Styling My Out & About Dress

This is a photo heavy post.  And as an extra warning, all of the photos are of me :) 

 

When Sew Caroline released the tutorial for making her sleeveless Out & About Dress I couldn't wait to get started!  No, I literally couldn't wait.  I decided instead of waiting until I had access to a printer so I could get the armhole interfacing I would just wing it.  That seems to a reoccurring theme for me these days.  So instead of using a facing on the armholes, I simply turned the fabric under 1/2" then another 1/2" to hide any raw edges.  On this version I also took one inch off of the width of the skirt pattern piece and 2" off of the length. By taking a couple of inches off of the circumference of the skirt, I hoped to reduce the bulk a tiny bit.  And I thought the shorter version might be a bit more flattering and make my legs look longer or something.  A girl can dream right?!  Speaking of legs...I need a tan in a bad way!!!

 

The fabric is one of many I just ordered from Girl Charlee.

 

After making my dress I headed to Target (who I am in no way affiliated with).  I knew I wanted a jacket of some sort since it's still a little chilly out in Oklahoma and also because my "just wing it version of the armholes" were not that successful and gaped.

 

This is actually a jacket I had at my house.  It was long forgotten in the back of the closet since it hasn't been worn since before pregnancy #1.  Hubby liked it, but I thought it was a little bulky for what I had in mind.  Also, don't mind the shoes.  They too have seen better days.

The jacket kind of cut me off in a non-flattering way.

Here it is with no accessories. 

Gotta love that it has pockets!!!

Cardigan option #1.  I really thought I was going to like this one.  It was exactly what I had in mind when I went shopping.  Which is why it's good to try on more than one thing even if it's not normally your style.

You'll never guess where my headband came from.  The BABY section.  I looked in the women's hair accessory department and didn't find anything I liked and they were all $5.  I happened to check the baby department and found a three pack for $5.  I felt kind of silly when I tried it on since I knew there was no way it would fit, but it does!  And it's more comfortable than a normal headband since the ends hit in a better spot behind my ears and don't hurt.  WIN, WIN!!!

 Wish I had thought to close the shower curtain.  Oops!

 

And now since you've all been so patient...

My final outfit.  A boyfriend cardigan that can button up the front in navy, a navy skinny belt, a headband, and a pair of boots that I already had.  All accessories (including the boots) are from Target.  I absolutely love my final look and feel great in it too, which with my post partum body is not something I have said in a long time!

Was That a Hint?

I messed up the lining when making a Triple Zip Pouch the other day.  What do you do when you have a mess up?  I send mine to my mother .  The pouch was still fully functional, it just had an exposed seam.  She loved it (sorry no photo) and casually hinted that for her upcoming cruise she would love to have one in a Hawaiian print with a thin strap she could use to wear it cross body style.

I originally refused on the grounds that I couldn't bring myself to use Hawaiian fabric (sorry to those of you that are fans, it's just not my thing!).  But when at JoAnn's I stumbled across this and decided to give in.

The hardware is a little large for the size of the bag/straps, but the selection around here is limited so it will do.

Clothing Kick

I'm not sure what started it, but I can't seem to stop.  There are soooo many great patterns out there that I want to try.  And the fabric, oh the fabric (sigh)! 

Let me warn you.--I've never exactly been photogenic and I don't see that changing anytime soon, so try and focus on the clothes and not my terrible faces please :).

A couple of my recent makes:

An Out & About Dress from the pattern by Sew Caroline.  Not my favorite fabric but I love the style of the dress. 

The Zippy Top from See Kate Sew's pattern.  My first time using voile.  There's a really cute exposed zipper on the back.  Bright green at that!  And hey, I'm wearing heels for the first time in over a year!!

And finally the Plantain T-Shirt from Deer &Doe.  Sorry no photo of me wearing this one since it's a little tight in the bust.  Hopefully by this summer it will fit a little better.

All of these patterns are definitely worth investing in!

Edelweiss Bag

Sara has done it again!  Another wonderful bag pattern.  This one can be made as a cross body bag or a backpack. I have NEVER owned a backpack so I thought I'd give it a try :)

This project was a "make it work" project due to my lack of planning.  I ran out of Soft and Stable and when I went to pick up more, neither of the LQSs had any in stock so I pieced together just enough to cover the very bottom of the bag and used fusible fleece for the sides and zipper panel.  Despite all of my mistakes, I love how it turned out!

Take a look for yourself:

Meringue Clutch

How are you all coming along on your Meringue Clutches for the Big City Bags SAL?  This month's project is a pretty easy one so there is still plenty of time to get yours ready before the link up closes. 

I happen to love how mine turned out :)

For a chance at this month's prize--a $50 gift certificate to Martingale--link up your finished Meringue Clutch below.  Can't wait to see what everyone has been up to!!!

TGIFF

Several finishes to show off this week.

These two baby quilts had been in the "Need to be Quilted" pile for awhile now and I finally got around to it.

Plus Quilt using Wren & Friends mini charm packs and solids for the borders.

Plus Quilt using 4.5" squares from the line Enchanted.

