Stash Buster #16 (of 48) - and my FIRST BurdaStyle Pattern!

BurdaStyle 130a-112014 on PatternReview.com


I love this top - but seriously, I am a 38DD at minimum, so normally I should only cut out a 48 - and this pattern maxes out at a 44.
So - I had to do a mother of a FBA on this puppy - 9 cm at the apex!  Let me tell you - the armscythe was a sad puppy at the end of all the manipulations - I actually had to release it by cutting along the seam line and letting it fall back into shape.

This is my (hopefully wearable) muslin - I am waiting for someone to come home and take a picture, but the fit is pretty darn great - I have a dart at the side seam:

UPDATE:  Photo of the Finished Product  (I love my crown) :

(my dog managed a photo-bomb, again)

Stash Buster #8, #11, #12, #13 (of 48): Travel Wardrobe Collection for Winter Business Travel

PatternReview.com is a fantastic site.  Before I sign up for a class, invest in a pattern or even when I am looking for a good pattern I use the site as a wonderful resource of people who have experienced what I am considering.  There are tips for how to work with fabrics, and there are hints and warning about particular patterns.  I sign up for (almost) all of the contests to keep me motivated and this month it is the  Travel Wardrobe Contest.  4 new pieces and 2 other pieces to complete a wardrobe capsule for your trip.

So I made 4 Pieces:

1. A Lavender Lace Bronte Shirt - I blogged about Stash Buster #8 forever ago (it seems)
2. Simplicity 1620 Shift Dress - a wearable muslin of the tunic I am planning for a border print in my stash
3. A Sloper Skirt (aka New Look 6274) out of the worst fabric in my stash
4. A Cardigan - Simplicity 1945

The Bronte - I love this shirt - I wear this shirt like once a week:  I have pajama set and this is the top, I have this new lace one and I have my upcycled Canadiens version:

Simplicity 1620 - when Fabricland stopped carrying Simplicity they cleared out all of their patterns, and I bought several at $1 each - this was one.  It's a super easy pattern, but I figured it might be a cute one in a pinch and I was thinking about woven T's at the time.  I recently decided to make the dress into a tunic from a cute border print I have in my stash, so I started with a muslin - this Green Dress:

I went digging through my fabric, then looking for something that would go with both the top and the dress, and found this purple remnant:

.  But there wasn't enough to do much with it - and yet I pushed the limits of conscientious pattern layout, added a Centre Back Seam and then cut one panel off grainline.  I now have a new favorite skirt - great length and super comfortable.

Finally I wish I hadn't, but I cut into my scuba knit and made a true plus size pattern from my stash (no FBA needed, was my rationale) and I thought it would be great, but I wholeheartedly dislike my cardigan:

Overall - it is exactly what the Dr ordered for me - a chance to recognize my style and to make some current pieces for my wardrobe.  - But the cardigan may need to move on.

New Plans - the list is overwhelming!

For Myself:

View A of Simplicity 1620 is traced, adjusted and ready for a wearable muslin.

I am going straight to a wearable muslin because of what I read in the reviews on PatternReview.com

 - I just adjusted for my hip measurement.

A blue Georgette will be combined with A brown Batik for a Top B, I think.
The rest of the batik will be a pair of shorts, I think.
And the red Hunting plaid border print will be a tunic length of Dress A, to be worn with a belt.

Also - I need to whip up BurdaStyle Scene Queen Shirt 130A-112014-US for the Burda Challenge.

For DS the Elder:  A red thermal Finlayson and several pair of pajama pants.  He has also agreed to some shorts with pockets (cargo shorts I believe he means) - I will be using the Jedediah Pants pattern, I think - he's a 28, but I'll bet he would like them baggy.

For DS the Younger: I want to try an oliver + s pattern: Tea Party Sundress Romper - at the bottom of the picture (View D) I have some cute light weight denim and some red piping.  It will be the only darling thing anyone will let me make for him for a while....

For A: likely several oliver + s Family Reunion Dresses - I am going to teach a class, and I want to practice it over and over.  I have also offered to make a Anna Dress and I am secretly also making a Cinderella Dress using McCalls' Frozen Costume pattern - watch for a blog posting on that one.

For DH: A request has been issued (from He who never requests) - and his request shall result in a lightweight knit front zip hoodie - using the Burda Young pattern 7734

Family Reunion Dress - I am going to teach a class!

So very excited!  My local quilting store, Stitch by Stitch,  has hired me to teach classes sewing children's  clothing.  Went and picked up the supplies today.  1st class is the oliver +s family reunion dress.

