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Hello! I'm Suzannah, a serious DIYer and mom of two little ones. Follow along with my DIY fixer upper house renovations, sewing and crafty projects, real food recipes, and de-stressing goals.
I believe you can love your home just the way it is, AND have the power to design and make big changes to make it better.
I'm also the author of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

4.12.2011

Nightgowns!

Time for another Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery, where guest blogger Jessi shows off her awesome sewing projects!!
This week...

Nightgowns. They're dresses for bedtime, yeah?

It's fun to mix things up so I made a little nightgown. Using an old sheet and a free pattern from Burda (obv.) I whipped this up in a couple of hours. I was lazy and didn't take care to match the plaid on the bodice, but eh, it won't get seen too much.



Honestly, I wear pajamas a lot. Like, sometimes I get out of bed and basically put on different pajamas and end up wearing them all day. In the summer it's easy to throw on a dress and be comfy on the floor with the kids, but in the colder months, sweats and fuzzy socks are just the way to go!
As for the pattern itself, it was easy and quick. Rather than create elastic channels on the back I just popped in my elastic bobbin and did some shirring on it. I really don't like the seam down the middle of each side of the top. I suppose it might be helpful if you actually had something to fill out the top...but I don't, so it just wasn't necessary. A flat triangle would have done me fine! But, like I said, being pajamas I wasn't into technicality so made the pattern according to my size and waited to see what the result was. I probably won't make this one again though, without modifications at least. I purchased the Jane pattern which would probably would have been a cuter nightie for me.


Anyhow, with Mother's Day coming up I thought it would be nice to share some pj's with you... since I know you're all going to get some awesome breakfast in bed and have to look super cute while not getting burnt toast crumbs, prepared by your children, on the sheets!


How about you guys? Do you sew pajamas for yourself or not bother?


...and I can't leave you on this fine Tuesday morning without a bit of Wilco!


Thanks, Jessi!
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4.11.2011

Gadanke giveaway time!!

Congrats to creativoice, who won the Gadanke giveaway!!
She was commenter #50, selected by Random.org.  She said...

"I like the she journals and the love letter one..."

Well, creativoice, have fun picking out your winnings!!

For those of you who didn't win, be sure to check out Katie's awesome shop Gadanke and enjoy the totally personalizable, make-it-one-of-a-kind super cute journals for any occasion and time in life.  So cool!
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4.10.2011

Vintage pattern, vintage fabric, vintage ric rac dress

I talked the other day about vintage patterns--here's a success story about one!

I love this vintage Simplicity pattern, 6899, and have wanted to make it for a while.  I couldn't decide about the sleeves... the ruffle is SO not me, but I wasn't sure I wanted short puff sleeves, either, and I knew I didn't want long sleeves for a short dress.  The short length makes it look less 70's and more contemporary/wearable.

You can see in this pic the vintage 1960's black print I used, and what cut vintage pattern pieces look like... it seems odd to me that patterns were sold with only one size in the envelope, but when you see it like this it makes it look so much easier to cut out that way.  As long as you don't change size!
I also used some tiny vintage ricrac, in red, along the neckline.  I sewed it on before I sewed the fashion fabric to the lining so it is very smooth.

Here it is...

The pointed shape at the bust is cute and not something you see on a ton of modern patterns!

As I finished this dress, I saw on the cover of a month-old Lucky magazine (which I still haven't read... oops! I am so behind on my pile of magazines!), Zooey Deschanel in a Marc Jacobs dress with a similar basic shape!  And the little black/red print on a white background, unlike my simple white/red/tan print on a black background.  Of course hers is much shorter... not sure that's as practical as mine ;). Super cute, though, and with the ruffles on the upper bodice!  In that lovely semi-sheer fabric.

Anyway.  I'm glad I made this pattern up since I am thinking of using it for one, maybe two, of my bridesmaid dresses this summer.  We're emulating the bodices of some J.Crew dresses that are kinda similar.  Anyway... here it is!  Now I'm just ready for some warmer, sunnier days!

