FO: Yaletown Dress

This post could also be called: The Dress That Almost Wasn't or I Should've Known Better. I'm not usually one for wrap dresses or tops because they always gape like crazy on me in ready to wear, so I thought maybe it was just that they were not sewn for my body and that I could possibly wear this previously sworn off style if I just got the right pattern. Now I'm thinking I was right in the beginning, lol. I managed to make this wearable, but it's certainly not the most flattering thing on my body (hate that word all you want - if I feel something is unflattering, I will never wear it). So let's delve into this, shall we?

This is the Yaletown Dress by Sewaholic patterns. I saw it around the sewing web when it was first released and it seemed kind of hit or miss even then with who liked it and who didn't. Some people had it turn out great for them and others were not very happy. I filed all that info away and a while later (quite a while, actually) I came across a kit during a Craftsy sale that included the Yaletown physical pattern and 4 yards of poly crepe to sew it with for $28.78. This wasn't dirt cheap, but it was certainly a good value for what I got and I was interested in the pattern anyway, so I bought it. And then it sat in my stash for a few years, lol. I put this dress on my official Make 9 in 2018 list, so I decided this would be the year I finally made it up. I was trying to decide if I wanted to make it up in this fabric or another poly crepe as a muslin, and in the end I decided to just use this fabric and go for broke. Technically that makes this my most expensive muslin to date, lol.

I decided to go ahead and make some of my usual pattern adjustments to this before cutting out the fabric. I lengthened the bodice by 1.5" for my long torso, and since I fell outside the waist on the size chart I added 2.5" to the front bodice pieces. That seems like nothing now, but I was so stressed about the adjustments at the time. Once I was cut out and committed, I just started sewing it together. I managed to get it completely made except for the sleeves - tried it on - and felt like a dumpy mess :/ It was way too big, way too blousey, and very unflattering. Like really. I was so bummed. I was still determined to finish this, so I added the sleeves before I set it aside to muster up the courage to undo the entire waist (which was a self enclosed elastic waist - so that's 3 seams to undo) and side seams. I just couldn't move on and sew something else while this waited, so after almost a month of it haunting me I finally cut it all apart. I took out all the width I added at the side seams (so 2.5") and sewed that back together, then redid the waist. It doesn't sound like much to type it, but just the unpicking took an hour. I had to shorten the bodice by 5/8" because I accidentally picked a hole in the fabric, but I think that was for the best. This made things much more acceptable looking overall - I just had to deal with the drape next.

The pattern tells you to put a single button at the cross point in the neckline for security, but I didn't love that you would see a button there. I decided to sew on some snaps instead, but figuring out where to put them was a lot of trial and error. I can see now that the neckline goes lower than I wanted it to anyway, so it doesn't really like to sit right on me after pulling it up to where I wanted it to be. I didn't trust just that one snap to hold everything, and the drape was hanging funny anyway, so I added another snap under my boob (I'm touching both snaps in the above photo). After wearing this out in public, I definitely need to change to the button - I had 2 wardrobe malfunctions in church with the top snap coming undone *whoops*. So this will change sometime. But it made things at least wearable and the drape didn't stick out so much that it looked like I was storing fruit in there.

The fabric is a very nice quality poly crepe with lots of drape. I was a little worried (as I am with all polyester fabrics) that it would be too warm for Florida, but this is so drapey that it wasn't a problem and I was not hot at all. In fact I almost have a little issue with it feeling too light in the skirt - it feels like nothing on my body which makes me nervous. I like to feel a solid cloth covering my butt at all times, lol. I think I'll have to finally make a slip just so I don't feel like I'm going to expose myself all the time in my lighter weight dresses.

The pattern also includes a waist tie - which I lengthened by about 10 inches after reading other reviews saying it was short. To be honest I almost didn't make the tie. I completely forgot about it, did all my other fixes to the dress, and then while putting the pattern away I saw the fabric still pinned with it. I'm pretty sure I said, "Aw man..." in a whine in my sewing room. So I sat down and made the tie. I even forgot about the tie again when taking these pictures - I took all the pictures I would need for this post, then saw the tie sitting in my sewing room after I had already changed and put the camera away. I was not happy, lol, but I put the dress back on an retook the photos - thus why you see the belt in some pictures and not in others. With this fabric I don't think the tie is a necessity for the design anyway, but I do feel a bit more secure with it tied at my waist. It kind of keeps everything in place since my elastic is not super firm. After taking these pictures, I was putting the dress away I noticed that I forgot to sew the hole in the tie I left to turn it right side out, lol. That poor, unloved tie.

