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!!

Read more...

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!

Read more...

merry christmas!

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

Read more...

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...

Read more...

Butterick 4427

Now that Halloween is over I had a chance to make a dress. I was pretty excited to try something a little different so I chose a decade I haven't worked in yet - the 1940's.

The pattern is from 1948. While I am trying to make sleeved items, since it is almost winter and all, I had to chose the shorter sleeved version of this dress. With the shorter sleeves there is a chance I will wear it. Honestly, as I was assembling it I made a mental note that it looked it's best with no sleeves at all and I will need to revisit it this summer.

Another thing that I skipped with this dress - shoulder pads. I know they were huge (he he he) in the 40's but, I am short, like really, really short. They make me look like a box with ankles. I was worried, however, that the shoulders would slump really badly without them but, actually they turned out great. I am not sure where you would have fit the pads in.

Without further ado -

The pattern -

The front -

The back -

My first Victory Rolls. Not perfect by far but, yay for trying new things -

And yes that is the same belt seen here and here. I love that belt. Skinny white belts for everyone!

Read more...

facelift for the blog

Like the new digs? I was so sick of the orange swirls!!!

Stay tuned for a new dress - well an old dress, in new fabric.

Read more...

good cause

I was contacted recently by a couple of friends to see if I wanted to donate an apron for the silent auction and dinner, "Our Grey Matters." I was so happy to be asked and even more happy to have the coordinator excited to have one of my aprons. This is a very important cause to me as my daughter needed neurological care from Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and a very close friend was a patient of the leading surgeon.


Here are the pictures of the apron!

Other side -

This is an apron inspired by my husbands grandmother's vintage apron (c.1950). I chose some yummy fall colors to hopefully inspire delicious fall feasts! 

Read more...