WIP Wednesday: A dress, a quilt, and some fabric piles for inspiration

Posted on April 2, 2014 by oliver's fancy

So the sickies hit our house this week and the kids and I have been down for the count. I’m going to apologize in advance that all my pictures are IG pics. Just the way life is sometimes. So many projects brewing in my mind, and so little time to get them done! I am *almost* finished with my second Bianca– this one is going to be my Easter dress! I just have a teensy bit left on it and hope to finish that and get some pics for you by this weekend. Here’s a sneak peek from my IG feed (@oliversfancy). I took the plunge and cut into my Nano Iro double gauze! And its gonna be awesome!

I am also hoping to finish the binding on Oliver’s quilt this week so I can finally cross that project off my list! Can’t wait to show you the finished product. Btw did you know that quilt and myself made it into our local paper? Yep, I am now famous. 🙂 A reporter came to check out our quilt guild at the March meeting and ended up using my picture for the front of the article. Pretty cool. I ran out and got the last copy of the paper at a gas station and think I shall frame it in my craft room. Hey, my first time in print has to be special, right? Here’s a link to the article if you want to read it.

my attempt at a picture of the actual newspaper article.

Don’t forget, next week is Kid’s Clothes Week! I’ve been making all kinds of plans in my head and am getting antsy to begin. My goal is to have all my patterns prepped and fabric cut out by Monday morning so I can spent next week sewing. Here’s my IG capture of my new knits purchase…got some pretties from Girl Charlee in preparation for KCW. I also took the plunge and bought Dana’s shorts pattern since it came highly recommended from my sources. And last, but not least, I bought some stretch thread after Rae recommended it so highly. I’ll be sure to let you know how these all work out for me.

As I was writing this post, it unintentionally morphed into a WIP post…funny how blog posts take on a life of their own, huh? So I’m linking up over with WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced for the first time today.

Bianca Top

Posted on March 27, 2014 by oliver's fancy

This past week I was able to test an upcoming Made-By-Rae pattern- the Bianca. You guys, I may sound like a broken record sometimes, but this Rae, she really knows her stuff. I really, really love this top. In fact I love it so much that I cut into my hoarded double gauze to make myself an Easter dress version of this pattern. It has some really nice customization options to make it the most flattering fit on every body style. The pattern was set to be released very soon, but Rae’s adorable little baby boy made an early appearance so she’s busy snuggling up a little newborn, and I’m not too sure what the release date is now. I’m sure it won’t be too long; she has a great team that is continuing to keep things running. I will update this post and let y’all know when you can go and get it! In the meantime have a look at mine and enjoy brainstorming what fabric you could use for this. I think it’s the perfect style for a comfy summer dress… and that makes me long for summer and warm weather to finally be here! The calendar says it’s officially spring, but we’ve had some pretty cold, nasty days this week.

If you recognize the fabric used in this top, it’s because I got a bolt of this Joel Dewberry voile on clearance a while back so I use it for all of my samples and testing before I cut into the good stuff. I now have about 4 tops that use this fabric in some way. I’m not sure what I’ll use for testing when my bolt is gone! Oh and I have a bit of bragging to do. My mom and sister came over when I had this top on for picture-taking, and they both commented on how cute it was. That’s pretty high praise because they’re not so much into the whole sewing-thing. They’d rather buy something at the store than make it, so I do a little happy dance when they think something I made looks like it could come from the store (but better because it’s perfectly adjusted to my measurements!). I can’t wait to see everyone else’s version of this top/dress once the pattern is released!

Weekend Getaway Blouse

Posted on March 9, 2014 by oliver's fancy

For the Maker’s Summit this past weekend I felt the need to make myself an outfit. What is a conference for makers without something handmade, right? I really wanted to play around with some of my chambray and make a tunic but ran out of time and needed something quick and easy. This Liesl + Co pattern seemed to fit the bill. I bought this pattern and the Everyday Skirt several months ago when they were having an online sale, but had yet to actually make them. Still waiting to make the skirt, but as the weather warms up I’m sure I’ll get the urge to try it out. Side note: Editing polka dot pictures does crazy stuff to the eyes!

This shirt was a very simple, straightforward pattern. I didn’t have the time or willpower to make a muslin so I decided to just go for it and make a size I thought would fit based on my upper bust measurements. (Gasp…lazy sewing!) Liesl recommends doing a FBA (full bust adjustment) if you are a C cup or larger, but even though I am (at the moment- thanks to nursing it changes on a monthly basis- LOL) a C, I couldn’t be bothered. In retrospect I probably should have because my bust darts are way off, but everything else worked out great. This was one of those situations where everything could have gone terribly awry and I end up trashing the end result, but I am so happy to report that I got lucky and ended up with a shirt I will actually wear!

