Mandy Fitted Tank top

The hardest part about making this tank top is the taping together of the pattern. And that's not hard at all, just tedious and time consuming (and my least favorite part about sewing)
Once it is printed and taped and cut out, it's easy, easy.
I would have had it sewn up and ready to wear in ten minutes had my serger not went bezerk on me AGAIN.
I know I'm doing something wrong, probably when pulling the thread out after I'm finished, but my thread breaks and gets all goobered up. Then it's unthreading all four sections and starting over from the beginning, on the bright side, I am a pro at threading a serger now!
The material was some from a destash on fb and it is super tshirt soft.
My only problems was the bands, I apparently stretched a tad too much and my underarms are a tad loose, but I love it!
It's soft, comfortable and fits the way I like.

I made the tunic length and I have some more stash material that I am going to make the top length next. Maybe I can get those armholes finished right next time.

If you want an easy, fast tank pattern check out the Mandy Fitted Tank from 5Outof4 Patterns

#igetboredisewthings

Oasis Swimsuit/Fabric Fairy order is here!

My order came in yesterday!
I am ready to start sewing up my new Oasis bathing suit

I chose the Fabric Fairy because at the time I was looking for swim fabric, they had the biggest selection. Though this design wasn't my first choice, (they didn't have enough material of my first one), I think this is going to come out really cute! Yes I know I called it Fairy Fabric in my last post, it's ok, the link was correct. (hence why some of my projects get gimped up LOL)

I decided to make my own suit when I went to five different stores and could not find what I was looking for.
I have to face it, I'm older now and I need a little (I can't even lie) a lot more coverage than I used to, and still be able to get a decent amount of sun coverage. After almost two months of hunting, I finally found something I "kinda" liked in Panama City,but it still wasn't the all over fit I wanted, so.....

I saw a post on FB for the Oasis pattern and then, of course, went and watched the video. That's normally all it takes for me. When I see how easy she makes it, I'm all in and ready to get on it.

I did pay the extra $10 to have the Fabric Fairy cut my order the same day and, to me, it was worth it. My order shipped fast and was only a few days from order to mailbox, so over all I am pleased with their service. (their prices are pretty darn good too!) and usually the reason I buy from any place. The price....just sayin'

 

This will be the top or bodice of the suit and I am thinking about tweaking the pattern a bit and using some of this for a waistband also. (thinking about it) This is one of those decisions I make when I am almost finished, have to rip out a bunch of stuff and do a bunch more stuff over because I changed my mind, kind of decisions.

In the video she gives the option for leaving openings to put padding in, and I am almost positive that is what I am going to do. I have a few dresses I don't wear anymore that have pads, so yeah, I'm that thrifty i.e. cheap, I'm going to use them for this suit top. 

This is the material for all the straps, (there are a lot of them) the bottoms and the bindings.
I think this will go together quite nicely, and if I don't gimp it up, I will end up with a cute, made by Leah suit to get me through the rest of the summer.
Here we are beaching it until sometimes as late as mid October, so I will definitely get plenty of use out of it. (if I don't gimp it up)



The lining and the elastic, all came from the Fabric Fairy also.


I will probably start cutting everything out tomorrow, maybe Wednesday and keep you up to date!

More #SewTogether

Ok, so I have been doing more sewing than posting, I'm sorry. I will try and catch you up.

DD#1 and I have been getting together on the weekends and sewing together, well truthfully, she has been walking me, step by step, through sewing purses. She is wicked good at it and makes some of the cutest themed purses you've ever seen.
You can see her work here: SewRae

She comes over, machine in hand and we set up at my kitchen table.
She picks the pattern and I try to have it all cut out and ready to sew by the time she gets there. Woefully, I usually fall short in that area.
Probably because she has a steadier cutting hand than I do LOL 

She always brings some of the cutest prints to work with. Like this adorable Star Wars pattern. Me? I'm still working on trying to get my stitching right on plain old canvas.

She walked me through every step. (she's a very patient child) and we finally finished these two bags.
Mine, the green canvas,full size messenger bag, her's the cute little Star Wars mini messenger bag.
I opted for a little fancier stitch around the outside flap, jut because it's so plain, I had to snazz it up a little bit. And my machine is awesome like that. 

 

This was my first time doing a lot of things. 

A snap

A strap

A usable purse LOL

I really like the way it came out, and has plenty of room for all my junk I carry everyday.




I think my flap may be a little off, but I like it. And, as usual, if it was perfect you would never believe I made it. I own my flaws, and see them as proof that, not only is it homemade, but homemade by me lol


Sissy Bella modeling Mama's cute Star Wars bag.

Stockings: Lots of pictures. I didn't know I could do that!

