Category: Handmade

Handmade, Intimates.

Valentine’s Day Satin and Lace Cami & Shorts Set.

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I finally got my sewjo back, it’s really hard to sew when you don’t have anywhere to go. Watching sewists on Instagram sharing their Valentine’s Day projects gave me a little inspiration. I made this cute pajama set using a hot pink satin I got long ago, can’t even remember where I bought it. Let me tell you this fabric feels amazing! Funny story I was trying on the shorts and I asked the hubby how I looked, he responded those look like pajamas. Well I usually wear just an old tee and my undies to bed so he was surprised 😆

For the camisole I slightly modified The Ogden Cami by True Bias. I cut a size 6, I substituted the lining with bias tape. I thought that will make them comfortable to sleep on, since I don’t like clothes touching my skin while I try to sleep. The tape was long enough to make the straps all in one piece. Then added bra sliders because that makes it so much easier. I also added this cute lace I got super cheap at my local fabric store. The shorts are self drafted and came together real quick. Every beginner sewist has made a pair of elastic waist pajamas so this are made the same way just short. If you know, you know.

Then the moment of truth, how do I take cute sexy pictures when I’m a dork? If you’re anything like me this might come handy one day, let me share some tips with you:

First find a well lighted corner and clean it up. Those spider webs on the corner aren’t sexy darling. Then start posing!

Second: watch an episode of Wanda Vision and make sure they’re are comfy.

Third: Look out the window and wonder if your across the street neighbors can see your shenanigans. Give zero F**ks.

Last but not least: lay down looking magnificent AF and smile at the camera because one day you’ll love to see how cute and young you were. Then proceed to take a nap. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Whatever that is for you and don’t forget to love yourself! 💕

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Handmade, Sewing

New Look 6035

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Hello Everyone! I made this cute jacket a couple of weeks ago using New Look 6035. Somehow I thought I had made a post about it but didn’t. Better late than never I guess. Last month I lost my all my sewing motivation and when it came back I had the need for a blazer. That makes no sense but the heart wants what it wants. The fabric is a type of crepe from Joann’s and it’s kind of stiff. All the crepe types I’ve used in the past were softer and had drape. I ordered this fabric online and picked it up at the store and I didn’t look at it until I was home. I thought it would softened in the wash, it didn’t, not sure where I got that idea from. Love how it turned out and I’m definitely going to wear the heck out of it.

I added welt pockets not only because I liked them but also I can pass an opportunity to practice them. This jacket is really perfect to practice some basic tailoring skills. This doesn’t come with a lining so there’s no need to fuss over one, I did add a lining though. Well I did it because I was too lazy to bind the seams. I cut a size 8 and the sleeves were very narrow, I didn’t lined those. This jacket would look great in a linen with pretty bias tape on the seams. Next time I would use a linen and bind the seams, I would also make my sleeves wider.

I just bind the armholes, still looked good.

Overall this is a cute and simple light jacket that looks great with jeans. This will also look great over a sundress. So many possibilities.

Handmade, Pants, Sewing, Tops

Cami & Pant Set Simplicity 9114 by Mimi G Style.

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Hello everyone I’m back! I’m usually eager for Fall to arrive but not this year, 2020 owes me a whole Summer..LOL Feels like we skipped a Season or two. I’m going to start transitioning my Summer sewing to Fall slowly, starting with this Cami and Pant set Simplicity 9114. Inspired by Mimi G herself and Brittany J Jones, two of my favorite sewing bloggers in that order. Check These babies out…

Love the high waist pants and the spaghetti straps on the top. I cut a size 10 for the pants and a size 8 for the top. I will make a size 12 for the pants next time, I forgot about my Covid weight and I could use more room. I added one inch to the length of the top, I’m not comfortable showing my belly because of an ugly scar. Looking at the photos I noticed that the pants covered that, so next time I’ll use the pattern as is. For the pants I decreased the length by three inches. I also shortened the front crotch by one inch and added that to the back. These are my usual modifications for any Mimi G pants pattern.

This is not the actual pattern it is just a quick drawing to show my modifications to the crotch.
Check out my cute button…

Let me tell you a little about the insides of the trousers. I finish the pockets with French seams, I love how they look even though only I can see them. I finish the the waistband and the hems by hand. I could have used bias tape but I’m just too lazy for that. I used a Rayon Crepe fabric I had in my stash left over from a jumpsuit I did last year. Back when I was buying too much of the same fabric.

That’s it! Thanks for reading, I’ll be back real soon!

Handmade, Sewing

DIY Black Lace Corset Dress.

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Hello everyone, I’m finally sharing my corset dress which I started early May. I soon realized I needed materials and at the time most stores were closed. I was determined to keep myself occupied so I decided I was going to make it with whatever I had in my stash. That was really the most challenging part. I had to take many shortcuts but the end result was still great.

