Outfit of the Day...I Wish!!!

The change of seasons, be it from winter to spring, or fall to winter never seem to come easily in Chicago. Winter is trying with all its might to make its fury known with cold rain that will ultimately turn into snow later today. 

Poor Mr. Berkley, he absolutely hates getting wet. He doesn't mind the cold, rather seems to enjoy it, but not the rain :/ We had a rather ugly, rainy day last Saturday. As Berkley and I were walking, I felt that he was having a flashback to when he was left out in the elements. Broke my heart. But, the good news for him is that there is no more being left outside, and as miserable as it is for him to walk in the rain, he gets to come into a nice warm house :) 

On days like these, the idea of staying in my pajamas all day long is quite tempting. It might would happen if I didn't have obligations...oh well. 

This is a pretty boring little post, but I thought I would go ahead and share it with you. I recently made a new pair of pajamas, and I absolutely LOVE them! They're really nothing special, just a t-shirt and a pair of leggings.  

I bought the fabric from Oak Fabrics. Sadly, at least for me, the owner decided to close her brick and mortar shop and just be an entirely online business. That's the end of my impulse buying! Anyway, the fabric that I used for the leggings is fabulous. It's the Ticino Organic Jersey Knit, made in Germany. Oak Fabrics carries 6 colorways and patterns that you can find HERE.    

A few months ago, Sew News had a free sew along for the Loveland Leggings. As far as leggings go, it's as basic as basic can be, 1 pattern piece, and that's it. No crotch gusset, no extra waistband. The pattern is no longer free, but it's still quite reasonable, only $4.99, and you can find it HERE. If you are new to making leggings, and would like a little guidance, you can find the sew along HERE.    

I used the Molly Tee from Pattern Union  for my top. It's just a great basic t-shirt pattern. You can find the pattern HERE. 

I love the combo t-shirt and leggings as pajamas so much that I'm making a second pair. 

A little secret, rather than change my clothes to walk Berkley in the morning, I just pull a pair of cargo pants on over the leggings. Then, when I come home, I pull off the pants, and I am still in my pajamas!!! 

Happy Sewing!  

Rhonda

A Pile of Tees!

It seems that t-shirts have become a wardrobe staple. At least they have for me! I wear them for workouts, and casual dress with everything from jeans to skirts. And, I even wear them to bed with my pajama pants. 

There are lots of great t-shirt patterns out on the market. I love the Terrific 'T' from Londa's Creative Threads. This pattern offers the option of a dart, or no dart, as well as a number of neckline and sleeve options. 

    

A new favorite is the Molly Tee from Pattern Union. There are a number of sleeve length options, and it also offers the option of bust cup sizes from A-G.  

I have made a pile of Molly Tees!!!

The basics, black and white with long and short sleeves. 

I especially love the extended shoulder seam that rolls to the front. The pattern works so well for stash busting leftover knits.

Another example with the print in the front and also used for the sleeves.

 More basics. I absolutely love the print tee on the left. Got the fabric at Tina's Fabric Nook in Granby, Colorado. She has more!!!

And finally...
I bought a maxi dress at a resale shop just because I liked the fabric, and then cut it up to make this top.

I have quite a few more tees in the sewing lineup. They literally take no more than an hour from cut to finish. So, no wasting time shopping, settling for tops that are cut off grain, and inferior fabrics.

Hope I've inspired you to make a pile of tees too!!!

Rhonda

A Month Of Woven Tees/ Week 2

I am getting this post in by the skin of my teeth! At least it's still Tuesday in Chicago ;)

This is week 2 of the Woven Tee Challenge that Becky of Trial Balloons and I are doing. This week, we looked to the Orient for our inspiration, using vintage kimono fabrics as inspiration.

Check out Becky's fabulous tee! You can read all about her inspiration, how she put the Kung Fu Bunny tee together that she made for me(a great story), and see her lovely tea recipe HERE. 

I decided to use the same pattern for the entire challenge. I think it's fun to see lots of possibilities with just 1 pattern. and since it's a free pattern, all the better! You can find the pattern HERE on the Fabric-store.com site.

A friend of mine from Texas had a wonderful store in Galveston for years. At that time, she was able to get bundles of vintage/antique kimonos from Japan. She told me that when the bundles would arrive, it was a lot like Christmas as you never knew exactly what might be in the bundle. Of course the kimonos, but sometimes fabrics, and other clothing. The kimonos that were in good shape, she would sell, the others, she meticulously took apart and used the pieces for the most incredible table runners that she would make and then sell. She ultimately closed the store, and brought home all of the leftovers. In time, she realized that her years were growing short, and that she would never be able to use all that she had, so she began finding homes for her beloved fabrics and scraps. I was the lucky recipient of some wonderful pieces. 

