Simplicity 2449

I made this skirt back in April, and I was really happy with how it turned out!  I saw this beautiful embroidered linen/rayon blend fabric at Joann Fabrics and I knew that it would make a great skirt.  It has a nice weight to it and it flows nicely while still giving it structure.  I love the color (I seem to gravitate towards blue fabrics, it seems). The pattern was described as "easy to sew" so it only took me a few hours to make, even as a beginner!

I made view E with the cute tie in the front.  The tie is actually sewn into the side seams and only shows in the front so it's not meant to be functional.  I accidentally sewed one of the ties a bit too high so when I folded over the casing it pulled the top of the tie over too, but it's not really noticeable if you don't know about it. The skirt has an elastic waistband so it's very easy to put together (once I learned the ol' attach-a-safety-pin-to-the-elastic-and-guide-it-through-the-casing trick; that one is brilliant!).

The weird thing is I can't really remember much about making this skirt other than the fact that it was very quick to put together.  I cut out the paper pattern, the fabric, and put the whole thing together during the day on a Saturday and then wore it to dinner that night!  That's my kind of project!  I don't think I had any significant issues with it at all; because the waist is elastic, I could make it as tight as I needed so I didn't have any fit issues even though I think I was still in my making-size-12 phase.  This skirt probably set me back on my discovery of a 12 being too big since I was able to make it fit so well and it didn't occur to me until just now that the elastic is the reason why...this is why talking it out helps!  Thanks guys!  Blogging rocks!  Probably would have helped me back in April, huh?

I think this might have been the project when I first learned about the concept of finishing seams (ya know, just that little detail.  No biggie or anything).  I pinked all of the seams because I could tell this fabric would fray if left raw, and it's holding together just fine.  At the time, this was definitely the best thing I had made and it looked the most professional.  People at work would ask me if I made it and then when I said yes they were actually surprised and were like "no you didn't!"  Uh, yeah...I did.

I think I might actually bring the hem up another inch or two so that it hits right above my knee and not at the spot where my calves start.  Seeing it in picture form really helps me to see that even though I own a mirror and never really noticed that before.

If I made it again with a similar fabric, I might consider adding a lining because it is a little bit scratchy.  It's not really that bad, but I can imagine how nice a lining might feel against my legs.  I'd like to make some of the other views of this pattern, especially the gathered version because that looks fun!

Simplicity 2226

Back in April, I bought Simplicity 2226 at a pattern sale because I wanted to finally make a skirt I was happy with, and this pattern was part of the "Learn to Sew" collection (well yes, that is what I'd like to do thankyouverymuch).

I had no idea that Noodlehead hosted a sew-a-long of this exact pattern last November and that I could have found about a million examples of it on other blogs (along with trials, tribulations, and helpful hints).  Oh well, I'm not a cheater (just kidding; that's not cheating, I'm just bitter at missing out!).  I want to say though that these Learn to Sew patterns are really great for beginners such as myself because you really do learn quite a few new skills with each one (and hopefully you'll master at least one!  If you put together the fractional amounts that I mastered of each skill, I probably mastered like 1 and a 1/2 skills!)

I used a Lisette floral cotton fabric because I made this in April and I thought it seemed very "springy." This fabric wrinkles more than an 80 year-old woman who spent 8 hours a day every day of her life laying out and smoking cigarettes.  And drinking.  Lots of drinking, but never water.  That is how wrinkled this fabric gets just by my looking at it.  It is comfortable though and very cool in the hot Texas weather.

I learned a few more things with this pattern, which is good seeing as I was promised that I would "learn to sew" with this pattern.

Pockets!  I can put stuff in them!  Like...my hands!  (Have you ever noticed the abundance of patterns that are super pocket-happy?  There are like formal ball gowns with secret pockets in the seams.  Why??  I usually have a purse).  I had some frustrating times with pockets on the purse I made, but these were actually pretty easy after I figured out some of the sewing terminology (i.e. pocket vs. pocket facing, yoke, carrier, etc.  Just say what you mean!  Why the code words?  Is this a secret club?  Am I cool because I know these secret code words?).

