Fall Sewing 2015 - Mood Dimensional Knit Fabric

Friends, every year about this time Fall sewing starts to pop in to my mind.  Long before we have passed the dog days of Summer, I start to get the itch to stitch all things Fall!

With that in mind I have been perusing the deep dark hole of fabrics available on the internet.  I came across these two fabrics on Mood this week and I wanted to squee with delight!

Moodfabric.com Oil Blue Dimensional Paisley Knit

Moodfabric.com Heather Black/Charcoal Dimensional Knit

If you have been reading the blog for very long, you may remember this raglan t-shirt I made last Fall.  It was one of my most viewed posts back then.

I used a dimensional (I called it quilted at the time) knit for the body and cuffs of this shirt.  Now, I am seeing that Oil Blue Paisley Knit used with a steel gray sleeve and cuff for this Fall!  You can check out the Heather Black/Charcoal Paisley Knit here.  I can honestly say that this shirt was one of my absolute most warn garments last Fall and Winter.  You may take pause when you see that the cost of this great fabric is $25 a yard.  With the pattern that I used from GreenStyleCreations I only needed a yard of 58 or 60 inch fabric to make the body pieces and cuffs.  When you add in another half yard of a different knit for the sleeves and collar, you could easily make this shirt for $30 with a really nice fabric.  This dimensional knit is 9% virgin wool!  It is going to be warm and cozy, like pajamas you can wear in public.

Friends, I am not associated with Mood Fabrics.  I don't get any special treatment or any kind of kickback for showing you this fabric.  I am only pointing it out, because I am buying it and so many people reached out last year to find out where I got the original fabric for the shirt above that I knew I had to share as soon as I saw it.

So, what would you make with these lovely knits?  I can see sew many possibilities!

A Black and White Green Style Laurel Sweater Dress #SewnWithMood

Friends, there has been a lot of hub bub and rigmarole in the sewing world about knit dresses that feel like jammies, so I had to join in the action and make myself something comfy but warm enough to wear in the snow!

Ta Da!

During my day after Christmas fabric binge, I ordered 2.5 yards of this fantastic Black and White Wool Sweater Knit from Mood Fabrics.  Ya'll I love it!!!  It is heavy weight and fantastically warm.  I was a little hesitant seeing as it is wool that it might be itchy, so imagine my surprise and delight when it didn't itch not one little bit!  Though I am not at all affiliated with Mood, if you are looking for a warm sweater knit for a cold weather wrap dress, or a nice warm sweater, get yourself over there and order some of this, because they still have it in stock, and with temperatures dropping I don't think it will be around for long!

I ordered a few other goodies from Mood, but the best surprise of all came in a small zip top bag.

That's right friends...it is my very first Sewn With Mood tag.  There is something thrilling about the little things in life, and I giggled like a school girl when I found this among my treasures.

As for my Sweater Dress Pattern, it is a Green Style Creations Laurel.  This isn't my first Laurel.  Though it has not yet been lifted to pattern addiction the way their Centerfield Raglan has, it is a great pattern with lots of variation.

The Laurel is perfect for my pear with a big booty body type.  The empire waist line shows off my best assets without clinging to my liabilities...if you know what I mean!

Those girls with all the Ks in their names ain't got nothing on me!

I did make an alteration to the pattern this go round.  I decided that since I normally do a sway back adjustment on most dresses and shirts I should do something on this as well, because my original Laurel hangs a little low at the back bodice.  Since the Laurel comes with cutting lines for short, regular and long torsos, and I use the long torso for the front bodice, I just curved from the long torso line to the short torso line on the pattern.

This little adjustment made the back bodice perfect length, with no dragging or sloppiness.

I decided to hand sew the hem and sleeve cuffs, because I just don't like the way that a double needle finish looks on a heavy knit.  Plus it gave me an excuse to use some of the new gadgets that I got for Christmas (these nifty hem clips...thanks Mom!)

I am very happy with how this great Italian Wool Sweater Knit Dress turned out.  I think that it will fill a void in my wardrobe, and it will keep me warm.  The high here in Indy is supposed to be seven degrees.  So cold in fact that school is on a two hour delay because it will be below zero when the buses would normally run!  I see lots of warm ginger tea, and wool knits in my future!!

Friends, what are you sewing to keep warm as the mercury is dropping?  Maybe a long overdue Winter Coat, or some nice Fuzzy PJs?  Tell me...what is on the cutting table!?

2014 in Review...Kind Of

Friends it is hard to believe that it has only been a little over three and half months since I started this blog!  Some of you already feel like old friends that I have known forever.  In my short bloggy career here, there have been over 6500 hits on my site.  What wut?  I would have never dreamed that would be the case back when I launched in September.

