Knit Top with Front Drape | Trudy Jansen 718

I like this pattern as it's flattering for my full bust.  It has princess seams, allowing for an even better fit.  That's what the designer, Trudy Jansen, has on the majority of her patterns.  Makes it super easy to adjust the bust.  The drape is gathered into one side within the princess seam.  As you can see from the pattern, I decided to gather into the right side, whereas the pattern is gathered into the left side.  That's making a pattern your own!

In addition to my full-bust-adjustment, I scooped out the neckline to allow it to drape a bit nicer across the bust.  I did sew down the front where it crosses to ensure the neckline doesn't go lower to show my bra...classy!

This is a light weight rayon-jersey from our local fine shop, Unique Textiles.  

 

Martini Dress | Lisette Passort Dress S2209

I love, love, love this dress.  I do plan on having Martinis (with olives) while wearing it.  Sadly only wine last night.  Wore this to a fundraising dinner in Saskatoon - The Silver Spoon - and even wore the Stella & Dot necklace I scored from last year's silent auction. 

The bodice has unique bust darts that criss-crosses up from the waist to the bust line.  I did up 3 muslins in order to get the top to fit right (my gorgeous full bust) and it looks great!  I used self-fabric bias to finish/face the neck and armholes. 

The designer of this pattern does the kid's patterns I love--Oliver + S.  I really enjoy the details she puts in like the bust darts.  Such simple designs, with a twist.  Brilliant!

The fabric, a quilting cotton, was a birthday gift while in Calgary at a store called Out of Hand -- bit like Aladdin's Cave with bolts stacked everywhere.  It screamed take me home and is a perfect match for this design. 

I feel Mad Men like...Peggy eat your heart out!  I will definitely be making this dress again, again and again... 

 

 

Favorite top pattern NL6871

Oh I love this pattern! It's nice and fitted across the upper chest and back but then floats over the bust (and my baby-belly). I either belt it or use a self-fabric belt to define the waist...otherwise I may pass for being 4-months along!

Version 1 - 3/4 sleeves
This one I made on boxing day and have worn almost weekly since.  Fabric is drapey polyester from my stash--from Fabricland.  That's the key to this top--nothing too stiff. 

Version 2 - sleeveless
This is again, worn weekly with a cardi or jacket.  Now that it's warming up, I've worn a few times on its own.  Fabric is drapey crepe polyester from my stash--from Fabricland (again).



Puppet Theatre

There is a really great craft show here where some friends and I saw really neat handmade in-doorway puppet theatres.  What a great idea.  It was one of those things that was so great, you are sad you didn't think of it yourself.  Well they say the greatest compliment is copying...so that's what I did.  Just not as cute as the ones we saw with all the appliques of ladybird and leaves.

So I used a few pieces from the fabric my quilting mother gave me.  It's a tensor rod at the top and a dowel at the bottom of the window.  Just made a simple pocket for them.  Was pretty quick to put together.  The time was spent figuring out how far up from the floor to make the window.  I drew it all out in chalk.

In the future, I would make the widow a bit narrower and perhaps make the curtains a bit longer.  I put Velcro on the back so the kids can put the curtains up if they want during a show.

Oh and if you want fancier, there is a great book out there to make one too.  oliver + s little things to sew where they have a cute puppet theatre that looks like a house!



HP1089 Classix Nouveau 3 Graces T-Shirt

I love these patterns by a former Londoner who now lives in the US. I find the styling is right up my alley...but sometimes the patterns can fit a bit large for my taste. 

Like all patterns, I measure the pattern before making a muslin.  Usually I go down, but not always.  I take into account the fabric too.  In this case a very stretchy (but clingy) rayon knit was used and I went by the back measurement (across the back at mid-armhole) where I wanted to be 'fit'.  I didn't want dropped shoulders.

Love, love, love the way the cowl facing gets folded into the back self-facing.  Very slick.  Fast, fun pattern to make.

Un-tucked with a nice deep hem--which you need in such a light-weight fabric to allow the top to drape properly and not curl up.

 

I mostly wear it tucked in, or with a belt over-top.

Now please keep in mind, I've dropped over 10 lbs since I've made this (happy dance here) so it may look a bit big.  The only thing I don't like (and that's just part of the style, not the pattern drafting) is when you bend over...hello girls to the world!

And here is the blur of a son...Alistair.

I made the "blonde's white top" with the shorter sleeves---which are a bit longer than the drawing, but I like them.

And the fabric is from one of my favourite go-to-shops, Unique Textiles here in Saskatoon.  No online shop.  Just old-fashioned bricks and mortar.  Not a huge store, but just enough great things to make you drool.  A girl can only sew so much after all.  She does a great job of bringing in unique high-quality fabrics.  It really is a nice boutique.

Fuzzy Girlie Hoodie KS3101

Just realized I didn't capture one of the most-worn items in Imogen's closet.  I made this back near Christmas after a visit with her to our local Unique Textiles store (locally owned store).  Imogen picked out this fabric which is really soft to touch (surprise why she liked it).

As the fabric was so soft, I decided to line the hoodie--soft in and out!  The fabric isn't too bulky, so it worked well.

I had enough fabric to make a matching skirt too.  A bit much together, but matching.  So I've saved you the eye-burn by showing them separate.

It's a simple elastic skirt from remnants.  Pictured here with an Oliver + S top previously blogged about (and a few haircuts ago).

 

 Hoodie pattern...

Closet Curtains

Ooh this is such a great project on so many fronts.  First I get to use up some well-aged fabric (bonus), make a kids room more fun looking, and make a closet more functional!  Ching, ching, ching in the happy machine...

Here at home, we took off our kid's closet doors -- the bi-fold type that pinch fingers and eat little hands -- and put up a curtain rod and some curtains.  The result is both dramatic and uber practical as the kids can access all areas of the closet, formerly blocked by doors.  And they can now hide and play theatre too using the curtains.

In this case, I was helping a friend that had a sliding door--one door that blocked 1/2 the closet at any given time.  Very impractical with kids!  We used a tension rod with ring-clips as we didn't want to block the cupboard above.  An additional piece of trim will be added to hide 'the gap' between the top of the curtain/rod, which you can just get a hint of here.  The tensor rod is as high up inside as possible.

** Disclaimer: warning you will see some summer shorts / skirt / trousers posted in the mustard colour linen-like fabric at a later date.  There is just enough to do this for myself.  I fell back in love with the fabric during this project.  Especially as I found a few recent fabric purchases for tops that match perfectly.  Now back to the closet curtains...

Here is adding the bottom border...(this is considered an action photo in sewing terms!)

Curtain with bottom border attached...

Then I used the mustard fabric to both act as backing and as a side border.  Super chic, super quick, super duper!

And finally - installed using ring-clips!