The foam I used for the cups came from an Etsy shop called The Bra Makery. I have actually ordered some bra supplies sometime before because I want to make a backless strapless bra. I used Simplicity 1183 pattern for the bodice. The only modification I did was to shortened the pattern on the waist line. For the lining I used a poly cotton , which was really my muslin, again trying to use what I had available. I also used a jersey knit for the bodice interlining and the skirt lining, honestly this was perfectly acceptable.

I sewed the boning on the outside because I liked how it looked. My only regret is not making new channels for the boning using satin fabric that I actually have. My original idea was to make it strapless but I needed a bit of extra support (cough lift cough) so I added straps last minute. Really not the best way to add straps but they served their purpose and I’m ok with that. Not bad for an afterthought, I’ve told you shortcuts were taken..🤣

The bottom is just a gathered skirt, there are plenty of tutorials in YouTube if you need them, it is just a rectangle. I used my waist measurement plus one, for seam allowance, times two. So basically W + 1 x 2. I love how it came out but sadly I haven’t been able to were it anywhere fun. Damn you Covid!

Handmade, Mix & Match, Sewing, Uncategorized

Sew It & Mix It.

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Today I want to share my latest creations, New Look 6055 & Simplicity 8925. Both of these pieces are very basic but have endless matching possibilities. I really needed to make shorts since only a few fit me this year. There’s no way I can blame this on Covid 19, honestly it’s been happening for a while I was on denial. Most of my adult life I have struggled with weight gain so I’m not about to complain now. I see this as an opportunity to create a whole new wardrobe.

The pictures I took inside didn’t show the actual color of the fabric so I had to wait until my photographer (son) was available. Both of these pieces were easy to sew , perfect for beginners. I initially wanted the longer version of the shorts but I quickly realized they were very unflattering so I chopped up the length about 3 inches. I cut a size 14 for my now 30″ waist. The kimono wrap style top pattern is intended for knit fabric so I had to sized up. I cut a medium for the waist down and XS for the upper portion. I also shortened the sleeves 3 inches. Now time to Mix & Match…

  • Orange Linen Fabric: Michael Levine Fabrics.
  • Cropped Flare Jeans: Express.com
  • Cami top: Walmart.
  • Orange heels: Goodwill.
  • Animal print sneakers: Walmart.

Handmade, Jeans, PDF Patterns

Ginger Jeans By Closet Case Patterns.

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Happy Monday everyone! Today’s outfit consist of jeans and a T shirt as usual. I’m wearing the Ginger Jeans by Closet Case patterns, I made these for a collaboration with Sewn Magazine last year. I just wanted to share a quick review along with a couple of tips and of course some pictures. Even though I don’t like sewing jeans I’m always amazed by the fact that I can make them.

Closet Case Ginger Jeans.

Jean Type: Skinny.

Fabric used: medium weight 70% cotton 25% polyester 5% spandex from Joann’s Fabrics.

Fit modifications: I made view B, high rise & skinny leg. I shortened the length on the back by the pockets. Something I never done before. The pattern comes with a line that makes this adjustment easy. 

Sewing tips for this pattern: I highly recommend a making a muslin, it’s important that you use the same type of fabric you’ll be using for the final piece. I used denim with very little stretch and I end up with a lot of extra fabric on the back area. It was an easy fix but unnecessary.

Is there anything you would do differently if you used this pattern again? I would shorten the legs another inch. I’m 5’4″ tall to give an idea.

Would you recommend this pattern? Yes! I must mention that this pattern comes with a tutorial but I didn’t have access to it.

Quick Tips:

  1. Pre wash your denim, you don’t want your jeans shrinking after all the hard work you put into making them.
  2. Make a muslin! Trust me it will save you a lot of time if you don’t have to undo topstitching due to poor fit.
  3. Use a heavy duty or Jeans needle.
  4. Topstitch using a longer stitch and use regular thread for the bobbin. Don’t backstitch secure your thread on the wrong side of the garment.
  5. Keep your seam reaper close and don’t be afraid to use it. Take as many breaks as you need and don’t stress about it.
Handmade, Sewing, skirt

Mini Denim Skirt-Simplicity 8994.

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My denim skirt was inspired by Brittany J Jones post on Instagram. Brittany is one of my favorite sewing bloggers and her skirt was so cute I just had to make one. This Pattern by Mimi G Style, Simplicity 8994, comes with three options: Jacket, skirt and knit top. The skirt features front flapped pockets and a fly-front zipper.

I cut a size 12 and the fit was perfect, this based on the finished garment measurements. I didn’t like how big the pockets were so I made them a bit smaller and I placed them a half an inch higher. I modify the pockets by simply cutting them as a rectangle. I used a medium weight denim from my stash, only one yard was needed which was exactly what I have left from a previous project.

