MAGAM Sept Project Done! A CopyCat Tweed Dress for Fall/Winter 2015

Finally, after more hours than I had anticipated, the CopyCat Tweed Dress is done!

To recap, this was the inspiration photo I found on eBay:

I didn't have the exact pink tweed and blue trim, etc, in my stash. I wanted to use up my stash fabric so I picked a dark green tweed and a purple wool and some burgundy trim for this dress. I also used a stash pattern New Look 6779 (size 14). And this is the result:

(I guess I should have ironed it more before taking the pictures.)

In the inspiration photo, the neckline and the pockets were trimmed with blue trim. I used a stash burgundy velvet pipping for the neckline and around the pockets:

I used size 14 instead of the size 12 that I had previously used due to the fact that the wool fabrics are thicker and I was to fully lined the dress. I omitted the hem band that was in the inspiration because I think it would cut me off and may make me look shorter. I have used the sewing pattern before a few times (see here). It's a very easy to make dress. However, since I decided to make the dress fully lined (tweed wool can be itchy), as well as adding the pipping, the dress took much more time than I had expected to make. Regardless, I'm very happy with the result:

The weather is already getting cooler so I'm hoping to wear this dress in the next couple of weeks. Can't wait!

My review for this pattern is here.

Refashion: Easy Kids' t-shirt appliques

I haven't posted for a while but it's not because I hadn't been sewing. In fact, I had been really busy at the sewing nook mending/repairing stuffed animals, kites, kids shorts, etc, as well as adding appliques to my kids' tshirts for their school's Picture Day.

It all started last year when my son (aged 5 then) happened to wear a baseball shirt with the number 5 for the school Photo Day. He was super pleased with the result and asked me to make him a new one this year for Photo Day. He insisted on having a camouflage '6'. So I used some remnant camo fabric that I had from making his camo pants to do the applique. He picked out a plain tshirt for me to apply the applique. After my daughter had seen her brother's applique tshirt, she asked for one as well. She rummaged through her tshirts and picked this one out. She 'specified' that the number '4' should be a 'shiny pink' fabric. I still have some of the remnant metallic pink denim that I used for her birthday dress (see here) in the scraps box. And here are the results (disregard the dirt on the tshirts as the kids had worn the shirts all day already):

I don't know if the kids had made the tshirts dirty before getting their photos taken. Hopefully the photos will turn out well!

MAGAM Sept Plan - A Copycat Tweed Dress for Autumn

Although it is still really hot and humid outside, I am already planning my Autumn/Winter wardrobe. The September Theme for Make A Garment A Month is 'Snoop fashion', which I also call it 'CopyCat fashion'. There are so many special occasion gowns that I would like to copy. But I thought I would stick to garments that I would actually wear this autumn/winter.

I have seen this picture on the web before of a lovely tweed dress but I have no idea who designed it (if you know who the designer is please let me know). The picture with Alexa Chung looks weird, as if it had been altered. Nonetheless the dress looks like something cute and practical for me:

Source

I have accumulated lots of tweed for office wear but I don't have a pink tweed. I figure that I could use this brownish tweed and New look 6779 (both from my stash) for this dress:

Of course my tweed is way more somber looking than the lively pink tweed in the inspiration photo. I haven't decided what the contrast fabric would be. I will need to dig deeper into my fabric stash to see what can liven up this drab tweed. Looking forward to working on it!

Refashioned: Red lace dress got sleeves!

I made this red lace dress (Butterick 6771) more than a year ago. Since then I had only worn it once!

I thought perhaps I could make it more suitable for all-season wearing by adding sleeves to it. Being a red dress, I would then be able to wear it for Valentine's day (Feb), X'mas (Dec) and New Year's too (Jan). Moreover, I had seen many celebrities wearing sleeved red lace dresses on the red carpet:

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I still have some remnant red lace material so I cut 3/4 sleeves using the same Butterick 6771 dress pattern. And this is the after:

I am hoping I will be able to wear it more often now. I thrifted a fabulous tangerine coloured silk slip from my local thrift store and it seems to work well under this lace dress comparing to a nude or black slip. Now I just need to find an occasion to wear it. How about the first day of school? ;-)

Refashion: Rainbow Brocade Tunic to Dress

Another quick refashion!  I thrifted this rainbow coloured ethnic brocade tunic at my local thrift store for only $4.99. I love the fabric and the lovely neckline.

