Vacation Pictures & Peanuts & Gang Quilt & Cloth Book

Our little vacation was nice.  The beach was beautiful and the weather held out for our four days we were there.  It was hot and very humid, but that is typical for here in Florida.

See that beautiful Gulf water..............It's a monster!  The Gulf of Mexico swallowed my wedding ring the first day............. I was so sad.....I have had it for 23 years.  I knew my ring was loose and I've already lost it down two sink drains this year but, I should have known better than wear it too the beach. 

It's gone......... Forever.


Vacation 2015 Fort Desoto Beach



Sunset from the pier at Fort Desoto Beach



Sunset at Fort Desoto Beach

We did all of our usual vacation rituals: sleep in late, shop at Publix (that's a real treat for us!), go out for ice cream, fish, watch sunsets and go across the Skyway Bridge.  We are the adventurous type.......



Skyway Bridge

This was our last vacation to the beach.  My dear hubby is fair skinned and a red head and he does not do well with the sun.  We bring a tent to the beach, use lots of sunscreen, hats, etc.  But, he still gets sunburned.............. Earlier this year he had to use a cream that burned the skin on his face and hands to bring out any skin cancers.  It was a rough 6 weeks on him.  So to save his skin we will no longer be going to the beaches. 

Even though this was a good vacation, it was bittersweet. 


Back to sewing news!

I took a little break from my usual sewing and decided to switch gears and sew something a little different.  I'm making my nephew a quilt and cloth book for Christmas.  You know it's only 5 months away!

I saw the Peanuts & gang quilt panel in a Nancy's Notions catalog, the price was a little steep for me so after some research online I found the same one at www.fabric.com for 1/2 the price.  I just love the camping theme of the panel.  The quilt size ended up being 36"x56". 

 

Peanuts & Gang quilt panel

I'm trying to decide what to use for the backing fabric.  A solid or a print? 

I've made yards and yards of binding and I finally went to the store for some batting.  (I hate going to town). 


Woodstock quilt binding

The cloth book was from Nancy's Notions and it was an easy, quick project to make up.  I think my little nephew will like both gifts.

 

Peanuts cloth book



Peanuts cloth-book inside



Peanuts cloth book-back cover

Until next time.......


Bonnie

I Think I Need Help!

I am the absolute worst picture taker!

 I don't care to have my picture taken.  On occasion I will & I always have the most horrible look on my face, double chins, dazed and confused look, no smile, etc.!

Selfie while on vacation last week

Once in a while, I'll break down and take a picture of me in a me made outfit.  But I would prefer to crop off my head.  My expressions look like I'm constipated!  That is why most of my post have a photo of my me made outfit, dress, etc., on my dear dress form.


On our little vacation to the beach the kids kept laughing at Dear Hubby and myself when we would take a selfie.  We are not selfie people so the kids had to give us a few tips. 

1. Camera high
2. Arm outstretched
3. Chin out
4. Smile
5. Click

We still didn't do a good job!

Selfie at the beach

Maybe I should fix my hair once in a while!

This selfie is even worse!

Then, I receive an email from our oldest son.  It's a photo of his swearing in ceremony.  They took a family picture for us.  Nope!  Not a good picture of me either! 

If you have any advice or tips on taking photos, please help me!

One last selfie before a wedding

This one isn't soo bad, at least my hair is fixed!

Until next time.......

Bonnie

Butterick 2015 Fall Pattern Likes

When I get the email notice from the big 4 of their new patterns out I usually just glance at them and go on, but this time Butterick had a few of their Fall season patters that caught my eye.

The Butterick 6234 skirt has an elastic waist and pockets and I love the length.  Since I only wear skirts or dresses, This is a possibility but I may already have a pattern in my stash that is similar....



Butterick 6234 Skirt

I love the Butterick 6246 top with it's pleats and flounces.  There are few versions on the package that I like too.  This would be a great wardrobe basic.



