Troll beads, not bridges

My father-inlaw and step-mother-in-law came to visit in late January, kind of a late Christmas, as we didn't get tot see them over the holiday season.  They brought along lots of fun books and artistic gifts for Liz, (books for all of us, too!) and they got me the most beautiful new bracelet!   It is a charm style bracelet, the kind you may have seen advertised on TV recently, but the brand is older, called "Troll Beads".

Because I have such small bones, most bracelets are too large for me and I end up never wearing them because they tend to slip off, but being aware of this, they purchased one in my size!  It came with a very pretty starter bead, pale yellow with silver bubbles inside.  The clasp itself is a work of art, if you look closely, you will see it is the head and body of a swan.

Apparently, it is also compatible with the ones shown on TV, called "Pandora".  I don't expect to collect beads very often (though I'm sure I'll get more over time), but I'm excited just to have this one piece of pretty jewelry as it is!

So, I just wanted to share my newest treasure with you.  Do any of you wear these adult style charm bracelets, or find them interesting or attractive?

Free pattern give away!

I have been very humbled and honored by the generosity of the sewing community since I began to truly get into sewing some 2 years ago.  Many people have shared with me when I had almost nothing, just a cheap machine, a handful of 99c patterns, and some thrift shop fabric to sew with.

Now I've amassed enough that I'd like to give back, or more like, pay it forward.  I have quite a large pattern collection, as I seem to be more addicted to buying patterns than fabric, possibly due to all those 99c sales. :D

I have 17 patterns to give away, all of them are uncut, and most are in or near mint condition, not even unfolded. Oh, I have one vintage to give away that is cut, but the rest are basically like new!

Free Pattern Photo Gallery

There are only a few rules for giving these away:
I can only ship these inside the lower 48 states in the US, I'm sorry to those in other countries...and Alaska and Hawaii. :/  The shipping cost, I hope you understand.
First to request a pattern will be the one to receive it.
Any one person can ask for up to 10 patterns!

I would like to note that you do not have to be a current follower of my blog to ask for and of these patterns.  If you stumble across this and would like some of these patterns, please don't be shy!

Here is a list of the patterns, broken down by general category:

Women's tops and coordinates
McCall's 6167
See&Sew 5511
McCall's 7249
Butterick 5495  - Spoken for
McCall's 5388 - Spoken for

Unisex tops
McCall's 6940

Women's dresses
McCall's 3129
McCall's 6024 - Spoken for

Kids clothing
Simplicity 6121  - Spoken for
New Look 6131
McCall''s 6272
McCall's 8380
McCall's 3531

Costumes (child and adult)
Simplicity 9891
McCall's 5904

Accessories and crafts
Simplicity 1958
McCall's 861

If you are interested in any of the pattern listed, please post with the pattern numbers you would like, and an email address I can reach you at, written so it cannot be stolen.  Example:  bobmarley at yahoo dot com.

Or if you don't want to post you email in public, then email me at arouramc at gmail dot com for information sharing, but please also post here the items you would like.  Thanks so much!
I will contact people via email asap, and things off in the real snail mail!

Also, I have a box of more than a dozen women's Medieval and Ren style costume patterns that have been used .  All pieces are still there, but most have been cut to either a size 10 or 12.  If you are interested in these costumes patterns, please let me know, and I'll send you more information.

Happy sewing ladies (and gents), and thanks for your support in reading my blog, it has really kept me motivated. :)

My first Chalis!

At least...I think it is. ?
This fabric was gifted to me well over a year ago, and I've been saving it for the "perfect pattern". I love the results, but the pattern was not exactly perfect.
I chose McCall's 6467, a relatively new pattern that caught my attention the moment I saw it. I love girly blouses that are also easy to wear and this looked to fit the criteria, and my lovely black and yellow floral print had the perfect drape for this style.

What is this style anyway? I'm thinking it looks 1/3 70's poet shirt, 1/3 Little House, and 1/3 modern. I find I am leaning towards a lot of early 70's influences, the Little House,not so much, lol.
I do with the details showed up better in the pictures.

