SIMPLICITY 8468

Happy 2018!!!

Finally everything is starting to get normal again, after vacation time, holidays, family and chaos, life is getting in order. I've decided to start tackling the kitchen with a decluttering project I found online and also I might join the Burdachallenge 2018 as last year I sew very little and most of it was alterations or repairs in clothes.

Florida has had few days with a chilly winter, although I know it's nothing compared to the winter everywhere else, and because I didn't have any chunky sweaters I decided to try Simplicity 8468 with a very thick knit I found. The truth is that I didn't like it that much, although is really cozy for rainy of cold days, the fabric was a very heavy knit and the sweater loose its form when I wear it. My other problem with this pattern is that I made a Medium size and it is always too big and with this fabric it is huge!!!Also the length wasn't as in the picture below. That's why I prefer Burda patterns better, it fits me lots better, I might have to start testing a Small size. Anyways I wanted an oversized and chunky sweater and I got one..

The more I look at the pictures the more I know it needs a top stichitching to make the round corners not to go inside the sweater, I didn't wanted but I think its necessary. Also next time I might wear some makeup and maybe boots... :D

As a dessert I added some birds that like to hang in here with us, the lovely ibis and my sweet and ugly duck, which we have many of those around here. Also my son decided to hug me and make faces while my oldest girl was taking me the pictures. And my precious 14 yo dog, Ruffles, also appears in one picture.

Anyway, have a wonderful year full of health and happiness!!

XOXO

Mexican Dress

Hello,

My girl had a Multicultural Night at school and she was going to sing a "Mexican Song" and the teacher decided that the chosen song was going to be "La cucaracha". She wanted to go dressed with a traditional dress, but, as we no long live in Mexico it was hard for me to find one.

I decided to made her a little simple dress with a tablecloth fabric that I brought from Mexico in my last visit and never used. But because of the little time I had to sew it had to be very simple shape and pattern (which of course I have thousands of patterns just waiting in a drawer because I'm lazy to make them). She has a nice blue old dress from HM with a simple shape and very confortable.

I fold the dress in half and copy the pattern into the fabric to make the front bodice and the back bodice, then I add the bottom making each part the double of the bodice for the volume. After that I just put a pink bias for the neck hole and arms. I didn't even bothered with the hem as it had a white raw finish already

When I tried her on the dress her head didn't fit in... I had to cut the dress in the back, clean it with the same pink bias and put a clasp button before we head out to school... I think I will add a figure button or something just to hide the crazy hand sewing of the clasp button.

At the end she loved the dress and I did too!!! it is kind of a Desigual dress with all this crazy colors and patterns!!

xoxox

GYMNASTIC WEAR

Hello,

My girls have being doing gymnastics since September of the last year but after wearing some sports clothes they were told to wear a leotards (which, by the way, look very cute). So I went to the fabric store and bout some fabrics for the new project.

Even though I haven't documented it, I had make dozens of swimming suits for girls, so it was not a big deal, but the thing is that after gymnastics sometimes we go to have dinner or just for an ice cream, so I decided to make biketards as I learn these are called instead of leotards.

I made one size 4 and one size 7, I just draw 2 simple patterns for the front and for the back. The only difference is that the front pattern has a lower neckline than the back pattern. I should make the shorts with a different cut, but these Lycra is so elastic that after a few thoughts I follow my 2 patterns idea.

My only suggestion would be to always use an over lock after you sew it as it will give you more support and if the girls are a little older it has to have a lining.

By now, I have made 4 of these, 2 cheetah pink and orange print, one black with stars and one of pink stripes... but I have fabric for a couple more! In these pictures after a lot of wear the Lycra has stretched a little so they don't look as flattering as they are.

There are a lot of very cute patterns out there, but after making these biketards I have these patterns on mi mind: Jalie 3241 and Jalie 3354, please go and take a look and some inspiration!!!

Love
S

BURDA STYLE 6833

Hello!!!

 

After a pause in the blog I'm back again, it is not that I'm not sewing but family keeps me busy, although I'm making progress in little goals I wanted to achieve this year!

I know that Summer is over, so I decided to do a dress that is  not as open in the cleavage but easy to use in the hot weather,  I wanted something very fit that looks dressier for a nice dinner with heels or pretty to have brunch with friends or family with sandals. 

I chose the pattern Burda Style 6833 to make.

The dress is really cute and the fitting is perfect for my body, I used a size 38 in a very colorful linen with Asian motifs. I made the sleeveless version but the one with sleeves also looks very nice. I would have taken one or one an a half cm off the sleeves for a more flattering look but I didn't, although I did make a little black belt for an accent in the waist as it looks nicer than an actual belt on the dress. I

 

The dress was very easy to make, I love the way the darts come in front for enhance the top of the dress and the zipper in the back go down the waist. I overlooked and then sew with a blind stich by hand the neck, sleeves and hem and it took me forever to finish.

 

The pictures are not that good because of the light but it was a beautiful afternoon!

 

Tell me what do you think!!

 

Peace!!!

XOXO

 

 

OTTOBRE SHIRT

Hello,

I wanted a regular fitted shirt for my 7 yo girl, and of course the fashion right now is really loose and also knit and comfortable fabrics, but I wanted something different.

I chose the pattern 27 of the Ottobre magazine Summer 3,2014 in the German edition, which my husband brought me from a business trip this year even if it was old (I'm always looking for magazines to have). It was kind of funny trying to read it as I always want to check if I'm doing it right or not.

 

The pattern was quite simple, 3 pieces as I made a sleeveless shirt.  I made a size 116 for my 7 yo girl, and the only modification I made was taking out  2cm or 0.8 inch from each side of the sleeves as it would fit better and more feminine.

 

 

First I copied the pattern and cut the fabric, with my pieces made I only put the interface to the neck instead of the buttons too, and just start sewing.

 

I had difficulties adding the neck to the shirt and in the first one I made it as I could but I decided to study what I made wrong and with the help of the book of Sandra Betzina named Power sewing (which by the way only cost me 2 usd at the Public Library sales) I realized that the shirt has to be inside the neck and not the other way around.

 

 

But the neck only in one side is not gathered to the shirt properly....  

And this is why I decided to repeat it and learn from it... doing it right this time... because I wasn't going to re-do it at this point.

 

This time the neck was perfectly done!!

 





And even though I love the white shirt she enjoyed more the Miami Dolphins shirt!!

I loved those shirts and I would do them again and again with different fabrics and maybe I could put sequins in the neck or made a shirt with this back )(. I don't know. What do you think???

At the end we went for dessert  to a Dolphins Game!!! Go Dolphins!!! 

Love S

FOX DRESS

FOX DRESS

I made this dress a couple of years ago when my first daughter was 4 for a school spring festival, I found something similar online which I couldn't afford to pay as it was made in Europe (don't remember where exactly but ill try to remember) it was super cute so I printed the image and try to copy it the best way possible.

The fabric I used is cotton for the orange dress and felt for the white and black parts of the dress.

I made the face first with all the detail which is only 2 parts of white and 3 black circles and then the back  was the same as the front (which is a half circle) and just add the skirt. It was simple to make and cute.

The little pockets are also made with felt and 3 little triangles for the nails. I also put a little bias with purple fabric that match the ears of the fox.

 

When I made it I didn't know how to add a zipper so it is a dress without any closings and just put it to my girls from the head down.

I love this one.

xoxoxo