From the Sewing Room: The Better Homes & Gardens Sewing Book

I owe my sewing interest to my grandmothers and my mom. I lived a childhood surrounded by hand-made clothes, fabrics, and the ever-popular pins stuck in the carpet. (Guess how we found them?) Sewing was a fact of life. It's just what moms did, and I really didn't appreciate how amazing that life was until I started college and got back into sewing. So many bloggers I follow talk about having to figure it out for themselves when I already have a pretty solid foundation to build on. Don't get me wrong, I'm no expert and I have a lot to learn, but I also know that I have two ladies to call on if I get stuck!

The hubs and I were visiting my parents last weekend when a book in my mom's sewing room caught my eye. It looked like an antique, and I started flipping through it just for laughs, to see what sort of archaic fashions it suggested. Little did I know that I was holding a gold mine in my hands! Behold, the Better Homes & Gardens Sewing Book!

Originally published in 1961, this is the 1970 release that belonged to my late Mema. I honestly was not expecting much from it, but, wow!

I wish I had a sewing room like that! All the vintage! 

This is Shifty Suzy, your guide through 70s sewing. 

I'm a bibliophile to start with, and I love reading through sewing books to learn different approaches and techniques for clothing construction. As a basic handbook, I haven't seen one more thorough or that does such a good job of explaining, and it really surprised me that the terminology and skills addressed here are pretty much the same as the ones on the blogs I read this afternoon! I guess that shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.

The first part of the book goes into measurements, alterations, fabric, and assembling, and the second half discusses the different wardrobe categories and what to expect from them.

The section on alterations is amazing! I have seen most of these explained umpteen times in multiple forms, but something about the way they were explained in this book, it clicked! Can't wait to try them out!

When the book discusses alterations, the reasons for these alterations are called "figure faults".
Figure faults? Really?  

It ever goes into how to cut your fabric based on the print!

This page is from the section on Sportswear, and I just love it because it shows you all of the different looks you can create from a basic shift dress pattern! I always get a little nervous at the idea of straying away from the pattern, so it's always nice to have someone holding your hand. 

It also has a treasure trove of fun 70s fashion advice! 

Get me a pillbox hat, stat!

Luckily for me, my dear mother let me bring it home with me, and I can't wait to dive into it! It will be a treasured resource in my sewing library. My mom and grandmother will still be my go-to, but I now have a little piece of my late Mema to help guide me on my sewing journey too!  

Valentine's Day Sewing: Colette Seamwork's Lisbon & Almada

After a few months of lurking, I finally took the plunge and signed up for a monthly subscription to Seamwork, Colette Patterns' monthly e-magazine. The magazine itself is beautiful: page after page of exquisite photography and in-depth articles on needles and threads of sewing (see what I did there??), but with your subscription you also get two relatively quick-sew pdf patterns exclusive to Seamwork.

This month is the intimates issue, a topic which is a popular trend in sewing right now and one that intrigues me. (I mean, sewing your own bra? How cool is that??) The monthly patterns are for the Lisbon slip and the Almada robe, and after looking through all of the beautiful illustrations, I'm thinking, why not? Let's give this intimates thing a try!

My original plan was to make the Almada in a drape-y cozy double-gauze that makes you want to wrap it around you and curl up with a cup of tea and a good book, like the model version. However, when I started looking at fabric, what caught my but a floral-splattered stretch satin for the Almada and a black crepe de chine for the Lisbon! Now I'm thinking, Holy crap, I'm nuts! These silky things and I don't get along. We've been down this road before, and it ended in disaster and tears and a trash can! But, thinking I might be a little older, wiser, and better armed this time around, I went for it.

Oh, I went for it!

The Lisbon:

Black crepe de chine (I think?) slip, trimmed with elastic lace and finished with French seams. (So tidy!)

The Almada:

Floral-splattered stretch satin kimono-style robe, finished with French seams and bias tape.

Bottom line is that I am THRILLED with how these turned out! They both feel so luxurious to lounge around in, and I want the robe to multiply. Many times. The slip too, but the robe is just heavenly!

