My Garden

I love to garden. Above are pictures of what is blooming right now in my garden. Even though we have had some beautiful summer days, there hasn't been any rain. I am trying to water what is sensitive to the heat which is not a lot, since I planted plants suitable for our weather and that require little maintenance. I did move an azalea earlier in the season that is still trying to adjust so I keep my eye on it. Weeding is next to impossible so I do a little after I have watered.

And yes my mulch pile is much smaller now, but not gone, I still have a few more hours of workout left. Hey it's free and I get to be in the garden...what more can you ask for!

Simplicity 4589

This style top is really popular now, and I thought it would be great for really hot days made in a cotton lawn. My fabric is a cotton lawn from equilter.com. It was great to work with, so easy to sew. I made view A where it pays to mark your seamlines around the neckline to make it easier to sew. I didn't have any problems at all. I made french seams on the side seams and I used the technique explained in Connie Long's Easy guide to sewing blouses to neatly finish your facings (you sew the interfacing right sides together along the unnotched edge and then turn the interfacing, so that the glue side faces the wrong side, and press, Voila! your edges are enclosed and your facing is ready and very neat looking).

As for sizing, I used size 8 at the neckline and armsyce blending out to a 12 at the bust and a 16 at the hip.

I like my new top is very comfortable to wear. The skirt I made a while ago from a Burda WOF.

Pattern Review

Burda WOF 7/2005

110

I bought the coordinating fabrics for this pattern from Fabric.com last summer and I am glad I was able to make it this year. The printed poplin has stretch, the turquoise doesn't.

This is the illustrated course for this issue which is always a nice plus. This is one of those patterns where it pays to mark your sewing lines especially on all those corners, it just makes sewing easier. This is an unlined design and I wanted to keep it that way, since this is suppose to be a casual summer dress. The facings were very neatly designed, neckline and underarm all in one. I stitched in the ditch from the front to keep the facings down in addition to tacking it on the sideseam.

I raised the neckline about an inch because it was too low for daily wear, there is no gaping which might have to do with me raising the neckline. Later I will post a picture of me wearing it so that you can see the fit.

I really like this dress and I'm sure I'll make it again, it will even look great in a solid because all the seaming gives a great fit.

Disappointment in knitting

This is the knitted top from Burda WOF 5/2005. I knew I was in trouble when the instructions asked for k4tog to form the v neckline. I tried different combinations because I could not get four stitches to become one and even if I could I knew it was not pretty. Well as you can see my best effort turned out pretty bad. I went ahead and attached the ribbed straps after I blocked the pieces hoping that it would be okay... well, at least I was able to try it on and it fits well.
I knew if anyone could help me it was May (maystudio.blogspot.com, if you haven't seen her work you should it is amazing! I wrote and she quickly responded with a couple of options for me to try. One includes charting my stitches so that I can redesign the neckline by just using k2tog. I'll let you know how it goes!

Mulch

Well, I did get some sewing done the last couple of days, but with school ending and company arriving soon, my duties have claimed me and I haven't been able to review my new summer dress.

And yes I have a huge pile (20 cubic yards) of mulch on my driveway. Today with the (ah hum) help of my kids we started spreading it. I did get some satisfaction shoveling the stuff, which I never feel when shoveling snow.

Hopefully my next entry will be the review of the Burda WOF dress. Until then I will be shoveling...

Pattern Review

Burda WOF 7/2005

#114 view C

I had about a yard of this pretty rayon jersey that I bought from Textile Studio Fabrics. Because I did not have much to play with I had to find a simple pattern where I could use a coordinating fabric if necessary. This pattern was it.

Instead of making the straps in one of the predominant colors in the print I chose a medium tan that was also in the print (left over from another project). This fabric was not fun to sew with. It was very stretchy although with good recovery. I followed the pattern as designed only modified for my usual back waist length and using three different sizes (upper chest 38, bust 40, hip 42). I should have raised the neckline. Usually because I use a smaller size on the upper chest and because I'm small busted I don't have problems with low necklines. Well, I cannot wear this top without a tank top or a t-shirt. Another reviewer in PR raised the neckline but she has a full bust and therefore I did not follow her advice.

I do like the top and I think I will get to use it a lot for layering. I am very happy to have used this remmant, I think from now on I will make sure I buy bigger pieces, it is just easier to figure out what to make.

