Stitch In My Side_Old

New Blog Address!

2011-08-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hi sugars! Just a reminder that I will no longer be posting at this blog address. I have moved all of my content over to http://stitchinmyside.blogspot.com/ & will only be posting there from now on. Please, please change your Google Readers, Following, Blog Lovin', etc. so we can stay in touch.

Thank you all so very, very much!!!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - July 12, 2011

2011-07-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.
-- Alan Alda

**Stitch in My Side has a new home. Please update your browsers to http://stitchinmyside.blogspot.com. I will stop adding new posts to this site at the end of July 2011. Thanks a bunch!!**

xoxo,

Get a Little Comfort Where You Can

2011-07-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

So, for a while I've tooled around with the idea of putting up a post any time I find something I consider a good buy or a cool drug store find. I wanted to call the feature "Drug Store, Oh Boy!". I got very excited about this prospect. Like, very. Very excited.

I always love it when people recommend stuff because I agonize (Agonize!) over purchasing face lotion, hair dye, compacts, lip gloss, etc. You know, the important stuff. I think it's because I've had so many experiences where I've bought something I thought I'd love and it totally sucked. You know how that goes. You also know that you can't take used makeup back anymore. Why did that stop? Why??!?!?!?!

Anyway, I thought about it, but any time I think about posting something that isn't a garment I've made or a tutorial on how to make something, I get serious performance anxiety. I always think, "Oh god, will they think I'm trying to tell them that I'm totally awesome and they should listen to me? And they should buy this! Trust me I know because I'm awesome! Like I'm Oprah or something?" And then I calmed down and figured that if I was really in the business of writing stuff that was awesome for awesome's sake I'd probably write about other stuff besides myself, you know? And after watching this fascinating, if not mildly horrifying, video here, I figure maybe some of you gals were like me, pouring over review after review before buying something as insignificant (yet mildly costly - $8 is $8, right?) as lip gloss, and a little friendly recommendation may not be a bad thing. After all, I bought this lipstick because The Pioneer Woman talked about it, and it's awesome! She was right!

Ahem, sooooooooo, I just wanted to point you to some wonderful lip gloss that I bought. It's Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother. I love it because it has no glitter. I'm 32. I don't need glitter on my lips anymore Maybelline and Loreal and Almay and everyone else because seriously this is the only lip gloss I found anywhere by any brand without glitter in it gah!

I also love it because it's nice and thick, like Mac's clear Lip Glass. It's got a just a little kick of sheer color, so it's perfect for summertime when you have that more invisible makeup look going on. And the kicker is that it's got a cooling sensation that hits your lips and refreshes you ever so slightly. Hence the title of this post.

I got #20 (Glisten) and #40 (Gleam). My local drug store had a buy one, get one 50% off so I scored both for $12. I love #20 because it's a slight orangey hue which in very big right now, but it's not orange orange. It's just a hint of tint. Truth be told, my favorite color gloss is a light blue because it gives my lips a mauve color, but there is no blue gloss without glitter (I'm lookin at you Lip Smackers!).

So anyway, if you're in the mood for a new lip gloss, give that a shot. It's awesome!

**Stitch in My Side has a new home. Please update your browser to http://stitchinmyside.blogspot.com. Thanks a bunch!!**

xoxo,

The Saltwater Taffy Dress - Simplicity 2444

2011-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies! I am back with Tales From Unpacking! So much has happened, but none of it is really all that exciting. We took down wallpaper, put up paint, and unpacked lots and lots of boxes. Let's get to something you actually want to hear about...

My Saltwater Taffy Dress. I love this dress. In fact, I'm going to wear it today. :)

I love the pleats on the skirt and the darts on the bodice. Like I wrote on Pattern Review, I feel that the darts give the bodice shape, but don't make it tight - a must have in Summer, amiright? And boy has it been balls hot here in Southern California. Ugh!

I put in an invisible zipper that promptly popped on me at my Sister-In-Law's baby shower. Luckily it zipped back up, but I had to replace it this weekend because it closed all wonky after the pop.

I also cheated and did a simple rolled hem because I didn't think it would matter too much. I find that some skirts really do get an altered shape if you roll the hem, mostly because the fabric stretches as you sew thereby giving you an almost lettuce edge, but I just took it slow, pressed pressed pressed, and it came out fine.

In-seam pockets are always awesome.

I've sewn so many dresses with in-seam pockets now that I always reach for them even when they're not there. It drives me bananas when a dress doesn't have pockets.

So that's all for now. I actually sewed this dress months ago, but am just getting around to posting about it. I've got more to show you in the coming days, and I'm finally getting my sewing mojo back. :)

Also, for those of you in Southern California, Jenny's & M&L Fabrics have a 20% sale going on right now through this weekend (I think - it may be longer). Go hit them up since their prices have gone up in the last year or so.

**Stitch in My Side has a new home. please update your browser to http://stitchinmyside.blogspot.com. Thanks a bunch!!!***

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - July 5, 2011

2011-07-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Never regret something that once made you smile.

-- Amber Deckers

Something about this quote is really savoir faire to me, you know? Something almost amusingly stubborn and cheeky. A much nicer way to say, "The hell with it!"

***Stitch in My Side has a new home! Please update your browser to http://stitchinmyside.blogspot.com. Thanks a bunch!***

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - June 28, 2011

2011-06-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
-- Confucius

Slowly, slowly we are working our way through a forest of boxes. I've been thinking about blogging the process as I've seen other sites do. I always find a satisfaction in reading the mundane, which isn't a put down in any way, I just think reading the everyday is so intriguing. There's something about the minutiae of life that's just as interesting to me as the big stuff, you know? Of course, I get all these ideas in my head and I simply run out of gas by the time I have a moment to write anything. Ah well. C'est la vie, non?

On another, far more random note, I am so super excited that Google has added the Gmail option to it's homepage. There used to just be web, images, maps, etc., but they've added a few more options now. Something about saving those two extra clicks just makes me smile. :)

Have a lovely day!

**Stitch in My Side has a new home! Please update your browsers to http://www.stitchinmyside.blogspot.com/. Thanks a bunch!!**

xoxo,

2011-06-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.
-- D. H. Lawrence
I'm alive! Things have been just bananas on the homefront and at work. All good things, but bananas nonetheless. No sewing has been done for weeks, which may be a record for me. Both Martha ans Stuart are practically rusting with lack of use. Champagne problems, I tell ya.

I hope you're all well! Tell me what you're working on. I feel so out of the loop! Today's the first day of summer. Any fun plans, sewing or otherwise? What do you put on your summer fun to-do list? I'm looking for ideas for my family to do, so stuff that appeals to kids (she's eight) and adults.

**Stitch in My Side has a new home! Please update your browsers to www.stitchinmyside.blogspot.com. Thanks a bunch!!**

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - June 7, 2011

2011-06-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.

-- Harold B. Lee

Don't forget to update your browsers to my new blog address http://www.stitchinmyside.blogspot.com/!!

xoxo,

Checking In

2011-06-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Whew, I've been busy! The new house had wallpaper in almost every room, so we've been taking it down and painting. It's a slow, but fun and eerily satisfying process. (Use DIF and a garden sprayer if you ever have to remove wallpaper. It's great! Though I feel we lucked out and had to remove what I would call good quality wallpaper. We got huge strips at a time!)

Anyway, June 1st came and went, and I totally forgot to remind you guys that I have a new blog address - www.stitchinmyside.blogspot.com. I'll post on both sites for now, but it would be so super awesome if you guys could switch your readers over. Thank you so, so much!!

I'll post pics about the dresses I've sewn in a couple of days (I hope!), but for now here are a couple of quilt blocks for the OCMQG!

What have you guys been up to?

xoxo,

Faux Piped Binding Tutorial

2011-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love faux piping on quilt binding. It gives such a subtle and elegant touch to the finishing of a quilt, but it's rather simple. If you can miter your quilt's binding, you can totally do this. Plus, you can machine stitch both sides of your binding -- a real plus for me! My hand sewing always falls out.

I also like this technique because it's a way to add a pop of color, or it can be a way to include something special when you don't have a lot of fabric to use. For this crib sized quilt, I just used the back of this shirt and MacGyver'd up this tutorial. I hope it's helpful. :)

This quilt is for my friend's baby, and this is the shirt her husband was wearing when they met. Can you believe that? I think it's just amazing that she held onto it for so long, and that she remembers what he was wearing when they met! I barely remember anything about the day my husband and I first met, but he remembers he & I quoting The Princess Bride at the same time. We're a match made in heaven, what can I say?

Anyway, she wanted the shirt incorporated into her quilt somehow, but I didn't quite know what to do with it. It's an old shirt, so I was worried that if I made patchwork with it, it would just fall apart eventually. Out of the blue, the idea just occurred to me - faux piping! Here's how you can do it too! Remember that you can click any picture to enlarge, or you can go to flickr to see this set.

For starters, I cut off the back of the shirt and prepped it the same way I would prep continuous bias binding (see here for a PDF of directions on how to do that courtesy of the Dread Pirate Rodgers).

My strip was 1" wide. After sewing and cutting, I folded the strip in half and pressed it. My faux piping looked like this:

Then I cut 2"wide bias binding from my Fandango Seville Spain fabric using the same technique and prepped it by folding it in half and pressing it, and then folding/pressing one side up 1/4". It looked like this:

I sewed the faux piping to the folded side of my 2" wide binding using a 1/4" seam -- I sewed along the fold line for an easy guide. I pressed it open like so:

I sewed the unfolded side of the binding to the quilt using a 3/8" seam.

I then folded it over & pinned the faux piping to the other side. Because the binding was folded/pressed in half already, this makes the side with the faux piping lay just a little lower than the side without it. That means when I sew it down, my stitch line won't show.

I pinned and pinned and pinned that binding down. Then I stitched in the ditch.

And you're all done! See how you can kinda see the stitch line on the faux piping, but not on the binding on the back?

Let me know if you have any questions! Another technique for this same thing is here at my friend/co-member of the Orange County Modern Quilting Guild's blog. Her way may even be a little faster thank mine. :)

I'm probably going to be MIA for a couple of days. We're set to start moving into our new house tonight, so I'll have my hands full, full, full with stripping wallpaper, painting, and all other manner of DIY deliciousness. Wish me luck!!

xoxo,

Baby Girl Quilt with Fandango Fabric

2011-05-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Courtney is expecting her first baby any day now. She embroidered the whole front of this quilt (she's the same gal who made this embroidery piece) and asked me to add sashing, a back, and some binding. She lurved Fandango by Kate Spain, so we went with that.

And really, what's not to love about this line? It's such lovely fabric with wonderful feminine colors, but it isn't overwhelmed with cotton candy pink. Too bad it's old or else you could find it everywhere. I'm totally new to the whole "designer quilting fabric" thing, and wouldn't even have known about this line if not for my friend Yolanda, a fellow member of the Orange County Modern Quilting Guild. She gave me a charm pack because she's a doll.

For those of you new to quilting too, a charm pack is a bundle of about 40 pre-cut 5"x5" fabric squares. It usually has all the colorways from a fabric line, and you can use the pack in a plethora of ways.

(Well, you told me I have a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has *no idea* what it means to have a plethora. -- Name that movie!!)

Courtney and I both love Sunbonnet Sue!

Anyway, there are tons of tutorials out there on things to do with charm packs, my favorite site being Moda Bake Shop. I didn't use them for this project because I wanted to keep the design really simple. In part it's because I'm still intimidated by quilts and the need for accuracy in cutting, but also because I wanted to showcase the fabric as much as possible. Simplicity always feels like the best way to do that, you know?

