A couple of shirt dresses and help me pick a haircut!

It's Friday!! I love Fridays. We don't do school (and judging by all the kids out on the driveway, neither do many other homeschoolers on our street). I try not to make plans on Fridays, unless it's the beach or pool or something equally easy and relaxing. And on Friday nights, we have a fun dinner, put the kids to bed, Casey and I open a bottle of wine and watch a movie or catch up on shows. Right now, it's The Middle. I think that show ties with Last Man Standing as my fave comedy.

Anyway! Since it's Friday and I have no plans and the kids are outside playing, I got to take pics of two out of three dresses I've made recently! (The third is in the laundry, I just can't stop wearing it.)

I ordered this amazing owl rayon challis from Fabric.com. I love it so much! Those wise little owls, they just kill me.

The pattern is Vogue 8810, which I made a couple times two Summers ago. Back then I made it in cotton and denim and sized it down to be more fitted. But, I've been pinning a lot of drapier shirt dresses lately and this pattern seemed perfect for this fabric. Here's a close-up of the owls. 

I put this fabric on Instagram after I ordered it and someone notified me that the new Sewaholic pattern used this fabric on one of the sample garments!! I'm glad I snatched it first, I bet it's gone now ;)

Next up, I'd bought this purple linen at my local fabric store and couldn't decide what to do with it. Look up linen dresses on Pinterest and you'll see mostly art-teacher looks or shapeless sacks. Neither of those looks are for me. So I pulled out my patterns and decided on McCall's 6885, although I made so many changes, I'm not sure it's fair to cite the pattern!

 As I mentioned in my last post, I don't love collars, so instead of attaching the collar, I scooped out the neckline and bound with self-made bias tape instead. I also shaped the side seams to my waist. I needed more curve in the back, despite my swayback adjustment, so I added two long darts so the back would be fitted to my body. The pattern does include ties, but I'm not a huge fan, so this was a perfect solution. And, I love a good shirttail hem! I like this dress. The linen is soft and really keeps me cool when it's hot out.

On another note! I have appointment to get a hair cut. In March, so I have awhile. My hair has shifted from pretty curly, to half wavy, have weird. Haha. Dang hormones. Anyway, I've pinned a bunch, I'd love some opinions! I do plan on also getting highlights. My hair's texture doesn't seem to like highlights when it's long, but they work great when it's short! 

Those are my top four! So, super short or semi-short, that is the question. (You can find links to all these cuts on my Style board here. )

Vogue 1387

I almost always love Rebecca Taylor's designs. In fact, I've only made a handful of Vogue patterns and I think they've all been Rebecca Taylor.

I mentioned that I recently found where my fabric store here hides the little shelf of rayon prints! This is one I snatched up. A downside of fabric shopping here is that coupons don't exist for fabric stores and things don't go on sale either. Halloween costumes were much pricier to make this year, to say the least! I told Casey to slap me if I ever complain about JoAnn's on the mainland again, haha! But these rayon prints are $5.99, which is pretty great, I think.

I think it turned out nice! I will say, there's gotta be a lot of pins on the pattern envelope model to keep that neckline where it's at. It gapes A LOT! I ended up topstitching the wrap part to keep it in place. I do not do camis here in Hawaii. Even so, the neckline is shifty. But, the top is very comfortable and I feel pretty in it.

On a different topic, I realized in recent months that I have hardly taken any photos with my big camera this whole year. It's partly because iphone tech has gotten so great that I don't always find it necessary to take my camera with me places. But, it's also because my D90 just hasn't been on it's best behavior. It got slightly damaged on our road trip from Virginia to Colorado last Spring and it just hasn't really been the same since, making it not really fun to take pictures. It has a really hard time focusing and the colors come out really off, no matter how I tweek the settings. I really feel like this has contributed to my lack of blogging lately, since part of the fun for me has always been practicing and improving my photography!

