Happy Birthday

September is My Birthday Month!

As I reflect on another year the Sun has revolved around me, I realized that I'm not only getting older but I'm getting better!  LOL!! Have a good day and on to the next thing.

Happy National Sewing Month Sewists!!  Everyone else have great rest of the year!

Talk Soon

 Carol

My Stylish High End Nephew!

My husband and his nephew (Allen) have a special relationship. I heard about it back when we were dating.  Because he lived in another state, I didn't actually meet him until years after we were married.  Well, recently within the last three years he has really been very present in our lives. He has a very kind demeaner and will do anything for my husband. Let's say he's more like a younger brother to us than a nephew. Anywoooo, he is quite stylish and a "Label" man. He wears Gucci, Ralph, Louie and buys expensive cologne. So, imagine my surprise when he mentions to me - Auntie, I want some fuchsia shorts! 😂

He said he has been looking everywhere and I believed him because he loves stylish clothes! I just happened to be sitting in my sewing room as we were talking. I asked him would linen do? Linen is a premium fabric and I knew it would be of his standard. So out from the stash table came some - you guessed it fuchsia linen. It had been taking up stash room for about three years and I had a lot of it so why not.  Now, I do NOT sew for anyone except my son so he understood the magnitude of my yes. 

I told him, I will do everything just be ready when I need you.  He was quite excited and said this was his first custom garment. I prepped my machines and got to work. Not only was this a good opportunity to flex my menswear muscle, I could also do my Janome project. (I'm a Maker ya know! LOL!!) I measured my nephew that day and we had one fitting and the rest is photo history.

The pocket was embroidered by my Janome Horizon 15000.  Such a smooth and flawless job it does! The monogram is one of many designs that come on the machine! 

I used the Airthread 2000D to serge the fussy linen edges. I also had fuchsia serger threads to make pretty insides. I made sure I lined the inside of the shorts to minimize the wrinkle factor. They have elastic at the waist, a fly zip and wooden beads to finish off the shorts.

He absolutely loves his "custom linen fuchsia shorts" and I am the best Auntie ever💖!  I love my title and loved sewing for him was fun. Allen, I know you will read this and the answer is still no! We 💘you to the moon and back!

He wears them well. Real men wear fuchsia!

They look Great! If I do say so myself!

This post is also featured on Janome's website!

Talk Soon

 Carol

This Dress Has History!

This Dress Has History!

 I LOVE the finished dress!!

So, I decided to participate in a UFO challenge.  Those of you who are not familiar with UFO it means "unfinished object". In the sewing community this is not uncommon because there are tons of factors that will keep you from finishing a project.  Bad fabric, above your skill level, not enough fabric, doesn't work with this pattern or just plain old - I fell out of love with it and something better has come along!

I call it the "hell freezes over pile".  This dress landed in that pile in 2010.  Yup!! I said it 11 years ago.  So, through the years I have gotten stuck by it (I guess it was pissed at me. LOL!!), forgot completely about it, pulled it out and put it back, saw the ruffle cutting and just put it back. The list goes on!!  The reason I didn't toss it (like some of the other projects that landed in the pile) was the fabric. I loved the color of the fabric. I think I paid $1 a yard back then for it.

Anywhooo, I took it out the bin last summer during the pandemic and said "I'm finishing this Bitch!" It didn't happen. So, I was cruising Instagram stories earlier this month and Jacinta Green of @pinkmimosabyjasinta was having a UFO Challenge.  She is a feisty baby who I knew would NOT let me get away without finishing a project on her watch, so I decided to commit! When I committed I had three weeks to complete the dress.  

Three weeks was a great amount of time because it allowed me to procrastinate, finally cut out the ruffles, bullshit and still meet my deadline.  After all these years it's done!  Now, let me explain, it's not a dress for the new sewer at all. (Which fooled me) Back in 2010 I considered myself an intermediate sewist until I purchased this pattern. I knew the ruffles had me. I considered buying ruffles, but like I said, I loved the fabric and the dress and I knew the ruffles would up my skills and look cool too. So, in the bin it went and I've been peeking at it ever since. 

Well - I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT!  I'm so excited about this dress. I'm so glad I refused to toss this project!

   

I did View A - circa 2010

Sewing and cutting the BIAS cut ruffles (yea, I said bias) and placing them on the dress was a big hassle but it was worth it in the end. I won't be doing it again tho! LOL!! I can add this to my list of sewing accomplishments. I added a weft interfacing to the hem which allowed me to sew an invisible hem. It also added some nice body to the hem and split on the dress.

Ruffles/Split

I added green beads to the neck ties for fun and lengthened the belt considerably. It was crazy short! I think they meant to print "cut two" instead of "cut one" on the pattern piece.

Well Cynthia - we did it! LOL!!! That's all Ya'll!!!

Reel Dress Diddy! Enjoy!!

https://instagram.com/p/CQVvQ6jDYTf/

Talk Soon

Carol

Flannel - Not just for winter!

It’s Spring in the Midwest! - 

I am a Janome Maker!

The days are longer and starting to become warmer, but the nights are still chilly.  I thought what would be great to make for this type of weather? Knowing summer will be here soon, a sweater was not the answer nor pants.  I thought about a dress, but I just wasn’t feeling choosing a style. Pajamas! Easy, fun pretty.  I did say summer was coming, but it’s still cold at night. I thought about air conditioning and how cold it can be. Flannel!!!  Flannel Pajamas with a hint of summer fun.  Flannel is a great fabric. It’s not just for winter.  It’s colorful, inexpensive and breathable cotton!💖 Off to the store I went to get some flannel and I found a gem of a fabric. I opted for some shorts.

