Lady Skater Dress

 

 I first found out about the Lady Skater dress when working at camp a few weeks ago. It was nap time for the kids and I was really missing my sewing machine. While catching up on reading blogs I came across this pattern from Amanda of Kitschy Coo! I really liked the style and I've been wanting a casual dress for everyday wear, so I bought the pattern.

It's a pdf pattern and there are 3 different styles you can make - cap sleeve, 3/4 sleeve or long sleeve. After I bought the pattern I went on Girl Charlee and bought enough fabric to make myself a dress. I don't think it's in stock anymore, but it's called Silver Pin Dots on Charcoal gray and it is cotton lycra.

 

 

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the silver dots are raised, so I had to be careful when pressing seams. For the trim on the collar and sleeves, I just used the wrong side of the fabric.

The pattern was very easy to follow. Amanda was very helpful when I had a question about sizing because my bodice and waist measurements weren't the same. She also helped me figure out how to lengthen the skirt. As is, the skirt is meant to hit at knee length for someone who is 5'5". I'm a couple inches taller than that and I prefer my skirts/dress to fall below my knee. The skirt has a 1 inch hem and the length is perfect on me.

The dress uses clear elastic in the shoulders and waist seams to help with stablizing. This was my first time using clear elastic, but it was super easy to put in. One tip though: don't put your hot iron over the clear elastic. It might melt.

 

The dress went together pretty quick. I finished everything except the hem in a few hours. I used a twin needle on the hem for the first time, so I went slowly. Hemming is my least favorite part of sewing and usually I speed through them, but I wanted this one to look nice! I think it turned out well. It was hard to tell if I was catching the fabric underneath since you have to sew from the top. There are spots that go a little too far in, but overall it's pretty straight.

 

 

This is about how close I stayed to the edge for the hem.

 

I'm wearing this dress today and the fit is great! It's the perfect dress for summer and it will be great for fall too. I wore it to visit my aunt, and when I brought my siblings to the park. It's so comfortable and I already want to make another one! Thanks for making such a great pattern, Amanda!

~Elizabeth

A New Top!

This is one of my new favorite outfits, especially the top. I drafted the pattern myself, with the help of this tutorial from The Crafty Cupboard. It was super easy to make - I just used a shirt that fits really well and traced around it onto freezer paper. The sewing was easy too - Melanie's instructions were very clear with lots of pictures!

 

I did have some trouble with the sleeves. I had planned to make the arm bands out of the blue knit. However, when I tried the shirt on, it was extremely tight around my arms. Part of the problem was the blue knit isn't very stretchy. Also, I hadn't made the arms wide enough when I traced the pattern.

 

After a lot of ripping and frustration, the shirt finally fit around my arms. I ended up using the black knit (same as my skirt) and adding a piece under the arm, as you can kind of see in the picture below.

 

 

The little extra piece sticking out is the rectangle I cut and added. Without it, the shirt was still too tight around the arms. It isn't the prettiest solution, but you can't see it at all when I'm wearing it.

 

 

This shirt is so comfortable to wear! I love the bright blue colors too! The knit is a cotton jersey that I got from The Fabric Fairy. I had been eyeing it for a long time and finally decided to buy some with a new shirt in mind.

 

 

My skirt is a simple bubble skirt. I used the tutorial on EmmylouBeeDoo. I made a bubble skirt a few years ago using her tutorial, but I like the way this one turned out much better.

 

 

These bell pictures were so fun to take too! My brother did a great job and we were lucky because shortly after we finished it started pouring. It's nice when you can find new places for taking pictures - it makes things more interesting.

 

 

Happy weekend!!

 

~Elizabeth

I may link to some of the link parties listed here.

The Casual Lady Top

 

 

 Hello! Happy Sunday Everyone! My summer has been pretty busy, but today has been quiet, so I am using the time I have to write a post!

 

I made this top back in May using the Casual Lady Pattern from Go to Patterns. It has become one of my new favorite tops and has been getting plenty of wear. I made the Small size - the fit and the length are great! It is always a challenge finding comfortable fitting tees in RTW.  

