Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Smart Pocket Cell Phone Case

Smart Pocket Cases with Front Flapped Pocket & Attached Wrist Strap Shown
                                                                 
During the Columbus Day weekend I made 2 of the Smart Pocket cell phone cases from the pattern I recently bought in sewspoiled's etsy shop. I absolutely love these ever so versatile cases!!

The cleverly designed Smart Pocket features a zippered section that holds a cell phone and keys, a detachable wrist strap, a front flap pocket that easily holds a license & cash, a rear belt loop thru which the detachable armstrap slips when joggers & walkers want to wear the Smart Pocket on their arm. The armstrap fastens with velcro.

The Smart Pockets will be first available at the Carpenter Museum's holiday sale at the Francis Farm in Rehoboth, Ma I will be in November 2-3, 2012.
                                                             
Smart Pocket Shown with Armband and Wristlet Attached
Smart Pocket Back Shown with Armband Inserted Thru  Belt Loop
           

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Newest Winnie Tote

Today I finished another Winnie Tote.  This latest Winnie Tote is now part of the inventory I have been building up to be ready for the Carpenter Museum's annual sale this coming November 2-3 at Francis Farm in Rehoboth, MA.
I made the Winnie Tote shown out of the beautiful black 'Orleans' prequilted fabric.
The specs are all the same as those found on the other Winnie Totes shown on my blog: http://arlenesbags.blogspot.com/search/label/Winnie%20Bag

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Another Lisa Ipad Folding Case

Web Viewing Angle
This week I made another Lisa Ipad Cover as a gift for my sister-in-law who recently bought an Ipad3.
I love making these covers as much as I love using one.  Not only are they very functional, but they are also beautiful and easy to use.
My husband John also deserves credit for his part in making the Ipad covers.  Masonite is used to create the 2 angles for typing and web browsing on the Ipad.  John has every tool known to man including an amazing tabletop saw that he uses to cut the masonite to the specs needed.  The masonite also adds additional protection for the iPad.
I hope my sister-in-law enjoys using her Ipad cover as much as I do!
Typing Angle
Typing Angle
Reading Angle

Closed Cover



Saturday, June 2, 2012

Summer Top Simplicity 2977



 About a week ago I made my 3rd summer top from Simplicity 2977.  I love this top!
Two front panels cross over each other to create the v-neckline.  The top panel has gathering along the sides which I think adds a lovely soft feature to the top.
Although it doesn't show up in the photo, there is some purple in the fabric design which softens the effect of the black.
Similar to how I hemmed the sweater I made from Simplicity 2560 (shown in photo on top left), I used the rolled hem on my serger to finish the bottom of the top.   The neckline and armholes are finished with binding.
Three years ago I made the jacket and pants shown on the pattern envelope.  The above-the-waist jacket has a very flattering curved bottom and bell sleeves.   I even got to wear the jacket and pants when my husband and I had dinner at the Eiffel Tower in September, 2009.  How cool was that!!!
My husband John & I having dinner at the Eiffel Tower
                                                              

Summer Sweater Simplicity 2560


 Yesterday I made a new summer sweater from a knitted rayon fabric I bought @Joanns last week.  Aside from the fact I have a new sweater, I am especially thrilled that the sweater cost me a grand total of only $4.88!
I sewed Simplicity Pattern 2560 View A.  From start to finish the sweater only took a couple of hours to make.
I serged most of the seams except for the top stitching around the seam that joins the band to the sweater.
The pattern calls for 1/2" wide hems on the sleeves and sweater bottom.  I took one good long look at that bottom hem and opted to add my own so-called designer touch, serged hems.  And I am so glad I did!   I used woolly nylon in the upper looper, lengthened the stitch and then serged around all hems.  The end result looks great.  The woolly nylon gives a beautiful smooth finish to the hems.
The bottom front and back are gathered at the top.  Several reviewers of Simplicity 2560 did not like the gathering but I do like the effect the gathering gives the sweater.
The front band creates an asymmetrical line to the sweater by making it longer in the front than the back. I wasn't too sure I would keep the asymmetrical look and  decided to 'sleep on it' last night.  Now I like it so am keeping it.
The sweater looks and feels pretty nice! 

Thursday, May 31, 2012

New Summer Dress Simplicity 2054


                                          

                                                         
Yesterday I made a dress from Simplicity pattern 2054. Talk about fast & easy! I used a 2-way stretch fabric I bought @Joanns this past weekend. The fabric was already in clearance and then was reduced by 50% so the dress cost me about $5.00.
The fabric looks just a tad garish in the photo but it really is a pretty print. And the fabric feels great!
The dress is amazingly fast & easy to make. What I especially like about the dress is its ever so slight a-line cut & that it slips on over the head.  The dress looks huge in the photo but it isn't as seen on the front of the pattern envelope.
The pattern has several sleeve variations. I chose the sleeve that ends just above my elbow.
I twin-needled the hem & sleeve hems.  Initially I tortured myself by trying to use the coverstitch on my serger to do the hems.   I used the coverstitch on the hem which seemed to take me forever.   For the sleeve hems I used my sewing machine and twin-needled the hems.  I used Sandra Betzina's tip to use woolly nylon in the bobbin when twin-needling a knit.
I do plan to make this dress again in a heavier knit so I can wear the dress to work in the fall and winter.
Can you tell I highly recommend this pattern??!!

Friday, May 25, 2012

New Look Dress Pattern 6968 Great Dress!

