tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14768726329903917762024-03-05T16:10:30.982-08:00Seven Buttons DesignsVancouver girl. Vintage lover. Seamstress and knitter. Lover of cats.Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-55437318503802373112015-03-17T10:24:00.000-07:002015-03-17T10:24:13.570-07:00Excuses, ExcusesHello Chickadees!<br />
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I am so sorry for the silence around here. I've been dealing with some health issues for the past few months which have left me exhausted and stuck in bed or on the couch. I'm slowly working my way back to health, and I promise there will be some new, exciting posts soon!<br />
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Being sick means that I haven't really had much time to sew anything, because I haven't been able to sit at my sewing machine for very long, and my brain has been too fried to trust myself to use scissors without causing a great disaster. So I've been knitting. A LOT. Expect to see some more knitwear up on the blog.<br />
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I've been "<a href="https://instagram.com/sevenbuttons/" target="_blank">Instagram-ing</a>" fairly regularly, so if you'd like to keep up with me there, feel free. I also try to update my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/rachaelmcdonald" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> projects page, so you can keep an eye on what I'm currently working on. <br />
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Much love,<br />
Rachael Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-23275245434834611182015-01-14T10:37:00.003-08:002015-01-14T10:37:48.659-08:00Acorn TrailHello Chickadees!<br />
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I'm here to share the first finished project of 2015- my Acorn Trail sweater!<br />
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This is Amy Herzog's Acorn Trail pattern. This pattern has been on my list of favourites on Ravelry for quite a while. I finally decided to take the plunge and start it, and I'm so glad that I did! It was my first Amy Herzog pattern, and I really love the way it was written. It was really easy to follow the pattern, and everything went together perfectly.<br />
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I knit this using Knit Picks City Tweed, which is a merino/alpaca blend.
It is so snuggly and warm! I am usually freezing, and this kept me warm
the entire time during the shoot. The cables on this are my favourite part. I have grown to love knitting cables, because it gives me something to look forward to while I'm knitting each row. <br />
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This is my very favourite handknit project so far. I love
the yarn/pattern pairing! I've worn it every day since i finished it,
because it's just so cozy!<br />
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More sewing projects are coming soon, I promise! It's just been very cold and dark and wet, making it rather hard to get decent blog photos!<br />
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I'll leave you with this picture of me getting excited about ducks.<br />
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What are you guys working on right now? Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-23833637287394929612015-01-05T15:20:00.003-08:002015-01-05T16:48:16.906-08:00What's in my Queue?Hello Chickadees!<br />
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Now that Christmas knitting is all done, I'm very excited to have some time to work on some projects for myself. I am constantly cold, and the thought of new warm garments makes me very happy!<br />
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First up and already on the needles, Amy Herzog's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/acorn-trail" target="_blank">Acorn Trail Cardigan</a>. I've been drooling over this pattern for months, and I finally decided to knit it up. I love the combination of cables and lace, and I think it's going to be very warm for the following chilly months.<br />
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I cast on for this sweater on the 30th, and I've already finished the back and the front pieces. It's a nice quick knit, and the mix of pattern and stockinette keep it from being too painfully boring. I'm using <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/City_Tweed_AranHW_Yarn__D5420183.html" target="_blank">KnitPicks City Tweed</a> in the colour Romance, which is a merino/alpaca blend,and it's so warm and cozy once it's been washed. I'm very excited about this!<br />
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At the end of October, I started watching Outlander. For those of you that don't know, it's mostly based in Scotland in the mid 1700's. The costumes in this show are fantastic, especially the knitwear. I love the sort of "rustic" feel that some of the knits have, and I wanted that for myself. I decided that I needed to knit up a giant shawl in some warm brown tweedy yarn.<br />
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In my head, a shawl should be like a blanket that is socially acceptable to wear out of the house. I stumbled across <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ashby" target="_blank">Brooklyn Tweed's Ashby</a>, and it really fits the bill. Lots of texture and cables which help to keep the heat in, and it's huge! The wingspan on this thing is about 66", which is pretty awesome.<br />
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This will be knit up in <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Wool_of_the_Andes_Tweed_Yarn__D5420211.html" target="_blank">KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Tweed</a> in the colour Reindeer Heather. I love the mixture of colours in this yarn! I can't wait to snuggle up in this one. <br />
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I always have some sort of smaller project on the go to keep in my purse. I need something that is boring enough that I can knit it while still holding an actual conversation. I just cast on a <a href="http://helloknitty.net/2009/08/13/multnomah/" target="_blank">Multnomah</a> Shawl using <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Gloss_Fingering_Yarn__D5420151.html" target="_blank">Knit Picks Gloss</a> in the colour Doe. I plan on making it larger than specified in the pattern, because I'm all about the giant shawl/blanket things. I'm still working on the endless garter stitch section, so it's still a great project for when you're on the bus/car/waiting for food/at church/anywhere where you'd need to keep your hands occupied. It's great!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1634440508"></span>Multn<span id="goog_1634440511"></span><span id="goog_1634440512"></span>omah<span id="goog_1634440509"></span></td></tr>
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What are you guys working on, now that the Christmas Crafting Craze is over?<br />
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Rachael<span id="goog_1634440494"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1634440495"></span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-86657408646825821742014-12-30T10:43:00.002-08:002014-12-30T10:43:56.208-08:00The Big Post of Christmas KnittingHello Chickadees!<br />
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I hope you all had a lovely holiday season! My Christmas was full of family and food, and it was lovely!<br />
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My favourite part about Christmas is coming up with gifts to give to each of my family members. This year I decided to make all of the gifts for my family, which was quite fun! I made mostly socks, with a few cowls and hats thrown in there.<br />
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My mom always has frozen feet, just like me, so I knew right away that she'd appreciate a nice warm pair of socks. We were yarn shopping in Comox, and she commented on how much she like this yarn, so I bought it secretly and knit up a pair. This is the Online Supersocke 4 fach Sydney Color in colourway 1631.The yarn is self-pattening, and it was fun to knit up because they look fancy even though they're just plain stockinette.<br />
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My dad is very understated in his sock choices, so I found this great black and grey striped yarn. It's simple, and durable, which is just what he needs for socks. I knit these up with a plain stockinette foot and a 3x1 ribbed leg for maximum stretch and comfort. These socks took FOREVER to knit, but in the end, it's worth it.<br />
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I know I wanted something crazy for my brother Jarrett. He loves bright and strange colours, so when I saw this fluorescent yarn, I knew I had to get it for him. This is Regia Fluormania Color in the Neon Ocean Colourway. I used the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/making-waves-socks" target="_blank">Making Waves</a> pattern to break up the chunks of colour a little bit. I need to lenthen the leg on these, because right after I cast them off, he was lamenting about his lack of long socks to wear with his Docs. Sigh.<br />
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Jarrett's girlfriend Sam loves bright colours as well, so I thought it might be fun for them to have matching socks. I managed to find the Neon Rainbow colourway of the same yarn, and knit these up using a chevron pattern. This yarn is so bright that I could knit in the dark while riding in the car with no problems at all. Crazy!<br />
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My brother Riley loves whacky and warm socks. I wanted to do something for him that he could use for bumming around the house or out on his hikes. These are knit up in Regia Sentimento in a crazy bright yellow/green colour. I used the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/randle" target="_blank">Randle</a> pattern for these, and they came out nicely! (please excuse the weird wrinkles. I don't have men's sock blockers, and these would not lay flat on the blocking mat.)<br />