Then I reached for my go to PJ pattern and figured I’d make a “Bedroom Jacket” to match. I was off! Me and Mano my Janome Memory Craft 15000.  This machine is so smooth sewing flannel.

Me gett'n Busy!

Sometimes I feel like I’m cheating the machine sewing such a simple project. But then I remembered that this machine is made to make sewing easy. I used my Dual Acufeed foot which is normal for me.  It allows me to sew fast and not worry about buckled/uneven seams.  I also finished off my seams using my AirThread 2000D serger.  This machine is a dream!! I love to sew with it as I had to change colors during my creative process so the threads would match. Yea, NOT AN ISSUE anymore! Even flannel pajamas deserve my professional and personal touch.  

Added a pink ribbon and All finished! 

Wait!!! This cute pair deserves a matching top. My first attempt was a HUGE fail, to big, to ugly and a huge mess. NO PICTURE’s of the wadder here!! So, I sat staring 👀 at jam’s thinking what could I make to match this set? Finally, it dawned on me that Mano is almighty! This machine turns into an embroidery unit! I got out the Janome AcuDesign software and found the perfect design for $1! I found some fabric in my stash, set up my machine and got busy.

After I embroidered the glasses, I used my Airthread 2000D again. Loaded it with fuchsia threads and was off! After the main seams, I serged the bottom edge and finished the rest of the top on Mano (my Horizon 15000). I used the lightning stitch and a straight stitch on the collar binding and a twin needle on the arms with contrasting thread. I didn’t even use a stabilizer, which I normally use when working with knits. Look at that stitching!

I love it! Fun Pajamas are a great way to practice sewing and if you are seasoned sewist, they become a great project as you add creativity to the task. I like to be cozy and stylish all year round! Spring/Summer flannel pajamas! Don’t sleep on it!  Pun intended!

Talk Soon,

Carol

Keep Sewing!

Mom - Can you make these?!

I am a Janome Maker!

Not Your Average Sweatpants!

As this crazy year drew to a close, I thought, Janome Maker submissions are coming up.  So, I picked, prepped and prepared what I thought to be the perfect project.  I started in the fall and then life happened. I got a new job, which is a good thing, but It has taken up so much of my time that my beautiful Makers project was waiting in the wings.  So as time grew closer, I didn’t feel any pressure until I looked up and it was Christmas.  To make a long story short, my sewing room is a mess and my beautiful project was not done!! I scrapped it because I will finish it later and rushing is not an option! ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT! That project didn’t work out, nor did the other one that I won’t mention.  😛

I stood around my sewing room in complete despair December 31st and my machines started talking. “You better get busy or Mano (Horizon 15000) is going back! My serger Airthread 2000D - he’s still nameless) started to cry.  So, I looked around and saw a project for my son that I started a month ago. Gertrude (AKA Dirt McGurt -Skyline7) Said “Darling that’s it! Finish your son’s project, it’s just been sitting there collecting dust anyway!” 

My son asked me to copy some “sweats” he saw on the internet about a year ago.  I committed. How hard could that be? Well, he sent me a picture of the “sweats” and my eyes grew.  These sweats have 8 pockets and 4 zippers and 4 of the pockets are 3D and Cargo!  So, I decided to go all out! I ordered waist banding and collected all I needed for the project and it sat. Gert called me out on New Year’s Eve.  

Inspiration Pants

I got the pile of cut up love and started working. I had already drafted the pockets and flaps, I used a pattern as my block, customized the block and we had one successful fitting. 

3D Pocket Pattern

 

My love pile needed construction only. Since there is a ton of sewing on this project, I used my 15000 to embroider and for most of the construction, Skyline 7 for basting and my Airthread 2000D serger for finishing.  

My son is an artist so, I wanted to include something on his sweats that had meaning, and I wanted to embroider something since “Mano” and I have become such good friends. I decided to add a tiny bit of embroidery on one pocket. I used the Janome AcuDesign software to import a free design onto my Janome Horizon 15000. The software was pretty easy to learn and it came with my machine. I love how subtle and statement making the design is. “Kace” the nickname I gave my son as a baby, and it’s also his artist signature. (Mom moment)

This fabric was crazy thick and backed with a heavy fleece. It’s very heavy and great for the winter. This fabric, I thought, will be an issue for the serger. I did a test stitch and was so happy! The Airthtrad 2000D serger was flawless and made serging the pants a dream!! That serger has the best attitude EVER!

To make things easy for myself, I used size 14 universal needles in the sewing machines and regular All-purpose thread. I used the Acufeed dual foot on Mano-my Janome 15000 and used the Acufeed Dual on Gert-my S7. (I love walking feet!) For the embroidery I used Sulky Rayon thread in black, a Janome purple needle and cutaway stabilizer. 

All day and night later😫 - the rest is history!  Here are some construction pictures of the 3D pockets and the invisible leg zipper. also cut in and made two half welt pockets on the back of the pants (per request).

Construction Details

Welts on request!

  I

The Pants!

And my KC (Kace) modeling, what is now, his favorite pair of pants!

Here is our measure session!! He's the best!

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18125210506156148/

Talk Soon,

Carol

Keep Sewing!