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 Suit That Made Me Cry

A late Wednesday check in. Hope you've had a lovely day. I found out that I have to get a urine sample from my dog first thing tomorrow morning. I made the comment to the vet that it will make for a great start to the day. He said, "look at it this way, the day can only get better!" Let's hope :)

So, the suit that made me cry and want to throw my sewing machine off the side of a mountain is now complete...and I love it!

My final post for the Papercut Patterns Soma Swimsuit is up on the Sew News blog and you can find it HERE.

I took A LOT of liberties with the pattern. With all of the sew alongs that I've done for Sew News, I always try and think about the sewist who doesn't have a store near by, and if they do, maybe one that's rather lacking in supplies. The pattern calls for the bodice of the swimsuit to be finished with foldover elastic. I used foldover elastic for the suit that I made for the magazine, but one issue is what if you can't find elastic that will match your fabric, like in the case of the metallic fabric that I used for this suit. 

The pattern also calls for a special ring for the straps. Here again, this may not be readily available and if you don't want to order your supplies, what can you do? I used a ring I found at the hardware store for the first suit that I made and for this suit, I was especially lucky and found this great hook that perfectly matched my fabric. I was ready to give up, but while I was in line at my chain fabric store, I just happened to notice these little flashlights with the hook attached. Score!!! 

I look at it this way, it's a swimsuit, so why not take a few liberties?!!

Pictures of me in the suit are coming up this Friday, along with a coverup. You may....or may not!!! want to pop back for that :) Actually, I REALLY like the suit and it looks fabulous on. Can't wait to actually jump in the water.

Be sure to pop over to Papercut Patterns as they have a number of new patterns up on their site that really look like winners.
I especially like the Bowline Sweater. 

With whatever project you are working on, just remember, just because the pattern recommends a certain product, it doesn't mean that you can't think outside the box and come up with an alternative. Sometimes the alternative is a whole lot more fun! 

A Suit and a Story/A Story of Tears and Triumph

I am so far behind!!! Crazy me, I managed to slice my finger open on Monday evening while chopping vegetables. Maybe the vegetarian thing isn't working for me ;) Just wasn't paying attention, moved my finger in front of the knife, down the knife went, and a great big cut for me. I was so aggravated with myself. One of those things you just can't believe that you did. The bleeding has finally stopped, so I am back in business :)

If you are following the Papercut Patterns Soma Swimsuit sew along that I am doing for Sew News, this week's post is up. And even if you aren't following the sew along, pop over as this week's post includes the story behind putting the suit together. It was a Tim Gunn, "make it work" moment for sure. You can find the post HERE. 

Has a sewing endeavor ever brought you to tears? Share your story in the comment section. I would love to hear what happened and if there was a solution. 

Creative Swimsuit Cover-ups/Soma Swimsuit Sew Along Begins

My first sew along post for the Soma Swimsuit from Papercut Patterns is up on the Sew News blog and you can find it HERE. I took a few liberties with the pattern, but it all worked out great in the end. So if you are thinking that you might like to make a suit this summer, be sure to check out the posts.

Have you ever found yourself at a hotel wanting to go to the pool and yet you have nothing to throw over your suit? I have! Even as a child, I was uncomfortable walking to the pool in nothing but my suit. I've borrowed a t-shirt from my husband, wrapped a towel around me, used the bathrobe provided by the hotel. They all do the job, but none provide the lovely, well put together look that I strive for. So since we are talking swimsuits over the next few weeks with the Soma Swimsuit sew along, I thought we would also talk about some fun cover-ups. 

I've done a number of Fabulous Free Pattern Friday pieces that are perfect for cover-ups.

The Magic Jacket
This piece is nothing but a big rectangle, and the pattern works well with border prints. You can find the instructions HERE.

The Flutter Top

This is made with 2 simple rectangles. The tie adds a little interest around the waistline and gives it a little more shape. Make it a little longer and it will take you from the pool to drinks at the bar, or a casual dinner. You can find the instructions HERE. 

The Easy Breezy Top

If you have a fun border print that would coordinate with your suit, this piece would be fun. The open sleeves help keep you cool and add interest. You can find the instructions HERE. 

Caught In A Wave

Wear it with or without a belt, either way you'll look super cute. You can find the tutorial HERE.

The Magic Rectangle Dress

Whether you take it a step further and do the ruching on the shoulders, or just leave it plain, the Magic Rectangle Dress is easy to slip on and will always look cute over any suit. See the tutorial HERE.

Hope that helps to get your creative ideas flowing!

Rhonda

Monday Morning Fun,We Have a Winner!!!

