Coupon Deals!

This week Joann is have a "coupon commotion" and I have plans. :D Well first off with my birthday money. Funny you still get birthday money and look forward to it as an adult because you get to buy things you wouldn't normally splurge on or your budget won't let you. :'( Silly budget.

With some money from my mother in-law I got these slick scissors. I absolutely adore them! They cut like a hot knife through butter with all of the fabrics I have used so far. Nothing heavy like denim or wool but I am sure it wouldn't be bothered. Plus, they have a lifetime guarantee; they just have to be sharpened. :D

So very pretty!

Then I have been eying some embroidery scissors because I have tailored a suit jacket and those little corners get tough! I managed it pretty well but it was harder because all I had at the time was some bulks scissors for what I was trying to do. 

With a coupon and my monthly allowance I compared online prices to in store. It was cheaper for me to get them at the store with my coupon compared to online though they are normally cheaper online. There was the choice between the crane and regular embroidery scissors but I am not really a bird person. All the more for those who are! :D 

So cute and curvy like me!

They came with a little leather covering that protects them and since they are Gingher lifetime warranty! :D Oh man. We get so few things that are a life guarantee these days that I treasure them even more. 

2 gingher scissors= 25 bucks spent. :D

That's the regular price of just one of their scissors. I did a happy dance and nearly hugged the cashier but it was AWESOME!

I have been away for a while because I have been busy sewing! :D I tailored four pairs of dress pants and a suit coat. I am currently working on a bathrobe and afterward I have some superhero sweatshirts to whip up before the end of October. 

I have more 50% off coupons that I am going to put towards some lining in a dress I will make after or while also making the sweatshirts. I still have birthday money I am planning to buy some more sewing books and some shoes hopefully. :D

Always compare, watch, and strike when necessary for awesome deals! :D Enjoy your week and I'll post about the dress pants next time. :D

Mrs. Feisty

V8882 Green Skirt & Invisible Zipper Tutorial

I made the same skirt as before. With the pink one I did it with Mastermind and now that we have thousands of miles between us I cannot resume my class with her. To ensure I was paying attention I did this one all by myself.

I always go through the clearance section of fabric and got this green fabric for a killer price. :D Since I didn't have to buy a new pattern but use the old one I saved money that way. It turned out really well and I did get stuck at parts but luckily I have this blog with posts on how to do stuff. The pleats made me pause then I was like, "Oh yeah check the blog!" Then I was on my happy way.

I have also learned that the more you iron the better the product. I hated ironing with a passion when I started sewing because it felt like the most unproductive thing. But now I just put on a podcast or movie and iron away. :D

I am going to add some embroidery along the hem in a ivy leaf pattern. I haven't figured it out completely but I post that as well when it is finished. What I forgot to post about was how to do the invisible zipper.

Invisible Zipper Tutorial

1. Sew 1/2 inch from edge of fabric from top of fabric to bottom markings to where it is supposed to end.

2. Iron edge flat then lay the back flat and separate the edges apart from each other and iron really well.

3. Pin the zipper to where you think you want it situated on the back. Then flip it over and see if the bottom of the zipper is aligned with the bottom of the zipper markings.

4. Once you have it figured out pin it really well and make sure the zipper is aligned to the small gap between the folded fabric edges.

5. Now that it is ready move your needle to the farthest it will go to the side of your zipper foot. It took some messing around the sewing machine for me to figure out how to do it on my machine.

6. Now take a scrap of fabric and run it as practice under the machine to make sure it is doing okay.

7. If the needle is on the far right I want the zipper foot pressed as close as possible to the left side of the zipper and make sure the zipper tab is flipped up or it will cause a bulge farther down the zipper. And sew downward then once you have reached the bottom with the needle in the fabric turn the fabric so that you are going to cross over the zipper. But DO NOT sew over the metal piece of the zipper because that will break your needle. Sew across and back then lift off the needle and cut your threads.

8. Same as 7 but you should have the needle to that farthest on the left pushing the right side of the zipper against it. Also go across at the bottom then snip the threads.

