I think we can all say that it has been quite the summer. Mine began with my friend dying, and me having to completely clean out her house. But, with a lot of hard work, and very long days, I had the house on the market and sold in 5 weeks. I have been told that I should be hired to take care of estates. My answer is, "No Way!!!" Way too much work, and way too much stress to do that on an ongoing basis. My primary goal was to get the house sold as quickly as possible as it worried me having it sit empty. I ended up missing out on being able to work in my garden. But, I am not super woman, and I had to choose a priority. The garden will be here next summer :)
When I initially walked into the house, I felt a little overwhelmed, where do I begin? I decided that the easiest place to start was with her clothes. Get the closets cleaned out, and get the clothes and shoes packed for charity. That in and of itself was quite the endeavor. I thought I had a lot of clothes. One thing I learned is that she really didn't throw anything out. So, there were bags upon bags of clothes and shoes.
A few years ago, I made this denim cape for a Sew News sew along. It's the Cape Super Express from Islander Sewing. I had a lot of fun with this piece. I lined the hood with a burnt orange velvet. The body is lined with a piece of home dec fabric. And, to finish it off, I used purse snaps for the closure. Sadly, those clamp style purse snaps are no longer available.
I made 2 of these capes, 1 for the Sew News magazine, and another for the sew along. The cape that I made for the magazine has a lovely silk lining, and is made with 2 coordinating pieces of faux fur. You can see pictures of that cape HERE.
My friend saw the capes in the Haute Couture Club of Chicago's fashion show that year and raved over them. So, I decided to give her the denim cape. She was thrilled!!!
After going through all of my friend's clothes, the cape was no where to be found. I thought that maybe she had given it away. But then, that was so unlike her.
Once the house sold, I began working on clearing out the furniture that I had used to stage the house, and clean for the new owner. The furniture in the 1st floor bedroom had been moved out, and I went in to vacuum and mop the floors. While vacuuming, I closed the door to clean behind it, and low and behold, there, hanging behind the door was the cape. I couldn't believe it, it was there all along.
It was obvious that she had placed it there so that she could quickly throw it on.
The process of closing out one's life is one that I have said that everyone should experience once in their lifetime. It has made me look at objects and possessions in a very different manner. At one point, I was so tired that I told my husband that I wanted to sell everything we have, buy a tee pee, and just sit on the floor of that tee pee, no furniture, no stuff!!! Trust me, I am over that ;)
Along the way, I have also learned so many life lessons. With the cape, I learned that it can be so very easy to overlook things that are right in front of me. In this case, all I had to do was move the door. Just move something that was in the way.
The cape is back in my possession. The temps are beginning to fall. Mornings are crisp and cool, perfect cape wearing weather. I think that each time I wear the cape, I will be reminded that in order to find what I want, sometimes all it takes is to move a door. Sometimes a physical door, and sometimes a door that I have created.
While both patterns look similar, there are some very different details to each pattern. The Easy V Express Top has a set in pleat in the back neckline. Look closely at the picture above and you'll see the pleat detail.
You can easily see that pleat in the picture below.
The Naughty Bobbins Presto Popover Top does not have the set in pleat.
For the picture, I left the neckline standing, but once on the body, it will crush and drape a bit, depending on the fabric that is used.
The Presto Popover Top is much more form fitting. It is also has a fully lined front bodice.
The Easy V Express Top is softer. The front bodice is not fully lined, but has a fold back facing. The Express Top is also a much more forgiving fit. In other words, not form fitting.
Both are great patterns, with easy to follow instructions. Both patterns go together very quickly. I can't say that I have a favorite, I like both and the subtle differences. One thing to keep in mind is that since the Presto Top has a fully lined front bodice, it does take more fabric. One of the reasons I chose the Presto Top for the white version is that it is fully lined.
I hope that has answered some of your questions. If you have more, please leave a message and I will do my best to answer.
It now looks like this. Not yet completed, but well on its way.
Working with any type of skin, it can take a little finagling on the part of cutting out the pattern. I had 3 skins that totaled just about 28 square feet. That would seem like quite a bit, but skins are not rectangular pieces of fabric, and there are imperfections. In order to get the jacket out of the skins that I had, some changes needed to be made. I'll walk you through them. For shaping over the shoulder, the raglan sleeve has a neckline dart. Rather than sew in a dart, I split the sleeve down the center and turned the dart into a seam. A raglan sleeve is also quite large, so splitting it down the middle made pieces that are much easier to position on the suede.