This kind of reminds me of a brick path pattern, only it's not offset and it also has sashing in between the rows of "bricks". So maybe it's nothing like a brick path pattern. I'm calling it the pattern Running Brick though, because I'm a rebel and don't hold myself down by rules like that. I also brush my teeth before eating breakfast even though my daughter says I'm wrong to do it that way. Yeah, suck it Crest!

I cut each square in half, then sewed them end to end. I had seven strips of 12 bricks. I don't remember how wide I cut the sashing or how big the quilt ended up being, but it wasn't too big. Maybe a touch larger than a normal crib size. The sashing is a Kona Natural.

Click here for my flickr photostream to see these up close.

I got all of my free motion quilting ideas from Leah Day. I used Curvy Key, River Path, Sixes Swirl (kind of), and Mesh Curtain (again, kind of - it's more like I used it for inspiration, but ended up doing it completely differently). Mesh Curtain gives such a lovely texture, almost like a tree bark. I see myself using that as my go-to quilting design. It reminds me of this, one of my favorite BH&G covers in a while (February 2011):

I also added piping to the binding. It's made from the shirt Courtney's husband was wearing when they met. Isn't that super romantic??????? I'll be showing you how I did that in a very high-level tutorial probably tomorrow. I won't be going as in depth as I like to, but hopefully you'll get the idea.

Oh, and I've quit smoking.

xoxo,

Giveaway Day Winner!!

2011-05-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so very, very much for entering my little giveaway! I really appreciate all of you taking the time, especially since I am sure it took forever to get to the bottom of the comments, let alone post one. You know how technology is! But some of those comments were just hilarious. You peeps are funny!

Anywhoodle, without further adieu, the winner via Random Number Generator was commenter #76 - Jenna (jmhamlin826). Thanks for entering and I will email you ASAP.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week. Welcome all new Lovely Lovelies! I hope you like this wacky little place of mine. :)

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - May 24, 2011

2011-05-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter if people are interested. It's about you taking your stuff and shouting out into the void.
-- Jadelr and Cristina Cordova

Don't forget to enter my giveaway as part of Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day. Just leave a comment for your chance at a $20 gift certificate to SMS! :)

xoxo,

Giveaway Day

2011-05-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Welcome to my Giveaway Day!! Hooray, you've survived the rapture!! In celebration, I'm giving one lucky winner anywhere in this great green world of ours a $20 gift certificate to Sew Mama Sew!

All you have to do to win is become one of my followers, "like" me on Facebook, follow my Twitter feed, buy something from my store, and become my neighbor in Cafe World. Or you can just leave a comment. :)

I know sometimes Disqus is a little of a pain. If you find you can't leave a comment, just shoot me an email saying "enter me!" or something along those lines. I'm at StitchInMySide (at) gmail (dot) com. Disqus emails me at that address every time I get a comment, so I'll choose the winner in the order of emails received. I'll select the winner via random number generator. I'll email you and announce the winner here on my blog.

One entry per person please. The giveaway is open until midnight Pacific time on May 25th. Please leave your email address in your comment so I know how to contact you. :)

Note: For realsies, you don't have to do anything to win besides leave a comment, I promise! Peace out and good luck!!!! :)

Here are the links back to Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day pages:
    Handcrafted Item(s) & Supplies/Materials
    Sewing & Knitting Supplies/Materials
    Handcrafted Item

xoxo,

Moving

2011-05-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, I have such news to share with you guys! I've had it for a couple of weeks now, but I needed to wait until everything got the green light before I could tell you because I hate backpedaling. Christian and I are buying our first house and will be moving in June! We are so excited and my head is bursting with ideas. I've pinned a bunch of stuff over at Pinterest (my boards are here so follow me and I will follow you!!!) and I can't wait to get my DIY on!! I hope the house doesn't end up being one of these. Or these.

Home sweet home. Almost!

We have major vaulted ceilings. :)

An electric stove :( in a very yellow kitchen. Faux brick backsplash that I may just coat with paint for now.

A den with wood vaulted ceilings. We call this The Lodge.

Also, my blog is moving June 1st as well! Nowhere far, just over to stitchinmyside.blogspot instead of stitchinmysideregan.blogspot. I've been waiting for the plain Stitch in My Side web address to be available since I started my blog, and Blogger finally released it. What's weird is that there was never a blog actually up on that web address, but the address was still unavailable. Anywhoodle, I'll keep this one up and I'll blog on both for the first couple of weeks in June, but I'll transfer all of this content over to the new address as well. I'll be sure to remind you guys so I'd really love it if you'd update your browsers when I do move. :) I can't promise the new place will be more awesome or anything (as though it could be!), but I've played around with the layout and stuff and it's just really purty. It's not done yet, though, so if you do venture over there please don't point and laugh at the posts that end abruptly mid-sentence.

I hope you're having a great hump day!! I personally cannot wait for this week to be over.

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - May 17, 2011

2011-05-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like we're all living in some kind of prison, and the crime is how much we hate ourselves. It's good to get really dressed up once in a while, and admit the truth -- that when you really look closely, people are so strange and so complicated that they're actually...beautiful. Possibly even me.
--Angela Chase, My So Called Life

Have you guys ever seen that show My So Called Life? I've been watching it on Netflix Instant lately (well, until the stupid PlayStation Network took a dump and will be out until the end of MAY are you serious thisis2011forchrissake?!!?!!!?!?!?!!111 Grmph!!!! ::brain explosion::)

I love that show.Love, love, love. It was on and I was the same age as the characters, and I was Angela Chase to the n-th degree. Right down to the flannels. Watching that show, reading that quote, it just reminds me of such a specific time in my life. That angst-ridden, hyper-emotional, flannel-clad time in my life. I don't feel that way about myself now, but oh god did I feel that way at 15. I remember talking to my nephew last summer (he was 14 at the time) and I remember telling him about how I felt as a teenager. I told him that I wish I had just felt I was beautiful, but maybe it's best I didn't. Nothing worse than some snot nosed teenage girl who knows she's pretty (I'm looking at you 16 and Pregnant and all that other swill on MTV).

xoxo,

Striped With Sunshine Tunic - S2594

2011-05-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

My lack of posting lately has not been indicative of my production. I've made this top, a dress, and a baby quilt in the last two weeks and I'm so happy! I have four more dresses cut and ready to sew, and I'm really excited about those as well. I've also not shown you my Easter dress, which is quite cute, so I'll do that soon too.

I loved making this top. It's super quick (I made it in about an hour and a half) though I must say that the yoke instructions left a lot to be desired. I figured them out but that's only because I've sewn for so long. While I think this is a simple pattern, I can see how a beginner could have serious, swear-filled problems with Simplicity's explanation of the yoke and it's facing. Still, the little pleats on the front and the gathering at the back are just such sweet details.

Also, it's really comfy. I made view B, the long tunic. I didn't make the tie, but that's just because I had a belt to use. Tucking it in worked well too. This top is good for work or as part of a cute, casual outfit.

There are downsides to this top, but I can still see myself making it again because it's so comfy, lightweight, and cute. However, in the interest of full disclosure, here are my gripes in no particular order:

The cowl neck gapes big time, so I wore a nude tank for modesty. I still felt like I was flashing my goodies though, I won't lie.
It's big. Next time I make this I think I'll make a 12, maybe even a 10.
Again, the instructions on the back yoke are confusing. I don't think they're impossible, but it may help to just ditch them and trust your instincts on sewing this. You'll probably do it right.

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - May 10, 2011

2011-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

Feet, why do I need them if I have wings to fly?
-- Frida Kahlo
xoxo,

Mother's Day Present for My Mama

2011-05-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

My mom loves buttons. Loves. Buttons. I saw this idea over on Pinterest (which the original source saw over at the American Crafts blog) and knew I had to make it for her.

She loved it!

It's super easy and is such a fun way to use up the treasure trove of buttons that I have. I see a very large R for Rothery coming up for home!

All I did was use WordArt in Microsoft Word to create this. Just open word, select WordArt, and choose the outline shape.

Then use a good, bold font. I used AR Julian. Stretch it to fit the size you want. My frame was 8"x10", so I made my letter 7" tall. ::Note: the below example is not 7" tall, but you get the idea::

Then I just traced the letter onto a piece of fabric (Kona Natural, I think?), and stitched the buttons on with a gold thread. If you've got a cache of random buttons you have no idea how to use, I highly recommend this. They don't have to match, and it's such a lovely and charming gift for that button-lover in your life. :)

xoxo,

Little White Dress Tutorial Part 3

2011-05-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the final step for the Little White Dress Tute. Part one is here, and part two is here.

Get your straps and sandwich them in the top strip. I pinned my strips to the back of the dress and then put on the dress & pinned them in the front to make sure I covered my bra strap.

Now, get your trim for the front and sandwich it in the 3" space you left open on the straps.

Sew close to the folded edge

and when you get to this point, pivot your sewing to sew the strap closed.

Then turn your needle around and sew back along your stitching line. ::Sorry, I forgot to take a picture doing this on the left strap (the one in the pics above), so just pretend this is me sewing the same strap::

Now your straps are on and the top strip is sewn closed, so all we need to do is add the elastic waistband!

Measure yourself from your knees to your waistline. My length is 20". Get your Frixion pen (they don't pay me to say that [though I'll take an endorsement!], but it's really the most awesome marking tool I've ever used), and mark the dress at 20".

Cut a piece of 1/4" elastic the same size as your waistline measurement and sew it closed.

Then, to make sure the dress is evenly gathered, mark the dress and elastic like so. Lay out your dress like the below picture. The back seam is equidistant front middle of the dress.

Mark the front middle.

Now lay your dress, lining up your new middle marking with the back seam so that the dress sides are equidistant from each other.

Mark the sides.

And then you have four markings.

Do the same with the elastic. I pin it when I mark the sides because elastic is wily!

Now line up the elastic seam with the back seam of your dress.

And line up all the other markings.

Then, using your widest zig zag setting, sew the elastic to the dress, stretching as you go.

And you're all done!

As always, please email me or leave a comment if you have any questions. I hope you guys like this and use this tutorial. I think this would be just adorable in any number of fabric combos, but I love it in white muslin because it's A) cheap, and B) so easy breezy and cool. Perfect for summer!!

xoxo,

Little White Dress Tutorial Part 2

2011-05-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today we'll get through the top strip of the dress

and some steps of the straps construction (say that five times fast), and then we'll finish up with part three maybe Saturday? Part one of this tutorial is here (EDIT: part three is here).

For the top strip (very technical term, mind you), you get your high bust measurement (mine is 37") and use the snip and rip technique from step one. Snip in 2" intervals on your muslin, and snip two strips that are your high bust measurement + 1". My top strip pieces are 38" long. ::Not shown - also cut a piece of trim this long.::

Fold over 1/2" on one side of each of the strips. Press. You only do this to one side, not both.

Now take those strips and sew the ends together to make two separate circles. Open out the fold you just created and line up the crease caused by the fold. See how my pin lines up the creases from the front and back?

Sew them together. You can chain piece them as I did here to save time. :)

Now take your dress that you made in step one and baste stitch along the top so that we can gather it a little bit.

Gather it until it's the same width as your top strip.

Spread your gathering evenly.

Lining up the back seam on your dress and the seam on the top strips, sandwich your dress between the two strips making sure the pressed edges of the strips are facing down.

Sew all the way around.

When you're done it will look like this.

Then you just press the strips open. See how now you have an edge that's "finished"? The folded edges will make it easier to sew and enclose the raw edges when it's time for us to finish the dress.

