Sharon Sews

I sewed a coat!  Well, it's just a wrap coat, but it still counts :-) I stitched this up a few weeks ago when Texas had a "cold" spell and I realized I had no coats appropriate for 30 to 50 degree F weather. Everything I packed and moved is more appropriate for the bitter Minnesota winters I left behind. The pattern is Simplicity 8217, which apparently just went OOP (out of print). Of course I discovered that right after I published a short video reviewing the pattern on my YouTube channel (I'll link it at the end if you're interested.) This coat first caught my attention when I saw a version on Instagram in a fabulous pastel colored wool.  Even though I don't wear wool ( hello itchy skin! ) I knew I'd like to sew myself a version of this coat. The pattern was released in 2016 and I sure wish I had sewn it sooner than two weeks ago. Let's chat about the fabric for a moment. It's an animal print denim! Plus it has silver sparkles on some ...

When Simplicity 8982 was announced (on Instagram) as the November #SewYourView pattern, I immediately knew I was going to sew the top (view c) and probably the skirt (view d).  I even pinned an inspiration dress on my Pinterest board to use as a guideline for the sleeves. I had a chance to stop at SR Harris when we were in Minnesota a few weeks ago. In preparation I  created a list of patterns I wanted to sew, along with the fabric needed for each.  This foil print knit was not even CLOSE to anything I was looking for! But I swear as I walked past it, the bolt JUMPED into my cart! And I'm glad I did.  I think the foil knit looks lovely made into this pullover top. Before I go any further, here's the pattern I'm writing about.  I picked it up at Hobby Lobby during one of their pattern sales as it's a great basic knit pattern with a lot of design options. Because I fell in love with the floral foil fabric and was determined to use it for the top, I had to...

  About a year ago I noticed a plethora of reviews for a "toaster sweater" popping up on sewing blogs. I was intrigued. Every version looked great on the wearer, and it did indeed look like a top I'd love to snuggle into during our cold weather months. (About nine months out of the year, LOL!) I did a quick Google search and discovered it was an indie pattern by Sew House Seven . I made a mental note to return to the site and purchase the pattern, but promptly forgot. Until I saw this offering in the Simplicity catalog.  It's Simplicity 8529, a pullover top from Sew House Seven. It's very similar to the popular Toaster Sweater, but if you look closely you'll spot some differences. Eager to stitch myself one of these cozy sweaters, I made a trip to SR Harris where I found this lightweight plaid.  It was the perfect piece of fabric to test the pattern.  Note that I didn't cut this on the bias, the plaid is printed diagonally.  I sewed view A, t...

Tutleneck + no sleeves = love.  I have a thing for sleeveless turtlenecks.  I'm not sure why, because turtlenecks, even mock turtlenecks, aren't necessarily the most flattering look on me.  Maybe in my mind I still look like I did in my younger days when I rocked that look.  No matter what the reason, my love of sleeveless turtlenecks drew me to this pattern - Simplicity 8383. The pattern is a trapeze dress with options of a mock turtleneck (the version I sewed), a scoop neck, sleeveless or cold shoulder sleeves. The pattern is designed for knits. I choose a floral knit I found at Hobby Lobby (which I recently discovered. Guess where I now buy my Simplicity patterns on sale for 99 cents?).  Even though the fabric base is black, the pink flowers said "hello summer!" The dress has a center back seam and an invisible zipper closure on the version I sewed. Because the mock turtleneck is folded in half lengthwise and sewn to the neck edge of the dre...

About a year ago, while browsing fashions at a local boutique, I spotted a basic black tunic with a cowl and sleeve bands in a contrasting fabric.  I was intrigued enough to try it on. While the price ($59) was not unreasonable, it was more than I wanted to spend. Especially when I realized how simple the construction was. Oh darn, that meant I had to go fabric shopping... Off I went to my favorite fabric stores. I purchased black ITY knit from Hancock Fabrics and a mesh print from SR Harris Fabrics and promptly set about recreating the tunic. Just kidding. Life got in the way, as it frequently does, and the fabric sat for a few months.  Lucky for me because during that time Simplicity came out with a tunic with a large cowl and contrast sleeve bands eerily similar to the tunic I wanted to recreate. Whoop! I  didn't even have to think about what pattern to use. I sewed the tunic the end of summer 2015.  I photographed it the end of December 2015.  I...

Simplicity 1072.  The title pretty much sums up this post - not much more to say about the this one! I purchased the pattern intending to sew the pullover top, but so far I've only used it to sew three knit skirts.  I choose my size by my hip measurement and there was zero ease allowed.  The first time, I went up two sizes as I wanted a more work appropriate fit.  I ended up taking in the seams so that I actually only went up one size. The skirt is now close-fitting but not form fitting, which is my personal preference.  Sewing this skirt only takes about 30 minutes from cutting to hemming. There are four pieces to cut: one front skirt, one front waistband, one back skirt, one back waistband. There is no identified front or back so I added a size tag to the back of each skirt. It's designed to sit 1" below your waist. The pattern calls for 1-1/2" elastic but I had 3/4" on hand so I used that instead.  My first version (the floral print)...

This Simplicity 1199 knit top is modeled by my lovely daughter, who agreed to be photographed wearing the top only if I did not show her face. I get it, while I think she looks beautiful 24/7 (and trust me she does!)  she said she was having a  bad hair/bad makeup day. This top is a double layer top which worked out perfectly for the red striped fabric I used. The stripes are actually semi-sheer. Cool, huh?  I bought the red fabric at my favorite local fabric warehouse -- SR Harris -- without knowing exactly what I would sew. You never do that, right? The pattern, Simplicity 1199, has multiple views and is designed for knits. I found it to very loose-fitting. In fact, I originally cut and sewed this top for myself, but when my daughter stopped by and expressed how much she liked it I gave it her. Honestly, it fits (and looks) much better on her than it did on me. If you sew this, think about how much ease you want and choose your size accordingly. I sewed View ...