In the nick of time, skirt #1

I finished my first skirt during my son's afternoon nap. My late showing isn't due to over whelming laziness, at least this time. I lost the cord to my sewing machine. I tore my house apart at least 3 times, from top to bottom. I even looked in all the weird places, like between towels, and in the camping gear in my garage. All this to no avail. I was sure that the cord would have to be special ordered, take two to three weeks, yada yada yada. So, last Friday I finally gave up and called my local Bernia store and...for only $10 I could come and pick it up right now! They "keep a bunch on stock"! Who knew?

So, Saturday = cutting, marking, pinning, and zippers (my least favorite parts)

and Today =
The only change I made was to open up the top of the pleats a little so that the skirt rides more on my hips and less on my actual waist. That's the great thing about pleats; you need a little more room, just let out a pleat a little, you need a little less space, just take a pleat in a little. Oh, I love the custom fit.

pleated skirt completed

I finally got around to making my pleated skirt. I apologize that it has taken so incredibly long. I not only moved this month, but it is also my busiest month for work. But, yesterday once I finally got started I was amazed at how fast this whipped together. I would say it took me a total of 4 hours.

I did make a couple of changes to the skirt. First of all I realized once I started that this was going to be a very high waisted skirt - so instead of fighting it I decided to go for the 1950's high waisted thing that is very popular right now. I added even more height to the waist by trading out the facing for a waist band and then adding a button to close it off at the top.

Overall I am pretty happy with the outcome. It is much more loud than most things that I wear, which is good for me. It came together very easily and fit perfect. I might have one more of these up my sleeve in a more subdued version.

Do you need an addiction?

pleated skirts by Presserfoot featuring Steve Madden shoes

If you haven't tried polyvore.com yet, I'm sorry, so sorry, here comes a tremendously fun waist of time. Want to play fashion designer?, interior designer?, this is the site for you. The great thing for us sewer-do-it-yourselfers is that you can search for clothing that follows the projects you are working on to get some great ideas for fabric and simple alterations to give your creations that designer look. I searched pleated skirts for some ideas on our current project. I think I'm going to try the varying hem length as seen on the yellow and blue print. Wouldn't that go great with my peacock fabric? Really; you really have to try this. I double dog dare you. See you in four hours.

Shhhh...I'm sewing.

Another great idea for scrap pieces of fabric: make a quiet book. My good friend Anna started putting together this blog when she found herself unsatisfied with what the Internet had to offer by way of quiet books. Whether at church, at the doctor's office, visiting your grandmother, or traveling, if you have kids you will find yourself in total desperation at times trying to keep them quiet. I'm collecting my scraps now and will start assembling soon, just after I cut out my skirt pattern. Check it out here. Just one more great idea to pass along.

fabric

I am really trying to break out of my comfort zone with fabrics. This morning I went to Vogue fabrics and came home with this Anne Klein Watercolor Fabric. I was inspired by this anthropologie skirt and really wanted something with that 80's watercolor/pastel fabric look. I am really hoping that the pleats will help to deconstruct the fabric that I bought a little bit more. I feel like it is a bit of a gamble, but I kept on pulling myself away from the familiar and safe solid color linens and cotton twills that I love so much. Let's hope that I don't regret it.

My mother's sewing room = skirt fabric

Our mother has always had a sewing room, at least since Kelli and I have been alive. In our first house in San Antonio it was a wood paneled addition with floor to ceiling shelves on one wall. In our second house they converted what would have been the formal dining room into an expansive laundry and sewing room complete with an island.

In the Georgia house it was a converted guestroom and now in the Alabama house it is in the room where we would have hidden fleeing refugees if it was needed. To access said sewing room you must go up stairs into my little brother's room, and through his closet. There you will find another door that opens up to a crafter's wonderland. This after thought addition, put on by the previous owners, has shelves following on one wall, a multicolored wood floor, a vaulted ceiling, wire baskets filled with color and theme organized fabrics, and of course her sewing machines. As I was visiting my parents this past week with my kids I stowed away for a couple of hours in this room where my children would never know where to find me. I finished a few little projects I brought with me and did a little shopping too. Thanks Mom. I dream of the day that I can move my sewing machine off the dining room table and leave project pieces out for days undisturbed. Ah, one day. Until them I'll be cutting my skirt pattern with the fabric I shopped from my mother's sewing room.

butterick on sale again

If you didn't get your pattern at the beginning of the month - no worries - it goes on sale at Joanne's again this Thursday through Sunday. Remember it's Butterick 4686.
I am planning on finally getting started on my skirt early next week. I moved this weekend so I have been a little slow getting up and going.

