butterick b4513

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays - second only to Halloween. I always wear one of two green vintage dresses that I own. This year I thought I would change it up and make one instead!

This is a reproduction pattern and even though it makes me feel like a traitor, it is by far one of my favorites! It was so easy and it came out so well. I have spent the week since thinking about how I can modify it. Get ready to see a lot of variations on a theme this year.

Normally I start with a pic of the pattern but I wanted to show you why you won't see me modeling the dress first. Well it is because my St. Patrick's Day went something like this -

For some reason, we didn't get a good picture that night...

So here is a better showing of the dress.

Pattern -

Dress - 

Details - 

Love a good circle skirt.

This is the perfect dress for spring and summer and it seriously looks good on everyone. I can't wait to make a million of them!

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mccall's 4613

I am back from Amsterdam. It was perfect!! I didn't drag Kris into any vintage shops, so I have nothing to report on that front but there are plenty and if you go I would love to hear about the ones you liked best.

As it tends to be with trips in Europe, we spent a ton of money, so I decided that my next project needed to be something that I do from my stashed fabrics. Sadly, I have very little in the way of major yardage. So dresses, coats, etc are right out.

Luckily I had a 1975 pattern of accessories. I think over the next few weeks this is going to be my focus.

Here is bag number one, using left over fabric from this project!

I made this in less than 2 hours, so I am pretty sure it is going to be a new birthday gift standard.

The Pattern -

The bag - It called for some top stitching that next time I am going to skip.

The inside  -

The tie top - 

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off to amsterdam

We are off to Amsterdam. I will be there for 2 weeks! On my voyage I will try to locate excellent vintage shops to take some fun pictures.

Be back soon! (Maybe sooner if I have something I have to share immediately.)

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felting fail

Passé....yeah not even the right sentiment for what happened. While if the hat would have worked out it would have been perfectly passé - 

Cute, right? I mean 'Hits in Hats'. I love it!!! And every hat is hilarious. I love the mid-sixties!!

 but.....

Yeah, it was made for a giantess. 

So, I thought okay, it is made out of 100% wool, I can just felt it. Meaning, wash it in hot and agitate it which causes it to shrink up.

Well it shrank....

But only in one direction!!! So now I have a hat that is for, well, no one! I was cracking up. Maybe I can  make some sort of bowl out of it. You know a bowl with a bill. Laugh!!

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butterick 5203

Happy New Year!!

It has been a long time between posts. I am pretty sure that is par for the course during the holidays. So I wanted to make sure my next project was worth the wait.

This pattern is actually supposed to be a dress. I decided though that it would be too cute as a coat not to make it that. So I bought this killer home dec fabric and got started.

It started out great and I could feel my self getting back into the swing of sewing. It had been a while since I sat at my machine and I was a little nervous about how it would go.

But once the bodice and collar were assembled, everything went to hell. The neck was so big. The collar is supposed to fit closely to your neck and mine was somewhere middle of my shoulder. It had an interesting Star Trekky look but I just couldn't (and believe me I really wanted to) make it work. I wanted to make it work so bad that I actually finished the coat, buttons and all, just hoping that it would just magically come together. It didn't. My husband couldn't even hide the fact that it looked weird and he tries really hard.

So that is when I got up to sewing machine and started to have the mother of all pity parties. I berrated myself for not having any real talent, only being able to make copies of someone else's hard work, hell, I even trace it!! I was pissed that everything takes me 4 million times longer than any one else. - It was a pretty pathetic display. My husband and daughter even left for the afternoon, I think I was bringing them down.

I sucked it up, I sat down and I started ripping and sewing. I wasn't about to redo the whole thing but I was going to do what I had heard Tim Gunn say a million times - Make it work.

And that is what I did.

So now I want to say I learned some sort of amazing sewing lesson. I didn't. My shoulder seams were too narrow. Nothing epic there. But what I did take from this was the real meaning of "Make it work". I love you, Tim Gunn.

So here is the coat. And although it isn't lined (a pretty big no no in the world of outerwear) I am actually pretty happy with it. Far from perfect but I would still say far from ugly.

I chose the long sleeve pattern. I and also chose to do 3 off center buttons instead of four buttons, double breasted style. Really happy I did that. I think it adds a little funk to it, in a good way.


The pattern -

The front -

The back -

So, a long post for the new year but it is good to be back!

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merry christmas!

Look for new dresses in the new year!!! Until then enjoy the holidays! Eat, Drink, Be Merry!!

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brrrr beret - mccall's 9448

Well it has been a long time since my last pattern and alas you only get a hat. Now that isn't to say I haven't been sewing up a storm (knitting, too), just nothing suitable for the blog.

I did make this ultra cool beret though from a pattern I found at thrift store in Camas. The fabric is wool from a maxi skirt I bought years ago but never wear. I know maxi skirts are making a come back, but I am convinced that they are never a good choice for someone as short at me, no matter what the magazines say. So, into the cut up pile it went.

Evidence that the skirt did once exist. Sure, I look like a bag lady, but at least the scenery is to.die.for -

The pattern - 

The hat - 

Crummy picture quality but whatev.

The jacket I am wearing I found at the Goodwill bins. On second thought, it deserves it's own post. My vintage coat collection is both hideous and awesome. More to come...

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