sharing a blog

I like this blog.
A Bicycle Built for Two
 Someday I will learn how to grab a button. Until then just a link to the page.

 

New projects

I am now working on a red dress, again inspiration from Grosgrain and Modcloth, a blue print simple dress that is a muslin for the red wild print dress that I have all cut out and a gray dress that is for my daughter, it too is all cut out. I am disappointed with the Simplicity pattern 2497 - http://www.simplicity.com/p-3055-misses-dresses-cynthia-rowley-collection.aspx 
I cut a size 12 and usually have no problem fitting the dress. This one was unusually small. I ended up adding a 5/8 extra to the width edges and this should work. I love the silky print fabric that I am using. It is so fun. I am also using the fabric to line the red dress that I am making using the Vogue pattern 8470. I have used this one before in a wonderful yellow "Marilyn Monroe" halter dress -- http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v8470-products-7899.php?page_id=857. I liked this pattern, I cut a 12 and it fit well.
Well, I am off to go do some sewing. Hopefully finish something and then a shower. Enjoy your presidents day.

another catching up project, cherry blossom sweater

I also made a cherry blossom sweater from an old ugly over sized chenille sweater. I got the inspiration from Grosgrain's blog about the sweater redos. http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2006/10/embellish-knit-month.html, this is the link to that part of her fabulous blog. I love to read her blog even on my cell because she is so inspirational.
So here is the sweater that I turned into the cherry blossom sweater. Again I don't have all the pics because I had taken some on the cell and when it got the virus I lost my pics.

I washed the sweater already and everything washed well except for some of the ribbon shrinking. When it is ironed it lays very nicely.

I folded the sweater in half like the boyfriend sweater and cut up the center fold being careful not to pull and twist the fabric too much to avoid any pulls or runs. I took the chiffon ribbon and folded it in half and stitched it to the cut edges. I placed the buttons and the buttonholes on the ribbon. I also pinned the sides and sleeves to be more fitted. I didn't change the length of the sleeves because they were fine. I also drew freehand branches and made running stitches for the base of the cherry blossom branch. I used cherry blossom from a silk flower branch I purchased from JoAnne fabrics. I took the blossoms off and hand stitched the layers of petals together, pulling the stitches tight to slightly gather and then stitched it directly to the branch. After the flowers were all stitched where I wanted them I took nylon thread and threaded yellow beads in strands to the center of the flowers for the, I think its called calyx.
Here are pictures of the finished sweater.

day off, catching up

today I have a day off and am not feeling well. I would like to at least use the time to finish the dresses that I have started. I also would like to post the pics from making an over sized men's sweater into a neat zipper front boyfriend sweater.

I took a sweater I got from Old Navy because it had cool colored stripes and folded it in half to find the center of the front. I pinned the seams together so it wouldn't move while I was cutting. I then cut down that folded edge.

The sweater did not unravel but I tried not to handle it too much so I wouldn't put any pulls or runs in it. I also had it on the dress form and pinned it so it would be more form fitting and feminine. I stitched the edge before I cut the sides.

I used black piping on the edge that I cut. I also put the red bias taped to cover all the edges.

I hand stitched the binding down with nylon thread so it would be invisible.

This looked really good but then my lovely husband saw it on the dress form and said wow that would look good with a zipper and I agreed. So I ripped out the hand stitching and the bias tape and put a separating zipper in.

I don't have a picture of this part of the process. I took some of the photos with my phone and my phone got a virus and I lost my pics. This met with other challenges such as making sure the stripes were even and stayed even when I was putting the zipper in. I took the whole thing apart at least 3 or 4 times.

I took the pieces that I cut from the sleeves to shorten them and used them to make the pockets.

I really love how this sweater came out. It is so comfy and I just love the colors.