Now for the straps. It's the same thing as the top strip, except you cut four 2" strips instead of two 2" strips. I suggest cutting these 15" long. ::Not shown - also cut two pieces of trim this length.::

Now sandwich your trim between two strap pieces. (I hope these pictures aren't as blown out on your computer as they are on mine. They didn't look this bad when I was editing them, and now I look at them today and it looks like one big white strip and that's all.)

Sew at 1/2" seam allowance.

Press.

Sew the folded edge, stopping 3" from the end of the strap.

And that's all for today. :) We will finish up in our next step.

xoxo,

Little White Dress Tutorial

2011-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yay! So here's part 1 (EDIT: part two is here, and part three is here) of my tutorial on how to make this sweet little white dress. I was going to make this one long post, but I have 87 pictures and I don't feel like crashing any servers. :) I'm breaking this puppy up into a few Illiad-length posts vs. one biblical-length post. Either way, get your comfy pants on.

Anywhoodle, I think this is a great project for beginners so I hope you guys like the tutorial. As always, click on any picture to enlarge and email me or leave a comment if you have any questions on anything. Remember, there are no silly questions! Ask away!

Supplies needed for this dress:

1 yard of 90" wide white muslin (I highly recommend getting the 90" wide white muslin that way you only need a yard. If you go with 45" wide that's OK too, but you'll need at least 1 1/4 yard, possibly more depending on your size.)
4 yards flat eyelet trim
1/4" wide elastic
White thread, 70/10 sewing needle, scissors
Hem Gauge
Measuring Tape

Let's sew!

Measure your high bust and write that number down. For length, I took the tape and measured from my high bust to right above my knees like so:

Croquis via Threads.com

Then I added 1" for the top and bottom seam allowance, and added 2" so that the bodice would have a little poofy bodice. My total length was 32.5". Measure that length (again, 32.5 on my dress) along the selvage edge (the edge that they didn't cut when you bought your fabric), snip your fabric, and then just tear it. Being a woven fabric, muslin will just rip right down giving you a straight line. :)

Snip & rip. Gotta love it!

Now for the width you do the same basic thing. Take your widest measurement (for this dress it was my hips) and add 4" for ease and 1" for your seam allowance. My measurement ended up being 46". Measure, snip, and rip.

Now you have the body of your dress. Mine was 32.5" long by 46" wide.

Get your iron and hem gauge (the slide ruler thingy), and make a narrow hem along the bottom of your dress (the 46" wide part). Measure 1/2"

and press until you go all the way across the length of your dress.

Now take the raw edge and fold it in so that it's enclosed

and rub side to side to finger press it

then press with the iron.

That's your narrow hem!

Now for the pin tucks, get your hem gauge and set the slider at 1/4". Place your hem at the 1" mark on the ruler and fold your pin tuck over to meet the 1/4" guide.

Using your sweet new finger pressing expertise, finger press the 1/4" pin tuck all the way across.

Press with the iron.

Pin tuck #1 is done!

For pin tuck #2, do the same exact thing, only now you measure 1 1/2" from the hem.

Let's sew these guys down.

Sew your hem.

Then sew on your lace.

Now to sew your pin tucks. Sew along the lines illustrated so that the pin tucks keep their shape.

And here we are all sewn up!

Now let's sew up the back seam. Right sides together, pin the edges & try to line up the hem and pin tucks as much as possible.

I apologize for my blurry-ness

They may not line up perfectly but no one will notice!

Zig zag the edge to finish.

And that's enough for today. Parts 2 & 3 are coming this week. :)

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - May 3, 2011

2011-05-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

To resist the frigidity of old age one must combine the body, the mind and the heart - and to keep them in parallel vigor one must exercise, study and love.

-- Karl von Bonstetten

LWD tutorial coming tomorrow! I have all the stuff, I just need to sit down and write the post. I meant to do that yesterday, but I just realized that it's May and Mother's Day is here on Sunday ::Side note: It's MAY!?!?! And Mother's Day is this Sunday?!?!?!?!?! ACK!!:: I had to sit myself down and make my Mama her gift. I'm sure you understand. :)

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - April 26, 2011

2011-04-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

One thing is clear to me. You can't know everything you'd like to know. You can't do everything you'd like to do. You can't read everything you'd like to read. You must hold onto some things and let go of others. Learning to make that choice is one of the big lessons of this life.

-- Real Live Preacher, Real Live Preacher.com weblog

I have had such insomnia lately. The hubby has The Sick, so he has to go to bed early, which of course makes me just want to Stay Awake. Like, majorly awake. I've been sitting there in the dark until well past 1:00 am, just thinking. Sometimes I think my brain is like a squirrel. It just scampers around here and there and just will not settle.

On another random side note, the other day I was watching Super Hot Celebrity Beach Bodies You Will Never Have But We're Showing Them to You Anyway to Reinforce the Idea That Celebrities Are Better Than You Are And Could Ever Possibly Hope to Be or some such drivel on E, and of course crazy Matt ~~McConahey~~ ::Google search:: McConaughey was on there. Unfortunately there was no nudity or bongos (lame!), but one of the commenters did say something about MMc's workout philosophy that I found interesting. He feels that if he can just sweat every single day, no matter what it's from, then that's his workout. I thought that was interesting. I'm trying to incorporate that into my life too. Did you sweat today?

xoxo,

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

2011-04-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

And the winner of her very own Little White Dress is.... Commenter #1 -- Heather!!! Awooooooooooooooooo!! Congrats Heather! I will email you to get some info and we'll get this tutorial up probably late next week.

Thank you all so, so much for entering! I have so much stuff to show you, but it's been really chilly here lately. I can't put on all the cute spring clothing I have -- I have a lot of easy, peasy ideas that I'd like to share with you all. I see many tutorials coming your way!!!!!

I can't wait to get this tute up! :)

xoxo,

Little White Dress Giveaway Ends Tonight!

2011-04-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter if you haven't yet. Giveaway ends tonight at midnight Pacific Standard Time.

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - April 19, 2011

2011-04-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Never say never, for if you live long enough, chances are you will not be able to abide by its restrictions. Never is a long, undependable time, and life is too full of rich possibilities to have restrictions placed upon it.
-- Gloria Swanson

xoxo,

Little White Dress Giveaway (Tutorial also coming soon!)

2011-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

***This giveaway is now closed.***

We've all got the little black dress - perfect for everything from a dinner date to a power lunch with the boss. Well, I now give you the Little White Dress - perfect for sitting under a tree and enjoying your favorite romance novel, to a day of bicycle riding and farmer's markets. Ahhh, the dreams of warm spring days!

I will be doing a tutorial on how to make this sweet and dainty dress. All you need is muslin, 1/4" elastic, and flat eyelet lace (I got mine from The Trimming on Etsy, who I had never purchased from before).

She included the little butterfly as an added "thank you" for my purchase. Isn't that sweet? She was also very quick, so I recommend her shop. The trim I purchased is still available here.

Supplies list:

1 yard of 60" wide white muslin or 1 1/4 yard of 44" wide. For a fancier version, you could also use chambray or voile, but I like to keep things less expensive especially when it's a white garment. You guys know how messy I am!
About 3 yards of flat white eyelet lace trim - 1 1/4" wide or more, but probably no more than 2" wide - a quick search on Etsy will give you lots of options
1/4" elastic - just buy a package of it, chances are you'll need about a yard

This dress is a breeze to make! Easy to cut (just one big rectangle, two straps, and a strap for the top), easy to sew, and comes out just beautifully.

I will be showing you how to make your very own version of this dress in the coming weeks, and one lucky gal will win the one I make in the tutorial! Yes, I will make you your very own Little White Dress to keep or to give to a special lady in your life!!

To enter, just leave a comment with your email address. I will send this anywhere in the whole widest world!! If you have any issues with Disqus not letting you leave a comment, just email me at StitchInMySide (at) gmail (dot) com.

Please only one entry per person. Contest is open until Wednesday, April 20th at midnight PDT. Winner will be chosen via random number generator and announced on Thursday, April 21st. The tutorial will be posted at the end of April/beginning of May, so the dress will be sent out after that via standard mail. Good luck!!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - April 12, 2011

2011-04-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
-- William James

xoxo,

Ditch That Facing! Volume 2

2011-04-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well, only about eight months later here I am with the other technique I like to use to avoid using facings (technique #1 is here, where I also explain what facings are and why I don't like them). This technique allows you to fully line the bodice, but I only recommend it for things that have a zipper in the back (super important! it won't work otherwise) and do not have any gathering along the neckline. For those types of garments, I would use technique #1.

I am scaling this down to a doll size because I don't have enough fabric to make myself another dress. The beneficiary of my weensy garment is Sunny here.

Because this is a doll's dress, there are no darts in the bodice. I am making her a little version of the Coffee Date dress from Burda, so just pretend I've got darts, OK? :) Also, the seam allowances should be 5/8", but mine are smaller because, again, doll's dress. We all square? Great! Let's get sewing.

So, what you want to do is cut all the pieces of your bodice from both your fabric and your lining. You do not need to cut the facings, and I never use interfacing when I use this technique. I'm using muslin as my lining here as I did for my version of the Coffee Date dress. Sew the darts (not pictured because they don't exist) on both the fabric and the lining, and do any other sewing you need for your bodice (I had to add the ruffle to this bodice, for example). Then sew both the fabric and the lining at the shoulder seams.

Press the seams open.

Now, lay those, right sides together and sew around the neckline and arm holes.

I like to pin down my seams so that they don't flap open as the presser foot goes over them.

Now trim your seams down to about 1/4".

Clip your curves.

For the arm holes, I usually clip about 10 times. I've highlighted them in orange so you can see easier. :)

Clip your neck hole too.

The reason you trim your seams and clip your curves is to help the garment lay flat. The bulkiness of 5/8" seams around something as curved as a neckline really show. If you don't clip your curves, the curves will be really restricted and won't lay right, so please don't skip these steps. They make a big difference in the way your piece looks, I promise!

Now, you need to pull the bodice back through the shoulder holes like this:

Now we understitch the seam allowances to the lining (the circled stuff to the white fabric). We do this because it also helps the garment lay flat, and will keep the lining from peeking out over the neckline.

Because of the way this is constructed, you won't be able to understitch all the way around. Just go as far as you can and don't try to force yourself to sew further than you can sew easily. You don't want to sew the bodice together, not that I've ever done that! :)

(Not pictured) Press the seam allowances towards the lining. Stitch, making sure your stitches catch the seam allowances. Sew both arm holes and the neckline.

See how the stitches don't go all the way around the neckline and arm holes?

Press your garment.

Almost done!

Now we just need to sew up the sides. Open up the lining and fabric and pin them together - bodice front to bodice back, and lining front to lining back.

Just like with the shoulder seams, pin down the arm hole seam allowances so that it doesn't flop around when you sew.

Press so both seam allowances face the same way.

Now press the lining under 5/8".

And sew the bodice to the skirt, leaving the lining free.

Clip the seam allowance. (Not pictured) Add your back closure (zipper, buttons, etc.). Then hand sew the lining down. I used my sewing machine because 1) this is a doll's dress and 2) I'm lazy.

Now you're all done!!

I hope you guys use this. I love it myself and find it appropriate for most garments. Let me know if you have any questions!! :)

xoxo,

Daffodil Days at JoAnn's April 10-16

2011-04-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Big sale next week at JoAnns. Most notable for me are the McCall's patterns for 99 cents, Vogue patterns for $3.99, all notions are 50% off, all red tag fabric is 50% off, and all pillow forms are 50% off. To check out their flyer, click here where you can also sign up for email alerts (they always include 50% off coupons!).

