2021 Zero Waste Mini Collection Blog Tour

Zero Waste garments… I met the concept through Liz Elliot, the designer behing Thread Faction, and I was absolutely amazed… No more scraps, no more small pieces of fabric you love, left with nothing to make out of… A dream, right?!
Every single piece is cut out of a rectangle and used to create mind blowing garments! When Liz opened the tester call to sew three of her new Zero Waste patterns… I was thrilled!!!

Today, I can finally share a little of what I sewed. I’m sharing the first versions of both the ZW Jumpsuit and the ZW Basic Blouse with you today, but I will update this post with the photos of my second versions of these patterns plus the ZW Joggers soon!

The jumpsuit is basically two rectangles of fabric from which you cut everything you need. I mashed a couple of sizes because my girl’s measurements were all over the place, but it was really simple to do it. My first version was made out of two different rectangles of fabric and it turned out so pretty!I love it so much!!!

I also sewed the ZW Basic Blouse as you can see… And I think it speaks for itself! I made some ZW Joggers to go with this blouse, but my life got in the way and these last photos are still in the make. Anyway, all 3 patterns can be made both in woven and in knit! How cool is that, right?! Soooo many options…

Now…Here’s the thing: I have a copy of this pattern collection to give away!
Follow me on Instagram at @sew4five and then leave me a comment here that you did!

Here’s the rest of the blog tour that I must read all over again and go Aaaaaah and Oooooh… at everyone’s awesome makes!

02/06 – Thread Faction Studio Blog, Sew Tsnius, It’s Liesel

03/06 – Thread Faction Studio Blog, Crafty Professor on Instagram,

Sew Cute Couture by Kathy, Ma Me Mi Mo

04/06 – Thread Faction Studio Blog, Wattle & Slate on Instagram, Needles To Say

05/06 – Thread Faction Studio Blog, Sew Cute Couture by Kathy,

Sew Sophie Lynn, SunBirdSews on Instagram

06/06 – Thread Faction Studio Blog, Jahit By Nadia, Sew4Five

Seen and Sewn Blog Tour

Welcome to the Seen & Sewn Together blog tour!

Arielle is the designer from Seen & Sewn Patterns and she is creating patterns with a focus on encouraging people to join the #handmaderevolution by sewing their own handmade wardrobe.

A nice group of sewing bloggers have joined together to share with you how we’ve taken the Seen & Sewn Patterns and let our creativity loose with them. We want to inspire you whether you’re just starting or well on your way to building your handmade wardrobe.

All bloggers had the opportunity to choose which pattern they would like to work with. I chose the Tracey Bee top and immediately started to sketch some ideas. I came up with quite a few, but time flies and had to choose only one: the Summer dress.

I wanted to sew a dress that I could take on my vacation, that was simple to sew, to get dressed, with a simple design and yet classy. The A-line shape and the hem of the Tracey Bee top gave me all that.

While working with the pattern, I realised I liked the back neckline better on the front, so I swapped front and back designs and transfered the original darts.

After the original pattern was traced, I overlayed front and back, played a bit with the pattern and ended up extending its length for about 27cm. That gave me the dress I was looking for: A-shape line, knee length, short sleeves, details at the back and a nice V-neckline.

Only then I chose the fabric: silk.
I wanted the dress to be flowy, fresh… but I wanted to be able to use it in a more classy dinner or something like that, so I used a bordered silk fabric I had for about a year now.

I really enjoyed this pattern. I think it has so much hacking potential. I made it in silk, but if you size down, you can make it with a nice knit; you can extend the sleeves and turn them into bishop sleeves… the short version of this top can easily turn into a bolero… You see??… Potential!! I’m sure I’ll be sewing some of these hacks really soon.

Well, it’s been fun and I hope Arielle brings some more new and fresh ideas really soon!