9. It should look like this. Once you are satisfied with your zipper undo the basting of the two edges in the middle.

10. Voila! Any questions or if I missed anything please don't hesitate to comment. The point of this is to guide others and then whenever I want to look back on how to do things.

           -Mrs. Feisty

Skirt Finished!

I wore it to an interview and I didn't have my hair done yet so that's why it isn't fancy. Anyways it is so cute! I picked up some light green fabric from Joann's to make another one with that isn't as transparent.

It is so much fun to wear as well when it's windy because it whips everywhere. The most difficult part of the skirt for me was hand stitching the waist band to the skirt. I was nervous about the pleats in the front but when Mastermind showed me how to do it I wasn't so scared anymore.

I got really stuck up about the zipper because I wanted it to look perfect. you see I did the zipper with mastermind and then I ripped it out because I was confused how some pieces were supposed to get together then I hulked out and ripped out every seam of the skirt we had done.

She saw it in shambles and nearly beat me. I didn't blame her. After ripping out all the seams I ate like 7 smores and some ice cream. Then I nearly cried and read a book. I was confused on some parts were being put together because I cut out the wrong front piece for the pattern.

So I cut out the right piece and sewed it all back together. And tada! :D I will try to get better pictures uploaded. I am entertaining an idea of making my own form to drape my work on so that it doesn't keep getting folded or thrown on stuff. Have any of you done that before? Below is a tutorial if you are interested.

                            Mrs. Feisty

Making your own dress form.
Do's and Don't for a dress form.

Welcome to the New Sewing Center!

Looks crazy right! Well we FINALLY moved out of my parents place into our own lovely apartment again. At my parents house I could spread my sewing madness across the whole house but here it can't get too far. We have a spare bedroom but we are still moving things around to try and make it our work room.

As you see there is a drying rack. I have found this very helpful to hold strips and folds of fabric while I sew instead of having the pieces folded up and waiting. They don't get very wrinkly when hanging so it lessens my ironing (YES!).  :D

On the table is a clear cutting mat my mother in-law is letting me borrow. It's bigger than my dining room table so I eventually just put it on the floor for the bigger measurements. On the right is my ironing center.

I got the ironing board for 5 bucks at the thrift store! Woohoo! :D A lot of the time when I am doing repetitive work i.e. ironing, hemming, or troubleshooting I will watch TV off my lap top on the wall edge in front of all my stuff.

Since we moved we have a lot to catch up on. I have sewn curtains twice, pillows, a skirt, and working on another skirt at the moment.

Curtains!

Our bedroom has blinds but they only work so well. I had some black out curtains I got from my parents and some maroon fabric to sew together for curtains. Our bedroom colors is beige and maroon.

So I ironed everything, measured, cut, pinned, and sewed the pieces together. And tada!

Oh wait, what is that? That's right, it's a stain. WHAT IN BLAZES! I remembered looking at the fabric while at Joann's and noticed some discoloration but thought it was weird light and she was too fast for me to look while she was cutting then I became distracted.

So I bought stained fabric. I know it wasn't my washer like many reading this are probably thinking. I know my washer and it has not failed me in any way.

Has this happened to any of you before? I hung it in the bathroom to show the stain because it wasn't showing as well against the window. Ignoring the stain you also notice some serious wrinkles.

Wrinkles? Those are things that you are only supposed to be what you get when you start to get old not in your fabric!

Needless to say I did everything but burn the curtains. I was . .  . . . possessed. Yes, that seems most fitting. I noticed the wrinkles and I tried in vain to get rid of them by repeatedly ripping out seams, crying, throwing objects, lots of ironing, tantrum throwing, stabbing my pearl pins into the couch.

You think thats scary? Bwahahahaha. I was so mad I was standing while sewing and saw the wrinkles form while I was sewing and just started proclaiming loudly into the air how much I loved wrinkles and screaming the word 'yes'. My neighbors were probably mortified. But I don't care.

