Two Little Dresses

I made these two dresses for the granddaughter, who will be 7 years old this fall.

This first one is McCall's L9462. (sort of) It's made from scraps so the skirt is pieced together, as you can see. And I added pockets which don't exactly line up but it's okay. It has pockets! It's a little short. Not too short, just that she will grow out of it sooner.

Next is New Look 6205. First time I have used this pattern. And I forgot to add pockets to it. My bad. It was very easy. I like it so well I really wish it came in my size too.

She likes them both. Pink and purple are her favorite colors.

The Fine Art of Never Letting Go

I'm sorry I don't have a Before photo. So here's the story. I made a dress ages ago - maybe 20 years, I can't remember - out of this really cute yellow and white check with ladybugs. But it didn't turn out well. I loved it until I put it on and looked in the mirror, then it just didn't work for me. I tried once to fix it by making a complete new bodice for it. Slight improvement but it still didn't work. So for years I tried to think of something else to do to fix it. I considered giving it to Goodwill but it's so hard to let go.

Finally a few weeks ago it hit me. Why not make something for the granddaughter! The pattern is McCall's L9462, plus pockets from another pattern.

Yes it's wrinkled. Don't judge; Her mom honestly doesn't have time for ironing.

You may notice she's holding something very small in her hand.

It was quick and easy to make and she likes it.

But the story doesn't end there. I had a few little scraps left and I had an idea. So I searched for and quickly found some black and white stripe fabric. I used New Look 6963, my current favorite long shirt pattern and here's what I came up with:

And the back:

This is different for me. I don't often wear stripes and never anything as plain as black and white stripes but I love this. Sometimes less really is more. Less of this adorable ladybug check fabric works so much better than more. And best of all, I was able to let go and yet not let go.

A Little Something

I bought this pattern several years ago. I never had any great enthusiasm for it. I was hoping something new would make me stop using the same three dress patterns over and over again (Not that there's anything wrong with that) and this seemed like something that might work for me. But before I got around to making it I started to have doubts about it, mainly about the high, wide neckline. (and I'm not sure about the shoulder strap version.)

I hardly paid any attention to the little jacket. I had this piece of lovely seafoam green woven polyester, left over from something I made way back in the late 80s or early 90s. For a long time I have had it in the back of my mind to make a little jacket and recently everything just clicked - this fabric, this pattern. And so...

The pattern is for a lined jacket but I didn't want a lining so I cut facings out of a lightweight fabric (cotton? cotton/poly?) that is nearly the same color. It didn't quite turn out perfect but I love it.

And now here's a funny thing - while I was cutting out the pattern pieces for the jacket I started to feel little stirrings of enthusiasm for the dress so maybe I will make it. Maybe.

This was a bigger piece of fabric than I thought it was and I actually have enough to make something else, possibly a skirt if I wore short straight skirts, which I don't. That's okay; maybe in another 30 years I'll figure out something to make out of it.

The dress in the photo is just what I happened to have on when I decided to photograph the jacket. It's several years old. I can't remember if I ever blogged it or even what pattern I used.

Colorful

This will be quick because I don't have anything very interesting to say about this make. I originally planned to make a different kind of top with this fabric but I really love it and I wanted to make something I know I will wear a lot and that is...

... another New Look 6963! I shortened the sleeves a bit on this one.

And it's finally warm enough to wear short sleeves. At least in the afternoon. This month as been crazy so far.

Transitioning to Spring

I took at least a dozen pictures of myself (tripod and timer) and every single one of them was out of focus. I should try again, maybe wait until it's warmer and take outdoor photos, but I am impatient to get a new blog post up so here are the two best ones and maybe later I'll update it with a better photo.

It's another New Look 6963 and I love it. It's funny... I wouldn't say hunter green is one of my favorite colors but every time I put on something that color and look in the mirror I think, "Yes, this really works for me." I love the tiny floral print. That makes it perfect for spring even though dark green isn't usually a color associated with this time of year. I was originally thinking of using pink buttons but I didn't have any that were the right pink in my button stash and I didn't want to wait and these marbled green and black ones seemed to go perfectly with the fabric so now I'm glad I didn't have the right pink.