Pattern: Liesl + Co Weekend Getaway Blouse

Pattern mods/future changes:

I did go back and change the side seam allowances from 1/2″ to 3/8″ to give myself a little more wiggle room.
Next time I would add some more length to the top because I like my shirts a bit longer
As mentioned previously, bust darts were off (super high) but with the silkiness of the fabric and loose-fitting pattern, it’s not very noticeable
I left out the pockets because I didn’t want to spend the time on them and didn’t think they were really necessary with the type of fabric I used.

I really like the little inverted pleat at the top there…it’s a fun detail.

Fabric used: An unknown silky-ish fabric picked up when I got to hang out with Deborah at a fabric store in Atlanta last fall. There is no selvedge info so I’m really not sure of the fiber content. This was one of my first times sewing with such slippery fabric, and it made things a bit tricky but not super unmanageable. I’d like to make this pattern again in a chambray or similar fabric and see how the sewing goes.

And just for fun I had to throw in this gem of my little photographer’s assistant directing the shoot from his wagon. 😉 What a sweetie, huh?

Ruby Top #2

Posted on January 17, 2014 by oliver's fancy

I have a fun selfish sewing project finish to show you today! This top was started back in the fall and then shelved when I got so busy with Christmas orders and presents. The first of the year, I was really wanting a quick and easy project to finish for myself and pulled this semi-completed shirt out of the works-in-progress bin. About an hour later and I had myself a new top!

The bottom fabric is from Jeni Baker’s Color Me Retro line for Art Gallery Fabrics. It’s quilting cotton but Art Gallery fabrics are a lighter weight quilting cotton so it works for this pattern. I have loved this fabric ever since it came out and finally snatched this up during a fabric sale (I can’t remember where). Top fabric is a Robert Kaufman linen.

The pattern is Rae’s Ruby Dress/Top and it’s my second Ruby top. This is such a fun pattern to mix and match prints and solids. And it’s also a quick and easy sew- perfect for beginners. Really the thing that takes the longest is binding the sleeves and neck. The actual construction of the top takes like 30 minutes. I love how I can layer this top underneath a sweater right now and then wear it alone later when the weather warms up.

Ruby Top

Posted on September 5, 2013 by oliver's fancy

I recently had the opportunity to test a pattern for the amazing Rae from Made-By-Rae. I made the dress version for testing but chopped it off into the top later. Dresses are just not practical for this nursing mama right now.

I love how this top turned out! In fact I’ve been wearing it and my Tiny Pocket Tank almost non-stop this last week. I really need to make a few more of these tops. I chose the size M, even though my bust measurements indicated I was a L. Because of this, it’s a teensy bit small across the bust/shoulders area- you can see a bit of the pulling in the pictures. However, in my current stage of life I like to make things a little small so that they will continue to fit as my body shrinks back to its normal size.

I have it on good authority the pattern will be released any day now and I highly recommend you try it out! It’s the perfect pattern for the beginner seamstress because it is not complicated and results in a super cute garment. Rae is well-known for her well-written patterns, and this one does not disappoint!

I love seeing everyone’s different combinations of fabrics in the Flickr group and already have several ideas in mind for my next one! I used a voile for the top and shot cotton for the bottom. One note about the shot cotton- I actually ironed this shirt for the photo shoot (my mother would faint at this news 🙂 ), and it still looks wrinkled, but I’m ok with that since I’m a wrinkle embracer myself. 🙂

Tiny Pocket Tank

Posted on August 28, 2013 by oliver's fancy

I have been searching for a cute tank pattern for a while. I have been debating on the wiksten tank but from the ones I have seen produced, wasn’t certain that would be a flattering pattern for me. Enter the Tiny Pocket Tank. I starting following Sew Caroline on Instagram a while back and love all the TPT versions that she has sewn so I decided to take the plunge. By the way if you need any selfish sewing inspiration, she is amazing!

The Pattern: Tiny Pocket Tank from Grainline Studios. Highly recommend Grainline Studios Patterns after trying two of them. (Review of Maritime Shorts pattern here.) I really want to try the Archer and Lakeside Pajamas patterns also but am resisting the urge to buy more patterns right now. We shall see how long my self-control lasts.

Fabric: A Joel Dewberry Voile I picked up for ridiculously cheap at a fabric sale. I have determined voile is the perfect fabric for the tank! I only wish I had more voile because I want to make a ton more of these tanks! I have worn this one almost non-stop since making it!

