Oh To Be Sewing Again!

Hello!

 

It’s been quite some time, hasn’t it? Well I’m back! I’m sewing again, with lots of projects coming up.

Today I’ll go over my Deer and Doe skirt, as well as a simple petticoat. I didn’t make them to go together, especially considering the skirt doesn’t actually need a petticoat. Made out of denim, and an a line shape, I don’t think you could even stick one under there except for decoration.

To start: The Skirt

I already have plans for multiples of this skirt. I love the shape, the fit, and the fact that it’s a high waisted skirt. High waisted fashions seem to be loved or hated with me falling into the former category. Shorts, pants, skirts, high waisted pieces are just supremely flattering in my opinion. Thankfully my boyfriend agrees. Again, sorry for the somewhat crummy pictures, lighting in Portland is not easy to work with. The ‘halo’ around my head is actually the lamp! I thought it was funny. You’ll also notice my work area is a mess. I left it like that because I feel most people don’t have a picture perfect setup or that it is indeed constantly clean and tidy. This is my true workspace and I’m not ashamed to show it off!

This pattern was very simple as well in my experience. It says for intermediate sewers on the envelope but I think a beginner would have no trouble with it. It is lined, and needs an invisible zipper, with the instructions easily explaining those steps.

What I found to be most frustrating was how to style it! The website shows the model wearing a longer, tight fitting shirt but for a more summery or casual look I experimented. I do like it with a tank top and was also happy to show my nerdy side. The shirt says Hogwarts Alumni with the crest in the middle of the shirt, something the skirt covers up.

 

To Finish: The Petticoat

My favorite part of this project is the confidence it gave me to make more petticoats of different styles, shapes, and materials.

The yoke is just basic lining fabric and the tulle isn’t anything special either. The elastic for the waist is 1.5″ I believe and when put together it makes for a cheap yet effective petticoat! This is also one of the cheaper projects. I used about 6 yards of tulle, and when it’s on sale it can be as cheap as a dollar a yard, with elastic being a couple bucks for a few yards, and lining (of which I needed a yard) can be 5 dollars or less depending on the brand and sale. So this petticoat was about 8 dollars because I only needed to buy the tulle, everything else was already in my stash. Not bad!

The shape was a little flat, so I went ahead and added more near the top.Now it has a sort of bell shape, with more volume up top and leveling out toward the bottom. I have barely enough tulle left to make a second tier but I think I will, just to get more near the bottom. Or I might take the top tier and move it down. That’s something for later though, as I’ve gotten tired of the tulle and want to work on some personal projects while I can.

Simple elastic casing, french seams where possible.

Wayward thread! But check out that french seam!

Upside down but easy enough to see how simple it is.

Sans petticoat

With petticoat

Sans petticoat

With petticoat

It’s actually a nice shape but not as common I think, so I’d like to get that lower tier to make the bottom come out a bit farther.

Like I said though, I have some fun projects coming up! I’ll be making a dress for my boyfriend’s mother for a wedding she’s going to (that I wish I could go to as well), as well as the bridesmaid dresses for the wedding I am in as maid of honor.

Aside from that, I’m working on Simplicity S0210, a 70’s dress, and I just finished up Simplicity S1460, a 50’s shirt with peplum.  I’ll blog about that later, for now I’m going to finish cutting out S0210!

I’m glad to be back to blogging, it’ll be nice to be cataloging my progress again.

 

Until next time!

—Bethany Out

Taking A Hiatus

As the title says, I’m taking a short hiatus. I’ve got a few projects going on but as of now I’ve got just a bit t00 much going on to blog about them! This is no where near a  long or permanent break, as I do enjoy blogging about my projects and I am still sewing up new things.

 

Some upcoming posts:

The Anemone Skirt from Deer&Doe patterns

Interfacing: It’s the Pits

Sewing with Denim

Fabric Haul from Hawthorne Threads

 

and more!

 

So if you do  like to stop by and say hi, thank you, and I’ll be back to chat sewing soon!

 

 

—Bethany Out

Fabric Haul, Future Plans!

