OOP S9224: Bornday #1

Peace!!!!

Y’all it’s my birthday!!!! (Well actually my true birthday is Saturday 11/10 at 8:31am) In my Nation we call it “Degree Day or “Bornday.” Either way…. I’m getting my party on! Borndays are special. Everyone shares all the other holidays with other people. But on borndays are just for you. You get to be the center of attention. That is unless you are a twin, or are born on a holiday. One tradition I have… and I have many traditions…. Is to get me something new on my day, on my own terms. i.e... I buy/make something for Serenity; and that is more than likely a new outfit. When I grew up… yeah I’m getting old saying stuff like that!…. Children didn't have all the say in their lives they have now. You may have expressed your preferences, but you got what you got. When I got old enough to have my own money… because in my house, if someone gave you money, you HAD to hand it over to Mommie or she would not let you have any peace until she saw it spent…. I made sure to have at least 1 present that I truly wanted. Also I went to Catholic school, so I didn't have a lot of personal clothes. I guess I’m a bit on the hoarding side when it comes to clothes, shoes and purses. I never had what I wanted. And it wasn't because we were broke. We weren't. Mommie is just tight with a quarter. Seriously! She didn't buy anything we didn't need.

I have been telling y’all a bit about me personal life. And that ain't like me. I must truly be getting old and have begun to ramble. Anywho…..

Since my bornday is on Saturday, no one will see me in my new duds. And isn't that the point? So…. I made 2 bornday outfits. A cream one and a leopard/pleather one. I decided to wear the cream dress before and the pleather combo after. I’m expecting company over the weekend and I don’t want to be in a white dress when she gets here. I’ll wear the darker separates on Monday and make a bornday-new-outfit-sandwich. Apparently I’m not that old….

I bought Simplicity 9224 at a thrift shop when I was getting into patterns. It was 10 cents. And where is the cents sign on this keyboard? I really cannot bring myself to pay these exorbitant prices for old patterns that folks ask. I just won’t. Especially when they were bought for all of 15 cents and not by the person selling them. I mean $35 for a pattern that cost 15 cents originally?? And even the thrift stores have caught on a bit and have begun charging $1 for patterns. I won’t pay that either. I can buy a brand new uncut pattern that has all the pieces and instructions for $1 (on sale). I’m not taking the chance on a used one for the same price. And the big 4 have vintage patterns now a days.

One of the things that blows my mind is that 1979 is considered vintage. It is 33 years ago. I’m older than that at times. Anything 30 years or more is considered vintage. When I think of 1979, I think of the television show Dallas. I remember thinking, as a small child, how glamorous all the people in the show were. Since my mother had a job, I assumed I would have to work (and I do) and most of the working women were the receptionists at Ewing Oil. This looks like something they would wear. And didn’t Ginger from Gilligan’s Island work at Ewing Oil?

The pattern had all the pieces and instructions included. I’m very thankful for that. The pattern came in sizes 18 and 20 and was already cut for a 20. Again I’m grateful. I had some cream knit from a store that was half fabric half dollar store that was going out of business. I miss that store…. So I made out like a bandit with this combo.




I tried to smile, I'm worried about wrinkles... And damn my boobs look big in this picture.

S9224: Women’s dress, OOP, from 1979

Pattern Sizing: 18 & 20

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Actually yes. Even more so because I used the same color fabric that was on the package

Where the instructions easy to follow?
Yes they were.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I made it right out of the package. I always love not having to make adjustments! I do not really care for front slits. My knees are meaty and I don’t feel modest with this type of feature. I also finally figured out what the directions mean when speak on inserting the waistband. I did it like that. I don’t think it was easier. I will see how it wears.

This was my 1st time with these types of button holes. Oh there was a lot of internetting to figure out what they meant. I think I got it. Next time it will be better

Fabric Used:
Cream knit. I don’t know what kind of knit. It was that type of store. As of yet, I’m not itching, but that could change. The knit doesn't have a lot of body to it. I wore a girdle although the popular current word is “shapewear” to camouflage the lumps, but you can see the shapewear. I don’t really see the point?

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
None I was testing out the waters...

Would you sew it again?
I plan too. I want to make one of the short sleeved longer versions for the summer in a cotton, possibly with a print. Maybe for the 4th of July? Does anyone other than me plan that far in advance?

