Category: RTW Fast

RTW Fast 2015


Jul
2015

Behind The Seams- Nautical Shorts

categories: Behind The Seams, RTW Fast

So I am still in awe of the amazing fabric I found at Hobby Lobby when I went shopping for my 4th of July outfit. I picked up this amazing cotton navy fabric with anchors on it. Lately I have been obsessed with anchors. It all started on Mothers Day in Charleston when my hubby and daughter took me shopping. My husband must have been giggling inside as he knows I don’t like shopping, and barely ever spend any money (except on fabric). I saw an anchor necklace I liked, but it was kinda cheap and cheerful (quality wise), so I didn’t get it. But then next week I found the cutest anchor charm bracelet and ended up gifting that to myself.

Back to the GORGEOUS fabric.  Look… Just L@@K! Isnt it just beautiful?

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I decided to use Mccalls M6756 that was sitting in my pattern stash.  To make sure my fabric is straight and not slanting, I placed the pattern piece such that the grain line ran through the anchors. And yes, that IS a tomato I am using as a pattern weight. What can I say, I work on my kitchen island, so I grab whatever is available 😀 Haha!

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I decided to make a muslin because I have never sewn a pair of shorts before. Well, maybe in fashion school but that was a long time ago.

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I also realized that I don’t have many shorts in my wardrobe. All I have is these el cheapo and el micro shorts from last summer and this summer I am quite surprised that as a momma of one, I ever wore these. The only other pair of shorts I have are these, and while they are nice, I did not make them.

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Like my pretty toes? Thanks! That’s my DIY pedicure 🙂

The muslin was quick to sew up. These shorts call for a faux front fly zipper. so I pinned in along the centre front. Looks a lot better on me. This dress form has bigger hips than mine, thus the tightness that is causing the wrinkles on the crotch.  As much as I would LOVE a custom dress form, those run around a thousand dollars. Do you know how many diapers that could buy? So for now, I fit my garments on myself…

IMG_7814Now I have sewn pants before, but I usually stay away from those with a front fly zipper, mainly because it’s a more complex construction technique than an invisible zipper,  and I have always been afraid of wrinkles in the centre front. Remember these pants Haley Berry wore a while back? I like to call this “Mister crotch pants phenomenon”. No body wants that.

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Back to my shorts… I should have them done by tomorrow and get to wear them over the weekend! Yay!

What are you guys working on for the weekend and what do you plan to wear, and how do you plan to style it? Whatever you do, stay fashionable!

-XOXO


Jul
2015

French Sailor Inspired DIY Dress- Navy Blue and White Stripes

categories: RTW Fast, Tutorials, What I made

The 4th of July totally inspired me to sew with stripes and I decided to make a dress inspired by the French Sailors shirt. Initially I thought I would make a boat neckline, but ended up going with my very favourite scoop neck.  Here is what I came up with.

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Love Love LOVE the three-quarter sleeve length on this and the fitted silhouette. I actually wanted more ease to begin with but i never feel “put together” unless I have a good fit.. so I took it in some.IMG_7794

Here is the back view. I think this pattern is simple and sews up beautifully but definitely has a good amount of ease. The last time I sewed with this pattern, I ended up adding a centre back seam to accomplish a better fit. I skipped that step here becuase I would have to match up the stripes on one more seam (“Ain’t no body got time for dat”) 🙂

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I previously made a high low black dress HERE using the same pattern . I already had the pattern cut up so I ended up re-using it. This is an easy pattern to sew up and is great for beginners.

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I actually started making this on the 4th of July, but finished it yesterday while my kiddo napped. I took her to a local kids library and wore her out. She slept extra long so mommy could sew!

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I did not have to do much to style this dress. It is so chic on its own! I threw on some nude pumps and these beautiful silver meenakari earrings that are a gift from my mum. I kept the makeup fairly simple with a dark eye and nude lips.IMG_7806

Here is my inspiration pic for this dress, minus the midriff. Mine turned out pretty nice, me thinks..

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Hope you all had a lovely 4th of July! We celebrated freedom by having some friends over and lighting kids sized fireworks and cooking out! I was super delighted to serve up veggies from my garden!

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PATTERN: I used Mccalls M6886 view C . I did not do any pattern alterations. The dress was bit on the waist, so I took it in by one inch on each side and pegged in the hem about an inch on each side as well. I cut the size 6

FABRIC: I used a seasonal knit from Hobby Lobby. You can find similar fabrics HERE, HERE and HERE. The fabric I used was fairly thin and kind of see through. To get around that I undelined all the pattern pieces with a tissue knit before sewing them together.

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Underlining a fabric totally changes its body and drape. I liked it a lot better when it was thicker. If you are a beginner, I suggest using a thicker knit, or double knit or a ponte knit if you can. They are more stable than the thinner knits and makes sewing easier!