Since I can’t share any pictures with you on The Fable progress, I might as well share some ideas I have for projects to work on when I’m done!

I keep buying more fabric even though I haven’t been working on anything but I’m happy to say I’ve been working harder on making sure I buy only what I know for a fact I will wear and enjoy. We know how things go: we see a beautiful fabric, take it home, and never use it because it turns out it isn’t actually our style and it sits there while you feel guilty for every buying it. I used to do this constantly. I have an entire stash of fabric I home that I haven’t even missed (aside from the faux fur) that indicates my buying habits need to be altered. I have been so good lately about buying more solids for separates and what prints I do buy are a healthy mix of professional and novelty that express my more fun side without making me feel too odd about wearing them.

I also am buying patterns to replace patterns that I like but don’t love enough to make them. Some patterns do just need the right fabric for inspiration so I haven’t gotten rid of them completely but I recognize that I didn’t pick them realistically.

Here’s the new fabrics and the patterns I bought recently as well as ideas for what to do with them.

Top left: cotton novelty fabric with sewing notions (I also have the matching reusable bag) Top middle: sheer brown poly with a fun lion print down one side      Left middle: cotton with oranges and pinks that look like brushstrokes, also the rose rayon from Gertie’s fabric line    Middle right: sheer poly with red flower motif that feels like velvet   Bottom: solid green poly blend   Bottom right: blue/green plaid wool blend  Right: black faux fur

I may have a lot of new patterns…

The only “modern” patterns I bought. I love the knit pencil skirt of the left pattern and that is a nice jacket pattern as well. I have a similar pattern for wovens so this is a good counterpart. The middle dress might actually become my bridesmaid dress since the other one doesn’t go to a small enough size. The right pattern is just one I’ve been eyeing for a while and I’m excited to try something new.

Some 40’s patterns. I need to start getting separates and this shirt has buttons, my new favorite closure method (die, zippers!). I also love the skirt yoke on the dress, the only reason I got it.

50’s patterns of course. I love the bodice darts and gathering on the dresses, and the long peplum is just too darn adorable.

60’s! This dress is stunning and I am so excited for this cape. The pockets seem really convenient and doesn’t take up too much fabric compared to some cape patterns.

This seems a bit of a stretch for ‘retro’ but I want to actually make both of these garments and try to style the skirt in a more modern fashion. I haven’t figured out how I’ll do it but I will!

I also got some costume patterns! I decided that the only ‘resolution’ I have for this year is to make a costume of some kind. I don’t know if it will be fantasy or historically based but either way I will be prepared! I picked these patterns for their pieces and therefore versatility. Some of the pieces I’m incredibly excited for, like the collar ruff. Having a pattern for this will make my job that much easier.  

For the wool and faux fur I want to make a coat! I got this pattern for the great collar that is also a hood and it seems like if I finish off the inside seams nicely enough I can leave off with the lining! I haven’t decided on that detail though so we’ll see.

I didn’t think about this rayon for this dress at first but it really yells at me to do it. It isn’t silk rayon but being rayon should work well enough I think. I’ll do view A for the cute bow!

This green fabric will be a basic circle skirt with princess seam bodice. I thought this green would be great for under the black lace, so it will be the basic layering dress that can stand on its own.

Since this pattern uses buttons, I’m going to use this cotton. I know a lot of people dislike quilting cottons for garments but after washing they are quite nice and aren’t too stiff. I think it will be perfect!

This seems like an odd combination but…this novelty print seems like it would make the perfect view C! I’ll make a contrasting belt instead of the novelty fabric but still, how cute!

So that’s it! The new fabrics, some ideas for the future, lots of fun stuff! I don’t know what I’ll do with all of my new fabric and patterns but that’s ok. I think that’s normal for us sewists, don’t you?

I’m quite excited to finally get to share the Fable patterns with you. I’ve finished two; one for the hell of it (and my first true run through with real fabric) and the second for the walk through blog post I’m writing to go with it. It is a great garment and I’ll be making more after this definitely. I do want to get my coat finished, and insert the zippers on my two pink based dresses before starting on more but I can honestly say I love this pattern. I think you all will too and I am just so excited to share it with you. So stay tuned! Vesta Patterns will be adding the Fable within the next couple of weeks and you’ll be in love at first sight!

