Happy Valentines Day!

I haven't posted since my slicker cape and boy, I sure have been using it. Snow..Rain Rain Rain.... and it was perfect.   I love the 'Treasure Hunt Room'  at G Street Fabrics... amazing how sometimes the things I pull out of there are perfect timing...

What Have I been Doing?.... OMG... too many unfocused things....

I have been adding alphabet letters to the Old McDonald Farm Book.  So today, I hopefully will finish that up.  I need to deliver it on the 15th, so I have 2 Days...  I had a little trouble finding the right theme fabrics for some of the letters.  Today I am going to print the fabrics for the letters I couldn't find at G Street.  Hopefully that will work out.  I ordered some fabric transfer for use on my InkJet Printer and I have to do X H  maybe a new A J N O Q W- I got the fabric for the Y yesterday and then enclose the music box - attach and that project will be out of here....

So today I also have to do Valentines Outfits for tomorrow...HaHa... we will see how that goes.

Got some Earrings...

Fabric...but no time... so  Scarf and one of these earring pairs...

and

Remember this blog is what makes me have to finish things, and hopefully inspire you to finish your UFOs too.  I was in a hurry the other day and needed a quick chemise, so I grabbed an old half slip cut the elastic off and took the lace trim from the side slit and removed it sewed the slit together and put the lace as straps.  Hemmed it and put it on for under a silk blouse and away I went.  I never used it because it was too short, but upside down it was the perfect chemise.

I have to go ride my exercise bike and drink my 33 oz of water before I start the day.

Those are RED pants to go with the heart Earrings and Scarf

Cape with Hood

This is what I am Sewing Right Now:

I am Making the View with the Hood A - with Pockets and place to put hands through.   The fabric for the cape is a slicker type fabric and the lining is the pre insulated skicoat lining that I had used on my reversible coat with the black fur.  It snowed last night, so I am motivated to get this done to wear it.

See if I can get this done... I still have to cut out 4 pocket pieces out of each both lining and slicker and I have to cut out the pocket side welt, and fur collar.  

Hood pieces... as you can see... I cut roughly as I do everything fast... and this slicker fabric feels like it is bullet proof.  It bends the pins if you try to pin it... I got leather machine needles.... hopefully they will be able to penetrate it.  My scissors did cut it, but they are fresh new and sharp scissors today... maybe dull tomorrow?!

Both the lining and the slicker pieces have been cut out so the sewing should be pretty fast.  The pieces are two side front, two fronts, two side backs and 1 back cut on the fold, plus the hood. 

             

Okay instead of finishing the Cape, I made Stretch suede gloves to match my suede sherpa coat..... MY Bad.... LOL

Finish Cape Next....

I am so excited... As usual, I am doing the lining first... and then I will know how to do the outside of the slicker fast.  I just did the front side with the welt and pocket... and I love the look.  Motivates me to do the rest.

This is just one side, but I have never done this kind of overwelt on the pocket and I love the look and feel of it.  It motivates me to do the whole lining.... and hopefully the whole cape.  The rectangular piece for the pocket flap is sewn on matching your rough seam then sew the regular pocket piece on.  When you sew the two seams together it makes the pocket flap go backwards and then you topstitch the pocket flap on its top stitching at the bottom and top so it stays put in that direction.  Your regular pocket pieces are stitched in towards the front as you would put your hands.  I love the 'Look' and feel.

This is the Cape Lining without the hood.... when I put the Hood On, it is almost wearable.   I will not wear this one like this, because I have to sew the slicker side of the cape on to the total cape and flip it to finish it.  I don't believe I will hem this on the sides or bottom until I sew the two together.  This is getting the experience of making the cape to do the outside, but also making it exactly like the outside so I can make the cape reversible.  I will now sew the hood on and then sew the outside together.

This is the lining done with the hood attached....Ready for the outside

I am trying to make myself finish it... I don't enjoy sewing the Rubbery slicker like I do fabric... but it looks pretty cool.  My Plastic Canvas Earring Hanger in the background.... LOL

Here I have done the slicker side of the cape and the lining side with the insulation of the cape.  The hood on the lining is turned under and top stitched.  The hood on the slicker is just raw edges.  The lining and the cape will be sewn together at the front seams up to the hood and the side seams where the slit opening is and flipped out so that both sides have a smooth seam.  If this step works okay when flipped out I will determine how the hood edges will be.  I am thinking the slicker edge will be topstitched over the lining so it is a contrasting trim on the hood.  I might add a piece of pleather on top if that doesn't look good enough to me or some other kind of trim to give it pizazz...  The same with the bottom of the cape at the hem line... All is a process of trying on and looking and deciding how I want to look and feel. and the practicality of whatever trim, because this is for heavy rainstorms.  Most likely the edges down the front will be topstitched about an inch or sew in to give it a flat edge and 1/4 inch in on slits where you put your hands out to put in pockets.  

Hard to see the detail, this rubbery slinky slicker fabric does not do anything by itself.  The lining was perfect to give it body or you would be like in a plastic bag.

