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Pin up and down each skinny tie to attach the tie layers. |
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Sew up and down each skinny tie continuously, until the entire sunburst is sewn together. |
Pantone color of the year. As I designed this quilt, I knew I wanted to
use the Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets in Emerald. After going to
multiple shops that carry Lizzy House, I couldn’t find that print and I
didn’t have enough time to order it online. I settled for the green
Kelly Green Remix print by Ann Kelle instead. Most of us had a hard
time finding a true emerald green, so it was decided that any shade of
green would be acceptable for this challenge. I was fortunate to
have the Boston Modern Quilt Guild retreat last weekend, which enabled
me to spend time making this. And boy was I determined to make this
quilt during the retreat. I started cutting and sewing the first day
and put the final stitch on the binding (by hand, no less) at 1:00am
that morning (or should I say, the following morning). I think I worked
on this quilt for about 15-18 hours straight, stopping only to have a
quick lunch and dinner. After retreat, I swung by my parent’s beach
house and took these pictures.
and a total of 200 different pieces in this wall hanging.
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I’m so excited to be here today! The first thing I want to say about
this dress is that it makes me feel pretty. It’s feminine and soft, but
my favorite details are those with a modern feel: the printed gold
triangles on the bodice, the black hand-stitching on the neckline, the
short skirt. I love combining modern elements with classic
femininity! As you can see, the dress has a fitted bodice (knit) with
cap sleeves, a full gathered skirt, and an elastic casing at the waist. I
love wearing dresses that are both beautiful and comfortable. The
bodice pattern was self-drafted from my own measurements. I’m like every
other women–I want my dresses to emphasize the good and hide the bad!
It took a few tries to get it right, but the fit is perfect. See those
gold triangles? I printed those by hand directly on the fabric, using a
stamp made from a rubber eraser. It worked like a charm! I’m a sucker
for details, so I also added box pleats to the cap sleeves for a little
something extra. I hand-stitched the neck binding using Alabama
Chanin’s techniques and I really think the black embroidery thread adds
the perfect touch. The gathered skirt is made from rayon with a supple
drape, and I can’t believe how well it goes with the bodice fabric. An
elastic casing brings things in at the waste, and gives the dress a
comfortable feel. With cap sleeves, a hand-stitched neckline and full
skirt, this dress is certainly my new favorite piece of clothing!
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Full skirt, fitted bodice, scoop neck, hand-stitched neck binding, cap sleeves with box pleats. (Shoes: TOMS from Nordstrom. Necklace and belt: Francesca’s). |
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Hand-stitched neck binding. |
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High waist with elastic casing, short skirt with rolled hem. |
CONTESTANT #7: Catlin from Call Me Cat
I’m so excited to be part of Sew-vivor! I have never participated in a sewing competition before (unless you count my nine years in 4-H when I was growing up…) and I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with. This first challenge was great because I can definitely use more green in my wardrobe! I had a perfect emerald green cotton challis in my stash that I knew would make a nice flowy top. I used a pattern I have made a few times before (Butterick 5356) and I always love the fit. I knew I wanted to pair the top with a patterned pencil skirt, and I happened to have this leopard print fabric that looked great with it. I’ve made a handful of pencil skirts in the past and usually pull bits and pieces from different patterns and tutorials to create exactly what I want. I also sewed this “leather” purse I’ve been wanting to make for a while. I lined it with cute polka dots, and included lots of pockets and a magnetic snap. I had so much fun designing and sewing this outfit, and love how it turned out. You can see more pictures and descriptions at my blog Call Me Cat. Thanks for the great challenge!
Hi, my name is Angelina and I blog over at JoJo & Eloise, I am so super excited to be participating in Sew-Vivor. Talk about a fabulous group of talented ladies here. Sewing has to be one of my most favorite things to do. I love that I am able to make things for my children and fashioning them in styles that you just don’t see on a regular basis. When I saw that I made the final 10 and was so thrilled. Our first theme was using the color Emerald in our design. This color always gets me thinking Vintage Golf, why? I have no idea but it just gets me going in that direction. 🙂 You can stop in at my blog and see my inspiration pictures. I love classic timeless looks so putting this outfit together was so much fun. I used a Tweed fabric for the knickers, bow and Hat. For the Vest and Suspenders I used Emerald corduroy. The blouse was made out of basic cotton. The knickers are Zipper fitted and the buttons in the front are just for show, except for the fact that they help to support the suspenders.

and then redrafted some more after I sent out this pattern for testing.
But I think it’s my favorite part of the dress. It is definitely the
thing that caught my eye in the inspiration photo.
little of the un-embroidered selvedge of the fabric to cover the button.
I just love this detail.

The fabric is hand dyed, using Dharma Procion Fiber Reactive Dye in Paris Green. I started with this gorgeous eyelet from Joann, but I think it’s even yummier in Emerald.
months now, and I’m thrilled that Sew-vivor motivated me to get it out of my
head and in to my closet! Back in January, I tried on the Caledonia Cutout
Dress at Anthropologie—it had a sweatheart neckline, a cutout in the back and a
great print. I loved the concept, but sadly, it didn’t fit my body or my
budget. But the idea stuck in my head,
and when I lucked out finding a few yards of this crazy emerald green crown print on a
remnant table I decided it would be perfect for this dress. I used Vogue 9668 as
the basis for the top and Simplicity 2588 for the bottom (because I just can’t
resist a full, pleated skirt), then drafted the cutout in the back myself. I’m
especially proud of how the cutout turned out, because it was a challenge to
think through the puzzle of how to make it work, and I think it makes the dress
a lot more fun and interesting. There’s
also some nice topstitching and pattern matching that I’m pretty darn pleased with—giant crowns are
not easy to match! Overall, it’s a fun, sweet dress with a retro twist, which
makes it my favorite kind of dress. More pictures and info on my blog.
down to find the poll. Voting is open from
Wednesday at 7am EST until Friday at midnight PST. Contestants are
allowed to recruit from their blogs, social media, family, and friends. One vote per
device is allowed. The public vote counts as 50%. The other 50% of the
vote comes from our guest judges. The Top 5 will be revealed next
Wednesday, March 27.
Sew-vivor Challenge #1: Emerald