New Look A6180 Shirt Dress for Memorial Day!

I bought the New Look A6180 pattern a few months back and have wanted to make this dress since I first saw the pattern out.  Once I started my usual fitting measurements I noticed that there was 7-1/2" of ease in the chest area and waist!  That is A LOT of ease!  The lady on the cover picture does NOT have that much ease with her dress!

New Look A6180 Shirt dress

Doesn't this model look like Taylor Swift?

 

So I put the pattern away and made a note of the excessive ease, then on Thursday night I realized I didn't have anything patriotic or even red or blue to wear to church on Sunday.  I pulled out the pattern again and did my usual (Fitting Finesse with Nancy Zieman) changes to the pattern.  I only used 3" of ease in the bust area and waist and 10" in the hips.

I received so many compliments at church on the dress.  I am planning to make it again and I am thinking I will only make 2" of wearing ease on the top.  I now am a size 18.  On the second try I am thinking a straight 18 with my usual hip adjustments will work just fine!

New Look A6180 Shirt Dress Front View

Fabric Close up

I really like the fit of the dress and I love the back yoke.  The collar gave me a bit of a time and I do feel a little like Elvis when I wore it, I think I will just have to get use to it.  I may even put pockets in the next version.

New Look 6180 Back View

The matching fabric belt needed to be interfaced.  I wore it Sunday morning to church and by the time it was over the belt had crumpled into half it size and twisted like crazy.  I am thinking that a little structure to the belt will help a lot.

The sleeve design were really cute.  It perked up the otherwise plain sleeve.

New Look A6180 Sleeve View

I am going to make a muslin of the second attempt to try to remove some of the ease of the bodice I had to lower the armcycthe? 1-1/2" to fit for the sleeve increase.

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

Bonnie

Baby Shower!

My brother and his wife are expecting their first baby in three weeks!  I have been planning a baby shower for the last month for them so not a lot of me sewing has been going on.

I am so excited that I'm going to be an AUNT!  I have an Aunt that I adore.  Growing up, she was the one I always looked forward to her gifts.  She gave the best gifts!  For my 8th birthday she gave me a baton.  I didn't know I wanted one, but I loved playing with that baton.  I kept it until I moved out when I got married!  She also gave me a china tea set and a beautiful doll dressed in a wedding dress.  She bought me my first pair of high heals!  I love her dearly and not a day goes by I don't think of her.  We try to get together often and time flies when we do.  We can not talk for a month then see each other and chat and chat like we haven't missed a beat.  I LOVE MY AUNT!

Ok, back to the baby shower.  My brother and mother live about 75 miles away from me so we had a lot of planning over the phone and by e-mail.  I couldn't have done it without my Mom's help, she did a great job!

I have been to a few baby showers and I must say, they received A TON of baby stuff!  So much, my brother said he needs a bigger house!

Tigger on a diaper motorcycle!

My Mom made this Tigger on a motorcycle from diapers!  She did a GREAT job and everyone loved it!

Baby Shower

They received so many cute outfits!  I think about 100 or so!  Only one or two duplicate items but I think they were pretty happy with the outcome.

I did sew this month but it was all baby stuff.  I found a yard of fabric on eBay with Tigger and blocks on it with a dark blue background.  I was able to make 2-bibs, tag blanket, regular baby blanket with minky dots on one side, a set of three soft blocks and a burp pad.  

I made the mom to be two nursing shirts.  They were easy but I'm such a worrier when I make clothes for someone else.  My brother measured her and send me the measurements.................he did a good job!  The tops fit her great!

Now the real countdown!  The baby is scheduled for June 10th!  That is my oldest son's birthday too!  So my Mother will have her oldest and her newest grandson on the same day!  That's pretty exciting!  

Hopefully I won't be away too long, there's only 6 more days of the school year left and the kids will be here to bother me all summer!  Sounds like lots of chores will get done!

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

(AUNT) Bonnie

Simplicity 2369 Dress

I made this dress for my neighbor lady whom I love dearly.  (She gave me the cutting table)  I haven't sewn with knit fabrics too much.  I made a dress last year and I do love it but I seem to gravitate towards cotton prints.  It's time for me to venture out more!

Simplicity 2369

Simplicity 2369 dress in progress

I have never sewed a dress or top with raglan type sleeves.  I was confused a little bit at first but once I progressed with sewing I really found them easy to sew.  I like the shape of this dress.  The fabric she gave me was a stretch knit from Jo-ann's.  I liked the drape it gave the dress too.  

Simplicity 2369 Dress

Simplicity 2369 Dress

I used a suggestion on www.patternreview.com to use a strip of interfacing along the inside neck edge to help it lay a little flatter.  It did make sewing the facing down a lot easier. 

Simplicity 2369 front closeup view

I like that the center front is not too low.  Sometimes when I sit the front of this type of dress wants to gap open.  

I really hope that my friend likes the dress and will get many wears out of it!

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

Bonnie

Cleaning out closets and Sewing baby bibs

It took me most of a day last week to clean out our closet!  We had sooooooo much stuff in there.  Granted it is a pretty big closet. 14'x6' but we had every inch packed plus some.

This closet is FULL!

Much better organized & cleaned out!

We ended up having 5 garbage bags full of clothes!  Donated!  

I have two baby showers this month.  Both boys!  I have a little baseball player shower and my brother's shower is going to be Tigger!  

I made two bibs for my husband's Uncle's grandbabies, (would that be 2nd cousins?)  I wanted to see how easy it would be to make bibs.  I found a nice pattern & tutorial online at www.hellomynameisheather.com the bib patterns is called Slobber Monkey!  So cute!

Bib with Tie & Pencil

Circle Dot Bibs

I am working on a dress for my sweet neighbor lady.  She had both the pattern and fabric for a while and asked me if I would make it for her.  How could I say no? 

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

Bonnie