Patterns

Bra-Makers Challenge – May

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

The Bra-makers Challenge for May is Shape up for Summer. The Challenge includes  shapewear, waist cinchers, bodyshapers and corsets.

Options

I decided to look at my Craftsy classes to see what I could use to help me make something new.  Beverly Johnson has a shapewear class: Sewing Shapewear Smooth Silhouettes. This class also includes a pattern for shapewear, which is a bonus. Alison Smith has Sewing Corsets: Essential Techniques (no pattern included). And Linda Sparks has Custom Corsets: Bones, Casings & Busks (again, no pattern included).I started off thinking I’d make shapewear. I was interested in making the Slimming Shorts that are covered in the class. But as I was watching the class, I decided it was too close to the pants I’d just made for the April Challenge. I didn’t want to make another pair of pants right away.

I decided I was going to make a corset. I’ve never made a corset, so this will be completely new to me. And it was a bit intimidating too.

A Brief Class Comparison

The two Craftsy classes on corsets might look similar at first glance, but Alison’s class is really the entry-level class. It’s an Intermediate skill level class, and covers the basics of making a corset. This class is also the older class format Craftsy offers – longer class lessons, and more than six lessons.

Linda’s class is more of a custom class for once you’re familiar with the basics. Her class is an Advanced skill level, and specializes in the bones and bone casings primarily. It also covers the busks. This class is the newer class format with lessons lasting about 20 minutes, and only having six lessons.

Seeing as this will be my first corset, I’m following along with Alison’s class.

Pattern

I’m using the Pin-up Girls Freedom Corset for my pattern.

Making Progress

The corset is quite easy to cut out, and to sew together. I did pause and think about the eyelets for a bit, but then just braced myself and punched holes in my fabric. Once I had the holes in, the rest was easy. There’s just something about putting holes in a brand new garment!

The denim and eyelets were a gift from Marsha. Marsha also gave me some advice as she’s made corsets before.

One option for the corset’s front closure is to add a zipper. For that I needed to add a facing to the front of the corset. I had this adorable bra material in my stash and decided it would be perfect for the facing.I’ll be the only one who will ever see if, but it is adorable. I had pulled this material out recently to use to line a handbag. I’ll share more on that a little later.

I found a great rainbow zipper, and it was on sale. I wanted a little bling with the zipper, so really couldn’t resist it.

  My Finished Corset

I’m both pleased with my finished corset, and disappointed. Here it is:

I used bias binding tape I purchased to make the boning casings. The fuchsia  coordinates with the colors in the zipper.

I do think this is adorable. My disappointment comes with some good news. Since I measured for this, I’ve lost close to 10 pounds. The corset is too big for me now. I wasn’t expecting that, but overall, it’s good news.

Here’s the side view. There’s more channeling on the side and back than on the front.  The back shows how lose it is in I’ve had to pull these laces completely closed – and it’s still loose on me. There is supposed to be a two-inch gap at the back. I don’t have a gap at all.

During the sewing, I did try it on. However, it was a few more weeks in May from that first trying on until I finished sewing it.

If this had fit a little better, I would swap out these white laces for fuchsia ribbon.

Overall, I’m thrilled with my challenge entry. This is my first-ever corset, and they’re not as scary as I thought they’d be. I’m sure I’ll make another one, and now that I’d seen they’re not nearly as hard as I thought they’d be, I may try to make a full corset for my next one.

Happy creating!

I Didn’t Buy a Stand

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

A few months ago when I went to Sears to buy a mannequin, I didn’t buy a stand. The stands were all being sold separately. I momentarily thought of buying one, but they were priced the same as the mannequins and I wasn’t interested in paying another $50 for what I thought I wouldn’t use or need. For most of what I sew, using this display standing, as it is shown above, will be just fine.

However, this month the Bra-maker Supply Challenge is active wear, and I chose to make pants.

Pants aren’t going to display very well all bunched up on the bottom.

They don’t display the best pinned to Catherine either.These were the Barb pants I made a few years ago – pinned to Catherine. I guess it would work somewhat, but I’m not thrilled with this option.

Modification Ideas

I ran a few ideas past my husband to see what we could do to modify my mannequin to use the stand for Catherine.

One

One idea was to make an adapter out of wood. A larger hole that would fit over the stand, and a smaller hole with a steel rod inserted into it that would fit into the mannequin.

