Alma Blouse Reveal

And the Theme(Last)Friday in the flickr group. Last week, the mini theme for the Me Made May flickr group was to show off your hometown, and I was stuck working, but today presented the perfect opportunity.

I was stuck working last Friday, but I was off today, and spent part of it visiting the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with a friend. The current temporary exhibit is "Imaginary Worlds". And in keeping with my apparent usual "dog theme"...

I'm wearing my Sewaholic Alma blouse which I haven't formally blogged about, but here ya go. It's a great pattern, and I made the size 10 grading out to the 12, starting at about what would be an empire waistline... down to the hem. It's a great pattern, and a very quick sew. Admittedly, the instructions are a bit confusing regarding the zipper insertion, but I just did my own thing. I've worn the skirt a lot... most recently back on May 8. Always great to have a denim skirt in the wardrobe!

And my "hometown"... technically, my hometown is Dallas, Texas. [side note: Georgia has it's very own Dallas, not too far from Atlanta. Sad, but I usually have to add the "Texas" when explaining where I'm originally from when talking to folks here]. I've lived in Atlanta, Georgia since 2005. From the Botanical Garden, which is in Midtown, you can see a great view of the Atlanta skyline just beyond the trees.

New Pavlova Skirt & Renfrew #5

It's a holiday weekend here in the US....wishing everyone a thoughtful Memorial Day here. I have the day off, and with family scattered far and wide today, it's me and the dogs. I briefly considered shopping, but decided to play the anxious recluse instead. I do suffer from time to time a bit of free floating anxiety, mostly as a result of things beyond my control, and there are several facets of my life right now that fit that description.

Anyway, enough with the soul baring... a few weeks ago I made Pavlova circle skirt #2 from some wonderful cotton shirting from Gorgeous Fabrics. Yesterday, I finished my 5th Renfrew t-shirt, this time making it sleeveless with a modified cowl collar. The fabric is a modal knit from fabrics.com, which was like sewing on kleenex, and just about as sheer. I've got a white cami underneath, and see this top more as a winter layering option. We'll see.

The only changes made to this version of the skirt were to make the waist slightly smaller, and the length a wee bit longer. Oh, I did make the belt, too... for another dress. 

And the dog... he would not leave me alone, and was in every picture, mostly trying to lick me in the face. And my attempts at the spinning of the circle skirt pic... impossible because he apparently thought it was some kind of game wherein he was required to jump on me. Good thing he's cute!

Last Mini Me Made Vacation Day

But not the last post about it. I definitely have ways to drag this thing out. For instance, the whole adding links thing. Edit: I've, with a little help, have attempted a few links. Fingers crossed.
But more than that, the last two days have debuted some new stuff.
Let's start with yesterday (Saturday). Side note...sometimes the weather does not turn out to be what you're expecting when you pack. It turned cool and rainy, and I really wished I had packed a pair of jeans. I didn't, so there was some layering and borrowing involved.

Top is a brand new Sewaholic Alma made on a white with red polka dot quilting cotton. In spite of what appears to be pulling across the bust, I love the fit. The skirt is a refashioned Colette Crepe. Black cardigan for warmth, and raincoat draped over my arm, Laura's (though it used to be mine).
We're visiting the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.
Today (Sunday) was the main graduation for George Washington University.

Lovely weather.

This is the dress/jacket that I made to wear. Covered up with a stunning green raincoat. Shoes you haven't seen before... More on those another post. Well, frankly more on the whole outfit, complete with better photos.

Walking the grand puppies. Post graduation meant another outfit change. Me wearing my pavlova top with a RTW skirt. I wouldn't have chosen this combo if I wasn't out of other options, but I do kind of like it.
Synopsis complete. I'll add pictures to the Flickr group tonight, and work on some of the links in the next couple of days.
Stay tuned, and have a great day!

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Mini Me Made May 2

Today is my 2nd day off this month, hence the title. I won't have another day off until my vacation starts next week, so this was the day to finish a couple of big sewing projects. Those will debut during the vacation, so tomorrow you'll get a peek of at least the hem. It's a shoe thing.

