Judy's Tube Dress in Progress

Judy wanted a Maxi dress so we went shopping for one. She tried on 18 dresses and not a single one fit. (She's 5' 10" tall and wears a size 4) So she tried one on in a large that was almost long enough and she said I'll just belt it in . Well that might have worked if it wasn't falling off of her back. But she liked the way the loose dress w/ belt looked. So we decided to make her one. All she wanted was a tube with a ruffle at top and straps that where pinched at front and back. So I literally just wrapped the material around her and decided what she thought was enough ease and cut a straight rectangle for the main dress. Cut another rectangle about 4" wide (cut on crossgrain)and width of dress (about 43") sewed them wrong side of dress to right side of ruffle together then flipped ruffle to right side of dress and sewed about 1/2" and made a casing , cut 28" of 3/8" elastic for casing. I tried finishing the ruffle three different ways- on serger, with coverstitch machine, doubled the ruffle- didn't like any of them. Judy said to leave it unfinshed which made me cringe but as she said thats what they are like in RTW at the stores. Still need to add the straps and hem. Will take a picture on Judy when I get it done. I tied a ribbon around the waist because she will were it with a belt and wanted you to get an idea of what it would look like. Oh yeah I forgot to say it's poly knit from Hancocks.

Remember Koku Gonza?

The natural-haired beauty is still working on her art. Listen to some of her recent music by watching the video below.

Sucess with Vogue 8580

Well I finished my shirt. Here's the review from PR. First picture is the top with white tank out of my closet. The second one is with the unfinished tank that came with the pattern. I'm going to reshape the neckline to use this winter on the 10 days it's cold enough to need an undershirt.
Pattern Description: Pullover Tunic and sleeveless tank.

Pattern Sizing: Large- XX Large

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very easy. This is such a quick and easy top.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I'm not sure on someone as heavy and short as myself if the 2" elastic really works. I'm going to make this again in a solid and use 1 1/2" elastic and take the elastic all the way around the bottom of the chest. On this pattern you sop the elastic for about 5" inches in the front. I think for me it looks funny because I have a fat belly. But on someone who had a flat stomach or a tiny mommy tummy this would look great. I made the tank in grey, but didn't really like the neckline (to high -and I like high necklines -you can see it on my blog http://catsandcalico.blogspot.com/ . I like it better with a white tank I had in my closet. If I make the tank again I would lower the neckline.
Fabric Used: It's a poly knit that I've had awhile.
Don't remember where it came from. The grey tank was a cotton knit from Joann's.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: Did a full bust adjustment. Had to cut off about 6 inches in length. It was almost long enough for a dress. If it had been a few inches longer I would have made it a dress. It was cute as a dress.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will sew this again. It's quick, easy and I like it.

Conclusion: Great quick and easy top and I think it would make a cute dress.

Vogue 8580- Traced and ready for alterations

I traced off Vogue 8580 last night after dinner. I started to make alterations but got sleepy and quit before I started making mistakes. I'm a morning person and I've learned not to work on sewing projects when I'm tired. I just end up re-doing it over and over again. I realized as I was tracing it that it was very close to the last top I made Simplicity 2773. I could have used that pattern and changed it up to look like this but oh well already had it traced out. I really liked the Khaliah Ali pattern. It was easy to adjust for narrow shoulders and FBA. Hopefully this pattern will be easy to adjust too.

33 and Counting

Today is my 33rd Wedding Anniversary. I can't believe how time has flown by. We've been so bleesed to have such a long and happy marriage. No sewing today going to get Outback for dinner. Kinda of a tradition, which might explain why I was about 1/4 the size I am now when I got married. TO much Outback. Look at those babies in our wedding picture. Have a nice day.

