Welcome April...

Goodbye March!! It was not a successful sewing and knitting month for me. I only finished one wearable garment! Time out to whine...

I started with a major disappointment - Butterick 5854 (blogged here).

Such a cute blouse pattern, I thought it would work so well. But it really did not suit me at all.

I kept trucking on and turned to another new pattern, this one from Marci Tilton - Vogue 8876. 

I was so sure that this pattern would be wonderful that I did my muslin in my intended fabric, a cute poplin from Fabric Mart. Over 4 yards of it! Thank goodness I was able to stop before I used my Robert Kaufman mini-dot contrast fabric as well.

Wrong. This style is not simply not for me. Wadded.

Never ever ever give up. I used a heathered red french terry from my stash to sew a maxi dress using McCalls 5893... Actually, it had emerged from its pre-wash a heathered pink. aarrggh.

This became the dress that kept on growing...on the hanger, it got longer and longer and longer. And unlovely. Wadded.

At this point I went into recovery mode and pulled out my knitting needles! On Ravelry I found the Weekend Retreat Cardi - good name, yes? It's a really nice little shrug -  it's knit top-down in one piece, no seams - perfect.  

It's from Lion Brand, so you can get the free pattern download there or on Ravelry if you're interested.

Fun to knit and easy to size...but I managed to get my gauge wrong. I thought for sure that I knit 18 stitches x 24 rows on size 8 needles with the worsted weight yarn I was using. So I did not even check. 

I measured the length as I worked - but not the width, since I had so many stitches on a circular needle. And yes, my cardi is too big. 

Frogged. 

But I will save the yarn and do it again - sensibly!

Hello April, welcome Spring! 

Bye for now, Coco

Just reading on...

A quick post...I've always read blogs on the Google Dashboard and Bloglovin'. Both work beautifully.

I do love my daily email from Bloglovin'. It's an optional feature, and it's perfect with the news on TV and my first cup of coffee. My morning ritual.

Best of all - keeping up with my blogger friends. Bye for now! Coco

Kwik Sew 3703 Maxi Dress

After 5 days of chilly weather, we are having  a beautiful warm day. Perfect for debuting my cotton jersey hibiscus maxi dress.

I've always liked this pattern from Kwik Sew. It has no darts, and has a great fit and flare look. And it's a favorite on Pattern Review - I trust my fellow sewists' opinions! 

But I've hesitated because it has a racerback, and that's just not for me.

Had to solve this - I really wanted the look for spring and summer. What to do...

I decided to use the bodice top from McCalls 5893 to replace the raceback element of the Kwik Sew pattern. Perfect!

I flattened the front darts on the McCall's pattern, did a bit of line curing, and it fit beautifully over the Kwik Sew pattern! 

Love the new front, straps, and back - the dress is so comfortable. It also matches the flowers in the garden...

Bulbine frutescens

Euphorbia milii

I hope you are having a nice weekend as well. Ciao! Coco

Whip it up!

OK, we need a little music for this post - but Blogger will not let me do it without giving up my only son! So imagine Devo singing 'Whip It'... along with a new dress modeled by Emile.

Seems like everyone is 'whipping up' something - a skirt, a top, a dress, a coat...

And I don't whip up anything!

Yes, at times this has gotten to me. Green-eyed monster lurking. I have spent days on a blouse and my mind has churned over someone's Banksia blouse, Darling Ranges dress, Minoru jacket...whipped up on Sunday afternoon. That would have taken me lots more time - I'm so slow!

I spend a week on a dress, several days on a blouse, a couple days on a pair of pants. I admit I stop a lot - go for that coffee, watch the tube, water the plants, get the mail, fool around. But still - no way can I whip it up that way!

Pause. Picture time.

I'm working on a project that I whipped up today (except the hem is not done and won't be done until tomorrow - thereby defeating my whipping claim :-)

But very cute. Emile shows it above, a lovely knit maxi dress. More tomorrow, promise. Kind of. Meanwhile, received in the mail....

Love it! Coco

All's good in the Loft...

Before another minute goes by, I want to thank you for the kind comments and best wishes on my birthday - you added so much to my enjoyment and appreciation of that special time.

Well, no finished garment to show this weekend - since I buried that wadder blouse at the bottom of my closet. But I am busy busy with Vogue 8876...in my sewing table picture at right. Here's a preview of my fabric:

Diamond stripe cotton poplin

Robert Kaufman Mini Dot

I'm also using white broadcloth for the pockets and the facings on the poplin. I think that self-facing would cause print shadows on the right side.

The poplin pieces are all cut out, but the mini dot is at the post office waiting to be delivered. I know this because I'm tracking it! It has been there since 3:11 a.m. today! What are they thinking? why didn't it come to my house today? oh!

I've passed the day reading about the Kwik Sew 3703 maxi dress and the Mission Maxi. I'm feeling in the mood to sew some dresses, get back to my favorite things. 

Both of these dresses are so pretty and so popular with sewists. Both have racer backs and scoop necks, but the Kwik Sew is the less form-fitting of the two. ummm - yes, I'm planning a muslin with the Kwik Sew pattern. I have a nice midweight cotton jersey that will let me concentrate on fitting rather than fussing!

Kwik Sew 3703
The dress is really much prettier
than these examples!

Jamie Christina Mission Maxi

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend - Bye for now, Coco

Butterick 5854 Blouse ... on the floor?

I cannot help myself...this is the single worst pattern I've sewn ever in my life! Sorry, Butterick.

Maybe I wasn't paying attention! I read somewhere that if you Google a pattern for images and can't find even one that someone made, it says something! And the pattern envelope has 6 drawings but only one photo of a real person. Oh, sewer, beware...

It just looks so charming, such great elements. Well. Those ruffles are actually flounces cut from full circles, then gathered some more before being attached - all of them! Sleeve, hem - what a sea of fabric, the flounces practically sit straight out from the seam. And the pleats across the top of the bodice (that are reminiscent of Vogue 1247, the famous Rachel Comey top) - actually they sit right up on top of the girls and look exactly like two mini-me's. 

I could go on, but it's too aggravating! Moving on. Good news - a contrast fabric I ordered from Pink Chalk for my Vogue 8876 dress has shipped! 

Ciao! Coco