Shalini's Sewing Space

As soon as I started making the garments for the pattern review contest ( previous post on this here ), plans changed a little! I have added a different top in matching skirt fabric. I haven't decided which top will be removed from the capsule. So far, the plan is still to make all the tops I had initially decided and then take one out at the end. Now onto the finishes! I have finished garment #1 and garment #2 for the contest. This was fast because skirt didn't need muslining and top pattern was already tried and true. I did do some hacking for the top but it was relatively straightforward and worked on my first try! That's great because I have very little of this chiffon left. There might be a short cami I can squeeze out of this just to give myself more options. Garment 1 - McCall 7606 Petal Skirt  This skirt is a really simple silhouette and yet, has an impact. I love the way the petals open up to show off the leg. I used a chiffon fabric and it just drapes pe...

I finished it!! My Fall/Winter capsule for 2017 is finally complete! The idea had been floating around in my head since spring when I was working on the Spring/Summer capsule. I really wanted to do a Fall/Winter version because it is so much more fun with the accessories. Finally in late summer I put my ideas together on a page and came up with the following inspiration picture - And here is my final completed capsule. Some of the items have changed quite a bit but the overall idea is still there. I ended up with a whopping 32 items, not counting accessories! I didn't count shoes and accessories because they are just fun additional pieces and I don't consider them part of my capsule. It is different for everyone, I'm sure. The one thing I really wanted but could not get around to was a trenchcoat. I have a few patterns for it, including D&D luzerne. I will get to it in 2018 for sure! But what is in this capsule? Well, let's do a count - 4 skirts (2 woven, 2...

My first foray into german patterns went very well. I bought a whole bunch in the fall sale on makerist.de  this year. I was very nervous about the translation aspect but these patterns have such a good reputation, I went for it. I first purchased a couple patterns that I had to have and opened them right away. I was in awe! The picture tutorial is so detailed, I have not seen many like it! You can just follow the tutorial without even needing to translate. This hoodie is womens sweatjacket by Thread beetles. The other great thing that attracted me to patterns on makerist are the neat little details such as cord stops, leather patches, and such. They elevate the look so much! I am just loving these patterns. The way I approached the pattern was I first figured out sizing. Since this is international pattern, measurements are in metrics and had to figure out what size I needed to use. After that I printed the pattern on letter size but the pattern itself is made for A4....

Itch to Stitch blog tour Day 2 Sewing community is such a vast space spanning multiple continents and what brings everyone together is their love for sewing. When someone in this community is hurting, sewists all over the world come together to make it better. Our much loved designer, Kennis Wong - owner of Itch to Stitch Designs , was robbed a couple of weeks ago leaving her with no way to run her business. This blog tour is promoting Itch to Stitch patterns to make up for some of the monetary loss so she can be back on her feet and produce top notch quality patterns again! I picked up the Newport top in the recent sale and wanted to make a nice top for this blog tour. I'm also really feeling the velvets this time of the year. Stylish Fabrics is one of the sponsors of this tour and I picked up mauve velvet and charcoal ponte to make my outfit. The pinky mauve color is probably my all time favorite color for nail paint but I rarely wear clothes in this color. ...

This is my first blog tour!! I'm so excited to be a part of the Patterns for Pirates / Made for Mermaids Sew what do I wear - Professional Edition blog tour! SOS Pants and Favorite Tee If you're read this blog ever before, you know I love wearing handmade items to work. Ever since I started sewing, my ultimate goal and dream was to make a fantastic work wardrobe that would fit well, look nice, and be well received! I believe I am well on my way. 75% of what I wear to work these days is handmade. I'm still working on getting the fit dialed in just right but each garment is an opportunity to improve. SOS Pants  and  Favorite Tee SOS Pants  and  Favorite Tee  have been staples of my work wardrobe. If you have seen my Spring/Summer Sudoku you know that already :-) I made a couple of nicer additions for this blog tour. I wanted something a little special that would still work in a daytime work environment but elevate my looks a bit more. SOS Pa...

Janice Boho Top by Wardrobe By Me New pattern released by WBM - Janice Boho . It has that floaty, boho vibes we've been seeing a lot this summer. The sleeves really steal the show! Statement Sleeves have been such a trend this year. It will be perfect for going into fall. Janice Boho, Size 10 graded to 14, 7/8 sleeve with Voilant (Bell) ruffle Janice Boho in size 10. Gathered ruffle sleeve and ruffle hem.  Let's talk about the hem ruffle. It provides just the right amount of fluff without going too overboard. I used a lightweight chiffon for this garment. It is a wee bit see-through so I will be wearing it with a cami for work. It provides a great amount of drape though that is lovely with this pattern.  Janice Boho comes with two neckline options - O and V, 3 sleeve lengths - 3/4, 7/8, and Long sleeve, two gathered sleeve ruffle sizes - narrow and wide, and a bell shaped (voilant) sleeve. It has 2 bodice options too - with ruffle and without ruffle! ...

I have been testing for Rad Patterns for about an year now. It used to be just adults patterns but recently they've expanded their range to include Kids patterns. I was so excited when I first learned that Stephanie, the designer behind Rad Patterns, was coming out with Kids patterns! One of my favorite sewn items from Rad are the CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) tops ( Loose , Fitted ) that have been a staple for my wardrobe. Now she has just released CYOA Kids ! I have no doubts this will fill DD's wardrobe! CYOA Kids Dress in size 7 This pattern lets you choose between the various options provided such as, Dress or Shirt length, Sleeve lengths Sleeveless, Short, 3/4th, Long sleeves, Crew neck or V neck. I love that I can use this pattern to make a crew neck t-shirt in lightweight rayon knit for spring/summer, and also use the same pattern to make a sweater dress with long sleeves for fall/winter!  CYOA Kids Shirt Size 7 The thing I love about Stephanie is...