Until next time,

—Bethany out

 

So Much NOT Done This Week

So this week was very much a dud as the title implies. I didn’t get to sew anything and my plaid dress still sits unzippered and unfinished. It’s so close too it’s supremely annoying to not be able to wear it. Not that I have anywhere but the house to wear it to anyway.

I haven’t been sewing mostly because of work but also because I’ve been doing a craft swap project. I am currently in two of them and one of them has been a little tough. My partner got dropped for lack of participation (it’s a good thing she got dropped!) so I got a new partner…and so started all over. There is a shipping deadline of February 7th that is fast approaching and I need to get this finished. It’s a cute project and I think they’ll love it but it’s more time consuming than some other ideas I had so of course I’m now in a crunch. I’m doing a little bit every day and even then it looks like I’ll send out part one on time and follow up with parts two and three after. It’s technically a surprise so I don’t want to spoil it in case my partner manages to see this (highly doubtful).

This craft swap thing has been an interesting idea but I’m not sure I’m sold. I am also in an apron swap and honestly I’m not excited about it. While I’m glad to be making for someone, I keep seeing all of these…issues pop up with others related to swaps like these. People complain about their partners, what they’ve received, things like that. So I’m trying to stay positive but after these two swaps I may not do them anymore. I also hate working on a deadline, no matter how much time I have it seems! At least, not if I’m not getting paid, wink wink.

Speaking of deadlines and getting paid…my days off this week are being spent finishing up the Fable pattern! I’m sewing it up all day today and tomorrow and it will hopefully be launching early February.

 

So I’m sorry for the lack of fun pictures and progress, but next week (or the week after) will have The Fable pattern and I’ll hopefully have my plaid dress done! I also have some new fabric and patterns so I’ll post those soon too.

 

Until then,

—Bethany Out

Making Headway on This Dress

Hello!

 

So last time I shared part of my fabric haul, so here’s the rest. This haul is from Mood Fabrics and strays from what I’d usually get. I’ll share the project ideas for some of them below, but first, the fabrics!

 

Now the projects I have in mind are hopefully going to work. I am a tad bit nervous about the lace, mostly about wearing the lace rather than working with it. I’m absolutely terrified it’ll rip or get ruined while I’m wearing it because this lace isn’t reorderable. Considering this lace is absolutely perfect, that’s a major concern.

For both the lace and embroidered cotton I’d like to make them overdresses. The cotton isn’t as shear but it still either needs a lining or a slip, so I’ve decided to opt for a slip underneath. My ultimate goal is to have slips in lots of different colors to wear underneath these two overdresses to have fun with the shear capabilities.

I’ll be using McCall’s M6646 if I can get it to fit. It’s actually the dress I’ll be using for my bridesmaid dress but I noticed the pattern only goes to size 8 where I usually need a 6. A little bit of adjusting may be in order then but I think it’ll work out alright. That’s why we always do a mock-up!

The dress in question, which will have layers of lace and satin at tea length. The colors will be grey and dusky rose. I’m quite excited.

For other projects I’m actually making great headway! It’s amazing what you can do when you work only one job and don’t feel so worn down/tired/stressed all the time. I’ve still not finished my pink polka dotted dress but to be honest I think that has more to do with not loving it as much as I thought I would. Each time I try it on I am just not pleased. Still, I’m going to finish it because I’m so close and I’d really like to see what happens when it’s finished. Maybe being able to zip it up versus pining it up will make a difference, who knows.

I’m also in the midst of sewing up Butterick B5603. It’s a great pattern, but I have had some issues, thanks to the fabric I am using. I forgot that there is a tad bit of stretch so now I am having issues with it pulling slightly where it shouldn’t. I’ve resewn the bodice to the skirt a bazillion times now and I still get the same issue. I’ve got reference pictures here to show you. Considering it’s only noticeable at the front (it makes the plaid slightly crooked) I may just leave it and call it a day. It fits well, everything else is where it should be, and no matter what I’ve done I can’t seem to fix the issue. What do you think lovely sewists?

