Buttons!

As you may recall from my black linen pants, button holes were somewhat problematic for me. Luckily Daniel (isn't he wonderful?) stumbled upon a bizarre presser foot, asked me what it was, and we discovered together that I had an automatic button hole foot. All I had to do was figure out how to use it... Turns out, all you need is a project and you can figure out anything (because you have to!). I found some great white swiss dot fabric in the stash I rescued from my mom and decided to make a great button down shirt and I had a pattern that I'd been itching to use (Simplicity 2501) since it comes with patterns for cup sizes A-D. I greatly appreciate someone else doing the adjusting!! I wasted no time diving into that project and made myself view B. Everything went very smoothly and I love my finished product! My only complaint would be the fact that you can see the facing so much through the shirt since it's so thin. Not sure how I should have done it instead? Regardless, I'm very happy with it and already wore it when I worked out of our corporate office in Chicago a couple weeks ago!

Pretty, pretty button holes!!

I also decided to thank Daniel for all of his support by actually making him something. I know, I'm as sweet as they come. I decided a shirt sounded far less daunting than pants, so I started with Simplicity 4760 view B for him. I've never thought of Daniel as anything but big. He's 6', average build, size 13 shoe. Obviously he's not a giant, but I'm 4'11", average build, size 6.5 shoe. When I can put someone else's shoes on over my shoes, they are huge in my head. Needless to say, I found it counter intuitive to be using the second smallest size pattern (he's a medium) for him, especially since my size 12/14 is frequently the biggest of the sizes grouped together.

Here's the nearly finished product. All I need to do is finish off the thread ends and tack down the facing at the shoulder seams and he's one shirt richer! Granted, it may be the only shirt he ever gets since he wasted no time dropping the "it looks a little country-western with those pointy things on the shoulders" even though he helped pick out the pattern...maybe he'll make it up to me by going to Hancocks with me this weekend :)

Again with the lovely button holes!!
The fabric looks a little grey here, but it is the dark green from the first picture.

Perhaps I can also guilt him into a photoshoot this weekend...

Lady Grey Sew Along

I am getting more and more antsy every time I think about starting the sew along, and even have a little countdown going in my head. It's almost here! I'm pretty sure I have everything I'll be needing for the project, with the exception of the button and I might have to buy more interfacing. Want to see my fabric choices?


For my outer I chose a medium brown stretch moleskin (loved the machine wash/machine dry aspect!). I ordered some stretch moleskin in bone to make a cover for our futon and loved the feel of it so much that I decided that's what I wanted to use. From there, I just had to choose the shade.


I really wanted to have a fun lining and had two on Fabric.com that I couldn't choose between. One was just so much fun that I ordered it even though I wasn't convinced it would match the outer, and the other was the pictured navy/floral satin charmeuse. I definitely like both, but this one was a little more tame than I was hoping for; ultimately it was decided that matching was the most important :)

This definitely won't end up a statement coat, but I thought it wise to play it safe on my first try...and I'm not quite sure I'm ready for one just yet anyway.

We start the muslin next week and I'm a little embarrassed to say this will be my first time making one. I always run head first into the project (which is probably why I have some adorable disappointments in my pile), but I am committed to following the rules 100% with this project!

Sewing Double Update

I know it's been quite some time since we started this process, but we've only made a little headway. We let the form dry to be sure it was really cured before we started filling it with expanding spray insulation (smart, right? We have our moments).

This weekend we taped the two halves together and got to work. I read somewhere to spray the inside with cooking spray or coat it with vaseline so the foam doesn't stick to it. We tried cooking spray and vegetable oil (unfortunately, no vaseline on hand), but they just soaked into the plaster. We considered Crisco, but I can't for the life of me remember why that was vetoed. We moved on figuring we'd come up with something :)


We set the form upside down in a 5 gallon bucket, propped up along the sides with boards and started filling. We did all of one can first, but it didn't expand as much as we expected. Then we decided to do layers, let them dry and expand some, then add another so we weren't weighing anything down as they expanded. It worked.


After 3 cans of the regular Great Stuff and 2 of the window kind, the foam is set and we're just contemplating the removal. Our plan is to just wet down the plaster and wash it off.


From the outside it seems to have held fairly well, aside from the spreading at the "seams" right around the bustline. I'll just measure and shave off whatever is extra.

My plan now is to buy some ribbed knit or tricot (something stretchy at least) in a flesh tone to cover it with. No clashing purple for my dressform :)

Happy National Sewing Month!!

September is National Sewing Month, started by the American Home Sewing & Craft Association and President Regan in 1982, and continued today by the joint efforts of the American Sewing Guild and the Sewing & Craft Alliance, helps to remind all home sewists of the joys of sewing while spreading the word to the rest.

