Happy Stripe Tee - Simplicity 1620

Like most of you out there, I'm constantly looking at patterns.  I feel like I've either seen, purchased or sewn just about every pattern out there.  So, I absolutely love when a blogger shares a project from a pattern I've seen a million times before and simply passed over.  My happy stripe tee uses one of those patterns.

The lovable Sunni from A Fashionable Stitch made a beautiful blouse from Simplicity 1620 and I immediately went out and bought the pattern.  Although Sunni's version is much more elegant than this one, this pattern is perfect for filling the cute t-shirt gap in my wardrobe.  I have plenty of basic tees from Target but I wanted a couple of shirts that were not quite so basic but still really comfy for the summer.

I purchased this fabric from a store that was closing because it looked so happy it almost said "Hi" as I walked by.  I made a size 12 and I changed the straight hem into a shirttail.  It looks much better when I wear it with pants.  Here's how I did it:

I made a mark 3" up from the hem at the side seam.

Using my French curve ruler (every sewer needs one and they are super cheap here), I made a curve from my line almost to the hem, then flipped the curve and continued the line all the way to the hem.  I repeated this on the other side and got this:

Looks like it was meant to be, right?

 

Knits can be a little unruly when trying to put a tiny hem in them, so I serged the bottom and used that as the guide for pressing in the hem.  I used a zigzag stitch to finish it off.

This entire top took less than two hours to make.  It's a quick victory which we need every now and again.

Here it is tucked into my favorite skirt (not a great picture but the Santa Ana winds were in full force when I took this picture so I had to take what I could get).

I've got more clothing projects on deck but believe it or not I need to finish a DC comics "Squirrel Girl" costume for my niece first.  Because every girl needs a squirrel girl costume...

What are you making?

Diane

May Fabricista - Sunny Sunburst Tunic

Hello!  I'm glad to be back on the Fabricmart blog and joining the other Fabricistas with a new summer project for May.  Well, I may have been one of the few people on the sewing planet that hadn't made Wiksten's Tova Tunic, but folks things have finally changed.  I'm bringing summer in with a sunny sunburst Tova.

There are plenty of reviews of the Tova tunic out there so there's no need for me to review it here.  But I will say although the blouse has simple lines and lends itself to all types of fabrics and embellishments, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.  It's a seasonless pattern and would be a great project for an intermediate sewer.

Some time ago I pinned a Steven Alan shirt onto my I Wanna Make This pinterest board because I loved the fabric.  Eureka! I found it!   Fabricmart's abstract bursts 100% lightweight handkerchief linen in white, blue and pale coral is just that fabric!  This linen is lighter than any other I've ever worked with but still is crisp like other linens.  I machine washed and dried it before I cut it out and it came out lovely.

The colors are beautiful in this fabric and I decided to highlight the coral on the bib of the tunic using embroidery thread and my sewing machine.  Reverse bobbin work is popular among art quilters but I don't often see it anywhere else.  Quilters take decorative threads that don't fit through sewing machine needles and wind them on the bobbin instead.  When you sew from the wrong side, the decorative thread from the bobbin shows through on the right side.

For the reverse bobbin work, I used DMC embroidery floss and wound it by hand on a bobbin and loaded it into my machine without changing any settings.  Don't be afraid...just do it...it'll be okay.

Working from the back of the blouse, I stitched along the seam line of the bib of the tunic so the bobbin thread would show on the front.  It's as easy as that.

It's subtle but isn't it pretty?  I also added some to the band of the sleeve.  Once you get going it's hard to stop.  And yes, reverse bobbin work washes well.

I ended up shortening the blouse 4" (I found it longer than the drawing suggests) but otherwise made no other changes.  I will probably make it again this fall in a cozy flannel.  Wouldn't it be great?  But right now I'll enjoy my new sunny blouse.

  Have you made a Tova?

Happy almost summer everyone!

Diane - Gatorbunnysews

A Liberty Makeover

Way, way back in the 90's, I was fortunate enough to go to the Liberty store in London.  A dream come true...really.  I brought home two beautiful (yet small) pieces of coveted Liberty cotton.  Out of one, I made a long dirndl skirt with pleats that I wore and wore.  When I stopped wearing it, I never had the heart to give it away so I put it in my fabric stash in the hopes of giving it new life someday.

My daughter was in my sewing room recently and saw it and said "I want this."  She liked the fabric, the length and everything about it but I decided it needed a quick makeover to make it hers.

I used McCall's pattern 5591 (now out of print) as a base for the new skirt.  I made view A with no border or pockets because I didn't have very much fabric to work with and made the pleats smaller because the skirt would've been too full on her small frame.

It makes me happy when she wears it not only because it looks cute on her but also because it has a new life with a lively girl!

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

Happy Easter!

I'd like you to meet three little girl bunnies I made for my nieces for Easter.  They are so fun and easy.  I used this template from The Little Fabric Shop blog and made them from scraps in my stash.  These little ladies make me happy.

Happy Easter!

It's Spring at Fabricmart

I'm so happy to be back this month on the Fabricmart blog with my first spring projects, simple and lightweight black pants and a flowy and sophisticated print top.

Inspiration for sewing comes from everywhere and I'm thrilled (like everyone else) that I no longer have to organize stacks of torn out pages from catalogs and magazines but now can save anything that inspires me to my "I Wanna Make This" board on Pinterest, no papers, no mess.  And this outfit today is inspired by one of those pins.

The top is McCall's 7093, a brand new tunic pattern with different color block variations.  I made View A (without the slits) in this geometric viscose print from Fabricmart.

The top is a quick and easy sew and the only changes I made were omitting the slits in the front, taking in the sides 1/2", and adding black bias trim to the neck.  I used the wrong side of some black silk charmeuse I had in my stash.  It can be tricky to get bias trim to be even and I've found that if I ditch the pattern piece and make a free cut, I can have even binding. Here's how I do it:

1. Cut strips of bias at least 1" longer and 1" wider than the neckline pattern piece.
2. Fold fabric in half lengthwise and press.
3. Using a ruler and rotary cutter.  Cut the folded bias strip down to the desired width (see photo).
4. Cut bias same length as the pattern piece and add markings.

Yay!  Even bias strips = Even neckline trim.

I'm sure I will end up making this McCall's pattern over and over.  I always want to wear leggings but never have the right top to go over them.  Finally, I found the perfect blouse for leggings... longer in the back and shorter in the front.

The pants are from one of my "Tried and True" (TNT) patterns, Simplicity 1696.  Now, of all of my TNT pattern types, a pant pattern is most cherished.  A good fitting pair of pants is really hard to come by.

I've made these pants many times before, all with different variations, and this time I used this lightweight cotton twill from Fabricmart , deleted the slash pocket and added 4" to the length.  I ended up with a classic pair of pants that fill a gaping hole in my wardrobe. 

Spring has sprung and I couldn't be happier.  What's your first spring project?

And here's a gratuitous dog picture....he's my photography assistant!

Have a great day!  Diane - Gatorbunnysews