I could probably make these in my sleep by now! The only change I made this time was to slightly gather the leg openings and add a cuff. I wish I had taken them in just a little more but she was asleep and I didn’t want to make the opening too small to fit.
Monthly Archives: June 2014
Sucker for Seersucker
Maybe it’s something about the south but I love seersucker. I found this on sale and only bought half a yard (which I’m now kicking myself for). I’ve been wanting to play around a little with modifying my dandelion dress pattern and this was the perfect amount for it. It might end up being a good thing I had so little or I’d go full on seersucker suit! Poor baby girl dodged a bullet.
I really wanted these gathered straps on another dress I’m planning so I used this as a test.
The modifications were pretty simple I just folded down the strap part of the pattern and extended the bodice below the arm opening.
I ordered the buttons from here and wasn’t sure what to expect since the description is a little lacking but they were all really cute when I got them.
Mathilde Hack
This started out as a sleeveless Mathilde blouse but I couldn’t get it to stop looking like a 1950s maternity night gown so I improvised a little.
I cut straight down the middle of the shirt and folded in the edges to add button holes and buttons. And since the facing edges now show when the shirt falls open I used bias tape to cover them.
I added some shaping to the sides after I made the front opening to make it a little more flattering but now there’s some gaping on the back. It’s not so bad that I won’t wear it but it does bug me a little.
After wearing it for the day and looking at these pictures I think I’m going to go back and add one more button on the bottom.
Simple Sewing
Moneta Number Two
This is the second Moneta dress I’ve made (the first here). The fabric is really soft and stretchy which has some pros and cons. I mean, the softness is obviously a pro but because it’s so stretchy the waist seam gets kind of pulled down throughout the day.
I shortened the bodice this time by almost two inches and had to bring the side seams in by half an inch as well. The fabric I used the first time was a bit thicker and more stable so the medium fit pretty well but I wish I had used the small for this fabric.
You can see where the seam in the back is pulling down a little here.
Thrifty Finds
I love thrift stores! Before I really started really sewing I would alter the stuff I found at thrift stores by hand to fit better. Now I have a machine and can make stuff from scratch but I still love finding stuff that I think could look great with just a few quick tweaks. I found this shirt and thought the light weight fabric would be perfect for the hot summer but I’m not a fan of peasant sleeves. And it was just too big. This is kind of a crappy photo but I have since found both my camera remote and stand!
I took the sleeves off and just rolled in the edges as little as possible then slimmed down the sides and finished the edges with a zig zag stitch. The sleeve openings were an odd angular shape but luckily, because it was too big anyways, there was enough fabric there to change it.
And I found this guy that I can’t wait to makeover! I’m going to re-cover it with new vinyl or laminated cotton and give it a new paint job too.
Simple Sewing
This was a birthday present I made for my sister (but haven’t given her yet lol). Obviously she’s a Cowboys fan and she does a lot with animal rescues so I thought I’d make her a reversible coffee sleeve to show off both.
I used this pattern and it was so easy! Start to finish was no more than half an hour and mostly just because I couldn’t find the elastic.
A quarter of a yard would make at least six of these and since they’re so fast to sew up I would definitely keep this in mind for the gifting season!