Category: Fabric

Summer Day Top Review

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I can’t believe the “unofficial” end of summer is near!  My kids are starting school in less than a month and all of a sudden I’m thinking about all things fall.  But I’m trying to hold onto the warm temps, lazy mornings with my boys, and days at the pool for as long as possible.  The Summer Day Top by Dana Willard is helping me do that.  I can wear “Summer” all year now!

First off, I want to mention how well written and thorough the instructions are in this pattern.  If you are a beginning sewist and new to garments, Dana walks you through the whole sewing process – from printing the pattern to selecting the right fabric to explaining all the technical terms.  I was very impressed!  The graphics are clean and simple to understand, but there is also a good bit of further explanation into adjustments and why the construction is the way it is.

The Summer Day Top was drafted for both woven and knit fabrics (bonus!)  I decided to use this Observer quilt cotton by April Rhodes for Art Gallery Fabrics for my make.  I’ve been sitting on this fabric for such a long time and knew it could be a striking garment.  But, I had to find the right pattern with it being a stiffer substrate.  Plus, I didn’t want a pattern with gathers that would distort the shibori’s composition.  I really wanted the fabric’s design to really shine through.

Quilt cotton is a wonderful substrate for a beginner.  The non-stretch nature makes it easy to sew and iron.  However, it holds more body which I love around the torso, but didn’t want in the sleeves.  Granted, I could have selected a fabric with more drape like a rayon or gauze, but I was pretty keen on sewing what I had. (Cheers for sewing my stash!)

You can see (on the right) how the sleeve holds shape with the quilt cotton.  My arms make me a bit self-conscious so I don’t like them highlighted (unless it’s to cover them up!)  So I tried to change the shape of the sleeve as if it were a more drapey fabric, as seen on the left.

What did I do?  I just added a few 1/4″ pleats centered at the shoulder seam. I played around with the number and width of the pleats until I was pleased with the shape, but still allowed the same movement around my arm as before.  I’m so pleased with the look of drapey sleeves, the body around my torso (more forgiveness after dessert!) and the ease of sewing quilt cotton.  You can’t beat that!

The Summer Day Top is a quick sew as well.  The neckline is finished with bias tape, which I made out of the same fabric, but you could buy pre-made tape from your local quilt shop to save even more time.  I chose the short-sleeve version, so everything else was finished with a hem.

Are you ready to make your Summer Day Top?  I’m already getting lots of use out of this top and love how I look put together…even in my ripped up jeans!

Project Details:

Happy Sewing Friends!

Cristy

The pattern was gifted but blog post was not required. I thought this pattern deserved a review though 🙂 All opinions, modifications and fabric are my own.  Please also note, there maybe affiliate links in this post, which helps to keep this website going.

Colleen “Shortie” Tote Bag with Loved to Pieces Blog Party

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When Mathew Boudreaux (aka Mister Domestic) throws a party, you know it’s gonna be big and fabulous!  And this Blog Party is living up to all the hype with over three weeks of amazing projects using Mathew’s debut fabric collection, Loved to Pieces.  I’m so honored to be a part of all the festivities, so I thought I would bring my new Colleen Tote along for the ride.

Loved to Pieces is a beautiful fabric collection inspired by Mathew’s love of English paper piecing and his sweet daughter’s love of florals.   I love the mix of blues and teals complemented with sharp pinks for a lot of fun.  There is a great mix of quilt cottons, rayons, and knits for all kinds of great projects. For more inspiration, you can view the look book here.

For my Colleen Tote, I wanted to go for a chic look and let the print stand on it’s own. For the exterior, I selected Mandala Drops Midnight with it’s striking and hypnotic design.  Plus, it’s a nice dark print that’s perfect for the exterior of a bag to hide any dirt or debris.  I like the linings to pop a bit, so  Pieced Bunches Cool was ideal with the gorgeous geometric florals.  The pinks in the collection are such a nice complement and I had to add a bit of Reap and Sew Light inside the zipper pocket.  Finally, the interior contrast band is Art Gallery Fabric’s Indigo Shadow Smooth Denim.