M6308 via McCallPattern.com

M5388 via McCallPattern.com

V8741 via voguepattern.mccall.com

I love when they have sales like this because I can go and get a bunch of notions (mainly Schmetz sewing needles, straight pins, elastic, and random closures like snaps or hooks & eyes or velcro) at a price I don't mind paying. When I go on sale days like this, I head straight to the back of the store where I hit the notions section, the Clearance Clarence fabric, and the pattern drawers. I don't even look at the rest of the store. Well, OK I do, but I try not to buy anything unless I 1) have a coupon or 2) it's on sale. I never, ever buy anything at JoAnns at full price.

By the way, if these JoAnn posts are a little too much just let me know. I love to let folks know about a sale, but I don't want to seem like I'm only about JoAnn Fabrics. That is not the case, and they certainly don't pay me or anything for being a mouthpiece. It's just super important to me personally to let people know that you can save money when you sew for yourself so that's why I do it. But you guys let me know, OK?? I loves ya!!

My second tutorial on ditching facing is coming this weekend. I'm not showing anything new or super amazing, just something I've discovered along the way. If you've sewn for little girls, you have undoubtedly done this before so don't expect that it's something crazy new. :) Also, I'll post the dresses soon as well. It's been cold and cloudy here lately so I haven't been able to get good pics.

xoxo,

St. Joseph

2011-04-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

This is my sweet, glow in the dark St. Joseph statue. I didn't buy him because he glows in the dark... that was just a plus. :)

No, no, no. I bought him because he's going to help me with my house hunting! Duh!

I picked him up after work yesterday. When I spoke to Christian that evening, our conversation went like this:
Him: "Hi baby. How was your day?"
Me: "Great! Hey, I gotta keep this brief because I'm going to the Catholic book store right now so I can get a St. Joseph statue to bury in our yard. It'll help us get the house we want!!"
Him: "........"

Some days it must be really odd to be married to me.

Anyway, I remember my mom telling me that if you want to sell a house you bury him right side up in your back yard, and if you want to buy a house you bury him upside down in your front yard. Technically, you're only supposed to bury him in the ground when you want to sell your house; you're SOL if you want to buy one. Super technically, you only bury him when you want to sell your house, and you have to bury him upside down and facing away from your house, and you say some special novenas every day for a week. I decided to throw caution to the wind and buried him upside down in our front yard. Maybe St. Joseph will appreciate my free thinking.

Honestly, I do it more for the kitsch factor than anything, but superstition certainly has its claws in me with some things. I won't put my purse on the floor because my mom always says it'll make you spend money faster if you do. Any time I have my purse, I put it on my lap or on a chair. I never unintentionally set my purse on the floor.

Anyway, even though I'm buying an house instead of selling one, I've still gone and buried ol' St. Joe and I've let him know my request to get the house on Lincoln. We submitted the offer today, and should hear back in about a week. If we get the house, I'm supposed to put the statue in a place of honor in our new home. I may mount him to my sewing machine as that is as high an honor as this little chica can bestow.

xoxo,

*More info on the St. Joseph statue here.

No One Really Knows Who Alma Really Is - House Hunting in the OC

2011-04-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'll let the picture speak for itself.

There was stuff like this all over the walls. And this room.... this room was like a shanty in the garage. They took two of the existing walls from the garage and just built two additional walls, popped in a door, and bang. Alma's room was there. I'd like to meet Alma, but something tells me I'd never know who she truly is. Oh that teen angst! ;)

The quilter in me loves the back of this garage door. It's kind of charming to see patchwork where you least expect it...

This swingin' jacuzzi is included in the sale. Very charitable, no?

That's the front door. And yes, that's a toilet. The bathroom is literally one step inside the front door.

House hunting has been fun so far. We've found some really lovely places whose photos aren't included (obviously), but I have to say that my favorite place is kind of a mess. A mother loves best an ugly child, what can I say? The house is a solid five on a scale of one to ten, and even then I feel like I'm being generous. But the yard... the yard is so amazing! It's HUGE! I know those of you who live places with land, land, land don't understand the excitement, but it's a rarity here in Southern California. Especially somewhere as built up as Orange County. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will be burying my St. Joseph tomorrow (I'll post on that so you guys know what I'm talking about), but it's not going to be an easy, breezy, beautiful process. Here's to hoping!!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - April 5, 2011

2011-04-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Christian and I are house hunting right now. I'm going to be posting some pictures of the more, ahem, colorful and unique properties. We've just started looking so it's still quite fun, but I can see this getting very, very stressful if we don't find something soon.

On the other hand, we found the place we're renting right now literally four days before we had to move. We've lived here quite happily for over four years, so I'll just have to put my faith out there that we'll land in the perfect place again. :)

On a separate note, I've gotten two casual dresses sewn, one of which I am going to make into a tutorial and I think giveaway? I'm thinking that I'll show you the dress I made, then have a giveaway to make one of you that same dress, then sew that dress in the tutorial. Do I make any sense? I hope so, and I really hope you guys like it. I love it, and it's super sweet and pretty - a perfect summer dress! It is also super, duper easy and cheap. All you need is muslin (just 1 yard of the really wide stuff - 60" or more; you could also use chambray) and 3 yards of eyelet lace trim (I'd check Etsy, it's where I got mine). Pics will be up later this week and I'll hold the giveaway shortly thereafter. I'd like to get the tutorial up the week of the 18th. This dress is based on the Canopy Lookout dress from Anthropologie, retail $128.

Image via Anthropologie.com

xoxo,

Simplicity Pattern Sale - March 31 - April 2

2011-03-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

Simplicity patterns are on sale for 99 cents a pop at your local JoAnn Fabric stores today (Thursday) through Saturday. Oh, and they've got an adorable collaboration with Suede from PR season 5 (I think?) who I remember liking. The name of the collection, by the by, isn't just "Suede Says" but instead is "SUEDE Says!. Looooove it! It's like SWINTON. I think this is a pretty sweet little dress. Reminds me of this Tracy Reese pattern from Vogue, only it looks a bit easier. I'm thinking I'll use the Tracy Reese one for a chiffon and the SUEDE one for a sweet cotton. One for work, one for play. Oui? Oui!

I also cannot recommend S2593 enough. I've used the pattern is to make a couple of tops and they've turned out really great. I also find this pattern to be a really good block to use whenever I want to make something with a gathered neck and waist, but don't want to try to make the pattern myself (read: never). I used it as the block for the body of this dress and this top based on the Winding Indus top from Anthropologie.

Really, all I did was lengthen it and add sleeves and wham! Totally new garment! And yes, that's the same fabric. I love blue chiffon, what can I say? ;)

Also on sale is Gutterman thread (40% off), so go in and get yourself some! :)

xoxo,

Sweet New Laptop

2011-03-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

OK, so I don't want to brag, especially when it comes to material things (I prefer to only brag about my general awesomeness. I'm a lady.), but I just have to show off my sweet new laptop. It was totally customized for me and my needs.

Sorry, I meant Travel Computer

Qwerty keyboard? Who needs it!

This 10-key will take some getting used to. Especially since it's on the left side.

Sweet mouse.

Why, I sound very pretty and cool? Thank you.

Always set at Match.com. It's "romantic". Also, it's where Christian and I met according to Veronica (it's not where we met). You're getting a glimpse of our first chat session.

If any of you want your own custom laptop, I may be able to finagle the manufacturer. I think it goes without saying that the portability of this ~~laptop~~ travel computer is pretty much unparalleled.

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - March 29, 2011

2011-03-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

No risk it, no biscuit!
-- the fun, spunky, and just plain lovely Catherine over at Original Stitch

With the weather expected to shoot up to almost 90 degrees this week, my head is buzzing with lovely Spring/Summer fashions. I am thinking this may be a season for muslin as the base fabric for my garments as all I want is white, lace, and embroidery. I know muslin is not tres chic, but I actually love working with it when I want something crisp and white.

xoxo,

Butterick Pattern Sale Starts Tomorrow at JoAnn Fabrics

2011-03-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hello my dears! JoAnn's is having one of their fabulous pattern sales this weekend. All Butterick patterns are $1.99 each (limit 10)!

I'm wanting to make some tops with sleeves (for once), so I've got my eye on B5300 (view A. I need to do research to see if this has a collar stand... I need to try one of those again), B5365 (either view -- love those pin tucks on the shoulder seam), B5464 (this is a definite purchase -- all the views are so lovely), and I also really like B5497 (view B - the others are a little too Boobs McCleavage).

I may even get B3030 (view A) even though it got no favors from the pattern envelope. I figure a simple raglan sleeve is something I've never actually sewn, so it would be good to have a basic shell top in my stash. Just imagine this top with a slightly longer bodice and made from a lovely silk chiffon. Le sigh! Still, knowing my cheap ass, I'll probably find a Simplicity pattern that's similar and just buy that one instead because it'll be $0.99 and not $1.99. :)

xoxo,

Ikea Twofer Dress

2011-03-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

As some of you darling lovelies may remember (if you've been here that long), last year I decided to make myself a funky little ironing board cover. All those little pieces did end up leaving marks on my clothing, so I unfortunately had to retire it. It still sits in my closet, waiting to be made into something else - I'm thinking yoga mat bag...

Anyway, not wanting some fugly ironing board cover, I went to Ikea and found a cute one for $5. It unfortunately didn't fit my board. :( Still, I held on to the fabric because it was so pretty and I figured I could make a skirt out of it. So I did!

Actually, I made a dress. :)

Ahhhh, it's so Springtime, isn't it? Unfortunately, it's not warm enough to wear on its own just yet, but some tights and a little cardigan make it perfect! The top is made from the same jersey as this epic fail. It's a very, very bright yellow cotton jersey. In fact, this is the wrong side of the fabric if that gives you an idea of just how briiiiiiiiight the fabric actually is!

I just made a basic tank top and stitched it to the wide elastic. I found this explanation from PresserFoot to be very helpful. Actually, that whole tutorial is just wonderful and sooooo cute. I love those gals!

The ruffles are made from black hem tape and flat lace that I scored at a thrift store (there has to be at least 10 yards and I got it all for 50 cents!). I just gathered them and sewed them down.

Here's a closeup of the skirt/ironing board fabric (click picture to enlarge).

I'm not 100% happy with my raw edge binding. I figured it would look cleaner than it does, but it just looks a little too "casual" (read: sloppy-pants!). I think a happy medium for my laziness would be to enclose the raw edge of the binding to the outside of the tank top so that it's all pretty, but leave the edge raw on the inside. Hooray lazy!

Lastly, I just have to show you guys this last picture. It's an outtake because my triceps muscle is so bulging! At least to me.... I've had weensy little arms my whole life so to have any muscles at all is totally new to me. :)

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - March 22, 2011

2011-03-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

The time to stop talking is when the other person nods his head affirmatively but says nothing.
-- Henry S. Haskins
I love this quote. I feel like it's profound, but it's also kinda funny. We've all been there, right? You're just going on and on, and that person you're talking to who's "listening" is just nodding while their eyes have a 1,000 yard stare. Priceless!

On a small side note, my blog celebrated its three year anniversary earlier in the month and I completely forgot. I'm in the process of changing things up a bit as blogger finally released the web address stitchinmyside.blogspot.com, which I have been waiting for for the last three years. I want to change the layout & design, while also going through the old posts and re-reading them for spelling errors etc. It's proving to be a far more daunting task than I expected! :)

xoxo,

Necklaces

2011-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

I saw this gorgeous necklace at Anthropologie last year and have been mesmerized by it even since. It's no longer for sale (I think), but it was maybe $130?? It's called the Field Nap necklace.