Mail Goodness

Some new fabrics in the mail. I've been trying to not add to the stash this year. But sometimes I fail something fierce. I just love fabric so much. I love the look, the feel, the dream of what it could be. But it's busting out of the seams at my house. I've been thinking of donating a bunch of it but don't know where to. If I could find a young family who sews and could use some of it. I've thought about putting it on Craig's list as a free giveaway. When the kid's were young I couldn't afford to stash a bunch of fabric. But now it's hard because I can afford it. I'm really bad when the fabric is a good price. I seriously need a twelve step program. I am out of control. But here's the goodies I got in the mail recently. I love the knits for pj's and undies for 5 granddaughters I got from The Fabric Fairy , the little pink owl buttons, and the Alice in Wonderland woven for Emma Daisy a dress. I got the other stuff from fabric.com . I got some blue poplin for a shirt, raspberry knit for a dress or shirt, cotton print for a skirt, the leopard knit for 5 granddaughters- pj's & undies, and the little star print for the stash.

Happy Father's Day

Today I'm thinking of my Dad. He's 82 years young. Soon to be 83. He still works, he's a small animal veterinarian. He runs a small clinic and charges reduced prices. Nothing fancy just basic animal care. I don't even think he makes a profit. But he loves it. We have tried to get him to retire and move near us but he says he'd rather be dead than not work. He's the most popular guy at church. He says to be popular at his age with the ladies all you have to do is breath. So he enjoys all the little elderly ladies attention at mass and working at the clinic. Here's to many more years Dad. He had 6 children, 19 grandchildren & 19 great grandchildren. Pictures are from his 80th birthday celebration that most of the family was able to attend. It was great fun.

Judy's dress finished

I finally caught Judy when she came in from work. You'll have to excuse her hair. She's a cheerleading / gymnastics coach and she had been spotting girls on tumbling so her hair was crazy. But she was a good sport and let me take some quick pics. I couldn't decide what method to use on the hem. I tried the coverstitch machine but it made it stretch out pretty bad. Tried binding it with the green ribbing and while it looked okay didn't really want the green on the bottom. Tried using a self fabric band at a 1:1 ratio but didn't like that either. Tried just a zig zag and it looked the best. It still stretched a little but when I wash it and dry it I'm sure it will be fine. She loves it.

Sewing Machine Meme

Beth (not me) at Sew Mama Sew has been compiling a list of posts organized by sewing machine brand. It will be very helpful to refer to when you are in the market for a new machine. Below I have answered questions about the machine that I use, and Beth will add this along with the others they receive.

What brand and model do you have?I have a Brother Ult 2002.

How long have you had it?I've had it for about five years.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? About $3000.00 (as my husband loves to say it's the only thing he ever paid so much for that her couldn't drive- or it cost more than his first car- you get the idea)

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?

I sew clothes, drapes, toys, crafts, you name I'll sew it.

How much do you sew? I sew all the time. I usually sew at least a little bit everyday.

How much wear and tear does the machine get? It gets plenty of use. My daughter loves to use the larger embroidery hoop on my machine when she comes to visit. I actually bought another machine to use when she comes because we fight over mine.(Brother PC 420 Project Runway- love it too)

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Totally love, love, love my machine.

Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Passionate- it's perfect.

Does she have a name? No, but I guess she could use one - I guess Sally would work. My granddaughter Ella loves the movie Nightmare before Christmas (don't ask- who would let a little girl watch this movie- my daughter) and Sally sews all the time. So Sally it is.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? It has so many great features. Love the ease of use. It works like a dream. The embroidery unit works great too. Perfection.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? I've broke (or my daughters) the auto threader twice. I always blame my daughters. Not very nice of me, is it.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? I got this as a surprise from my husband for Christmas. Everyone knew but me. Mike isn't one to buy expensive presents or presents period. So this was a huge surprise. Everyone was watching me open it. I thought maybe it was a tv since the box was so big. I started to cry when I saw what it was. I was so excited. One of the best gifts ever.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Yes, it's a great machine. It's probably not for a casual sewer but someone who really loves to sew.

Do you have a dream machine?At this point I do not have a dream machine. I don't think I'll ever buy another machine in my lifetime unless this just dropped dead with no hope for recovery. But I guess my dream machine would be the new Brother Quattro 6000D. Who wouldn't want the biggest and newest machine.