I’ve been seeing brass metal rings all over the handmade and fashion world for a little while now.  They are used in macrame weavings, dreamcatchers, floral arrangements and I saw heavy usage of this accent in handbags this past spring.  I was so inspired and I knew I had to add this unique hardware to one of my own bags.

These rings have a solid 5″ diameter and would make fantastic bag handles.  However, to use the rings as handles, I knew I couldn’t make a huge heavy bag.  So I decided to make a “shortie” version of my Colleen Tote pattern.  This entailed shortening the exterior, linings, and coordinated woven interfacings all by 3″.  The zipper pocket was then shortened by 6″ overall.

Instead of using fusible fleece, I used Soft and Stable to keep the bag more structured.  This was in order to hold the weight of the rings and to keep them upright.  The exterior had to be basted 1/4″ all around  the pattern piece to keep the fabric nice and smooth.  The Soft and Stable really  makes the bag look so polished.

Everything else in the pattern was all kept the same (minus the handles, of course.) There is still a nice roomy slip pocket for your phone and sunglasses and the zipper pocket to tuck away the essentials.  The fob is essential to keeping those keys in check!

These rings could have been stitched into place, but I opted to used leather and rivets to add more texture and interest.  The ring was first secured with the center rivet while the exterior panel was still flat and not sewn on the sides.  Once the tote was completely finished, I then added the other rivets to the left and right of the initial one.  This is why you can only see two rivets on the lining for each handle.

I added some extra leather and rivets to balance out all the hardware around the handles.  With a  nice clean exterior, I decided to add just a little more fun and to keep this bag on trend with some pom-poms and leather lacings (all using scraps from my stash of crafting goodies!)

Last, but certainly not least, is the Colleen’s bottom.  With the ring handles, this is not a bag you just sling over a chair back.  So, I make sure to take care of this lady by added some shiny shoes.  Whether the tote has to sit on another chair or (heaven forbid) the floor, she will be protected!

Project Details:

For the full Loved to Pieces Blog party line-up, check out:

Thanks for visiting and partying with me here!  Don’t forget to head over to Mister Domestic’s Instagram feed to see how you can win a bundle of these delicious fabrics!

Happy Sewing,

Cristy

 

Fabric was provided for the blog post.  However, the project conception and all opinions are my own.  Please note there maybe affiliate links for which I may receive a nominal commission if you make a purchase.  This helps keep the website ticking along.  Thanks always for your continued support!

Sew Your Own Rashguard

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When I first started making my own clothes a few years ago, it was mainly because I was so frustrated with buying ready-to-wear for my new “mom-body.”  All I wanted was just some easy separates that were cute, actually fit me, and worked with my lifestyle.  Fast forward to the present and here I am with my first bathing suit!  I never imagined I would have sewn one….let alone, show you all of my current “mom bod’ in said suit.

But sometimes, you are so inspired, that you just have to take the challenge and go for it.  I was so impressed with all the DIY swimsuits on social media that I knew I had to eventually make something for myself.  I was given the opportunity to select a print from Pine Crest Fabric’s expansive library of designs and substrates.   I chose this gorgeous palm digital print on Viper Base Cloth that just screamed swimwear.  I never made any type of swimwear but my previous experience making athleisure leggings and a tunic which you can read about here, gave me the confidence to work with performance based fabric.

Earlier in the year, my oldest son needed a new rashguard, and was impressed when I saw a half-zip pullover style at a big box store.  That zipper feature was so helpful and made it much easier to pull that wet top off his body.  That’s when I thought I wanted one for myself!  My boys love swimming and we are at the pool quite a bit nowadays and also spend a good bit of time at the family lake house.  I can use it to cover up myself, save my skin from being in the sun so much, and even as a bit of wind protection when on a boat or wave runner.

After doing a bit of research (thanks Instagram hashtags!) I found the Grace Swimsuit by Swimstyle.  It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but definitely the closest out there and I love the sporty look of the side panels and neckband.  The pattern calls for an exposed zipper 3/4 the way down the front of the rashguard, but I hacked it so the zipper would go down all the way creating a jacket for easy removal.  The bottoms were made with Acacia Underwear pattern by Megan Nielsen and hacked to be reversible.

