Hey Loves! It's March!  What happened to February? You know what I love about March?!  Spring is near.  After fashion week is all said and done, I like to check out the trends.  I tend to sew whatever I'm feeling but it's nice to know what the trends are for the season and try to add a little of that into my wardrobe.  I like the HarpersBazaar and WhoWhatWear trend reports. HapersBazaar is my favorite because they show you the runway style, some options to buy, and some street style.  Here's my top 5 from the two reports. Hot Pants/Short Shorts Both HarpersBazaar and WhoWhatWear had short shorts on their lists. Yes, I'm a little old for crop tops and short shorts.  BUT, I'm not too old for short shorts and a cute duster or maxi shirt dress. Do you see the vision? Pattern Suggestions: Linen Loungers by Patterns for Pirates  |  M7961 by McCall's Patterns  |  K3614 by KwikSew Bermuda Shorts Both HarpersBazaar and WhoWhatWea...

Hey Loves, I didn't post any of my December and January makes here. I didn't forget I just got busy. Well, I'm finally getting to it. Here are all the fun things I made at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. McCall's 7721 Sweatshirt with Custom Vinyl Pattern Review Simplicity 1605 Raglan Tee with Custom Vinyl Pattern Review Blog Post Simplicity 8911 Caftan in ITY Knit Pattern Review Blog Post Burda 7313 & McCall's M7202 Men's Cape with Hood Custom Vinyl Pattern Review Simplicity 8982 2 Piece Quilted Skirt Set Pattern Review Self-drafted Maxi Skirt Blog Post With Tutorial Glass Ornaments Custom Vinyl Ornaments from JoAnn Fabric Mirror Custom Vinyl Mirror from Wal-Mart Denim Button Shirt Custom Vinyl Shirt from Wal-Mart Custom Vinyl Sweatshirts Shirts from ShirtSpace Custom Vi...

Hey Loves! I'm back after a little break to spend time with family.   I thoroughly loved it. I sewed a few gifts during the break.  I'll share them in a few days. This post is about the cutest little t-shirt for my middle guy.  He loves when I make him things. He brags to his friends!  It makes me feel so good! Simplicity 1605 So my middle guy is growing like a weed! He's shooting up not out.  His long-sleeve shirts fit his body but not his arms. Lucky for us, we have another shooting up right behind him and I have some knit scraps.  I've found my larger knit scraps are perfect for making shirts for my little guys. For the sleeve and neckband contrast, I used a scrap piece from a cute project I hope to share soon.  The body of the shirt is a knit fabric I bought in a 2 yards for $2 package from Wal-Mart.  Can I tell you how much those precut packages have changed my Wal-Mart fabric shopping experience?! You can read all about my o...

Hello Loves! I'm excited to share this super easy jumpsuit with you!  I hacked view B of Simplicity 8255 with the sleeves from view D of McCalls 7721. It's a really simple jumpsuit that can be customized in many different ways.  I figured sleeves were the simplest way to add a little jazz to the jumpsuit. I believe I was correct.  The sleeves definitely made a huge impact. I made this the day before Thanksgiving in about 4 hours...from fabric prep to last stitch.  It took me 1 hour to choose the perfect pattern for a cute comfy outfit.  I actually wanted to do this month's Sew Your View, but I've lost the pattern. :(  Maybe it will show up soon. Then, it took me half an hour to find the right sleeve hack for the pattern.  Once I had the combo right, I knew perfect comfy fabric. Sweatshirt fleece is so comfy and with a little stretch its perfect. I had to make some alterations: My hips make jumpsuits a fitting struggle but I dare not co...

Hey Loves! Today is Friday! This week is almost over. I get to start a new week on Sunday. I hope it's better than this one. Let's just say it's been one of those weeks (months) when nothing seemed to be right. I'm so glad I made it through! October has been so crazy. Sickness, loss, disappointment, stress, unrest, deadlines, busted plans... You name it. It happened this month. And honestly, this last week has made me feel like I don't know what I'm doing with life.  Wednesday, I thought I thought I'd reached a high point. I was notified I passed a test for professional certification. Your girl is certified! Then, Thursday brought more crazy.  That crazy carried over into today, but around 6 PM I got the thing that makes me happy...happy clients wearing my work! Jumpsuit using S4070 & NL6533 and self-drafted bow and train Mid-September, a client contacted me about her daughter's homecoming attire for today. I agreed to make it. I initially p...

Hey Loves! I don't know many people who didn`t try McCall's 6886. The simple fitted sheath was a huge hit. It was easy to make and looked really flattering. I loved it. Well, today, I'm sharing how I reinvented one of my favorite patterns. I hate to admit it but I'm getting older. My body is changing. My style is also changing.  I went from fired and sexy to cute and comfy overnight it seems. Anybody else feel like that? I needed a cute dress for a trip. I pulled out McCall's 6886. I thought that's easy but I want something a little less fitted. Then, I thought well just make it bigger. I love the shape, but need a little more room. So, I cut the view F of the pattern 1 size too big. I added 3/4 length sleeves. It came out perfect. I used a super soft knit from JoAnn Fabrics . Guess what, it's actually on clearance now! It's super comfy. I even received a few compliments.  I felt really good wearing it. Have you gone thro...

Hey Loves, I'm back with a review of Simplicity 8911 from their Summer 2019 collection.  It's simple to make and so comfy to wear. It is so flattering. This dress was so easy to make that I over thought serging the corners. So much so that I looked up technique on YouTube: Serging Inward Corners Serging Outward Corners And I confirmed the necessity of the elastic in the neckline with sew sister, @divinedita . This is why sewing is the best hobby ever.  I had doubts an I found help for free on YouTube and from a sew sister who didn't hesitate to reassure me that everything would turn out great. Check out my pattern review on Pattern Review . Here are a few more pictures. Yes, my hubby took all these pictures of me. He's so sweet! Until next time, Smooches! DJ

Hey Loves! I've posted 2 weeks in a row. WHAT?! I can't believe it!  You probably can't either. So you all know I love pretty fabrics! Working with pretty fabrics makes me so happy!  This was one of those projects that made me smile. OK. Here's a little peek into my history. Right out of college, I took a stab at teaching. I really liked my students, but I hated the classroom. Thank God for that experience because it led me to corporate education. I've been there ever since - almost 15 years.  Funny, now, I'm creating designs for one of my student's son.  She sent me an inspiration photo and her color request for gold and royal.  I wasn't able to get to her to get the measurements, so she had them done and sent them to me.  I found fabric in the ABfabrics16 shop on Etsy . Then, I searched the web for the perfect children's bomber jacket pattern.  The most popular bomber jacket pattern in the search was the Ollie Bomber Jacket by Sew a ...