Finished up some of the stockings.
I am now about halfway through the pile.
They really are adorable and I am glad I decided to make them.
Once I got control of myself and the pattern, it started moving a lot more smoothly. I only had to rip out one of these and start over. So I'm getting better!


The Santa Clause stocking you have already seen.



The cuff on this one came out a tad smaller than the rest of them, but it's still cute!













                                                                            

Notice the cuff?




I didn't know I could do a boxed pleat without even trying!



I apparently can sew better than I thought. LOL

Stockings for the Grandbrats: picture intense

These are the faces! 

  

Only a few missing from this picture. 

But this? This is the bulk of the Grandbrats, (so far) from 13 to 3.

These faces need handmade over filled stockings from MiMi and PawPaw this year.  

I told you I had already cut them all out and the sewing would be a breeze? Yeah, maybe for a seasoned seamstress, for me? a totally different story.

 

I did get half way through the pile. 

Normal people, it would get easier as you went along. 

Me not so much. 

I have the pattern down, I have the sewing down, but I always seem to run into a problem. With each and every one of them. One I missed the seams on the side like five times before I finally caught it in the needle. One I poked a whole in the toe after I had finished most of it, had to take it apart and start over. One I forgot to leave an opening in the lining for turning it inside out. 

It's just been one newbie mishap after another. And quite a learning experience.

  

My toes are a tad too square and my heels too sharp. 

In some, like this one, the cuff was larger than the stocking once I finished sewing it three times for missing the sides. 

But look how wicked cute that stocking is!!

  

Despite all my screw ups and mishaps and all the needle pokes in my fingers, arms and legs, I love them! I think they are adorable. 

Not perfect, but adorable.

This one below, the cuff is a lot smaller than the rest. But it is still cute.

 

It really has been fun, even with all the pin pricks. 

I watch all the videos on YouTube and have concluded that these people must spend hours before videoing straightening lines, matching sides, making everything look absolutely perfect before they shoot. No frayed edges, no crooked lines, all pieces match up perfectly from first cut to sewing. 

Please! I just spent 3 hours on five stockings, I know the truth! 

 LOLOLOL

Bags going out: A worthy minsitry

These personal care bags were first talked about over on the Knittinfun blog here:
Making Personal Bags

DD#1 and I stuffed them with goodies and they were delivered a couple of nights ago. 

If you are looking for a ministry to get in to, I can not think of a better one than serving and loving on women at your local shelter. 

They really are a joy to serve, some are hardened by their circumstances and need some extra time and care. As in one lady who has not participated with us since I started going over a year and half ago. She wouldn't even eat the food we provided. 

But this last week, she came to the front, she smiled and she talked with us. 

She really does have a beautiful smile and I told her how good she looked with it. 

All these women need is time and someone to love on them, hug them, cry with them and listen to them. It's a worthy ministry to apply yourself to if you get the chance.

One of our sisters brought blankets and we handed out the bags and all was received with smiles and hugs and warm wishes for everyone to have a great Christmas!

Stockings for the Grandbrats

Sew, I decided the kids all needed hand made stockings this year for Christmas.

Stuffed full of candy and goodies and prizes of course.

I went to YouTube and found the cutest stocking tutorial.

Easy Christmas Stocking Tutorial 

I followed her step by step, pausing the video as I went and made this cute stocking! 

My first!

Once I finished this one I pretty much had it down and cut out 9 more stockings to sew.

 

I give you fair warning, and the designer does also in the video, if you don't want a huge stocking, cut the size down some. 

When I printed out the pattern it really was a tad too big for my tastes. 

I mean come on! I have ten of those things to fill!

Instead I took an old stocking from years ago and used that as a template for a good size for me. 

Then the rest was just following along with her video. 

These stockings have batting for a stiffer more professional look. 

I really think it is absolutely adorable. 

Cutting out ten stockings, with batting and tabs and cuffs took me over three hours, but now all that is left to do is sew them all up. 

And that takes no time at all.

First post: Why am I here?

This is Leah ;0) the owner of the Knittinfun blog.
I have been running the Knittinfun, first website, then blog, facebook page, google+ page and everything knittinfun since the beginning of the new millennium, so there was no doubt what a sewing blog would have to be named of course, to be a sister blog, she had to have the name.
I have been really into sewing lately and I know the people over at the knitting blog are tired of hearing about it.There is knitting going on, lots of knitting for the holidays. If you want to read about that check out the blog.
There will be lots of posts and shares coming as sewing has fired up my creative side like nothing has since I first watched a YouTube video about how to knit a sock waaaaaayyyyy back in '97 that sparked years and years of knitting and hundreds and hundreds of socks along with various other items.
You really should check out the blog if you have never seen it.