I'm In Love....With A Pair Of Jeans!!!!

When I make a garment for Sew News, it gets shipped off and then I have to wait months for it to come back. This is the killer part, especially if I really like the garment. I'm sure you are just like me, once you get the garment made, you want to wear it, not wait! Once I finished the Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Files, I slid them on and I was in blue jean heaven, and it almost killed me to put them in a box and ship them off. 

Well, the wait is over, thank goodness. They were sent back last Thursday, but since I was in Peoria for the Sew Special weekend seminar, I didn't get to open the package until this last Sunday. Once they were out of the box, I must confess, I have had the jeans on everyday since! It might be time to throw them in the wash ;)

I had an appointment with my dermatologist yesterday. While I was waiting, no one was in the waiting room and there was a huge mirror, so I popped out my camera and took a picture. It's not the best picture, but at least you get an idea. I will take more as I know I will be wearing the jeans, to death! By the way, the top I'm wearing is from THIS Thrifty Thursday post. I get compliments every time I wear it.

If you've made it to this point in the post, congratulations as I have 3 magazines to give away!!! The new October/November issue is out and it is full great articles and fun projects. 

There's a fabulous article on making better buttonholes.

I am going to have to give this blouse a try. 

Rather than a traditional ruffle, it's actually twisted.

A free pattern download for these super cute placemats. You can find the pattern HERE.

And another free pattern download for this great bag from Tula Pink. You can find the pattern HERE.

And finally, my article on the Ginger Jeans pattern. This is really all they needed to publish...

I LOVE THIS PATTERN!!! :)

I made the high waisted version for the magazine. As you can see below, there is a lower waisted version with a straighter leg. I hope to get those made next week so I can show them to you before the sew along begins.

If you think you might like to join the sew along and make a fabulous pair of jeans, you can find the pattern HERE. 

If you would like to win 1 of the 3 magazines I have to give away, just leave a message on this post. I'll announce the winner on Monday, October 10, 2016.

Thrifty Thursday/Free Draped Top Pattern Becomes a Gown

About a month and a half ago, I downloaded the Japanese Inspired Twisted T-Shirt from Tites Mains. A few of you left messages letting me know that the top was a copy of a top that was in one of the Drape Drape books by Hisako Sato. While the top is quite similar to the top that is in the book, Julia of Tites Mains did write in and explained that while she was inspired by the top, she drafted it all on her own and rather than drafting it for a knit, she drafted the top for a woven fabric. She also explained that she does not own the book, so she could not have copied from the directions. 

As I thought more about the pattern, I decided that this is a great opportunity to try something out and see how you like the styles that are offered in the book. If you do, please buy the book. A lot of hard work and effort goes into writing a book, so yes, the author does deserve to be compensated. But I also believe that the pattern was truly created by Julia. And remember, it is free. 

I've loved the top I made from this pattern, and yes, I have purchased the books. In the meantime, I decided to once again use the pattern and create an evening gown. I'm basically finished, all that's left is finishing the neckline and hemming.

I used the pattern just as it was. I then cut a rectangle for the skirt. The top only has 1 seam so I wanted only 1 seam in the skirt to match the top. The only problem with a rectangle is that it won't leave much room for walking. In order to move, I would need to leave a side slit, since that's the only seam I have in the skirt. I really didn't like that idea, so I added a triangle to the side seam which you can see in the 2 pictures below.

The added fullness of the triangle will make it quite easy to walk and the sweep at the side seam also adds interest. 

The hem of the top sits at an angle on the hips, so I needed to compensate for this at the top of the rectangle that I added for the skirt. So rather than a straight line across, I dropped 1 side of the rectangle down 2". Look closely at the picture below and you will see an angle to the seam that connects the top to the skirt.

I'm quite happy with how the dress has turned out. You can use the same technique and make a shorter dress. This would be fun for summer and would look great as a cocktail dress too.

In the meantime, if you like the pattern, by all means consider buying one of the Drape Drape books. The designs are quite interesting and fun. You can find all the Drape Drape books HERE. And in the meantime, you can download Julia's pattern HERE. It's a lovely pattern and a super fun top to wear.

Thrifty Thursday/Tites Mains Japanese Inspired Twisted T-Shirt

Yep, it's Saturday, and yep, I'm behind, but I wanted to share a new pattern that's super easy to make and lots of fun to wear.

A while back, I introduced you to Tites Mains, a talented young woman who lives in France. She posted a brand new pattern this week. I love asymmetrical tops that drape, so I decided to download the free pattern and give it a try.

Here's a picture of her in her top. 

Other than the fact that I like draped, asymmetrical tops, I also liked the fact that it was designed to be made out of a woven fabric. The top goes together in a snap as there are only 3 seams. 

Below is the taped together PDF pattern. 

I made a couple of changes to the pattern. If you'll notice, there's a V-neck, I rounded mine,

Also notice that there is a point at the top of the pattern. You can see a line running from the point to the hem. This is a fold line and becomes the side of the top once the piece is folded. 

The point will be under the arm once the arm has been put through the opening that will basically be the sleeve. The problem with the point is that it is difficult to turn and finish. 

I simply folded the fabric in half on the fold line and then trimmed the point away. Now the edge will be easy to finish. 

Here's the top folded on the fold line prior to be sewn together. You can see that there is only 1 side seam and 2 shoulder seams. One side has more of a traditional sleeve and the other side has notches that indicate where the stitching should stop for the arm opening.  

Since the pattern was designed for a woven fabric, I decided to use a suede cloth. I wish there was touch-o-vision as this is the most wonderful to touch fabric. It can be steamed, but not pressed, so I topstitched the seams in place.  

The shoulder seam was topstitched and then I ran the stitching into the and around the armhole opening. 

 My finished top.

The back.

Rather than turn and stitch the neckline as she suggested, I did a bias binding. I think it makes a nicer finish.

And because we all like to look on the inside :)

The pattern is labeled as a medium to large. I feel that it is more of a small to medium. If you make it out of a knit fabric, then it could fit a large. So PLEASE measure the pattern prior to cutting to determine if the pattern as it is will fit you.
You can find the pattern for free HERE on the Craftsy website. I will be making more as it's super easy to make and easy to wear.