Here are the snaps up close. It was really a challenge to figure out where to put them. I sewed on the one at the neckline once, tired it on, then realized I needed to make it a 1/4" lower. So I picked it off and tried again. It still doesn't sit perfectly, but it's passable, so I left it.

Now if you're wondering why I felt this was unflattering, these side photos will show you. It's not bad from the front and back, but the sides aren't doing me any favors with all the blousey-ness. You can see how the snaps close up the gap at the drape though. Before I redid it, that whole area under my boob stuck out like a hammock. Because of the interfacing in the facing, the drape wants to pull away from the body. It also adds weight to pull it downward - thus looking like your own personal handfree shopping bag at your waist. When I tightened things up it definitely helped, but that snap below the boobs really was the fix.

Not as bad from this side, but still not great. I always try to accentuate my waist to avoid feeling like a big lego brick, and I tend to avoid gathered skirts to not make my hips look larger, but I thought that this thin fabric and the elastic waist would help with that. I was really happy with my Mayberry Dress, so I figured this would be the same. I think I shouldn't have added that extra length and it might have made it a little more to my taste.

I do love that this has pockets though :) Everything should have pockets! I also like the sleeves. Normally I steer away from anything called a "flutter sleeve", but this is more subtle and just a little roomy - the perfect combo. Also it's really not bad without the tie - the channel for the elastic is narrow so I don't feel like it's unsightly or anything. So I will probably wear it both ways.

So that's my dress that almost wasn't, lol. This one really fought me, but I'm glad I stuck with it and now have something to show for my time. I have already worn it and I think it will be a nice summer dress - nice enough for church, yet overall a more casual look, plus breezy enough for the excruciating heat that is fast approaching. I don't know that I will make this pattern again, but it was a good learning experience and a test in my determination :) Also I've finally made something on my make 9 list during the year I first committed to it! Woo hoo!

Summary:
Fabric: 3 yards poly crepe - from Craftsy Kit
Pattern: Yaletown Dress by Sewaholic Patterns - $28.78 total from Craftsy Kit
Notions: Pellon SF101 interfacing - $0.50, navy thread - $2.00, 1 yard of 1/3" elastic - free,
Time: 12 hours
Total Cost: $ 31.28

FO: The Sassy Stork Blouse (+ Craftsy Class Review)

I'm pretty all over the place when it comes to my sewing projects. I'm an avid planner - I plan the projects I want to make and even mentally earmark the fabrics to make them with, but that doesn't mean they get made by any certain time. I've wanted to make the Sassy Librarian Blouse from the Craftsy Class back when it was one of their only sewing classes. I've seriously had this class for at least 5 years. When I first bought the class, I downloaded the pattern and got everything put together pretty quickly ... then I looked at the size chart. I was several inches outside the max in the waist and hip. I was bummed at the time, but I always figured I would just grade the pattern up, but it was way beyond my skills back then. So this project sat. I still always loved the style and planned to make it, but I just never made the muslin to figure out the fit changes I needed to make. A few weeks ago I finally decided I'd waited enough and wanted to get one made at long last - all because of an adorable fabric I was super anxious to wear.

This fabric is from the From Porto With Love collection by Cotton + Steel and I adore these storks, folks. Aren't they awesome?! This is the perfect quirky print that isn't too overly cutesy, so I feel comfortable wearing it in everyday life. Also this peachy coral color is one of my favorites - it's the best pink for my coloring. I grabbed 2 yards of this in January at The Sewing Studio which really lit the fire under my butt to finally figure out this pattern. I love button up shirts, but I had never made one because I knew I would need to alter whatever pattern I used and I always chose to make something else instead. Now I have a super cute basic button up I can make at will :)

The reason I wanted to make this pattern so bad is undoubtedly the adorable collar. The class shows you how to make this version with the collar as well as another option with no collar, pin tucks at the front, and a tab with a bow on the top button - also really cute, and I will certainly be making one of those too. For my first try, I went for that collar. Let's look at it a little closer: 

I know my birds distract a bit, but it's there and I love it. I had to cut the collar in two pieces instead of on the fold so that I could keep the birds the right way up - not a big deal at all, and it meant the pattern used less fabric (which was a good thing since I was down to scraps by the end). The collar is a very simple shape with pointed ends - so much easier than a rounded collar to get it looking nice!  For the buttons, I hunted through my stash and came across these lovely pearlescent white ones. I grabbed these at The Sewing Studio in a whole tube for $2.00, so these were dirt cheap. They are thicker than average, and when making buttonholes just using the diameter of the button, I couldn't get the buttons through the hole. I had to dig out a 5/8" button (the ones I used were 1/2") and use that as the guide for my button holer. This is why it's always best to make a practice button hole on a scrap, and I'm really glad I got in that habit long ago. Also since we're zoomed in, I'll mention my one beef with this shirt - I was squeezing all my pieces onto just 2 yards to cut, and I made sure to keep the birds somewhat lined up when I cut just to keep the visual effect random, but that was all I checked. Wouldn't you know I wound up with duplicate birds right next to each other across the buttons? Ugh. It's not a huge deal since the pattern is pretty busy, so I don't think the average-non-sewer would notice. I just have to not think about it.