The asked me to select from Tilda's 2014 "All that is Spring" line 

and I have a pretty pale blue and brown to make my sample garment.

I am so excited to give this a go!

Stash Buster #10: Upcycling for the Canadiens - A Repurposful Bronte

OOOOOOOH!  Another Bronte Top! 

Do you like the contrast binding?

This was a precious upcycle stash, and I am dieting, so I decided to make the shirt in the next smaller size - so it's pretty tight - but the jocks like that, right?

Hubby is VERY happy.

I cut the red and blue shirts at the seams (side, shoulder, armscythe) - leaving the hems in place.  I used the sleeves, retaining the cuff and centreing on the two arm top seams (it was a three piece sleeve).  I manipulated the front to centre the logo (which was off centre, hence for upcycling) and for both the front and back I retained the hems.

The original Tshirt label visible at the viewer's right hemline was retained (but is included in the seam allowance a tiny bit).

Meters Used on these projects: 2 (as 2 shirts)

Total Meters Busted 2/15/2015: 17

Stash Buster #9: Valentine's Giftie for my Hubby - A Luscious Striped Finlayson

The Finlayson is vying for the most used pattern in my stash right now.  My DH has a Grey one and this one.  My DF has a BEAUTIFUL ponte one.  My Size S DS (the elder) has one and there is another on my sewing mat right now.

I have made this in Jersey, Ponte, Heavy Weight Knit, and next is a lightweight thermal

This one is in a heavy weight knit - has great body, and looks great on DH (I added a little width to the front above the waistline this time - he's not shy in it at all)  He has worn it 4 times.  <GRIN>

I am proud of the stripe matching at the shoulder and sides of this one.

I have just enough left to do some accent pieces for another one for my son - Stash Buster #13(ish)

Meters Used on these projects: 2

Total Meters Busted 2/14/2015: 15

Stash Buster #8: Dream Realized! Lavender Stretch Lace Bronte Top

1993.  

(or was it 1994?)

We were organizing for my BFF'S wedding, and selected lace tops to wear with pretty skirts.  We even bought the tops before my GF got super-clever and simplified her wedding (just me in a nice outfit as her MoH).  I have no idea what happened to the top.  I have looked for it over the tears to no avail.  I dream about that pretty, golden and taupe lace once in a while; wearing it with a navy blazer, or a pair of palazzo pants (it WAS the 90's).

So a while ago in the remnant bin at Fabricland I found 1.5 metres of stretch lace fabric, and I pictured wearing it as that top.  Sure, it wasn't gold - it was pink and grey - but I wanted the top.  Into my stash went the fabric.

Recently I have pulled out the lace and fondled it, I wondered how difficult it was going to be to work with, I read articles that had you cutting around the lace to make invisible seams, read  Threads 175 about a Guipure skirt, and (the proverbial straw) I have been considering a six item capsule wardrobe for a Patternreview.com

So I was in a manic sewing mood and I am out of tracing paper - so I am limited to a recent pattern - Hudson Pants?  another Julia Cardigan?

OOOOOOOH!  A Bronte Top!  

I was thrilled with how easily this sewed up - I shortened the arm by (cough4inchescough).  It looks like I should do a FBA next time (there's a self correcting "dart" there).  My serger is off sprouting angel wings somewhere, so it was stitched with a little zigzag and it looks great!  I used self-fabric for the binding - and it worked (but I DID topstitch in the same little 1.5x1.5 zigzag).  It looks great!

I know - I need to wear a cami with it, but I LOVE THIS TOP!

WOOOOOOFREAKING HOOOOO!

Meters Used on this projects: 1.5

Total Meters Busted 2/07/2015: 13

Sigh. Baby Mom versus Cool Mom of a Tween.

DS the elder is doing something super-cool tonight.  We went out and bought a pair of black slacks and a white, cotton, collared, dress shirt.  He left class to practice every day for weeks.  I picked him up right at the end of the school days and shuttled him downtown.  and I dropped him off at the dress rehearsal for:

Pink Floyd's The Wall

He's one of the school-children's voices in Another Brick in the Wall.

I am so happy for him - he has a great sense of music appreciation (we work at it) and he LOVES music.  This was his first time singing in front of people (who weren't sitting in wooden chairs in a school gymnasium waiting for their DSs and DDs classes to take the stage).

So he's there right now - signing as one of 8 kids on stage, and where am I?

