Kwik Sew

Remember Stretch and Sew?  I can't even begin to tell you all of the t'shirts, underwear, bathing suits, etc. that I made for my children while they were growing up!  Oh my goodness!  Those of you who remember that company. didn't you just love their fabric?  Nothing even came close to the quality of their fabric, their lace, their patterns...you name it.  When making my girl's t-shirts, I would always purchase enough fabric to make underwear to match. ;-)  They had this wonderful elastic that looked like lace and no one could tell the difference!  When you have seven kids, you made as much as you could, whenever you had the time...but I admit, I did enjoy  making those panties for my girls!  Those were the days when it paid to sew...no more.   Kwik Sew patterns are just like those old Stretch and Sew patterns and just as popular...just ask Zoelee from Zoelee's. They are still easy to make, giving you a fit that is perfect and they always seem to be in style.

With that being said, whenever I go to Lee Summit, Kansas, I ALWAYS go to Zoelee's.  Zoelee is an amazing, as well as talented, woman.  I have never visited her shop without feeling  this need to purchase something new and wondrous...and there's the dilemma...there's always something new and wondrous. She carries a wonderful assortment of Kwik Sew patterns and has a continual flow of clothes that she has not only made for herself but to also put on display in her store...which is located downstairs in her fabulous home.  Truly, it's a must see shop!  The last time I was there, there was a darling pair of children's slippers on display that Zoelee had just made using a Kwik Sew pattern.  Having used Kwik Sew patterns in the past, I knew that the directions and fit would be perfect and that my grandkids would LOVE the finished product.  How can I give anything but an A to Kwik Sew patterns?  These patterns are great for any beginner, but I must add, owning a serger makes these patterns even easier to make.  Since I obviously don't have any pictures of past projects that I made for my kids, you'll just have to trust me when I say that you can't go wrong when using Kwik Sew.

The pattern that I took home that day:





And here are the slippers..aren't they cute?  Making these plus personalized, flannel, pillowcases for the grandkids was not only different, but FUN!!  A thought for you to consider, I made  all of my grandkids  pillowcases using Christmas fabric before Christmas had arrived last year.  It's funny how making something as simple as holiday themed pillowcases, would excite those kids,,,,but it did!   Whether it's Halloween, Christmas, Patriotic,  Thanksgiving, Easter, it doesn't matter! Kids  LOVE having their own pillowcases.   AND, when you make them pillowcases using themed fabric and then embroider their names on the cuff...I'm just sayin'... it's a sure hit.  Like I said...just a thought.

Do I hear the purring of those machines working away out there? ;-)

Until next time....

Fiona Bell- Sewn With Love

When I first saw this book on Amazon, I knew right away that I had to get it. Fiona is located in England and her beautiful designs captured my interest due to her grasp of of the vintage look that I so desired.  There had been no customer comments or reviews left on Amazon as yet....something that I make a point of always reading...but I forged ahead hoping this would be the book I had been longing for.  When the book arrived I was on pins and needles to make my first project...the dress that adorned the cover of the book.  After looking at all of the pictures, I ran off that first project.  Can I just say that I was disappointed beyond words!  None of the lines on the pattern seemed to match up...and the directions?  Unbelievable...actually nonsensical.  The book is gorgeous, the ideas are inspiring but ladies, that's as far as it goes.  I did end up making the dress that I started with on the book's cover and a shirt for my grandson as well, but Oh My..I struggled making both. I give Fiona an A for her wonderful inspiration, but a D for the patterns and directions themselves.  Definitely not for a beginner or the intermediate sewer out there.  Let's just say, you must WANT to get your project done or you may just give up and quit!  I am so sorry for this rough review.

Here's the book:

And here are the two projects that I did make from this book:

This actually ended up being one of my grandsons favorite shirts..pretty funny.  I loved the fabric and the little tucks in the back.  (Notice how I tried hard to match up my pocket? Is that what you call OCD?)

The dress that started it all..and I must say that my granddaughter loved this dress and wore it to death...it needed a nice burial, but was sweetly passed on for more to enjoy. ;-)  (Ties added to the back of course.)