You can see my seam at the back of the collar in the back view. So now I just have a few birds yelling at each other, which I'm all about. As far as getting this to fit me, I had a bit of a duh moment in my muslin making. The pattern calls for fish eye darts on the front and back to pull the waist in 50s style. I don't have a 50s waist at all, so after measuring the pattern pieces I decided to cut my muslin to the pattern but leave off the fish eye darts. Problem solved! I did angle the hip out just a bit for a little more ease, but that was the only change I made other than leaving off the waist darts. I can't believe I waited 5 years because of such a simple problem.

So I'm completely loving my shirt! I love this fabric, and I love the neckline. I already have a few fabrics lined up for more shirts like this (some that are years old and bought just for this pattern). I really want to try the pin tuck front of this pattern too, so I'm sure you will see more of them. Yay for finally buckling down and getting this made up :)

Summary:
Fabric: 2 yards of From Porto With Love Stork print quilting cotton by Cotton + Steel - $7.38
Pattern: The Sassy Librarian Blouse Craftsy class by Christine Haynes
Notions: pink thread - $2.00, Pellon SF101 interfacing - $1.00, 6 buttons - $0.20
Time: 6 hours
Total Cost: $ 10.58

Class Review:
Also as far as the class goes, it's very in depth - in fact WAY more so than Craftsy's newer offerings. This is both good and bad. The good thing is that you get lots of little tidbits from Christine to help you sew throughout the class. The bad thing is that if you don't need all the beginner information and just want to sew the blouse you still have to watch the whole class as you go to get the instructions as there are no printed instructions. I understand they probably don't want you to be able to print the pattern and sell it, etc, but it does make it a little annoying to try and fish through the class for the next step if you're more experienced with sewing clothes. So again - not a bad thing per se, just the class is more designed for beginners. Also there really isn't much said about what to do to get the pattern to fit you - it just tells you to make a muslin and make it fit - not giving much in the way of recommendations for alterations. I do remember that years ago when I first bought the class, it was super informative - in fact I still sew darts the way Christine shows in the class to this day. It's definitely worth a watch through to pick up new techniques plus the pattern is really cute. I would definitely recommend this class, or maybe even give it a watch on Craftsy Unlimited :)

*This post is not sponsored and I purchased this class with my own money. The post does contain affiliate links and I will get a small commission if you decide to buy the class. All opinions are 100% my own - I just really like this blouse :)

Christmas FO: Stripe Stricken Bag

So you've seen the first bag I made from this pattern - the simple version, lol - now let's look at this version - the full she-bang. This time in stripes! 

When I told my other sister, Marisa, about my plan to make her a bag for Christmas, she said she wanted it to have clear compartments so she can see what's inside and she wanted it pretty simple. Not knowing what she meant by simple, we face timed and I showed her my Trello board that has my fabric stash so she could pick from there. After joking that I would make the bag out of her most hated fabric - a cotton poplin printed to look like medium wash denim that inexplicably has whole apples, half eaten apples, and chewed apple cores on it that I ended up with in a thrift store lot (she judged me pretty hard for having that one, lol) - she settled on one of the most boring fabrics I had in the category I was showing her: a black and white stripe cotton. Really? I was showing her all kinds of pretty florals and novelty prints, most from fancy quilting brands like Michael Miller and Alexander Henry, and she picks something this plain? She also said that if I added any color that it should be plain navy blue ... ok ... After reminding myself that she can have what she wants since it's her gift, I figured out a way to make the bag still interesting by playing with the stripe directions, so at least it feels a bit fancier than something you'd get in any old store. Anyway, let's see how this bag is different from the Mix Tape bag, shall we?

For this bag I used the entire pattern - the outer bag and the pocket pages. The pattern includes 4 different pocket options. I went with 4 of option A - all vinyl and all with zippers. But more about that below - let's keep looking, lol.

