DIY: Artsy Sew Along 1, Pattern Cutting/Pocket Making

 

Super cute sewing fabric from fabric.com.

Hey, my stitches! I hope all y'all are doing swell and, if you are stateside, having a lovely holiday weekend! It's been a rainy one here so I doubt there will be much of a fireworks-y celebration in my neck o' the woods. To that I say, c'est la vie and pass me my cuttin' scissors. I've got a skirt to stitch!

The pattern we're using: Simplicity #2226.

If y'all have joined the Artsy Sew Along, hurray! I'd love to see the fabric you are stitching with. Please post away on that page or share on Instagram #artsysewalong. Since many of you have mentioned that you are new to garment sewing, I thought some videos might be of some help to y'all. Granted, these are my videos, so take my tips and tricks with a big ole grain of salt. In fact, invest in a salt lick, ermkay? 

Sewing machine fabric and cute buttony fabric. 

 In this post, I'll chat with y'all about:

* How to prepare your fabric and your pattern pieces for cutting.

* Just how to go about cutting your fabric properly and making sure to get all of your markings correct.

* How to stitch those super cute pockets onto the skirt!

If all goes well, this post should help you get this far! You'll notice I opted for a contrasting fabric for the pockets...y'all know me, I'm totes tacky and love to play with patterns. By the way, I'll also be throwing in some of my fave sewing fabrics with links for some sewing-inspo in this here post! 

This clip is all about preparing your fabric and your pattern. It's super important to read through all the pre-stitching notes in your pattern as they are chuck full of sound advice. Don't just listen to this clip featuring my lovely voice. Which, by the way, sounds like angels singing. While chewing on broken glass.

Just incase you missed my clip about finding your correct size according to the pattern envelope, here you go!

I love the colors in these prints. Rulers and spools. 

 

If you're new to sewing then I know how overwhelming those pattern pieces can be. Lemme help ya navigate that territory, kay?

Scissors and spools. 

 I really enjoyed this beginning process of skirt making. I love when a project is simple and gives immediate results: yay, pockets! If you have any probs at all, please drop me a line in the comments, on the Artsy Sew Along page or on my Instagram (where I've been annoyingly popping up photos of the skirt progress).

Now, I will say, that I've been reading what some other sewists have said about this pattern and I'm a lil concerned. Many have mentioned that the waistband is too big. What I plan to do is create a muslin of the waistband (this is practice sewing, following the same pattern, but with inexpensive fabrics). This way I can do a little trouble shooting for y'all. I hope to be back with the second portion of stitching -- adding that waistband -- soon. 

Until then, be sure to share what you're up to and drop me a line about your progress, y'all! 

DIY: The Oodles of Doodles Shower Curtain Skirt

Whilest I was on my decluttering bender (which I'm still on. So lemme know if any of y'all are interested in a broken coffee grinder,  a polyester school spirit shirt from 1982 [any Eisenhower Academy alum out there?!] or a Speak -n- Spell, holla at yer gurl!), I found this super awesome cotton shower curtain in my stash. I believe I thrifted it years ago. When I spied it amongst the clutter, it spoke to me and was all, "Hey! Girl! Put down that busted blender and make me into a circle skirt!" And, being prone to ADHD-fueled activities, I was all, "Okay, sure thing!" BTW, only if you are a sewer, crafter or artist of any kind do inanimate objects speak to you, amirite?

Because this skirt is so stinkin' big and awesome, there's hardly a photo that doesn't showcase me twirling around like a demented ballerina. Which is pretty much all I ever did in ballet as a kid anyway, twirl around and wear my little pink ballet slippers everywhere. So my apologies for all of these goofy twirly pics. However, can you believe the size of this thing? In a pinch, it could be used as a tent for a family of four. 

Have y'all ever made a circle skirt before? If you have, WHY HAVE NOT TOLD ME HOW INCREDIBLY EASY THEY ARE TO MAKE?! Hiding secrets from me, eh? I mean, all I did was cut out two big ole half circles, make room for a waist, add a waist band, stitch in a zipper and hem. Now, I will say, hemming took the longest as the bottom of that skirt is exactly the length of 3 football fields. But other than that, it was a snap! I used this pattern I picked up from etsy a coupla years back.

I didn't have enough shower curtain left to create the waistband to I used some heavy pink gingham from my stash. Which you can't see in these photos because I'm conveniently hiding it.