With my trusty seam ripper I took off the sleeves, then the side seams. I used an existing shift dress to trace and cut the intended armhole on the tunic. I tried on the garment and pinned out chest darts from the armholes. I then pinned down the sides for it to be pullover dress while still wearing the garment. I sewed the darts and the new side seams together and raised the hemline by approximately 2.5cm.  So here is how the final dress looked on me:

(Hahaha! I looked like I only have 1 leg in this photo!)

The only complain I have is that it's a bit tight across just above the bust. After wearing the dress for some time, a horizontal crease appeared above the bust. You can actually see a bit of that in the photo above. I'll test wear it out and see if I want to alter it again.

Refashion: Old Loose Swimsuit to New Strappy Swimsuit

I was cleaning my wardrobe and found this Pre-Kids swimsuit from more than 10 years ago. I thought that I had donated it to a charity shop already. I tried on the swimsuit but the low back of the swimsuit made the straps fall off my shoulders all too easily.

I liked the colour of the suit and I thought I could salvage it somehow by refashioning it. I have some black swimsuit fabric scraps. I thought that I could add some straps to the low back to make the suit more secure. Lucky for me, there is currently a trend of 'strappy swimwear':

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I cut and sewed 2 long straps from the black swimsuit fabric scraps. I tried on the suit and positioned the straps to the places that worked for my body. I sewed the straps down onto the black trim of the swimsuit. Within 30 minutes, I had a swimsuit that didn't fall off my shoulders!

Another quick and easy and useful Refashion!

Another Swimsuit muslin - Kwik Sew 2797

I guess I'm in a mood to make swimsuits! I made yet another one this weekend based on Kwik Sew 2797 View B. I had long wanted to have a zip front, colour blocked swimsuit like this:

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I thought that the zip-front makes it practical to put the suit on and off. And I thought that Colour blocking will help to artificially give my 'blocky' upper body more curves. But of course this designer suit cost almost US$400! I figured that I could probably make something similar with my remnant fabrics and a stash pattern.

Kwik Sew 2898 is meant to be a leotard but I made quite a number of design changes to make it into a zip-front swimsuit. I used remnant black and white swimsuit fabric that has 20% lycra content.  I cut a size S based on my experience with previous Kwik Sew swimsuit patterns (they run at least 1 size larger). I drafted separate front side panels and back side panels. I shortened the crotch by 2cm (something that I always have to do with swim bottoms or underpants). Last but not least, I chalked out the area on the fabric for the white zipper that I thrifted at my local thrift store.

I topstitched the colourblocking seams to reinforce them. Everything went okay except when it comes to the front zipper. I hadn't found a lot of info regarding how to install a front zipper to a very stretchy swimwear fabric. Some said that I needed to use a stablizer while others said not. I examined a RTW swimsuit with a front zipper and found no stablizer. I reinforced the area where the zipper was to be installed with stitching and then basted down the zipper before sewing 3 rows of narrow zig-zag stitching to attach the zipper. I used black thread so that the messy stitching would not show easily. But I would definitely not point out to others how messy those stitches were. I used swimsuit elastics for the neckline, armholes and legholes at 1:1 ratio. The stitches inside were also really messy. It is a muslin after all!

I used a regular swimwear lining for the entire back and in the front chest area. For the tummy area I used a nude swimwear fashion fabric that has 20% lycra to gently hold back my mommy tummy.

I do like the look of the colourblocking and the front zip. However, there is excess fabric at the back due to my sway back. You can see that weird fold on my back in the photo. So I will have to eliminate about 2cm from the centre back length at the waist, minimizing to nothing on the sides. The neckline is also a bit low for my liking so I'll have to redraft a higher neckline. Also, the white part of the swimsuit is actually quite transparent. If I make this again I will probably use a coloured fabric for the sides.

I'll try to swim with this next week and see if the zipper will hold up! I hope the zipper stitching doesn't come apart while I'm in the pool!

My review for this pattern is at PatternReview.com.

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!