FullOfStitches.com blog.A good laugh leaves me in stitches!

Last fall, I came across another modest swimwear design: Fresh Modesty. This is a design your own pattern ebook. She begins by explaining how to design a pattern and walks the sew-ist through making a pants sloper and a bodice sloper (basic pattern from your measurements so it will fit you – there is a bodice and sleeve pattern included, but they are one size), then walking through some alterations and ideas to make 3 or 4 swimsuits, and showing how easy it is to alter patterns to one’s own taste.

For this swimdress, I used the sleeves and sash from the Fresh Modesty pattern. Or rather, I altered the sleeves in my existing pattern by looking how hers were formed, and following the simple directions of how to add the sash.

I hope my neighbor girl likes it! (she’s always liked my girls’ swim wear)

Here’s a shot of all the children (even the one that doesn’t swim):

I had fun with MissC’s swimdress. I raised the waist to empire level and added in a ruffle. The sleeves I widened and added a band to give them a pouf. I accidentally made the skirt shorter than I care for, so I may add a ruffle.

Here’s the changes for the sleeve. I lengthened by about 6″, tapered the side seams out, and curved the hem. For the band, I measured her arm (8″ with pajamas on) and added an inch. To gather, it’s easier than wovens – no basting! Just mark the hem and band in quarters and pin the marks together. Since I stretch to sew knitwear, it was easy to gather just by stretching.

Today I finished the top for MissB’s swimdress. Her favorite colors are purple and green, and I could only find one (1!) purple swim fabric – and it’s not even the good stuff! But it works for swimming, and she likes the pattern on the fabric.

A while ago, I purchased the “Fashionably Modest Patterns – Modest Swimming Suit” pattern. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be available any more. I sewed some swimdresses for the girls a few years ago – before MissC was big enough to need one! Then they used swim shirts and board shorts the last couple years. Yet, we like the girliness of the skirted things, and the coverage! Redheads plus sun equals sunburn. I don’t want to have to invest in a sunscreen company to cover all that flesh in sun block, we’ll stick to just the normal parts! Anywho…

I took a shirt that fits her (this is actually C’s shirt, the other was put away), and drew a new higher neckline for the suit. Then folded up an equal amount on the front and back pieces (about where the grainline arrow is). I sewed the top together as usual (I think I added 7-8″ to the sleeves for elbow length). This pattern has you sew the skirt to the shorts, but I prefer to connect it to the top – have you seen the floors at public beach/pool restrooms? I simply measured the bottom of the bodice/shirt piece and cut the 2″ wide contrast fabric so it fit around the bodice plus 1/2″ seam allowance, and sewed the short edge, then folded the piece and placed it between bodice and skirt.

I actually ended up making the dress too long at first and had to cut off the waistband, so I think the contrast piece ended up 1- 1 1/2″ wide instead. It looks better this way.

The neckband was done like the waist. Just measure the neck, cut a piece of 2″ wide fabric the neck measurement plus 1/2″ seam. Sew little seam to form circle, fold band in half, then pin to neckband and sew in place.

Then I took the rest of the contrast fabric (I’d purchased about 1/8 yd, I think, it was more like 6″, and had used a 2″ strip so far), straightened the edge (ended with about 3 1/2″) and cut in half (1 3/4″ish), sewed the ends to make a really big circle, and pinned and sewed that to the hem of the skirt. I’ll see how it looks after a swim, I think she’ll like the ruffle.

I’ll get pictures of the girls soon!

Monday, I started coming down with what I thought was just another headcold. It turns out that it’s a doozy. Yesterday (Th), everything hurt. I napped at least 3 times by lunch.

The children have been helpful and understanding through this. I’m thankful the older two can do basic food prep, though, as I was not up to being in the kitchen.

I was, though, blog reading. I came across ikatbag which has some tutorials and was taken by a cute skirt shown as an example in a pocket tutorial. So, combining the round-top pocket, instead of the triangle she has on the cute skirt, and the instructions for adding a hem band, I came up with this:

I had bought the floral fabric, maybe as a remnant (?), a couple years ago. But it is SO busy! I couldn’t find a coordinating fabric that might tame it.. Until yesterday.

On Wed, the girls inherited a dresser that now is their craft cabinet and they were to sort through the scraps and put them away. Moving almost everything in the sewing area, I came across the brown and set it aside. Then when I felt up to sitting up long enough to sew, it was just waiting for me!

MissA loves it! MissB took it and upset MissA last night. So, it looks like I’m going to have to come up with another shortly.

Little Guy’s third Christmas is approaching and I have yet to make him a stocking. Friday (aka 2 days) before Christmas I went to the fabric store and found the brocades on sale – yay!