Would you recommend it to others?
Yes if you can find it.

Conclusion: I’m very satisfied!

Stay tuned for bornday outfit #2!



Peace

NL 6106

Peace y’all,

I have been sewing, but I have not been blogging. And it’s not the blog… It’s my job situation. I have been working at this job for 8.5 years. I have relative privacy in my office so I can do what I want. For some reason I have yet to fathom, my boss decided to hire someone to “help” me. She is older, Caucasian, and doesn't want to be told anything by me because she has done this type of work for 27 years. But she cannot type, file, refuses to learn the software and she consistently lies and bullies the patients. So now I have to watch my back when I do stuff at work. She does all kinds of personal isht at work, but I’m not petty enough to snitch. If folks do their jobs, who cares what else they do? That’s my see… I don’t like to blog at home because I’m busy sewing or thinking about sewing, or shopping for sewing…. That’s where the magic happens!

Basically… I’ll be playing catch up for awhile.

I made NL6106 over the summer. Atlanta does not have a large selection of fabric stores. You would think they would since this is a big metro area, they have designers based out of Atl and they have a fashion school here. We have Hancocks, Joanns and Hobby Lobby. Some Walmarts have fabric and notions. Then there are the few… and I mean few… Mom and Pop stores. One of these stores is called Gayle K fabrics. This place has every effing thing you can imagine. I think that is where the students and designers shop. Seriously. B.U.T. They are seriously effing high; and I mean for everything like thread, buttons, zipper, just everything. And they never have sales. They WILL have what you are looking for, but it will cost more to make than to buy. But I was in there one day looking for tangerine linen (because where else will you find tangerine linen?) to make my spring jacket and I saw this fabric. I could not stop thinking about it. I have a firm policy that when you think about something for days and lay in the bed thinking about it…. You must. So I did.

I really love everything about this skirt. I love that I can wear it year round. I also love that it’s printed. But I wasn't thinking about the print when I cut the 1st panel. I would have lined it up differently. Valuable lesson learned. I would have preferred the antelopes be the stars rather than the birds. Because of that I had to line the back up to match. I’m okay with it, though. I’m not really mad. I have enough scraps to make a purse.






Pattern Sizing: 10-22

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

Where the instructions easy to follow? Very

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? That I didn't have to make 1 adjustment to the pattern. I was able to sew it right out of the package. And it was actually loose. Yay running!

Fabric Used: Printed Denim

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Not 1

Would you sew it again? Yes and I have. When I made it the second time, I used the shorter version for my Halloween costume. The shorter version is REALLY short and not modest at all.

Would you recommend it to others? Yes

Conclusion: A TNT A-line pattern that is modest and not frumpy looking.


Peace!

Happy Halloween

Joke:
Two little Black siblings (boy and girl) were dressed up and trick or treating on
Halloween. They walked up to a racist white lady’s home and rang the bell.
When she opened the door she asked the children who they were supposed to be.
The children said, “Jack and Jill.” The racist lady said, “No. You need to find
another idea before I give you some candy. The siblings went home thought of a
new idea, changed their clothes and went back to the racist lady’s door. When
she opened it she asked them again who they were supposed to be. The siblings said, “Hansel and Gretel.” The racist white lady said, “Your not getting it. You
are little Black children. You need to be something Black. Jack, Jill, Hansel and Gretel…. Those are white. Figure it out and I’ll give you some candy.” Well!
The children went home and thought about it. Then they went back to the white lady’s house, got in the bushed and took off ALL their clothes. They stood there
Buck naked and rand the doorbell for the last time. When the racist white lady answered the door she was shocked. She then asked, “Who are you?” The children answered, “Hershey bars. One with nuts and one without!”

Peace Y’all!

It’s that time of the year…. Halloween. I dress. If you consistently follow me, you already know that. When I was a child, I went to a school that had a tradition of having the students choose a character from history make a report, give a speech and wear a costume. My mother… being as militant as she could conceive, always dressed me for someone out of Black History, and made sure that the testimony I had was powerful and my costume was on point. No poor wretched looking broke down slave wenches for me. And she made sure I had a POWERFUL speech. There was an evening assembly to go along with the promenade and she made sure all the devils in attendance learned something. She also found folks with vans and bussed in a bunch of my friends and church people to the festivities. That school that had a total of maybe 20 Black people (and that included pre-school to 12th grade) would be inundated that night. I continue the tradition.





