Tag Archives: selfish sewing

Swimsuit Season… cringes not necessary.

Posted in DIY, General, Sewing by

This past December, I was on the hunt for either a sewing pattern for a retro one-piece, or an actual suit. I needed one to accompany me to the Dominican Republic and help me ring in 2013 in style. After indulging all month long on Christmas goodies (ooops), I wasn’t really feeling a bikini & wanted something classy and chic that didn’t scream “old lady swimwear”.

After an extensive search that resulted in zero sewing patterns, I did the unthinkable… I purchased a suit online… without having tried it on. The one I found was from Unique Vintage, purveyors of retro prom dresses, rock-a-billy wear, and swimsuits. The site had pretty specific measurements, so after taking my own I felt relatively comfortable taking the plunge (har har) and ordering.

The price? A lil on the steeper side, at $75.00 for the suit, as well as $30.00 for shipping to Canada. We won’t talk about the additional $20.00 charge I got from FedEx a month later, for customs or something – how that wasn’t included in the $30.00 S&H is a mystery to this day.

The suit I ordered is the one pictured below, in black, available here. Cute, right?

untitled

Overall I was mostly happy with it. It held up well in the ocean, had a shelf lined bust, and the stitching was very solid and well constructed. However, the skirt portion gets pretty heavy when wet, and this bad boy takes a long time to dry. I felt comfortable wearing it, and far from dumpy. BUT! I wasn’t prepared to pay another $100+ for a second suit, so the search for the perfect sewing pattern continued…

Until yesterday when I stumbled upon this lil’ gem of a website, and the swimsuit pattern to answer all of my prayers!

Heather Lou of Closet Case Files is even hosting a sew-a-long, starting June 17th, so that you too can make your own Bombshell Swimsuit! Come on, you know you want to. Pattern is available here.

I’ve got my pieces all cut out, fabric is en route. The Fabric Fairy, of all places (mostly kid fabrics), had this fantastic geometric/chevron print in black/white/coralish salmon. CANNOT WAIT!

Summer tee / Knits, knits, knits

Posted in General, Sewing by

Finally, some sewing for ME! Last day of May, and this puppy was whipped up just in time for the Knit Stashbusting Challenge.

This might be my go-to piece for the warmer months. Quick, easy, and super satisfying… just how I like it! Pattern is the Summer Concert Tee from Dixie DIY. It’s a PDF download, great price, and was very simple to put together & follow. There is so much room for creative design in regards to fabric, embellishment, longer sleeves, no sleeves… the sky is the limit! I whipped my first tee up in a bamboo cotton in this absolutely gorgeous teal color I’ve had lying around. I only had a meter, so I didn’t know what I was going to use it for. That’s what happens when you buy something based on the color with no project in mind! I had to get creative with cutting and pattern placement, but I slashed the back portion and have my fabric running in two different directions, and it worked. I literally used almost every last scrap of this fabric to make the tee work. So glad I did because I’ve been wearing it non stop! More to come as soon as I can load up on more knits. Stripes, florals… yum.

Sewing? What’s that?

I haven’t been doing much of it lately … unless we count the 30 second baby blanket I whipped up the other day. Nope, my time has been strictly all knitting, all the time. A lil’ crochet, too. I know I’ve mentioned it a few times, but the 1st annual Winnipeg Etsy Street Team Handmade & Vintage Sale is a mere 14 days away! Wahoo! So I’ve been gearing up for that, along with some photo-shooting on the side for my shop … here’s a glimpse :)

Certainly looking forward to the New Year when I can get back into sewing more seriously … and for that matter, my New Year’s resolution is to sew more selfishly! Yes, I am aware I attempted that for this year but … all I can do is keep trying :)

One Day of Me Made May (in July!)

I can’t believe the whole month of May whizzed by and I wore next to NOTHING handmade! Here’s to next year being much, much better. I guess I bit off more than I could chew, what with trying to get two gardens going, training for a half marathon… and spending much more time knitting/crocheting than in front of my machine. Not to mention, getting outside for camping, cabin-ing, swimming, and soaking up the summer. Time sure flies!

Continue reading →

Completed: Minoru! Finally!

After procrastinating for oh … three months (!!), I’ve finally completed my Minoru. As luck would have it, the weather has suddenly gotten ridiculously warm for this time of year, so of course I haven’t been able to wear it lest I garner plenty of weird looks for wearing a jacket while everyone else is rocking shorts and tank tops. Go figure. I even whipped up a headband and cowl to match my jacket, and was quite ready to sport my super cute spring ensemble, but no such luck!

Edit: Miraculously, the weather turned crappy and cold again, so I’ve been happily wearing my jacket everywhere I go. It fits like a dream, and plans for #2 are already in the works! Continue reading →