#BLOGLIKECRAZY 23: HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

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For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and thank you as always, for stopping in to read my blog!!!

#BLOGLIKECRAZY 22: IT'S ANNUAL COAT MAKING TIME!!!

...even when there is no actual sewing going on around these parts: there is still plenty of thinking about it, planning for it, and researching it.  Even now, when I am actually right in the middle of cleaning in preparation of tomorrow's company; my mind keeps drifting back to what I'd really rather be doing - sewing.  Even though there is still an unfinished sewing project in my sewing room that I am very close to completing (namely Vogue 9032 - Pants), my mind is fast forwarded to my next project.  Yes, it's time to start thinking about my annual winter coat project folks!

You've been on this COAT RIDE with me numerous times.  I do so hope that you plan on tagging along again as I work my way through this years model as well.  You know that step one of any sewing project is choosing fabric and a pattern. Well this is the fabric I've chosen

 a beautiful chocolate brown Faux Sherling or Sherpa

 I have never worked with this fabric before so I'll be stepping out my box with this.  I've collecting information about sewing the fabric from those I know who have used it before. These are some of the things I have learned so far.

• No pressing, just use steam or finger pressing
• I'll need to use a larger size or Jean Needle
• Use a slightly longer stitch than usual
• Use clips rather than pin
• Use topstitching or home deck thread on top and regular thread for the bobbin
• Keep a vaccumn cleaner handy to collect all the fluff that will be produced

Have you ever worked with this fabric before?  If so, any tips/techniques that you could provide in the comments would be greatly appreciated.

Now for my pattern pics:
 

I've been in amour with McCall's 6656 since it's release a few years back.  While I really like View B and plan to make it someday soon, I am thinking seriously about making View C this go round.  I do worry that the collar is to large however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, there's this pattern.  Kwik Sew 4197 that caught my eye a while ago, and it is still high up on my "Love" list with it's slightly asymerical front hemline.

The coats require about the same yardage, and I like the exposed seaming of both  This type of fabric lends itself to a kind of feminine Western look.  So I guess over the next couple of days I'll direct my thoughts towards choosing between these two patterns.  It's going to be a real toss up...

#BLOGLIKECRAZY 21 WHY SHE SEWS & WHY SHE BLOGS ABOUT IT (part 4)...

...want to know something that excites me to no end? -  People who sew with fervor and passion!  I'm sure you know someone like that - you know the type that you can't even keep up with even though you try with all  your might.  Some of these people hold full-time jobs just like I do; yet they pump out magnificent amounts of QUALITY garments.  A relevantly new sewist of  3 years; I've asked Laquana Vick-Drayton to please slow down and wait for me on more than one occasion.  She is ALL about expanding her craft by learning new techniques.  I haven't seen anything yet that she is afraid.

Why do I sew?

Short answer is, because I love it!  The long answer is, I enjoy the process of creating!  I enjoy making things that make me look and feel good.  I like the growth and I like what it affords me: the ability to make whatever I want, in any color, shade texture or size!  And oh, I like the sewing community and being a part of such a grand movement of home sewers!  So, I started out sewing as a means to an end.  I was super cheap and I needed to get clothes altered.  A friend said "it's easy to add a dart" to a pair of pants; but I realized, it's not easy lol.  I made one dart on the side of my pants because I had no idea about garment construction so I didn't see a problem with one large dart!  In theory, the dart removed the space at my waist, but it also added some horrible bunching on the side.  My friend saw my dart and said, "girl, no, you have to make two darts to even it out".  I'm a researcher, so I started looking at blogs and Youtube tutorials and eventually decided that garment construction would give me the foundation to understand how things fit, why they don't fit and how to fix any issues.  I love how I started out for one reason, and it turned into an obsession, a hobby and a lifestyle for me.

Why do I blog about it?

I started out as a fashion blogger, and I knew that I wanted to document what I made, when I made it and my growth.  I also wanted to inspire the beginner, the plus size sewer to make exactly what they wanted and to see and make it fit their bodies.  So, let's go back, in my early stages of sewing, I actually started out on sewing pattern review before I even thought of blogging again.  Patterns were expensive and I didn't know about pattern sales at the time lol.  I yearned to see how a pattern would look on someone with a similar body to my own and get guidance on how to make it work.  I knew what a blog entailed and with social media and pictures, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be bothered to be honest.  As I got serious about sewing, at that point where I knew this wasn't just another "craft or Hobby" that I would abandon, like scrap booking and crochet lol.  I got serious about who I followed and my resources.  When I started following sewing bloggers, I knew I had something to share and contribute beyond just a review.  I had perspective, style and the need step out of every box "people" have for plus size women.  I wasn't thinking of a business or making money, I just wanted to share and be consistent; something I failed to do the first time around the blogging world.  I wanted to see where this road would lead me, and from past experience, I knew I had to put in the work and stay consistent to be successful.

Laquana

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Her story doesn't stop here! Please take a minute to look in at Made By Laquana to learn more about her sewing/blogging journey...

#BLOGLIKECRAZY 20: NOTABLE MENTIONS 7...

...being "Ever Learning Linda", my eye and ears are always open to new/or refresher sewing tips. My "NOTABLE MENTIONS" posts are for me and for you.  With the magnitude of information that flows through our eyes and ears on a daily basis, it's easy to sometimes push things we learn way back on the back burner or forget things that we learn.  These posts offer a reminder resource that I can always flip back to when ever needed.  I hope that they are of benefit to you as well:

Burda's take on re-positioning bust darts

Oliver + S's  15 Tips to Improve your Sewing.  Every little tip helps us improve our craft!

I am always looking for great information on building a great capsule wardrobe.  I recently ran across this informative post on the subject on Verity Magazine.

Have you ever tuned into "THAT SEWING BLAB" broadcast on Crowdcast.io?  It's all about sewing and people from all over the world who have a passion for it.  Hosts Dawn Pengelly and Myra Rentmeester feature a variety of these people every Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m.  It's a live show and you get to interact and ask questions of the hosts and guests.  It's sew much fun, and well worth taking the time to explore.

Happy learning!!!

#BLOGLIKECRAZY 19: WHY SHE SEWS & WHY SHE BLOGS ABOUT IT (part 3)...

...thank you so much for following along with me on this 30 day challenge.  I do so hope that you are enjoying this series! If you'll remember, back in April of this year I revived my Annual Tops That Pop Sewing-A-Long.  I hadn't featured a sewalong since 2013, but had enjoyed hosting them so much in the past that I figured it was high time to give it life once again.  I had many wonderful contributors, and Vanessa Thomas was one of them. But be assured, tops aren't the only things she sews.  Vanessa is a marvelous seamstress so I thought you'd like to hear WHY SHE SEWS & BLOGS ABOUT IT...

Why do I sew?

I sew because I LOVE it!  It is my oasis in the middle of the weighty responsibilities of adulthood, lol!  There is something magical that happens when I enter my "sewing closet" and shut the door behind me--dreams are fulfilled, creative juices flow, and time goes by the wayside.  Above all, when I open the door and come out of that closet, I am peaceful, recharged, and radiant with glee!! Oh the joy of making!

 Why do you blog about it?

At first I wanted a place to keep track of what I've made, since I was mainly sewing for my children.  However, over time, I began to see the amazing community of those who sew!! I was inspired by their garments, and encouraged by their feedback.  As a result, I started creating my own personal goals that have enriched my sewing journey today.

Vanessa

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Vanessa has a wonderful blog called  SEW FILLED TO THE BRIM that warrants looking in at.  There you can find out more about WHY SHE SEWS & BLOGS ABOUT IT...