Mirroring Suzy Bee Sews - Life So Strange It Should Be Fiction

As usual, I am a little late to the party--the waterfall cardigan has been a thing for several years now.  In fact, the first time I saw one was on a fellow traveler when I took a bike trip in Italy in 2004!  But hey, better late than never. Etoile Isabel Marant Lexy Leather Trimmed Boucle Jacket, $430 Source: net-a-porter.com via Trena on Pinterest The fabric is a stable knit from the $2.97/yd table at G Street Fabrics.  At first I wasn't crazy about the fact that it is essentially striped, but then I saw this Isabel Marant jacket/cardigan and felt a little better.  Heh. This is a pretty simple variation to draft.  It looks like McCall 6084 is the same style, though I've only looked at the line drawing so I don't know what the pattern pieces look like.  All you do is extend the front neckline at the inner point of the shoulder the same length as the back neckline (I did not bother redrafting my back neckline to be straight--the curve on my TNT sloper is...

Melissa made this top a while back and I was very intrigued.  It's a twist on the cowl top with the cowl at one of the sleeves instead of the neckline.  I thought it might be a good pattern for a special piece of silk that just can't decide what it wants to be. I found the magazine on eBay and getting it was a drama.  The Post Office left me a peach notice slip, which I dutifully signed.  The next day they left another one, which I again signed.  Then they sent the package back to Brazil.  Then I had to pay shipping *again.*  Finally, it got to me.  I was *quite* annoyed with the USPS and sent them an email, which they assured me would be answered in 24 hours.  Three months later I'm still waiting. Anyway, tracing this pattern was crazy!  The pattern sheets are about as dense as the new Burda sheets, but actually slightly easier as most of the items only come in one size and therefore have only one set of lines. This is in 5 different p...

I, and several others, have showcased McCall's 6436 over the past few months, so my blurb won't be too detailed this time. Again, the sleeveless view (remember, it is heading into summer Down Under!) But this time I have 2 fellow bloggers to credit my design ideas to. No sneaky photos from behind closed  change-room  doors on this top!!! First off, Pdiddly at P'thrifty sewing blog made the same shirt with a black placket - design steal #1. This idea just made the shirt colours pop! This top has even adorn the Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta! The back view of my top... Just love the fabric - it is a Wenzel Australia fabric with a beautiful cool feel to it. My next design-pinching idea has come from Suzy at Suzy Bee Sews . Suzy must have the biggest stash of funky fun lining fabrics that she pops inside most of the outfits she whips up...  Fun f acing inside one of her latest pairs of pants, and the lining of a fantastic jacket. Please, go and check out her latest sewing craze with...

Although I do not plan to become regularly be-pantsed, it really would be nice to have a pair or two for those winter days when it is too cold to wear a skirt even with wool knickers . But pants.  They are impossible .  Impossible, I tell you! It was time to turn to the experts.  For the first time in my life(!!!!), I signed up for a sewing class. G Street offers drafting classes, one for a bodice and one for pants.  I keep meaning to develop a bodice sloper.  I haven't out of sheer laziness but feel that I can do just fine for that on my own as I have made many reasonably well-fitting dresses.  But pants.  I need some professional help. It is a big time commitment for me:  the class is 4 hours for 3 Saturdays in a row at the Rockville location, and with Metro broken every weekend it takes me 1 1/2 hours each way to get there.  I left my house at 8:30 on Saturday morning.  If you knew me, you would understand the depth of my commitment t...

It's Pattern Review's Mini Wardrobe contest so I figured I'd get in on the action and sew some separates (I am in no way guaranteeing I will finish this month!).  I needed a plain black woven skirt--the one I wear all the time is a thick knit that is getting a little worse for the wear with pilling.  When Fabric.com did its crazy Vera Wang closeout at $1.95/yard for really good quality fabrics a couple years ago, one of the things I picked up was 3 yards of a black stretch wool so I would have enough on hand to make several skirts as needed.  This was my first time to sew with it and it is fabulous!  It was advertised as suiting but I find it too thin for a jacket.  But for a fluid skirt, really lovely. I was intrigued by the lines of Burda 02-2011-103 .  I haven't seen it too many times in the blogosphere or on PR, but those who've made it liked it so I gave it a shot.  I thought it might be the perfect hybrid:  a pencil skirt that is bikeable ...

 ...  my latest shirt.... I was in need of a quick little casual (insert 'big yawn') sleeveless shirt.  So I turned, again, to McCall's 6436. Now this shirt in itself isn't anything startling. But it does have the little added bonus of coming with B/C/D cup size pattern pieces...doesn't that just save a little drafting time??? Now I was only after a very casual top, so used the same fabric as I used last summer for one of my Sorbetto tops .  A neat little blue/cream/white stripe that I found went with a multitude of bottoms.  And to jazz it up a tad, because I am the first to admit it is a bit of a ho-hum pattern in itself, I added a little feature band down the front. It really is just a play-for-fun with the stripes. Nothing fancy, but a little different. I also French Felled the side seams just to add some excitement to this top. And a quick peek at the collar...and the back... So, if you are still awake after reading about this plain-as shirt, head over to...