I was sewing long before I was blogging.  The idea of showing my clothes on my body was a little intimidating.  But as I read posts by other plus size bloggers, I felt like there might be something that I could add to the conversation.

My name is Alicia BTW.  Yet, this blog is called Pandora Sews.  Who is this Pandora person?  Friends, I have an Etsy shop called Pandora's Vault, it's kind of a long story and no, there isn't much for sale there right now.  When I first started this blog I was planning to blog more about refashioning and vintage clothing, than my sewing endeavors.  However, the name stuck with me, and here we are.

Enough of that.  We are here to review 2014.

First, a shout out to my favorite bloggers this year:

Photo stolen from tanyamaile.com

The lovely Mrs. Hughes (or Tanya as it may be) over at tanyamaile.com has had an epic year.  From sewing an amazing evening gown, to finding her perfect sweater pattern, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Tanya's sewing journey as she has really come in to her own style wise.

Photo stolen from sewingfantatic.blogspot,com

Then there is the always sophisticated Carolyn over at sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/.  Carolyn's Tri-Color Ponte Dress is the stuff that sewing dreams are made of.  Then there is the Leather and Ponte Sweater she made...perfect use of mixed media.  If only I had half the sewing knowledge and skill that Carolyn has!

Next up, my favorite me made pieces of 2014.

Of course the Red Dress that was a winner in the Curvy Sewing Collective Wrap Along (this is the last time I will mention it...promise).

And then there is my latest make...a grey and black textured knit Centerfield Raglan.  I am loving this shirt, and it gets so many compliments!  I am starting to really think I have a problem with textured knits, and raglan shirts!

This brings me to my pattern of the year for 2014!  The Green Style Creations Centerfield Raglan T, has become a go to pattern for me, and this dotty one is a favorite.  It took a little bit of tweaking, but now I have got this baby set for TNT status.  There may or may not be a few of these that I have not shared on here, as I fear you may think I have gone stark raving raglan mad!

Friends, these are my favorite things of 2014 as far as this crazy sewing thing goes.  I have to know, what was your pattern of the year?  Which sewing blogs do you love?  What was your most enjoyable sew of the year?

Pattern Addiction...Another Green Style Centerfield Raglan

Friends, I do believe that I am addicted to the Green Style Creations Centerfield Raglan!  This one is my favorite one that I have made so far.

I love this textured/quilted knit that I made it out of.  I can't remember if I bought it at Joann or Hancock, but I am positive that it was bought at one of those two places.

Ill fitting skirt made for a lumpy bumpy mid-section

I changed it up a bit with the cuffs.  I like the contrast of it, and it helped me get the sleeves to my perfect length.  

My husband gave me the ultimate compliment when I finished it last night when he said that it looked like something you would buy in a store.

The neckline went in like a dream on this particular one.  It was truly a joy to sew, and went together quickly.

I love the way that it looks from behind as well.  It smooths out all the lumps and bumps.

I serged off the lower hem of the shirt and then used a twin needle to hem it under.

The Centerfield Raglan has quickly become one of my go to patterns.  It works well with my plus size body, it is easily manipulated to change it up, and it only has four pattern pieces. I am able to lay out the body pieces on a 60 inch wide one yard long piece of knit, and then I can use 1/2 yard for the sleeves.  I have never had a shirt pattern that only required 1 1/2 yards of fabric before.  I am able to cut and sew this shirt in about an hour with my rotary cutter and serger.

Friends, if you haven't given the Centerfield Raglan a try and are looking for a good plus size raglan pattern, give it a try.  With a few minor tweaks (widening the neck band), it sews up like a dream.

Polka Dot Raglan: Green Style Centerfield Raglan Part 2

Friends, I know that I haven't posted many me mades of late.  Part of that is because you can't post sewn gifts for people who read your blog, and part of that is because the weather has been terrible for blog photos of late.

This afternoon while looking through my blog roll, I found that Andie over at Sew Pretty in Pink had just posted about a Dotty Parisian Top she had recently made and lo and behold, she used the same fabric for the base of that top, as I did for my most recent make.  So, I threw on a wee bit of makeup and ran a brush through my hair, inspired to get a few pics for the blog before we lost daylight.

Yes, it is another Green Style Centerfield Raglan.  This time I made it with sweatshirt material for the sleeves.  The material that Andie and I both used is a nice knit from the juvenile fabric collection at JoAnn.  It is from the Doodles Collection and is called a reversible sweater knit.  It almost has a wooly texture on the dotty side of the fabric.

