SewBaby News

So, 2019 was a bummer of a year for me.  I developed a heart condition called atrial fibrillation (or Afib for short) and spent the last half of the year in and out of the ER and doctor's offices trying to control it.  If you've never heard of it, it's when your heart rate suddenly goes 100 miles an hour.  It's very unpredictable, scary, uncomfortable and exhausting.  So, needless to say, I didn't get a ton of sewing done the last half of the year.   Rubes® cartoon used with permission © Leigh Rubin www.RubesCartoons.com In August, I was put on a medication that had scary side effects, didn't work, and led to horrendous insomnia.  I felt like a walking zombie.   But after 3 months of that, in November, I had a procedure called a cardiac ablation which froze the heart cells that were causing the problem.  Thank God for modern technology- this procedure has only been available in the last 20 years. I'm 3 months post procedur...

I've been contemplating looking for a new job, and realized that I don't really have any outfits that I would feel comfortable interviewing in.  I've got a lot of semi-dressy tops and dresses, but nothing in the "suit" category.  So, I've decided to focus on making a few items that would be appropriate for an interview, but not so "stuffy" that I wouldn't want to wear them for anything else.  For this suit ensemble, I used a Red-Violet Poly/Rayon/Lycra Stretch suiting for the jacket, a Dark Navy/Light Blue Pinstripe Wool Crepe suiting for the pants, and Pearl Polyester/Lycra ITY Knit for the top (Vogue 9006), all from Fabric Mart.   The pinstripe wool is really nice- not a bit scratchy.  It's Italian, and you can feel the quality.  Here is a closer look at it:

Happy 2020 everyone!  This is my first post of the year, and I'm looking forward to a great sewing year.  I've got all kinds of plans!  I had been thinking about making some new turtleneck sweaters, when I saw the Talvikki Sweater pattern from the Finnish pattern company- Named.  It had some really interesting shaping darts at the neckline, and I liked how boxy it was.   So, I decided that it would be a fun take on a turtleneck and gave it a try- actually four tries!  This is a version that I made for my daughter from vintage velour.  I've actually been holding on to this piece of fabric since the 70's!!!!  Doesn't it look great on her?

I have a treat for you today- I've found a pattern that I really, really love, and it is EASY!!  I mean, you cannot go wrong with this one, it is just that good- no fitting prowess required, about as easy to sew as you could ask for, and amazingly, it works as a dress, just as well as a top.  And I can prove it because I made it three times, with wildly different fabrics, and I think (IMHO) that they all look pretty darn good! The pattern is McCalls 7979.  It is a Palmer Pletsch design. I recently found this purple floral cotton interlock remnant at a thrift shop, and just had about 1 yard of it.  It was so, so nice!  But 1 yard isn't enough for a sleeved top in my size, so I decided to mix it up with another fabric.  I had a black sweater knit that I thought would be a nice contrast for it.   I added the kangaroo pocket- that wasn't part of the pattern, although it's certainly not hard to draft your own.  You could also insert side...

I've been a Burda magazine subscriber for over a dozen years now.  If you're not familiar with Burda, it's a sewing pattern magazine published in Germany.  Sometimes their designs seem a little wacky at first (and I'm the queen of wearing wacky things, so I can say that).  But, after a few years they start to grow on you, and before you know it, you wonder why you waited so long to make some of them!  That's the case with this dress from the May 2012 issue of Burda magazine, design #107.  It was so memorable, that it was always in the back of my mind for when I found the right fabric. Here is their version: And here is mine:  I used two colors of 100% linen from Fabric Mart.   I didn't originally intend to mix them, but when I got my package, I thought that the colors looked really good together!  This was a technically challenging dress because I had to do a full bust adjustment, which with that wacky front was a r...

It's the last day of September, but we're supposed to reach record breaking temps for the next 3 days.  And we're not alone, I heard that up to 50 cities are supposed to break records today.  Then the bottom drops out and our temps will drop 30 degrees.  So, I'm going to enjoy wearing some sleeveless dresses while I can. This is made from Butterick 6050.  I made it from an interesting cotton/lycra jersey with the print on the diagonal. I wanted a pattern that wouldn't have many seams to match that diagonal print.  While the front is rather basic, turn around, and the back is pretty cool with an open area and a twist!  Yes, the twist is supposed to be there.  When taking the photograph, my husband said- I think there's something wrong back there- it's twisted.  LOL!  That's the point!

Hello everyone!  I'm back after a long break, and boy does it feel good to be sewing again!  I really need to sew to keep myself balanced, just like sunshine and exercise.  I am starting my fall sewing with this little striped top in an unusual color combo of black, cream, clay and mint green.  This is one of the Milly fabrics from Fabric Mart, and it was lovely to work with!  Here's the back- I love how it moves: