My Favorite Dress Pattern and Self Drafted Variations

I have to say, these Anna Maria Horner Museum Tunics are just addicting! I dare you to make just one! The first one I made, I used an organic gray dobby dot voile. I cut it to the specifications of the Little Folk's panels used in Anna's tutorial. This was sort of my practice dress, as I did not want to ruin my gorgeous little folks panels!

Then, I moved onto the real deal. The fabric was so flowy and perfect. I think this one turned out a bit better; don't you? I took this one in a few inches, as I went down a size in between making the two dresses. I did elastic smocking on this one, as oppossed to the sewn in zig-zagged elastic. I like how the smocking turned out much better than the sewn-in elastic. It looks a bit more polished.

I then got wild ;) and made this self-drafted version with a scoop neckline. It has the same flow as the museum tunic, but is a bit more modest around the bust.

I have to say, these sew up very quickly. I made my second Museum Tunic dress in about two hours start to finish. My first took about two afternoons. What is your favorite dress pattern? Have a beautiful day, Lynsey

2012 is in the Bag Baby

This has been a great year, despite some serious struggles. I learned I could either see these challenges, as challenges, or an opportunity for growth.....I decided on the later. My biggest blessing this year is Andy not renlisting in the Navy. He got a wonderful civillian job as a Technical Writer for an aeronautical engineering company before his last term was even up! Luckily he had a couple months of vacation saved up and the Navy gave him some extra leave and he was able to take the job! I now have him home for holidays, dinner and mundane everyday stuff! The biggest challenge, as most of you know, is my health. I was given a very grim prognosis, and decided not to accept it....the day I was told I had the organ attacking form of Lupus SLE was without a doubt the worst day of my life. I bitched and moaned for a bit and then..... I lost 50 pounds, changed my diet to 80 percent raw produce, started meditating and gardening again, quit my job that wasn't accomodating me and am learning to distance myself from people who care more about how my illness affects them, as oppossed to the pain and loss it has caused me. I am not better yet, but without this disease, I wouldn't have gotten my diet under control or started my wonderful new fabric shop! That's right fabric shop!!!!! It's been my dream for years to have beautiful bolts of fabric adorning my shelves and my fabulous husband gave me a buisiness loan to make it happen! Okay enough about that....let's move on to SEWING! I am technologically challenged, and thus can't make those cute little Flickr mosiacs all you hot tech savvy sewist post (anyone want to teach me :D?) Instead, I will share the bags I made in 2012, and will move onto dresses and patchy goodness from 2012 in a future post. Let's start with the Everything Bag from heather Ross' Weekend Sewing. I love this pattern so much, I've made it three times! It is a quick sew and really does hold everything! With her reinforced handles and roomy interior, you truly can bring your standard sized sewing machine to meetings or sew-ins in this bag! The darker bag is modeled by my mom. I made this for her as a birthday gift. The green and pink one is modeled by me and was made for my grandma, also as a birthday gift. Everything Bags,Template in Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing

Next up is the Amy Butler Swing Bag pattern. Also,a very quick sew! I used essex linen and Lotta's Echo line for this bag. I decided to not make it reversible, instead opting for an inside pocket.

My new favorite pattern is Tanya Whelan's Practical Bag Pattern. I made this from my out of print Ginseng home dec fabric and lined it in gray woodgrain from the same collection.

What is your favorite bag pattern, either for esthetics, or quick sewing? I hope you all had a wonderful 2012 and have an even better 2013 friends!!!!! Have a beautiful day, Lynsey

First Project of 2012

I finished up these pillows on New Year’s Day using Anna Maria Horner’s Drawing Room Fabric (which I have been collecting and hoarding for years!). Using this fabric symbolizes not waiting for the perfect moment to enjoy something (whether it be fabric or life), but rather just diving in and cutting right to it (pun intended). Often times, I find myself waiting until the next moment (or as a military family the next move) to fully allow myself to enjoy life’s gifts and create opportunity for myself. I thought cutting into this out of print collection would be a great way to actualize my quest for living in the moment.

Contemplating my bad habit of always looking towards a better future, instead of making the present more enjoyable strengthened my resolve to make 2012 the best year ever. I plan to live out my resolutions in their entirety; giving the present a fair shot!