Why not? Because it's my stained wrinkled curtains not theirs so I could do whatever I wanted. People don't believe me when I tell them I turn into a demon when I sew but I do.

I become cranky, high irritable, throw tantrums, and sometimes screaming. Why? Because I want it to be flawless. And that has caused many of you to laugh right now. But sewing and baking are the two things I am a perfectionist about.

Anyways, I remade the curtains. I bought real blackout and new maroon fabric and redid them. There are still a few wrinkles but not to the terrible degree like this. My poor husband hates working from home when I am sewing. He hides as much as he can because I turn into a demon. Who knew? :D

I will post a picture of the new curtains in my next post.


                                                Mrs. Feisty

Star Wars Bathrobe

I know it shouldn't have taken so long but I learned a great amount of things from doing a simple robe. I also wanted to see what would happen if we stuck to the pattern sizes without personalizing them.

As a result the shoulder's droop off Justin's shoulders which is not flattering if he's trying to strike a pose and it is not long enough for his size. These might be considered nit picky things but its the small things that could make a difference. I also accidentally put the belt loops too low on it. It basically ties around his high thigh. Lol.

I am very grateful to have it finished and he loves it so far. He wore it only for a bit. It is spring here in Western Washington and he got hot very quickly because of the fleece fabric. Which means it will be the perfect adornment during our winter stay in North Dakota this upcoming winter. :D

And it has good and bad guys on it so his allegiance is ambiguous. We are on different sides of the alliance. Duhn. Duhn. Duhn!

-Mrs. Feisty

Do it Twice to Assure its Nice

I cannot tell you how close the seam ripper and I have become. It's like we spend so much time together. Oh wait we do! I'm getting better at reading patterns or I'm reading easier ones to understand. Not sure which one, but either way I am having an easier time.

V-Neck Shirt Update

Still not done. I have ripped out the sleeves multiple times then re-stretching and mashing the fabric back together. Its a knit so it happily resumes it's previous state. I have yet again another ripping session this weekend. But I can't give up! I just can't stand defeat. I'm a sore loser and it's making me blood thirsty. But I can't make my sewing machine bleed because I'm the one pushing the pedal (Operator Error).

Skirt

We are moving on! Vogue is owned by McCalls who knew? I was reading the pattern pieces (kudos points right there) and it says, "Vogue copyright of McCalls Pattern Making". Ann's had a sale on Vogue patterns and I couldn't resist the 4.99 a piece price. Especially because I adore Vogue's styles. Not like I wear evening dresses everywhere (I would have fun doing that though).

I got the skirt pattern and Mastermind offered some fabric that didn't have a purpose yet. It is a delicate apricot color. I wear too much black and wish to wear colors so I am using it as an excuse for a new skirt. Plus, Mastermind wants to teach me to put in a zipper and do a hem.

So far we just have the pieces cut and I did the pleats. They were simple pleats so I was grateful for that. I'm excited to show you how it will turn out. :D

So you just match up the pieces and pin it in the middle of the circle then flip the top fabric piece backward. 

Once you have it flipped backward you mark it with tailors chalk so that you know where to have them match up.


Until next time. Oh and I rediscovered my sewing mojo. :)


-Mrs. Feisty

Heart Blanket

I love this knitted blanket a lot. But it had a hole and I didn't know what to do so time passed and then the hole was big enough for my calf to fit through. I got some remnant fabric from JoAnn's and cut it into a heart big enough to cover the hole. I then applied the same lesson for pleats of making identical marks and then lining them up.

Once I had both sides pinned I started sewing and tried different kinds of stitches and thread colors. I like it a lot. And I am very grateful that I can keep the blanket for longer. :D


-Mrs. Feisty

Terrible Behavior!

I had class today and I was a rotten child. I am still ashamed but I credit it to my lost sewing mojo. The sewing machine tried to tell me I was doing it wrong but really my mojo was gone. 

As a result I was snarky, tried to pass my sewing onto Mastermind and was rough with her. Ugh, I'm an utter Witch sometimes. It's like asking a goat to fart blueberries when she asks me to sew and it just isn't flowing no matter what I do. 

