Project Runway recap plus Momiform MAKEover kickoff!

Sometimes 3 year olds are very challenging. And sometimes they're so cute you want to die. I was sitting on the floor, cutting and taping a pattern together while watching this episode, when AB came up to me with a blanket and draped it around my shoulders. "It's time to go down to the runway!" she said. Oh m gee.

Spoilers ahead...

Best moments: No Blake! Seriously, wasn't that a relief?

Worst moments: Jake and his dog...ugly cry. I kept waiting for them to show a clip of someone dissing his decision, but they didn't. Thank goodness, or it would have been insta-hate. Why can't dogs live forever? Seriously?

Not too keen on another unconventional challenge. Does Mood hate them?

Best garments: Edmond's dress was so cool and looked like neoprene. Ashely's was fine. Too short. Kelly really did a lot with two tiny pieces of pipe. I admit I couldn't see what she was seeing when she picked those up, so kudos to her.

Worst garments: I know everyone was raving about Candice's dress, but have they never watched this show before? It's been done to death.

Best quote: "I feel like I'm dating the judges...and it's not going well." --Lindsay

I think this was the first time an eliminated contestant said something super smart. Joe said that he wasn't sure he deserved to go home, but that he also wasn't sure he deserved to stay. I think he hit the nail on the head. He was just kind of blah this whole time.

Next week: I already forgot. Neeeeed more coffee.


One last thing! Head over to Baste+Gather to read about the AMAZING Momiform MAKEover series that's happening this week. There are a gazillion prizes you can win, including a new Janome sewing machine! Watch out for my post on Wednesday, where I debut my very first pair of me-made jeans! Eeek!

Seamwork Astoria

I bet you're all starting to think that I only make Seamwork patterns. They sure have been a trend in my recent sewing! Something about fresh patterns delivered monthly makes me very happy. In this case, the Astoria was one I initially overlooked, but with a push from some fellow sewists I went for it.

The Astoria is a close-fitting cropped knit sweater, with a high neckline. It's meant to be a layering piece, so it's perfect for throwing on over dresses in the fall. It's not exactly a part of my normal silhouette (I usually gravitate towards looser cuts and lower necklines) but recently I found a need for a close-fitting (read: more polished) item in my closet.

I have a few "fancy" knit dresses that just don't look right with a sloppy, oversized cardigan. When I toss on this Astoria I instantly feel more put-together. The fabric is a navy ponte from Girl Charlee. It has a slight sheen to it, which also means it looks less casual.

I made a size small based on my bust measurement, with no adjustments, and the fit is perfect. I have a large bust for my frame since I'm currently nursing, but with a cropped sweater it means no bagginess everywhere else. I normally have to make an adjustment for narrow shoulders but found this one fit fine. If you have broad shoulders double check your fit.

The only issue is that the neckline binding is just a smidge too long. That's all dependent on the stretchiness of your fabric, so it may not be a problem with any other versions. I do recommend adding a tag to the back of the garment, since it looks pretty similar front to back.

The dress I'm wearing underneath is RTW, from Old Navy a gazillion years ago. The leggings are me-made (blogged here). I LOVE how well-defined my waist looks in this sweater, the band on the bottom definitely gives the visual that it's nice and narrow.

Unlike some other Seamwork patterns I've made, this one did only take the 1 hour stated by the pattern. It's a super fast sew and I highly recommend it if you have the same kind of hole in your closet that I did. I used my serger for the whole thing, other than tacking down the loose serger threads (rather than weaving them back in or tying a knot). I just made a bartack at the end of each sleeve seam.

Stay tuned next week for the whole reason why I was sewing this up in the first place...it has to do with a HUGE blog tour with a TON of prizes, including one of my Sewist's Notebooks AND a Janome sewing machine!

Mood Board of the Month: Crisp

I'm not sure if it's here to stay, but cooler fall temps have definitely moved in to my neck of the woods. That means super soft wool pants for the kids, and layers for me. This month's mood board gives you versatility for those crisp 70 degree mornings and warm 85 degree afternoons.

