All Around and About yet , Here and There

I have been travelling and sewing and sewing and travelling. I have been in New York shopping for fabric, sewing for a client in Maryland, in North Carolina partying and have sewn up dresses for myself and have just gotten around to post.  I have also bought some shoes for the spring time and partying.

I won a Moods Fabric gift card from Sew Much Talent a few months a go and I have just gotten around to using it.  I found two fabrics after much contemplation and temptation.

I am in to designer fashion over the years have not been a fanatic about buying designer fabrics. Mostly due to cost and location of stores that carry them. I have travelled to Chicago and to the Vogue fabric store and to Fishman’s fabric store mentioned on The Mahogany’s Stylist blog.  Living I the Northeast the stores on Fabric row in Philly on 4th Street do carry designer fabrics but I am not one to plunk down $45 dollars or more  a yard for fabric based on a name even if it is gorgeous for myself.

So I got ¾ of a yard of the Missoni knit to make a skirt or a top.

 I do love the Missoni  prints and the simplicity of the clothing by Missoni

  

 

Then I found this luxurious feeling Italian rayon knit and being that I like bold prints I had to have this. It has a lot of the fashion forward colors for the spring in it. I got 1.50 yards. I will make a maxi dress.

I also dropped into Spandex House and bought the last of this brown and beige animal print.

                         

The 70’s 80’s and 90’s party

I like to party with my Peeps in the Northeast or the DMV or Aruba  but mostly I like to dance and have good clean fun. I also like theme parties.

Being born in the 70’s I really liked the fashions from back then.  I even like some of the vintage patterns which I have not sewn but I do peruse some vintage pattern sites and Etsy stores and have jotted down some pattern numbers of dresses I would make.  I do own some vintage patterns I got from my dear mother because she collected a stash of fabrics as I was growing up and did not purge them.

I got this invite and a request to make an 80’s outfit I said cool. Now living in the 80’s I remember what I wore but I am a colorful person and I like the 70’s colors and cool easy style lines.  I also hopped over to the blog of Mocha Style because I remembered she went to a 70's party so I had to check out their get ups and pics.

I made Lady D’s outfit from pink knit I had in my stash and the blue knit is suppose to be faux denim but I had to remind her and myself that this is a costume for a party so let’s not break the bank buying denim but have fun with  this.

We perused pictures on Google and I drafted out a quick pattern and got to work.  Here was the inspiration

Here is Lady D

Here was my inspiration and styles I like

The baby born in the 70’s rockin a 70’s inspired out fit. But not this short but my kind of short.

The fabric is from my stash:1.5 yards printed ITY knit, red boots from the thrift store, earrings I already had,  my hair done up.  The pattern I used was OOP Mcall's 5484. I cut the back of the dress twice modified it to make the V front because I didn't have enough fabric to make the twist.

Had a great time. Peace!



The Double Agent Dress Take 2

I happened to come across this cool dress on the blog of Oonaballona  and I made a note to myself to make this dress because it is so versatile.  You can wear it many ways.  She gives great instructions and I had some stretchy knit would use

Here is her Double agent dress  and now mine. Sorry I was so excited once I started changing the dress not to mentionthat it ws 130 am so sorry for no jewelry and makeup or accessories but that is what double agencts do, make it work. ..

I will definitly be making this dress in a different color and may color block it. It can be long or short like a maxi dress, the design options are up to you and the fabric can be a print or solid.

So do you have a double agent side of you?

McCall's 6400 Strikes Again and Again as a dress and the Burda Top

McCall's 6400

I made this pattern as a top  in a previous post  So I have made it 3 times now.  love this top modified into a dress it works for me and my style for parties or dates out with my Dear Boyfriend or friends. I made it in this faux faded ITY print from Jomar in Philly.

The Top to a Dress or Tunic

I have come to the conclusion that this is my form of creativity and modification that is easy for me and my schedule and fits into my style.

This Burda 2/2010 long sleeve top 112
I modified the neckline so that it will fall below my neck bone.
Just my style I like my shoulders out or at least one of them.

This is a ITY knit I picked up at Fabric Warehouse in Pennsylvania.

This was a Burda top but I added more to the hem and made it into a dress and added darts in the back. I also sewed the sleeves very tight.

This is a top not a dress and pullin down a tunic top all night is not a dance move but Dear Boyfriend Mr. T thought it looked cute this way. Yes, cute  to him but not tasteful for me to go out in public because scratching my knee would be indecent exposure and this lady has style standards. I'm a Sewtherngirl (southern girl from Virginia that sews).

Inspiration Comes from the West Coast & Other Updates

I was inspired by a true Blog Fashionista and Designer Mimi Goodwin when she rocked the modified McCall’s6519 dress C. She made it in black and white zebra print and I remebered that I had picked up and ITY knit at Spandex House about 3 months ago in NYC for $6 in this cool brown and ivory ITY knit.

So I said all hail to the Fashionista from the west coast, Thanks for the Inspiration and bringin the Style. I cut it out 2 weeks ago sewed it up this weekend.

I modified it by making the tie out of some ivory polyester fabric. I will post more pics when I get it paired with jewelry and my strappy sandals.

McCall’s 6519

Pattern Description: Dress has fitted, blouson, slightly gathered bodice. C and skirt D: wrap, right front pleats, back darts and purchased ribbon.

