Category: Vogue

Part 1 Sew September

Vogue 1835 Misses Pants and Tops

Are you ready for Fall? I sure am. Fall is my favorite time of year. The trees change, the time changes, the temperatures are cooler, and I can finally wear my warm and comfy clothes.

For my first official Fall pieces I used Vogue 1835. Vogue describes this as a Misses’ top, pants, and slippers pattern. There are two top variations, short and long-sleeved. I choice the long-sleeved to prepare for the Fall and Winter months that we “should’ be getting in California. The weather today is a high of 75 degrees, which is still slightly warm for October.

I was able to cut the top and pants both in a medium. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not need to alter the length of these pants. I stand proudly at 4″11 tall and usually cut off at least 4′ from the length. I did taper the leg from the medium to the small my calf muscles are still under construction.

Pattern Description: Misses’ Tops, Pants, and Slippers

Pattern Sizing: XS – XXL I cute the M

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it looks exactly like the pattern envelope photo.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes Super easy to follow the instructions. They were laid out and easy to understand.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked how versatile the pants are. I can dress them down with sneakers for running errands or dress it up with flats for brunch with the family.

Fabric Used: I used a Ponte Knit that was in my stash. I think I purchased it 2 years ago.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Although I cut the medium in the pants, I graded from the knee to ankle for a tighter fit. My thighs are fuller, which makes the medium fit from the knee up, but it was to loose from the knee down.

No alterations made on the top.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I will be sewing this again, in either a sweatshirt fleece or velour stretch for the Holidays for running errands.

Conclusion: Love the look, love the pattern, it is definitely one of my new favorites in the category of quick and easy to Sew.

Part 2 – Sew September

I will showcase how I styled these pieces for multiple looks to be wore on different occasions. Follow my blog get notified.

Thanks for stopping by. Make it a Fashion Forward Day!!!

February Makes – Black History Month Designers and Fabric

It’s February, which means it’s Black History Month. In honor of Black History Month and showing support to Black owned businesses in the Sewing Industry I joined the Instagram challenge hosted by @sewnaturaldane and @onesweetsew.

My first make for February is this Lisa top from Style Sew Me Patterns. I love this top it is a quick and easy make. This is the second one I have made using this pattern and I love them both. I need to find the other make it is in a Pink Camouflage, my favorite fabric and I can’t find it.

This one is made out of a Vino Camouflage I purchased at the San Francisco Fabric Outlet. It can be found here. The Vino is no longer available online, but the same fabric can be found in brown, grey, green. purple, pink, white, and black camouflage combinations.

This is Vogue 1314, by Tracy Reece, a Black Pattern Designer for Vogue, it is now Out-of-Print (OOP). I tried sewing this dress when I started sewing 5 years ago and it did not come out as planned. I had no idea how to line a dress, do the rousing or any of that in the construction of the garment. So this year for Valentine’s Day I decided to make this again and it came out great. I have no plans for Valentine’s Day, but I love this color and the dress, so it became an honorary Valentine’s Day Dress! This fabric was purchased at Michael Levine’s in Los Angeles, about 4 years ago. Still sewing from my stash.

This fabric is from My Daily Threadz

And as much as I love this dress and the way it turned out, the bodice is too tight. I can’t move in it, the struggle was real getting out of it. LOL!!! I do know that I need to adjust the bodice moving forward when making garments out of non-stretch materials. I am so sad, because I even added pockets to the dress, who doesn’t love a dress with pockets. I am going to salvage this fabric. I don’t know how yet, but I might extend the opening down the front and have it be an open shirt dress. Not sure, but I am sure I will figure something out. This fabric is too fabulous for it to be a Mannequin dress. No ma’am.

The June Nina Ramel Fabric Box – Vogue 9253

All I can say is this fabric is hot like FIRE!!! It took me several days of going through my pattern collection, yes collection. Lol!!!, to figure out what I wanted to make with this beautiful fabric. Once I narrowed it down to 2 patterns, Simplicity 1059 and Vogue 9253, then the fear of cutting into it set in. Finally I just started and the end result is what I was looking for.

Now let’s talk about the Nina Ramel Fabric box, it’s a fabric box that Shari Williams from My Daily Threadz offers. June was the first box and it is sold out, on her site July will be coming. Check it out and also follow My Daily Threadz on Instagram, Shari always posts information there. You should see the beautiful dress she made. This woman has mad sewing skills.

