Pepernoot Fashion Show

Since I shared my finished hoodless Pepernoot jacket with you, it has become my favorite go to piece. The weather has been rather cool in Chicago, so this version has been perfect. 

You may remember the sew along I did for Sew News. Whenever I wear this jacket, I get sooo many compliments. It really is cute, but the fabric pills, so I may get one more season out of it, but that's it. Really disappointed. But, it opens the door for something new, always a silver lining :) BTW, the fabric came from the home dec department at Joann Fabrics. It may still be available, so stay away! 

I really love the big, bold, flower power jacket. Also a home dec fabric, but it has worn beautifully. Not from Joann's. The hood was lined in velvet and it feels to good when pulled over my head.

The hoodless horseman ;)

So easy to wear. Over the weekend, I paired it with my Ginger jeans. The skirt is my planes, trains and boat fabric. Sadly, I didn't have enough of the lining fabric to make a blouse. But, I think I like a white top better anyway.

When I originally showed you the finished jacket, I mentioned that I did not put the zippers in the pockets. The pockets function well with the zippers and without. So another nice option :)

And my crazy, fun lining.

Be sure to visit the Waffle Patterns website. I think the world of Yuki, the designer. I have been so very pleased with all of her patterns that I have made, and she is super sweet on top of it all.

I have had a number of people ask about the shoes I am wearing. I have fallen in love with Jambu shoes. I purchased a pair of sandals last summer and wore them with just about everything. This was a new this year style and I thought they were so cute. I have gone between the pair I bought last year and this pair all summer long. You would think I only own 2 pairs of shoes!!! They are no longer available on the Jambu website, but you can find them in black leather or suede HERE, and other colors HERE on Amazon. 

Have a wonderful day!
Rhonda

House Keeping And A New Project

Happy Wednesday!

I took a little time this morning to update the Sew News Sew Along links. If you look at the banner under Rhonda's Creative Life, you'll see a number of clickable links with one being a link to the Sew News sew alongs that I have done. I still need to go back and add the sew alongs that were done in 2014, but I do have 2016 up to date. So far this year, we have done;

The Pepernoot Coat from Waffle Patterns

The Magic Bias Dress from Fashion In Harmony

The Soma Swimsuit from Papercut Patterns 

The Stella Weekender Bag from Swoon Patterns

Up next is the fabulous Ginger Jeans pattern from Closet Case Files. I am super pumped about this sew along as I cannot wait to make another pair. I could live in these jeans!!! 

So if at anytime you would like to refer to any of the sew along posts, I think you'll find it quite easy to find them. As soon as I link up all the 2014 sew alongs, I'll let you know.

At the moment I am working on my niece's wedding gown. Can't wait to share the dress with you. I've decided to wait until after her wedding to post pictures. The wedding will be October 22nd, so just a few weeks away.

I recently shared a lovely gift that I was given from Kim of The Material Lady, a gorgeous piece of Linton Tweed.

With such a special gift, I really wanted to be sure that whatever I chose to do would be equally as special, so I ordered the Cassock Coat pattern from Paco Peralta. I may not have enough to make the longer version, but I'll be just as happy with something shorter.

My pattern arrived yesterday and Paco included such a sweet gift, a sketch book from The Museu del Disseny. I am going to enjoy having this in my bag. Thank you Paco :)

With such a special project, I want a special lining. I popped over to the Apple Annie website and found this lovely piece of silk charmeuse. Kind of a wild lining, but it should be fun :) 

I'm planning to quilt the fabric just as I would for a Chanel style jacket, so it will be a bit labor intensive, but well worth it.

So that's my little dog and pony show for the day.

Before I go, I would just like to say thank you to all of you who have sent messages and cards after the loss of my precious Little Bit. Each day is better. I miss her terribly. The house is so quiet and so empty. Gracie too is mourning. It's like we are all struggling to find a new normal. We will. Little Bit was a little 14 pound dog that had the spirit and presence of a giant. I am so very grateful that I was given the opportunity to share life with her while she was here on earth.

The Hoodless Pepernoot Coat From Waffle Patterns

I had great fun doing the sew along for the Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat. While working on the coat, I found the pattern to be quite versatile. Below you see Yuki's version which has the faux fur band on the hood and the quilted lining. A great coat for super coat weather.

