Simplicity 4020 revisited

I (Major Moma) have already made one of the views of the Simplicity Pattern 4020 and it turned out pretty nice.  So I moved on to another view.  Often times in a pattern, the different views include only minor changes to the same item.  Not so with 4020.  Each of these shirts are quite different and have completely different pattern pieces. They do share a couple different pieces, but in different combinations and they really create separate looks.

This time I made view E.  I think it has a distinctly kimono inspired look.

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Though there are several pieces involved, the shirt came together rather simply.

The instructions are very clear and the neckline looks complicated but really is not.  I really like the shape of this top as it makes a clear delineation between your bust and waist.  For us girls that are a bit fuller chested but short torsoed, often shirts make us look heavier than we are.  But the gathers in the top allow for a larger chest (without any adjustment) but cinches in the waist nicely.

I think the back even looks pretty with the flowing sleeves but cinched in shape.

Do you make all the views in a pattern envelope, if only to get your money's worth?  Or do you pick a favorite and stick with that view?

Making mending fun ... sorta

My husband thinks that because I (Major Moma) can sew, that means I can mend.  He will put clothing with all sorts of rips on my sewing table with the implied task that I figure out a way to extend the life of that poor worn out shirt/pant.
 
But what he doesn't understand is that not everything can be or should be mended.  If he has a big gaping hole in the sleeve of his shirt that is not on a single seam, maybe that shirt should be relegated to yard-work-only wear.
 
And, he completely cannot comprehend my loathing of mending.  "But you love to sew ..."  Sewing something new and creative is different than patching a hole.  At least in my mind. 
 
So, in order to get myself motivated, I used March's Inspiration Point image.  And I used Made by Rae's excellent ideas for making knee patches.
 

March 2013 IP

 
These are my son's jeans.  He normally perches in a squat position when playing, so he had not worn through too many pants.  But that has been changing lately so a few of his pants I made into shorts because they would be grown out of before long.  And this pair I added the patches.
 

 
Do you see where my idea came from in the IP image?
 

Funny enough, Eli really likes them.
 
We have not really advertised it this month, but there is a May IP.  We invite you to create ... anything... based on the below image and upload it to our flickr group page.  It can be sewn, paper crafted, a story, poem ... We really mean anything.

May 2013 Inspiration Point

 So, will you join us?

Pants with patches

 A while back I (Major Moma) posted about a blue collared shirt and a brown vest that I had planned for my son's Easter outfit.  But, I did not yet complete pants to go with them. 

Eli with his best friend.

 

I did actually finish those pants and he wore them on Easter, and several times since.  I am just now having the chance to tell you all about them.

They are the Blank Slate pant from Blank Slate Patterns by Melly Sews.  I have made these guys several times and love them more each time.  This time I added a couple of twists.  For both the front and back I did patch pockets.  I used the textured side of the shantung that I used on his vest.  And then dressed the pockets up a bit with some cream satin piping and bright blue top stitching.

Then I did something really different.  I added patches to the knees.  I learned about this technique from Made by Rae.  Pure genius.  You build the patch into the pant so you don't have to add it later.  I made these patches out of the same fabric, following the tutorial, and topstitched with that same bright blue thread.

The best part is that he loves the look of them too.  I think that built in patches will become a norm for us.

What about you?  Do you have any tricks to make your clothes more durable and user friendly?

Continuous Bias Tape Tutorial

 
UPDATE:  Ok ladies, I received a comment below that this doesn't work.  And I swear it does, because I have done it several times.  However, all my sewing stuff is packed up in a crate traveling the ocean since I am moving so I cannot go back and check my work.  Call Ajaire pointed out my error!  I made a square and not a paralellogram!  I must have been distracted and did not do an adequate job checking my work.  (Thank you Ajaire)  And I am rather embarrassed because many of you are coming to me from the Go to Sew as a recommended tutorial.  So, in July, when I get to have my stuff back, I will fix this tutorial.

Not too long ago, a blogger I admire posted a tutorial on how to make bias tape as part of an outfit they were making.  But, this talented lady was using the traditional method of cutting long strips on the bias of the fabric.  This method has to be done very precisely, takes quite a bit of time, and really a lot of fabric.  So I was surprised that this accomplished sewist was using this method when there is a much easier way. 

Content removed in because of my mistake.  The post will be corrected at a later date!

 

Major Moma uses bias tape primarily for facings and finishing edges.  And M uses it for quiliting.  What do you use bias tape for?

