Sewing Success!

By golly, I finally had some sewing success, tho it did come at a price (more on that later). I feel like I've been sewing a slew of wadders lately. I even made a few muslins in which I wasn't too happy with either - at least not enough to tweak and get a nice fitting garment. I know we all have spells like that, but it was really start to zap my sewing mojo and I was finding I'd rather be folding laundry and cleaning toilets than sewing - pretty sad huh?

So last week I decided to switch my closet around moving the spring/summer clothes to the front. Doing so made me realize I really don't have that many short sleeve or sleeveless tops and particularly only a few things in solid colors. I pulled out my trusty Ottobre Woman t-shirts pattern and went to town cutting out several t-shirts. In an effort to cut down on switching thread in my machines, I made two short sleeve white t-shirts (one was the gathered front style), one white elbow length gathered front t-shirt, and white tank top (which I'm totally in love with and will review soon, it's in the laundry tho). I still have the black t-shirt and tank top to make as well as ones in turquoise too.

Still trying to get everything white sewn before changing threads, I decided to make the "Rose" top from Ottobre Woman 2/07 #5. It had cute puffed sleeves with contrasting "V" neckband and sleeve cuffs. I instantly thought that black and white would be so awesome, so I traced the pattern and set off to make this great little shirt. To make a long story short, after fiddling for what seemed like forever to get the gathers on the puffed sleeves perfect and then fitting the arm bands on, I decided I didn't like the top with puffy sleeves on me. Knowing what I know now, it would have been easier to cut my losses and start over, but no instead I decided to rip out the side seams and sleeves and insert flat sleeves (same issue, just the sleeves from the regular t-shirt I make #3). So here is the finished product and I like it a lot!

For more details, you can read my review on PR if you're so inclined, but it was honestly a very straightforward pattern, even with the puff sleeves. And the "V" neck went together perfectly. Ottobre Woman has excellent written instructions for a professional finish, I'm very happy with the end result plus the neckline it lays perfectly flat!

Hopefully now that I have a few good things under my belt, my sewing mojo will pick back up - fingers crossed!

P.S. Thank you for your nice comments on my cupcakes - I will definitely use ideas from the Hello Cupcake book again and again, they are all just so dang cute and even the more advanced ideas really look pretty easy to make.