Image via Anthropologie.com

Something about it is so sunny and cheerful. I look at it and it just makes me feel happy. Those flowers... adorable!! There were other ones for sale as well, made in the same style with briolette flowers and flowers made from petal-shaped beads. I scoured the interwebs for a tutorial on how to make one just like theirs, but came away rather empty handed. I've fiddled around here and there, and found a technique that I think is pretty good for the flowers. My only issue has been how to attach them to the necklace itself, and that's proving to be a bit more difficult. Still, my little attempt is holding up pretty well, and I think I'm almost at a point where this little guys is good enough to sell.

Le sigh! I just love it when a plan comes out, especially when it's not really a plan per se, it's just you with a boatload of petal-shaped beads, your tools, and that Christian Bale movie with the dragons. You're sitting there wrapping and beading, just making one flower after another with no real plan in place. Then you get a bunch made, and they're just laying there on your carpet in no particular order when you realize that they look quite smashing that way. You do your damndest to keep them just so as you attach, attach, attach, et voila! A necklace!

The other necklace I made was not so difficult. I've made one just like this for myself and always get so many complements when I wear it. My girlfriend Tami was one of those folks who really liked mine, so I made her one out of a light blue 10mm faceted beads. She recently had a birthday, so this was my little gift to her.

These beads remind me of water, which always reminds me of my Tami.

You know how some people are just like that? You see a certain color, or smell a flower or eat something and boom, there they are. I saw these in the horrible overhead incandescent lighting of the Michael's I was at, and even then I knew: this color was her if I could make her into a color. I hope she likes it. More than that, I hope it doesn't fall apart!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - March 15, 2010

2011-03-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.

-- Phillips Brooks
Sorry I've been MIA lately. I'll have some stuff to share later this week!

If you're looking for a way to help our friends in Japan, I suggest Doctors Without Borders or The Red Cross. I know how silly it can feel to have no money and feel as though the $5 you can afford to give won't help for squat. Trust me when I say that it will. Every little bit does help! If everyone gave $5, think of the floods of money that would be rolling in! Like Helen Keller said, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."

That's two quotes in one day! :)

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - March 8, 2011

2011-03-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

There is no law of progress. Our future is in our own hands, to make or to mar. It will be an uphill fight to the end, and would we have it otherwise? Let no one suppose that evolution will ever exempt us from struggles. "You forget," said the Devil, with a chuckle, "that I have been evolving too."
-- William Ralph Inge

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - March 1, 2011

2011-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have two Frosts for you today. I remember finding the article (Time Magazine, July 4, 1960, Late Frost: Witty, Wise & Young) that these quotes came from when I was looking through microfiche in college doing research about the era of a play I was reading. Ah, the world before Google.

I always write with the hope that I shall come on something like a woman's last word.

It is a coarse brutal world, unendurably coarse and brutal, for anyone who hasn't the least dash of coarseness or brutality in his own nature to enjoy it with.
--Robert Frost
I'm getting The Sick. I am not pleased with this. Please leave the family medicine miracle cure suggestions in the comments. I am getting on a red eye to New York tomorrow and will be damned if the flu is taking me down!

xoxo,

Vogue 1051. Again.

2011-02-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't had plain black slacks in at least four years. Yep, one of the most basic career-girl wardrobe staples and I haven't had a pair since GW was in office. Hlafway through his second term. I bought this fabric last fall. I finally cut these some time in October. Then I finally sewed them up last week. I heart procrastination, what can I say?

For anyone keeping score, this makes these slacks my forth version of Vogue 1051. And with the exception of the waistband closure being just a touch too low & causing a pucker (something very easily remedied by simply moving the hook down), I think this is the best version yet!

I love, love this pattern. Every version I've seen on Pattern Review looks great on all body types, so if you're out searching for a great pants pattern: This. Is. The. One.

The Changes
I switched out the pockets again using my tutorial here. I was smart and used the pockets from this dress as the template so that I wouldn't cut them too small again. :) Worked like a charm!

I've found that size 14 is just right on the waistline but a little big in the legs and hips. Still, I forget to grade the pattern down every single time I cut this pattern. Much sewing, trying on, and sewing again happened in the course of these legs. Worth it!

I kept both back pockets unlike my grey version, and I must say that both versions work equally well. I decided to toss out the button closure on this version, and bar tacked the sides of the welted pockets down (see the picture of the pocket lining to get a better idea).

I did this for two reasons: 1) I have found that putting buttons on the butt of anything is a surefire way to lose buttons - I've replaced the buttons on my denim version of these slacks at least three times; and 2) I lined these slacks with the seersucker from my coffee date dress and didn't want it to peek out of the back pockets, thereby giving me two white lines across my butt at all times. This does and does not work. I'll take that though, since the welts came out so well! My best welts ever, and the secret is in the clipping. Cut every thread down to the corner of your staystitching!

I lowered the waistband by 1 1/2" (I think) and now they're perfect. I felt that the waistband was a little high before.

I know that seems like a lot of changes, but it really isn't. While these pants are not too difficult, I would say it's more of an intermediate pattern. Don't go from jammie pants to these slacks - you will become stabby! Though if anyone thinks they might be helped with a sew along, I could easily be persuaded. We'd be making these changes though! These pants are now perfect and I will sew them with this way forever and ever, amen. Does that mean I could repackage this pattern and sell it as my own creation? Muhahahaha!!

Oh, and speaking of sew alongs, Bhoomika, one of you sweet commenters, suggested the JJ blouse from Burda (an adorable [and FREE!] little blouse pattern that I've been eyeing since early last year). Any objections? It's probably an intermediate level as well, but we'll go through it all together. I will not make any changes, though I may lengthen the top a little (I like my blouses long so they don't come untucked when I sit down). Would that be OK for everyone? We wouldn't start for a bit - maybe by the end of March, but probably April at the earliest.

I've got so many other things to show you, but work has been crazy busy. I've had no time to photograph anything, and even if I did, I have no desire to hop back on to a computer after a full day in front of one. But ooooh, the necklace I made this weekend... I must show you that! And my little dress! I hope you're all well. I go to New York this week to visit one of my very best friends, so I hope I get some stuff posted before I'm M.I.A. yet again. I do miss you so!

xoxo,

Hooray, Hooray for President's Day

2011-02-21T12:34:00.001-08:00

I got today off, but Christian didn't. This sucks because three day weekends with him are wonderfully lazy and fun, but it's great because a day alone means I get to sew to my heart's content. Veronica's with her dad, which means I have the whole house to myself for a full day which hasn't happened since I don't know when. I decided to get to work.

My mom bought this gorgeous embroidered piece from an antique mall in Orange when she was here over the holidays.

She wanted it made into an apron, so I made her this.

I love this lady. What's amazing is that much of the outline is a stem stitch, with (what looks like) all six strands of embroidery floss.

When I make a stem stitch it's never this tight. I mean, just look at the back - how it almost looks like a back stitch.

I am thinking that a tighter stem stitch is what makes this look so beautiful. I'll need to remember that the next time I embroider.

I bound the edges with binding tape I made from some great green material since it's her favorite color. I also made a round neck, which I think is more vintage than the kind of neck I normally put on an apron. I used the neck back from Butterick 5353 and neck side from Simplicity 2925 as guides with a little changing here and there. I don't think you need a pattern to do that, but I just prefer one since I'm far more comfortable that way. Plus, something that's already drafted means you don't waste time and/or fabric fidgeting with measurements. :)

I also added a wee pocket. She's now in the Itty Bitty Pocket Committee.

Now I'm off to PetSmart to replace the four fish I killed this last week (don't ask) and I'm going to finish my black slacks that I've had cut for months. If I have time, I'll also finish my Feelin Stitchy February Stitch Along dish towel and this little number.

Yes, that was an Ikea ironing board cover. Why do you ask? :)

xoxo,

Stitch in My Side Featured at WeAllSew.com

2011-02-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

I've been so stoked to tell you guys about this, but wanted to wait until I actually had something to show you.... I'm being featured on Bernina's Favorite Sewing Blogs at their We All Sew website this week! Squee! I honestly cannot believe it!!

For all you new folks coming over here from We All Sew, Hi! How are you! Come and stay a while! Tell me what you think of the place. FYI, I do swear, so I just wanna warn you before you go poking around only to get surprised by an f-bomb. Actually, they're mostly s-bombs, a lot of h-bombs, and some d-bombs sprinkled in there too for good measure.

Anyway, hopefully I didn't scare anyone off. Happy Friday! :)

xoxo,

Marie Skirt Sew Along: The Downtown Version

2011-02-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Hello lovelies! I finally got some pics of the Downtown version of my Marie Skirt. It's not my favorite skirt ever sewn, I'll admit that. But all in all it was really fun to do the sew along.

I am so, so excited that so many folks actually sewed along like Linda

and Lisa P

and the folks who are still in progress like Sarah (who blogged about her skirt here)

and Bridget.

I hope you all had a great time! I was thinking about doing the Kasia skirt next. Another free Burda pattern is always nice, but does anyone have any preference for the type of garment? Do you want to do pants or a shirt? Maybe a pattern from another company? I'm not opposed to another pattern company, I just love that Burda has great stuff for free.

I promise not to make any wacky pattern changes this time, too! Let me know your thoughts and we'll look at doing something starting mid-March, which sounds ages away but is less than a month out. EEK!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - February 15, 2011

2011-02-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge plus ten thousand times is skill.

--Shinichi Suzuki

I just discovered this quote and love, love it. Isn't it so true? You know how to do something, but you must do it, do it, do it to actually acquire the skill to do it well.

xoxo,

Marie Skirt Sew Along: Sewing the Skirt, Part 3

2011-02-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

OK, let's finish up this bad boy! All we need to do is hem it and takc down the waistband facings. Here's the directions:

**Step 7: Waistband facings**

Burda writes: Stitch a side seam at the remaining waistband pieces. Fold apart and iron seam allowances. Pin the waistband piece without interfacing right sides facing onto the upper edge of the waistband piece with interfacing, seams meet. Fold the side edges of the waistband piece without interfacing to the outside at about 5mm from the slit edge. Fold the slit seam allowances of the waistband piece with interfacing to the outside, pin. Stitch along the upper waistband edge, trim seam allowances back to 4mm width. Turn the waistband piece without interfacing and slit seam allowances over to the inside. Iron edge, fold in and pin the waistband piece without interfacing above the
waistband’s base seam, sew onto the zipper bands. Stitch neatly around the waistband.

OK, so what I did was pin the folded facings down onto the waistband seam like so

making sure to catch the trimmed waistband seam

and whip stitch them down. Just stitch

pull through

and stitch again all the way around the waistband and zipper.

Your lining around the zipper will look like this:

Here is another whip stitch tute that may help a little more if my instructions were unclear.

**Step 8: Hems**
Burda writes: Place seam facing onto each other right sides facing, stitch side seams. Fold apart and iron seam allowances. Match upper seam edges, pin the facing right sides facing onto the lower skirt edge. Side seams meet. Stitch. Trim the seam allowances back to 4mm and fold apart, iron. Pin the facing over to the inside, iron the edge. Stitch neatly allowing 7mm. Sew the inner edge of the facing loosely to the skirt by hand.

Ahhhh, so that's what the facings were for! I just made a narrow rolled hem. For the lining, I measured a 1" hem

and folded that in again so I had a 1/2" rolled hem

and sewed it up. Finished it looked like this:

I did the same for the skirt, only I rolled a 5/8" hem & sewed it up.

That's it! I additionally added a hook & eye above the zipper.