1/2" seam allowances were added to the sleeve seams.
Once the seams were stitched, I then top stitched them to hold them in place.
The front jacket pattern was also cut apart to allow for better placement on the suede. I chose to make a diagonal seam from the sleeve notch to center front.
1/2" seam allowance added. The seam was sewn and then top stitched in place.
The seam was left at center back and a coordinating diagonal line was drawn in to the back jacket.
As with the other pieces, a 1/2" seam allowance was added.
The center back seam as well as the diagonal seams were top stitched.
Once I have top stitched my side seams, I'll be ready to attach my lining and the facings.
In my next post, I'll show you how I am constructing the lining. You just might be amazed by how easy it is to do! I need to finish the blue jacket, but the red suede was calling out to me, so I just had to put the other jacket aside and get this one finished :) At least I'll be ready when the cool fall temperatures arrive.
I have recently begun to long for a new little dog, a puppy, a little puppy that's brand new to this world. As tempting as a purebred is, it will be a little rescue pup. I've looked at so many rescue sites. While looking last night, there was a little pup that caught my eye, but the angel in my heart whispered, "wait, not yet." The older I get, the more I am learning to listen to that angel who lives in my heart, she always knows best.
A year ago, my Little Bit was beginning to struggle. The stairs were an issue, but she had learned to call for me when she wanted to come down, and of course I would come running to her aide. The tumor in her jaw had also begun to grow. It's still heartbreaking to think about it, but hearts do heal, and mine is mending. It's amazing what time can do :)
After what has turned out to be a busy summer, things are returning to normal, and I'm getting back to my neglected projects.
Just about a month ago, I shared with you the jacket below that I made using the Islander Fast and Fabulous Jacket pattern. I was very pleased with the finished jacket.
Taking a look at the pattern cover, you can see that I tapered the jacket at the waist. Although I was very pleased with the pattern, I found the sleeves to be a little short and advised to lengthen the sleeve.
The jacket was designed to be a fast make by serging the seams. While that's great, I wanted do another where a little more time is taken to give the jacket just a bit more pizzazz.
The jacket below is a linen and denim blend. I purchased a fun coordinating fabric that I used to bind the seams.
I absolutely love how it looks. It's now one of those jackets that I enjoy looking at the inside as much as the outside.
I decided to pipe the outer edge of the jacket. As you can see, I'm not quite finished.
For a little added interest, I included the vent and piped it as well.
I plan to pipe the edge of the welt for the welt pockets, and I think I will also do piped bound buttonholes. Why not, right? :)
I'm going to do one final jacket and this one will be out of suede, and lined. So you'll be able to see just how versatile the pattern is.
The Fast and Fabulous Jacket pattern is a great pattern that lends itself to so many fabric possibilities. And...it's perfect whether you want something quick to make, or you want to add a little more detail. Back to the studio! Rhonda
Last Monday I announced the winners of the new Islander Fast and Fabulous Jacket Pattern. Sadly, Karen Roop was the only one of the 3 winners to respond :( So one's loss is another's gain! The 2 new winners of the pattern are: Kathy Shrank Kim Caywood Congratulations ladies!!! Be sure to email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com ASAP with your mailing info. I've decided to make 2 more jackets. After I made the first, I decided that I really would like one made in leather. But before I get to that one, I would like another that will be great for summer, especially in air condition. I get so cold sometimes. I found a lovely piece of denim that actually has a little linen in the fiber content which softens the denim beautifully. I also purchased a light blue woven cotton to pipe the jacket and bind the seams.
The denim has the traditional twill weave, but like I said, softer with the addition of the linen.
The lighter blue cotton has a matching diamond of the blue denim in the weave. I love the first jacket I made, but I wanted to step up the construction a bit by binding the interior seams. Besides that, jackets look so lovely when you take them off and there's something interesting on the inside that catches the eye.
Once I get started on the jacket, I'll show you a fun stretch cotton I purchased for pants. I think it will work well with the denim.
Just a reminder that Janet has graciously offered a 20% discount to anyone who comes by the blog. Just use the promo code SEWBUSS at checkout. The discount is good until Saturday, July 22, 2017. You can find the paper pattern HERE, and the PDF pattern HERE. Happy Sewing! Rhonda
Making a garment that requires many steps, underlining, lining, handstitching, bound buttonholes, etc. can be a wonderful challenge. But there are times when we just want to make something up quickly that will still result in a good looking garment, and of course, something that doesn't look homemade. The Fast and Fabulous Jacket from Islander Sewing really fits the bill. It's super fast to make, and the results are, well, fabulous!
