Summer Wrap Up

I had meant to post pictures of garments on me before now, but between work (busy) and monsoon (afternoon storms), it's been difficult to set up a time. Oh yeah, and my remote gave out and I had to order another one from Amazon.

But I finally got around to it so here's an assortment of summer garments, right in time for the fall. It's still warm, so these will be wearable but I'm starting to lean more towards fall shades. So we'll see if they actually get any wear for a while, even as layering pieces.

If you want to see more details, click on the links.

Cutting Line Designs, Pure and Simple Shell:

Sewing Workshop, Eureka Top:

Butterick 6324, View A:

Cutting Line Designs, Simplify Your Life, View B:

TSW Eureka

Slinky has fallen out of style, but I had a piece of it in a nice blue color that I really loved. I was tired of passing it by every time I made a knit garment, so I needed to find a pattern. Oh, and it was also short yardage, which meant that I had to find something that didn't use very much fabric.

Eureka Top to the rescue! Its simple shape and loose fit worked well with the Slinky and didn't take much time to make. The cutting probably took longer than the sewing. I changed the neckline so that the technique used is more like my TNT Kwiksew 2565. And I didn't tack up the cuffs, two layers of Slinky is enough, and almost too much. So, more like sleeves than cuffs. You'll notice in the photo below that I edge stitched the sleeve seam. Doing so helped flatten the seam which is thick with three layers of fabric (two for the sleeve and one for the garment).

Here's the drawing from the pattern envelope. Eureka is actually a twofer, with a skirt in addition to the top. I've also made the skirt a couple of times. It's fun to sew and wear, albeit a fabric hog.

Another TSW Liberty Shirt

I've made this shirt several times and have been meaning to give it a rest, but work has intervened. We've been having "Red on Fridays" in honor of a coworker who's currently on assignment with the NM National Guard overseas, so I've been supplementing my work wardrobe with red garments.

I bought the red ikat cotton from Ann Silva's several years ago. She mostly sells quilting fabrics, but once in a while she gets other things like this! It was a joy to work with although the color was a bit tricky, since it's a cross weave. I auditioned several colors of thread and ended up using a Coats thread called "Tomato Bisque." The buttons were another surprise. I tried several different red buttons but these odd pink-ish ones looked the best with the fabric. I guess it goes to show that you have to look at the blend instead of individual threads when determining what will work best.

Once again, I used the collar I drafted instead of the one that came with the pattern. Just my preference.  As with the other versions I've made, this one went together easily.

I really like the Sewing Workshop pattern line. I like most of the releases and they have excellent instructions. 

A Remake of the TSW Icon Shirt--Presenting the Iconic Shirt

I've been interested in this shirt since it first appeared on The Sewing Workshop website.

I've even made one already, which was previously featured on this blog post back in 2013. But that time it only appeared on a dress form. It was made pretty much according to the pattern (I left off the pocket). But you have to admit, it's memorable:

Lots of asymmetry and a flanged side seam in addition to that interesting neck treatment. But face it, I can't see having several of these in my wardrobe. But I can envision having something similar; hence the Iconic shirt will be coming soon. I'm thinking about keeping the neckline but losing the flange, the uneven front hemline and the split back seam.

The SewWest Closet: I'm wearing a pair of black Not Your Daughter's Jeans with tan patent Viotti wedges, both old. The generic sunglasses are new.

TSW Border Print Liberty Shirt, Part Two

I've yet to wear this one out of the house because it's been a bit too cool, but I wanted to show you what it looks like. Since I'm home today with no plans to go anyplace, I threw it on with a pair of narrow pants and some boots. They're really for a different top I'm photographing during this shoot. However, in "real life", I'd either be wearing this with a more conservative pair of pants or black jeans.

Some more sleeve.

The SewWest Closet: Simply Vera narrow ponte pants with faux leather knee patches, Mia boots.

TSW Cortina Shirt, Part Two

Seeing that it's still Christmas vacation and I had a little time for photography, albeit inside. Here's me wearing the Cortina I made recently. Unfortunately, the pink is a bit plain for a stand alone piece, although it works well with other items in my closet.

As I mentioned in the previous post regarding this shirt, I've worn it with this cardigan I made from the Loes Hinse Sweater Set pattern.

The SewWest Closet: NYDJ jeans, Ivanka Trump suede boots.

TSW Liberty Shirt with Border Print

Another Liberty Shirt; I think this is the fourth one I've made, but they all look a bit different based on the fabric This time I used a cotton that came from JoAnn's and has been in my stash for several years. I had just enough and resorted to a mandarin style collar in order to make it work.

The fabric had a border print on both selvages and I had enough to center the pattern along the back hem and the sleeves. The photos below show the border print in more detail:

I had just enough of the lemon print for the fronts and collar.

Here are the illustration from the envelope and the technical drawings to give you an idea of what the design looks like. This pattern is a favorite of mine, and I love how it looks with the border print!

