Sis Boom/Scientific Seamstress Angie

Sis Boom and THE Scientific Seamstress hook up to create some of the best clothing patterns available.  They have women's, men's, and children's patterns.  Scientific Seamstress (This link will take you to the Etsy site to purchase any of the patterns) also has her own patterns.  I'm close to owning all of them. They are very well written with excellent pictures.  However, if you happen to get stuck, you can hop over to the Scientific Seamstress Fan Page on Facebook.  If you aren't a member, you definitely should be!  The women on the page are the friendliest and nicest group.  Seriously, they are drama free and a very supportive and helpful bunch.

I really like the way the Angie bodice is designed. There are three neck line heights and front and back darts.  The original pattern has a full skirt (with pocket option!) and a loose bodice for a easy slip on dress. 

We attend several cocktail parties each year and am always in need of nicer dresses. I took the Angie, used the highly neckline option, made the bodice more fitted by taking in the darts and side seams, inserting a 20-22" invisible zipper on the back and adding a straight skirt with sash and embellishments to jazz it up.

I can't take any credit myself. I took inspiration from these Angies HERE and HERE.  That's my friend Crystal at Ginger Dimples.  Isn't she gorgeous?  and really f-ing talented!

Enough of the blah blah blah. I know I'm boring.  Here are the pictures.

Daddy Ali Cat was acting photographer and kept saying "Do something with your hands".

I'm not a model; I don't know what to do with my long ass arms.

What do you think?  I like honesty.

Swoon Cardigan Review

The lovely Alicia over at Swoon Sewing Patterns has done it again!  Another beautiful and easy pattern.

But it gets better-it's a WOMENS pattern!  I can't describe how much I love sewing for myself.  

Presenting Swoon Cardigan!

Size range is S-XXL.  Two sleeve options:  long and 2/3 (elbow-ish)

Irregular hem line for fun and princess seams for a great fit.

Super easy and fast pattern to sew.  She gives sewing options for using a serger OR French seams.

This pattern should definitely take less than 2 hours cut to finish.  I'm embarrassed to say that it took me longer because my knit choice is so thin, it kept slipping out from my fingers.  THEN I sewed a sleeve 45 degrees off.  I took extra care to rip that serged seam.

The instructions are only 1 (ONE) page long.  Yep, that easy!  She also provides an assembly diagram.  

The thing I love most about this pattern is the sleeve length.  They are nice and long.  I admit, I'm a knuckle dragger, so it's rare for me to find sleeves that are long enough.  I was beyond thrilled to find that I did not have to lengthen the sleeves.  Remember! If you need to shorten/length sleeves, do so around the elbow on the pattern so that you get the correct sleeve structure!  Don't just chop off at the wrist!

Dixie DIY Movies in the Park Shorts Review

Last week, I participated in Selfish Sewing Week over at Made with Moxie. I reviewed the Dixie Movies in the Park Shorts.  You can see the original post HERE.  

But thought I needed to have the review on my own bog as well! Enjoy!

Hello fellow selfish seamstresses!  I am Brianne from Ali Cat & Co. (alicatco.blogspot.com).  Thank you, Jill, for having me over at Made With Moxie.  It's a pleasure to be here talking about selfishness.  I think we can all agree that a little bit selfishness is necessary to help us detox. 

I started sewing when I had my first daughter.  I mostly sewed for her with an occasional bag for myself.  Lately, thanks to some really fabulous friends of mine, I've become 75% selfish sewist. 

One day, it hit me like a bag of bricks.  WHY sew for my children?  They grow so fast; it seems like a waste.  My oldest daughter has become extremely particular about her clothes recently.  My youngest daughter wears the oldests' hand me downs.   So I ask the question again. WHY? 

We can all agree that store bought clothes rarely have a perfect fit and tailoring store bought clothes can be difficult.  What's the answer?  Make it myself.  Not only are there AWESOME women's patterns out there, but you can make pretty clothing that fits for less than the store.

Believe me, once you go selfish, you'll never go back!

Do I need to continue to twist your arm? I hope not, so lets get on with the beautiful shorts pattern from Dixie DIY Patterns. 

Italian Lemon Cake Recipe

The hubby and I lived in Italy for 2.5 years.  Our oldest daughter was born there as well. 

We have many fond memories and are dying to return to Europe (to live) in the future.

It is true that the food is superior.  It's fresh; straight from the garden.  We were in Naples and Mount Vesuvius provides the most fertile soil to the area.  The vegetables are enormous and flavorful. 

For example, here are the two lemon trees in our garden.

Swoon Sewing Patterns Rosie

I think it's obvious that I'm obsessed with Swoon Sewing Patterns Bag Patterns.

This is my second Rosie bag.  

I thought Swoon Eleanor was my fav bag ever, but the 

Rosie might have topped out, for me anyway.  

Here is my first Rosie.

The main fabric is corduroy. The lining and flap accent is 

an old linen shirt from the hubby's side of the closet.  

Swoon Sewing Patterns Clyde

I have had the greatest pleasure of getting to know Alicia from Swoon Sewing Patterns. The Clyde is the fourth bag pattern I have made from her patterns.  

You can see the other bags I've made below.

Eleanor

Dorothy

Dottie

For this bag, I decided to try something new: stenciled burlap.

Here is a quick "how I did it".

 Mixed my paint color with fabric medium.  

If you can't find fabric paint or if you can't find the right color, just mix your regular ol'

acrylic paint with a wee bit of fabric medium and voila!  Fabric paint.

Kids and Deployment

Daddy Ali Cat is in the Navy.  He actually re-joined the Navy on the same day we got married. The Captain that commissioned him said he was ruining his life in a single day.  Ha!

I digress.

Since re-joining the military, he has had a great desire to deploy during the current war.  He compared not deploying to seeing a friend in a fight and not being able to help the friend.  It hurt him to not go.  

While I do not share that feeling, I am compassionate and glad we have people in this country that WANT to do it for our nation.  He wants to protect our land, family, friends, and strangers. I think he also wanted to experience war. Men and their curiosity. As much as it hurt me to see him leave me and the girls, I could not hold him back. What kind of wife would I be if I restrained him doing something he desperately needed to to? Not to mention that deploying is also good for his career.  

We have two daughters Ali (3) and Madeleine (16 months).  Madeleine is a mamas girl and dainty like moi.  Ali is a tiny female version of Daddy.  She likes rough housing, playing chase, being dirty and defiant, and LOVES her Daddy.  They are two peas in a pod.  When Daddy Ali Cat was doing his deployment training, he was gone for about 6 weeks. We were able to see him once in a while during but it was a nice trial period before he actually left.  Ali seemed to handle that well, probably because we saw him on the weekends.  

We ordered a Daddy Doll for Ali and he gave it to her as a present.  She loved it!