Butterick 6246

 Winter here in Florida is extremely mild so the Butterick 6247 could be worn once or twice.  But I love that color and the double hem!



Butterick 6247

 This is a great looking coat!  So many possibilities here.  I'm thinking something in suede or maybe even a great textured leather..........  I might have to pick up the Butterick 6254!



Butterick 6254

I love the neck line of the jacket.......... but that's about all.  Could I figure this out without a pattern?  Maybe, but the Butterick 6257 is striking!



Butterick 6257

Now the Butterick 6260 is an eye catcher.  I like that there are many seams to custom fit the skirt.  Elastic waist, and I love the side flounces.  I will be picking this one up at a sale soon!



Butterick 6260

The Butterick 6261 jacket is nice.  I'm a little worried that a looser fit will make me look bigger.....  I like the front yoke style and the swing of the jacket.  Maybe..... I'll just see if someone else plus size makes it and then I'll know for sure.



Butterick 6261

I know plus size and waist and hip flounces probably isn't a good idea, but I love the style of the Butterick 6266!  Maybe another wait and see!



Butterick 6266

We are still camping at the beach today.  We'll be packing up and heading home in a little while.  I've missed my sewing machines and my fabric stashes and all my patterns at home.  Funny how when you've been gone a few days how you get a hundred ideas in mind to sew up!  I may start with a few basic wardrobe pieces and work from there, since summer will be here for another three months at least!

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

Bonnie

Butterick 5760 Cardigan in Goldenrod Ponte & Tank Sloper

I couldn't wait until the weather gets cooler to make the Butterick 5760 cardigan!  I've had this pattern for about 12 hours before I got to sewing it up.......No time like the present!

Butterick 5760 B5760 Cardigan

This is a really simple pattern to sew up.  Only a few pieces.  I used my usual knit armhole template and sleeve.  It sure makes it much easier to get the sleeve just right.  I did have to add to the bust and to the hip area.  My usual increase.  Even though I used a ponte knit that had about 50% stretch, I added ease to the bust and hip for comfort.

I haven't added any type of closures.  I'm not sure if I want to add snaps or buttons.  Maybe some pearl type buttons......  I just haven't decided as of yet.

I have wanted to sew up a golden yellow cardigan since last year.  I think I will get a lot of wear out of it.  I'm thinking I can wear it with navy blue, green, black and maybe grey.

Butterick 5760 B5760 Ponte Knit Cardigan

 This ponte knit is t-shirt soft.  Almost like butter.  I'm thinking it's the perfect weight for our not so cold Florida winters!

Butterick 5760 B5760 Ponte Knit Cardigan

 I sewed the sleeve in flat, since it's a knit, it sews in so much easier.

Butterick 5760 B5760 Ponte Knit Cardigan

 The color in the last few pictures is lighter to show the stitching detail, but it is a true goldenrod color. 

I used twin needle stitching for both the bottom hem and the sleeve hem.  I lengthened the body hem by 1" to accommodate my hips and butt.

Twin needle stitching

 Next time, I may make the banding a little wider to fit a bigger button easier.

Inside banding

 I'll have to remember to serge the bottom hem before adding the front banding. 

Inside banding and bottom hem

The goldenrod ponte knit was from my stash of fabric I bought late last year.  Something used to I have room to store something new..........

 

$8.98 for a cardigan isn't too bad for a few hours of work and hopefully a few seasons of wear.

 

$8.98 Cardigan

 

 

Overall I really like this pattern and I will be making another cardigan in the future.

 

I wanted to make a tank top sloper.  It was a lot easier to than I thought without a pattern.  I used my regular knit armhole template and added a little ease so it want so tight.

 

Does this fabric look familiar?  I had a piece left over from my beachy hi-lo hem tropical dress.  I thought a tank would be perfect!

 

Tank top sloper-front view

I have always worried about making the bust fit on a knit pattern by curving the silhouette of the pattern.  After a few episodes of Fit-2-Stitch, I've learned bust darts are MY FRIEND!  They sure made fitting so much better!

