Leibster Love

March 26, 2012 ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 3 Comments

What a great way to start a Monday. The very talented Jennifer, over at The Musings of a Dedicated Housefiancee nominated me for a Leibster. According to Jennifer’s blog, the German word Leibster means beloved (or favorite). Thank you so much, Jennifer.

To pay it forward I am presenting the following lovely women with a Leibster:

Doobee’s Creations
Frogs in a Bucket
Idle Fancy
Musings of a Seamstress
Eating Pins

The rules of the Leibster Blog award are:

1. Thank your Leibster Blog award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy/paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Leibster Blog award to 5 blogs (with 200 followers or less).
5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment.

Colette 1016 (Green Silk Ginger Skirt)

March 26, 2012 ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 3 Comments

As noted in this previous post, my second Ginger skirt is made from 100% 4-ply silk.

Here are my thoughts about silk fabric – buy it, sew it, you’ll love it!!! Colette patterns designer Sarai Mitnick encourages the use of silk fabrics in her designs and I see why. What a terrific fabric to sew and wear. It behaves nicely with the sewing machine, it drapes beautifully, and it is comfortable to wear. As with my first Ginger skirt (made last December) I did not make any pattern alterations with this one. The fabric I used in December was heavier and bulkier than this silk. I did notice that in the silk fabric I will need to take in the waistband 1/2″ next time. Yes, there will be a next time because this skirt is quick to sew, fits great, and gives a flattering silhouette. Here’s a picture of the back. It’s very basic with a hidden zip.

As with my first version, I also added a lining to this one. I plan to make one more this year and I will probably add some kind of detail like piping. I will definitely be using silk again. Whether it will be a print silk or solid, I’m not sure. That’s part of the fun in perusing the fabulous silk fabrics at Yellowbird Fabrics in Salt Lake.

Simplicity 2215

March 11, 2012 ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 10 Comments

Here’s my Easter dress:

I used a beautiful, almost batiste-quality, 100% cotton fabric in a pretty springtime floral print from Yellowbird Fabrics in Salt Lake City. The bodice lining is 100% polyester hang-free lining from Hancock Fabrics.

I only made two minor design changes. The first was that I chose to not add the pockets. I’m not a big fan of pockets in dresses and skirts, so I left them off. On my frame, they add attention and sometimes bulk at the hipline, ugh! The second change I made was to use ruffled fabric as a design element along the hemline. I’ve included a tutorial of my process for adding the ruffled fabric.

I like that this dress has both a side zip and front buttons. Side zips in a dress are a good thing because if I happen to get the zipper insertion off a smidge, it’s not so noticeable since it is buried under my arm! I also like that it has the added benefit of front buttons. The two entry openings make the dress very easy to slide on over the head. The bodice is close fitting, so it is necessary to have as much ease as possible in getting the dress over the head. It also helps to not mess up the hair!

I love the fit of this dress. I made the size 12 and I did not have to alter any of the pattern pieces. It is a very girly dress and looks very “Eastery”, but I will also be able to wear it all summer with flip flops or strappy sandals. The fabric I chose is extremely lightweight so it should be very cool in our hot summer months. A heavier weight fabric, such as denim as shown on the pattern envelope, could be used for a year-round version to be worn with sweaters, jackets, or long sleeve tees. If you are not yet comfortable with inserting invisible zippers and/or buttons and buttonholes, I would not recommend this pattern until you have some experience with those techniques.

Here’s a shot of the side zip:

And here’s the buttons and buttonholes:

I did not follow the pattern instructions for either technique, so I can’t address how clear-cut the instructions are. But the buttons and buttonholes are up front and center so they must be sewn with some precision.

This is a great pattern and if it is your style I would encourage you to give it a try.