Casual MsKRS and M6751 #3

First off let me apologize for being a horrible blogger; I've just had no time....and being moody as fack doesn't help either...I've been sewing like always but have not taken any photos with the exception for today....I always laugh at myself because when I don't want to take pictures it most definitely shows in them....I wasn't all that enthused about taking any today either but I forced myself so could show something and touch bases with my peeps...

Now I may or may not have shown this tank on Pink Cookie before but I know I've never shown myself wearing it...I whipped up my tank with some slinky Black and White floral fabric that is nice and cool....Somewhat sheer too; perfect for a very warm day like today....we are almost hitting the 95 degree mark around here....My stroll to the store this afternoon was helped by my top being the way it is....I got the fabric from Hancock's of course quite some time back....this make isn't "new" either and I've worn it at least twice before today....I didn't feel like heels or anything fancy this afternoon; plus me walking to anybodies store just ain't gone' happen! (although Ive done it before hence my conclusion of not doing it again)....paired it with some jeans and Gladiator sandals and off I went....I grabbed some spaghetti stuff and came on back home to make it....In fact I'm writing this post while extremely stuffed with spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad....I know it would be a shame for me to eat any more but that doesn't stop me from wanting to....I'll wait though as there is always plenty of spaghetti left....I always make tons of it; it just happens that way....

Since this was my third time sewing the pattern I have have perfected the fit....the first one was just a wearable muslin in an Orange knit, the second one was better whipped up in a Turquoise stretch lace, and this one in the fabric described earlier in the post.....the arm holes are just right; cool to wear....I opted out of the hemming this time and just serged all the edges...I'll wear it many more times because its just easy to wear....it can be worn like I did today; very casual or dressed up with heels....If I don't have to do any walking maybe the next go 'round will be more chic....Now let me share the photos...I got my Netflix working again so of course I'm watching all my Frasier episodes until its time for bed....I have a project on my sewing table all cut out except for the pockets too...I may or may not mess with it this evening....I'm too full right now that's for sure....I'll just have to let my food digest as my Mama would say.....What have you good folks been up to?...

(I'm including a couple flicks of the first two I made for comparison...the arm holes show the difference)

**MsKRS**

                                             

MsKRS 

Side shot showing awesome arm holes that fit and don't sag....Yayyyyy me!

Back shot...got the High-Low thing going on....

Me again showing off the other side....

MsKRS sews period....

this is the second time I made it...they're all View A if I didn't mention that before....the armholes on this one are better than the first but still needed a bit more fitting....

This is the first time I made it; the wearable muslin I talked about....see how the arm holes are just not  all that good?....I sleep in this one now but I still love it...I could have fixed them but I knew I'd sew it again and have a chance to perfect them....I designed the skirt too; no pattern though...just put together for this comfy outfit...and my Cons are to DIE FOR.....

The best mistakes I've ever made~New Look's 0167 View E

Good evening everybody and how is your "holiday" going?....Mine is cool, my Sweetest and I just came back from Office Max because I needed some stationary and other paper goods....I looked around the other day and almost (I said almost) didn't have any clean paper to chicken scratch on...Now you KNOW I cant have that; like at all....Found some cute stuff and some even cooler letter writing stuff....some of my good folks will be receiving a letter from me in the near future....I'm sorry but this technology mess CAN SO NOT TAKE OVER all the good stuff in life.....I wont let it....
Now this post is about my cool new Star Trek dress I made a while ago...I got the fabric from a local quilt shop across the street from my gig and it was a pretty penny too....I love it and it seemed worth it though because it has Lt. Uhura all over it; her name and all....the reason I call it the "best mistakes I ever made" because the dress is just chock full of 'em....first of all, I cut it out wrong so all the Lt. Uhura's were upside down....now yall know my mind immediately went into creative mode so I used the leftover fabric to fussy cut her out and used an embroidery stitch to cover up the upside down ones with her right side up!...I mean I was named after her for goodness sake!  I have to fix her!....then the darts just would not cooperate....I've made countless darts in some of the most delicate of fabrics but this tough quilting cotton just said NO to darts....then I jacked up the zipper....I actually wanted this one invisible because it was nothing special this time; not vintage or anything but it ended up showing anyway....It was uneven at the top too and I left it just like that....I even sewed the sleeves on wrong!(but I used a cool striped, sheer knit I was hoarding for 'em)....
But let me tell yall : I LOVE THIS DRESS, mistakes and all....its the fabric and all of its coolness that made every mistake virtually unnoticeable, well except by me....I got compliments on it too while we were out; probably from fellow Trekkies and other cool, nerdy folks.....its New Look's 0167 View D modified
Hell I'm even watching Star Trek right now!...the Next Generation currently showing....Commander Data, Captain Picard, and Lt. Worf got the screen sewed up  (pun intended)...even my hair today resembled Counselor Troi's!....My Mama used to think Commander Riker was handsome and I used to be just too excited to see Commander Geordi La Forge; it was the bee's knees I'm telling you....He was introduced to me way before his debut on the Next Generation through Reading Rainbow though which makes it that much more awesome....I wore my round toe boots to pull off the whole Trekkie look....Nerdy yeah, but the cool factor overrides that!..well IMO wink-wink.....Let me share the piccies now and watch my show...Commander Geordi trying get his mack on right now; and the lady is married!..they had drama too! LOL!...There I go rambling.....;)
Be Dope and Prosper!...Outer space style!
~~MsKRS~~