 

 

The instructions were super easy to follow and it was a quick sew as there are only seven steps total. This was the first one I made and it took about an hour.

 

 

My second top was made using a striped knit from Girl Charlee. I was very excited when the stripes matched up! I'm usually afraid of sewing with stripes!

 

I will definitely be making many more of these tops - they are a wardrobe staple!

 

~Elizabeth

I may link to some of the link parties listed here.

The Anywhere Dress

I have really been into sewing knits lately and I think I found a new favorite pattern. It's Go To Pattern's Anywhere Dress. I made one for my 10 year old sister, and I want to make more! It comes in sizes 12 months to 12 years so I will be able to make dresses for both of my sisters.

This is the size 10 with elbow length sleeves and sleeve cuffs. I also lengthened the pattern by about 9 inches because my sister is tall and the size 10 length would've been too short.

 

The dress is easy to sew up and it's perfect for everyday play. My sister likes to be active and play outside in the summer, and this dress is perfect for that. She wore it to her last day of school picnic and at home too.

 

 

It is a perfect dress for all seasons. Leggings would work great with this dress for the cooler months and the short sleeve version would be great for summer. There aren't too many pattern pieces either.

 

 

The neck facings are nice; you don't have to deal with ribbing or finishing the neck edge. Mine could've used a little more pressing to help it stay flat but I think it looks good overall. I decided not to topstitch the neckline either.

 

There are so many great varriations for this dress - I can't wait to make another. My sister wanted to wear it right away too. Yay for success!!

 

 What are your favorite patterns to sew over and over?

 

~Elizabeth

Linking up to some link parties listed here.

Life

Hello everyone!

It's been quiet over here, although I do have a few sewing projects that I hope to show you soon! I am away from my sewing machine and will be all summer :( because I am working at a summer language camp. The camp has been awesome so far and I am learning a lot. My job is working at the health center with the camp nurse. There's been one week of camp and we've seen sprained ankles, scraps, coughs, sprained arms, tick bites, dehydration. I try to have fun during the day too. When we're not busy we can join in on the activities. I hope to try archery at some point! The food here is amazing...they make food from the target language's culture. Tomorrow we have 112 new campers coming! Here is a view from the lake. It is beautiful! I like walking down there to just sit and look out at the water.

Happy Father's Day to the best Dad in the world!! Here are ten things I love about my dad.
1. He runs with me even though I may be slow.
2. He is great with computers.
3. He is smart.
4. He taught me how to drive.
5. He's always there for me.
6. He is a hard worker.
7. He knows how to have fun and joke around.
8. He supports me in what I do.
9. He always helped me with math.
10. He takes time to spend with us kids.
I love you dad!

Also, you can now follow my blog with bloglovin. With Google Reader going away on July 1, I finally imported all my blogs from Google Reader to Bloglovin. It's kinda confusing to me, but does anyone know if Google Friend Connect is going away too? Or is it just Google Reader?

~Elizabeth
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Shirt to Skirt Refashion

Hello Everyone! I am finally done with the semester and it feels great! I have one semester of nursing school behind me and just three more to go - but first I will enjoy the summer. A few weeks ago, I went shopping at one of our local thrift shops. I found this shirt on sale for $2 and since I've always wanted to try refashioning something, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity!

 

 

As you can see, the shirt was huge on me. I decided to make it into a simple elastic waist skirt.

 

 

It was very simple to make - I just cut across the shirt at the armholes so I would have a straight edge to sew my elastic on. Before sewing the elastic, I used an overcast stitch to finish the edges. I used 3 inch wide elastic and left it exposed on the top of the skirt. So simple - it took less than 20 minutes!

 

The skirt ended up being way too short to wear as is because I never wear anything above my knees. That was an easy fix though. I just put on a longer, straighter skirt underneath. I think it works and it adds color to the tan skirt.

 

My favorite part of making this was that I didn't have to hem it! I think it will get a lot of wear this summer now that the weather is finally starting to warm up.

 

~Elizabeth

 

 

Linking up with some link parties found here.