So today I pulled out my old D50 and charged it up to try some pictures. They came out so much better. So now I know it's not just me, there really is a problem with the camera! So now, I can't decided if I want to spend the money on repairs or just use my D50 for awhile while I save for an upgrade. I borrowed a friend's spare D200 once and can't get that camera out of my mind. It was lovely. Maybe said friend still has it, doesn't use it, and would consider selling it to me ;)

At any rate, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Enjoy again this video I posted last year of a song that I could listen to over and over at Christmas time and never be tired of it :)

Vogue 1395

I am often drawn to Rebecca Taylor's designs when new Vogue patterns are released. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one, especially after several versions and reviews of it started popping up! My friend Jenn picked it up for me during a sale and in the same box she sent that, she sent this awesome polka-dot rayon she'd texted me about when she was at JoAnn's once. I asked for three yards and knew it would be perfect for this dress!

 Lots of reviewers had some issues with this pattern. Most said the armholes were low and almost everyone said the narrow hems on the ties were impossible. I didn't have a problem with the narrow hems, as Vogue's method is the one I almost always use anyway, especially on curves, so I've had lots of practice with the method. As for the fit, when I tried this on, I thought it was a wadder. The shoulders slid way backward, my bra showed through the arm holes and when I shifted it all forward to where it was supposed to be, the ties no longer covered the elastic waistline! Oh and the sleeves stuck straight out because they are bound, not just hemmed. But I tried it on again the next day and ended up just taking extra chunks out of the shoulders/sleeves (big chunks, I pinched over an inch out of each one.) This fixed all the problems completely. I think it'll be a new favorite for sure.

 The construction is different, but I do think the instructions were written with beginners in mind, although I still think beginners would need help on some of the techniques. Some things you just don't understand 'til you've done them. Just follow directions and you'll be fine!

So while this dress might be a new fave, I'm struggling with what to do with my old faves!! Some of the handmade dresses in my closet are ready to be phased out, but boy, is it hard to get rid of handmade things!!! Some of them I'll try to refashion or at least use the fabric for smaller items, if not clothing. My style has evolved quite a bit this year and some of those dresses aren't really the current "me". Time to let go, but it is hard to give away my hard work!

Oh, and you totally wanted to see a picture of a snail before I left you, right??

You're welcome :)

two sewn things and blogging pressures.

I lost my sewing mojo for a few weeks! And maybe my blogging mojo a bit too, if I'm being honest. I think the blogging world has changed drastically over the past year or two and I'm not gonna lie, I don't love what it's become. I open my feed on Bloglovin' and out of all the sewing blogs I follow, probably half of them are doing the same thing all the time--reviewing the same $25 indie pattern that they incidentally received for free, participating in a blog tour from another indie pattern company, sewing up the such-and-such dress for such-and-such blogger's link-up or the such-and-such sewing network (ahem, Vogue), or whatever. Blah. No offense ... I think it's boring. Even things like Project Sewn, which could be so fun, choose the same bloggers that get chosen for everything else. Why is that? I don't get it. Can we see some skills and ideas from lesser known sewists for a change ?? Do the prettiest blogs always have to win or can those who don't own their domain names join in the fun too? (I am not talking about wanting to be invited myself, I do not sew well under pressure, ha!)

I miss the sewing bloggers that sew from the big four pattern companies that we can all afford, post their free amateur tutorials for us all to enjoy and that include snippets of their real lives too. Those are the blogs I'm having a hard time finding! Are we getting fewer and farther between or am I just not looking in the right places? Are the bloggers with more modest followings and few comments per post getting discouraged because they don't have the time or money or desire to keep up with the changing blogiverse? (I made that word up ;)

At any rate, I'd like some ideas for blogs to follow that fit these criteria! Leave your favorite, but relatively unknown family life or crafting or sewing blogs in the comments so I can check them out!

Moving on :)

I have two things to show you. The pictures are not stellar. I haven't found my favorite photo spot at my new house yet. I miss my brick wall from two houses ago! That spot was so perfect.

The first is a dress I made for July 4th that I really love. I had a gingham from the thrift store that I decided to make a sun dress out of:

 I used the bodice from the Cynthia Rowley pattern, Simplicity 1688, but wanted a more casual skirt so the skirt is Simplicity 2588, a tried and true pattern for me. I like that it's pleated instead of gathered, which gives it a more mature, less sweet look. And I moved the zipper from the side to the center back.