 
I have been able to work out most of the kinks with the neckline on this raglan by making a wider neck band.  Despite the sweatshirt fabric having no stretch, I still cut the same size sleeves and they worked fine, though I think if I had sized up a bit to compensate for the lack of stretch, I would probably not have the fabric pooling at the elbows.

Winter makes my hair go flat!

This is my very first derriere pic.  I am quite gifted in the behind.  My Great-Grandmother used to tell me that when God was handing out behinds I asked for a double dose!  I had to throw this picture in though, because I was quite impressed with how well I was able to center the dots down both the front and the back of this shirt.

Mischievous smile courtesy of cameraman being crude.

Green Style is quickly becoming one of my favorite Indie pattern companies.  Their pdfs go together like a dream, and if they will continue adding plus size patterns to their line, I will be a happy girl, because they just fit me really well.

What are you sewing right now?  Do you ever find yourself oogling the juvenile fabric section, or is that just me?

November Sewing Projects

Hello Friends!  I feel like it's been a month since I last posted.  November is here (how can it only be 50 days til Christmas???), and October went out with a bang.  Our Halloween was spent finding indoor trunk or treat locations, because it was snowing and windy.  Can you believe it...snow already?  We visited a few senior retirement communities, and the little guy's gangster costume was a big hit with the older crowd.  They were calling him a G man, and make all kinds of jokes with him.  He hated the attention, but loved the candy!

The forecast here is looking cold.  I think we may be in for another brutal Winter here in Indy!  With that in mind, I am trying to think about what items are wardrobe musts for this Winter.

I intend to make a couple more Laurel Tunics from Green Style.  I kind of half arsed reviewed the pattern here.  This time I will be making it in a few sweater knits.  I love leggings and long shirts in the Fall and Winter.  So these Laurel Tunics will be in heavy rotation.

Photo from www.greenstylecreations.com

I think that these are the knits that I am going to use to make more Laurels.  I know the stripey floral is more of a Spring print, but I just don't care.  I make what I like, when I like! ;)

Whats on the cutting table?

I am in search of cable knit by the yard because I think it would make a beautiful Laurel, and if all else fails I see a king size cable knit blanket being made in to something fab to wear.


There is also a chambray tunic with leather details on the November sewing list.  I will be using McCalls M6885 and cutting it down to tunic length.  A long tunic that will cover all my bits when I wear leggings of course!  I will be making view D minus the waist tie, and with the addition of placket sleeves.

I don't have a link or pic of the fabric, but it is just a basic dark blue chambray.  I am not sure what color my leather details will be as there is a lot of leather floating around the sewing haven waiting to be re-purposed.

I will also be working on a shirt dress for Mary's Autumn of 1,000 Shirt Dresses project.  I have the fabric for this and I think I have settled on a pattern too, but this one is a surprise, so no sneak peaks on this one.

I have a fabric in the stash that is begging to be made in to a cape, but I am not sure if I will get around to this.  I seem to be gravitating towards easy sews right now, and this is a woven hounds tooth that is going to be a pain to sew.

You would think with the Holidays drawing near, I would be doing some unselfish sewing in November too, but I just am not feeling like making gifts yet.  I am sure December will roll around and I will be in panic mode making gifts for others.

So friends, what is on your sewing list this month?  Do any of you have a source for cable knit by the yard that you care to share?  

Green Style Creations Laurel Tunic - Plus Size Pattern

If you aren't familiar with Green Style Creations patterns you should check them out.  I have no affiliation with them, though I would happily pattern test for them if they asked me to she says as she bats her eyes.  Green Style's patterns go XXS to 3XL and then some of their patterns also go from 1X to 3X in addition to that.  The raglan tee that I made went to a full on 3X which is different sizing than the 3XL.  I know that it is a little confusing, but they do offer a broad range of sizes on some of their patterns.  I am hoping that if some more of us Curvy Divas start sewing and blogging about their patterns they will continue to grade up to 3X.  It is a very generous 3X BTW.  I am normally a 3X size 24 to 26 in RTW, and their 3X was flat out too big for me.  That is good news for us curvier gals though who generally have the exact opposite issue.

Back to the Laurel Tunic.  This pattern goes up to a 3XL (the smaller of the X sizing).  Based on how large the the raglan tee was, I decided to give it a try and cut it in the 3XL that is supposed to fit a 46 to 47 inch full bust.  For full disclosure I am 5'6", and my measurements are as follows:

HB- 47 inches
FB- 52 inches
W- 50 inches (this includes my current steroid bloat)
H- 64 inches

Here is the finished product!

