Author: Michelle

Getting Some Sewing Done

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I’ve had a few things on the go lately. The Canada Cups tour, which just finished, and a tour starting tomorrow! More on that a little later. Both of these have been taking up a fair amount of my time, but as I’d mentioned in my last post, my pup really needed new boots.

Done

  I finished a pair of booties for my pup. Rather than following the pattern and making a circle of faux suede, I used some faux leather and covered the whole bottom.I’m hoping they’ll endure a little better. Also seeing where the wear and tear is (no pun intended), I hope a more-padded bottom will prevent that.I cut the ‘strings off the old booties to re-use on the new ones. So the straps are looking a bit fuzzier, but they work.I also cut off the old Velcro and elastic bits from the worn out boots to use again, because wearing these every day from November until March, I’m sure I’ll be making a new set again next year. I am hoping this set will endure better though.

Next Project

   Have you heard of Beautiful Pie Shop’s slippers?

I bought the pattern last year thinking they’d make a great gift. I bought the fleece and the non-slip material for the bottom. I did everything except sew them up. I decided this was a project I was completing!

You know when something is just that perfect timing when the Facebook group announces they’re doing a sew-along the day you’re going to start to sew. I think I’ll wait a few more hours and sew-along with the pros.

 A Few Bumps

 You know how things always look so much easier when someone else is doing the sewing? That’s how it was for me with these slippers. However, now that I’ve made a pair, the next ones would be much easier.

My first little bump was not using my Teflon foot to sew over the non-slip bottoms! I pulled that first slipper through the machine.

Then I switched machine feet for the second slipper and I still pulled the slipper through the machine!  Yup, definitely non-slip!

I used tissue paper when I had to sew another part on that sole again.

The tissue paper tore off easily and for the first time sewing these slippers, I didn’t have to fight with the sole.

I did struggle a little with the instructions over which side was the inside and which was the outside as that’s never set plainly in the pattern – because it’s left up to you. You can use cotton on the outside and fleece on the inside or vice versa. However, it did challenge me.

Finished Booties

     I managed to make an adorable pair of slippers.  Aren’t they cute? And I know they’ll fit as Em and I wear the same size shoe, or in this case slipper.

Here’s a photo of the bottom of one slipper. I know one thing, she won’t be slipping around in these! And here’s the inside of the slipper.Do you see the little fleece bow? That’s covering up a mistake I made. I didn’t realize from reading the instructions to only cut through one layer of material for the elastic. Whoops! But a little bow over top and it’s all hidden.

The cute heart material was something Em gave me. I thought it would be fun to use some of it for her. The photos don’t show it very well, but the fleece is a dark fuchsia.

Starting tomorrow (or later today)!

Tomorrow, we have a blog tour starting! It’s the Chris W Designs Global Blog Tour. Come back here for a listing of all the blog stops – all over the world! If you’re not in Australia, but maybe in North America, the tour will be starting later today.

Happy creating!

Time for New Booties

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

Sewing for my Pup

I’ve made dog booties three years in a row now. That’s how long we’ve had our rescue pup. It seems each year, I have to make him new booties because one got lost, or one fell apart. Here’s what’s left from the last two years.

Three of one set. Two from two different sets, but the same material. Only one sad little one left from some that were gifted to us. Since losing those first booties, I’ve been using the old mittens-on-a-string trick to keep him from losing any more.

Here are last year’s. Thanks to the ties, he still has them all, but…

They’re in really rough shape. He and my hubby like to go off the beaten or plowed path. So they’re off in the bush for their walks. Not me. I’m on the sidewalk. Still my pup is rough on his booties there too. He catches a scent and he’s kicking up a storm with his paws. No wonder they wear out so quickly.

It’s time to make him some new ones, especially considering we got snow this week!

  I’ve got things all cut out, but I’m not going to cut out the little circle of faux suede this time. I’m going to use a full square on the back to hopefully make these last a little longer.

If you’re interested, here‘s where I got my pattern. And here‘s a great video to show you how to sew up a pair on your own.

Adorable

  I have so much Christmas sewing to do, and I found this. This is the Color Wheel Pin Cushion.

This is the most adorable tuffet pin cushion. I was told it hardly takes any material, so it will be great for all those little scraps I just couldn’t throw out.

However, as adorable as this is, I have to make booties, and slippers, and a scarf, and two lap quilts, not to mention I want to get back to my bra draft. It was just too adorable not to add to my list of sewing plans.

Happy creating!

Taking Advantage

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I took advantage of the Craftsy two-week trial Membership. Have you?

A new lingerie class came out. I bought it as it wasn’t part of the Membership. However, the next day it was. At first, I thought, ‘Well, I’m sure I’ll want to have this class anyway.’  This was a class I started to watch right away. Then something unexpected happened. I quickly went through the class and then returned the class the same day. I thought you might want to hear some of my thoughts on the class.