Since this is an unlined jacket, I chose a fabric that basically does not have a right or wrong side.
Here's my almost finished jacket.
The back. As you can see, the fabric is a bit of an abstract stripe/plaid, so it required a bit of matching, but not down center back since there is no center back seam.
Although the garment is unlined, we still want the inside to look polished and finished. The first step has you serge the edges of the front, back, and sleeves. Another option would be to bind the edges, but of course this takes more time. And because of the way the way that the pattern has been designed, lining it would also be a snap. So lots of options.
In the photo below, I turned my jacket wrong side out so you could see the serged seams.
Love the shaped hemline. A nice aspect about a shaped hemline is that it is especially slimming.
If you look closely, you'll see that I have not hemmed my sleeves. One thing to keep in mind is that I found the sleeves to be short, and I do not have long arms. So in cutting your jacket, you might want to add a few inches to sleeve. Remember, the extra can always be cut off. A bit of a challenge to add it back. For me the fix will be easy as I'll just bind the edge of the sleeve.
The facing finishes the jacket in a snap. I sewed my facing together and then pressed back 1/4" prior to sewing the facing to the jacket. Once the facing was attached, I pinned down the facing and stitched it down. Finished!!!
The jacket was designed to either be made with no buttonholes, or just 1 at the neckline. I decided to do a little something different and used a purse clasp.
I like the unexpected touch :)
I did make a slight alteration to the jacket and tapered it in at the waistline. I did find the pattern very true to size, so pay attention to the measurements prior to cutting.
The jacket is designed with raglan sleeves, so it's easy to fit and even easier to sew. I have not sewn in the pockets at this point. I wanted to get the jacket together before adding the pockets. If you've never done a welt pocket, by all means, give it a try on a scrap prior to sewing it into your jacket. But, the instructions really make the process quite simple, so give it a try. If you didn't catch yesterday's post, Janet is offering the pattern at a 20% discount to all who come by the blog. Just use the code SEWBUSS at checkout. You can find the paper pattern HERE, and the downloadable pattern HERE. The discount is good until July 22, 2017. Happy Sewing! Rhonda
Good Morning! My day begin with a shivering dog panting in my ear at 4:00 a.m. mind you. We have quite a thunderstorm rolling through Chicago. As much as it upsets my poor dog, I love summer thunderstorms as they make my tomatoes grow. There's nothing like rain water for the garden and the added electricity of a thunderstorm seems to make everything burst with growth. So, always a silver lining :)
Today is the announcement of the winners of the Fast and Fabulous Jacket pattern from Islander Sewing. So without further adieu, the winners are... Sewlovely Angela Karen Roop Congratulations Ladies!!! Be sure to email me right away at sewbussted@yahoo.com with you mailing instructions so I can pass it along to Janet. I know she would like to get your patterns out to you as soon as possible. Now for everyone else... Janet has agreed to give you a 20% discount on the pattern!!! How nice :) To get your discount, just use the code SEWBUSSat checkout. The discount will be good until July 22, 2017. You can find the paper pattern HERE, and the downloadable patternHERE. I made up the jacket last week and was quite happy with the results. So pop back by tomorrow to see what I made :) Have a wonderful day! Rhonda
Here in the United States, it's the 4th of July, a day for celebrating. So it's all the more fitting, that I have something wonderful to share and celebrate. Janet Pray of Islander Patterns is just about to launch a brand new pattern, the Fast and Fabulous Jacket. And even better, she has given me the opportunity to give away 3 patterns!!! That's right 3 patterns!
This is a great jacket for pulling a look together. Great for airplane rides that can be a little chilly, and wonderful to pull on over a simple pair of black pants and create an entirely new look, so the perfect addition to a travel wardrobe.
The jacket features raglan sleeves, a u-shaped neckline, and welt pockets. The u-shaped neckline is perfect for pairing with scarves and even a statement piece of jewelry.
The jacket is made even more flattering with the extended back length. View B features a split tail that would be fun to accent with eyelets and lacing.
The jacket is unlined, so perfect for spring, summer and fall. The design lends itself to everything from fun home dec fabrics, to denim, and even leather.
So if you would like an opportunity to win 1 of the 3 patterns that I have to give away, just leave a message on this post. Simple!!!
You'll have until midnight CST Sunday June 9, 2017 to enter your name. Names will be drawn and winners announced on Monday, June 10, 2017.