Yes, I apologize for no makeup.

And the greasy Granny hair!

It appears to be pulling at the armscye across the bust, but it really wasn't.  I just forgot to pull it down, and didn't even look in the mirror after putting the shirt on.  Per my usual I left the sleeves a little long to account for further shrinkage.  I cut the knee length dress, but knew that it would be perfect tunic length for me.  I ended up serging about 7/8 of an inch off the length, but that was it.  A curvy girl's body takes up more length than her less curvy counterparts!

I really like it and this pattern is for sure a keeper.  My hubby is just gonzo over this shirt and wants me to make it in every color imaginable.  It will be perfect paired with leggings or jeggings and tall black boots.

Now for the fiddly bits...

As mentioned earlier I cut the 3XL in this shirt.  I followed most of the pattern directions except I serged the pleats instead of basting them on my regular machine, and I ironed the pleats in prior to serging.  For the back of the tunic you have the choice of cutting a smaller piece and having a flat seam at the bodice or cutting it the same as the front and putting pleats in the back as well.  I opted to cut the piece to be pleated, because I needed the extra inches for hip space.  If you had a smaller waist to hip ratio you could easily cut the straight piece instead.  Next time I make this I may gather the center back instead of pleating it, just for a change in design element.

The pattern directions call for set in sleeves, but I decided to sew them flat, because that is just my preferred method.  My order of sewing was 1.  Sew shoulder seams, 2. Serge pleats, 3. Serge pleated bottom of shirt to bodice, 4. Serge sleeves in the flat, 5. Serge side seams from hem bottom to sleeve cuff edge 6. Serge raw edges of hem and sleeves, 7. Serge in the cowl neck, and 8. Twin needle the hem and cuffs.  It was pretty straight forward and went together in less than an hour.

Would I recommend this pattern to a friend?  Absolutely.  It went together like a dream.

Will I be making this pattern again?  Certainly.  I see this getting a lot of wear over the cooler months and there are many colors that I need this in.  It has all the comfort of a snuggly t-shirt but with a much more sophisticated profile.

Have any of you made this pattern?  If so what were your results?

Two last bits of business...Thank you so much to everyone who has been voting for me on the CSC Wrapalong.  It is going well, and at this moment I am very hopeful that I might be one of the top dresses, but there are still 3 agonizing days of voting left, and a lot can change in three days.

Also, Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes.  I wound up back at the doc today and I now have pneumonia...or walking pneumonia.  Funny thing is I feel better now than I did back when I only had bronchitis, but the steroids and breathing treatments are making me swell and bloat like a dead carp!  Oy!  Point is, I am actually feeling better, and Thank You all so very much for your well wishes!

A Purple and Grey..Gray...Green Style Creations Centerfield Raglan T-shirt

Over the weekend, I whipped up this great little number from Green Style.  I have been in search of a good raglan style t-shirt and after someone suggested this one to me in the comments over at Lladybird, I decided to give it a try.

All photos were taken by my seven year old, which helps to explain why I may not look the most relaxed and why there is a considerable amount of blur.  All that said, I am very thankful to have a little helper, because it has been raining a ton lately when my husband is home in the evenings and on the weekends.

First I must say that I truly detest pdf patterns.  All that taping and lining up drives me nutty.  I must say though that both Green Styles patterns went together really easily.  I was able to tape two patterns together (this one and the tunic) and cut the patterns out in less than an hour, which I thought was great.  I won't even go in to how long it took me to put my first Cake pattern together.

I went against my own best judgment and cut the 3X according to my measurements with the extra long sleeves.  The only change I made initially was to add 3 inches to the length of the shirt because I know that I like my shirts on the longer side.  The 3X ended up being so large that I could have worn it as a night gown.  Rather than starting over, I ended up taking 5/8 inch out of each seam (sleeve to bodice seams and bodice to bodice seams).  This made the shirt both shorter and more fitted.  Next time I would cut a 1X and grade out to a 2X in the hips, because there is still a bit of ease in the shirt.  My one real complaint about the pattern is that the neck is huge.  I ended up making a wider neck band to help cover my bra straps.  In truth, when sewn as drafted both of my bra straps were on full display and I had a hard time keeping the shirt even up on my shoulders.  I will be modifying the pattern so that the neck isn't so wide boatneck like.

The fabrics used were both medium weight knit blends from Joann.  These particular knits have a really soft hand, but drape nicely without clinging.  I would buy bolts of this stuff for knit projects because it is great.

All in all, I feel like it is a good start that I can modify to be the perfect raglan t-shirt for me.  It was an easy enough sew, mostly sewn on the serger.  I would worry that a beginner might get frustrated with the fit and not know how to modify the pattern and make it work.

