Vintage Pattern Review: Simplicity 3936 Simple Top

I've been making more tops than usual this week because I'm taking part in Rae's Spring Top Week:
The idea is to make a top a day, but yeah.... I'm fast, but not that fast.
Hmm...unless, of course, I make my family feed themselves, forgo the cleaning and chauffeuring. Let the dishes pile up. Forget laundry! Pfft. Vacuuming? Bah. Stuff can collect all over the house, I'll be sewing.
What do you think? Will that fly? It doesn't work for me. Just thinking about the mess makes me shudder! Guess I'll have to settle for a top every other day or so.
Lucky for me, the challenge is to make a top a day, but as long as you make one top, you can join in the fun!
My first top was the spring ruffle top. My second is this vintage simplicity pattern. You know I have to make a vintage top... I love the vintage patterns!

Pattern Description:
Misses' one-piece dress, top, shorts and tunic.
I made the top.

Pattern Sizing:
Size 15, bust 35

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, the top looks the same.
I wish I had that geometrically patterned fabric, though. (And maybe those long, long legs on that drawing of the model)

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, it is a very simple pattern

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the simplicity of the top. It is also very, very comfortable.
However, it is a little shapeless. I ended up shaping at the sides so that it fits a little better.

Fabric Used:
Printed cotton

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
Side shaping to make the top more flattering.
I also took off a couple of inches to the pattern when I was cutting the fabric. The pattern is sized a little bit big for me.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I may make another top, perhaps even the dress, although I may use fabric that drapes a little better.
I would recommend this top because it is very easy to make.

Conclusion:
It's a very casual and comfortable top. I will be wearing this on hot days, when I take my kids to the park or playground.

Su Made it Too - the Dana Dress, that is...

So, I have been drooling over the wonderful girls' dresses that Dana has been making. Then, she generously created the most wonderfully complete tutorial on how to make the dress from a dress shirt.
The only problem is, I married a rock band t-shirt and jeans kind of a guy. He really does not have any dress shirts to spare. However, being a guy who is totally secure in his manhood, he wears shirts like this:
My friend told me to tell him that this shirt is girly. I told her that he couldn't really care less, as long as it is loud, it's good. Imagine my delight when he told me that this shirt has shrunk too much for him. Hah!!! A good opportunity for making the Dana dress. Yes!

I followed the instructions to the T, except I did not have enough material to make gathered sleeves.
Here's my daughter striking a few poses. The girl is a natural.... sigh! She's a total camera mug. She loves the camera pointing at her! Loves it.

Pattern Review: Made By Rae Spring Ruffle Top

When I saw Rae's spring top tutorial on Sew Mama Sew blog, I knew I had to make my own! The instructions were so clear, but best of all, the photos were lovely. I'm a very visual person, so I really appreciated the picture heavy tutorial.

If you haven't already visited Rae's blog, do so! It's full of sewing goodness.

Pattern Description:
Spring Ruffle Top

Pattern Sizing:
Instructions tailored to any size

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Very easy, extremely clear. As previously mentioned, I loved the photos - such a joy

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
It is easy to sew. I love that it is a comfortable fit.
It is a little different from something I normally make for myself, because there is no waist definition, but I think it'll be OK. At least, I don't think people will think I'm pregnant.

Fabric Used:
Black cotton with very little lycra. Beautiful white fabric that is machine embroidered with paisley. The far off picture does not do it any justice. Here's a closeup shot:

It's even lovelier in person

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
None. Zip.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes - maybe longer! As a dress? and yes, I would recommend it.

Conclusion:
Love it. Wearing it.

Tried and Tested Girl's Dress

In the beginning of the month, I wrote a review on Butterick 4176 for a girl's dress.
Here's the dress as model by my oldest:



Now that we are having spring-like weather at last, she's been wearing it every chance she gets. She tells me that she loves it because it is so comfortable. I love it that she loves it :)

I had wrote that it is not a beginner's pattern. However, if you know how to pleat and how to bind raw edges such as the collar and armhole, I think that this is such a quick pattern! There are only two pattern pieces, after all.

Here's a dress that took 40 minutes to cut (10 minutes cutting, the rest of it watching Dirty Jobs on Discovery Channel), and another hour to sew (while watching Mythbusters):

Here's a close up shot of the fabric I used. It is a fabric that I would not have bought, but it turns out that I really like how it looks on my daughter.
The fabric was gifted to me by the friend that I made the maternity dress for. I made that dress for her because I wanted to, but I think she felt that she had to give me something in return.
Well, I was not going to take the fabric at first, but she insisted that she was just going to let it sit in her closet for years to come. Well, when I took the fabric and thanked her, I could tell that she was very happy and relieved. I guess there is something to be said for an exchange. No one should feel like they are "in debt", even if there is no such expectation on the other party.