At home with the baby.

I have been quietly sad about it all day.
He's with his Dad tonight and heading to the other house for the weekend.  I won't get to hug him until Sunday night.  I can't wait.

Stash Busters #6 & #7 (of 48): Valentines Day Gifts - Size 4 outfits!

My niece, A, has grown into a size 4!  This means that my toddler patterns are on their last legs, and some of my TNTs are about to be bygones.  As it is, I had to trace new leggings patterns and a new long-sleeve t.  So - This week I made:

Don't get too excited - you aren't about to drop into cute overload.

See the shirt at the top right of 5936?  and the Leggings/Pants C on 1774?  Yawn.

A's in need of foundation pieces - Mom works at Gymboree

So not so boring as all that:  First I made a trial run of 5936 and then a little matching 1/2 circle skirt on some sweet elastic I had in my stash.  The fabric - decades old from my stash from back before I realized that boys need primary colours in their lives.

The half circle seems to magically fallen on the grain at centre-front.  Woot!

There is a short zipper at the neckline and centre back - and I had a lovely, soft, rose coloured zipper to use in my stash.  So, Hurray!  Busted 1.5 metres, and invested no money at Fabricland!

BUT  once I got going - who wanted to stop?  Not this gal.  I had some fuscia fleece left from the Baby Blanket Jump a Round Dress - so I made a simple pair of leggings/pants:

An I got cute with a short shoelace I had in my stash, cut it in half and attached  it to some elastic I secured at centre back, and slipped it through a couple of quick button holes - the pants took me 40 minutes.

And of course - who needs sleep?

I looked at the bits left of the fleece and decided to make a top. But there wasn't quite enough... but there was a little of the Christmas Cutie Dress quilted jersey left - and then I found a pack of fuscia reflective tape!  

So I took the pattern for the top, and got rid of the centre back seam, then I took the front pattern and added a seam allowance for a zipper and tahdah! cute little jacket. 

The other shoelace is at the inside neckline seam.  I sewed the reflective tape down. (it was iron-on grosgrain ribbon)  a stripe at the front of the centre arm on each side and a nice fat band across the shoulders.

Totally Cute Jacket

I am going to say another 1.5 meters busted.

Meters Used on these projects: 3

Total Meters Busted 1/27/2015: 11

Stash Busting Project #5 (of 48): Starlight and Sunset workout gear

Woo hootin' who!   I finally made the Manila leggings pattern from Seamwork!

Look how cute the cuff looks!  So dainty!

Ah yes and the fabric, ridiculously adorable, non?  It's like I am going to take up figure skating any second!  I loved the fabric so much I couldn't quit at the leggings, so I skrimped together enough of the remnants to make half a top!

The top is a TNT from the depths of my stash:  Vogue 1141 (OOP).  I love the sweet cap sleeve of the tank, and this time I used the lengthen line to colour block and make a rosy jersey shirt tail.

This next image I am including so I can brag about my matching, but also so I can show my top stitching  : the spandex had more body than the jersey, so I top stitched to the spandex (up).

To hem, I folded back the allowance and stitched through the three layers, and then top stitched.

The outfit is so much fun and perfect for my dancing sessions with my DS The younger.

Meters Used on this project: 3

Total Meters Busted 1/27/2015: 8

The Passport Wasted Effort

I was motivated again.  I made a great work out outfit this week (blog entry to follow) and I was finally re - energized.   I was so pleased that I thought: Now.  Now I am ready to address the Lisette Passport Dress.

To to make sure we are all on the same page, Simplicity 2209 is well reviewed by entry level sewists of the RTW variety and the Passport Dress has somewhat of a cult following (Interestingly, this following has escalated with Pinterest after Simplicity took it to Out Of Print).  I was fortunate enough to have this pattern in my stash and I have made the jacket (gave it away I disliked it so much) and I put the dress aside for someday. 

I knew this pattern was going to need adjusting.  I am a busty size 18 with a full thigh.  According to the envelope I should make a 22W and grade down at the shoulders and upper bust.  GREAT: no fba!    I made the muslin, and found I needed an upper bust dart.  The waist dart needed a slight adjustment,  shorter and repointed.   My 2nd muslin, made, the bust darts land perfectly, and the repointed waist darts positioned nicely - and I have just realized that I have a princess seam that crosses in the front with a gap at the bust apex.  

The dress' personality is gone.

Scrap.

New project.

Meters Used on this project: .2

Total Meters Busted 1/9/2015: 5