September MAGAM completed!

My September MAGAM Challenge is completed and I am super happy with it!  This has to be the best fitting dress I think I have ever made!

The top portion of the dress is Butterick 5353, combined with New Look 6224 for the bottom.

The Butterick skirt is more of a straight skirt and I prefer a fuller skirt that twirls better!

 I added piping to the neckline and waistline using some very unconventional supplies.  Trying to use what I had on hand, the fabric is a turquoise lycra that happened to match perfectly.  The inside of the piping is cording used to pull curtains up and down - not sure why I had this in the stash, but it turns out it makes great piping!!

Here's the neckline piping.  The dress is fully lined with a lightweight cotton.  I would normally use a rayon lining, but again, trying to use what I had on hand, the lightweight cotton was a dream to work with.  The two natural fibers worked so well together that I don't think I will ever use rayon again to line a linen garment.

After asking my readers and my local sewing guild their definition of a sewing stash, I've determined that anything you buy that doesn't have a specific purpose/pattern/idea in mind and ends up in the closet is considered part of the stash.  Soooo, based on this new determination that a fabric doesn't need to "age" for awhile before it is considered part of the stash, this garment was too a stashbushin project.

Blue/Green Linen - 2 yards
White cotton lining - 2 yards
Practice muslin fabric - .75 yards
Blue lycra for piping - .25
Total for this garment - 5 yards!

This brings my YTD total to 46.375 yards!!  Whoop!  Whoop!!

Happy sewing everyone!

September MAGAM decided and a practice muslin made!

I completely missed the August MAGAM Challenge due to our never-ending house remodel so am hoping to make up for it with my September project.  I had previously posted that my September Sew for 30 projects consisted of the items in the picture below - so why not make one of them my September MAGAM?

So - here's my project - using the blue and green floral linen pictured at the top of the photo, I'll be combining the top of Butterick dress 5353 with the bottom of New Look 6224 for what will hopefully be a nice combination in a dress.  

Here's my practice muslin - a bit frumpy to start with:

Too much gaping at the sides:

The frumpiness continues to the back:

And some major gaping at the back:

But with some pinning at the sides we are getting there.

There - that's much better:

And the pinned back - much more fitted than the original.  Now, I'll transfer those alterations to the pattern and see what happens!

I pose a question to my lovely readers - how long does a piece of fabric need to be in your possession before you consider it part of your stash?  One month, 2 months, 6 months, a year?  Or, if you just bought the fabric with no particular project in mind and it has been sitting around for awhile, should it be considered now "part of the stash"?  What do you think?

Happy sewing everyone!

Star

My September Sew for 30 Plan

I have a plan and I plan to work it!  With a camping vacation coming up in a few days, I have broken out my projects between vacation time and back home time.

Here's my plan:

For vacation:

• Finish handwork on Christmas ornaments
• Work on Cross stitch Christmas ornaments
• Rip out side seams on batik skirt
• Look at sewing magazines that have been piling up for awhile and going unread
• Determine my September MAGAM Challenge  

Back home sewing:

• Finish the red polka dress that has been hanging on my rack for months
• Alter the batik 2 piece set into a pair of pajamas.  This I think has been on the rack for over a year!
• Squeeze in one more summer dress.  Yes - I know it's September, but our weather here doesn't start turning "fallish" until mid to late October.
• Sew September MAGAM Challenge

Time to get sewing!

Happy sewing everyone!

Star