Anyway. Today was sewing and laundry, with a brief outing to the grocery. That meant super casual, and this me made outfit totally fit the bill:

Sewaholic Renfrew blogged about here.

Denim skirt, made from Colette Patterns Crepe, blogged here.

I'm standing in my sewing studio. Do you like my red sconces? They used to be brass! Technically, I guess they still are. I really need to do a post about them.

It's a bit of a mess, but I'm actually getting ready to finish the hem, so this is more than just a posed picture. On the TV behind me... the last disc of Season 3 of Dr. Who. I had to find out for myself what all the hoopla was about this show, and now I'm totally hooked! Besides, it's a great thing to watch while sewing.

Mad Monday Reveal: Lacy Renfrew

I've decided to change the Mad Men Monday thing to just a Mad Monday Reveal. Trivial, perhaps. Anyway, a few points of business.

First, I'm pretty sure all my readers know all about the Google Reader thing. I've signed up for Bloglovin', but haven't gotten the whole widget thing organized. Thankfully, we have a few months to get this worked out, but I've gotten the "Reader" blogs I follow already synced up with Bloglovin. OK, that's all I have to say about that.

The "Bangs/No Bangs" question. I'm going with bangs (fringe for all you non-American English speakers). Looking youthful trumps sophisticated at my age. Thank you for all your lovely comments!

Finally... a couple of weeks ago I whipped up a 3/4 sleeve  Sewaholic Renfrew. It's my 4th, but my first with this sleeve length. I hadn't planned to add the cuff, but without it, the sleeve was just at my elbow. Kind of an unfortunate length, frankly.

It's black jersey knit, with an overlay of stretch lace on the front, and the sleeves are just the lace. It will get a LOT of wear!!

Have a great Monday!!

Catching Up

Well, who knew it was going to be such an adjustment to working full-time? My hat is off to all sewing bloggers who hold down a full-time job and manage to also be prolific sewists! I'm exhausted after working 8 hours, and on my days off (which are not the weekend, but mid-week) I'm catching up on everything else but sewing. Like sleep, laundry, grocery shopping, ... you get the idea. Now that Roland is the stay at home spouse, we're in negotiations for a new division of duties, though, so fingers crossed that will all go smoothly. I think with a little hand holding, he'll even figure out what you do in a kitchen. And, truthfully, probably be even better at cooking than I am (which is a low bar, by the way).

With that out of the way, do you remember the saga of my new kitchen window seats? Way back when, the project stalled after I had made their muslin covers. There was fabric to choose, blah, blah, blah. I'm happy to report that I have one of them covered! And have started on the other, with kind of a plan to make 3 cushions into one. We'll see if it works. And the fabric? Nothing that I showed you at all. You see, with the window seat being primarily a dog perch, we decided on a faux leather from fabric.com that can just be wiped off. Voila!

Excuse the bad photo. It's kind of a coppery color, and really looks good with the painting on the wall (which you can't see). We're still waiting for the table to be delivered, so, well, that's all I have to say about that.

I've got some black knit from my stash ready to be whipped up into a renfrew, and though I have probably lost my mind, I'm going to attempt to do the Thurlow sew along hosted by Lauren of Lladybird fame. Click on the badge in the sidebar and you'll go right to the details. This will be a good excuse to get a great pair of trousers. I'm sorry to say that they will be ... black. As will a couple skirts I have in the queue. Do not come here for gorgeous prints. Well, at least not at the moment.

Oh, almost forgot! The lovely Denise at the Blue Gardenia featured me recently (well, back in September) in her "sew to dress" feature, along with an adorable McCall's pattern, perfect for my new shop girl persona. Please go take a look if you missed it previously.

I've missed my sewing and blogging friends, and will attempt to post now and then, but trust that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but am simply to tired to even type. And if you need a bridesmaid dress or mother of the bride dress and, the horrors, aren't making it yourself (hee hee), drop in and see me at Bridals by Lori in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Yes, it's the bridal salon in Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta. I'm not on TV, though, so don't get all excited. Should that happen, believe me, I'll let y'all know!!

