SEWmuchKNITting

                     Sewing up my gray, ivory and mustard module last winter/early Spring, I learned that a more organized approach to garment sewing was a good plan for me at the moment. So, for this summer I pulled mostly black and white fabrics from my stash and liked what I saw! Of course, we all know what a great combination black and white is, especially for summer.  I was lacking a basic white top, and when I saw this pattern:   New Look 6672  I was intrigued! There was a lot in this design that appealed to me: the faced v-neck, the cute released pleats in the front, and the high/low hem. The fabric I pulled is a linen/poly blend I believe, as it presses nicely and really doesn't wrinkle at all. (No clue when or where I bought it! LOL)                             I did make some alterations: FBA, lowered the bust darts and omitted the el...

                                           

Hello, hello! After a much needed break from posting to social media, and writing  blog posts, I am back  to post some of the garments I have made over the last few months.  Back in March (which seems like a lifetime ago!), I participated in the Great Module Sew Along (see my blog post HERE ). Today I am wearing two pieces from my module :  Kwik Sew 2948 (OOP): Tania Culottes by Megan Nielsen Patterns : I used a vintage poly double knit in a mustard color (a gift from a dear friend, now deceased)  for Kwik Sew 2948. This pattern has been in my stash FOREVER, and I'm so glad I kept it as I love this top! This was the first time I used this pattern, and I see that I could benefit from a small sway back adjustment. Other than that, it's just what I was looking for, both as a sleeveless top and a layering piece for cooler weather. The Tania culottes were a dream to sew as well, and the rayon twill I chose to use h...

Can I talk a little about how much FUN it is to sew for grandchildren? Before we were all in isolation, I had planned to make matching Easter outfits for our 5 grandchildren, ages from 1 year to 4 years.  I was browsing through Hobby Lobby one day, and found this lovely cotton floral. I knew I wanted to use gingham as well, and was able to find that at HL too.  Planning to go on a sewing retreat with my local quilt guild in early March, I figured that would be the perfect time to work on this project. Little did we know that the next week we would all be following the Stay at Home orders of self-isolation!  Since 4 of our grandchildren live out of state, I was sure to get current measurements before I started.  Using downloaded PDF patterns from indie designers made it much easier to make the various sizes I needed for the little girls' dresses. The   Willow Top, Tunic and Dress  from Sew a Little Seam was just what I was...

I've been spending my time at home in isolation during the CoVid 19 pandemic working on projects on my to-do list.  I had purchased this pattern for the Sew Together zipper bag last year, and had an enjoyable day at my sewing machine yesterday making it up. The pattern is by Sew Demented, and the construction details are very clever! I sewed along with the YouTube video by Margaret Leuwen , and that made it very straightforward. I decided to choose a fabric that I had used last year when I made my Finch Bucket knitting bag. Many years ago I had purchased a large lot of zippers from Zipperstop , and they came in all lengths and colors. This was such a good purchase for me, as I always seem to have exactly the zipper that I need!  I made a few changes from the photo above: changed the colors of the zippers, and used a more stable fusible interfacing without adding the batting and quilting that I initially thought I would do. I love my cute li...

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might have found the headline to today's post a little confusing as I have noted in the past that I am a ardent University of Michigan alum and fan. (My blood runs "just a little" Maize and Blue!)  But my dear son-in-law is an Iowa alum, and I wanted to make him a quilt of his own. Although I live in Michigan, I was able to source the Iowa Hawkeye fabric online from Joann Fabrics before we all went into isolation. And this was the first project I focused on: The pattern is called Triple Treat, from the book Happy Hour by Atkinson Designs. The front is pieced using cotton fabrics, and I used flannel on the back: so snuggly! The quilting is a large meander done on my domestic Juki TL-2000 Qi (love that machine!). This book also has a pattern to use the off-cuts from the block piecing to make a table runner, called Second Helpings: I would have loved to gift this to him in person, but with the ...

Today is the big reveal for my entry into  #thegreatmodulesewalong on Instagram, hosted by Whitney @tomkatstitcherycarmel and Carla @carlamayfield5 Back in January, after hearing about the Module Sew Along on Whitney's You Tube channel , I started to give the whole idea some thought. I pulled fabrics from my stash, purchased one or two, and started to think about pairing the fabrics with patterns. I was able to use patterns from my collection as well, with the only exception being a pattern purchase from Megan Nielsen Patterns: the Tania Culottes. I  had already purchased this pattern for the January Sew My Style challenge. If you look closely, not all fabric in the pile was used, and not every pattern I had initially pulled  was used either.  I've never been as organized and and considerate in my choice of garments to sew, and I really liked this approach!  From left to right: Simplicity 9020 : a loungewear set consisting...