Now, the extra fun part for you is that we have a prize pack giveaway from Seen & Sewn Patterns that you can enter below (read it til the end). The prize pack for US residents includes 1 pattern of choice, a Slow Fashion Tee, and a Slow Fashion Pin. For our international readers the prize pack includes a copy of all Seen & Sewn PDF Patterns. Bonus! All entrants will receive a coupon code for a $1 pattern of choice -so make sure your email is up to date in your profile when entering.

The tour includes these talented sewists, so I hope you’ll follow along this week.

Monday June 17th

Sew 4 Five, Sewing A la Carte, Aurora Designs

Tuesday June 18th

Idle Sunshine, That’s Sew Lily, House of Estrella

Wednesday June 19th

Mahlicadesigns, Sewing with D, Fee Bricolo, Aurora Designs

Thursday June 20th

Let’s Go Hobby, Sewing from Scratch, Craftstyle Living, Mama You Can Make It

Friday June 21st

Claire Cruse, Make It Sew with the Bear and Pea Atelier, Sew Cute Couture by Kathy

Enter to win something good here!

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Let’s sew together…

When I first started to write this post, I didn’t know exactly where or how to start… Emotions and thoughts were all scrambled and it wasn’t easy to lign them up. Eventually I just started to write and let ideas flow, so this will be a post about sewing, yes… a pattern release, yes… but with a specific thought in mind: getting your attention to our kids daily problems/situations!
Keep on Reading and you’ll see what I mean…

Some time ago I wrote a blog post about how sewing was more than just that (check it here). To me sewing has always been something emotional. Whether it is because you’re sad or angry or you just need to focus on something to let it all out… There were times on which my husband said he’d only come near when the pedal is less noisy… it means I’ve calmed down… lol

I mean… I remember my mother copying Burda patterns in our living room table while I was playing underneath. I remember when I started to pick up the small pieces of fabric that fell from the table and hand sewing them around my dolls waist. I have some pretty special memories sewing related…

So when Ann (from Designer Stitch) came up with the idea of us sewing together with our daughters, I jumped right in! The possibility of sewing with my daughter and building memories with her… Yes!!… 

We were then introduced to Lily wrap skirt – a reversible skirt with a twist that both me and my girl loved… and that is now on sale (graaab it… click on the link)

Lily Wrap Skirt has an a-line design and crosses over at the front by wrapping itself, embracing our waist. It can be reversed by swinging it around and featuring the fabric you feel like showing off that day… or night.
This is a beginner friendly pattern and it was developed to be the first of the “Let’s sew Together” series – in Ann’s words: “…a tool for an experienced sew’ist to teach/sew with a novice or beginner sew’ist”.

It was perfect to sew with my daughter.
We taped and copied the pattern, cut it in paper, chose fabric (she likes dark fabrics while I love colourful and bright ones) and cut again… We had fun sewing. It was the first time I let her use my beloved Bernina.
I found out that she’s quite good sewing: straight lines, curves, top stitching, adding velcro… and she’s fast, too. She really surprised me!

It was a very fun process and we were really bonding as you can see through the photos… until she mentioned bullying. I don’t remember how or why it was brought up, but that was a wake up call… my daughter was trying to tell me something!!!

“I had tried to tell you before…” – she said…
In my head there were so many thoughts: She’s my daughter…  we have a good mother/daughter relationship… how’s it possible? How could I have missed this???… – so many red flags all over…
In tears, she finally told me everything: the bullies were from her own class which hurt her even more because all the kids know each other since they were 5 years old. She was overwhelmed by how they were able to do this to her. In her mind they were supposed to be her friends. After talking to her, she agreed to report the situation to the school’s board (which we did as a family, she was not alone in this and it was important that she felt it). My daughter is a beautiful girl with good marks at school and a family that loves her and gives her stability. She knows bullies are only jealous people, sad in their own lives.

The situation had an happy ending because it was solved with the help of the school’s board and the kids talked among themselves in front of their families… letting it all out!

