SEWN : SILK MAXI SKIRT

My middie skirt was a trial run for this maxi skirt.  I did make a few changes which I put below.

Pattern: None, I made this by cutting 2 rectangles and gathering them.  The width of the fabric was 45" but I cut it down to 30" at the top and then tapered it to the full width at the bottom.

Textiles Used: green silk for outer and polyester lining.  I got it all from Vogue Fabrics.

The Good:  I love it.  I love the color the silk fabric.  I have been wanting a woven maxi for awhile and am really excited to wear it.

The Bad :  It's a little hard to walk in especially when the wind is blowing.  I am still figuring out how to accessorize it.  I think I need a statement necklace or something.

Conclusion: Love the skirt and can't wait to wear it.  I am still figuring out if maxi's are just for spring/fall or if I can get away with them in the summer too.  I think I may be maxied out at the moment, but am glad that I made this.

PS I am entering this in to the patternreview natural fabrics contest.  Cross your fingers for me.

SEWN : ORANGE MIDDIE SKIRT

I have been wanting a good middie skirt for awhile now so I decided to put one together with some rayon challis that I bought awhile back.  It was really easy and fast.  It was also kinda a trial run for a maxi version of the same skirt that I am working on.  I wanted to make sure that the drape around the waist wouldn't be too bulky.  I should have that skirt done in a couple of days and will get some picks up right away.


Pattern: None, I made this by cutting 2 rectangles and gathering them (each were the full with of the fabric 55").  Then adding a waistband and pockets.  Very simple.

Textiles Used: orange rayon challis from fashionfabricsclub.com  (I know I am obsessed with rayon challis right now)

The Good:  I love it.  I love the color and ease of the drape.  I am pretty excited about how it turned out.

The Bad: I might omit the pockets next time.  It made the zipper tricky to put in and added a bit of bulk to the hips.

Conclusion: I don't think that I need to make any more middie skirts right now, but am pretty excited about the lengthened version of this skirt that I am currently working on.

MEMADEMAY DAYS 21 - 26

So it's certainly getting harder and harder to find outfits that I want to wear without repeating any outfits from earlier in the month.  I really wish that I had made some new knit tops or something so that I didn't feel like I needed to dress up in a skirt almost everyday.  Oh well.  I know for next time I guess.  It's close enough to see the finish line!

sewn item : black mission maxi dress

sewn item : revised jenny skirt (never blogged)

so this day is a bit of a stretch.  It was just one of those days when I felt fat and just didn't want to wear a skirt.  So I put on this top and cutoffs.  The top I added the stripes with freezer paper and fabric paint.  It is usually more of a bedtime shirt, but today it saw the light of day.

sewn item : another revised jenny skirt - this time in a dark jean. never blogged.

sewn item : anthro knock-off shirt.  Never blogged, but I used the same method as this top.

SEWN : COLORBLOCK TODDLER SWING TANK 2T

I had some small scraps left over from some things that I have been working on.  They weren't big enough to make a whole tank, so I color blocked them together to make one.  I also added a small pocket, but otherwise it is the same as the regular swing tank pattern.  Go here to download the pattern and make one too.

MEMADEMAY DAYS 13-20

This week was certainly the hardest so far for me.  Not only were we traveling for a few of the days, but I also had a couple of days where I just never got out of my workout clothes.  I'm not the only one who has days like that right?

Sewn item : Silk Darling Ranges Dress

Upcycled item : Mustard middie skirt

Sewn item : Black Mission Maxi Dress

Sewn items : Chambray Blazer and Polka Dot Scout Woven Tee

Self Made Item : Freezer paper tshirt (in my defense I was only traveling today)

SEWN : SHORT SLEEVED MCCALLS 6044

I made another version of McCalls 6044 for my husband this week.  This time I did a short sleeved version which made it a considerably shorter process.  My review is pretty much the same as the last version.  You can see it here.

MEMADEMAY DAYS 5 - 12

I have to apologize for being a little late with this.  We ended up going camping this weekend and so I wasn't able to post before we left.  So here it is.  Week 2 of MeMadeMay.

Self made item : Chambray blazer

Self made items : Dot Woven Scout Tee and Jenny skirt variation (never blogged)

Self made item : Purple ponte knit skirt (never blogged)

Self made item : Heart woven scout tee

Self made item : Anthro knock-off cardi

Self made item : Another Jenny skirt variation (never blogged)

REVIEW : BROTHER 1034D SERGER

I bought my serger from Amazon about a month ago and so I thought that it was about time that I gave a formal review of it in case any of you are looking to invest in one too.