Trekkie MsKRS

Trying to do that live long and prosper thing Dr. Spock does but yeah, I cant do it....

Back shot....

Puffy looking side shot...the damn darts would have helped with the mid-section mishap....geez....(maybe I'll try to put them in one of these days)

Star Trek fabric!!! Yassssss!!! (with the old school crew)

Are you a trekkie?....do you like the show?

MsKRS and the case of the mystery patterns

Good evening everybody!...I'm up watching Big Bang Theory and talking with my babygirl....the cats are running through here like they always do around this time which usually makes me close my door on 'em...they are very noisy and hyper around this time....but tonight I'm letting 'em run in and out of my room too....they sneak in my sewing room and inspect everything any chance they get; if I see 'em in there though I make 'em leave....I believe my guy cat already stuck himself with a pin or two...I notice he doesn't try to jump up on the sewing counter where they are anymore...poor thing, poor nosy thing...smh....
I got dressed earlier with some of my makes but for some reason I cant find the patterns I used to sew them!....I looked twice for the patterns in my pattern drawers with no luck..now I cant share the pattern numbers...but if I find them I'll make an a quick update....I do know that the top is one of the first patterns I ever bought; its one of those patterns with just one view...I got it from Wal-Mart at least a good 5 years ago...it was one of those 97 cents ones....and the skirt I'm pretty sure is Christine Hayne's circle skirt pattern, but I have quite a few now so I cant say for sure....I do believe its hers though....I made this skirt and top a while back; I just had never worn them before....the skirt I believe had already needed a repair; I didn't sew the band on very well at first so I had to fix that....and the top went with it perfectly although I made it out of boredom one day a few months ago without the skirt in mind....sewing works out like that....
I used a glittery knit fabric for the top....the glittery stuff is hot Pink although it didn't photograph well at all...I swear I need a new camera to show more detail...I'm working on it....the skirt got whipped up out of a kinda stretchy, tie-dye cotton fabric...I got them both from Hancock's, ordered online...You just never know what your going to get unless you order a swatch which is something I never do....any "ugly" fabrics always ends up being something pretty anyway so I just take my chances!...I liked both of these when I got 'em in the mail....
I didn't really feel like taking pictures today either but my Sweetest persuaded me to....I'm glad he did because I told myself I would post more...it was sprinkling today and I just wasn't in the mood...it wasn't all that gloomy though, just a little wet....He snapped a few for me, I came back inside, and went back to sleep....I was tired today; I needed rest which is probably what contributed to my mood earlier and me being up writing right now...I may even sew up a quick top or skirt before I go back to sleep 'cause the sewing bug is definitely biting....I just keep looking at these sweater knits I have in there....Well here are the mystery clothes and I'll show you good people something else in a few....
~~MsKRS~~

I love this fabric....well, both of them...

Blahhhh to the rainy days....wasn't too cold though at least....

Polka dots and a Butterick beauty....

Evening all; and how are things going?...I'm all right, just been sewing and living....Coupla' snags along the way but such is life right?....Before I go and do a couple loads of laundry I thought I should write about my dress real quick like....
I whipped up Butterick Fashion Express 1 Hour Pattern View B a little while ago....While my Babygirl was home visiting I hurried up and had her take some photos...My Sweetest usually takes them and drives me nutty when he does! LOL!...I love him anyway; but my daughter was my first photographer so I asked her to take a few piccies this go' round....
I have many super cool knit fabrics so I immediately took to my stash and started on my new dress....I used a slinky, knit fabric that I found at Hancock's Fabrics on one of my many trips there...When I saw that fabric I knew it would become something awesome....that's what I do when I get fabric....I never have any true intention on any one specific thing, my fabrics just end up being whatever strikes me at the time....I did get my coat fabric specifically for that project; 'cause I don't usually buy such heavy fabrics unless its denim or something....(see my last post to check out my new coat that is basically too hot to wear here; damn).....
This pattern was true to what it said, it was very fast and easy and I finished it in about an hour and a half....OMG its super comfortable; like a gown that can be worn outside with my boots!...I know I'll be making a couple more....I left the pockets off this one because the fabric didn't seem strong enough for them; like they would have made it sag....the next one may have pockets though if I see fit....View C may be next because it has puff sleeves and I have a fabric in mind already....Well let me share the photos and like always if you want to know more just let me know!
**MsKRS**