That might work, but it’ll take a little time, and skills I don’t have.

Two

.     Another idea was to use modeling clay and fill the leg cavity with the clay. Before the clay hardened, insert the stand so there would be a hole there when it did harden.

I decided against that idea because of the weight of the clay. I thought it would throw off the balance of the mannequin, and it might not balance on the stand.

I was out of ideas.

Shopping Trip Suggestions

    The next idea came from Em, my son’s girlfriend, when we went grocery shopping together. I was telling her my different ideas and she came up with one. She suggested Styrofoam.

Initially, I didn’t think it would work, but we stopped at the craft store to check it out. Hmm. It seemed harder and sturdier than I thought. It was worth a try.

First Attempts

Well. Styrofoam didn’t work. The weight of the mannequin, and balancing it are going to be the challenges here.

I couldn’t even balance it long enough to take a photo.

Catherine in Pants

  I decided rather than trying to pin the pants to Catherine, I’d put them on her. The stand is running all through one leg. They don’t look as bad as I thought the would. 

Yes, this will do for how often I plan to make pants.

These pants are my muslin for my March Challenge submission. I’m happy to say the basic fit is there. Now to play a little more with what I want to do with them. You can see, they’re basic black cotton Lycra, with a yoga waistband.I have a few changes I want to make to this pattern, but it’s mostly good.

Happy creating!

Drafting in Steps

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

My attempts at drafting my own bra haven’t been 100% to my satisfaction. My hubby says I want perfection. He’s not wrong. I’d settle for snuggled up beside perfection.

 Drafting First Steps

 I decided to go back to the Bra-makers Manuals and go over some of the steps in there for checking fit. The first thing to look at is the frame.

I decided I’d start over with my frame. The frame was fine, but I wanted to add some elements from the classes I took at Central Sewing, as well as some other design elements. This was a perfect time to re-do my frame.

Years ago, I cloned a Prima Donna Deauville bra I had, so I took some elements from that too. I gave my frame a wider cradle. I also gave the band a downward hike. It still has the lower bridge, and lower underarm.  Here’s my drafted cradle and the tester frame. This was pretty good.

One change I made. Do you see how little material there is there in the cradle to attach the cup? That 1/4-inch might be fine when making a bra, but it didn’t seem like much for the tester. I added another 1/4-inch. I also added a little more room under the arm.

For my tester frames, I use bits and scraps of whatever I have leftover from previous makes. Left over bits of elastic are especially great for a project like this.

Take Two

 The second new frame I made.This one is good too. And it will be much easier to use with the added material in the cradle.

I also gave myself a clear visual by sewing a seam line where the cup would meet the cradle. That’s the ivory stitching you can see in the above photo, and the one below.

I took a photo to show the difference between when the wire is in, and before it’s in the frame.That’s quite a difference the wire makes.

How Does It Fit?

  I’m happy to say this frame fits perfectly. My next endeavor will be to work on cups adjusted for my Omega shape.

Here’s the frame on my new display. It fits better on me.Everything is exactly where it is supposed to be. The bridge is right up where it needs to be, not pushed down, not coming away from the chest wall. The wires are just right too.

That’s the first stage of fitting a bra. Once the frame is correct, it’s time to test the cups.

Next Steps

After making a few adjustments to my pattern, I sewed up a pair of cups. I incorporated that adorable S-curve for the power bar.

I mentioned I’d sewn a seam in the cradle to follow. (I did this because I’d added that extra 1/4-inch.) I also sewed a 1/4-inch running stitch along the bottom of the cup. When it was time to sew the cups into the cradle, I just matched the two lines of stitching I’d done. So easy!How is it fitting? In all honesty, this probably would have been fine if I’d made it into a bra. It fit better than any RTW bra I’ve had. But I figured why not go for the brass ring. Seeing as this was still only a tester, I still made a couple of changes to my pattern.