Other comments: I made a size 12 based on my bust measurements. I recently bought some Swedish tracing paper (Amazing stuff, my friends!) and used it as my muslin. When I did, I realized that the back would gap at the top and the sides were too billowy. But thankfully the bust darts were good. When I cut out the shirt I moved the back pattern piece over 1 inch, angling down to be even with the fold line at the bottom and that made the top perfect. I took in the sides a bit as well- basically graded them down to a size 8 at the bottom. It’s not perfect, but it works. I am still learning how to fit myself up top and could really use a class in that!! Wishing we had someone in town who taught classes like that…so jealous of those living up in Ann Arbor and attending all the cool classes at Pink Castle Fabrics’ new digs!I see myself making quite a few more of these tanks to wear under cardigans this fall! Hopefully I will get the fit even better with the next ones.

Maritime Shorts Version 2

Posted on August 26, 2013 by oliver's fancy

I have so enjoyed the “selfish sewing” streak that I have been on recently! These shorts are probably my favorite thing I’ve sewed to date. You may be wondering why I am calling these version 2 when you haven’t even seen version 1… well version 1 has yet to be photographed so in this case you get 2 before 1. 🙂

In version 1 (which was my wearable muslin), I made a size 6. They ended up being too small in the waist for my after-baby body. I did a rough guess of how much more I needed in the waistband and decided I would try to combine several different sizes for this second pair of shorts. I began with a size 8 at the bottom of the shorts and graded up to a 12 in the waist. They ended up a perfect fit! I am now in love with sewing shorts for myself because I really struggle with finding clothes to fit my lower body- in order to fit my waist, most things end up being way too big in the legs. I know this problem will go away as the baby weight comes off but it’s nice to have cute things to wear now.

Pattern: Grainline Studios Maritime Shorts. I am falling in love with Grainline Studios! Her patterns are easy to follow and result in super cute garments. (Another pattern review coming soon for her tiny pocket tank.) Also for most of her patterns she has a step-by-step picture tutorial that is very helpful. Not sure I could have inserted the fly zipper without this. Did you catch that? I inserted a real fly!! I love conquering new sewing techniques!

check out my cute photo bomber 🙂

Fabric: Duck cloth found at Hobby Lobby. It was so cute that I couldn’t pass it up. This fabric is a great weight for shorts but is a bit rough on the inside for my super sensitive skin so if I use it for another pair, I will try lining them.

Final comments: The pictures were taken after wearing the shorts all day (and part of a previous one 🙂 ), so they are a bit stretched out looking in the back. The leg is a bit wide with the size 8 so I may take it in a tad if I make another pair, although maybe not because I kinda like the look it gives them. Also these pictures were taken during our recent family vacation to Hilton Head Island, which if you follow me on Instagram you got an overdose of this weekend…highly recommend this beach to anyone in need of a relaxing place to take your children!

Spring Top Sewalong- Boatneck Maternity Tee

Posted on April 19, 2013 by oliver's fancy

I actually finished another top for myself this week. Yay me. 🙂 When I bought the gray and blue knit fabric, I picked up this blue and cream lace fabric as well. Because this fabric is super duper thin, I wanted to try out the gray shirt first for practice. That one turned out so well, I decided to go ahead and experiment again. This time I went for a boat neck look with a capped sleeve. The great thing about this shirt is that is is only 2 pieces- the front and the back…no sleeves to insert!

I used the same dimensions as my last shirt (except I made it a teeny bit bigger since this fabric is not as stretchy) and cut out a big rectangle, angling the rectangle out from the bottom of the sleeve area to the top of the shirt to allow for the capped sleeve look that I wanted. I did add some ruching to the sides but it’s barely noticeable because I tried to do less ruching this time and ended up doing too little. However, check out how well I did at matching up the stripes!! Pretty proud of myself for that I must say. 🙂

See… stripes matched so well!

The hardest part of this shirt was figuring out what to do with the sleeve and neckline hem. Because the fabric is so thin, I didn’t want to mess it up, and I really have no idea what I’m doing with these knits! If I had the rolled hem foot for my Bernina, I would have used that because I just learned how to do that in my machine mastery classes. But, alas, I have yet to purchase that foot. I ended up folding the sleeves under 1/4″ and sewing a small hem, and adding a thin band to the neckline. Neither one turned out as great as I was hoping, but they’ll work. I left the bottom hem raw edge just like the other shirt.