To make the Gracie into a full-zip rashguard, I added 1/4″ along the fold of the front pattern piece and then cut along that fold to create the two sides.  I used an 18″ sport style plastic separating zipper and added a back placket so the zipper would not rub and possibly irritate my skin.  You know I always like a good zipper cover, so I extended the placket to cover the zipper head and keep it secured.

I do not have a coverstitch machine, so I used a combination of the flat-lock seam option of my serger along with the zig-zag capabilities of my old back-up machine.  The raglan style sleeves made the flat-lock possible and I love the sporty look.  The best part is there is no hanging interior seam to irritate the skin.  All the seams are nice and flush against the body, making the rashguardd so incredibly comfortable. TIP: Use stretch needles in all of your machines when dealing with performance fabric.

The neck and wristbands were all serged onto the rashguard but I used a simple sig-zag stitch around the hem and it has held up well.  There has been a bit of tunneling after wear, so maybe a bit of knit stabilizer like this tape could help with that…but I’m okay with the hem as is!

By making the bottoms reversible, I thought the light compression of the Spectrum Pro-Matte with UPF Protection along with the Viper Base Cloth would be enough and omitted the elastic as part of the pattern.  With my wider hips, I definitely need a little extra hold right on the cheeks and need to make sure I add the elastic back in.  The stretch around the waist and front leg is absolutely perfect though.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to make another pair before our family trip to the lake, so guess what’s back on the sew list?!?

This suit is exactly what I wanted this summer and I can’t begin to tell you how creamy and luxurious these performance fabrics feel.  They are so smooth….and that’s why I have three other garments made from Pine Crest fabrics!  As of the date of publication, this fabric print is available for wholesale only, but you can head to Fabric.com to check out other available Pine Crest prints.

Lake Leelanau, MI

Project Stats:

‘Hope you are enjoying your summer!!!  Have you sewn up any special projects this season?

 

Happy Sewing Friends,

Cristy

Fabric was provided by Pine Crest Fabrics for this post.  The swimwear project and all opinions are my very own.  The post also contains affiliate links which help to keep this website ticking.  Thank you always for your support. 

Girls’ Racerback Dresses with the Indigo and Aster Fabric Blog Tour

What I miss by having two boys, I tend to make up by sewing my for nieces.  There is nothing cuter than little versions of dresses I would make for myself!  I definitely indulge them quite a bit and that was the case when this lovely La Floraison jersey knit from the Indigo and Aster fabric collection arrived at my doorstep.  These flowers had to be made into a sweet little dress for my niece’s upcoming birthday and then it turned into another dress for her new baby sister…and then turned into adding a top for their mom as well.  I couldn’t stop when the fabric is this beautiful!

This vibrant floral print is from the new Bari J. fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics.  While the main focus is on all the animals (you HAVE to check them out!) it wouldn’t be Bari J. without some of her signature painted flowers.  I love how these pinks and blues pop against the white background.

My feisty little niece here is turning three soon and still loves her dresses and being quite active too.  I made her some Racerback dresses before and really enjoy this simple (and FREE!) pattern by Hey June Handmade.  It’s a clean A-line silhouette and the fact that it’s made for knits means easy dressing and more play!

And when making a dress for one girl, there was no way I could leave out my newest niece.  She deserves some handmade love too.  I mean, look at those rolls!  <3  Fortunately, this Racerback dress pattern takes up very little fabric and everything came together quickly with the four-way stretch knit.

After thinking about my nieces being cute in their matching outfits, I thought I’d add my sister to the mix because….why not!?!  To keep with the racerback style, I sewed up the Rumi Tank by Christine Haynes.  You can see other versions of this tank I’ve made here because I absolutely love it and it’s a definite tried and true pattern for me.

Look at my ladies.  Making all of these garments was SO worth it and and you can see how one idea quickly led into three!  The cute factor is pretty high…from my completely biased post of view 😉  I just love how nice this print looks on my niece and my sister.  It’s playful enough, yet the design bring out a sophistication as well.

With so many great colors, the  La Floraison jersey knitis also great for using up some smaller pieces of scrap fabric, like some Art Gallery Solid Knit in Dark Ocean.  I made sure to differeniate the dresses a little bit to help my sister with laundry time!  We all know how little clothes can get misplaced often…

Don’t forget to swing over to Bari J.’s blog  to keep up with the #IndigoandAsterFabric blog tour and check out what you might have missed.   There are so many good projects, my head is swirling with so many new ideas!  What would you make from these gorgeous fabrics?

