Tag: snaps

Shirt Dress Love: McCall’s 7351

Published on by ellegeemakes22 Comments

IMG_6748 2If I had to choose only one garment to take with me to a desert island it would probably be a shirt dress, because they just make me happy. This one gets bonus points for being a rayon shirt dress, which is pure bliss to wear in any weather. What’s different about this dress for me, is the raspberry print. Raspberry, not blue? I know – – I’m living on the edge here!

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You see, a few weeks ago, I found an old ‘personal color palate’ from a color analysis I paid for several years ago. I’d completely forgotten about it, and the raspberry pink that was identifed as one of my ‘top five’ colors. It’s supposed to make me glow, LOL, yet I rarely wear it. I guess it’s never too late….

I get weak knees over high low hems and I love the one on McCalls’ 7351. In fact, it might be the reason this pattern made it into my shopping cart. You might have seen this pattern on other blogs because it’s so popular.

As patterns go, this fit me pretty well as designed, even though I’m petite. I did modifiy it a bit: I shortened the bodice by 5/8″. I also shorted the skirt by 5/8′ as well, being careful to preserve the cool curved hem. I also ditched the collar, using only the collar band just because I wanted a simple neckline given the print of my fabric. I also raised the sleeve tab placement a bit so that I could roll the sleeves up more when it’s hot, but I think I over did that a bit. I love the yoke and back pleat detail.

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This rayon came from Fabric Depot and it did not disappoint! It wears like a dream and has just the right drape for this dress.

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I think a fabric belt would look good with this dress, but I ran out, so I skipped it. The raspberry color is growing on me… I think I’ll enjoy wearing it.  In fact, now that I’ve found my long lost color analysis swatches, I could start taking them with me when I shop. However, I must admit, my fabric love is color blind. If I see a fabric I love that doesn’t match my palate, it will likely still find its way into my shopping cart.

Are you a color analysis believer, or do you buy what you like and call it good?

Yes, I do love shirt dresses and will likely make this dress again, soon. I’m imagining a linen version, maybe cotton poplin… Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by.

2016: Top Five Hits

Published on by ellegeemakes22 Comments

1Hi All! It’s almost time to ring in the new year, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to review my top five makes of 2016.

Looking back at my sewing projects always makes me a little nervous, because I can’t bear to face the facts. Sometimes the makes that are the most fun to finish or the most time consuming, are not the ones I love to wear (sigh). They hang in my closet, lonely and ignored. Huh. But without further analysis, here they are….my top five of 2016.

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  1. This little coat:  This topper makes it into the top five because I wore it more than any other make this year! It was so versatile, more than I expected. I wore it constantly. The sewing pattern is great too….Butterick 5927, a new favorite.

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2. The linen and lace dress – – Well, of course I love it. It’s blue, it has statement sleeves and lace trim. This dress made me a fan of clothes with simple lines. I love to wear it.img_8499

3. This coat: OMG, it’s so warm! The stretch wool…the quilted collar…love. To make things even better, when I step into Anthropologie wearing it, the girls that work there swoon, the ultimate compliment. It was supposed to inspire me to rake leaves, but that didn’t happen.

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4. This blouse: Well, because it’s blue. Need I say more?

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5. This poncho: Okay, it had to make the list because wearing it makes me so happy. Yes, fringing it was a nightmare, but the end result made this poncho such a wardrobe stand- out. I have a ‘boho’ moment every time I put it on, something I sorely need.

Honorable mentions:

I was obsessed with denim this year too, so I just have to mention these ‘makes ‘. I didn’t wear them quite as much as I expected though (not sure why?), so I won’t give them ‘top five’ status.

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1. This button up denim skirt: What fun this was to make! The top stitching, the ‘jeans’ buttons up the front…my favorite things.

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2. This denim shirt dress: I love a good shirt dress, and I felt so great when I finished this one! I also learned about snaps. They look great, and you also get to pound them in…If you haven’t tried it, do!

There were a few misses in 2016, but who wants to talk about those? Overall, I had alot of fun at my sewing machine, which is the true test of success for me. I even made my first pair of jeans.

But the best part of 2016 was meeting all of you. I love our community and our conversations. You and your makes are a constant source of inspiration and joy for me. I want to thank you for visiting here and for being a part of my life.

Here’s to an even better 2017! And thanks to Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow for encouraging us to celebrate a fabulous year with our Top Five Makes.

Happy New Year, and thanks for stopping by!

PR Sewing Bee Round 1 – The Good News and The…Other News

Published on by ellegeemakes6 Comments

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Some might say I’m crazy, but this year, I entered the Pattern Review Sewing Bee, a contest that contains four challenges, each a week in length. As a rule, I don’t usually get too excited about competitions, but I decided to try this one to push myself a bit. It’s time to try something new, I told myself, and to learn a few things in the process.  Sounds good, eh? Still, I waffled, until the specifics of Round 1 were announced. The first challenge was to make a fitted blouse. And wouldn’t you know, I already had fabric in my stash for another peplum blouse. Is that destiny or what?!?

For my contest entry, I used Butterick 6097, a fitted blouse with a peplum I made here and here. This time though, I wanted to try something different. Since my fabric was a linen that had a denim look, I decided to use french seams and double topstitching to play up to the ‘jeans’  vibe of the fabric.

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The french seams turned out to be essential as this linen blend unraveled every time I even looked at it. I overlocked in some places too. I thought sewing all the topstitching would drive me crazy, but once I got into it, I couldn’t stop. Really. I went a little berserk. I put those double yellow lines everywhere.

To fasten the front, I used snaps instead of buttons. For those who haven’t tried inserting snaps, it’s really quite fun! You get to pound them in with a hammer. The first time is a bit…well, scary, since a screw up leaves a hole in your fabric that’s too big to deny, but then, you relax right into it. The noise made my poor cat a little insane though.

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Once the shirt was done, I posted photos on the PR website, wrote my review and waited. And waited. If you haven’t taken a look at all of the gorgeous shirts entered in the contest, you really should. They were all amazing. I can’t imagine how the judges decided who would go forward to the next round. But, as luck would have it, I passed muster and am moving ahead. Yahoo! That’s the good news.

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The Other news? Well, here’s the description of Round 2’s challenge. To quote: “In this round you will add surface embellishments to existing fabric to make a piece of fabric (or fabrics) something truly unique. You will then make a garment out of the fabric(s) that you embellished. Because the embellishment process may take additional time, participants will have TEN days for this round.”

Say what?!?  My first reaction was, WTF! My second reaction was, ‘how much wine did I have the night I decided to enter this contest’? After a good night’s sleep and a nice long bike ride this morning though, I’ve settled into the idea of this challenge. Sure, I’ve never applied a surface embellishment (whatever that is LOL) to anything other than a bit of make up on my face, but hey. There’s got to be a first time for everything. And, with any luck, something like inspiration will strike in the next 24 hours (the clock is ticking here, brain!). I will swing into action and it will be fun. (Yes, this is a pep talk :))

A few of my favorite bloggers also entered the PR Sewing bee. You might want to check out their lovely makes – –  Saturday Night Stitch, Gray all Day, Thanks I made them, to name a few.

I hope you’re enjoying our lovely fall, and are finding inspiration everywhere you look. Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!