These photos are also from the wintery post-Thanksgiving photo shoot, so I'll try to get some photos on me later so you can see how it looks on a person.

TSW Cortona Shirt

This garment was inspired by Martha's lovely ikat Cortona that she posted on her blog. I bought the pattern (Siena and Cortona) when it first came out, but seeing it made up encouraged me to give it a try. I actually ended up making two of them. The first was a little snug for my taste but the second one is fine. It was easier to adjust the fit than I imagined, although making a large slash into the front pattern piece took a leap of faith!

The fabric is a cotton and linen blend that I located in my stash when looking for a suitable prototype fabric. In other words, something that had enough yardage, wouldn't require design matching, and wouldn't be a big loss if it didn't work out.  I have no idea how long I've had it or where it came from. The buttons also came from stash and matched perfectly. I think they were originally on a RTW sweater from many seasons ago.

The predominant feature of this shirt is a horizontal dart at the waist that starts near the center front on each side and continues to the back to form a slight peplum.

I eliminated the center back seam from the upper back because it wasn't really needed and eliminated the need to exactly match up the center back along two seams. I made the narrow button cuffs as they appear on the pattern. I would like to add "Lucille Ball" cuffs like Martha's on a future version for a little more flair.

Here are the pattern envelope and technical drawings to give you some more information regarding this design.

 I'm pleased with how it came out and will make this again, although it's a pretty distinctive design. It would be interesting to see how a stripe or print would look, or without sleeves as a summer top.

I hope to be able to model this for you in the near future so you can see how it looks on a person. Alas, today's photo shoot was indoors due to iffy weather and wind. I've already worn it to work and it went well with a Loes Hinse cardigan I made last winter

Zen for Dia De Los Muertos, Part Two

It's done! And just in time for the upcoming Halloween and Dia de los Muertos season! As I mentioned in the last post, this is the Zen shirt from the Sewing Workshop's "Now and Zen" patterns. I've made the Now shirt a ton of times, and this my third version of the Zen shirt.

There are some cool features, such as a double collar (which I didn't change after all) a hidden buttonhole placket...

and this cool pleat in the back!

The fabric is a "quilt" cotton, and the grid pattern was challenging but fun. It'll be a lot of fun to wear!

The SewWest Closet: In addition to the Zen Shirt, I'm wearing black RTW pants by Laundry (from TJ Maxx a couple of years ago).  The velvet skull slippers are from Fergalicious (from 6 pm). The terra cotta pumpkin came from the floral department at Albertson's!

Zen for Dia De Los Muertos, Part One

It's become a bit of a tradition for me to make a garment for the fall holiday season. Sometimes it's for Halloween, but this year it's definitely Dia De Los Muertos. I bought the fabric at Nob Hill Fabrics here in town, and it features Mexican Loteria figures as skeletons.

Because the print is a grid, I wanted to use a pattern that I was already familiar with. Sewing Workshop to the rescue! I've made the Zen Shirt twice before. It's the one on the left in the picture below. The design doesn't have a lot of pieces to match up and has fairly straight lines.

I cut out the main pattern pieces and purchased notions this weekend, so I'm ready to go. I've reviewed the instructions, and while Sewing Workshop always features interesting techniques, I want this to be an easy sew. Instead of the French seams featured in the instructions (which are lovely), I'll be sewing a regular seam with a serged finish.  I'm also considering a different collar vs. the double collar featured on the pattern since it's distinctive, and I've already made two like that already. Perhaps a band or a mandarin style this time around. Stay tuned to see what I come up with.

TSW Hudson Pants

I've made several pairs of these because they're the perfect weekend pants for me. I've dressed them up or down and worn them with a variety of tops and shoes. They seem cooler than a full length pant, but that could also be a function of the cottons and linens I've used.

Below are an illustration and technical drawing of the Hudson Pant from The Sewing Workshop website. It appears they're currently not in stock on the site but can still be found in stores or on the internet.

I don't have too much to say about the sewing. They're pretty basic pull on pants with the addition of narrow darts at the lower hem. One thing I like about the draft is that the back leg is angled at the waistband, so the crotch depth is added at center back, not all the way across. This avoids some of the "clown butt" look (thanks, Debbie Cook for that description!). I modified the pattern for me but started with a size Small, then added 5/8" at each of the outer leg seams. In my opinion, the pant runs a bit large so check the flat pattern measurements against yourself to check the size you'll need.

This pair is made from a linen and rayon blend that I got at a local ASG fabric sale several years ago. I was a bit meh about the fabric but it has a nice hand, so I figured it could at least be used for a muslin.  However, I've come to like it as I've worked on the pants. I don't know if you'll see it again though. An entire ensemble would be too much of a good thing? Probably. The pants are more successful if a fabric with some drape is used vs. something stiff, even if you are using a heavy fabric.

It's important to mark the darts accurately and I've found that a Frixion pen is perfect for this.  Only a tiny spot of ink is needed at each dot. Once pressed, the ink disappears! I've washed the pants since making them and the ink did not come back.