1. Understand the economy is bad, but no one can take my education away from me. Instead of swearing every time my student loan bill comes, I am going to be thankful I finished my degree and have a job in this economy.
2. Be more consistently grateful towards my husband. I landed a great husband! He is supportive, funny, smart, brave, kind, affectionate, loyal and extremely generous. I want him to know I feel this way about him, even when I am in a bad mood.
3. Take care of my body. A lot of you know my nerve entrapment and inflammation were the reason I went back to working a 9-5 job, giving up being a self-employed crafter. At the end of this school year, I would like to go back to crafting full-time. To do this, I need to eat properly and not over extend myself.
4. Just say no! I don’t want to be your free tailor, but I am happy to teach you to sew. Give a man a fishing pole, not a fish!
5. Be creative everyday. I will make time to sew, plan or destress with creativeness each day.

What do you hope to accomplish in the New Year?

Simplicity 3835

For those of you who know me in person, or through Flickr, it's no secret one of my favorite patterns is, Built By Wendy 3835.
I love that there's no set in sleeves and that any neckline puckers are hidden once the elastic is inserted. What I love most is the range of fabrics this pattern can accommodate.
I've made this shirt in; quilting weight cotton, heavy yarn dyed cotton, voile, cotton lawn...and it's turned out perfectly every time....well perfect for my amateur seamstress expectations.
For anyone considering this pattern, my one tip is to make the arms larger. I make the shirt in a 14 throughout the body and then add size 20 (yes 20) arms. I also love this pattern without the arm elastic, but the elastic looks super cute too!
Above you will find my most recent 3835 creation, made of Liberty of London Cotton lawn.
Have a happy day <3,
Lynsey

Is it okay to join a quilt guild IF...you've never finished a quilt

The Bakerfield Modern Quilt Guild totally thinks 'sew' (you will only get one cheesy 'sew' per blog post-promise), which makes them even more rad individuals than they already are. So accepting of my 'topper only' status.

Yesterday we had a sew-in. Jen (she's in the middle, isn't she freaking adorable?) brought all of her blocks, backings and some cool fabric for us to assemble her quilts. We had so much fun, we talked more than sewed! When finished she is donating the quilts to a girl's group home. How wonderful is that (and of her)!? I am pretty sure she can still use some backing and batting, or maybe some pre-made quilt binding you made, but never used? If you have anything you would like to contribute, please leave a comment and I can put you in touch!

Heather Ross Everything Bag

I am excited to say I've officially completed my Heather Ross Everything tote! I photographed it as completed last month, but finally finished the hand-stiching today! :)

It is huge!!!! Perfect to carry all my truly Bella packages with me to the post office. I also plan to bring it to my Heather Ross and Friends weekend. This puppy will fit tons of fabric in it....perfect for a fabric hoarder like me! It even fits my neglected yoga bag and a change of clothes.

This took about a day to make. I used Amy Butler Nigella Home Dec weight on the outside, Essex linen in Putty on the interior.

The handles, I cut on the bias. I've seen some gorgeous bags that do not have the handles cut on the bias. I however had tons of yardage, so i figured-why risk it?

I also cut my bias strips wider and sandwiched them.

Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below regarding this pattern and I will do my best to try and answer!

Have a Happy Day!

Lynsey

Palm Springs = Sewing in Style

I am overly excited, jumping out of my chair with joy.

In two weeks I will be hanging out with fellow fabric junkies for a weekend in Palm Springs with Heather Ross and Lotta Jansdotter! Heather is bringing some of her other fabulous and talented friends as well!

I am thrilled to meet all the oh 'sew' talented designers and sewists attending the second week. I am a bit bummed out that I don't get to meet some of my online artsy BFF's going the first week though ): . To avoid sounding like a spoiled, complaining brat, I shall proceed below...

I hope to have a weekend of relaxation, spa-ing, learning a million new sewing tricks AND OF COURSE coming home with a couple, always-to-be-treasured completed objects.

I am bringing all my 'good stuff' too; the kokka, the out of print Heather Ross Stash, some Belgian linen to hopefully paint-or stamp and some super soft cotton voiles for clothing.

As a lot of those close to me know, my husband is deployed. This vacation and a new sewing machine were his Christmas gift to me. Nice guy eh? I think I will keep him ;). Hope he feels the same!

Have a happy day,

Lynsey