Process (How I Cut Out & Schtuff)

Um. Yeah. I am so consumed with my house right now that my sewing machine is like a foreign object. Actually, it's like cigarettes (were I to smoke)--just put the pack away, don't think about it. It's not there. I don't need to smoke (sew).

I read so many sewing blogs where people don't do any more sewing than I do. Yet they manage to post every single freakin' day. How do they do this?! I feel like I'm cheating on my smoking (sewing) diet by coming over here and posting. Like, I'm not smoking (sewing), but I'm reaaaallly fantasizing about it. *sniiiiiiiiifff* Cigarettes (fabric).

In lieu of presenting any sort of project, I thought I'd talk a lil' about my sewing process. Okay?

I learned to sew Ye Olde Fashioned Way. You know. Iron your pattern tissue. Lay the tissue on your fabric according to the recommended diagram. Tediously pin like heck. Cut out with shears. Rub your sore scissor hand and curse. Use huge-a$$ seam allowances, pin every seam, blah, blah, BLAH. Quit sewing because it's not worth it...

I don't sew this way anymore. Because I have small children, and my patience could fill a teaspoon. Really. That is the entire amount.

Starting with the cutting out process, I have streamlined. I took a few pictures when I was prepping the infamous Anna Maria Horner sundress, so I thought I'd walk through that one. Seeing as how I don't have any pics of anything else I've cut out, it was an easy choice (duh).

Firstly, I like to trace my patterns. WAIT: I know. This is not technically streamlining. Buuut, if I am using a boutique or magazine pattern, it's the only way to go. No way I'm cutting into a $16 pattern, areyakiddingme??! I get for realz artist's tracing paper from Dickblick.com, and I love it. I have used different sizes, but the 50yd x 24" roll is my fave.

Then I weight down the tracing paper and trace with a good ol' Sharpie.

For weights I like to use these 3" washers that my lovely husband picked up for me at Home Depot. A while back I hot-glued some dollar bin ribbon around each stack of 2, which makes them a lot less clink-y. I have also seen people do the same thing with huge nuts. (TWSS)

Next step, cut out each piece with paper-cutting scissors. DO NOT use your good Ginghers. Not that those Ginghers have done your thumbs any good favors in the past, but still. You might need them for something fabric-ish.

Yay, pretty stack of traced pattern pieces! (cigarettes and a lighter)

Now, I didn't trace every single piece. The skirt pieces on this dress were pretty large and rectangly, so I just folded those back to my size. No sense wasting time and paper when it's not absolutely necessary.

Then I lay my pattern pieces down on the fabric, weight them down, and cut with my trusty rotary cutter. I understand that some people do not use these yet for apparel sewing. To which I say, what are you thinking??!?! Get thee. A rotary cutter and cutting mat at Joanns. Now. Because you're not getting mine.

For the jersey skirt lining, I just laid my skirt pieces, on the fold, on top of my jersey, which is also on the fold. Then I just folded up a few inches at the hem and a bunch in the middle to make my jersey lining pieces quite a bit smaller around than the outer skirt. That way it's not so bulky.

Ah, completely used up fabric. This picture means my scrap pile will not be getting a huge random piece of fabric that I have no idea how to use.

Oh, and here's how I do my facings. I just lay my fashion fabric pieces, wrong side down, directly on top of my woven interfacing, which is sticky side up. I weight a little, then cut with my Ginghers. Hey, whaddya know, they do have a purpose.

This stack is all ready to go!


Since I usually cut and sew on different days, I like to put my projects in ziploc bags or any other clear plastic bags I might have. I try to reuse the bags as much as possible though, because just looking at them makes me feel super duper non-green guilt. Damn you, ziploc bags! You have infiltrated my subconscious with your usefulness! Grr.

Alrighty, so there ya go. Now I have to get back to painting my son's room. Until next time!

Breezy Coral Sundress

All this warm, beautiful weather we've been having here in SoCal has me thinking about the beach and pool and, well, basically just lounging around in something flowy. I recently got this Onion pattern in the mail from my co-op, and it seemed the perfect fit.

Fabric: Boutique print cotton/lycra jersey from co-op. I think it is Baby Lulu, but honestly I am pretty awful at identifying these older prints, so I could be dead wrong about that. The fabric is completely printed; meaning it is white on the inside, and the coral color is just inked on the outside. It is suuuuuper stretchy, but at the same time it was easy enough to work with. It didn't want to curl as crazily as some jerseys I've used (don't even get me started on rayon/lycra or bamboo/lycra blend jerseys...ahhh it is like sewing with clouds that you can't hold). Definitely high quality stuff.

