Adventures in Dressmaking::Sweater Refashion-Pom Poms and Peplums!

Hello, Blogger friends! A great new friend of mine, Suzannah, has this blog called Adventures in Dressmaking. Perhaps you've heard of it? Well, as it so happens, I'm going to be guest posting over there for a while!

Adventures in Dressmaking is a wonderful blog. Suzannah is an extremely talented seamstress and shares her trials and inspirations as she works through a pattern, giving you pointers along the way! I'm so flattered to be joining her.

Here are some of my favorite projects of hers:

So Jackie O...I really love this dress!






Click on over and join in on the fun!





I've had this sweater for years. My husband actually got it for me for Christmas one year, before he was even my husband. Now two kids later it was still hanging in my closet. The sweater was soft but just didn't have the same allure it seemed to have when I first lifted it from the gift box.

The sweater was a bit too short so I thought a peplum would give it some color. To give it even more panache, I decided to add elbow pads and pom poms! This sweater is super fun to wear and comfy with a pair of yoga pants at home. I love that scraps can make an old sweater beautiful-and as a bonus, get me out of pjs!





The first thing I did was cut a 3" strip from some shirting fabric. I measured the perimeter of the bottom of the sweater and a little less than doubled that. I serged the ends of the shirting fabric and then sewed the ends together to form a loop. Then I ran a basting stitch to gather the top of the peplum.



I Measured 3/4" up from the bottom of the sweater and drew a line so that it was an easy guide to pin the sweater to. After adjusting the gather I sewed the peplum to the bottom of the sweater.



For the elbow patches, I cut ovals of wool felt and hand stitched them into place. I suggest pinning them on and trying the sweater on first to check the placement. I did make sure to measure up from the cuff to the bottom of the patch on each sleeve to make sure they were even.



For the hood, I ran my chunky yarn through the old casing with the aid of a safety pin. I left the ends extra long so that I had plenty to tie onto the pom poms. I thought big pom poms would be super fun so I wrapped the yarn around 4 fingers and probably went around 50 times. (here is a great tutorial on making pom poms) That's it!

Can't not have a jumping photo with bouncy pom poms!

Adventures in Dressmaking::Pleated Skirt and Ruffle Tank

My husband has a birthday coming up, a big one in fact-The big 3-0! My husband has been traveling a lot for work lately, so he wanted to do something low key, yet I still wanted to dress up. I thought this outfit was the perfect compromise! (As well as a compromise to our budget!)

I had the Anna Maria Horner Study Hall Skirt pattern in my stash and really wanted to give it another go. I wanted to make it less juvenile and more dressy. I thought that doing something monochromatic but playing on textures would do just that. For the main skirt I used a black Kona cotton and a satin for the pleats. I think I'll get a lot of use out of this skirt. The only negative I have against the pattern is that it was a tad big. I even made the smallest size but it still feels a bit too loose...in the way that it might just spin all the way around while I'm walking.

*images from Clairelafaye

For the top, I needed something super fast. I was inspired by these tanks in this etsy shop by designer Clairelafaye. They are so girly and fun. In the end, I chose to just cinch up some chiffon and sorta snake it around the neckline, giving it a bit of an asymmetric look. I hand stitched the chiffon onto an $8 tank top (even less if you have a Target coupon) from Target right on the dress form-so simple!

Go check out what Suzannah has been up to this week at Adventures in Dressmaking!

Red-y for Summer::ModCLoth inspired Dress

Today I'm sharing another fun frock over at Adventures in Dressmaking! I was greatly inspired by a little red number at ModCloth and 500 Days of Summer. Go check it out!

Check out other Adventures in Dressmaking posts here!

Be Mine Valentine Dress (aka Be Yours) ((aka a GIVEAWAY))

Hello, Valentine! I have a treat for you today!

This garment is one of my most favorites to date. It is red and pink and lacy and velvet and super cute.



My inspiration mainly came from this dress on ModCloth. I thought the ruffled bib was a bit too much, but in that cute sorta way. Constructing a ruffled bib in ribbons and lace reminds me of a candy box, which is perfect for Valentine's Day.



So, I pulled out my red velvet and looked for a simple dress to compliment all that bibbage...bibbage? I chose to try out the Coffee Date Dress. I had never made one so thought it would be a good time to try it out, not to mention, it's free!

I found the pattern to be super simple, even with cutting my own seam allowance. I made some modifications in that I chose to make the skirt a bit fuller, keeping the waist the same size and adding the bib. I also finished the bottom with a blind hem since I was using velvet. I was a bit apprehensive, but Kathleen has this amazing video tutorial that really helped me out.