I'm really happy with my fabric choices because the silkiness really is what gives both pieces that luxurious feeling! Dealing with the fabric wasn't that terrible. I've definitely learned from my previous mistakes, and while it wasn't super-easy to work with (especially for cutting), taking the time to figure out and use the correct techniques for cutting and construction really make a difference.

I'm also proud of the insides of these pieces, which is a new focus of mine. Historically, as long as the outside looked good, I didn't really care what my seams look like! But with maturity comes wisdom, right? Maybe. Anyway, I'm trying to be much more conscious of making the insides look as good as the outsides. French seams definitely put both of these pieces into that category!

So I've taken the first step on my intimates adventure! What's next? Hmm. a bra, maybe? :)

Happy sewing!

Quilting Adventures, Part 2

Part 2 is....the finished product! Yes, I actually sewed it together, quilted it, and bound it! All by myself! It's all warm and snuggly and laying on our couch, ready for those cruel Florida winters... (Hey, it does actually get cold-ish here!)

Quilting Adventures, Part 1

Back from a bit of a hiatus. We've moved states and school started, so it's taken a bit to get settled in. I know a lot of sewing bloggers are thinking, "Yay! School has started! I can sew again!" and I'm over here thinking, "NOO! School has started! There goes my sewing time!" Luckily there's always the summer!

Anyay, I made a quilt! I did! I did! Well, to be fair, I finished a quilt. I've started a few, but this is one of two that I've officially finished. My nephew owns the first one.

Reverse Applique Naptime Blankets

Before you start asking, no, I don't have any children (unless small furry ones count...I think they somewhat do. Especially when they wake you up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and sing the song of their people at your bedroom door at 6am...)

However, these cute little blankets come together so quickly that, based on my knowledge of average naptimes (I do have two young nephews), you could whip up a few in no time! If you're pressed for time, you could even skip the reverse applique and still have a cute little blanket. And they're so much fun to make! Once you learn reverse applique, there's no going back--no special machine required! 

The Sorbetto

It is hot here in northeast Mississippi. Like, ridiculously hot. The heart of summer is upon us, and I've found myself hiding indoors and in need of new summer-y shirts! Probably one of the most-often made tops in the sewing world today is the Sorbetto from Colette Patterns. It's easy, it's cute, and the best part: the pattern is free! The Sorbetto has been on my to-make list for awhile, and now that summer is upon us, now is the time to break out this adorable and versatile tank top!

This picture looks familiar... :)

My First Knit Dress

Do you have one of those pieces of fabric in your stash? One that you zeroed in on at the fabric store and knew you just had to have? In reality, you bought it ages ago with the best intentions of making a fabulous ____, then stuffed it in with the rest of your fabric. You get a little twinge of guilt every time you look at it. Soon. Someday. Maybe. This is the story of the little fabric that could.

But all kidding aside, I did buy a piece of jersey knit last summer at JoAnn's that I completely fell in love with. I took three yards of it home, then prompted put it aside because, if I'm going to be honest with myself, the idea of sewing knits terrified me. I would look at it longingly, shake my head, and think, Maybe I can turn it into a swimsuit coverup. It's easy, and if it turns out looking like an overstretched tent, no one will care! Still it sat, tossed away in a corner of my fabric stash.

One year later....

Easy Bathroom Embroidery

Hello, world! I'm excited to be back posting again with some fabulous ideas I've been rolling around in my head, and I plan on posting more regularly! Be looking for me about twice a week now with various crafty and foodie things!

But for today:

King Cake & Potholders

Oh yeah, I have a blog! Has is really almost been a year since my last post? Whoops. I guess getting engaged and married put blogging way out of my mind! Seriously. My last post was March 18, 2013, and I was engaged two days later! Can't say I'm complaining, though. I love being married! 

Also, disclaimer: I'm posting for the first time on the iPad, so sorry if things aren't perfectly edited/formatted. Still working out how to use this app!

Back to the post...Sugar is my enemy. Some people love pasta, some love chocolate, I love sugar in general. So much so that I think that's what I'm giving up for Lent this year since the only way I could get through 40 days without it is with God's help! I get excited about the different seasons and holidays based on the desserts. It's all oh-so-gooooooood....

