Sew Crazy

I have a confession to make. I'm a bit obsessed with sewing lately thanks to everyone's posts about Me Made May and the bug hit hard Friday after learning about Andi and Lauren hosting a SAL/KAL in June and July. The idea is to make a coordinated outfit using sewing and knitting and I've decided to join in! Saturday afternoon I decided to snag the pattern at Joann's and take a look at fabric. The pattern for the sewing portion of the Sew-along is Simplicity 1803 which is a simple fit and flare dress with princess seams and a gathered skirt. Lauren will be posting step-by-step instructions on her blog. I found a great linen blend floral print that will be perfect for this Summer (40% off didn't hurt either).

 While I was shopping for the dress fabric I picked up Simplicity 1364 and fabric for it as well. Now, I have to tell you that I haven't sewn a garment for myself in ages - probably since I started knitting about seven or eight years ago. This pattern is super simple with three pieces and a lapped zipper in back and it felt like a good fit for getting my feet wet with sewing garments again. It's not 100% perfect but not too bad after such a long sewing hiatus.

My fabric is a cotton blend in an awesome leopard print and it was the last of the bolt. I barely eked out the pieces with the fabric I purchased. There are two long deep bust darts for shaping and that's about it. Since I don't have a very narrow waist that's not a problem for me but I wouldn't say it's the most figure-flattering silhouette. I totally want to make this again in a slightly lighter weight fabric or something with just a smidge of stretch and take out about an inch or two of fabric at the neckline where the fabric has a tendency to tent. I can throw on a black cardigan and a skirt or pants and wear this to work without any problem!

If you're interested in joining the Outfit Along you can find information on Andi's blog or Lauren's blog and Andi started a thread on Ravelry in her group for the knitting side of things. I'll be knitting and sewing the suggested patterns but it's definitely not a requirement that you do so! If you've been interested in trying your hand at sewing or knitting garments this is a great way to get started since both hostesses will be on hand to answer questions and guide you through the process. I hope to see you join!

Since I mainly talked about the sewing portion of the Outfit along in this post I'll be writing another post about my sweater and yarn choices this week.