Pleated Sleeves?

I made this blouse with McCalls M7899 view B.This is a very different blouse style for me because of the pleated sleeves. I almost didn't buy the pattern cause I thought they looked kinda weird but I also liked them so why not. The sleeves were very time consuming because there were 6 pleats in each sleeve and each pleat had to be sewn about 7 inches in length, to about half the sleeve and in order to get perfect pleats you have to pin every single one. Once I got done with the pleats the rest was very easy. There was no need for buttonholes nor zipper. The only thing needed was a hook and eye on the top back. I was going to add elastic to the sleeves but I decided against it since summer is practically here and in Texas I'll need some air circulating within the sleeves. Fabric being rayon doesn't help either. I'm willing to make another blouse using this pattern but I think I'll use a soft cotton next time.

May Makes

I made this blouse using Butterick B6455 view B. I really like how the sleeves have
ties which means more room for my arms. I bought the fabric that was folded  in a plastic bag along with matching thread at a thrift store. You never know what you'll fine.

The following blouse was made using McCall's 7997. It's a very old pattern and no longer available although you might find it on Ebay or Etsy. The fabric was from my stash.

I wore a lot of peasant blouses and skirts back in the 70's and to this day I still like them. Alot! I was going through my big container of old patterns and found a very very old blouse pattern and I just so happened to have the perfect fabric for it. Pattern is as Easy McCall's 4897. It's super easy except that you have to cut a casing for the elastic that you insert in the neckline. Pattern tells you to sew the casing by machine of course but then to turn it towards the wrong side and hand stitch it on sewing line. That took forever and that's because I'm an experienced seamstress. I'll have to find an easier way next time. I'm thinking if it's sewn by machine it might not look as neat but you can't really see the stitching because of the elastic gathering.

I bought this fabric way before I made the blouse above as a matter of fact I made the yellow blouse to go with this fabric. I'm making a three tiered skirt that I will be lining because the fabric is pretty thin. I've never lined a skirt so I still don't know what fabric I'll be using for that. The more I look at the skirt pattern the more I'm asking myself if I really want to wear a maxi skirt during summer in Texas and not only a skirt but a lined skirt.

2018 Make Nine #2 Garment

I managed to finish a blouse for 2018 Make Nine. I hadn't sewn clothes for myself in a very long time so I was a little nervous about sewing a very sheer polyester fabric I bought specifically for the pattern. I just made sure I had put a sheer fabric needle in my machine. It all worked out and I'm very happy with how the blouse turned out. Beautiful fabric!

Sewing Machine Addition

My sewing machine collection keeps growing. Yikes! Saw an old Kenmore for sale in my local area and decided I would go see it. It was bought in 1988 but it didn't look like it had been used much at all. It was very clean and had lots of accessories. I couldn't pass it up when the owner told me she was selling it for $40. Had to adjust the tension and stitch length and after greasing it and oiling it was running very smooth. It also makes beautiful buttonholes.

I then saw a Janome New Home 23X for sale online. I've heard Janome machines are good and even though this one was old it had lot's of sewing feet, the needle down/up button, the low/high button, a needle threader and an automatic buttonhole maker. I jumped at the chance and bought it for $100 shipping included. Every time I buy a machine online I hope I'm not going to be screwed and receive a broken or no good machine but I just keep positive and know that most people are good people. The machine arrived very well packed and looking it over I was very surprised at how clean it was. Not a dent or scratch on it. But, when I tried to make a buttonhole on a scrap of fabric, it wouldn't and the reverse button wouldn't work. My reaction was,"NO! I've been screwed!" I wasn't going to complain because that's probably why it wasn't more expansive. Anyway, I calmed down and called a local sewing machine serviceman and they were wanting to charge me between $100 and $200. I told my husband, "There's no way I'm paying that much money to have this machine fixed that's highway robbery so you and I are fixing it." We opened up the machine and hubby started tightening up this and that and we greased and oiled the heck out of it and low and behold we freaking fixed it. I knew that once we fixed the reverse part the buttonhole maker would work too and that's exactly what happened. I told my husband, "If you're able to fix $80,000 + Nasa machines you will fix this little machine." Everything is working perfectly now. The foot paddle isn't even dirty and no scratches on it either. I guess some people buy sewing machines and then realize sewing just isn't for them. 

The electronic part of Janome machine

Top guts of the machine.See how clean it is.

In there is where we had to get to fix the reverse button. Had to put all the different screws in marked baggies.

Fixed

Nice compartment for feet. Not too crazy how to the thread sits though. Have to get used to it.

Binding On My Mom's Quilt

The quilt is finally off the quilt frame and am now finally just folding over the backing towards the front folding under about one inch and just sewing it down with a blind stitch/applique stitch. I'm doing it by hand because it's not as stiff. As you can see on the first picture I didn't remove the old torn backing. It was too much trouble to do that with all the hand stitching it had.

Another Singer Sewing Machine

My birthday is coming up and when my hubby asked what I would like I told him all I really wanted was to add to my sewing machine collection. I'm sure he didn't understand why but he just said OK.
I had been wanting a sewing machine attached to a table with drawers for a long time and when I would see one online and I would inquire about it they would already be sold. This time I saw one on a FB garage sale and I immediately said I was interested. This past Saturday husband and I drove 45 minutes away to see it at a resale shop and I made sure we got there before they opened. I saw it and fell in love with it. It's a Singer 403A built in 1958 and it's all metal inside and out/ It has a zig zag stitch plus it comes with 10 other different very nice stitches. I never use fancy stitches really.  it doesn't even have a scratch on it and neither does the table. Not a scratch nor water marks from glasses. Oh, yes it even came with a sewing stool. I already reupholstered it and looks great. The machine is sewing beautifully after I oiled it, greased it, and put a new needle in it. This metal machines should last for many many more years as long as I oil them on a regular basis. There was still lot's of old thread spools and a very old heart pin cushion with lot's of needles on it. Kept the needles and thread but threw out the old dirty pin cushion. I got such a good deal.

First 2018 Make Nine Finished

Finally made my first Make Nine for 2018. I chose New Look 6556 view B. I forced myself to use fabric I already had and that was hard because part of the excitement for me is shopping for the fabric.  I just have so much fabric I just couldn't buy any more. Had the elastic, thread and buttons too. The fabric is 100% cotton and the wrong side looks just like the right side. The fabric is some years old but I still like the color and I love the way the romper turned out. It's a loose-fitting and so so comfortable. Cotton rompers are the way to go when you live in SE Texas so I look forward to wearing it throughout the summer. It was such an easy pattern I finished it within a couple of hours. I do regret adding the pocket to the bodice because the fabric lines just don't match. In order to get the pocket from the amount of fabric that I had I had to place the pocket pattern in a different area of the fabric so I wasn't able to match the lines of the bodice and pocket.  Lines not matching does kinda of bug me a bit but I prefer a pocket even if it the lines don't match. That will sometimes happen if you don't have enough of fabric with lines.