The GoGo Bag (more details on the finished bag and the SAL here),

Linking up to TGIFF.

Really Random Thursday

Just a quick post to show off our latest paintings from the Wine & Palette class we took last weekend.

They weren't quite done when I took this photo.  We still had to add the rain to it.  Hubby and I were both pretty proud of them (mine is on the left) then he set his on top of mine during the car ride home and smeared black paint all over it.  I still really like them but mine has a bit more character now :)

Linking up to Really Random Thursday.

WIP Wednesday

It's been awhile since I've been able to link up to Freshly Pieced--not because I've run out of WIPs (what a thought!!) but because of computer issues. Below are just a few of the things I've been working on recently.

 Quilting "steam" onto my In From the Cold Quilt.  It's about 1/3 of the way done now.

My Giant Scrappy Swoon.  I've run out of fabric at this point but when it's finished it will be king size and marvelous :).

 And the March block of the Once Upon a Time Sampler.

There are many, many more but I happened to already have pictures of these ;).

Linking up to WIP Wednesday.

ByAnnie's Soft & Stable--A Review

I contacted ByAnnie's Soft & Stable about donating a prize for the Big-City Bags SAL late last year.  They gladly agreed to send me a package of their product for one lucky giveaway winner and one for me as well.  I decided February's bag would be the perfect project to test it out on.

 

In all honesty I didn't think there would be that much difference between the Soft & Stable and the fusible fleece I typically use. 

 

I hate it when I'm wrong...

 

It is a bit pricier than the fusible fleece (which I purchase from JoAnn's by the bolt during a sale and with a coupon for an extra percentage off) but it is well worth the extra cost.  Plus it's readily available at one of the LQSs.

 

The Soft & Stable is much thicker than I anticipated and is actually similar in look and feel to a piece of foam.  Despite that I had no trouble sewing through several layers of fabric and Soft & Sable when completing this bag.  It made turning the bag a bit challenging due to the bulk it creates but I found a way around that.  For this particular bag I simply sewed the interior and exterior pieces together (right sides facing) along the back of the bag only, leaving the front and sides open.  I then turned the bag right sides out through my extra large opening, turned the seams under 1/4" and top stitched around the entire top of the bag, effectively closing the opening.

 

All in all I highly recommend giving this product a try!  I will be using it on all of the large bags I make in the future (or at least the ones that need a structured exterior).  A huge thanks to ByAnnie's Soft & Stable for letting me test out their product and providing a giveaway prize!!!

Big-City Bags SAL March

For those of you following along with the SAL, your assignment this month is the Meringue Clutch.

(Photo used with permission of Martingale Publishing.  Photograph by Brent Kane.)

This month's prize will be a $50 gift certificate to Martingale.  They have tons of great books to choose from so get your supplies and get sewing for a chance to win!!!

A reminder of the rules:

• We will be sewing the books in the order they are in the book.  Only the bag for that specific month will be eligible for the link up.
• The bag must be complete to qualify for prizes.
• On the first of every month I will announce a new project and prize. 
• You will have from March 25 until midnight on March 31 CST to link up your project for a chance to win that month's prize.
• I hope to have some wonderful ladies help me out by sharing their takes on the project, as well as with their tips and tricks for completing them.
• Join the Flickr group to see all the projects that have been made.

 

Our Generous sponsors:

Fat Quarter Shop

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Pattern Crush

ByAnnie's Soft & Stable

LimaSews

A Material Girl Quilts

Cluck Cluck Sew

Happy Quilting

Blossom Heart Quilts

Sew Me A Song

Coats & Clark

Martingale 

And a special offer from zipit:  15% off of all orders for those sewing along

Use code sewingwithsqueak at checkout to apply the discount

ALYOF Fail & Rollover

I knew I was going to be pushing it to make by goal for this month's ALYOF but I had no idea how badly I would fail!

There was a little bit of progress.  I removed the colored border, added another row of LV fabrics, and reattached the colored border.  I could have MAYBE gotten further but I ran out of LV fabrics to finish the last border and didn't have it in me to make a trip to the LQS with two little ones in tow.  I hope to be able to get there tomorrow though.

Which brings us to my goal for March...I will complete my Giant Scrappy Swoon Quilt and put it on our bed.  Turns out Hubby even likes it and is anxious for me to finish it.  Here's a picture (terrible as it may be) of the quilt as it is now.  It is on our king size bed to give you an idea of how huge it is.

GoGo Bag & a Winner!

I managed to get my Gogo Bag done before the end of the month but didn't have time to do a post about it.  Those that follow me on Flickr or Instagram have already seen these photos so bear with me...

This may be my favorite bag yet.  It is the perfect size for carrying my essentials.  For me the essentials include my wallet, prescription, phone, keys, and a diaper strap complete with diapers for both kids plus a small case of wipes.

The back pocket is a great place to stow lipstick that I never get around to wearing and a thumbdrive.

And lastly a close  up of the closure.

 

Now on to the winner of the February link up...#1--Shawn!  I'll emailing you shortly with instructions on how to claim your prize :)