Shirt Skirt

Christine sent me a link to this awesome skirt made out of a dress shirt. It's kinda like a combination of last months pattern and this month's. If you are like me you probably still have another dress shirt that you didn't get around to making a dress with. If that is the case maybe you should make a skirt for yourself.

A Virtual Round of Applause

We owe a big thank you and round of applause to Dana for her tutorial, creation, and guidance in the dress shirt project! I know I have another one in the works and it is evident that this was a very popular project. Plus, it feels good to help Mother Earth too by reusing existing materials. Such a great idea! Here's what Dana is up to now on her blog Made.

A Steal of a Deal

One of my favorite online fabric stores is closing on July 15th. Until then, she is offering everything at 50% off the retail value. Notice the number of yards available for purchase (listed under the price).

Here's the link to the store and the blog where you can get details and the discount code for getting 50% off:

Bee Square Fabrics Shop
Bee Square Blog

Have fun catching a good deal!

McCalls 5388 blouses

I finally got around to making a couple of peasant tops last week. When Allison posted her gorgeous version, I decided maybe it wasn't too late to post mine as well. I had actually made the tank top version last summer (click HERE) and wasn't too thrilled with how HUGE it came out. While I was at a church activity, an older woman had even asked me if I was pregnant, lol. Needless to say, I wasn't too excited to try the pattern again. But after seeing all the cute examples shown here, I decided to give view D a try and use some of your suggestions. Taking in the yoke piece especially helped a lot as did going down two sizes.

The white and blue top was my first attempt. I should have done a little more fitting as I made it though because then I would have known to raise the shoulders and widen that area a little (cause I don't like how it's just a little too wide in the shoulders and little too low - so I feel a need to wear an shirt underneath so my bra straps don't show and I don't have to keep shifting the blouse). However, it still came out way better than my tank top and I do like it.

Then I did a second version (never took the photo though) where I made those adjustments but then I decided to go down one more size. That was just one size too many and even though that top fits, it's tight across my chest and back. Sheesh.

Attempt #3 is the black and white blouse. I only went down two sizes this time and not three, I raised the shoulders (basically sewed an additional 1/4" past the normal 5/8" seam allowance), took 1 1/4" out of the middle of the yoke, widened the yoke piece an extra 1/4" on each side near the shoulders, and took about about 1/2" from the front middle piece. I also added a double row of top stitching on the yoke piece (top and bottom) for extra detailing. If you click on the second black & white pic, you can kind of see that.

And now it finally fits just right and is comfy but not too big looking! I'm very happy with it now and I plan on making one or two more this summer. I like that it's a quick project (well, once you adjust the pattern) and is cuter than just wearing a plain t-shirt with jeans.

Cicayda Daydream Tote: Slideshow

So our very first project that we did was this Modern Tote Bag from Cicayda Daydream. Here is the way overdue promised slideshow for the modern tote. If you participated, but I don't have your images and you would like to be included please email them to us at dearpresserfoot (at) gmail (dot) com and I will add them.

Thanks to everyone that participated and I will be getting the peasant top one up later today as well.

Blast From The Past

I finally finished the first project!!! Yay! I was really hoping to create an anthropologie-type of look because I am so in love with that store. However, my thrifty ways keep me from visiting very often. So, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I have not done a real sewing project using a pattern (and following the rules) in many years. Probably close to 10 years, to be exact. Kelli, it has really been taking me back to our high school days. Anyway, I love this blog because now I feel like I'm sewing with friends again. Also, I would like to take a moment to thank Emilie for the spring cleaning post. It's like I have a brand new machine now that I learned to clean it!

I had a love/hate relationship with this shirt and became very good friends with my seam ripper :-) I like how the lace is very forgiving of flaws that may or may not exist.


I made a couple of minor alterations because I have always been a deviant when it comes to patterns. I got the idea for the pleating from a link that Kelli posted. Then, I accidentally cut the shirt too short, so I fixed that by adding extra trim to the bottom hem. It was destiny because I ended up only having about 2 inches of the doily material left over when all was said and done.


My narrow shoulders really appreciated the tip about taking in the neckline by an inch or so. I really love this pattern, especially now that I have learned from this first shirt. When I got all the materials for the skirt project today, I also picked up some red & white seersucker material for attempt number two from this pattern. I think I'm feeling sleeves this time ...

And the winner is . . .

I let my husband pick a number between 1 and 137. He chose 58. So the winner of the shirt dress giveaway is

The Sander Family who said...
"So sweet. I think i will try the tutorial too, if I don't win, that is!"

Send me an email with your address so I can mail it out to you.
Congrats!

dearpresserfoot (at) gmail (dot) com

ps giveaways are so fun. i think i am going to start doing more. especially because i seem to like to make at least three of everything i try.