The only problem I had was that it came out too big. Not a problem with the pattern mind you, because the muslin fit just fine. It was the fact that I decided to eat quinoa salad and quinoa and eggs for the better part of two weeks not realizing the effect it would have on my waist line!



This was also the first time I sewed a garment with velvet. The seams went together rather nicely as when you press the velvet together, the pile will sorta glue itself together, no pinning needed. The most difficult time I had was with the zipper! I had to take one side out three times. I realized I was sewing in the opposite direction that the velvet wanted to lay, hence pushing my zipper in all sorts of wrong directions. Finally, the velvet, the zipper and I had a long talk and all was right in the end....except for the sizing!



So, that's where I offer you this fabulous dress! Would you like to wear this out with your beloved on Valentine's Day? Even if you don't celebrate it, or are the kind of gal who wears her wedding ring on her right hand sporting independence, you could sit home with a tub of Ben and Jerry's as beautiful as can be! I made the dress as a Burda Size 36 (US 4). However, I feel as though the sizing runs a bit big and this dress would fit a 4-6 and probably some 8s.

Here's how you can enter:
1. Leave a comment (make sure there is a way to contact you)
2. Follow me.
3. Tweet/Facebook/Blog/Whatever you use-and link back to this post tell me about it in a comment)

Each of the ways will give you a chance to enter, so please leave a comment for each entry. This giveaway will end Friday February 4 at 12am. I'll ship priority to the winner so you have time to wear it on your special day! (US residents only)

If you want to make your own:
I put a tutorial up on BurdaStyle so go have a look!

Check out what Suzannah has been up to this week at Adventures in Dressmaking!

and view all other Sweetie Pie Bakery Adventures!

*chocolate box images via Bakerella

ModCloth In Yo' Lace Inspired Dress

More than inspired, really, but I'm not fond of the term knock-off; it sounds so tacky...

When I first saw this dress on ModCloth I was in love. Super cute, right? It's white and black and can be worn through many seasons, leggings, black tights (i.e. zoe style), etc. I loved it so much I planned on buying it, initially.



Then one day, I was cruising JoAnns with a 40% coupon to burn because I couldn't get anything since it was just one of those times that everything was on sale. I saw the bolts of lace and was immediately reminded of this dress.

ModCloth In Yo' Lace

To construct the dress I followed Simplicity 2444.

Now, looking at the cover of the dress, it looks nothing like this dress I made. The dress on the model is so baggy I can't believe it. I actually thought there was some sort of gathering or something going on...Anyhow, I measured my size and went with it.




I cut the lace as directed by the pattern. I then cut the black lining the same as the lace. It's essentially a dress under a dress. Making a standard lining would have place the pieces wrong sides together, but that would have shown through the lace. Instead, I just placed both with right sides up. For the bodice, instead of having the black go all the way to the shoulders, I folded it in half and free handed the top hoping it would work out. I sewed the top of the black bodice to the lace bodice. I also basted the lace to the black on all bodice pieces. For the skirt, I attached the waist only, leaving the sides open. I wanted to attach the sides and back of each skirt separately so that it moved more freely. I hope that makes sense; I'm sorry I don't have photos of the step-by-step.

I did modify the back of this pattern a lot. The inspiration dress had a button closure which I thought was divine. I'd never modified a zip to button closure so was very nervous about this part. I left the skirt zip up to the waist, then had the buttons on the bodice back only.




I chose to style it with a long black sash rather than a skinny belt. Like Suzannah, I prefer the larger mid drift. I think it elongates my waist, making me feel taller and slimmer. The three inch heels also help with that :)

In the end, this turned out to be my favorite dress I've made so far! I wore it twice in the first week I made it. So, I'm glad that I challenged myself and made this dress. I'm sure I love it much more because of it!

I'm sharing this post with Adventures in Dressmaking today! Be sure to stop by and read this great post on choosing fabrics for garments!

Click here to read more Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery!

Sweet as Honey

This little black sweater by Kate Spade has been around diy blogs the past few months. I really love the sweater but wanted something a bit more appropriate for spring, so I designed this dress inspired by the bee sweater.



I wanted to keep the sophisticated and whimsical feel to the dress that I got from the sweater. I chose to work with New Look 6723, version A.



Since the neckline in this version is so high, I chose to open up the back so it wasn't so prim. I thought the three-quarter length sleeve was appropriate for chilly spring weather we have in Chicago and accented the elbows with a big satin bow.



For the bee, I looked at all the iron-ons available at local sewing shops but didn't find anything that was sophisticated enough. Of course, most of the sequin iron-ons were pretty childish, and not the look I was after. I decided to just make my own and quickly sketched the bee onto some felt and applied hot glue and seed beads for a bit of sparkle. I drew the bee's flight path onto the dress with some chalk and then stitched it with white embroidery thread.