The fabric with this tank reminds me of a swimsuit top..............  My mind must be on the beach!

I maybe  have a picture or two from the beach when I get back, maybe a sunset!

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

Bonnie

McCall 6844 Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit Cardigan

This blue tropical cheetah ITY knit fabric was a wonderful fabric to work with.  Easy to cut, easy to sew and beautiful to look at!

Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit Fabric

 I made a pattern adjustment of a 1" dart at the shoulder seam on both the front and the back, tapering to nothing at the bust area.  I noticed that on the previous coral stripe cardigan that the shoulders ended a little low.  Making the adjustments brought the sleeve up just a little, making the fit even better.

I made View C with the flounce this time. 



McCall 6844 Cardigan pattern adjustment

 I wanted to have a layered collar instead of the two sided collar.  I thought that maybe a lettuce edge would be nice. 

I cut one collar pair as directed and the second pair I trimmed 1/2" off.  Layering the shorter collar on top. 


McCall 6844 Cardigan Collar

After trying the lettuce edge on a few scrap pieces I decided against it.  Since the stretch was going horizontal on the collar pieces you really couldn't get a good wave on the collar.  I decided to do a rolled hem in black to make the collars stand out a little more.

McCall 6844 Cardigan Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit

 I used wooly nylon thread in my upper looper of my serger to have a nice filled in look to the hem.  The rolled hem turned out great!

McCall 6844 Cardigan Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit-Rolled hem on Collar

 The rolled hem makes the collar stand out a little more on this busy fabric.


McCall 6844 Cardigan Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit

 I also did the rolled hem along the bottom hem of the flounce.  I combined the lower edges of the collar with the lower flounce at the hem, to keep the collar from flipping out.  I had to serge slow since it was with three thickness of fabric.  But it all worked out good and it does keep the collar laying flat. 

McCall 6844 Cardigan Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit-Back View

McCall 6844 Cardigan Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit-Side View

Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit-Tag

The knit fabric was a little pricey compared to my other sew-ups.  I must have REALLY, REALLY, like it!  I did wash the knit in cold water and dried in the dryer and it washed up beautiful.  I don't know why it was dry clean?  Almost $15.00 for a cardigan?  I know I'll get a lot of wear out of this cardigan.

I'm really happy I tried this pattern.  I'm thinking it is going to a TNT! 

What to sew next?

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

Bonnie

Silhouette Patterns and Fit 2 Stitch

I have been watching Fit 2 Stitch for the past few years on our public broadcasting station and this weekend while we were at "hunt camp", dear hubby brought his WIFI jetpack and I was privileged to watch unlimited YouTube videos of past webcast.  What a wonderful weekend!

I like Peggy Sagers' approach to sewing and fitting.  Her methods are very "common sense" and I seem to be able to understand her teaching.  She is very matter of fact and has a lot of great suggestions on fitting.  I also really like her dressing style.

I have not bought any of the Silhouette patterns but after watching a few webcast I am very, very interested in a few.

The Silhouette #112 Kacy's 5-way Top is on top of my want list.  I think that this top will come in very handy with Church and the Fall season.  I'm thinking my mother might like one too!

Very Versitile

Silhouette Pattern #112 Back View

 I also like this skirt pattern.  Maybe one in denim and one in a khaki twill fabric?



Silhouette Pattern #2913 Nick & Zoe's Best Selling Skirt

Silhouette Pattern #2913 Nick & Zoe's Best Selling Skirt-Back View

  I like Silhouette Pattern Cardigan and tank pattern too but I just bought the Butterick B5760 for the cardigan and jacket after seeing all the rave reviews at http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/reviewgallery.pl.  How could I not buy this one?

 I'm a little on the fence about buying the Silhouette Patterns since they are $14.99 each.  That is the most I've EVER paid for a pattern...........But I REALLY, REALLY like them!