All this made me think about how much we should be aware of our kids’ daily lives.

Mothers… parents in general… if you took a moment to read my post and think about your kids… my goal was achieved! Keep your eyes wide open… Talk to your kids every day… Don’t just ask “How was your day?” – Be specific. Things like “what did you have for lunch today?” or “who sits by your side in Math?” will make your kid stay away of yes or no answers and eventually you’ll get to know more of your kid’s daily routine.

Find a Project that you can make together! The “Let’s Sew Together” sewing project was perfect for us! Maybe it’s good for you too…

These kind of projects bring us closer and gives them the chance to talk more about themselves… and to improve a skill that sometimes is forgotten: sewing!

Here are some photos of our sewing moments!

When we got the skirts done, my girl asked me:
“Mom, say thanks to Ann for me. She helped me more than she will ever know!… (she smiled)… When’s her next sewing together project?”

Pattern: Lily wrap skirt (on sale now)
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This post contains affiliate links which means the price of the patterns and/or fabric stays the same for you, but I’ll get a small percentage if you buy through my links. 

 

 

 

 

The Tropical shirt

Tropical shirt sew… topical shirt sew… tropical shirt sew… now you say it!
LOL… It has a nice ring and it really is a pleasant sew!
The Tropical Shirt pattern is the newest Wardrobe By Me design.

I was lucky enough to test this shirt. When the tester call for this pattern was announced, I looked at the sample photo and wondered if I could do that.

The double yoke, the two back pleats and the front pocket didn’t scare me away, neither did the fact that it was a pattern designed for woven… it was the convertible collar and the side slits that made me hesitate for a while. Then I thought:
first, I should move out of my comfort zone; second, it’s a Wardrobe By Me pattern designed by Christina Albeck and I trust her work completely. Instructions are always clear and straightforward and fit is always true to size! Third… my husband really needs new shirts…
So, I jumped in!!  And it was the best thing to do.

 

This shirt is a breeze to sew. It’s not a beginner project (hey… it still is a shirt, right?), but the instructions really guide you through the process every step of the way. The side slits were actually pretty easy to sew and the convertible colar was not an issue.

The pattern has a layers option so you can print only what you want; A4, Letter and A0 format are also contemplated. There’s something for everyone.
Sizes go from 2XS to 3XL.

I sewed the XL size and it was supposed to be for my husband but my nephew “stole” it! He’s a sports kind of guy and he has large back, so XL fit him like a glove. My father-in-law saw the shirt when I was taking pictures and asked me to make him one already. So now I have quite a few to sew which makes me happy: not so much RTW and more home sewing!

Pattern: The Tropical Shirt (on sale till 04/19/19)
Follow me on instagram: www.instagram.com/colourbymim
Follow my blog by entering your email at the upper right corner (or just click “Follow”)and don’t miss a single post .
This post contains affiliate links which means the price of the patterns and/or fabric stays the same for you, but I’ll get a small percentage if you buy through my links. 

Breaking Ground Tour 2019

Welcome to the Breaking Ground Blog Tour 2019.
This year I joined over 25 bloggers from around the world to break new ground by trying a pattern designer that is new to us, try new techniques, new styles, or whatever way we want to push ourselves. (Read on for Giveaway info)

I was so happy when I found out about Breaking Ground Tour!

The concept itself is all about sharing… The goal is to share the small business love. So, part of my post will talk about why I chose a particular designer and specific pattern to try and why it is breaking ground for me.

