Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Polka Dot Dress


This is another dress I sewed over the summer. I thought the Maryy pattern from Burda would be a fun easy pattern for a summer dress. And it was for the most part. The pattern was fairly easy to follow, I tend not to use the instructions and this was great with minimal pattern pieces.
The fabric was another I found at Walmart. I’m glad to see the Walmarts are slowly adding back there fabric sections, but I seem to remember the fabric being slightly cheaper. If I had known that I would be paying $6 a yard for this, I would have headed to Jo Anns. 
This is a cotton and it would have been better if it was a tinch lighter. I found it was more flattering to belt this dress, which is fine by me. Always being cold generally means I’m wearing a cardigan anyway. I just so happened to have one from Old Navy that matches fairly well.
I had to add some fabric to the bust. Apparently I suck at measuring things and when I first tired on the top portion of this even adding the zipper wasn’t going to help me any. That was an easy alteration and I’ll remember to remeasure the next time I make this and make the part that covers my chest larger as well! 
The problems are easily fixed by wearing a camisole underneath the dress, which works out perfectly! I also altered this to work as a halter. This was me not following directions and wining it. I think at that point I had lost track of the instructions because they were buried under something.
I’ll definitely make another dress with this pattern. It’s such an easy pattern and I’m very fond of the dress, even if the fabric is a bit heavier than I would like it to be.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Blue Flowers


Here is one of the dresses I sewed over the summer. I took it from Simplicty 2884, which I all ready sewed another dress from in Made in the US of A. I saw the fabric at Walmart and instantly thought of this pattern. So what I all ready had a dress made from said pattern? The more the merrier! I’m just slightly disappointed that I didn’t bring it down to grad school with me, but I don’t think I could have fit it in my closet if I did.
I put boning in this sucker, which greatly helps holding things up in the back. Next time I make this, I need to remember to buy more than the recommended amount, I could have used a few more pieces around the bodice. I did have to fiddle around with the bodice piece some. It did not fit very well around my abdomen at first, so I had to go let out part of the patter, which worked out perfectly. I need to learn to make muslims of these things first.
As with the last dress I made using this pattern, I did not follow the skirt the pattern provided. I didn’t have enough fabric so I just did a dirndl skirt. That worked out just fine for me.

Please pardon the grainy photos. I took them at home before I came back down to Savannah and did not pull out my tripod, which really would have worked better. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Roses All Around



Since I’ve been busy the past few months, I haven’t had a lot of time to document or take pictures of everything I’ve sewn. These roses are one of those little things that escaped my camera when I first did them.
I have a lot of fabric scraps from sewing. Some of these scraps have been turned into a quilt, or the beginning of one really. Some strips were smaller than the 2 inch squares that I need and rather long. They became these roses. 
There was a blog tutorial I used for these. Alas, I can’t remember what blog or tutorial I used! That’s the problem with not doing things right away and school taking over my life. I did these in April or June, as I remember it being warm and trying to avoid writing papers, much like I’m doing now... I see a trend here.
I’m not sure what I have in store for these. I’ve been wracking my brain on what to add them too and have come up with nothing. Then again I haven’t sewn anything since August. I’m sure once I get working on some of the patterns I have I’ll be able to use them. For now they’re sitting on my sewing table looking cute.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Granny Blanket


If anyone was wondering where I was, I have one simple explanation for falling off the face of the Earth: school. I have three classes and one is an independent study. That means I am writing papers, researching, and working on presentations constantly. Mind you I only have class four days a week. In theory I should have time a plenty to sew on the weekends, not the case. I work two jobs. If I’m not in class then I’m doing work study for my department. And if I work 10-4 on the weekends, add in a half our commute each way and there goes my day!
I had to put my sewing machine away because my library books consumed the table where I sew. That was a sad day. I nearly shed a tear. I’m preparing to work on my thesis so things are getting hectic and I’m trying to apply for phd programs, as if things weren’t complicated enough! Sewing has sadly been pushed to the back burner. 
My Winter Break is coming up and I’ll be down South for a few weeks before I head home, without my sewing machine. Somehow I don’t think that would work too well as a carry on...
I have been crocheting though. That is easily pushed out of my way and I’ve been working on a granny square blanket for about two years. Yeah, that sucker needs to get finished. It’s currently on my floor baiting me to finish it before my three papers and two presentations. 

This blanket was started to use up some of my accumulated yarn. It kinda, maybe, sorta just took over. I have had to buy a few more skeins of yarn than I expected.  I’m not quite finished with this either. I would like this to be a bit longer. It needs to fit on my bed and keep my warm. My comforter is rather thin and I pile on the blankets during the winter months. Yes, even in the South I pile on the blankets. It doesn’t matter where I am, I can’t stay warm!

If anyone wishes to estimate how much time this has taken, it takes me 15 minutes to crochet one hexagon. And this is rectangular for the most part. The top corner tried to trip me so it's staying as is!

Also, good luck to anyone who is running Savannah's Rock and Roll Marathon!