Tulips

Hi again! I have not been great about blogging this past year, have I? I’m here to share my visit to the tulip fields. I wore 3 new me made items on this day! I wore a Seamwork Audrey denim jacket in Cone Mills stretch denim from Melanated fabrics. I also wore a Nina Lee Kew dress in Rifle Paper Co Strawberry Fields rayon and a new headband style that I have listed in my Etsy shop.

I have made a Seamwork Audrey jacket once before. It was made with gold Cone Mills denim and you can read about it here. This jacket was giving me all sorts of problems this time around from accidentally sewing the welt pocket lining on upside down and spilling fray check on it. But- it’s done! And I’m very happy with it. This time I shortened the length of the body and the arms by one inch. I’ve needed a blue denim jacket in my wardrobe again. This is going to get worn a lot.

The Nina Lee Kew dress is a pattern I’ve had for a while now but never got around to making. I was wondering what I should wear to the tulip fields and kept thinking about this rayon I had in my stash. This was a spontaneous make. I didn’t have enough fabric for the facings so I picked up some white rayon from work and lined the bodice with it. I also used some vintage buttons I had on hand. I’m so pleased with how it turned out. The only fit adjustment I made was lowering the bust darts a bit. I started to make a wearable muslin out of some vintage floral poly. I love this dress so much, I’ll have to get around to finishing that one. I also would love to make the skirt version. I have some linen in my stash I think would be perfect.

I visited these tulip fields two years ago. It was such a nice experience. I was so disappointed when they were not able to open last year due to Co-vid restrictions. It was much busier this year (at opening!) and was not a fan of the large crowds. We quickly snapped some pics, picked a few tulips and left. Next year I will plan to visit on a weekday so I can hopefully enjoy it more.

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Sew Over It Pussybow Blouse

Hello! First, I just wanted to let you know I finally upgraded to have my own website domain! It’s poeticmemorysewing.blog  and I updated my Instagram username to poeticmemorysewing. I’ve felt like I needed a change for a while now but wasn’t ready to let go of Poetic Memory after using it for 7 years! Anyway- back to the sewing!

How amazing is this fabric?! I was at Mood in New York earlier this month. We didn’t have much time so I ran down a few aisles and happened to see this Italian made chiffon! It has foxes all over it which you know is right up my alley. I bought a yard and half figuring I would make a top out of it. I had this blouse in mind but when I looked up the pattern later, I realized I didn’t buy enough of it and was so disappointed. I love the sewing community online because I was told it doesn’t require as much fabric as stated. I managed to cut out the size 8 and still have some left- possibly for a scarf?!

This pattern is great for sheer fabric because there’s no neck facing and the seams can be enclosed. I was nervous sewing with chiffon because it’s delicate and frays. Normally I would serge the edges of a frayed fabric but I didn’t want the bulk in the seams. I cut it out with a rotary cutter, put it in a bag until I was ready to work it. I tried to handle it as little as possible. There’s a few seams I wanted to fix but it wasn’t worth it! Overall I’m really happy with it. I paired it with my Seamwork Leonora  with my scalloped hem hack and I love this outfit. I also wore it with jeans! It’s definitely a versatile top that I’ll get a lot of wear out of.

As I mentioned earlier I cut out a size 8 and am pretty happy with the fit except the sleeves are a little too long. If I make another (which I’m pretty sure I will!) I’ll shorten them probably by a 1/2 inch to an inch.

I’m heading back to Mood in a few weeks and can’t wait to see what I find!

Spoonflower / Seamwork Addison

Seamwork Addison top paired with a denim Pauline Alice Mirambell Skirt

I’m feeling ready for Valentines Day in my heart lollipop top! If you haven’t heard of Spoonflower before, it’s a website where you can get yours or someone else’s design printed on fabric, gift wrap, wallpaper or home decor. I have been wanting to try it for a while so when I came across this design I knew I had to get it! I went with the cotton poplin ultra option. It’s really smooth and crisp, and was so easy to work with.

When I saw this print, I immediately pictured a pussy bow blouse. I made the Seamwork Addison top in 2017 but I really wasn’t happy with my version. It felt too tight under the arms and wasn’t comfortable to wear. I ended up donating it. I had originally cut and taped the pdf pattern together so when I placed an order with PDFplotting.com, I had it reprinted to try it again. I just had to print out and tape the add on bonus for the tie neck. I cut a little more room under the arms and the fit is much better. It was a pretty quick sew but the collar was a bit tricky where it meets in the middle. It took a few tries but I got it to a point where I’m happy with it. I frenched the side seams so the inside has a clean finish. I might want to hem the bottom of the blouse a little shorter since it’s a little too long for my liking if I’m not wearing it tucked in.