It wasn’t very hard for me to choose a new pattern to sew. I had been awarded with a couple of patterns when Pickle Toes Patterns had their 10K celebration and one of the companies was completely new to me: Serger Pepper

At the time I chose the playproof dungaree skirt and thought of sewing it for my two girls. The older one has been nagging me to sew a skirt just like this, so… but then my husband asked “Hey, it’s Martim’s birthday next Saturday. Are you sewing something for the kid?”… Ups!!!… Forgot about that… Hmm… no time to sew everything… can’t really sew a skirt for a little guy… maybe some pants…

And then I started to really look at the Playproof skirt…

It features a flat front with back elastic waistband (which is awesome for kids not to have that feeling of being tight. They can moove freely), heart-shaped patch pockets (my little girl will love these), three bib pocket options (hidden, patch and kangaroo) and  three optional patch shapes in two sizes.

The pattern itself has only 12 pages to print and tape (hurray!)… Instructions are clear and straight to the point with drawings guiding you all through the sewing process. The more I read and looked at the pattern, the more I thought “This is so hackable…”

Yeah… You guessed… Instead of adding a skirt to the dungarees, I added pants!!

The more I thought about it, the more it fascinated me. Not only I was breaking ground with a new pattern from a new (to me) pattern designer, as I was also going to hack it!!… And I love hacking patterns!
I followed the original instructions from the Playproof Dungarees skirt in everything, but instead of adding the skirt, I added pants. At this point I was pretty happy with what I was doing… so I had to make it harder, right? LOL
Since it was for a kid still wearing diapers, I thought it would be better to make the inner part of the pants with snaps closure. Not very hard, just had to keep in mind that I needed some extra centimeters to turn seam allowances inside and to reenforce them so that the snaps wouldn’t rip off fabric (I used corduroy since it’s still a bit cold here).
It came out pretty well. Don’t you think?

And do you know what??? After all this, I went back to Serger Pepper site and saw they already have the pattern for Playproof Dungarees pants. So you don’t need to go to all the work I did. Well… and neather did I… 
No affiliate links here, just good will. Go on and have a look at Serger Pepper

Irene Valle (the designer behind Serger Pepper) also has a few free patterns, tutorials and great sewing tips. She is also a lovely lady that is always willing to give you a hand. Look her up in her Facebook group.

The Full Tour includes all these creatives… we hope you’ll visit us each day:

Monday March 11– That’s Sew Lily, Sewing A La Carte, Mijn 11jes & ik

Tuesday March 12– mahlicadesigns, Embrace Everyday, Jot Designs, auschick sews, Raising Stripling Warriors

Wednesday March 13– Musings of A Seamstress, Very Blissful, Sew4Five, Just Sew Something, Hazelnut Handmade, Crafting Through Time, Tales From A Southern Mom

Thursday March 14– Make It Sew with the Bear and Pea Atelier, Ronda B Handmade, SequioaLynn Sews, Sewing with D, The Sewing Goatherd, OOYAmade, My Golden Thimble, Custom Made by Laura

Friday March 15– Sew Cute Couture by Kathy, Sewing Novice, Ronda B Handmade, Momma Bear Sews, MeMade, My Golden Thimble, Lulu & Celeste

Breaking News: our tour sponsor Phat Quarters is offering 2 patterns of choice from her pattern shop to one lucky winner.

Enter Here!

***

We’d love to see how you’re Breaking Ground this month. Share with us what you’re working on by using the hashtag #BreakingGround2019 across social media.

As for me… Next stop: Playproof Dungaree skirt for my girls!! I owe them that much!

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Back to School with Ellie & Mac

   Does it look like we’re getting ready to come back to school? Yeah… and this means vacation are over. September is the month of new beginnings here at my house. You see, my three kids go back to school… but so do I. I’m a teacher and that means I go through all the process to get ready for school as well.

The “Sitting Pretty top” by Ellie and Mac seemed to be the perfect choice because there is this pattern for women and girls. Check the bundle here.

This top features a lovely collar neckline and has four sleeve options.
You can wear it casual or more formal depending on the fabric you use. For my girl’s first back to school I chose a cotton knit that will remember her of summery colourful days. It’s blue and pink, it has flowers and my girl loves it.