Inside the covers of the bag has the only navy blue - mesh pockets. Funny story - I knew I wanted mesh for this bag, and certainly mesh isn't expensive from various fabric and bag suppliers online, but shipping costs more than the piece of fabric itself and I just couldn't feel ok with that. That's when I thought of mesh laundry bags! I went to the Dollar Tree expecting to find at least a mesh washing bag or something with white mesh, but I discovered that they actually sell pop up mesh laundry hampers :) And they even had a navy blue one :) So I got an entire hamper worth of mesh for $1 - Ho yeah, I'm cheap, lol. But this mesh worked just fine. I made one side with an open topped pocket - this pocket is capped with the striped fabric.

The other side cover has the navy blue mesh, but this time I pleated the fabric to accommodate thicker items and this side has a zipper. I put the zipper as well as the top of the other side pocket so that they are up when the bag handle is up (if that makes sense), so this zipper looks like it might be on the bottom of the pocket in this photo, but it is correctly positioned when the bag is closed.

Another added touch to this bag is that I added velcro to the center pocket area to attach the pocket pages - which are completely removeable (how cool is that?). This is 2 strips of 3/4" wide velcro stitched side by side. I also made sure to play with the stripe directions inside this area - so the stripes that cover the seam allowances here are perpendicular to the stripes on the bag.

Also this time I made the stabilizer pocket fully functional :) On the other bag I accidentally sewed this pocket closed - after all the work sewing in velcro and whatnot. This time I made sure that didn't happen, especially because this may need to be washed since it will be carrying makeup. I used the same hard cardboard canvas that I used in the previous bag - 2 pieces stacked - so the handle stays nice and straight when you hold the bag.

So here you can see that striped top of the side pocket - I made sure to pattern match with the stripes underneath, so this pocket edge kind of blends in.

And the zipper pocket. You can see the pleats better here too.

I played around with thread color on this bag too. For the outside, I did all the top stitching in black, but on the inside pocket pages I did everything in white because it blended in better. Here is a close up of the zipper and handle area. It's not perfect when you look close, but I'm still pretty proud of how it turned out.

I love all the stripe directions around the handle :) I had to break it all up somehow, right? How else can you make a plain stripe fabric interesting? I'm particularly happy with the bias binding. I think it really sets off the rest of the bag.

Also this bag sits much better when closed since it has the pocket pages inside. Basically the pocket pages keep the entire area filled even if there isn't a lot of stuff inside, so the bag keeps its shape better.

And now to the pocket pages! I tried to keep the multi directional stripes going here too with the center area binding (p.s. that piece was improvised by me, lol, not part of the pattern) and the bias binding. This pocket page is what made me question my sanity in starting this project.

The pocket page has 4 zipper pockets in vinyl. The vinyl is pleated so you can put thicker items inside without a lot of distortion. Add the thick vinyl to the fact that it is then pleated, than add the fact that I am sewing through zipper tape as well as zippers that have thick plastic teeth that are technically not supposed to be sewn over on a machine, and you end up with a lot of broken needles. Like a lot. I think I broke 7 or 8 needles on this project. Craziness! I was so frustrated making these pages I actually had to set it aside for a week and muster up more mental strength. I switched to a heavier needle (thicker than I would usually use on a cotton like this but I can't remember the number), and then I only broke 1 more needle, so that's progress, right? I also had to contend with the fact that my pockets somehow were not the same size once the zippers were sewn. I pleated them all identically, so it had to be something with the zippers. Also I would not be making any additional pocket pages (thank heaven), so the velcro would not be sewn in the center to cover the pocket edges like the pattern indicates (seriously - you don't need infinite pockets and to put the velcro on each page is a waste of velcro in my opinion). So I decided to make a band to cover this area. Once I had every pocket top stitched to the base, I measured how wide my band would need to be, added seam allowances (which were folded under before top stitching this piece on) and went on my way. I decided to use this opportunity to change the stripe direction once more, so this band is perpendicular. Now you can't tell that my pockets weren't the same size :) Problem solved!

This is what the back of the pocket page looks like. I was worried it would look super messy with all the top stitching on the edges of the fabric, but happily that all stayed within the velcro so it's completely hidden :) This is also 2 strips of 3/4" wide velcro - I used the soft, non-grab-everything-kind so it wouldn't pick at the fabric. I seriously love the bias binding! Are you tired of hearing me say that yet, lol?