I thought the cup might be a smidge small, so I clipped into the cross cup seam. Yes. I could add 1/8-inch there, so I did. I know an 1/8-inch isn’t a big deal, and like I said, if this had been a finished bra, I would have been happy with it. Since it was still a tester, I improved my pattern. Another adjustment was deciding if I wanted to lower the upper cups to meet the bridge, or raise the bridge a bit. I pulled out the custom bridge I’d drafted a few years ago, and decided to incorporate that into the frame. That means the cups won’t need to be lowered any more than they are now. The bridge will come up 1/4-inch to meet them. I’ll have to overlap my wires, but I’ve done that before.  Once again, I’m going for that perfectly matched cradle and cup at the side seam, and once the upper band elastic is added to the underarm of the cup, I’m going to have it! Yes, I’m happy with how this is all coming together.

Following Up

One last comment on the frame – a number of posts ago when writing about Tester Frames, I mentioned how hard it was to sew the cup into the frame once the frame was completed. Well, I took the wire out and it’s not hard. It’s not hard at all. The wire was what made it so difficult. Leave the channeling open for the wire, slip that wire out. It makes a big difference.

Happy creating!

New Pattern Alert

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

I love when new patterns are released, especially new bra patterns. Emerald Erin has just released a couple of patterns today.

Not only is there the bralette, but there’s also a boyshort pattern.

I’m excited to see these boyshorts because Erin says there’s a one with an enclosed gusset. I want to see how she does that!

If you can’t decide which one to get, Erin offers a bit of a deal when you buy both.    It was going to be a drafting day, but I think I need to look at some new patterns first!

Just click on the images to take you to Erin’s Etsy shop to purchase any of these.

Congratulations, Erin!

Aphrodite Slip Pattern

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

I recently saw a lovely panty pattern.

The Aphrodite slip by de Lingerie Academie. Here’s the image from their site. Oh, it’s so pretty!

Pleasant Surprises

I have tried so many panty patterns, buying them based on the measurements, only to find they don’t fit me. I was thinking these wouldn’t fit either. I still bought them.

My plan was to use my self-drafted pattern and alter it to have similar lines. That way I’d know they’d fit. Even though I’m using my pattern, if I’m going to copy someone else’s design so blatantly, I like to purchase it. I like to support these independent companies.

I did have a pleasant surprise when I laid my pattern over these. They were the same width. They are not the same length as mine however. It was still nice to find a pattern that was close.

Aphrodite Panties

Here is my version of the Aphrodite panties. I love the lace detail on these. It matches the bra I made for the Bra-Makers Supply January Challenge as well. Here’s my favorite part of them – the side view.Here they are from the back. It’s so pretty how the lace wraps around to the back.   The pattern is adorable. But, sadly, I’m not as in love with my version as I’d hoped.

What I Love and Don’t Love

  I really do love the look of the Aphrodite panties. I think the original design has a more elegant and classic look than mine. Using my draft for the base changed the leg opening, thus changed the look.

But.

I changed the leg opening because I know I won’t like the leg opening on the original pattern. I know I won’t like it for two reasons: One. It’s too low for my comfort. And two. I really really don’t like elastic at the legs.

If you take another look at mine, you’ll see I didn’t use elastic for the legs. I finished them like boyshorts – I just turned under the seam and sewed it up. No elastic. To be truthful, I hate elastic at the leg!

I was tempted to use lace trim at the legs like I usually do, but wasn’t sure how it would look with this style. I thought it might take away from the design, so opted to do a boyshort-style finish.

 How about that elastic at the waist? Although I can’t say I hate elastic at the waist, it’s still a strong dislike in my books. I much prefer lace trim there too.

So, although they fit, these aren’t the hit I hoped they’d be.

Not Giving Up Yet

I won’t give up on a mash-up Aphrodite-inspired pattern. I have some plans to revisit it for my February BMS Challenge. I’ve drawn out a few ideas using the shape of my hipster.The first one illustration looks quite minimal. The second one looks pretty balanced. The third one just has too much going on. What I like about these is they show me I can add the lace trim to the waist and leg openings and still maintain the design I’m wanting.

Happy creating!

That Dress Revisited Part 1

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

My hubby and I are part of a dinner group that meets once a month. We’ve been meeting for the better part of 10 years, and have a lot of fun. We’ve tried recipes from all over the globe. Sometimes we get dressed up, sometimes not. There was one PJ night; we all brought our favorite comfort food. Conversely, there was an Academy Award Night. Everyone wore black tie, and one couple arrived in a helicopter! Another special night you might remember was our Valentine Dinner almost two years ago.