Who made a coat?...MsKRS did!

Hiiiiii to to my folks this good Saturday!...Just now getting in from checking on one of my friends that hasn't called me in too long.....She turned out to be just fine; when I showed up she was having a card party...We had a good ole' time....

Now I don't know if you good folks know but I had planned on a big project; which was the Lolita Spearmint coat....I ordered the pattern online and had it for a few days before I just had to cut that flounce out and see what it was all about....the pattern cut out and ready to go was just as awesome at it was sewn up....(I'll show y'all the pattern all cut out too)...then it sat on my sewing table for a couple weeks with me making little progress here and there; like me fixing the pockets and pinning the lining fabric....I have never tried a pattern so extravagant as in doing a lining and so many other details.... I have made a jacket and other warm wear before though.....Maybe one of these Throwback Thursdays I'll repost my makes.....

I can say this coat makes me HAPPY....It could have been better but its done and I made it...Learned a lot too....I was going to try and press it a bit better but I cant do too much heat; its iridescent out the outside...While messing with the seams it left a glittery residue on my iron....I gotta get that off...Mannnn this fabric is just the bee's knees too....I found it at Fabric Mart....I actually didn't know it was shiny like that; but when I opened it I was more than happy to cut into it and make my intended coat...I actually planned on getting this fabric for this particular project...I usually just go to my stash and sew what grabs me at the time... but this coat needed a bit more attention.....I may run it through the dry cycle for a few minutes to relax it more...but I like it now just the way it is...I kinda wanna make it again but Cali weather didn't even really call for this one....Hell I wore a thin, knit top I made out of boredom a while ago with my coat today, and its sleeveless!....I was HOT!....Gotta love Cali weather and I do...I do indeed.....

Well any questions or comments just add 'em here....Piccies now cause Imma get ta' rambling like always! LOL! 

*MsKRS*

 

All cut out...like 17 pieces...sheesh!

MsKRS and the Lolita Spearmint Coat (short version)

Shot of the back......needs a good pressing....or maybe me wearing it'll do....

Side view.....

Winter Schminter! LOL! 

Pretty lining?...got that....

Its warm! :)

First makes and model of 2015

Howdy everybody!  I'm sitting here with a damn headache and I don't know where it came from...I just woke up with it....I should be all right in a minute though, I took a couple of Bayer's....I just love the weekends even more nowadays because I wear scrubs all week looking horribly frumpy IMO...the weekends allow me to be ME and wear actual clothes....(I hate wearing scrubs; I'd much rather wear business gear)...and this weekend I wore my latest outfit I made....If you wanna know more about it you can check out my last blog post where I ramble about the pattern, fabric, and other stuff....This one is just to show me wearing the 'fit....
I do have a little to say about the outfit though; such as I didn't make the matching fabric belt...I ended up wearing a super cool thrift find I copped-----> an Olive-colored skinny belt I got for $2.00 on one of my thrifting trips....Brand new too...I love thrifting so much and it goes hand in hand with sewing if you ask me...(See how I start to ramble; ain't nobody asked me nothing LOL)
Overall I LOVED wearing the outfit and here it is....Later my good folks!  Oh, and I'm feeling better already....aspirin to the rescue!.....
~~MsKRS~~

MsKRS Sews

Side shot of my new digs.....

Shot of the back....

Ayeeeeeeee! :)

My thigh high boots though....had to let them out one time....and my belt?...the tag said $22.00; I saved $20.00!....All right now! 

