Orange Python

Trying to calm my nerves because the move hasn’t gone as planned, I set out to make myself happy and calibrate my emotions since a LOT has happened from the time I posted my last creation. To the stash I dashed! Stash fabric and stash patterns. What did I come up with?

This:

Palmer Pletsch for McCall’s 6440 and 6441. A pant and jacket duo that I’ve had for a while. I’ve been wanting a pair of some wild animal Made By Me printed pant for some time now. So, what better time is the present? I dashed to the fabric. Well, I kind of unpacked a few boxes to find what I was looking for. A great marriage, if you ask me.

After I’d made the pants, I didn’t want to make the jacket. I wanted something instant. So, I revisited the peplum top by New Look 6130. The first version was not reviewed nor worn yet because I am waiting for my mind to let me vividly print mix. I want a leopard pant to mix with the polka dots.

The polka peplum:

I had some orange, kind of not orange, broadcloth in the stash that was bought for a button down and was never made because, well, honestly, I am scared to death to make a button down! There, I said it. I’ve made pants, trousers, jeans, jackets, coats, tops, panties, hats. You name it. But I am scared to sew a button down blouse.

Here’s the second version of the New Look peplum:

It is very easy to make and goes together quite quick and used just under 2 yards. I modified the back of the peplum because I wanted the back to be longer than the front. The front comes to a silent point that I didn’t notice I started sewing. But I like it so it stays. I also used a white invisible zipper because it was in the stash and I kept it a bit exposed.

The pants were VERY easy and Palmer always, ALWAYS, have fitting instructions along with the construction which makes it seems like a heck of a lot. It really isn’t and it’s WELL worth the hassle.

I made view C with side slit, sans the front waistband invisible zipper pocket. I didn’t want that pocket and prefer to have side seam pockets. AND since the zipper is in the side seam and I’d forgotten to move it to the back, I have no pocket. I will if I make them again, though.

The other versions are with plain legs, side invisible zipper leg, and the wide cuff leg. The same is for the arms of the jacket on the other pattern. I cut the 14 and with all the intakes, I could have cut on the 12 and sewn with a smaller allowance. But I’ll keep like this because it’s not so bad, does not look bad at all, and if I gain a couple pounds they will still fit nice.

    

I used a python print. I don’t know the content. But it has a kind of sheen over print in irregular shaped dots that makes it look semi-shiny in some areas. It’s a little stretchy, not much though. I used 2 1/2 yards and had 4 total. I still want the jacket but do not have enough fabric, so I may do a color block style with black.

I had to do some errands today and wore my new outfit with much grace and confidence. Like?

My bag doesn’t match nor coordinate. But it’s the closest I have since most are packed.

Shoes are from Avon. They are one reason I was ok with the white exposed zipper.

The pant, front and back, without the top in the way. Also, I have no gaposis. I’ve mastered that skill but can’t instruct how to do it at all! :/

Until my next project that’s been sewn up and worn. I just need to right time to take those photos.