Also, I'm still reading your blogs... just can't comment as often because sometimes its just a quick read on my phone. Trust me, you all rock at all your projects!!

Frozen English Muffins

These Me Made May posts can get, well, honestly, a little dull. This is what I wore today, yada, yada, yada. Today, I thought I'd start with a little story. You know (or really, you should because I think I've mentioned it) that we're about to remodel our kitchen. Before the contractors start their magic though, we're required to empty everything out, and pack it up. We won't be using our main refrigerator since we have a back up in the basement.


In order to go down from two fridges to one, that means some cleaning out. Yeah, the frozen chicken drumsticks dated 2005 had to go. Straight to the trash. But the frozen English muffins from a couple of years ago? Well, someone might be able to eat those, right? Someone furry or feathery that lives outside? Hubby Roland would think I was crazy (well, he might anyway), so while he was getting dressed this morning, I went out to fling the frozen hockey puck-like muffins into an inconspicuous area near the driveway. It has to be the front yard because I don't want my own doggies to eat them.


So, I quietly fling and get the job done. Alas, the bathroom blinds were not closed, and as he was crossing the bathroom, he noticed odd white objects flying onto the upper "pasture". Totally a WTH moment for him. He's hoping the critters aren't on a low carb diet, and thankfully, it was warm enough (upper 70sF) that no squirrel would chip a tooth on a muffin and sue us. 


Day 14 (Monday)

Top: Butterick 5328
Shorts: Kwik Sew 3614

 I have a love-hate relationship with this top, and I think the hate is winning out. The gapping drove me crazy, so I deployed the safety pin, but this may be the last wearing.


Day 15 (Tuesday)

Top: Ann Taylor
Skirt: Sewaholic Crescent Skirt

Day 16 (Wednesday)


A better look at what I wore yesterday:

Top: Renfrew Pink
Skirt: Half a Crepe Wrap First seen on Day 1

Day 17 (today)

Top: Vogue 8536
Skirt: Denim "half a Crepe" worn on Day 7

I've worn this top a lot, and sadly, it has shrunk in length, so tucking was really my only option, but I think it looks ok.


Finally, wanna see the English muffins? Some of them have been eaten.

My Name is Ellen and I'm a Sewaholic.

This post has SO much to cover and I'm sorry it's on a Saturday when, according to my stats, y'all just don't read blogs. Well, be that as it may... let's start with the mini photo challenge for Me Made May. An ugly place. Sad, but I didn't really leave my house yesterday, so I went trolling for said "ugly place" in my house. Found one.

Eeeps, please tell me you have a closet like this in your home. See that red bag in the lower right hand corner? I made that, oh, 20 years ago for Laura (you can see the "L", right?) to haul around her little girl stuff. It probably still has little girl stuff in it, I didn't check. Let's take a better look at my outfit though, and I'll tell you what I'm wearing.

Top: Sewaholic Renfrew Blue
Skirt: Sewaholic Crescent skirt... new!

OK, the new crescent skirt had some alterations, but this is my 2nd one for me, so I'll just direct you to the post for the first one, since I used the same traced pattern pieces. I've lost  misplaced the envelope, but I could probably guess that it says not suitable for plaids. Pshaw, I say! Well, not really, but I did try to make it work. You can see they kinda sorta match along the side seam, and if my hand wasn't in the pocket, you would see that the pocket (which I had to piece because of a fabric shortage), also kinda sorta matches. Where the trouble comes is in the yoke. Exhibit 1:

The curved seams in the side fronts and backs are just NOT going to match completely. No way, no how. But I can live with it, and I'm mostly going to wear my shirt untucked, so there you have it.


Let's just get today's outfit(s) out of the way, too. I'll call this:


Day 12


Did I mention we're about to renovate our kitchen? I think I did. Anyway, it's got to be emptied, and this morning my job was the pantry. After breakfast, I just got right to it, and, guess what? My pj's are "me made" (well the pants anyway).

