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

About a year ago this Oscar de la Renta boucle jacquard dress, which was $1890 at Saks (it's sold out, but for the moment is  still on the website  if you'd like to zoom into the details), caught my eye.   The fabric content of the original is poly/acrylic/polyamide, with a silk lining.  I looked forever for the perfect fabric.  It's tough to find a boucle that is lightweight enough to be pleated, so in the end I went a different direction with the fabric. My starting point for this was Butterick 5558 , which has the perfect collar/neckline and the empire waist.  This pattern has only two reviews, which surprises me as I think it is rather cute and purchased it before I ran across the inspiration piece.  Having made it, I am impressed with the drafting of the collar/neckline and recommend it. B5558 is drafted with a peaked center front skirt, while the inspiration's bodice is straight across.  I prefer the straight across look.  The bust shap...

 I made this for my daughter, it's a trial run before I cut into the cat fabric from Melbourne for her. The top itself is nice and simple, I always struggle to fit my daughter in a woven fabric though, I think it's because she has opposite adjustments to what I need. There's still some problems with the fit, the shoulders were way too narrow on her and therefore the sleeves were too high and tight so I cut them off.  This is a size small with the bust darts raised by 1" and the collar pointed. Next version I think I'll make a sz medium and attempt a SBA with a small sloping shoulder adjustment. If anyone can pick up any more fitting issues please say, any advice is welcome! The fabric is cotton poly blend from Spotlight, it has a cute Kawaii type print on it, I kind of think it looks like pyjamas but Amber seems to like it. All I can ever imagine with cutesy prints like this is Michael Kors popping up and saying  it looks becky homecky! Buttons are from the stash, ...

... all the sewers and crafters???? Well, Vicki, from Another Sewing Scientist fame had the brain wave of uniting all the sewing and crafty people  by mapping where they live! Sewing sprees will be starting up all over the world, thanks to Vicki.  So head over to Another Sewing Scientist , follow her easy-as directions, and you too will appear on the map, waving the flag for your part of the world!

I have been wanting to make  Burda 06-2008-108  since, well, June of 2008.  It only took me 4 1/2 years to get to it.  At this rate I will be done with my sewing list in no time. It comes in sizes 34-42, so not only did I not have to size it down at the shoulders and bust, it was on the old sheets.  So easy to trace, man. The fabric is from the Grand Bazaar in Turkey , purchased on my trip there in 2010.  I always feel so victorious when I sew from deep stash (though I don't know if 2 years counts as deep stash). They have you bind the sleeve before setting it in, which is an interesting idea.  In reality, the sleeve ended up too tight around the bicep, so I had to undo my binding, let out the pleats, stitch extra length to the binding, and then re-sew it on.  Next time I'll just wait until the sleeve is set in and fitted as usual! I am pretty sure I didn't sew a single collar with collar band in 2012.  Traditional blouses are not a staple in...

... this contempory one-of-a-kind sewing room decor idea. How cool and creative is that!!! Susan @ L i v i n g with Punks is one almighty inspirational OCD/ADD crafter  who just has ' the knack ' at whipping up the most amazing things in her life. And she gives a step-by-step tutorial on how to make these up - just how good hearted is this lovely young lady! These just look so clean, and striking, and I have always been memorised by the rows and rows of coloured threads, zippers and shiny buttons in fabric stores. So, off to IKEA for the frames, hunt the stash for what I had (as if there was any need to tip-toe down to the Lincraft sale) and lookie at what I made... And because this is from my stash, I am claiming it as part of my STASHBUSTING for January (OK, a few days into February is still counted in my books!) Shadow box frames are from IKEA, as is the wall mounted shelf ... Threads are just my favourite colours ... so glad I always buy extra at the sales ... The ...