Summer Jacket from cotton eyelet fabric

Why do business have the air conditioning turned down so low during the summer months! It makes it necessary to have a jacket or sweater (or a wool blanket) with you at all times. With that in mind, I picked up a cute, cheap little unlined jacket at a discount store a few weeks ago. It was a simple shape, a bit boxy, and made out of a lightweight, black cotton with black cotton edging around the neckline, front jacket edges and hemline. It had a simple satin ribbon closure. It is the perfect little summer jacket to keep around. I was wishing I had grabbed one in white also.

Since I didn't, I figured I could easily copy the jacket and make one out of a white eyelet. Off to the fabric store to buy a few yards of basic white eyelet fabric. But wait! They have patterns on sale...I better look because one never knows when the perfect pattern might be waiting to be purchased. Only to be brought home and stored in one of the many boxes I already have sitting around that contain the hundreds of patterns I already own. I admit - I'm a a secret pattern hoarder. Well, I didn't find any I wanted from the patterns that were on sale, but this New Look pattern caught my eye. First of all because it was made up in white eyelet - just like the jacket I wanted to make - and secondly I liked the princess seams in the jacket, along with the slight ruffle at the hem. Plus, no buttons - just a simple tie closure. Perfect! I'd much rather sew from a pre-made pattern than do my own.

As I was sewing my new summer jacket, I was reminded of a simple, white eyelet jacket I made back in the late 1970's or early 1980's. I even kept the pattern because I loved the jacket so much! Vogue 2687, a Vogue Basic Design pattern, for a jacket, pullover blouse, cami, pants and gathered skirt. I made every single item from this pattern, but the jacket was by far my favorite. I wore it for almost 15 years - I had to throw it away because the fabric eventually wore out.

Maybe this new jacket will enjoy at least half as many years as the previous one.

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Bugs and Sylvester

Nope, it's not a cartoon story - it's a sewing story. After all the blog is named "SharonSews" for a reason. I was cleaning up in my sewing room this evening when I came across the box that held the remnants of fabric and this craft pattern - Butterick 6347 - from the 1978.

I originally found out about the pattern when a coworker of mine was selling the big stuffed rabbit (Bugs) for about $25 back when my son was a preschooler. Everyone was ordering one from her because it was such a novelty - it wasn't like you could surf the Internet to find a Bugs stuff animal. Well I knew he would love one - he had his fourth birthday coming up - but I sadly admitted to myself that $25 was way out of this single mom's price range.

But wait! I knew how to sew! I could just buy the pattern and the fabric and stuffing and make it myself. After all, how hard could it be to make a 42" stuffed rabbit? I found the pattern at the local fabric store, but no appropriate fabric. Don't you just hate that you are limited by what is offered in the fabric stores? I am so glad that the Internet has opened up other options for fabric buying and choices - anyway, back to the story.

I ended up finding the right color fabric at a J.C. Penney store in their fabric department (back when you could purchase fabric in department stores). The perfect grey velour! It was shiny on one side and velour on the other and had a bit of a stretch to it. Not at all what the pattern called for, but I was a single mom on a limited budget and I sure as heck couldn't afford faux fur! I worked on the rabbit every night after the kids went to bed and was so excited to give him to my son as a birthday gift.

He was thrilled with Bugs! But there was a problem. His older sister (by only a year) wanted one too, along with all of the neighborhood kids, and he wasn't about to share.

So being the good mom that I was, I promised to make her one for her next birthday. But she didn't want Bugs- she wanted Sylvester. Even better (I hate making the same thing more than one time). Back to J. C. Penney to purchase black and white velour along with red felt for Sylvester's nose. I cut out the pattern pieces, pinned them onto the fabric, and rolled the fabric up and put it away. Cutting and sewing would have to wait for another day.

That darn Bugs was so time consuming that I just couldn't bring myself to pull out the pattern and work on Sylvester! I dreaded the thought and "another day" turned into another, and another, and another...(oh how I wish I could go backwards and redo the times I thought other things were more important!) until all of a sudden it was 25 years later!