Does anyone look good sitting in a picture?

Would I recommend this pattern to a friend?  Sure, but only a friend who is an experienced sewist.

Will I be making this pattern again?  Yes, with the above mentioned modifications.  

Will I try another Green Style pattern?  Absolutely, as a matter of fact I am working on that tunic tonight.  I also give Green Style major kudos because this pattern fell right along with RTW sizing if not a little larger than RTW, which is great for us truly plus size gals.

So friends, tell me...have you ever sewn a Green Style pattern?  If so, what were your results?

What I am Sewing Now...and What I am Not

I am headed down to my sewing haven here in a few to sew some patterns from a company that is totally new to me...Green Style Creations.  When I commented a while back on not being able to find a raglan t-shirt pattern in my size, someone (sorry I couldn't find the posting) replied that I should try the Green Style Raglan.  I downloaded it and while I was there perusing, I also decided to download their tunic as well.  In case you haven't figured it out by now, I am a tunic wearing kind of gal.

Photo from greenstylecreations.com

Photo from greenstylecreations.com

I would like to honest in that I don't really like downloadable patterns as a whole.  All that taping can be a real pain, but I sat down last weekend and in less than an hour had both of these patterns taped together and cut out.  I tend to not trace off downloadable patterns until after I have the fit the way I like.  It is just too easy to reprint a corner or a couple of pages, and I HATE tracing patterns.  Seems too much like work and not enough like play to me.

What I am not sewing now is the beloved tunic that I was so looking forward to.  When my fabric arrived from Mood, it was the wrong fabric.  I am waiting patiently as they try to locate the correct fabric.  It is a real bummer, because I was really really REALLY looking forward to remaking that tunic.  I hope that Qiana and the rest of the team at mood are able to locate that bolt and get me the fabric.

I also am not sewing my wrap dress for the Curvy Sewing Collective Wrapalong.  I just can't get in the mood for it.  It isn't exciting to me at all.  I want to do it, I just can't get enthused about it.  Hopefully whipping up these two patterns will get me back in the mood.

Also, in case you are wondering my St. John wrap copycat is finished and has been for quite a while.  I am just having problems styling it because there is a pair of shoes that I need to go with it and can't bring myself to buy.

I have taken myself off the disabled sewers list, hopefully it won't come back to bite me in the end.

Going Against Doctors Orders - Unselfish Sewing

This weekend brought in some really cool weather.  I love it!  Fall is absolutely my favorite season.  I love to hear the leaves rustle in the wind, and wake up with a cold nose.  Plenty of people here in Indy have already turned their furnaces on.  Truth be known I like the cold obviously I have forgotten the pain of last Winter much like the pain of child birth.

With this cold snap, I realized that I needed to do some unselfish sewing and I needed to do it quick.  Every year I make my son's Winter pajamas.  It starts in the Fall with flannel "comfy pants" as he likes to call them, and then as it gets colder I will sew matching fleece raglan tops to go with the pants. See, my little guy has about 2% body fat (maybe a slight exaggeration) which means that as soon as it gets cold out the poor little fella is freezing.

So this weekend there was sewing to be done...doctor be damned.  His pajama bottoms are a fairly easy sew from a self drafted pattern.  Two pieces of fabric are serged together at the legs and then through the crotch curve.  Next a waistband is turned down and sewn with a nice elastic through it to hold things up.  Finally the legs are hemmed, but this time I went fancy and made bands for the hem instead of turning them under because I could use the serger it was a nicer finish.  Each pair of pants requires a half yard of flannel which is always purchased in the Spring at it's cheapest.  I end up having about $2 in each pair of pants, and so far my son still thinks I am the coolest mom ever because I make things like this for him.  I make the pants assembly line style.  I usually average about 20 minutes per pair including ironing and everything.

Another bit of unselfish sewing that I will be doing for my son is his Halloween costume.  He decided that he wanted to be an old school gangster for Halloween this year.  I always make his costumes...you can see some past costumes here and here on my old blog.  The Elvis costume has been the most memorable by far.  Today I picked up a women's pinstriped suit to upcycle into the costume at Salvation Army.  It was $3.98, but because it was the color of the week, I only paid $1.99 plus tax.

Last but not least, my order from Mood came in for the cotton silk voile mentioned in this post.  Unfortunately, they sent the wrong fabric, so I am afraid that my tunic will have to wait.  But, I have some other great sews on the horizon including a few patterns from Green Style Creations.

So here is to hoping that my wrist holds out because I am bursting with the need to sew.