My top. 
I had quite a bit of the black fabric, I think it must have been an entire kimono. The contrast strip was just a small piece, initially about twice as wide as what you see. Since the kimono fabric is only 14" wide, and I'm not!!!, I had to piece the fabric, and decided to offset the contrast.     

Rather than sew the raglan seam together on the left sleeve, I left it open, used a bit of the cream fabric from the contrast strip to accent the opening. I gave a nod to the beautiful Chinese knots with the ties.  

I used the leftover piece of the contrast strip on the sleeve. 

For the back, I was able to just put a seam down center back.

I had just a bit of the cream fabric leftover, so I folded it and did an insert on the right sleeve. Once again, the fabric is only 14" wide, so the sleeve needed to be pieced and this made it look like it was intentional.

This was such a fun project, and I am in love with my tee. It will make a great travel piece as I can pair it with a lovely pair of pants, or a skirt for an evening out, and it can also be worn a little more casually as well. I'm going to Galveston the end of October, and I know my friend is going to be so very pleased :)

Now for my recipe. Like Becky, it's a drink, but rather than a hot tea drink, this one is perfect for a hot summer afternoon. 

My favorite chai tea is from Adagio Teas. The name is of course a play on the slang term for Chicago, Chi Town. The tea comes in a lovely tin.

Take a look at the lovely spices. Heavenly.

For my Frozen Summer Chai, I brew a cup of the chai tea, you'll need 1 cup.
I mix the tea with 1/2 cup of Almond and Coconut milk. Place the mixture in a blender, and add sweetener of choice. Mine is stevia.

Add a handful of ice, and blend.
I serve the drink in a big wine goblet and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top.

Guaranteed to cool you on the hottest of days :) And it will satisfy that late afternoon sweet tooth too!

I hope that Becky and I have inspired you a bit. There are a number of vendors that come to the sewing expos with baskets of vintage kimono pieces. So pick up a few and make your own tee!

Bragging On You!

Another day at the zoo! ;) Night before last, Mr. Berkley woke me up at 1 in the morning, thrashing around in his crate, the horrible cone scraping against the sides. I listened, thinking he would settle down, he did, so I went back to sleep. When I got up at 5, and opened the crate, I saw that this little bugger had managed to pull out some of his stitches. So, another trip to the vet. Now he is wearing a lampshade sized cone on his head, and has brand new staples in his incision. But, I figured out that I could take the cone off of his head when we go for a walk. He and I are so much happier. And, no crate for sleeping, he has found a place beside me. So, I don't know, maybe I would have been the worst mom in the world, or maybe the best ;)

There is nothing I love more than being able to brag on things that you do, especially if I have given you a bit of inspiration.

A few weeks ago, I received a note from Jelena telling me that she had made the Caught In A Wave dress, but in a woven fabric. I asked that if she had time, to send a picture. I am SO very happy that she did!!! Isn't this a lovely dress?!!!

I love how it drapes. Check out those fabulous shoes! 
The dress was worn to a Tango Festival. She said that it moved beautifully, and that she received tons of compliments, and she should have, it is gorgeous. Jelena was a little concerned about the dress staying in place with it being such a slinky satin, but it did. Thanks so much for sharing your lovely creation! 
   

You can find the original post and how tos on the Caught In A Wave Dress HERE.

I also received a note from Penny. I did not inspire this make, but since I posted something on working with tea towels, she thought she would share these pics of her daughter. It was actually her daughter's inspiration that brought about these lovely tees. She was shopping at Ikea, found the towels, and thought they would make great summer tops. Had her mom put them together for her. 

I especially like the top below with the embroidery along the hem. Who would ever think that these were initially intended for the kitchen?!!

Thanks so much for sharing your lovely makes. This is where my inspiration originates :)

Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday/Free Raglan Tee

A nice easy tee that can be made out of a woven fabric...sounds like a great idea to me!

A few weeks back, Fabric-Store.com posted the raglan tee below. It's a nice clean design, so I thought I would give it a try.

I had just a couple of issues with the pattern. There are no sizes marked, and there are no notches, which can be confusing when it comes to attaching the sleeve to the front and back. Prior to cutting, I put my own notches on the raglan seams to mark front and back. Easy enough to do. As for the sizing, just measure across the lower portion of the pattern and then decide based on your hip measurement which line to cut on. 