My first zipper!  It is definitely far from perfect (I really didn't get the instructions that well, and now I am a total invisible zipper convert so I still don't know how to put one of these in), but it zips and keeps gravity from pants-ing (er, skirtsing?) me in public.  Score!  I ignored the hook and eye at the top because...I just did.  I learned so many other things; I didn't want to push it.  Do you believe that?  Me either.  I just didn't want to, ok!

This skirt started off a series of garments where I attempted to actually sew the size the pattern said I should.  It should not have been a series of garments; it should have only been this one, but I never said I was one to learn my lesson quickly.  Let's just say it was research and I was making sure that a 12 was too big through having more trials as proof.

Well...a 12 is too big.  You can't tell (which is a good thing), but I can see my feet by pulling my skirt away from my body.  I'd say it's like a good 3 to 4 inches out.  It's probably meant to sit closer to my true waist, but it's definitely a low-rise skirt, which I can't say isn't comfortable, but it's definitely too big.  Because it sits so low on my hips, I had to cut off a good 5 inches or so in length, and I could probably chop off some more but I want to be able to wear this to work.

All in all, I like it and it's a practical skirt that I've worn a few times. I'm sure I will continue to wear it in the future, but I might decide to make it shorter and not wear it to work; there is something about the length that I don't think I like now that I see it in pictures.  Hmmm...

Simplicity 2184 - Again

Jumping back to the past again, in March I had another go at Simplicity 2184 but opted for the full length this time for variety.

I bought fabric for it the same day I bought this pattern and the fabric for my first skirt, which was also the first time I had ever bought a pattern or fabric before.  My qualification for whether or not to purchase it was "ooooooo, pretty..." (although honestly, I can't really claim that things aren't still that way as I really don't know my fabrics all that well).  I saw this pink, flowery, crinkly fabric (I'm pretty sure that's the official term for this type of fabric: "crinkly."  You all know exactly what I'm talking about...just nod and smile).  It's certainly a beautiful fabric with a great flowyness (ok, spellcheck insists that is not a word; neither is "flowy" or "flowey" so just go with it), but it was definitely not easy to sew with and it frayed like mad!  (It's not crepe, chenille, chantilly, or chellis...ugh, what is this fabric called!  It starts with a C though, I think...and although I know how well I sold it, "crinkly" isn't actually a type of fabric.  Sorry to crush your spirit there).

I'm pretty meh about this skirt.  I did wear it to work once and got a lot of compliments and "you made thats???" (which of course I have to admit I like, although sometimes I wear things and people ask if I made it and I say yes, and then they tell me something like "seriously? I didn't really think you did I just thought I would ask since you sew." Then why ask??  Is that a compliment...? I think it's meant to be.  If I said "nope, not this one" what would the response be?  Seems like a set up for an awkward moment to me).

First of all, I wanted the skirt to go all the way to the floor, and clearly it doesn't (even with a narrow hem).  I'm 5'7" so I guess I should get used to adding an inch or two and if it's too long I can always shorten, but I can't lengthen (and I can't really shorten myself either, so that's out).  I can't remember what size I made, but I think I went with the same size as the first version of the skirt that was too small because clearly I learned that lesson so well the first time I decided to try it again assuming either I magically shrank or suddenly the size meant something different.  The fabric doesn't have any stretch to it either, so I ended up, once again, with a too tight skirt across the hips.  (Those damn hips).  I, once again, eeked out as much space as possible in my seam allowances, but I think the culprets in this skirt were the godets.

Yes, godets.  I learned what those were in the making of this skirt because there were like 50 of them (or 4, you decide which of those numbers is more accurate).  I learned that I kind of hate them and they are jerks (at least as a newby I really did...I haven't tried anything involving them again so I don't know if we can be friends yet).  Those are some tough little buggers to sew because of the odd way they come together at a point.  They also make pattern matching extremely difficult (but who am I kidding?  I didn't even try it anyway).