One of my favorite sweet treats comes around about this time of year: king cake! It's Mardi Gras season down on the coast, and one of the things I miss the most about Mardi Gras is the king cake. It's EVERYWHERE! IF you've never experienced the joys of king cake, the best way to describe it is like a cinnamon roll or cream cheese Danish that is acceptable to eat at any time of day as part of any meal! After I moved away from the coast, though, if I wanted king cake, I had to learn how to make it myself.  

There were many trials and several errors, but I finally found a recipe that I really like.

It makes two cakes, but I've never had trouble giving away the second (mainly to make sure that Trae and I don't eat both)! It's also fairly easily cut in half if you really only want one, and it gives you the option to do the traditional cinnamon and sugar filling or cream cheese. (Tip with the cream cheese: Try adding a few tablespoons of your favorite jam or jelly for a fruity twist!) The recipe can also double as a fantastic cinnamon roll dough. Just slice it into 1-inch sections after you roll up the dough and set it in a greased 13x9 pan for the second rise. Cook at 375 for about 10 minutes and cover with your favorite frosting. (Cream cheese is my favorite!)

Purple sprinkles are a lot harder to come by than you would think, so I improvise with the red/blue. Maybe they'll run together and make purple? That's my hope...

I did try another recipe tonight. After our failed camping attempt this past Friday (long story, but it was a combination of damp firewood and much colder-than-expected temperatures...we'll try again later...), I still had a hankering for s'mores. I'd been wanting to try the skillet s'mores I'd seen all over Pinterest, but I don't have a 6-inch skillet. Enter the gingerbread man. My mom gave me a personal gingerbread cookie kit for Christmas that included a tiny gingerbread man-shaped skillet. And so the gingerbread man s'more was made! Oh the sugar.....oh the tasty!

He was perfect for the two of us. I'm honestly not sure how two people could take down a full 6-inch skillet of it! (Yes, the picture is way out of focus...too much shaking from the sugar rush? yeah, we'll blame it on that.)

Oh, I want to share my latest sewing projects! I have to thank Amber and her blog CrazyLittleProjects for getting me back into sewing. I'd slowed down a bit, but she's been posting monthly sewing challenges to get you inspired and back to the machine! For January's contest I made a maxi skirt, and for this month I am in love with these fabulous heart-shaped potholders. I spent my snow day last week making a few as Valentine happies. They were so fun and easy to make! 

                     

Hop on over to her blog and take a look at the neat projects she has, whether you're into sewing or not! She has a lot of food and crafty posts,too!

That's all for now...laissez bon temps rouler!!

An Experiment: The Re-fashion

For those of you who have known me for awhile, you know I like to sew. It's a bit of a lost art passed down from my grandmother and mother to me that I didn't appreciate for a long time, but now that I'm out on my own, it's become a fun and useful skill. I'm not awesome, but I still enjoy playing around with fabric and making things. I've run into a bump, though. If you've been in a fabric store recently, you know how expensive fabric is. Between fabric, patterns, and time involved, sewing can definitely seem like a waste of time and money.

Until I found this blog.... http://refashionista.net

The girl's a genius! Inspirations galore. On the cheap. Oh, momma!

This shirt especially caught my eye. http://refashionista.net/2013/02/27/wannabe-wednesday-2/

Hey, I could do that. Looks simple enough.

So it begins...

On my annual spring break pilgrimage down to Florida, I dragged my doubtful mother and boyfriend to Marianna's fine collection of thrift stores to see what sort of treasures we could find. I found several, but first up.......THIS:

Classy, I know. Straight out of Great-Aunt Ethel's Sunday-best closet from 1991. But for $1, there is hope! I have a shirt to make.

First things to go were that lovely collar, everyone's favorite invention of the 1970s--SHOULDAAAR PAAAADSS!!--and the majority of the skirt. The elastic made turning this into a peplum top pretty straight-forward, so I saved about 6 inches of skirt to create the peplum.

I did end up trimming the collar down a little more, but a little facing work with the help of my still slightly dubious mother fixed that right up. All that was left was to hem and press my creation.

A little wine and homemade chocolate pudding goes along way to help
with the sewing. Especially when you've sewn the facing on backwards. Twice. 

Despite being my first re-fasion, I thought it turned out pretty well! It made my mom a believer, at any rate! I still have more thrift-shop treasures to save, so I'll keep you posted!