If you have a blog, please post your answers there and shoot us an email with the URL (beth@sewmamasew.com).

Is Water Hard on Your Hair?

Although water often provides much needed moisture for natural hair, it's not always good for your hair. The water coming from your faucets may be hard.

Hard water has high mineral content, containing things such as chlorine, calcium and magnesium. It can make your hair look dull, be dry and even alter your hair hair color. Water is harder in some regions than in others. Do your research to find out about the water in your area.

So, how can you solve your hard water hair issues?

• Use a water purifier. Shower filters are great buys if you wash your hair in the shower. They remove chlorine, heavy metals, and harmful minerals found in hard water. They can even help those with softer water too.

• Use a clarifying shampoo. Although they can be drying to the average person, they are very good at cleaning hair. Hard water makes it harder to clean your hair. Try a clarifying shampoo to remove the mineral deposits that hard water leaves on your hair. (Do not use on dyed hair)
  

• Use a good conditioner. Don't skimp and don't ever skip the opportunity to add moisture to your hair. If you are using a clarifying shampoo that is typically drying, you need to moisturize to restore a proper ph balance to your hair.
  

Bantu Knot/Chiney Bump Extensions Tutorial

BWOF 115 from June 2009 Work in Progress

I just loved Lindsey T's version of BWOF 115 6-09 and showed it to my daughter and she loved it. So traced it and cut it out last night. Went so fast with just two pieces. Added 4 1/2" length since it was for a petite and Judy's 5' 10" it will still be pretty short on her. Took tissue and checked to make sure it would cover her bra. Adjusted the shoulders towards her neck to cover bra straps. As per Lindsey's warning had to make circle in back much smaller. Used grey poor boy rib knit from the $1.95 clearance at fabric.com. The green ribbing at the edges I've had in the stash for so many years I don't have a clue where it came from. I cut about 2" long strips of the green ribbing and I'm binding the edges instead or adding seam allowances and turning them under. I've just got it basted this morning before I went to work. I think it's going to be real cute. Hopefully will get it finished tonight and try to get Judy to try it on. The dressform I have doesn't go small enough in the waist, shoulders and under the bust for Judy plus it can't be adjusted for height so not much help for fitting. If anyone knows of a dressform that adjust for back/front waist height I'd love to have it. This is such an easy and quick pattern. Great for young teens and twenty somethings.

New I love Lucy fabrics are coming out.

For all of us "I love Lucy" fans Quilting Treasures just released some new fabrics. I really like the black with red hearts. I made a bag with the first release of Lucy fabrics to carry all my stuff to work back and forth. Will have to have some of these new fabrics for the stash. Will have to think of something to do with the new fabrics. Maybe make my granddaughter Lucy some pj's(picture of Lucy in Lucy costume on Halloween last year- her mom made her costume) .

Kwik Sew 3710 Comfy Knit Dress for Plus size

I made Kwik Sew 3710 for Megan's wedding. I had planned on a dressier dress but couldn't find the fabric I wanted. And since the wedding was casual and Pat the groom's mother wanted to be comfortable in the almost 100 degree heat, we decided to wear black and white knit dresses. I found this fabric at Hancock's. I used the smallest size 1x in the neck and did a FBA to the larger size in the bottom of the dress to accomadate the girls. It was pretty big in the neckline. It kept falling down and showing my bra. I'll probably cut it down a few sizes in the neckline and shoulders next time I make it. I had trouble when moving around with the dress sticking on top of my bust. Not sure what causes this but thinking it might be that the shoulders where to big? Anyone know what caused this to happen. The top two pictures show the dress stuck above my bust ( I know curlers but according to my granddaughter Lucy my hair looked beautiful in the curlers). I will try and check Sherril's site she has lots of tips for fit for plus size gals. I really like this pattern and I'm hoping to turn it into a TNT pattern. I love the idea's from Carolyn's blog on using a TNT pattern to achieve new looks. It was so easy to put together and while I thought it was big in the neckline and shoulders, I still liked the dress and will make it again with adjustments soon.

