A Sorbetto Parade!

I thought you might be interested in how you can take one pattern and make it into several different looks. This is the Sorbetto shirt pattern, free, from Colette Patterns. 

The first batch I'm going to show you are from my dear friend and sewing enthusiast Jen. She is really amazing people. If she decides to learn how to do something she is an expert before I have time to make a batch of cookies! She has two little girls (can you imagine having two people that will wear pink and flowers!) and is one of my best friends.

Jen made these three shirts into nursing tops. The purple shirt is made from a knit and has an inverted pleat rather then a box pleat. The floral tops are lined with flannel so as to be a bit warmer and detach at the shoulder. The cuter then cute baby is wearing a coordinating cape and also has several matching bibs in the fabrics (Gaaaaaahhhhh Sooooo Cuuuuute).

 The yellow floral top has an inverted pleat instead of a box pleat and was finished with bias tape made by Jen. She also added sleeves. AND (this will blow your mind) it is made from two thrifted pillow cases!!!!

The next sorbets are from my sewing machine. The floral sorbetto was the first one any of us had made. I added piping to the neck line and to the inverted pleat along with a few vintage buttons. I also added sleeves because I don't love the tops of my arms. I wish I had made the sleeves a bit bigger for comfort.

That's my dad. He totally rocks and is awesome and taught me how to marvel at nature and see God in trees and stuff. I love my dad so much it makes me crazy!

The next sorbetto we have is one I made from a dress that was stupid. I loved the fabric and it's light as air, perfect for summer. I added vintage lace and vintage buttons. I also added fluttery cap sleeves (with lace). I don't have two daughters so I have to lace-ify my own clothes.

Lastly we have a Sorbetto that I made for my sister for Christmas. She's not modeling it because it's lingerie and she's a nice girl. I also made bloomers to match using the fabric from the bias tape. I did an inverted pleat to make it more flowy and finished the inside with ribbon.

So there you have it seven different shirts from one pattern (and a free one at that). For me it's great to stretch my brain and play with my creativity making different things from one base pattern. It's also great because you can change it to meet your needs (nursing mother, hot summer weather...). Hope you enjoyed our parade!

Lady Sybil I Presume.

"Oh my! Why no it's me; little ol' Jessie, but I can understand the confusion."

I finished this shirt a little while ago and just hadn't gotten around to getting any good pictures of it. This is another Colette pattern, the Jasmine, and I am really happy with how this shirt turned out! I didn't intend for it to be another "Downton Abbey" inspired piece, but it must have been on my mind because it totally reminds me of something Lady Sybil would wear (including pants!).  I am totally loving this era of clothes, of course, and I just finished season one. I actually think Sybil wears a dress or shirt even more similar to this one (like a more casual one around the mansion maybe, when one of the maids is being interviewed in the library?) but I couldn't find an image of it.

I loved it by the way. So good, and I wasn't expecting too like it so well, but man, I just flew through that first season. If you want to join me in gushing about the show please feel free, but no spoilers I haven't been able to get my hands on season two!

Any way back to the shirt. I made version two but did the contrast on the cuffs as well as the collar. It was pretty easy to sew up and I thought it wasn't going to fit well but it does. I actually think it's quite flattering.  I like that the contrast fabric has little polka dots. Also I know I haven't done a spring palette post yet but I'm really feeling the light lavender so you might be seeing more it this year. I wear the shirt a lot so you know it's also quite comfortable. The pin is vintage and was a gift from my mom. The penny-farthing is perfect for the "Downton Abbey" time period don't you think?

I'm working on my Easter dress right now (you'll never guess where the pattern is from) and I'm hoping that turns out as well as this shirt. Happy sewing every one. And if I don't see you before, have a happy and blessed Easter.

My UFO.

Isn't this pretty? If I ever finish mine
it will be done in grey wool.

First let me start by explaining that a UFO is an unfinished project not a space craft, though, when I was six my cousin and I were convinced we had seen one of those too. Anyway, I have one. A big one and it's basically the reason I haven't done one of those fall/winter roundup posts about all the things I've made to wear. Because for some reason I keep thinking I'll finish it.

Yea, I'm not going to finish it, not this season anyway. I mean I've already moved on to my spring/summer wardrobe (yes we have snow on the ground, and no I won't let that deter me).

What happened was that I bought this really expensive wool fabric for the skirt. So expensive that even with a 50% off coupon it was still more then I normally spend. Because it was so expensive I measured myself just to make sure that I was the size I normally am for that particular companies patterns. That is when I discovered what I wish I had never known; my waist is about three sizes bigger then my hips and bust. Oh the agony!!!! Because the skirt was more form fitting then anything I've ever made I would need to draft the pattern and make a muslin. Yea, I don't really know what those things mean either. Let's be real people I don't have time to make a fake garment to see if it fits right before I make the real one. I barely have time to make the real garment.

One of the wisest friends I have told me that she wouldn't have measured and would have just made the skirt in the size she thought she was. There is a verse in scripture about following Godly advice and I wish that I had done so. And here's another thing about pattern sizes. They are totally WACK! I'm sorry to get all belligerent but they are not even close to the same as ready-to-wear garments. I don't care if simplicity patterns are on sale for $3 I won't buy it if it says I'm a size 100! (Slight exaggeration here but not much) It's one of the reasons (among many) that I love Colette Patterns because their measurements are closer to a regular size. I can admit I'm a size 12 but I will never be able to admit that I'm a size 100!

I felt like I learned a foreign language when I finally
learned how to read the back of pattern envelopes.

Where was I anyway? Oh yea my skirt. So I've decided to put it away until next fall. I have added to my daily walks, yoga three times a week and an abs workout I found on pinterest (we all know if it's on pinterest then it can't fail). I've also added to my diet, cookies and donuts but that's another story and surely won't interfere with project "flatter stomach". This makes more frugal sense to me too because surely by next fall I will have lost all the weight I will ever want to loose so I will be able to wear this skirt indefinitely. Please note that last line was meant to be read with just a touch of sarcasm.