As you know, the coat on the left was made for the magazine and the coat on the right was done for the sew along. Although both have a hood, they look quite different. Of course the fabric alone is going to set them apart. 

Just in case you missed the post I did with me in the coats, here's a follow up picture. I've just about worn out the squiggle coat. It has really become my go to jacket on cool days. I think that most people would not realize that the two coats came from the same pattern.

During the sew along,I mentioned that the coat could be made without the hood. I was asked to do a tutorial on how to do this. The changes that need to be made to the pattern in order to delete the hood were posted HERE. I decided that I would like to have a hoodless version. Below is my almost finished coat.

For quite some time, I have wanted a denim jacket in my wardrobe, so I thought this would be a nice opportunity to make one up. 

If you would like to do a hoodless version,  remember that the zipper will stop below the neckline rather than run up into the hood, so you can get by with a little shorter zipper than called for in the pattern.

As I showed you in the previous post, the placket will need to be shortened and it too will stop below the neckline.

I decided to do a lot of top stitching. 

I even edge stitched the darts with my top stitching thread. Please excuse my washed out pictures.

Another shot of the top stitching detail on the shoulder.

And finally, the lining. A rather patriotic coat ;)

The coat has yet to be pressed, but this at least this gives you an idea of how it sits on the neckline. Without the hood, it's not a coat for cooler days, although a turtleneck sweater or a scarf could be worn with the coat and either of those options would give it a little more flexibility.

I think this is going to be fun version to wear with jeans and skirts alike. Now off to finish the coat!

You can check out all of Yuki's innovative patterns HERE.

Happy Friday :) 

A Little This And That On Thursday/Chicago Marathon and The Pepernoot Coat

What in the world does the Chicago Marathon have to do with the Waffle Pattern Pepernoot Coat??? Absolutely nothing :)

Last fall, I decided that I would like to do the Chicago Marathon this year, and do it not only for myself, but for a charity that I am very passionate about. Fortunately, the Chicago Marathon is not an invitation only event like the Boston Marathon, but you do have to apply and this year the guidelines were a little more complicated. Since I have never done the marathon, and I did not want to do the marathon on behalf of one of their designated charities, I had to apply and then be put into a lottery. Well, if you've ever purchased a lottery ticket, you know how often you actually win...not that often. But I kept my fingers crossed, and this morning, this was in my inbox...

Rhonda Buss:

Congratulations, you have received an entry into the 2016 Chicago Marathon.

I am still beaming! I will do a post in the near future and tell you a little more about my decision and the charity. 

Now for the Pepernoot Coat. 

When I did my post for the sew along, I made a comment about how the jacket could be made without the hood and turned into a spring jacket. I was asked if I would explain more in depth as to how to delete the hood. I decided that it would be fun to have this coat for the spring in denim, so rather than just explain, I am making another coat minus the hood.

I love to look for fabric in antique shops. The bold red, white and blue print came from one of my fabric antique malls in Racine, Wisconsin. Sometimes I'm lucky, sometimes not, but I always enjoy having a look around. So my new spring coat will be made in denim and lined in the red, white and blue print. Rather fun I think :) 

There is really only 1 alteration to the pattern that will need to be made and that is the front band. In the picture of the coat below, you can see that the front band extends into the hood.

Below, I am pointing at the notch that corresponds with the neckline seam.

Simply fold the pattern piece back at the notch.

Now cut out the front band, BUT BE SURE TO ADD SEAM ALLOWANCE TO THE FOLDED EDGE. If you don't, the band will not be long enough.

My lining and coat are all cut and ready to go. I just need to decide if I want red zippers or denim zippers. Such decisions ;)

Although this is not a part of the official sew along, I wanted to do this just to cover the extra possibility of the pattern. Once mine is made, you can then decide whether this may be an option for you as well. 
Have a wonderful day!
Rhonda

Fashion Show Friday/Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat and Sewn Square One Upline Jacket

It has been quite some time since I've modeled a garment for you, so I thought that I would do a bit of catch up today. There are so many that I haven't modeled, so just a few today, and more later.  

First up, the coat that I just finished for the Sew News Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat Sew Along. I absolutely adore this coat. First of all, I love the pattern, but I'm also so very pleased with how the coat turned out.

A view from the back.