This pattern along with the fabric - with the pattern pieces still pinned to it - moved with me I can't tell you how many times! (Okay, if I really think hard, it was 11 times, but I may be forgetting a move or two.) For some reason I just couldn't bear to throw it out even though I still didn't want to sew it.

By now, the undone Sylvester had become a family legend and a joke, and Bugs eventually was so bedraggled he was tossed out. However, no one knew that I still had the pattern and fabric buried in my sewing room just waiting to be sewn. Then I knew the time was here - the time to finish the project begun 25 years earlier. My daughter was turning 30. Along with her other gifts, this would be the year that she finally got her Sylvester.

Turns out the big stuffed cat was quite easy to make, but then again I had another 25 years of sewing experience under my belt. I was able to sew him up in two nights and then hide him away in anticipation of the big day. We threw a surprise 30th party for her and after all her gifts had been opened we told her to close her eyes. I went to get the surprise and one of her aunts teased "maybe it's a man!" As I walked into the room with Sylvester, her grandpa teased "oooh, it is a man! and he's really handsome!" She then opened her eyes to see her request as a five-year-old sitting in front of her.

To see the grin on her face - well that's a gift I'll always treasure.

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New pick-me-up project

After the disappointment over the completed Simplicity 4072 dress, I decided I needed to sew something quick to cheer me up again. I pulled out this pattern - Simplicity 4496 (another Threads pattern) along with two yards of a linen print from my stash. I guess the colors pink and black have appealed to me lately as this print is a black background with printed butterflies scattered through out in shades of pink (along with embroidered butterflies and sequins to really put it over the edge).

The skirt is almost done - just need to finish the facing at the waist and hem it. I love projects like this! Just over an hour from the time I cut it out to the time I quit sewing. It is a very simple skirt and I like the fit. From the photographs on the cover, I expected it to be a fuller skirt, but it is almost a-line - very flattering. I choose to eliminate the vertical trims on the skirt because 1) I didn't have any around and 2) I'm too lazy to add any additional embellishments.

I'll need to dig through the fabric stash to make more of this skirt. Definitely a keeper.

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Simplicity 4072 - the ending

The dress is done (almost) and I am so disappointed with the way it looks on me! Drat! While I think the style of the dress is adorable and I like the bold colors of the fabric I choose as well as the high contrast black bands, this is not a style that I can wear well. I still need to hem the dress, but the excitement is gone.

As I was completing the dress I needed to make more changes. I originally thought the tie in the back was too wide (it actually ends up to be the same as the finished width of the midriff contrasting band) so I make it half the width called for. Plus I made it from the dress fabric rather than the contrast band color thinking that once it was tied in the back it would have a tendency to pull downwards and the fashion fabric would blend in better with the back of the dress.

As you can see, that really wasn't a good idea. The designers knew what they were doing when they choose the tie fabric to be the same as the band. So I cut new ties out of black, removed this tie and resewed the side seams in the band. Much, much better.

After sewing the band to the bottom of the dress, I gathered the skirt and sewed onto the band. There was much less gathering than the drawings led me to believe there would be. I actually would have liked a little more gathers under the band - maybe if I try the dress again.

At this point I could hardly wait to try and on so I could admire how great it looked on me. But, one glance in the mirror told me this did not look so great on me. I tugged a bit here, and pulled a bit there, and tightened the back tie, and then loosened the back tie, but no amount of fussing did the trick. Plus, to make matters worse, the neckline gaped something terrible! I'm not sure if it is because of the way I did an FBA to the bodice or what, but I knew that it would have to be redone. Aaaaagh! So once again, I ripped this poor dress apart, took in the band at the center front and restitched it closed.

Normally, I would have tossed the dress rather than fix it, but I still think if I keep on my exercise program I may be able to wear this dress. G.G., who isn't shaped quite the same as I am, looks rather charming in the dress.

I think I'll work on the bodice piece some more and try the dress again, maybe in a silk or rayon in a nice fall color.