I accidentally made my straps too short! So I got creative and made fabric loops and sewed buttons on to extend them in the back. I used a pop of green thread to sew the buttons on and that is now my favorite part of the dress! A happy accident.

Before that, though, I was making some old things new and made New Look 6285 from the skirt part of an Ann Taylor outlet dress that didn't look very good on me.

 I actually think these photos look alright, maybe I've found my new spot after all! This is my lanai off our master bedroom. You should see the view at sunset!

I bought this pattern because I love how you can mix and match snippets of fabrics, like with this lace and this knit. I wouldn't have had enough fabric for the whole top without the lace inset so this pattern was perfect. It's definitely a looser fit than on the pattern envelope, though, so keep that in mind if you make it. I prefer a loose top in this climate!

In other news, I have found my new fabric store!!!! It is so cool. It's literally an open warehouse in an alley, piled from floor to ceiling with awesome fabrics. If you follow me on Instagram (my user name is nikkischreiner), then you may have seen my posts about that and about the humpback whale print I am making a button down shirt out of! I had to order buttons so I'm waiting on those, but I cannot wait to show you that because it is awesoooome!!!

Cheers! And don't forget to link me to your fave blogs! Or YOUR blog, for that matter! Or your Instagram page, I really love Instagram, I'd love to follow more sewers and blog buddies :)

back to regular scheduled programming

I have really been enjoying the handful of blogs I read this week! Everyone seems to be back to their regular lives, after all the Christmas hubbub and sewing for themselves again. Including me!

I bought the Lady Skater dress pattern with my birthday money and finally got a chance to try it out. I had a sweater-ish knit in my stash. I had plans for a drapey cardigan or something, but finding out about our move to Hawaii had me rethinking sewing anything long sleeved or warm. So I used it for this dress instead. I'm liking it!

 Try to focus on the dress and not my hair, ha! It is super windy ... and I'm trying to grow my bangs out. Recipe for a bad hair day. But the dress! I lined it with a lightweight super-soft grey rayon knit I scored on clearance at JoAnn's because the light blue parts of this fabric are almost sheer. It feels SO soft and comfortable.

 I am pleased to have overcome a huge fitting hurtle by learning to do a swayback adjustment. I noticed that clothes on me tend to always have extra fabric in the center back. Things with a waistline seam always tend to pull back on my shoulders, raising the hem in the front, making me look almost maternity. And things with no waistline seam always floated so far away from my back arch, which looked so frumpy from the side. Then I stumbled on this post and my sewing world was rocked! I've done a swayback adjustment on the last three things I've made and they all fit great!! You can see in these pics, I'm having no extra fabric issues in the back and my waistline seam and hem are hanging straight. Yay!

I can't wait to make this up in a couple other fabrics, it's such an easy everyday dress to wear. I'll for sure be making some sleeveless versions too.

On to the Spring patterns! Both McCall's and Vogue put their early Spring lines up. I hit the 5 for $7 sale at JoAnn's yesterday and got all the McCall's I wanted, which was a lot this time! Here are my picks:

6886: A simple knit dress pattern. If I can get the fit right, I think this could be a useful basic for me.

Next, 6887:

6891: I have the perfect plaid fabric in my stash already, I like the sleeveless view:

6865: 

I like what they did with this pattern on this drawing:

6890: I bought a rayon yesterday on clearance that I'm excited to make this into. I think I'll try view C with the lace inset first because I have the perfect not-too-granny lace to match my new rayon :) Lace can be a tricky thing to pull off! 

Next up, 6905: It's been forever since I've bought a purse pattern! I like this view, but not the quilty cotton look. I do like the stripes, though. I'm thinking a striped canvas with more sophisticated straps, maybe even leather!

Lastly, the irresistible 6904: Doll sports clothes! Check out the shin guards!!