Polyvore // ColourLovers

// Patterns //

This month, try one of Named Patterns' new designs, the Olivia Jersey Wrap Dress. A wrap dress works for almost any occasion, so wear this one to work and stay warm in cropped sleeves. For your casual weekend trip to the apple orchard, make up the Sanibel Dress (or romper!) from Hey June. One view comes with full-length sleeves complete with placket, or roll up those puppies when you're hot. Need another layer? Try my TNT leggings pattern, McCall's 6173.

Bonus! This month I'm including two bag patterns! Finish off your work look with the Valencia clutch, from Seamwork Magazine. Small backpacks are trendy right now, and you can join in with the London Backpack from LBG Studio.

// Fabric //

To me, slinky knits will always scream "wrap dress!" and it even works with some prints, like this ikat rayon spandex knit from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. The Sanibel would be crazy cozy in a cotton flannel, from Robert Kaufman via Fabric.com. Leggings don't have to be boring, and if you make them up in a metallic gold mesh from Mood they won't be! Finally, both bags can be made from some snazzy faux leather, from Hancock Fabrics.


This post is not sponsored by any pattern designer or fabric seller. I wish. I just have too much time on my hands and love planning wardrobes! Check out my Mood Board of the Month Pinterest board for all the links to my inspiration. 

Project Runway recap

I have been doing soooooo much sewing and I haven't been able to show you any of it. I'm participating in a blog tour and all the items are for that, so they're being hidden away! I can't wait to show you what I've been up to!

Spoilers ahead...

Best moments: The sleepover was cute. Did you see Merline in a hammock?? Did Tim seriously sleep there?

Worst moments: Somebody get Blake an anatomy book. Also, the women had a definite advantage here. That said, somebody always has an advantage because somebody is always more experienced with one thing or another. 

I was disappointed that so many people used the base bras, although I'm glad they were provided. Can you imagine?? They'd all look like Blake's free-flying boobies.

Uhm...the runway show was almost over before I realized that my 3 year old was intently watching this episode full of boobs and blurring and booty. I think she was mostly confused.

Best garment: None, really. The cute ones were poorly made and the well-made ones were boring.

Worst garment: Blake by a mile. This might have been worse than Emilio's pink string bikini of yore. 

Best quote: "If your model is only missing a whip, you've gone too far." --Tim Gunn

We're finally rid of Blake. I maintain that he does not know how to use a sewing machine. He hand-sewed the underwear, which would have taken 10 minutes by machine. I think he thinks he's couture, but he's really just unskilled. This was a fairly disappointing episode, which is always true when they're asked to make a specific thing like pants or menswear. Is it too much to ask for some range?

Next week: More unconventional baloney.

A Peek at my Stash: Denim

Today I'd like to kick off a new series, all about snooping around in my fabric stash. I'm hoping that by writing these posts, I'll pay more attention to the lovely fabrics I already have, rather than constantly buying new ones. I encourage you to check out your own stashes and see what forgotten beauties you have lingering there. Tell me all about it in the comments! A little accountability goes a long way, right?

I'm currently slaving away over my very first pair of jeans (!!!), so we're going to peek at the different denims I've been hoarding. A few quick stats:

Number of cuts: 5

Amount of yardage: 8 yards

Oldest fabric: 2 1/2 years old

All have a purpose?: no

Number of "what was I thinking" cuts: 2

These denims range from short remnants bought at Jo-Ann's, to larger designer fabrics bought at Mood. Some are stretch denims and some are not. I believe the short pieces were intended to be jeans for the kids, and the longer pieces jeans or Sewaholic Thurlows (for the non-stretch denim) for me.

My biggest "what was I thinking" offender is this sparkly stretch denim:

I bought it to make Jamie Jeans, probably a year ago, but now it's screaming 14-year-old girl at me. Since I am not a 14 year old girl, I will either chop this up for muslins, or hoard it until one of my kids IS a 14 year old girl.

My favorite cut is this black organic cotton stretch denim, from Nature's Fabrics:

This is what I'm currently using for Jamie Jeans. Can you believe I've never owned a pair of black jeans? They definitely seem more sophisticated than your standard blue jeans, and I cannot wait to see how my finished pair ends up.