Nicole's last minute dress for the Wedding

Nicole couldn't find anything to fit for the wedding. So thursday night before the saturday wedding we cut out this dress from a old OOP pattern by New Look for a woven crossover dress. Went down a size since we used knit fabric. Got up early and finished before I went to work on friday. This is a black and white poly knit from Joann fabrics and the yellow cotton lycra knit from fabric.com. I used a light weight tricot netting to line it with. Removed the zipper. Did a full bust adjustment and added about 5/8" to the front edges for coverage. We added a lot of ease to the skirt so it would be comfortalble and easy to walk down the steps in. Used yellow knit to bind edges and decided to add a small band of the yellow under the bust. This added an additional pop of color and helped pull the dress in tight under the chest. As an added measure I also zig zagged some clear elastic under the bust to make sure it didn't stretch out as she was wearing the dress. It fit her wonderfully but she wasn't in love with it. After she wore it she liked it better. She kept telling me she wanted a dress that would make her look like her little sister. Whom is 2 1/2" taller and many pounds thinner. I told her if I could make that dress I'd be a very wealthy woman and I'd be busy making myself one first.

Get Moisture

I was searching for a moisturizing conditioner. After finally finding one, I realized that I was completely broke and couldn't afford it anyway. Soon after, I began an online search for moisturizing conditioner recipes.

I came upon one of my old favorite sites...

http://motowngirl.com

A mixture of honey and olive oil made a wonderfully moisturizing deep conditioner that is now one of my staple conditioners.

Click here for the Honey/Olive Oil Conditioner recipe.

Pink sparkly and Leopard for Ella

I ordered this fabric off of fabric.com from the everything's $1.95 clearance. It looks baby pink and was described as having silver threads running through it. It's a slinky knit. Well it was not very pretty when I got it, or should I say to me. But my granddaughter Ella who's three years old, just loved it to pieces. She's been bugging her mother to make her a dress but with making everything for the wedding she has not had time. So she brought her material with her to visit us and with big giant eyes said will you make my dress grandma. So of course I did. I used a pajama pattern made for knits and just cut the skirt as wide as the fabric was, in a big rectangle. I used leopard knit to bind the neck and when I turned it left a tiny edge showing. I added ties since we like to make dress up dresses a little on the big side to get a couple of years wear out of them. She loves it. For such a quick and easy project it sure brings happiness to Ella. The pattern is Mccalls 5510 . I used the smallest size and graded it down a couple of sizes in width. I also narrowed the shoulders a little bit. Just cut the bottom piece the 60" width and estimated the length by putting the bodice on Ella and cutting the length plus an inch hem and seam allowances. It was fun to do some relaxed easy sewing.

Here come's the Bride

Got some of the photos from family members. Thought you might like to see some of them. You can see some of the problems the bust area had. I wish it would have been perfect but so it goes. We had beautiful weather and it couldn't have been a more perfect ceremony. The flower girls kept everyone in stitches. Four 2 years olds and one 3 year old. One of the little girls wouldn't do it. But the other four did. Lucy threw her petals and when the basket was empty, chucked the basket over her shoulder. Emma threw her petals but Hailey kept hers . So when the sat down Hailey says to Emma "where's your petals Emma?". So Emma gets up and starts filling her basket back up. Then Emma decides to go see her Daddy and runs off. Lucy starts telling Emma shhhh, then decides it's a great idea to run and see Uncle Michael so they trotted off together- partners in crime. Haily gets up to follow and Ella says Hailey wait they are about to kiss. (Ella is all about pretending to be a bride and getting married). The ring bearers did a little better but William (who had the pillow) kept getting up thinking it was time for the rings. At least they stayed out of the pool before the wedding. Didn't last long afterwards. So cute. Kids add laughter and joy to any wedding. The flower girls dresses where made by my daughter Nicole http://colescornerandcreations.blogspot.com/ they are a New Look pattern. She made the ties and ring bearer pillow also.