Me Made May - Week in Review

 I decided to join Me Made May '15 and it has been such fun. If you are not familiar, the challenge was created by blogger So Zo as a way to wear our hand made creations.  You can read more about it here.

It has been a great way to see what items I am missing in my wardrobe and there are definitely some holes.

The outfit above includes a blouse from New Look 6895 with a beautiful cotton lawn.

The sweater coat is a design for Sew News you can find here.

The purse is a pattern in the works - the Marcia Bag. I love the typewriter fabric from Melody Miller!

Necklace is a Sterling Silver Carnelian Branch necklace.

The blouse above is a free pattern from Martha Stewart.  You can find the pattern and tutorial here.

The "Shopper Purse" is from the lovely gathered purse trio.

We had a couple days of warm weather last week so I dusted off my swing tank!  Pattern is in the queue : )

The Ruffle Clutch was designed for the Liberty Craft Blog.  You can find the pattern and tutorial here.

Happy Sewing!
xo
Charise

Find me at the Sew News Blog for a Q & A and give-away!

Hello~

Just a quick note to let you know I'm over at the Sew News Blog for a little Q & A.

My cozy sweater jacket is in the current Winter '13 issue.

Read the post and answer the question in the comments section and you’ll be entered to win the book Christmas Home-Made and a cute fusible web tape dispenser!

Good Luck!

xo Charise 

Cozy Sweater Coat for Sew News

With all the holiday preparations it is always nice to do a little something nice for yourself!  How about sewing a stylish sweater coat for yourself?!  This Cozy Sweater coat is an easy sewing project,  and it is a great project if you are new to garment sewing.

 I created this wool blend sweater coat for the new issue of Sew News magazine.  It is incredibly easy to make and is versatile and flattering. I used a wool and rayon blend boucle that I found at my local fabric shop.

 It is also lovely made up in an interlock knit.  I made the first sample or fitting garment ("muslin") from a rayon blend interlock knit.  It is always a good idea to make a fitting garment before using the final fabric.  When I made the muslin, I ended up grading it down to a size Medium since it was fitting a size Large. 

Also, make sure that the knit you use does not ravel or fray as all the edges are raw or unfinished.

I added a roll line dart where the collar folds back.  This is a technique I learned in design school which is used for tailored jackets.  It creates a nice soft neckline edge that hugs the body.

The Winter Sew News issue is packed with wonderful projects and tips.

 I love the 10 easy holiday gifts.....

and this adorable dress by Beth Bradley.

I'm doing more "de-stashing"!  Head over to my Etsy shop to find some Pezzy prints, fabric packs and some rare Munki fabrics!  I'm purging the fabric stash and will be listing new fabrics over the next few weeks.

I hope you find some time to do some sewing for yourself : )

xo

Charise