SEWmuchKNITting

I signed up to participate in the Summer of No Pants Challenge to make a skirt or dress a week for 4 weeks. Once in a while I find these challenges fun and motivating, and I thought my schedule for the month of June would accommodate some sewing! Well, that was before it rained the whole month of May here in Michigan which has resulted in a LOT of yard work to catch up on! I think I can still meet the Challenge, and below you will see the skirt I sewed up for Week One, Kwik Sew 3240 : I've had this embroidered cotton in my stash for quite some time, and while I was searching last week for something else I got reacquainted with this fabric. I thought that it would make a cute BoHo-type skirt for the summer, and I knew I wouldn't need any extra "fluff" thru the hip area, so I chose the Kwik Sew pattern. I rarely tuck my tops in, so the elastic waistband worked out great too. I also lined this skirt with Bemberg, since the cotton was a little sheer. (If I look closely...

I was able to finish sewing up Vogue 1182 to wear to my nephew's wedding last weekend, even though I was sewing the hem on the morning of the big event! The fit came out just about perfect....I could have improved on that a bit with a small swayback adjustment, but all in all I was very pleased. Thanks to those who have already made this dress and posted a review on PatternReview,  I knew to take my time with all 44(!) steps in the pattern directions. Everything went together just fine, and I love the finished product!  Dress front: Family shot outside the church (my oldest son is missing, he was a groomsman): Vogue 1182 in action, dancing with the groom:

I don't why I always do this do myself, but here I am again with a deadline fast approaching! My nephew's wedding is this Saturday, and I have been planning to make this dress for at least 4 months. Yes, I know it is red, just like the pattern photo, but I am trying to sew up my stash and this fabric, a stretch sateen, was a great candidate for Vogue 1182 .  I am making a muslin of this one first, though I must admit I don't usually take the time to do this. But I have read a lot of reviews of this pattern online via PatternReview , and I think I'd better work out any fitting issues in the muslin stage first. The main reasons I enjoy garment sewing are 1.) I like to choose my own pattern and fabric and not see myself coming and going in the same retail pieces others are wearing, 2.) fit, and 3.) I just like sewing together all the pieces, going from flat fabric to a 3D garment. Of the last 3 weddings I've attended, twice there was another gal wearing my same dress...

The Block of the Month group at Sweet Pea's Yarn Shop has been meeting on Saturdays, once a month since January. I posted here about the beautiful hand-dyed yarn we are using, and my project is moving along nicely. We receive enough yarn each week for that month's block, along with an additional pattern for a wrap that is added to each month using the stitch learned. I decided not to make the wrap, but to make 3 extra blocks, one per row, to add to the overall length of the afghan. This is a fun project to knit, but more than that, it is a fun way to spend a Saturday morning...with a great group of knitters.

A few weeks ago, before the winter 'thaw' and the advent of truly spring-like Michigan weather, I had the urge to sew up something fresh and cute. Using view D below, with some stretch cotton sateen from my stash, I stitched up the little number below using NewLook 6969: Since this skirt is unlined, it took me no time at all. And, although it doesn't look like it in the photo, the hem IS even.....must be that 'model pose'! I actually prefer to wear dresses and skirts, especially in the warmer months, so I signed on for the "No Pants Challenge" over at Hideous!Dreadful!Stinky! to make four pieces over the 4 weeks before summer officially starts: May 23 - June 17, 2011. Trust me when I say I have the patterns and the stash fabric to make this happen :-)!