Pattern: Onion 2024. Onion patterns come from Denmark, but you can often purchase English instructions for them, especially if you order from ShopOnion.com. Since I got my pattern from a co-op, it came with zero English instructions, and one lone drawing--actually very helpful!--that explained how to do the twisty bust thing. Soooo...luckily I've made a few knit dresses here and there. Except for the bodice section, this dress was pretty straightforward.

As I couldn't see how any of my bras were going to work with this dress, I hand tacked some bra cups inside the bodice lining. This neckline is low, lemme tell you. Actually, after wearing it for a few hours and holding my son (who likes to pull at everything and stick his hand down my shirt), I decided it really needs a cami underneath. I didn't get a picture, but on Saturday I wore it all day with one of my $2 Old Navy camis under and no bra, and I think it was perfect. It also worked great over my swimsuit.

I have to include this picture, because this is what the dress looks like in real-life action. I'm probably yelling at my kids for something-rather and being an anal mom/drill sergeant. Full honesty here.

For some reason, probably related to the time of day, I really struggled to get any good close-up shots. So, it's kinda hard to make out, but I top stitched the straps and back bodice with my coverstitch for a nice professional finish. Not necessary, for sure, but I like the result.

FYI this would be a great sewing machine only project, as the bodice and straps are lined, so you don't have to finish the edges.

Since this is a jersey, and all jerseys curl to the right side, I did a 1" coverstitched hem on the ruffle. A rolled hem on my serger would have been easier, but then I would have had a *#%#%*ing curly hem on my hands, which I don't ever want. I also gathered the top of the ruffle with the wonder product that is clear elastic, which I order by the bunch from Sewzannes. That way the seam stays nice and stretchy when I'm bending down with the kids and being a naggy B-mom.

K, coming up I have two more projects to show and a binding tutorial!

Spring Flowers

Have I mentioned that my favorite items to sew are easy knit garments? I couldn't tailor anything to save my life--although I do want to learn!--so I just churn out this stuff I can phone in. Before I starting sewing with them so much, I mistakenly thought that knits are scary or hard, but they aren't; they're just different. Once you learn the techniques you need to use, they are are so much easier and quicker than anything else. As I am a stay at home mom who is pressed for sewing time, knits suit my lifestyle and schedule very well.

Here are a few knit items I managed to sew up in between this or that in the last week. All are from patterns I have used before, so that made them go even quicker and use up less brain power. Not to mention I am so tired and foggy these days that I can't even bring myself to read and/or figure out anything new. Lazy sewing at its best!

Floral Tank and Color Blocked Yoga Pants

Pattern(s): Ottobre Woman 2/2007 #1 tank top and heavily modified Kwik Sew 3155 yoga pants (based on a pair of well-fitting yoga pants I already had).

Fabric: Floral and solid cotton lycra from Fabric.com, cotton lycra french terry from JOS co-op. The french terry didn't have quite enough lycra in it to function well as a yoga waistband, so I used the purple cotton lycra instead. I actually like to wear it up over my belly for the insta-spanx effect, but it does look cuter down. Unfortunately I have to massively suck in my ripped up stomach muscles (thanks, kids!) to make that look work though, so most of the time I opt for comfort.



Gotta have the back view, right?? What's the point of yoga pants if they don't flatter your rear? Okay, okay, my pants should probably not be this tight, but for some reason I gained a few extra lbs. over the Winter, so my clothes are a little sluttier than usual these days. :p

Instead of doing a binding on the tank top, I just added 3/8" to the neckline and armholes, pressed it under, and top stitched with my coverstitch machine. I love how it turned out and it was actually easier than dealing with a bunch of long, fiddly binding strips. I recently purchased a clear foot for my coverstitch, so I was able to get my hems nice and even without all the cursing and swearing that my old opaque foot demanded.


Floral Sundress

Pattern: Simplicity 3882. This pattern is at least 3 years old, and was one of the first knit projects I ever sewed. When I first bought it, I remember thinking, "gee, this pattern goes a little far into 80s territory." Silly me.

Since this was my third time making this pattern, I finally cut the humongous 5/8" seam allowances down to 1/4" on my pattern tracings. I hate huge seam allowances on knits. Also, now that I have a serger, I don't do casings anymore. I serge and topstitch all my elastic on, just like you would on a swimsuit. I cut the elastic pieces a few inches shorter than indicated to account for the extra stretching out.

Fabric: Floral cotton lycra from Fabric.com.

That lace you see at the top is not part of the dress, it's part of a $2 Old Navy cami I'm wearing underneath. This dress doesn't have enough bra coverage unless you have a demi-cup, and I pretty much only have t-shirt bras. Ideally I should just sew some old bra cups in, but I'm too lazy. So right now now I just have a mess of 3 different colored straps going on. Whatevs.



That's all for now. I still have charcoal gray in all my machines from the yoga pants, so I think my next project will be a light Summer hoodie for DS out of the scraps. Until then!