Quilt-y hearts in Black

Afternoon everybody!...Hope all is well and the work week is swiftly progressing....I've been sewing a lot; but writing blog posts ehhhhh, not so much...but for this one I decided to share sooner than I was planning on...I'm skipping ahead again because this is the latest thing I've whipped up but certainly not the just the recent.....y'all know my makes will come back around though, they always do....I do have Instagram, and I share much more there than here, or anywhere for that matter....no particular reason except that its much easier to share because I use my phone....Look me up there if time permits for more of my sewing stuff!.....
Now this is another McCall's caller, in the form of a skirt....this is my second time making this pattern this week, the first one I made was View A (can be found on Instagram because I didn't photograph it with my camera; only my phone)....I seem to to be going in a row with this pattern because today I finished View B....for both skirts I used somewhat heavier knits so I'll still be able to wear them in the cooler months!...sewing works out like that sometimes because Lawd knows I didn't have that in mind when I whipped 'em up!...
I made them both from McCall's MP428 and I have three more views left...they're on the maxi skirt side so I may or may not get around to whipping those up anytime soon....on the other hand you can never have too many maxi skirts...and I so love the next one in line (View C); it is super cute although I kinda did that one free hand sometime last year I believe....Oh well, now I have a pattern to use and I wont have to wing it! See, sewing working out again....
My latest skirt is made from a super cute, quilt-y, more dense knit I got from where?...You guessed it: Hancock's Fabrics!...I LOVE THAT PLACE, and the fabric was already in my stash...okay I know y'all already know that so I can stop getting side tracked now right?...its just so easy for me!...LOL!...my new skirt only used one pattern piece; which I already had handy....I traced out two pattern pieces for the first skirt I made so that made the process even faster; View B used one of those pieces....I cut the size 14....I tried it on and I like the way it fits!....(I didn't feel like any alterations anyway).....Belle (my Blue dress form) modeled this one.....I guess she really didn't care for the first one I made because she didn't wear it well IMO...the Black one works for her I guess because it looked much better on her.....Pink Cookie was a bit too skinny this go 'round and couldn't fill it out....
I let it hang overnight because the fabric is kinda heavy and finished it off earlier today by serging all the raw edges....I didn't want to try and hem it because the quilt-y hearts are just too thick....I didn't feel like breaking 15 needles....and it turned out just awesome....I don't mind the serged edges because their so neat but I hemmed the first one though....I need to do more with my serger; I heard it can do some mean gathering and shirring....well, I'm getting off subject again so I'll share the photos now of my girl Belle looking good....
Does anyone else have Instagram?...share your handles! (mine is @MSKRS_STITCHES)
~~MsKRS~~

Front shot of my new skirt...see the quilt-y goodness?...I just love it! 

Side view 1

Back shot 

Side view 2

New Look and a Kimono

Good evening everybody!...I'm still up watching Modern Family and trying to figure out if I'm going to sew up something else before I go to bed.....a mini marathon comes on every Friday and I always try to tune in....those folks crack me up!....
I've been sewing a bit today; I made one of my little cousins a super pretty little Minnie Mouse halter top...I hope she can fit it; I just googled the size she wears (a 5-6 in little girls) and came up with the measurements....when I finished it I put it in a gift bag along with another little gift from me and didn't take naan picture! LOL!...Hopefully my cousin will take some pictures of her Babygirl and send them to me...if she does I will definitely share....(if my cousin doesn't mind)
Now this post is about what I just finished sewing for myself....I had been coveting a kimono cause I've seen them styled so damned pretty this season....I wanted in on some of the hotness so I had been keeping my eye out for a kimono pattern....Wouldn't you know that on my most recent trip to my favorite store (Hancock's Fabrics) I spotted New Look pattern #S0805....it has four views; two waist length and floor length....they're all so pretty and have ideas for all of em.....I whipped up View A, mainly because of the cool length and its sleeveless....Its still beyond hot around here so sleeves with the fabric I used wouldn't have fared well IMO....
I used an super pretty, floral print knit fabric I had in my stash....by now everybody should know where it came from! (smile)....it says *easy on the envelope and it actually was....I've been picking some good patterns lately in terms of how many pattern pieces I have to work with, the instructions, and ease of sewing...this one was "all that" because it sewed up nice; and has very good lines you know?....I feel like making more of these.....The view I made only had two pattern pieces!....You know that's my kinda pattern all day!....I altered the pattern juuuussstttt a little bit like I always do....I knew when I read the pattern instructions I was NOT going to add the bias tape....I just didn't think it would look good with the print like at all so I serged all the raw edges....and I was right, it looks much, much better and it doesn't clash with the pretty flowers....maybe next time I'll use a more plain fabric and it'll warrant some good ole' bias tape....after all I have plenty and I wouldn't mind another chance to use some of that vintage-y goodness....
Okay I'll share the pictures now 'cause I have laundry...the never-ending chore.....I'll talk to you good folks soon!...anybody whipped up anything they've had their eye on lately?...let me see! :)
~~MsKRS~~