My final touch to this bag was a bit tongue in cheek. My husband had the idea to add a bit of the apple core fabric since Marisa was so offended by it, lol, plus she calls everyone a bitch when they disagree with her, so I made a patch :) I fussy cut a very offensive already-bit-into apple piece, backed it with a heavy sew on interfacing (Pellon 40), and overcast the edges all the way around. I also used my machine to embroider a little message for her, lol. (For the record if this were for anyone else I would never have made such a thing, but this is my sister who requested the humping deer hat, so she was certainly fine with it). I was kind and just pinned the patch inside the back of the pocket page, so she can remove it if she so chooses.

And that's the stripe stricken bag :) This was a lot of work, but again everyone was amazed at the factory like finish. I'm very glad I had the Craftsy class to make this one with - particularly when I ran into problems with the pocket page. Now that I've done all this work and made a few of these, I want one for myself! I'm not sure yet what I want to put in it, but rest assured I will make one, lol. I've even had other family members request these for birthdays, so I'm sure there will be more in my future. This turned out to be a very useful pattern and a fun challenge, so I would definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in bag making!

Summary:
Fabric: 2.5 yards black and white stripe polished cotton (thrifted), navy blue nylon mesh (from laundry hamper, lol)
Pattern: Everything In Its Place Organizer by Annie Unrein (from Craftsy's Sew Sturdy: Travel Organizers Class)
Notions: Bosal In-R-Form fusible foam interfacing, clear 12 gauge vinyl, 6 pieces of zipper by the yard in white, thread, heavy card stabilizer sleeve
Time: 15 hours

Christmas FO: Mix Tape Bag

So we've finished my many year end round ups, but I can't quite let 2017 lie yet. I still have to blog the items I made as Christmas gifts :) I'm going to blog them in chronological order of when I made them, so let's start with this cute bag!

When it came time to decide what to make as gifts for my family this past Christmas, I'm honestly not sure what put this pattern into my head. I've had the Sew Sturdy: Travel Organizers Craftsy class for quite a while, but I had never watched it let alone made a bag. When planning for Christmas, I decided that it would be a nice gift to give, but knowing it would be a fairly involved project I decided to tell my two recipients my plans as see what customizations they might want - if I'm going to put that much work into a project, I want to make sure it will be something they will enjoy. I presented my sister, Shannon, with the idea of making a bag to hold all of her cross stitching supplies. Cross stitching is her one old lady habit :) She said she liked that idea, and that she would want it to hold patterns, 2 thread boxes, and maybe her little zipper bag of notions. She wanted the fabric to be a surprise. She said, "It can be fun, but not too crazy," which I interpreted as what I've made. So let's take a look at the bag!

The bag is called the Everything In Its Place Organizer Bag by Annie Unrein. I believe you can buy the individual pattern from byannie.com, but it also comes as a pdf download with the Craftsy class. The bag is a suitcase style zip open organizer that measures about 14" x 11" and 4" deep (if I remember correctly - I forgot to measure them and the pattern doesn't say). The pattern includes making this bag as well as making pocket pages - which I did not need for Shannon, but I did end up making for my other sister, Marisa. Check back soon for a post on that bag. The bag I made for Shannon just has pockets along the inside covers of the bag.

The bag has great structure and stands up easily by itself - the bag is empty in these photos - and this is due to the foam stabilizer. The pattern recommends Soft and Stable, which is a By Annie's product (who teaches the class), but I had Bosal In-R-Form fusible stabilizer on hand which Sara from Sew Sweetness says is a good substitute in her patterns, so I went with that. For Shannon's bag, I thought she might like this cassette tape print from the Geekly Chic quilting cotton line. I had 2 fat quarters I grabbed at some point, so I did not have enough for the entire bag. I actually am really glad I had to pick coordinating fabrics, but it did make gauging how much fabric I needed a challenge since not only was I using more fabrics than the pattern is written for but I also wasn't making the pocket pages which use a lot of fabric, nor was I quilting the bag which also takes extra fabric that you trim away. When all was said and done, I used:

•  2 fat quarters for the main panels and the handle (using the scraps for little pieces like the extra inside pocket and the pocket trim)
• 1/2 yard black and white houndstooth quilting cotton from Hobby Lobby
• 1/3 yard of the acid green atomic print quilting cotton (from my stash)
• 1/2 yard of purple broadcloth for bias binding
• 1/2 yard of Bosal In-R-Form fusible 
• 1/4 yard of clear 12 gauge vinyl from Hobby Lobby

The zipper was a seriously lucky thrift store find. I grabbed a bag with 15 yards of zipper tape and a box full of zipper pulls for something like $2 a few months ago not knowing what I would use it for. Technically this is the wrong type of zipper - this is a sport style with thick plastic teeth and Annie recommends a handbag or dressmaker's zipper because you can sew through the teeth of those while the one I used is technically too big. I made it work, but it was a challenge and I broke a few needles in the process. Doesn't it look good though? I threaded the pulls on at opposite ends to get the double opening zipper. Since I had no instructions, I had to watch a you tube video, but I figured it out thankfully.