Is the shirt done? Nope. I didn't do my homework either so that set us back. I have even more homework as a result of my procrastination skills seeping past the deadlines. You would think I would learn after college and all but I'm dense. lol. 

I can't even look at my sewing machine right now without scowling with disdain and when nobody is looking I stick my tongue out at it like a child. 

Besides my dreadful actions we did accomplish a lot of figuring out our next project which is a skirt. :D It's a pretty apricot color. I can't wait to introduce you to it next week. So forgive me for my foul attitude I've lost my sewing mojo and I will return to lucidity when I find it. ;D 

You are welcome to rebel and curse me in the comments below in sympathy for Mastermind's suffering today. :D

               -Mrs. Feisty

A New Source!

Projects are still in the making so don't panic. My procrastination has caused us all grief. However in my last session with Mastermind she presented me with a book she found at the thrift store.

Don't you feel fancy? It's Vogue; totally posh! Just kidding snooty nose is done now. :) I can't believe she gave it to me. I would have kept it for myself. When I buy books for others that I like I normally buy myself one if I don't already have a copy. SELFISH! (Though I still feel no regret. I'm doomed.)

So the styles are outdated but the techniques are still the same and they put so many pictures in here! Its awesome! I remember when I first began trying to read sewing stuff and I didn't really understand what things were. Now that I pawed through it I understand more after all the sewing I have done. Imagine if in like 5 years I could probably read a book like this and understand exactly what they were saying! :D

I also adore books. This one will be dearly loved and used more often. I have a McCalls one but it doesn't have as many visuals and not as thick. Between the two hopefully I will better tame the sewing beast. :)

Happy mothers day everyone! :D

              Mrs. Feisty

V-Neck Shirt

I will upload pics when I get home. However, I have everything done except the hem and sleeves.

I had misunderstood Mastermind's instructions and ended up getting lost.

I wasn't lost technically but you see I had this idea. What I imagined she said was that I had to sew the collar from front to back and it worked fine in one direction but not the other. So I tried sewing backwards. :D That is right; I sewed in reverse. :D




It did not go well as you can see (will upload later). But I was also curious if I could do it. It is not my super power but I am sure there is someone out there with it. :D

The shirt has a v-neck and Mastermind normally does round neck and so we were unsure if there is a right or wrong way to do it and it turned out fine. If you have any information if there is a right or highly effective way to do a v-neck please comment. :D
                                       -Mrs. Feisty

"Oops I did it Again!"

You can't hate the bad 90's pun there. :D

Check out this lovely thing right here. I was busy cutting out my pieces when there seemed to be a lost line. I know what I usually do to lines like this; that is cut them.

Looking at the piece's I couldn't figure how it would benefit, so I texted Mastermind but it got garbled and I took a risk.

Well, bad move on my part. You see this is the neck line and you are not supposed to cut a line in it but rather mark it for the seam point. Ah. That's okay we remedied it by taking the v lower which will still stay at a modest dip thank goodness. Can't get too crazy yet. ;)

On a happy note I used up my first little needle box! :D I thought of keeping it but it would only take up space I could use towards more: needles, thread, lace, etc. So I am dedicating this post to my little milestone instead. It has taken a few projects to get through them all but I figured it out. :D

V-Neck Shirt Update

Don't we all hate moments like this. I mean you look in the mirror and realize there is too much fabric and too little in other places.

Upon discovering how to tailor clothes and remake the patterns to my  shape I have discovered that my right shoulder is lower than my left. Who knew! The amazing things we discover each day.

If I had been left ignorant of this knowledge I could have caused a funny pucker, fold, or weird stretch as our lovely example is showing off. I would like to thank the people of Wal Mart for their great fashion don't examples. :D

We got everything sewn except for the arms which I have been waiting on and the edges. I want to focus heavily on the arms because I hear this causes many headaches. Enjoy your week and I will see you next Thursday.
                     
