Another One?

Yes, I made another KS2759 cardigan. Yes, this print looks exactly like my brown and blue version from my previous post. The biggest difference is the weight of the knit fabric. This is a lightweight sweater knit with a contrast binding. This is the perfect weight for the warmer weather that's right around the corner.

Black and white floral sweater knit cardigan

This cardigan sews quickly with a serger and sleeves are sewn flat.

I've already posted an update to my review on PR.

I just noticed that streaks of my white hair is showing more and more. Now, I know that's not the result of my hobbies. LOL!

I'm planning on having a fun weekend. My DB is in town and we're heading somewhere to take lots of pictures.

Happy Sewing!

I'm Back with KS2759!

And let me tell you, it feels great to be sewing again. Here I am modeling my latest creation from KS2759. If you recall, I had this sweater knit fabric along with the black and white that had the same floral print. This heavier brown/blue knit fabric worked out well with this pattern. It's more like a jacket. Love the weight and feels comfortable to wear.

It didn't take me long to finish this over a few evenings. I normally like to use a contrast binding, but couldn't find anything in my stash to complement this fabric. So, I cut the binding from the same fabric and well...I could get used to doing this.



The different views

Since I don't have any plain brown or blue fabric in my stash to sew a top, I've decided to knit a sleeveless shell to wear under this jacket. I've already picked out my yarn.

Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed in Sea Ice color

I will be posting my jacket review on PR later this week.

Wow! What a Weekend & Some Sewing Too!

I've been nominated!

Linda of Danvillegirl Sewing Diary has nominated for this very nice Sisterhood award. Thank you Linda. :)

Here are the rules for posting this award:
- Place the award logo on your blog
- Nominate 10 other blogs which show "Attitude and/or Gratitude"
- Link to the nominee on your blog post
- Comment on their blog that you have nominated them
- Share the love and link to the person who nominated you

Here are my nominees:

Tricia (aka Clio) of Clio & Phineas. She is a true sewist at heart. She is not shy to tackle new sewing projects. She just completed her first pants and jacket. She has an eye for cute fabrics and does a great job matching a pattern to some great looking fabric.

Sherril of Sherril's Sewing Saga. She's very creative. I enjoy following her sewing adventures and pattern alterations at her blog.

Evie at Pendle Stitches. She's a sewist as well as a knitter. Check out her latest sweater creation.


I tried to get motivated to work on my sewing projects, but still haven't made it to my sewing machine. Of course, it doesn't help to have stacks of patterns on top of my machine and all around my sewing table.

It's also nice outside, a balmy 79 degrees. Hopefully, I'll get some sewing done this evening.


Update:

Looky! Looky! Does this look like some sewing got done??? It sure does! Oh how I love my SM. Even after 2 months of no sewing, my SM and I became one again.

Shoulder seams sewn and binding attached

The Apron & Other Things

Well, I can finally post the VA Tech project that I made a few weeks back. Here's the apron I made for my DB#1 for Christmas. The fabric was perfect and unique. The pattern I used was my TNT apron pattern from Kwik Sew 3247. I love this apron as the straps are adjustable...single strap that goes around the neckline and then to the sides of the apron. The last I heard, DB#1 was looking for a place in his kitchen to proudly display his apron.


On the personal sewing front, my BWOF knit top has been bothering me in a nice way. I pin fitted my existing tunic I made. I think I have figured out a way to turn this tunic pattern into a more fitted top, which will result in a raised neckline. I am going to start by taking in the top shoulder area by an inch. Then I will work on the sides and probably take in an inch there as well. I have another knit fabric cut out and ready to sew tomorrow. I will let you know the results.

The New & Improved Kwik Sew Patterns

Sometime last week, Kwik Sew came out with their new Fall patterns. There was only one or two patterns that caught my eye. I saw this pants pattern and thought it would be worth a try. For you Kwik Sew pattern lovers, you’re going to love the improvements KS made recently to their new patterns.