I also learned that this fabric is SHEER (is it crinkled gauze?  I seriously want to say challis, but I know that isn't right.  But it's see-through, crinkle fabric).  I had no clue how to line anything or even what to use, but I knew that I wanted it to be light and I knew we were coming up on summer in Texas (which runs from about March until December; it's like our only real season) so I didn't want anything too hot.  I went with a cotton muslin (still have no clue if that is the right choice) and I basically just traced the skirt laid out, cut double, sewed side seams and attached it when I attached the waistband.  Voila.  A serviceable lining by someone who had absolutely no clue what she was doing!

CHIFFON!!!  That's the word that has escaped me!  That's the fabric.  Well I feel better now.  I'm sure glad I didn't make too big of a deal out of remembering it...would be silly to make a mountain out of a molehill.  Yeah...

Two thoughts on this: what is up with the extra skin pooling at my elbows? Oh, 20's how I miss you and your skin elasticity.  Secondly, I need a wide brown woven leather belt.  That would really help this outfit.  As is, I'm just not feeling it and don't know if this will get much wear.  I do think it's a nice pattern though, even if my two attempts were not amazing (mostly due to my errors...and repeated errors, not the pattern itself).  Maybe I'll tackle it again because I really do want a maxi skirt that goes all the way to the floor.

4th of July Dress - Simplicity 2444

I feel like I've been living in the past on this blog so far (I mean, way back like 4 months ago when I was a wee sewing newbie as opposed to the vastly wiser sewing beginner that I am now).  So even though I have like a gajillion (more like 15) pre-blog projects to chronicle here, I thought I would show something I just completed so that you know how much better I have gotten and will hopefully continue reading this blog.  I'm better, I promise!  I make more than aprons and purses!

This pattern is everywhere!  I have seen so many completed versions of it and they are all beautiful!  I was inspired by Cynthia's version at Dapper Duds because it really caught my eye with the Chevron stripes and involved the right amount of "let-me-take-a-simple-pattern-and-make-my-life-more-difficult" that I seem to gravitate towards recently. (I did the same thing with the McCalls tank maxi dress that is everywhere because why make something that is only two pieces when you can turn it into 5 AND mess up and run out of fabric thus making it not a maxi but a mini?  Blog post coming eventually...)  I cut out a size 6 and I think that was probably the best choice because although it was a bit snug without a zipper (since it was all bias cut, it was just stretchy enough to wiggle into without one, SCORE!), I just made 3/8 seam allowances instead of 5/8 and it is fine so I think an 8 would have been a bit big.

Sidenote: I have really gone through quite a sizing journey over the last few months.  Packaging said I should be a 12, but after making a couple of things in that size I could have fit 2 of me in there, so I started using the finished measurements and usually fit somewhere between a 6 and an 8. I have a couple of things that fit at a 10, so really what I'm saying is I still have no idea about sizing.  Don't listen to me.  This was a wasted sidenote.

I found this fake silk fabric on clearance at Hancock Fabrics and I knew that this was the right project for the stripes (AND it could be patriotic!  Go USA!  Or whatever).

I really like the way this dress turned out and the pattern (if unmodified) seems like a really simple, tried-and-true dress that I will probably make again.  I butchered the hell out of it though and I didn't even use the instructions a single time (what a daredevil I am, taking so many risks) so I have no idea how clear they were.  I basically cut out each piece on a single layer, none of them on the fold, painstakingly trying to match the stripes to make the V shape, and then I immediately sewed each new piece as I went along.