One of the things that I've come to enjoy the most about the blog is chatting with all of you, sharing a bit of my life and hopefully, a few bits of inspiration.
Back in May, I had an alternator failure on the airplane. A few years ago, I was on my way to Cincinnati with a dog in tow. The dog was the kind of rescue flight that I enjoy most as he was going to his new home. Before I left Chicago, I noticed a whirring sound in my headset. I adjusted the squelch, the sound went away, all of my other pre-flight checks were good, so off I went. After about an hour in flight, I once again heard the whirring sound, I once again adjusted the squelch, and it went away. Then suddenly, about 30 miles out of Cincinnati, a screaming noise came through the headset, and then...total silence. All of my electrical equipment was gone, and at that point, I had no idea what may go wrong next, so it was a 'get it on the ground now' situation. Luckily, there was a small country airport just a mile or so away. Since I had no means of communicating, I did a scan of the area, said a prayer, and began my approach. I'm still here, so you know it all went well :)
As it turned out, not only did I have an alternator fail, the battery had boiled over and fried the battery box. Just a mess of a situation. But, the mechanic was able to get me back up and running enough to get the plane back to Chicago. Before leaving, he drilled into me that I was basically flying a broken airplane and that I needed to take extreme caution. Once in flight, turn off the radios and don't turn anything on until I was where someone could easily come and get me. As I entered the Chicago airspace, I turned on my transponder, all was good. Then I turned on 1 radio, still good. I called Midway tower, got my squawk code and at that point, even if everything failed, I should be able to make it home. When the gear touched down at Midway, it was the biggest sense of relief I've ever felt! Thankfully, the recent alternator failure wasn't nearly as exciting. I realized what was happening before I ever left the ground.
This past week, my mechanic and I met at the airport to install the alternator and do the annual inspection. At one point as he was working, he said, "hmmm, not good." I've learned over the years to just take whatever it is in stride, after all, I'm on the ground, and at this point, anything can be fixed. The insulation around the throttle cable was gone and the cable was quite worn. So, what does this mean? Well, the cable could break in flight which means that you no longer have control of the throttle. He told me that he has heard of cases where when the pilot pulled back on the throttle that the entire thing came out in their hand. Well, that would make for a fun situation...NOT!!!
My new throttle cable arrived yesterday. It's so pretty. My husband laughed about how excited I was about a throttle cable. I reminded him that a throttle cable is a lifeline. He no longer thought it to be so funny.
At long last, I finally have the video together for the burrito neckline finishing method. If you haven't already figured it out, I think you are going to love learning this new technique. In the picture below, you see the back neckline of the dress that I made using the Islander Easy V Express Top pattern. Very nicely finished.
Now a view from the inside.
And because the back is finished so well, the front neckline also lays beautifully against the garment.
In the video, you'll hear how I made this video. It's a little funny :/ Oh, and I want to apologize as I have been dealing with allergies the last few days, so my voice is a little weak. But all in all, I think the video will give you a good idea of how to execute the burrito method and beautifully finish the neckline of your garment.
With anything in life, knowledge is king. Be it dealing with a mechanical failure in an airplane, or knowing how to make what we do even better. I came across this quote and I thought it would be a nice way to end the post;
Real knowledge like everything else of value is not to be obtained easily.
It must be worked for, studied for, thought for, and even more,
This is the week of best laid plans going awry. Little did I know that the roofers were planning to arrive yesterday. So things were just a bit too noisy to try and get much done. But...better later than never, at least I hope :) I just love getting new things to wear, but then, don't we all?!!! So I am so very excited about doing this sew along with the Islander Patterns Easy V Express Top. I get new things to wear, and you get to see a few things explained. The video isn't my best. I didn't sleep all that well last night, and I am just a little off my game, but I think it will shed a little light on the neckline pleat and give you some good pointers as you begin.
For this top, I only used a yard of fabric. I measured it out just to make sure and it was exactly 37". I cut an XS size and the pattern calls for 1 1/2 yards. So if you have a yard of fabric that will fit the bill, by all means, give it a try.
In this video, I talk about fabric choice, the pattern, and constructing the pleat at the neckline.
In our next video, we'll talk a little more about construction, especially the great neckline finish. We'll also talk about fitting, and what I did to get a nice fit on my dress.
Have fun, and if you have any questions, be sure to ask. I'll do my best to answer. Remember, Janet is offering the pattern to anyone who comes by the blog at a 20% discount. Just use RHONDA in the promo code box. You can find the paper pattern HERE, and the downloadable pattern HERE.