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I knit up two cowls for christmas, and did not get pictures of either of them! Silly me. But I used the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gap-tastic-cowl" target="_blank">Gaptastic Cowl</a> pattern, and it's great!<br />
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I also knit up two hats last minute for my little cousins. My youngest cousin, Eva is in kindergarten, and I thought she'd look cute in this cream coloured hat with gold sparkles!<br />
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My other cousin, John, loves Star Wars, so I stitched up an R2D2 hat for him.<br />
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Did you do any Christmas knitting or crafting?<br />
Rachael<br />
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-9962533026505756022014-12-11T12:24:00.000-08:002014-12-11T12:24:35.985-08:00Baby BoyHello Chickadees!<br />
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Last week a couple from our bible study had a precious little baby boy. Since it's winter, I thought that a fitting present would be a baby sweater and booties.<br />
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I knit the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-sophisticate---free" target="_blank">Baby Sophisticate</a> pattern, which is free on Ravelry. It was a lovely quick knit, and quite fun. Baby knits are awesome because they're so tiny, they hardly take any time at all! And they are incredibly adorable!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZBrLYh5DcnhbR39xqcjM2psp9prwfe3zuQhnDTIGTgCq7jvzTlm2B9nUDZ8sUFfG9D3u47lIGGNCCf0mDF68VitMIy2yvsLHL0bijnhYDXPQZ2gtx-oiTKgfBMo1lMDZBqM3TRmlq8PQ/s1600/babysweater1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZBrLYh5DcnhbR39xqcjM2psp9prwfe3zuQhnDTIGTgCq7jvzTlm2B9nUDZ8sUFfG9D3u47lIGGNCCf0mDF68VitMIy2yvsLHL0bijnhYDXPQZ2gtx-oiTKgfBMo1lMDZBqM3TRmlq8PQ/s1600/babysweater1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I knit this up using Loops and Threads Ringspun, which is a cotton/acrylic blend. It's machine washable, and super soft. It is a little finicky because it splits very easily, but I didn't mind knitting with it, and it was easier on my hands than some other cotton yarns I've used in the past.<br />
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Since it's sort of a "grandpa-style" sweater, I was hoping to find woven leather buttons, or something similar. I managed to find the perfect plastic buttons in my stash!<br />
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They loved it, and while it's a little big on him now, he'll grow into it quickly.<br />
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Do you make any baby presents? Do you have any favourite patterns to use?<br />
RachaelRachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-73739810569170545732014-12-03T17:24:00.002-08:002014-12-03T17:24:42.070-08:00My Sewing SpaceHello Chickadees!<br />
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Wow! The entire month of November has flown by, and I have only posted once! Whoops!<br />
I promise that I'm still alive, but there have been so many secret projects in the works that I haven't been able to blog about. I'm so sorry, but I promise that I'll show you all the finished products as soon as they gave been passed around by the christmas elves to their various recipients. It really is killing me to keep them all a secret!<br />
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This past November, Amanda from <a href="http://www.bimbleandpimble.com/" target="_blank">Bimble and Pimple</a> started the November Sewing Photo a Day challenge. It was genius. I loved getting a little sneak peek into the "behind the scenes" of my fellow sewing peeps. Unfortunately I was not able to participate because I was away for a bit of the challenge, and had not had enough time to prepare posts. Womp womp. <br />
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One of the daily "challenges" was to show your sewing space. So I thought I'd do that here. To make up for the lack of blog posts... So here is my "Sewing Space", or as my husband calls it, "The messy dining room table". Normally it's a bit of a creative disaster, but I tidied up for you guys. Don't say I don't love you!<br />
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I sew at the dining room table. And although it's not the ideal sewing situation, it works for now. It has the bonus of an extra "shelf" in form of a windowsill. I keep all my feet and machine accesories in the box on the right, topped with my bobbin case (which was passed down from my grandma. It's fantastic. THANK YOU GRANDMA!) and needles. I have a cup that holds my scissors, a small ruler, and various marking tools so they don't go missing, and a small tupperware to store all my cut threads and scraps. This has greatly decreased the amount of time I spend cleaning up after sewing, so YAY! Next to that I have a little kit of serger bit and bobs (I still have not read all the way through the manual to match the items to their uses. Oops...) and my collection of serger cones that I "borrowed" from my mom. But I figure if I have the serger, she won't need the serger cones! <br />
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This baby, to me, is the most exciting part of my sewing collection. I've only ever had hand-me-down or borrowed machines before, which I don't mind at all, but it's something so special to have a machine that is all my own!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8QY5aj8wzCFqiPwfQELJKltxWDMR2l6zJLlHd1fatZRRybjTZV13aXv5AF28GLLzXcOWIi6hI5LVSZ1BOPbOjJMy9Q0hcBtZzuv1tSbKfVe6DU1YHV6_tDL7INyxN63S3VUUNydPJaGe/s1600/sewingspace1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8QY5aj8wzCFqiPwfQELJKltxWDMR2l6zJLlHd1fatZRRybjTZV13aXv5AF28GLLzXcOWIi6hI5LVSZ1BOPbOjJMy9Q0hcBtZzuv1tSbKfVe6DU1YHV6_tDL7INyxN63S3VUUNydPJaGe/s1600/sewingspace1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Meet Janie the Janome! Mom and Grandma gave me this amazing machine for my birthday/Christmas present combined. I've only used her a little bit, but I am so incredibly pleased to have a machine that works properly and sews whatever I feed it. An added bonus is the magical One-Step Buttonhole! This is the first machine that has made nice looking buttonholes, and it's very exciting! I can finally stitch up some durable shirts for Mister!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXr5s_g1di5T56fhsBrbgUsNEtYcdhMgcjRGBpY-PlN4jpC_czTeY2RGwGPcstq06POr-XIHea65fS8BzB-74R3-I0YEZta4wh9ik7ny2mjRTVIiDAMkp_ds2ovZ2rVAMu74cyxWNpq7o_/s1600/sewingspace2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXr5s_g1di5T56fhsBrbgUsNEtYcdhMgcjRGBpY-PlN4jpC_czTeY2RGwGPcstq06POr-XIHea65fS8BzB-74R3-I0YEZta4wh9ik7ny2mjRTVIiDAMkp_ds2ovZ2rVAMu74cyxWNpq7o_/s1600/sewingspace2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next is my serger, Birdie. She squeaks no matter how much I oil her, so I've learned to embrace it. Birdie is temperamental, but she generally gets the job done. It's nice to be able to finish seams quickly! She was passed down from my Mom, and some day I'll get her to sit down with me and show me how to work some of the fancier stitches on this thing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70WbXXWassfqAA4dStOCx2B2vFzbKQoPel4i8bDSDgQWgBGCFoFzc84M9R4EtDgJ5R0aGCEEZN0JCO9QKU_INOkqpEI_HZKwR10F_bGGu7GfSZLe4Q0GthDZM3iXZFxqLi3e5mIwJg-3p/s1600/sewingspace6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70WbXXWassfqAA4dStOCx2B2vFzbKQoPel4i8bDSDgQWgBGCFoFzc84M9R4EtDgJ5R0aGCEEZN0JCO9QKU_INOkqpEI_HZKwR10F_bGGu7GfSZLe4Q0GthDZM3iXZFxqLi3e5mIwJg-3p/s1600/sewingspace6.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Lastly, my beautiful iron! For the longest time I was using an old iron that was passed down to me when my parents upgraded. The old iron had a broken steam function, and had taken a few swan dives from my ironing board. It was in pretty bad shape, so I decided it was time to replace her. I decided on the Black and Decker Classic. I loved the retro shape, and I loved that it was nice and heavy. I like my iron to actually help press the wrinkles out! This one is great, and I've had no complaints so far.<br />
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How do you guys set up your sewing space? Do any of you guys name your machines? Are you guys doing any christmas crafting for your loved ones?<br />
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Love,<br />
Rachael<br />
<br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-11552241826675362872014-11-03T16:08:00.001-08:002014-11-03T16:08:14.692-08:00A Mermaid TaleHello Chickadees!<br />
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Well, Halloween has come and gone, and in the hubbub, I forgot to write a blog post about my halloween sewing! Better late than never I suppose?<br />
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A while back, one of my friends approached me about doing some sewing for her Halloween costume. She told me that she wanted to be a mermaid, and sent me a few pictures for inspiration. I was super excited to work on this, cause I LOVE making costumes.<br />
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The one thing that she really wanted was a two-tone fin skirt. Luckily, my local fabric store had a large amount of super sparkly dancewear fabric, with several different shades of green and blue. We settled on dark green, and I found some aqua sparkly organza for the "fin" part. It had lots of body, which meant that I wouldn't need to add a crinoline or any other layers. <br />
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After getting her measurements, I traced off a copy of my current go-to pencil skirt pattern. I had to trace in between sizes in order to be roughly her size, but since the main "skirt" fabric is a very stretchy dancewear fabric, I didn't need to be super precise with exact sizing. I scooped down the centre front to be more like a mermaid tail, and added a waistband just to make it a bit more secure.<br />