The insides have just a couple of pockets. I made one vinyl pocket following the video's instructions and I used the cassette tape fabric for the trim (basically I was trying to use that anywhere I could). I changed the pattern and made the fabric pocket on the other side myself. I used two rectangles of the green fabric, one with Pellon SF101 interfacing fused to it - sew them together along one long side - press them right side out. I had some decent size rectangles of the cassette print, so I made a smaller pocket the same way (interfacing one side) but sewing it completely around and flipping it before top stitching it to the larger pocket. Totally easy change to make. I didn't think Shannon would need the mesh pockets the pattern suggests, nor would she need a zippered pocket since all she wants to use them for are paper patterns and books.

As you can see the pockets are the perfect size for patterns :) I hope she can easily fit all hers inside.

The height of the bag turned out to be perfect for 2 boxes of thread plus there is a nice little area around them to add a notions bag.

This is the bag closed with the boxes still inside - perfect! She could even add the thickness of some patterns and it would still close just fine.

I did have one little snafoo with sewing the stabilizer sleeve at the top of the bag. This area is technically a pocket - you sew it with velcro at the top edge to keep it closed and once the bag is sewn you add a piece of heavy cardboard or something to keep the bag from "pooching" when you use the handle. Everything was fine until I was sewing the binding to enclose the seam allowance at the zipper edges. I forgot about the pocket and sewed right through its top edge :/ There were so many lines of stitching in that line from the velcro and everything that I had no idea which thread to snip if I was to rip it out, so I just went with it. I used 2 pieces of flat cardboard panting canvas cut to measure and slide them in at the side, then basted the edges closed. I sewed the rest of the bag together with this hard stuff in there already, which definitely made things trickier to get my machine around, but it worked out ok. I figure that a cross stitch supplies bag will probably not need to be washed in the machine, so it will be fine. And it looks so nice inside with that binding :)

I did have one other (more) unfortunate incident. When trimming the bias binding after getting it completely sewn around the bag (both passes), I snipped a hole in my binding :O I was not happy. This bag was completely finished at that point and had to sit in my room for over a week until I finally buckled down to cover it up. The only thing I could do was cover it with a small piece of binding and I hand sewed it with a ladder stitch to try and keep it less visible. I don't think it would be noticeable if you didn't know it was there.

So that's the particulars of this bag :) Frankly I would've kept it for myself, lol, but it was Christmas so... Shannon got lucky. This was a very involved project - from watching the class to gathering the supplies to sewing - but it was a very rewarding one because the finished bag looks so professional. My whole family kept commenting on how it looked factory made (to which I said, "How dare you question my skills.")

I definitely liked this Craftsy class to make this with as it made the entire process much easier. Frankly, that pattern was very complicated without the video class to explain. I guess it's because I haven't made a lot of bags, but since this technically has no pattern pieces (just instructions on what size rectangles to cut), it got pretty confusing given the changes I made with fabric types and whatnot - the class made the pattern much more understandable. Plus Annie gives a lot of extra tips and explanations as to why you should do things a certain way, which is always nice. I'm glad to have given this pattern a try and to have a nice and custom gift for Shannon this year. I think I fulfilled the prompt of "fun but not too crazy," and it fulfills needs she has in a bag. She says she likes it, so let's hope she's telling the truth, ha ha.

If you like this bag, check bag in a few days for my second bag I made from this pattern where I made the entire pattern with the insert :)

Summary:
Fabric: 2 fat quarters of Geekly Chic by Amy Adams, 1/2 yard purple broadcloth, 1/2 yard black and white Hounds tooth, 1/3 yard acid green atomic print cotton
Pattern: Everything In Its Place Organizer by Annie Unrein (from Craftsy's Sew Sturdy: Travel Organizers Class)
Notions: Bosal In-R-Form fusible foam interfacing, Pellon SF101 fusible interfacing, 38" of zipper by the yarn in white, thread, heavy card stabilizer sleeve, soft velcro
Time: 8 hours

Awesome Fabric Sales (Online AND Local)

Consider this a public service announcement :) I couldn't let these sales go by without let anyone know who would want to. Craftsy has lots of their kits and supplies up to 70% off. I saw some great deals on lovely yarns and fabrics, so definitely head over there should you get the chance.