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Adorn - new embellishment magazine

Went grocery shopping this evening (blah, boring, blah) and found myself in the magazine aisle. The word "adorn" in big, white lower case letters on a bright red background was peeking out from behind the first row of magazines. The title intrigued me, so I pulled it out from it's hiding place and discovered a colorful, fun magazine loaded with embellishment crafts on the inside. Normally I head to the local library to see if I can read their copy of magazines, but this one went right into my shopping cart.

I was tempted to sit and browse through the colorful photographs and creative project right away, but -sigh- the groceries needed to be put away first. I rushed through that thankless job and promptly plopped down at the kitchen table and begin to page through the magazine. What fun! The first item that caught my eye was called trend watch: runway redo. It was a two-page spread on making a "Calvin Klein-inspired dress." Now, the dress is not something I would wear, but it was cute. The project used a purchased white summer dress and gave instructions on how to achieve the large white tie-dyed circles. Next was items to achieve the nautical look and a book review section (five books just on redoing t-shirts!). There were embellishment ideas using trims, embroidery stiches, crochet, beads, applique, and paint. A remake of a basic white button down shirt (this one I'm gonna try for sure), instructions for felt iPod holders (another one I'm going to do), a big bold beaded necklace out of painted and decoupaged beads (yet another project I'm going to have to do). Articles on thrift store shopping and having a fiesta. Of course I had to go to their website as soon as I glanced through the magazine to find the subscription information. The only bad thing (IMHO) is that you have to call to subscribe :-( Pin It

Through the eyes of love

My husband and I recently joined a health club in an effort to "get back in shape" - well, an upcoming high school reunion might have played a role in the decision also. The club is small, clean and (best of all) close to home so we aren't tempted to not go because it is "too far away". The club provides small lockers to store your keys or anything else you may bring into the club with you, but of course you need to provide your own padlock.

That got my husband to reminiscing about a padlock that he owned years ago while he was in the Navy. He liked that lock so much because the combo was easy to remember, 38-24-38. He commented "great shape, but a little bottom heavy". I blurted out "What!?! Are you nuts? My hips are larger than that!!!" He got this confused look on his face and said "no, they're not, you have a great bottom".

And that is one of the many reasons I'm so crazy in love with this guy. Pin It

Simplicity 4072 - the sewing begins

I prewashed all of my fabric purchases after I returned home from my shopping excursion. With the fabric prewashed I was ready to go. I consider myself a good sewer and rate myself on an intermediate level (but of course, what is the scale? my own personal opinion as to what I consider a beginner and what I consider advanced!). However, I hate to alter patterns! I liked it when clothing designs were baggy and unconstructed - not so much for their look (because it actually was a bit dowdy and sloppy) but because I didn't have to do so much alterations to the patterns!

I wasn't sure how this one would fit in the bodice. It didn't appear to have that much ease built into the design and I typically need to do a FBA to all of my tops. I decided to cut it and sew it up as is and make adjustments (if needed) on the next one. (See, I was so optimistic about this dress that I had fabric for the second one planned already.) I did lenghten the bodice piece by 1". I knew that the midriff band would not sit underneath my bust as designed if I did not lengthen the bodice slightly.

As soon as I sewed the bodice I could tell I would need an FBA after all. Drat! I pulled out my Real Fit for Real People book to find instructions on doing an FBA with a sleeve that is cut in one piece with the bodice.

I did a slash and spread adding width and length. I curved the edge up to where the side seam is (the circle marks that location on the pattern piece). I'm still not sure if I did it correctly but the bodice does seem to fit better now.

I did the frog stitch (rip-it, rip-it) and took the bodice apart. Here is the difference between the original piece I cut and the pattern piece that was altered.