The class, Lingerie Essentials: Bralettes with Alison Smith was a bit of a disappointment for me, and I really didn’t want it to be a disappointment.

I have most of Alison’s classes and I love them. I love her style of teaching and all the details she includes in her classes.

 Basic Class Information

It was too soon for there to be any reviews for this class at the time of this writing. The class had only been out for a few days.

Here’s the lesson outline.

First Thoughts on the Class

This class may be great for a beginner because Alison does take her time and explain a lot about the materials, how to handle them, cut them out, and sew them – all in great detail.

She also explains about the difference between measuring for a bra and a bralette. It was about here, I became disappointed with the class.

What could possibly be disappointing? Well, the class comes with a pattern. The pattern Alison has designed for this class is for a B/C cup. She does show how to grade up two sizes, or down a size, but that’s it. I’m still outside that size range; and disappointed.

As well, the pattern does go to a 42, but I don’t need a bigger band. The larger cup/smaller band fit was never addressed.

Here’s a screen shot from the class showing how to grade up two sizes from the B cup. Unfortunately, there was no mention at all what to do if you fall outside that range. I knew then, this class just isn’t for me.
 Here’s the bralette on a model.

Looking on the Bright Side

My disappointment over the pattern being said, there were positive aspects to the class. So, if you’re a B/C cup, or even a D, you may just love the class.

Alison shows how to make the bralette a few different ways: Unlined lace, lined lace, and stretch jersey, shown in the photo above. I really liked the different ideas she covered with information on each material.

Alison is a wonderful teacher. She has a calm manner, and explains everything very well.

Alison does show some great ideas for how to use lace to embellish your bralette, and I did like that. Isn’t this lace detail on the back lovely?

 The last lesson in the class shows how to make some matching knickers and suspenders (panties and garter belt). Both of these patterns are included in sizes S – L. Alison does say you can make the patterns larger, but doesn’t give a lot of detail on just how to do that.

Here are the knickers Alison makes in the class.And here are the suspenders.

Personal Recommendations

Alison is a lovely teacher. I really like her style and think she has a lot to share with us. If you’ve never made a bralette, this could be a great first class to learn some basics.

As well, if you aren’t an A, B, C, or D cup, then the bralette pattern will likely be disappointing.

I bought this class and returned it. I was disappointed. There are other lovely bralette patterns out there with a fuller range of sizes, like the Sweet Sixteen pattern I just made.

Here’s the size guide (from Beverly Johnson’s blog) for the Sweet Sixteen bralette pattern:It goes up to an M cup! And the band goes up to a 38, but it fits loose, so probably more like a 40 or 42 band. So, conservatively that’s a range of 28 A – 40 M! That is a size range!

If you’re taking advantage of Craftsy’s two-week free trial Membership that’s available when you first sign up, then I’m sure there are things to take away from watching this class.

 Happy creating!

Canada Cups – One More Day

~ Michelle

It’s Canada Cups – The Extended Edition.

We’re extending our rafflecopter one more day! That means you have one more day to enter to win one of the fabulous prizes available.

Giveaway

(This give-away has ended.)

 

Prizes

Tour Discounts (These tour discounts have ended.)

  • 10% off a retail purchase from Libelle Sewing with $15 purchase. Use code: CANADACUPS
  • Funky Monkey Fabrics is offering a 10% discount for the duration of the tour. Use code: CC10 for 10% off store wide until October 22nd. Not valid on already discounted full bolts.
  • 20% discount storewide at Fabric Please. Use code CANADACUPS.
  • 10% discount from Central Sewing Machines. Orders must be mailed to Muriel @ centralsewing.com to have the discount applied manually.
  • 10% discount from Midnight Mountain Fabrics. Use the code CANADACUPS10
  • Free shipping from Club Tissus on all orders over $100. Use code: livraison100

If you missed any of the tour, here’s the schedule again.

Sunday, October 15

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Monday, October 16

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Tuesday, October 17

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Wednesday, October 18

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Thursday, October 19

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Friday, October 20

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Saturday, October 21

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Tuesday, October 24

  • Giveaway winners announced on all the blogs:

Little Heart Threads, Glitter in my Coffee, Michelle’s Creations, Mrs. Weaver’s Finest Unmentionables, Gracious Threads, Élégantine!, That’s Sew Venice, Sprouting Jubejube, Flying by the Seam of my Pants, Filles à Maman

Canada Cups – It’s a Wrap

~ Michelle ~ 24 Comments

Welcome back for the final stop on our Canada Cups Coming Unwired tour.

I’d Like to Thank the Academy…

Before I say anything else, I really want to say a big thank you! We put out the call to some incredibly talented Canadian designers, suppliers, and bloggers, and got an amazing response! Well, you’ve seen the prize list, seen the makes, and read the blogs. It’s been great!