Cardi and a life lesson

The sweater I am sharing today is from Stretch & Sew pattern #300.  It’s the same pattern I (Major Moma) used for this sweater.  I love the orange pullover and wear it all the time but I wanted to try it out as a cardigan.  I know for many of you that it is now spring and warm, but where I live, spring can still be chilly and a cardi is perfect for its versatility.

I bought this great stripe, light weight sweater knit from fabric.com (I know, I am a frequent shopper with them.).  It sewed up great.  I used some spare black knit for a facing at the neck and down the front. And the buttons were from a collection of giant Ziploc bags that my mother(our co-blogger, M) sent me.

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I loved the results.  I tried it on and showed the husband.

Me, as I give a silly pose in my just finished cardi:  “Look at me”

Husband, dutifully looking replies: “It is too tight, the buttons are pulling”

I was mad.  How could he say that?  How dare he tell me  … the truth.  After I stomped away angry, I looked in the mirror and saw the buttons were pulling; right at the bust line.  I hate it when shirts do that.

But the sweater turned out perfect.  It was just how I envisioned it.  Except it did not fit me.   Do you ever keep something around because it meets your ‘wants’ but not your ‘need’?  How silly it is for me to do that because I end up not using it anyway.  Or I am frustrated when it does not do what I need it to do.

I laid the sweater aside for a couple of days.



If you look closely, you can see I did not button a button.  ugh.

I then went and hugged my husband.  I told him I was really upset that he criticized the sweater.  He explained that he thought he was helping me out because he knows how much I hate pulling buttons.  And if I knew about it, I could fix it.

I should have been thankful for his honesty and confidence in me.  But I was still a bit upset that he told me something I did not want to know.

I went back to the sweater and cut it along the side seem from the bottom hem to the wrist cuff.  I cut the cuffs off.  I then found some gunmetal grey rib knit fabric.  I cut long strips about 3 inches wide. Then, I sewed them to the side seems.  I then added new cuffs to the sleeves in the same rib knit.

Now my cardi has racing stripes!

I also like how I have the hem ribbing stripe going the opposite direction.

I even like it better than the original.  And it fits.  I learned something through this sweater.  Sometimes I am too sensitive to helpful feedback.  And sometimes I am not flexible enough to welcome life’s bumps in the roads that may send me down a more interesting path.

How about you?  Do you blindly charge forward even when you are going somewhere you don’t want to be?  Or do you stop, re-assess and are willing to go down a new path … even if that means backtracking?

Blog improvement

Soooo, none of us are very tech savvy.  It is amazing that we actually post on a blog.  Actually, it was M who first started reading blogs, and as our mother, she is the oldest of us all and thus that shows how technically lame her girls are.

However, slowly, we are trying to improve the site.

One improvement we just made is to your left ... Social Media Icons.  We have had a FB fan page since February, but barely anyone knows about it.  But now, we have a cute little button that you can click to get there!  And, there is a pinterest button that sends you to Major Moma's pinterest account.  And there is a flickr button that leads you to our Inspiration Point group page!  Wow.  Look at that.

{Oh, and about the Inspiration Point.  We are not having one this month.  We all were just to busy to do it.  But, it will likely start up again in May.}

I would like to give a shout out to A Typical English Home.  It is thanks to her tutorial that we were able to make this small improvement.

So now the implied request (I guess not so implied now) is that you all should come visit us in those other social forums!

Thank you,

M, Mc H, Major Moma, and Winocologist

chill shirt

Hello all!  After sharing only kids clothes for a while, I thought it was time to share some thing made for me (Major Moma).  I used the same pattern as Burda chill dress that I shared earlier but this time with a lot less issues.  Also, this time I made it as a  tunic! ( Chill Dress 11/2012 #136A).

The fabric I uses is a silky knit with stripes of individual sequins sewn on to the fabric.  I used this fabric previously on a shirt I made my daughter as part of her Fall 2012 collection.



It actually looks quite cute on her, but I never have gotten a picture.

The fabric is from fabric.com and it really is nice to work with.  It has plenty of stretch but is not so stretchy that it slips around and puckers.  Also, it is nice and smooth; other than the sequins.  I left the edges raw but the neckline is faced using bias tape. 



I thought a glass of champagne would be a good prop. 
However, the legos to the left sort of take away from the mood.

I thought it would be a a nice night-on-the-town shirt since it has the sparkle.  But I have actually worn it more with jeans running around errands than actually on dates with the husband.

I like the shirt version of of this pattern much more than the dress and I know I will get a lot more wear out of it.

Do you wear sparkly clothes for errands?  Or do you reserve them for actual occasions?