I purchased the new KS3625 pants pattern yesterday. I noticed the front envelope had a new look. When I turned the envelope over, I was surprised to see a different look and color on the back envelope. The sizes now have a blue highlight bar. There is red text that highlights the features of the pattern. The overall information presented looks less cluttered, easier to read, and finding information is fast.

Inside, the pattern itself is pretty much the same. When you think about that, how could it get any better?


I instantly noticed a change to the instruction sheet format. KS has added a light pink to the pattern color to differentiate the pattern from fabric (layout section).

In the procedures and instruction area, the stitching lines are now marked in red. Also, the seam allowance text is red as well. Can’t miss that anymore.

I love the improvements made to the instruction sheet. The red stitching lines make it easier to follow the instructions. No more guessing or re-reading 3x what needs to be stitched next.

These are big improvements for KS. I personally think some of their patterns are worth the money especially when I don't have to tinker too much with the alterations. Their pattern paper is wonderful and lines are clearly marked.

When you have limited amount of time to sew, I think Kwik Sew is the way to go. And for some patterns, you have to "think outside the box" to make the garment a little bit better than the basic look.

A Better Pair of Shorts

I thought it was time for me to start talking about sewing again and what I am working on. Also, to show a picture of my work in progress.

I have been working on this new Kwik Sew 3614 shorts pattern. I am making View A, the city/walking shorts. I have omitted the pockets and belt loops. I mentioned before, that I was not going to do any alterations to the pattern or make any changes while I was sewing. I stuck with the 5/8 inch seam allowances. So far, the results have been really good.


For this pair, I am using a light rose colored cotton/lycra twill fabric from Hancock's. This color is more towards the brown hue and finding thread to match wasn't easy. I have an eye for color and can match thread to fabric on my first try. This time, this fabric color stumped me. I ended up going with a lighter thread color.

As you can see from the picture, I have finished installing the waistband and I also sewed up the crotch area and the back seam. I tried the shorts on and they fit. I have less wrinkles and issues in the back crotch area compared to the other KS pattern I have been using. For now, I am quite happy with the results. I hope to finish the shorts on Sunday and then post a review with me modeling the finished garment.

Stay tuned....

My New Brown Pants

Finally! My new brown pants are completed. I love them. I love the color. It's a medium brown cotton twill fabric that I found at Hancock's. I got the fabric for half off. I used about 1-1/2 yards, but purchased extra for pre-washing and shrinking. The cost for making this pair was under $8 including the cost of the fabric, thread, weft interfacing, and two hooks & bars. Not bad.

I used my Kwik Sew 2840 pattern to make these pants. The picture on the envlope shows a cropped version with an inseam length of 25-1/2inches. I made no length alterations to the pattern and I think it's a perfect regular pants length for me.

The only pattern adjustment I made was increasing the crotch point (back pattern) by 1/2 inch. While I was sewing the back seam, I decided to take in the back waist.

Here's a picture of the slit hem of my pants. I love the detail and finish. It's a nice added touch to a plain pair of pants.

I have posted my review at Pattern Review. You can see the review listed on the right side of my blog.

Now on to my next sewing project....

New This Week...

So, what's new this week? My first copy (subscription-wise) of BWOF arrived in my mailbox today. It's their July issue and let me tell you, there are some really cute summery/warm weather outfits in this issue. Can you tell? I'm not ready to think about sewing Fall clothes...the heavy fabrics and long sleeves, etc. As long as it's still hot and humid in my neck of the woods, I'm still sewing summer clothes.

Also, new this week is the Vogue Patterns Fall collection. Adrienne kindly mentioned in her blog that Vogue has posted their patterns online. Here are my favorites so far. V8513...knit dress:


I love the style of this V8522 jacket:



And new for this week and for my next project...KwikSew 3614. Yes, I know it's another shorts pattern. And yes, I know I have been working on KS2840 and isn't that enough? Well, no. I compared KS2840 front and back pieces against the newer KS3614 pattern pieces. There's enough difference between the two patterns...that warrants me to give it a try. KS3614 is cut lower in the front piece and the back piece already incorporates the 1/2 crotch point that I added to the previous pattern. Also, the length of the longest shorts is 9" which will hit right above my knee. I may not have to do any alterations. We'll see. What prompted me to look at this pattern was the PR reviews by cabinbaby and Karen6790 and the good results they received.