 That Dress

My dress-shopping-friend is part of our dinner group, and after trying on all those gorgeous dresses, I suggested we dress up for our Christmas dinner. She was hosting, and said no. She had too much work to do to get everything ready. I understood.

I found out I wasn’t the only one who wanted to dress up. One of the husbands in our group requested we dress up too. My friend decided since a few of us wanted to dress up, we’d dress up.

I was hoping to make the McCall’s 7684, but by time this was announced, I had less than a week to make it! I still tried.

The Pattern

I’ve already shared a bit about how closely this pattern matches the dress I saw and loved.  Here they are side-by-side. That’s the same skirt, same tie, same pockets, same zip in the back. The top is a little different, but that’s it. What a wonderful pattern!

My Materials

 I got the pattern. I bought some gorgeous materials too. I bought a lovely stretch velour for the top, which is closer to the original dress’ design which is a knit top. I also bought a gorgeous rich black and red brocade for the skirt.

 Pattern Hack

The first thing I had to deal with is the pattern has a dart in it and I know I’m going to need a Full Bust Adjustment (FBA). That’s fine. I’ve done FBAs before, but never on a waist dart. I think I drew it out four or five times, and still wasn’t sure. I didn’t have time to make a muslin either. By time I was ready to cut, it was three days until the party.

I decided to change the pattern. I pulled out my hallå Agnes pattern and traced off the top. I’ve used it to make a few tops. It’s designed for a knit, and my material is knit. I’d decided it would work.

First Attempts

Well, it was a sad, stressful day of sewing. The first top I cut out of the stretch velour was a bit tighter than I wanted. The stretch velour didn’t have the same amount of stretch as the cotton Lycra I’d used in the summer, and in my rush, I didn’t even check how much stretch the velour had.

I added a little more seam allowance to the pattern and cut out a second top from the remainder of my fabric. This second one was just fine.

Then, I messed up the neckband.

I didn’t think about the direction of stretch when I cut the band. I only had a little bit of material left, and I was rushing and feeling stressed. There was only one direction I could cut the bands for the neck and arms, and it was the wrong direction.

I only realized it was the wrong direction after trying to serge it to the neckline.

My Hubby

I called my hubby and told him I’d messed up the top. Twice. By this time I only had one day left to make the whole dress. Not one to give up, I ask him, ‘Should I go buy more material for the top?’

He didn’t think I should – at least not to try to make the dress for the party. He suggested I buy more material and make a muslin, and in the meantime we go dress shopping. What a sweet hubby!

Guess what I found on sale? My dress! The dress I loved from first look, and made me feel beautiful when wearing it.

I think you know what I wore to my Christmas dinner. Next week I’ll share all about our dinner.

Plans

I am not giving up on sewing myself the McCall’s dress though. I have some new material for the top, and it’s one of my projects I have planned for this year.

Happy creating!

Pirose or O Sew Easy Scarf

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

A few years ago I worked in a little boutique, and I saw many lovely clothing items. I got a discount too, so some of those lovelies made it home with me.

One of those items was a Reno Rose Pirose scarf. A few of these came home with me.

They’re lovely to dress up an outfit and also give a little more coverage. Unfortunately, they no longer seem to be available.

Sewing with Nancy

I knew I’d seen a similar scarf on an episode of Sewing with Nancy. She made a scarf that is the same shape and style as the Pirose scarf – the O Sew Easy Scarf.

It’s the first scarf she shows in the video below.

I’m still so very sad when I think of Nancy being gone. I’m trying to just be thankful for all the years she was here and how much she imparted, but am mostly still sad.

Making the Scarf

The Pirose scarf came in three sizes. Small, Medium, and Long. I found the Medium worked best for me. The Long dwarfed me, and the small, although a good size for my frame, is probably better suited to someone smaller busted.

I used one of my Pirose scarves to trace off a pattern. After I cleaned up the edges of my new pattern, I followed along with Nancy’s video to make my scarf. Nancy Notions does have a great-looking book with the pattern in it, and many other scarf patterns too. I sent a hint about the book to my hubby.

My Scarf

I found a lovely chiffon in the clearance section, and scooped it up right away. I love a great deal!

I wanted sheer black, but I was happy enough to find this slightly textured chiffon. Again, the price was right.  The scarf is longer on one side than the other, so I can wear it with the shorter side at the front, or at the back. I can even wear it on a diagonal. Each way I wear it gives a bit of a different look.I’m so happy with this.

