TGIF

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I'm very excited since this is the first year that we've been in the house and will likely have kiddies come by for treats. (It isn't as fun in DC, trust me.) So anywho Hubby and I plan to curl up on the couch in our sweats and watch the tube in between the kiddies and their costumes. We didn't do any decorating because I'm all about that 75% off sale in the days after. I figure next year we should be well prepared with respect to decor for all the holidays we celebrate.
At work we have been talking about how some holidays have changed over the years. I remember the innocence and fun that used to come with Halloween. Parents could send their kids out in the neighborhood all dressed up as their favorite characters and not have to worry about safety. These days you will be hard pressed to find a group of kids without an adult walking with them up to the door. Sad I tell you.
I'm not sure how much sewing I will get done this weekend as we are participating in the JDRF walk on Saturday in Raleigh and will most likely spend the remainder of the day visiting family. This week has been a mental drain so I may want to hold off on sewing so I don't goof anything up.
Have a GREAT weekend!

VOTE!

I took 15 minutes out of my day to change the world. What did you do?

Two Patterns one Great Outfit!

I have taken to calling this ensemble my First Lady outfit. Inspiration-Michelle Obama.

The jacket is Simplicty 3874 and the dress Simplicity 4273

Here is a pic of the the jacket. I'll pair it with some khakis and a tee for my casual days at work.

Here is the dress. Very comfy yet I think it has a classic look to it.

And here they are together.

Change of Plans

So while I had planned on finishing 2 1/2 projects over the weekend, things didn't quite work out that way. I finished one, finished about 75% of another, and didn't touch the third. I did however cut out another one. I realized that I didn't have a dress to wear for our anniversary, which is less than 2 weeks away, and that was just unacceptable. So while I had all intentions of finishing the dress for my Auntie this week, it will have to share my sewing time with my Anniversary Dress.

I am also having to switch gears on my whole diet thing. I've been stuck on this 15 lbs weight loss for like a month now and it's starting to bother me. So I'm going back to tracking everything that I eat and exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes 4 times a week. That's what worked before and I got away from it but now I'm back. It's much easier to stay focused when DH is on travel because I don't have to worry about cooking two meals or snacking during movie time. I've found that if I stay 100% focused during the week it's a non-issue on the weekends. So here's to Day 1 or Day 57 rather but who's counting. Here's to a great week!

Butterick 4985

So the weekend was semi-productive and I finished one project which was my Butterick 4985 top. Here is my review:

Pattern Description: Misses top with gathered upper front, lower section with princess seams, sleeve and collar variation.

Pattern Sizing: AA(6-8-10-12), EE(14-16-18-20) I made a 16 with alterations

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very. It is almost impossible to goof this pattern up, especially the sleeves.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I thought the pattern was great and I had no problems with it at all.

Fabric Used: Navy Rayon

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: FBA as usual. I started out making view B but decided at the last minute that I didn't like the collar so I omitted it all together. I just understiched the collar facing so it would lay flat and left it at that.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I do plan to sew it at least once more (I have to be careful not to end up with 5 or 6 of these) in view A for a holiday shirt but after that I think I may retire the pattern.

Conclusion: I would recommend this pattern. It went together very easy and is very flattering for many body shapes.

The Weekend

So this weekend I have some big plans. Not really but I like to make it sound exciting.

I'm having lunch with the ladies on Saturday and then I'm locking myself in my sewing room until football comes on Sunday afternoon. I've already cut out and pinned Butterick 5244, 4985, and Vogue 8021. I need to pick up some buttons for all of them and some matching thread for two. My plan is to finish 2 of the 3 which is pretty realistic. My 4985 top is nearly complete. I just have to put on the buttons and hem it which shouldn't take long. I need to completely sew the other two but since they are already pinned that should go pretty quickly as well. Once I get those three out of the way I've promised to finish the dress and jacket for my auntie. If I work on those a few hours each night next week then that should get done fairly quickly so she can pick it up next weekend.

Our next cruise is only 51 days away and I want to crank out a dress or two for that. We spend half the days at sea so I won't have to pack too much but I still want to dress up for dinner. My birthday is one of those nights and I have visions of wearing a red dress for my day. Nothing fancy but I'm thinking Butterick 5243 should be simple and classy enough for the occasion. Paired with my Vyxen shoes I plan on being fierce!

I'm going to make B5030 again in a matte jersey and then I will officially retire that pattern. I made enough maxi dresses over the summer that I'm covered for the rest of the nights. I have no major plans to make half my wardrobe like I did for the last cruise. Especially since I actually did make half of it and only wore half of that while we were gone.

On another note, I'm still planning to go vote early but I'm thinking I am going to do it one day next week. Our county is pretty small but I know most people will be lining up this weekend so I'm going to wait until the rush is over.

Have a great one and I'll post new pics on Monday.

Simplicity 4014

I picked up this pattern last year when I first started sewing and it was on sale for .99

I finished the dress a while back and wore it a few times during the spring. I decided it was time to finish the jacket since fall is here and it really does make a nice suit. It took me a while to finish the jacket because I was a beginner when I started it and made the instructions more difficult than they should have been. Overall I really love how it turned out although when I make it again I will make some modifications. I will leave the dress as is since that went together fairly well-with the exception of putting the lining in so the wrong side faces out. On the jacket I will actually put the buttons on and see about making the lapels a little less wide. I keep thinking if I put the buttons on the jacket and button it up then it will be fine. But I rarely button up jackets so I think I will just make that modification and be done with it. So here is the finished product. Apologies for the wrinkles and as I took the pic after coming home from work.