Thrifty Thursday/A Totally Free Ensemble

I have had the BEST week! Super busy, but so much fun :)

The highlight;

I signed Berkley up for an agility class, and we had our first lesson on Thursday evening. Oh how I wish I could have taken pictures!! When we began, the instructor asked if he had any agility training. I said, "no, this is his very first class." The little dog sailed through rings, ran through the tubes, and jumped over bars like a champ. All of this prompted the instructor to ask, "are you sure that he has never had any training?" "Nope, none." The instructor then said that Berkley is like a duck to water, he has truly found his passion. At one point, Berkley jumped through a ring, and then turned around to me, and threw his little front legs in the air with glee. The instructor asked if this was one of his tricks. I explained that yes, I taught him to stand on his back legs, put his front legs in the air as I say, Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! The instructor almost rolled on the floor laughing :)

Not that you drop by to see a picture of Berkley, but...I just can't resist :) This was taken on a recent hike. I just love seeing how he has gone from a scared, and dirty little dog, to a true picture of contentment.

A few weeks back (actually a month ago :/), I shared a top that I made from the free sewing pattern from Tessuti Fabrics, the Zoe Top. I really love this top!!! The fabric was actually from Joann's. Amazing!  

Once I got the top together, I felt that it really needed the lace on the sleeves, so I cut just the lower portion of the lace off of the fabric and then appliqued it to the lower edge of the sleeve. 

 

The neckline has a rather wide opening, larger than what I really wanted, so I took 2 of the motifs from the lace and filled in the corners of the neckline.

And finally!!

A picture of me in the top, and my white Barb pants! Perfect for the horribly hot weather we are having in Chicago right now.

It's a total Thrifty Thursday ensemble, a free pattern from Tessuti, and the free Barb pant pattern from Style Arc Patterns.

The Barb pant is a wonderful pattern meant for stretch wovens. Although it has an elastic waistline, it fits flat across the stomach. After all, who needs extra yardage around the waist???   

It was named best pattern for 2015 on Pattern Review.

It's still available as a free pattern and can be found HERE. All you have to do is sign up for the Style Arc newsletter. So, sign up for a fabulous newsletter, and get a fabulous free pant pattern. A win, win situation :) 

In case you are wondering...

As I said in an earlier post, I was out of town for a couple of weeks. I did have a sewing machine with me, but it started acting up, and there was no more sewing to be had, so I am behind on my Cargo Pant Challenge with Cenntta of The Mahogany Stylist. Be sure to pop over and see her last make for our challenge. Her pants are such fun! My second pair will be up tomorrow, a week late. But, I'll catch up next week :)

Happy Friday!

And if you are in this oppressive heat, by all means, 

STAY COOL!

Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday/Super Cute Slouchy Hat

I have done a LOT of dumb things in my life ;) When I was in the 8th grade, I remember one particular day when it was so cold that I thought my ears would literally fall off of my head. Truth be told, had that happened, it would have been my own fault as I was just too vain to wear a hat on my head while walking to school. That day was a game changer though. As I walked, and my ears grew colder and colder, I vowed that I would never be this cold again, and yes, I would wear a hat. 

At the time, hats were just not the thing to wear, but after my experience, fashion or not, I was going to be warm. And so it has been ever since. I LOVE hats!!! If you were to look into my drawer, you would probably think I have more than 1 head since I have as many as I do. I have changed a lot since those days when I thought hats were horribly hideous. Having a hat for whatever the occasion may be is now just absolute fun! And soft hats fold down to nothing, so having a bunch is really not an issue. 

I recently saw a post from On The Cutting Room Floor for a free slouchy hat pattern and thought it was especially cute. A great little hat to wear, and when off, easily folded and stored in a coat pocket. It's intended for knit fabric, be it fleece, wool, or just a knit that you have left over from a t-shirt project. 

 

There are only 6 pages to print out, so quick and easy.

The pattern looks a little like church steeples to me ;)

I had a sweater that I had felted. I love the color and thought it would make into a fun hat. 

The sweater had side seams, so I couldn't cut the hat in one continuous piece, 

So I just cut it down the center and then added seam allowances to each side. 

I used the hem of the sweater for the bottom band. The instructions say to fold up the bottom 1 1/2". In the above picture, you can see that I placed the pattern right on the edge of the sweater, making it actually an 1 1/2" longer since I would not be turning up the bottom.If you aren't using a sweater with a finished edge, I would add at least 1" to the bottom of the pattern. You can always cut it off if you feel the hat is a little too long. But, it is supposed to be a slouchy hat, so a little more slouch is not such a bad thing :)  

I decided to have a little fun with the hat and add a tassel. All I did was take a piece of my sweater knit and cut it into fringe, leaving about 1 " at the top uncut. I then rolled the fringe around to make a tassel and stitched it securely together at the top. Once it was stitched together so that it would not open up, I then stitched it to the top of the hat.  