Look. Empty pantry. Hmmm, don't think I'd brushed my hair yet. Those pjs are mostly self-drafted. You'll be happy to know that just before lunch I managed to shower and get dressed for, you know, possible lounging around on a Saturday afternoon. Or more likely, emptying a couple more cabinets at least.

The dogs let me squeeze in between them for this picture of me in my 2nd Renfrew and the denim mini skirt I wore on day 5.


Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

A Cambie Skirt for Day 9

A Cambie skirt? You read that right. As a pattern tester for the Sewaholic Cambie pattern (have you ordered yours yet?) I made the full skirted version, but that A-line skirt was calling my name, and I had the perfect fabric. Yesterday, a friend of mine and I went to the Roswell Womans Club Showcase Home to oooh and aaah (and support the fundraiser), and I had her snap a picture in the showhouse of my entire me made outfit, featuring this new skirt. (Disclaimer: she had never taken a cell phone picture... I know.. so it's a really bad picture.)

Raincoat: Sewaholic Minoru Jacket
Top: McCall's 5522
Skirt: A-line Cambie skirt

A few more details about the skirt... I made the straight size 14 without any alterations, except maybe the length. The length was dictated by the border print on this Echino linen. I lined it because the linen is kind of scratchy. I put an invisible zipper in it and had it go all the way to the top of the waistband. And that's about it. It's a great a-line skirt!

This picture is a little better. The rain had stopped and the sun came out, but it was still on the cool side, upper 60s. I did some topstitching around the waistband and the pocket openings, and you can't really see it, but my thread color matches that yellow strip at the hemline.


Day 10


Might as well add today's outfit to the post. It's a rerun. Temperature in the mid-70s, sunny and gorgeous. I got to enjoy the morning at the dentist, and the afternoon napping off a headache. Yippee. Once the headache subsided, I did finish another skirt and think I'll wear it tomorrow.

Top: Vogue 8151
Jeans: Talbots
Can you see the dog?

Did You Hear the Sewaholic News?

I bet you did! But if you missed it, Tasia, of Sewaholic fame, has introduced her next pattern, the Cambie dress. I was one of her pattern testers. This was my first experience at pattern testing, and right off the bat I'd like to say how fun it was, and how professional Tasia is in all her communication with the testing group.


But back to my dress! A couple of you in the Me Made May flickr group guessed the pattern from my sneak peak yesterday (since it was my outfit for Day 4). And here ya go:

I made the full skirted version from some Amy Butler twill I had in my stash from one or two years ago. Chevrons seem to be really "in" these days, even though this isn't my favorite fabric. I'm also wearing a skinny belt, which after looking at the picture I think I could (should?) do without. There is a separate waistband (a feature I love)... it isn't just bodice attached to skirt.


More details?

Without the belt. Let's see... I made the bodice in a size 10 with some alterations, mostly addressing what I thought was a sway back, but which seems to be turning out to be more of an upper back issue. I also discovered that angling the side seam straight out from a 10 to a 14 did weird things to the bustline, and have a better fitting, if curvier, side seam that fits snug to my shape. The skirt is a straight size 14, though I may have played around with the length (as in, I can't remember if I lengthened it, or shortened it, but this is not the length of the skirt pattern piece.

 I also played around with the straps, though the front strap is pretty true to the pattern, just placed closer to the center to completely cover my bra strap.

The back cap sleeve part looked really strange on my (though I'm not sure I really made it better.


Initially, I feared that this pattern might be too youthful, but I think I'm pulling it off. I think it can be a very versatile pattern, and would even be wonderful as a bridemaid's dress for many body types. The sweetheart neckline gives it a strapless feel, but (duh) there are straps, which some girls prefer (that was an issue with my daughter's bridesmaids).


Just for fun, I made the other version, but without the bodice, so it's, well, again, duh, an a-line skirt. For which I have absolutely zero pictures. I'm planning to wear it next week though, so stay tuned for that.