How did everyone do? I know Bridget said she finished her skirt, but has anyone else?? I'm really excited to see everyone's and to show you my final skirt (pics tomorrow hopefully). I must admit that I like the Uptown version much more than this Downtown version. I think it's the fabric. It's so pretty, but it was so, so delicate. All my overworking it made it wonky and it doesn't lay well. Live and learn though, right? At least I got one fab-o skirt from it. :)

Let me know if you have any questions!!

xoxo,

Miscellaney

2011-02-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

A few randoms.

Marie Skirt will (hopefully) be finished tonight with a tute up tomorrow. I cannot wait for longer daylight hours because I want to take pictures in the daylight. My camera is so rad taking pictures when the sun is shining at all. See?

Sunset - SOOC

My girlfriends and I were out on a boat tooling through Long Brach harbor on Superbowl Sunday. Christian took the pictures while we danced to Black Eyed Peas radio on Heidi's iPhone. I'd love to blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, but we literally strike that pose every time we get together.
I am actually terrified of the ocean, which is odd having lived beach-adjacent my whole life (actually, I'd only been to the ocean about five times before I moved to the OC). Even when I look at Google Earth and go over the ocean, I get a tightness in my chest and have to remind myself that I'm on dry land. For some reason (read: pink champagne & good company), I did not feel too scared last Sunday.
Can anyone refer me to a website that gives good tutes on taking photos at night? I'm thinking I want a 180 degree flash, but maybe I should actually just try to learn to take pics at night. Found this awesome bokeh tute and now miss my Christmas tree even more.
I am taking part in the Feeling Stitchy February Stitchalong. My color scheme is nothing too fancy, but I love vintage patterns sewn on dish towels. I'm thinking that some fun calico binding will make this little towel rather precious. Even though it won't "match", I'll probably use red since I love to add red accents in my kitchen.

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - February 8, 2011

2011-02-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Ever tried? Ever failed? No Matter, try again, fail again. Fail better.
-- Samuel Beckett

The Marie Skirt Sew Along will be completed this week! How is everyone hanging in there??

xoxo,

OCMQG Quilt Blocks

2011-02-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

I've been super behind on my quilt blocks for my Modern Quilting Guild. I had to get on them last night because Christian's birthday is tomorrow and he's put a kabbash on sewing all weekend. It's funny because for my birthday all I want is to sew, but for everyone else's birthday they want me not to sew. Hmmmm.

Anyway, here are my blocks. I love this one. Gwen wanted us to choose a word and then applique it onto her block in any way we chose. I went with "evolve" because the ability to be adaptable and flexible in life is something I'm striving for.

I love this L made of yoyos. They're teeny tiny, as evidenced by the second picture.

When I thought of the concept of the block, I thought of my own evolution with the needle and thread. I started, as most do, with the sewing basics: a running stitch, learning how to attach a button, counted cross stitch. Then I moved into more difficult tasks like piecing and applique.

Trust me when I say that I tried to find a way to put a dress or a skirt on there in some way, but I just couldn't. ;)

Gwen also wanted a couple of log cabin blocks, which are my favorite to sew.

Yolanda wanted some spiderweb blocks and I just love her fabric choices. My pic makes the blocks look good, but I really think they're bad. Well, one is bad, the other is OK. I do like making these blocks though, so maybe I'll just offer to make a couple more. :)

See you next week with the final steps to our Marie skirts!

xoxo,

Marie Skirt Sew Along: Sewing the Skirt Part Dos

2011-02-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

Picking up from where we left off (and carrying on without pockets, or at least, not another pocket on the left side).

***Step 5: Adding the lining if you're adding lining. Otherwise skip ahead to the zipper.***
Sew the left side of your lining, stopping at the notches. Sorry, I thought I had a picture.

You will now attach that lining to the waisband just like you attached the skirt, however, you do not want to stitch it all the way from one end to another. This is because you want your skirt to have a clean finish, and you'll want to fold over and tack the lining down to the zipper. If this doesn't make sense, fear not. We will go more into that on our final day of sewing. :)

Using your finger as a guide, pin your lining to your waistband. The wrong side of your lining should be facing the wrong side of your skirt so that the right sides face out no matter if you're looking at the skirt or looking at the lining -- you do not want to see any seam allowances.

I like to use two pins to remind myself that I have a starting place and a finishing place so I don't accidentally sew all the way to the edge.

Also, and I know this might be upsetting to some folks because it's not the "proper" thing to do (but you guys are all totally rad and won't poo-poo about this, but one day someone else will read this and be like, "Oh my. This is wrong!"), we will need to clip the waistband seam allowance. I personally don't see the big deal because it's all hidden by the waistband facings, but I do realize that it really isn't the "right way" for skirt construction. We're just gonna say to hell with it and live on the edge though, OK? :)

Using your seam ripper (or scissors - I just figured the seam ripper would photograph better), clip the waistband seam on both sides of the right side seam. These pictures should clarify, but let me know if they don't.

Before:

During:

After:

Now finish pinning your lining to the waistband.

Sew the lining to the waistband, starting and stopping at the final pins a finger length away from the edges of the waistband. Sew about 1/4" away from the original seam.

The area you clipped will look like this. You will not sew all the way across the waistband as you can see in the pic below. You sew each side separately due to the clipped waistband seam allowance. Also, you stop a finger's length away.

Trim the seam close to the stitching line.

**Step 6: Sewing the Zipper**
Burda writes: Match left side seams and mark the end of the slit where the zipper will be inserted as depicted in the pattern with a notch. Open the zipper and press the zipper coil flat with your thumbnail so that the part of the seam between the band and the coil is visible. Place the open zipper facing up onto the right side of the fabric at the back slit edge. The distance of the zipper band’s edge to the seam allowance edge should be 1/8”. Pin the upper zipper end to the seam allowance edge. The bottom end of the zipper should overlap the marked slit ending. Place the sewing foot of your sewing machine onto the zipper so that the zipper coil is in the dent next to the needle (a). Stitch the zipper starting at the top until you get to the slit marking. Close the zipper. Place the second zipper band facing up onto the front slit edge and pin at the top (b). Open the zipper again. Place the sewing foot onto the upper end of the zipper, so that the coil lies in the dent left of the needle. Stitch the zipper starting at the top until you reach the slit marking, then close the zipper. Below the zipper place the skirt pieces onto each other right sides facing. Pin the left side seam from bottom until you reach the slit marking, placing the loose bottom end of the zipper toward the seam allowance. Stitch seam (d), using the zipper foot, sew as close as possible next to or below the last stitches of the zipper seams. Fold apart and iron the seam allowances, sew to the lower skirt edge.

Here's the diagram:

Image via BurdaStyle.com

I like to sew a lapped zipper, which is a little different, but just a little I promise!

First, sew up the left side seam up to the notch. Then, I key the zipper. Lay the zipper on the left side of the skirt like illustrated in Burda's little diagram above -- diagram B. Then, cut a notch on the sides of your zipper matching the notch on the skirt.

Iron the skirt back 3/8".

Unzip and pin your zipper close to this foldline and sew close to the zipper teeth.

Iron the skirt front 5/8". Zip up your zipper, line up your keyed zipper notch with the notch in the skirt, and overlap the flap just a touch so you don't see your stitch line on the skirt back. Pin, carefully unzip, & sew.

When you get about here, you will need to zip it back up

so you can sew to the end of the zipper more easily. Make sure to keep your lining free!

Once you get to the end, turn 90 degrees and stitch, backstitch, and stitch. Don't worry, you can sew right over the zipper teeth.

Zipper is on! I also like to clip to the seam underneath the zipper to help it really lay flat.

Phew! All that's left is finishing - just the hems and waistband facings! We'll tackle that next week. :)

xoxo,

Vogue & Butterick Pattern Sale at JoAnn's This Weekend

2011-02-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

Never pay full price for patterns! Butterick patterns on sale for $1.99 and Vogue are $3.99 February 4th-6th. I plan on picking up these:

Image from Vogue.com

Vogue 1218 - Seriously, this dress has been on my brain ever since I saw this pattern. I want to make it in a slate gray.

Image from Vogue.com

Vogue 8717 - Ever since everyone on Project Runway was creaming over palazzo pants, I've wanted to make some. These are super cute!

Image from Vogue.com

Vogue 1223 - Gorgeous Anne Klein pattern! This one's a maybe for now... I don't want to buy more patterns than I'll use.

Image from Vogue.com

Vogue 8543 - These are the notes I wrote about this pattern "Bitchin' skirt with shaped seams". It's a wardrobe pattern, but that skirt is sealin' the deal!

Image via Butterick.com

Butterick 5490 - I can't figure if I really like the dress, or just really, really love this fabric. Way to go Butterick for this adorable styling!

What patterns do you like?

xoxo,

Confession - You've got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em

2011-01-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

We're friends, right? Because I totally failed and that makes me feel like I am failing you guys right now and I'm about to confess something that's really embarrassing. I totally, totally screwed the pooch by adding those pockets to the Marie skirt. DO NOT ADD THE POCKETS TO THE MARIE SKIRT!

Ugh, it was a monumental fail, and it made me flip my shit. I was at Defcon 1, and then my stupid piece of shit Black & Decker iron took a huge dump and quit working. It was like that part in The Little Mermaid when Ursula's the pretty bride, but then Ariel comes to save Eric and Ursula octopus-bursts out of the wedding gown with lightning shooting from her fingertips and slithers across the deck of the boat and takes Ariel back out to sea. I was just like that you guys. Only Ariel was played by my husband and daughter and they were like, "What's going on? It's just a skirt! We love you. How can we help?" and I was like, "I will destroy yooooooooou!"

Long story short, I took out the pockets. If you've added pockets, and I hope you didn't, all you have to do is cut the right pocket off and sew up the side seam. That's all I did and it worked relatively well. Unfortunately because my fabric is such a loose weave, all the handling warped it just a touch, so I've had to finagle it a little.

Doubly unfortunately? I spent all pinche day yesterday sewing and photographing something that ended up being completely useless, so the tute will be delayed a wee bit. I promised my daughter that we'd spend today just hanging out because I thought I'd be able to get everything done yesterday. Since I wasn't, the skirt will need to wait a little longer. I'm really sorry guys, but I know how lovely you all are and I'm sure you understand.

Anyway, here's the other Marie skirt I made, sans pockets but with lining. It's totally sweet, and my even sweeter (and really amazingly talented photographer) daughter took this. It's made out of the bedsheet I showed you.

Hoping you're all having no issues with your skirts....

xoxo,

Marie Skirt Sew Along: Let's Start Stitching!

2011-01-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

Alright, sorry for the delay, but my poor hubby got slammed with the flu this week and somehow that has led me to just run out of time. I dunno. Better late than never though, right?

So here we are getting ready to sew this mother up. My whole goal with this (and any future) sew along is to make all of you newbies out there feel like I'm right there with you showing you every step of the way. If you have any pointers (more pictures, more drawings, take pictures from the front & back), please shout them out in the comments. I had a total bad experience kicking myself about a tute I read this week because I just didn't understand what the gal meant. She was clear and all, but if she had just taken one more picture it would have saved me ten minutes of thinking I was completely stupid. I do not want you to feel that way because I loves ya!

That being said, I also have to sew in the evening which means I have to use The Dreaded Flash. These pictures are not the quality of The Pioneer Woman so I apologize. I need a 180 degree flash and some photo training sessions with Ashley Ann.

I will use Burda's pattern for the Marie skirt, but I made some changes as well so we'll be going off book from time to time. If you have the Marie pattern instructions, the sewing directions begin on page 4 and we start with the pleats.

Note: Some of my photos are of the lining because my fabric is dark and you can't see the details of what I am doing as well as you can on the white lining. Also I used orange washable marker to make it even clearer. Aren't I awesome? Click on any pic to enlarge.

