Project Sewn week 3 sew along

Project Sewn has started and it's already on its third week. I had plans to sew along with every theme, but again, I was wanting more than I could eventually handle. I am happy I made it this week though, and hopefully I'm still on time to try to sew along the last week too. 

This week's theme is If the Show Fits, which means we were suppoused to grab a pair of our favourite shoes (any kind of) and sew a garment based/inspired on it. I have so many shoes that I just love... But I haven't been wearing them for a while. I've been using a pair of brown boots to exaustion lately, they fit with most of my clothes and they're so easy to put on and comfortable too. 

sorry for the blurry photos, most of my photos came wrong and I couldn't re-do them all over again. 

I was also suppoused to test MamaNene's newest pattern The Plaid Sheer Top last month, but because I was feeling ill and with the baby sickness I totally failed her and missed the test. I promised I would still make it and here it is. I used a piece of a heavy wool fabric I had left from the Winter Love Flowers outfit I made my daughter back in 2012 - I'm so terrible sad that it doesn't fit her anymore, it has been one of my favourites ever since. 

Because it's winter here, I needed something cozy and warm to keep me satisfied (once I am the most sensible person to cold weather on earth!), and that's why I chose this fabric. I didn't like that it gives the top such a hard look/touch, and that it is so hard to iron. But at least, I did something for me, crossed another fabric out of my stash (only small scraps were left) and it has space for my growing belly. Also it was such a quick sew, I might have to try a spring version with a light fabric later. 

The Coffee Date Dress Sew Along

Humpffff! It is all I can say right now!

I just finished my Coffee Date Dress, the pattern that us ladies are sewing along at Project Sewn this time. I was all in and out, about sewing along, i started printing the pattern soon enough, but apparently there were other things that kept me busy until that moment when I was having a hard time falling asleep last night, I needed to make it, I wanted to link my version to the party too. 

Yeah, right! That sounds wonderful, but I was left with just a few hours to finish it... Although technically it is already saturday around here, the link party is still open. Yes, it is nearly 2 am, I just finished a dress, took a few quick snaps, still am wearing it and now I am blogging about it. JUST because I love this sewing community and want to join. Crazy, hum?

Well, I did a few changes to my dress, I didn't use the ruffles, just like my niece I'm not a ruffles girl. I used self made bias tape to finish arm holes and neck, and get surprised now!!! I even used a visible zipper. Did I ever tell you I'm not a huge fan of them?! Well, happens that when you're sewing from your stash, you'll avoid buying whatever you need, so at the lack of an invisible zipper, I thought, why not? Maybe I'll like it... and it's on my back, I won't have to look at it. 

Using an existing zipper was hell... it some how came out (that little annoying thing to pull it up and down) and I lost nearly 1h just trying to fix it. But I did it and even learnt a new easy technique to do it. The dress isn't even on the top of the back, but I will fix that tomorrow... I just thought I better sleep today. And then I will take better and closer pictures to it, because my zipper isn't red, I just used a cute decorated bias tape I had (in my stash!). 

I used white satin underneath and a polyester fabric on top. Of course, they both were on my stash forever. 

Now, don't forget to come back soon because I will have much better pictures an details from this dress to share. 

80's Inspired look

No need to say: 

I went the punk way!

I've put so much thought about this week that I nearly ended up with no time to join the week's theme sewalong over Project Sewn. At first I wasn't really sure I was going to do anything for this week, as I mentioned here. I really couldn't think of anything for this week. At least anything I would happily wear on a daily basis. 

Anyway, since I was getting short on time, I went the refashion way after I find a little inspiration point to start with. 

After looking at some pictures of the 80's a flash lighted in my head. It was also the decade of the sub-cultures! DAHHHH... how couldn't I think of that before? How?! Still can't understand how I couldn't remember that before. I've been a bit of a freak myself in the last few years, so of course I would pay homage to the early punk years... 

I looked for pieces I could use, and I found a t-shirt my loverboy wasn't using anymore and I loved too death. Don't ask me why I loved those ugly faces so much, but this has always been one of my fave t-shirts from him. Proud to say it is mine now!!! hehehe

Oh, and I also went after a pair of very old leggings. Well, they're not old, I bought them last year, but they weren't made of a great quality, and they've turned too tight, even for me (someone who wears an S size). After a little use they looked pretty pretty old. Before giving them up, I tried something on them. If it didn't turn good I wouldn't lament destroying a pair of leggins (a garment I can't live without). 

sorry for the bad pictures, only later I realised I needed to clean my lenses. 

I refashioned the t-shirt to fit me. I used a Burda pattern for the shirt but I had to adjust it in a few ways. One of them was the lenght to start and the most important was getting rid of some center pleats it had. I didn't want them to ruin my two beautiful faces. 

 

I used only the front of the t-shirt to remake mine. For the back I used a net fabric that I had bought in Lisbon in one of my trips a few years ago. I had quite a good amount and kept wanting to make something out of it for all those years. So far, I had only made a shirt a friend ordered me and that was it. I'm glad I finally used it for myself. 