The hood. When I initially made the coat, I didn't think I would use the hood. The hood has been great on cold days as well as rainy days.  

And finally, the lining.
If you would like to take a look at the sew along posts, you can find them HERE. 

I am about to wear out this coat!! It's much lighter than the cobalt blue flower coat, so great for a cool, but not cold day. It just seems to slip over just about every garment I have.   

 A view of the back.

And my fun lining!
Be sure to pop over to the Waffle Pattern website and check out Yuki's other designs. I could not be more pleased with this coat, so I feel quite safe to recommend ALL of her patterns :) 

A parting shot of the coat with the bag I made last December for a Fabulous Free Pattern Friday post. 

The Sewn Square One Upline Jacket that I did for the Sew News Sew Along. You can find the sew along posts HERE. When it comes to the 3 coats that I'm sharing with you today, I feel like a kid in a candy store when I look in my closet. I LOVE them all! I'm off to the airport in just a few minutes. We have a very bright and sunny day, but it's a bit cool, so this jacket will be perfect.

I love that the collar is quite versatile. I can leave it unzipped, zip it to the top, or zip it to the top and then roll it down. Even when it's zipped up, a scarf fits nicely inside the collar. A little difficult to see in the picture, but the style lines of the coat are also so very pretty.

The back of the jacket.

And finally, a parting shot of the lining. This was a vintage piece that's been in my collection for quite some time. So glad I had it :) 
You can check out all of the Sewn Square One patterns HERE. By the way, this jacket comes in 3 lengths. The jacket I'm wearing is the longest length.

So that's it for my little Friday Fashion show. I feel so fortunate to have these wonderful garments. Loved making them and loved the patterns :)

Happy Friday to you all!

Rhonda

Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat Sneak Peek

It's a beautiful, but rather cold morning in my part of the world. It was 70 degrees on Sunday afternoon, and this morning...27, and that's not Celsius!!! Oh well, it is Chicago :) For those of you who may be coming to the Pattern Review Weekend in May, know to be prepared for just about anything!
I missed connecting with all of you yesterday. I've had a place on my back that I've been dealing with, a little concerning as it is right at my spine. The doctor had given me some cream to shrink the spot. It was smaller, but he decided that he didn't like how it looked, so out came the knife. It was rather painful, so I rested and took it easy yesterday afternoon. I'm much better this morning and I'll shortly be off to my art class. Always puts a smile on my face :)

Just wanted to give you a heads up on the final Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat sew along post. The Sew News blog is showing that the post is up, but when you click on the post, nothing is there. I'm sure it will be fixed shortly. As soon as the post is up, I'll be back with links. In the meantime, I thought I would give you a sneak peek at my finished coat. I still need to press it(please forgive me), but all in all, I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

I decided to use the black velvet for the center panel of the hood. There was no way that I would be able to match the pattern, so I thought that the velvet was a better alternative. In the above picture, you can see that I also lined the hood in the velvet. 

A friend of mine gave me a bag full of buttons that her mother saved from what must have been an incredible wardrobe. In one box, I found the black velvet buttons that I used on the sleeves. Just the perfect button.

I didn't get the coat finished in time for Easter, but the Haute Couture Club of Chicago is hosting its annual fashion show this Sunday, so the perfect place to wear the coat. Sadly, I won't be to be in the show this year. 

Have a wonderful day!

Rhonda

Attaching The Pockets To the Waffle Patterns Pepernoot Coat

We decided to separate the pockets from the finishing of the Pepernoot Coat as combining everything would have made for a rather long post. Now you'll have a designated post to refer back to as you tackle the pockets. You can find the post HERE on the Sew News blog.
Since I have a large pattern in my fabric, it was very important that I match the flowers. A bit of a daunting task, but worth it in the end.

In this week's post, I walk you through creating the rectangular opening for the inserting of the zipper,

to the placement of the zipper, 

and finally, attaching the pocket to the coat. 

In the post I also talk about an alternative just in case you still feel a little overwhelmed by the entire process. But, I think you'll see that making the zippered pocket really isn't that difficult. 
As for me, I think I need to have a talk with myself. If only I had chosen a fabric with a less obvious pattern. Sometimes it seems that I enjoy giving myself an extra challenge ;) Whatever my next project will be, I won't include matching patterns!!!
Best of luck with your pockets!