SEWmuchKNITting

HUMBERTO CARRENO/STARTRAKSPHOTO Over the last couple of winter seasons, I've seen the large  plaid b lanket vests/poncho s as a fashion trend. When I found this fabric at my local JoAnn Fabrics, it jumped into my cart and came home with me. I wanted a vest instead of a poncho, and  Kwik Sew 3916  was the perfect pattern! What a fun project! I did purchase extra fabric, as I knew that this would be a fabric hog when I needed to match the oversized plaid. For that reason, I did need to shorten the length of the vest by 1 inch, which was fine with me. Love the cut-on cap sleeve, and pockets! Although this is a polyester fabric, it is very soft and warm.  An unusually nice find from JoAnn's.....sometimes we sewists get lucky! The Historical Society in my town is currently working on a barn raising project, and I  thought this would make for an interesting photo. Note the first flakes of snow for this season! ...

When my daughter asked if I could make my granddaughter's Raggedy Ann costume for Halloween this year, I didn't hesitate to say YES!  :-) Although I was unable to find a current pattern, thank goodness for Etsy. The seller shipped Simplicity 2784 (OOP) to me right away, which gave me ample time to sew Jolene's costume.  OMG.....can you stand it?  Such a fun project! The wig is made by first making a type of  'skull cap' out of tricot, and then adding the hanks of yarn in a circular pattern. After trying it on, the bangs are cut and  Voila!                                             I did have to add a ribbon to tie below her chin.....                                  of course , she isn't wild about keeping the wig on her head  :-) ...

Every now and then my finished sewing project doesn't meet up with the expectations that I may  have had for it....take New Look 6213 for instance: I love everything about this pattern: cute tie, length, V-neck. The pattern noted that there was an allowance for ease of 7 inches. As I usually make an FBA of 3-4,  I decided not to make the FBA and only add an inch to the side seams. Not enough. And there are no bust darts, but notice the gathering at the neckline instead. I also failed to see the more cut-in shoulder.....not a favorite style for me. This silky poly from JoAnn Fabrics is so cute though.....right? So....my 'wearable muslin' is wearable, under a sweater tho, due to the wonky fit. I plan to make this one again, now that I know what adjustments to make, as it was fun  to sew up with a clever way to approach that neckline. Just watch for stretch there, as it is all bias! I had more success with HotPatterns 1216: Garden...

                                                          Go Cubs, Go!                              For the littlest Cubs fans in the family,  I was happy to sew                                               Simplicity 8346 and   Butterick 562 5:                                 (of course, as a long-suffering Detroit Tigers fan, this Grandma                                       wishes it was Tigers fabric she got to use!)           ...

This pattern, from the 1980's, is now sold on Etsy as 'vintage'......I can't believe it, since this pattern was in MY pattern stash! And I sewed it up in the 90's for my husband. The grade school that our kids attended at that time was having a luau family night, and I had made matching shirts for my DH and two young sons. Fast forward to 2017, and now my son needed another tropical shirt, this time to wear to the rehearsal dinner for a destination wedding in the Florida Keys that he and his wife were standing up in. This pattern was perfect, just needed to be taken in a bit to be less boxy:  a little less 1980's,  and more fitted for my tall, thin son. I gave my son a few online fabric suggestions, and he chose this one  available on Fabric.com. My son was very pleased with his custom shirt! And that made me happy, as I don't get the chance to sew for the men in my life very often. :-)

                                              **scroll down for updated pics**                                                    (originally posted 5/2017)      Are you looking for quick, easy and fun to wear dress/swimsuit cover up for this summer?                       Look no further.... Simplicity 1100  might be the pattern for you! This pattern is a re-issue from one published in 1971, and shows that good design can stand                    the test of time. What's not to love? Wrap and tie.....ready to go! My son and daughter-in-law will spending some time at a ocean side resort in Greec...