Kimono!!!! Yeah baby! (in my Austin Powers voice)

Side shot w/ questionable sleeve holes.....

Back shot!....its just the right length...heels or flats will work! 

The other side....

Prettaaayyyyy!! 

New bonnet?...why yes, yes it is.....

Good evening y'all good people!...I'm sitting here watching Unsung; its about one of my favorite duos Kid and Play....they had they're ups and downs like everybody else I suppose but they are still best friends....IMO, that's all that counts....of course I'm sitting in my sewing room staring at all my fabric and always wondering what I'll whip up next...
This evening I wanted the instant gratification thing...I kept thinking and thinking and came up with the idea of finally making myself a hair bonnet...I may as well you know because every time I see one in the stores I swear up and down I'll make one...tonight I hooked one up......I don't know if I've ever shared but my hair has been chemical free for quite some time now which means it requires a little extra protection; such as a super comfy silk hair bonnet...all Natties (natural hair gals) know protecting our hair while sleeping is a must but the protection cannot be too tight or cumbersome to wear...my new hair bonnet is just right for that...matter fact I'm sitting here writing this post with it on right now because my hair has conditioner on it; today was wash day....I can already tell my hair is loving its new addition...
I free styled it; the aspect isn't that difficult to understand....I measured the elastic piece around my head, snipped it off and added it to my circles.....In my mind I envisioned having two circles to work with but the way I cut my damn pieces I ended up with four halves....Smh okay, okay no big deal 'cause I just connected the pieces to make the circles I needed to begin with....then I sewed up those circles and added the elastic opening....sewed the elastic together and closed the whole I used to flip my bonnet over....I kinda wanna make a few more because I have a few styles in mind....for instance if someone has longer hair the back of the bonnet will hang a bit longer you know?...and of course the fabric came from my spot.....(Hancock's Fabrics)...been in my stash for a good minute now...
My babygirl just put Golden Girls on for me (she knows me so well) and I kinda wanna make another one...I needed to had already gone to Sally's to get that mannequin head too so could take better pictures but I guess my own head will have to do for now....I may go grab one tomorrow; they're only maybe $8-$10....I priced them already and I actually didn't know they would just be at Sally's...sometimes the universe is on your side....okay, I'm rambling like always so I'll share my pictures now...I'm tired too, which may be a little evident in the pictures...forgive me, its my birthday month so I've been just up with the chickens while waiting on the stars.....talk to you good folks soon...
~~MsKRS~~

This is how I'm looking at this moment....relaxing in style with my pretty new bonnet....

(I may be a little biased wink-wink)...I'll probably make 4 more bonnets just because LOL!

the back shot

MsKRS' Pink Stitches 

Designer MsKRS and Simplicity

Good late evening everybody!...Yeah, I'm still up and messing around in my sewing room....I've been spending a lot, a lot of time in there lately....it keeps my mind off of what I've gone through and the pain of it all.....and you know what?...pain really does produce some good sh*t....I mean you're all in your feelings and somehow out of the pain something cool comes from it...its weird but true....not to say that you have to be jacked up to get good results but since this is life and all it may be a healthy way to look at the inevitable amiright?...

Around this time last night I was working on a new cross-body bag but I got bored and left off at the clasp and straps....I'll finish it soon though, I know I will.....I've been making so many little things lately too...I made my first pairs of undies the yesterday.... I made my daughter a pair and myself two out of some some laces I had in my stash....I felt a little weird about posting them though so I just opted to share that they came out pretty cute!!!!....I also made 8 hand towels; 4 for my GRANDdaughter and 4 for us.....super easy, instant gratification projects you know?...

Now this post is about my abundance of creativity which is always swirling around in my brain....

