Sew Chic Give Away Winner

My apologies! I had said that I would announce the winner of the Sew Chic Simplicity Pattern on Monday. I'm a day late. The day just got away from me and I forget. So once again, my apologies.
So without further delay, the winner of Laura's new pattern for Simplicity Patterns is.......

Congratulations Guffdragon!!! I think you will really enjoy sewing with Laura :) Please email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing information.

Sew Chic and Sew Fabulous! A Celebration and a Give Away

Quite a few years back, I fell in love with a movie entitled, "Seven Years In Tibet." There's a line in the movie that I thought was especially poignant,

"The success of a friend is a true blessing."

Well, today, that is especially true. Laura Nash of Sew Chic Patterns will now be designing a line of patterns for Simplicity, WOO HOO!!!! I couldn't be happier for her. If you'll remember, our first Sew News sew along of the year was Laura's Valentine Slip. 

Being not only the lovely, but gracious lady that Laura is, she would like to say thank you for making the Valentine Slip sew along such a success by offering to give away 1 of her new Simplicity patterns to one of you. Here's a look at the pattern,

The dress has an elongated waistline with princess line seams through the bodice. The pattern also comes with the cute little bolero jacket. I see so many possibilities with this pattern, and I love the twirly skirt.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Laura's new Simplicity pattern, 

1. Leave a message on this post

2. Go to this page and sign up for the sew along. 

3. You must leave a message on this post AND sign up for the sew along in order to have a chance at winning the free pattern.

*A note on the sew along. The sew along will actually begin on Monday July 13, 2015. Laura decided to push the date back just a bit in order to give everyone who would like to sew along with her a chance to purchase their pattern.

The winner of the free pattern will be announced this upcoming Monday, July 6, 2015.

Congratulations Laura and best wishes toward your future success!!!!  

Sew Chic, The Final Week and What's To Come!

The final post for the Sew Chic Valentine Slip sew along is up on the Sew News blog. I am so happy to say that I now have 3 beautiful new slips! In this week's post I talk in detail about...details!!!

You can find the post HERE, and I have included the video below for you to take a look at if you like.


Now for a what's to come preview.
The next sew along will be the Decades of Style Arches Skirt. The skirt is based on a vintage pattern. I shortened mine and gave it a little more modern twist. I think you'll like it. The good news is that Sew News is having a fabulous sale at the moment, 20% off everything in their store so this is the time to get your pattern. You can find the Decades of Style Arches Skirt pattern HERE. If by chance you've decided that you would like to give the Sew Chic Valentine Slip pattern a try, you can find that pattern HERE.

Thanks so much for joining me in the sew along. I know I had a good time :)

The Sew News Sew Chic Sew Along

We're a little late this week with getting the sew along post up this week for the Sew Chic Valentine Slip, but it's up and very detailed. The bodice of the Sew Chic Slip has 5 very small little pieces that can seem a little intimidating, so in the post, I take you step by step through the process. There are a lot of pictures, so I think you'll find it especially helpful as you put the bodice together.

 The post also covers how to create the straps so that they are adjustable.

I also show you how I create a lovely zigzag seam finish.

You can find the post HERE, and I've included the video below if you would like to take a look.
Enjoy!

The Sew Chic Valentine Slip On A Real Body

Just a couple of quick pictures to show you the fit of the Sew Chic Valentine Slip. What you see is what came directly off the pattern, absolutely no adjustments to the pattern. Something to think about, this slip would make a lovely camisole too.

The pink slip is just a little longer than the green and black lace slip. The nice thing about the slip is that it is adjustable so I can lengthen it or shorten it a few inches depending upon what I will be wearing over the slip.

So sorry about it taking me so long to get a few pictures of me in the slip. It's a great pattern that fits well and is easy to put together. So a winner for me all around!

The Sew Chic Valentine Slip/It's All About The Bust

If you are following along with the Sew Chic Valentine Slip Sew Along, you'll want to take a look at this week's post as it's all about adjusting the bust. As we all know, an ill fitting bust, makes for an ill fitting garment. Laura Nash who designed the pattern, kept this in mind. In the pattern, you will find an entire sheet devoted to adjusting the bust. You can find my post HERE on the Sew News blog and I have linked this weeks video below.

If you would like to join the Flickr group, you can find it HERE.
I'll be back a little later today with a few pictures of me in my slips.
Have a wonderful day!!!