                 -Mrs. Feisty

V-Neck Shirt for Star Wars Pants

Well, I had hoped to finish most of it yesterday but sadly I was trying to bake rolls and sew at the same time. (Not the brightest idea I've ever had.)

 

Shirt A is our goal. :D We can do it! We will make the sleeves shorter though because after cutting them out and laying the pattern piece against my arm it seemed rather long. Better to have more fabric than not enough.

 

Silly me! So I did get everything cut out, marked, and aligned to be sewn together and I wasn't paying attention while sewing; it wasn't feeding through but pulling it beneath the dogs and amounting to a thread and fabric mountain.

In this picture I had already tamed a bit of the beast but I will tackle it more on Saturday or Sunday.

Such a hard lesson to learn. :/ But I have had fun learning more about my sewing machine such as what North is on it. I was tempted to draw a compass on it but I figured not. Also, I have learned it takes a lot of effort to get a true 1/4 inch seam.

I had to measure from where the needle is to where I need the fabric to follow. I placed some yellow tape on my sewing plate to help. I cannot figure out how to make my needle move left or right which will have to be discovered eventually but my current research came up blank.

No worries I can still manage the 1/4 seam it was just interesting how involved it had to be. :) I rocked out to Eminem, Beethoven, and 80's rock while sewing & baking. Enjoy your Easter weekend!

                                             Mrs. Feisty

Star Wars Pajamas!

Woohoo! :D

I am so glad to have finished the darn pajamas pants. What, a month later?

Well you see I work two jobs and Mastermind is a full time mom so between our schedules it gets tough. But we iron things out. :D Bwahahaha bad pun. 

I am accompanied by our cat "Boo" he is a very serious cat and takes his image to a silly level. 

I ended up having to reinforce the back seam because even though we added more fabric it wasn't enough. Hahahahaha.

Next is the PJ shirt which is a simple V-neck with short sleeves and long torso. I love long shirts it relieves so much worry of showing off the unmentionables. :/

My hubby now wants Star Wars PJ's. I still have to finish his bath robe. . . . I'll get on it maybe Sunday. You'll find out! :D

-Mrs. Feisty

Batman Pajamas!

These are my favorite pajama bottoms ever! They are so comfy and Batman style. :D

Mastermind said I did a fabulous job! :D Woop! woop!

Batman looks so awesome! After all my mess ups I am glad I still finished the project. I learned a lot. Now the Star Wars ones are not featured yet because when I bent down to grab the cat it ripped in the back. Oops. Lol. So I have to fix and reinforce that area. We are making the knit top for the Star Wars pants. Next week we won't have class because it is Spring Break! :D 

I will post about my progress on the Star Wars pants and shirt. Hope you enjoy your week. Thank you for all your support and cheery comments! :D

-Mrs. Feisty

No Class

No class this week so I have no update for today. I will give an update on my Batman pj's on thursday still. :D See you thursday!

Whoever thought voodoo dolls could really prove helpful! :D

                                   Mrs. Feisty

Thrifty Treasure Deals!

 

I have grown up hunting through thrift stores for hidden treasure and I love it!

 

I get a rush as I bespy patterns, objects, and items that form new ideas of usefulness while chucking other things aside.



 

Above is the Styling Design Ruler at a local sewing store full priced. I got it from the thrift store for $1.99. :D I skipped across the store to my husband to show him the treasure we would be taking home. Of course he doesn't understand it's potential but I do. ;)

Now to be honest I had no idea what this was at the thrift store because it had no label but I had a hunch that it was something great. I sent pictures to Mastermind and it was hard to see what it was in text because it is clear plastic.

She thought it was a thread holder and so I bought it still unsure of its purpose. When I went to the local fabric store I stopped to see if I could identify it and lo and behold! $39.99 for a thread holder when I paid $3.99. :D

I didn't get this at the thrift store; it was only $2.99 at the store and I was sure it wasn't worth a real thrift store hunt for the price. Not everything is worth a thrift store raid.  

I also saw this at the thrift store and it tickled my mind but it had no writing or anything on it so I dismissed it! ARGH!SRFGSDFGJSDOFJSD!!!