Anyway, I can't wait to show her this dress. I'm sure she'll be happy to see me put her fabric to good use.

Have a lovely Monday!

Pattern Review: McCall's 5752 Knit Dress

Hi! I made a dress that I'm really excited about. I don't know if it's formal enough for wedding parties, but I think I'll actually be able to wear it for nice dinners and events like that. What do you think? Too casual for weddings?




Pattern Description:
Dresses A, B, C, D have gathered, wrapped bodice, gathered self-lined midriff, A-line skirt and sleeve variations in two lengths;
dresses A, B have gathered shawl collar and extended overarms;
dresses C, D have gathered shoulders;

I made pattern B - gathered, wrapped bodice, gathered self-lined midriff, gathered shawl collar and extended overarms

Pattern Sizing:
8-10-12-14

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, for the most part. No, because I made a mistake - did you spot it?

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I got intimidated by the huge (HUGE!) amount of information about fitting the dress. In fact, I just glossed over it in the end and used reviews from others who have made this dress to help me with the fitting.
The instructions for the dress construction itself was clear enough... I think! I thought I was reading correctly, but I made a mistake with the top front. I forgot to gather the ruffles. I may have gotten a little crossed-eyed reading the instructions for the waist-band, so I didn't read it. I just looked at the graphics for that one.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
It is a very flattering dress, despite the gathers in the midrift. You would think that this would actually accentuate unwelcome bumps and lumps, but this dress actually hides them.
If I am going to complain, it would be about the many gathers I had to make.... but that's not fair, because I knew what I was getting into, right? Right! So, I sucked it up.

Fabric Used:
Polyester Knit - bold black and white design. "No one can stare at you too long; you are a walking optical illusion with this dress"

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I made a small bust adjustment, and reduced the length of the dress by 2 inches.
I also followed the suggestions from previous reviews, by sewing all of the front pieces, all of the back pieces, and then joining the front and back. It's very easy that way

Well, and quite by mistake, I forgot to gather the front pieces. Instead, I overlapped the front bodice quite a bit more than the pattern instructions suggested.
Oh well! I'm not going to go back and change it. Perhaps because of the mistake, the front doesn't gape at all.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I would sew it again.
I would recommend this pattern for someone who has some sewing experience.

Conclusion:
Lovely, comfortable dress. I really like it.

Happy Earth Day!

Gaia Shine by flaivoloka

What did you do for our planet today?

In honor of Earth Day, I got rid my rotted out composter, and put in one that will keep my knee deep in black gold throughout the growing season.
The kids also did their part by planting peas, spinach and lettuce.

Happy Earth Day!

PS: I've been busy sewing! Yes!! I'm back in love with my sewing machine.

Do you Smoothie?

Images: 1)Bananas by lusi 2) Apples by mterraza 3) Celery by snack 4) Kale by JWilsher

I've started drinking smoothies for breakfast, just to get a boost of much needed nutrients in the morning. I think I do see a positive change! I certainly have much more energy, and what do you know? I was actually able to give up my coffee addiction! This isn't to say that I will never touch coffee again, I just don't have a coffee crutch anymore.
It took me a really long time to get into the smoothie wagon. After all, why drink a smoothie when you can enjoy eating the food? Well, if you are anything like me. A quick snack in the morning to fill me up is perhaps a bagel with cream cheese, or peanut butter and bread. While this is not bad at all, a smoothie actually packs a dense nutrient punch into my daily intake.

This is what I usually put into my morning smoothies:

• A banana (I don't know why I like bananas so much)
• An apple (peeled)
• A stick of celery
• Throw in some kale or lettuce
• 1-2 cups of water
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 TBS flax seeds
• 1 tsp spirulina
• 1 tsp shredded coconut

It's a lot, and I fill my giant Tupperware drink container, drop in a straw, and drink the smoothie throughout the morning. Smoothies are amazingly portable!
Hey, you know what? It's quite yummy! Don't believe me? Give it a shot. You don't have to put in those fancy ingredients. Try some almond slivers or crushed walnuts instead.
All you have to do is make sure you blend really well with your blender!

Enjoy!!!

Volcano in the Sink

The kids think that I'm doing a fun science experiment with them.
Really, I'm just trying to unclog the drain.

Pour about 4-8 cups of boiling hot water down the drain.

Dump about 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda on top of the clogged drain (recycle the stuff that's sitting in the fridge):


Slowly pour 1 cup of vinegar:


Make lots of appropriate "woo woo ahhhh kaboosh" sounds:



Go and repeat this on all the clogged drains in the house.


Let the vinegar and baking soda solution sit for about 15 minutes or so, and go back and use hot water to rinse the sink.

Done!