A "Jiffy" top, a pattern-less skirt, and the New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!...I hope all is well; and I for one am glad all the hoopla is over and done with...I've been sewing of course; matter of fact I sewed right on through the new year with a bottle of wine and awesome fabric....I haven't been taking a lot of photos though as usual...but tonight I finished a new top and its the new year and I haven't blogged in forever and my latest pieces are just too awesome! (sentence just ran with it huh? wink-wink)....
I've been getting super lucky on my trips to Hancock's lately and I have fabrics to show it...I showed off some of my stash on Instagram but I didn't take any for the blog..hell the stash has grown since then and that was a few days ago...I can't stop buying fabric (I don't try that hard, honestly) and it does NOT help that there's always some on "sale"......Check me out of you feel like registering for yet another damn social site; my damn user name is mskrs_stitches....you can give me yours too if you see fit.....well, back to my awesome sauce fabric and my first pieces of 2015....OMG Hancock's is KILLING the knit game right now and I've been snagging as many pieces as I can.....I've loved knits ever since I started sewing...I've heard that many don't like to sew with knits, say they are difficult, or just don't like them much at all..its the total opposite for me...I LOVE them and skipped right over the taboo of sewing with them too....Maybe because the first piece of fabric I bought was a huge piece of heather gray super thin knit fabric...I didn't understand the yardage back then and I believe I asked for 4 yards of it....it wasn't that expensive at all so back then I thought the cost equaled how much I got...My beginner days....
Now let me tell it on the mountain about my two new additions to my wardrobe....I first made a pencil skirt with a bad arse brown knit I grabbed and it is just too good....its very thick; I wonder if its Ponte....I've never seen any Ponte that thick though; but it may very well be that....I decided it would be a pencil skirt and whipped one up with it.....then I rambled through my patterns and fished out one of Simplicity's old school Jiffy patterns; 1364 to be exact and made View A to wear with it.....I didn't make the sash; but I still might 'cause I still have some of the fabric left....and I eliminated the zipper and hook & eye too....I kept the darts though...I just sized up to accommodate for the "spacers" (the hardware)....I saw the pencil skirt outfit idea on Pinterest (yeah, I got one of them too smh)....so much pretty stuff on there though...I really dig Pinterest....
Oh and the fabric I used for the top is called "butter suede" according to my little sewing ladies at the shop....the name sold me and the print was a bonus....I love this top....and it sewed up nicely....
Well let me get back to my sewing room and my Netflix (I'm watching all the Frasier's cracking up!)....just wanted to say HEY and show y'all my stuff....I meant to write on New Year's Day but I had to work...this is my first weekend off of the year and I got something to show for it...What is everybody else whipping up for the new year?....
**MsKRS**

Pretty arse fabric......

I like the 3/4 sleeves....View A will be made again, soon....

Voila!!...my new top...thanks Simplicity and the vintage get down is all 'dat.....

Side view.....

My new, neatly folded pencil skirt....yassssss

The new Elder of my Sewing Room & other goings on

Heyyyyyy everybody!  Long time no write huh?...super bad blogger lady but please forgive me; I've been out of the cyber world for a minute...Sometimes the Internet can be a bit too much you know?...but how I've missed sharing my tidbits though so here I go again....First off, I've been thrifting and SCORING BIG TIME!....Found some awesome pieces of fabric and other vintage notions that I'm just itching to work with....I've already made a dress out of one of the fabrics I found and it just says Mad Men allllll over it...my goal nowadays usually....I didnt take any pictures of my dress with my camera though; I just shared it on my Instagram (just in case you wanna see it)....made a new cape too but I had been hoarding that fabric for a while..go 'head on over there and check 'em out when you get a minute....oh, my Instagram name is mskrs_stitches...I believe that's how you find me or you may be able to just search my name I suppose....I also have a new dress on Belle needing the zipper put in and a hemming....and that leads me to how it may just come out effin' perfect this time.....I just have to use this baby to do it....read on....
Now let me say that I have always liked the older machines; I guess its really no different than the rest of the oldies stuff I like huh?....so of course I've always wanted an "old" sewing machine....Anybody that knows me well KNOWS I can be impulsive...so the other night I took to my local Craig's List in search of a "new" machine I could snag....Lucky me; I damn near instantly found one as soon as I typed in "sewing machine"....I called him right away (it had been listed for 2 months already) and he said it was still available....I made arrangements to grab it from the very next day when I got off work....Make a long story short its here and has taken its rightful place in my sewing space...and I cannot explain how much I love this machine....I have to get some bobbins cause I don't have any to fit....Oh and its a Singer!...It takes Touch and Sew bobbins and I have nothing of the sort....got a bowl full for my other machines but for this one ummm nawwww....I have to go brave the irritations of JoAnn's tomorrow and its get to stitchin' for me.....my new machine does so much and has so many awesome features...the manual is a real book; NOT a pamphlet.....script lettering, buttonholes to write home about, and even monograms!....I totally get why people own more than one machine...they truly all do something different (I now have 3 machines and a serger).....
Well okay I gotta knock this one more work day out for the week so I'm going to get some Zzzzzzz...
Pictures of my handsome new addition now....
~~MsKRS~~

check him out....just as handsome as he wanna be...(hehehehehe)

Up close and personal....oh and I gotta track down a slide plate too....hopefully it'll be easy as finding the bobbins....

