Ottobre Women's Blouse

This is the Women's Blouse from Ottobre 4/2004. M asked me to make her a couple of blouses late this winter. I finally found a nice fabric in my quilting stash. I started this at the end of February, beginning of March. I stopped to work on K's Easter Dress and finally got around to finishing the cuffs, buttons, and buttonholes yesterday. Just in time for the weather to (hopefully) start warming up. I made this in a size 34 and it barely fits her. She is now only 1/2" bigger than the bust size for a 34 but it is still snug.

If you click on the pictures for a close-up view you can see the princess seams on the front and back. This makes for a beautiful fit. Hopefully I can find some nice fabric to make her a couple more in a larger size come fall. I could hope that she doesn't grow any more over the summer but I don't know that I can guarantee that.

The background for the pictures is the newly painted yellow wall of my bedroom/new sewing room. Hopefully I'll finish moving the rest of my sewing stuff into my bedroom soon and will post pics of my newly arranged space.

Ottobre Rose Dress for Easter

This is the Ottobre Rose Dress from 1/2008. I finished this dress for K just in time for Easter. I graded it up one size to ensure a good fit on her. Was glad I did or it would have been too tight through the shoulders. I also added about seven inches to make it come right to her knees. It would have been extremely short on K's ever growing long legs if I hadn't done that. Was supposed to make leggings to go underneath but didn't get those done.

I found it hard to sew the gathers onto the ribbon and it poofs a bit above the ribbon where the gathers are. I used a pique from Sewzanne's Fabrics. I may have stretched the fabric a bit causing the poofiness. The pattern called for a woven but Kyra loved this polka dotted fabric so I used it anyway. Maybe washing and drying will shrink it back up a bit.

Diva Essential Designer Bag

It's been a while since I finished my "new" purse but I just got around to taking pictures of it. It's the Diva Essential Designer Bag. I've been able to use it for a while and must say that I'm really liking it; especially since I've gotten several comments in the last couple of weeks from people saying they really like it. It's been good for my ego; especially when they find out that I made it.

The pattern called for fusible interfacing but I have so many scraps of Warm and Natural that I just used that. I used quilt fabrics for the rest of the bag.

One of the things I like best about this purse is the many pockets on the inside. I can put so many things in the pockets that I can easily find what's on the bottom of the purse. There's even a hidden pocket on the inside on one end. I would do the pockets a little differently if I were to make this purse again. If I put tall things in the inside side pockets it raises the sides on the outside too much and makes it hard to close the velcro. I'd add some pockets on the outside of the hidden pocket (still on the inside of the purse). I might also put two on the inside where the inside cell phone pocket is.

There are two outside pockets, one is the full width of the side and one is the width between the handles on the other side. The pattern calls for making the handles the same fabric as the purse. I opted to use a different fabric and didn't realize this would look a bit different since the handles on one side are sewn under the large pocket and on the outside of the pocket on the other side. Someone commented that I could just sew the handles onto the outside of the larger pocket and it would look more symmetric. It would also hold that large pocket closed more when I have my car keys and cell phone (there's another cell phone pocket inside that large outside pocket, which I added a little velcro flap to ensure my cell phone stays in it) and sunglasses in it. Wish I knew how to label pics, I could point out all the pockets.

You're supposed to be able to open up the velcro and wear the purse as a backpack if necessary but I've never tried that.