I really REALLY wanted the lining of the skirt to be white and yellow stripes but couldn't find any locally. I was so bummed, but not enough to pay for it plus shipping for the hidden accent. I had some gold and black stripe in my stash and decided to use that instead, but really do regret now not having just paid for the fabric I initially wanted!

This was my first time working with a New Look pattern, and I found the dress to be much larger than I expected it to be. I would have liked it to be a size smaller and probably should have made a muslin first. I don't really care to take time to make a muslin unless I'm using really expensive fabric or making major modifications. The dress is fully lined and I'm too lazy to fix it...I'm not sure that I'll wear this dress too often anyhow, so I suppose it's fine!

Thanks to Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking for hosting Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery!

Coffee Date Dress with Bow and Flounce Detail with Tutorial

Have we made it to a second date? I must warn you, this will probably be our last "date" together. While its been fun, I've really got to move on. There are so many other patterns out there!

Once again, I used the Coffee Date Pattern for this dress. As I mentioned before, the pattern is fairly easy, even for a beginner, and offers room for lots of modifications.

I added a big bow to the front and made two flounces for the tails of the bow. I was largely inspired for the bow by a blouse worn by Emma Pillsbury in the first season of Glee. I can't remember the specific episode where the top is from, but I think that the bow had a flounce detail to it...



I got this fabulous plaid on my visit to Minnesota this summer. I had no idea what it's end result would be, just that I loved it. The fabric had a nice hand and was very heavy. It would have been nice just to trim off and use as a blanket...probably best suited for a jacket.

Since it was at an outlet, I got a nice price of about $9 for the yard of it! I should have given a bit more thought to it and bought more than a yard so I could match up the plaid better, but I was young and stupid then. The side seams are slightly off..but I'm over it now. It really bothered me when I was cut the dress...



This dress is pretty fun to wear, and I think could work as a work dress. Or just pair it with your gold toms and funky sweater to go to the grocery store in...you know....



Tutorial:
download the pattern from Burda for the Coffee Date Dress
I followed the steps provided except I widened the skirt, leaving the waist as is, and added a sash when sewing the bodice to the skirt.

Once you complete the dress, follow these steps to make the bow with flounce:



1. Cut a square measured at 8"x8".

2. With right sides together, sew the top closed with 1/8" seams.

3. Reposition the seam to the center of the rectangle and press.

4. Sew the ends closed with 1/8" seams, leaving a small opening to turn the bow right side out.

5. Blind stitch the opening closed.

6. Cut a rectangle measured at 2" x 6".

7. With right sides together, sew the top closed with 1/8" seams.

8. Turn right side out and position the seam to the center back. Press.

9. Wrap the strip around the center of the bow and stitch to secure it.

10. Cut two circles with a 7" diameter. Remove a circle with a 2.5" diameter from the center. Finish the edges of the circles with a serger, or cut two circles for each flounce, add a seam allowance and sew with right sides together. Turn out and press well.

11. Position each flounce down the center of the bodice to your desired length and stitch into place.

12. Sew the bow to the top of the bodice.

Go check out what Suzannah has been up to this week on Adventures in Dressmaking and all other Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery!

Beauty and the Beast Costume Design

Last month, my sister called me up asking me to help her with her costume for the high school musical, Beauty and the Beast. I was extremely flattered that she thought my skills were worthy...

She brought with her a bundle of dresses that the school had given her, and very matronly they were. There was a lot of deconstruction, and reconstruction done and the final result was this:

The costume was perfect for Babette, the feather duster. It had such style and movement! The dress is essentially a simple strapless dress, fitted through the hips, and a gathered skirt down at the bottom. Over the skirt are layers upon layers of feather boas. The best way we found to attach them was a simple safety pin in each boa. The fullness of the feathers hid them nicely.

Throughout the play, the spell placed on the servants of the house continues to worsen. Babette's hands begin to turn into feathers! She wore cuffs on her wrists with more feathers attached to them. Such fun details on the costume!

So, I'd like to thank my baby sister for letting me participate in her special day.

CeCe, you did an amazing job! I'm so proud to be your older sister and even though you feel like you're leaving so much behind with graduation around the corner, your life is just getting started. With your beauty and talent, it's going to be amazing!

me, sisters

Please, check out Suzannah's blog Adventures in Dressmaking and see what she's been up to this week! Read here for more Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery.

St. Patty's Day Dress

I'm sharing a fun little number over on Adventures in Dressmaking today! Do you wear green so you don't get pinched? Visit Suzannah's blog to read more!

Click here to read more Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery! Be sure to catch up on Suzannah's blog. She's getting married soon and documenting all the fun such as sewing her own bridesmaids dresses and her honeymoon in Hawaii! Very jealous!