Things I've Sewn Lately: Colette Sorbetto (and bonus Ginger)

When I got my new iron, the first thing I wanted to do was make bias tape. 

And if you give a mouse a cookie sewist some bias tape, she'll probably want to use it right away. 

And what better for using bias tape than Colette's free Sorbetto pattern?

I bought the fabric for this top off of Etsy a few months ago for $5. There was only one yard, and I think it might reclaimed pillowcase? But I can't resist fabric with hearts on it. I made the bias tape from a white bedsheet. So all in all a very thrifty make. 

I'm also wearing my beloved (and sadly unblogged) denim Ginger skirt, made from denim I bought at Mood. It's a bit wrinkly because I wore it both days this past weekend and these pictures were taken on day two. Oops. Did I mention I love it? I'm headed back to Mood in a couple weeks and you can bet I'm going to buy denim for a second skirt. I wear this one constantly.

Anyway, Sorbetto is a super easy make. I cut mine in three different sizes (2 at bust to a 6 at waist to an 8 at hip) and added three inches. 

I also folded stitched the bias tape on the sleeve holes under. I liked the look of contrast white at the neckline, but it looked funny to me on the sleeves as well. 

You can see a little closer here. I made a little pucker on side of the neckline, but it's not very noticeable, so I'm fine with it. (No, I'm not sure what I'm doing in this picture.)

 (That's better.)

Since I had so little fabric to work with and I wanted to add length, I couldn't cut the back on the fold, so I did a seam down the center.

I used French seams throughout the garment because the fabric was fraying pretty badly after cutting, so I figured enclosed seams would be best.

Here's another shot of the Ginger. I want to make 1000 of these, it's my favorite skirt I think I've ever owned. God, I love Colette patterns. 

I'm finishing up some light blue Sewaholic Thurlow shorts right now and I think I'll make a white Sorbetto to go with them. It's a nice easy pattern and very easy to customize -- not to mention easy to wear. I highly recommend it!

A New Iron and a Garden Update

The garden is taking up most of my non-work time lately, so there hasn't been much sewing going on. Not to mention the fact that our ancient thrift-store iron finally gave up the ghost.

Ugh, excuses, right?

But! The good news is that I bought a new iron -- a Silver Star gravity feed iron. Can I just say? Amazing. It stays hot and creates steam like nobody's business. I made my own bias tape for the first time a couple days ago and it came out perfectly. Heaven. And it was only $90, which is about the same price as a nice Rowenta.

I'm so in love. To test it out, I made a Colette Sorbetto blouse (pictures to come.) That's what the bias tape was for. Since I'd never made bias tape before, I used a white sheet from the thrift shop and had a couple of false starts, but in the end, it came out just as I wanted. And so much softer than the store-bought stuff!

Finished bias tape

While the new iron has been amazing, the garden is what's taking up most of my time.

Baby tomatoes!

Baby bell pepper!

Baby cucumbers!

... and not-so-baby cucumbers. Those things get huge in a hurry!

And then they become pickles! I've made four pints of pickle slices so far and I envision more in my future. We've been eating lots of salad and I just took four cucumbers out to my parents and we still have two and a half in the refrigerator.

The basil is also growing gangbusters. I've also made pesto twice; we've got three cups of it in the freezer already.

Summer's the best, isn't it? And it's only July! 

Things I've Sewn Lately: Bombshell Swimsuit

I cannot say enough good things about the Bombshell Swimsuit pattern. The pattern is well drafted and easy to put together and the cut of the swimsuit is super flattering. 

I never thought I'd post pictures of myself in a swimsuit on the Internet, but this is one swimsuit I'm not ashamed of wearing. It covers everything I want covered, it camouflages everything that needs camouflage and it's not in the least bit skimpy.

I feel good about it and I feel good about wearing it in public.

The pattern was a PDF and it was really simple to put together. All the sheets are numbered and they print in the order you put them together, so I got it all taped together on a board in the middle of our basement one night during TV time. Last time I used a PDF pattern, assembling the sheets confused me so much because the sheets weren't numbered, but this one was really simple.

You definitely need to print the instructions in color, though. I didn't and just ended up using the sew-along as directions, which was WONDERFUL. The step-by-step online instructions are amazing. I've never done a sew-along before, but now I see why they're so popular!

I messed up a few things and I kind of want to make another just so I can do it correctly. I thought the fabric was four-way stretch. And while it's stretchy all four ways, it's MUCH stretchier in one direction. And I cut it exactly the wrong way. Basically I'm a dunce.

I can wiggle my way into the suit, and it fits perfectly once it's on, but it's TOUGH to get on and off and consequently I'm not sure how long the seams will hold up. You can see how they're stretching in the side and back view pictures. It's because I have to roll and pull and work my way in.

I also cut the darts into the lining because the line on the pattern is a solid line and I wasn't thinking.

But guess what? Making a swimsuit is CHEAP compared to buying one. I bought a Victoria's Secret bikini last summer and it was $70. Fabric, notions, everything for this came to $20, despite the fact that I had to buy 2 yards of fabric when I only needed 1.5 yards. So I don't really feel bad about making a second one. Plus, it was a really fun make!