Whew! That was a lot, I think I'll save my couple of Vogue picks for another day. Did you hit the JoAnn's sale this week? What did you get?

two tried, two true

I made second versions of two recent favorites.

I got so many positive comments on my latest Vogue dress, both here and on patternreview.com! As soon as I finished that one, I knew it would be a perfect design for this print I picked up at Denver Fabrics, which I'm pretty sure was part of the Liberty of London for Target line that everyone went nuts over a couple years ago.

I love this version just as much as the solid blue chambray one!!

We've had a couple cool and rainy days here. It's been lovely, but I'd like another month of sunshine at least!!
In the meantime, though, an umbrella makes a fun prop ;)

 Yep, I think an umbrella must come with me to my next photo shoot!

In case you're interested, this was my second version of Vogue 8810, which I reviewed here.

Before that, though, I made another version of my recent ruffle shirt, Simplicity 1886, which I reviewed here. Shortly after I made that top (which I've already worn several times!) I bought this two-sided double gauze at Denver Fabrics. I knew this same pattern would be the perfect design to showcase both sides!

 Isn't this fabric so cool???

That wrapped up the Summer sewing I was wanting to do before our exodus to Virginia. I have a TON of Fall sewing plans for both me and the kids, but I think I still have plenty of time. When does Fall (meaning long-sleeves and hot Starbucks weather) arrive in Virginia. Anyone?

In other news:

• We started school today. It went awesome :)
• I quit shampoo. More on that later, in a long and informative blog post, haha. 
• Natalie just decided she wants to be a Mexican Princess for Halloween. As she's watching Strictly Ballroom. Best movie ever. The costume plans change almost daily, all year round.
• Our kids got crazy excited over a trip to a thrift store yesterday--we are a nerd family. 
• We started reading the Chronicles of Narnia out loud to the kids and we are all loving it. 
• I cleaned out my little girl patterns yesterday :( My girls are too big for most of them. One daughter is too mature for the sweet ruffly looks and the other daughter just prefers pants and shorts and wants to look "cool", not "cute". I'm trying to encourage her in her own style. I want to let her be herself, which makes me thankful for the lines of patterns designed by Disney Channel stars past and present--even though my girls don't know those characters, they like their clothes, haha. And my friend Jennica will be getting some awesome little girl patterns ;)

That's all! 

Cheers :-D

Winding

Well, as time before our move winds down, our school year is winding up! I've spent this week planning our next few weeks of school before we have to pack it up and move across the country a bit over a month from now. I've had a few people tell me I'm crazy for trying to school through a move, but Summer, after July, finds my kiddos a little lazy--too much TV is being watched, not enough chores are being done and we all are starting to itch for a little routine. So we're jumping in.

I have started to wind down my Summer sewing also. I have two more pieces I'd like to sew up before packing up. I cut one out yesterday, maybe I'll get it done by this weekend. I managed a breezy rayon dress last week. I wore it to church Sunday and really liked it:

 This picture is not great. I need to teach Natalie to focus on the person, not on the brick wall ;)

 It's McCall's 6678. I liked the modified shirt dress look with a drawstring waist. And I love a shirttail hem.

I used peachy orange buttons, which I think are perfect!! I made a couple changes. I shortened the hem by two inches in front and one inch in the sides and back. It was a frumpy length before and I like things to hit above my knee, not below. Also, the sleeves were a little ridiculous.  They are large and they stuck straight out. I tried it on and just manipulated a pleat into each sleeve and then took it off and attached the pleats with buttons. After those changes, I'm pretty happy with it, but in the future will stick to my new favorite modified shirt dress pattern, Vogue 8810, which does not require a cami underneath like this one does because of the massive arm holes. 

I'm pretty excited about our school year, as broken up as it's going to be with two moves in the next 8 months. I'd love to come back in the next few days and show you which materials I'll be using! This will be our best year yet :)

My new favorite dress

I don't buy a lot of Vogue patterns, but sometimes when they're on sale for $3.99, I pick out one or two. Call me cheap, but when the other companies go on for $.99, four bucks can seem like a lot, haha.

