Sew much to do, and sew little time

Since Easter, I've had a great time sewing!  I've gone sewing mad really!  I've made shirts, a skirt, a dress, pj's, and several pieces for my shop.

To add to my excitement has been the use of my mom's sewing machine.  It's a Brother Innovis 1250d!  This thing ROCKS!!!  First off it is super quiet.  My little Janome sounds like a freight train, and bounces too and fro... while this machine sits quietly working away not complaining, just sewing!  So far I think I used nearly all the feet it came with, I've played with decorative stitches (on my jammies and shirt), and embroidered with it!  I'm simply blown away by this machine!


Brother... if you are out there reading this... I have to return the machine to its rightful owner soon... if you send me one of your lovely sewing/embroidery machines (I have a special place in my heart for the 2800d, just sayin), I will use it and only it!  I will blog regularly of its awesomeness, and mention it when describing my items at my store!  Oh yes, I would be a loyal Brother seamstress! (hey a mom, in a single income household who loves to sew, and could really use a new awesome machine, can try!)

I am so pleased with how the dress came out.  This was my first full scale dress attempt with the help of Betsy!  There were several times I was sure that I would just junk it, but it turned out so nicely that I wore it as my Easter dress!

The wrap skirt was definitely a bit of a challenge for some reason.  So many pieces that were different but not by much.  There were many breaks to stop and rip out seams, re-read, pull the pattern pieces back out... pull my hair out a little... and try again.  All in all it came out nicely, and again I was able to wear it to Mass the following Sunday!  So it was a success.

Then came the weekend of wonder!  Oh yes, it was awesome... a Thursday through Saturday of nothing but sewing!  Husband and boys went camping and I stayed back... picked up the new machine... and set to work.  Wow, I ate when I wanted, left stuff (sewing stuff) out for as long as I wanted, and mostly just didn't have a care in the world except for sewing.  I managed to finish two tops!  I know, I could have done more (maybe) but I was working with Betsy, trying to make sure I was getting the right fit.  Oh, well, then there was the staring.  I did a lot of staring.  Staring at the books, at the patterns, and fabric.  I didn't need to make quick decision, so I did a lot of thinking before each step so that I didn't have to do a lot of redo's.  That, and I decided to play with some decorative stitches to help break up the all over patter for the first (sleeveless) tunic top I made.  Originally the band (just under the bust) was supposed to be a contrasting fabric.  Well, I was working with material I already had (not stuff I bought specifically for this pattern)... and what I thought would work, turned out to not look right.  So I went with stitching to spice things up a little.

Tunic top 1 done, I moved on to the second one.  I really loved this fabric when I saw it... and just had to get it.  At the time I didn't have a pattern in mind, but I knew I wanted to use it on a shirt.  First I want to saw that while I like V-necks... I greatly dislike sewing V-necks!  Good  heavens that gave me fits!  Overall, though, the pattern was easy to follow and the project was a success.  I actually have not worn this one, though.  After trying it on, I realized that the sleeves are too low (shoulder section is too wide for my small frame).  So I do need to detach the sleeves and reattach them a little higher.

And that ended my sewing weekend.  Thankfully though I've managed to find a few hours here and there to work on a few pieces.  I really wanted new tops, especially before we head off to the beach!  Enter in this little gem!  Normally those colors would not sell me... but when I saw it, I don't know, I just had to get it.  I've worn it a couple of times now, and I just love this top!  I am definitely going to be making more of these.  The only change I would make is to take a little volume out of the sleeves.  They can get a little wing-ish if you iron them out flat.

And last but not least, in the clothing department, is the jammy shirt I made.  I was given some free knit, so that's what I used.  Maybe not my favorite color, but free is always cool!  I decided to try my hand at embroidery.  It was fun!  I also drifted really far from the pattern... honestly I should be making my own patterns at this point.  It seems the more I sew, the more I decide to make changes to the patterns I'm following!  I think I am going to read through this!

So that's what I've been up to!  To see the new items I created for my store... you should head over there!  Maybe pick something up for yourself... or Mother's Day, it's just around the corner!