Either side will work, both are waterproof and there is insulation attached to the lining -very lightweight like a ski coat but not heavy at all.  It has just enough substance to give the rubbery slicker body.  I really liked the flaps on the pocket detail.

Showing the Back Side of the Cape and Hood and Below are Details

The sides have Slits to bring your arms out and put in Pockets or Drive or whatever

Because of the flexibility of the light slicker and the difference in thickness with the lining insulation, I topstitched all seams and up the slits.  Stitched once close to the edge and once 1/4 inch in for detail.

Decided on Buttons with loops.... Buttons on Both sides and same loops make buttoning Reversible

Lining Side Out - Sill has Pockets and Same Loops for Buttoning

The Back of the Lining Side

Suede sherpa back Coat, Vest and Scarf

Used a Pattern, but as usual, improvised.  Looked at peoples coats as they came in and decided to do the seams out and top stitch.  Wanted inseam side pockets, but wanted to make the coat reversible.  Doubled the pockets so both sides of the pocket were sherpa to feel good on the hands, either way.

SimplicityPattern No. 8467

Pattern with improvised adjustments:

Scraps end became Scarf and Vest

Scarf is just a side strip and used an elastic or bracelet for banding in center instead of knotting... keeps neck toastie.

Pattern for vest-seams only at side and shoulders...ended up sewing down lapels for a more tailored look- made it a little longer than pattern so it would go to bottom of my tunic tops.

For Other Coat Ideas and Pattern Info

Link to:Blanket Coats and Pattern Info

Holiday Outfits

Made From G Street Fabrics 'Treasure Hunt' Room-2.97 yard

Scarf is just a leftover strip of fabric from another black glitter woven fabric with an accordian pleat - found in the 'Treasure Hunt Room' 2.97 a yard

The Red Jacket is the Free Flowing Cardigan Pattern:
Shortened 6 inches so it can be used with dresses or pants.  I am 5'2".

The dress is using one of my old faithful easy-quick dress patterns, but this Flowy Ribknit makes it look different.

Adjustment of neckline to make it higher, since the fabric was soo stretchy and I was going to use the infinity scarf-turtle neck look

Silver Glitter Rib Knit Found

This looks like a turtle neck, but the dress has a regular neckline with a bias strip top band and there is an infinity scarf made separately from this pattern:

Gold and Black Glitter Chiffon with Gold and Yellow Glitter Sweater Knit for Shirt and Gold Glitter Poinsetta Pants on Yellow

Beautiful Gold Cut Velvet Burnout and Sweetheart Neckline Black Glitter Knit with Black Stretch Lace Attached Tunic and Crepe Stretch Pants

The Top is the freeflowing Cardigan, the Pants are my regular 20 minute tubins'  The top is made by combining two patterns and sewing the front body piece of lace onto the glitter knit cut from the sweetheart neckline top.  I was able to leave the scallop edge on the bottom of the tunic and made little slits on each side of the lace.  The pieces were only sewn together at the sweetheart neckline and the side seams so the lining was shorter and let the lace show well at the bottom and the neckline.   Sleeves were the glitter knit without lace, but the back of the shirt was attached to the glitter knit at the lower part of the yoke.  The 'Lacy Look' for the holidays and evenings.

Old Faithful 20 minute tubin' pants by using this comfy pattern and making the legs wider so they are not tight like leggins....Can look professional but be leggin comfy at the waist.

Raincoat

I found Raincoat Lining or what might be some kind of Ski Jacket material in the Treasure Hunt Room of 2.97 a yard material.... I didn't have a raincoat... so I decided to make one.

I made the lining the day it snowed and wore the lining inside out... so I put pockets in the lining itself so I would have pockets that day

I turned under the edge all the way around hood and all-and top stitched it so I could wear it... Here it is the way it will be in the coat itself.

The Raincoat itself is kind of silver gray waterproof material found the same day in the Treasure Hunt Room at 2.97 a yard.

The Raincoat Pockets will be the insulated lining so it is soft and comfy when I put my cold wet hands in the pockets...  Maybe I will have enough to make mittens... LOL

Pockets out of Insulated lining

I  am going to try to make a strip like belting around the coat at waist height to drawstring and give it some added shape... A bit wider than it shows on the pattern.

Well, so it is a furry raincoat... Yes, I added fur, and I think I am going to do all of the edges... Pin test and then sew

Yes, on the cuff too, not quite this wide

Around the edges.... and then I will turn inside out and put the waistband along the back so I can have a little shape to the coat-- Remember the whole thing is reversible... one side silver and one side brownish black

Belting just at the back from seam to seam but a loose piece that I can overlap and hook or tie... maybe grommets and ratail or bolo cord through the grommets..

Inserted Elastic into the belting and put DRings on the end... Belting done...

Raincoat DONE and Reversible with Pockets in both sides

One side Silver the other side Dark Brown.

I made Straight Loose Sleeves with no Cuffs and extended the bottom to a straight edge for more of a raincoat look but short coat to be able to get in and out of the car.  With this fabric combination - this pattern with a few adjustments worked great for me.