hiatus, which is what I did.  But I did start back to sewing about a month ago.  I  moved my machine to the living room and out of the hot kitchen.  It is amazing what a difference that has made!  I also obtained a lovely bamboo table (for free!) for my machine.  My kids  love that I am in the living room with them and I love to be able to watch TV.  Is that weird?  I love to watch TV and movies while I work on my projects.  I don't know if other people are like that?  It makes it all more enjoyable.  When I get stuck or frustrated at a mistake I made, it seems easier to deal with if I am watching something good.  Of course- I think at times I get distracted by what I am watching and therefore will make mistakes.  My new machine makes this all possible as well.  It is so quiet!  My old Singer made it impossible to hear anything and everyone complained. 

I am in love with my Janome.  I tried out the buttonhole stitches last night.  Beautiful!  Usually I would have to make at least 5 or 6 practices before I got the buttonhole "just right".  But this time I only practiced a few because I was basically learning how it works on this machine.  I didn't even make any adjustments on the stitch length or width.  I love the fact that it lets me make a "double buttonhole".  Once it is done with the first buttonhole, I simply depress the foot and then push down again- my Janome made another one right on top- a beautiful and strong buttonhole.  For someone who doesn't sew I am sure that would sound pretty weird, but I was so thrilled!

I need pictures of my projects, I know.  I have actually sewed for myself, and I need good pictures.  But- I do have a picture or two of the apron I made for my good friend Jaime.  I followed the pattern from Amy Butler's In Stitches book.


finished product

towel band, I have never seen one on a an apron before

border print

inside of the waist band

all wrapped up and ready to go!
 There isn't an actual pattern in the book for the apron- since the pieces are all rectangles.  It is a simple and elegant design.  I am not sure, however, if a beginner would have an easy time with the instructions.  I think more pictures are needed- and they need to go directly with the text.  But I was happy with the end result.  I would like to make more projects out of the book.  I thought of challenging myself to do them all.  But- nah!  I have so many other things I want to make I would just end up frustrated and not wanting to pick up my scissors. 

Honestly, I am a little intimidated by the bags in the book.  I have a particular bag I have been working on, and I have royally screwed it up.  I think that was part of the reason for my hiatus- besides the fact that my Hubby was getting ready to deploy.  I was just too frustrated.  I am, or at least was, the queen of UFOs.  So now I find myself sticking through something I actually hate- just because I hate leaving unfinished projects.  I am working on that fine balance between making myself crazy because I don't want to move to a new project, and between giving up at the first time the seam ripper is needed.

I HAVE made a small challenge to myself.  My challenge is to keep up the sewing by doing at least a little sewing every day.  It can be something big like working on a project, or something small like sewing on a button.  I just want to keep up the momentum.  My perfectionism really gets in my way and makes me procrastinate when I could be sewing.  I will try to blog more regularly as well.  I know this is silly, but I still don't like the name.  I am going to have to enlist some help for a better name.  I have procrastinated blogging as well- just because I don't have the "perfect name".  Dumb, I know!

Keep sewing!