I'm very glad I took the time to do a tissue fitting with my dress form. The neckline was just huge! It needed quite a lot of taking in. I had the raise the front neckline .75" (and I'm not too shy with cleavage, but I don't want my bra showing!), I took in 1.25" in the CF and .5 in the CB, down the entire seams, and after I got the neckline on I realized I should have taken another .5 or so from the CB.
I took 1.5" off the sleeve length, my standard, but the supposed 3/4 sleeves were to my wrists. I had to take another 3.5" off to get the correct length. Because I had sen the cuffs on before sewing the sleeves on, I had to remove and resew the cuffs, which included a lot of hand sewing.

I am overall happy with the fit. I'm glad I didn't sew it right out of the package like I often do, and am taking more time to get a better fit. It's taking me longer to finish garments, but I'm much happier with the results.

The back was originally longer, as I attempted the hem from view C, but the blouse is so loose fitting, it just hung shapeless straight down, and I didn't really like it, so I ended up chopping it off, and just keeping a small rounded shape to the back hem.

Finished Hemline

Original, View C back hemline

My husband originally hated the buttons, and said it looked exactly like a clown outfit (lol). Fortunately, most of the buttons were covered by the ruffle, so I decided to just use the top 2 anyway, and tacked down the flounces under the second button so it would stay visible. I don't think the finished top looks clownish. :) Um...does it??

Getting a jump on spring

So I've been sewing up my oldest fabrics while managing the Fabric Stash contest on PR, and almost everything I have is lightweight and in spring prints and colors.  Ah well, we'll all get some of our spring clothes early this year!

So here is DD's new top, from McCall's 6389.  Very cute pattern, though the sleeves are too puffy for my taste.  It's a good pattern overall, lots of nice details; I love the shaped hem and princess seams.

I really like the ruffles on the front, though you can't see them well in the pictures.  I tried to add some fun to the top with the ladybug buttons and contrasting bumblee print on the inner collar.  

So, it feels like spring early in our house!  Next up, a floral ruffly top for myself, another early spring top. :)

Blast from the past

Wait, is gas 35c a gallon again? Did a man just land on the moon? No my friend, you haven't time traveled back to 1969, although you might have seen a child looking much like this one at Woodstock, if you had the fortune to be there!


So I am totally digging this vintage pattern on Liz, and so is she! When I decided (with angst) to sew up this dino fabric that has been in my stash since last June (a thankyou gift for volunteer work), I was already feeling pretty unsure of how much I was going to like anything made from it.
The colors are SO bright, and the dino shapes very geometric.
Fortunately, I found a beautiful matching lime green shirting for the contrast, and buttons that match exactly!! Still, I sewed it up slowly, as I was still worried that it would be...too much.

This is Simplicity 6121, a vintage pattern from 1969. I think it is one of only 2 patterns I have that are pre-1970's. I got this pattern from Patterns From the Past last year (for only $3), as part of the prize for winning the costume contest last year on PR. Patterns From the Past is a great site with hundreds of vintage patterns for sale, and really good prices as well.

I love this style of shirt, it really brings me back to my own childhood. In the early 70's, I wore many a shirt with similar styling.

This pattern did pose me a few challenges, aside from my worry over the fabric/print. I am pretty new to sewing vintage patterns, and there is a certain amount of sewing knowledge assumed in the pattern and instructions. The shape of the front yoke includes the facing, so the pattern pieces were the weirdest shapes I've ever seen, but it all works out perfectly.

The fit is also just great with this pattern. Not too snug at all, but more fitted on top and open on the bottom for movement. Although I did make the sleeves too long, and had to roll the cuffs up. :/

After I got the facings turned in, and the collar on, I could suddenly tell it was going to be cute. I found my mojo again, and finished the sleeves, hem and buttonholes today.

Although it is very bright, I really like it. I even like the giant collar. My favorite thing is the cool shaped yoke. And I got to use my twin needle for the first time, to double topstitch the yoke, and it looks great! I am still so in love with my new sewing machine. :D

Liz, of course, was adorable for the camera, even though it was about 10 minutes until bed. :) She's such a happy kid, I am so lucky to have her!