The Liebster Blog Award

Hello everyone!! Back in March, Kristin of Sunny Sewing nominated me for the Liebster award! I did some searching and found out that it is an award given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. It is a great way to get to know other bloggers better and to find new blogs to follow.

Here are my answers to the eleven questions Kristin asked for me to answer:

Q1. What drew you to sewing?

I started sewing through 4-H when I was 11 (with quilting!) and I kept at it each year. Then I discovered clothing and my interest in sewing clothes kept growing. I love that I can take a piece of fabric and turn it into something wearable!

Q2. What is your most favorite thing you've made thus far?

My favorite thing so far was definitely this dress! It was my first dress and I am so happy with the way it turned out. Once spring decides to get here, I will be wearing it a lot!

Q3. How many hours a week do you sew?

It really depends on what my week looks like. Lately, I have been sewing 0 hours a week because of school. I would love to be sewing, but school comes first. I have been known to sew for hours on end, because once I sit down at my sewing machine, it is hard for me to stop!

Q4. What is your favorite pattern company to sew from?

My favorite pattern company is definitely Sew Serendipity. I have made several of Kay Whitt’s patterns and I love the designs! The patterns are very well written and easy to understand. Also, Kay is so helpful and is willing to answer any questions about the patterns. 

Q5. Who do you like to sew for most?

I like to sew for myself because I love wearing handmade clothes.  I also like sewing for my younger siblings, especially my little sisters! There are such cute patterns out there for little girls and it is so fun to make them things.

Q6. Roughly how much fabric do you have stashed? some, a lot, or I'm buried!

I’d say I have some fabric stashed. It might seem like a lot, but it’s really just a bunch of scrap pieces from other projects. I really don’t have any yardage stashed that I can use to make big items like clothing. My stash keeps growing with each project I make though.

Q7. What do you like to do besides sewing? Other hobbies?

Other things I like to do besides sewing are read, write, blog, run, be outside, hang out with friends, and cook/bake. Running is a good stress reliever for me and I like to get outside and enjoy the weather when it is nice.

Q8. Who inspired you to start sewing or who inspires you now?

Other sewing bloggers inspire me now! I am always amazed at what they are doing, whether it’s making their own patterns or sewing something without a pattern or refashioning an item into something new. There is so much inspiration in the blogosphere!

Q9. What made you want to start a sewing blog?

I was inspired by other sewing blogs and I thought it would be a good way for me to keep track of my sewing projects. Now, I enjoy sharing my projects with others and I hope to continue growing and learning. The blogging community is so great…I have met so many wonderful people who are encouraging and kind. I have learned a lot from other sewing bloggers too and they continue to inspire and amaze me with their incredible sewing skills!

Q10. What sewing item are you dreaming of getting, regardless of cost?

Oh, I would love to get a serger! Right now I manage with the overlock foot on my sewing machine for finishing seams, but it would be so much easier (and faster!) with a serger! Someday…

Q11. Tell me something about you that most people who read your blog do not know!

Most people who read my blog probably don’t know that I play the violin. I’ve been playing the violin for about 13 years, although I don’t take lessons anymore. I play in my college orchestra, but I enjoy playing for fun the most!

Now, I get to come up with 11 questions for the bloggers I nominate.

1. What are three words that describe you?
2. Why did you decide to start a blog?
3. If you could live in any time period, what one would you pick and why?
4. What is your favorite kind of music?
5. What do you like to do in your free time?
6. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
7. Do you prefer skirts or pants?
8. If you could play any instrument what would you pick?
9. What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?
10. What are you most looking forward to this summer?
11. Who inspires you and why?

 

Here are 11 blogs I nominate:

1. Boyer Family Singers
2. Daisy Chain Creations
3. Little Bunny Quilts
4. Simple Modest Fashion
5. Undeniably, Me
6. Five and Counting
7. Sweet Little Pretties
8. Sewing Like Mad
9. Blue Susan Makes
10. Wunderbar
11. Better With June

Thanks again for nominating me Kristin!

~Elizabeth

P.S. School has been incredibly busy this past month, so I have not been able to do any sewing or blogging! This week is finals week, so I'm almost done and I should have some new sewing projects/blog posts soon.