A Summer Maxi gored skirt - Simplicity 5914

I made a maxi skirt for this summer! It's not the most practical for running after 2 young kids but I do like the look of it. I had this light turquoise blue linen cotton blend fabric in my stash for almost 10 years. I knew that a straight or pencil shape wouldn't fit my shape that well so I used a stash gored skirt pattern - Simplicity 5914. I have used this pattern before a few times but only the short skirt version (see here).

I used size 12 which is my usual for the skirts/pants for the big 5 pattern companies. I bounded the waist edge with a which bias tape. I didn't line it because the fabric has a good weight and not translucent.

I never wear my trousers/skirts with the top tucked in. So this is how I was wearing it this morning:

It's wonderfully flowy and drapey but I can only wear it when I'm out with hubby to chase after the 2 kids. I can dress it up or down with different tops and accessories. I have always liked this shape of skirts on me so I will definitely sew with this pattern again. Highly recommended!

My review of this pattern is here.

Another Swimsuit - Kwik Sew 3503

I got this floral swimsuit fabric in my stash for a while. I bought it before I made my first ever swimsuit (see here). The large floral pattern is a bit loud for me. However, it was in the cheapy bin and I thought it would be a great fabric for swimsuit muslins. I also had Kwik Sew 3505 in my stash. I bought it when I also bought Kwik Sew 2906, which I made 2 swimsuits with (see here and here).

I got restless and decided to make another swimsuit for myself. This material stretches more than the solid colour lycra fabric that I have. I first made size Medium but then after trying it on, I had to ripped the seams apart and resize it to XS! Even then I think I should have made it even smaller than XS because once the suit is in the water, it will stretch out even more.

I added straps to suit because I wanted the suit to be secure. I'm actually using this for swimming - not just posing out of water! LOL! I decided to be 'crafty' and crossed the ties at the back and then tie it in the front just under the bust. I don't know if this is going to make the suit more secure. I'll have to swim in it to see how it works. If it is too cumbersome then I'll just sew the straps down at the back of the suit.

This is how the suit looks on me:

I'm not in love with it. I think the loud floral make me look bigger. But I'm glad that I have made a  muslin from this pattern. I think one can make many design adjustments to this suit to suit their needs (e.g. adding straps, colour-blocking, etc). I'm certainly going to make this again in a not-so-loud fabric.

My Pattern Review can be found here.

MAGAM July Romper done!

I followed the Threads Magazine instructions to draft the romper based on my tried and true shorts pattern - Butterick 5044. It came together really quickly. However, due to my short stature and short waist, the upper body length was too long. I also realized that I don't look good in garments that have a droopy elastic waist - it makes me look wider and more shapeless. So I cut off a good 4.5 inches off the top length and use a belt to gather the waist. I'm not sure if I like this strapless romper on me:

The front 'seemed' to be okay except that I think I gathered the top elastic too much (the chest bulging under the elastic). The back just made my broad back look even wider! This muslin is okay to wear in the house but I don't think I'll wear it outside.

Perhaps with a more drapey fabric (e.g. ponte knit) and a darker colour, this romper would be less offensive to my eyes. I'm not sure if I want to waste my fabric stash on this romper though. What do you think? Should I give it another go with a darker, drapier fabric?

MAGAM July Plan - A Romper!

The July Theme for Make A Garment A Month is Sewing Books. Since I don't own any sewing books with patterns in it, I decided I would just draft the Strapless Jumpsuit pattern based on the Sept 2015 Threads Magazine. I have never owned or worn a jumpsuit or romper before so this should be interesting!

I found more remnants of the thrifted green striped cotton bedsheet (see shorts made from these sheets). I have just enough to make a romper, not a jumpsuit.

Let's see how this strapless romper muslin will look on my weirdly shaped body!

Bedsheet Remnant to Shorts - Butterick 5044 again

I have been wearing shorts frequently this summer so I thought I would make another pair. I thrifted quite a few used bedsheets from my local  Thrift Store last year when I was making my wedding dress. I found the remnants of this white/green stripes bedsheet in my stash. It had just enough yardage for the tried and true Butterick 5044 shorts pattern. The bedsheet is 100% medium weight cotton which would make a good material for shorts.

The shorts came together in about an hour - from cutting to finishing the waistband. I used the sheets finished top edge as the bottom hem of the shorts. I added a back pocket to the right back side. And this is how it looks:

And this is how it looks on me:

I'm pretty happy with these shorts considering it only took me an hour to make them, using stash remnants and a stash pattern. Yipee!

More scrap busting - Girl Hat New Look 6579

My daughter has outgrown her summer hat. She asked me to make her a new one. She actually went through my fabric scraps box and chose these remnants for her hat. The pink metallic denim was used for her birthday dress (see here). It was the first time I had sewn in front of her. Usually I would have waited until she had gone to bed before I start sewing. However, she seemed to be interested in my sewing so I decided to show her the whole process.

First, I showed my daughter the pattern - a thrifted New Look 6579, which I had used the dress pieces to make the birthday dress for her (see here). I cut the fabric and sewed the entire hat while she watched intently. The hat went together very quickly (I didn't do the lining). The fit was fine except that it is a very 'shallow' hat. If I make it again I will need to add more 'depth' to the crown pieces. I added an elastic strap so that it doesn't come of her head too easily.

My daughter is very pleased with the hat and wore it through dinner until it was her bedtime. I'm happy she liked it! I like the mix of candy colours for the hat. Another quick and satisfying scrap busting project.