The incredible growing sleeve fix!

Happy New Year! This is the only bit of sewing I could get done in the last few months of 2017. I bought this sweater several years ago in the men’s section. I liked that is was $7 on clearance, super warm, and the dark green color. The only problem is that after wearing it for a few hours the sleeves would stretch out like crazy!

So I decided to do a little altering! I could have removed the knit textured cuff and moved it up to make it shorter, but I actually like the length. I love long sleeves that cover my fingers! It’s like having build in mittens!

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Vogue 9111 Sweater Dress

It’s finally sweater weather in Missouri! Hurray! I’m not nearly ready to knit a sweater, but I decided to make a sweater dress.

I happened across Mimi G’s Vogue 9111 Sweater Dress Sew Along where she takes view B and turns it into a mini dress. If you just like the top there is a beautiful version by TipStitched. When I first started sewing I bought a lot of clearance fabric, and while that can be fun I quickly learned that sometimes it is better to pay more for a better fabric. I haves some things that pilled after a few washes or that unraveled very quickly.

Cashmerette Appleton

My Mom wanted to wear a maxi dress to my rehearsal dinner and of course she could not find one that was a true maxi. When did maxi dresses start landing at your shins when you are 5′ 4″? So I pulled together all of my maxi or “could be” maxi dress patterns and we went through them together. She chose the Cashmerette Appleton wrap dress.

We then went on a search for fabric and ended up with this double knit with beautiful red flowers on a blue background from Fabric.com. I’m pretty excited that I overbought and now there is enough leftover for a top for me too!

I promised her there would be enough cleavage coverage, so I cut the bodice out in a 22D and graded the front crossover out to a 28.

Simplicity 8379: I need at least 5 more of these dresses.

This dress came out of nowhere! Honestly, I stumbled across the pattern on sale and then turned around and bought some green spandex knit jersey. It wasn’t on my list of things to make at all. 3 hours later I had a dress I am madly in love with. I have had it for 2 weeks and have worn it 3 times.

Oh yeah, and when I put this bolt of fabric on the counter to be cut I said something like, “I just love that color!” The lady cutting it replied, “Well, I hate it. I think green is hideous.” Hahaha! What do you even say to that? I love it when things like that happen. You know what’s great about sewing is that it has boosted my self-confidence enough that I didn’t care that she thought I was making something hideous. Who cares? Not me!

Sew House Seven: Toaster Sweater #1 aka Turtle Sweater

Oh man, all through November and December I had a cough that I could not shake! I have been looking at all the cozy coats and sweaters that people have been making and I decided I needed one of my own. I have had my eye on the Toaster Sweater #1 from Sew House Seven for a while. I finally decided to take the plunge and bought the pattern. It looks like the warmest sweater and it is a little edgy with that neck piece!

Of course I knew that the model would have a MUCH longer neck than I do, but it’s been so cold I took a chance on it anyway. Let me tell you, this sweater went through about 3 weeks of tweaking and altering to get it to fit! I think it works on me and most importantly it is very warm!