Ladies, I'm sure you already know this, but if you ever see anything highlighted on my blogs it is for your benefit to click on and take you to those I am writing about.  ALSO, if you want a closer view of any of the projects, simply click on the picture with your cursor and there they are!  Now go out there and become 'one' with that machine of yours and get busy on those projects!  Happy sewing!  Until next time. ;-)

Back to Martha....Just For A Moment.

As I shared in my first post in critquing patterns, I recently returned from another round of Martha Pullen Licensing's,  this one being Children's Garment Construction.  I wanted to share with my fellow students that I have indeed finished another project!! YEAH!!!!  I did add some ties to the back due to the fact that some of my granddaughters are rather on the thin side.  This dress would have just hung on those girls!  Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.  ;-)  But here is my completed dress.  And for you beginners out there, wait a bit on this one.

I'll be back tomorrow with more patterns and what I learned from using them.  Enjoy your time on that machine of yours!  Until next time....

Kari Mecca of Kari Me Away

Where do I start?  I have made so many of Kari's dresses, as well as taught them, that I feel I could make them blindfolded.  They are just so girlie!  And my granddaughters LOVE how full they are!  The dresses in her first book, I could teach over and over...and even sell...which I have,  with Kari's permission of course.  I will only show a 'few' of the dresses that I have made out of that first book as there are too many outfits to count.  If I have any complaint at all it's that the armholes on some of those dresses were a little big.  To compensate for the larger openings, I simply made a couple of 'dickies' and sewed them just inside the armhole .  No one ever noticed.  Kari is a genius at creativity.  Between her use of bullion stitches, whimsy sticks and ideas when using rick rack, she never ceases to amaze me with the things that she comes up with.  Embellishment is definitely Kari's strong point and THAT is what I love!  I can't help but give Kari an A for her passion for creativity....BUT not for beginners.  Thanks for your constant inspiration Kari!

Kari's first book:

Her second book.  This doesn't even include all of her singe patterns.  Incredible!

Just a few of the many, many dresses that I have made from that first book!
Take a little creative license and change the dresses up a bit for a different look!

It's difficult to see, but I embroidered a pair of sunglasses on the bodice of the dress down below... I knew the family spent a lot of time at the beach.

This is one of the first dresses in the book and I loved making it.  Take note, I rarely make any pattern exactly like the directions tell you to.  I always have to make each project 'mine' so I change it up just a bit. I added embroidery to these dresses below...and to all of the other ones I made using this design as well.

The one above needed a purse!

This is the dress that had the larger armhole,  I don't think by adding the 'dickie' or even the ties in the back compromised the design of the dress whatsoever.  I also cut a large piece of the brown silk, gathered it up and tacked it down like a cumber bun.  Once the piece was securely tacked down,  I glued crystals on top of those two stitching lines.  It was beautiful.  I'm thinking my granddaughter liked her dress don't you?  She danced the night away....pretty cute.

A few pictures of projects from Kari's second book:

I LOVE the shorts.  Until we meet again...;-)

Cottage Mama

While in Kansas, I enjoy visiting a wonderful quilt shop by the name of Prairie Point.  Not only does it have lovely fabric, but the people who work there are extremely kind and incredibly helpful.  One person who teaches there you might be familiar with if you are a quilter, Kathy Delaney.  She specializes in appliqué and is the author of some very fascinating and beautiful books that are published by Kansas City Star.  Her work is exquisite and I was honored to have her take the time to share her appliqué technique with me one afternoon.

On one of my last visits, I noticed an adorable romper on display and found that it was a Cottage Mama design.  After hearing that it was one of their more popular patterns, I decided to try it out for myself and was pleasantly surprised by her simple directions and how well the outfit came out.  This may be my first Cottage Mama pattern, but I can tell you now it won't be my last.  Another A...great for beginners!

I love that it is not only a reversible romper, but it looks incredibly sweet on.

And here's the little darlin':

A final note, please pray for Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter,  over the loss of her husband this past week.  I received an email this morning that I  now share with you.  Simply click onto Anne's name.  Thank you.