Close up of the wonkiness. See the off center plaid right in the middle front panel? Ugh!

The middle back panel does it too. No damn clue as to why or how to fix it. Losing my mind over here!

Something you’ll notice about this dress is I didn’t pattern match…and I don’t care. Most people do pattern match plaids but I simply didn’t have the fabric or the pateince/care to do it. In fact, I had so little yardage I had to alter how I cut the bodice! Instead of cutting the front and back bodice pieces on the fold (only 2 bodice pieces, amazing) I had to cut them with an extended seam allowance and sew them together. It was easily done, I was only just barely unable to cut on the fold. Slightly annoying but an easy fix at least. Thankfully the dress also looks good with a center seam, I was worried that adding the seam would throw off the look but I find it to be just fine.

This dress is also interesting because of the front darts: it really needs a petticoat. Most vintage dresses I wear without or would wear without because they don’t really need them. They are just large circle skirts after all. The darts in the front side panels on this dress however give it that interesting shape if you can tell in the pictures. That’s fine though because my last trip to Joann Fabrics I bought tulle! I need to make petticoats for the bridesmaid dresses anyway so I will just make one as a test run for this dress and make duplicates after that if I like it enough. I haven’t worked with tulle before so this will be fun!

I also used my new cutting mat! It was a tad bit awkward but I think I do like it a lot. You can’t really do smaller curves so armholes will still have to be done with scissors. I’m glad I finally got it though and it made things much easier for me in many ways. I would highly recommend one.

For my last work in progress – The Fable – I am nearly complete with the muslin! It’s turning out really well and has so far been a very easy sew. Whitney is so great about feedback as well, making this whole process a lot less scary than I thought it could be. I really enjoy working with her and this new pattern is really amazing. I can’t wait to show you all! It’ll be coming out soon remember, but just in case you need a reminder, head on over to Vesta Patterns to sign up for emails about new things happening with Whitney’s patterns.

What are some projects you’re excited about? Anyone sewn a petticoat before that has any insight/experiences/tips they want to share? Let’s chat in the comments.

Until next time,

—Bethany Out

Fabric Haul

Hello everyone!

I mentioned before I’d post some great fabrics that I got thanks to my Christmas money! I got a Fabric Depot gift card, Mood Fabrics gift card, and a Joann Fabrics gift card. I’ve already spent the Fabric Depot and Mood cards and half of the Joann card.

Some of the fabrics I bought with a project in mind, some were just for fun or because there was such a good deal. To start, here are the fabrics from Fabric Depot as well as some pictures of the place itself! I had never been and that was a travesty. It’s such a large store and almost like a warehouse for sewing supplies. I do have to admit though, I saw some prices I wasn’t happy with. To be fair though this store is in Portland, Oregon which means no sales tax. It may even out that way for some supplies but not others. For example, zippers were about 25 cents more than I see at Joann Fabrics but embroidery floss was nearly 2 dollars more a skein. That’s unreal since I can get them for less than .50 cents at Joann Fabrics.

Anyway, onto the fun fabrics and store pictures!

Let’s start with the store, shall we?

So many cute and interesting zippers!

So much faux fur in plenty of colors.

The remnants were very well organized…I almost bought this one but the line was hours long I swear.

Way more color options than Joann or Hancock’s.

Some really cute embroidery patterns for Christmas.

Cute little slippers, not sure why they sell them but quite adorable.

To get patterns here you have to write down what you want and tell the person working the stand. Interesting!

The samples here are typically indie patterns and are way better made than at regular stores.

I found this fabric in colors I hadn’t ever seen before online, which is quite interesting. They have a lot of collections that larger chains won’t touch.

Buttons!

There are loads of great quilts hanging up, the other side was a dalek!

 

There were several racks of 1800’s inspired fabrics, great for historical costuming!

The one on the far right is my favorite, but I like that orange too.

