I stitched together this beauty over the past couple of days.  The fabric is a cotton voile from Hancock’s, I got it off the clearance table for $1.50/yd  I used McCall’s 6512 view A (sans pockets and arm tab) with the longer back from view B.  I cut a size 6. I also used some faux pearl buttons from my button stash.

This is my first garment for FALL!!!  I think it is a good transitional piece for fall in Atlanta, where its chilly in the morning and evening but still gets brutally hot in the middle of the day.  I really like the longer back piece from view B, even if it is a little like a mullet shirt, business in the front…

PARTY IN THE BACK!

The first three photos show how I’ll probably wear it for now.  Jeans are from Anthropologie, Shoes from J.Crew.

For when it gets a little cooler – same jeans, sweater from Anthropologie, shoes are Minnetonka.

A little dressier, sweater from Anthropologie, skirt from Forever 21, shoes from Nordstrom.

I don’t really have much inspiration for my fall sewing plans, I’m just winging it, so who knows what will be next!

With that in mind I was thinking of using a warm color for my dress and maybe a print that would mix well with the small polka dots.

I’m also going to try for a true wearable muslin this time.  Instead of just throwing something together out of scraps.

I went ahead and cut out the bodice pieces in a size 2 while I contemplated what to do with the lower half.  I knew I needed to change the skirt because the original was too snug in the hips.  I thought about doing a gathered skirt or a circle skirt but part of me just wanted to cut a bigger size in the original and call it a day.  I finished sewing the bodice and I decided to go with the circle skirt.  Since I was using quilting cottons I didn’t have much width to work with so without widening the waistband that skirt was going to be SHORT!!!!  It still feels short to me!  But guess what it is perfect for…..

Twirling!I twirled myself dizzy during our photoshoot!

As you can see on the ground the leaves are beginning to fall which means…FALL is coming!!!  Up next some fall sewing plans!

First I cut a circle from the leather and then cut it into quarters, stitched those to the bottom corners of the corduroy and then went ahead with making the pouch.

Tula is on the inside,  I just bought some more of the Meteorite print, same color way but in the laminated cotton to make the Hubby a matching lunch bag.

This is the culprit!  Has anyone ever done this before?  I bought the pattern at Hancock’s and I know they don’t take pattern returns.  I wonder if they will let me exchange or if I could just do my own little sneaky exchange .  Any ideas ladies?

P.S. Despite my radio silence I have actually been sewing recently, I’ve made a birthday gift for Hubby, finished my Macaron for Sew Colette, and tried out the Ohhh Lulu High Waisted Undies pattern that everyone has been raving about! Posts soon!

The most noticeable alterations are the smaller collar and the bands on the end of the sleeves.  I drafted a smaller collar by tracing the inner curve of the original then drafting another curve 2″ out from the inner curve.  I than tapered that curve to meet with the inner curve in the center front, eliminating the low dip of the original collar.  I also added a 1.5″ sleeve bands to the bottom of the sleeves to finish the edges.  To adjust the fit for a knit fabric I sized down to an XS and eliminated the bust dart.  To eliminate the bust dart I used my straight edge to draft a new side seam from the lower corner of the armscye to the lower corner of the bottom.

This is a really fantastic pattern with endless potential, I strongly recommend that all sewists add this to their pattern collection.

For my first Banksia I used a batik that my father brought back from Indonesia for me.  I cut a size S made no alterations and used french seams on the entire garment.  I followed the method 1 instructions for the button placket.  I love this top!  It is so comfortable and perfect for the weather we have had lately.

Some things I paid extra close attention to on this garment were the placement of the print, I wanted to avoid having the cross designs hit me right at the bust apex, I also wanted the top to look balanced, so I placed the center front and center back right in the middle of the print.  I also learned a new way to insert a button placket and I love it, it was super easy, I’ve only done a placket like this one other time and I really didn’t understand how it went together but now I get it!

This top was so quick and easy that I was making a 2nd one within an hour of finishing the first one!

See my 2nd Banksia tomorrow.

To reward myself of getting so much done around the house this week I wanted a little purchase so I hit Etsy and here is what I bought:

From Ohhh Lulu: The Betty High Waist Panties pattern 

From Nina n Pep: 5 yards of Dusty Rose picot edge elastic

From DIYStash: 5 yards of Lilac picot edge elastic

Any guesses on what I have plans to make?

If anyone has any good resources for purchasing pretty fabrics for lingerie please let me know because my local options are limited.

It is finished!  For the 2-in1- Sewalong I decided on the faux wrap dress option.  I ordered 2 yards of this beautiful Amy Butler rayon challis.  I went sleeveless and finished the armholes and neckline with matching bias tape.  The skirt is finished with a narrow hem and there is a lovely sky blue invisible zipper all up in my left armpit.  I wore the dress to work last night and it was very comfortable to move around in,  I’m deeming this one a winner!

Pattern: $1 and already in my stash

Fabric: $22!

Notions: $3

TOTAL: $26

Wear again?: Absolutely!

Let’s talk about how much I love the cut of this skirt!  I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the skirt piece of this pattern and myself.  I can just see it now!  I’ll draft up a waistband piece for it and make many of these skirts.  I’m always looking for skirts in stores, which I’ve recently decided in ridiculous!  I can make a skirt in half an hour why would I spend more than $10 on one in a store?  Expect to see more skirts from me in the future.

I don’t want anyone to ever say that I’m one note so I always try to figure out ways to vary the look of any garment in my closet, handmade or RTW.  That being said here are just a couple of different ways I thought about wearing this dress.

This time I added a green suede skinny belt from Anthropologie.

And now my favorite cardigan ever (this cardigan changed my life…or at least my opinion of cardigans) also from Anthropologie.

I have thought of a few other ways to wear it too but I didn’t want to bore all of you with the 27,000 ways I could accessorize this dress.

This completes the last thing I had on my sewing table for this month,  I am going to try to squeeze in one previously unplanned home decor project before the end of the month.  Curtains for my kitchen window!  Our home is in the stages of a serious makeover right now, 5 rooms need paint, all of the trim needs paint removed then to be repainted (don’t get me started on the idiot who mixed water based and latex paint for our trim), art needs to be made or purchased, pillows and curtains need to be made, blinds need to be removed, light fixtures changed, let no corner of this condo go untouched!

I wanted to make this out of chambray so it would be nice and light but wasn’t able to find any at my local fabric stores.  I used a lightweight denim instead.  I cut a size 8 and it fits pretty well.  There are several design elements that I am not happy with but I think if I wore this out no one would notice anything weird about the blazer.

For those of you who want to make a blazer I do not recommend this pattern (McCall’s 6519).  The notched collar is not a true notched collar its what I call a “cheater notched collar” and the results are just not as sharp. Also this blazer is unlined and has facings along the front and neck, these facings are just free floating on the inside, making it really difficult to get a crisp fold on the collar and front of the blazer.  I have made small tacks connecting the facings to the front of the jacket so that it isn’t too noticeable but the facings still move around quite a bit.  I think I may have to blind stitch the facings down throughout the jacket to fix this.

I have dubbed this one a *semi-fail because it came out as I’m sure the pattern company intended but it is just not what I was hoping for, I guess I need to be more selective with my pattern choices and not let a 99cent sale lure me in!

Blazer: Self made – McCall’s 6519

Top: Forever 21

Skirt: Anthropologie

Shoes: Dr. Scholl’s via DSW