The Lonsdale Dress Sew Along!

I'm making a Lonsdale dress during the sew along for Sewtropolis!  I blogged about fabric inspiration here on the Sewtropolis blog, so follow along with me!  My next step is a full bust adjustment, and I think I'll be using Sandra Betzina's fast fit method, since there are no darts to worry about...

And now let us turn to Autumn

More to come.  Dreaming of wearing layers won't make it so!

And now let us turn to Autumn by mommylap on Polyvore.com

Park Ramble Wrap

Here's the sample I made of Kwik Sew 3497, a cute faux-wrap shirt I'm teaching a class on this Saturday.  I made it in size L since Kwik Sew runs big, out of a great interlock knit from the City Weekend collection by Oliver and S.  The design is called Park Ramble, and not only is it a great combo of persimmon and aqua, it's got little touches of pink and yellow in the branch blossoms.  I didn't even plan for it to go with my orange pencil skirt, but I am pretty consistent in my color choices..

 I really like this pattern, but do think it could use the same elastic that secures the neckline on the arm facings.  It's super easy (except for the gathering, when I turn into a perfectionist freak) and satisfying to sew up.  If you used a serger, it would be super fast!  I didn't serge it since in class we'll use the zig-zag stitch. 

I feel like this is a tried and true silhouette for me, although not the most modest.  I might make a little coordinating cleavage tarp to wear with it so I can wear it on the bus.

 There's all kinds of additions that would be easy to make with this pattern too- adding sleeves would be easy, but this way it's a perfect layer under a jacket or cardigan.

In closing, I leave you with a picture of me contemplating why I thought the stairs would be a good substitute for a tripod.  Adieu! Take some adventures with knits!

I'll Take Manhattan

Welcome to my sundress quest.   This is Kwik-Sew 3520, which I thought would make a lovely base for so many of the coordinating fabrics that are carried at Sewtropolis.  Ever since I made the sample for the Study Hall Skirt, I've been wanting to sew with Kate Spain's Central Park line again. Especially since one of the styles is park and zoo animals.  So here are some of the pattern combos I've concocted.  View B has 4 different fabrics in it for a total of 5 yards..

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Central Park A

This first one Central Park A, features the leaf zoo fabric and really begs me to highlight the purple. I like that I didn't go crazy with the orange.  But it also saddens me.

Central Park B

Central Park B is a refined version of my 6 yr old self.. it's me at 8, listening to The Monkees and allowing green into the room with orange and the zoo animals..

Central Park Quintet

I really like this 5 selection extravaganza.  There is no plum in the zoo with the white background, so no purple is playing here.  I'm thinking the animals could be the bodice alpha in this scenario, with the other selections beta-ing things up. Both the tree motif, and the leafy wonderfulness are stripey which will be sweet with this pattern of barely flaring gores.

Central Park C

 This selection has 2 stone backgrounds  and totally works the plum.  It does not highlight the orange, but whatever colors are left out of the accompanying fabrics seems to magnify them in the zoo panel. Oranges so orange, yellow like a  beacon. I like you Central Park C, you make me feel young again.
                                                                                               

I appreciate your feedback here, because making the sample swatches in Paint was ridiculously fun, and I would get almost done with one I thought was good and would have a mad flash on how to improve it, and I could have mixed patterns and built blocks all day.  Like a video game about coloring.

2nd Annual Summer Essentials

2nd Annual Summer Essentials Logo #2, a photo by Rhinestones & Telephones on Flickr.

I need something to organize my summer sewing besides whatever samples I might make and my own whims. Because left to my own designs, I am all dresses, all the time. 

(Oh goodness, I just realized what an unwitting pun that last sentence was.  Unwitting, but true).

Sewtropolis: Meet Me in the Study Hall!

Sewtropolis: Meet Me in the Study Hall!
There's still time to sign up and have me help you make this adorable Anna Maria Horner skirt in two easy classes! Sign up and pick up your pattern today at Sewtropolis!

Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

photo by @irishgirl courtesy of Summer of Dresses

As many of you know, Spring in Minnesota has been a long time coming this year.  So the kick off for 2011 Summer of Dresses took me by surprise.  However, it also filled me with glee, being the kind of fake it 'till you make it kind of gal I am.  I had big plans to sew up Macaron in time for my attendance, but decided to spare myself a day of deadline sewing and head out in an outfit that at least featured a me-made skirt I recently finished.

The fabric is Echino Bus by Etsuko Furuya, in a colorway that hits every single one of my color happy places. Made into Simplicity 2226, a "learn to sew" pattern, that is super straightforward, and was amazingly true to size for me.  I love a wide yoked waistband, and the spacious pockets on this number insure its place in my summer wardrobe.

I was super excited that Patty was able to meet me there, to impress all the gorgeous stylish ladies with her fabulous dress and dazzling smile.  If you missed her post today about this great event, by all means go and check it out now, and I'm not just saying that because there's several more adorable pictures of me there..

Don't you wish you lived in Minneapolis now?