Vintage fabric made into a vintage pattern with vintage trim!  But fun to wear for 2011.
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4.08.2011

LOTS of vintage patterns!

I have too many vintage patterns.
Too many.  How can this be, you ask?  How could I possible have too much of a good thing?

I have bought vintage patterns over the years, in eras from the 1950's through the 1980's and usually women's clothing in average-woman sizes.  A couple times I have received someone's mother's collection or something as a gift.  I can use them, yes!  And I soooo appreciate them.  Some of them I have made into cute clothes!  Sometimes I buy vintage patterns, too, since there are so many cute styles!  But now I have too many.  Yes, too many.

Our townhouse is about 900 square feet, and I don't really have a sewing room.  The patterns live in the closet of the spare bedroom/my fiance's office, in boxes and organized by brand and era.  Here's some of them:
That's about 1/3 of what I have.  These above are the 1970's Simplicities, mostly, men's and women's.  I have boxes of others including a bunch of Vogues and some cute Buttericks and McCall's.  Most of them are in good shape and about half are uncut.

Here's my question: I know I have more than I need.  I don't want to sell each one individually, but I also don't want to just give them all to Goodwill where they may not be appreciated.  I have some of the collectible/more designer Vogue ones for sale in my Etsy shop, but there are just too many to do this for individually!
What should I do??

I am thinking about trying to sell them as groups--rather than getting $4-8 for a vintage 70's Simplicity dress pattern, for example, I could sell a group of 5 Simplicity patterns from the same era and in the same size for $10, so about $2 each.  Would any of you be interested in such a thing?  I would pick the five, of course, but you could pick which set you wanted based on what was in it.  They all sort of go together nicely as a theme... here are four randomly chosen ones that, if they're all the same size 12 or 16 or whatever, could be a nice little package!
Love that tie blouse pattern!  Totally back in style.  And the formal dress pattern would be really cute made knee-length.  And the blazer is timeless!

Anyway, I'd love your thoughts on what you'd be most interested in.  I would love to share the great vintage pattern goodness with you!  Help me share the bounty and use my closet for other things!
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4.07.2011

Fave wedding dresses

As you may remember, I am making my wedding dress, which is so exciting and fun!!  It means I get to collect pictures of fave dresses and put them together to make my ideal dress!  If I can focus and pick my absolute favorite elements...

I have gone back and forth many times, with J.Crew Weddings being my original inspiration.  But since trying on some dresses at bridal shops, I've realized I really like the embellishment and froofiness of some 3-D pretty texture.  I also originally said no lace and no beading, but now I'm thinking I want some lace in addition to self-fabric flower embellishment.  I also have been thinking for some time about pale grey instead of white--you can see some of my fabric here.

I have been sure since Day 1 that I do not want a strapless dress.  They can be gorgeous but they aren't "me"!  So when I save pictures of strapless dresses, I do it because I like other elements of them.

Here are some of my favorites!

From Style Me Pretty:

From Ruffled:
By Elizabeth Dye of The English Dept:
From BHLDN:
Alice Padrul:
Casablanca (I tried this one on at the store and loved it! Except for the straplessness. The flowers were less puffy in person):
From OnceWed (Monique Lhullier dress):
Green Wedding Shoes:
Jim Hjelm:
Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier Douglas Hannant:
From Polka Dot Bride:
Pronovias:
So many pretty things!  It is hard to pick and choose what my favorite elements are, but I have a draft design going.  I am going to start on it this weekend with my mom.  So excited to see it start coming together!

Did you make your wedding dress?  Where did you draw inspiration from?  Did you buy a dress, and find the perfect one somewhere after searching for a long time??
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4.05.2011

A daytime lacy dress!

Welcome to Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery!
Today Jessi shares an amazingly cute ModCloth-inspired dress she made for a friend's bridal shower.  Soooo cute... I want one!  Check it out...

I'm so very excited to share this dress with you! It is by far my most favorite dress I've sewn so far!