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For the lower "fin" portion, I decided it would be easiest to just gather the organza to the bottom of the skirt portion. I added a gusset in the back as well, to make sure that she was able to walk, and add a bit of extra drama.<br />
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We had originally thought of finding a shell bra, but my go-to costume place did not stock them this year! So instead, she brought me an old bra that she didn't care about too much, and I draped a bra pattern on it. I wanted it to have three sections so that the seamlines would at least look like a shell.<br />
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I didn't want to mess with closures in the back, so I made it with ties like a bikini. I added ribbon guards in the back to keep the straps secured to the bikini.<br />
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After it was all done, it was time for embellishments! I had a bunch of fake pearl beads, so I added those to the centre of the cups.<br />
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All in all, it was a pretty easy costume, and it looked so cute on her! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsoAeC21YxIS7zz0LYhYQTxP8Curf-F5XbyB3_brBmLoyguE4yi02nnrydfTE6scfpJjJecHICbssowXQAYZjBv1vrR_1iJLQzZCkYZUQ8UwLxZyuQfjcnxtek6fbvFVHZ_SCo-HE6a7y/s1600/memaid3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsoAeC21YxIS7zz0LYhYQTxP8Curf-F5XbyB3_brBmLoyguE4yi02nnrydfTE6scfpJjJecHICbssowXQAYZjBv1vrR_1iJLQzZCkYZUQ8UwLxZyuQfjcnxtek6fbvFVHZ_SCo-HE6a7y/s1600/memaid3.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the blurry photo. It's hard to get a nice photo when it's dark in my house!</td></tr>
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Did you guys make any costumes this year? Do you like making costumes?</div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-31688197159522473922014-10-15T23:03:00.002-07:002014-10-16T12:55:55.959-07:00The Sherlock SkirtHello Chickadees!<br />
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Recently I was given the chance to do a little bit of pattern testing for <a href="http://www.jenniferlaurenvintage.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Lauren Vintage</a>. As soon as she described the pattern, I was very excited to try it, because it seemed like something that was missing from my wardrobe. This is her new <a href="http://www.jenniferlaurenvintage.com/2014/10/introducing-cressida-skirt-pattern.html" target="_blank">Cressida skirt pattern</a>. I've been waiting and waiting for this pattern to be released, cause I'm just So. Darn. Excited about it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczROOxzG5DjLPS56Uy0vwpNox8qXaQj8VYzPK5qzWYSNtDfw4PNWE_22WB0_I1EyjSaXkudWUegSmpx1ZljH9B6s7cKqI6s-yOxXNeSd3p3gSXbSAtIu9EHTLHl-NBk2QJaVLn7IKR1kd/s1600/sherlockskirt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczROOxzG5DjLPS56Uy0vwpNox8qXaQj8VYzPK5qzWYSNtDfw4PNWE_22WB0_I1EyjSaXkudWUegSmpx1ZljH9B6s7cKqI6s-yOxXNeSd3p3gSXbSAtIu9EHTLHl-NBk2QJaVLn7IKR1kd/s1600/sherlockskirt1.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/207199903/cressida-skirt-ladies-pdf-sewing-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">Cressida</a> is a semi-circle skirt with two views. View A is double breasted, where View B is single breasted with button tabs for a belt. Both have lovely deep inseam pockets. I chose to sew View B, because my machine does not love to make buttonholes. I also loved the idea of the button tabs to keep my belt in check. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GF5Qazn2fB3ol4QD_IvoBmxNPDUH4o24O9_xsjRZxFEVsDJ0Au6rGAdRsHFaa0r_aoGcOwJ5qVzNyJZ3E3ET6kI7eanCezau9e8GoVLPSGHHPPhnLtJf-ZQ1v2KhnBWOD5VU3T4hhehX/s1600/sherlockskirt4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GF5Qazn2fB3ol4QD_IvoBmxNPDUH4o24O9_xsjRZxFEVsDJ0Au6rGAdRsHFaa0r_aoGcOwJ5qVzNyJZ3E3ET6kI7eanCezau9e8GoVLPSGHHPPhnLtJf-ZQ1v2KhnBWOD5VU3T4hhehX/s1600/sherlockskirt4.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
I had a heck of a time trying to find fabric for this. I knew I wanted something neutral that would work with lots of different tops and sweaters. I ended up going with this awesome heathered brown herringbone. It's also a bit stretchy, which makes it extra comfy. Something about this colour makes me think of Sherlock Holmes. <br />
<br />
We shot these photos at the <a href="http://prfhs.org/willingdon-beach-trail/about-trail" target="_blank">Willingdon Beach trail</a> in Powell River. It's a lovely forested trail right on the water. It is well known for it's rather friendly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_squirrel" target="_blank">Douglas Squirrels.</a> Fun Fact: Red and Grey squirrels are not native to this area. They were brought over by Europeans, and have become an "invasive species" in the area. It's fairly rare to see a Douglas squirrel around Vancouver, so I always get excited to see these little guys.<br />
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Along the trail, there are many lovely signs pointing out various native species of trees
and animals, as well as a few artifacts from the logging and forestry
history of the area. We happened upon a logging arch, which was used to lift the ends of logs to avoid extra damage from the forest floor. This one was used in the 40's, and it's held up quite well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ARglGdWffwjZx_YikH5gmq64G2FMDodEb6uGmwkSAVpBfXbWm9Onea7pJqkMSFF4kDzbP3c7p1rD3l3qDBTssreIGHVZ9AIXYSx_KYw2grSuhDQHF-o_RDieZJcL1bn5DPGCR_uisiVP/s1600/sherlockskirt6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ARglGdWffwjZx_YikH5gmq64G2FMDodEb6uGmwkSAVpBfXbWm9Onea7pJqkMSFF4kDzbP3c7p1rD3l3qDBTssreIGHVZ9AIXYSx_KYw2grSuhDQHF-o_RDieZJcL1bn5DPGCR_uisiVP/s1600/sherlockskirt6.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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This skirt is so comfortable! It has a nice amount of flare so that I'm able to move around without any worry of a busted seam, and the pockets are an extra bonus. YAY POCKETS! I found the instructions very clear, once I got over my brain block about the front placket. Do not sew when you are tired, people! I think it would be great for any level of sewing experience. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09vmp4gEDebS9-5uuevl9Lc51G01kjiLT2Mmpgr-g8Gav_mfd_Sf-8mOTL94WHeUZT40eoBdL2WQP2lEjcMsRBpDGZhvyp1VBga7jw572KfhQPoaz5ut1U_R_K3ANRPq0nJ9ggb94pXWN/s1600/sherlockskirt8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09vmp4gEDebS9-5uuevl9Lc51G01kjiLT2Mmpgr-g8Gav_mfd_Sf-8mOTL94WHeUZT40eoBdL2WQP2lEjcMsRBpDGZhvyp1VBga7jw572KfhQPoaz5ut1U_R_K3ANRPq0nJ9ggb94pXWN/s1600/sherlockskirt8.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At this moment, I was looking for the squirrel that was chattering in the trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'll leave you with this picture of me freaking out over squirrels. My Snow White senses were tingling.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX07WK6gGedpMeHbW-oM-XbXK-yJhIo1LdcL2SsQA5TGk5peavHj7sGn4WSEisMOmLbWvAnqRw9mWxzcWOAv0JZEwoR0pPtos30MrxeJqxXzTJ1aNrUB3twCn0NMFANpImI9iPJd6eg2Wm/s1600/sherlockskirt91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX07WK6gGedpMeHbW-oM-XbXK-yJhIo1LdcL2SsQA5TGk5peavHj7sGn4WSEisMOmLbWvAnqRw9mWxzcWOAv0JZEwoR0pPtos30MrxeJqxXzTJ1aNrUB3twCn0NMFANpImI9iPJd6eg2Wm/s1600/sherlockskirt91.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the face I make when I see cute things.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Love,<br />
Rachael<br />
<br />
<br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-43198316054147694762014-10-03T19:33:00.000-07:002014-10-03T19:51:32.337-07:00Snugly ArcherHello Chickadees!<br />
<br />
First off, I am sorry for some of
the wonky pictures. I accidentally deleted about 3/4 of the photos we
shot for this blog, and these are what we were able to salvage.<br />
<br />
Recently,
Mister and I decided to go on a vacation to Powell River, which is part
of the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. I knew right away that I
needed something cozy and warm, and something that I could layer. What
could be better than a snugly flannel shirt? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8qC3InZiu3f5hFjNcd9ARPcDvsN_Icd0-lWYFaU4K9QXqdHjeGNrDTsDY7l6eJq-qmmYIjhwc125yv0hzGaSHHRtOr31tqfs2bAzXc4Ka2XM8B1Kzj_aDO6qQlVyACU5-KU5XqW_Auwf/s1600/PLAID15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8qC3InZiu3f5hFjNcd9ARPcDvsN_Icd0-lWYFaU4K9QXqdHjeGNrDTsDY7l6eJq-qmmYIjhwc125yv0hzGaSHHRtOr31tqfs2bAzXc4Ka2XM8B1Kzj_aDO6qQlVyACU5-KU5XqW_Auwf/s1600/PLAID15.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This
is Grainline Studio's Archer. I decided it was
finally time to join the rest of the sewing realm in making one of these
cozy button-ups. It was hard to find some decent flannel that wasn't
printed with Dora the Explorer or Trucks. Luckily I managed to find TWO
prints that I loved, and you'll see the other one in a later blog post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYHkgMwN7AWZn279THcnzBU7SAoIhdCS7dCPI6xK_asBPLSPtw7ls30NPlwkeaaKzyDygmtnmufnLvzErR4azJFTEYyqm57RuZCo_jclM20nm_Xksyo_hnl17bXOh_BejRfj1mE5b9FRj/s1600/PLAID02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYHkgMwN7AWZn279THcnzBU7SAoIhdCS7dCPI6xK_asBPLSPtw7ls30NPlwkeaaKzyDygmtnmufnLvzErR4azJFTEYyqm57RuZCo_jclM20nm_Xksyo_hnl17bXOh_BejRfj1mE5b9FRj/s1600/PLAID02.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This
pattern is awesome. I've never sewn a proper button-up before, so it
was nice to have clear instructions. I used the "burrito" method to
attach the yoke facing, and I love the clean look that it gives to the
insides. Plus it was fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ElT4DY4IF0e5vlracBTvBwXcxY1-eqc3to14-QSJ-UngWBJ5FABq8a89IaFQAvP7ognV93oJ8pUEpDUlBfqRigFLi8bzcFZub3XuswDJmBTT7D2FOo8QrBMmAg27yxu5xTM6t5kAxkb7/s1600/PLAID09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ElT4DY4IF0e5vlracBTvBwXcxY1-eqc3to14-QSJ-UngWBJ5FABq8a89IaFQAvP7ognV93oJ8pUEpDUlBfqRigFLi8bzcFZub3XuswDJmBTT7D2FOo8QrBMmAg27yxu5xTM6t5kAxkb7/s1600/PLAID09.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
Sewing
plaid used to scare me when I was new to sewing. For some reason the
idea of matching lines was frightening? Silly me. Plaid matching is not