And if you live anywhere in the Central Florida area, The Sewing Studio (best fabric store around) is having their awesome 40% off EVERYTHING sale on New Year's Day. I will be there along with countless other sewing enthusiasts pawing the fabric and stuffing as much of it as we can into our bags. I'm hoping some of the notions I need will still be around by the time I get there. This sale is so good I've talked to women who drove from Gainesville and Jacksonville just to shop here. If you live relatively near Orlando, you want to head to Maitland tomorrow and I promis it will not disappoint you. Just come ready to spend that Christmas cash :) And definitely say hello if you see me there!

Black Friday Deals from Craftsy and Creativebug

I can't let a Black Friday weekend pass by without letting you know of the great deals you can score! Two of my favorite websites are having some great deals, so if you are wanting to learn any new skills, now is the time to snag a class and get moving :)

Craftsy has made all of their classes $17.87 or less :) There is even a nice handful of "doorbuster" classes that I can personally vouch for.

• Jacques Torres' Ultimate Box of Chocolates is $15.00 - I have this class and have really enjoyed watching. I've learned so much about chocolate making! Once I get my hands on some molds, I fully plan to make my own fancy chocolates. This is definitely one worth buying if you're at all interested.
• Susy Furrer's Patternmaking Basics: The Bodice Sloper is $15.00 - All of Suzy's classes are wonderful, and this is a great place to start with patternmaking. Once you follow her class, you can make a custom bodice block to make all the designs you like fit you more easily. She's super informative, and this is a fantastic class to have on hand.
• Startup Library: Painting with Watercolors is $17.87 - I watched this class on Labor Day (when you could watch all their classes as much as you wanted) and I can definitely vouch for it being very informative and a great place to start learning about watercolor painting. And you really can't beat that price for something that goes as in depth as this class.

The other doorbuster classes sound great too - I'm particularly tempted by the hand embroidery one :) But even the non-doorbuster classes are up for a great deal at $17.87. If you had your eye on any classes, or even if you don't know what they have to offer, I definitely recommend you head over here and see what will tempt you as this price does not come around often (trust me).

Craftsy is also having a great sale on their supplies - I use these sales as a great opportunity to stock up on some sweater quantities of nice yarn. Case and point:

• Cloudborn Wool Worsted Twist Yarn is $2.99 per skein! I grabbed some of this yarn for a similar price over the summer and just finished knitting my Salal cardigan with it (to be blogged soon). It's springy and woolly and a great yarn for the price. 
• Cloudborn Wool Fingering Twist Yarn is also $2.99 per skein - and that's for 402 yards of yarn! You could technically make a sweater for less than $10 with this stuff. It's the same lovely wool from as the worsted weight, just thinner. This is a seriously good deal.
• Cascade Eco + Ecological Yarn is just $11.88 per skein which is just crazy. There are only 2 colors left to choose from, but this is a fantastic price.
• Cloudborn Merino Alpaca Color Change Lite is a really pretty gradual striping gradient yarn that is marked down to just $8.99 for 274 yards of sport weight. These are just so need to get that gradient or faded look without spending a lot of money.

I've bought so many supplies from Craftsy, I can't even count, lol. They are a great place to get quality supplies when you don't have nicer yarn stores or fabric stores nearby (like me). This sale is a good opportunity to look around and see if anything tempts you :)

My other favorite place to learn is having a deal so crazy I honestly don't know how you couldn't give it a try. From now through 11/29/2017, Creativebug is offering a 3 month subscription for just $1. Seriously. Creativebug has a different structure than Craftsy, but I have learned so much from their classes:

• All of Yao Cheng's Watercolor classes are amazing - believe me, I've watched them all - and if she can teach me how to paint, that is absolute proof of how good her classes are. Beginning Watercolor is a great place to start, and I really enjoyed the 31 Days of Flowers Painting Challenge. If you're wanting to see this for yourself, this is a great time to get signed up for just $1.
• Needle Felting is way fun, and I never would've actually given it a try without this class to show me the ropes. I still plan on making that goldfish someday!
• This Cartwheel Pillow Class is adorable. I recently made one myself (to be blogged soon) and it was so simple but so cute :) 
• Fashion Draping is taught by Mood Fabric's in house instructor and is super informative. This is one of the more difficult techniques Creativebug shows as far as sewing goes, and it's a great way to get your feet wet. The other Mood classes are great too (Fashion Illustration and Understanding Textiles).
• Having made my own Sailor Blouse in the Fancy Tiger Crafts class, I can tell you that having this pattern alone for the $1 would be more than worth the subscription. I love my top and have a few more planned (when I get more free sewing time).