One other issue is that in the instructions, there is no seam allowance specified. I used 5/8". Other than those 3 issues, the pattern went together easily.

  

I decided to give it a whirl with some fabric that I found as I was cleaning up the studio, a calico print that I had completely forgotten about. Thought it would make a nice pair of summer pajamas.

The instructions call for 2 small tucks on either side of center in the front and back. When I made up the tee, the tucks were not needed. Look closely at the picture below and you can see that a small dart is needed on the shoulder.

Once the dart was added on the shoulder, the garment laid flat and there was no need for front and back tucks.

My finished pajamas. I had to cut the tee with a seam down the center of the back and front. I had the crocheted trim, so I threaded a piece of ribbon through, sewed it down the center and covered up the center front seam. I had another piece of crocheted trim that I added to the sleeves and the hem of the pants. The center picture on the right below shows how I mark the back of my pants. Great use of bits of ribbon.

And me in the pajamas :)

I had a small piece of silk that was just enough for another top. This time I had enough to do the cuffs. 

I once again added a dart on the shoulder.

I really like how the top wears, so I decided to lengthen it and make a t-shirt dress.

With this fabric, I did not need to add the shoulder darts as the neckline laid flat without them. 

I added a shirt tail hem. To finish the hem, I cut a 2" wide piece of bias. I made the back a little longer than the front.  

And finally, I added a small front pocket. It looks so cute on. I'll post pictures of me in the dress soon.

The pajama pants as well as the striped pants are from a free pattern, the Martha Stewart pajama pant that I posted HERE. I find the pattern to be a great basic elastic waist pant. 

You can find the Raglan Tee pattern HERE. 

Happy Sewing!
Rhonda

A Thrifty Thursday Repeat/Raglan Sleeved Top

Almost 2 years ago to the day, I made up this raglan sleeved t-shirt for a Thrifty Thursday post. Wow, I can't believe that it was 2 years ago!!! 

The pattern is from On The Cutting Room Floor. It's a rather boxy top that includes a hip band.

You got a glimpse of the top in my last Sewbussted's Material Witness video. A number of you sent notes asking to see more...
So here it is,

If my memory serves me well, I believe that I added 2" to the bottom of the top to compensate for leaving off the bottom band.

As for the pattern placement, this was a fussy cute situation. The pattern was placed on the fabric to get just the right design. It's not perfect, but close enough ;) 

I recently wore the top to dinner at a friend's home. Two other couples had been invited whom I'd never met. When the hostess asked if I had made the top(she knows I sew), I said yes, and the other 2 women were shocked! Always a great compliment :) 

If you would like to give the pattern a try, you can find the FREE DOWNLOAD HERE. 

A few things to take note of:
*Be sure that the guide box is the correct size after printing.
*It is a boxy fit, so in order to get a fitted look, you will need to taper the side seams.

This is a fun pattern for mixing fabrics and a great way to use up a few scraps that are just too large to part with. 

There are a number of other free patterns on the website, so be sure to look around. 

Terrific Thursday With A Terrific 'T' Pattern Giveaway!

Happy Thursday Everyone!!! It's always a wonderful day when I get to give something away :)

What a great response there was to Londa Rohlfing's Terrific 'T' pattern giveaway! I had said that I would reveal my t-shirts today, but I am going to wait until next Tuesday. Later today I'm going to post a top that I did a while back for a Thrifty Thursday post. So many have asked to see it on me. You got a glimpse of it in the last Sewbussted's Material Witness video. Sorry to make you wait on my Terrific 'Ts', but I think the wait will be worth it :)

The winner of Londa's Terrific 'T' Pattern is.....

Kelly!!!!

Congratulations Kelly!

For those of you who don't know Kelly, you can find her at WeSewRetro as a contributing blogger. 

Be sure to email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing info so I can pass it on to Londa.

For those of you who didn't win, you can find the Terrific 'T' pattern HERE. Londa also offers a PDF version which you can find HERE. I highly recommend spending the few extra dollars and waiting a few days for the printed version. A much better value. Remember that the pattern offers a darted and un-darted version of the t-shirt. A great feature. 

One little word of warning for those of you who have never made your own t-shirts...it's addicting!!!! Not a bad addiction though ;)  

Making A Terrific Tee and A Giveaway!!!