The Good :   I can't believe what a great deal this is. I was pretty skeptical because it was so cheap, but it had so many other great reviews so I thought I would give it a try.  I sew a lot and so have probably already made 5 garments with it and it has been great.  No tension problems (my biggest fear).  I havn't tried a lot of the extras yet, but am planning on doing some posts soon as I explore those.  I couldn't recommend this machine enough, especially for a first serger.  I am sure that eventually I may want something more fancy and sturdy, but for the time being this is all that I can afford and so I am so happy that I can have a machine that does the job for the time being.

The Bad : I will say that I can feel a big difference in sturdiness between this and my Bernina sewing machine.  I doubt that it has many metal parts - mostly plastic - which will not last as long.  It's pretty loud and shakes a lot.  My husband does not love it when I serg while he is trying to watch TV.  My biggest complaint is that it is not easily portable.  It has a dinky handle on the back and so every time I end up moving it I end up unthreading it or having pieces fall off.  I live in an apartment and don't have room for a designated sewing area so I end up moving it from the kitchen table to the closet constantly. Any suggestions?

Conclusion : Overall I would say that this is a great machine for the money you pay.  I doubt this will be my last serger, but I hope it will at least last me for 5 years and at the price I feel like that is a steal.  It has changed the way I sew to have a serger.  If I had waited to afford an expensive serger I would have had to wait for at least another couple of years so I would say that I am very happy with the purchase.

MEMADEMAY DAYS 1-4

Like I mentioned before I will be posting the weeks Me Made May outfits every Friday.  You have already seen some of of these because they were newly made items that I featuring on my blog, but I thought I would post them again along with the others so that you get a more overall view of how my week went.

So far so good.  I am definitely feeling pushed to make combinations that I never thought of before.  Already a little tougher than I had imagined.

Day 1

Sewn item(s) -  Polka Dot Woven Scout Tee.

Day 2

Sewn item(s) - White Jean pencil skirt loosely based on the Jenny Skirt (never blogged)

Day 3

Sewn item(s) - Tie Dyed Mission Maxi Dress

Day 4

Sewn item(s) - Sweetheart blouse made from Simplicity 2599. (sorry that it's out of focus)

TUTORIAL : TIE DYE MAXI

Just finished this tie dye maxi and am kinda in love with it.  I have been so excited to show you all.  So here is the finished outfit and below that you will find pics of my step by step tie dying.

Pattern : Mission Maxi by Jamie Christina

Materials Used : White knit fabric from JoAnns (sorry I am not sure what it is made of but probably some cotton/rayon/spandex blend), some Navy Blue fabric Dye, and a lot of rubber bands.

Changes : After making another version of this pattern in past, I decided that I wanted a bit more room around the bottom of the maxi.  Starting at the hips I graded out to about 2 inches on the bottom on either side of the dress (both front and back).  I really like the extra amount of fabric.  It just flows a little more and allows for easier walking.

What I would change next time : I really don't know if I need more than 2 maxi dresses, but if I do I think I will draft some sleeves and maybe a v neckline for one.

Conclusion : Love how this turned out.  Not only is this a great fashion forward pattern, but the tie dye was much easier and more fun that I anticipated.



Now for some pics/steps for making the tie dye.

1-I began by making the dress most of the way.  I sewed the side seams, shoulder seam, and attached all of the bindings, but did not do any topstitching or hemming.  I wanted to wait on those so that I could match the color of thread to the dyed fabric.

2-Then I took rubber bands and twisted them around the entire width of the dress every 4 or 5 inches. I just eyeballed it.  I used about 4-6 rubberbands for each section to make sure that they were bold stripes.  (hint - my rubberbands kept breaking and so I found if I twisted them three at a time they were stronger and wouldn't break, plus it went faster.)

3-Next I mixed my Navy Dylon Dye according to the directions and and let it soak in the dye for an hour stirring occasionally.

4-Then I rinsed it in cold water for about ten minutes and then carefully clipped all of the rubberbands off.  (the most exciting point).

5-Now time for the finishing touches.  I washed and dried my dress on warm and then finished stitching the bindings and hem with the matching thread.  

SEWN : ANOTHER SCOUT TEE + MEMADEMAY DAY 1

Today is the first day of MeMadeMay and I am excited to start it off with another version of the Scout Tee by Grainline Studio.  This time I used some Rayon Challis from Fashionfabricsclub.com.

For MeMadeMay I will be wearing at least one sewn or upcycled garment every day.  I will be posting a recap every Friday of the previous week's outfits.