Pattern Review: McCall's 5804 Dress

This is my attempt at making a dress for the few wedding parties that I will be attending this summer. Well, I can't say that I'm over the moon about this one, but it's not bad. I think it'll look alright with a nice shawl.

I have another dress lined up. It's a wrap dress, so maybe it will be more forgiving.



Pattern Description:
Lined dresses A, B, C have bodice with front gathers, midriff, flared skirt and back zipper; dresses A, B have bodice with front pleats; dress B has lined sleeves; dress C has wrapped bodice and lined sleeves; dresses A, B, C lengths are 4" above midknee.
I made dress A - front pleats, sleeveless

Pattern Sizing:
AX5(4-6-8-10-12)
I cut size 4 for the top, and size 12 for the waist and skirt

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, although I did have problems following the waist. I found the method a bit "fiddly" - it called for ironing and turning under the waist and it's lining, and slipping the skirt and it's lining in between. And then sewing them together. Very fiddly for a pattern that's supposed to be easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the pleats in the front. It's very feminine. I found that the waist was sitting a little higher that I anticipated. I was quite surprised by this. The waist band pretty much sat just under my bra. Definitely not my natural waist.

Fabric Used:
Rayon-poly woven. Cotton for the lining.
I did not want to use expensive fabric on this since it's my first time making this.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I cut different sizes for the top and bottom. This was not a problem when sewing as the top is slightly gathered at the attachment points to the waist band.
The pattern recommended folding and hemming the fabric and it's lining together. I did this and it did not turn out well. I found hemming the skirt and it's lining separately worked a lot better. The fabric fell much more nicely.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I don't think I'll be sewing this again. I think it's OK, and it's quite cute. Maybe too cute for me? I'm 5' 1" and this dress certainly makes me look child-like. Until you notice my crows feet, of course!

I nearly forgot to mention that I found the armholes it be quite snug. Not uncomfortably so, but there's not much room there.

Oh yeah, this dress is short! I'm petite and made no petite alterations. It fell about 2" above my knees. It's suppose to be 4" above the knees.

Conclusion:
This is a nice stylish dress, it just doesn't work for me. However, if this style suits you, go for it!

Sewing/Crafting for a Man

The man in question, with my two babies.

So, I just wanted to know if any of you sew or craft for the men in your life. I sew for the girls and myself, but I'm contemplating sewing for my man too.

When I met him almost 12 years ago, he was the jeans and rock band t-shirt kind of guy. In the last couple of years, he's finally graduated to more 'adult' clothing! To put things in perspective, we are talking about a guy who is turning 40 this year. Hahaha... he's still a young boy at heart.

Talking about 40, his birthday is coming up next month. We usually don't make a big deal out of birthdays, but since it's a big milestone birthday, I wanted to do something special for him. So, I'm asking (begging) for your help to come up with ideas. What does one buy for a guy turning 40? Or should I make him something?

On a side note, I've been neglecting my sewing and crafting because it has been beautiful out! Winter is alright, but spring! Spring is just great!

Tutorial: Fabric Hairband

The other day, I walked into a high end yoga boutique. You see, I was looking for the hairband that someone raved about. It is a piece of fabric hairband to hold hair off the face during yoga. I think it's made of some sort of special sweat-wicking material, and the whole thing is flat to prevent chafing.
Well, I just couldn't justify the price they were asking.
I don't have any special material, but I have a lot of scrap knit fabric leftover from previous projects. I figured that I could easily make a few of these myself, sans special fabric.

Anyway, I'm posting this as a tutorial because it actually took me the whole episode of Mythbusters to figure out how to join the ends together neatly. I was very distracted.
I figured I might as well share this with all of you.

Here's a sample of a few I made. Some are headed to my sis in Toronto.


Here's the tutorial.
I hope it's easy enough for you!


I used a 4"x 20" piece of scrap knit. The stretch is lengthwise.
4" wide gives a headband about 1.35" wide. I measured around my head, and got 22".







Tada!

...click here to read more

A Cop Out Refashion

I've been a little bit preoccupied with painting the walls of my house. However, I did manage a small refashion. I feel like I copped out a little, because it's such a simple "refashion".

Basically, I took this ill-fitting dress (modeled by my duct-tape dress form):

into this fun, flirty skirt.

It's kind of fun!

Oh, and check out the paint job behind me. That's what I've been so busy on. I love the simple light brown. It looks different with different lighting. I like the look of both colors, but this new color makes the place look bigger. It is also much easier to clean!

The old wall

The New Wall

Pattern Review: Butterick 4176

I guess I just could not keep myself away from the sewing machine for very long!

