Categotry Archives: sewing

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BIRTHDAY GIFTS

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Well today is my mom’s birthday (it’s also my oldest sister’s birthday, but I don’t have a project related to that). As a gift, I made her a coiled fabric bowl using her favorite colors. Most of the fabrics are silks, with a few cotton strips thrown in for good measure.

green and coral silk bowl green and coral silk bowl

This was the first time I’ve used a color scheme for a bowl, and I must say that I’m very happy with how it turned out. I may even do this again. I will definitely be incorporating more silks into my bowls. The luminosity of the fabric really gives the finished bowl panache.

green and coral silk bowl detail green and coral silk bowl detail

One side of the bowl was sewn with yellow thread and the other side with pink, which accounts for the fabulous tonal differences.

silk birthday

In addition to the bowl I sent 2 yards of each of these fabrics, which should be enough for her to make whatever she wants. From top to bottom, there is elastic lace, a coral charmeuse, a dupiani, champagne diamond stitched silk, light green bamboo, a medium-weight silk, another emerald charmeuse.

Happy birthday Mom and Mel!

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ANNIE'S STRIPED DRESS

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Here’s another version of my striped dress, made for my friend Annie. I used a gray and blue striped jersey that we have at Fabric Planet now (brought from the warehouse specifically for this dress!).

we're all cat ladies around here

Annie's striped dress Annie's striped dress Annie's striped dress

Annie requested that the neckline on her’s be a little lower “to shake what is is my mama gave me,” and shake it she does.

The shorter sleeves and lower neck give the dress a 50s ballerina feel, which is why the pockets don’t quite work on this incarnation of the dress. Annie’s dress turned out so well that I was incredibly tempted to make myself another dress with the extra fabric, but I don’t want repeats in my wardrobe, and what scandal there would be if we were to show up at a bar in matching dresses!

Annie's striped dress

Actually now that I think about it, it would be fabulous.

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PURPLE STRETCH DENIM SKIRT

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Lately I’ve felt that there’s a gap in my wardrobe: a durable skirt that works for biking as well as out-and-about, something durable with scissor-sized pockets for work, and in a versatile color and fabric for year-round wear. I’m really happy with the design of this skirt, which I feel is vaguely utili-kilt-y, but in a good way.

purple denim skirt purple denim skirt from behind purple denim skirt

I used a grayish-lavender stretch denim twill from Fabric Planet. As is my habit when working with denim, I used the “wrong” side of the fabric so that the tell-tale diagonal weave is on the inside of the skirt.

purple denim skirt detail The skirt is made out of four panels, with a waistband that dips down to a button placket in the front and two lined back pockets. I’m really happy with the stretchiness of the fabric in the waistband–it is so comfortable! I used an elastic lace as hem tape, which work surprisingly well. I stretched the elastic slightly as I was sewing it to the cut bottom, which pulled in the flair of the skirt when I flipped the hem up. There was no bunching or gathering.

I sewed the buttonholes by hand because I usually don’t like the way buttonholes turn out on stretch fabric when I use my machine. All the stitching is done in a fuchsia thread that gives the skirt a bit of a kick.

The only drawback I’ve discovered is that this fabric is a lint magnet. I can’t just brush off the inevitable threads and clippings that I generate on a constant basis–instead I have to get out a strip of packing tape. This isn’t really a big deal, but it’s something for me to consider in the future.

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