What a difference a top makes! Some people are born to sew couture. It relaxes them they say...
Will the real Sail to Sable please come forward? Seriously, this is what keeps me sewing. I cannot spend $200 on a tunic that I can make for $50. It's true the Sail to Sable tunic is dress length, but I wanted the shorter length. I've been on a quest to sew the perfect tunic for months. I love tunics.They are the perfect garments to toss on for casual occasions, or make one in silk and you're set for the evening. My attempts to sew the perfect tunic have resulted in a collection of tunic patterns. Through mixing pattern pieces, tracing RTW garments and an enormous amount of...
Y I K E S ! How could I have possibly spent so much time sewing this shirt again? The answer lies in making it fit, but alas, it fits. Not quite ready to cut into the silk I planned to sew two garments ago, I bought a bolt of muslin and learned how to fit Sewaholic’s Granville Shirt to my body. My wearable muslin had several issues, namely tightness through the bust , misplaced darts and bunching in the back. Many readers suggested the fit was as good as RTW, which is precisely why I have avoided tailored shirts throughout my life. They...
Shame, Shame, Shame! The only thing that saved my latest from being a wadder is the beautiful crepe de chine from Mood Fabrics. It's all I can do to smile. The search for the perfect tunic pattern is taking a hiatus. I outsmarted myself by combining pattern pieces from my favorite tunic patterns, including Butterick 4856 Simplicity 4149 and Simplicity 1461. I liked the bodice of Butterick 4856, the two-piece back of Simplicity 1461 and the placket of Simplicity 4149. After coordinating the measurements from the different patterns I assumed all was safe but I met near disaster at almost every juncture :( Saving the...
Congratulations to Marla Cooprider, the lucky winner of the Famous Frocks Little Black Dress book! Please contact me by email at goodbyevalentino@gmail.com by Wednesday, October 8 or a new winner will be selected. I have enjoyed this book enough to order one for myself, and truly look forward to sewing several of these classics! Did you sew this weekend? ...
Hubs and I were among the passengers of some 2,000 cancelled flights to Chicago this past weekend………. The only upside of missing our friends’ wedding was the unexpected weekend of sewing time, and I resumed my tunic mission. Better? Many thanks for providing such great suggestions for raising the bar on tunic sewing. I especially enjoyed receiving this Pinterest link loaded with tunic inspiration! Like many of you said it’s in the details and I got busy modifying the Simplicity 4149 tunic pattern I made last year. Relaxing the fit of my existing muslin allowed for a better drape which is easy to see...
It’s Tunic Time again meaning my ongoing attempt to make the perfect tunic has resurfaced! Hubs was determined to get a photo of me with dolphins in the background. Do you see any? All I wanted was for the wind to calm down. Then it was time for a football game, and our photography session abruptly stopped. By the way, the colors I am wearing are not associated with any football teams. It’s not a Halloween costume either. Greetings from Edisto Island where I am enjoying the last weekend of summer :) I found the front princess seams in the Simplicity 1461 tunic pattern flattering, and...
I just returned from the new Kate Spade outlet store located 20 minutes from my house, and all I found was this necklace featuring a bitten-off popsicle. The store carried zero shoes and the handbags were designed for the outlet store. Maybe you’re wondering if I am wearing anything besides turquoise, aqua and white this summer. In the past I have been consumed by orange, but this year I’m drawn to anything resembling serenity ;) Inspired by a friend’s RTW top made from a similar fabric, I recently ordered this lovely Tilda French Viscose knit from the Marcy Tilton website, an online store loaded with beautiful high...
The RTW Fasters and I are halfway through our pledge to abstain from buying ready-to-wear clothes during 2014! Lots of the women are knocking it out of the ballpark sewing incredible clothes too. I've found reaching the halfway point serves as a great incentive in achieving nearly every goal I've set out to accomplish, and I celebrated the six-month marker by cleaning out my closet. :) While I've questioned the wisdom about going on the RTW Fast during the same year of my child's wedding, the closet exercise proved my decision sound. Closet organization generates a different type of creative pleasure for me. I do not...
Have you made your Marfy yet? Thanks to Leisa Stanton of A Challenging Sew, I had no more excuses to avoid the chic Italian patterns without instructions. Not only are three free patterns available for downloads on the Marfy website, but Leisa is providing sew-a-longs for the patterns on her blog and just completed the top sew-a-long. How do you like it? The pattern is Marfy 1913, and after two muslins I was ready to cut my Thakoon silk crepe de chine from Mood Fabrics. When the silk arrived in July, I was tempted to make my 5th sleeveless ruffled top. “No! No! No!” exclaimed the...