Seriously people, follow your hunches, guts, and mind tickles for deals. But I am keeping my eyes peeled for sure on this and some other things. Raid those thrift shops like a Viking! Take the best even if your not sure its the best. :D Lol.


                                                                    - Mrs. Feisty

Pajamas Part 3

An hour is so short when you don't want it to be and forever when you want it to pass by. :/

Once again simple tasks but I learned a lot. We pinned the sides together and matched the notches. I have a hard time paying attention to the notches at first because all I wanted was for everything to match up. However, in order to do that you had to match the notches first then go up and down. Because the back pieces that go over the butt have more fabric so it seems weird at first but it's logical just flow with it.

We basted it and did a half inch seam at first to see how it would fit. So we basted a leg and I tried it on. It was still a little big. We previously altered the pieces before because it was a little big but we decided to do a 5/8 inch as the pattern instructs to make it fit better. :D

Sewing a straight line is hard. So mastermind showed me a little trick. She took some tape and aligned it with the line I needed to follow so it was very easy for me to sew a straight line.

Don't do these:

1. Do not pull the fabric from the back. Guide it with your hands from the sides and front.
2. Always match up the notches first before any of the edges.
3. Always try on the pattern and fabric pieces to ensure accuracy/comfort.
4. Iron all your pieces.

Patterns are hard to read because I am a visual learner. Those who do well reading instructions can probably read a pattern better than me. Because I have sat down and read the instructions multiple times. I have to take it into very small steps and move the pieces to help me understand what they want.

Next update for the pajamas will be sewing the crotch together with the elastic and hem of the pants. I have to pick up elastic. Don't let me forget. :)

The robe will be updated shortly as well. :) The pattern is hard to read and there is not a lot of instructions. A bit is assumed that the sewer knows what they are doing. However I don't. Bwahahahaha :D See you next time!

                                                      - Mrs. Feisty

Simplicity Bath Robe

     In order to keep practicing outside of my class Mastermind said I could do whatever I wanted as long as it reinforced what I was learning and didn't get too crazy. (This is my facial reaction below.)

      Keeping in mind I couldn't go nuts I picked out a bath robe pattern to make for my hubby. And I will share what I learn from my mistakes with you as well. You can laugh really hard at me because I did. :D 

1. I already had to get more fabric because I cut the wrong side of the fabric. 

2. I wasted so much fabric playing puzzle with all the pattern pieces on the fabric at once.

3. I didn't do smooth long cuts so some edges are jagged.

4. I cut out and ironed all the pieces in the pattern later realizing it contained child/teen and teen/adult when all I needed was teen/adult. 

5. I almost cut my hair while leaning over the fabric when cutting so I have to keep it up or bound. 

6. I didn't cut the notches because I didn't know what they meant. So I will have to go back and rectify that!

Simplicity Patterns are not so simple. :'(

   
      Now I have only actually worked with two different brands of patterns and that is McCalls and Simplicity. What I do like about McCalls is that each size has their own individual dashed lines such as some are smaller and others are thicker or smaller. It was very easy to follow with a price but that is what a coupon is for. :D

      Then Simplicity threw through a loop because the same line is used for each size complete with confusing size labels and such. I cut on the wrong line a few times and ended up taping it back together. Simplicity is not terrible because their price is usually really cheap and their instructions are not as detailed as McCalls. But I am  glad to have worked with Simplicity.

      The brand I am hoping to try is Butterick. Mrs. Ann's had a 5 for $7 deal that I heard from a bird so I grabbed some I would like to make. This way if I try many different brands you guys can decide which one you will like.

     Because I am working with fleece that sheds like crazy I have to overlock the edges to prevent it from falling apart while washing and wearing. To overlock you keep the fabric half way under the zipper foot. Yes the zipper foot is what we want to use because only a zipper stitch will bind the edges.

