Wrap Skirt - McCall's 5430

I’m throwing back to a skirt pattern I haven’t used in years.  I’ve been channelling the 70’s lately I’m sure because I was inspired by ThatBlackChic’s 70’s projects last month. As I was going through my pattern stash, this wrap skirt looked perfect.   It’s McCalls 5430 and I made it about 5 years ago and happily it’s still in their current catalog.

Most of my projects start with fabric as inspiration and this one is no different.  This print is a classic Kaffe Fasset print and every time I walk by it at Fabricland, it calls my name.  There are so many amazing quilting fabrics out there but sometimes I find it’s tricky to use them in clothing.  Summer skirts, however, seem to be a great place to get them into my wardrobe.

I was about half way through making the skirt when I realized in order for the print to work it needed a trim.  The fabric has yellow, orange, pumpkin and green and I purchased this pretty yellow linen to add 1/2” trim on the waist and side.  I did some unsewing but it was well worth it.

On a side note, a couple of summers ago my family and I drove through Big Sur. As I was making  this, I remembered something from the trip.  It was way passed lunch time and we were looking for a place to get something to eat before everyone got crabby.  The first restaurant we came to was Nepanthe.  It looked like Shangri-la.

It’s set high on a cliff overlooking the water with beautiful umbrellas.  As I was eating I saw what looked like Kaffe Fasset paintings on the walls.  I took a closer look and found the restaurant was started by his family.  How did I not know this?  It was serendipitous!

Have you been there?

Are you summer sewing?

Diane 

My First Spring Sew - TNT Pattern McCall's 6744

We've been hit by a heat wave here and the weather quickly turned my focus from winter sewing to spring sewing even though I have a couple of projects left for winter.  I saw this fabric and couldn't resist.

I used McCall's 6744 View C, a TNT pattern that goes together quickly and is really comfortable.  I feel like it's dressy without being fussy and it works in the heat.  Whew!

Last time I made it I made a skirt with no slit but this time I made it just like the pattern.  This ITY knit from Fabricland (the store I teach at) is black, white and coral.  The fabric flows nicely without clinging but all that flowing can make the slit come open a little more than I like.  I'll sew down the opening about 5" to remedy this...I don't want to surprise anyone.  Uh-hem.

I used a twin needle to finish all the hems and the neckline, and added 5/8" wide fusible knit interfacing to stabilize the front opening.  It keeps it's shape without stretching as I'm wearing it.

It looks like the weather will stay warm for at least another week so I'll be able to enjoy it.

Have you started spring sewing?

Diane

Christmas Sewing Catch Up

I'm catching up on sharing my Christmas sewing and it's going to be easy since I only made one gift this year.  Can you believe it?  What kind of selfish sewer am I?  That said, I enjoyed making this flannel shirt for my husband because I was able to take my time...something that's hard to do with Christmas sewing.

I made McCall's 6044 for him once before (in a dreamy plaid) and he loved it so much I decided to make him another.  The thick gray flannel I used sewed up well and I made the shirt just like the pattern with the exception of the sleeve.  The pattern has a two-piece sleeve but I made it a one piece sleeve and added a placket.  It washed up nicely (it'd been washed three times by the time I took these photos) and feels like it's going to get better with time.

Men's shirts are fun because of all of the topstitching and I had the opportunity to put the collar, band and sleeve cuffs on using the heavily modified "burrito-ish" method I used on my Granville shirts. This is the handiest method ever and  I saved it on my "Sewing Tips" pinterest board so I would always have it.  Have you tried this yet?  I'll never go back to the old way.  Here's how I did the cuffs using this method:

I sewed the cuff and the cuff facing to the sleeve with the sleeve sandwiched between.

I folded the cuff back against the facing, right sides together, and pinned as far as I could keeping the sleeve free.

Here's what it looks like with the entire cuff pinned.  I sewed along the pins, flipped it right sides out and topstitched it closed.  It was easy and it looks clean.

There aren't very many photos for this post because someone is camera shy and very squirmy....cute, but squirmy!

Happy Sewing!

Fabricista Border Print Dress

Once again I'm so happy to be a contributor on the FabricMart blog.  Here's my project for April:

When I was little, I loved when my mom took me to the fabric store in the pink building (by the way, my kids have never "loved" going to the fabric store).  I would go up and down the aisles with my hands outstretched so I could feel the fabrics.  My love for fabrics started when I was very young and I admit, I can get nostalgic about fabrics.

My mom was a sewer and I remember many of the things she made, but one blouse in particular really impressed me.  She took a design class at a local college when I was 7 or 8 years old and made a two color tunic with an ogee print at the neckline and on the cuffs.  I thought she looked beautiful in it! When I saw this cotton print on the Fabricmart website, it took me back to that blouse and I knew I had to have this fabric.

Border prints can be scary for sewers because we never know what to make with them aside from the typical dirndl skirt with the border at the hem.  When I saw this black and magenta ogee print with hot pink floral border I knew I wouldn't use it as a border on a skirt, but I would put it on the neckline....just like my mom did.

I used new McCall’s pattern 7119, view C, a maxi wrap dress with short sleeves.  I chose it in part because it has a neckband with a shape that would fit within the width of the border but also because a wrap dress is really comfortable.