Who here thinks the kids are gonna flip out when they see this skirt come August? It's the perfect art teacherin' skirt, riiiight?! So glad it didn't get donated to the thrift with that busted blender. 

Coming off my Grainline Studio Scout Tee high, I busted out this bad boy in just a couple of hours to match (actually, it took a lot less time than that, these Scout Tees are a snap to make!). I used some Lotta Jansdotter (best name everrrr, btw) fabric found at Joanns. After some debate on my instagram, I decided to go with a pink gingham trim. Most all y'all were like, "don't do eeettttt!" but, eh, I did it anyway. Because I'm toooootally one of those people who asks your opinion and then promptly does the opposite. Nice. 

And now, let's talk about the Artsy Sew Along!

OMGGaaaaah, that face. You know you wanna sew along with this crazy, riiiiight? We're gonna be stitching a skirt from Simplicity 2226. Watch this crazy and I'll convince ya that you needs to do sew, er so.

Because, truly, the best part is FABRIC SHOPPING! Check out these beauties I found just after a short stroll through fabric.com. 

So much prettiness! If you watch the next clip, I'll chat with you about how to measure yourself (always a good time), what notions you'll need as well as how much fab fabric to buy. This is my fave part, the planning. I do hope you'll join the fun! Feel free to share your fabric choices on the Artsy Sew Along page or on instagram with the #artsysewalong! 

If a pattern envelope is Greek to you, lemme translate it for you! 

I'll be back later this week and show you just how to prep your fabric for sewing and start cutting into that pattern. I can't wait to stitch with y'all! Until then, Ima go twirl myself on back to declutterin'! 

DIY: The Color Wheel Grainline Studio Scout Tee

Despite my cheery outer appearance, I am currently in mourning. Please, let's hold hands, take uno momento, and bid ado to that most perfect, carefree month of the entire year: JUNE. I know she's not past yet, but the end is nigh and it's moments like these that I like to channel my inner Shakespeare and fancify my vocabulary. Won't thou take heed and join me, kind lord -n- lady? Gracias. (That'd be Mexican Shakespeare, FYI). 

I know some of you non-teacherin' type out there might be all, whut are even complainin' about, you got a whole nuther month of?!  Ah, you are correct. However, July marks the Beginning of the End and is the sad predecessor to The Return. The month starts innocently enough...until you walk into any retail store and are slapped in the face with Back to School stuffs. Binders. Notebooks. Glue bottles. Markers. And the smell of No. 2 pencils and crayons permeate the air. It's seriously enough to make me avoid Target for a whole month (which does wonders for the pocket book, y'all. Not gonna lie). It's seriously depressing! I always end up complaining to whoever is nearby that will listen, which usually is some stay-at-home mama with a cart full of snotty -n- screaming children. I'm all, "I have another month, they can't take me yet!" like it's some sort of Back to School Rapture. Picture it: teachers lounging at the beach, gone; savoring that trashy paperback poolside, vanished; taking sewing classes with buddies way past their bedtime (I swear I am gonna get to this here blog post at hand sooner or later), taken. I'm tellin' ya. Come August, non-teacherin folk, you just watch: Back to School Rapture. It's a fur realz thang.

Meanwhile, that stay-at-home mama is not giving me any love. Frazzled and at her wit's end, reminding me of myself at the end of the school year, July is the longest of her life. And what about those teacher mamas?! There is no mercy for the likes of them. Saints, I tell ya. Those are the saints among us.

Speaking of saints...that'd be the ladies who taught me how to sew my Grainline Studio Scout Tee at Craft South! (Did you see what I did there? A weak attempt to bring my wee rant full circle and back to the post at hand.) Sweet Devon Iott of Miss Make lead the first couple of sessions and was such great teacher. The owner of Craft South, fab fabric designer Anna Maria Horner, lead our final class which was super fun. This was a beginner course with a simple tee project. And, while I've made plenty of clothing (okay, dresses. And the occasional skirt) I knew I'd get a lot outta the class cuz 1. I'm self-taught. Which isn't bragging as I don't actually think that's a good thing. With sewing, you need to do it right otherwise you're just another crazy art teacher with a stapled hem (cough). and 2. Because I've never made a shirt! How cray is that?! And this tee is one that will lend itself to lots of replications cuz it's so stinkin' versatile. 

