Neon Lace Mullet Tee

 

 This was a quick make that packs a big punch!

Business in front

Party in the back!

First off, do you like these photos? I took a series of photos where I was trying something new. Trying to look a little more editorial. I styled my new top with my purple velour leggings from last year, and I absolutely love this combo!

I'm still excited about neon. A while back, I ordered this open, crocheted neon lace from fabric.com. I love it, but was puzzled by what to do with it. Finally, I decided simpler is better to let the lace shine.

Sewing Notes- I made this up using my self-drafted kimono-sleeved top as the starting point. The front is a basic black knit, and I used strips of the black to bind the neckline. The back is simply the neon lace.

This is fun to wear. You can be sassy, and just wear a bra under it, or you can wear a tank top underneath for more coverage. With our hot Arizona summers, I think I'll be choosing the sassy option!

Great Gatsby Avatars

Today, Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby comes out in theaters. In honor of that, I had some fun creating  Gatsby avatars for my husband and myself. If you'd like to join in the fun, you can make your own Gatsby avatar here.

I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a movie!!! I read Gatsby in high school, but in anticipation of this movie, I re-read it, and I enjoyed more the second time around. It's really good (and a quick read).

I'm really looking forward to the music in the movie, and I can't wait to see this quote re-envisioned:

“They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. 

“It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such beautiful shirts before.” -Daisy

Neon Stripes for friends

Last week, I alluded to the fact that I'd been avoiding some hemming. Well, I finally got it done!

I've been working hard to make some neon striped tops for some friends. It's been a variation on a theme, so while they're similar, each fabric and design is unique.

The neon yellow family will stay here in Arizona for me, my husband, and brother-in-law.

The neon blue family will go to California to our friends.

I had fun mixing the small and large stripes for their tanks. It was a challenge to sew for others--especially folks in another state who couldn't try it on. But I think it was a good challenge. And now we'll be united and connected by our neon stripes!

Sewing With Knits- Top 3 Problems and Solutions

I love to sew with knit fabrics! It's no secret why--knits are stretchy which makes them super comfy to wear and easy to fit. I've noticed that some people are nervous about sewing knits, especially sewing knits without a serger. Well, I am here to tell you that YOU CAN sew professional-looking knit garments on a regular sewing machine! I've learned quite a few things from trial and error that work really well, so here are my top 3 problems and solutions to help you sew with knits.

Sewing with Knits, Problem 1: 
I don't have a serger, so I can't sew with knits.

While sergers are nice and certainly make things a little faster, I do all of my knit sewing on a regular machine. This is for a couple of reasons: 1) I learned first on a regular machine, so I'm comfortable with it, and 2) My serger broke, and I am too lazy to go get it fixed. I also am not motivated to get my serger fixed because I've found a great way to sew knits with a regular machine.

Solution: Get a walking foot for your machine.

Source

When I first started sewing knits with a regular foot, I would find that the pressure of the foot would make it so that my seams would not match up correctly---essentially one side would be pulled through at a different rate than the other. Enter the walking foot. The walking foot feeds your fabric through the top as well as the bottom. As a result, you're seams will match up at the end! Hooray! Also great for matching stripes. See what I mean below:

Sewing with Knits, Problem 2: 
The inside of my handmade knit garments looks unfinished.

Knit fabrics won't unravel, so you technically can leave the seam allowances raw, but I think having unfinished insides discourages folks from sewing with knits on a regular machine. It just doesn't look as professional.

Solution: Use the Jalie method of sewing knits. 

I found this method after trying out all sorts of different stitches and sewing tricks. Jalie's method is hands-down the best! If you use this method you will retain maximum stretch for your seams, PLUS your seams will be finished! Thanks, Jalie! Check out Jalie's informative video:

Sewing with Knits, Problem 3: 
Hemming knits nicely is difficult. 

I agree, hemming knits nicely can be frustrating.The challenge is that you want them hem to retain it's stretchiness, but you don't want the hem to stretch out and look wonky. Thankfully, there are some strategies that you can use--you'll want to test on a scrap to see which one will work best for your particular fabric.

Solutions (from simplest to more advanced):

Raw hem

1- Leave the hem raw. This will work if you really don't want to bother with a hem. Knit fabrics shouldn't fray, so this is a realistic option.

Hem bands

2- Avoid hems completely with hem bands. Instead of making a hem, use a hem band or cuff to avoid a hem completely. I've done this plenty of times, and you'll see it in patterns too---Sewaholic's Renfrew top and Cation's Dolman Sleeve pattern are two examples. 

Zig-zag hems

3- Use a zig-zag hem. A zig-zag stitch often works great as a hem on knit fabrics (leave your walking foot on!). In my opinion, this is a more casual look, but I've found myself using this option a lot lately because it works great. Don't forget to iron before and after sewing to keep your hem flat. 

Twin needle hem

4- Use a twin needle and wooly nylon thread (Sometimes called "woolly" nylon thread). For the most professional-looking hem, my best tip is to keep your walking foot on your machine and to wind the bobbin with wooly nylon thread. Wooly nylon thread is stretchy, so it helps the hem stay stretchy too! Thread your twin needle with matching thread, slightly lengthen your stitch length, and sew your hem. (Don't forget to iron before and after sewing!)

I hope some of these tips help you feel more confident to sew comfy-stretchy-fabulous knit fabrics with your regular machine! Please comment below with any other great tips you have, I'd love to hear them!

Most Dreaded Sewing Step

Do you have a sewing step that you hate to do? Do you avoid it? Do you dread it?

Sneak peek- what am I making?!?

