Saturday, July 25, 2015

Granny Break! Date Outfit!

McCall's 7191 Semi-fitted, pullover tops have self -lined yoke back, back hemline variations, and narrow hem. View C has shaped hemline and gathered back.


 Fabric: Ivory crepe with chiffon

Line Drawing




Instead of using the facings, white lightweight blouse lining was used as an underlining on the front and upper back. White chiffon was doubled, gathered. and serged at the hemline. Both front and back were turned and topstitched 1/4 inch.
I did topstitch the front with crème thread and the back chiffon with white thread.

I need to check reviews and see if anyone mentioned lowering the bust darts or is everything 60 as it need to be lowered and I will not tell how much as I'm embarrassed.

Pants: McCall's 6247 with not alterations
Fabric: Purple/Burn Umber/Multi Textured Medallions Print ITY Knit from Fabric Mart.

I did go back and lower the pant legs by 1 inch.

All three grandchildren will return for another week on tomorrow. Let's pick up the pace!














 





 

Monday, July 20, 2015

Lace Trim Suit

This is Butterick 5858 which is another Diahann Carroll design. My inspiration was seeing a picture of Lady Diana wearing it with lace trim. It is a Misses'/Misses Petite Top & Skirt. Fitted, lined top has shoulder pads, princess seams, and long sleeves. Straight, lined skirt, mid-knee or lower calf has waistband, back zipper and side front slit.

 
I did my usual 1" swayback adjustment and petite adjustment on lower jacket View C. The fabric is a Navy Ponte Knit from Fabric Mart. Of course I used polyester lining from Vogue Fabrics. The navy lace and navy buttons were purchased from Joann Fabrics.

 
 


This was an easy suit that I enjoyed making. It would be nice to have another in a more stable fabric. The pattern was purchase online as it is an OOP pattern.


 

Monday, July 13, 2015

Time Savers

Patterns: Pants - McCall's 6247 & Top - Butterick 3030 view D


 Fabric: Left over lace ITY and green crepe
 
 

Butterick fast & easy tops 3030Butterick 3030

I thought this would make a quick grab and go outfit. I've had this pattern for a while and one day I would love to take the time and make each of these tops. Don't we have that feeling about most of the patterns we purchase? After all that's why we chose the pattern.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Patient, Crafty & Priceless

Bride Spent 1,000 Hours Creating Her Crocheted Wedding Dress


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Bride Spent 1,000 Hours Creating Her Crocheted Wedding Dress
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Bride Spent 1,000 Hours Creating Her Crocheted Wedding Dress (ABC News)
This bride certainly had the wedding dress of her dreams.
Tania Jennings, of Chesham, England, spent 1,000 hours painstakingly crocheting her own gown for her June 6 wedding, which took place at the historic St. Pancras Church in London.
“My fourth great-grandparents were married at St. Pancras in 1839 and my husband Andrew's 3rd great-grandfather was also born in the parish, so we were able to be married there due to our ‘extraordinary family connection,’” Jennings, 39, told ABC News of the special ceremony.


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


Inspired by another woman’s crocheted wedding dress she saw online, Jennings decided to tackle the project herself.
“I have been crocheting since I was three years old, but I had never attempted lace before, so there first few months were a bit of a learning curve,” she explained. “I didn't really have a design in mind, I just began looking at heritage sites of traditional Irish crochet books and made pieces that I liked.”


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


The varying pieces on her gown took her anywhere from 20 minutes all the way up to 80 hours to make depending on their size and complexity.
“The smallest pieces, which are the size of a penny, took 20 to 30 minutes,” said Jennings. “The large ‘Polish stars’ that made up the train took roughly 80 hours a piece, and there were five of them! Most took somewhere closer to 2 to 3 hours to make. There are about 150 individual pieces in the dress, plus the webbing tying them together, which took about three weeks to complete.”


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


The entire gown took roughly seven months to complete, cutting it extremely close as she was still working on the final touches mere minutes before the wedding.
“I made the first pieces the first week of November 2014 and put the final stitches into the lace webbing less than two hours before the wedding, with the final stitches tacking everything to the dress minutes before jumping into the cab to head to the church,” Jennings recalled.


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


She was even worrying her photographer with the last-minute touches.
“The photographer asked me, ‘Tania, do you think you might actually finish the dress today?,’” she said. “I just laughed and said, ‘Yes, I will finish at three o'clock.’ They asked how I knew and I just said, ‘Look, that's when I have to get my hair and makeup done so I can go marry my best friend.’ So when three o'clock came, I put the final piece in place, and said, ‘Alright, let's do this.’ I'm not sure anyone else thought I would ever be done!”


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


The payoff was worth it though, surprising her groom, Andy, as she walked down the aisle in her one-of-a-kind dress.
“Andy saw all of the pieces being made so he had a general idea,” she explained, “but I imagine it is like looking at a box of LEGOs. You might have ideas about what they could be, but until you see it together, it's impossible to really know what you will be presented with.”


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


Some of the designs in her gown had very special meanings for specific people in Jennings’ life, which turned out to be a highlight for guests on the big day.
“An elephant for my younger daughter Bridgette, a tulip for my daughter Gabby, my husband wanted a martini glass on the dress, a friend of my daughter’s requested a giraffe, another a turtle, and so on,” she said. “It became a bit of a game at the reception for everyone to find ‘their’ piece.”


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Courtesy Tania Jennings

Courtesy Tania Jennings


The best part about making the dress, “were the dozens and dozens of times I would be on the bus or train into London and people would come sit near me just to strike up a conversation about crocheting or to take pictures,” said Jennings.
The worst part however, “was just the doubt along the way and wondering if I had made a terrible mistake!,” she added. “There were a lot of tears along the way as I tried to learn new techniques, ripped out pieces that just weren't working right, and tried to envision what it was going to look like. It wasn't until a week or two before the wedding that it finally clicked and I ‘got it.’”


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


Jennings doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to top her ornate design in the future, but she and Andy are hoping to have a one-year anniversary reception in the United States next year where she’d love to have it make a second appearance.
“My husband insists that I must wear it again!,” she said. “It was really just a magical day.”


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mike@simpleimages.co.uk

mike@simpleimages.co.uk


Monday, July 6, 2015

Quick and Comfy!

Pattern:  Butterick 5058 printed in 1997 is a loose-fitting, pullover, slightly A-line dress, below mid-knee.  This is View C made in black Ponte knit.


Adjustments: Lengthen the front and back facings since I didn't line it. After sewing the sides together, I went back and removed 1" from the sides.


 Sizing: up to 32W
This is what I quickly made to wear to the funeral on last Saturday. I hand hemmed the sleeves and hem because it makes a nicer finish. It is so comfy that I think I'd like a few more in my closet. Of course, they need to be in a nice knit.

Friday, July 3, 2015

A Day of Celebration!

Well, first of  all there are three funerals to attend, but we can only attend one because my husband is a participant for a classmate/life-time friend. Next, hubby is on the call-out list and must return home by 7 p.m. so they'll be no grilling at our house. To top it all off- we'll pick up three grandchildren on the return home to keep granny busy and active for weeks. It gets no better than this. Enjoy everyone!