Bodice Front Darts and Fabric Pin
                                                               

This past weekend I finally finished a dress I started making about one month ago.  The dress was supposedly designed to replicate the dresses worn on Mad Men.
Although I absolutely love the dress and the way it fits, I dragged my feet making it simply because I had to insert an invisible zipper in a dress with a full lining.
The pattern calls for lining in just the bodice which struck me as odd.  Why not line the entire dress? Also the fabric I used is a lightweight woven which wrinkles easily.  A full lining would reduce the wrinkling and also eliminate the need for a slip (I know I sound like a dinosaur when I mention slips buy hey, I wear them.)
I read several rave reviews of New Look 6968 on patternreview.com.   Most posters also suggested lining the dress unless a knit fabric was used.
It had been awhile since I had inserted an invisible zipper in a lined dress.  So I looked for some info online and found a great blog where the blogger posted great directions for inserting an invisible zipper into a lining dress:  msjennyhomemaker.blogspot.com/2011   The directions were great and finally the zipper was in after dawdling for about 2 weeks.
I followed a Sandra Betzina suggestion to use pretty linings in clothing and so chose a multi-color stripe shantung for the lining.  Unfortunately the colors don't show up well in the photo.
I know I broke every rule in the 'book' for hemming the lining.   I trimmed the hem and then serged it.
The outer fabric hem ends slightly above my knee.   
A very good friend suggested making a fabric flower pin for the dress which I thought was a wonderful idea.  For the pin I combined the outer and lining fabrics.  The pin is shown in the photo at the top of this page.   I used sewritzy's fabric flower tutorial to make my pin:  sewritzytitzy.blogspot.com/2008/11/from-annas 
I wear the dress with a very narrow black belt and black sandals.  I shamelessly admit the dress looks and feels great. The lining was well worth the effort.
So I highly recommend New Look dress pattern 6968!!
Dress Front

Dress Lining

Dress Upper Front
 



Vogue Dress Pattern 8724

Last summer I fell in love with Vogue dress pattern 8724.  I just love dresses and Vogue 8724 is extra special because it simply pulls on over the head!
Here's a link to the 1st dress I made from Vogue 8724:  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2607898990438159645#editor/target=post;postID=4113511317872683591
I like the pattern so much that this week I made another dress from the same pattern.
I used a 2-way stretch, lightweight knit for my dress.   I bought the fabric about 3 years ago.   But this week when I looked at the horizontal stripes I did wonder what I was thinking when I bought the fabric.   Much to my surprise and delight (I love that word) the dress actually looks pretty good on me, horizontal stripes and all.
The lines in this knit dress are very clean and very lean!  The bodice has a fairly deep crossover v-neck attached to a skirt that is softly pleated at the top.  The sleeves are cap-style.
The dress has no zipper and simply pulls over the head.
I hemmed my dress so it falls just a tad above mid-knee.  I twin-needle topstitched the skirt hem as well as the sleeve hems.  I used Sandra Betzina's tip to use woolly nylon in the bobbin when hemming with a twin needle.
Vogue 8724 is an easy, easy pattern to sew and the end result is quite an elegant looking dress.   I think it would be a great dress for a beginner sewer.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

More Ruffled Scarves!!!

Night Clouds-3 available
Birthday Cake-3 available
Starbella Sea Breeze-3

Sashay Hip Hop
 2 left

Blueberry Twirl-Only 1!

Lately I haven't had a lot of time to sew which does drive me a tad crazy.  To stay relatively sane & because I just can't resist buying all the gorgeous ruffled scarf yarns I find, I have been knitting ruffled scarves like a wild woman.   

Today I added photos of several of the newest scarves I have knitted.
With spring right around the proverbial corner and because these scarves are made from an acrylic yarn, they will also look beautiful accessorizing a spring outfit or something as casual as a denim jacket.

The number of scarves available in each color is included in the caption.

The 2 'Sashay' scarves, HipHop and Ballet, have a very subtle silver metallic thread woven into the bottom edge of the yarn which gives the scarves just the slightest hint of bling.

Price per scarf: $25 + postage when applicable 

I will be updating this blog as I knit more scarves so please do check back regularly!

Sashay Ballet-1

Starbella Canyon Sunrise-1

Starbella Cinnamon Candy-1

Starbella Plum Preserves-3

Starbella Denim-3

Starbella Eventide-3

Starbella Wild Hydrangeas-Sold out!
                                                             

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Mickey Bag!

Exterior of Mickey Bag-Cadet Blue'Orleans'
                                                                
Some days I just don't want or need a big bag but don't want a small bag either.  Well, a few weeks ago I found a new pattern that I feel is the perfect compromise between big and small.  And thus the Mickey Bag was born.
The Mickey Bag is a shoulder bag that measures about 14 inches across at its widest point and measures about 7 inches high at the center.   It closes with a rounded flap that is secured with a magnetic snap.
With its adjustable shoulder strap the Mickey Bag is also easy to wear across the chest for those times when we might need to be hands-free.
The Mickey Bag is shown in my 2 newest prequilted fabrics.  Both fabrics are named Orleans; one is the black Orleans print and the second is the same design in a gorgeous cadet blue.
Price: $35.00 + postage when applicable
Yellow Coordinate to Cadet Blue as lining

Mickey Bag Exterior in Black 'Orleans'

Closeup of Mickey Bag

 Striped 'Orleans' Coordinate as Lining