Sew News Sew Chic Sew Along Week One

The Sew News Sew Chic Sew Along has begun. I actually had to say that on the video!!! What a tongue twister ;)
The blog post is up on the Sew News blog along with the video. I was rather happy and surprised as the video actually turned out fairly well. Of course the production team did a fabulous job, I'm talking about my delivery. It was the first video of the day, I was a little nervous and then I had that incredible tongue twister to try and get out!!
You can find the Sew News blog post HERE.
And if you would like to go ahead and take a look at the video, I've posted it below. This week we are just talking about fabric choices, so there's still time to gather your supplies and join along. If by chance you have not purchased your pattern, you can find it HERE.


Enjoy!
Rhonda

Leather and Lace

Well, actually it's slips and motorcycle jackets, but kind of the good girl, bad girl thing anyway ;)

As I think you all know, the first sew along at Sew News will be the Valentine Slip from Sew Chic Patterns. The sew along will begin the week of March 2nd, so it's just around the corner! Just in case you haven't thrown your name in yet, Laura Nash of Sew Chic is giving away a free pattern. You may enter the give away HERE. Laura has a post up on her blog about the slip that you might want to take a look at as she offers a few other design ideas. You can find it HERE.

I have actually made 2 Valentine slips. Below is my first one. I used a lace and backed it with tricot. I wanted a slip that you couldn't see through.

 The back has a lovely neckline, but is quite plain.

I accented the lace with black tricot. As I was working on the slip, I felt that it needed a little something more, so I went tearing through my ribbons and found this lovely vintage ribbon that a friend had given me.Although the pattern is quite different from the lace, I think it works beautifully.

I edged the bottom of the flounce with a piece of black lace. I thought it finished off the flounce nicely.

 This is the slip that is in the magazine.

I edged the slip with lace. Take note that the lace did not come just as you see it. It was a strip of lace that I cut apart to get the desired shape. Once the lace was on the slip, I felt it needed a little something more, so I beaded it with pearls.

 I added the lace trim to the bottom of the flounce, but I did not bead it as I felt that the added weight of the beads might pull on the flounce.

If you aren't the lucky winner of the free pattern, but would like to join the sew along, you may purchase the pattern HERE. I still owe you pictures of me in the slips and that will be coming soon.  

Now, the Islander Motor City Express Jacket pattern! My pattern just arrived yesterday and I am so grateful.

I had been sent a PDF download of the pattern. The PDF is 35 pages!!! As you know, I typically love downloadable patterns, but 35 pages is a LOT to tape together.

If you decide to make the jacket, by all means, spring for the printed pattern. Taping all those pages together verses the tissue pattern....I want the tissue pattern!!

I haven't decided what fabric I will use for the jacket, but I'll be raiding my little store of fabric today and making a decision.

A Giveaway Extravaganza!!!!

Good Morning Everyone!!!
I am so excited about what I have to share today!!! In fact, I've been so excited that I almost posted it last night. My husband can tell you that I have all the patience in the world when it comes to opening a gift for myself, but once I have something for someone else, it almost kills me to have to wait. So, the waiting is over, thank goodness!!!!
As I shared with you a week or so ago, Sew News has asked me back to do the sew alongs for this year.To launch the sew alongs, they have very graciously given me a 1 year subscription to give away to one of my readers. Yea!!! an entire year of Sew News!

They are celebrating their 35th year, so each and every issue is going to be packed with great projects that you won't want to miss.

The second prize is a free Sew Chic Valentine Slip pattern from Laura Nash of Sew Chic Patterns! So pretty.

I've made 2 and I am working on my third. This is a lovely pattern. If you aren't wearing slips now, you will after you've made one of these. I'll show you mine next week for a special Me Made Monday edition.

And finally, there is a third prize, the Feb./March issue of Sew News. This is their special edition that celebrates their 35th year. That's actually a little hand stitched cake on the cover. Inside there are instructions to make one of your own.

Okay, lots of great prizes, so here's the drill.
1. You must be a follower of this blog. Let me know in the comment section through what vehicle  you follow, i.e. Bloglovin, Feedly, email, etc.
2. Leave a message on this post letting me know that you would like to be included in the give away.
3. You may not pick and choose your prize. The prizes are;
    1st Prize, 1 Year Sew News Subscription
    2nd Prize, Sew Chic Valentine Slip Pattern
    3rd Prize, Feb./March Single Issue of Sew News
4. You must leave a comment on this post no later than midnight CST Friday, February 20, 2015.
5. The winners will be announced on Saturday February 21, 2015.  