Bye bye! Come and see me again, soon,

Scheryka

~~~~~Hugs and Hugs!

I forgot to post my Pin-speration so I am adding it here:

I promise I’ve Been Sewing!

Hi, All. Although it seems as though I’ve started another hiatus after just coming off one, I promise, I’ve been sewing. I just haven’t had a photographer who can take some decent photos.

My nieces and nephew came to visit while Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 3 year anniversary. So, what better way to keep the girls, ages 9 (my daughter) and 15 (my niece), made some DIY shorts that sells from $35 to $98. They made their jeans for less than $5. WooHoo!

Here’s the video that they found on YouTube and got busy with.

She has some great videos. Check them out sometimes.

These are regularly $88, on sale for $65 at Macy’s. K-Mart is even in the race with their version.

They are $13.

The process went ok. The bleach didn’t work as well on the dark colored jeans but it’s ok. The girlies were left to decorate their pants the way they wanted to. My Bedazzler., yes ,I have one. I mean, who doesn’t, got much needed use. So, I won’t go on with babbling, here are the photos of the weekend photo shoot.

 

 

 

Here is the second pair that my niece made. She made tabs on the side and added stars at the pockets.

Photos with Aloe.

The red skirt on Aloe (my dressform) is V8711. I am tweaking it and have to decide on a top for it.

Oh, by the way, I love this skirt. It is soooo sexy!

Until later, Kisses and Hugs galore. Just don’t touch my hair! lol Love you guys.

Scheryka

Capering in My Cape & Interview Ready

M5764 vs M5913 Easy Stitch n Save and Vogue 8751

January: cape. (Yes, it’s the middle of February, but hey...)

It is getting cold out! I mean, it is cold outside! So, that means I need new outerwear. I have a black leather jacket that’s about had its wear and a poo - I mean olive green wool pea coat that I wear most often. There’s also my Class A Trench from the Army but, really. I want (need) something new; something different. I got to wondering through the pattern stash and found a LOT of trench, jacket and coat patterns that I want to make. When I pulled out McCall’s 5913,

I thought I’d make a cape. But I mentally traveled back and forth between a cape and a trench. I really wasn’t ready to tackle an in-depth piece just yet, so I settled for a quick and easy cape. That’s the point when I also found McCall’s 5764. Which is OOP now.

Hmmm, these two patterns are the same. One difference though is that 5764 offers “4 Great Looks” with “One Easy Pattern” while the Easy offers only three. It took a hot minute to figure the difference. I found it! The fourth look was a collar variation.

 

I love the longer belted version. It’s just chic to me. I cut the 12 since it’s meant to fit loose. I didn’t want too much of a swing.

The instructions were GREAT. Nothing confusing or fussy. I also compared the instructions to the Easy version. They’re the same with just a few combined here and few separated there.

I used a black wool-like fabric with white-lined plaid that was mistakenly shipped to me. Instead of the company wanting the fabric back they happily replaced it with the right one free of charge. Yay! Win-win for me. And who doesn’t love a win-win situation?

I didn’t make any alterations. I did change the way it closes. I put in invisible snaps instead of buttons. I initially wanted a zipper but I’m trying to use stash items and I didn’t have a separating zipper on hand. So I settled on the invisible snaps. I also omitted the interfacing since this fabric is thick enough by itself and holds its own... even after the wash.

I love that it’s simple, fast and easy. I wore it with a pair of Vogue trouser pants I made for an interview. They were an in between item that I needed. These pants were SUPER EASY. I knew I needed a pair of dress pants a week in advance. My interview was on a Thursday. I cut them out Tuesday night and started construction Wednesday night. ....LATE Wednesday night. In fact I went to bed around 2 then decided to get back up and go ahead and finish them. I was done something to 4 am. I love them. Although I could make the hip area a tad wider. (I tell ya, post baby weight gain is a mess!) Hence the side pocket gaps. Everything else, just great... especially the waistband. I love a wide band. I also made a 2-inch hem. I’m 5’3” if you need a bit of reference.

Trousers: Very Easy Vogue 8751. I guess it’s because I have constructed several pairs of pants. This Very Easy Vogue lives up to it’s name. With taking care of home duties, school duties, and a nursing baby, total these trousers took 6 and half hours from start to finish, excluding pattern cutting. Originally, I was planning to make View A with the belt loops, but I was kind of strapped for time so I made View B.

I cut the 16. I’ve been having to go up a few sizes since having baby Zyan. I have got to get this weight off soon! It’s not me and since I do not trace my patterns, I refuse to have too many patterns cut too large for me.

I used a semi stretch suiting from the stash that was perfect for this pattern and its purpose. I needed some interview trousers - that I could fit - for a medical office.

I like everything about the pattern and pants except that the legs are a bit wide for my liking of this type garment. Had they been a little more flowing and for another purpose, I would love it. I am also a bit short, standing at only 5’3”. And now since I am a chunkster, it makes it worse. IMO. Next time, and I want to make them again, I’ll take off 3 inches of the leg width.