Well, I could have used a swimsuit yesterday afternoon. I had a few errands to run, so I was out for a while. When I arrived back home, I parked the car and as I was walking back to the house, I got a whiff of something rather foul. Living on the river, you just never know what you might encounter, but rather than look for whatever it was, I decided to go in and get my dinner started. 

My dog Gracie came running up to greet me as she always does and OH MY GOODNESS did she ever smell. Whatever I smelled outside, she had rolled in it!!! Of course my husband was just sitting there oblivious to it all. I asked, "didn't you smell her???" My thought was, how could you not? He said that he did, but he thought it was outside. I told him to scoop her  up and take her down to the walk-in shower where I could quickly bathe her. Whatever it was that she rolled in was so strong that it made me choke while trying to wash it off. In the end, the dog was clean and I and my dress were soaking wet. 

Once finished, I looked at my husband and said, "I really hope that I out live all of you as this house will otherwise be a stinking free for all!!!" He hung his head and said, "we are all happy to have you." At least it's nice to be appreciated :)

Now to the task at hand, the announcement of the Papercut Soma Swimsuit Pattern!

And the winner is...

Congratulations Angie!!!

Please email me with your mailing info as I also have a magazine to send out to you. The pattern will be a PDF pattern that will be sent directly to you from Katie of Papercut Patterns.

For those of you who did not win, if you would like to make up the suit, you can find the pattern HERE on the Sew News site. You can also purchase the pattern directly from Papercut. You'll find the PDF version HERE, and the beautifully packaged version HERE. Although the packaged version is a little more, they ship for FREE worldwide!!! The experience of the packaged version is well worth the few extra dollars. 

I'm really looking forward to the sew along. 

Happy Swimming!!!

Rhonda

The Soma Swimsuit From Papercut Patterns/Your Chance To Win A Copy!

The Sew News Sew Along for the Papercut Soma Swimsuit will begin next week!!! If you've never made a swimsuit, you should really join in as making a swimsuit is such a fun thing to do and a great way to kick off summer!

This is a suit that can be made out of basically, scraps of fabric. Next week I'll share the story behind putting this suit together. It was  a true "make it work" situation. Funny now, not so funny at the time. But I think that what I went through to put the suit together will give you lots of ideas and you'll see that fabric and materials can literally be found ANYWHERE!!!

In the picture grouping below, I included a picture of the bra cups that I added to the suit. Most of us enjoy a little extra support. This is not included in the instructions for the suit, but I think the cups are a welcome addition. Super easy to do and I'll be sure to walk you step by step through the process. 

The pattern offers lots of options, of course, the full suit that you see above. There's a bikini version that you see below. Although the top is basically a shortened version of the one piece suit, a separate pattern is included.   

You can also use the bottom pattern from the one piece version and make a suit with a little more coverage than the bikini. Another option is offered for the top as well. So you can really mix and match the pattern and come up with lots of options. 

Below are a few ideas that I pulled off of the Papercut site. Note that the one piece suit is trimmed in fold-over elastic. The one piece below is trimmed in a basic white fold-over and I think that it accents the suit beautifully. 

If you would like to venture into the wonderful world of making swimsuits, and would like a chance to win a pattern, just leave a message on this post. I will announce the winner next Monday, June 6, 2016. The pattern that you receive will be a PDF version.  

Just a little warning note, once you make your first swimsuit, you'll be making more!!!

Good Luck!
Rhonda

Gifts and Freebies/Sew News June/July Issue

The new June/July issue of Sew News is out and I have copies to give away...THREE COPIES!!!

This is a fun issue as it is all about summer. It has been such a cold May here in Chicago, so I am truly ready for summer and excited about doing a little summer sewing.

In this issue you'll find some great free patterns, like the big satchel below. You can download the pattern HERE.

Get all the instructions to draft this swingy fringed vest. Fun over shorts, skirts, jeans and more!

Download the pattern for this sweet blouse. You can find the pattern HERE.

And if you would like to make something special for Dad, there's a fun and easy apron pattern that you can download HERE. This is a great pattern for someone who is just learning to sew.

Remember to download the patterns by July 31st, as after that date, you'll have to purchase them!!!

In the June/July issue, you'll also find the new sew along piece, a lovely swimsuit from Papercut Patterns, the Soma  Swimsuit. I have a great behind the scenes story to share about how the suit came together. Look for that in another post :)

In this issue, you'll also find a great article from Joi Mahon on pattern transfer techniques, an article on needles where you'll learn everything there is to know about needles, and much more. This is an issue packed with great content.

If you would like an opportunity win a copy of this great issue, just leave a message on this post. I'll announce the winners next Thursday, May 26, 2016. 

Good Luck!

Rhonda