Happy Sewing Friends!

Cristy

***Fabric was provided as part of the Blog Tour.  Project conception and opinions in the post are always my own.

Tillery Skirt Review

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When I went to Texas a month ago, I was hoping to make this Tillery Skirt for the hot weather ahead.  Unfortunately, I ran out of time and did not make it then.  But, I was able to finish this skirt now that central Ohio feels like Texas…at 93*F!  I’m so glad I was able to get this made for our first of many heat waves this summer.

Sometimes shorts just don’t cut it.  My wardrobe was in need of more casual skirts to get me from swim lessons with the kids to date night with the hubs.  So when I saw this digital pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, I knew I had to make it.  The Tillery is a great high waisted skirt with a 70’s vibe making my Boho fashion heart flutter.  Who doesn’t love the look of the flat felled seams?!?

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Imagine Gnats shop and instantly gravitated to this J.Crew overstock stretch twill in Brick.  This rust color is definitely my summer color to go with all the denim <3  It is so rich and complements my coloring.  I can always use the extra comfort of Lycra, so the extra give in the twill makes it perfect for a skirt or pants.

As mentioned earlier, these flat felled seams give the skirt so much design character.  It maybe a little intimidating sewing eight panels to make the Tillery, but it is all worth it.  I never made these kind of seams before, but after watching Melly Sews’ video, the instructions all made sense. TIP:  Baste all panels together to check fit. I ended up grading in a size around the waist.

With the seams visible and lots of top-stitching ahead, I used my rolled hem foot to give me an even edge to sew along.  Many machine have an edge or top-stitching foot.  My Juki only came with a few feet and this foot works great to get even spacing.

Look at those beautiful skirt guts!  Or maybe lack thereof…  The flat felled seams gives the skirt such a clean inside, so it’s soft and smooth all around.  I used some Wanderer fabric by April Rhodes left in my stash for this extra pop around the waistband.  The little hints of black and mint really bring out the brick color of the fabric.

As you can imagine, the hem of the skirt can get pretty thick when doubled over against these flat-felled seams.  My regular foot didn’t even want to go over all of this bulk, so that’s when I broke out my hammer to help flatten them out for stitching.  TIP:  Make sure to test your fabric and hammer to the inside of the hem so you don’t create any “shine” on the front of your skirt.

Another beautiful feature of the Tillery are the use of metal snaps.  There are instructions within the pattern with a link to video to help you, if needed.  Fortunately, I already had the snaps and the correct dies for my hardware setter (as the bag-maker you know I am.)  I was able to add these snaps quickly making the skirt look so professional.

The next time I make this skirt, I think I will grade back in from the hip down.  The waist and hip fit perfectly, but with the A-line cut of this pattern, I feel like I have a little bit too much flare going outwards.  It’s hard to tell in this photo, but the skirt A-lines at every angle (not just the front and back) thanks to some extra booty…

I ended up skipping the belt loops and even contemplated the pockets.  But the pockets really make the skirt and break up the high-waisted silhouette…AKA looking like old school mom/dad jeans!  Who was I really kidding?  Always add pockets.


I’m in love with this skirt and love how it all came together.  The solid fabric really brings out the seams and this brick color is a definite wardrobe staple.  My Tillery will be on repeat all summer long with it’s casual style and it will go with tanks and tees.  This piece will definitely be worn into the fall!

Project Details:

  • Pattern:  Tillery Skirt by Blank Slate Patterns
  • Sizing:  6 in the waist graded out to an 8 in the hip
  • Length: Mini
  • Fabric:  J.Crew Overstock stretch Twill from Imagine Gnats
  • Machine:  Juki TL-2010Q
  • Hardware:  Gold Star Tool Hardware Setter with in-house snaps. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend their snaps.  They bend a little when opening, but not enough to make me remove them all.  Going forward, I’ll only use Tandy Leather Snaps.)

 

Happy Sewing Friends!

Cristy

 

This post does include afflilate links for which I would be compensated only if you make a purchase.  All of it goes to keeping this blog as ad-free as possible!