It can be difficult to determine how much fabric is needed on a border print so a little extra is always a good idea.  I ordered 4 yards and used all of the border print (down to 2”!) primarily because the waist ties are very long.  However, I have plenty of black fabric left over to make another small project.

The dress went together quickly and the instructions were well written.  I chopped the maxi length to a midi length because making the dress go all the way to the floor would've looked heavy.  This pattern is a great choice for a beginning/intermediate sewist and certainly something I will make again.  

This is my first dress of the season and I'm looking forward to making it again.  Next time I'll make the sleeveless version because I know some hot weather is on the way.  

Do you have any summer dress patterns on your cutting table?  I'd love to know what you're making.

Happy Sewing!  

Diane - Gatorbunnysews

Studio Shirt - McCall's 6044

It's been quite some time since I made my husband a shirt.  So long in fact that I can hardly admit it to myself.  When we were first married I made him a few shirts for school and aside from that I haven't made him a proper shirt since.  Plenty of pajama pants and a really great jacket but no shirt.  I'm the worst wife ever.

My husband is an artist and although we live in sunny SoCal, his studio can get cold in the winter.  He wears flannel shirts and light jackets all of the time so it seemed perfect for him to have a handmade one.  I found this really thick plaid flannel that is dreamy soft and pulled McCall's 6044 out of my pattern stash (because I've been saving this pattern to make him a shirt for a while).

View C calls for 2 1/2 yards of 45" fabric for a size large and I purchased 3 yards to accommodate the plaid and shrinkage.  I measured a shirt from his closet that he loves against the pattern and found it was so similar I didn't have to make any changes.

Not surprisingly, one of the most time consuming parts of the shirt was matching the plaids.  I made the shirt in small time increments because I wanted to keep it a secret.  I made the body, the collar, sleeve placket/cuff and front placket all in sewing spurts, so before I knew it I was finished.  It was a great way to work on a project.

This is a good pattern for a first shirt because there's no yoke, a simple sleeve placket but it still has a traditional collar with a stand.

When I gave it to him he loved it and didn't realize I made it.  The best compliment ever!  He wears it on cold days and it's so soft I always want to hug him.  I wish I could get a picture of him in it but a photo of him for my blog is "never going to happen."  But...since I can't have a picture of him I took a picture of one of his yummy paintings to share with you.  Don't tell...

Here's my review on PatternReview.com

Here's my Kollabora.

Purple People Sweater - McCall's 6796

As some of you know, purple makes me happy so when I found this lovely sweater knit I knew I had to get it.  I've had it for a couple of months but that weather has been unusually hot and the thought of making a sweater was more than I could tackle.  But, we got a little respite (we are only in the 80's now) and I took the opportunity.

I've had this McCall's 6796 for at least a year and with the perfect fabric finally in hand I dug right in.  This loose weave sweater knit from Fabricmart fabrics is soft and really feels like a knit sweater.  Because it's a knit I found that the easiest way to mark the pieces was with tailor tacks.  Now I know to some, tailor tacks are laborious but they went fast on the loose weave and for sure it was faster than trying to find my fabric pen, which wouldn't have worked anyway.  I serged all of the seams which is normal construction for me but it really was necessary to keep all the threads together.  

After cutting, it took less than an hour and a half to construct (fast and fun) and I made three small changes on a size 12 during construction.  I shorted the sleeve 1 1/2",cut the hem 3 1/2" and put on the collar different than the instructions.  I sewed right side of the collar to wrong side of bodice therefore the seam allowance would be hidden under the collar when it was folded in place and not show.  The most difficult thing about the entire project was choosing buttons.  I have an extensive collection of vintage buttons and I easily spent 15 minutes of that hour and a half choosing.

Hmmm.....which to choose.....

After all that I went with a large white vintage plastic button.  But that's not to say I won't change my mind later.  I only takes a minute to change a button.  And....I went with a skin color cami underneath but I think I'll look for a purple one instead.

The wind was really blowing that day!  Nice hair!

A purple people eater to make your day!

Here are links to my pattern review and kollabora.

Fall Inspiration

It's only August, but already I feel fall is on the way.  The smell of freshly sharpened pencils always brings back fond memories of the excitement of going back to school.  Yes, I was that kid.  Even though it's still cookin' outside and I'm not going back to school, I can't stop thinking about cool weather clothes.

This week a box of fall inspiration came in the mail.  You never quite know what you're going to get when you purchase fabrics online and in the case of knits you not only can't feel texture and see color, you can't tell how much it stretches!  You can imagine how happy I was when I opened this box of knits from FabricMart fabrics and found cozy textures, accurate colors, and perfect stretch.  Ahhh...fall sewing is here.  I think I'll make two sweatshirts in the burgundy and teal/black stripe using my dolman sweatshirt pattern, I'm not sure what to do with the black and white textured knit (any ideas?) and the lavender knit is begging me to turn it into a sweater using McCall's 6796.  Can you hear it calling to me?

Come September....I dream in plaid.  I love plaid skirts, shirts and this year I'd like to find a plaid flannel dress in my closet.  

These flannels with lace and florals would be great made up in the "Archer" pattern by Grainline (for sure I'm the only sewer out there that hasn't made one....and yes, I'll match the plaids).  

I'm off to buy spiral notebooks, a new lunchbox and plaid fabric.  Fall is here!