For me, I hate hems. It always feels so high-stakes---the garment is done, so you really don't want to mess up the hem and ruin the entire make! And I hate some of the traditional methods of hemming--hand sewing being the absolute worst. :) If truth be told, I often avoid hemming. Currently, I have five items (yes FIVE) that are completely done... just waiting to be hemmed. (sigh) If only someone could come hem them for me...

Don't worry, I plan to share some of my hemming strategies soon. What's your most dreaded sewing step?

How to Dress for Coachella 2013

Peace, Love, and Dust Storms! Anyone else at Coachella this year? We snagged some tickets and met some friends at the Coachella polo fields for 2013's festival. The grass was green, the sun was streaming, and the dust was blowing. There were serious winds, my friends. But we persevered and saw lots and lots of amazing music groups. Of course, I had to plan out some special Coachella outfits for the festival.

First up, BRIGHT COLORS! 

Coachella is about fun, and you want to stand out, so I recommend bright colors. I'm calling this outfit "Coachella 2003 Redux." It's been 10 years since our last Coachella. Back in 2003, I didn't really sew, but I sometimes played around with my sewing machine. My friend and I decided to make our own "skirts" for Coachella. I say "skirts" with quotes because it was really just a strip of fabric with darts hap-haphazardly thrown in, and secured with a hook-and-eye. Let's take a look back at 2003, shall we:

I dug out this "skirt" and updated it--lengthened the hem, added additional hooks-and-eyes, and added on two pockets. (Pockets are REQUIRED for all music festivals! You don't want to have to deal with a purse.)

The top is made from a pattern that I drafted for a friend. I'm really into mixing lace with other fabrics. This top is bright, breezy, and perfect for a music festival.

Second, LACE! 

Lace was a HUGE trend at Coachella. It was everywhere! We'll call this outfit "Hazy Lace Day" because the dust put everything in a haze. I didn't make this dress--it's from Target. But I got it music-festival-ready by adding a hidden pocket.

Under the top line of lace, I sewed in a zipper and inserted a huge pocket that goes all the way to the side seams. Love!

Third, COMFORT! 

This outfit could be called "All About Comfort." By the third day, comfort is key! You're grimy, you're dusty, you're sore, and you're tired, so you need an outfit that you won't have to worry about. The top is from Target and the black shorts are from Goodwill.

Again, pockets make this outfit ready for Coachella. I added a zipper to the back pocket of the shorts for some added security.

Finally, MUSIC! 
After all, while it's fun to plan Coachella outfits, it's really all about the music. Two of my favorite sets from the weekend were Birdy Nam Nam and C2C--both French 4-person DJ groups that use their turntables as instruments. I'll leave you with some music. Enjoy!

Elephant Dress

Friends, I may have an addiction... This is the third dress in a row with back cut-outs! (See also S.O.S. Dress and Roses Are Red Dress.)

The fabric is once again from Girl Charlee. It's a cotton lycra printed with elephants! Their cotton lycra isn't my favorite to work with--it often seems too thick and stiff, but I couldn't resist this print. Aqua Elephants?!?! Yes, please!

Sewing Notes- Once again, I started out with my modified bodice pattern for McCall 6647, but this time I tried a couple different modifications. (I've modified this pattern so many times now, is it still McCall 6647? Not sure, but like a good college student, I don't want to plagiarize.) Notably, I lengthened the bodice by two inches this time. I thought this would work better with my long body, but I'm not so sure. Also, this version is unlined. Since the cotton lycra is pretty beefy, I didn't want another layer--after all this is a summer dress, and I live in Arizona! I want to try to stay as cool as possible! The skirt is also another modified skirt from the Sewaholic Cambie, view A.

It's been fun making several dresses that are variations on a theme. It's so interesting to see how different fabric choices will completely change how a basic pattern looks. So, will we see another dress with back cut-outs?!? No plans at this point, but I'm not ruling it out!

S.O.S. Dress- Challenge Reveal

Ahoy matey's! It's time for the big reveal! For the past month, I've been working with Andrea (from  Four Square Walls) and Beth (from 110 Creations) to all use the same fabric. The challenge was to make something from this nautical-flag-inspired fabric from Girl Charlee that we had languishing in our stashes. We called it the S.O.S. Challenge--Stashbusting Our Sister fabric. This fabric is beautiful, but for some reason, it was hard to figure out what to do with it. We've been working on our own creations without telling the other one what we're making. I CAN'T WAIT to see what Andrea and Beth have come up with---go over to Four Square Walls and 110 Creations to check out their makes!!!

Here's what I made-- what do you think? Business in the front, and... wait for it...

...Party in the back!

This dress surprised me. I am happy with this dress, but I couldn't anticipate the response it received. Right after I finished it, I wore it to a local beer festival---I've never had so many people compliment me before. People were walking over from across the field to tell me that they like this dress. It got to the point where my friends were jokingly asking, "Did you pay these people to come up to you and compliment your dress?!?" My friends went nuts and starting talking about business plans and marketing ploys to get me to start selling my creations... It was great, but I wasn't expecting it. In real life, I don't know anyone who is hardcore into sewing, so I don't often have the opportunity to talk about sewing or making my own clothing (but sewing bloggers get it!).

Sewing Notes- Being on a high after completing my "Roses are Red, But This Dress is Blue" dress, I decided to start out by using my modified bodice pattern of McCall 6647. BUT since this fabric had strong nautical-inspired lines, I made the cut-outs in back triangles instead of smooth curves. I thought the strong lines of triangles would work better with this print. The skirt is a modified Sewaholic Cambie, view A skirt. That means---pockets! I love this dress so much, that I think I'll go back and trace a pattern for what I did---there were a lot of modifications on-the-fly, and I'd like to be able to replicate this dress again.

It was really fun and motivating to have this challenge with Andrea and Beth. If it wasn't for our S.O.S. Challenge, this dress probably never would have been made! Hooray and Man the Jib!