Sewing Vortex

Sometimes we need a little nudge to kick-start the inspiration. For me, that was the October Hoodie Along Challenge in the Sew Alongs & Sewing Contests group .  I've been hanging on to an old tee shirt for a long time now. I'd worn it so often that it was soft and faded. Sadly, it sprouted a hole in an unfixable spot. Usually, these garments of mine end up in the donate bin, but this tee has a bit of sentimental value for me. So, I tucked it away, as any sewer worth her salt would do, telling myself that one day, I will find a way to wear it again. Project Pieces I was important to me to use quality materials for my Lufisto tee shirt upcycle. If I were going to take the time to turn it into a whole new garment, I wanted to make one that will last. Luckily, I already had the perfect things in my stash.  The Fabric  I bought 3 yards of black French Terry from Simply By Ti fabrics at their Birthday Sale last April. It's one of those fabrics that yo...

Today is 85 degrees and 1000% humidity. The PERFECT time to share the first of my fall sewing with you, right? The Fabric This is the  Coral Sweater Knit  and  Olive Faux Stretch Leather  from Simply By Ti. I did not purchase them together, but as they sat percolating on my SBT stash shelf (Yes, I have a stash shelf devoted to Simply By Ti fabric... 99% of it purchased before joining the Ambassador Team), I decided I wanted to pair them together and see how it works. Is olive a Pantone color for this fall?  It doesn't matter. I fell in love with Olive last spring and my crush is still going hard. This Olive Faux Stretch Leather is one of several colors carried by Simply By Ti. It is a light weight, knit fabric with a leathery-looking surface treatment. It is nice and stretchy, about 50%, but has really good recovery to maintain its shape. Like leather, you need to be careful about pinning, so as not to leave holes. However, this fabric is fully...

 It can be really easy to fall into a sewing rut, creating safe pieces that you know will always turn out. There's definitely a time for that, but every once in a while, it's important to shake up your sewing world and push yourself outside your Comfort Zone. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean you need to make a complicated multi-week project with all new techniques. Sometimes all you need to do to push yourself is to try a new silhouette or color. That's what I've done here with my Mermaid Maxi from Tie Dye Diva!  My First Maxi Skirt! Yup. I've gone 41 years without a maxi skirt or dress (bridesmaid gowns and prom dresses don't count). Being so short, I've never felt comfortable in a skirt that sweeps the floor. RTW maxis are always far too long, of course, making me feel stubby.  There's also the whole nightgown vibe...  But then, back at the end of May, my sewing friend, Ti, wrote about her new maxi skirts for a blog tour. ...