After resewing the bodice together and resewing the midriff band back on I tried it on again. The FBA worked, but I needed to readjust the gathers under the bustline. I originally gathered the new adjusted bodice piece within the notches just as the pattern instructions call for. However, it was too much gathers in too little of a space. It did not look right. So, I removed the stiching yet again - sigh - and readjusted the gathers to that they begin right at the center front band and continue on to the second notch. With the extra fabric that was added for the FBA this distribution of the gathers looks much better. Keep in mind that G.G.'s not quite as well endowed as I am (that's my dress dummy's name - it's short for "Gravel Gerty" and someday I'll tell that story).

The bodice is now completed and I only need to sew the skirt portion.

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Love this dress! Simplicity 4072

Simplicity just released their version of the Hotpatterns Hippy Chick dress. They are calling it the "IT" dress of the fall season - we'll see. I haven't been paying that much attention to the fall fashion trends so they just may be right.

I had purchased the Hotpatterns dress pattern when it was first released, but after reading reviews on patternreview.com I put the pattern on the back burner. To be honest, as cute as I thought the dress was (and after seeing Gigi Louis' version you'll understand why) I knew that I did not want to spend the time that would be required to figure out the alterations I would need. I was especially concerned about the sleeves - it seemed to be a common theme among many of the reviews from the Hotpatterns line that the sleeves were very small and that is one area that I sometimes have difficulty in adjusting with the Big 4 pattern companies already. I still love the Hotpatterns version and plan to make it at some point, since it does have some nice design details that this one is lacking.

This seems to be a popular style. Last month McCall's patterns came out with their version of this dress (you can see a few made up on the a Dress a Day blog). I planned on purchasing that pattern but just didn't make it to the store when the McCall's patterns were one sale (which is the only time I buy the Big 4 patterns anymore).

Now Simplicity introduced their version with the latest pattern releases. And how convenient, both JoAnn's and Hancocks were having a sale on Simplicity patterns right as the new patterns went up on the Simplicty patterns website! My first stop was Hancocks - but alas! they didn't have the new pattern books out yet. Oh well, the patterns had just gone up on the website two days before so I figured they just hadn't had a chance to get them out yet.

I patiently waited (actually I wasn't that patient - I really wanted to try this dress pattern) a week for the sale at JoAnn's then ran to the store with my pattern numbers in hand, only to find out that while they had the new pattern catalogs out, they didn't have the new patterns out! Aaaagh! I looked in every single pattern drawer thinking maybe they were hidden in an obscure place, which meant of course that I would be able to score this pattern if it proved to be really popular. Not only were the new patterns not hidden in any other drawer, I couldn't locate a sales associate to ask for assistance.

Well, I was disappointed, but realistically would I have sewn it before Simplicity patterns went on sale again? Probably not.

However, the next day I went to watch a niece's dance recital (awesome job Caitlin!) and on my way home my car just happened to turn onto the road that led to a shopping center that just happened to have a JoAnn's fabric store located within. It was fate - I had to stop and see if they had their new patterns out yet.

So, I prepared myself for the disappointment that I was sure to experience, and walked slowly across the parking lot into the (not crowded) store. I meandered casually through the aisles back to the pattern drawers. Dare I look? Yes, the new patterns were out and the drawers were fully stocked. I grabbed this one (and a few others for good measure) and restrained myself from doing the happy dance.

I realized that I didn't have the perfect piece of fabric for this dress (no, I'm sure there wasn't the perfect piece of fabric hidden in the closet - even thought the closet should be labeled a danger zone when the doors are open because of all of the fabric stashed ready to tumble out.) I browsed the clearance aisle since I didn't want to invest too much just in case the dress wasn't as cute on me as I thought it looked in the picture. I found a wild print with pinks and purples and greens and blues and yellow and...(sounds like the song from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat doesn't it?). Perfect! Now I only need to find some time to actually do the sewing! Pin It

Retro Butterick 6529 Betsey Johnson Pattern

Just purchased this one off of eBay. It's even the size I need - yea, no altering. It was mixed in a pattern lot that I won at a great price. I really like the long sleeved version with the high collar. it has a Victorian feel to it. I think out of the right fabric this could be just as up-to-date today as it was when it was first released 30 years ago. Now, I just need to find the right fabric.

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