So I have been trying to get a new design for a 3/4
sleeved "T" out of my head, ever since I got back from
bama. I actually took my
"The home stretch " book with me, hoping to work on some of her patterns. Maybe I could just read a little, and at least get
some knit tips...but I don't think I opened the book even once, while I was there. Finally I managed to make the basic 't' shirt that is in
Wendy's book, , during
naptime on
monday.
I probably won't make too any more unless I alter the pattern
a bit( although the little owl was fun).
It was however a great learning
experience. Her assembly method smoothed things out for me enormously. I don't use
alot of store bought patterns( I do buy them). I often open them and use parts( but they are really hard for me to follow step by tedious step, although Wendy is helping me with my pattern reading skills ), but most often I take a tried and true pattern from an article of clothing that I own and
tweek it here and there to get a new look. This was the case with my cap
sleeve 'T' that I have been making since I was pregnant.( no I am not prggers here)
The original shirt was a Target T' that I stretched into about7months of big belly. Then sadly It could not stand the strain. Frayed and elastically challenged, I cut it up and made a larger 'T' pattern for the final 5 months of my pregnancy(yes I was pregnant for12months...really, long boring tale ). In the spring of this year I happened
upon one of my pregnant 'T's and tried it on and (there was no way in hell I was wearing this shirt mind you) it was WAY too big,WAY to big ...i wish . Anyway I changed the pattern a bit and made a few spring/summer looks from the pattern....way back in march
~These are my latest incarnations of that pattern
I did not know it, but this style is called raglan. A raglan"has sleeves with seams that angle inward for a distinctive sporty look."
Wendy tells us. No wonder I love it sew ...I am very sporty. Well, I am a good
sport anyway. The Raglan incarnations you are
witnessing here are my own design( although Wendy's book does have a pattern for a raglan style 'T' that I have not cut into yet) but I started using her technique for assembly and it just makes more
sense.
~ Daddy always said "there's more than one way to skin a cat" (he knew I liked cats). See I am a good sport.
So I made 2 designs
~one with my classic girls in the "V"(imagine sexy boobs here)
This look has a sort of peasant( but not
Renaissancey) feel and I made the sleeves a little
drapey and flared.
These light
plum colored sleeves have pretty,see-through, floral designs~ love that!
Then my
fav (this week) the baseball jersey style,in which I just used 2 backs instead of the front and back!
(sorry this photo is not PG)I think this shirt needs a little
bambi sillohette applique on it, Front and Center
Someone said to me a few weeks ago
"you make clothes for little girls" referring to my size choices. So I had to prove that was not true,(kinda, I make clothes for little girls at heart maybe? and
scandalously tight clothes for
curvaceous women) . I made 2 skirts last week in retaliation, well one was a custom skirt( for the author of the above statement), it is a size 10/12
ish 
The client had been really
lovin' on some vintage button details on another skirt so I put this little bouquet of buttons together for her~ I love them(i hope she does too!).
This fabric is 97%cotton And 3% spandex and is great for skirts(and baby slings). I was a bit
challenged in trying to make a pocket that
wasn't too
competitive with the pattern on the skirt fabric, but also not too boring .
It was fun and I am feeling pretty good about the end look.
The other is up for grabs and is a size 12/14.
I really love the fabric for these 2 skirts and am having a fall color explosion in my head( and obviously all over these skirts).
I also had
alot of fun with this pocket
emulating the floral pattern in my applique
OK so that is all for now! thanks for hanging in there
through this word stuffed post~
To me they are a great gift for the ladies. I think they are wonderful little things of beauty and there are so many variations.
One of my favorite pin cushions are the little mushrooms(that is what I call them) from How about orange, made recycling a 2 liter soda bottle cap as the base . I first made these last Christmas as little gifts and it was very fun thinking of each person's personality and incorporating it into a little pin cushion. These are very non- seamstress~ top of the dresser type pin cushions.
Everyone needs a little cushion for random little straight pins, safety pins and such that come on clothing. A while back I came across a tutorial on craftytpod for a pin cushion needle sharpener. She mentions another bottle cap pin cushion tutorial (that looks fun too)in her post as the perfect size for this little sharpener. So I decided to stuff my mushrooms with very fine steel wool and came up with these fun little dandies.
It was yet another super fun way to put off making "important stuff "for the Maker Faire. I think they are perfect gifts for anyone you know who does needle work!