Now for the fabrics I actually bought…

An adorable cat fabric, double gauze, just enough for view C of this shirt.

From left to right: Skull Dot from the Spellbound collection, a chambray with thistles and fauna on it, and finally a Kauffman cotton covered in large green flowers. I love them all! I have enough of each to hopefully have 3 new dresses. We shall see!

A close up of the skull dot, I love how subtle they are!

The last of my haul, a cute chambray that I’m not quite sure what to do with. I could make the blouse of this vintage pattern, or just a simple peplum top like on the far left. Thoughts?

That’s all for today, tell me about some amazing fabric stores in your area! I would highly recommend the depot, they have the best selection and while the prices are a bit higher I think it is really worth it. They were all very nice too.

 

Well, until next time!

 

—Bethany Out

 

 

Exciting New Things!

Hello everyone!

 

Now that the holidays are over and settled down…I’m still making Christmas cards! I know, they are terribly late but I figure I’m just extending the season of happiness. I’ll post once they’re finished of them all but the pictures won’t be mine because up until now I’ve kept forgetting to take pictures of them before sealing them away. Typical! Still, they have been turning out great and I’m happy with them. I hope the recipients are as well.

As for the new and exciting news…I’ve started working with the most amazingly talented Whitney of Vesta Patterns [Instagram HERE]. Mostly I’ll be pattern testing her newest design, called The Fable, and helping her get her patterns distributed. I’ll be making up the pattern, along with a detailed walk through, which will be launching in early February-ish.

You may have seen Whitney’s first pattern, The Grail, a simple t-shirt with different necklines and sleeves options. What’s so nice about her patterns is that she is has the measurements based on real bodies. That means your measurements are based on your hip/bust/waist ratio, so you can worry less about fitting into a 14 for bust, but 12 for hips or some such nonsense.

She explains the shape groups on her website but just to give a short recap here:

The ‘A’ shape is for a smaller bust, larger hips, and a serious waist curve.

The ‘S’ shape is more of what we know of as the hourglass – full bust and hips with a more defined waist. I’ve put myself here because my irregular measurements fit best with a small.

The ‘E’ shape is for people with no huge difference between their bust, waist, and hip measurements. It’s definitely the most common shape, a general catch all if you will.

What’s great about these patterns is Whitney’s serious effort to step away from sizing ideals and dilemmas that are common for us sewists today. It seems that with the big 4, and even other indie designers (no one in particular, I haven’t had any issues with indie patterns as of yet), that sizing is stagnant and there is always some huge adjustment to make to the pattern. Mostly bust adjustments or issues with shoulders. Whitney is working hard to change that and to make patterns more fun and easier to size. She’s also staunchly against body policing or negativity. It has been very clear to me she wants people to feel more comfortable with themselves and not feel obligated to be a certain shape or that any one shape is worth striving for. In fact, she doesn’t like calling people by shape names like ‘apple,’ ‘pear,’ ‘hourglass,’ and so on. That’s why the shapes have simple letters. It’s to help remove the stigma and baggage associated with shape names today.

Side note, I also adore the names. The Grail, the Fable…wholey moley these names are fantastic, right?

I’ll be honest here though…I haven’t actually sewn up The Grail yet! I just ordered a printer yesterday to print out the PDF and get going. Since my measurements are a bit on the edge, I may even sew up two or three between them all just to see what the differences come to and give people perhaps a better idea of where they can go. It won’t need a tutorial, it’s a simple knit t-shirt for crying out loud, but it’s nice to see how sizing changes between shapes.

I’m so incredibly excited to work with Whitney and get her new pattern up and going. She’s very passionate about sewing and pattern making and is working hard to give the sewing community something new, especially for those of us that don’t like some trends like shift dresses or beginner based patterns. Her patterns are more for intermediate sewers that know the basics of construction and sewing, with the instructions being only one page. The Fable isn’t her final pattern either, this is only the beginning of something spectacular.