Y'all know I'm a lightweight designer right? (smile)...from time to time I like to just wing it without the tediousness of a too-many piece pattern...I had a outfit in mind that I wanted to make come alive and tonight I guess was the night...I started out trying to drape the knit I used into a top....the colors made me think of my stash.....I had these two funky fabrics I bought at least two years ago at Hancock's; online though....so I didn't get to see how they were but when they got here I remember looking at them for quite a while desperately trying to think of something, anything I would or could make with them.....well, I couldn't think of one damn thing so I neatly folded them up and added them to my stash.....until tonight....of course I had a pattern that fit the bill which I just got about maybe two or three weeks ago...I had the outfit in mind then when I grabbed it...

that pattern is Simplicity's S0432 View E, and it was only one pattern piece too!...I used it for the base of my project.....Whodathunkit?!...that's always a plus....I was originally going to whip up View C....

The fabric I used will speak for itself in terms of me not having a clue what it would become....its sheer as they come, has shiny hairs in stripes on it, and its Sunny yellow...I also have had the printed knit for quite some time too...I got a new shelf for my fabric last night and rediscovered it....it was a remnant that I thought was so cute; cost me a dollar I believe....Well, I'm rambling now like always because I like to talk hunty! LOLOLOL...any idea sewing been going on?...did you use a pattern or wing it like I did?...show me! 

~~MsKRS~~

Whadaya think?...I friggin' love it...but I may be a little biased....(wink-wink)

MsKRS designs, sometimes...

side shot of my new threads.....

shot of the back.....

MsKRS' Pink Stitches 

See the hairs??....super effin' cool man, super effin' cool!!!!!

Butterick beauty in the form of a sundress

Good afternoon everybody!...I've been toiling away in my sewing room lately; right on through the pain...I find that my sewing is good therapy....lets me move around just enough not to over-do it but just enough to get me going so I don't "stove up"....My Bigmama and other more mature relatives used to say that when it was hard for them to move; like if their body was sore....I'm getting better each day though....
I've made a bag set (super duper awesome bag set; I'll feature it soon), and a Red linen dress....but its quite plain so I wont debut that one until I wear it...it NEEDS accessories....
But my most recent make, my dress is pretty, print-y, and wild!....my kinda way you know?....I just grabbed this fabric the other day at my favorite place (Hancock's Fabrics) and its already a dress!...I hardly ever do that; I just mostly buy fabric for my stash....When I get ready to sew something I just take to my stash and choose from there....Chances are if I buy and use fabric right away its because I ran out mid-project and had no choice....but this go 'round there was no stash time for this piece....
I went thrifting the other day (the postop pain cut my visit quite short but it was worth it) and grabbed a few old school patterns....one of them was a "Quick" Butterick pattern by the number of 6314....I made View A and cut the largest size; the 10....I can only imagine that a sewing woman must have felt good about herself back in the day cause I do NOT wear a 10 in anything in real life..that's a small number in terms of clothing these days.....I chose View A; it only used 4 of the 5 pattern pieces to be sprung to life....the fifth piece is a ruffle used to whip up View B....I'll fix up one of those when the mood strikes....
I learned a new technique with this pattern...it called a "stay"....the pattern called for two; one for the front and one for the back both centered....How I describe it is like its a more reinforced stay stitch....the fabric anchored the gathers very well although I probably should've used a cotton instead of the same knit as my dress....it worked out though and I got the point....I may add them to other dresses because the technique is awesome!.....
Since I used yet another cool knit I calmed my anxiety of not being able to wait for anything and let it hang overnight to make sure the hem would be even....that's one of the few sewing rules I do follow as I don't really follow many.....I'm more of freestyle kinda gal you know?....I follow patterns but I usually end up doing things my own way....My arm and neck hole bindings could have been better though....I unpicked them three times; the left one twice and the right one once....it still ended up looking shi*ty IMO but I left it after all that....I was NOT about to get irritated with my super cool new dress....not at all, not today....
There's a special place in my soul for the old school patterns....They remind me of my self; straight forward while being clear and simple allowing super cool results!....This one is from the 80's, not sure of the exact year.....Well let me quit all this rambling and show off my new dress!....Who else has been burning the midnight oil sewing up stuff?....By all means show me! LOL
~~MsKRS~~

the beginning.....

up close and personal with my new lovebug pattern.....

Full frontal of my new dress!...my 80's shirt in the background awaiting buttons....the ones I want to use are shank and I just aint in the mood...I will though; I will....

Side shot....

the back....man I need a new camera smdh.....

another side view; the other side view that is....

Yasssssss...the COOLNESS is just right....I can dig it....