This is a very fast project, and something that would make a great, quick gift for just about everyone on your gift list. I made one for my husband, but shortened it so that there was no slouch. He loved it!

You can find the free pattern HERE. 

I plan on making a few more. A trip to the resale shop is on my agenda. Hopefully I'll find some fun sweaters that I can use. Our church usually has a request for hats, and or gloves at this time of year, so I thought I would use the pattern to make up a bunch. 

Enjoy!
Rhonda    

Thrifty Thursday/Pajama Pants for the Street

Just to set things straight from the beginning, I do NOT wear my pajama pants outside of the house. Okay, okay, truth be told, I have gone out to the garbage can in my pajama pants. And now that I'm thinking about it, I have thrown on a jacket and taken Gracie out for a quick trip in the back alley, but I promise you, that's it!!!

A couple of years ago, I shared this free pajama pant pattern from Martha Stewart. Since them I have made piles. I love the pattern and the pants are super comfortable to sleep in. I've made them in both cotton and flannel.

You never know where you'll find inspiration. A few days ago, I was out for a morning walk and I encountered 2 ladies who were walking with strollers. Since they were taking up the width of the sidewalk, I had to slow down. As I slowed my pace, I noticed the pants that one of the ladies was wearing. They were so, so cute. By now, they had made room for me, and as I passed I said, "I love your pants," and got a closer look. 

As I went on my way, I realized that what had been done was really quite simple. It was just a straight pant leg that had been gathered on the side. Hey, I can do that!

That evening as I pulled on my pajama pants, the thought occurred to me that I could just gather the side of the pant and have the exact same look. Her pants were just an elastic waist pant, so I thought the pajama pant pattern might work well.

I was actually rather pleased with the outcome.

Please excuse the crummy selfy. I rather like the side drape.

To make the casing, prior to sewing the side seams together, I serged the seams, sewed them together, and then pressed the seam open.  The hem was sewn in prior to sewing the side seam. So, I sewed the crotch seam together and then did a stitched hem before sewing the side seam.

I had some rattail cording that would work, and since this was just going to be a wearable muslin, I didn't cover the cord. Below you can see that I stitched in a casing. I left the top end of the casing open until I had threaded the cord through. Once the cord was through the casing, I them stitched it across the top, catching the cord in the stitching.

Once the cord was secured, I then pulled it up and tied it. The nice thing is that if I would like, I can untie the cord and wear the pants as plain straight leg pants.

One final little note. I save all of my left over ribbons and sew just a bit at the center back of my pants, or pajama pants, whatever the case may be :) Makes it easy to always know where the back is. 

  
If you decide to give the shirred leg a try, be sure to use a fabric with drape...rayon, poly, silk. 

Go take a walk. Inspiration just might be on the sidewalk!

Thrifty Thursday Ideas

I had such a lovely day yesterday. So many took the time to congratulate me on a great presidency with the American Opera Society of Chicago, and voiced that they were sad to see me step down. Really nice. Good for the soul :) 

Some asked what I would do now. I love the movie Working Girl and I jokingly used a line from the movie, "Oh, I think I'll redecorate the country house, go to Europe for a while ;)" What I'll actually be doing is continuing to talk to all of you through the blog on a regular basis, continue working on the new Sewbussted interview series (BTW, a new one will be up tomorrow!!!), working in my garden, and a couple of other things that I'm just not ready to talk about. 

Change is good as it allows us to take a new direction. One of my projects requires a considerable amount of research and reading, which I'm loving, but it takes time. So, I'm happy to have my mind a little freer in the months to come :).  

Now that warmer weather has finally hit Chicago, I'm wanting some fresh new pieces for spring/summer wear. What I REALLY need are some new pajamas. I received the new issue of Sew News recently and they have a simple, but cute pair in the issue and even better, it's a free download!

The pajamas are intended to be made from a woven fabric. They recommend crepe de chine, but any light weight woven would be fine. I have not made up the pattern yet, so I can't vouch for the drafting or fit, but with something so simple,  especially drawstring pants and an easy tank, I think you'll be safe to give it a try. I've downloaded the pattern, so I should have it made up soon. You can find the FREE PATTERN HERE. 

This must be a stripe kind of a week for me! Another super cute pattern that is a free download in the current issue of Sew News is this linen striped top.

I really like the front yoke and the interest that is added with the stripes. This pattern could easily be lengthened and made into an easy to wear summer shift dress. 

The instructions in the magazine are quite detailed, so if you've never ventured into the stripe world, you'll be sure to have a successful garment. You can find the FREE PATTERN DOWNLOAD HERE. If you think you would like to have 1 or both of the patterns, be sure to download them now as they will no longer be free after July 31, 2017!

A few days ago, Sewingelle of He Cooks...She Sews posted this sweet picture of she and her daughter on Mother's Day. I think her daughter is one of the luckiest girls in the entire world as her mom makes the most fabulous wardrobe for her.