that hard to do, plus it offers some fun new ways to play with the
fabric. I ran out of fabric to match the sleeves at the shoulders, but
it doesn't bother me too much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3-4nVKxpg9xW4uaNAhIY_FDSHqcKp0JgkOc_c5XHuWWCMn1nqLTJ8W-GBX8tXWFs4u6K7EYFhHJwD3R7gOiDebcgKG6FLfuM0tnCPKR_MLaleOhQu_8dttgWQ6Xgp5CmKZJDtYueq3vI/s1600/PLAID13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3-4nVKxpg9xW4uaNAhIY_FDSHqcKp0JgkOc_c5XHuWWCMn1nqLTJ8W-GBX8tXWFs4u6K7EYFhHJwD3R7gOiDebcgKG6FLfuM0tnCPKR_MLaleOhQu_8dttgWQ6Xgp5CmKZJDtYueq3vI/s1600/PLAID13.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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I
cut the back yoke and the button band on the bias in order to give a
little visual interest. I have an issue with yokes that don't match (I
have a lot of wierd buggaboos about RTW clothing), so cutting it on the
bias helped to mitigate the issue, as well as break up the sea of
horizontal and parallel stripes. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCny1o9vBnTXAnDtmDMbM08SNGdmcyr5N3XOtOseRxP2eopFrc3qsVUiUImxflE-Uds8HX8OXfzUilrR-MsvnTIMO-bhxw0Wh6DXbB-pLIKgeOynhKNFs7yc4E98Ibrr7_kWv-War1urz/s1600/PLAID05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCny1o9vBnTXAnDtmDMbM08SNGdmcyr5N3XOtOseRxP2eopFrc3qsVUiUImxflE-Uds8HX8OXfzUilrR-MsvnTIMO-bhxw0Wh6DXbB-pLIKgeOynhKNFs7yc4E98Ibrr7_kWv-War1urz/s1600/PLAID05.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse the wacky collar. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This shirt is so cozy, and I plan on sewing a few
more for autumn/winter. I am constantly cold, and it's nice to have
something snugly to wear to keep warm.<br />
<br />
What are your favourite things to sew for colder weather?<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Rachael<br />
<br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-35718992159820578822014-09-25T19:55:00.002-07:002014-09-25T19:55:47.241-07:00Something BlueHello Chickadees!<br />
<br />
I have something pretty and lacy to share with you today.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOkSftXKhPCkrx6CQftN_isdtEnZOhyphenhyphenqJSWVgzTLlQamUjIzIkaMakeE2ZNB7ybXzzhUlowDwHkJtxnQJKUwPeRhCPrS0nwTLBrYHzuO2xYRRagMFL3aY7zPRWBb9-bDsfNf3iTeTlMEo/s1600/Chemise1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOkSftXKhPCkrx6CQftN_isdtEnZOhyphenhyphenqJSWVgzTLlQamUjIzIkaMakeE2ZNB7ybXzzhUlowDwHkJtxnQJKUwPeRhCPrS0nwTLBrYHzuO2xYRRagMFL3aY7zPRWBb9-bDsfNf3iTeTlMEo/s1600/Chemise1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Recently, one of my mother's coworkers asked me if I would be willing to make silky robes for her and her bridal party. I jumped at the chance, because I thought it would be a fun project. She chose a pretty grape coloured satin for her bridesmaids, and white satin for herself.<br />
<br />
I thought it would be fun to make "matching set" of lingerie for her, because what bride would not like pretty lacy things to wear? Mom and her co-workers were throwing a bridal shower for the bride, so I thought this would be the perfect chance to sew up a little chemise.<br />
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<br />
<br />
I used Vogue 8888, and it came together perfectly. It's a fairly simple pattern with a pieced waist band, 2 piece bust cup, and skirt section cut on the bias to hug the curves. Quite a fun sew! It whipped up quite fast on my serger.<br />
<br />
I wanted to make this extra special for her, so I added some personal touches. The fabric is <a href="https://www.fabric.com/buy/aq-527/charmeuse-satin-snow-white" target="_blank">satin charmeuse</a> from <a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a>, but as I was putting it together, I felt like it was missing something. I dug around in my stash, and found some leftover lace from my Mom's wedding dress.<br />
This corded lace is so pretty, and Mom and I agreed that it added a bit of a special heirloom quality. And of course, I added a little blue bow, for something blue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNLEgzVgjKajLwiaelZL7kHmGtMucah8x7iHKlC7Hv2JHw9BgprAIZcRUx-JIESzLpLbXpC0Y4xsYwj49h6lq2z4VK09BIQZeSXZmBmxH3ynbxZxKrLsB7nhaDIbr8uv9C22b3mh_PuMZ/s1600/Chemise4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNLEgzVgjKajLwiaelZL7kHmGtMucah8x7iHKlC7Hv2JHw9BgprAIZcRUx-JIESzLpLbXpC0Y4xsYwj49h6lq2z4VK09BIQZeSXZmBmxH3ynbxZxKrLsB7nhaDIbr8uv9C22b3mh_PuMZ/s1600/Chemise4.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
She loved it! And she was even more excited to know that it will match her robe. Hurray for happy customers!<br />
<br />
This little project has opened my eyes to lingerie sewing. It's really fun! I look forward to more little lacy projects in the future. <br />
<br />
Have you sewn lingerie? Do you have any tips and tricks?<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
RachaelRachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-55933979813759765762014-09-22T12:35:00.000-07:002014-09-22T12:35:16.083-07:00The Pants Project Part 2Hello Chickadees!<br />
<br />
I know y'all are probably pretty tired of hearing about pants. So am I! I promise there are other, more exciting posts coming in the future. Silky things! Sweaters! Unselfish Sewing! Please hang in there, I promise it will be better.<br />
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<br />
This is my latest adventure in pants fitting. I wrote a whole long post about all of the modifications that I made in <a href="http://sevenbuttonsdesigns.blogspot.ca/2014/08/the-pants-project-part-i.html" target="_blank">Part One</a> of the Pants Project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4094k_vTrGEhCwlWNx5TkfV6_QejA22qaiukCwGjWjpjWLfz1qppYqACMlJypwpY3mIfo4fUVKPRW9Fx3RKxgGfff6njwzXhar1DWGJOpes58kJEy2fy-xcw8QlMlivHCyOycNxARtO0/s1600/leopard09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4094k_vTrGEhCwlWNx5TkfV6_QejA22qaiukCwGjWjpjWLfz1qppYqACMlJypwpY3mIfo4fUVKPRW9Fx3RKxgGfff6njwzXhar1DWGJOpes58kJEy2fy-xcw8QlMlivHCyOycNxARtO0/s1600/leopard09.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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So far, these are my favourite pair of pants. They're comfy, and surprisingly versatile. Unfortunately, Mister does not appreciate them as much. He thinks they're "too loud." Psh. Somebody please tell my husband that leopard is totally a neutral.<br />
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<br />These pants are made with stretch denim, which makes them super comfy. If you spend any amount of time with me, you know that my preferred method of sitting is what's known in the grade-school world as "Criss Cross Applesauce." These pants make that easy, thank goodness! They also allow me to do silly things like jump in the air and dance, which are surprisingly important in my every day life. <br />
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Of course, a pair of pants made by me would not be complete without pockets. It's nice to have a place to store things like tissues or your phone.<br />
Does anybody else have a hard time photographing pockets? I find it difficult to get a good angle without looking too inappropriate or awkward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaybHVyXLV9R3x3NHRMnG6zZQVeHT2dxvC1-Og5YVa9Ie9pAO9GqobS0x6pg8rmX-VUDehjPPmwJmGIuVU7DTkjQm8_BlRq3wjwThz5xlEdUyNdhr460bCiXEtmYS8Nh_0LQN80fW4GXP0/s1600/leopard10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaybHVyXLV9R3x3NHRMnG6zZQVeHT2dxvC1-Og5YVa9Ie9pAO9GqobS0x6pg8rmX-VUDehjPPmwJmGIuVU7DTkjQm8_BlRq3wjwThz5xlEdUyNdhr460bCiXEtmYS8Nh_0LQN80fW4GXP0/s1600/leopard10.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Fitting a "larger than average" derriere is a tad on the difficult side, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. There are still some small tweaks I'd like to make (darn swayback!), but I think I'm getting there. The next pair of pants will hopefully be in something warm like wool for autumn/winter.<br />
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Ok. This is the end of the pants posts. For now...<br />
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Love,<br />
RachaelRachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-30576639592066337692014-09-08T13:13:00.001-07:002014-09-08T13:13:11.115-07:00The Pants Project Part 0.5<br />Hello Chickadees!<br />
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Guess who finally got around to shooting some actual blog post photos?! My camera is back from it's extended vacation, and Mister and I had some free time to take photos. Cue the crowd cheering!<br />
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My last proper post was about pants (or trousers, if you're across the pond). Before I did the whole pattern hacking/alteration/slice&dice, I did try to make a pair of denim shorts. Shorts are nice, because they're like pants, but with less commitment!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnn-ARTQq0KPk86UWGcRdyxorpAADWiFnEEDHupnS4W-WL7uSW9N6Nfbm27tIcVRPOoJ56k1K0-REG_zDGHdLw9Jigzt_AGAksg_7yecHRaN0OedlLukyxZu_4BL-dGwA6BlW9V8dWYFE/s1600/shorts02.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></div>
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I did a bit of a hack job on these guys, and they're ugly on the inside. Luckily nobody sees that! I started with <a href="http://mrsdepew.com/beach-patterns/1940s-shorts.html" target="_blank">Mrs. Depew's 1940's Shorts</a>, made up in stretch denim. I removed the darts, and instead used pockets, cause pants without pockets are no fun! I also added a bit of length to them to make a deep hem.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-UDq89LXq46_coNioHWE-pNzxK441Smya10laB7BdVCtg0Fn3k4iQrI5ZWyVL66XwcHHKZ1cZ9wt3Oq9RUjwSOWWxW9pmtV8R3AjnngXFgoMl7rD_9S3X5Vs816fQElJYS6aI3GotZVp/s1600/shorts05.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></div>