I'm pretty confident in sewing garments for myself now. Meaning, I'll look at a dress I like and analyze things differently, rather than just whether I can, or should, afford it. I look at the price, then the materials, then the construction, and decide how much time and money it would cost me to make the garment.


When I saw this particular dress at ModCloth, I was all set out to buy it, and then ended up making it! Click on over to read more and find out how to make your own!

Thanks, Jessi!
That would also be cute with a soft pink or peach lining... or with a tiny shrug cardi!
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4.04.2011

Wedding dress! First preview

My mom and I had a super fun personal sewing projects day on Saturday, and cut out and sewed on things for ourselves.  She has a business making historic clothing for reenactors and museums and such, and doesn't often find time to sew for herself.  We also talked a lot about inspirations and designs for my wedding dress, which we'll be making!

I went to JoAnn's after and bought some of the several fabrics/materials that will go on my dress.  I'm really excited.  Just a quick sneak preview for you... I can't give it all away at once!  Here are a few of the pieces...
I can't wait to start putting it together next weekend!  I am so excited!  It will be pretty, I swear ;)
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4.03.2011

DIY journaling gift card giveaway!!

This giveaway is now closed.  Check back soon for another!!

Hello, readers!
I'm so excited today to offer this great giveaway to Gadanke, a totally one-of-a-kind shop that features personalizable journals to keep your stories and memories in, in a beautiful and artful way.

 Even baby books!
The shop owner, Katie, is a reader and is generously offering a $25 gift certificate to Gadanke to one lucky reader.  Here's a little more about her shop...


about Gadanke: 
Document who you are and what you crave and believe.  Handmade journaling products at Gadanke are filled with creative writing prompts and tidbits to make you think (and laugh!).  These baby books, prayer journals, travel books, and diaries make your writing process more meaningful and fun!  Plus they're totally eco-savvy with 100% recycled papers.

motto:  celebrate your story!

background:  
A couple of years ago, NPR's StoryCorp was in town.  It was also my grandma's 90th birthday.  The two of us decided to hop into the recording studio to capture some pieces of her story.  I had all sorts of prompts to help her with her story telling.  (I was always the listener, the one who asked question after question.)  The only problem?  My grandma couldn't remember.  Too much time had passed.  Later, my dad turned to me and said, "Katie, I need you to write down your story."  I knew he wished he had his mom's stories.  So I started writing.  I started wondering about all of the other women who have stories deep inside of them, and I started thinking about how my tendency to just listen and ask could help put those stories onto paper.  Gadanke was born with fabulous writing prompts and recycled papers.  I feel so lucky to be living my dream.



You can look inside some of Katie's journals here.  So many cool things do do with them!  You can also see what other customers have done with their Gadanke diaries on the website.  They can be soooo cute!!

To enter this $25 gift card giveaway, visit Gadanke and tell me which journal you'd love to have for celebrating your stories (You must be a follower of this blog in some form to enter).  Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.  For extra entries:

For each thing you do, be sure to leave a comment telling me about it!  Giveaway ends Sunday, April 10th at midnight and I will announce the winner Monday.

(Thanks so much, Katie!  Your wonderful journals look like so much fun and so great for passing along the stories of our unique and creative lives).
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4.01.2011

Sewing Circle: Good fabrics for beginners

Welcome to Sewing Circle!

In this feature, I love to answer your sewing questions as best I can, and then let the rest of you wonderful and talented readers out there chip in your ideas!  We all have something different and interesting to offer, regardless of our individual skill level.

Today I'll answer a question from Dominique, who asked...

Hi Suzannah!
First, I would like to mention that I really enjoy your blog! I learn how to sew when I was very young but unfortunatly, I put these skills aside while being a teenager... I just recently come back to sewing and looking at your procjets is very inspiring!

Taking the space that you offer through Sewing Circle, I would like to ask you a short question about fabric. I feel like I never know which type to pick and finally getting the one that doesn't fit with the pattern I'm looking for. Do you have any suggestions of easy and simple fabric for dresses and skirts? (Why are there so many types of cotton? And wool?)