I made a few exceptions and changes. One, Since I procrastinated until the last moment, I did not have time to interface the waistband nor zipper placket. I’d sewn the waistband together and constructed it as one piece. I made a 2-inch hem for the legs. Oh, the legs are wide! And instead of using only 2 hook and eye that the pattern called for, I used 3 to make up for the interfacing that I did not use. It did the trick but only for a little while. As in - for the moment of the interview only. I can get away with that since it’s really due to the extra pull (killing) my belly is giving the band. That will SOON be history.

I had planned to do a little jacket to go with it but since I waited so long to get started that was surely a no-go at my station! I wore it to the interview with my leather jacket. Basic and nothing fancy. It was cold so I let my outerwear serve as my ‘jacket’. The office was cold, too, so I kept that bad baby on!

I pray I get that job. But even if I don’t, I’ll still be happy-go-blessed!

Until my February project,

x o x o

Scheryka

Ra- Ra- Rasputin (Burda 7381)

My son is SO skinny! It is hard to find pants that fit his 28 waist. And he is tall. I see now that elastic may just become one of his friends until I become confident enough to make a more tailored pair of pants for men. I tried to experiment on my husband but he wasn’t having it. Lol I find it kind of hard to certain garments for men - especially the picky ones in my life.

Burda patterns are said to be good patterns. I have quite a few of them and just had not the time to put any together until now.

 

Bradley saw this pattern while I was shopping one of Hancock’s famous sales. It was my first time even seeing these patterns on sale. (I have a few I had already bought off Ebay.) I do remember about five years ago I had asked the sales lady if they sold Burda’s here and she told me they had stopped a while back and didn’t know if they would start again. I had been stationed in Germany and fell in love with Burda, but I didn’t know the language that well and decided it really wasn’t worth paying that much for a pattern only to sew it blindly. But, whadaya’ know? Let there be Burda!

 

The description on the pattern pack says: Burda Young; Shorts; semi-fitted

 

And it fits US sizes 34 to 46. I cut the smallest -34. I really thought this was going to be huge on him. IT WAS NOT! Granted it’s a tad bit but not a whole lot like I thought it would be. I think it’s also because I did not do the elastic like the pattern calls. I did my own way.

 

He had originally asked for View B, the pair with the cargo pockets. Then he changed to wanting the pair the huge side patch pockets. Then went to wanting ALL the pockets on one pair! Naw, Buddy.

 

I used a medium weight khaki twill that I’d bought for $1.99 a yard from Hancock a WHILE ago. Another stash buster item. I still about 4 more yards left. What else can I make? Not sure, but I did run across Simplicity 2648. I may just redo this one again. Here’s the first go around. I love LOVE it. The Anniversary Dress 2010.

I lengthened the legs into pant length and inserted my elastic differently. These were the only two pattern deviations that I’d done.

I love that this pattern is really simple and easy to make. There is no fly opening. You just pulled them on and off.

It’s kind of hard to get my boys to take photos so I am happy to deal with the ones I have.

I put a good good crease in these pants.

He looks like Rasputin to me in this shot.

He said he had swag....

Now he says he’s the Thinking Man.

 

Now back to the Rasputin shot. It was derived from the Wii game Just Dance 2.

I love to see my son do that dance. Lol. I think he looks like him in this pose. So, here’s to you Rasputin. I wish I could sneak a video of Bradley doing it. But since he hasn’t let that happen, here’s what you get.

Until the next project. I think I have three more. Fish sticks and potato wedges. Chow.

~~Scheryka

…But Your Will Be Done

     (long blog)

     Life has its way of changing the course of things. Your will just may not be the will of the Lord. And we have to live with that or suffer the fact that some serious damage will occur.

      I’d sewn myself a pair of knit pants that were too big for me. So, I gave the pattern and the pants to my Sis. They were trial and error, so she can actually use them as house pants. Using a different material and actually changing up a few steps, one could yield a good pair of knit pants. The pattern just didn’t marry to me as well as I would have wanted them to and I wasn’t all too thrilled on giving them another try. So, whenever she makes them, I would love to see her version and I pray hers come out 100% better than mine! The pattern is M6514, view C or D. The blue and/or orange pair.

     I’d done some alterations to a formal dress for an associate. I say associate because I am one whom I call very few people a friend. This keeps a lot of drama out of my life. Life simplified! Easy. But anyways, I couldn’t take any photos because I have a replacement phone that doesn’t have  a camera until I get mine in the mail. And my digital camera was MIA. Ironic, though, how I found it soon after the dress was redone. I had to shorten and reshape the hem. It was a mermaid type dress (read: Dreamgirl version). I chopped off a whopping 8 inches and gave it a hi-lo effect. There was a bow at the waist that had the flaps. Long flaps. I had to remove those and leave just a simple bow. Too easy. So, it was suggested to make a shawl and matching bag. The dress was for a 14 year old and the suggestion came from her Grandmother. The kid kindly took into consideration of Granny’s suggestion and simultaneously declined the shawl; but the clutch was a go. I do have photos of the clutch. It came out very cute. I think I may make a couple for myself for special Sundays and events. I also like them for better than a basic makeup bag.