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I'm still working out the kinks in the whole pants fitting thing, so there are a few fit issues. Figuring out crotch curve when you're sewing on your own with no mannequin or body double is HARD! Also, I've come to terms with the fact that I do need a swayback adjustment, cause there's that crazy amount of extra fabric at my lower back as you can see in the previous photo. Sigh. Also, the zipper on the side seam keeps buckling and causing strange wrinkling, but that I think is more of an issue of a seam that is not properly supported. Live and learn, right?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15wXoYHtUkFDTPhDfBvxgEMbOYOWBoR4UcvxaPFoWdSJpHmPmQcLxRNaGOtrjPOnV-cLfCQ7J9w9J-mxFFCMhPLiMhKAj2kMokwH1UAYqRDlFhdfJcK0dFQ3v3eCINx_6DkU19EOkshfS/s1600/shorts06.jpg" height="266" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mister insisted on a booty shot.</td></tr>
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The top is a me-made as well. Right before Canada Day (July 1st for those of you non-canucks), I realized that I did not own a suitable piece of red clothing! How unpatriotic! So I whipped up a <a href="http://www.sewaholicpatterns.com/renfrew-top/" target="_blank">Sewaholic Renfrew</a> to wear. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidR8Y71KNY0e7VBXoB8C3ZSTtoL25H24RG-zMHCmIttAGJdDFjEOousTBRR4sV9B01_W5S_G8xZp7RLmz4LuB5JzkuFxRCD6kLph04Ae1LT0NC-TJrESKR8XYgMsjtcnygZss_ICl1L0Nt/s1600/shorts01.jpg" height="400" width="266" /> </div>
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I don't know why it took me so long to make one of these guys! It took me about an hour from cutting to finishing, and it's so comfy! Many more of these are planned for the future. And BONUS! It goes with one of my favourite brooches that has been passed down from my Grandma. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfTLV9H-4zXIhbk1tDo62IQOgN3jYqHzf0gjYO9KEBiOS1b1HkrjgC-87z7Wc229yiJOlO30govvqNxE1J95WdNPjOL4rUW0z0zB6rIpqXmRinD2aUr4ZSwei-BRneNNUPoMxqRQlAyns/s1600/shorts08.jpg" height="400" width="266" /> </div>
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I'll leave you with this goofy shot. I was telling Mister how I thought I needed more "real" photos, instead of the same poses over and over. Half of the photos from this shoot were silly photos like this one. I can't decide if it looks like I have to pee, or I'm really excited. Maybe both?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ucpO1Yy9BbD3gwIPusxwRGDRu5OJiz77P6K64SytlFA32JDkek91IgoDQwC1jL-taCQSCaLqIptt1vxTwIQEpH0jrV_YWnSj46XN0ZMBrED8u-lC0kcEaoahSYFhYlgFPfEGVHvYQhf9/s1600/shorts04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ucpO1Yy9BbD3gwIPusxwRGDRu5OJiz77P6K64SytlFA32JDkek91IgoDQwC1jL-taCQSCaLqIptt1vxTwIQEpH0jrV_YWnSj46XN0ZMBrED8u-lC0kcEaoahSYFhYlgFPfEGVHvYQhf9/s1600/shorts04.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a> </div>
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Love,</div>
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Rachael </div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-35363864898723447792014-08-29T16:55:00.000-07:002014-08-29T16:55:01.483-07:00The Case of the Missing BloggerHello Chickadees!<br />
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First of all, a big welcome to all of those stopping by from Jessica's blog, Chronically Vintage. I went on vacation to Penticton a while back and had a chance to meet up with her and do a little photo shoot while I was there. She even lovelier in person! If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, you can check it out <a href="http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2014/08/an-awesome-blogger-meetup-with-fellow.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Second, I apologize for my lack of posts recently. There has been a lot of sewing, but my camera went on a little vacation, and I'm not entirely happy with the way that Iphone photos look. It is safely back in my possession, and I plan on having a marathon photo shoot this weekend. Stay tuned! If you really can't wait till then, follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/sevenbuttons" target="_blank">Instagram</a> to keep up to date on all the fun sewing things.<br />
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In the meantime, here's a slightly blurry picture of me making friends with some alpacas. They are seriously adorable, and someday I hope to own an alpaca farm. Until I can convince my husband, photos in front of alpacas in the barn will have to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGUTn8C3w14DlMFubd16srrRpBqnzMmiA-8nS1jaVMdaUGeZMYjFD0h1uJDa0M1P-5Bk_qtG0Lna-sFvWbQxbLytnGVTnWbDWasA7EVNocdpeZe_VojWdD4OnF_7pLwGZ8LK4egaxlkJM/s640/blogger-image-882913489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGUTn8C3w14DlMFubd16srrRpBqnzMmiA-8nS1jaVMdaUGeZMYjFD0h1uJDa0M1P-5Bk_qtG0Lna-sFvWbQxbLytnGVTnWbDWasA7EVNocdpeZe_VojWdD4OnF_7pLwGZ8LK4egaxlkJM/s1600/blogger-image-882913489.jpg" /></a></div>
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Love,<br />
RachaelRachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-9052378119280190032014-08-13T17:11:00.001-07:002014-08-13T17:11:33.779-07:00The Pants Project Part IHello Chickadees!<br />
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Until recently, sewing pants frightened me. There are so many more fitting issues to worry about!<br />
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As soon as I saw Gertie's pants pattern, Butterick 5895, I fell in love. It was the exact style that I was looking for. High waisted. Fitted. Front pockets. Perfect. So pretty much all of my pants have been versions of this pattern.<br />
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My first pair of real pants (not pyjama pants. Nobody cares about fitting issues with pyjama pants) were made using a black ponte knit. I used it as sort of a wearable muslin, although I don't find them that flattering. I made them straight out of the envelope using a size 12.<br />
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The next pair were a pair of jeans. I made a couple alterations to the leg length and height at the waist, but otherwise didn't attempt any real fitting issues, because I had no idea how to tackle them at the time.<br />
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Then there were 2 unfortunate pairs of fitting disasters. They were so bad that I didn't even get a photo of them. I was kind of just hacking away at them without a clue of what actually needed to be fixed.<br />
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Now I've had a chance to sit down and actually do some reading about how pants work and fit.<br />
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Here are some of the changes I've made<br />
-Graded from a 12 to a 10 at the waist<br />
-Added width to the hips<br />
-Reduced the crotch depth<br />
-Increased the crotch length<br />
-Added width to the thighs<br />
-Lengthened to ankle length<br />
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Whoo. That is a lot of pattern adjustments. Let's see if this actually works out!<br />
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Do you have any projects or garment types that you consider "scary sewing"?<br />
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Rachael <br />
<br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-13607820740989313532014-07-29T21:10:00.001-07:002014-08-02T09:59:43.824-07:00The BombshellHello chickadees!<br />
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Posting photos of myself in a swimsuit is never something I thought I would ever do! Blogging is great for pushing your boundaries, hey?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p23nnF4LAdzeYqZWa9E-qtY-bB-aG_dG-orkfS_2_pzs83MHARY7vi2m_a4LIbYD0P0sEfHDF2pawDMOL8wopGwXEOiBPA5Lpjih647RIEXoGKzeReEC7vdJ_I3o3deBrJyAkQTBpwzT/s640/blogger-image-322666125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9p23nnF4LAdzeYqZWa9E-qtY-bB-aG_dG-orkfS_2_pzs83MHARY7vi2m_a4LIbYD0P0sEfHDF2pawDMOL8wopGwXEOiBPA5Lpjih647RIEXoGKzeReEC7vdJ_I3o3deBrJyAkQTBpwzT/s1600/blogger-image-322666125.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Tell me I'm a bird!"</td></tr>
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Here is my Bombshell swimsuit from <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/" target="_blank">Closet Case Files</a>. Heather Lou did a magnificent job on this pattern! This is my second one, and this suit makes me feel like a pin-up princess, which is saying a lot! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxsx7ZJLLzAL1rYQdPe9d34zYv9Yy-MdDafpVjMKrGUEQ05gmrUEXAP8GMZAkwbYQjZMhmx0v6lHKfcl08Y8Nh6hLlky9chjmDkldqVc4iWYX0ze3PctIKhNCtzOu867OXrpMJ74FqQey/s640/blogger-image--1440910349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxsx7ZJLLzAL1rYQdPe9d34zYv9Yy-MdDafpVjMKrGUEQ05gmrUEXAP8GMZAkwbYQjZMhmx0v6lHKfcl08Y8Nh6hLlky9chjmDkldqVc4iWYX0ze3PctIKhNCtzOu867OXrpMJ74FqQey/s640/blogger-image--1440910349.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse the little alfalfa bit. The wind was playing with my hair. </td></tr>
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Here is the knitty gritty-</div>
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I made a size 10 graded to a size 12 in the hips. Horray for pear shapes!</div>
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I looked around for matte swimsuit Lycra, but the fabric stores in my area were lacking, so I just used the reverse side.</div>
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I added in moulded cups to add some support and modesty. Nobody wants to get nipply at the beach! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpMfsS6mu77_gU04h-e3gmjcU2_m8WCOMpoSz7D3eM90yFFD4PEjac_SPVvwPWt6n4rWIwqj4bJgp-tm_QfmPhrAxXIUgAG1cjNBUITHAIH7LepM3713hJYM-OM0Oho77EDVlmc6NJaUh/s640/blogger-image-647759207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpMfsS6mu77_gU04h-e3gmjcU2_m8WCOMpoSz7D3eM90yFFD4PEjac_SPVvwPWt6n4rWIwqj4bJgp-tm_QfmPhrAxXIUgAG1cjNBUITHAIH7LepM3713hJYM-OM0Oho77EDVlmc6NJaUh/s640/blogger-image-647759207.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My best Betty Grable impression</td></tr>
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If I made this again I might lengthen it a bit. It's not uncomfortable as it is, but I feel like it might fit better. I would also reduce the width in the front crotch piece. I found that there was a little bit of extra fabric there that could be slightly unflattering. </div>
