Friday, November 22, 2013

New Cape! McCall's M5764

I LOVE capes! And I love that they are in style this season. I made Miss M a new coat and had enough fabric left to make myself something. I didn't really want a new coat. Not much can top the wool / cashmere blend black trench that I scored at Uniglo in NYC a couple of years ago, I got it for a steal and it fits perfect.A new coat might be a bit of a let down when I have the perfect coat already.

However a cape is never a let down and is always necessary. Even when you don't really need one.

McCall's (M5764) is calling this a cape-let, so I guess that is what you call a short cape. 

I really like the idea of the belt, but thought it would make it look and feel less cape-y and the point of a cape is to be cape-y, right?

The fabric matches M's new coat with some slightly more grown up trimmings. I thought black accents were in order to make it a wee more sophisticated.

As always I did not follow the directions. So I have no comment on their instructions. But it was super easy to throw together.

I added a lining. And it was a wee bit shorter than I wanted, which is how I ended up with the trim at the bottom. But it was a happy accident and I think it really adds some flare to the finished product.

Just look at how freaking perfect that houndstooth lines up! Sometimes I even amaze myself. 





Back when I bought this pattern,  at least 4-5 years ago I imagine, I bought these hooks. I think that they also add a little flare to the cape. And make it more fun. Buttons would be nice too. But since I had them I decided to go with these.

Since the Arctic has invaded good old Decatur GA I have actually had the chance to wear my lovely cape a couple of times. I have to say it is FUN to wear. I made a different cape, using a Burda pattern, a couple of year ago and I think this one is WAY better. The Burda cape has arm slits and is just less functional than the McCalls.

My new cape is a better shape and is much more comfortable. However, it is a bit less warm, but that's ok. Who needs to be warm when you look amazing?
Go forth and make something that makes YOU look and feel amazing!!
Peace Out - C

Friday, November 15, 2013

Paidia Art Visions!

Hey Peeps! 

It is time once again for one of my favorite local holiday sales. The Paideia School puts on a great show and it is a fund raiser for their beautiful school. 


This year I will have dinner napkins, cocktail napkins, lunch sets and market totes in the sale. All these items make great hostess gifts or stocking stuffers! 

Hope you have a chance to come and check out the show, should be a great chance to start on some holiday shopping! And don't forget that you owe yourself a treat too. 

Have a great weekend! 
Peace Out - C

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Come Sew with me!

NEW Sew Night @ Sheepish
Check out their blog post with all the details HERE.

Tuseday 11/19, 6-9
@ Sheepish in Decatur.
$18.00 includes most materials


We will be making the Burda, Charlie Bag. It is a pattern I have made over and over and over. It is so easy and can be modified in a ton of different ways. I will show you examples of how to create a lined Charlie, a bias edged Charlie and a simple serged Charlie. Should be tons of fun!!

Pop me an email c@chrissyweeks.com and I will get you signed up!
• Chrissy will provide the pattern, fabric and as much help as you need.
• Sheepish will provide the space.
• You bring your sewing machine, scissors & thread.
• You help us decide which project to do next.
• Please feel free to bring snacks and drinks.

I have 1 sewing machine I can loan out so let me know and you can borrow my back up.

I even submitted my application to the next sewing star with this pattern, check it out. 

And I made Charlie Bags for my daughter's entire pre-school class ages ago. 

As of right now we have 3 spaces left!!

Hugs - C




 

Monday, November 4, 2013

New Coat - McCalls M5743

Hey Peeps,

Ok so the weather is doing that weird thing where it goes back and forth with the temps. Warm one day freezing for a few minutes the next. So it was time to at least get the kiddo a coat made for the eventuality that the cold temps will stick for a while.

I bought this fun houndstooth on clearance in May for like $3.00 a yard or something crazy like that.


It is a pastel rainbow, black and white houndstooth. It feels like cotton, but I am sure it is some sort of blend at least.

As usual I went with my favorite girls jacket pattern McCall's M5743.

And as usual I had to make some changes. Most notably I added a lining and changed the closure to a zipper.

AI can tell you the tweed was a challenge to cut. As you can see in the picture above as soon as you cut it it starts to fall apart. It is a rather open weave. Which is weird because it is a winter fabric. Why is such a wintery fabric such an open weave?





To give the tweed some stability I used stay tape in all the tweed seams. To use the seam tape you simply sew it on as you are sewing the seam. If you are not serging over this seam as well, you should sew a second line of stitching into the seam allowance just above the seam to add stability.


I did serge my seams, but first I sewed the seams together with the stay tape on the side where there would be the most stress.

Then to further help prevent unraveling I serged the seam allowances together.


The fleece lining should take most of the stress off of the tweed seams. But it is a coat for a kid. And the stress that this coat will endure is different than the lack of stress my coat will get this winter.

Also I know I am crazy for making a child a white coat. But hey it is cute, and well ... ok maybe I am crazy. Such is life. To add a zipper you simply sandwich the zipper between the front and the lining of the coat. M picked the lime green zip. I was going to use black but she said "Mama black it too boring!"

This pattern is designed to be a single layer of fleece with some facings. So to make the lining I basically made two coats (without the facings) and sewed them together.

To finish the sleeves and bottom I added an edge of fleece. I hope this will keep her little fanny warm and be a little easier to clean than the rest of the white coat. Plus it make it look wintery and cozy.



It is a wee bit big. But I like coats a little big, leaves room for layers and room to grow.

I think she looks pretty fantastic in it.

Hope you have a great start to your week!

Peace Out - C


Friday, November 1, 2013

Halloween was Fun!

So, I had been all like "I'm not in the mood for Halloween". But at the last minute I rallied and got dressed up and we had a great time. We have always had a tradition of Trick or Treating with our neighbors. But some neighbors have moved and the kids are getting older, and well some things have just changed. And I realized I was a little down and apprehensive because of all this. But kids are resilient and time marches on, so ... it was different but it was fun.


M wanted to be a bucket of candy. Thank goodness, finally and easy costume! I cut the bottom out of a bucket, sewed on some suspenders and made candy out of pillow stuffing and cellophane and used glitter hot glue to glue it on. Less than an hour! Done.


This is one of my sweet little neighbors dressed as a knight, carrying a Trick or Treat bag that I made and she now owns and loves.


So I dressed up as a mummy from the 80's. Basically it looks like my fabric scrap bin barfed on me. It was an OK costume except since it took me all of 6 minutes to put together I had issues like this all night. This is a picture of me putting my vail back in my hair for the 10th time. Probably because it was not really a vail but a piece of fabric held in with a hair clip. But hey at least I did not spend any money on my costume this year.


Eric pulled out an old favorite and was a dinosaur. Oldie but goodie, again it was nice not to spend time and money on a costume for him either. There are green pants that go with it. But once again it was WARM on Halloween night. We were all sweating.


To show you just how warm it is, yes those are Azaleas still blooming behind my Halloween decoration.


 And this is a rose in my front yard that is still hanging on.


So it was a smaller crowd, we had 4 kids and 8 grown-ups. And still we all had to grab hands, and pull kids back from running into the street. And apparently the neighborhood directly behind us is the hot new place to trick-or-treat, it was jam packed. So we hit about ten houses and called it a night. It was just enough M and the other little ones were pretty beat.


We did manage to get one cute family picture.

Hope you had a great Halloween!!

Peace Out - C