I definitely want to make more of this Addison version. I think it’d be perfect in a cotton lawn for the summer. I also would like to try out some of the other fabric options from Spoonflower, although I think I need to save up a little because it can get pricey. Have you tried Spoonflower?

I hope you enjoy your Valentines day!

Seamwork Bo

I bought this star print cotton voile from Miss Matatabi a few months ago knowing it would be perfect for a Seamwork Bo. The Bo is a simple woven tee. There’s only 3 pattern pieces- a front, back and sleeve cuff, and you’ll need a little bit of bias tape for the neck facing. I swore I would never print at home and tape a pattern together again but this was only 20 pages so it wasn’t bad! It was a breeze to cut out.

It was my first time sewing with cotton voile and I found it a little tricky. My sewing machine didn’t want to pull it through even with my walking foot. I think i may have stretched it a bit in a few places and had the most difficulty with the bias tape around the neck. I unpicked and tried to perfect it a few times but I gave up when it was good enough. The fabric is so nice though and feels lovely on! I definitely would give it another try in the future.

Since the fabric is so sheer, I knew I wanted enclosed seams so I did a french seam at the shoulders and sides. The cuff encloses the raw edge of the sleeve. It’s a great pattern for lightweight fabrics but I’d be curious to try it in something heavier!

It should have been a very simple and quick make but sometimes with sewing things don’t go as planned! I definitely see myself making more of these. I think they will be great to wear in the summertime.

Bra Making with Madalynne

I attended my second Bra Making with Madalynne workshop yesterday and it was such a treat! If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw I made a bralette at her workshop last month. This time was an underwire bra. I can’t recommend one of her workshops enough. If you have any interest in sewing lingerie and can get to Philadelphia, you should definitely go! Madalynne adds so many special touches to the day, from a beautiful Pinterest worthy lunch to a little goody bag to take home AND you leave with a beautiful bra you made! I’m a homebody and an introvert so driving an hour and half to sew something I’ve never made before with ladies I have never met was definitely a bit scary for me. I felt so comfortable, though. She walks you through every step and there is no emphasis on perfection. I’m kind of obsessed now. I went home with four of her DIY lingerie kits! I have no self control when it comes to pretty fabrics.

The bra. This time we made Simplicity 8624 in navy lace. It has a high neckline, a slit in the middle and underwire. I can’t get over that I made this. Usually when I make something, I see all of the little flaws in it but honestly, I just see a beautiful bra when I look at it. I made plenty of silly mistakes along the way (sewing the neckline twisted, sewing a strap on backwards, etc) but in the end it turned out perfectly. I bought the kit to make some matching underwear, too!

I wasn’t really sure how to wear this. I mean, sure I can just wear it normally under a sweater or top but it’s so beautiful I thought it would be fun to show it off a little. I realized it’s a perfect match for my Seamwork Elmira wrap top that I made last year! I put together this holiday look with a gold RTW skirt.

Have you ever made lingerie before?

 

Seamwork Camden

I spent the weekend up in Massachusetts! I stayed in Rockport and visited Salem. It’s always so fun heading up there for Halloween. It definitely felt like fall up there- I was freezing! I was so glad I packed this cape I made last year. It was my first attempt at outerwear and I’m still really pleased with how it turned out. I just need to restitch the lining in a few places. I think I was a little too excited to finish it and my hand stitching came undone in a couple spots. I’m thinking about making a winter coat soon. I think it would be a great challenge. Have you made outerwear?

Seamwork Leonora- scalloped version!

I am SO excited about this skirt! This is my second Seamwork Leonora and I made some changes to the pattern- a scalloped hem and a rounded tab. I bought a remnant of this rust corduroy from Finch Fabrics. This color is so perfect for fall. This pattern is great because you don’t need a lot of fabric, just about a yard! I was inspired to make these changes when I saw a similar skirt on Instagram. I didn’t check but I’m sure it was way out of my price range. One of the best things about making your own clothes is that you can recreate designer pieces for a fraction of the price!

As you can see, I opted for regular tortoise buttons instead of metal denim buttons like I did on my last. Those denim buttons were a nightmare on my last one. I can’t believe none of them have fallen off.