It is also light weighted so it will be perfect to wear with a cardigan when days get a little fresh.
This pattern is already one of our favorites here.
I’m already making plans to cut two more and make the 3/4 sleeves become long ones. I’ll probably make them a bit looser too. This top is fitted and sleeves match it. My girl is a bit chubby, so I’ll make some grading next time to get her some roomier sleeves.

Now, about the women’s version:
I made size L for me, but the size range goes from XXS till 4X which is pretty good I think. No alterations here. However, do remember of what I said above about this being a more fitted top… Measure yourself well and if you like to have some extra ease around, adjust the pattern to your likes.
Just like the one for the girls, the women’s top has 4 types of sleeve and it’s easy to add some extra inches and make a long version sleeve.
I L-O-V-E the collar! Oooh… it’s awesome on both girl’s and women!
All in all, I made both tops in about 1 hour and a half… probably took me 45 minutes to sew each top from pattern cutting till finishing the hem.

More tips to sew this top:

• like with any other knit, don’t stretch it while sewing.
• use a jersey needle.
• follow the instructions accurately.
• don’t use your good fabric if you’re not sure about the size. Remember kids are always growing… and measure twice, cut once!Check the measurements chart:
  
• use a four way stretch knit for the collar. It does make a difference.
• More fabric recommendation: cotton lycra, double brushed poly, stretch velvet, french terry, etc…

Visit all the bloggers on the Back To School Sewing Patterns Blog Tour Featuring Ellie and Mac and enter the giveaway to win a $50 store credit below!

1. August 20th: Seams Sew Lo (Intro)
2. August 21st: Seams Sew Lo
3. August 22nd: Momma Newey’s Makes
4. August 23rd: Mama You Can Make It
5. August 24th: DIYDanielle
6. August 27th: Mijn11jes&ik
7. August 28th: Tenille’s Thread
8. August 29th: Make it Sew with the Bear and Pea Atelier
9. August 30th: My Sewing Roots
10. August 31st: SequioaLynn Sews
11. September 1st: Mijn11jes&ik
12. September 2nd: Crafty Curly Couture
13. September 3rd: Sew 4 Five
14. September 4th: Our Play Place
15. September 5th: Fée bricolo
16. September 6th: Jot Designs (USA)

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This blog post contains Affiliate Links. It means that when you purchase from one of my links, I get a small commission. It doesn’t affect you, but it helps me. Thanks!

 

Misusu FREE’kin sewing challenge

Some time ago, I had the honor to test for Misusu. Everything went so smooth that Elles (Misusu’s amazing designer) came up with a pretty awesome challenge! And it was all about getting the sewing community to sew up a look using one of Misusu’s free sewing patterns. We could also use one of the other patterns and hack them!! Woohoo… This was right up my alley!! Loved the idea, the concept, the patterns, the designer… So… hack?? YES!!

I chose the Summer Olli pants, Max tee and Dia sweater… and hacked them all!!

The colour palete was around pink, blue… grey… and to me it was ll about starting my little girl’s Autumn wardrobe.

I made Summer Olli pants even more comfortable than they already are: replaced the gathered waist for one made with cotton knit (like the ones on yoga pants), made the front and the back of the pants in sligtly stretch denim and made the sides in cotton knit.

Than, I started to sew Max tee – aside from colour blocking, I only hacked the sleeves: inserted some elastic casing so she could bring the sleeves up when it’s a little warmer, but it’s not t-shirt time…

The big, huge and amazing challenge came afterwards: hacking Dia sweater into a bomber jacket! Boy… was that a challenge!!!… But I did it!! The Diamond became the back of the bomber and I kept the puffed sleeves that I love so much!!

 

So without further delay… here’s the full outfit!!

Did I inspire you? Hope so!!

Oh… And today I’m hosting a contest on my instagram account! You can win a free Misusu pattern of your choice!
Check it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmTHbhQByoF/?taken-by=colourbymim

Check all the other Inspiring sewists that were with me on this challenge!