In terms of sizing, I cut an 8 at the top, a 10 in the middle and a 12 at the bottom (I'm a total pear). Since it's stretchy, I just eyeballed the grading.

I also read that Heather Lou added three inches to the suit for her 5'10" friend. Since I'm 5'9", I added 2 inches to my suit.

Ruching, by the way, is really easy with swim fabric! It's so slidey that it just ruches on up easily.

I sewed all the seams with my serger -- I loved how the pattern included serger instructions. Most knit patterns I've worked with don't. I guess they assume that if you have a serger, you know when to use it, but it's so nice when instructions are included for them.

So what do you think? What color should I make the next one in? I saw a really pretty white one somewhere... or maybe another print? What kind of fabric did you make yours out of?

Lately...

June was a whirlwind! Greg and I both have our birthdays in June, so we had a big party one weekend. And then we went to Colorado to see one of his college friends get married. It was quite the month!

We started with Greg's birthday, for which we went camping at Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah is one of the few national parks that allows dogs, so Lyra got to go, too. She went in the water for the first time since we got her (we hiked down to a river) and we discovered that she must have an ancestor that's a river otter.

Which one is my dog and which is an otter?

Am I right?

We also had a nice party for our friends and families. I couldn't resist making one of these signs out of a shoebox lid. Greg and I are big Lord of the Rings fans. I outlined the letters in pencil and then filled them in with my fountain pen. Not as awesome as some of these signs I've seen, but people seemed to like it.

For my actual birthday, we were in Boulder, Colo., attending the wedding of one of Greg's college friends. It is so beautiful there! I wore both my Lonsdale and my Cambie wearable muslin and they were much admired by all.

Greg's friend's mom is a textile artist and the maid of honor was a tailor, so I had lots of garmenty chats over the weekend. Not going to lie, I don't think I would have worn my Cambie muslin had I know people would be looking so closely! I broke the first zipper I put in that dress (after trimming the seams and finishing the lining) and fixing it turned the bodice into QUITE the squeeze. It's certainly wearable, but not the most comfortable thing ever. And I'm not sure if I want to let the seams out now that I've already bound all the seams and everything...

I'll do a whole review of both of these, but here's a little taste in the meantime:

But speaking of Greg's friend's mom, (that's a mouthful, isn't it?) she directed me to the CUTEST little fabric store right by our hotel. I stopped by the day we left and fell in love. The ladies in Elfriede's were amazing! When I walked in, they asked if they could help, and I told them I was just visiting from out of town, so they gave me a tour of the store, asked about the clothes I was wearing, invited me to "play" with whatever I wanted and generally were the sweetest and most hospitable people.

I love fabric souvenirs better than any other kind, so I bought a few things:

The heart print is a knit that I thought would be a cute t-shirt. The hearts are very slightly raised and kind of velvety. I couldn't remember the yardage for the pattern I wanted, and was about to guess, when the lady (owner maybe?) whipped out a measuring tape, measured the t-shirt I had on and proclaimed that a yard would do. The pink is a sweet printed cotton -- sundress maybe?

I also got some white cotton summer lining, some fold-over elastic to try out those hair ties everyone is loving (how do they sell them in the drug store for so much money when the elastic is so cheap?) and some silk threads. I was really jealous recently of Ami's hand-done buttonholes and they had the Gutterman twist silk thread she recommended, which I've never seen before, so I bought a roll to try.  They also sold Liberty prints, but I didn't buy any. They really are gorgeous though -- I'd never seen any in person.

Seriously, if you're ever in Boulder, you must stop by Elfriede's.

I finished my Bombshell swimsuit last night, so expect a post soon -- I'm hoping it's sunny tomorrow so I can get some pictures accomplished. I absolutely love the way the swimsuit came out and I'm just itching to make a second one (I made a couple mistakes on the first), but, as Greg says, how many swimsuits do I need in one summer?

Two, right?

Things I've Sewn Lately: Tiramisu

I've loved the Tiramisu pattern since I started seeing versions of the dress all over the Internet. The second Pattern Review started selling Cake Patterns, I ordered Tiramisu and Pavlova. 

Crazily enough, the only sewing I got done during Me-Made May was to make two Tiramisus, a Pavlova top and a Pavlova skirt. May was definitely Cake Patterns month! 

Knit sundresses are one of my favorite summertime work-at-home outfits. Easy to throw on and super comfy!

The fist Pavlova I did was some bright coral cotton knit from Mood. It's pretty heavy and swishy, so I eliminated the pockets -- I love me some pockets, but I couldn't think what I'd put inside pockets of a knit dress that wouldn't just drag the dress down. I also took out the underbust ruching and just gathered my fabric a bit -- no real reason, I just like the look of it.

I originally intended this fabric for a long-sleeved Renfrew, so I had barely enough to squeeze out this dress. I had a tiny handful of confetti after I was done cutting.

