My first TNT (aka My Big Skirt Project)

After reading lots of blogs about having a TNT (Tried And True) pattern,

I decided to find one for myself.

I chose the easiest garment to make—A Skirt!

The idea was simple: find a pattern I liked, make it fit,

then add (or subtract) design details to create the skirts I wanted.

So, I started with the essential, flattering-to-everyone A-line skirt.

I started with McCalls 3341:

I measured my hips and traced that size onto freezer paper.

Then, I measured my hips, waist, waist-to-hip, and high hip.

I compared these to the actual measurement of the paper pattern (plus ease),

I added a little here and there and cut out my adjusted pattern.

Since my first skirt was to be a muslin

(a trial run for you non-sewists out there),

I hated to use any fabric from my stash.

So, I snitched the plaid from the skirt of this dress

that was handed to me “in case you can use the fabric”.

I made this skirt, just as the pattern instructed.

For a review of the pattern, please see my review on PR.

It fit beautifully and made a great wardrobe addition for the winter.

The easiest way to tweak a skirt is to take it from

fitted to an elastic-waist gathered skirt.

So, I traced my new TNT pattern onto freezer paper

leaving out the darts and

placing the center back on the edge of the paper

eliminating the center back seam.

I also added a little extra at the top so I could make a

casing for my elastic waist. Here’s skirt #2:

(sorry about the crooked picture)

Remember my spring wish list?

Well, skirt #3 is my knock-off.

This one was fun to create on paper.

You can get the details in my PR review.

One other exciting bit about this skirt:

I installed my first invisible zipper.

Y’all never told me how easy it was!!!

And it looks so pretty.

Much nicer than:

Moving on…

Skirt # 4: My Spring Fun Skirt

This one was made like Skirt #2.

I did add a little extra fabric by placing the

“PLACE ON FOLD” mark about 1 inch from the fold.

And then there’s the Dolce & Gabanna skirt

I saw on their site earlier this year.

You can read the process for Skirt #5

on the PR review if you are interested.

And yes, it has an invisible zipper.

Last, but not least, there’s skirt #6.

I’ve been drooling over all the cotton lawn in

the Liberty of London line that’s out at Target.

So, I hiked into Hancock’s to see what

I could find in a cotton lawn.

Not much. Anyway…

I loved the way the fabric draped, and

that inspired me to make the ruffle.

This skirt is lined with a rayon lining and

has an elastic, gathered waist.

So, there you have it,

my crazy skirt project.

Proof that I’ve been sewing.

I have more ideas and more fabric ready to go.

If you live in the Shreveport/Bossier Area

and would learn how to take a skirt pattern

and tweak it like I’ve done,

check out this class at LSUS.

McCalls 5615-Too Cute! (and a personal question for my sisters)

I haven't had many Big 4 pattens appeal to me lately. In fact, it's probably been a year since I picked up a Big 4 for my Big Girl. But, this one caught my eye, so I grabbed it at a 99 cent sale!

Here's the nitty gritty:

Fabric: 100% Cotton from a quilt shop in Gulf Shores last summer. (Note: View A calls for 1 1/8 yd for a size 7. I had a scant yard. Not to worry, 4 pieces are stays inside the shirt and you can't see them, so you can use something else for those.)

Sizing: I made a size 7. The length is perfect, though the shirt is large around.

Notions: 1/4 inch elastic and thread. Easy peasy!

Pattern Notes: I made this pattern exactly by the pattern sheet instructions. The instructions were extremely clear and easy to follow.

Alterations: None.

Would I sew this again? Probably. This top would look completely different in another fabric. It would also be cute as a dress.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars! This trendy top didn't take a long time to make and my BG loves it! The pattern is well written and adequate for a beginner (who knows how to gather).