I want to add that I also learned the stretch stitch at my machine mastery class this week so I used that for all the seams and hemming. Hopefully that aids in the durability of the seams. I decided not to add any embellishments to this shirt because the fabric is really so pretty by itself and I don’t want to detract from that. Oh and editing pictures of your hugely pregnant self is a bit of an awkward and humbling event… Am I really that big? Yikes! Can’t believe I’m putting these out on the blogosphere, but I’m trusting you’ll be gentle with the pregnant lady. 🙂

Next up is the promised final rendition of parsley pants! I decided to wait to post those until Monday as my intro into Kid’s Clothes Week…Surely having a finished project to post from the very beginning will keep me motivated to get lots done! That wraps up Spring Top Sewalong for this year…. hopefully it won’t be an entire year before I do some more selfish sewing though!

Spring Top Sewalong: Maternity Tee

Posted on April 17, 2013 by oliver's fancy

We interrupt the parade of pants to show off the 32.5 week pregnant belly. 🙂 Rae has been hosting a spring top sewalong the past few weeks. Btw notice a lot of activity over there with Rae, huh? How does she keep up with it all? 🙂 She hosts this spring top challenge every year, and I really enjoy it as it gives me a chance to do some selfish sewing. I also love all the inspiration I get from other ladies as I peruse the flickr group. I have been wanting to try to make a few maternity tees and picked up some knit fabric at Hobby Lobby in order to make some practice tees. I actually really like the knits that I found- the jersey is super soft and fairly thick. However, I will see how they wash and wear before I make a final decision on their quality.

I completely winged this tee. I got a basic idea of the size that I needed from one of my maternity tees and then cut out two rectangles of the gray knit. I tried to copy my store-bought tee as far as the sleeve and neck placements. I used some 1/4″ elastic in the seam to add the side ruching.

I am pretty proud of the chevron pocket. I knew the gray fabric would be too boring by itself so I had the idea to add the blue knit for the pocket and bias bindings. The chevron design just kind of came into being as I was playing around with the pocket. I definitely think it adds a cool touch to the tee.

The only big mistake that I have to confess on this tee is that I sewed the sleeves in the wrong way which ended up with a huge flutter sleeve- not the look I was going for. Because I’m too lazy to seam rip and redo anything, I pinched up the excess fabric and created a seam down the top of the sleeve to make the it smaller. They could stand to be a bit smaller but I don’t think they are too bad.

This is my first experience sewing with knits for myself. I have had a little practice making a few raglan tees for Oliver but not much else. I know that my final result is not perfect but I am fairly happy with the finished result and didn’t experience all the horror of knit sewing that I was anticipating. I did leave the hem raw-edged because it rolls up so nicely and no one will notice that it doesn’t have a hem. That made the finishing of this shirt pretty easy. I am excited that an idea in my head actually came into fruition with good success! That’s what I love about sewing- the ability to take pieces of cloth, cut, and sew them together to create a finished piece…sometimes it kinda feels like magic. 🙂 Hopefully going to try out another tee this week and crossing my fingers to have luck again! It’s nice to have some new shirts to spruce up the tired maternity wardrobe. Also major props to the hubby for having mad photo skills and taking fairly decent shots of me… kinda hard to do when you are this preggers!

My photo shoot buddy giving his little brother a kiss…so sweet!

My New Baby

Posted on March 14, 2013 by oliver's fancy

And here she is…

Oh wait, hope you weren’t expecting pictures of a real baby. 🙂 That’s another 12 weeks in the making- though I’m ready for that baby to be here as well! Here’s my special present from a very sweet hubby. I was surprised on Valentine’s Day with the offer to go pick out one of two options at the Bernina store. This little scenario came about with my frustration at the inability of my Singer machine to keep up with the demands of constant sewing- leading to my trying a friend’s Bernina and becoming hooked on how amazing it was!

However I had figured this was something I would have to work and wait for another several years. The hubs was so impressed at the quality of the Berninas and how well they keep their resale value that he decided I should go ahead and get one now since I could put it to immediate good use. Just so happened that the local Bernina store was having a great sale and had ordered the special edition which came with an extra free-motion quilting foot at a cute skin. For those inquiring minds, this is a Bernina 350 PE.

My actual machine… Isn’t is so pretty?

I am loving my new baby…might be neglecting the other baby in the house to play on this thing. 😉 Free motion quilting is a dream on this thing! It’s amazing how smooth sewing can be… the Bernina brand definitely lives up to it’s hype. I was waiting a few weeks to write my blog review on this machine because I wanted to try it out for a bit, and I am here to tell you that I am still super happy with it. I don’t know all the ins and out of my machine yet, but my mastery classes begin in April, and I can’t wait to find out all the special things that it can do. Meanwhile I’m having fun learning on my own. I’ve got two quilts to be quilted on the list for next week and can’t wait to see how this baby does with them! And now I have my present for Valentine’s Day, birthday, anniversary, and most likely Christmas. 🙂 One stop shopping for the hubby!