I think this skirt would be great as a golf skirt, perhaps you can put your balls in those big pockets. 😂 They were definitely big enough for my hot Cheetos. I couldn’t help myself and did a contrasting topstitching and I love how it turned out.

Overall this is a great pattern for intermediate sewists, this is based on the front fly zipper. The instructions were easy to follow and very straight forward. Also don’t forget this is a Mimi G pattern so you can always sew along with her on You Tube, for this pattern the beautiful Brittany was the one recording the video. You can watch the sew along here.

Handmade, Pants, Sewing

Wide Leg Pants-Mc Call’s 7661

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Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I want to share my latest creation, these awesome wide leg pants using McCall’s 7661. I was pleasantly surprised how easy these were to sew. I chose view C, the sash is what makes these pair special, they’re are high waisted, pleated on the front and have darts on the back. Oh and they have pockets!

This avocado green lightweight linen from my stash is perfect for the transition from Summer to Fall sewing. This color is bright but it gives that Fall color feel, You know what I mean? Funny I thing my kitchen walls are exactly the same color. 😄 I paired them with this old RTW top, I love this one so much I’m going to recreate it soon.

Can you tell I love pants?

I cut a size 14 based on the waistband measurement, my waist is 29″, but I ended up sizing down to a 12 only at the waist. I used an invisible zipper just because I like them better than regular ones. I finished the sash edges with a narrow hem, this was the first time using this particular presser foot on my Baby Lock and it was so easy to use. I forgot to shorten the length when I cut my fabric so I had to cut 2” before hemming, for the record I’m 5′ 3/4″..😂

I forgot to take pictures from the back but I hope you get the idea. I will definitely make these again, next time I’ll use lighter fabric like a crepe or a charmeuse. This is a great pattern for advanced beginners, I highly recommend it!

Handmade, Sewing, Wrap dress

Another Wrap Dress – Simplicity 8735

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Happy Monday everyone! I have been very busy but I’m finally back to sewing. I return from vacation and I started by cleaning my sewing area, which by the way is in the living room, so I can make space for some fabric I bought in Los Angeles. My fabric stash isn’t big but fabric starts to pile up quickly so I immediately started sewing. Before I left for vacation I cut a few patterns and the first one on my list was Simplicity 8735. This is only my second wrap dress, I don’t know why because they’re so cute and easy to make. I picked the long version with short sleeves in this Liverpool double knit I got from Fabric.com.

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This dress feautures princess seams, has darts on the back bodice as well as the skirt front and back. This also comes with lenght and sleeves variations along with two skirt options slim or flared. The pattern also comes with separate pieces for B, C, and DD cups, which I think they’re very useful. knit and woven fabrics are suggested for this pattern, I decided to used this lighweight Liverpool Knit and it worked fine. I cut a size 6 for the top and 8 for the bottom, I would size up if using a non-stretch fabric. For refernce my measurements are 33 bust and 29 waist.

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The instructions are very straightforward and easy to follow. The only thing I did differently was adding a 1″ interfacing strip to the front edge of the skirt, this makes hemming a lot easier for me. Knits are the devil and thats all I got say about that. Overall this is a great pattern, I highly recommend it and will definitely sew it again soon!

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Handmade, PDF Patterns, Sewing

The Rosalinda Dress – Rosy Peña Patterns.

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The Rosalinda Dress from Rosy Peña is the free pattern for the March/April issue of Sewn Magazine . One of my sewing goals for 2019 was to use more PDF patterns so I decided to give it a try. I printed the Rosalinda pattern at home because it only had 32 pages. It took me about 2 hours, included a run to the store because as usual I ran out of ink. The tapping takes me forever, definitely not the best thing for people with ADHD. I actually sent a few PDF patterns to an online printing service recommended by a fellow Sewist, (you can find it here) the shipping was fast and was very inexpensive. No more tapping for me. Let’s go back to the Rosalinda shall we?

This is a semi-fitted dress featuring a wide mock-neck or roll collar, center front and center back seams, and deep curved armholes. I used the front seam to my advantage by doing a chevron pattern using this striped fabric from my stash. I forgot the name of my fabric but it is very similar to a Liverpool Knit. I cut size XXS for the top and XS for the skirt. I only had a small issue, the armholes were gapping a little so I did the adjustment by the collar because I didn’t want to undo my side seams.

This is a very easy pattern, the instructions were simple and straightforward. This will definitely work best with medium weight fabrics for that loose fitting effect. This is the second time I work with stripped fabric and I had to brag about how good my lines matched. Figuring out the cutting layout takes a while but once you tackled that part the sewing is easy. I will make a little tutorial of how I matched these lines so check back soon. I can see a color blocking version of this in my future. Overall this a great pattern, I love how easy it is to sew and how versatile it is. You can put on heels and wear it to a cocktail party or put on snickers and take it to a ball game.

I highly recommend this pattern!