Spell, Stitch & Splinter

This is just a quick post about a commission I did for a friend this month. With the Krampus movie coming out he wanted to go to a holiday party dressed as the titular character. I've made this pattern  ( Simplicity 9887 )  twice before, sewing capes for me and my boyfriend. I cut from the typical crushed velvet, using red for the outside and black for the inside. This time I simply left openings by the shoulders for his arms, simply stitching the shell and lining together at those points. It wasn't until I had finished that I realized the pattern came with alternate pieces for the yoke that included armholes. But it was too late and it still turned out well.  Using the faux fur was a new experience for me. I had to be strategic about how I stitched it to the hood and down the front, making sure the nap was running in the direction I wanted. I watched a lot of online tutorials to learn how to properly cut and sew the fur.  I also had to figure out atta...

Because my costume was mostly pre-assembled, I was able to spend my sewing energy on my boyfriends costume. I originally wanted him to be Rumplestilskin, but he voted for the Mad Hatter instead. Still an awesome villain but harder to make with materials I already had.  First of all, he needed a coat. I was on a budget so I couldn't just buy a ton of heavy tweed. So I went to the thrift store and bought a medium weight fabric curtain. It was a bright red-orange so I dyed it with black to dull the color down to a burgundy.  I then cut out Simplicity 2333, using the pre-made hems of the curtain wherever I could to save time (this was a very last minute costume!). The contrast on the collar was made from scraps from last years elf costume. I only used it on the collar and the inside of the front flaps to give it a clean edge, but it doesn't extend all the way inside. His vest was another scraps project. The hatter, in any version, is always full o...

I love the show Once Upon a Time, although that love has waned these past couple of seasons (ever since the Frozen hype money grab). I've always wanted to make the costumes from that show, especially something from Regina King's wardrobe. I mean, she has got to be the most glamorous one in the show! Now having many years of costume making under my belt, I was able to put together a Regina-esque outfit from pieces I already had on hand. The skirt I already owned. It's mermaid shape was perfect for the character, nd it has a shiny stink set at the back. It was a hand me down from an older coworker who wore it to an event in Washington DC, so for ages I was stumped trying to figure out where I could wear it. I wonder what she'd think if she knew I was wearing it for Halloween.  The corset I wore is an old, crappy one I bought from a costume shop years ago. I decided to open it up and replace all the thin plastic boning with duct ties. Th...

I feel like this pattern and this fabric were made for each other! I plucked this polka dotted mesh out of a bargain bin the very first time I visited Fine Fabrics here in Atlanta (seriously, if you live here you NEED to shop there). For the longest time I didn't know what to do with it; it's slightly sheer and drapes very well. But it's not lightweight so a blouse was out. Then I saw Butterick 5920 and it was perfect: A vintage dress pattern meant for sheers! This was a reissue pattern from 1951. For the first time I used my sloper to help me make pattern adjustments.  It definitely jump started the process but I still made a muslin and fine tuned the fit, particularly around the armholes. But using the sloper i was able to start out with enough room for my bust and no excess fabric in the back. Design wise the pattern is pretty good. I decided to move the pockets from the bodice to the skirt. My bustline is pretty voluminous already, it doesn't need a...

We are the Crystal Gems! Dragoncon, one of the country's largest Fantasy/Sci-fi/Gaming/Anime conventions. This year was my first time attending and it was a blast! I didn't have much time nor the money to prepare something big so I whipped up a quick costume over the course of a few days. I picked Garnet from Cartoon Network's Steven Universe . Having the right hair and skin tone meant that a lot of the costume was already done for me (no wigs needed!). I just needed her outfit, and the simple character design made it pretty easy. The outfit consists of three main pieces: a top, a leotard, and some tights.  For the tights, I bought a black pair and a burgundy pair, cut them up and serged them together along the crotch.  The seam was easily hidden by a leotard I already had in my wardrobe, which also gave the right shape to the colored leg. For the top, I cut out pink and magenta stars from plain cotton, and stitched them to an old t-shirt. I used the sh...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin I'm going to really try and become a better blogger, and part of that is claiming my blog on Bloglovin. If you're interested, please follow me! Also, I've made an Instagram account for this blog and I've been taking part in House of Pinheiro's #SewPhotoHop.  It's been a blast and it's helped me discover so many new blogs. Follow me at @curvystitches.

I made this cardigan ages ago and it has been in heavy rotation in my wardrobe.  Super comfy and easy to wear, it is one of my favorite pieces of clothing so far. I used Vogue 8305, a gift from my boyfriend's grandma. She used to be a seamstress and gave away a lot of her fabrics and patterns once she retired.  It's described as a jacket on the envelope, but it's so obviously a cardigan. Draped over one shoulder. The fabric is a greenish-grey cotton jersey I got from Walmart. Since this was my first knit piece of clothing I wanted to get something cheap. I considered dying it emerald green but I think the grey is a better match for different outfits. Belted, most common way I wear it. The instructions were pretty simple to follow, though hemming the open end took forever.   The armhole seams are a bit wobbly since I thought I could stretch out the ease, but I definitely did it wrong. The only thing I really disliked was how the shoulders met with the back...

The beginning of a steampunk costume. It's been months since I've made anything, and grad school kept me plenty busy, but ages ago I did manage to sew this bustle for Halloween in 2013. Here I am wearing it with my belly dance skirt (blogged about here ) and a store bought corset I added fake fur to. Bustle doesn't really meet in the front The jacket is a thrift store find I've had for a few years (you can see it with my mad hatter costume   here ).  This was in my pre-machine days so I haphazardly hand stitched lace onto the collar and cuffs. And it was lace I cut from the edges of an old bed sheet! But my simple hand stitches have held up over the years since both the jacket and the lace are in great condition. The back is adorable! I decided to make a bustle to match the jacket and tried to get as close a shade of teal corduroy as I could.  The tint I found is spot on, but the shade is a bit too light.  I think I could dye it to exactly match...

Nothing says Valentine's Day like handmade trousers! Figures it would take a request form my boyfriend to drive me head first into the world of pants. He's been no-so-subtlely making suggestions on what project I should sew next. This came after he went with me to Joanns and he ended up buying men's patterns for trousers, jeans, coats, and a suit. I am glad he's taken such an interest in sewing, but knowing how picky he is with the fit and feel of his clothing, I will admit I went into this with some apprehension. I used Burda 6933 . This is my first time using a Burda pattern, and I had heard their instructions weren't always the best. Truthfully they did give me some trouble, and I had to read them several times to make sure I understood what was happening. I had to draft up 2 sizes from the largest size on the pattern paper.  The first muslin fit well through the hips and seat, but was tight around his thighs. So I went back and added some more wid...

The new space So I've been living in Atlanta for about 8 months and I finally organized our office/guest room into a useable space.  I was kind of forced to by a new addition that needed to find a proper place. They're Brothers! Tada! For Christmas my boyfriend got me a serger.  (He has  definitely been the financier for my sewing endeavors.) I was so excited that I went ahead and made matching dust covers for both it and my sewing machine. The suitcase Next to the machines is a "vintage" suitcase holding all my patterns.  It used to be able to close all the way, but I've acquired so many patterns that it stays open permanently. I'll eventually need some alternative for pattern storage. got some scrapbooks and Sailor Moon too! The cube shelf could only fit in the office if I faced it away from my desk, so I put things on it I didn't need immediate access to. That includes books, paint, knitting, scraps, plus my boyfriends leath...