So while I won’t be giving away any spoilers about the new pattern, I do want to assure you all of Whitney’s enthusiasm and my dedication to being honest about The Grail and The Fable and how they sew up/fit in relation to what they promise. I know once someone is paid for things like this you have to take what they say with a grain of salt but not with me! Whitney doesn’t want me to hold back just as much as I don’t want to. She’s equally dedicated to providing new patterns that fit well and are fun and interesting to add to your wardrobe.

Fine…just one spoiler…here are the fabrics and buttons I’ll be using!

In other exciting news…or at least news in general…I’m taking this next semester off of school, and I quit my teaching job. Teaching English is great is some aspects but I am so worn down by it and it really stresses me out. Something that I feel no one really talks about is how poorly humans treat each other in any sort of service industry. These were other adults I was teaching and the majority of them were very rude and made the experience incredibly negative. So after 2+ years, I’m done. I quit, I’m moving on, and I’m so relieved. I’m also taking a break from school because it’s just as stressful and doesn’t mix well with me working more than 40 hours a week. I have had all of one full day completely off once in over 2 months, and that was just yesterday on Christmas. Yowza! So school can take a break and while I have less work to do I am going to really work on improving my sewing.

Here’s a breakdown of what January – approx June will bring me:

Testing The Fable and sewing my own Grail shirts.

Learning how wholesale works and actually make sales…

Sew up my first fitting of the dress I’ll be wearing for my best friend’s wedding and the first fitting for the other bridesmaid.

Sew my first petticoat, then another based on how well it works for the two bridesmaid’s dresses.

Sew up a couple of shirts using chambray and double gauze for the first time. (just wait till you see the fabrics I got!)

Sew with lace for the first time as well for some (hopefully) 20’s inspired 50’s dresses. I’ll explain more later.

I’ll be posting what fabrics I got with my fabric money from Christmas soon. I got the lace, chambray, and double gauze mentioned above as well as a few others. I’ll wait for that post though until I actually have the fabrics so you can see how amazing they are for realsies and not through website photos.

Stayed tuned for The Fable and Grail posts and thanks again for tuning in! Don’t forget to check out Whitney’s website, sign up for the email updates on The Fable and other new patterns, and check out her Instagram while you’re at it.

Have any fun projects coming up? Let me know in the comments!

 

Also, how do you like the new layout? Let me know, I’m on the fence…

 

Until next time,

— Bethany Out

The Importance of an Ironing Board

Hello!

So sewing hasn’t really been happening for a few reasons. One: school. I had finals and they were a process. Two: work. I had a lot of it and still needed to sleep, eat, and take care of my pets. Three: I had no ironing board. I need to add interfacing to my dress before I can finish it and I haven’t been able to get it on without an ironing board.

If you’ve been to my blog before, you know I have a board. My lovely man got me one as a gift last year and it has served me oh so very well. However, it was humongous so I left it in AZ because it didn’t fit in the car. I have not had an ironing board for TWO WHOLE MONTHS. I’m sure you all can understand my predicament. I wouldn’t mind ironing on the carpet except you need a lot of heat and steam for fusible interfacing which leads to melted carpet. It’s a mess, honestly.

So I finally have time to sew and I can’t…or at least I couldn’t! I now am the owner of a shiny and new ironing board. I miss my old one for sentimental reasons, but my mom really did well in getting me a great replacement. It’s even got a sleeve board! Really, this thing is pretty awesome.

Take a look:

 

Isn’t that thing so sweet? I really love it and it’s so useful. But hey, what’s that thing in the corner of that last picture? Why, it’s my NEW SEWING DESK!!!!!!!

My wonderful mom and Joey gave us a huge Amazon gift card so I finally have a desk again. Mackey is going to get himself a new desk as well, though he might get his from craigslist since he only needs a small computer desk and nothing fancy like me. So basically, I owe my entire new sewing area to my mom. I am so incredibly grateful for how much she supports me and my hobbies, as well as life choice in general. We wouldn’t have been able to move to WA either without her and Joey. Joey has been just as amazing and has helped me gain new skills as far as work goes. I am so happy to have them in my life and I’m so incredibly thankful and happy to know them both. I’m pretty sure they even look at my blog every now and again, though there shouldn’t be anything new on here that I don’t tell them except for sewing details that they probably aren’t too keen on anyway. ;D

Now that I’ve gotten all sentimental, let’s check this desk out!