I didn't sew any seams, I just finished it all with a zig zag stitch to get the punk look I wanted to. Too bad it isn't so easy to see in most pictures. 

For the leggings I cut two stripes of lace and add them to the sides of each leg. It made the fit of the leggings much more comfortable - remember I said they were too tight even for me?! And they got a new face. 

To put my look together I wore the two pieces with the shorts I've refashioned last year... which were just cuts I made on a pair of pants. I've put on my boots, which aren't Doc Martens (very popular in the 80's) but are what I have as close as the originals. Also a tacks belt, a cross necklace, long earings and I had the net gloves, but forgot them in the car. =( 

The weather got better and today I was able to play around in the beach with my family as we had fun taking a few pictures and enjoying the good weather. Here's a few goofy pictures. See how comfortable my outfit is? hahaha

If you'd like to vote for me, it will start tomorrow HERE, if not don't worry because I am here only for the fun!!! 

funny fact, when I got dressed hubby told me "you look like an 80's Madonna"

ahahahaha

Exactly boy!!! Think I achieved my goal!

Project Sewn and my own thoughts

This is 80's themed week at Project Sewn and as I try to decide (yet) if I join the sew along or not, I just had to share my thoughts hoping some of you will tell me back your own opinion about it. 

The 80's were rebellious. I was born in the early 80's. 1983 more precisally - actually by the end of 1983. When I thought that maybe I should join this week's sewalong, I found it funny to do something inspired at a picture from the year I was born. 

But then again. Seriously? Who, in right concious would do anything from the 80's? Ok, there are some acceptable pieces but most of them use colours I would never use... no way... and the shape? Oh Jesus, that shape... The 80's were creepy in my point of view. 

Then I tried to think/recall some of my mom's clothes from that time and get inspired. But all the clothes I can recall I would never wear either and can't find a way to recreate them now. 

So, if I join this week's sewalong, I am pretty much getting inspired in someone I adored back then. Someone that even though I didn't understand a single word of what she sang, I would sing along and dance like crazy... From her it was said that (...) look and manner of dressing, her performances, and her music videos influenced young girls and women and her style became one of the female fashion trends of the 1980s (...) the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair.

Not too hard to know who I am talking about, right?!

The Black & White Striped Dress

As you might know by now, the lovely ladies from Project Run and Play, have recently launched a sister site that goes by Project Sewn. It's sort of a similar thing, but instead of kids sewing, this one is about selfish sewing, it is: sewing for ourselves. 

The first season/competition has started just a few days ago, and the rules are a little different from the ones over Project Run & Play. The first theme is Black and White, and here's my contribution... 

I really enjoyed all their weekly themes when I first read them last month, but I didn't mention anything about it here, because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to sew along this time. I hoped so, and hoping was all I could do. You see, Spring is supoused to be a wonderful thing, right? But not in our home. Daddy suffers a lot with allergies, and he gets moody and stressed and it infects me too and I lose all my sewing disposal. 

So, I am really, really happy that I have finally done something I was planning for far too long. If I had made it to the 3rd week of The Sew Off competition, this is what I would have created. But I didn't and if it wasn't because of Project Sewn, I believe I wouldn't have finished (or even start it) yet. 

please just look at the dress and never mind my face... it was so windy, that all the front pictures of the dress looks awful... if not for my face, for the weird shapes the dress would get from the wind. Believe me, this was one of the best ones. 

Remember what dress was the very first I made when sewing along with Project Run & Play for the very first time? Exactly, the black and white striped dress for my daughter. Mine is a matching one. I had a lot of this fabric that I had bought like 4 years ago to make my nephew's Carnival costume (a prisioner), THIS one here. Back then I bought a large amont because I've always wanted a striped (B&W) dress. 

I used a pattern from a spanish magazine Patrones for the bodice and black band, the skirt was just gathered together and sewn to the top. It closes on the left side with an invisible ziper. The only thing I didn't like about this dress, is that the arm holes turned out too tight. They do fit me, but it gets a little uncomfortable. The problem was that I had to resize my pattern and I am almost sure I did it a size smaller. =( 

My sister saw the dress when it still was in construction the other day, and she was like "Who's pregnant?". lol She thinks it looks like a maternity dress, and honestly I do too, but I don't care. Having a second child is on my plans so I will feel pretty happy to wear it on a second pregnancy. 

Here's how it looks on the back. I just love the red of the shoes with black and white clothes. It's such a wonderful contrast. Don't you agree?!

And just because my little pie was playing around us and wanted to be part of my photoshoot, here's one of my favourite photos from today... Can you guess what's she's wearing? I'll give you a hint... soon there will be more about it. Oh, and yes... I did get my dress all wet!!!

So, now is time to go HERE to see what all the rest of the ladies are doing. 

In Project sewn you can vote for the designers but you can also vote for sew alongers. Great isn't it?

I think this is a wonderful incentive for sewing mammas that spend all their time on the little ones and forget about theirselves most of the time.