Sewingelle commented that since the dress is black, it's a little difficult to see the style lines, but she likes it so much that she intends to make another for herself. 

 

Now, here's the good news!!!

The exact same pattern is on the cover of the current issue of Sew News, and..... 

You can get the pattern for 20% off when you enter the code, PocketDress20 at checkout, WOOHOO!!!

You can find the pattern HERE at BurdaStyle. 

This dress was made in a scuba knit, so it gives the dress a different look from the soft stretch velvet that Sewingelle used for her daughter's dress.  

Free patterns and a discount, I think that makes for a pretty good day!

Have a great one!
Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday/Ear Flap Hat

It's been quite some time since I've done a Thrifty Thursday post, and although it's no longer Thursday, I wanted to share the pattern with you. About a year ago, Purl Soho posted THIS super cute ear flap hat. I am such a sucker for a hat, so I just had to make one. The designer said that when her children were small, she designed a winter baby bonnet that her children still were a version of. Since she too loves hats, she regretted not designing an adult version. Although it's on a child, the hat below was designed to fit the head of most women.

And here's my crazy version. The designer said that the hat is a classic Amelia Earhart shape, so I just couldn't resist doing one in leather. And in true Amelia style, I took the picture in the cockpit of the airplane :)

The inside is in a faux fur.

If you look closely, you'll see that I braided strips of the leather for the ties. Other than that, I followed the pattern. 

The hat is super warm, and it will be great on days when the wind is hollowing. The leather should stop any cold air from penetrating the hat.

The pattern is so easy to make up. Someone who is relatively new to sewing should not have a problem. If you have a teenager who likes to exchange gifts with friends, I think this would be perfect. Although the designer said that the hat should fit most women, I think it would work for guys too. After all, it's not only women who fly ;)

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.

Downloading The Frenzy Blouse Pattern From Papavero

I have heard from many of you who would like to download the Frenzy Blouse from Papavero, but are having a difficult time, so I thought that I would try and do a little walk through and help you out.

Begin by going to THIS page.

In the top right hand corner of the page, which you see below, you will see where you can either create an account or log in to an existing account. All along the way you will need to translate the page unless you can read Polish.  

Once you have created an account, it will take you to a new account page. Go back to the Frenzy Blouse page. Scroll down and you will see, highlighted in red, a link to the size chart. The size chart is in centimeters, so for us Americans who are a little metric challenged, you will need to convert the metric measurements to inches. 

The page that contains the size chart is pictured below.

Below is the size chart. Note that the sizes are across the top of the chart in red.

Once you have determined your size, go back to the Frenzy Blouse page and scroll down until you see the green boxes that you see below. The number on the right side of 174 is the size of the pattern in that file. Simply click on the green box for the size that you would like and the pattern will download.

The first page of the downloaded pattern is pictured below.

One last note on the pattern. I took my file to a print shop as I wanted to be sure and print out the pattern on the correct paper size. The pages are a little bigger than our regular paper size of 8.5x11 here in America. So the copy shop printed the pattern out on a legal sized piece of paper. Worked out perfectly.  

If you have any other questions, please ask and I will do my best to help. The download is a little confusing initially, but once you've figured it out, it will all make sense. Hopefully my little walk through will also help.

Good Luck!
Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday/You Must Make This Blouse!!!

I'm always on the outlook for new designers who are offering a free pattern to promote their work. The blouse below popped up on my Pinterest page. I thought it was cute, saved it with the thought that I might get to it, and then a Facebook friend sent a link and said that she thought I might like this. It's the Frenzy Blouse from Papavero. So I thought, okay, the sewing gods have spoken, I should give it a try :) 

And I'm so happy that I did! Such a cute blouse and so pretty on as well. 

Just to give you an idea of what is really going on at the neckline. There are 3 pleats on either side of center front that radiate diagonally out. 

The tab is sewn on under the pleats. The tab pattern is not included. I cut a strip 3" wide and stitched it together with a 1/4" seam allowance. I obviously cut my tab much longer than it needed to be. Once the tab is made, simply center it with the center front of the blouse and then fold back the pleats. Remember, they are pleats and not darts, so no stitching them down.  

The instructions call for a center back zipper. I hate having zippers in my blouses if they are not absolutely necessary. The neckline looked large enough to get my head through, so I basted the top together before actually sewing. Slipped it on without a problem, so no zipper!

The neckline is finished with a bias strip. This is not included in the pattern, but easy enough to cut on your own. Once the neckline is finished, wrap the tab to the back and hand stitch in place.

As you can see, the blouse would make a lovely dress as well, just lengthen the pattern.

Downloading the pattern is a bit of a challenge as the instructions are in Polish. Thank goodness for Google translate. There are separate files for each size, so be sure to check the measurements to determine the size you will need. 

The download is a bit of a challenge, but well worth it. As I said, I am so very happy with the blouse. Fits beautifully and it was very easy to make. I will be making more!

Enjoy!

Rhonda