I have a lot of sewing and BWOF pattern ogling already planned for the upcoming weekend.

What's next on your sewing list?

Next Up On My Sewing Agenda

I have been in the cutting out fabric mood. I decided that during my upcoming 3-day weekend, I would sew two pieces of garments that I can wear together (top and bottom). The floral and butterfly print fabric will be made into Butterick 5216 – the gathered top without the front ties. The pale sea green fabric will be made into another pair of walking shorts, KS 2840. This might get me in the mood to do a future SWAP on PR.

I thought it would take me awhile to get used to wearing the longer shorts. You know what? I love them! They are really comfortable to wear. I think they look very stylish and hip for my 40-something age. After this 3rd pair of shorts, I plan on tracing out a pair of capris.

I am looking forward to a nice long weekend and practicing my stash reduction technique.

Kwik Sew 2840 – City Shorts…Completed

So, I now have pictures to share with you. Here's my "city shorts". I know they look a bit long (below my knee). I did not adjust the length of my shorts as I wanted to see how the basic fit would be straight from the pattern. The inseam length is about 10 inches.

I just love these shorts. The front pockets, the curved waist band, and the zipper application made these shorts fun to sew. I love Kwik Sew for their great pattern instructions and drawings.

The zipper is installed further in from the center front. That way you can't see the zipper at all. Even when I'm sitting down. I could have used a hot pink zipper with these shorts and you would never noticed. lol!

As I mentioned in the previous post, I had issues with “smiles” in the back of my shorts. Here’s a before and after picture. The before picture (left) represents the actual fit with no adjustments. You can see I have pinned the back seam to see what the fit would look like. On the right, is the after picture which includes the adjustments I made to the shorts. I re-sewed the inseams using 1/4 inch seam allowance. I sewed the back crotch deeper than the 5/8 inch seam. Once I got towards the back of my shorts, I tapered back to 5/8 inch seam allowance up along the back and through the waistbands. It does look a little better.

Sorry for the shocking rear end picture (left). DH was using my new camera and it must have been in "macro" mode with the flash turned up. lol! Well, I guess it helped that you all can see the rude details.

Here’s a picture of my back waistband. It’s nice to have a back seam that goes through the waistband area. Makes it easier if you have to take in or let out. I tried to make sure my seams matched up.





Here’s a picture of my front pocket with the topstitching details. It is true what some say, never stop topstitching while going around a curve. I kept an even sewing tempo going around the curves and created a smooth stitching curve. The edge of the pockets are also topstitched (double rows).

And I must not forget a picture of my zipper sewn into the center of my shorts. So, I didn't use hot pink after all. I went into my zipper stash (thank you...Vogue Fabrics) and found the perfect color. Of course, it was miles too long. After I sewed in my waist band to the top of my shorts, that's when I clipped the top of my zipper off.

I used my serger to finish most of the raw edges and seams. For the hem, I serged around the bottom edges of each leg. Then I pressed a 1 inch hem. I then pressed the serged edge into the hem. I topstitched around the hem.

I am pretty confident that I need to adjust my back pattern piece by adding to the crotch/inseam area. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the rest of the “smiles” would be greatly appreciated.

Status of Kwik Sew 2840 - City Shorts

I have finally finished my shorts. I finished sewing two pairs of hooks and eyes into the front waistband. Now, it's too late for me (after 10pm) to take pictures, but I will be posting some pictures over the next few days. Hopefully, a PR review will follow shortly.

Shannon...thank you for providing the appropriate description of View C, now known as "city shorts". I like that. Since this version is a wearable muslin, mine are actually a little bit longer as I made no adjustments to the length. My sewing goal was to see how these turn out straight from the pattern.