Now that I've made one and seen how simple it is, I do believe I'll be adding several more to my closet. Ya know, because I practically have nothing to wear. By the way, if you are interested in the class selection at Craft South, check here. I so wanted to take Devon's next class but, alas, I've a conflict. So take advantage, scoop up a spot and make something super cute! 

For my top, I went with this sweet fabric I'd picked up a while back. Which was good because that meant I used something from my stash! Woo-hoo, me! I did have to be super careful when pinning and cutting this fabric because of the flower placement. I didn't want those sweet flowers to become giant booby flowers if you know what I mean. 

Using quilter's cotton does give this top a big of a scrub shirt vibe which means you nurses out there could totally rock this shirt and pattern! 

To remove that scrub shirt vibe, I tucked in top into a skirt that my sewing buddy gave me. I love that the fabric matched to a tee, if you'll pardon the pun. 

And, of course, as a Treat Yo'Self reward for my hard work, I just had to scoop up this precious necklace from Craft South. Isn't it presh?

My next scout tee is gonna have to match this made-from-a-kids-shower-curtain circle skirt Ima bout to embark on. Isn't that curtain the greatest? I alllllmoooooost can't wait to wear it upon The Return to that one place where I art edumacate chillrens. Almost.

Ah! I will say my scout tee ensemble brought me good luck at the Nashville Flea Market this morning! A buddy and I loaded up on pancakes before hitting the flea and taking it by storm. I've started collecting Enid Collin's wooden box purses so I was thrilled to score these lovelies on the cheap.

So, what are y'all up to? Teacherin' friends, time's flying, soak it all up whilst you can!

DIY: A(nother) Monet Dress

If y'all follow me here, then you've seen the snaps of this Monet dress in progress. It's my second tribute to ole Monet (that was more of my spring line and what you see here is from my summer collection [I'm hoping you read that in your most uppity voice as that's how I typed it]) and it seemed just the thing to stitch up on these 90 degree/boiling-inferno/hotter-than-the-underarm-of-a-construction-worker days we've been having here in lovely Tennessee. 

By the way, someone once asked me why I'm so smiley in my DIY photos. It's not so much a smile of happiness as it is surprise. Like, "Holy crap, y'all! Can you believe I made this?! Like, with a sewing machine and not a hot glue gun although, at times, I think that mightah been easier!" Therefore, I smile. 

I used my trusty vintage McCall's 6221 (which is available on etsy, y'all! It's a simple dress and so cute. Git yerself here and scoop it up!). This is my third time sewing with this pattern. You can see my other attempts here (OMG, I totes forgot about those cat shoes!) and here (that time I almost burned the house down with...banana bread. Sigh). I even lined this dress because, hey, I was feeling fancy. And the pattern makes it so simple and-and, I feel like a grown up sewer when the flip side of my dress looks as snazzy as the outside. The fabric, sigh, isn't it presh? I picked it up from Joann's a while back. I was just there the other day and they still had some. It's out on their website but I bet if you called their stores they could help ya out.   

I did a full 30 seconds of googling in an attempt to find what Monet painting the print was inspired by. The palette is closer to that Cliffs at Amont, 1885 painting on the left although the theme looks more like that dealio on the right. Maybe I should find out zactly before I wear this to school and introduce Monet to los kiddos.

 SooooOOOooo, in true Cassie-fashion, I got ALMOST done with this dress and was all, meh. I don't need no stinkin' bows. But I forced myself kicking and screaming to add them. I'm so "almost to the finish line, think I'll break for a Twinkie", it's kinda pathetic. But not this time! And I'm happy I did because, BOWS ARE ADORBS. 

Except these bows have this bad habit of tickling the back of my upper arm. They are in a weird place and I'm constantly swatting at myself. Which doesn't warrant weird looks from strangers AT.ALL.

Yeah, pretty much. 

I shared with Asha today my new dress as she's my only company. This was the reaction I got. And I wasn't even swatting at myself! Such a harsh critic. 

Meanwhile, in Asha-land, here's how she pictures herself in a Monet...

Reality is, that crotch-licker would prolly look more like this in a Monet (by the way, if you've not seen 17 Classic Works Improved by a Fat Ginger Cat THEN YOU'VE NOT LIVED, FRIEND). 

In other news...I starting filming some short clips for our Skirt Sew Along (you can join here for minute-by-minute updates [I kid. Try weekly.])! I'll be back later this week on how to read your pattern package in order to determine you size and what you need to purchase. I'm so excited about sewing with y'all! Until then!