I sewed just about the entire dress on my serger. Some of the seams came out a little wavy on this one. Just could not find a tension setting I liked! Plus, I'm allergic to making muslins for knits patterns -- it just seems pointless. How would you even try it on? No thanks!

The wavy seams are pretty easy to press out, but, after a washing (as seen in this picture), they're back to wavy. I actually pulled this right out of the dryer for this photoshoot. 

I also had a little drama attaching the skirt to the bodice. The fabric is just really heavy in general, I guess. I sewed the seam like four times to get it flat.

But overall I love it and I think it'll get a ton of wear. Look how swishy!

On version two, I got the serger tension right. This is a vintage floral Gucci print that I got in Elliott Berman's 50 percent off sale. When it came it was much more sheer than I expected, so I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But after I made my first Tiramisu, I realized it would be perfect. And, when it came down to it, the fabric wasn't really that sheer. I didn't feel like I could see through it. The lightness of the fabric was a huge boon in terms of weight. If you make one of these, I'd suggest very very lightweight fabric.

This version just came out a lot cleaner in general. It's always so much easier to make a pattern the second time! 

I'm in love love love with the sleeve and neck binding method on these dresses. It's a very thin binding and it's done without stretching the binding (like on some t-shirts). I just love the look of it. 

I did a better job reading this pattern than I did with the Pavlova -- even though this one came with two correction sheets. The correction I needed was super simple, luckily.

The construction is kind of fun, too. You make the entire dress flat and connected by the shoulders, skirt and all, and then just zip up the side seams.

This fabric was much less stretchy, so there's a whole lot less ease to it (I sewed it right to my size.) The sizing on this is pretty unique. You pick a size for the top by inches and then it's customized by cup size. I didn't really need several different sizes, but I could see it being awesome for someone who's a little more gifted in the boob area.

Originally, I wanted to make a striped version, since the pattern comes with instructions for stripes, but, true to form, a floral and a solid were what I ended up with.

What can I say? At least I'm reliable, right?

I'm Making a Swimsuit!

I just ordered swimsuit fabrics from Spandex House and I could not be more excited to participate in my first sewalong!

Heather, from Closet Case Files, just released a swimsuit pattern, the Bombshell. It's styled after a classic 1950s silhouette, which, can I say, is absolutely perfect for this pear-shaped girl.

In general I'm just super excited to have a nice, fashionable one-piece. I usually make it through the summer with the two Victoria's Secret swimsuits I have, but I think this would be something really different and lovely.

A bunch of folks, Heather included, recommended Spandex House -- which, coincidentally, I really wanted to visit when I was in NYC. The wonderful Oonaballoona even offered to take me there while everyone else visited Pacific Trimmings, but I was in total go-with-the-flow mode that day, so I passed in favor of staying with the group. Next time, I'm TOTALLY going there.

Anyway, I adore all things heart-patterned, so I went with a lovely red spandex with white hearts.

For the lining, I just got plain old nude swimsuit lining -- nothing exciting. I still need to get swimsuit elastic, but I'm hoping to pick that up at G Street or JoAnn's since Spandex House sells it only by the roll (I don't quite need 100 yards, thanks!)

This is going to be a fun challenge for me, I think. Even if it flops. But here's to blog accountability! Cross your fingers that I can "Make It Work!" ;-)

Me-Made May -- Week 5 and Final Thoughts

By the last week, I was getting pretty sick of Me-Made May. Don't get me wrong -- I love wearing my me-mades! But the whole taking pictures every day got old realllll fast.

In addition, as I was writing this up, I realized that until the end of week five, I was just re-wearing stuff from the previous week. So, in the interest of not boring you to death, I'll do only the two cute/new outfits I wore in week 5.

On day 29, I wore another Tiramisu dress. What can I say? I liked it so much I made two. Expect a post on this pattern ASAP, because I adored it.

The only other cute outfit I wore this week was for day 31. It's another New Look 6808 and a khaki twill Ginger skirt. I love this outfit. I feel really good when I wear it and it's super comfy! (Excuse the wrinkles, this photo was snapped post-work.)

And just like that, Me-Made May is over! Whew.

Surprises from the month: I never really noticed how much I wear the same outfit over and over when I work at home. I tend to just throw on leggings or yoga pants with a shawl or sweatshirt and call it a day. You know what's also surprising? Don't really care, either. No one sees me but Greg and the dog and neither of them notice if I wear the same outfit over and over. Gets pretty awkward, though, if you take your picture every day.

What I made this month: Two Tiramisu dresses and a Pavlova top and skirt. Apparently May was Cake Patterns Month!

What I need more of: Skirts and dresses. Always more skirts and dresses. I could probably stand to have a second pair of shorts, too, even though I don't wear them very frequently.

Would I do it again? Definitely maybe. I proved that I could do it -- and I can! But with as much as I work at home, I really don't know that my clothes are all that exciting.

In general, this was a fun experience, if only because I felt like I was bonding with my fellow bloggers through shared experience. And special thanks to Zoe for hosting!

If you're interested in catching up on the rest of my Me-Made May:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4