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All in all I love this swimsuit. I felt uber confident and totally hot at the beach while wearing it, which is pretty big. And that wasn't just because of the 35° heat!</div>
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Hope you all are having a fantastic summer!</div>
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Rachael</div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-15567997491012148662014-07-19T10:39:00.000-07:002014-07-19T10:39:12.257-07:00Summer Sewing PlansHello Chickadees!<br />
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Now that summer is here,it is time to start planning my summer wardrobe. This year's summer sewing is especially exciting, because I will be able to spend a decent amount of time actually outside!<br />
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1) Finish the lobster playsuit<br />
I still have oodles of lobster fabric left, and I plan on making Mrs. Depew's <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/97183195/sewing-pattern-beach-bustier-1950s-style" target="_blank">Beach Bustier</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/78610533/vintage-sewing-pattern-1940s-style-beach?ref=shop_home_active_3" target="_blank">Shorts</a>, and if there is fabric left over, possibly the blouse from <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b5895-products-44972.php?page_id=4453" target="_blank">Butterick 5895</a>. <br />
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2) Blouses<br />
I have a blouse pattern that I half hacked from Gertie's shirtdress pattern that makes for gloriously fitted blouses. I want to stitch up a few more in breezy cotton to go with my shorts and skirts in the summer months. <br />
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3) MOAR GATHERED SKIRTS<br />
When the weather gets warm, I want to live in gathered skirts. They are a sure-fire way to feel feminine and graceful without getting too warm. Plus I like that they take almost zero brainpower to sew.<br />
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4)Bombshell Swimsuit<br />
I'm sure most of you have seen somebody in the blogosphere stitch up a <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/the-bombshell-swimsuit-is-here/" target="_blank">Bombshell</a>.
This suit has the magical ability to make whoever sews it look like a
pin-up goddess. It's fantastic. I have red and navy swimsuit lycra and
will be stitching up several versions of this beauty!<br />
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<a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BOMBSHELL+PROMO2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://closetcasefiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BOMBSHELL+PROMO2.jpg" height="320" width="293" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/the-bombshell-swimsuit-is-here/" target="_blank">Closet Case Files</a></div>
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5) Tiki dress<br />
When I think of summer, I picture my honeymoon in Hawaii. Since we don't have the money to fly to Hawaii all the time (oh, if only that were the case!), I'll settle for a tasty drink in a tiki bar. There are a few cool ones around here, and a cool tiki bar calls for a hot Shaheen-style tiki dress! I'll be using <a href="http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/" target="_blank">Gertie</a>'s fabulous pattern, <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b6019-products-47993.php?page_id=4453" target="_blank">Butterick 6019</a> with this awesome blue tropical/tiki print fabric that I found at a local thrift store.<br />
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Hopefully I'll get around to getting all of this stitched up! Wish me luck!<br />
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What do you guys have planned for summer sewing? Let me know in the comments!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Rachael </div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-84119094080350522072014-07-07T16:25:00.002-07:002014-07-07T16:25:43.482-07:00The Beach DressHello Chickadees!<br />
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As promised, I'm back with a real blog post today. Things have been a wee bit crazy over here!<br />
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A great big thank you to my brother for these photos. We managed to sneak away to shoot while on vacation. <br />
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This dress is my perfect summer dress. It's easy to dress up or down, depending on how you style it. It's light and breezy. And it's comfy, but still makes me look put together. I adore it. And I love the lower neckline in the back. It makes me feel very glamorous!<br />
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This dress is a super frankenpattern. I took the bodice from Simplicity 2648, lengthened it by about 5/8ths of an inch, and adjusted the neckline in front and back. The skirt is a basic gathered skirt. I really hate sewing them because my machine HATES gathers, but they are the best to wear. They have the perfect amount of spin factor, without worrying about having your skirt go flying!<br />
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My favourite part of this dress is telling people that I made it out of a bed sheet. Sometimes you can find great fabric in the bedding section of the thrift store.<br />
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Bonus model shot. This is the photo that my mom loved the most from the shoot. I look so serious, and I'm fairly certain my brother and I were in the middle of a conversation at this moment. <br />
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I hope you are all having a lovely summer!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Rachael </div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-88844129802034453692014-06-25T14:48:00.000-07:002014-06-25T14:48:11.168-07:00Silence...Hello Chickadees<br />
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I am sorry for the silence on the blog front recently! I've been sewing a lot of muslins, and most of them have been waders. Womp womp... On top of that, my poor machine is out to get me. Hopefully I'll be able to find my sewing mojo!<br />
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There are a few projects that have yet to be blogged, but next week will be a photo shoot marathon! I promise there are some good outfits coming your way soon. Stay tuned!<br />
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Love,<br />
RachaelRachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-3819701850500378352014-05-31T21:56:00.002-07:002014-05-31T21:56:41.360-07:00Anniversary Dress Reveal!Drumroll please!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwRKwQM8U6fj8Zk4o6gqspNVZZi1eGZS8vWeehGD_AzMm0I9rdSYmeBYyPlw_6g3czyDBfCh2gIsC9MacKpzFt1bnqIJLfQLQYrUhp1IVjZNvCDvNL-Bakwm6hYFch37HRL3tcXC0flDm/s1600/annidress12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwRKwQM8U6fj8Zk4o6gqspNVZZi1eGZS8vWeehGD_AzMm0I9rdSYmeBYyPlw_6g3czyDBfCh2gIsC9MacKpzFt1bnqIJLfQLQYrUhp1IVjZNvCDvNL-Bakwm6hYFch37HRL3tcXC0flDm/s1600/annidress12.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here is the dress you've all been waiting for. I finally managed to get some pictures!<br />
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This dress is so fun to wear, because it is so full and swishy! I had to resist the urge to spin in circles all night. Everybody needs a swishy dress in their wardrobe.<br />
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Does anybody else feel really awkward when they pose like this? I get super nervous that I'm going to accidentally flash some poor passerby. <br />
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The beading is my favourite part of this dress. After the first time I wore it, I looked at a photo and realized that the beading was totally underwhelming. I went back and added more beads, and I think it looks so much better now.<br />
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Also, can we take a moment to talk about how great my hair looks? My hair is usually stubborn, and it takes a long long time to brush my set into a decent style. This one only took about fifteen minutes. And it lasted two whole days. Go hair! Also, hair flowers cover a multitude of sins. <br />
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I'm fairly certain that this dress stretched out on the hanger. The first time I wore it, the straps stayed put, and there were hardly any wrinkles in the bodice. Maybe I should have sewn in some of those ribbon hanging loops. Live and learn, I suppose?</div>
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Love,</div>
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Rachael </div>
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P.S. Special thanks to Dara for taking some of these photos and putting up with my mega awkwardness.<br />
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<br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-60495506869624814372014-05-25T14:08:00.001-07:002014-05-25T14:29:26.100-07:00Lobster Invasion!Hello chickadees!<br>
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I have started falling in love with novelty prints. I've always loved the way they looked on others, but thought they were too silly for my wardrobe. But recently my style has evolved a bit, and I'm trying to embrace the whimsy of novelty prints. Which according to my brain meant that I needed to find the silliest print. So I jumped head first into the novelty print ocean and decided to find myself some lobster fabric! </div>
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I put out a status in Facebook asking my friends to keep an eye out for lobster print fabric, because two (or three or ten) sets of eyes are better than one! My best friend's boyfriend mentioned that he would be visiting China and that he'd keep an eye out. Apparently he went on a very long search, and actually managed to find some! I was very excited when he sent me this picture.<br>
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He bought me an absurd amount of the blue one. Time to make a 1940's playsuit!</div>
