Summer Sewing: The Fiona Dress by Closet Case Patterns

Summer sewing is something that usually gets done on rainy days and late nights. If I was not a gardener or farmer I might do more summer sewing, but as it is, summer projects require one thing from me....I must be able to wear them as soon as I complete them!

This summer, Closet Case Patterns, released the Fiona Sundress, and it melted my sewing heart! I got the pattern and started assembling the pdf. An hour later I looked up and realized this was taking up my whole floor! What had I gotten myself into. Oh and look at those princess seams! Oh lands!

I took a breathe, sighed and kept at it!

The sew was a pretty straight forward one, princess seams and all. All that I had to do was stay on track with the directions...Then I finished the sewing and realized I wanted to put snaps in the dress.

 

I got everything nice and organized and began.  Two days and about 20 snaps later, my dress was done! (It really didn't take me the whole two days...but I had other obligations the filled up the rest of those two days.)

It really is a fun dress to make and to wear as it turns out. It has just enough ease to sit comfortably and walk comfortably. Those things are very important to me, because if it doesn't meet those qualifications, I probably won't wear it.

 

 

 

Such a versatile fun dress. Looking forward to all the layering options that may present themselves in the coming seasons.

Bonus: I couldn't leave well enough alone. After I finished the dress, I made a few adjustments to the pattern and ended up with a equally lovable Fiona Shirt. Take a look.

 

 

Side note, this is my first sew with a linen/rayon blend fabric...it's got a thing for that wrinkled look. Just saying!

 

 

I see a few more of these in my future...probably next summer though.

Would you like to make up your very own Fiona? Well, here's the link-  The Fiona Sundress!!!

 

Hope you all have had a lovely summer. Soak up the sun while you can!

Planning to sew up the Fiona? Already sewed your Fiona? Leave me a comment and tell me about it. If you posted photos, I'd love to see them!

 

 

Ginger Jeans: The Sewing Journey

Hi there! Today I'm going to share with you my highs and lows....joys and woes, of making the Ginger Jeans. I technically made the Ginger Flares, but still with the Ginger Jeans pattern and the Flares pattern addition.

It all started with a plan and a challenge.

 

This was my plan all nice and sketched out on paper...that was the easy part. Originally I was going to wait till I had sharpened my sewing skills a bit more before attempting this project. But then Closet Case Patterns announced their #NoFearJeansMonth challenge and I sighed and started cutting into my denim. I quickly found out how much space 60 inch denim requires when unrolled.

 

After I got through that I basted them together (pretty easy to figure out once you sit down and read through the pattern) and did a test fit.

 

As you can see, the front side of things was fine. It was that darned backside that had issues. Nothing major though. Did a sway back adjustment to the waist band and took in the mid upper leg portion in the back, then commenced sewing up a storm!









 

 

Things came together pretty smooth. I was worried about the zipper, because I simply HATE installing zippers. Call it "lack of practice" but really, I hate sewing zippers. Happily for me the pattern instructions walked me right through the process and I can say that this was the easiest zipper I ever installed. It went in so smoothly and beautifully! However my sewing machine and I had shared a few choice words when I attempted the tack stitching on the fly front. We're both still on speaking terms though. (Not that you were wondering.)

 

There is definitely something to be said for using a cardboard when you get to seams and such. Check this out:

without = skipped stitches
 

 



 

with = nice stitches



Now I'm sure if you're any sort of a seamstress you can see I'm an amateur at this whole topstitching thing. I'm just so excited to share what I learned! I am so very happy that I finished these jeans, and they fit me better than most jeans I've bought in my lifetime. Before we get to the big reveal though I have a confession. It's not what you might think. Guess what I struggled with the most on this project? ............installing the jeans button. I admit it. Have any of you struggled with this? I just could not get the button hammered together straight.....and it tried three times. Finally on my third round it was still crooked, but it was at least in there securely so I called it "good enough." 

Ok on to the unveiling of the finished labor of love....sewing love that is....

 



 

 

All in all I'm very happy with how they turned out. I literally jumped for joy when I finished them and tried them on. Closet Case Patterns did a fabulous job with the pattern and instructions. It was straight forward and easy to follow. I'm amazed at how condensed and concise the instructions were. There was enough instruction to guide you through, but if you'd better not skip over some of the words because every bit was necessary for proper construction. Had I tried to tell someone how to sew some jeans together I probably would have added another 20 pages of instructions and photos. Closet Case Patterns just made this so simple and painless to make. If you haven't made jeans, get the pattern, make the jeans. Do it, you'll be sew happy with the results! I will definitely be making this pattern over and over again. I have a few minor adjustments I'm going to be making fit wise, but nothing major.

 

Sew, that's that! I'm wearing my jeans, ummm, let's see....EVERYWHERE...except to the barn to do chores of course, cuz let's face it. I want these to look pretty for a long while yet!

 

Thank you all for reading my sewing story! Feel free to share one of your sewing stories with me in the comments below. Have yourself a fabulous day!