My Sewing Space

When I bought the navy fabric for my swimsuit , I also picked up a blue and white polka-dot print gauzy fabric with a cover-up in mind. Sheer, gauzy type fabrics aren't my favorite to sew, but this one seemed fairly stable and I wasn't planning on a complicated garment. I decided to use a top from a Burda magazine (I don't subscribe, but have picked up a couple when I've had the chance) that would be simple and easy. To make it actually cover up what I wanted it to, I added several inches in length. The pattern is featured on the front cover and it looks like it is being worn as a swimsuit cover up or over some other top. But, the picture of the same top inside the magazine looks different. There doesn't appear to be any swimsuit or other top involved. The caption/description for the photo cracked me up. "...Our styling tip: to complete your dream outfit, tie a large scarf around your hips and add an exotic belt." Riiiiight. A top with a neckline p...

Last summer I made my first attempt at sewing swimwear for myself . Overall, that suit was a success but having worn it several times now, there are some things I'd like to change about it. Instead of tweaking that same pattern, I made a new suit using a tankini pattern from Ottobre Woman 2/2011. It's actually really similar to the suit I made last year: halter-style tankini with midriff ruching. So why make another suit so much like the first one? There are a couple of things I don't like about last year's suit: the top just barely meets the bottom which means I'm often tugging it down and the knot part of the halter hurts my neck after a couple of hours of wear. But, I do really like the style, so I wanted to change the parts I didn't like and keep the parts I do. I don't really know what to say about how I constructed this suit. Ottobre's instructions are quite good, but I didn't follow them much. The main reason is because I put a bra insid...

 So, about the obi mentioned here ... One side of the belt is solid navy with gingham ties and the other side is gingham with solid ties. So, it's reversible, but you get the same combination of fabrics either way. I don't have any obis and haven't worn one before, so when it came time to make the pattern, I did some guessing about size and dimensions. Finished, it is 4" high at center front, curving down to 2.5" at the side seam. The back piece tapers from 2.5" down to 1". The ties are 29" long and 1" wide. I left an opening in one side seam for the tie to go through when wrapping it back to the front. I like that this enables me to pull it snug and it stays in the right place with minimal adjusting while wearing. I find my tolerance for fussing with clothing while I'm wearing it keeps decreasing. Is that an age thing? Maybe a smartness thing. We'll go with that. Generally, I like the contrast ties for this belt, but I thi...

After some ambivalence about the last dress I made, I'm happy to be able to say that I made another (somewhat unique) one and am really happy with this one. This is Simplicity 2406 made up in some of the chambray that I bought in NYC. I love the fabric, so I'm especially pleased that I really like the final result. There are always so many possibilities before the fabric is cut into. Once it's cut, that's it. Getting to rejoice over the pattern choice is so much nicer than grieving over it. This is a pretty simple dress. Construction was very straightforward. It's pretty much a sack and requires a belt or sash for any sort of shaping. I liked the "cold shoulder" views on the pattern, but didn't care for the way the short sleeves stick out below the opening - just a personal preference. So, I added some length and a cuff. The shoulder openings are finished with facings. I cut those from navy and white gingham. The shoulder, front and back faci...