Here are a few different ways I can wear it. I have a pin that clips on, so will wear that with my scarf. I’m looking for some patterns to make a few more of these pins as I bought this one with one of my scarves. Like the scarves, the clips no longer seem to be available. Here’s a video showing a bunch of ways to tie a Pirose scarf, all of which would apply to the O Sew Easy scarf as well.

 Happy creating!

Oh That Dress!

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

Recently, a friend asked me to go ‘Black Tie’ dress shopping with her. That sounded fun, so we made plans.

She had a shop in mind, so we went through all the dresses there to see what was appropriate for a black tie event.

  Gorgeous Dresses

 My friend tried on a number of dresses, but only two were lovely enough to really consider.

This adorable cocktail dress looked great on her, but wasn’t suitable for a black tie event. It just looked too good on her not to be included in her final list. This is the evening gown she bought for the event. It’s gorgeous and it really flattered her figure.  

Having Fun

 After helping my friend pick out so many lovely dresses, and seeing her try them on, I couldn’t resist trying on a dress or two.

This was the first gown I tried on. I loved this, but it did not love me back. I should know this styling is not flattering to my shape as I’ve been curvy all my life – even when I was a size 5. You can see on my croquis below, it isn’t flattering. It looked worse in real life.

No, that was not the right style for me. It was very easy to pass it up no matter how nice it looked on the hanger.

The next dress was a lot harder to pass up.  

While my friend was debating her dresses, I tried this one on.

I had to snap a photo of me in the dress too. When you try something on and feel pretty… it stands out.

Here’s the dress from the back:  

Ooh, it’s so lovely.

 I came home and looked for a pattern that was similar. I didn’t have to look far.

McCall’s 7684

McCall’s 7684 view C looks almost exactly the same. Same skirt, belt, zip up the back, pockets. The top is different.

I phoned the fabric store to see if patterns were on sale and they were! I was off to pick it up right away.Here are the dresses side by side:Here’s just view C:
 I’m so happy I went dress shopping with my friend. We really did have fun! I’m even happier I found this pattern.

That’s enough dreaming for me. It’s time to get back to work on all those Christmas gifts I said I’d sew.

Happy creating!

ChrisW Designs Global Blog Tour – Serendipity Hip Pattern

~ Michelle ~ 55 Comments

Welcome to my little corner of the blog sphere from here in Canada!

I was asked to be a part of the Chris W Designs tour, and I couldn’t resist!

 It was one of Chris’ designs I first fell in love with that made me want to make my own bags. I’d been searching the internet for handbag patterns to sew myself, and I found this:This is Evelyn. Isn’t she lovely? I love everything about this. If I could only find this same material. I’ve kept this photo on the wall in front of my desk for sewing inspiration!

A Journey to Get Here

My bag-making has taken a round-about journey to making a Chris W Designs (CWD) pattern though.

After that initial searching, my first and second bags ended up being made following video classes. Being a very visual learner, it really helped me to start that way.

After both of those, I felt ready to tackle a pattern without a video. I chose an easy bag, and made a few of them. With a few successes behind me, I felt ready to branch out. It was at that point this tour was mentioned to me. Perfect timing! I really do feel like I’m coming full circle.

My Tour Make

 For my make on this tour… I’m still not making an Evelyn! Can you believe it? No, this time around I’m making a bag for a friend. She loves cross-body bags, so that’s what I’m making her.This is the Serendipity Hip bag. CWD graciously gave me this pattern to make for the tour. I think my friend will love it!

The Materials

This year marked Canada’s 150th birthday. To celebrate, there were lots of Canadian-themed fabrics. My friend has family members who are RCMP. Do you know what the RCMP are? They’re the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, often referred to as Mounties. These are our police.

So, seeing as my friend has a close connection, I couldn’t resist this adorable Mountie motif fabric, after all, I Am Canadian.Along with the Mountie material, I chose a dark red that coordinated, and a Native print to contrast for the lining.

How Did I Do?

  So after following videos and only making an easy bag pattern, are you wondering how I did? I found CWD patterns to be very well explained. Whew. That was a relief for me. Each step is not only well explained, but most steps come with a photo to show the step as well. Oh, I love photos to help me understand.

