Simplicity 7103 Princess Seam Dress

I have been on the hunt for a princess seam dress with the seams at the shoulders instead of the armholes.  It has taken me over 3 months to find one.  It's an older pattern but it looks like a good one!






Simplicity 7103 Princess Seam Dress



 I made a muslin as usual.  The fit was pretty good in the chest and shoulder area.  The hips fit but the bottom of the dress was too wide.  Making the fabric fold in at the seams.




Simplicity 7103 Muslin



Simplicity 7103 Muslin-Side View





Simplicity 7103 Muslin

 I removed 2" at each seam at the hem tapering to nothing at the hip.  This brought the circumference of the dress hem in.




Simplicity 7103 Muslin-Back

 I am using a Black stretch cotton eyelet fabric for the finished dress.  I wasn't sure if it needed to be lined but after taking a picture I KNOW it needs lined!




Simplicity 7103 Black Eyelet Stretch Cotton 

 I just happen to have 2 yards of a black lining fabric in my "stash".  Perfect!  Now I have to figure out how to add the lining.  YouTube here I come!



Lining fabric

After all my zipper organizing I did not have a 22" invisible zipper for the dress.  I had to get some ordered so this dress has been hung up until zippers arrive!



Simplicity 7103 Black Eyelet Princess Seam Dress 



Simplicity 7103 Selvage Hem Fringe

I used the selvage for the bottom hem of the dress.  The selvage had a beautiful 1/2" fringe.  Now I won't have to hem the dress!

I ended up using this video for the lining.  Since I had already inserted the zipper, I  hand stitched the lining to the zipper tape.  It took me about 30 minutes to hand sew it in, but it was so worth it!

After letting the dress hang a few days I have decided to topstitch the princess seams.  The seams want to stand up along the bust.


Simplicity 7103 Bust Princess Seam Topstitched



Simplicity 7103 Back View



Simplicity 7103 Dress

Sewn So Far:

• Drape neck tank top in midnight blue ITY knit.
• Regular tank with neck/arm band in midnight blue ITY knit
• Drape neck tank top in white jersey knit
• Drape neck tank top in blue aqua jersey knit
• M6844 Cardigan Fuschia Abstract Wavy Stripe ITY Knit
• M6844 Cardigan Pink Black Chains Pearls Animal ITY Knit 
• M6844 Cardigan Blue Tropical ITY Knit
• B5760 Green Floral Ponte Knit Cardigan
• Drape neck dress in Raspberry matte ITY knit
• Nightgown in blue rose bouquet cotton sheets
• Silhouette Pattern #2913 Nick & Zoe’s Black Denim Skirt
• Silhouette Pattern #2913 Nick & Zoe’s Blue Denim Skirt
• Simplicity 1297 Lace Yoke Blouse
• Simplicity 1279 Dog Blouse
• Princess Seam Sheath Dress

 

Still Want to Sew:

• Sweater Wrap Top
• Sleeveless Button Down Top
• Stripe Vest
• 3/4 sleeve Maxi Dress-Solid Color
• Something with fringe
• Red dress with Animal Print Cardigan

Only 19 more days until our son's wedding!  I can't wait! 

I'm off to sew something wonderful!

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

Bonnie

She LOVED the Skirt!

The dear lady that asked me to make her a skirt, took the muslin home & she LOVED it!  So back she came with $$$.  Prepayment for skirt making is a wonderful thing!



RTW Skirt to be copied



RTW Skirt

 This was an easy skirt to copy.  There are 5 panels, pockets and a kick pleat in the back.  The waist is flat in the front with elastic from the side front around to the back. 

I found this lovely cotton floral print fabric in my stash that I'm sure I will never use.  Perfect for a muslin!  I'm just afraid that the lady will like it and wear it..... She is elderly...........I did my best to finish it well just in case she wants to wear it.



Copied skirt

The pictures make the fabric look much better than in person!  I'm so honored she asked for more skirts and I'm thinking about hacking the pattern for myself now!