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Since it's too cold here to wear a crop top or shorts, I started with the gathered skirt. I love wearing gathered skirts, but I generally despise making them. I never get the gathers even. I've tried all the different methods: One gathering thread, two gathering threads, three gathering threads, zigzagging over crochet cotton. Usually nothing works properly for me. But this lobster fabric must be magical, because I had absolutely no issues with it! I used three rows of gathering stitches, and it came together perfectly! Hurray!<br>
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I used a red zipper from my stash, and did a hand picked lapped zipper. I find this method is nice and simple, and makes for a lovely hidden zipper. So much better than fiddling with an invisible zip. I am so indecisive about finishing details that I had to ask Instagram which button to use.<br>
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Almost everybody chose the good wheel. I like the nautical-ness of it. I plan to use a few more of these on the shorts and crop top.<br>
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For the shorts portion of the playsuit, I've decided to try using Mrs. Depew's <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/78610533/vintage-sewing-pattern-1940s-style-beach?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=beach%2Bshorts" target="_blank">1940's style beach shorts</a>. Have any of you tried this pattern? It looks really cute and quite simple. Hopefully I won't have too many fitting problems. For the crop top/bustier, I hope to use another Mrs. Depew pattern- the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/97183195/sewing-pattern-beach-bustier-1950s-style?ref=shop_home_active_3" target="_blank">1950's beach bustier</a>. I was inspired by <a href="http://bygumbygolly.com/2013/08/the-accidental-vintage-playsuit-2/" target="_blank">Tasha's adorable polka dot playsuit.</a><br>
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This skirt makes me so happy! I love how easy it is to wear and style. Dirndl skirts can be easily styles in a 1940's, 1950's, or 1960's aesthetic. Three cheers for versatility! <br>
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Love, Rachael</div>
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P.S. I promise that there are pictures of Project Anniversary Dress coming soon. We were having so much fun on our anniversary that we didn't get a chance to take any blog photos. I'll be wearing the dress to a gala this Friday, and perhaps my photographer brother might be kind enough to snap a few photos. </div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-38510607981678991982014-05-15T23:24:00.000-07:002014-05-15T23:24:20.556-07:00Anniversary Dress Part 2Hello Chickadees,<br />
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So I braved the crazy sale at my local fabric store to get the supplies for this dress. It was kind of fun to hunt through the store for the perfect fabrics. I even ended up finding a bolt of fabric that I'd been looking at online earlier in the month. More on that one in a later post.<br />
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I found a fabric very similar to stretch cotton sateen. I've used this fabric before, and I am in love with it! It has a great lustre, and enough stretch to be comfortable in fitted garments. I picked up a metre of it in black, and had enough left over to make a vintage-inspired bustier to wear with some summer skirts.<br />
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I had planned on buying tulle for the skirt, but when I got there, the tulle selection wasn't really what I wanted. Everything was either too white, or too yellow, or not fine enough. So I gingerly approached the organzas.<br />
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Now, I've never sewn with organza before, and it frightened me a little bit. Turns out, it's not all that bad, providing you use the right needle. I ended up picking up about 6 metres of ivory poly organza. I originally only got 3 metres, but it wasn't enough to create the fullness that I needed.<br />
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I decided to line the dress, so that it would feel nice to wear. I picked up both black and ivory Bemberg Rayon lining. This stuff feels so nice, but is a giant pain in the butt to cut and sew. It's so slippery!<br />
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Here's how the bodice looks, all cut out and marked.<br />
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I used the Sultry Sheath bodice from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing. If you like vintage style garments, and great sewing instructions, I would highly recommend this book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organza looks like fluffy clouds!</td></tr>
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The most intimidating part was the organza. My machine is super finicky (I have affectionately named her Gimpy), and has not enjoyed sewing fine fabrics in the past. Luckily, this time the sewing gods were with me, and we only had 2 minor setbacks! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gimpy's getting ready for some tough work</td></tr>
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All five organza layers of the skirt are french seamed separately. I wanted a very floaty skirt! I managed to get my serger (also super finicky) to create a decent looking rolled hem, so all 5 layers are hemmed with a rolled hem. I love the extra body it gives to the skirt! I am so so glad I got my serger working, because I was dreading hemming all those circle skirts by hand. <br />
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I still have to insert the zipper, and add some beading around the top of the skirt. That will be done in front of the tv tomorrow, at girl's night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organza is trying to take over! </td></tr>
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I'll be taking photos of this dress on Sunday, so check back for photos of the finished dress!</div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-90278269200409799012014-05-08T00:01:00.000-07:002014-05-08T20:22:35.008-07:00Anniversary Dress: Part 1Hello Chickadees!<br />
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On May 18th, the Mister and I will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary. Obviously this means that I need a new fancy dress! But it won't be as fancy as last year's dress, obviously. This is what it looked like. I still really love it.<br />
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This is one of my favourite candid photos of our wedding day</div>
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So being a vintage inspired gal, I've been looking around for some inspiration for this new fancy dress. Shocking, I know!<br />
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I follow many vintage shops on Instagram, purely to drool over their gorgeous dresses. Side note: If you have a smart phone and love to be connected to the sewing community, get your cute little tushie signed up for Instagram! Great inspiration, super friendly people, and lots of sewing conversations going on. It's awesome. Let's become Instagram friends!<br />
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I stumbled upon this beauty from Shop Wanderlust a while back, and knew right away that this was THE INPIRATION dress. The sewing muses had spoken!<br />
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(Photo from Shop Wanderlust's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wanderlust/134751369885921?fref=photo" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>)</div>
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I wish I had been able to purchase this beauty before it sold. But that's the joy of sewing!<br />
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Now, since this dress is inspiration, and not something I want to copy stitch for stitch, here are the things I'm taking from this.<br />
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1) Colour scheme. I love the idea of a black top with a white bottom. So beautiful, and so classic. It reminds me of Lisa Freemont Street's gown from Rear Window<br />
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<a href="http://www.hitchcockwiki.com/gallery/900w/6203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hitchcockwiki.com/gallery/900w/6203.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a></div>
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Photo from the <a href="http://www.hitchcockwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">Alfred Hitchcock Wiki</a></div>
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2) Silhouette. I love the style of a sleek fitted bodice with a full and fluffy circle skirt. It makes the waist look absolutely tiny, and accentuates my already hourglass figure. <br />
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3) Embellishments of sorts. I love the idea of lace or sequins on the circle skirt. I'm aiming to add some sort of embellishment, but it all depends on what time (and my rather finicky sewing machine) allows.<br />
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The Changes:<br />
1) Sleeves. While I adore sleeves, they are not always practical, especially in May. Instead, I'll be using the Sultry Sheath pattern from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing. I've sewn it up a few times before, and I know what sort of fitting adjustments I need already.<br />
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2) Fabric. In some of the other pictures of this dress, it appears that the skirt is made from chiffon. My persnickety sewing machine really hates sewing chiffon, and I do not want to risk ruining my material when I'm on a deadline. I'm going to try a tulle circle skirt (at least 3 layers of it) for the bottom bit. The bonus of using tulle- no tiny hems on long amounts of fabric!<br />
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I'm going shopping for the fabric tomorrow, so stay tuned for more of the Dress Saga!<br />
