Tag Archives: dress

Another Angie Dress

May 18, 2014sewingblack, blue, dress, floral, Jamie Dress, Jamie Dress from SisBoom, plus size sewing, princess seams, Scientific Seamstress, SisBoom PatternsHenrietta

I pretty much love this pattern. The bodice is so basic, you can work the fit and then change it 9 ways from Sunday. First here you can see the princess seam version I’m working up with a flared hem.

Angie Pattern from Scientific Seamstress & Sis Boom Patterns

I love this dress. I bought the fabric because it reminded me of my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Livingson, the moment I saw it. Most random thing ever. Anyways. The bottom is a heavier twill, the waistband is like a black quilting cotton, and the top is light broadcloth.

I took the idea of the waist treatment on Sis Boom’s Jamie dress and applied it here, and continued the black around the back. It has pleats on the skirt, and gathers on the neckline. I cut this before I realized I could just take the excess at center front and add it into the dart. Oh well. I think this was the second version of this dress that I cut out so it has a reasonably good fit. I think that next time I’ll make the hem maybe an inch longer. I’m more comfortable with a touch more length.

Angie Dress V2.0

December 17, 2013clothes, sewingAngie Dress, dress, fall, plus size dress, plus size sewing, purple, Sis Boom Patterns, twirlHenrietta

This is the second version of the Sis Boom Angie Dress – first one blogged here.

I think my one big con of this pattern is that it requires bias binding. (But really thats just a personal preference, lots of people don’t mind it at all.) I hate bias binding. I hate making it and sewing with it. If I can ever get my mom to teach me to line a bodice I may line these and make a lot more of them. For some reason, the whole idea of turning the lining and the bodice right side out through a shoulder seam just baffles me. Oh, and I guess there is one other small thing. They have you sew elastic to the back skirt/bodice seam. I have yet to do that technique on anything and have it look good. I’m going with a casing for the elastic from here on out.

This one is a bit of a refashion I guess. I took an old skirt that I thrifted years ago, cut off the waist band, and attached it to the bodice of the Angie.

The top is a purple cotton bottomweight, the skirt was originally from Fashion Bug. It was not a good look for me, but I loved the fabric.

For this version, I added a second dart, this one in the neckline, and moved both the vertical dart and the new dart. The vertical dart is now a horizontal bust dart, and the neckline dart is now in the armscye. I had fun learning how to move darts around to do it. I’ve never done much with darts.

Some inside shots:

(Please ignore the pup hair.)

I’m interested to see how different my current version of this pattern’s bodice is from the original. I think I may print one off to compare. Initially I added quite a bit, and then I’ve been taking bits and pieces away since then. I also did a broad upper back adjustment this time.

Bias binding EVERYWHERE!

And because you can’t have a twirly dress (as my daughter calls them) and not twirl:

I have yet to actually wear it out in public. We will see how it goes. I think I might wear it tomorrow night when I go out to dinner with some girls. I also feel like its a super awkward length on me. Not sure how much shorter it should be. It is a fall/winter dress after all.

What have you been sewing?!

Angie Dress V1.0

December 11, 2013clothes, sewingAngie Dress, dress, floral, indie patterns, plus size dress, plus size sewing, red, Sis Boom Patterns, SummerHenrietta

I’m becoming a fan of Sis Boom Patterns. First I made a Jamie, I’ve now made 2 of their Angie dresses. Well actually almost a 3rd, but its a light floral, and the weather changed before I could finish it. The pattern is similar to the very first dress I ever made, M5983, pictures below from the pre-blog days.

The first one I really like. Its the fabric I was going to use years ago to make a dress for my youngest sister-in-law’s high school graduation. (Blogged here.)

That’s my “It has pockets!” face.

I ended up cutting the bodice out twice. The first go ’round was way too big, thanks to my awesome flat pattern alteration skills. Fortunately I had plenty of fabric.

I meant to bind the edge to the inside of the dress, but I wasn’t paying enough attention and did it backwards. Oh well! I like it!

I even made belt loops!

It absolutely needs a belt or a sash or something to break it up. I was quite happy with my solution of using an old red t-shirt. Its got some stretch so it’s comfy, but it serves its purpose.

Just a tube, turned out & pressed. I folded over the ends.

I finished edges with my favorite feature of my new sewing machine, a zig zag with it’s special overcast foot. By favorite feature, I mean the only thing I like about the machine. I need to write up a review.

I really like the dress I think. I’ve only worn it once. I made it at the very tail end of summer, and it quickly became too cold/too autumnal to wear. I am looking forward to wearing it in the spring for sure!

cold winter days

December 9, 2013clothes, Kids, sewingbrown, chevrons, Christmas, cold, dress, M6638, mustard yellow, ornaments, Thanksgiving, winterHenrietta

Howdy! It’s been a crazy few weeks around here. Lots of difficulties, but some really happy times too. We had a great time at my family’s Thanksgiving, and the little one got to see all four of her great grandparents. That’s always pretty cool.
The day before we left I started sewing her a special dress for the occasion. I had about a half hour’s work left and we really needed to leave.