I planned on doing a tutorial on the scalloped hem but unfortunately I wasn’t as good as documenting the process as I thought. I pretty much recreated the process of the deer and Doe Chataigne shorts hem. I’ll do my best to explain what I did… I didn’t stitch the bottom of the front facing as it is instructed. I instead created a facing unit, finished one edge and attached it to the hem of the skirt. (Right sides together).  I made guidelines on the top and bottom of the facing and drew in scallops by tracing something round (my blush compact). I left 5/8” from the edge of the top front skirt to start my first scallop. and made sure the last scallop ended where the first one starts (5/8” plus width of front facing). This way when the skirt is on and closed, the scallops are continuous. I (slowly!) stitched along my lines, trimmed my seam allowances and turned the facing to the inside. Make sure you don’t stitch too high in between your scallops or they won’t turn right. I then folded the edges at the front facing and hand stitched it closed. I decided to top stitch along the edge of the scallops so I don’t have to worry about them turning at all.  I hope that all made sense!

Sunflower field

A local farm has a sunflower maze and I was happy to have a sunny day this weekend to visit. It was so beautiful to walk through the field with the sunflowers towering over our heads. I wore one of my favorite makes of the summer- my Rifle Paper co/ Seamwork Weston shorts. I’m at the point of the season when I’m over my current wardrobe and I’m itching to unpack my sweaters and wear layers. I’ve started my fall sewing but I’m impatient and want to wear what I’ve made! I still want to do a round up of my favorite makes this season so hopefully I can pull that together soon.

 

Seamwork Leonora Skirt

I’m so glad I finally decided to make this skirt! I kept looking at RTW versions of a denim button down skirt in the store but I kept thinking back to this pattern. I really liked the idea of white version. I knew it would go with so many things in my closet. I plan on making a blue denim one too sometime this summer.

The skirt was pretty easy to make! I didn’t run into any issues until I was doing the buttons and button holes. My machine likes to malfunction when I want to make buttonholes on thicker fabric. I ended up doing most of them manually on the machine. Then, I had trouble installing the denim buttons. I bought the ones made by Dritz at Joann’s and do not recommend them. The pins kept bending when I hammered them. I managed to get these buttons attached but I’m not convinced they are going to last. I plan on replacing them with another brand sometime soon.

Overall, I’m happy with this skirt and am excited to wear it a lot this summer! 

Sewing Swimwear

Last year I made my first swimsuit- B6067. (I’ll post a photo of this at the bottom.) I was nervous about it but I ended up being really happy with how it turned out. I never thought I could make a bathing suit. I always do that- think I can’t make something for some silly reason. For the longest time I wouldn’t make anything with buttons because buttonholes seemed too hard. Then I tried it and I realized how easy they are! If you want to make something, just go for it. There’s always a seam ripper and a youtube video to help you out. ; )

I knew I wanted to make another bathing suit this year and I needed it done before our trip to Antigua. I chose the Seamwork Reno and Dakota because I wanted to make a two piece this time and I definitely prefer a high waisted bottom. Overall, I am pretty happy with how it turned out. It came together fairly quickly. I worked on it after work for a little bit over 3 days. I opted to line the cups with poly laminate foam. I’m just not happy with the placement of the fabric checks. I must have made a mistake while cutting it out, and ended up with an uneven pattern on the top of the bottoms and the hem of the top. The pattern is so tiny. I really should have cut this out flat and not on a fold. Lesson learned! The fabric is really beautiful though. It’s an Italian made navy and white check from Hart’s Fabric. I also bought a lining from them as well. (Oh and please excuse my splotchy skin! I know better but didn’t reapply enough sunscreen on our first day and ended up with some sunburn.)

I think this is a good pattern to enter into the world of sewing swimwear. The bottoms were very quick and easy. I used version 2 but I would like to make a color blocked pair with version 1! I will admit I had a little bit of trouble with the instructions for the top (the drawings were a little confusing to me) but I used this sew along blog post as a guide and was able to work it out.

If you’re new to sewing swimwear, I recommend a walking foot for you machine. It’ll make it easier to manage the silky fabric. Also make sure you are using a stretch needle with a stretch or zig zag stitch. I recommend a twin needle for any top stitching. And it’s not necessary, but if you have the option of using a serger to finish edges, it’ll make it look more professional. Practice make perfect! Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t turn out just right the first time. Like I said, there’s always a seam ripper.

And as promised, here’s my B6067! Have you made any swimwear before?