Any secret denim shame hiding in your stash? Any beauties? Tell me someone has some of that amazing Cone Mills denim that Heather (from Closet Case Files) was offering a few months ago!

Project Runway recap

Hi all! Hope you had a great long weekend, those of you in the states. It's pushing 95 degrees here, so I'm somewhat limited in the amount of outdoor fun I can have with a baby. I'm not begging for those crisp 60 degree days, but 80 would be nice!

Spoilers ahead...

Best moments: In an episode full of disturbing behavior, leave it to BLAKE to be sensible and come to Ashley's defense. Something tells me he was probably in her place at some time in his life, so kudos to him for standing up for her. And good for his team, actually working together! Wait, did I just say something nice about Blake? What's happening?

Worst moments: I think we can all agree that this whole episode was a bad moment. Do we really believe Candice when she says that she picked Amanda to help her out? Or did she pick her because for sure Amanda would be out if their team was on the bottom? Was there some sort of plot to go against Ashley and eliminate a tough competitor? 

I have all these questions about what was really going on, because what we saw made no sense for human adults. What we were shown were petty, silly women, and I'd like to think that we've moved beyond that. I guess not.

Best garments: I liked Swapnil's, yet again, though Edmond's winning look was pretty as well.

Worst garments: Amanda's parachute dress was a snoozefest, and her whining about it made her look like a big baby.

Best quote: "It's about to get Hunger Games real." --Kelly

Finally, Amanda is gone. She had no accountability and nothing interesting to contribute to the runway shows. I'm sure she's a perfectly nice designer, but in the realm of this show she was bad.

Next week: Heidi scares the crap out of people, and they make lingerie. This one should be very interesting! Anyone want to take bets on how many designers have never made a pair of underwear?

Bridesmaids' Dresses In Action!

Who's ready for me to be done talking about these dresses haha? This past weekend I experienced something new--seeing garments I made being worn by other people. Well, other people who don't live with me, since I've previously sewn for my kids and my husband. I'm happy to say that the dresses turned out great, fit the bridesmaids well, and worked perfectly for the setting.

All photo credit goes to random family members...I didn't take a single picture! As you can see, the wedding was outdoors. It ended up being very humid and slightly overcast, it actually rained during the ceremony. It was so humid that I don't think anyone minded the rain, it felt like a relief! And it quit as soon as it was over, of course. I cannot tell you how awesome it was to be wearing a lightweight, breathable cotton dress. Aside from my strapless bra situation, I was very comfortable.

AB did an excellent job as flower girl. She can be clumsy, so I was positive she'd faceplant going down the stairs, but she went slow and steady ("like a turtle!") and did just fine. I wish I could say that I made her dress, but I didn't. It's from J. Crew (I bought it second-hand). And don't let her fool you, she's not always as angelic as she looks in this picture ;)

Green isn't a color that I have a lot of in my wardrobe, but I think I will wear this dress again. Just with a regular bra. I'm not crazy about how unsupported my boobs look in these photos. YES I know I picked the pattern (the Delphi Layered Maxi from Named), so it's my own damn fault, but so what. Maybe I can make a bra from the leftover fabric, so it matches the dress.

Sewing three identical dresses back to back (four if you count the muslin) isn't the most fun, but I'm happy I could contribute to my sister's big day. Not to mention that each dress came out to be around $60 for fabric, pattern and supplies. I have TWO can't-wear-again bridesmaid's dresses in my closest that each cost me $100+, so that's a big deal. I was also able to control the details and make sure I had a dress in which I could nurse baby H. The bodice of each dress is two layers, and on mine they are two seperate layers. The outer one lifts up, and the under layer is in two sections so it can pull apart for nursing access.

I drafted this modification myself, based on a RTW top from Motherhood Maternity. It was pretty simple, let me know if you're interested in a full tutorial.

It was an awesome weekend and lots of fun all around. My sister planned a great party and I was so honored for myself and my daughter to be a part of it!