About a week ago, I received a lovely package from Londa of Londa's Creative Threads, a thank you gift for featuring her on The Wednesday Showcase. So nice, and so unexpected. 

Like so many of you, I love a good t-shirt. A great fitting pair of jeans, a comfortable t-shirt, my completely worn out pair of pink cowboy boots, and I'm a happy girl. You should see these boots. Unless you look closely, they look worn, but not so bad(at least that's what I tell myself). But on closer inspection, 1 layer of the sole has worn through, and there are cracks in the leather. My husband even remarked that he's surprised that I haven't gotten rid of them. But for anyone who knows and understands a good old pair of boots, there's nothing more comfortable, and even more than that, they actually take on the persona of a good close friend. How can one throw away a friend? ;) 

Included in Londa's lovely gift was a pattern for her Terrific 'T'. 

As you can see, there are a number of mix and match options for sleeve lengths and necklines. The instructions are in booklet form, something I really like, no big pages to deal with, or shuffling around of pages. It comes with a tissue pattern, so no printing or taping of a PDF pattern, and even better, there's an option for a darted tee and an un-darted tee. 

If you've ever sewn with Londa, you may already know that she has a very unique feature to her patterns, and that's a link to the talking pattern. There you can see large color photos and Londa walks you through the process of making the garment. It's like having her right by your side! 

Over the next week, I will be making up a few of the tees. One can never have too many! 

In the meantime, if you would like a chance to win a Terrific 'T' pattern of your own, just leave a message on this post. You'll have until midnight Wednesday, February 15, 2017 to leave a message. I'll announce the winner on Thursday, February 16, 2017. 

So, you'll have the chance to make your own Terrific 'T'. The only thing that will be missing is a worn out pair of cowboy boots. I'm not giving those away!!! 

Good Luck!

Thrifty Thursday on Saturday/Free T-Shirt Pattern

Over the past couple of years, I have been absolutely amazed by so many of you who have taken on the challenge of not purchasing any ready made clothing. I have not jumped in as there are pieces that I buy from time to time, especially for skiing, that I would rather not make. It's not that I can't, it has more to do with the fabric that's used. I get cold so very easily and I have found pieces that keep me warm like nothing else can. But, with all of that said, I really do make most of my clothes. It has become a very rare situation that I purchase something and I think that's a good thing.
I have a t-shirt pattern that I drafted some time ago that I use to make lots of tops with, but since I haven't gotten to the point that I can make that available to you, I thought I would look around for a very basic t-shirt pattern that was not only a great pattern, but free!! And I found one. The pattern line, Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick was designed for the petite woman, so typically, someone who is 5'4" tall or less, and has a shorter torso, legs and arms. There is a free t-shirt pattern offered on the site, so I thought that although I am not a petite person, I would give it a try and the result is that I REALLY like this pattern. The pictures below are from the SBCC website.
Not only does she offer 1 free t-shirt pattern, she offers 2! Even better. The first version is a basic long sleeved t-shirt. You can find the pattern HERE.

The second is a basic short sleeved t-shirt. You can find the pattern HERE. The pattern is basically the same as the long sleeved version, it just takes the guesswork out of determining how long the short sleeve should be.

I included the line drawing for you.

The pattern is very easy to download and especially easy to tape together. The taping will take less than 30 minutes. Here's a schematic of the pattern once it has been taped together. Take note that she has also included a neckband pattern. I just love it when all the pieces are included!!!

I still need to hem my top, but other than the hems, it's finished and as I said, I really like it.

 The neckline is quite nice, not too high and not too low.

If you decide to download the pattern, a few things to keep in mind.
The sleeves were perfect for me, but I have short arms, so you will most likely want to lengthen the sleeves. I took mine in just a little at the waistline. I do not have a short torso, in fact, I will quite often spread my patterns at the waist if the pattern has a defined waist. I did not have an issue with the waist of this pattern being too short. If you are very long waisted, you may want to slash the pattern at the waist and lengthen it an inch or so.
One thing that I like about the pattern is the length of the front and back. They are long enough that you can scrunch your top along the hips when wearing jeans, and since there is a little extra length, you won't feel that your top is going to ride up when you move.
This is a great basic pattern that can be used for all you t-shirt making needs. Make a bunch in different colors and you can even layer them, one of my favorite things to do. So although this pattern  is intended for a petite frame, don't shy away from it if you are not.
Pictures of me in the top will hopefully come in just a few days :)
Happy t-shirt making!!!