SewBaby News

For the past few months, Fabric Mart has had the most gorgeous array of Michael Kors Wool Blend Coatings that I have ever seen!  During COVID stay at home time, I've been letting my gray grow out, and I thought that even though some of the delicious sounding shades like apricot and apple green would be beautiful, the heathered gray shade would be the most flattering to my gray hair and the most versatile for a winter coat.  And it was one of the coatings that listed Cashmere as one of the fiber components, so I was curious as to how that would feel.

Happy December!  It's been a busy couple of months since I last posted- taking a trip to Germany and another to Colorado to visit my daughters, so sewing time has been a bit tricky to find!  But, with the cold weather hitting us early, I was inspired to make two tops from wool knits- a red double knit, and a blue single knit jersey (both from Fabric Mart), using the pattern Simplicity 1323.   It's out of print, but there are plenty of copies on Amazon still available if you like the striking style.   I made view B with the V-neck and 3/4 length sleeves, but I added 1-1/2" to the body length of mine.  On my blue version, I added several inches to the sleeve length to make it a full long sleeve.   I also chose not to hem either of them, as I knew that hemming on the bias would be tricky, and since knits don't fray, it won't matter anyway!  The red double knit has more weight to it and hangs better, in my opinion.

In BurdaStyle's October issue, there was a loose-fitting tunic in the plus section that caught my eye.  It looked super simple, and stylish, and I had a couple of short cuts of wools that I could envision it made out of- it just takes 1-3/4 yards. The first was a remnant of a nubby wool sweater knit. It started out white, but to make it work with my First Frost capsule wardrobe plan , I dyed it this very pale blue.  I just used the regular RIT dye from the store, and it worked great.  One thing that helps with dying a wool fabric is adding white vinegar to the dye bath to help with the dye uptake.

Baby, it's cold outside!  If you're in the northern hemisphere, you likely agree.  We've had some crazy sub-zero temperatures, haven't we?  But what better excuse than to make a cozy new coat!  This time, I chose a gorgeous dusty lavender wool/cashmere blend from Fabric Mart to make Simplicity 8470. This is the culminating piece for my First Frost capsule wardrobe plan! The reason that I chose this pattern was pure and simple- it had a hood!  I'm so surprised that very few coat patterns come with hoods!  Sure, hats are good, but when it is really cold and windy, nothing beats the protection of a hood.

Hello everyone! Fall is my favorite time of year, and every year, I can't wait to make a new coat. There are really only so many styles of winter coats available in the stores to choose from, so making your own gives you the opportunity to find that special style or color that really fits you. Last February, I made some mauve colored dresses , and I realized that I had no coats that looked nice over them. So, I was on the hunt for something in the purple/brown colorway, and as usual, FabricMart had the perfect fabric- a wool tweed that was a mix of plum and black with some orange flecks. If you think that you are seeing some purple in my hair, don't adjust your monitor- I have dyed my hair lavender! So, this fabric also complements my new hair color.

What do you get when you combine a cape and a poncho?  Why, a caponcho, of course!  I've been holding on to Vogue 8344, which was originally published in 2006, for just the right fabric.  I can't tell you how many times, I've pulled out this pattern, and then put it back!

Last week, my oldest daughter came over and saw this coat nearly completed on my dress form.  She said "Wow, that was fast!".  What she didn't know was that I had started this project back in December of 2015, when Pantone announced that their 2016 Color of the Year was actually two colors- Serenity Blue and Rose Quartz. I was so excited because I had the perfect fabric- this pink and blue plaid coating.  I remember getting this wool coating for $1.99/yd from Fabric.com when they still had great sales.  Oh, those were the days....sigh... When Pantone announced the 2016 two color winner,they explained it with this: Ahhh.  Such good intentions.  Maybe had we all joined forces and wore these two colors together, 2016 might have been better!  I was going to do my part after all.  I got my coat cut out in December of 2015, got the interfacing fused, and then the unthinkable happened- carpal tunnel struck!  To someone who loves to do t...

Happy New Year!  I haven't blogged for almost 3 months, but I have definitely still been sewing!  Almost all of my sewing has been geared towards some exciting vacation plans and a wardrobe that I can wear on vacation.   This is part 1 of a 2 part post, and I'm keeping our destination a surprise until the 2nd post when I plan to show you the wardrobe on location!  I will give you a few hints, and maybe you can guess. It's a big city, and the temperature is in the high 50's during the day and the low 40's at night.  I read where the people in this city dress mostly in black, grey and brown during the winter months.  So, to fit in with the locals, I decided to go with a black/grey/brick red color palette.  All fabrics are from FabricMartFabrics.  I figured that I would be outside and wearing a coat on most days, so the coat had to coordinate with everything.  To do this, I chose a printed double knit that had a blac...