A parting (candid) shot. And I love it with the flats I wore yesterday, better than the heels I had on in the brick wall pic. Oh, and one other thought... this dress is completely lined. And that made it really hot and sweaty yesterday. It was in the mid-80s and quite muggy. I'm sorry, but it's true. Cotton sundresses in Atlanta... awesome. Lined, cotton sundresses in Atlanta... not as great.

Renfrew 2 and Renfrew 3

I love this pattern! I think this is the first time ever that I've used the same pattern 3 times in less than a month! The Sewaholic Renfrew tee shirt is officially a TNT! The 2nd and 3rd versions were short sleeve V-necks. I made it just like the first one, size wise, and only raised the v-neck 1".

Meet the Renfrew Black Stripe. I had this blue ITY knit left over from making a yoga skirt, and was hoping there was enough for something else. It was, but I didn't have the length for the front bodice without cutting it in half (or thereabouts). I didn't make the stripe go all the way around because I just didn't want to bother with matching. I know. Lazy. Biggest design change... no sleeve band, and I lengthened the sleeve just a bit.

The Renfrew Pink. I used a jersey knit from fabric.com, possibly a bamboo. It's pretty thin, but making it a little bit loose helps avoid seeing all the lumps and bumps. I love this color, and will be wearing this a lot! Can't see them too well, but I did use the bands on the sleeves this time.


I've got more knits waiting to become tees, but currently under the needle is another Colette Jasmine top with a couple of twists. I should have finished it yesterday, but Roland bought me an iPad. Um, not much got done after it arrived...

Renfrew #1

I've been sewing and sewing... a special project that's not quite ready for prime time. In the meantime, I whipped up a Sewaholic Patterns Renfrew tee. Easy, peasy. I'm kind of a mixer-matcher when it comes to patterns, so I made view B, short sleeves... check... with the view A neckline... scoop neck... check! And I ditched the band.


The best part about this pattern? No alterations! Well, one teeny one, and I hardly call it an alteration. I traced the size 10, and around the waistline level, I veered out to the size 12. The length without the band is perfect for my short little self. I could probably even cut the size 8 for the top part (or just a straight size 10), but I like my knit tops a little loose. The next one (and there will be a next one) I may raise the neckline just a skosh.


Anyway. I'm calling this color cadet blue, and it's a short sleeve t-shirt. Meet the Renfrew Blue:

Finished: The Sewaholic Minoru Jacket

Yep, I "participated" in the Sewaholic Minoru jacket sew along. And by participated, I mean that I made my Minoru jacket at the same time that the sew along was happening. Only a lot quicker. And this is not a criticism of the sew along, but more of an issue of when I could actually sit down and sew.




Never mind that, though, and let's just get on with seeing the pictures and some observations. First, my fabric is a raincoating from Gorgeous Fabrics, and the lining is from fabric.com. With that out of the way, here ya go complete with observations:

• this is definitely not a beginner pattern. With the sew along, advanced begginer. Without it, intermediate at least.
• my semi-plasticky raincoating frayed a lot.
• if you look closely, you will see that the hem doesn't line up in the center front.

• I cut the size 12, and only made one alteration
• I shortened the sleeves by 2-1/2" inches!
• my cuffs look a little weird. I think that's more of a fabric issue.

• I love the collar with the zipper and hidden hood.
• did you read about my fraying fabric?
• I should have lined the hood, even with the finishing of the seam.
• it is quite possible to iron this raincoating fabric, even without a press cloth. From the line going horizontally across my butt, it appears that I missed a spot.

• I didn't add the inside pocket because with all the coats I've ever owned with inside pockets, I've never used them.
• I think I used the wrong side of the lining as the right side. It was hard to tell. Oops.
• my inside hem looks, well, pretty bad. Did you read about the uneven hem meeting in the front? All related.

• I did put outside pockets in the side seams. I can't have a coat without them.
• I put them a little bit too low.
• Can you tell that I'm actually wearing it in the rain?

• though entirely functional, I look dumb with the hood up, and this is the best pic I have of it being worn. None from the front.
• I love the length.

Conclusion: it's a great jacket pattern! I particularly like it in this lightweight version. If I were to make it with a bulkier fabric/lining, I would go up a size, and then make a better adjustment to the back length so it didn't get too bunchy.