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Love,<br />
Rachael<br />
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<br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-52614612941645952522014-04-29T16:31:00.003-07:002014-04-29T16:31:53.240-07:00Sew For Victory!Here we go with another sew-a-long blog post!<br />
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I apologize in advance for the poor photo quality. My brother borrowed my lens for a trip and has yet to return it. Iphone photos will have to do for now.<br />
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I love the 1940's aesthetic, so when Rochelle from <a href="http://luckylucille.com/" target="_blank">Lucky Lucille</a> announced the second <a href="http://luckylucille.com/2014/03/sew-for-victory-2-0/" target="_blank">Sew For Victory</a> Challenge, I knew I was in! I had the perfect pattern in my stash, and I went on the hunt for the right fabric. </div>
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I chose to make Vogue 8728. I'd had my eye on the pattern for quite some time, and as soon as it went on sale I snatched it up. I love the style lines of this dress, but I'm not certain why I chose to sew it, because I loathe sewing gathers. Sometimes we sacrifice for the things we love!</div>
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I went to the fabric store looking for something with a nice drape, and stumbled on a wonderful selection of vintage inspired polyester prints. Finally! The green of this one stood out to me, and had the added bonus of matching at least three of my cardigans at home. </div>
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As much as I love the look of this fabric, it was a beast to sew! It's slippery, doesn't press well (although that could be partially to do with my sad old iron), and frays if you look at it funny. I added a lapped hand-picked zipper on the side, because I find those to be the easiest to control.</div>
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We went to a gorgeous park to take these photos, and most of my time was spent either frolicking through the woods, or freaking out about the cuteness of the squirrels.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This face is usually accompanied by pigeon-like cooing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!"</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Looking at the photos, I may need to fiddle with the hem a little bit more. It has a fairly deep hem, but I'm wondering if a narrow hem will help it hang better. What do you guys think? </span></div>
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I love the way this dress turned out. I've already worn it three times in the past two weeks! I have plans to make a few more in printed cotton and rayon challis for the summer time, and perhaps make a peasant-style top out of white cotton. </div>
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Rachael</div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-3334294728729589072014-04-26T22:48:00.000-07:002014-04-26T22:48:01.973-07:00Knitting for BabiesHello chickadees!<br />
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I am of the age where many of my friends from school and church are having babies. This is a wonderful time, especially as a "crafty" person because it provides many opportunities to bless my friends with adorable handmade items!<br />
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A while ago my friend Tayler announced that she was having a baby boy. Exciting news! I was invited to the baby shower, and so I figured that I would knit something special! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn95wpXfAwBq_SjktYwwSTHYIHVXmE36LYD7ebuPOVnef0kPRui1s0uFb67PD9A3XHLPfWRnd8S8Vmg-QzuFZGQPM1lMWPWAzBarF8z3T2r2tsKW2WafFlCEi2mBfWsm8cf-wF0OcXAwU/s640/blogger-image-1433053319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn95wpXfAwBq_SjktYwwSTHYIHVXmE36LYD7ebuPOVnef0kPRui1s0uFb67PD9A3XHLPfWRnd8S8Vmg-QzuFZGQPM1lMWPWAzBarF8z3T2r2tsKW2WafFlCEi2mBfWsm8cf-wF0OcXAwU/s640/blogger-image-1433053319.jpg" /></a></div>
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What better way to celebrate the arrival of a new precious bundle of joy! </div>
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The yarn is <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Comfy_Worsted_Yarn__D5420171.html" target="_blank">Knit Picks Comfy Worsted</a>, and had been hanging out in my stash for a bit. I had originally planned to use it to knit a cotton version of the <a href="http://untangling-knots.com/patterns/miette/" target="_blank">Miette</a> sweater, but could not get a nice looking gauge. It was perfect for this little project! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgiAVc_UrSIL6ZfGieKB7od00jdA-vMRLYxSrroC7wvj1vGkdGcekwRH77y_eO3kTC4A7xA0bhAscQDFKSPlrdjHqOnYuoA8q3lApHzq3nAe0AISvARQY9ViEhbfSyfpuHbFS2t7JRABL/s640/blogger-image--1892935365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgiAVc_UrSIL6ZfGieKB7od00jdA-vMRLYxSrroC7wvj1vGkdGcekwRH77y_eO3kTC4A7xA0bhAscQDFKSPlrdjHqOnYuoA8q3lApHzq3nAe0AISvARQY9ViEhbfSyfpuHbFS2t7JRABL/s640/blogger-image--1892935365.jpg" /></a></div>
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This sweater had so many false starts! I knew that I wanted a cardigan, preferably raglan sleeved, and not too girly. I started knitting it about 8 different times and hated all of them, until I finally settled on this modified version of Brenna Kotar's <a href="http://www.beknitpicky.com/2011/01/hoot-cardigan.html" target="_blank">Hoot Cardigan</a>. Instead of the owl cables, I just used a simple 6 stitch cable pattern. All of the edges are finished with I-cord. </div>
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I even found the cutest little puppy dog buttons!</div>
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The booties are my own pattern, basically just a teeny tiny sock finished again with I-cord. Are they not the most precious thing? If these little guys don't start your baby fever, nothing will. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJQwUYLV4mn3tSJ9lw5-nzOyNP3-RWeE2-SB-gdTDXAvhMqU7vS-nhnlpRuYaRmSjGQRw8htM6TTl7GTVgjBYS-Kw7q1sREGRXQRQk2seJ4BtlGIWThAXpCG7HHqXFxdJPGnZLJv84Vgk/s640/blogger-image--33963280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJQwUYLV4mn3tSJ9lw5-nzOyNP3-RWeE2-SB-gdTDXAvhMqU7vS-nhnlpRuYaRmSjGQRw8htM6TTl7GTVgjBYS-Kw7q1sREGRXQRQk2seJ4BtlGIWThAXpCG7HHqXFxdJPGnZLJv84Vgk/s640/blogger-image--33963280.jpg" /></a></div>
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The sweater was a hit! Now we're just waiting for baby to arrive! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mama-to-be loved it!</td></tr>
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Love,</div>
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Rachael</div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476872632990391776.post-14844060148177563092014-03-31T20:42:00.000-07:002014-03-31T20:42:59.214-07:00Serendipity (AKA the Rachel Menken Suit)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is a Mad Men Challenge without a candy cigarette?</td></tr>
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As soon as Julia announced the third <a href="http://www.juliabobbin.com/2014/02/mad-men-challenge-3-you-in.html" target="_blank">Mad Men Challenge</a>, I knew I had to join up, and I started immediately looking for inspiration. I started a Pinterest board. I binge watched Mad Men. There are so many beautiful outfits to choose from! One in particular stood out to me. Rachel Menken's watemelon-coloured suit from Season 1 Episode 6: Babylon. The colour is FANTASTIC, the collar is interesting, and everything about it is so sophisticated and beautiful. I knew that I had to make it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJDsiHwIXfZOxOzHK9A30UKE1BjN-oBjkvDhgBpdBXSUDUN_tKaCM_Xn3eYlAv14ZZ1qTMbPGRnIXwHBvcPvCzfzxVTjyeWlwryQVapaxsHDeUpx5DqGUM_lDlsYfYSF_gmHayrIb3lHF/s640/blogger-image--1293151818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJDsiHwIXfZOxOzHK9A30UKE1BjN-oBjkvDhgBpdBXSUDUN_tKaCM_Xn3eYlAv14ZZ1qTMbPGRnIXwHBvcPvCzfzxVTjyeWlwryQVapaxsHDeUpx5DqGUM_lDlsYfYSF_gmHayrIb3lHF/s640/blogger-image--1293151818.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Tom and Lorenzo's Mad Style</td></tr>
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A few weeks later, my Mom and I went on a girl's roadtrip to visit my Grandma. This usually includes a stop or two in antique stores along the way. We were browsing through some old patterns, most of which were ugly 70's things, and found the perfect pattern for the project. It was uncut, in factory folds, and only one size off of my vintage pattern size. Hurray!<br />
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Now came the next challenge: finding the perfect fabric. My local fabric store appears to have a large collection of fabrics, but the majority of it is either quilting cottons or crazy printed dance/performance wear fabric. I went shopping prepared with a list of a few different outfit options in case I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. After browsing for about twenty minutes, it looked as if I wasn't going to find anything, until I happened upon the perfect shade of watermelon!<br />
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So I had my fabric, I had my pattern, now all that was missing was the accessories. It just so happened that I had the perfect floral print scarf in my collection, as well as matching lipstick and nail polish. This project truly was meant to be! <br />
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Pattern:<br />
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Jacket from Butterick 2213, Size 18, graded down to size 16.<br />
Skirt from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing<br />
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Fabric and Notions:<br />
Watermelon Bengaline fashion fabric<br />
Cream Bemberg Rayon lining<br />
Fusible Interfacing <br />
2 Cream buttons<br />
1 9" Cream zipper<br />
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05807193261083259899noreply@blogger.com11