SEWmuchKNITting

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you'll know that sewing dresses is one of my favorite things! I've had  Simplicity 8640  on my radar for some time, and when pulling fabric to "sew down some stash", I found this striped linen blend. I do  not have any notes on when or where I purchased it, so it has to be a l.o.n.g. time ago! Simplicity's description for this pattern is as follows: Float in comfort with this Misses'/Women's loose fitting dress or tunic by designer Elaine Heigl. Features handkerchief design with length variations. Also: "not suitable for stripes"    I beg to disagree! I like Views A and C, and chose View A's longer length. LOVE that handkerchief hem! POCKETS! I admit to not following the pattern for pocket placement, as I had read other reviews stating that the  pattern placement was low. I just tried it on, and sewed the pockets on last, trying my best to  somewhat m...

I remember having a sweater that knit up the back when my kiddos were young, and that is what I wanted to make for the silent auction at the F.A.S.T . Gala in December, 2018 to benefit Angelman Syndrome research. I picked up the Valley Yarns bulky from Webs, who was vending in Aug 2018 at Stitches Midwest. The lime green and the gray are both so gender neutral in this day and age of   "pink for girls, blue for boys" (that makes me a little crazy!).                                                       (My haul from Stitches Midwest 218) These sweaters did turn out very cute, but the pattern.....agh!!  Minimal directions, and confusing charting took some of the fun out of  this project. And then I found one of the balls of grey yarn was missing and so I ordered more yarn. Of course, a couple of months later...

Aren't summer weddings in Michigan just beautiful?  This one took place at the Mansion at Pine Knob , a beautiful venue. I wore McCall's 5512 in a floral brocade from Fabric Mart, which I ordered back in  Feb and is no longer available. I did make some adjustments to the bodice, adding an inch at the side front and back to allow for more fabric for a modified FBA. This dress is fully lined and so comfortable to wear. I also like the 60's vibe  :-) This is an easy make, and a cute style, but no longer available on the McCall's website, tho there are some patterns to be found on Etsy.

A current trend for women is the full split skirt, cropped between ankle and knee. Gee....I remember these from the 80's, we called them 'gauchos' back then! LOL  I used a linen I purchased from FabricMart   (still available!)....stripes!  I am seeing striped linen everywhere in retail and online this summer. I liked the style lines of   McCall's 7131   View C, especially the flat front with elasticized back, and the pockets! After wearing these a couple of times now, I think a more drapey fabric would work better as there is a LOT of fabric! Also, this is a very generously drafted pattern, and I could easily go down a size. I ended up taking in the side seams about an inch. All that being said, I would like to make up this pattern again, and would recommend it. Here I am wearing it with one of my hand knit tops: Rusted Root knit in 2011 Pattern: Rusted Root by Zephyr Style Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton ...

When my daughter and her husband were making the plans for their daughter Rose's Baptism, they asked if  I would make Rosie's dress.....of course I said YES! My daughter pinned some ideas to a shared Pinterest board, and  we were off and running. Simplicity 8024  had the style lines that Rosie's Momma was looking for: When discussing fabric, Rosie's Momma also wanted "lace, lace and more lace....especially a lace bonnet!". We had no problem finding the  perfect lace and satin, as well as a cotton batiste for the under slip. All fabrics washed up beautifully before construction. The full length skirt was satin with a lace overlay, which I treated as one. The lace's scalloped edge finished off the hem nicely. I also laid lace over the satin for the petal sleeves (love those!). I wanted to showcase that lovely scalloped edge, so I made an overlay to drape over the front and back bodice. Instead of trying t...

What's not to love about a Spring wedding in Michigan, especially when the  weather turns out perfect!  One of my daughters' dear friends had a lovely outdoor barn wedding this month, and I got to wear my new dress:  McCall's 7381 I had this blouseweight Peachskin woven fabric from  FabricMart   waiting on my shelf   and it worked perfectly with this McCall's pattern. After reading a few reviews of this pattern, I knew the bodice might run a little big,  so I did not make any adjustments there. Actually, I only made a couple of changes. The pattern calls for lining the bodice, and I always prefer a lined bodice to using facings! But I also lined the skirt, a quick and easy additional step that gave it a little more structure  and also feels great!  I was also able to pull this dress on easily, so I elected to hand sew the front overlap closed, rather than use the snaps called for in the pattern directio...

                I like and wear my first  Blackwood Cardigan  so much (blogged about  here ), that I thought I would make up another. This time I decided to make the shorter, hip-length version.                Fabric is a poly knit from Haberman Fabrics , in a pretty coral color. I love coral with navy! Not such a flattering pic (LOL), but I did want to show the nice fit through the shoulders and the wide band at the hip.  Although I am wearing this today with slacks, I know it will also be perfect to toss  over a dress this summer.  (Curious about the quilt in the background? I made this one a few years ago, motivated by a class I took with Gwen Marston on liberated quiltmaking. My inspiration was a photo I took on a golf course in Upper Michigan: it was a beautiful summer day with green grass, blue skies and orange monarch butterflies flitting around...