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Pac-Man + M7465
Hello! I’m not usually one for nostalgia or novelty prints, but who can pass up a Pac-man inspired print?? I purchased this fabric from Fabric Mart and I really like it, it’s a good mid-weight ITY. My sewing friend from the blog Dressmaking Debacles made this dress a few times and it looked too good for me not to take the pattern out of the donate pile! This is a super old pattern but it’s super cute and comfortable! I will make this again and again because you can’t go wrong with this style of dress. I made view C which is the dolman sleeve pull on dress with elastic…
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Cashmerette Webster Dress
I’ve had this dress pattern for years and I’ve never got around to making it. I’ve been sewing more and the thought of warmer weather has helped jumpstart my sew jo. I’m not a fan of PDF patterns because of all the taping and waiting for copy shop packages but I’ve always sewn Cashmerette. Her patterns fit me and I don’t have to do a lot of adjustments to get them to fit me. I’m a big fan of anything with drape because I like the way it looks on my body so when I went looking for something to sew, I chose the Webster. There were a few versions…
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Simplicity 8891: Back to sewing
Hello! It feels like forever since I’ve posted a sewing make! I took a break from social media and sewing and I read, I read 30+ books in the last few months and just relaxed. I tried knitting to calm my nerves and no, that is not relaxing for me, it was more frustrating than relaxing LOL! I want to give myself permission to do other enjoyable things that allow me to not be so isolated in my sewing room, reading is not social either LOL but hey, I like to have a few things I can do as hobbies. I haven’t written out any plans, but I know I…
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What’s the latest?
Hello friends! Long time no hear from! I’ve been thinking, oh by the way, Black Lives Still Matter and vote!! We know each vote counts and there is power in your voice not only on the federal level but on local and state levels too! Now that we have the admin stuff out the way, I’ve been thinking and reflecting on why I started blogging/sewing (they are connected for me) and my goals. I have used my blog and sewing as a self care practice and stress reliever for the last few years. This is great but I’ll be truthful, these last few months have been hard and I couldn’t…
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Bras, Bras, Bras
Black Beauty Bra View B I’ve remade some of my TNTs recently but I’ve also tried some new patterns in addition to drafting my own. I made two Black Beauty Bra’s by Emerald Erin, I’ve also purchased kits from her and it makes bra making easy. People ask if making a bra is hard and I say no, in terms of sewing if you can sew a straight stitch and a zig zag stitch, you can sew a bra. I will equate sewing a bra to making pants, sewing them isn’t hard, but fitting and finding the right silhouette is the real challenge. Adjusted pattern piece to widen back…
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Black Lives Matter
For the people in the back, the fight for black lives is not new AND this is a humanity issue not a political one. As I share with you what’s important to me, my humanity and my blackness are at the top of the list and they are fundamental to who I am as a person, sewist, wife, mother, daughter, mentor, friend and fat black women. I can’t separate how I fit into the world, my views and sewing without advocating for myself and my brothers and sisters on my blog & social media, they are connected, sorry, not sorry. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, below…
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DIY tank dress
I want to share the fruits of my drafting labor, yay! As always, you can use a good fitting t-shirt pattern if you’re not team draft. Remember, trace off a copy before making extreme changes and follow along. If you follow me on IG, I usually show more pictures and small videos (in my highlights). I’ll try to take pictures of the process for the blog. A few weeks ago, I drafted my knit bodice and sleeve block and I wanted a simple tank dress. I decided to use my block instead of a pattern because I don’t have a TNT tank pattern. I wear tank tops, but I’ve never…
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Shorts, Shorts, Shorts
I have made lots of shorts! I have taken my pants block and adjusted the inseam to create shorts. I’ve made solid, prints, welts, pleat, elastic back and fly fronts with zippers. I’ve used stretch twills, Ankara, tencel, linen, etc., the options are endless. I think if you have a pair of pants that fit, experiment with lengths and make shorts. I know those with larger thighs like mine struggle with riding up between the legs and I find for my thighs, 8″-15″ inseam tends to work for me. The closer the fit and heavier the fabric the less riding between the legs. There’s a balance between length, fabric and…
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DIY Faux jumpsuit + Burda 6218
Who doesn’t love a jumpsuit or better yet a faux jumpsuit? Separates are great because they stretch your wardrobe and allow for lots of different looks. This color is great and the pictures aren’t doing it any justice. I pretreated the fabric using Dryel, I have a little bit left and I’m going to wash and dry to see how it does. I didn’t pay attention that the fabric is dry clean but the color was soo good I couldn’t pass it up. You ve seen this self drafted dolman/kimono top here, I made the top and pants in a suiting and I really love the color and drape, its…
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DIY Shorts and Top + Lost Cashmerette Concord Dress
I’ve been drafting a lot lately. I’ve used a number of resources for my drafts, but truthfully you could buy a book, take a class or use a good fitting TNT as your block/sloper and experiment. I went through multiple muslins to get my fits refined, there’s only so much you can do on yourself. So, you start from the top and see how it goes. You work one area at a time and you exercise patience. I learned to pinch, pin, tuck and ask questions until I got it right, there is no short cut to fit. I want to really refine my sewing techniques so I figured if…