The sew along for the Sew Chic Valentine Slip will begin the week of March 2nd. I'm looking forward to a fun year of great patterns, and to sewing along with you too!!!!

Taping at Sew News

Earlier this month I shared with you that I was supposed to be at the Sew News offices in Denver to start taping the new sew alongs for the upcoming year. Well, that didn't happend since I came down with the flu, lost my voice and ended up with a huge fever blister on my lip. Thankfully, we were able to reschedule and the taping for the first 3 sew alongs was done yesterday. Here's a few pictures.

Before the start of the video, they have me go over just what I planned to do so the camera guy has an idea of where I will be going. That is what's happening in this first picture.

Below, in the background you see the slip that we will be doing in the first sew along. The mic is being attached to my top.

The first sew along will be the Sew Chic Valentine Slip. A lovely pattern. In an upcoming post you'll see that I have made more than one. I wear slips on a regular basis and I really like this pattern.

 A shot from the magazine. The lace trim was applied by hand and then I beaded it with pearls.

Sew News is celebrating their 35th year! Quite an accomplishment. 

I'm working on a few surprises that I hope to announce next week.
In the meantime, thank you to all of you for making last year's sew alongs so successful, as they asked me back!!!! It wouldn't have happened had you not watched. THANK YOU!!!!!!

Sewing Indie Month, Pattern Hacking, Part 1

There are few things I love more than to take a pattern and see just how much I can basically keep the bones of the pattern and still change it so much that it looks nothing like the original. The pattern that I am hacking this week is a beautiful pattern from Sew Chic.

Laura Nash is the designer behind the pattern line and she has 15 lovely, vintage inspired patterns to choose from. You can find them all here, http://www.sewchicpatterns.com/shop.html. The Myrtlewood dress is, as I said a beautiful pattern that really needs no hacking, but for Sewing Indie Month, I'm supposed to hack away and that is just what I have done. To be honest, I feel that the better the pattern, the more style is has, the more hacking possibilities it will offer. I think the possibilities with this pattern are limitless!
Let's begin by taking a look at the pattern envelope. Laura is great as she provides the envelope to each pattern on her website. Look closely at the sleeve and you will see that it is a gusseted sleeve. That was the first design element that made my mind begin to churn. I also liked the fact that there are so many garments included all in one, a shirt, a straight skirt and a circular skirt.

Here is the front pattern for the shirt portion of the dress.

  The first thing I did was to fold the pattern on the center front line as I did not want a center front opening.

In the armpit of the pattern, you will see the various slash lines that have been given for the underarm gusset. I used this as a guideline.

I put my ruler on the slash line and drew a line up to the shoulder. I left just a bit on the shoulder so that I can connect the front and the back at the shoulder.

Once my line was drawn in, I folded the pattern on the that line.

If I left the underarm where it was, it would have been too low, so I had to add to the underarm. I began by putting my ruler on the side seam and drew a line that extended upward.

Once again I used the slash lines as a guideline for my underarm. I simply squared a line over from the tip of the slash line to my extended side seam.  

Then I connected the extended side seam to the angled line with a slight curve. I did the same to the back pattern piece.

Once I had prepared my pattern pieces, I cut a muslin. The muslin showed me that I needed a little more fit along the front angled line, so I pinched in a dart and then created a princess line seam.   Below you see my center front and my side front pattern pieces.

 The back pattern piece.

 My center front panel cut out of my fashion fabric

I am underlining the fabric with silk.

The fabric that I am using came from Britex. Britex very generously gave each of us who are sewing for Sewing Indie Month a piece of fabric for one of our projects. The fabric that I chose is rayon and it has the nicest hand of any rayon that I have ever touched. It feels like liquid silk. As you can see, it is a border print. I will be using the border print around the neck of my bodice and along the hem of my skirt.The fabric has the border on both sides and is 55" wide. You can find it here on the Britex website, http://www.britexfabrics.com/fabric/rayon/double-bordered-ikat-viscose-made-in-italy.html 

So phase 1 has been completed. You are probably wondering just what my dress is going to look like. Well, drop back by tomorrow and you'll see more!!!