A blog about my adventures in sewing & crafting

Monday, March 31, 2014

Butterick 4443 Princess Seam Dress

Over the weekend I made another dress!  I have a little story behind this fabric:  I went last month to get my hair done by a very special friend.  She had a cape of this beautiful shades of purple watercolor like fabric.  She told me a customer had made it for them.  So while sitting waiting for my coloring to finish, I worked my way around the outer seam of the cape and found a selvage spot!  Jo-Ann's fabric!  On my next visit to Jo-Ann's I found it in the quilting cotton section.  The fabric has a nice thickness to it and I thought it would still be ok to use for a dress.  The only thing was when I laid out the the pattern for the skirt I was about 6" too short along the selvage width!   I finally folded the fabric crosswise for the skirt so that the pattern went the same way for both the bodice and the skirt.  Perfect!  I had about 6" of fabric left!

Butterick 4443 Princess Seam Dress Pattern www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Butterick 4443 Princess Seam Dress



Butterick 4443 Princess Seam Dress Pattern www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Butterick 4443 Princess Seam Dress-Purple
I'm thinking of wearing it with a purple cardigan I already have or maybe a white one.  I also have some purple grosgrain ribbon to use as a waist tie.  I will try to get a photo of me wearing it too.

My next project is going to be a skirt.  I found McCall 8487.  It's a vintage skirt pattern in my drawer of patterns.  I'm going to have to enlarge the pattern (what else is new!).  I had to add 2.15" to the waist and 2.5" to the hips.  :(.  

Until next time......................

Bonnie

Friday, March 28, 2014

Butterick 5616 Spring Vest

I am a sucker for clothing magazines.  I love to tear out the pages and save pictures of clothing that I like, in hopes that maybe one day, I will make it. (Especially if I can make it cheaper!)

I found this picture in the www.womanwithin.com mailer.  It's SPRINGY, it's versatile and I think I can make it A LOT cheaper than $29.99!

denim floral vest www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Magazine Vest 

Butterick 5616 BP257 denim floral vest www.sewplus.blogspot.com
My Vest Idea
On my visit to Jo-Ann's I could not find a white background denim fabric.  I thought that this red, orange, white, purple & yellow stretch denim screamed SPRING!

I have made this pattern two other times.  I made a short sleeved cropped jacket in white denim and a 3/4 length sleeve jacket in brown floral from a curtain panel I bought at the thrift store.


Butterick 5616 Brown Floral Jacket www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Butterick 5616 Brown Floral Jacket 

Butterick 5616 White Denim Crop Jacket www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Butterick 5616 White Denim Crop Jacket
I have wore both these jackets many times.  Over dresses or with a tank and jeans.  The pattern is easy to work with.  I always have a little trouble with the collar, but looks ok in the end.

Butterick 5616 Spring Floral Denim Vest www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Floral Butterick 5616 Spring Vest

Butterick 5616 Spring Floral Denim Vest www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Back view Butterick 5616 Vest

I think that this vest turned out just as I expected and I can't wait to wear it soon.  

The FedEx man just brought me a box from FabricMartFabrics.com!  I can't wait to dig in!

My next project is the Butterick 4443 dress with princess seams and full skirt.  I have to alter the pattern to fit my bust.  All those pieces........ wish me luck!

Until next time.......................

Bonnie






  






Thursday, March 27, 2014

First Serger Project

I wanted to try out my new serger on making cloth napkins with a rolled hem.  I was a little nervous to change the dials on the machine.  Changing from a 4-thread stitch to a rolled hem was easy and I even changed thread color, then changed back to 4-thread stitch and thread color again.

EASY PEASY!


rolled hem cloth napkins serger www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Rolled hem cloth napkins
I like to throw them in a basket in the dining room.  It makes me feel a little bit better for not using as much paper.  I just throw them in the washer when I do wash.

rolled hem cloth napkins serger www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Basket of napkins
 I'm working on an apron project.  I have a favorite apron but I have been unable to find a pattern similar.  I decided to trace the apron out on paper and sew it up.  

Until next time.....

Bonnie




Monday, March 24, 2014

Something New!

Sorry for the absence, life sometimes gets in the way!

Well, I have something NEW to show you!

Brother Serger 1034D www.sewplus.blogspot.com
New Serger from the Dear Husband!
For my birthday this past week my wonderful husband told me to get a Serger!  I always hesitate about buying my own present, but I gave in since I knew deep down I REALLY REALLY wanted one!  

My old Serger, I found at a thrift store a few years ago.  It gave me more headache than three kids home on a rainy day from school!

Toyota Server 1984 www.sewplus.blogspot.com
Old Toyota Serger
I have sewn many items in the past 8 months while I have been away but I won't bore you with all that history.  I hope to be re-energized to continue posting.  

Until next time.......

Bonnie