Sharon Sews

I present to you my first finished WIP (work in progress) for 2022!  Y'all, I wish I hadn't waited so long to sew this one as I adore this top!   I mean, c'mon, Look at the amazing sleeves! I purchased the pattern when it was first released in 2020, and cut it out soon after.  I don't recall why I tucked it away, but I THINK it was because I didn't have the right color thread on hand.   The pattern is Vogue 1704, a Rachel Comey design that includes both the top and pants. The design is from her Spring 2019 line.  It's look 7 at this Vogue.com runway show link .   When I purchased the pattern, I didn't realize the front edges of the top were finished using an overcast stitch.  Because I don't read the description on the back of the envelopes :-)   Rather than buy serger thread in a color I would never use again, I purchased a couple of regular spools of thread and used those in my serger.  The front pieces are overlapped ...

I love the look of a maxi skirt, but I also love the comfort of pants. Which is why I think my new pants are just about perfect. How wide you ask?  Very wide! Like 54" at each hem wide! The pattern is Vogue 1661 , described as very loose fitting, flared pants with raised waistline and side seam pockets. I hadn't read the description, and couldn't figure out why A and B were different views.  Turns out A has a fly front opening and pleats that are topstitched in place, and B has an invisible zipper in the back with no topstitching on the pleats. IMHO it feels like an attempt to provide two different "views" to justify the high cost of the pattern. Fortunately I purchased it on sale ($6.99 plus shipping) from the website. Another odd thing about this pattern is the sizing. All sizes are included in the envelope, but the sizing is S, M, L, and XL! I understand that for a loose fitting pant with a partial elastic waist, but one with pleats and a zipper?!?  ...

"Wow! You look hot!" My hubby is not one to toss around insincere compliments, so when his eyes lit up as I modeled this  outfit I knew I had a winner.   I'm calling this a peek-a-boo top as I have no idea what the correct terminology would be.  Drop me a comment if you know and I'll update this post. The top pattern, McCall's 8003 , is a close-fitting knit top with a cut out on the upper chest.  I choose to sew that portion in a stretch lace remnant I had purchased from SR Harris. Boy, was that a poor choice of fabric for the contrast!  The instructions have you hem the lower portion of the contrast. Well, that looked crappy in lace. I ripped out the stitches and tried turning it under once stabilized with clear elastic. Well that looked even worse! I settled on using a purchased binding, and I think it's just right. I used the same binding for the neckline instead of using the pattern piece provided. Not my best work, but I'm okay with that becau...

"How many more tunics do you want me to sew for you?" I eagerly asked my daughter after sewing three. I mean, the kid never wanted me to sew for her once she reached her teen years, so I have years of catching up to do! "Um, Mom, I think I have enough now," she replied with a laugh.   I first sewed myself a version of this color blocked tunic in January 2013, soon after the pattern was released. ( Blog post here ). My daughter liked it and asked for one, so naturally I obliged. ( Blog post here ). Every time she wore her tunic she received compliments and recently asked me to sew her more. I might have jumped up and down and did a happy dance after we ended our call. There's no video, so you have no proof :-). But I was excited to sew for her again. The fabrics for the black and purple tunics were purchased from Cali Fabrics. I've never been disappointed by any of my purchases from this company. The quality is good and the orders ship fast. The m...

First things first.  Why did I wait so long to sew this dress?!? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I must be the only one in the sewing world who had not sewn this pattern! Vogue 9253 w as an almost immediate hit when it was released last year, with dozens of beautiful versions filling my blog feed. I shied away from sewing it because of that REALLY deep V!  Having been quite - ahem - blessed since my teen years, I don't always like to draw attention to that part of my body. And let's be honest. I KNEW it would require a full bust adjustment (FBA) and I wasn't sure I knew how to alter this bodice correctly.  So I continued to admire every version I saw, telling myself over and over that my large chest combined with all the weight I've gained would make this a very unflattering look on me. I finally stopped telling myself how horrible it would look on me, and gave myself permission to sew and wear something OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE that would make me HAPPY...