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SEWING: The dress is easy to sew. You can use this technique to sew the dress up. For the hem, you can use a twin needle or a cover stitch. I used a coverstitch machine to finish the hem and neckline.

You can also see another version of this dress I made HERE.  The rest of my sewing tutorials can be found HERE.

I hope that this inspired you to create something! Until next time,

XOXO

 


Jul
2015

I’m feeling (Navy) Blue….

categories: Behind The Seams, Mommy and Me, RTW Fast

So…. I’ve been wanting a navy blue and white striped dress for such a long time. I really wanted to make one for Memorial Day, but the local fabric stores have such a sad selection of knits. And I really don’t buy fabric online much. Here are some of the looks I would LOVE to sew up:

This one below, but I would sew it up a one piece dress instead of a skirt and crop top. I love the thin stripes on this. It’s so chic and reminds me of a French Sailor’s shirt. I think I would make this with a boat neck instead of a round neck

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Here is another look I love, with thicker stripes:2db54a2f3a63d63861c764ead03b7b52

These would sew up beautifully with McCall’s M668 that I previously used HERE

Love this dress to.So effortless, yet so chic. Love the pockets too!

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I have a bit over two yards of the fabric with thing stripes.. so I am hoping I can get a dress AND a tee or tank top out of it. How cute is this look below?

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So Memorial Day came and went, and it’s hard to believe, but Independence Day is this weekend! Anyhooz.. today when my kid went down for her nap, I sat down at my desk and decided it was time to make the navy blue and white striped dress. But we are one day away from the weekend, and even if I opted for overnight shipping, I still would not have enough time to get my dress done by Friday. I was feeling inspired, so I shopped for fabric. I found three beautiful fabrics on girlcharlee.com

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Fabric: I figured for the 4th, I would use some navy and white fabric and somehow make do. But then I went to Hobby Lobby in the evening to get somegol paint and found lots of nautical theme fabric! I’ll be using one of the two striped fabrics for my outfit for the 4th. But check out the anchor fabric! That is for a pair of shorts for me and matching dress for my little girl! I also got a navy knit in case I decide to make a bow for my kid. All this and I went in to by a tube of paint! You can also find similar fabric HERE, HERE and HERE

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Pattern: I will use a tested and tried pattern Mccalls M668 that I used previously to make THIS dress.

Hope you are planning to have a LOVELY weekend. Happy Independence Day!

-XOXO


May
2015

Another Day, Another Dress – McCALLS M6957

categories: RTW Fast, What I made

After a month of purchasing my coverstitch machine, I finally made some time today to sit down and test it out. It’s been sitting in my studio all this time and if I can be completely honest, I have been scared to enter my sewing room. My sewing rooms looks like it threw up on itself. I really need to spend some time getting my fabric and patterns organized.

Anyways, moving on to the fun stuff.. this little red dress was another UFO (Unfinished Object) hiding in my closet. so I decided to finish it today. Design details below if you want to make your own!IMG_7571

I have had this dress in my UFO stash for at least eight months. . All it needed was hemming, so I used this an opportunity to use the cover stitch and have a new garment in 10 minutes! Talk about instant gratification.

I paired this dress with my favourite (faux) snake-skin pumps and a brown and tan belt with gold hardware.

 

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And of course no outfit is complete without oversized sunnies and a handbag.. so I added these sunnies…IMG_7580 IMG_7582

And this vegan leather bag.. (although I dont know what exactly vegan leather means..)IMG_7588

I will do a detailed review of the coverstitch machine soon. For now, here are more details of the dress.

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PATTERN:I made this dress using Mcalls M6957. This is an easy pattern and excellent for beginners.

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FABRIC: I used an interlock knit from Joanns Fabrics.

SEWING: This dress was fairly simple to sew and is a good project for beginners.Only pattern pieces are front, back and sleeve. I omitted the belt. I also self faced the front of the bodice only. For the the hem, I used a coverstich. You can also finish the hem using with a twin needle. See my tutorial HERE. If you are a beginner, you can use this easy technique to attach the sleeves seen HERE

I hope you enjoyed this! Happy Friday and have a lovely weekend!!

Until next time

-XOXO


May
2015

Easy DIY Ruffled Lace Tank Tutorial with Linen Pants

categories: RTW Fast, Tutorials, What I made

Hello and Happy May! Hard to believe it’s May already! Its my birthday month and I am going to celebrate all month long by sewing!

I wanted to share with you a really quick and easy DIY project. This is a ruffled tank with a lace embellishment around the neckline. I made this tank about three years ago and it has been a wardrobe staple ever since. Simple instructions on how to make your own below!

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I like this look with or without the nautical belt. This is such an effortless look, yet it is stylish and chic. I mean, we are talking a tank top and linen pants, but the lace around the neck and arms make this tank so dressy and dainty.

