Don't tell anyone, but I'm wearing pink breeches.

This weekend was a big sewing weekend for me. Why, I have no idea, but I finished up two projects that had been in the cue for a few weeks.

I've been sewing!!

Hi all.

Progress, progress, progress.

Hey everyone! I've had my hands in quite a few things these past few days so sorry for the MIA-ness.

One good thing is I started on some of my underthings. Well, I cut out some of them anyway. I got this white poplin a while ago I was going to use for mockups but in taking stock of my underthings situation, I decided to use it to make some breeches. I like to wear breeches when I wear dresses with my garter belt and stockings. They are cool and comfy and keep my thighs from touching. Perfect. 

NVL's new sew along: The Plain Pattern Project

Ah, girlie colors again. I have missed thee.

First off, I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Make and Mend sew along. It was the largest group I've ever had for a sew along, so thank you all immensely. I still have a couple of projects to finish up (the burlap bag included) so stay turned for those. 

Now that we have mended some stuff, perhaps we are all in the mood to make some new stuff!?

Burlap Bag Progress and a Giveaway!

Hi everyone.

I've made progress with my bag. It took a day and some change to ziz zag the burlap to the twill for stabilization. 

Burlap Bag Progress

Happy Independence Day Weekend everyone!

Hope the heat isn't getting to ya. Me, I'm planning on staying inside all day and perhaps using my AC for the first time this summer.

Stout Alteration Tricks: Pick a sleeve based on your boobs.

Well, upper bust.

I know this is going to sound strange, and perhaps I spend way too much time pondering the fit of the bust to arm, but I've been asked a bit about how to pick a sleeve when you are altering a garment, or if you want to change the sleeve on something new that you are making. Here is what I've concluded.

It all is in the boobs.

For me, when I pick a sleeve, I want one that will give me a good range of motion. To determine that, its about the upper bust/arm pit ratio and how much of you actually fills that area. Sure, we all know to adjust this when we are making a garment, but also, if you are adding a different sleeve to a garment, you will also need to take into consideration the armscye with the new sleeve. 

That's why some sleeve patterns came with mockup bodice pieces to test the sleeve, which I think was brilliant. Match that up to the bodice of what you want to add the sleeve to and you're golden. But a lot of times that's not the case, and a lot of times if you are adding a sleeve, you don't take this measurements into consideration. I know I didn't. This I'm sure we all know.

Finished Dresses

Finished shots of the 'wearable mock up' of my knot dress. I am very pleased with the outcome of it.

Chambray alteration pt 1

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all are still plugging away on  your Make and Mend projects. I've been blog hopping and I'm seeing tons of people taking advantage of the Make and Mend mentality. It's inspiring! Keep it up!

I guess you could call this an alteration, though, with all the summer refashions going on in the sewing blogosphere, it seems to be an epidemic!

Day Project: Boudoir 'Make-Up' Cape

I remember flipping through one of my early 30s catalogs and seeing something I thought was the most practical thing this side of the Mississippi.

More knot dress progress.

It's finally starting to get hot here, as you can see from my 'glow' :)

Knot Dress progress.

Hi all!

How is everyone doing on their Make and Mend projects? I've got some updates coming in the next few days, but for the time being, I'm working on my knot dress because if it turns out well I plan on wearing it to an even this weekend.

Darn it!

Per the request from the flicker forum, I thought an entire post on darning would be a good thing to have.

It was strange, I looked through about 6 of my vintage sewing books and most of them had at least a paragraph dedicated to the art of patching and darning. None, however covered the territory like The Complete Book of Sewing. I will post the entire section later in this post.

Darning and patching can be some of the best tools to shape up a worn wardrobe. I'm surprised that more people don't do it. This make n mender did a great tutorial on darning jeans.

I do think there are some misconceptions that we need to get over when we talk about darning/patching.

• 1) You will always see the mend.
• 2) The process does not take as long as you think. For the practice ones I'm going to show, they took no more than an hour. Not too bad to get regular wear back from your garment. And these were both done by hand.

I prefer to do a mend by hand, especially if the repair is on the bias. Why? I find hand sewing is a bit looser than machine sewing, and if its concentrated in a worn area, the mend has the tendency to work with the fabric, instead of being like a 'brick wall' against the fabric. Hope that made sense.

Tutorial one: Mending a hole.

And the winner is....

Porcelina

Congratulations! Just send me an email and I'll send your pattern right out to you.

Thanks for all those who entered! I'll have another giveaway soon! 

Yay sewing!

Last day of the giveaway!

Don't forget today is the last day to enter the Make and mend Giveaway.

I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Have a great day!

Random Make & Mend project of the day.

I have this G.H. Bass heavy canvas duffle laundry bag that I think I got from Restoration Hardware a looooog time ago on clearance. It's got a circular bottom, about 2 1/2 feet tall, with a grommet drawstring top. It's very classic in it's design like an old sailor or army laundry pack. I guess that's why I got it.

The Make & Mend 2011 giveaway!!

Happy Monday all! 

Another week has begun (technically yesterday, but you know) and there is opportunity ahead of us. I hope everyone is doing great with their Make and Mend projects. I'm starting up a couple and I hope to do about 8 this week. Nothing too spectacular just some sleeves and skirts and such.

As motivation to you all you lovely people, I'm having a giveaway!

Its a button front 40s day dress in its factory fold! Best thing is it's a 40 bust. This lovely princess seamed frock even has it's original mailing envelope. W00T!

The ick of procrastination.

First off, I've put up more photos of the flapper dress on NVL. The finished balboa dress is coming shortly.

We have all been there. You need to do something, how ever minor, but you keep putting it on the back burner of life even though doing said tasks will make something easier. It could be writing a letter, or mailing in a rebate before it expires. Calling some person, or putting all those patterns away. Those tiny things always add up, and for me, they are always so hard to get done.

I can do the big stuff, I can always do the maintenance that is seemingly routine, but those tiny things that I mentioned seem to stump me. I don't know why, really. It's not like these tasks won't take more than a few minutes each. Perhaps its the idea of complexity changing the task of the brain for a different project. Even for 5 minutes. Brain lazy. Man, have I come to that?

I'm taking this to task with Make & Mend. I actually wrote some letters that needed to be written, sent out some stuff, took out tons of boxes for recycling and just did some minor odds and ends. I feel cleaner, you know?

Also I started on my repro dress. 

First project announcements.

Is everyone ready to get started!!?? I am.

I've narrowed down my first projects for Make & Mend and I'm excited to get started on them.

First off I was excited a recent supply purchase came in. When I was at the Queen Mary a couple of weeks ago, one of the gals had this delightful burlap sack purse. It was modern, but I thought it was so cute. I recently came across a modern burlap potato sack, and I thought what better time than to make one.

I have this amazing 4 page WWII booklet on how to make grocery bags, but for the life of me I can't find it! I know I'll find it one day, when I'm not looking.

The bamboo purse handles I got from this website. They were a great price but shipping was a lot because they came from Australia. Still, they were just what I was looking for.

Stout Alteration Tricks: Pants-rise to the occasion.