We're going to the beach next week for a mini vacation, I'm hoping to whip up two new sleeveless dresses to wear at the beach.  I looked into my box of ITY knits and found a tropical print and a floral print that looks beachy. 

By the way, I fell off the bandwagon and bought more fabric!  I didn't mean too, but www.fabricmartfabrics.com had a sale on knits and I just couldn't help myself.  I will try harder to not buy more fabric after this.  I promise, I will TRY!

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

Bonnie

Tropical Floral ITY Knit Hi Lo Hem Maxi Dress

I have never been a big fan of the Hi Lo Hem on clothing.  My Dear Daughter, who's 13, loves a skirt or dress with a Hi Lo hem but she doesn't care for the look on a top or shirt.  Me, being a plus size, have tried on clothing with the shark bite hem (longer on the sides) and it made my hips and thighs look like they were 3x the size they already were.  I don't need anymore exaggerations there!

Maybe since I was a young teenager from the 80's, I think Hi Lo hems remind me of my middle school years.  And sometimes you just want to forget those years in your life.  Aqua net, big hair and all!

But since we're going to the beach and I wanted to make another TNT elastic waist knit dress in the maxi length, I thought maybe I would try a hi-lo hem on the maxi dress. 

I have finally eliminated the bust dart on my TNT knit dress pattern.  I tried to remove it in the past and was so confused that I just kept it.  I think I got it right this time.  Since I am using a stretch knit fabric I don't think I need the bust dart.  But I used it on past patterns to tell which side was the front of the dress.........

I think that the Tropical Floral print ITY knit dress will be a nice dress for the beach, cool, comfy, yet not too revealing. 

Tropical Floral ITY Knit Hi Low Hem Maxi Dress

Close up of Tropical Floral ITY Knit Fabric

 I measured the neck of the dress and cut the neck banding 75% of the measured length.  I sewed the long sides, wrong sides together, with a three thread stitch on the serger.  Then just sewed the band onto the neck, stretching the band to fit.  I topstitched the seam allowances away from the band, stitching as close to the seam as possible.

Neck Banding on Tropical Floral Dress

Neck Banding on Tropical Floral Dress-View 2

 

Arm hole band Tropical Floral Dress

Tropical Floral ITY Knit Hi Low Hem Maxi Dress with Lulu our Pug

My first cutting of the hi low hem was not so good.  My Dear Daughter said it looked like I hemmed the dress drunk!  So I cut more off of the front of the skirt.  It hits below my knees in the front and right at my ankles in the back.  It's a little higher in the front than I wanted, but looks more flowy and natural.

Hi Lo Hem on Tropical Floral Dress

I used my serger to make a rolled hem on the bottom of the dress.  I used wooly nylon thread in the upper looper, helping to make the rolled hem full.  The outcome is perfect!

Rolled hem on Tropical Floral Dress

Tropical Floral ITY Knit Hi Low Hem Maxi Dress

Rolled Hem on Tropical Floral Dress-View 2

Rolled Hem on Tropical Floral Dress-View 3

$11.50 for a new dress isn't too bad.  I'll wear this one to the beach and around the pool.  Not too sure about this for Church, but maybe to the grocery store..................

Tropical Floral ITY Knit Hi Low Hem Maxi Dress Tag

I can't decide if I want to make this blue tropical cheetah ITY knit fabric into another McCall 6844 cardigan with a layered collar idea I have in mind or another beach dress................the decisions of life!



Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit Fabric

Blue Tropical Cheetah ITY Knit Fabric-

I'm thinking the McCall 6844 Cardigan is going to win with this fabric.  I can wear it with my navy Muse Natalie dress or a black dress or maybe I'll have to make a grey dress..............

Oh, by the way, I received so many nice compliments on my previous McCall 6844 cardigan.  I wore it to church with my navy blue Muse Natalie dress.  A perfect match.

McCall 6844 Cardigan with Navy Muse Natalie Dress

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

Bonnie