Minoru Sew Along

I'm doing it! The sew along. Really, you can tell because I've got the badge over there. You can't tell by the actual work I've done on it, but I have all the supplies. The fabric, the zipper, the lining, the elastic.


I'm going to show it to you in just a minute. But first, I'm gonna show off my new facebook badge "Like" thingie over there. To the right and down just a little. Just in case you missed it when you're reading the fascinating prose and seeing the awesome pictures. ;)


It's gonna be a raincoat.

Raincoating from Gorgeous Fabrics, lining from fabric.com, separating zipper from Sew True Supplies.

Crescent and Shorts

The crescent skirt is finished!! Actually, I finished it yesterday, but I'll do the full reveal when I give it to Laura and can get some pictures of her in it. I love the voile fabric. It almost feels like silk. But about the zipper. I might give this technique one more try, but I'm just not happy with the outcome. It does look ok, but it's not really hard to get way better results. And I do love the crescent skirt, and how flattering it is, and how easy it is to make (zipper aside). A sneak peak of just the zipper:

If you're participating in Me Made June, you're probably well aware that June is just around the corner! The gaps in my wardrobe are screaming, so I've been sewing like crazy! I won't show you everything before June, because there could be some boring days full of repeats, but suffice it to say there are a couple of "not my usual style" kinds of things that I'm really loving!

One thing I will show you, that I'm pretty excited about is the pair of shorts I just finished. I haven't really made any pants successfully, so I was a little nervous about this project. I chose Kwik Sew 3614, and read the reviews on Pattern Review. Several said the pockets pooched out, but I got my cocky sewing attitude on, and thought "not MY pockets". *sheepishly* Here's ya go:

I used some cotton twill from my stash, that has a teeny bit of stretch. I felt like these were kind of going to be a "muslin" of sorts, and while the fit is pretty good, it does need some tweaking. For one, my next pair will have some different kinds of pockets. I've got a cute idea for them, so stay tuned for that. Next, the shorts are a little big, so taking in on the sides will be necessary.

I think I'll also attempt some welt pockets for the back on my next pair. And I'll make them a skosh shorter. Finally, there's the issue of the rise. Here's the skinny. I traced the size Large. But I have a super short rise in the front, so after tracing the large, I had the tracing tissue over the pattern, and simply traced the XS (yes, EXTRA small) waistband line, extending it out to the side seams. I took out an inch in the back to help the side seams match better. And it still seems like there's a bit too much fabric at the crotch level. If I pull them up as high as they want to go, they are an inch over my belly button. Oh, my. So, a bit more tweaking there, but that's it!

I'm loving the waistband, too. I don't/won't usually wear my shirts tucked in, but this doesn't really look too bad.

Finally, I finished a top today, that I'm not 100% sure about, but I'll talk about it tomorrow. Do you want a sneak peak though?

Crescent Skirt Zipper Insertion (with lining)

I'll be the first to admit it, I had trouble with my zipper with crescent skirt #1. I'm embracing the imperfection the resulted, and yeah... "I meant to do it that way!" But it was with eager anticipation for the sew along to get to this step, so I could have some visual aids, and I think I know where I went wrong. Nevertheless, I'm going slow, and definitely "sewing along."

Like yesterday, for those of you that are adding a lining, I thought I'd give you your own visual aids of the lining with zipper. The instructions are no different, so I'll just point you to Tasia's post for today (Crescent Sew Along #20) for the words.

And for the visual aids (aka, pictures):

Ready to sew side 1. Note that my center back seam has NOT been sewn yet.

Turn your lining inside out to prepare for side 2.

After sewing (I swear I rotated this picture when I edited it, and for the life of me it won't stay rotated), inside view. I have now gone ahead and sewn the center back seam up to the bottom of the zipper. If need be, I'm a whiz at ripping out stitches.

Right side out view. Can you see that the bottom of the facing doesn't line up? I'm reasonably certain that my daughter won't ever wear her skirt inside out, so I can live with it.

Hope these pics help!