The SewWest closet: the top is from Coldwater Creek (before their bankruptcy), the sandals are from Th!nk.

Revisiting the Eureka Top by TSW

I'm still not ready to let this pattern go so I made another out of the woven crinkle rayon that I used for the Asymmetrical Skirt. The crinkles approximate the stretch of a knit, and I still have a lot of it left over.

This time, I made a couple of changes. I left off the sleeve bands and simply turned up a narrow hem instead. I also made a slight "mullet" hem, with the back longer than the front, and turned up a narrow hem there as well.

The result is a very loose fitting, swingy top that I like better than the original.  It also makes a nice ensemble when combined with the skirt. Thanks for the suggestion,  Janine! Here are a few shots of that:

Also, I couldn't resist a Shams-style twirly shot so you can see the skirt in motion:

Yes, Summer is officially over, but it's still warm and it's fiesta time, so I'll still get some wear out of this before the weather gets too cool.

PS-the black pants are the Hudson Pant by The Sewing Workshop (aka TSW) made from linen I bought from Gorgeous Fabrics last year.

T Shirts--A TNT and a New One.

What happened to July? Seems like I totally missed it--lots going on at work, and I kind of lost my sewing mojo with all that was happening. I actually was doing some sewing though, thanks to my trusty Material Girls group. I nearly always manage to cut out a project or two when I'm there. It just took me a little while to finish them since I like to combine my cover stitching projects.

The first one I made was Kwik Sew 2565, which I must have made about a hundred times by now.

But why not? It's a great pattern that I've already tweaked to my liking.The fabric is a really nice rayon(?) knit from Casual Elegance. It has a good drape, and is thicker than most rayon knits. But before I got sold on all that, I just loved the watercolor animal print. Just beautiful, and can be worn with just about anything.

Umm, yes, the print is a little off center, but oh well. I still like it, and as Ann says, "This is a summer tee, so the slightly off-center placement of the major motif on the front is just fine."

The other one is the Eureka Top from TSW. 

I have mixed feelings about it, because dang! The sizing is huge. I cut out my usual Small/Medium mix for this shirt and it's enormous. I am going to try again in a straight Small to see if I like it better. At least it will be comfortable to wear in the heat.

For this, I used another rayon knit that I found at Joann's a couple of years ago. On first glance, it looks like a floral but it's really a skull print. 

It's thinner than the Casual Elegance fabric and a more cotton-y look and feel.

Here it is styled like all the shirts you've been seeing lately in fashion shots.

What's with that anyway? Here it is loose. See? It's big. 

I have another project underway that I hope to have finished soon, a border print skirt. And there's also that repeat of the Eureka pattern.

2014 First Day of School Project, Part 2

I'm well underway with the making of the matching capris for the peasant tops I showed you in the last post. So far, I've completed a blue linen blend pair. This fabric is from stash and came from TSW.

 and two gray cotton pairs. I bought this fabric from JoAnn's last year for boys' pants but the gray looks perfect with the fuchsia, yellow, and gray print tops.  Since they're both the same, I'm just showing one:

They are View E of the same pattern I used for the tops (Butterick 5776). I stopped by JoAnn's on Friday and got a green linen look fabric to match the two remaining tops. The final two pairs are all cut out and ready to be sewn.

A good thing too, this project comes to a close on July the 10th when the outfits have to be turned in. It does not appear there will be any little boys' outfits this year but that will be my priority for next year, assuming that we'll be doing this project again.

This weekend, my sister in law Dorothy came to visit from New Jersey for a little getaway.

Instead of doing a lot of touristy things, we mostly stayed around the house, logging a lot of time on the back patio.  We did go out for a couple of nice dinners and a lunch, since she has become addicted to chile.  She and I also went shopping on Friday at ABQ Uptown--Coldwater Creek, the Loft, Lululemon,  Ann Taylor and Alfred Angelo. I'm not much of a RTW shopper but did find a few items. Of course, Coldwater Creek is liquidating and the pickings are really getting slim, but I did find a couple of t-shirts that are wearable for work and some baubles.

(Note to self: find something to clean the permanent marker stains off the cutting mat.)

I also found a cute t-shirt at the Loft, which was a total surprise. It's eyelet on the front and sleeves, and the back is knit. Sorry for the odd angle but this was the best of the lot for showing the eyelet.

It's wearable as is, but I may make a couple of minor tweaks to improve the fit. The darts are too high for me and of course, that bugs me as a sewist. So I'll be adjusting them.

Lululemon is a new store for Albuquerque. However I'm dubious that $100+ yoga pants will go over with the local citizenry. Or maybe they'll be wildly successful, who's to say?

We stopped into Alfred Angelo, because Dorothy is MOB for an upcoming wedding and is trying to get some ideas for a dress. She doesn't sew and will be buying a gown.  I do sew and will be needing  dresses for the wedding and rehearsal dinner. October will be here fast, so I'll have some work ahead of me.