So the plan was to finish it up at my mom’s, and of course we get there and neither of her sewing machines were usable. Such a bummer!

I finally finished it up today. Learned some new skills, or got to put some new skills into practice I guess.

I lined a bodice, under stitched it beautifully, and used a zipper. It needs a bow but I have managed to lose the ribbon I bought to go with it.

M6638
I saw these super cute little ornaments last year, and full of good intentions, bought the supplies. Finally found the time to start them this past week.

I never bothered to click the link, or I’d have known that she had templates available. (That’s the trouble with pinterest for you.)

The originals are way tidier than mine, and I’m just fine with that. These are turning out to be pretty relaxing to make.

Well, there have been countless other sewing projects getting worked on around here. Lots of curtains being made, I tried my hand at quilting, and I’m in the process of making a couple skirts. I’ve got boot fever, and skirts/tunics are the only way to go with leggings IMO.
More to come soon!

September Thoughts

September 29, 2012Bits Of Life, sewingbelt, black, blue, bread, clothes, dress, flower print, frames, gift, hippos, home dec, Jamie Dress from SisBoom, organization, painting, skirt, tank dress, whiteHenrietta

What have I been up to? Lots of sewing in actuality. Lots of school. Lots of coffee drinking.

I made some curtains from flat sheets from walmart. They were SUPER easy and quick. I made 5 panels for about 20 bucks, in an hour, while photographing the process to do a tutorial on it. Seriously quick.

I bought fabric a year ago to make nice curtains for my whole house, and I got through two rooms. So these provide privacy, and I won’t have to worry about them too much as we paint the living room.

This is one of those tank dresses you’ve seen a hundred times all over the internet. Its a black tank top that came attached to a jacket/cardigan thing I bought. Then I sewed on a yard of this neat fabric that I probably paid a dollar or two for on the Reg Tag table. Its not shiny and satiny on the front, it has a bit of a rough slub to it, but the back is shiny and slippery satin, so it will work with tights in the winter too I think.

I’ve been doing some painting for projects.

Newest addition to the hippo collection. Birthday gift from my momma. I think he’s going to be spray painted silver and hang out in the office.

Before Shots

Aren’t they just lovely?

Then I made a belt to go with the Jaime Dress:

MUCH better with a belt!

I’ve even tried my hand at bread making. The only other time as an adult that I have tried to bake bread or rolls or breadlike items, they have had a strange resemblance to hockey pucks. That’s what happens if you only let it rise half the time. But not this time!

I made a simple elastic waist drindl skirt for a friend’s birthday. Loved this fabric. It was a lightweight voile from that Global something or another line at JoAnn’s.

Well that’s what I’ve been up to sewing wise. I’m trying to get my studio in order and organized so I can move it to a bigger room and shampoo the carpets. Its currently about half way done. School is keeping me super busy. I quit the regularly scheduled sewing job a while ago, it was SO not the right job for me. I’m glad I did that. I’ve got enough freelance work to keep me busy for the next few months, so that’s exciting. As always, my sewing to do list is a hundred times longer than the actual time I have to sew for myself. I find myself anxiously awaiting graduation. I’ve got quite the case of “senioritis” and I think mine is worse than all the kids I go to school with because I’ve been working at it for so much longer than them. This will pass, and I’m trying to enjoy it while its here.

Anyone have an interest in a tutorial for the curtains? Maybe it would be a good thing to increase readership.

New Adventures!

October 14, 2010clothes, functional sewing, sewingdress, purple, wearable muslins, weddingsHenrietta

I finished the key chain ID thing! And a shirt! but I might have already said that….

Next up is a shirt, just like the turquoise one, except a lot smaller and in different fabric. I really like the turquoise one, but it was HUGE. And I had cut the smallest pattern in that envelope! It really needed a lot of fixing. I took 8.5 inches out of the back! Then I took out 2 or 3 in the front. I’m still not sure how I like the front. I only basted my alteration so I could wear it around and see what I think about it. The back piece I took all apart from the yoke and did it up right, however I doubt the front will be so lucky. Its not the greatest fabric for this kind of shirt. It just bells out around my middle and has very little drape to it. But its a cute, easy, cool, short sleeve shirt that I will probably get a lot of wear out of, once its warm again.

Side note: When did fall get here?! I kept walking to class thinking, hmm… I wish it was 10 degrees cooler so I could wear sweaters. And then BAM! Its sweater weather again!

Back to sewing… I bought some beautiful deep purple fabric that drapes a lot better, and I’m going to make it into a dress out of this same pattern & add a belt for an old friend’s wedding at the end of the month. So its test out time. I bought the next size down when it was on $1.99 sale again, and have some more autumnal looking cotton to use for my “muslin.” I plan on getting the shirt done over this long weekend, and HOPEFULLY get the Purple cut out too. Ideally I’d get both cut and sewn this weekend.

Blue Hippo Arts

Sewing and Such