Meet Lt. Nyota Uhura from the USS Enterprise --- Original series. Uhura means ‘Freedom.’ Today’s Supreme Mathematics is Understanding Knowledge abbt Culture/Freedom. I chose to be that embodiment of Today’s Supreme Mathematics….

This is the most overworked Halloween dress in existence. And it didn’t have to be that way! Instead of making a simple shift dress, I decided to join separates of garments that I had successfully completed. It didn’t work!

The top is NL6130 and the bottom is NL6106. Both of which I had success. Now I didn’t. Well I did, because clearly I’m wearing it out. I’m not as happy as I could have been. Oh well.

First of all, it’s polyester. Polyester that was $3/yard and on sale for 50% off… So you know I’m itchy. Then nothing lined up the way I planed it. Still I persevered…. Then once I managed to finish, it was too small. I had to let it out 8 inches. I made the sleeves tight and have to make a gusset to let them out…. But everyone loves it. Go figure. Clearly they don’t sew.



PEACE!

B5760 ; Skirt

Peace.

For my current wardrobe I have decided what my need is, is skirts and blouses. I’m NOT a suit girl. And I want to up my game and grown woman wardrobe. My body type looks best with pencil or a-line skirts. So I made a pencil skirt this weekend with B5760. When you google B5760 all you come up with is the cardigan reviews. I admit that I bought the pattern for said cardigan. But there are other things on the pattern. I freely admit that since I don’t wear pants, it’s unlikely that I would use them, but you never know…. I’m a runner now a days and you just don’t know what I might do.

But I’m thinking the other pieces of this pattern are under appreciated. And…. I just needed a pencil skirt and this one was laying around to I cut it. Seriously. I didn’t realize how many patterns have other pieces on them and I have tunnel vision about what I’m willing to make out of it. Like NL6130. Did anyone notice it too has a pencil skirt? It’s wasteful really. But how many pencil skirt patterns does one actually need? Anywho…. I like the skirt part of B5760! And here is my review.






Pattern: Butterick 5760 Misses' Jacket, Cardigan, Dress, Belt, Skirt and Pants I made the skirt

Fabric used: Purple with blue pinstripe suiting

Alterations? None. YAY!!!!! I have been dieting and exercising and I am heartened that I don’t’ always have to add width to a garment like I used to. It feels good to make a garment right off the paper! But I should have added 2 inches for just a smear more modesty. It comes to the knee, but when I sit, it rises. I don’t like that, but it won’t keep me from wearing it to death.

Did it look like the envelope? Yes

Instructions easy to follow? Ummm…. No. I find this shocking….. but I have never made a vented skirt before. The directions must have assumed that I knew how to do this because it wasn’t discussed on the paper. I had to google how to do it and I am thrilled that I learned a new skill.

Likes/Dislikes? All like no dislikes except the no vent on the skirt directions

Would you sew it again? I would!

Recommend to others? Do it!


Peace

Lil' Scrappy

Peace.

I really have to take the recommendations on the back of the pattern package more. I have a habit of matching a fabric I love with a fabric I love. Damn the recommendation. 25% of the time, it works. More often than not it doesn’t. Like the denim dress I made from V1250 that you have never heard of. My current creation is no different. I fell in love with the fabric and wanted to make a dress out of it. Even though the fabric is better suited to be a blouse than a dress. I still made a dress out of it. A wadder. The fabric is pretty and every one told me that specific tidbit of information though no one made mention of the dress itself. I didn’t even finish it correctly. So it came apart.

***Sigh***

So what is a girl to do? Recalculate! I recut the top and left the bottom alone. I added a solid band to the middle and backed the hem with the same heavy cotton. The last dress was so light that it would rise up on it’s own accord. So I made a scrapped dress out of reclaimed fabric of a dress that I shouldn’t have made in the 1st place.

But do you know what? I like it! And people have given me compliments on the dress itself. It’s tighter than I expected it would be and I made sure to finish it correctly so I don’t pop out… like I did in the last dress made from this fabric.






Peace

New Look 6107

Peace.