Anja Nelis – https://www.instagram.com/a_siwsiw_thing/
Julia Sverke – https://www.instagram.com/rutigdesign/
Karolanne Charest – https://www.instagram.com/karolanne_c/
Dora Serrano – https://www.instagram.com/colourbymim/
Mireille Sip – https://www.instagram.com/missessippie/
Mirand Bodo – https://www.instagram.com/inspinration.blog/
Amanda Griener – https://www.instagram.com/carterjsroom/
Rineke Fokker – https://www.instagram.com/plus2is5/
Sjoukje Rozendal – https://www.instagram.com/dutch_sjouks/
Lesley De Winter – https://www.instagram.com/frullemieke/
Marieke Brugman – https://www.instagram.com/mariekebc/
Davina Woohoo – https://www.instagram.com/woohoobydavina/
Liesel Engelbrecht – https://itsliesel.wordpress.com
Julie Morin – https://www.instagram.com/kidsclothesweek/
Helena carey – https://www.instagram.com/fluffycoo/
Kim de Haas – https://www.instagram.com/pinkrabbit_nl/
Kim Van Audenhoven – https://www.instagram.com/mimaloki/
Aukje Leufkens – https://www.instagram.com/sewcucio/
Joëlle Tessier/ JJ L’abeille – https://www.facebook.com/maraisdeauxdouces/
Valerie Michels – http://moestashaandeslag.blogspot.com
Tania bennett – https://www.instagram.com/leebenn/
Sarah Jolley – https://www.instagram.com/incompletestitches/
Alexis Neil – https://www.instagram.com/cottonandgrainsewingco/
Anien Salomons – https://www.instagram.com/aniensalomons/
The Bristol Stitchery (Sofia & Leanne) – https://www.instagram.com/bristol_stitch/
Amanda Massicotte Jones – https://www.instagram.com/derivingmommyhood/
Mona Sohlman-Wirén – https://www.instagram.com/luomisvimma/
Guus Reuter – https://www.instagram.com/stoffenfeest/

xoxo
Dora

Back to school… with Bella Sunshine Designs

Here in Portugal we get back to school in mid September, but in many parts of the world that happens now… or pretty soon!
Getting back to school always makes me think of new clothes. Kids grow fast, but I can’t help but sewing my little girl a new dress!
So, when Bella Sunshine Designs suggested this theme for a blog tour, I jumped right in!

I chose the Coffee Shop lace dress to sew. It’s a pretty amazing woven dress, full of details. I used a classic kind of vintage lace I was keeping for a special project. The front bodice is made of three different parts (sides and center) and completely focus that beautiful lace that goes all the way to the back bodice. Speaking of back bodice… it has buttons! But you can use snaps if you’re not comfortable with buttons.

The skirt has a placket, but it’s really easy to make.

Sleeves are gathered and you can make them short or long. Yes, I know, it’s soooo great!! A suitable dress for all seasons… Anyway, sleeves are gathered just enough to make that dress pop. I thought it was perfect for the first day at school, but my young lady can wear it anywhere… anywhere special!!

P.S. – I added to the bottom of the skirt the same lace I used in the bodice, but you can skip it if you want to.

My girl loved it! The fit was spot on!

 

You can check more photos of this dress here.

Aaaaand… did you know Bella Sunshine Designs is having a “Back to school” sale?
It just started and ends on Sunday at midnight EST.
All girls patterns are now $6.
All ladies patterns are $7 and all bundles are $12.
No coupon code needed.

What are you waiting for???? GO!! Click here: Bella Sunshine Designs

Want to know who’s next on this tour?

Check it out!!

