SewBaby News

It's official.  I'm a Connie Crawford convert!  Have you tried sewing with any of Connie Crawford's pattern s from Butterick? They are advertised as modern, ready to wear sizing.  I had tried one many, many years ago, and it was not a success for me, so I didn't buy any more until I saw this one, Butterick 6187.   I'm so happy that I gave it another try, as this one fit so well! If you are new to sewing, you may be very surprised by the sizing of patterns by the major pattern companies.  They don't usually correspond to ready to wear sizing.  So, if you usually buy a size 12, you would most likely need to make two or even thee sizes larger in a pattern. As someone who has taught sewing to beginners, I can tell you that this is really a huge hurdle for people to get over.   I tell people to not worry about it, that it is just a number, but I know that for so many people, this is not easy. Even though I've personally come to terms with this issue

 I've had my fall issue of Ottobre Woman in hand for a little over a week, and have just gotten my feet wet with the first two designs, so I had to share them with you!  The first is design 1, the Twig Jersey Dress.   I had this very interesting fabric that I bought last year- it is a knit with an ombre tie dye design that goes from selvage to selvage.  It has the most beautiful texture, like a crinkled gauze but not thin at all- in fact it is a double knit.  I shortened the sleeves, and added 4 inches to the hem, as their original version would be 33-1/2" long, and I knew that would be obscenely short on me.  The fit in the neck and shoulders was perfect, as usual, but I did find the sleeves to be a little snug.  On my next version, I'll add a little extra there.  Here's a close-up of the neckline: I left out the pockets on this one, because the fabric really is pretty thick, and I didn't really want to break up the design.  But, I do p

It's mid-August and that means it's time for a new issue of Ottobre Woman pattern magazine!   I can hardly wait.  Our SewBaby shipment has been shipped from Finland, and it is due in on 8/17, so it won't be long!  As usual the photos from the issue have me salivating like a cat awaiting a dish of cream.   Here's a peek of what is inside this issue.  This is probably my favorite.  I love the curved piecing and the pocket openings are darling.  I'm thinking about what fabrics I could use for this one: This one is adorable too.  I already know what colors I'm going to do mine in - a deep teal, a light aqua and a cream.   Doesn't that sound delicious?  These two look like the same dress with different sleeves and neckline options.  Just a very nice basic dress that can show off some pretty fabric easily. These are some nice active wear/ leisure wear patterns: And for those who like more fitted options, these look like some great b