Personally, on behalf of the bloggers, here’s a shout out to Bra-Makers Supply, Chelsea C. Designs, Club Tissus,  Favorite Things, Jalie Sewing Patterns, Lingerie Secrets, and Ohhh Lulu for donating patterns and/or supplies to our bloggers!

We had two guest bloggers on the tour as well! Some wonderful professional bra-makers took time out of their very busy schedules and wrote up posts. Thank you, Linda (Uplift Custom Bras), Maria and Karin (Mrs. Weaver’s Finest Unmentionables). We are so grateful to you.

Our tour really wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for our bloggers willing to take their time too. Thank you Deb, Jessica, Lisa, Marsha, Mel, Michelle S., Rachelle, and Valérie! I loved seeing your gorgeous makes!

Lastly, there are all the wonderful prizes donated for the tour. Thank you Atelier Fiber Arts & Abrakdabra, Bra-Makers Supply, Braphoria, Central Sewing Machines, Chelsea C Designs, Closet Case Patterns, Crookshanks Custom Textiles (I’m totally envious of whoever wins this one), Fabric Please, Favorite Things, Funky Monkey Fabrics, Libelle Sewing, and Midnight Mountain Fabrics. (Oh, I’d like any or all of these prizes!)

Behind the Scenes Highlights!

 Now for some behind the scenes fun! Let’s talk about a few things that went on while getting ready for the tour!

Don’t Get Your Knickers in a Knot!

Lisa made some hipster panties. She was questioning her fabric placement ability after putting that gold LOVE smack dab… well, you can see for yourself.

Lisa also had to draw on her own sewing experiences when she put off sewing until close to the end of the tour and found she was missing a page of instructions! There wasn’t enough time to get a new pattern and get the panties done in time. I wonder if that could have been the pattern placement page.

You Don’t Say

Rachelle and I both made the Sweet Sixteen bralette pattern. In fact, we not only both made the same pattern, we found the same material! Yup. It’s gorgeous, and we both loved it. We both almost made the same bralette out of the same material.

That Didn’t Work!  

I had a whoops moment I shared with the other bloggers. I called it when bad things happen to good cups. That gorgeous material I couldn’t resist? I had some technical difficulties with my machine… and then my seam ripper.Yes, that’s a hole in the middle of the cup, probably right about where the apex sits in the cup. There were jokes about leaking cups!

I wasn’t the only blogger who had trouble with my materials. Marsha shared with us how her crepe crept off the table and she cut one side of it 1-inch too deep!

 Kids Say the Cutest Things!

Jessica had a laugh when her toddler asked what she was sewing. She said ‘a bra’, and he replied…” a broccoli?'” Nope. Can’t sew a broccoli! It doesn’t fit with our soft-cupped theme either.

Deb told us her girls loved the nightdresses she made for them. They found them a little cold to sleep in now the weather is turning, but had a perfect solution: They suggested going on vacation. I like they way they think!

Name that Movie!

Michelle made the Romy bra, and Marsha reminded us all of the movie Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.

Do you think we could get that out of our heads once it got in? Hmm, I wonder if those are soft-cupped bras they’re wearing?

Fitting

A number of us dealt with fitting issues. Cups too big, bands too big. I don’t know if anything fit perfectly the first time around.

There was one comment made to us about the patterns all being for skinny bodies. Nope. That’s not the case. More than one of us does not fit into that category anymore. We really enjoyed calling each other skinny after that though.

We really do have a lot of fun on these tours, and hope you enjoy them too! So, we’ve wrapped everything up, thanked everyone. All that’s left is for you, our readers to win a prize! I want to hear if one of my readers wins a prize!

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway (This giveaway has ended.)

 

Prizes

Tour Discounts (These tour discounts have ended.)

  • Funky Monkey Fabrics is offering a 10% discount for the duration of the tour. Use code: CC10 for 10% off store wide until October 22nd. Not valid on already discounted full bolts.
  • 20% discount storewide at Fabric Please. Use code CANADACUPS.
  • 10% discount from Central Sewing Machines. Orders must be mailed to Muriel @ centralsewing.com to have the discount applied manually.
  • 10% discount from Midnight Mountain Fabrics. Use the code CANADACUPS10
  • Free shipping from Club Tissus on all orders over $100. Use code: livraison100
  • 10% off a retail purchase from Libelle Sewing with $15 purchase. Use code: CANADACUPS

   If you missed any of the tour, here’s the schedule again.

Sunday, October 15

♥
Monday, October 16

♥
Tuesday, October 17

♥
Wednesday, October 18

♥
Thursday, October 19

♥
Friday, October 20

♥
Saturday, October 21

♥♥
Monday, October 23

  • Giveaway winners announced on all the blogs:

Little Heart Threads, Glitter in my Coffee, Michelle’s Creations, Mrs. Weaver’s Finest Unmentionables, Gracious Threads, Élégantine!, That’s Sew Venice, Sprouting Jubejube, Flying by the Seam of my Pants, Filles à Maman