About 13 years ago I wanted a bike. So I bought one from Toys R Us. The people who put the bike together were on vacation and I would have to wait 2 weeks before it could be put it together. That wouldn’t do. My late husband claimed that he could put the bike together. When I came home from my ptj the bike was done; but there was a bag of leftover parts. He said they always include extra parts. The next Saturday we went to the park to bike ride. He was on his nephew’s bike and I was on my new one. I pushed off and the brakes and the whole break line came off. I couldn’t stop the bike. But luckily the wheel fell off. That stopped me. We took the bike to a bike shop, but without the extra pieces because he had discarded them. It cost $50 in the 90’s to repair the bike. That is how I feel about New Look 6107. It had a bunch of mystery pieces

Let me just say I love this pattern. It is very easy and very pretty. And I wanted something polka dot since Shawnta made a polka dot blouse. And I love a good pussy bow! I bought it in the summer with plans to make the short sleeved version. Unfortunately I didn’t get it in like that so I added the longer sleeves. I really like it. But I did have some problems.




Pattern Description:
Misses' Sportswear Misses' button front blouse with sleeve and neckline variations and pencil skirt in two lengths.

Pattern Sizing:
8-18 I cut the 18 I did the A-version

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?
NO!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I didn’t get the instructions down to the pieces to be cut. I mean there were pieces that I just never used. I was pissed that I cut them because I wanted to make a hat out of the remnants but couldn’t because I had cut all the pieces that they asked for.

Fabric Used:
A BEAUTIFUL cotton from Wal-Mart. Yes Wal-Mart. It was a joy to work with and it doesn’t look like a scrub top. I might get some more and make a skirt….

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I have been on a diet fro the last 2 months and everything I own is loose. So I thought I didn’t need to do an FBA… That is until I was about to add the buttons (my last step_ Then I realized that although I didn’t need to add 10” to the garment, I did need to add about 6”. So I rigged the front to give me the extra room. In the future when I make this… And I will be making this again…. I will add the FBA. I accept I will never be able to make a top out of the package and I am okay with that.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Absolutely!!!!

Conclusion:
I love this pattern <3<3<3 I’m wearing the hell out of this top.



Peace

New Look 6130.... Blah!

Peace.

I sewed last weekend. I completed 2 UFOs. One skirt one top. I started to refashion a wadder that I refuse to give up on the fabric. I love it too much! I need to get these things done before I start sewing for the fall and I have plans!!!! I hit a Butterick sale like that last weekend.

I initially wanted V8815 but none of the stores I frequent ever had it in stock. I was NOT ordering it. I’d have to pay full price + shipping and handling (and what’s handling anyway and why do I have to pay for it????). Nope. Folks…Shawnta and Alethia… had remarked about NL 6130 And NLs are never too expensive so….. I got it. I had to go all the way over to NC to get it too.

I liked the pattern of NL6130 a little more that I liked V8815 because NL6130 is princessed seamned and V8815 is not. I think PS is a better look for me vs. just flat.

So here is my take on it…..



Pattern Description:
Misses' peplum top with neckline and sleeve variations, slim pants, pencil skirt and tie belt…. I made the top, view c

Pattern Sizing: 8-18, I cut an 18

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I suppose

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I don’t really like the pleated and pointy front peplum, but I don’t absolutely hate it. It’s too cutesy if you know what I mean.

Fabric Used: The store keeper said Cotton knit. I HATED working with the fabric. That might have something to do with why I don’t love it. It broke a needle and kept getting jammed in the machine. I blame the fabric because when I finally finished I was able to work on another garment with no problems and I finished a skirt before hand. I have another UFO in the same fabric in red. It might stay a UFO

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None because folks said it ran big and I was using knit.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes and yes

Conclusion: I like and dislike it. I’m not sure why. I will absolutely wear it. Probably wear it to death. It’s that type of reliable black top. I plan to make one for the fall with short sleeves and in pleather. But I will change the front peplum to the one in the back. I might change the sleeves too. Right now they are too poofy. If you like this style. It’s a straight forward pattern. There are just small things I personally didn’t like. I can over come it though and put my ‘stank’ on it though.

These aren't good pictures because the fabric is Black. Project Runway says black doesn't photograph well... Oh well....




Peace