Monday, 6th August
Sew Cuccio
Inspinration
It’s Liesel

Tuesday, 7th August
Big Fly Notions
Sew 4 five
Stitched by Jennie

Wednesday, 8th August
Hazelnut handmade
Cross Stitches custom clothing
Turtle Trax Too

Thursday, 9th August
Jot Designs USA
Blooming Skies
Nathalie’s needle

Friday, 10th August
The bear and pea atelier
The Scatty sewer
Sew Haute blog

 

* Links may contain affiliates.
Prices will be the same for you, but if you follow my links and  purchase something, I’ll earn a little to support my fabric addiction.
Thanks
xoxo
Dora

Quick sew… just as I like it!

Olá a todos!

Então, o que têm feito?

Eu tenho costurado mais para a minha pequenita do que outra coisa…. Fiz-lhe uma saia rodada com base num peplum duma camisola que tinha testado para uma designer há uns tempos. Basicamente, estiquei a parte de baixo e acrescentei bordado inglês à baínha. Não é que ela tenha ligado muito ao raio do bordado, tudo o que ela queria era a saia da Minnie… maaaas… a saia ficou um bocado curta e lá acrescentei o tal bordado. Ficou perfeita!

Ah, é verdade… Fiz a cintura em malha elástica tipo jersey (mas mais grossa) para que a miúda se sentisse mais confortável e para dar-lhe mais autonomia ao vestir-se!

 

What have you all been up to?

I have been mainly sewing for my little girl. Made her a circle skirt based on the peplum of  a shirt that I had tested for a designer some time ago. Basically I just extended the bottom of the peplum and added some english embroidery. Not that she cared much about the embroidery, all she wanted was to put on her Minnie skirt, buuut… it came on a bit short, so I added some length with that embroidery. It’s perfect now!

Oh yeah… almost forgot, made the waistband in knit so it would be more comfortable for her and allow her to get more autonomous when dressing herself!

 

Que tal?

E vocês? Que costuras rápidas costumam “ter na manga”?

What do you think?

And what do you do for a quick sew? You know… just because you can’t stand still!!…

 

Why do we sew?

Hi everyone! How have you been doing?

Me?… Well… It has been a rollercoaster of emotions lately… particularly these last two weeks… and particularly today!!…

A few weeks ago, one of my favourite pattern designers challenged me and the rest of her testers to sew a specific pattern: a faux wrap flounce skirt now named “Carmen”. I loved the design. Like all Ann’s patterns (yes… from Designer Stitch… so what else is new?? Just try her patterns and you’ll see…), it had a twist, something that made it different. So, I immediately jumped on board.

Started to check for the inspirational board on Pinterest… checked fabrics… checked Pinterest again… and again… til I saw no other option but to sew one specific fabric… the last one that my mother had bought before she died… This pattern screamed for this drapey silky cotton fabric! Check my mom’s fabric here!

“Carmen” is really fast to sew. At first, when looking at the pattern, I thought I had bitten more than I could chew and that I was going to need the rest of the tester’s help or Ann’s… but, no! It’s an easy, fast to sew pattern for both woven and knit fabrics and this, to me, makes it even more appealing. Two lengths (short and long), three waistbands and a modesty pannel to keep your sassyness private!
As always it’s a multi-sized pattern that will surprise you because it will look good on all your curves. Check the pattern and some testers photos here

Now… as for my mother’s fabric…

I knew it would be hard for me to sew it, but I also knew I had to do it. So, I spent a week crying… I cried when cutting the fabric, I cried when sewing the skirt… and when I thought there were no more tears… I cried some more! I washed my soul… and I’m pretty sure my mother would be proud of me.  I was honoured  for still having that fabric with me… but my husband couldn’t understand… if it was making me cry, why did I keep on sewing?? And this lead me to this post: WHY DO WE SEW?

To me, it has always been a kind of therapy… sometimes it kicks the adrenalin in, sometimes it helps me to relax and sometimes… sometimes it allows me to let it all out… My mother would be 63 years old today!!… I miss her… my best friend… Love you mom!!

What about you? Why do you sew? What makes you… get ready… set… sew!?