Pattern Review

Sew U by Wendy Mullin

A-line skirt

This is a very basic and well drafted A-line skirt pattern. My mom gave me the book for Christmas and I have been wanting to try the Simplicity patterns included.

I wanted to use this stretch poplin from Fabric.com which I bought last summer and never used it. Because of the busy pattern and taking into account that this fabric works well with more fitted garments I chose to make a simple A-line.

I used the largest size included (Large). For reference, I have 40 in hip and 31 in waist (to my dismay my waist size went up 2 in). This fitted nicely and it is very comfortable. I would size the waist of the skirt is about an inch below the natural waistline. I took in the large size at the waist, a total of 1/2 in. No other changes except I used an invisible zipper; this fabric was pretty stretchy and I did not want to risk top stitching a centered zipper.

The instructions are great, this is an excellent book for a beginner. Wendy Mullin gives instructions in a chatty way that is very fun to read. And she has plenty of suggestions to change her basic patterns and make them your own.

I wore the skirt today, it was comfortable and mod and it made me feel good. What more can you ask for?

Baby quilts for friends

These quilts took most of my sewing time the past few months. I got the patterns from the DIY network. I fell in love with the modern look of this log cabin pattern and I loved the colors which they used. They are both machine pieced and quilted, since they are for baby, durability and practicality is what you are looking for. My plan was to make one quilt for a friend due in July but had a lot of fabric left over and decided to use it up and make another for a friend who is also a neighbor and also due in July. I love the way they came out!! I hadn't quilted in a long time and found out I still enjoy it.

A 60's style pattern

This post is for Shannon (simonfreep) who was looking for a pattern to copy a very cute RTW dress. I found this pattern forgotten in a Joann's pattern drawer. It is one of my favorite styles and the pattern was in my size range, how perfect is that?

Mother's Day

Yesterday I went on our traditional visit to a garden. On top is one of the pictures we took at Ladew Gardens, 20 minutes or so from where I live. The second picture is my mom with me on the right and my brother on the stoop of my grandmother's house in Havana, Cuba. My mom has always been my best friend. She is always in awe of what I can accomplish, and I am in awe of what she went through and how she made the best of what life threw at her.

I hope we can enjoy Mother's Day together for many years to come.

New Patterns

Of course the last thing I need is more patterns but I couldn't resist these two from Vogue on sale at Joann's. The jacket I have been wanting since it first came out the dress I just "discovered" today while browsing the newest book.
Now I just have to finish the baby quilt and I can get back to sewing garments.
My knitting and crocheting has been disappointing lately so I need to recover my confidence by sewing something fab...

Disappointment

After working for months on this skirt from Interweave Crochet, I thought I finally had the gauge right and now it turns out it is too small (first time too big, second time still too big). I did not use the recommended yarn, instead used Red Heart Luster Sheen which another blogger had also used for the same pattern. I have decided to put it aside for a while and concentrate on the two baby quilts I have been working on and then finish a top I knitted for the summer with a pattern from Burda WOF (more details later).

Vogue 8258

I have been wanting to make this jacket, Vogue 8258 in a winter version for a while.

After I worked out how I wanted to make it in wool I started seeing similar versions in Lucky magazine. Because the version with the ruffled sleeves called for a ready made ruffled lace there was no pattern so I made my own keeping the proportions used in the peplum. I used a lightweight wool blend to avoid a bulky look. I partially lined the jacket (again I made my own pattern following directions from Connie Long's Easy guide to sewing linings). Both the wool and lining were in my stash. I loved the way which in episode 8 of season 3 Project Runway, the designers used yo-yos as button/decoration. So I made mine in self fabric and closed the front of the jacket with hook/eyes fastenings (a close up can be found here: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/sabrina9642003/album/576460762364755278/photo/294928804223709156/3.

How to start?

I started this blog a while ago and have not posted because I am a little intimidated. But here it goes.

I am very excited right now about crocheting. I finally learned after my mom reminded me time and again that it was a family craft and I had to keep up the traditon. The picture is from my first completed project. I took a class at my local yarn shop and we used the Texture Tweed Clutch pattern from the Fall 2005 Interweave Knits magazine. I used the recommended yarn Tahki Donegal Tweed.

I am also in the middle of sewing a Burda 8407, a skirt that has gotten wonderful reviews everywhere. More on my progress later.

Well, I feel better. Maybe now the other posts will come easier...