Excuse Me While I Feel A Bit Special Today @Telio Fabrics...

...as you already know Telio Fashion Fabrics held a giveaway this month. I heard about it from Emily Hallman.com.  Even though I know the winner was chosen by random generator, I'm so glad that I was the one! So excuse me while I feel a bit special today😊 I was notified of winning last week and today the package was waiting for me to get home.  I could barely wait to get into the house before opening it.  Talk about being packaged securely!

 

Now visions of Fall fashion garments are dancing in my head:  pants, no a jacket,  What about a bomber with ribbed cuffs?  What would you suggest I make with this 3 yards (57/58) luscious stretch Menorca cotton sateen??? 

#2018 Make Nine & Pants Fitting...

...let's talk pants again - yes again.  Fitting pants has been an ongoing challenge for me as you know.  However, I have not given up on trying to achieve the elusive correct fit. I think I've read every book and blog post on the subject and should be an expert by now - but I'm not. 

My main problems have been understanding adjustments needed for the crouch area, and identifying corrections to alleviate wrinkles across the front.  I've recently made a new pair, a wearable muslin as such, that I'm pretty much satisfied with.

Vogue 8859

 

Using the curve ruler that I bought a few months ago has helped me better understand how to transfer my crouch shape and measurement to the actual pattern.  For this pattern I added about a 1/4" to the back crouch point and 1 full inch to the actual back curve (if that makes any sense). It worked pretty good this time, but these are knit pants.  Next I will need to try the same theory to woven fabric to see what I get.

I do plan to make this same pattern in another knit fabric that I have, but since this wearable muslin wore well for me all day at work I'm counting them as part of my #2018 Make Nine challenge.  Four down and five more to go.

 Row 1:  Burda 6446, Vogue 8859, True Bias Joggers

Row 2:  Butterick 6296, Burda 6428, Butterick 6169

Row 3:  True Bias Lander Pants, Vogue 8601, Butterick 4684

 

I'll let you know how well the second pair turns out later...

In It to Win It...

...every time I enter a contest or giveaway I'm in it to win it.  We never win if we don't try or enter. And I've won quite a few prizes in the past I might add: sewing books for my library, fabric, gift cards, patterns from the big 4 and Indie companies as well.  Although I'm still waiting for the big wins (the St. Jude Dream House, or the one from HGTV - located on the coast of course, a top of the line Bernina sewing, or to settle it all a Power Ball that I don't have to split with 2K other people.

With it being National Sewing Month there are a multitude of giveaways floating around the internet.  Recently I entered Emily Hallman's Telio Fashion giveaway and guess what - I won.  Imagine my surprise when I received a Instagram message from Telio Fashions announcing my win.  Then I got this message today

 

So now I know my 3 yards of beautiful goldenrod stretch cotton sateen is on the way.

 I couldn't be more excited about this fabric prize - and will now be stalking my mailbox until it's arrival.  

  Oh, and BTW Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic is sponsoring a fabric giveaway every week this month in recognition of National Sewing Month.  You might want to check it out since there are two more weeks of giveaways planned...

Resurecting My #2018 Make Nine Plans...

...way back in February I decided to take on the 2018 Make Nine sewing challenge.  I thought, "oh, this one's going to be a breeze".  Although the challenge started in January, I still had 11 months to sew up nine garments of my choice. The perimeters of the challenge were so flexible; choose any 9 garments you'd like, and then make them (no rhyme or reason, no coordination).  The very best part of it all - you could change your mind/your choices at any time in the game.  How simple could this be?

Back in February I had no way of telling that summer work life would completely engulf my sewing life.  But it did to the point that I couldn't wrap my mind around sewing and was thrown into the much dreaded makers slump.  Am I the only one this type of thing happens to, or am I the only one who writes about it.

Sadly this is where I left off

And here's where I am now

Row 1:  Burda 6446, Vogue 8859, True Bias Joggers

Row 2:  Butterick 6296, Burda 6428, Butterick 6169

Row 3:  True Bias Lander Pants, Vogue 8601, Butterick 4684

There's one more day of the weekend so let's see what I can get started on...

