McCall’s M7390 – I sort of like it.

I bought this pattern, McCall’s M7390, a while ago and have waited all this time to find a striped fabric that would work. I did find a 100% linen with wide uneven stripes which I liked, but when the sales person measured it up, there was only 1.4 m left on the bolt. My pattern said I needed 1.6. Oh so what … I bought it anyway. I’ll just have to make the short sleeved version with no pockets. Hopefully I can make the short sleeved version, instead of the no sleeved version!

I was very pleased that the stripes on this fabric were properly placed along the grain. Sometimes they make a real mess of things – you follow the grain and your stripes are at an angle!

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How to make a simple sewing machine cover …

And keep your cats out of your stuff!

As you can probably guess, not having a proper sewing room, Simon and Sophie love getting into my stuff! (I use a small sewing cabinet on wheels, which I love. It lets me sew in any room or corner of the house!) Before today, I covered my sewing cabinet with a towel and my sewing machine with an old tee shirt – classy, huh?

I decided it was time to protect my sewing cabinet with a washable mat and protect whichever sewing machine I was using with a proper cover.

The sewing mat was quite easy. I measured the cabinet top. The bottom black layer of the mat was cut from a pre-quilted cotton remanent. The top layer was cut from a remanent of the fabric I used to make this swimsuit cover up. I just sewed the two layers together and added black bias tape around the edges. Easy to wash and handy for poking the odd pin into too!

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Are you ready for DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER 2018?

Have you picked out your Designer Original and the fabric you need to make your Designer me-made COPY? Or are you just in the planning stages – don’t worry … there’s lots of time to sew before DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER 2018!

Ever since the first DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER (2015) I’ve seen many fabulous garments in stores, magazines, online, on social media, on runways … so many beautiful garments! And I say,

“Why buy when you can make it yourself – better and for less money?”

I’ve seen plenty of fabulous Designer Originals, like this dress from Oscar de la Renta Fall 2018.

Which led me to this tunic and trousers, again Oscar de la Renta Fall 2018 … which I want so bad! Perhaps not in pink (I’m not a pink type of girl!) and perhaps with a tunic that is a bit shorter (so I don’t look stumpy!) and perhaps with sleeves a bit shorter too (so they don’t get caught in the filing cabinets at work). Where AM I going with this?

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McCall’s M7324: Part II of my Adventures with Border Print Fabric!

This is the last of my lovely denim border print fabric. 😦 I’ve already made a pair of summer cropped pants with it, details here. I had just enough left to squeeze a top out of it!

I decided to use this pattern, McCall’s M7324, view A. I definitely won’t be using the curved hi/lo hem. I want my border to be even and uninterrupted!

I cut out my usual size and was shocked at the amount of ease in this one. Perhaps with a softer, flowing fabric this 8.5″ ease might be nice, but although my denim is lightweight, it doesn’t drape well. I did a bit of trimming on the cut pieces – there would be more work ahead fitting this top though.

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McCall’s M7364 – A simple sewing pattern!

I’ve always got an eye out for border print fabric and when I saw this 100% cotton denim – EMBROIDERED – I could not resist! I bought enough for a pair of casual summer pants and a summer top. It has been quite hot here lately (but unfortunately smokey from forest fires) so I am craving new summer clothes. I figure by the time I finish these two garments it will be raining?

I thought I would try McCall’s M7364, view D without the ties at the bottom – a “Learn to Sew for Fun” pattern. Last time I tried a “Learn to Sew for Fun” pattern it was a cardigan and I didn’t like it. You can take a look at it here.

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What do you think?

Last week I showed you my Rosie© bag … I’m going to call it “Portrait style”. This week I’m going to show you my Rosie© bag “Landscape style”. But I have a simple question … Do you prefer your cross body bags long and skinny (Portrait style) or do you prefer your cross body bags short and wide (Landscape style)? Let me know in the comments at the end of this post. What do you think?

My summer cross body bag (a RTW purchase from years ago) is falling apart. It made perfect sense to just whip up another Rosie© bag for myself. To stretch my abilities I decided to make it Landscape style this time!

I also decided to use some Pellon 71 Peltex. This is a firm fusible woven interfacing. It’s quite thick and quite firm. My daughter had a bit of a challenge trying to twist and bend it! See how it hardens this 100% cotton.

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The Rosie© bag

I’ve always got my eye out for “the perfect bag”. Even when I bought RTW I stuck to the same couple of perfectly functional bags – wrapped in different materials and styles to change things up.

Now that I am making my own, I am attempting to find the perfect bags for myself. I am completely satisfied with my tote bag but I am still searching for the perfect medium sized handbag.

I think though I may have found the perfect mini cross-body bag – give or take a small change here and there.

McCall’s M6503 – What do you think?

Last post I mentioned that I had finished my “May Flower” dress, a theme provided way back in May by the #magamsewalong on Instagram. I had a wonderful floral 100% rayon fabric and one of my favourite patterns, McCall’s M6503. I wasn’t too pleased with the dress when finished though. I don’t know how I managed it but the whole dress seemed a bit too large and the bodice seemed to be a whole size too large! I don’t know what happened. Perhaps I traced out the wrong size bodice pieces or I cut out my fabric incorrectly?

I preferred to gather my bodice and skirt pieces, instead of using darts, but I don’t think that would have made that much difference. Continue reading →

Sewjo: Lost and Found

It’s a strange thing when you have lost interest in something that you usually love to do.

There was an odd dullness in my life these past few weeks because of the passing of our Wonderful Mother – my Biggest and Most Loving Supporter. She was someone who constantly asked what was new in my world, someone who listened, cheered me on and encouraged me in every stitch of my life.

I certainly haven’t felt like planing or sewing any new projects – that dullness invaded my thoughts.

I took a stab at my UFO pile, mending and hemming a few items. Sort of a sewing therapy. Turns out, now I’ve got a couple of new tops to wear.

Scrolling through Designer Fashions on-line, I found my Designin’ December Designer Original. How are you doing with your search? Continue reading →

Back again! Are you bored with me yet?

That’s good, because it looks like I’m only getting started … seems like I have been bitten by the “bag bug” and have made another. My sister gave me a box of upholstery fabric (the cat “Sophie” is all mine) and I made my first bag with fabrics from it, my tote bag, which I have been using everyday to lug my possessions onto the bus to work and back again. That bag’s big enough to carry my laptop, just to give you an idea of the size. You can read all about that one here, if you wish!

Next I thought I might try a zippered cross-body bag. Smaller, but not too small that I can’t fit my iPad in it.