I do want to say something about this fabric. It's a digital print, which I guess is supposed to be sort of a big deal? At least it's priced like it's a big deal. I will be generous in my thoughts and try to believe that there is probably something about the process that makes digital printing more expensive and they're not just charging extra for the supposed coolness factor. Of course, I waited for a 40% off sale and bought this and another digital print. I don't see any difference between them and any other cotton print but that's not a bad thing. Just sayin'.

I do have one pet peeve about it: the selvedge is over an inch wide. And the total fabric width was only 43 inches so there's slightly less than 42 inches of usable fabric width. It wasn't a problem with this pattern but I still feel a little cheated and ever so slightly pissed off.

Anyway, here's the evidence and you get to see the sweet little print.

A Fun, Colorful Shirt

I saw these two fabrics sitting next to each other at the store and they looked so good together I immediately got an idea what to do with them. I don't have a lot of time to post this so I won't gush about how much I love it or obsess over its minor flaws. Just the details. It's New Look 6078 with the sleeves, collar, and button band of Simplicity 1538 with a yoke that I added on top of it.

And the back

And a close-up of these adorable fabrics

Tunics, Old and New

Before I show you something new I have to show you something old.

I made this tunic over 10 years ago, maybe over 15. I like it but I haven't worn it a lot. A couple of things bother me about it. I'm not really comfortable with the baby doll style because it makes me think of a maternity top. What bothers me more though, is that the neckline feels too wide. I can do something about that and I'm old enough now that nobody is going to mistake me for being preggo so I decided to try it again with a piece of fabric that's been in my stash for several years without any kind of plan or ambition.

I added an inch to the inside edge of the yoke. I also lengthened it a little. I don't know why I did that. It was long enough to start with. Just an idea that popped into my head for no reason. I don't know if you can see them in the photo but there are butterflies, dragonflies, and bees flitting around among the flowers.

I like it. The neckline feels much better now and the length is fine even though it's almost what many would consider dress length. For me it's still a tunic. It's a comfortable, loungey kind of tunic and I think it will mostly be hanging out at home reading, watching TV, and puttering around the house doing housewifey things. We also need pretty things for days when we have nowhere to go.

Goal: Sew fabric that I have had for 2+ years at least once a month (or 12 times this year) 5/12

The Call of the New

Since I'm doing really good with my goal of sewing from the older stash I felt like I could afford to give in to some of the more recently purchased fabrics that have been calling to me so strongly. I have so much that I want to sew right now and most of it is fabric I have purchased in the past 6 - 8 months.

You know fabric is like potato chips. You can't go into a fabric store and leave with only a half yard of fabric. When I went to the little local quilt shop to buy the blue pin dot I needed for the last project this fabric spoke to me and I could not ignore it.

And I knew right away it had to be another New Look 6963. ("Hey Lynn, how are you doing with that goal of using some of your unused patterns?" - "Shut up. I'll get to it eventually.")

This year I've been feeling a need for more tunics and long shirts so I'll have more choices of things to wear with comfy stretch pants and leggings. (In this pic I'm wearing it with loose fitting jeans.)

This is another one of those garments that I like way better when I'm just wearing than when I'm looking at pictures of myself wearing it. Which means, I like it. No, I love it. Very comfy and colorful like all my favorite clothes.

Fresh Oranges

I don't have just one favorite color but I'm really feeling the orange this year. It's such a happy color, don't you think? I feel like I'm spreading happiness wherever I go when I'm wearing orange.

The pattern is New Look 6963. The check fabric is from the Kona Colorworks 2 collection. I've had it in my stash for two or three years. It's a wonderful, crisp cotton with a sturdy feel. I keep hoping Kona will come out with a Colorworks 3 collection because Colorworks 2 is all sold out everywhere I go. The stiffness of the fabric makes for some weird wrinkles and some other wrinkles are because I've already been wearing it for over half the day but I don't care. I only mentioned it because I'm sure someone else will notice. You know, life gives us wrinkles. Wrinkles are just signs that we've been living our lives.