Tale of Two Books: New Sewing Library Resources...

...whenever I order books I'm on a constant lookout for them until they arrive - and most times that happens pretty quickly.  I actually don't care for the pre-ordering process but this time I saved a few bucks by doing so.  In this case one of the pre-ordered books took so long to come that I completely forgot that I had purchased it.
 

Who among us is able resist a great book on fitting, especially when it's written by the well known  duo Palmer/Pletsch?  Not I.  Many of us have become dependent on their Real Fitting series:  Fit for Real People, Pants for Real, Jackets for Real People.  I have used these resources time and time again and they have been a tremendous help.  Yet I'm always seeking easier methods to get proper fit and  information that is more comprehensible. You know me, KISS with as little math as possible.  Since I already have own their other books, I really questioned whether or not I needed this new issue.  After a mental wrestling match I went ahead and pre-ordered.

The Complete guide will need to reside on my nightstand for a while to allow time for thorough perusal, digestion and marking with a highlighter and post-it notes.  However, from scanning through looking for information on my known problem areas I can tell that I really like it and that it will be well worth the price I paid. 

Picture taken from Google Images

 

On the other hand, not to be negative because this guy is so very SMART.  I will have to read and re-read this volume because I am still confused about the net gain and net loss concept (sounds like algebra to me).  I'm smart too, but somethings just take a little longer to sink in.  I will keep trying though.

Have you added any new resources to your library recently???

You Down with OOP? Feeding My Boho Vibe - Butterick 4684...

...I had the most wonderful weekend - why?, because I finally had an entire weekend to do just what I wanted to do - Sew!  I have been feeling a slight Boho Vibe lately, not my norm, but I'm just sewing with the flow right now - and it feels real good.  I actually wanted something plain and simple so I looked around for a tunic pattern and came up with one. I'm down with a little OPP.

Butterick 4684

I didn't realize I had made this before until I opened the envelope and found that View C, a longer tunic with deep side seam and sleeve slits, had already been cut out and sized with a few notations as well.  Yes, I wanted something Boho-ish plain and simple - and this pattern was just that until I made this fabric choice

Aztec print Georgette

It was a slippery slope from that time on but I was bound and determined to see it through.

Even though I made this fabric choice I do want this garment to hold up for as long as possible, so I stabilized (just a little) the shoulder seams, the slits and the hem so it would stand up and look like a tunic for days to come.  I know some people say that stabilizing the shoulder area isn't necessary, but I always stabilize knit shoulder seams and since this fabric is a loosey goosey woven I took the time to get it done.

If you can bear looking at my slightly loop-sided dress form here's my Boho tunic.  I'll tell you, pattern layout was a chore as was the process of matching what turned out to be stripes.  But I must say surprisingly enough it turned out quite well (with prayer)...

Delft Blue Butterick 6456

...although usually seen on fine china and porcelain decorating pieces, delft blue is one of my all time favorite prints.  My love of this print is a carry over from childhood when both of my grandmothers served us lovingly prepared meals on their prettiest place settings.  So when I spotted this beautiful rayon crape over a year ago, I knew it belonged in my stash.

I spent an entire afternoon pondering over which pattern to use for my deft blue fabric and finally chose Butterick 6456 view D tunic being attracted to that lovely bell sleeve of course.  Because I am more in tune with using knits, this being a woven I choose my size using Nancy Zieman's Fitting Finesse (old edition) page 9 because I didn't want to end up with a garment that was too large in the neck, shoulders and bust area.

 Several good things came out of making this tunic:

• I feel like I'm finally getting back into my sewing
• My friend Rachelle (Smoking Needles) verbally(over the phone) - talked me through making the best thread chain ever (machine made ) for my button closure at the back neckline.

 

 This is an excellent way to make belt loops as well - fussless.  I don't make thread chains for closure that often, but this is a wonderful technique to add to my sewing knowledge...