Something else that impressed me were there were even pattern pieces for rectangles. I can’t tell you how many patterns don’t include those, and I find them really helpful. I can get numbers mixed up sometimes, so I’m always double and triple checking them, so having that pattern piece instead of simply saying a 20″ x 8″ piece or whatever – it makes a difference for me.

My Finished Bag

 Here’s my finished bag:

I really think this is charming with all those little Mounties. The pattern front features a large slip pocket with a cell pocket inside, as well as a front zippered pocket. That’s three pockets before you’re even inside the bag. I was impressed.

Here’s a photo with something in each of the front pockets. The inside has another zipper pocket, and a card pocket with a small slip pocket behind it.There are lots of pockets! That seems to be a theme of CWD’s bag patterns.

Here’s the back of my ‘Hip Mountie’ bag.No pockets here, just Mounties! I really love this bag.

Bling

I had to do a few little bling things for this bag too. A little Sewn zipper pull.   And a leather tassel because I made an extra one with my last bag and it matched this bag too! My hardware came from Emmaline Bags.

Those Straps

For the straps, I used something I’d read on Chris’ blog: Jazzy Straps. This style of straps have made an appearance on a few of the bags in this tour. They give more of a pop to an otherwise basic part of the bag. Here are mine from the front:And from the back:I love these straps! Adding that extra bit of color takes them from basic and functional to not-at-all-plain, and makes them another feature of the bag.

Something For You

  Chris has also given each of us bloggers two of the patterns we’ve made to give to our readers. So, I have two Serendipity Hip PDF patterns to give away! Thank you, Chris! Not only is Chris giving each blogger 2 patterns to give away, but all her patterns are on sale this week! 20% off. Check out the code below.

 So for my give away, I want to make this fun. I mentioned a well-known line from a Canadian commercial. What commercial is it? Comment on my blog, and Marsha (Flying by the Seam of my Pants) will randomly pick two numbers out of how many have answered correctly. I’ll announce the winners tomorrow when I post tomorrow’s blogs for the tour. As well, I won’t approve correct comments until after the draw is finished. (This draw is closed now, but if you want to still comment, please do.)

If you don’t know the answer, I’d still love to hear what you think of the tour, and my Hip Mountie bag.

If you love all of the designs you’ve been seeing of Chris’, check her out on Instagram, and on her Facebook group.

Below are all the details on what you can save now, and the prizes to be won! Those prizes wouldn’t be there without the amazing generosity of our sponsors.

Thank you!

Tour Discounts

  • ChrisW Designs is taking 20% off all patterns until end of day (Australian Central Standard Time) November 21. Code GlobalBlogTour17 (applied automatically with this link. Buy without fear: If you purchase during the tour and then win a pattern, your purchase price will be refunded.
  • Handbag Hardware Australia (aff link) is offering a 10% discount for the duration of the tour. Use code: CWD10. (Excludes interfacing and Emmaline Bling.)
  • Bobbin Girl has a 10% discount using code BLOGTOUR17. (Not to be combined with any other discount or rewards points.)
  • Gold Star Tool is taking 15% off for our tour readers. Use code chriswdesigns.
  • Zipit (aff link) is also offering a 10% discount on shop items. Use code chriswdesigns. As well, you must be signed in and the discount is applied to your cart after you add your items.

Giveaway (This giveaway has ended.)

Prizes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway (wait for the end of the tour for this!)

Tour Schedule

(Australia Central Standard Time)


// Please note that none of these post links are available before the scheduled date (ACST). If you click on one too early, you will get an “Error 404: Page not found.” You know about those, right? //

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Sunday, November 12

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Monday, November 13

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Tuesday, November 14

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Wednesday, November 15

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Thursday, November 16

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Friday, November 17

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Saturday, November 18

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Tuesday, November 21

  • Giveaway winners announced on all the blogs:

ChrisW Blog, Glitter in my Coffee, Michelle’s Creations, Flying by the Seam of my Pants, Serial Bagmakers, Tiger in a Tornado, Vanaehsa, Judith Stitches and More, Doctora Botones, Sewsewilse, Suck It Up Buttercup, Vicky Myers Creations, Marvelous Auntie M, inspinration, Fée bricolo, Trisha’s Craft Corner

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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!