To make a fancy looking lined stocking, I cut out the 2 stocking (sock) shapes from the pretty material and the lining fabric – I only needed a fat quarter of each fabric (1/2 yard length) for the size stocking I made. I also had a pretty tassel to hang it with and matching decorator fabric for the cuff at top – about twice the width of the stocking body (the cuff has only one seam, the exact measurement will be twice the stocking width including only one seam allowance, but if it’s a thick fabric having a little wiggle room may be helpful). Also, I used a bit of decorator trim around the cuff.

My seams are sewn at 1/4″ and the basting or underlining at 1/8″

If the cuff fabric is thin making it hard to work with, line it with a scrap of fabric (the one I used here is thin and moves around easily, so I used a scrap of fabric that lined the top of it).

If using a dangly trim:
1. Fold cuff in half and mark the center. Unfold:

2. Pin the trim so it rests on this line, then baste/sew in place.

For lace or other trims that will be continuous, skip those first 2 steps and start here:
3. Fold cuff in half so the side seam meets (right sides together) and sew the side seam.

4. Fold cuff to enclose the raw seam, matching top edges, baste together. (If using a continuous trim, like lace, match the pattern to the folded bottom edge of the cuff now and see in place) Turn outside in, so trim is inside.

5. For the body of the stocking, pin the front and back of the stocking pieces right sides together and sew around, leaving the top open. Repeat with the lining pieces. (note: if you make a fancy-toe, trim the lining so it won’t end up wadded up in the toe)


6. Turn the lining right side out and insert the outer stocking piece inside it so the toes are on the same side, match seams, baste top together.

7. Place the hanging tassel or ribbon and pin or baste in place. (this photo isn’t the best way to pin the hanging ribbon: pin the knot at the basting line, then open the ribbon and pin, so when you sew the cuff to the stocking, the hanging ribbon is slightly open and is easier to hang, especially for children)

8. Slide stocking into cuff (right side of cuff to lining, with the main fabric to inside), baste/sew in place. Finish edge, if desired: I used a 3-step zigzag to reduce the fraying of the brocade.

9. If a line of stitching will show on the cuff: Turn cuff up, with the seam allowance toward the lining, sew through the lining and seam allowance (1/8″ from seam)

For a cuff that a line of stitching won’t be obvious, turn the cuff right side out and turn the stocking right side out inside it. Then sew about 1/4″ from top edge with a medium length stitch (on my machine: 2 is normal stitch length, 4 or 5 is basting length, so I used a 3 length stitch on this other stocking)

10. Turn the stocking right side out (if you haven’t yet) and admire! Hang it up for Christmas.

Another example, my daughter’s stocking:

This has been a major sewing week for me. Before they left for Thanksgiving vacation, I made 3 sets of pajamas from Simplicity 5382 & 3 jumpers from Simplicity 2156. By the time they returned, I had the other 6 jumpers and a nightgown sewn. The weekend ended with pillow cases, one for each child.

Back in March I’d tried my hand at the Steadfast Steed quilt. It started as a disaster, but I took the time and worked out what the directions should have been (1-16 was correct; 17-25; 26-33 -ends the square)

By the end of the week, I did not have a quilt top for my step-MIL. I did, however, have one pony square. I set that headache aside and moved on to other projects.

This week I picked it up and used some leftover fabric from my green Crepe dress for the backing.

One horse-themed doll quilt:

Last summer, I made a dress that I was hoping to wear to work as a jumper over my tshirt. I lined it completely and was happy with the style and look, but the “waistband” that goes around the ribs was a smidge too tight. I came across the dress just now (as I still have to attach the pockets, it was in my sewing WIPs) and tried it on.

Beyond the tight rib, the dress still fits pretty well at 19 weeks pregnant. I may just have to make a couple maternity versions..

If I remember correctly, I had less than 2 yards of fabric, maybe 1 3/4 yards. It was the end of a bolt and I just loved the pattern! I was just able to cut out the dress in bodice size 4, rest of it size 6. Looks like I’ll need to check if the waistband was a 4 or 6 and go up a size!

Matching blue and white striped shirts. I think the fabric was on sale for $2 a yard, and I only had about 3-4 yards. So $8 for three shirts. The smile Ben gave me for being all matchy-matchy with his boys? Priceless.

I’ve got girls’ dresses yet to sew up.. Later. Time now to enjoy BBQ’d burgers and homemade potato salad.

Patterns:
Colette Negroni (#1014) size Med: adapted the pattern so the facing was part of the shirt front. Used size Large neckline for his comfort.
McCall’s M6226 size 14: is he really that big already?
New Look 6880 size 3: wow, same question!

Happy Independence Day!!