Simplicity Skirt 2226 January 29, 2012

Back in November one of my favorite sewing bloggers hosted a skirt sew-along. She raved about the easy pattern, and the finished product did look really cute. So, I bought some fabric and the pattern, but I had to wait until after Christmas to make it, because I was busy making Christmas presents.

A few weeks ago I finally made my skirt. I did really like the easy pattern, and I hope to try it again, but my first attempt just didn’t work out.

First of all, I used wool. I did wonder whether wool would be a bad choice for a skirt that has gathers, since wool gathers would add a lot of bulk, but the pattern envelope mentioned wool as one of the recommended fabrics, and I really wanted a winter skirt, so I went for it. It was probably a bad move, because it did create some extra bulk. In the front it doesn’t look too bad, but…..

I measured myself carefully, but, as always, the skirt was going to be too big without some modifications. I wear an 8 in store-bought clothes, and when I measured myself I figured I would need to cut out a size 14 in the pattern. Next time I’ll try a 12 or maybe even a 10. (What am I doing wrong? I used to make everything too small, and now I tend to make everything too big.) Instead of taking off the whole waistband and bringing in the sides, I decided it would be much easier to bring it in at the very back before putting in the zipper. I was able to pinch about 2 inches of extra fabric, so, allowing for the seam, I took the back in about 1 1/2 extra inches. It seemed like a great solution, and when I tried it on, it fit really comfortably.

But when I went to show it to my husband, he said something along the lines of, “You’ve made a lot of really cool things, Honey, but that’s just not going to work.” He used the word “bulbous” to describe the poofy rear end of the skirt. It was hard for me to see the problem. I kept turning around, looking in the mirror, doubting that it was really that bad. I told my friend about it, and I tried it on for her, and as soon as I walked out of the bathroom and turned around, she burst out laughing and said something along the lines of, “Dan’s right. That’s just awful!”

Even when I look at these pictures (the second one is probably the worst), it doesn’t look all that terrible to me, but I trust my dear husband and my dear friend who won’t let me leave the house looking silly. So, thanks, Dan and Kelley, for keeping me from embarrassing myself. I’ll try this pattern again, probably in the summer with a lighter weight fabric, and two sizes smaller. I’ll be sure to report how it goes!

My New Janome 3160 QDC January 17, 2012

My sweet husband bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas! I was as excited as my 6-year-old self was, 30 years ago, to get a new purple bike called “Dusty Rose.”

My husband and I had been talking about buying me one sometime within the next couple of months, and when he kept pressing me to go to the store and figure out which model I wanted, I did suspect that he might buy it for me for Christmas, but I really wasn’t confident about it.

Here’s my old machine:

My old machine is a basic Singer, which my mother-in-law bought me when my husband and I were engaged. It has been a great machine, and I sewed for many happy hours on it, but the main reason I wanted to upgrade was that I wanted to be able to do free-motion quilting.

Here’s my new machine:

It’s a Janome 3160 QDC. I love this thing! I never knew what I had been missing! Here are some of the things I can do with this machine that I couldn’t do with my other machine:

• needle up/down button (love this!)
• an advanced feed system that keeps me straight, especially when backstitching
• beautiful overlock stitches!!!!!! (I’ve decided that I don’t need a serger after all!)
• the ability to drop the feeds and free-motion quilt with a darning foot
• easy button holes
• stretch stitches for knits
• automatic cutter

One nice thing about buying from a quilt shop is that I get free classes. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about sewing, but in my first class I had a blast and learned a lot about using my machine to its fullest.

If you’re looking at this model, I recommend it. It has most of the features the higher-end machines have, for 1/3 the price. It is a lighter machine, which means it doesn’t have as much heavy metal inside, and anyone will tell you that the more metal inside, the better made it is. That did give me pause before choosing this model; however, this machine has the same warranty as any other Janome machine, and I have enough confidence in the company to feel like this machine will last me for many, many years. After all, I was very happy with my basic Singer for more than 10 years, so I think this Janome is going to suit me just fine for quite a while.

And my Singer still runs like a champ, so I’ve given it to my 8-year-old daughter, who is thrilled. I’m excited about sewing side-by-side with her.

Shirred Knit Scarf January 4, 2012

Ashley from Make It and Love It is one of my favorite sewing bloggers. Her tutorials are well-written and her ideas are spectacular. A few days ago she posted a tutorial on how to make a shirred knit scarf, and I knew I had to do it right away with some knit in my stash. This would be a great project for a beginner, Easy peasy. Thanks again, Ashley!