FrontBack Magnetic snap.

Little pinch out.

 

                                   Little clutch, done. Cute, huh?

     I made my daughter a purple princess dress that she had been asking for for a while now. She loves it and now she wants a pink, blue, and yellow one! Another day another dress, I guess. But I will make them because she’ll need them in this upcoming South Carolina summer heat!

(Hard to photo my 3 year old. Maybe later?)

     Lastly, I made a baby blanket and two matching burpies for another a lady’s daughter who is about to be first time Mommy. I was supposed to go to her baby shower but had pre-priorities and couldn’t make it. So it sits nicely folded, tied with a lace ribbon, placed in a gift bag with gift paper. I love it!

It measures 3.5 X 3 Ft.

Bottom (back) I wanted a contrasting color but didn’t want to use the traditional pink. It makes me cringe in disgust!

Matching burpies. If they were smaller they’d look like sani pads. :/

     So, now it comes to my change in life. I will be sewing for the baby bump that is prominent and this was the first item I had sewn for it. It is a lace knit version of McCall’s 6204. It was another sew along with my Sis during the Spring break. It’s made out of cotton knit lace with some metallic going through it.

Here’s my version.

I just can’t seem to get a picture done. So, when I do, I’ll post it.

     Cute, huh? I would like to make tons of camis to go under this in every color imaginable. But the smart side of my mind said, “Girl, please! Do a black, white, and a color and be done.” So, I think that’s what’ll it be for now.

This is the second item I made.

     I have a list of items I would like to get around to but I am pretty sure that I won’t happen because I always have a list of things I WANT to sew but only get around to ONE and 1/2 of them. Other things just happen to take priority. But I had a few items that could easily be used for maternity and I bought a few more. I’ll strike them out as I go along.

     Here is what I already had:

B4807 I made these before my blog days and loved them.

M6204 I love this top and it can easily double as maternity. I wear the two I’ve already made and they are comfortable.

B4201 was made for a lady at church (pants only). We are about the same size and they came out huge. Even for a 7-8 month pregnant belly! So if I end up making this one I will NEED to go down a size maybe two.

 

M6111 was bought especially for this summer. So why not keep in the list? Seems to be belly room. Besides, I love the back.

B5497 Love this top! Hands down. Add a little to the length and viola!

V8581 Great choice!

M5931 Would be great and I love the drawstring effect. It would be great for breastfeeding, too.

M6031 Love it. I would love to do version E and F as a knee length dress.

M6119 In style! I would be one sexy mommy.

M6241 Nice choice.

M6118 I would do this top in a knit this time and add a removable strap for the bare shoulder side so that it would be at the least church appropriate.

V2064 Trendy top for mommy’s to be.

V1185 I love a cute romper.

V1101Tunic length and possibly in a stable knit.

V1250 Still on the fence but I think I just might break down and make this number… I want it in white since it would show the bump very good. I also have a light turquoisish/baby bluish knit.

     I bought :

M6567 and have already made it. It runs big so be careful if you are looking for a little more fitted-ness.

NL6804 Cute silhouette.

M6461 This was supposed to be a sew along with my Sis but I couldn’t get around to it. I want to do version D. Red one.

M6569 I need a bathing suit and this one is too cute. The bottom reminded me of the one Bey wore on the beach while she was pregnant. It was really cute. Views G and A. I will need straps on the top!

 

NL6077short sleeve versions only! Lol

NL6939 I’m in love with A and B.

KS3659 Love the all black version.

KS3762

KS3802

NL6034 Very cute and seems to be very figure flattering for a pregnant chic.

B5736 Just to play with. Nothing fancy shmancy.

M6555 I only bought this for my lazy I-don’t-want-any-company-and-the-baby-is-acting-a-nut-and-I-have-to-clean-house-so-leave-me-alone-dress.

M6553 Fashion star and fashion me! Lurve it.

M6552 Fashion star I’m-feeling-sexy-but-still-don’t-to-be-tightly-bound-in-figure-hugging-clothes-because-I-still-have-much-needed-to-loose-baby-fat-hanging-around.

     So, there’s my list. What do you think? In the mean time, while you submit your suggestions and comments, I am gong to start on NL6804 (done) in this pretty kaleidoscope fabric from Hancocks last Spot the Bolt sale. Score $1.95 a yard, I believe.

     It is almost sheer to the point of maybe/maybe not having to line it. I hope it doesn’t have to be though because I am so not a fan of slips unless absolutely necessary and I don’t have a stash lining accept for a clingy black that I do NOT want next to my skin in the heat. I am going to make my own straps from the fabric not ribbon. I may do A straps on C dress. I’ll see which way the wind blows.

Until later, Everyone. Be blessed and never stressed, Scheryka.