Regularly Taking Measurements; Featuring a Knit Tortola

Well that's it! Today marks the three week anniversary of illness in this house, and I'm sooo ready to be rid of it. I've been doing nothing but cleaning, sanitizing, and lots of cuddling over the last three weeks. First week it was me, next was my oldest, and my youngest is currently still recovering (knock on wood!).
Somehow, I managed to sneak in a little sewing time here and there to boost my mood after a day full of cranky kids. I'm glad I did, Mommy needs to be sane to care for her littles, right?
So, I've been working on losing some weight lately, and trim out my shape. Can I let you in on a little secret? I admit doing a little happy dance when the flu I had brought my weight down about 10 pounds. After all, if I'm going to be sick, at least one good thing came out of it, right?
So, I was about to start a new project, and I thought to myself, I probably didn't lose any inches, but eh, what the heck, let's measure. So I did, and BOY was I glad I did! I went down almost TWO sizes in the Tortola!!! I was on the larger end of the large, now I"m on the smaller end of medium! I did this one in a small upper, graded up to a medium hips, but it's in a 25% stretch knit, and it's fairly snug, so I'd go with a straight medium for a woven. I added some darts in the armscye, because I forgot to shorten the straps slightly, and as a result, the armscye looks a bit tight. However, it's not uncomfortable.
I did a bias tape finish instead of facings, since it really bugs me if the facing wants to peek out. It was a little tricky, but in the end I conquered it, and got a nice neat finish.
Also, I made it a smidge shorter than I like, so I added a three inch band at the bottom. Bonus part? That meant no hemming!

I wish I had more pictures, but I've got to rely on me, myself and I for photography, and the self timer. It's just really hard to think of poses and try to be animated when I'm outside taking selfies, lol.
I'm super thrilled with this new top! I'm also super thrilled to be done, because I'm giddy with anticipation about my next project!! As some of you know, I'm on a Fabric diet until I've sewn most of what I have (which, I assure you, is not a lot by the standards set by Facebook sewing ladies!). My husband and I are not the hoarding type, and I tend to shop per project usually. One of my biggest fears is buying fabric and never using it, therefore the money going to waste that was spent on it.
I'll admit it, Hubs and I are both pretty tight with the penny (or nickel I guess, since pennies are extinct here, lol).
Anywho, back to my anticipated project. I'm not going to leave any hints as to what it is, but I think it'll be GORGEOUS!! I love pretty clothes!
Do you have a guess what it'll be? Leave it in the comments below! Don't be surprised if I don't confirm or deny any guesses though!
Remember, you can follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook using the social media icons in the top and bottom left hand corners of my blog. Also my Pinterest Board with all my creations can be found in the bar along the right hand side. If you're looking to purchase or order something from my shop, you can contact me on my page. That's Sweet Stitch Shoppe. I love to hear from my readers, so please leave your comments and questions down below! Thanks for stopping in!

Make Laundry don't do Laundry... Patterns for Pirates Layer Me Up Shirt

I was really excited when I heard about the Make Laundry don't do Laundry blog tour that is happening right now! Who wouldn't rather sew than do laundry, right? Especially if the project takes less time than it takes to wash and dry a load. I'm excited to read all the blog posts along the way.
Did I mention they've got prizes? Just go to one of the participating blogs, like this one right here by my friend Jeanine over at The Crafting Fiend, and down at the bottom is a raffle copter where you can enter. Want to participate? You can add your own blog post like I am at the link up also at the bottom! Now everyone can get in on the fun!
Once I decided I wanted to join in the link up, I knew right way what I wanted to sew. I had this practically brand new maternity dress, with fabric that I loved. The only problem was the fit, and the fact that I wasn't pregnant, and probably won't be again. So I decided to upcycle it into something I'd actually wear and love.

I had just bought Patterns for Pirates Layer Me Up Shirt pattern, but I knew I'd have to alter it before it would fit me, seeing as I'm 5 feet tall, and the patterns are drafted for someone 5 ft. 6 inches tall. Yeah...I'm short...and I'm okay with that, lol. So after shortening the pattern an inch in the armscye, and another 3 inches in the torso, I was ready for my first try! The neck binding gave me some fits, but that was my problem, I'm still learning how to sew knits, but I LOVE how it turned out!

I didn't even have to hem, since I used the original hem of the skirt of the dress. Total time for this project from start to finish was an hour and 15 min, and would've been less had I nailed the the neck binding on the first try (like I did with the armscye binding) instead of the fourth. Well, practice makes perfect!
I spent all morning with the self timer in my front yard trying to get pics, it's rainy, windy and cold! I did manage to get a couple of decent ones in the bunch. I also got some weird stares from the neighbours, whom I'm sure think I'm very obsessed with selfies, lol!

I can't say enough how happy I am that I stuck it through when I was beginning to learn how to sew. It often got discouraging, but it is sooo worth it! Having clothes that fit right has done wonders for my self esteem. When clothes don't fit right, they don't look good. Now I'm off to sew me some more for my wardrobe! It's in desperate need of some new pieces.

Remember, you can follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook using the social media icons in the top and bottom left hand corners of my blog. Also my Pinterest Board with all my creations can be found in the bar along the right hand side. If you're looking to purchase or order something from my shop, you can contact me on my page. That's Sweet Stitch Shoppe. I love to hear from my readers, so please leave your comments and questions down below! Thanks for stopping in!

All the Rage Raglan meets Freezer Paper stencil!

I was super excited to have some knit to finally make the SS Raglan. It's actually suppose to fit more like a pull over sweater, but I wanted a fitted long sleeve tee for my youngest for winter. So I sized down one size, measured her arms and torso length, and customized the length of the pieces. I got it all cut out, and then my enthusiasm fizzled and it lay in my unfinished projects drawer for a couple of months. (So much for having it done for Winter, lol) Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the raglan pattern and I could have  just sewn it up, but it was cut from simple grey knit, with no print. Kinda blah.

I used to stencil fabric as a teen to customize my clothes. I grew up with 4 siblings, in a household where we had to penny pinch. Not that we were poor, we always had enough to cover our needs, and a little fun on the side, but brand name clothes were not an option. Heck, brand new clothes were rarely an option. I got pretty good a thrift shopping though!

So when I saw the tutorial in One Thimble issue 11, I knew I had to get back into it! The tutorial was perfect to help me figure things out. After all, my teen years are a ways behind me! Deciding what theme to stencil wasn't very hard. Because of where we live, and also because of my thrifty upbringing, custom fabrics will probably never find their way into my house. And being a member of many fandoms, that made me a little sad. I want my girls to have cute, geeky clothes.

So, I googled some images, traced my favourite onto freezer paper and got creative! Now, the shirt isn't boring at all, but still neutral enough to match almost anything! (Don't worry, my girls have plenty of colourful clothing, hence the need for at least one or two neutral items.)
I have to say I love the result!

I have to add that this quote suits her perfectly. She's quite a handful, and not in that noisy, bouncing off the walls kind of way either. Nope, she's a little curious minx, who likes to experiment with cause and effect, likes to explore, and has an independent, albeit quiet, personality. She keeps me on my toes that's for sure, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Neither of my girls know who Harry Potter is, but, trust me they will! Whether they love the books as much as I do is up to them, I'm just satisfied knowing they love books already!

Remember, you can follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook using the social media icons in the top and bottom left hand corners of my blog. Also my Pinterest Board with all my creations can be found in the bar along the right hand side. If you're looking to purchase or order something from my shop, you can contact me on my page. That's Sweet Stitch Shoppe. I love to hear from my readers, so please leave your comments and questions down below! Thanks for stopping in!