These are just a few of the classes I've enjoyed and learned from in the little over a year I've had a subscription. The glory of Creativebug's set up is that you are able to watch a class on a whim since you have free access to their entire library with a subscription (which is only $5 per month regularly anyway- so worth it) - this is the only reason I even contemplated trying to paint with watercolors. If I'd had to purchase an expensive class from Craftsy not knowing if I would take to it or enjoy painting at all, I would never have spent the money on a class. Just being able to watch things you may be interested in is an awesome concept. I honestly can't recommend their site enough, and what better time to give them a try then when it will only cost you $1 for 3 months?

Hopefully this post isn't too annoying. These are affiliate links, so I get a small percentage if you make a purchase, but I would never post about them if I did not enjoy these sites so much myself. I am always on both of these sites, watching classes, buying supplies, etc. They are great places for inspiration and I've never regretted any of the money I've spent on their products.

Yay for Black Friday!

Free Pie Making Craftsy Class! (Today Only)

In honor of the lovely Gesine Bullock-Prado being on the Today Show earlier today, Craftsy is offering up her class Pies & Tarts for Every Season completely free! How awesome is that? I wanted to make sure everyone knew and had a chance to snag this great deal (since the class is usually $39.99). I've watched her puff pastry class, and I can personally vouch that she is a great teacher. This offer is good today only (June 28th, 2017), so hurry and grab the class for yourself!

Click here to get your free class :)


(Affiliate links included in post)

Getting Closer To Macaron Perfection

In spite of my crazy schedule the past few months, macarons have been made because #priorities. It's been an interesting journey with them thus far, but it has lead to the most perfect looking and tasting macarons I've ever achieved. But let me back up!

Back in August I made 2 batches for a baby shower hosted by my sister (something I have already sworn to never agree to again). The baking process was frought with frustration (usually involving egg separating with eggs from my sister's chickens) but the cookies themselves turned out well. I made purple colored macarons with pink Swiss buttercream filling along with teal colored pistachio macarons with white chocolate ganache filling - both were colored to go with her theme of "mermaid".

Here they are at the party (next to the delicious lime cake ... mmm ...). With this batch I mainly learned how frustrating it is to give up 2 entire nights of your very limited free time to make a bunch of delicious macarons that you won't get to eat #realtalk. But they baked up well except for the ganache being too warm when I piped it out (causing it to ooze off the sides of the cookies unattractively, ugh). I took a break for a while after that experience, but let's be real you can never stay away from making these for very long once you know how.

This past week I made some much anticipated macarons to thank some of the people who helped with my estate sale. I had some people give several days of the ir time to help me, and what better way to show gratitude than with an intricate dessert :) I've been pinning a lot of macaron flavor ideas lately, and my sister specifically requested one that I pinned - mango white chocolate flavor - and I decided to try out rose for the other batch. I was skeptical about the mango ones, I will confess. The cookies themselves are just regular almond flavor and the mango flavor was achieved by adding mango purée to the white chocolate ganache. This makes the ganache even more runny than normal, so letting it set up in the fridge was a must after the last time working with white chocolate. It all worked out well though and the flavor was much better once the ganache had cooled (when it was slightly warm it made the mix taste like a super ripe cantaloupe - so weird. For the rose batch I added rose water to both the cookie batter and to the Swiss buttercream, thinking this would bring a good amount of flavor ... only to taste the finished product and not detect even the slightest hint of rose, lol. Oh well, they still taste good. Just normal. I'll have to get some actual rose petals to grind up and put in future versions. Both of these batches were the best baking ever. I had fewer of them touch on the pan (so their edges are perfectly rounded over) and not a single one cracked in either batch! That's pretty remarkable. They also didn't crack under their "foot" (the flat part) which sometimes happens - I've now realized that happens when they are removed from the parchment while they are too warm. Lessons! The rose batch in particular have the most perfect texture I've made - the perfect amount of chewy and crispy. Oh man, so good :) I'm glad that my "Thank You" batch turned out so well for the people who deserve so much more than cookies for their help.

So that's how things have been going with my macaron addiction. It's certainly an interesting experience to make these in a small condo kitchen, but I've made it happen both times now :) I've already told my family that macarons will probably be put on hold for a while as I really want to try making some of the cakes from my latest Craftsy class, Classic European Tortes (affiliate link). So tasty looking! I think I'll start with a Sacher torte :) Anyway, if you're at all interested in trying macarons, I always recommend this class since it's how I learned and I've never had them turn out badly. I warn you - they are addictive! I have it on authority from other friends who make them now too (Hi, Brenna! lol).

Have a delicious day!