Since I have such a hard time with pricing my sewing I made her an invoice when I made the muslin.  I charged $10 to make the skirt pattern, and $10 for the muslin, I also gave her an estimate of $10 per skirt plus the price of fabric.  I can sew the skirt together, including cutting, in less than an hour.  She didn't hesitate with the pricing and offered more money if I needed it.  Not too bad !

On the other hand, I am almost done with the quilt.  It went together pretty quickly and I'm glad I didn't have any issues with the assembling. 



Quilt

 I've kept up with my hours for making this quilt and so far up to 6 hours.  That includes washing the fabric & ironing, cutting and sewing.  $10 per hour and maybe another hour when I get it back from the quilter to add the bias binding I have already made.

I'm off to sew something wonderful.................

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

Bonnie

Sewing Updates

I finally got my Mother's birthday gift to her.  I had hoped she would like them.  Today, she sent me a photo.

Mom's Muse Natalie Dress

I must say I think she looks lovely!  I hoped to get to chat with her soon to see if the cardigan fits.  Happy Birthday Mom you look great!

In the sewing room...................... it looks like a disaster right now.  I'm working on a skirt for a lady.  She sent me with the skirt and I've made a paper pattern and a muslin.  I hope she likes it.

I'm also working on a quilt.  Now I know I complain a lot about quilts but this one I'm sending off the be quilted so all I have to do is make the top and pin the layers together.  Once I get it back I'll add the binding and out the door it will go!  I cheated and suggested the quilt have large blocks......since the fabric choice had large prints of course! 

I have got to get to sewing something for my son's wedding for me to wear.  Hopefully next week I can get going on it.

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

Bonnie

Fall Sewing #9 Silhouette Pattern #2913 Nick & Zoe's Skirt Red

My fall sewing is going very slowly but I am sewing.  It's funny how my sewing gets pushed aside when other people need me for their sewing  alterations.  Homecoming was this weekend and I fixed a beautiful dress for our neighbor girl.  Then come to find out she had two dresses in the same exact color as our son's wedding that were both attendants size.....what a coincident! 



Homecoming Dress

One dress is short and one is long.  So there will be more alterations coming.  In exchange for the alterations I got both dresses for $55!  Hope that saves them some money!

Back to me sewing:

I was gifted a beautiful red paisley fabric.  I think it is a moleskin maybe?  It is so soft and drapes beautifully. 

I used the Silhouette Pattern #2913 skirt pattern and added 3" to the length and pieced the three skirt pieces together making one panel.  So the skirt uses 8 of these panels.  I thought that since the pattern was busy that it didn't need all the topstitching and pieces.

I was able to sew the skirt up in about an hour or two.  The zipper was easy as pie to put in and the fabric ironed great.




Silhouette Pattern #2913 Skirt




Silhouette Pattern #2913 Red Skirt




Silhouette Pattern #2913 Skirt

I thought that since I wear the blue denim version of this skirt at least once a week I might as well make more!

I have been wanting a pair of knee high boots for fall/winter.  I looked at a few online stores and was very hesitant because of my calf size.  I thought I should really try them on before I bought them.  Also, did I want brown or black?  Choices are tough!

Dear Daughter and I went shopping this weekend and I found a pair of black boots at Lane Bryant that fit and were on sale!


Lane Bryant Wide Calf Zipper Detail Riding Boot

Dear Daughter and I did our usual Friday Project Runway watching.  This week's challenge was designing for the crew.  REAL people, REAL bodies!  I'm so excited!  I can't believe Ashley is having a meltdown, this should be HER challenge! 

Swapnel is going home!  I will miss him but I think we will see his designs soon!

Ashley & Candice were saved by the hair on their head!  I hope they both can step it up and shine!


I'm off to sew something wonderful!

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

Bonnie

An Addition To Our Family and Another Muse Natalie Dress

We are proud to announce that we have a GrandDOG!

Look at that sweet face.  I can smell her puppy breath and those sweet eyes.... make me melt!

Our GrandDOG!  Sammi

Ok back to sewing!

I'm thinking Fall colors and I have this rusty orange ITY knit that is calling me to make myself a Muse Natalie dress.....