     What happens sometimes when sewing is that I get caught up in sewing and start to stretch the fabric while if feeds underneath. DO NOT COMMIT THIS SIN! Terrible stuff people. Just hold it up and gently guide it in the right direction. You don't want the wavy mess I got. Trust me ;)

      Can you see it? The words make it the most apparent. I cut the wrong side. :''( Sad moment. I could only laugh then go to the store. Yes more Star Wars has appeared. Geekiness isn't meant to be hidden. :D I hope you guys had a good laugh and I will share more stupid funnies as we go on. :)


                                                                          -Mrs. Feisty

Pajamas Pattern Part 2

Why is there a ruler on my pattern piece? Fantastic question! We need to be sure that the pattern stays  aligned so we can measure from the edge to the grain (7.5 inches above) to make sure it doesn't get tilted. 

     Once the measurements on both sides of the grain line match you can pin them then pin as close to the edge as possible at all corners and sides preventing the fabric from being cut in a choppy fashion. 

     Because I chose a patterned fabric I had to insure that it was properly aligned so that it wouldn't look cadywompus on me. As you see in the picture she showed me how to conserve fabric. 

     Mastermind achieves this by having the fabric underneath stick out farther than the one on top. Make the fold and selvage as close to the edges of your piece as possible. That way we have smallest pieces for scrap and can have bigger left overs. :D 

Question Answered by Mastermind

How can you tell you have good or high quality fabric?

     -Well it depends on where you go and it comes with practice. Wally's World is not going to have top of the line fabric but they do have high quality once in a while. I wouldn't mind going there for pajamas but not for a prom dress. 

     Mrs. Ann's  is middle quality. It has a lot of bad, good, and high quality because they carry so much. An easy way to tell is by checking if the cut of the fabric on the bolt matches the grain line. If it doesn't don't touch it. If it was initially cut incorrectly for a bolt your are going to fight it the whole time and there will be a pucker. 

<--------Lets avoid this .

Continuation of explanation: 

     You also have to understand that here in America sewing is expensive and a hobby so you gotta cut your coupons and watch the sales to buy from the high quality stores in your area. High quality stores are stores that only carry fabric. (I have find such a place!) 

     So I did that today I went to the store with my coupons in hand and took advantage of some sales. ;) I'll share my haul later. :D 

                         -Mrs. Feisty

P.S. Seems like we didn't accomplish much but I learned a lot. Next week we will be busting out the sewing machine! :D Woop! Woop!

Pajamas Pattern Part 1

"I can teach you everything you want to learn." - Mastermind

This is where my mind went as she finished her sentence. Just a few examples of some things I would like to have. :D

I love dresses! This is a simple one that I just love. Its modest, well I would bring up the fabric farther in the front. The color pops so well against her skin and hair color. 

Okay, back to business. Mastermind laid down some rules for our lessons. We work on the pajamas together and I experiment with patterns and sewing at home. Woohoo! With a catch of course. My experiments have to reflect the concepts I have learned in our lessons and cannot get too complicated. 

I have this tendency to bite off more than I can chew and Mastermind does well at keeping me in check. :D 

Now that we have our fabric in hand we have to follow these steps to ensure success: 

1. Wash and dry your fabric. (Sounds silly but no one wants it to shrink after you spent the time creating a master piece.)

2. Iron the fabric. Every inch! No cheating people. We want the fabrics to 'set' back together and it will help make our measurements and cuts accurate. 

3. Have someone measure you. Here is a good guide to follow the directions and make sure you are standing straight up! http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-get-your-body-measurements.html 

4. Compare your measurements compared to the pattern. After Mastermind took my measurements we discovered that McCalls upped me to a size 14. *Serious scowl. (I'll rant about it later)

5. Cut out the pieces from your pattern that you need then iron them at medium heat. 

6. Pin your pieces together to try it to see how it fits against your body. We had to make some adjustments because I needed the width of a size 14 but I am only 5'4. :)

7. Make adjustments as needed based on where your curves are at. :) 

Trying it on.

That is as far as we got in an hour and a half but we had to make a lot of adjustments because I am short but curvy. Plus the waistline for the pattern goes to where your real waist is at and not at your hips where I like to wear my pants. 