Pattern Sizing: I cut the 10

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, are easy to follow

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Stylish collar and a wrap dress I  can wear it to different venues

Fabric Used: ITY Knit Print

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Well as you can see I added sleeves because I did not like the sleeveless look after I tried it on so thankfully I had enough fabric to draft some sleeves but you could use any sleeve from a fitted shirt pattern and make it work to save time. I also shortened it a quite a bit because you know I like it shawt! lol
Would you sew it again? Yes,I am plan to make it in a solid color or another print

Would you recommend it to others? Yes

Conclusion: A cute and comfortable dress I love it

Thanks Mimi

Formal dresses on the way

I know that Dear Boyfriend Mr. T and my Bestfriend Ms. J  and I will being going out to some formal parties this year so I got inspired to look at my stash of fabrics that I will be using to make dresses out of

(left to right) Black and white swirl brocade, Pink and Gold Brocade, Brown and Gold brocade, all from Jomar in Philly, textured gold knit from NYC 

Spring Dresses on the way as well

 

2 Sweaters Make 1 Cute Warm Dress

I was in northern Virginia this weekend and I was perusing through a thrift store and I remembered being inspired by the Slapdish Sewist blog in which she did a sweater refashion. Check it out here http://theslapdashsewist.blogspot.com/2010/01/sweater-refashion-colorblocked.html

So I decided what better than two warm sweaters making a cute dress. I found the bottom of the dress by choosing a women’s XL sweater and I then I matched it with a medium sized red turtleneck. In the pics you can see that the top is a small cable knit. The turtle neck is 100% merino wool so it is warm. I couldn’t find the content of the blue sweater the tag was torn.

Thriftonomics defined as saving money on clothes or whatever and looking great doing it. The store was having a half off sale so I figured I could buy 2 sweaters each $4.99 equally $2.50 each and then make a $5 dress. I remembered I had red shoes and I am really wearing a lot of red this month. It makes me feel happy and I was inspired by the Chinese New Year.  

I was so excited I made the dress that night and the Dear Boyfriend Mr. T gave me the approval.  I didn’t take pictures of the construction but you can see at the hem that this is the bottom of the XL sweater. I cut off the sleeves of the blue sweater  and the bottom of the turtleneck then pin fit the tow together and slim fit the dress. Then sergered the raw inside seams.

So I wore it to work today and got some compliments on it, just walking pass people and then when I explain it was two sweaters they were gasping.  This will be great for the the cold days we may get in March.

The Top that makes for a cute Party dress

MCall’s 6400 I was inspired to make this top when I saw it on The Mahoghany stylist It looked so easy and comfortable to wear with jeans or a skirt. So I made the top and liked the way it came out. Then I was inspired to make it into a dress because it shows some shoulder.  I like to party so I will use it in the spring or on a date with my Dear Boyfriend Mr. T.

To make into a dress I just lengthened the bottom of the pattern. It did come out to long so I ended up cutting off about 4 inches to get it to be knee length. The inset is how the print of the fabric looked. I love color so I will be seen a mile away withthe confidence to pull it off.

Happy Valentines Day to All

Give Love, Share Love and Receive Love

Dear Boyfriend Mr. T and I attended a Sweetheart Ball on Saturday Night in Maryland. So I had to whip up a easy cut dress to wear. The  TNT (tried and true) Butterick 3137 which is OOP (out of print). This is the same dress I wore New Year 2011 when I first met him. It is so easy, a front, back, 2 darts on the front and back and I cut the neckline down and made my own ruffle. I lined it in black polyester.

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Jumping into January with a Stash Slash

Since the New Year started I have been on a sewing tirade to make myself some new clothes and finish some dresses that hadn’t been completed in 2011.

 Here is what I was able to complete and deplete my stash.

	Item	Pattern
1	Striped Turtleneck	Burda 7742
2	Black Turtleneck	Burda 7742
3	Black and grey top	McCall’s 6400
4	Pink orange black dress	McCall’s 6400 modified by length
5	Blue square print wrap dress	Butterick 5454
6	Cowl neck dress with sleeves	Vogue 1250 added sleeves
7	Cowl neck color block dress	Vogue 1250
8	Black and white dress	Burda 7828
9	Purple snake print	Vogue 1179
10	Brown striped knit dress	Burda 106 Jan/09 changed sleeves
11	Cowl neck border print dress	OOP McCall’s 3397 made a dress
12	Faux Fur Coat	OOP New Look 6112
13	Orange, brown and ivory dots	Butterick 5397
14	Paisley orange and black dress	Burda 7696
15	Felt fleece coat	Vogue 8775

That equals up to over 25 yards of fabric. I will set up individual post about them but starting next week I will wear my dresses.

I also finished 3 blouses for a client,Simplicity Top 2181, Simplicity top 1945, and Simplicity top 3536 as well. Will post soon.

Hold Tight Pic Heavy

This jacket is a McCalls pattern that was made 4 years ago. But the dress is Burda 7828

Will need the coats to stay warm in the dresses.

My Jean Dress or Skirt for Recycle Jean Week at Sew Much Talent

I join the sewing creation project on the Sew Much Talent website and here is what I created. I got this idea from my cousin last summer about wearing jeans with the pockets as the front of a dress. So when this project came up I decided to put her idea to the test.

 I thrifted a pair of dark denim Relativity jeans with stretch in a size 14. I wear a size 8, so I knew I would need to alter the jeans to get the fit. I sewed down the pockets and cut the inseam out and sewed down the button flap but left the zipper operational. I inserted the fabric into the front and back of the jeans and took up the sides of the jeans about 1.5 inches on both sides. I tried on the jeans to fit my bust line.  I used a scrap of rayon to make the belt that is used as a halter neck to strap.The inset fabric is a scrap of this ITY knit left over from a McCalls dress I made 2 years ago.

This dress can be worn as a skirt as well. I paired it up with some wedge heeled sandals. I look forward to wearing it when it gets warmer.