I think I did a pretty good job (pat myself on the back).  I already knew after reading Cynthia's blog post that the darts and pleats kind of mess up the stripes, but I honestly had no idea how to plan for that so it is what it is.  It really doesn't bug me that much, especially since I was able to match pretty well everywhere else.  This fabric really didn't have very good long-term memory for pressing, so hemming was a beast.  I tried to do a blind hem, which is always kind of hit or miss for me anyway, and it didn't really turn out how I wanted it to, but I actually kind of like the contrast that I got along the bottom.  Am I crazy?  Does it not look good?  Am I just trying to convince myself that I like it so that I don't feel compelled to rip it out and try again (I must be doing a great job because I really think I like it!).  The one area I am not thrilled with is the neck because I made it into a V-neck (which I like!) and that made it more difficult to finish.  I used bias tape as a binding and it's a little wonky in spots, but maybe I should have drafted a facing?  I don't know.  I'm trying to ignore it.

I love how full the skirt is!  It also passes the spinning test and is very flowy (when I was little, I used to call dresses "stick out dresses" if I could spin and they would twirl nicely).  I really liked the fabric and aside from how easily it frayed it was easy to sew if I used a thin needle (80/11 as opposed to 90/14...I point this out because I am notorious for not thinking about those little details).  Cutting so many pieces on the bias also helped keep the fraying at bay.

I highly recommend this pattern!  It's so versatile because you make it as is or it provides a really good jumping-off point for other ideas.

Simplicity 2551

I was feeling pretty snarky (my mom's word; not sure if it's totally made up and unknown to 99% of the population) after the apron, but I still wanted an "easy" project.  I mean, I made a tote(ish) bag, an almost-fits-if-I-don't-eat skirt, and an oft-forgotten apron so I'm basically an expert at this point, right?  No dismal failures yet at least.

Why did I think a purse would be easy to make???  I still ask myself that question because when I think about making another purse, I kinda get a little twitchy at the idea.  When I realized that I could buy pre-quilted fabric, I don't think I took into account that the fabric still had to be constructed into something resembling a purse; it's not magic fabric.

Sidenote: I had never in my life heard of Vera Bradley, but I've been told that this bag is a knock-off of her stuff.  Of course, now I see her stores everywhere and it's like every one I know has something Vera Bradley (including my 11 year-old niece, she has TWO things), so that shows how observant I am of current trends (read: not).

I actually really like how the purse came out, and I can vouch for its functionality because I still use it (and I made it back in March).  I love the colors and the size (it fits everything!), but if I made it again I would definitely make some pockets for the inside as opposed to leaving it as one big open area.  I know there are pockets on the outside, but they are totally non-functional because of my inability to translate the pattern into English.

Which brings me to my point: this was NOT a beginner pattern!  I was definitely biting off more than I could chew with my limited skill set for sewing and there were times I wanted to throw the whole thing in the trash and make a trip out to the Coach outlet with my 20% coupon (LOVE!), but then I remembered that this pre-quilted fabric was like almost $20 per yard, so I persevered.

In my defense, even now if I go back and look at this pattern there are some things that don't make sense.  For example, I never see a time when they tell you to actually sew the pockets closed.  So they're not and if you put something in one of them, it will end up in the no-mans-land between the lining and the outer fabric. They also had me stitch down the front of the purse in order to attach the pocket to the purse, so that's not very attractive either (but it's the only thing that I can get out of the pattern instructions).

The other tricky area was the front pocket piping/pocket facing area, but I think that was my fault because I couldn't envision what the instructions were trying to tell me.  I've used piping more now and I think I know what happened there. I definitely like the detail though (and in this picture you can see one of the random lines going down the front of the bag. Weird).  Oh, ignore the fact that I couldn't make a straight line on the brown part; I'm much better now, I promise!

The lining is the main tricky issue with this purse and the first time I put it in, I put it in backwards so you could see all of the exposed seams as opposed to it looking nice and neat. And actually, I thought it was supposed to be that way for some reason until I actually saw it put together and thought a lot of words I won't say here on the internets (I'm a lady).  That was one of the points I wanted to scrap the whole thing, but after walking away for awhile and regrouping/pep-talking ("you are a strong, confident woman..."), I returned and ripped the lining out and put it in the correct way. (You can't see to the bottom, but I promise it looks amazing!  Maybe the most amazing bottom of a bag you've ever seen).