ITY Knit Fabric

Pattern pieces laid out

This dress is so easy to sew up.  I think there are 7 seams and then the sleeves.  It's elegant, easy and very comfy.  You can't beat that!

Muse Natalie Dress-Back View

I made sure to take my time to sew in the neck band.  It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

Muse Natalie Dress



Muse Natalie Dress

 

$9.75 Custom Dress!

I can't wait to wear this dress.  Maybe a coordinating cardigan will be in the works soon.  I'm off to sew something wonderful!

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

Bonnie

Style 2885 Mesh Knit Cardigan

I'm thinking my next organizing project will be to make a sewing journal.  I currently use a Pattern Fitting chart from my Sewing Finesse Book by Nancy Zieman and then I use a little tablet of paper to make notes of my sewing projects.  I'm thinking of combining both to make a two page sewing journal that I can keep in a three ring binder.........just thinking out loud today!

Back to sewing.  I bought the Style 2885 pattern a earlier this year.  The pattern has a dress with a sheer overlay.  Of course I had to fit the pattern to me and all my lumps and bumps. 



Pattern fitting on my dress form

The pattern for the sleeves were a little 1990's.  They were very wide at the hem.  I don't think that was the look I was going for so I altered the pattern a little.



Sleeve pattern redrafted

I don't know what I was thinking, but I made the sleeve pattern to my size, then remembered that I have a woven sleeve template.  Look how close the pattern to the template were. 


Compare template to pattern

Pattern pieces laid out ready to be cut.  The fabric didn't shift too much and I used my Gingher knife edge scissors to cut out the mesh fabric.

Cutting out fabric

I am really liking this little cardigan/cover up.  It looks pretty good with the green dress too.  Maybe even a black tank or a purple dress.......

Style 2885 Mesh Knit Cardigan



Style 2885 Side View

Style 2885 Bust darts

Style 2885 Back view

$2.99 for a wardrobe change up for the green RTW dress!  That's a pretty good deal!  I can't to wear it out. 



$2.99 Mesh Knit Cardigan

I'm off to sew something else wonderful!

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

Bonnie

A Birthday Present for My Mother Muse Natalie Dress & McCall 6844 Cardigan

My Mother mentioned back in March that she liked my Navy Blue Muse Natalie Dress.  I measured her all up and down and I thought I would sew her one for her Birthday (Six months later)! 



Muse Natalie Black ITY Knit Dress



So what is a new dress without a cardigan.  So I made her the McCall 6844 in the same black ITY knit. 


McCall 6844 Black ITY Knit Cardigan



McCall 6844 Cardigan-Back View

McCall 6844  Cardigan

I used the burrito method for the cardigan collar band.  The fabric was a little tricky.  It kept wanting to move around.  But it has a lot of stretch and the feel is so luxurious! 

Pretty good deal on a Birthday Present!

The view out my Sewing room window was full of wildlife today.  Two deer eating acorns and three Sandhill cranes cleaning their feathers.  It's such a nice view while I sew!



View out my sewing room window

Here are a few pictures of my serger cone thread.  What a mess.  I've ordered 100 empty bobbins to try to get the thread off of these cones so that I can still use it.  Crazy mess!



Serger cone breaks

Now the black cone is completely gone.  I used and old Gutermann's thread spool to sit this down onto so that I could get some of the thread off of this cone of mess.  There is just no explaining!



Serger cone thread mess

Project Runway watching with my Dear Daughter is the highlight of our Friday evenings now!  I was surprised that Candice didn't pick bombshell for her design.  Ashley's look is really growing on me but I keep thinking about Tim Gunn saying her fabric looks like a hospital gown!

I liked Swapnil's leopard dress from the front only and Kelly's 80's two piece jumpsuit and cookie monster fur idea has me scratching my head.

Edmond winning was great and I think that Ashley's was sooooo close.  Swapnil was a close one!
Laurie going home was just a matter of time.  I believe she was getting overwhelmed. 

Can't wait for next week!


I'm off to sew something wonderful!

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

Bonnie