I have been looking for the perfect shirt dress pattern. I didn't want it to be the straight kind with a sash or belt because that's just not a flattering cut for me. So I wanted one with a skirt and I do have a pattern like that, but it has a fitted waistband also and I wanted it to be more comfortable for everyday than that.  I know, I'm so picky!!

But, I flipped through the catalog just for kicks since I was at JoAnn and saw Vogue 8810. I loved the more paper bag style of this one and the drawstring would make it so comfortable! I had a dark denim colored stretch chambray and hand so after making a quick muslin, I got to work. And I LOVE IT!!

 The fit is perfect, although I sized down from what I normally make because I thought it had more ease than I wanted on the model. I also thought the waist looked low on her so I shortened my bodice by using the petite fold lines on the pattern pieces. It actually made for a perfect length, thankfully.

 I found the perfect buttons at Hobby Lobby. They add to the casual look, I think.

 I didn't quite have enough fabric (long plackets like these, since you need to cut four of them, take a lot of fabric) so I pulled a vintage cotton from my stash and used it for the placket lining and the pockets. I love how it peeks out from my hem occasionally when I walk.

This will be so easy to style for Fall too. Just add a long sleeved tee underneath or a cardigan on top and some boots or flats.

I love this dress so much, I'm thinking of making another one out of the Liberty for Target print I showed you the other day! I just need some underlining for it. In the mean time, I promised two little girls some doll bathing suits ;)

Summer to Fall to Winter

I love turning my sewn Summer garments into outfits that work for Fall and Winter. The key is just to add layers. I may actually love certain pieces more when I discover I can switch them around and get more mileage out of them! Here are a few ways I've done this recently.

I made this Vogue dress last Spring. I liked it a lot when standing, but that interesting skirt yolk was not flattering at all when I sat down. Having had three babies, I do not need clothes that emphasize my lower belly, if ya know what I mean. (For the record, I do not do Spanx. In my opinion, if it's too tight to wear without suck-in-all-in undies, it's just too tight). Thus, I never wore it. UNTIL... I pulled it out and thought about what I could do to make it wearable because I really love the rayon knit and the print. I simply cut that lower yolk off and sewed the skirt back on. And loved it :) By that time, though, it was already Fall and too chilly to wear it as is. So last week, I grabbed a blue wrap cardigan I recently finished (never blogged, but it's the same pattern as this pink one I made) and layered the two.

 The following week, I grabbed a simple blue rayon sundress (also never blogged, whoops) that I made at the end of Summer. I layered it with a white sweater and tights and boots cause it was really snowy and cold on Sunday. Then, after church, I ditched the tights and put skinny jeans under it instead. I was really comfy all day.

I'm inspired to find more ways to stretch my wardrobe! I find that cardigans are invaluable for this concept, which is why I've made a few this season and just bought two yesterday at Target, because they're on sale for $15 this week, FYI! I got a gray one and a cute polka-dot green one. How do you adapt your handmade things?

Another Vogue winner!

I can't believe I only just recently started using Vogue patterns, because seriously, they're a cut above. When they go on sale for $3.99 at JoAnn's, I usually grab one, just to start building my collection. I bought Vogue 1152 awhile ago and finally got some fabric for it a few months ago.
Here's my result:

 I love all the great details on this dress! The front gathering and piping are unique and the sleeves are puffy, but not too puffy. I actually finished this a month ago, I just needed to get a cami to go underneath, which I finally did. The neckline is pretty low, so this was a necessity if I want to wear this anywhere other than a date with Casey. The hem, though, is one of my favorite parts!

I was nervous about that hem, cause nothing can ruin a dress like a wonky hem, but Vogue's instructions were amazing. I've never had a curvy hem turn out so well before!

We don't have much planned this weekend, which is unusual, actually, so I may get some more sewing in! I can't wait to show you the yellow corduroy skirt I've been working on!! Things take me a bit longer now that I only sew in the evenings, but the results are still so worth it. It's also making me think more carefully about prioritizing projects. Anyone else have Christmas sewing on the brain already? Just me? Okay, then.

Til next time!