So in conclusion, I'm happy with it.  I use the crap out of it and have gotten some compliments.  I wouldn't want to set it next to a Vera Bradley, but if there isn't one around it could probably be mistaken for one...ya know, if someone forgot their glasses and is really squinting at it.

Simplicity 2184

For my first *real* project (not that a bag isn't a real, tangible object, although boring), I thought that a skirt might be a good place to start because I didn't want to pick something so challenging that I would fail miserably and never sew again (and my machine would become the overpriced dust collector that my parents assumed it would end up being; they cannot be proven right!).  This is the pattern I chose:

I learned many things from this project, even before leaving the store!  I learned how to look through the catalogue and then figure out where the hell the pattern actually is in the store (although first I was just hopelessly looking through the cabinets thinking "do I have to do this every time I want a pattern?? Why is there a dress, followed by baby pajamas, followed by a some purses, followed by doll clothes?!  Organization, people!!!")

I also learned how much fabric to request and that there is a difference between apparel cotton and quilting cotton (but that quilting cottons have better prints!) so this skirt is a bit on the stiff side.  But you know what; if I see a print in quilting cotton that would be perfect for something I have pictured in my mind, I'm going for it.  That's right, I said it!  Sewing elitists be warned! (You can say "I told you so" when I complain about the way it feels on future projects).

I think the most important lesson I learned has to do with sizing (and this lesson ends up being the lesson that keeps on teaching for quite awhile!).  For those of you experienced sewists out there, you know exactly where I am going with this.  I saw that this pattern started at a size 6 and I think I might have actually scoffed out loud (probably sounded a bit more like a pig snort than a super-cool "hrmph").  I thought that I would be swimming in a size 6 seeing as I generally buy a 2 in a ready-to-wear garment. "I guess I'll just cut a little bit more inside the line for the size 6" thought the clueless, newby clothesmaker.  (Of course, I also believed the envelope when it said "2 hours"  Oh, I had so much to learn...)

So here is the finished product:

Not terrible!  (That was my first thought, and was enough to keep me going).  However, it is a bit like a Picasso: good from far away and a mess up close.  So...let's stay far away, shall we.  I had absolutely no idea what "bias" skirt meant or that extra planning was involved to make it come out the way it's supposed to.  You mean I can't just fold the fabric, cut two of the pieces and have them magically match up perfectly??  (The answer is "no."  You can't do that.)  Of course I didn't have enough fabric left to cut more pieces, so I just made do with that I had.  The first time I sewed up the seams in the front and back I didn't even think about how it would match up and it was a total disaster!  (From a glass half-full perspective, I got to learn how to use my seam-ripper!)  The lines really don't match up perfectly on the front or the back, but I had to decide which side to match up better and I chose the front.

It was also TINY!  Like "OMG, I can't even get this further up than mid-thigh!" I was really confused by that, but thankfully I was able to make the smallest seam-allowances possible to keep from having a wardrobe malfunction, and it fits (barely...if I haven't had a big meal yet).  I did some internet research on the issue (now I know that's a good thing to do BEFORE starting something), and I realize now that pattern sizing is crazy!  (ok, not crazy; more like closer to how clothes used to be sized before vanity sizing got out of control)  According to the envelope, I would be between a size 10 and 12!  (stay tuned for my lesson about "ease" on a later blog post)


To be perfectly honest, I don't wear the skirt.  I kind of doubt it's strength to stay in one piece and I know so much more now that I didn't know to do then (i.e. finishing seams, how to correctly attach a waistband so the inside doesn't look all frayed, what interfacing is, etc).  It was a really good way to get started and learn basic skirt construction, and now that I have an outfit that works I might put it in the rotation.  I do recommend the pattern though, but if you're not advanced it will take longer than 2 hours.


I made another version of this skirt as well (the longest one), and I'll have a post about that one soon.