Each year they host a contest, and this year is no different...except that I plan to enter for the fun of it. This year is the 2010 National Sewing Month "Accessorize Your Life" Contest - can you guess what I'm entering?

If you spend some time browsing the site, there are some projects to participate in. Whatever you do, take some time out of your schedule to sew something and share sewing with someone new.

Happy sewing!

Little Girls are made of Sugar and Spice...

...and everything nice, which is why I wanted to make some dresses for our friends' little girl, Citlali. Since I don't have her here to try things on and fit as we go, I opted to start with some pillowcase dresses. Oh my are they simple and absolutely adorable! The great benefit is that they can grow with the child (and we all know how fast toddlers grow)!

If my memory serves me, Citlali will be 2 in November, so while this will be a dress for her now, it can be loosened at the neck and become a top as she gets bigger! I'm hoping to get some pictures of her in the dresses to share with you, too. She is just adorable!

(This dress is made with white pique cotton with multi-colored polka dots - rescued from Mom's stash - and red grossgrain ribbon)



(This dress is actually made from a pillow case with a tie and bias tape I made from white broadcloth)

My Sewing Double in the Works

I've been eying the adjustable dressforms every time I go to Hancocks for some time now, and really wanting one every time I have to fit a shirt or dress with a zipper and Daniel has to help me. I tried to just bite the bullet and buy one about a month ago when I **thought** Hancock was having a sale on them, only they weren't on sale when I got to the store so I talked myself out of it.

Part of the argument to not buy one yet was the fact that I am curvy, so just adjusting to my numbers would still give a fairly skewed impression of "me."

Then, I started looking into the homemade doubles. I read about the duct tape one, the brown paper tape, and on and on. I wasn't excited enough about any of the methods to jump into it until I came across a plaster cast method. Basically, you use the plaster strips that casts are made from to make a mold of yourself, then use your desired method to make a dummy. I was stoked.

We went out Sunday and bought about 10 yards of 3" rolled gauze and the smaller bucket of plaster of paris....and we used every last bit of it.

• Standing in a big cardboard box in the kitchen wearing just a bra and undies (and shoes and socks to keep my feet comfy on the hard floor), I had Daniel wrap me in a firm, but not tight, layer of plastic wrap (I helped out along the squishier areas holding things in place so they didn't get smushed).
• He then whipped up a batch of plaster, cut some strips of gauze, and went to work starting at the top. Since gauze is flexible, getting good curves around my curves wasn't a problem. The plaster of paris was the quick dry (20-30 minutes) kind, so he had to work very quickly covering me in the gauze. Having another set of hands would have been seriously helpful.
  
• We let it dry, then he cut me out with pruning shears (a little stressful).
• The whole process probably took about 45 minutes all together.

(If you could see my feet, you would see the shoes and socks, with little plastic wrap booties)

As a claustrophobic, this was not exactly the most pleasant experience of my life. I kind of had the sensation of being buried alive in something clear (since I could obviously see), especially once the plaster started to dry and I could feel the weight and wasn't able to move. Daniel did well keeping me calm while it was still wet so I could keep my breathing steady and not alter the mold (or pass out, of course, since sitting down wasn't an option).



After cutting me out, we noticed a little spot that was missed in the shoulder, but we'll just tape over it when we fill it. Now all we have to do is go buy some foam insulation to fill it with! Once that's set, I'm just going to buy some fleshy colored tricot or ribbed knit to cover it with, then come up with a name :) Suggestions??

Ready to Buckle Up for My First Sew Along!

This is it! I'm taking the plunge and have "signed-on" for my first Sew Along!

I've been a lurker on Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing for quite some time now, and an avid one at that. As a matter of fact, I take pride in my sneaky, stalkerish, lurking abilities which are not limited to blogs by any means. With one quick post, however, Gertie got the better of me and I caved, leaving an excited, introductory comment on her blog. What was this devious post about? Nothing other than a Sew Along! **gasp** I am so weak.

As a coat lover, I've been itching to make myself some fabulous fall coats (I am not so disillusioned as to believe I could make myself a coat that will keep me toasty warm at -10 degrees F). What could be better than a Sew Along for this fabulous Lady Grey coat by Colette Patterns?? Oh, I know. The sew along PLUS the fact that this gives me an approved excuse to buy more fabric, as the beautiful green/silver plaid and beige/chocolate plaid just aren't right for this. Poor, poor Stephanie - right?

I have the pattern ordered, and it looks like the process will begin mid-September. More to come!!