I will also share a before and after picture of my city shorts. The only issue I had was in the back/behind...I had "smiles". I made some adjustments which I will also share in a later post. My RTW shorts/capris have bigger "smiles". So, I'm happy with the end results and especially for my first try.

I am getting a sewing high from this pattern. I can see this could be a TNT pattern for me. I already have other fabrics lined up for different versions (lengths) of these shorts/cropped pants.

It's sleepy time for me...more later.

No More Elastic Waist Shorts/Pants for Me

Well, I finally did it. I took the plunge. I attempted my first pair of zippered shorts. It's still in the final sewing stages, but so far I like what I see and feel. It's not a perfect first pair of shorts, but looks be a wearable muslin.

And whatever happened to my elastic waist shorts/capris I was suppose to be making? Ahhhh, I am entitled to change my mind. lol!

I went through my pattern stash several times, looking for an interesting shorts/pants pattern. I had a specific pocket in mind...cargo type as I don't care for side seam pockets. The pattern had to have a front zipper. I kept coming back to my Kwik Sew stash. Here's the end result: KS 2840 - fitted cropped pants and shorts with a shaped, low cut waistband with side pockets stitched directly to the front. View C is perfect! Gotta love shopping in the pattern stash.

For my muslin, I used a cotton twill fabric. No lycra, no stretch. I wanted to see how the fit would be without any help from the fabric.

The love how the curved waistband and side pockets are sewn. I also love the zipper application. So far, it's looking pretty good and the waistband is sitting nicely below my waist. I really like the curved band.

You know...I feel like I have reached a new sewing level. I will post a picture soon...stay tuned for my new sewing adventure.

KS3610 - The Blue & White Top

Here is my new summer top from the KS3610 pattern. Right now, Susie-Q is temporarily wearing the new creation until I get a chance to photograph myself (yes...using a tripod and timer on the camera). I love this top. It was quick and easy to make. And the fabric was a joy to sew with.

Unfortunately, I had a busy 60-hour work week and haven't had time to post until now. Yesterday, was a sleep late and go to church and take a nap day. I am thankful for the much needed rest.

So, on to my sewing topic for today.

I was able to finish most of this top last Sunday. I left the top on Susie-Q with the hem undone. I was contemplating on whether to topstitch the hem or do a blind stitch. The topstitch won out and I finished the top last night.

I did do a boo-boo when I was cutting out the fabric. I forgot to place the front and back facing on the fold of the fabric. So, there I was happily cutting away. When it came time to sew the pieces...slap my silly head. I ended up butting the two (now... the left and right front facing) front edge pieces together and did a small zig-zag across the two pieces. Whew! It worked like a charm. Now, my front facing was one piece. I did the same with the back facing.

Here is a closeup of the front with the gathered casing and tie.

I have included a picture of the inside front facing. I love how the facing also includes the arm area and makes the top look very clean and finished. Before applying the facing, I serged around the outer edges of the facing to also give the inside a nice finish.

And I managed to make a nice bow out of the tie. I love having my Susie-Q (dressform). I get to practice making bows on her.

As soon as I can take pictures of myself wearing the top, I will post my review on
Pattern Review.

Happy Mother's Day...to all the wonderful mothers enjoy your day!

New Kwik Sew Patterns

I love Kwik Sew patterns. Sometimes their line drawings and pictures are just...well...plain. Sometimes I keep looking at one of their patterns and then I have an "ah ha" moment when a bright light bulb pops in my head. A plain pattern has potential.

KS has their new patterns out. I love this blouse pattern with the front ties and sleeve details:

I really like this simple top below. I know one or two of the Big 4 Patterns (or was it New Look?) already has this style. I think it's really cute and I'm sure it can be made in less than an hour. I think this will work well for the typical hot & humid summer months we have in VA.

I love KS patterns because they fit me so well. Here's the link to the new Kwik Sew Patterns.

Enjoy!