Pattern Review Sewing Bee 2017

Hey all, just a heads up.  I'm going to be the manager for the Sewing Bee this year.  I volunteered immediately after the competition last year, figuring this way I wouldn't be able to join.  Seriously, I wanted a break from the competition, but I still want to be involved.

So wish me luck, I've never managed a contest before.

But I bet I'll enter again next year...lol....oh I'm such a glutton for punishment.

I hate buttons

I've been sewing blouses lately and they all need a gazillion buttons and buttonholes.  I also had the two jeans jackets that needed buttons.  Finally the other day I went and bought the buttons I needed and spent yesterday doing the buttonholes and sewed all the buttons on with the machine too.  I will admit that I usually sew buttons on by hand.

Ignore the crummy photos from my phone, the messy sewing room....you know how it is.

Here are a few of the garments, with my disclosure statements:


This jeans jacket is Silhouette Patterns 900, Carols Jacket.  It's the same as the Zebra one from before (and I did get the buttons on it finally too.)  I did lengthen this one by 2 inches and I like it better.




The Classic Blouse from Silhouette Patterns.  Trust me, the pattern DOES line up across the bust, it just got wonky trying to take a selfie.



Another Classic blouse, and I had a heck of a time with this rayon challis fabric.  As you can tell my matching got off.  I have more of the fabric, and I do like the print.  Perhaps with a solid blue front facing and band and inner collar it would look good.  I'm never too sure.


I did sew up one more blouse, the photo wasn't too good.  And I've now started back to knits for winter tops.  I hope to be able to post more soon.

Bra continuation

After sewing the Queen Elite bras last week I moved on to Beverly Johnson's Pinup Girls Classic Bra.  I have the Craftsy course (1 and 2...need to get 3 at the next sale) and got to work.

I measured out for a 38E (actually needing more than a 38 band).  I drew out the pattern for the 38 E and added 1/2" at the underseams, for a total of 2 more inches.

The fit was pretty darn good except for bagginess in the cups.  The band felt perfect.  I wore the bra for a few days to break it in.

In the Craftsy class, Beverly pretty much said to drop down a cup size if the cup was baggy, shes doesn't seem to go into anymore fit options, so my only choice then was to go to a 38D.

Ha ha...the 38D is on a whole separate pattern, which I didn't have, nor any of my local sewing pals.

I sucked up the dollars and ordered the pattern.  

Just looking at the pattern and comparing it to the 38E pieces, I could tell the fit model was totally different.  A smaller cup uses less support in the band and side seams.  But I sewed it up to test, and I was right, the cup was too small and the band not supportive enough at all for my body type.

At that point I went back to my original pattern and redrew out the pattern, but instead of tracing out the 38 E, I traced out all the pattern pieces right between the 38 E and 36 E.  The amounts are just a tiny bit smaller, but perhaps that was all I needed.  I also made sure the band was the full 38 width.

I decided to dye some fabric and use the butterfly technique in the Craftsy class.  I'm totally satisfied with the general fit of the new bra that's just a smidgen smaller than the 38E.

Where I had issues was with the fabric dying.  The main fabric didn't change but the slightest amount, from white to palest pink.  And then I had a hard time with top-stitching thread colors.  I was trying so hard, and then goofed, and then said what the hell....let it be.

It is missing a bow, I don't have any bows and I'm not much of a bow person, but it does look better when there is one.  I'll keep working on it.

Just whipped up a couple of bras

I haven't sewn a bra in many many years.  Last summer when we took a road trip down to Wichita, I stopped at Needle Nook fabrics and stocked up on a bunch of bra supplies to get started again.  All was just basic white, I figured I could dye anything else.

But it wasn't until yesterday I decided to give it a go again.  I've been having problems lately, I think it's hormonal, and my breasts have been tender and I have some tender lymph glands under my arms. I'll also admit that weight gain has settled under there, I probably have a lot of "sluggish lymph" as they say due to lack of exercise and all that stuff.

So my bras have been hurting, the underwires poking, and I've been uncomfortable.

I pulled out the very first bra pattern I ever did, the Queen Elite by Anne St. Claire of Needle Nook Fabrics.  My local sewing group took a weekend roadtrip down there for a private bra sewing class many many years ago.

I retook my measurements EXACTLY as described in her book as her measuring system is different than others, and made my bra.  Started it yesterday, finished this morning, sewed a second with a few alterations, and bam! I have 2 new bras.

Who gets so lucky?

I thought the changes to the second were minor, but the bra is noticeably a bit smaller.  It fits well, but I want the looser feel right now due to tenderness.

Next I'll have to make something a little prettier.

Out with the old

It's the first of August and with that brings us the season of fall, or not.  But it makes me think of fall and as I want to work on updating my wardrobe, I decided today was a good day to start junking out.

I get very emotional when it comes to junking out and I feel sad to see small sized clothes leave, the are just such a reminder of those "skinny" days.  Luckily I didn't have too many skinny clothes saved for a year and a half ago I did a Konmari junk out of my clothes.  I didn't get too far, but I tried.

Today's sort out was a bit different.  I kept current summer clothes out and anything for another season got hung up elsewhere, to worry about when I start on my fall wardrobe.

I'm not exactly sure how I will progress with the fall wardrobe, I have a lot of thinking and planning ahead.  I just enjoy sewing, have tons of fabric and patterns, so it all might just explode once again.

Obviously it didn't go as smoothly at that, much more was involved, but you get the idea.  Minus a few items in the wash and in the sewing room for repairs, this is where I am right now.

These first 2 photos are of my actual closet, it's teenie tiny and I do not have a dresser.  There is a shelf above and I have a couple pairs of shorts and some jeans up there for now.

These are tops, a few are obviously out of my color range but I'll worry about that next year.


A couple dresses for summer.  I don't really enjoy wearing dresses, but sometimes you have to.  I have the 5 or so jeans skirts up in the sewing room so I can sew on some sort of hanger loops.  I have a couple baskets for clothes to wear to yoga class or lounging around.  That is an area that I'll work on in the future.   As fall progresses I will be comfortable moving the tops and capris out of here.



This closet is in another room and it's full of all the other items I might be considering come fall/winter and next spring even.  We'll see how this progresses.


I only have 2 totes with items in it.  The clothes tote is a few items to keep or that are too small, and the tote underneath is shoes.  I'm not a shoe person, and never have the right shoe for anything.  I pretty much live in Birkenstocks these days.  I also have hanging up a bunch of items I've sewn and don't want to get rid of, though they maybe don't fit well or what have you.  There are also a few dressier dresses, hand knit shawls, and a few odd and ends.


Can't you see how tuckered out the pupsters got from helping me today.


And the best photo of them all, 5 bags to go out for donations.