Enough pictures of the same kid in the same shirt?? Naw, one more. :)

So my goal of sewing only 6 month and older stash this month, to sew along with the Fabric Stash Contest I am managing this month, is going slow but well. Only 3 yards done, but I think I can still reach my 10 yard goal if I pick it up a bit. It's harder to find time to sew since James started college again. But it is worth it, he's really happy now that he is going to get his degree. :)

Prettying up the sewing area

My sewing nook is actually a small table in the corner of the kitchen/dining area, so it is fairly publicly visible. I do try and keep it cleaned up (mostly), but there are so many bits and bobs, papers and pieces, they can just get out of hand when sewing. So I decided to sew up some organizers to help myself get more organized, and also keep our house looking nice!

Also, I think staying organized and feeling good about your area helps sewing stay fun and creative.

I used Simplicity 2679, and made the Chair back cover and the sewing machine organizer. I know, the chair cover is on backwards! I did that to show the pockets, you couldn't see them on the angled back.
I didn't read the ONE review on the chair organizer (why? Just spaced it off I guess) that said this needed to be 2" wider to fit a standard folding chair. And I committed a double sin by not checking the tissue against the chair itself, and checked AFTER I cut the fabric. :/
It worked out though, I just made very small (<1/4") seams, and my fabric and fleece both had a bit of stretch, so it fits well. Whew, dodged a possible bullet there! The pockets are great, sized for patterns, instructions, etc. I am so glad, this gives me a better place for my working pattern than wherever I left it last......And a place for pattern I am planning on soon!

The size of the organizer here is also way off in my opinion. The green braid is actually the place where the measuring tape was to go, and where it should hang from. If I hang it that far down, it pools in my lap! Well, I found the pincushion was also pulling that side down, so I just prefer having it up on the table. The large, darted pocket on the left is also a bit gapey, and things might fall out of it if you bump it. I think I may tack the center of it up, just to keep it more secure.
I am mulling over weather or not to make the apron. It would be handy to keep the pencils and measuring tape and such in while going back and for the between the sewing machine and the coffee table in the other room. I made one for my cousin for Christmas, and it seems like a good utility apron. Quick to make, too.

On a side note, the dark green is probably the oldest piece of usable fabric I have in my stash. I bought it to make my very first real project, an Irish Overdress for the SCA. I still had about 1 yard of it left, and this pretty much uses up the leftovers. The pale green floral was a gift from my MIL a year ago for my birthday, so both of these are old stash fabrics. I only used a small bit of the pale green, and it is a nicer fabric than I realized at first, a good shirting cotton with stretch. I will have to make my favorite camp top TnT, McCall's 6035.

Ok, so my first projects of the New Year were successes, and will help me sew for the rest of the year, and beyond. Hurray!

A few of her favorite things

Sometimes, I get overly ambitious with my sewing plans, don't we all? But especially during the holidays.
I originally had planned to make a bunch of different things for Liz for Christmas. As the big day approached, I was forced to pare down my list somewhat. Mainly, I really wanted to get her 2 pairs of new PJ's done because it was getting so cold! And those took me a little while.
But, I had 2 must do presents. The Dinosaur Train fabric I had purchased for her at Fabric Depot with my birthday money, I really wanted to use that to make her something. I thought a shirt at first, but realized that would chop up the huge mural-like print. I found Simplicity 2825 in my stash, and thought the backpack would be perfect. Liz could really use something like that (trips, campouts, and maybe even for kindergarden next year), and it would also display the fabric well.

I really like how this turned out! It is very sturdy, and with the adjustable straps, really feels more like RTW. I also made great use of the print both front and back and even on the straps.

On a side note, I just want to say I also love Dinosaur Train. Jim Henson studios still puts out quality children's entertainment! I love that the show is so much fun, (I mean, dinosaurs and trains in the same kid's show? Genius!), but also teaches about evolution and the scientific method. And "Dr. Scott" is funny but smart, and reminds me of Ross from Friends.

Ok, back to the gifts! :)

I also really wanted to make her some hand puppets. All of her favorite stuffies are puppets. I know she likes cats, and also Pink and the Brain, so I thought the cat/mouse combo from Butterick 4209 would be a good way to go. I actually gave her these early (so they don't get overshadowed by her really big gifts), and she loves them!


I also managed to add a ruffle to some pants she has outgrown in height, but still fit in the waist, and I made her a pillowcase for her lovey pillow out of the Dino Train fabric remnant!
I've made a slew of other gifts for other family and friends, but won't post about them here until after the gift giving is done.



I hope Liz has a Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to everyone!