New corner! I’ve basically taken up the entire living room. Mackey thankfully doesn’t seem to mind. He gets the other side though so I guess it’s even. 😀

So much room That chair is comfy too, and moves up and down. Much comfier, and it’s the perfect height! Hopefully it cuts down on back issues.

I’m sew organized! I’ll never not love that pun.

There’s even a space for my scrap bag.

The plastic cover sits neatly on the lower shelf, or I can put it elsewhere and use it as a footrest. 

More space! More organizing!

Patterns up top, fabric in the middle, and my sewing box with costume patterns and WIPs on the bottom.

It even folds down on the left! I’ll keep it up because space but it helps if I need that extra room.

Different lighting, that lamp is intense but that’s a good thing.

I’m in love!

 

So now that I have my space up and ready I’ll be able to tackle just about anything now I hope. Not pictured are some other tools I just bought that I think will help: more pins, a 24″ by 36″ cutting mat (finally!) and some Swedish sewing paper. Turns out the sewing paper is just like the Pellon stuff I was using before. It has the same feel, same weight, same everything. So that’s a nice surprise and I’m excited to get to work with it and get new patterns traced.

Some technical specs for those of you interested in the desk:

I bought it off Amazon, it’s made by Sauder. It’s $130.00 right now though some reviews seemed to say it was cheaper at some point. People also complained about the color description but the pictures look exactly like what I got so if the name says cinnamon but you see a more ‘chocolate’ color in the pictures…I’m not sure what you expected and I’m sorry to say I judge you just a little for your lack of common sense.

Why I picked this table:

I looked at a TON of tables/desks to see what I might want. I chose this one because it was mentioned by a few reviews that it seemed more solid than other particle board tables and after receiving it I agree. It’s quite the solid table and while the weight limit is like 40 pounds, that’s really quite perfect. I do also like the storage components, the shelves can be moved to accommodate different sized things and the little organizers on the left side also have panels that can be moved around to change the size of each section. This one also folds down to fit a smaller space and in case you didn’t see it in the pictures, there are rolling feet on it. They work quite well so far but of course I’ve only had it for just the day. I’ll post an update in a few months to give you an idea of how I like sewing with it and any downsides it may have.

Overall, I like the size, storage, and price. It’s a really good deal for people on a budget and I feel is a good fit for my apartment as far as space is concerned. It was also really easy to put together. I did it by myself and took my time which meant about 2 hours? If I was going faster then it would’ve been much quicker but I wasn’t in a rush.

The chair was $50, also on Amazon. I picked this one because it moves up and down, is simple, and is a stool with minimal back rest. I was going to get the Ikea stool, which is the same price, but I had the gift card so…no-brainer there. What I also realized I may not like about the Ikea stool is that it doesn’t just swivel around, it actually leans in any direction. Which may not be that great at times. So I’m glad I have a swivel-but-not-lean stool.

 

Now that my station is all set I have to say I am about a million times more inspired to sew. It’s amazing the difference is just knowing I have a dedicated space and the ability to sew comfortably. I’m also taking a semester off of school so I’ll have more time as well. Next week I’ll have my dress finished I hope so I’ll do an update with sewing then. 🙂

So what does your space look like? Let me know, and share links to your own blogs/Instagram/whatever you have.

 

Until next time,

—Bethany Out

This is a Busy Week…

So I have no post today! I am working 55 hours this week between my two jobs, and had a paper due yesterday that I haven’t even started yet…so with all of that stuff going on I have not had time to sew. Of I get time after today then I will make up a post but until then…sorry!

 

I do want to start sharing my craft progress for my swap partner soon so perhaps I’ll do that instead of a sewing post. Either way, I’ll check in soon!

 

 

Failed Projects Galore!

So I had been working on a nice simple blouse before and I had also started a mockup for a new dress. The top was Simplicity S1253 and the dress was New Look 6184. I was really excited about them both…and then failure occurred.

