Self Stitched- the 8th-12th

BWOF ? Will look up the issue after work
Ottobre Woman 2/2010 #6
Ottobre Woman 2/2008 #9
Another version of Ottobre Woman 2/2008 #4
Ottobre Woman 2/2006 #3

SSS Days 3-7

Ottobre Woman 2/2008 Tunic #1 Two different versions. The second blue one was sewn for me by my daughter (and so I guess I fail at self-stitched...)



Ottobre Woman 2/2008 tshirt #4
Ottobre Woman 2/2010 blouse #14

September 1-3

Here are the outfits for the first 3 days of September. Forgive the bad pictures, I forgot to have Coleen take them and so would take them myself at lunch time and the camera and I were not agreeing on where the focal point should be...

Day 1:
Red check shirt - made by me several years ago. One thing it reminds me of is that I have improved as a seamstress... alot... even though, I still need to work on fitting. It was a simplicity pattern that I do not have any longer, but I used it a lot when I did - probably 5 or 6 different versions over a couple of years
Pants - Made last year while I was taking the series of pants classes offered by Shannon Gifford at Pattern Review. This was originally a simplicity pattern too, but it was altered quite a bit. I love these pants - they are quite comfortable, however I really had trouble with the zipper at the time, so they are not my best effort. I still wear them lots however.




Day 2:
Sweetheart top by Jalie. Love this pattern and really should make some more!
Green pants are actually the muslin for the tan pants above...




Day 3:
Same pants as day 1. The shirt is from Burda October 2007.
My first completed Burda pattern. Great details

Self- Stitched September

I just signed up for self-stitched September over atSo 'zo's blog.

I decided I could probably handle one handmade item a day.

Wish me luck

Better late than never...

This Year's Harvest

This year we braided our garlic. Aren't they pretty?

Something New

Just a pretty picture.

New shirt

A month ago, I spent my lunch breaks tracing out a series of tops from Ottobre and Burda. Five different tops that were cut out of five different fabrics all from my stash. All of the patterns were cut straight from the magazine patterns without alteration.

This is the first one I completed. It is from the October 2007 issue of Burda. Design #117.

It is made from a lightweight (slightly sheer) cotton I found at Hancock's a couple of years ago. The top has french seams and went together very well except for the sleeves which I realized were going to be too tight on my arms before I set them in. Thankfully, I had enough fabric to recut them out with an adjusted pattern.

Coleen chose the buttons. I really love them, but would never have thought to try something so colorful... I was sort of set on wood or coconut when I went to the store.


I really like the button plackets on the sleeve with the double buttons.



Here's the back, albeit quite wrinkled from a day at work...


I would probably shorten the sleeves a couple of inches if I were to make this again. They were supposed to be 3/4 length, but it looks like they almost hit my wrist.

I would also think about changing the collar. I am not crazy about it. It makes my neck appear shorter than it is. I might just go without one and do a binding or narrow facing.

I do really like the polo style placket and the inverted pleats that open at the waist.

Now, four more to go...