A couple of feet and the one of the manuals..."back then" the machines came with two books...the other one is kinda damaged though with it being so old....I'm going to fix it though; with a little tape...I tried to use one of my other bobbins but neither style worked....

it has a stale smell so closed it with these natural helpers inside...they helped almost immediately....

cleaning and oiling; it was quite fuzzy....

My Bigmama, a New Look revisited, and my Mad Men obsession continues.....

Good evening all!..I'm just sitting here enjoying my last few hours of relaxation before I head off to start the work week in the morning...I decided to write this post because I really wanted to share other stuff besides my cool new dress....I don't know if I've mentioned it before but my family is chock full of seamstresses, quilters, and tailors; yayyyy me amiright? (on my Daddy's side of the family)....A little tidbit of information that made my instant take to sewing out of the clear Blue sky much easier to understand....My Mama sewed for us too when my Brother and me were little....
My Auntie Brenda (my Daddy's Sister) was cleaning out some closets at my Bigmama's house and found a suitcase full of fabric....She of course called me and I came and picked it up....In my mind I KNEW that fabric was going to literally throw me right back into my Mad Men obsession.....I have been forever obsessed with the older styles; like the 50's and 60's and when Mad Men came out with that killer story line AND killer fashion I was hooked....I immediately started to look for patterns and fabric to whip up similar stuff....My Bigmama's suitcase though; was fulla' fabric that actually came from that era....Nothing but Mad Men stuff; there was no other way (or at least I didn't feel the need to look for one).....Sooooo last night at 11:32 pm I decided to start a new dress (yeah, in the middle of the night smh), my trusty New Look Pattern #0167...it has five super vintage-y views and I've sewn the majority of them....I whipped up View C and I promise you its that neckline that gets me every time....IMO, you don't have to accessorize as much when you have super cool design features on your clothes...
I used a very sturdy, Olive green, tartan kinda fabric; however I don't know what kind it is....its so and strong and awesome....it kinda reminds me of denim....it sewed up real nice because its so easy to work with so the dress was finished this afternoon....I put the sleeves on and hemmed it and was done....it photographed a kind of pea green but its really more Olive...I'm still in the market for a camera that takes sharper piccies....
I'm thinking I'll pair my new dress with some Navy boots I have in my shoe stash....I'll take more pictures later when I wear it too; if I don't add the photos to this post I'll make a short one and just share this one again with it....
I LOVE THIS DRESS....I LOVE THIS DRESS....DID I SAY I LOVE THIS DRESS?....not only is it from my beloved Bigmama's fabric stash, it's also satisfies my need to dress from another era, and lets me show off one of my favorite New Look Patterns once again.....Yasssssssssss....and of course I added more retro coolness by taking to my vintage zipper stash....and my luck allowed me to have a 22" zipper in Navy....Yeah baby!!!!! (in my Austin Powers voice)....the fabric smelled kind of stale so after I finished sewing it I put it in the wash and air dried it.....its now damn near perfect....
Well let me share these pictures because I can literally talk about my sewing and the ties that bind for-ever.....I'll share myself modeling it soon as I can but for now Pink Cookie has to assist....Belle didn't wear it well this go 'round....Que Sera Sera right?
~~MsKRS~~

the beginning, well at the end of the night....the sewing bug is very rude around here....just bites whenever it wants and the only way to stop the biting is to get on up and sew....sheesh...lol

Pattern pieces getting laid out....My Bigmama had at least three yards of this fabric in her stash....I wonder what she was going to do with it?....probably caught it on sale and just bought it...

I do that A LOT....

all cut out and ready to go!

Vintage goodness; booty from one of my thrift store trips....installed like magic too! ;)

just need to add the sleeves....it was three in the morning when I said okay I'll finish "tomorrow"....I didn't choose the sewing life, the sewing life chose me! (LMAO)

Neckline awesomeness....

the finished product, aaaaaand a very sh*tty picture of it.....excuse it; I swear I'll take better ones  later when I wear it......

My Bigmama would be proud.....Her grandbaby SEWS.....

Shot of that zipper.....Vintage everything...well, the boots are new.....