Then we accidentally cut off too much from the top and had to go back and add onto it. It was fun but I learned A LOT! 

Soap Box Time

Now, I told you I would rant about this. ;) I thought that working with patterns would relieve me about the sizes I wear. On the contrary I'm not feeling any love from the fashion world for my size. I am 5 '4 and weigh 135 pounds. 

Not many woman are open about their weight but I don't care so much because I like the way I look. That is right! I LIKE THE WAY I LOOK! Am I considered overweight by the doctor, fashionistas, shallow men, and snarky women? Yup. But it's my body and I like it. :D

 I am a normal person and the truth is that everyone has curves, but they are in different places. The other problem is that we don't always know how to dress our curves because we see them dress only a few body types or bodies that have so little weight you can't find their curves. Bwahahahaha. :D 

So I will try not to pay attention to the sizes if you will to. :) What is my size then? Well . . . lets just go with gorgeous! ;) What's yours?

                                                                             By: Mrs. Feisty

Supplies

What's your pattern?
 (sounds like a pick up line. Ha ha ha ha.)

Now, I am not going to explain how I got everything for every project. However, this is our first project together so for those who are ignorant like myself we will discover this together!

I cannot stand a certain store in the area and they are very popular despite their dreadful service and lack of specific supplies for any one craft area. I will call it Mrs. Anne's for here.

In order to avoid Mrs. Anne's I went to a local store. Now what happens is that you sort through books with all sorts of clothes and on that page with the clothes you like there is a pattern number.

The pattern number is like a call no. for a book in the library. You write it down then sort through the patterns using the numbers. It is in bold on the right of our pattern in this picture. Once you find it flip if over to the sizing area.


Sizing

     I'm a size 8 in U.S. pants normally and so my first thought was that I am a size 8. STOP! Retail sizes and pattern sizes do not coincide. So I actually had to measure myself so that I knew what my real size was. Which works out great because if you are heavier at the top and not the bottom vice versa you can easily adjust the size of clothing.

     After my measurements I discovered I was a size 12 and tried to take no offense to what the pattern was telling me. I blame retail. I chose to do the A top and F bottoms. I underlined the yardage I would need to help me focus. *(Fabric bolts usually come in 45 or 60. The smallest in height is a 45 and the taller ones are a 60. It is not written or typed anywhere it is assumed that you have that knowledge when you go into the store. Just a warning.)

Fabric

     I was so excited for Batman! The store didn't have any of the real batman but the cartoon version that doesn't really stick to the real batman so I grabbed Star Wars.

      Please forgive me. :/ I did put in a request for Batman and other superhero fabrics that I could possibly use later on.

     I chose a regular cotton blend for the bottoms and a jersey fabric top. I am super excited to start sewing and now my hubby wants some made for him too. They had Darth Vader fabric there of all people! I might make him some from that pattern.

     Sadly, I wasn't able to coordinate with our master mind to start sewing and reading patterns so we will get that done this next week. Sorry guys I trying to be patient as well! :D



                                                                 - Mrs. Feisty

Welcome!

     I am just going to introduce myself so that you know what to expect from this blog. I grew up in the Northwest Pacific and ran from the rain to Rexburg, Idaho to study school. However that town was terribly dinky! I couldn't handle it. So we moved back to the wet and dreary Washington side. Alas, maybe we can escape to a better place but until then I get to study with Megan. :)


      I am a seamstress intern with Megan who is from my church. She is a MASTERMIND when it comes to clothes. She makes the most complicated pieces look easy to do. Hopefully I will gain her speed over time. :) I have been interning for only a few months with her and now she wants me to start working with patterns. So she said to start with some pajamas!

     Who wears those anyways? Just kidding! :D So Tuesday I will be going to the store to pick up the pattern and fabric. :) I am thinking something breathable and light weight. So I will post some pics about that later.

I'm thinking something like this would be AWESOME! I just hope the store has Batman fabric. :)