****Sus and Sar: Recognize the chair?****

McCalls 5309 with a few tweaks

Here's the Big Girl's Easter Dress:Pattern: McCall's 5309
Fabric: Polyester Tafetta from the Clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby
Lining: Broadcloth
Trims: White Satin-y ribbon
Changes: I used the yoke from View B, but didn't use a contrasting fabric. I preferred the wide shoulder straps to the 2 spaghetti straps. I also shortened the skirt to make it a little less formal.
Process:

• My Big Girl has a slim build, so I started by paper-fitting the pattern to her. I had to take out some of the yoke so that the shoulder straps would actually fit on her shoulders! (Note: Obviously, from the pulls, I over fitted the dadgummed thing. Oh well!)
• I hate stitching on trims across the yoke. I always, always, always mess them up! This time, I used a little heat-n-bond to tack the ribbon first. That worked much, much better.
• I used a 2 inch white satin ribbon for the back tie as opposed to making one from the taffeta.
• I used ribbon for the hem, based on the method used in this skirt pattern. It worked like a charm and I have a beautiful ribbon hem with all my raw edges completely enclosed.
  

Tools: (Of course my Janome 9000 and my beloved seam ripper are not shown.)

Would I recommend this pattern?: Maybe. It was easy to follow. All the pieces were there. It did run a bit big, or maybe my child runs a bit slim. Who knows? Anyway, I probably won't make this again, but it did make a pretty dress.

My Man in Blue

Here's my mini-wardrobe entry for PR. I've called it "My Man in Blue", even though my man in blue wears a brown uniform most of the time. (Local sheriff's office, not those delivery guys.) Anyway, I think he looks nice in blue, so I've created him a fun weekend wardrobe. (Besides, he wouldn't let me do a purple and gold wardrobe--darn Arkansan!)

The requirements were 4 pieces, 3 colors, 4 outfits. Here are the outfits:

McCalls 4518 unbuttoned over McCalls 5282 with Jalie 977 Pants

McCalls 5282 with Jalie 977 Pants (Unzipped to shorts)

McCalls 4518 with Jalie 977 Pants (unzipped to shorts)

KwikSew 3570 with Jalie 977 pants

Book Review: 10, 20, 30 Minutes to Sew

10, 20, 30 Minutes to Sew

by Nancy Zieman

Published in 1992

ISBN: 0-8487-1118-1

Some Chapter Headings:
Minutes to Organize
Fast Fashion Elements
Serging, the Ultimate Time Saver
Super-Quick Knits
Elastics--Fast and Fun to Sew
Needle Know-How and Feet Smarts
Begin to Sew

I liked:

• The idea that I don't have to spend a whole day to do some worthwhile sewing.
• The tip about using a recipe card file to keep track of alterations for yourself and others you sew for.
• That she writes out this tip (I knew this, but I'm not sure how I knew it, so seeing it in writing was reassuring that I was doing it correctly): "When you are sewing together 2 fabric pieces of different lengths, stitch with the longer layer down (next to the feed dogs of the sewing machine) and the shorter layer up (next to the presser foot). The feed dogs will gently and evenly ease the longer layer to meet the shorter layer." (page 25)
• The great introduction to a serger.
• The "Seams Great Elastic Casing" ( I wish I'd used this on this dress.)
• Her "Favorite Gathering Method" (page 133) that uses a zig-zag stitch rather than 2 rows of basting stitches.

My dislikes:

• Some of the fashion ideas are a little dated.
• Her centered zipper instructions (pages 35-36) didn't work for me.

Conclusion:
This book works to dispel the notion that "I have no time to sew". As she points out in her introduction, so much of sewing is the prep and the pressing, rather then the actual time stitching a seam. With that in mind, it becomes easy to take a project and break down into smaller steps that fit much better into a crazy, busy lifestyle.

On a side note, McCalls patterns are now offering some "10,20,30 to Sew" patterns that are supposed to have Zieman's tips include in the instructions. I haven't looked at them, but I'd be interested in knowing if they break the project down into smaller steps like the book suggests.

Would I buy it for myself? I probably would have never chosen it for myself, simply because the book screams 1990! However, I grabbed it off Mom's shelf on a lazy weekend at her house and discovered the tips. I still haven't returned it. Oops!

Would I buy the book for a beginner? I think a beginner could benefit from this book, particularly if she is having trouble finding the time to start and finish her new projects. Plus, the elastics and serger chapters are great for trying new techniques.