Pattern Description:
Loose-fitting top or dress has front tucks, back button loop closure and stitched hems. A, B: short sleeves with elastic. C, D: sleeveless. Straight-legged pants or shorts has elastic waist, side seam pockets and stitched hems.
I made D, the sleeveless dress

Pattern Sizing:
2,4,5,6.
I made size 4

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
It's supposed to be very easy according to the picture on the front of the envelope.
However, I found the instructions on the single bias tape use of finishing the neckline and the arm holes to be very brief.
This is OK if you have been sewing for a while, but very confusing for a beginner. The pleats instructions were pretty well-written.

Pleating at the front of the dress.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Very quick pattern, and my daughter really likes how comfy the dress is.

Fabric Used:
Vintage sheets - Cotton-poly blend. Very soft, but not too flimsy to work with.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I may have finished the neck and arm holes differently from the instructions. Really, I have no idea what they were trying to say there.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I would make this again for sure. My daughters are dress-crazy at the moment, and I'm now confident that I can make this dress in less than an hour (after cutting).
I would recommend it, but only if you've done some sewing before. This is not a beginner's pattern because of the brief instructions in some areas, but so simple, if you have sewn girls' dresses before.

Conclusion:
Cute, comfy dress. Not at all fussy. I like this pattern!

The finished product.

Interview with my Kids

Ever wonder what your kids are really thinking when they think of their mommy?
Nenette over at Life Candy has the cutest meme ever. It is a set of questions so that you can get a glimpse as to what goes on in those little minds when they think of their mum.

Well, I finally got a chance to interview my girls separately. It was fun to do, and brought out some silly giggles from me
S is 5 years old and E is 3.
1. What is something mommy always says to you?
S: I love you
E: You can't always have cookies

2. What makes mommy happy?
S: When she gets a hug.
E: Saying words and singing ABC and making funny faces

3. What makes mommy sad?
S: When nobody listens to her
E: Hitting

4. How does your mommy make you laugh?
S: Telling me funny jokes
E: Tickling me

5. What did your mommy like to do when she was a child?
S: I do not know.
E: Play

6. How old is your mommy ?
S: 33
E: I don't know

7. How tall is your mommy ?
S: I do not know
E: This tall (hands reaches up)

8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV?
S: Grown up movies.
E: Dora

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around?
S: Play with Elena
E: Just fine

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
S: It would be for singing (err, no!)
E: I don't know

11. What is your mommy really good at?
S: Painting and eating
E: Yoga

12. What is your mommy not very good at?
S: Doing ballet (this is true, and totally random)
E: I don't know

13. What does your mommy do for her job?
S: electric engineering
E: I. don't. KNOW!

14. What is your mommy 's favorite food?
S: Chinese food
E: Japanese food

15. What makes you proud of your mommy?
S: Painting our walls
E: Good hugs and kisses

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
S: Tweety Tweet
E: A man (huh!)

17. What do you and your mommy do together?
S: Bake
E: Play while cheche (sister) is at school

18. How are you and your mommy the same?
S: Mommy ate just like me when she was a child
E: Brown eyes, we have ears and black hair

19. How are you and your mommy different?
S: I do not know how to read very well, and she does
E: Because we are not the same

20. How do you know your mommy loves you?
S: She gives me hugs and kisses at bed time
E: Giving hugs and kisses

21. What does your mommy like most about your daddy?
S: Is because he brings money home for the family? or because he's funny?
E: Daddy is good at giving hugs and kisses. And tickling to make you laugh.

22. Where is your mommy 's favorite place to go?
S: The Japanese Restaurant
E: To Yoga.

Mum, What's Wrong?

E: Mum, what's wrong?
Me: I'm just not very happy this week, honey.
E: When I am not happy, I like to hug a monkey. Hug a monkey, hug it tight, hug it 'til you feel alright*
Me: You're right. Can you get me a monkey?
E: I'll be your monkey.

*from the kids' show Poko

And Sometimes, it is a big FAIL!

I don't want you to start thinking that I'm perfect or something (pffffft! Right!)
So, just to shatter that image, I thought I should share with you my failed sewing project too.

Checkout this cute vintage sewing pattern from 1967, McCall's 9108.

How cute is that, right?

Look at the instructions -See what I see? 3 pattern pieces, and two of the pieces are pockets!
So, technically, it is one piece for the dress! How hard can that be?

Well... let's just say, it did not turn out. I don't even have a picture to show you, because I could not get it to sit right on my poor daughter (who was really patient with me).
Even if I added snap buttons, it would not make a difference. No sirree.
It's not the material either, because I used printed cotton, one of the suggested material.
There is no difference between the front and the back neck too.
So, ladies and gentlemen, this project rates as a fail!
I'll be recycling this dress into napkins.

Well, before I sign off, though, I wanted to show you the small print that is at the bottom of the envelope:

In case it is not clear, it says in parenthesis, "NOT SUITABLE FOR CHUBBY GIRLS".
Think they can get away with that nowadays?