**Step 1: Interface waistbands**
Following the manufacturer's instructions, press your interfacing to the wrong side of your waistbands.

**Step 2: Pleats**
Burda writes: Lay and stitch the pleats one by one, starting at a pleat at the side. Fold the skirt so that the fold lines of the first pleat meet, right sides facing. Pin the pleat lines onto each other from the top ending at the arrow line.

So here's my the left side of my lining fabric marked with the pleat lines. I tried to find a mix of showing you enough detail while also showing as much of the skirt as possible, so this is a closeup of part of the top. I illustrated the center fold to give you a point of reference.

Now, take the pleat line from the very left and fold it over to the next pleat line and match the angle of that line.

Using that same technique, fold the rest of the pleats. You will end up with four and they will look like this:

I then press them to help them keep their shape when I pin and sew them.

Burda writes: Stitch. Secure seam beginning and end. Then lay the other pleats in the same manner and stitch. Press the fold towards the side seams.

To be completely honest, I kinda don't get what they mean. "Secure seam beginning and end" then stitch the rest of the pleats? WTF? So after I pressed & pinned, I just stitched the pleats down. Do this with both pieces of Piece 1 and the lining if you're using lining.

**Step 3: Stitching the Outer Waistband**
Burda writes: Pin the reinforced waistbands right sides facing onto the upper skirt edge. Stitch. Trim seam allowances and press the waistband flat.

So take your waistband and look at it. You'll notice, if you hold it right side up that it's the shape of a smile - the wider part is on the bottom. Take that bottom and pin it to the skirt top. You may need to stretch a little here and there to get the ends to line up properly. Sew it down using a 5/8" seam allowance.

Also, be sure to lock your stitches. That means you sew to almost the edge, then backstitch, then sew all the way to the edge. Normally, this will make one bigger stitch line, but I made them a little separated so you could see it better.

If you are not using lining, then trim your seam allowance close to your stitching line. If you are using a lining, leave it as is for now. Your skirt will look like this (note: this has not been pressed so it looks a little weird.)

Press the seam allowance towards the top of the skirt like so.

**Step 4: Pockets on right side of skirt -- Skip if you're not using pockets**
EDIT: SKIP NO MATTER WHAT! THESE POCKETS WILL MAKE YOU STABBY AND WILL EQUAL A MONUMENTAL FAIL. TRUST ME, I'M TALKING IN ALL CAPS!!!!
Because the zipper sits on the side seam, you sew the pockets on using two separate techniques. For the right side, the side without your zipper, you sew them on like so:

Pin the pockets to the right side of the fabric.

Sew along the side seam to hold in place. Do this for the skirt front and skirt back.

They will look like this if you look at the front of both pieces.

Sew them following my orange stitch line. Be sure to leave a good enough sized opening for your hand to actually get into your pocket. I've sewn a too small opening many times. ;)

**If you are not using pockets, use these steps for the Right Side Seam**
Burda writes: Place skirt pieces onto top of each other right sides facing, pin the right side seam. Stitch.

Pretend there is no pocket there. Just pin the pieces with the right sides of the fabric, pin, and sew it up. :) If you are using lining, sew all the way up the right side seam as well.

OK, that's it for today! How do you feel? You've got your pleats formed, the waistband attached to your skirt, the right pocket sewn (optional), and the lining pleats formed & lining right side seam sewn (optional). Next we will attach the pocket to the left side, add the zipper, and sew up the left side seam.

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.
-- Malcolm Gladwell

Yeah! So get out there and sew!!! :) Love to you guys!!

xoxo,

Marie Skirt Sew Along: Cut the Fabric

2011-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Alright, you've got your fabric, you've cut your pattern, now let's cut and mark the fabric! This skirt is awesome, and it's really only two pattern pieces which makes it SUPER AWESOME!

You should have your fabric, pattern pieces, straight pins, dressmakers carbon, tracing wheel, and a marking tool (pen, water soluble marker, chalk, washable marker, etc.) to mark with. I used my Crayola Erasable Markers and the Frixion.

Fold your fabric in half lengthwise. Your selvages (the finished edges on either side of the fabric -- the side they don't cut when you buy it) should line up.

Place Piece 1, the Front and Back Skirt Panel, along the fold line & pin. Your fabric will look like this:

You cut two of Piece 1.

For Piece 2, fold the fabric in half twice so you have four layers.

Place your pattern piece against the foldline and cut piece 2. You do this twice so you have four pieces. Your fabric would look like this when you're done.

I am not going to cut Piece 3 (the facings) because I don't really think they add anything to the skirt. When I made my Marie prototype, I ditched the facings and it looks just fine.

So now you've got your pattern pieces (two of Piece 1, and four of Piece 2). Let's mark them!

On Piece 1, we need to mark this notch (it's the notch for the zipper), so just cut a little notch in the fabric.

We also need to mark this dot. How do you know which dot to mark? Well, they put a "34" right next to the dot furthest to the right, and each dot in is for the next size up -- 36, 38, 40, and 42. I've cut a 40, so my dot is the second from the left.

Now for the pleats. For these, I will get my dressmakers carbon & ~~spiky pizza cutter~~ tracing wheel to mark them.

I like to clip the top of the pleats too, but you don't have to.

Then sandwich your carbon between two pieces and mark. You do this twice - once for each piece.

Don't forget about this line... it's easy to overlook.

Because my fabric is so dark, I also traced those markings with a marker to help them stand out more.

Make all of these marks on both pieces of fabric.

Mark the dot on your waistband.

(Not pictured because I forgot) Cut two pieces of interfacing for the waistband & mark as shown above.

And we're done! See, not so bad, right?

Now, if you want to add lining, just cut and mark Piece 1 with your lining fabric the same way you did with the outer fabric. The only change I'd make is to cut it 1 1/2 inches shorter like so.

I've also cut some pockets because you know how I am. I'm pretty sure I can add them relatively easily, but again this step is totally not required! Here's how to cut your own pockets. Lay your hand down

EDIT: SKIP NO MATTER WHAT! THESE POCKETS WILL MAKE YOU STABBY AND WILL EQUAL A MONUMENTAL FAIL. TRUST ME, I'M TALKING IN ALL CAPS!!!!

and cut around it. Cut four of these. Mine were about 6" wide by 10" tall.

We'll start sewing the skirt this week and should be able to finish it by Friday. It's super quick, but I want to make the zipper its own step since I know zippers freak people out. Also, I can't promise the pockets will work out, but I'm pretty sure I can fanangle them. :)

Let me know if you have any questions.

xoxo,

More Fabric

2011-01-21T23:17:00.000-08:00

I got this sheet at a thrift store in Austin when I was there last summer. It's been sitting in my stash, all sunshiny & just waiting for something lovely and fun to use it on. I've already made my Marie Skirt prototype with it (I call it my Uptown version), and boy was that a fast little skirt to sew! I'll take some pictures after I wash it.

I got totally nervous that we'd put the Marie skirts together and something would go wrong, so I had to do a run through before we dove into the real deal! :)

Just a heads up... I didn't use piece 3 - the facing. I honestly didn't see the point in using it, so out it went! We will cut the fabric tomorrow and I'll be sure to remind you. :)

This is a full size flat bedsheet, so I have a ton of fabric left over. I'm going to make this sweet little shift dress with the rest, or maybe a really cute apron. The ones at Anthropologie are just so dreamy and inspiring. And both garments will come in at under $3! Woohoo!

Don't forget to add pictures of your fabric to our photo pool on Flickr!!

xoxo,

Quilt for Little D

2011-01-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

Candice, if you're reading this look away!

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Other than the stockings, this was the only other thing I sewed in 2010. Candice is Baby D's mama and I don't want her to see this yet since I've still not given it to her.

I used the Plain Spoken pattern from The Modern Quilt Workshop book and it's totally awesome. Very easy, very quick. Just be sure to cut with a rotary blade!

For the record, my first quilt was a full size pinwheel pattern (I have to show it to you guys sometime. It's a mess, but I love it!). I cut every single piece with scissors - the sashing, all the little triangles, everything. I thought to myself, "Geez, no wonder it takes so long to make a quilt. The cutting alone takes forever." Then someone told me about rotary cutters and I was like, "Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!", so I like to pass that info on just in case others out there are as in the dark about all the fancy quilting notions out there as I was oh so many years ago. :)

One of our mutual friends cross-stitched this entire front. It's so beautiful! Seriously, click on the pic of Eeyore and check that detail. So sweet!!

I had a total blast stipple quilting this, which is amazing since I've been so scared to quilt up till now. Well, scratch that, I'm still a little scared to quilt, but I found out that if I use a free-motion quilting foot the whole process is way easy! All the quilters out there just laughed out loud. For you non-quilters, me saying that life is easier with the right presser foot is like saying it's easier to cook with a stove instead of a bunch of lit matches. See all this stuff you're learning today??? :)

The only down side to the new free-motion foot was the cost. It was like $35 or something, which is So. Much. Money. However, life was exponentially better - at the very least $35 better. It was money well spent, and I know I will be quilting more in the future. I do believe that spending money on your equipment is a good investment if you know you're going to use it. Otherwise you're just wasting money and who wants to do that?

We will be cutting our fabric for the Marie Skirt Sew Along this weekend (and I'm SUPER EXCITED!), I just want to whip up a prototype before then. I should be able to get it all sewn up tomorrow night, so look for the fabric cutting post Saturday or Sunday. Monday at the latest!! Go get your fabric if you haven't yet and upload a picture of it to our new Flickr page!! :) My fabric is the only photo in there and there is nothing sadder looking than an almost empty Flickr page so go upload pics of your fabric for the skirt or anything else you'd like to share. I'd love it to be kind of a forum for any sewing related questions you have, so don't be shy - post away!!!

xoxo,

My Christmas Oops

2011-01-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

So I was all set to write this little post last week, but then I got bombarded by my daughter's quilt and had no time for anything else. Seriously, last week it was wake up 30 minutes early just so I could sew before work, go to work, come home at lunch & do something to the quilt (clip stray threads, get the binding ready, something), come home after work & sew once Veronica was asleep. Eat, sleep, work, quilt. All in all, not a bad way to spend a week, but certainly not conducive to any other life.

Oh, except that I got contacts and dyed my hair. Nothing major, just covered the greys, but now I feel like this scene from "She's Out of Control" (the magic happens around the 3:00 mark and then again at 6:00 -- just skip the rest). Ugh, remember that movie?!?!?! LOVED it!!! How could you not? I mean a movie with Tony Danza getting fatherly advice from Wallace Shawn on preserving the chastity of his suddenly super-hot daughter? Winner, winner, chicken dinner my friends. And I always wished I could have some kind of makeover like that, but alas I got a makeover and still managed to look like this:

Check those tan lines! I was on the swim team, so yeah. You should have seen my back! And before you get all, "Ohhh, but you're cute" let me remind you that you can't see my eyebrows close up. It was the mid-90's and I had no idea how to pluck.

OK, so anyway, the Christmas Oops. Wow, this is about as round about a way I could get to this story.

We needed new stockings. On our first Christmas, Christian and I had to get everything being it was our First Christmas Together and all, so we chintzed out and got cheap-o stockings because we had to spend money on everything else. Years go by and finally I'm like, "I'm going to make stockings THIS YEAR." So I whip them up in record time (it really is super easy to make basic stockings - tons of tutes here), and then I decided to embellish them by gluing cute felt shapes on instead of sewing them because that's a time saver right? Only I use E6000 in my unventilated bedroom, and soon I get the vapors, but not the vapors like, "Lawdy, help me sir, I've got the vapors!" but more like the "So this is what whippits are like?" vapors.

I made a booboo by stocking #3, which is my stocking.

