Quick Summer Tops

I am really good at making plans. Not so great at following through. I made a lot of plans for this month.

In the month of May I wanted to:

• Sew along with all four weeks of Project Sewn
• Make two outfits for the Knock It Off Sew Along
• Finish a complete summer outfit for every member of the family
• Sew three baby blankets for the triplets.
• Finish two doll skirts and possibly matching shirts

Simple, right? I should be able to get them done with plenty of time to spare.

Oh crap, I just remembered. I don’t have super powers.

What’s a mere mortal supposed to do when they realize the month is 2/3 of the way over and she’s not even half way done with her list? Oh yea, cheat.

Ashley pinned this photo of a denim tie front tank top from DKNY a little while back, and my favorite pattern shop  just happened to release a pattern that would work well for recreating it.

So I got the first Knock it off project done, and summer tops for both the girls in one swoop.

More about the Tank Tops

Pattern: Hattie Button Up Tank Top 
Fabric: Denim and Medium Weight Animal Print Twill.

Pattern Alterations:

• Skipped the ruffle on both
• Added One inch length to both
• Skipped the bias tape on the denim version. My machine just couldn’t handle it.

I automatically add an inch to the length to any Peek A Boo Pattern I use for my daughters. They are such skinny little waifs, my girls.

I like that I am so comfortable with a pattern company that I know exactly what changes will need to be made before I even start to sew.

If you are planning to sew the Hattie Tank Top  pattern make sure you take a look at the Susie Sundress as well. It's half price today only.  The half price sale is over for this week, but don't worry, she puts a different pattern on sale every Thursday!

How to Mark Buttons and Buttonholes for a Perfect Match

How was everyone's weekend? Did you get a lot accomplished?  One of my goals was to start sewing some summer clothes for the kids. The first project in my summer sewing line up is the Hattie button up tank top from Peek a Boo Patterns in some denim and twill that I have in my stash. 

The shirts aren't quite ready to show you just yet but I did want to give you this quick photo tutorial of how I get my buttons and buttonholes to match perfectly the first time. 

Feel free to ask questions or make suggestions in the comments. 

Me In The 80's

I've decided to sit out 80's week on Project Sewn. At least I was able to participate in the first two weeks.

...Don't be sad, cause two out of three ain't bad...

Now that I've got that out of my system, I can let you know that I still plan to submit something for week 4. In the meantime I'll be catching up on a few other sewing projects, including summer clothes for the kids, baby gifts for the triplets, and maybe helping my sister with some mending and refashions. 

I have a bad habit of planning more than I actually have time to accomplish  so don't be surprised if all I get done is the summer clothes.

Finally, In honer of Project Sewn Inspired by the 80's week, here is a picture of me and two of my sisters in the 80's. My youngest sister wasn't born yet so you'll have to wait till someone does a 90's week to see her.

Good Luck to all of the contestants and Sew Alongers! I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

My First Grown Up Dress

I wore a skirt to my own wedding. It was a beautiful day. I was surrounded by the people I love. I wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe I would wear a dress.

It occurred to me while making this dress for Project Sewn, that I am 29 years old and I haven't owned a dress at any point in my adult life. Is that normal?

I felt incredibly awkward when I first put it on. Especially in the red heels that I borrowed from my sister (by the way Marie, I borrowed your shoes). I almost thought about not entering this week. That was until I saw the pictures. 

I am not sure if it is the fact that I live in one of the most beautiful places in the entire world, or the fact that my husband is an amazing photographer, but I love these pictures. They make me feel like a princess in a fairy tale. 

All of my fears from last week completely vanished. I couldn't wait to post these pictures.

I used a jersey knit from Walmart. I know some of you are cringing, but I gotta respect the budget. 

The bodice started out as a ready to wear copy cat. I made the pattern using the pin and cardboard method. Then I changed everything at the last minute and raised the neckline changed the armholes, and removed the twist detail so that I could add the ruched waist band. 

I used elastic thread in the bobbin and sewed a straight vertical line every inch and a half.  Making the waistband was easy. Attaching it was not. The ends kept curling up. I had to resew the darn thing on twice. The skirt is pretty basic. just some gathering at the waistline.

I've been looking at everyone else's work for this week. There is some tough competition but I hope that you will consider voting for me starting Friday.

I've Got the Creativity, Now Give Me the Skills!

I have been nursing a horrible stomach flu all week and haven't gotten any sewing done so I have no new projects to post. But while I was lying in bed I was looking through some drafts that I never posted and thought this one would be perfect. I am new to the amazon affiliate program so this post does contain affiliate links.

Sewing is all about creativity, the problem is that sometimes our creativity can surpass our skill level. Luckily I am way to stubborn to let a pesky little thing like lack of know how stand in my way. Whenever I'm not sure exactly how to achieve the design I want, I turn to books.

There are 2 books in particular that I refer to most often when I run into trouble, or just have a general sewing question.

The first is The Colette Sewing Handbook: Inspired Styles and Classic Techniques for the New Seamstress . I'll admit that I haven't actually used any of the patterns in this book yet, even though I've had it for a year.  But believe it or not, the 5 patterns included in the book are not where most of the value lies.

The book is an amazing reference book. There is a chart for choosing the right sewing needle for your fabric, instructions on making your own bias tape, diagrams of different fabrics and their drapes. The list goes on and on. I consider this book indispensable and refer to it at least once on almost every sewing project.

The second book I couldn't live without is More Fabric Savvy: A Quick Resource Guide to Selecting and Sewing Fabric. I use this book whenever I am shopping for fabric online, so there are no surprises when the fabric arrives. On the rare occasion that I make the hour and a half drive to my nearest fabric store, I also take it with me.

On top of sharing all of the gritty details about every type of fabric you can imagine, and what it can be used for, it also offers tips on sewing with the fabrics. So I consider it another must have book.

There are also a few books on my wishlist that I haven't been able to purchase yet.

The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting : I've just ventured into the world of sewing clothe's for myself and need to make a few perfectly fitting sloppers to help boost my confidence.

Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond: Crewel, Cross Stitch, Sashiko & More : Embroidery is another skill I would like to master. I have a six year old who is learning and doing quite well. Her skill level has already surpassed mine! Something has to be done about that.


Patchwork, Please!: Colorful Zakka Projects to Stitch and Give:
I thought this would be a great book for shrinking the huge piles of scrap fabric that I just can't seem to part with. I hate  to throw away any fabric, but I really don't have room to keep piles of scraps, so I need some fun scrap busting projects to use it up.

If you own any of these books please let me know what you think of them in the comments section below.