Great, great, great question, Dominique!!  So often I see that the choice of fabric makes THE difference in a project, especially for things like clothes or throw pillows that get a lot of usage and wear.

It's really hard to tell you exactly which fabrics are best for which styles, but I can give you a few things to think about.
  • First, almost all clothing patterns will tell you on the back what the recommended fabrics are, although they're not always helpful.  Always read the back of the pattern if you're concerned, and look at those types of fabrics while you're in the fabric store.
  • The biggest differences in fabric are in weight, I feel--you can't make a heavy coat out of a sheer chiffon.  Duh.  So think about fabrics in terms of the garment you'd make out of it, and stick to that.  Some fabrics, like "shirtings," are great for blouses and tops, but not great for pants or shorts.  A nice linen with an embroidered pattern is good for a skirt or maybe a dress, but too heavy for a shirt.  And, of course, a knit fabric is best for patterns that are meant for knits (they will tell you on the pattern).  And alternatively, don't make a pattern that's meant for a woven fabric out of a stretchy one.  It won't work.
  • Generally, the fabrics that are best for apparel are in the front of the fabric store.  They are often seasonal colors or named for the types of things they're best for ("suitings," "bottomweights,"...).  You can take the recommendations of the store displays!
  • Quilting fabrics, often near the back of the store, come in super cute prints but are not meant for clothing.  They can work for clothing, with a lining or appropriate finishing, but they are best for quilts or shower curtains or little home dec projects.  I know, some of the prints are sooooo cute, but it is hard to make them durable and wearable.  I don't use them for clothing myself, although some people I know do.
  • There are so many types of cottons and wools and silks because each of those words just describes a material--it's like talking about a food made of wheat flour.  There are a million foods you can make from wheat flour.  Cookies, bread, pasta... it depends what you do with it and how you shape it!  Same with fibers.  The cotton, wool, and silk fibers are very versatile and can be woven with other things or woven to specific textures and thicknesses for different uses.  You can go around the store and feel different types of cotton--sheer lightweight ones, waffle-weave knits, corduroys, twills, piques, seersuckers, quilting calicos... all kinds of choices.  Polyester and nylon can be used for many things, too, but they will always feel different than a natural fiber.  They are great for clothing, too, especially when you don't want to spend a lot of money on silk or wool, but they are a little more difficult to work with than cotton.
  • If you want to test out a pattern, make a "muslin" out of whatever cheap fabric you can find--an old sheet or a thrift store find or a fabric that you got on sale for less than $1 a yard would be great!  This way you can test out the pattern without spending too much time or expensive fabric.  You don't have to finish the edges of the muslin or add fastenings or anything.
Fabric choice is essential for a good project, but the things that go along with it make it work even better!
  • The other very important thing to consider are the accessory fabrics that you'll need to use: linings and interfacings, mostly, that will make the difference.  A very lightweight but crisp cotton is lovely for a lining, but poly/nylon linings are cheap and easy to find.  I use lightweight fusible interfacing on pieces of the garment that need reinforcing.  Don't skip the lining and interfacing!  
  • And sometimes, a pattern may not call for lining, but will be nicer with it.  Sometimes I line things instead of giving them self-fabric/interfaced facings.
  • Use the right buttons, zippers, and trims--no point in spending lots of time sewing something just to throw on whatever zipper you have.  Buy the right one for the project (right color and length, and type. I use invisible zippers, but many people use regular nylon ones).
As for my personal preference, I like natural fibers better than nylon, polyester, acrylic, fleece, etc. any day.  I do use artificial fibers for many linings, and for some silk tops.  But I loooove a good cotton dress!  Just makes me so happy.

Hope these thoughts have helped!!  Readers, please chip in your ideas about the best fabrics for beginning sewists!  Thanks for reading, and everyone feel free to send me an email with your questions for Sewing Circle.  Until next time!
=)
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