A Little Planning...

 Last year when I was putting away my spring and summer items, I took the time to write down what I had.  I was very surprised at how long the list was.  Here's my list:

• 11 dresses
• 2 skirts
• 6 pants
• 7 tank tops
• 2 woven shirts
• 3 knit tops

This is just the items that I packed away.  There are more knits tops, jeans (many), pants, etc.  Why do I need so many clothes?  Even with the number of clothes that I have, there are days that I can not figure out what to wear.  Things that I specifically do not have is appropriate funeral attire and dressy get together stuff.  

In looking at the list, I think I need to concentrate on some woven tops.  I have pants that would qualify as "dressy" but I lack the top to finish the outfit.  Maybe it is time to really weed out the closet and take more stuff out.  I am hoping that the stash will yield appropriate fabric.  

In this post, I talked about making another dress and a skirt.  I do intend to make both of those items.  I few woven tops/blouse would benefit my wardrobe. Stash patterns that I am considering:

• Love Notions Melody Dolman.  Needs to be fitted.
• Itch to Stitch Nosara Shirt.  Needs to be fitted.  Yes, it is similar to the Melody Dolman but more shirt like.
• Love Notions Vivace Dolman.  Needs to be fitted.
• Itch to Stitch Seychelles Top. Needs to be fitted.
• Itch to Stitch Nittany Top.  Needs to be fitted.

This is just a few of my patterns.  Some of these tops lean toward the very casual and some of them are a little more dressy so that the fabric will make the top speak.  The part that slows me down is that they all need fitting.  I think I have a muslin of the melody dolman already made but I do not remember what size I chose.

This year I opted not to participate in the Seamwork Design Your Wardrobe class.  I have worked through the  parts of the class I wanted to through the last 3 or 4 years.  I tend to make long lists of things to complete and do not need the added pressure this year of trying to do too much.  I want to let my creative soar a little bit and sew more than clothes.  The Design Your Wardrobe class is really good to make yourself look at what you need in your wardrobe.  It really helped me to focus more on the fabric in my stash.  I will continue to do that this year.  The stash feels like a wasted resource.  It does yield up fabric for muslins and more.  There is just too much fabric.  

I am working on my slipcovers right now but I am ready to work on something else for a day or two. I think I will pick on of the patterns above and make or redo a muslin to check the fit.

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Happy Stitching!

Slipcovers Started...

 Last year sometime, I made "patterns" for the cushions on one of the items that I was going to slipcover.  Unable to locate them, I made new.  Here are the "patterns" with notes about each cushion:

 This is the back piece.

This is the seat cushion piece.

Here is the pieces cut:

Back cushion.  I had already sewn the zipper and the sides before taking the picture.

Bottom cushion.  It is ready to sew.

Piping:

I am hoping that the piping that is made will make at least one cushion.  My machine is having issues.  After sewing the items above, it kept telling me that it needed to rest.  I have not seen this message before and it was happening every two or three inches at the end of the evening of sewing.  I haven't sewn much with this machine since the last time I had it serviced.  The answer to the issue was a simple cleaning in the bobbin area.

Here are the pieces sewn:

Whew! The easy part is over.  I made my fair share of mistakes working on this.  I had to recut the cushions front/back because I forgot to add the seam allowances.  Dumb mistake but it happens with this type of work.  The cushion front/backs are being used for piping.  I am going for as little waste as possible.

Now, I need to figure out the main chair slipcover.  There is a lot of pleats that need to be figured out and a lot piping.  Hopefully, the 80 yards of piping that I purchased will be enough to complete the chair and loveseat.

Happy Stitching!

Inspirtion...Sleeveless Top

I almost exclusively wear sleeveless items in the summer.  Otherwise, I feel like I am melting.  Here is a great sleeveless option:

This is the Pleated Cotton Popeline Blouse by Akris Punto.  Price tag: $595.00.  Details:  kent collar, concealed button front, sleeveless, elongated back, side slits, hip length, features pleating.  Here is a gander at the back:

This is a great little top.  I can see that being worn a lot.  How to make?  I would start with this pattern:

This is the Classic Shirt pattern by Liesl & Co.  Changes would need to be made but that is a good thing when you have a basic shirt pattern.  You can fit one and make it many times.  Things I could change:

1.  Make it sleeveless.  This would entail raising the armscyce and probably narrowing the sleeve. 

2.  Concealed placket. Tutorial here.

3. Add tucks/pleats to front and back.  Tutorial here.  Note that the tucks/pleats are released around the waist.

4.  Straighten hem and perhaps lengthen.

Hope you are inspired to create something wonderful.

Happy Stitching!

New Itch To Stitch Shirt/Dress PDF Pattern...

 It is the first Itch To Stitch pattern release of 2024.  It is a lovely shirt/dress pattern.  Here is the line drawings:

The Majorelle Shirt/Dress pdf pattern would be great casual or off to the office.  Here are the features:

• A choice between regular bust and full bust options
• Versatile option for either a shirt or dress
• Optional ruffled collar
• Stylish center-front buttoned closure
• Long raglan sleeves for a contemporary look
• Elastic sleeve hem for added comfort
• Delicate gathered neckline for a feminine touch
• Specifically designed for use with lightweight woven fabrics

Be sure to check out the blog post so that you can see all the wonderful versions created by testers.

The Majorelle Shirt/Dress pdf pattern will be discounted (20% off) through January 28, 2024 and all volume discounts still apply.  It is a good time to pick other patterns.   

I am an Itch to Stitch affiliate.  If you purchased through one of my links, I will receive a small commission.  Thank you!

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Polo Top

 I am always looking for interesting tops.  This one is very interesting especially if you are a knit sewer with lots of extra small pieces:

This is the Ribbed Knit Wool Polo Top with Color Block Color by Akris Punto. Price tag: $495.00.  Details:  spread collar, v-neckline, short sleeves, hip length, fitted, pullover style.  Here's a view of just the top:

What you can not see unless you zoom in is that the body of top is done is a ribbed knit.  I do not live in climate where I would wear a short-sleeved wool knit.  However, I can see this done is a cotton knit or cotton blend or a good activewear.   I know the almost perfect pattern:

This is the Love Notions Frankie Polo pdf pattern.  You would only need to modify the sleeves a little bit, if you chose.  

Hope you are inspired to pull out that box/bag of knit pieces and get creative.

Happy Stitching!