At least I was high enough not to care by the time I was done. Haha!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - January 18, 2011

2011-01-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

How to pick just one quote from such a noble speaker?

Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

-- All quotes from the amazing Martin Luther King Jr.

The I Have A Dream speech always makes me cry. See it here for a wonderful refresher.

xoxo,

Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Finished!

2011-01-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

And it was just in the nick of time for Veronica's birthday last Friday. I am so, so proud of it! (Settle in because there are a lot of pictures in this post!)

For the most part I am really happy with my free motion quilting. As far as quality goes, I'm sure it leaves a little to be desired, but it was totally awesome for me & my minimal quilting experience. All of the quilting I got from Leah Day's Day Style Designs blog, AKA the 365 days of free motion quilting patterns project. It rocks!

I made three blocks in a redwork style because the embroidery would be faster than applique (which it is and isn't). Initially I planned on making four redwork blocks, but Veronica squashed that idea. She wasn't a huge fan.

She did, however, like this one. It's all the added lace. :)

I also got tons of help from my quilting guild. OCMQG in the house! If it weren't for the time these ladies invested, there is no way I would have gotten this quilt done in time. Veronica would have had to wait another birthday! Here they are in no particular order:

Love this Sue. Her apron is made of a piece of vintage handkerchief I got from my mom. Gwen expertly added it to this block. If you could just see her detail work... I could spend a whole post on it alone. She is our Queen of Applique.

How cute are those sheep? And that house? This makes me really want to make a landscape quilt, which I've been dying to try for ages.

Kristine, another Queen of Applique, managed to handle five baby Sues in this block. Amazing!

I had so much fun quilting this! She's such a cute little pumpkin! Marianna, the gal who made this, just got inspired when she made her other block. She came up with this adorable design on her own. Isn't she talented??

I should take a detailed shot of the doll. She's exquisite. Also, does that fabric look familiar?

I love this Sue sewing her quilt. She even has a little needle!

Veronica wants to be a celebrity chef when she grows up. Linn created this pattern herself and Veronica loves it. I did my best with the hardwood floor quilting, but I'm not sold on it. I wish it would have looked better since I love the block so much.

I was very happy with the quilting on this block, on the other hand. I should have taken a closeup of the blanket stitches Melinda did though, they're beautiful.

I had a blast quilting this little lovely from Darci. I love the fabric for her dress... so festive! Darci made the most adorable Christmas tree quilt... I've got to make one of those!

You gotta have a Bad Sue, amiright? Love the texture of this apron. The dress is the same material I used for Veronica's Little Red Riding Hood Halloween costume from a couple of years ago.

This is Marianna's other block. So sweet!! Seeing her freemotion embroidery on the blocks really gave me the nerve to try it myself.

How you hanging in there?? I told you, this is loooooooooooooooong. Anyway, here are the rest of my blocks:

Not too pleased with the "grass" on this quilting...

And now for the piece de resistance... the quilt tag. I majored in Musical Theatre in college. Right after I graduated, I was in the musical Man of La Mancha which is based on Cervantes' Don Quixote. Ages and ages ago, when I first thought about making my baby a quilt, I looked up Don Quixote illustrations and came upon this from Picasso:

Here's my tag:

As for the sashing, I used the Mario Vine, and also quilted in the words of the lullaby I always sang to her. It's Sade's "The Sweetest Gift". I didn't start singing that until she was about two, right when her father and I were going through our divorce. I discovered it then and from the moment I heard it something about it just reminded me of her. It's such a lovely song, not necessarily a lullaby, but something about it has the same sweetness you find between a mother and a child.

xoxo,

My New #1 Can't Live Without Item

2011-01-10T22:44:00.000-08:00

At our last OC Modern Quilting Guild meeting's show & tell, one of our awesome members told us about this pen.

Pilot's Frixion erasable gel pen. She said you could write on fabric, press it, and the heat would make it disappear. We were all like "Yeah right. It disappears." We made this face.

And then she wrote on some fabric, pressed it, and it disappeared. Like, 100% completely gone disappeared. We could not believe it. We all took turns marking fabric and pressing it, marvelling at how the ink magically disappeared.

It really does! Really really. Promise!

One of the other awesome gals (hi Gwen!!) in the guild bought a bunch & sent them out, and I got mine in the mail the other day. It's indispensable! I love, love it and cannot recommend it enough. Go out and get yourself one. I've found it perfect for marking while I quilt & embroider. Sooooooooo nice! And since I've not seen hide nor hair mentioned about this pen thus far, allow me to be be the first to tell you about it. I'm like He Man summoning the powers of Greyskull!!!!!

But with a pen.

xoxo,

Marie Skirt Sew Along - Cut the Pattern

2011-01-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am eyeballs deep in my daughter's quilt, just free motion quilting all the live long day, and I need a break. My left wrist is pooped! Let's take ten and dive in to cutting the Marie skirt pattern.

For those of you who don't have your fabric yet, fear not. We are only cutting the paper pattern today. I am going to step through this with a bit of detail because I'm keeping you first time sewists in mind. Click on any picture to enlarge.

Side note - is sewer a word? I mean, I know sewer, like where the water goes when you flush, is a word. But if I use it as a noun meaning those who sew, am I wrong? Should I only use sewists, seamstresses, etc? Hell, is sewists even a word????

Grab your supplies. You'll need the pattern, some tape, and a pair of scissors. DO NOT use the same scissors you use to cut your fabric. This dulls those shears quickly, so keep your expensive scissors away.

Keep the dog out of the way.

I cut off the bottom and right side of each page of the pattern. I find it makes it easier for me to tape if I don't have to worry about folding the pages down. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

Now, let's look at this page. This is the size chart.

My measurements tell me I need to cut a size 40. Oh you crazy Europeans with your wacky sizes!

I measured 3 & 4, which this picture tells me is the waist and hips - the only measurements you really need to make for a skirt, unless you're really tall or short - then you'd also measure from waist to knees.

Now that you know your size, look at the first page of the pattern. This is a layout diagram. If we weren't doing this together, this is the page you'd refer to in order to see how the pattern will look when it's all laid out. For bigger patterns, this page comes in super handy.

Line up the little triangles.

And tape. Tape, tape, tape!

TAPE!

Find your size. I've circled the 40, and you see how each size has its own type of line? Mine is long dash, short dash, long dash all the way across. If it makes it easier for you, highlight your line so that you see it easier. Trust me when I say that one day it'll be second nature!

Cut the skirt.

Cut the waistband.

Cut the facings.

And you're done! Not so hard, right? We will cut the fabric later this week.

Sid did not find this particularly difficult.

Note that this pattern includes a 5/8" seam allowance, which is awesome! For those of you new to Burda patterns, generally they do not include a seam allowance so you have to remember to include them when you cut.

For those of you who are like, "WTF is a seam allowance?" let me 'splain. Take the shirt you're wearing (unless you're reading this nekkid, in which case, go get a shirt), turn it inside out. See the part where they sew the front and back of the shirt together? See the little strip of fabric along that seam? That's the seam allowance.

Are we all good? Let me know if you have any questions!

And now, nap time!!!

xoxo,

Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

And the winner of the $45 gift certificate to CSN Stores is..... ASHLEY AKERS of Ashley Akers Jewelry!!! Ashley, I'll email you with the details & congrats!!! Be sure to let us know what you get! :)

Thanks everyone for entering!!

Marie Skirt Sew Along - I bought my fabric

2011-01-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

I went out this past weekend and purchased my fabric for the Marie Skirt Sew Along. I saw in my JoAnn mailer that their clearance Clarence fabric was an additional 50% off, so I went with my hopes up high that this Blackberry Sparkle Tweed was still there (the pic makes it just look black & white, but it has a metallic thread woven in so it had a little sparkle).

When I'd seen it a couple of weeks prior in the clearance bin, it was $12 (marked down from the original price of $18 or something bananas like that), and I was like oh hell no I'm not paying $12 for clearance fabric let alone some who-knows-what-it's-made-of poly synthetic blend. Now, an additional 50% off the clearance price for that fabric I can handle all night long! I also had a 10% off coupon so I was stoked! I crossed my fingers, went to the store, and lo and behold the fabric was still there! I scooped it up and ended up getting my fabric for a whopping $7.35 total - tax included. Woot woot!

I'm going to use some white lining (not required for this skirt, by the way, I just like a lining) I have lying around that I got in the dollar bin at M&L, and a zipper I got from who knows (probably upcycled from something I've taken apart), so I'll get this skirt in at under $10. Not bad when the Anthropologie skirt I linked to was $118 plus shipping. BARF!

Well, now it's on sale for $59.95, but still. $60? For a skirt? Are you joking?? It's polyester with acetate lining, so it's not like the off the rack will be all that much better fabric-wise. Plus, mine will be made with my mad sewing skillz, so I know it'll be structurally sound. ;-)

I originally wanted my skirt to be a burnt orange color, then reconsidered and decided on navy blue wool. However, my pocketbook always dictates my choices. If I can buy something cute and it's cheaper, I'll generally go with the cheaper option which is why I ended up choosing this fabric. Pinch that penny until Lincoln screams my friends!

And with that, I will introduce a new segment:

I'm a cheapskate. I save money. I want to show you how I save money so you can too, if you want to. If you can spend the cash, spend it my dears! Our economy needs you! However, if you'd like to cut corners then hopefully this can help in some way.

For this skirt I saved money by doing the following:

Shopping the clearance section - Bonus if you shop on days where the clearance section is an additional 50% off!
Using lining I had on hand - If you're using lining and no one but you is going to see it (which is usually the case) who cares if it matches? I could have purchased some new black lining that would go better with this skirt, but no one besides me will see it. If you see lining in the clearance section, buy a bunch to use in future projects, but ONLY if you know you'll sew additional projects. You don't save anything if you're spending money on maybe's.
Additional coupon savings - Sign up for your local fabric store's email alerts and/or mailers. My mailer from JoAnn did not have the additional 10% off coupon, but my email alerts did. That means if the fabric was originally $18 like I think it was, I saved 70% or $15!

Next step will be to cut the pattern, which will be coming probably Saturday. If you're having any issues with the pattern not printing to scale just leave me a comment and I'll send you my copy in PDF and Publisher that's the correct scale. :)

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win $45 from CSN Stores! Contest ends Friday January 7th at 9:00 pm PST.***

xoxo,

CSN Stores Giveaway

2011-01-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

*** THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED ****

Hi everyone! As promised, I am back with a giveaway courtesy of the fab-o CSN Stores! They are giving away a $45 gift certificate to one of you lucky readers, and all they want me to say is this:

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be modern dining furniture, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!

I've ordered some shoes from them in the past and they were super quick. I'd also note that they take their customer service very seriously, and want to know how they do along with how they can improve. My only note is to get more size 9s, other than that they were easy peasy, lemon squeasy! :)

Boring legalities: To enter simply leave me a comment - any comment! You can use the $45 for anything in any store (there's over 200), but the gift certificate does not cover international fees. I'll leave this open until 9:00 pm this Friday the 7th and will post the name of the winner here as well as email them directly. CSN will email you your winnings, so please make sure to leave your email address if you comment as a guest in Disqus. I know Disqus crapped the bed during my last giveaway, so if you have any issues just email me your entry and that will be good enough. :) Good luck!!!

xoxo,

Lovin' Tuesday - January 4, 2011

2011-01-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Pretend I was good and posted this yesterday! A CSN Stores giveaway is coming later today!!

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.

-- Abraham Lincoln

Quite the apropos quote for this time of year, no? I hope you're all having a great New Year so far! I have much to show you this week. And it's already half over!

xoxo,