Simplicity Early Spring picks

The irony of the early spring collection being released on the first day of winter is not missed here, but I do see some things I like.

This Project Runway dress has some options that would be cute for work. I like the sketch with the contrast collar in white.

I always been a fan of princess seam dresses. I think this one would be cute in a floral for Spring.

A new knit top pattern - most definitely on my make list! I think all the views of this one are cute.

It's not like I don't have enough skirt patterns, but I really like view B with the color-blocking.

Crops are great for Spring and I love these in a fun color.

Gracie saw this pattern as she was browsing over my shoulder. She liked it a lot. I think it is sweet - another must sew!

This one is another Gracie pick as is the pillow pattern below - she likes the birds!

I like all of these designs!

Here's another fun pillow pattern. Gracie requested the bird one, but we both like the flowers.

Overall, I see several things I would like to make myself, but I am disappointed with the children's selections. Thank goodness for Ottobre!!

Wardrobe progress

I had hoped to have more projects finished by now, but considering that I interrupted my wardrobe sewing to make some Christmas outfits for my youngest two as well as some baby gifts, I think I am making good progress.

I completed Vogue 1197, a Today's Fit pattern, this evening. I love the giraffe print. It's just so cute! I'm wearing this one to work tomorrow with brown pants.

I have one more knit top cut and ready to sew, then I need to knock out a cover for this stool/chair I bought from a local used furniture shop. I'm sitting on it in this picture. It was $20 and will be wonderful in my classroom, but it needs a nice cover. I made a pattern from newspaper, but I haven't gotten to sewing it yet. I hope to complete the project this weekend so I can take this thing to school (and have it out of the house over break!).

I have been updating my wardrobe board on Pinterest with my completed projects. I like to see the visual results of my progress. I don't know if I will end up completing the planned pieces before I am ready to switch to spring/summer sewing, but we shall see...

Here are a couple of Christmas outfits I knocked out for Gracie. Both are big enough that I think she will have no issue wearing them next year. The candy cane outfit is an Ottobre top with a Farbenmix Insa skirt. That was quick to make.

I went a bit overboard, I suppose, with this next piece. It is the Feliz dress, done in bamboo corduroy with loads of ruffles and a sweet embroidered nativity scene. This took forever to stitch out and I stayed up all night to finish it so she could wear it to church the Sunday the preschoolers sang, "The Friendly Beasts." She loved that it had the animals from the song on it. I think she was very sweet-looking in this. I know my husband thought I was nuts staying up to finish this, but how precious is this little girl? She's only 4 once, and this was too perfect!

I want it all...

I have to confess: I would like all of this fabric. It is so cool. I know my local store (Elegant Stitches) just got a little of it and I can't wait to see it in person...Gracie will be getting some new duds from these pretties.

This was my brief peek at fabric...I stitched out an embroidery design, but I spent HOURS this evening executing the design of the yearbook cover my students came up with. They had better like it. ;-)

Pinterest-ing!

I have a new obsession...Pinterest! I've been able to indulge my OCD side while organizing what I want to sew and inspiration from around the web. I've set up several boards including one for my fall/winter wardrobe plan as well as one for possible spring/summer sewing for myself and for Gracie. It's a great way to organize...waste time, etc. ;-)

I'd tried using Polyvore for inspiration, but that was a lot more cumbersome and didn't work with as many sites. Pinterest is a definite improvement. It was also a great way to kill time at the car dealer this morning while I waited to have my van inspected.

I have been pinning pictures of my completed projects from my sewing plan to my board. Here are the next two to go up!

I have two more Vogue tops and an Ottobre (all knits) ready to sew. I have one more top with a similar color scheme to these planned, so I may cut that before I switch threads for the other three tops. It's definitely more efficient to do it that way.

Festive Fun-wear

All we need is some cooler weather for Gracie to rock this festive fleece coat. It's got a lot of twirl factor, and even dolly matches.

I couldn't leave Benjamin out of the fun, so I finished up his new Christmas shirt.

I also sewed up the Kate skirt from Style Arc patterns. I love it! This went together like a dream and fits very well. Plus, it made up really cute in this grape corduroy.

Thankful for my sewing machine

I ran my own Thanksgiving Day sweatshop... First up is this adorable Daisy Kingdom coat in red anti-pill fleece. It needs buttons and I want to buy a spool of black velvet ribbon for trim. Otherwise, it is done.

I had just a teensy bit of fleece left, so I made this:

Gracie's doll will look so cute in a coordinating coat! It also needs buttons, but I'll sew them on when I do the ones for the bigger coat.

I also made a new outfit for Gracie from Fabrenmix's "Nadya" pattern - it is too cute! I was inspired to sew this for her after making up a baby/big sister pair of outfits for some friends of mine due with their second daughter in a few weeks.

These are both Ottobre patterns, but the appliques on all three are Designs by Juju. I just love the combination of the print and stripe. I started with two yards of each and made all of these outfits PLUS Gracie had a onesie out of the stripe when she was one and I still had enough of both fabrics to make a receiving blanket with stripes on one side and the print on the other.

Along with all of those adorable Patsy Aiken/Chez Ami fabrics, I also am working on this (from more of these great knits) for Benjamin: I will be placing an applique/embroidery design on the front - haven't decided which one yet, but something fun for a 6 year old boy.

Gracie is all ready to wear her new outfit out shopping at Joann's tomorrow - 25%off your whole purchase before noon. I need some things - like thread and a seam ripper (just broke mine yesterday). I refuse to go out NOW to hang out at Walmart or Target or the mall. That is just nuts. My shopping is done (;-P) and I figure I made my own Black Friday deals. Plus, when I ordered 13 yards of fabric from Fabric Mart today ($40 with shipping!!!), no one had to leave their house to ring me up.