The floral fabric isn't exactly the right orange (you can't tell in the photos) but the way I saw it I had 3 choices: 1. keep looking for the perfect orange and white floral for the rest of my life; 2. tell my OCD self to just shut up and let me do this; or 3. abandon my original plan and just use the check by itself. As you can see I picked option 2 and it was the right choice. I'm totally happy with it.

Here's the back. (and, so sorry, the ugly backs of arms too)

And I have to show you the buttons. One of the buttons.

I rescued these from a blouse that I do not love. (Except for when I go through my closet looking for stuff to give to Good Will then suddenly I do love it very much.) Whether I donate it or keep it I will eventually have to put buttons on the unloved blouse but I do love these buttons and I think they look much better on this shirt, which I also love.

Goal: Sew fabric that I have had for 2+ years at least once a month (or 12 times this year) 3/12

Sewing the Wrong Season

Everything about this fabric says FALL! But it also kept saying "Sew me next! Sew me next!" I tried to resist. I spent lots of time going through my sizable stash trying to get inspired by something more appropriate for mid to late winter or even early spring but this burgundy leaf print is all I wanted to sew.

I used New Look 6963 view C with sleeves from a different pattern. I've sewed it like this a couple of times before and I really like it. It's comfortable to wear but has just a bit of shaping, thanks to back darts.

I love it but now I'm over fall and I'm getting interested in sewing for spring, the prettiest time of year.

Late Resolutions... No Wait, Let's Not Call Them That

I don't make New Year's Resolutions so I didn't even think about it at the time everyone else was making their resolutions but now I have thought of two that I want to try. Except, I think I just want to call them goals, not resolutions.

#1. At least once a month I will sew a fabric that I have had in the stash for two years or longer. I decided to make this a goal because in 2017, especially the second half of the year, I kept finding "shiny" new fabrics that I absolutely had to buy and sew right away. This one should actually be pretty easy though.

#2. I will use at least four patterns that I already own and have not used. What, only four? Yes, only four. This one will be the more difficult of my two goals. I have about half a dozen patterns that I use over and over again and some fairly large number of patterns that I have not used at all, the oldest of which I bought in the 1980s. I like finding new patterns but making myself use them for the first time is hard.

* * * * *

Here is the first of my Goal #1 makes. I have had this fabric for a fairly long time, maybe as long as ten years.

I am a woman of varying moods. Sometimes I want to look like I just graduated from clown college; other times I'm in the mood for a sweet little print in sensible colors.

For a long time I was indecisive about what pattern to use but I finally decided to go with my original plan which was New Look 6078. That's one of my TNT patterns but it has been quite a while since I last made one.

I don't like the front band on this pattern so I always make it with a standard front placket from a different pattern or a simple self facing as I have done here. I also usually leave off the Peter Pan collar. Something was not quite right this time. The fit seems looser than my earlier versions and it is definitely not because there's less of me. But I like it. It's a good, basic top for my more "sensible" moods.

Stashbusting goal: 1/12

And Another New Look 6963

I think this is the last one of these I'll be making for a while.

I normally wouldn't choose a fabric with this much gray but this one is so cute and geeky. It's vintage control panel stuff with cute little faces hidden in it.

It's a nice, lightweight 100% cotton - perfect for a summer shirt. I don't wear shirts and trousers much in the summer though. Dress weather is here. I have only worn the last one I made twice so far. But once in a while I do want something like this and I like to have choices.

* * *

That picture of me above will be the last one taken on that deck because it's gone now. We demolished it to make way for something bigger and better - a huge building project that's going to take weeks at least. That has been occupying my mind lately to the exclusion of almost everything else but I have managed to finish another sewing project which I will post later.