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Love the fact that these pants are not only wide leg, but they have a bit of a flare towards the bottom. The pants are unlined. I did not make these pants, but I did alter them to fit. IMG_6922*

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This tank top is so versatile and it can be worn so many ways! I have worn this tank top so many different ways. I wore it pre-pregnancy:

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I wore it during my pregnancy, it stretched as I did!

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I even wore it to my pregnancy shoot! I wore it with jeans, maxi skirts, shorts, and I am still wearing it today!

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I wore it for Mothers Day brunch last year (what’s with that look on my kids face? Must be poop-face :))

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Easy DIY instructions below for anyone that is interesting in getting this look:

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SUPPLIES: Any tank top, lace trim. You  can find lace time and fabric and craft stores like Joanns, Hancocks and Hobby Lobby.

SEWING:

Step 1: Start with a flat piece of lace trim and then create pleats in the lace about 1.5 inches apart as shown below. IMG_1415

IMG_1413Once the lace is pleated, it can easily be bent into a curve as shown below:

Step 2: Place the pleated trim on the neckline from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. Fold the lace under on the edges for a clean finish. Pin in place.

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Step 3: Sew the pleated lace onto the neckline from shoulder seam to shoulder seam and fold the edges of the lace under for a clean finish as shown below:

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Final Step: Wear it and show it off!! What a super simple diy project. This would be so cute to wear to brunch with jeans and a string of pearls, or for a shopping day out with the girls! The tank I used was a $8 tank I had picked up from Old Navy many moons ago. This would also look so cute in black. Instead of using lace, you can use any fabric trim, or even scrap fabric! This is also such an easy and cute DIY for mommy and me outfits. I think I might just make one for my kid!

To view the rest of my tutorials, click HERE

I hope you enjoyed this DIY and I  hope this inspired you!! Have a lovely rest of the week.

-XOXO

 


Apr
2015

Handmade Grey Tee with Wilted Bow

categories: Pattern Making, RTW Fast, What I made

Happy Friday!!! After a week of rain , the sun is out for the last few days! The weather is nice and warm! Can’t believe I haven’t sewn much since Easter, but I just needed the break. I was working on my garden a few weeks ago and now I am sot o ready to jump back into sewing. Here is a simple grey tee I previously made. It’s a really simple DIY as it has a bit of a cap sleeve, so there are only two main seams in this top. Design details below:

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I paired it with a black shorts with gold exposed zippers. On the top itself, I used black contrasting thread for the hemming. I used a zigzag hem for the neckline and the armholes, but if you want a more professional and cleaner finish, you can opt for hemming with a twin needle HERE. The shoes are this cute snake print. They are interesting, but not overstated.

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My favorite part of this tee is this wilted bow I added on the left shoulder. I love casual and comfortable clothes that can be stylish as well. This would be so perfect for brunch with the girls or shopping day out! I made the bow using two rectangle pieces of the same knit fabric. I sewed them all around the perimeter, leaving a two-inch gap, then flipped it right side out, manipulated the fabric to add some pleats and then hand tacked it on to the shoulder. I wanted both parts of the bow to fall over to the front. I called it a wilted bow 🙂

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This was such a simple project. It took about 20 minutes to complete. I actually had some mens X-Large t-shirts I had purchased at Target last year and this was made using that T-shirt. Sometimes it’s easier and cheaper to re-purpose existing clothes then creating from scratch.

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This top would also be cute with a black circle skirt i previously made HERE.

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Believe me when I say this, this has to be one of the easiest projects for beginners:

FABRIC: I re-purposed a mens t-shirt from Target that I purchased a while back but you can use any knit fabric or you can re-purpose a t-shirt of your choice:

PATTERN: I actually used a tank top I had in my closet and placed it on top of the existing t-shirt and cut around it. The front and the back are the same pattern. When I got to the shoulders, I slightly extended the shoulders, creating a “faux” cap sleeve.

SEWING: No sleeves to sew!! All you have to do is sew up the side seams and then hem! For the bow, I used two rectangle pieces of the same knit fabric. I sewed them all around the perimeter, leaving a two-inch gap, then flipped it right side out, manipulated the fabric to add some pleats and then hand tacked it on to the shoulder.

You can see the rest of my tutorials HERE

I hope you enjoyed this post. Happy Friday from me to you!

-XOXO

 


Apr
2015

A Time Lapse Video: The Making of a Dress

categories: Behind The Seams, RTW Fast, What I made

HI Gals!

Happy Friday!

I am taking a break from sewing this week to work on my garden. It was so hot yesterday and I only got to plant two plants. Today is cloudy, so I am going to take advantage of the weather and do some gardening.

I wanted to share with you a time lape video I recorded last weekend when I was making my dress. Take a journey behind the seams with me and see what goes into make a dress from scratch. This is obviosuly very different than how Ready To Wear is made, which is done in an assembly setting. I hope you enjoy!

Happy Friday!!! And Happy Sewing. The weekend is here. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

The actual post about this dress is HERE

-XOXO

 

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