More Zippered Wristlets January 1, 2012

Well, I’ll admit it: When I find a tutorial I really like, that doesn’t use a lot of fabric, that other people seem to really like too, I tend to run it into the ground. Such is the case with these zippered wristlets:

I’ve mentioned it before, but in case this is the first post you’ve seen me write about these wristlets, I’ll tell you which tutorials I use. First, I use Anna’s Gathered Clutch tutorial for cutting out the pieces and gathering the front. I also like to use her idea for the card holders. I ignore her instructions about the zipper altogether. Next, I go to Skip to My Lou’s tutorial on making a lined zippered pouch, and I use her easy method for sewing the pieces together, including the zipper.

These wristlets seem to be all the rage with the college girls near us. I’ve made these for a few friends. The one at the top was my very favorite, made with some precious scraps of soft corduroy that I loved, so I knew that one had to go to my dear sister-in-law, Hilary. The second one is for my friend Allison, who is visiting me this week. And the last one I think I’m going to give to our college-aged babysitter, who is such a gem.

Twirly Skirt for the Little One December 23, 2011

I made a twirly skirt for my two-year-old with the same fabric I had used for my 8-year-old a few weeks ago. Love it! (Don’t you love it that she just had to hold her pirate sword for the picture? )

And now that family is here for Christmas, my sewing machine is put away until next year. Merry Christmas!

Lunch Money Cuffs December 23, 2011

I saw this tutorial for lunch money cuffs a while ago and knew I would need to try it sooner or later. So…I spent an afternoon a few days ago making four of them! I really got on a roll and felt like I could whip them off in no time at all.

I made 3 with pirate fabric (leftover from the pirate apron I made my son) and the 4th with soccer fabric. They’re for my son, two nephews, and my son’s best bud. So far, my son and his friend have received them and have loved them!

Quilt Top for Kelsie December 20, 2011

My husband’s aunt is an avid quilter, and when we saw her at Thanksgiving, she gave me a bag full of fabric that she no longer wanted. I saw a bunch of browns and pinks that looked like they belong to the same fabric collection, and I knew I just HAD to make a quilt out of them soon. So…this week I pieced together a quilt top, and I’m going to make the quilt for my 1-year-old niece, Kelsie Marie. I’m planning on getting a new sewing machine in the next few months–one that will do free-motion quilting–so I’m going to wait to put this quilt together until I can machine-quilt it myself. I’m looking forward to taking this top to my brother at Christmas, though, so that he can see what’s in the works! (Click on the picture to see a close-up of the quilt.)

I used a strip-piecing method based on the “Quilt in a Day” books. I started with 4 1/2 inch center blocks and cut strips of fabric that were 2 1/2 inches wide and just went ’round and ’round the blocks, picking up a random piece each time. I love how it turned out!

Art Bag December 17, 2011

Well, I found another use for the cool pink and purple fabric! I bought a bunch of art supplies for my 3 1/2 year old niece, Hanna. I decided to make her an art bag to hold all her new supplies.

I found the lining fabric at Hobby Lobby. I loved it because it matched so well and because the pattern looks like a mosaic, which I think is great for an art bag. I sewed velcro along the top of the bag for a closure. I figured that velcro would be a lot easier for a 3-y-o than a magnetic snap or a zipper. Hope she likes it!

Also…I finished a really cool gift for my mom yesterday, but since she’s one of my readers, I’ll have to wait to post about it until after Christmas. I’m really excited about it and hope she likes it! (If not, I’m stealing it back! )

Big Travel Bag December 14, 2011

The last time we went on a trip I wished I had one more big bag to stuff with my belongings, so I decided to make myself a big bag just in time for some holiday traveling.

I got gobs of this decorator fabric ($10 for all of it!) at a going-out-of-business upholstery shop here in town. I’m glad I have lots left, because I really like how this bag turned out! I made a simple tote (I didn’t use a pattern or a tutorial since I knew how to make a simple tote), and I used a magnetic snap closure. It was a quick afternoon project.

Twirly Skirts, Take 4! December 10, 2011

I checked, and this is the 4th post I’ve done on twirly skirts. What can I say? We love ‘em! Here’s the latest, made out of cute corduroy:

And I have plenty of fabric left to make one for the other daughter too!