The failed projects…thankfully the Simplicity pattern can still be used, it was a fabric issue not a pattern issue.

Basically, the fabric won in regards to the blouse. Everything was uneven, bubbly, bulky, and simply unattractive. So I scrapped it. It’s unfortunate but it happens. I still like the pattern so I’ll try again after buying a walking foot. Oh yeah, a walking foot! Something I forgot to mention in my tips for working with slippery fabric.

What is a walking foot? It’s an attachment and all it does is help feed fabric evenly. This is useful for delicate fabrics because they tend to slide around during the sewing process and can really slide out of whack. A walking foot helps prevent that and makes the entire process a million times easier. When buying a walking foot just make sure it is compatible with your machine. Some are interchangeable, especially between machines within the same brand, but I wouldn’t want to buy a Brother machine walking foot to use on my Juki. So make sure it will fit, and your sewing endeavors with delicate fabrics will become that much easier!

The other project that failed was the New Look dress I was so looking forward to making in that pink dotted cotton I caved and bought myself during a no-buy month. The pattern was simply too big and my skills aren’t up to pattern grading quite yet, which is unfortunate. Once I get started with that though perhaps I can still use the pattern and have a nice dress.

Some cute kitty to make up for failed project sadness!

In the mean time, I have decided to use that fabric for a different pattern, Simplicity S____. It’s a bit more challenging for me which I really like. The silhouette is also unusual as I usually go for bodices that end at my natural waist, very 50’s. I’m really enjoying this so far though and have gotten to the point where some of the fabric is cut out. I still have to cut out the lining, the skirt, and the interfacing though. So there’s still quite a bit to do.

The pattern I picked and the fabric I’m using for it. The polka dots were going to be for the New Look dress, I thought this project would suit the fabric well.

I’d like to talk about what I’m doing differently this time around, as far as pattern prep and fitting goes. First, I did a fit test with the paper pattern. I traced and cut out the pattern pieces and used both the new and original pieces, pinned them together at the seam line, and tried it on. The results were…risque to say the least. However dodgy a process it was (and sometimes painful, those pins are sharp!) it was really worth it. I was able to see I needed to use the petite markings and that made a world of difference in fit. I also know what to look out for now as I think the yoke pieces in the front might be just a tad big but not ridiculously so. This was also helpful because since I’ve moved I have no stash of fabric to use for mock-ups.  I also don’t have the cash right now to go buy muslin. The paper fitting worked well enough that I feel confident moving forward but don’t have to buy more fabric. It’s a win-win situation!

The blue lines are the seam lines. I’m hoping this well help! That’s also a Clover chalk tracing tool. I’ve only just gotten it but I do like it so far.

Since the paper fitting was successful and I felt good about the size I went ahead and marked the seam lines on all of the pattern pieces. Why? This way I can mark the seam lines on my fabric and not have irregular seams caused by irregularly cut fabric. This makes cutting less stressful because at least I’ll know when I’m sewing that things will turn out correctly. I’m hoping that I’ll see a difference in how things piece together because I often have trouble with seams on the bodice no lining up with the skirt, or the waist seams not lining up at the zipper. This may change that! It’s a huge time sucker-upper but if the results are worth it then I’d be happy to spend my time this way.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of an embroidery project I think I’m going to be starting soon. It’s to be an embroidered clock on canvas so it can be used as a real clock with a kit and I really love this idea. I think I’ll make a couple for Christmas gifts, what do you think? There’s also a picture of some books I’ve gotten from the local library. I have to say I’m really happy I decided to go and check out the sewing section. They have a great amount of different craft books and their sewing section is well rounded out. Have you tried any embroidery projects like this or used any of these books? Let me know!

That’s all I have for now, and unfortunately it isn’t much. I’m happy to be spending my time sewing and doing something I at least feel is going to give me better results rather than rushing through and ending up with yet another scrap project.

Have you picked up any new habits lately? Let me know in the comments!

 

Until next time,

—Bethany Out