The Old Fashioned Baby

The Old Fashioned Baby is one of my favorite pattern companies.  I love the detail on her designs and it was probably one of the first of many heirloom patterns that I purchased years ago.  One of her patterns that I used over and over again, is the one pictured below.  Making those dresses was like stepping back in time.  I used Liberty of London fabric,  a *lawn fabric.... making it delightful to sew with, and giving each dress the vintage look that I was desiring.  If you have not worked with Liberty of London fabric, spoil yourself...it's wonderful...and you'll probably want to make a blouse for yourself!  Handwork ideas, along with their patterns, are always included with each pattern packet and making piping by using contrast fabric sets these patterns apart.  I give The Old Fashioned Baby an A and great patterns to start with for heirloom sewing.

Forgive my one and only picture of this pattern but back in the day I didn't take pictures of all of the outfits that I made except for this one.  ;-)

The pattern: Now known as Maddie's Toddler Dress.



One of the many dresses that I made using this delightful pattern:

*cotton

2. Lawn cloth or lawn is a plain weave textile, originally of linen but now chiefly cotton. Lawn is designed using fine, high count yarns, which results in a silky, untextured feel. The fabric is made using either combed or carded yarns.
   Google lawn fabric for more ideas.  ;-)  Happy sewing!

Continuing On - Critiquing Patterns I Have Used, Izzy & Ivy

In the coming weeks, I thought I would review some of the many patterns that I have made or worked with over the many years that I have been sewing and share my honest opinion of how they worked out for me.  Some patterns, though cute, completely baffled me while others proved to be a joy to work with.  I have been one who can actually visualize an outfit, quilt, pillow, purse, etc. completely finished in my mind before I even start.  It has always surprised me as to how many people cannot do that.  For me, once I purchase a pattern, I can quickly find the exact fabric that I am looking for to get the look I already have pictured in my mind.  Working in a quilt shop was perfect for me and helping women who struggle in that area was a wonderful challenge that I relished.  I would spend as long as it took with every customer until she could visualize her quilt in her mind using the fabric that we picked out together.  I loved doing that!!  Back to my blog....

As far as children's garments are concerned, I have used, Kari Mecca, Izzy & Ivy, Children's Corner,  Favorite Things, Olive Ann Designs, The Old Fashioned Baby, Fiona Bell, Rob Merrett, Petite Poche, Janet Pray, Victoria Jones, etc., etc..  I can't even count all of the designers that I have used in the past.  That being said, I must confess that I rarely use the traditional pattern makers, McCalls, Butterick, Vogue,  Burda, etc., because I enjoy using someone different.  I don't dislike the traditional, I just love designs that are fun and unique.  The problem  that I have found in using many of the newer designer's patterns however is that many simply do not know how to write directions properly and many seamstresses out there get frustrated....including me.  In fact, if I were not a good seamstress on my own, I would have thrown the cute  designer pattern, fabric, and everything I purchased to go with it in the trash.  BUT...I can eventually figure out what the designer is striving to explain and move on, but for many out there, especially those newer sewers, it's nearly impossible.  Hence my reason for writing the next few post.

Yesterday I started with Martha Pullen, today I will talk about Izzy & Ivy.  I love their designs, I love how they include their label in the pattern, and I love the pictures on the front of their patterns.  It's all about marketing ladies.  HOWEVER, their instructions are very poor.  When I travel, I visit quilt shops and nice fabric shops to see what is new and popular.  In one very nice fabric shop in Lawrence, KS  I saw a little girl's mannequin with one of the Izzy & Ivy dresses that I had made in the past year. The store owner was nearby and we had a great discussion in regards to this particular pattern.  She shared that it was one of her most popular little girl patterns that she sells in her shop.  BUT because of the difficulty of the directions, she said that she felt as though she needed to give a class to those who purchased the pattern so that they could actually  complete the dress.  How sad.  I have made three Izzy & Ivy patterns, including the one that was on display.  My granddaughters absolutely loved the dresses that I made...but beware.  Unless they've changed, I give these patterns a C overall...and if you're new to sewing, wait awhile before trying these.

Here are the three patterns that I made:

This one is Macy Giggles.




The next two are Kayla Bubble.  (A side note here- as you can see, I did not bubble any of the dresses but simply hemmed them.  ALSO, you need to know how to wrap elastic thread in your bobbin as the entire back is elasticized....but so cute!)

This last one, the one that was on display in Kansas, is Beverly Belle.  This is not one for the weak of heart.  ;-)