Tuesday, December 30, 2008

A Year in Review

Like others out here, I have been inspired to sew more. This year, I have made a few pieces and have actually worn them! LOL. Most haven't been posted, because, again, I am not the most fashion forward person (that's changing) , so those pieces were more functional than fashionable.



For 2009, I have a few goals for myself:




  1. Inserting an invisible zipper properly

  2. Sew a mini-wardrobe, so that I can have that go to 'fit. I think that I will get started on this pretty soon for Spring.

  3. Increase my fabric stash. I did a major purge right before Christmas, so I want to increase it a little so that I will be in a position to rely on my stash.

  4. Work more w/ knits. I am scared to death of this fabric and I don't know why!

  5. Add more color to my closet. Right now, it's pretty basic and I want to change that.

That's all for now. I think this is a pretty extensive list for me. Wish me luck!!

Happy Sewimg

Friday, December 26, 2008

What Not to Wear



Okay, so I saw a jacket made up at my local Joanns and thought that it was cute. I bought this pattern



and it sat in my stash for quite some time. Hancock's Fabric had fleece on sale at $2.49/ yard, so I snagged a few yards for this coat.

So....
I make the coat. Didn't take long. I tried the coat on for DH and he laughs. He said that it looked like I was going to sing a choir!!. Then, when I added the belt, I looked like Mrs. Claus!! This is definitely a "What Not to Wear"! I have a few tweaks to make to it, like changing the pockets to reduce some of the bulk around my hips. As such, the only pic at this time will be on the hanger.....

Here's my review:

Fabric: Fleece

Pattern Description: Misses' jacket, coat,dress and pants. Unlined jacket and coat have high neck, drop shoulders, loose-fitting sleeves and optional snap closures.
Pattern Sizing:Multi-sized, 14-16-18-20, I made an 18.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?Yes, it did because I made it out of red.
Were the instructions easy to follow?The instructions were easy to follow.What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?I liked the look of all of the pieces. But, when I made the jacket, it didn't work for me. I think this was due to poor fabric selection. Fleece was one of the recommended fabrics as well as woolens. I think I should have used a light weight wool. I made it out of a red fleece, when I added the belt, I felt like Mrs. Claus!!
Fabric Used:Red fleece.Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:No alterations were done. I am going to go back on this one and change the pockets to a lining fabric to take away some the bulk around my hip area. Also instead of wearing it closed, I will be wearing it open.
Would you sew it again? Probably
Would you recommend it to others?It does have potential, just watch the fabric selection.
Conclusion: Overall, not a bad pattern, very easy to sew. I think I will give it another chance, just in a different fabric.
Happy sewing!!

What I Got



DH really surprised w/ this one! I've been wanting one for awhile and here she is.....


I have been playing with it all morning long!! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, also!




Thursday, December 25, 2008