Grey...great!

I've never been a big fan of the color grey - it lacks too much color for my tastes.However, I have just completed two dresses using a lovely pewter grey ponte knit and I like them both very much.

McCall's 6432 has great lines and was very easy to alter for a large bust since it was a cup size pattern. I got a lot of compliments when I wore it to work, too!

McCall's 6395 turned out even better than I imagined it would. It felt a little risky mixing two different weight knits, but by lining the bodice, it made a big difference. I know the zipper and the lightweight jersey didn't play well (hence the puckering, but I don't care). I'm happy with it.

The zipper details on the sleeves as well as the exposed one on back drive up the project cost a little, but they are great details.

Up next, a couple of holiday fashions for the young'uns and then back to my wardrobe.

Addicted? Yes...new patterns!

So, yesterday I was out shopping and found myself stuck at the dreaded mall play area watching kiddos #3 & 4 run amok with the other little kids and I pulled out my smart phone. I was b-o-r-e-d...checked email...what was this? New Buttericks??? Of course, I discovered this just as I was calling the little darlings over to retrieve their shoes so we could keep moving. I ended up walking through the mall while trying to peek at patterns on that tiny screen.

Here are my faves (now that I could actually see them in some detail without pushing the image around my tiny screen):

B5708 is really cute and would make a lovely summer dress.

I like the tops of B5709 - except for the one with the asymetrical hem. I haven't been a fan of that trend.

I enjoy a good sleepwear pattern that I can use with my extensive stash of Patsy Aiken knits. It's fun to sew something for myself in a print that would be too cute for anything else.

Can you have enough bag patterns? I think not...plus, I really like the smaller items in B5728.

Overall, I maintain one complaint from the last few catalogs: where are the kids' patterns??? No, the robe and the baby bunting do NOT count.

Winter Wardrobe - the little black and grey dresses

I just completed piece #2 - McCall's 5924:

I love this printed ponte knit fabric (G Street - last piece!). I especially like how it looks hemmed with this black ponte as a contrast. While I was planning my wardrobe pieces, I went through my stash of ponte knit (thanks for the sale last month, Fabric Mart) and got inspired.

While I have the knit out, I plan to cut McCall's 6432 with basically the same color combo as the sketch (but my grey is slightly darker - more of a pewter grey).

Then I will take the remaining pewter grey and use it for the skirt of McCall's 6395. I plan to combine the contrast view with the long sleeve view. My version will also have a lighter grey top portion, but mine will be out of a print. I do plan to do the decorative zippers on the sleeves. I like how that looks.

Once I get these three dresses finished, I will likely tackle a top or two.

Fall & Winter Wardrobe Plan

I was cleaning up some patterns and fabric yesterday when I got the notion to sew with a plan for myself for fall and winter...and thus began the obsession. I have trouble doing things on a small scale, so before I knew it, I had a selection of patterns matched with a selection of fabrics from my stash database (yes, I have a database...it's that ridiculous).

 I made the plan in Microsoft OneNote and added yardage info for the garments I wanted to make. I then printed it out and sat down with my fabric database (and a little old-fashioned fabric fondling too) and decided on matching fabrics with patterns. I started to do this on the computer with the Modkid Madeline skirt and some Amy Butler fabrics (see top right of first image), but quickly realized that would be a headache.

At the moment, my plan includes:


14 knit tops
4 jackets
6 pants
8 dresses
11 skirts

I might make a wool coat, too, but that is the only thing I don't have fabric for in my stash right now.


Some of the highlights from the fabric stash include a lot of lovely knits - mainly ITY jersey and ponte knits. I have a fabulous velveteen for the Vogue Today's fit jacket. I also have some nice corduroys and twills for pants as well as a pair denim jeans and a denim skirt with an interesting yellow pinstripe to the fabric.


The first of my planned wardrobe items, the Modkid skirt, is now complete and already reviewed!

Me! Me! Me! I've finally finished some projects for ME!

A top, a dress, and a nightgown...all for me! I don't remember when I last did three projects in a row for myself, but it felt good. I think I might just have to continue this streak.

New sewing books & fabrics

Today was a great sewing day (in the acquisitions department). My favorite local sewing store is having their anniversary sale (Elegant Stitches - link on the side of my blog) and everything is 25% off. I picked up some lovely fabrics including:

I got the last 3 yards (40% off!). ;-)

I love this pretty line pique - will make a cute summer outfit for Gracie.

I plan to use these two prints (one is Michael Miller and the other Moda) together on this dress: Modkid - Addison

I also got another Modkid pattern on clearance:

There were a couple of other fun finds on the end-of-bolt table as well.

I think this new Lila Tueller pattern is just adorable and will be making it for Gracie next summer.

I also hit the Patsy Aiken outlet where I score some great deals on their wonderful fabrics including quite a few knits. They just started putting out excess fabrics from their Fall '11 line so I did very well on the clearance shelves. 

I hit Joann's for a few zippers and needles - it was nice to hit my phone for a 25% off coupon (sign up for their text alerts!).

Finally, my sewing shopping was rounded out at Barnes and Noble. I picked up the latest issue of Threads which includes an interesting tutorial on how to make better pants pockets.

The best find, though, were these two books:

I have been eager for both of these to come out!

Now, I just need to finish up my Vogue Tracy Reese knit dress and then I can dig into some new fun - with an extra hour this weekend to sew!