This was the second time I made Vogue 9253, first make was in August 2017 when everyone was making it. I loved it then and I love it now.

I love the whole look, the fabric, the shoes, which I can’t wear yet, but just wait. Now I need some special place to go to wear this fabulousness. Who’s having a party? Invite me, I already have an outfit to wear.

Bye for now, time to go Sew Something!!!!

My Make Nine for 2019

I am so excited to be continuing on with my sewing for 2019. I have lots of plans to try new things and to bring back some of my favorite makes from the past 4 years.

To start 2019 I have selected 9 patterns to make that are garments I haven’t made in the past. These items will be made throughout the year along with others, but I wanted to showcase these as the ones that are on my list. Below you will find my list, they are not in any special order, but I have started the activewear pattern as part of the Activewear Challenge on the pattern review website, details can be found here.

The Jacket is almost complete, just need to add the sleeves and the zipper. The zipper frightens me, but it is one of the things on my list of challenges that I must conquer. The pants are a little tricky with the side pieces, but I think I have it figured out. I installed the side pieces by way of the Pattern instructions and it didn’t turn out like it should have, so I am going to take it out and do it again. Practice makes perfect, right?

Look for a blog post in the upcoming week for the finished garments for pattern #M7482.

I am most excited about making the underwear. These patterns have been on my list for the last 2 years or more and I keep adding them to the list and taking them off, adding them, taking them off. This time they stay, I will never know what skills I don’t have if I don’t at least try.

1. McCall’s 7482 – Misses’ Asymmetrical-Zip Jacket and Seamed Leggings

2. McCall’s 7547 – Misses’ Flared Jeans and Overalls, Skinny Jeans, and Shortalls

3. McCall’s 6841 – Misses’ Cowl-Neck Tops (this Pattern is Out of Print)

4. Simplicity 8701 – Misses’ Pants with Options for Design Hacking

5. Simplicity 8791 – Misses’ Wrap Tops

6. Vogue 9285 – Misses’ Top with Sleeve and Cuff Variations

7. Simplicity 8700 – Misses’ Jacket with Options for Design Hacking

8. Simplicity 8436 – Misses’ Plunge Bra and Panties – Once completed these items  will be modeled by my dress form, Brianna. I wouldn’t want an inappropriate blog post. 🙂

9. Simplicity 8229 – Misses’ Underwire Bras and Panties – Once completed these items  will be modeled by my dress form, Brianna. I wouldn’t want an inappropriate blog post. 🙂

Well I am off to go start of the process of installing in the zipper and the sleeves on the jacket. The weather is raining and extremely windy tonight, so I think it is safe for me to stay behind the sewing machine.

Bye for now, time to go Sew Something!!!!

Vogue 8825 – Misses’ Tunic Dress

Very Easy Vogue Pattern – that’s what the pattern envelope says. For the most part it was an Easy Sew until you arrived at the collar which is along Step 7. I had to send out an SOS to Sew Sister Nola of Aloha for Now and of course she had the answer, well after she laughed at me and said “did you read the instructions?”, well Yes, but it was confusing. Well she explained in terms that I understood and what do you know it worked. She loves me enough to laugh at me then she answered. Gotta love your Sew Sisters.

The bodice also looks good by itself. I plan to make it again just as a top to wear with jeans and boots for a casual Friday look.

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I cut view A, being all of 4″11′ tall, longer dresses are not the best looking on me. I didn’t need to make any modifications to the length as it hit just in the right place below my knees. The sleeves were perfect and needed no modifications as well. All and all this was a great sew for me. I love the way this turned out.

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Yes this is my fabric stash and I am hoping the Ready to Wear Challenge helps me to get it sewn down.

You must excuse my tired face in the photo, but it was a long day, I had homework to finish, I was hungry, and I wanted to get a picture of me in this dress for the fit before I went to bed.  Note to self Next time wait. LOL! I am sure we all have those days when we are tired and still need to get things done and this was definitely one of those days. I’ll be sure to do another photo shoot with a much happier face soon.

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DRESS: VOGUE 8825

HANDBAG: STEVE MADDEN