Save & Sew

In an attempt to cut back on spending so much money on rtw, I'm challenging myself to sew my garments. I actually started last year with a few skirts and during the fall, made a jacket, blouses and have moved on to a dress. Oh what a fabulous feelin' it was to wear my personally-made garments.

After reading Thread's latest issue (No. 137), which featured an article on Sew With Your Serger, I worked up this duo last weekend in between working on my dd's dress. The surprising part, I serged all the seams... *snapping fingers*.

Top Pattern: New Look 6729 - Version E/Fabric: rayon/knit, which reminds me I need to take stock of what I've made, I made the same top a week or 2 ago in a royal blue cotton sateen...lol

Can't recall, but I read a few blogs that mentioned using a clear elastic for the neck opening to prevent warping. I couldn't find any and purchased polyester 3/8" elastic and pinned it along the neck opening and pulled the elastic just a tad bit, then folded the remainder of the fabric to the inside of the neck opening and sewed. I also added it to the sleeve hem and the hem of the blouse and it didn't add bulk. It worked perfect.

Skirt Pattern: New Look 6843 - Version E/ Fabric 100% cotton paisley print, which was inspired by a skirt I saw at the Loft. I serged the seams and hand stitched the side zipper. For the hem of the skirt, instead of folding the fabric under, I just serged the hem of the skirt.

Also, I finally realized why the thread on the lower looper kept breaking, once I did some acrobatic moves, the machine purred for the remainder of my sewing...lol

I'm a number one fan of the Loft. I shopped at the Loft back in the day when it was known only as Ann Taylor, but over the years I stopped shopping there. Maybe due to body changes, the style of clothes did not work for me, but in the last year, they have made an indelible impression. They came out with various styles of pants and the Ann version works best, it sits slightly below the waist and having a short-torso the Ann style gives the illusion of having a longer torso. They have an assortment off figure flattering wrap tops and lovely dresses and figured since I'm on a sewing triathlon, why not try my hand at making garments that inspire me.

Here are a few garments, that I like at the Loft (a/k/a inspiration list):
Cap Sleeve Jacket

Silver Sharkskin Three-Button Jacket

One-Button Jacket

Sheath Dress

Beaded Scoop Neck Dress

Shorts

Wrap Top

and here are patterns that I think fit my inspiration list:

Simplicity 2938

Kwik Sew 3427 Simplicity 3744

Kwik Sew 3614

Kwik Sew 2694

Simplicity 4273

Kwik Sew 3558

Simplicity 2975

New Look 6149

If my dd saw this post, she would know why I haven't finished her dress...lol.