I knew I wanted it for my daughter. The dress, to me, is just classic elegance. I have two daughters and I am hoping that my younger daughter will also want to wear this dress, so I made her a part of the selection process and explained to her that my sisters and I  all wore the same Communion Dress. We shall see….the girls have different body types so it could be it doesn’t fit and I’ll just have to make another dress…..

I went to Alfatex which is slowly turning into my favorite local  fabric shop. It’s easy for me to get to and the sales ladies are very helpful. I knew I didn’t want a shiny fabric and I knew I didn’t want pure white. After discussing my fabric options with the sales lady,  I ended up with Dupioni Silk. ( in German it’s called Dupion Seide in case you were wondering). I got lucky in that out of the three bolts in Ecru, there was one that hadn’t yet been marked with the new price so I saved 5€ per meter! YAY!

My daughter is long and lean. She has the waist of a  7 year old and the height of a 9 1/2 year old! To be better safe than sorry, I made a muslin. Size 128cm for the width and 140cm for the length. Fit like a glove. Phew! The pattern itself is relatively simple. It’s a basic lined bodice and the skirt is cut out without a pattern but rather by referring to a chart. Here is my marked up muslin.

I love Burda, but oh boy…the instructions are sometimes confusing, aren’t they?!? I assumed  my lack of understanding the directions  was due to the fact that I was reading the pattern in German so I downloaded the directions from burdastyle.com in English. Guess what? Didn’t help. I could not for the life of me figure out how they wanted me to put this bodice together with a spoon handle, so I gave up and sewed the bodice up like I have always done. It worked fine.

The pleats went together very easily, zipper was a breeze,  and I was pleased as can be when the skirt lined up with the bodice perfectly.

I stitched the bodice to the skirt with the machine but hand-stitched the lining to the skirt. I also hand stitched the hem which only  took me two and half hours. I was watching a movie while sewing…

This dress was a lot of firsts for me. As I mentioned, this dress was the first time I really made buttonholes. I had only ever made buttonholes one other time and that was on inexpensive cotton not 30€ per meter silk. After several practice buttonholes on scrap fabric, I had it down!! The buttonholes went in without and real drama and I am happy with the covered buttons. I think covered buttons could become an obsession of mine.

This is also the first time I worked with tulle or made any type of petticoat.  I found this great website with tulle. I emailed them and asked which one of their products would best fit my needs and they sent me three different samples. I choose a fine ivory tulle.  I ordered the lining for the petticoat from Frau Tulpe and I’m pretty sure this anti-static lining will be my lining of choice for many different projects.

The Burda directions call for the tulle to be pleated rather than gathered and this proved to be a bit tricky with the slippery fabric, but all and all it was quite simple and went together without any problem.

The Communion was on April 14. It was still pretty cold here and there was no sign it would warm up. I started to panic since the dress is sleeveless. I was running out of time and fabric, but I knew I needed a little jacket. It’s a good thing I hoard collect Burda magazines. I found this simple pattern.

I somehow managed to have enough silk left over to make the jacket. I only had enough fabric for 3/4 length sleeves, but I think that turned out better. I had literally only enough of the lace left over to go around each sleeve without even a millimeter to spare. Mind you, the picture below is BEFORE it was pressed and with a flash so the fabric looks much more shiny than in person.

The girls don’t wear veils here, so my intention was a simple silk headband. She found it a little boring, so I added a  what should have been little fabric flower. Turned out a bit bigger than planned, but it worked.

She told me she felt like a princess with her dress. Isn’t that what every Mom wants to hear on a First Communion??

She totally inspired me.

I found her blog while looking for reviews on the Vogue 8241.

I had a Gala to go to and wanted to make my own dress that would be simple and quick. Not only did her pattern review help my decision to use this pattern but it got me thinking.

Could I do it too?

The Vogue dress came out ok and I wore it to that Gala. It was a bit too big, but in this style dress, its a little hard to notice.

I sew mostly for my children and not nearly enough for myself! So instead of committing to the 365 Day RTW fast on Goodbye Valentino, I would make my own commitment.

Six month no RTW purchases for myself or my daughters!

So far, so good! I started in April and will begin posting what I’ve made so far and as I go along.

A big boost of confidence in my sewing came in the form of my daughter’s First Communion Dress. Her Communion was at the end of April.

I fell in love with this pattern from Burda when I saw it in 2012 and made sure not to lose the magazine knowing I had a year before I could start it!

Here is a picture of the back from the Burda Style website:

And the back of my dress:

I was so excited to find the same lace for the belt as I think its the lace that I fell in love with!

This was my first time making real buttonholes and my first time making covered buttons. I had been doing everything in my power to avoid buttonholes. And now I wonder ,what the heck was I so scared of???

Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!

What do you use to clean your windows? I use hot water, some dish detergent and either white vinegar or spiritus. In the US, I think it’s called Everclear.

Happy Cleaning.

Her Facebook page just reached 900 fans and she’s offering a promo code. Head on over and ” like” her Facebook page for more details.

Hi Everyone! I am beyond thrilled that I was selected to do a pincushion tutorial for Riley Blake Designs!  I saw this style pin cushion at the place here in Germany where I took sewing courses. There was a REALLY BIG pincushion on the cutting table for all to use and I immediately fell in love with it’s practicality . I knew right away I needed to go home and make one for myself. Since then I’ve made one for almost every sew-ist I know. The flat, solid bottom sits nicely on the table. The fun style makes it a nice accessory to any sewing room and the size is ideal to keep all your pins tidy. I hope you’ll enjoy the tutorial and I’d love to see what you’ve made from it!! Send me a link in the comment section!

Wooden Base Pincushion Tutorial

Supplies

scraps of fabric

one long strip of fabric approximately 2” ( 5cm) wide by 21” ( 53cm) long

ribbon, ric rac, buttons, etc for embellishments

wooden disk measuring approximately 6 inch ( 15cm) diameter ( tip– If you live in Germany,I buy my disk’s at Knauber)

fiberfill or stuffing of choice

staple gun

ruler/measuring tape

basic sewing supplies

pen/Sharpie

Seam allowance is 1/4” unless otherwise specified.

First we’ll need to figure out our pattern size. Take your wooden disk and divide it in as many sections as you’d like. I divided mine in 8 sections. I traced a section then added approximately ¼ inch seam allowance . I cut off the tip of my section as I found it easier to sew my pieces together that way.

Cut out your pattern pieces. Wondering about my fabric? It Riley Blake’s Flutter Collection.

Sew the pieces together to form a circle then press the seams as flat as possible.

Now it’s time to add the embellishments. I like to use ricrac as well as ribbons. Riley Blake has a beautiful velvet ricrac and I love love love the crochet flowers.Do what makes you happy because you’re the designer, after all!

Take a measuring band and measure around your circle. My circle is approximately 21” so I cut my length of fabric for the band at 22” giving me enough wiggle room. Iron one long edge of the band and stitch it in place with a very narrow seam allowance.

Fold one of the short ends 1/4” towards the wrong side and press. Make tiny snips in the unfinished long edge allowing the fabric to easily be pinned in place. Careful your snips are less than your seam allowance. Pin the unfinished edge of the strip of fabric, right sides together as seen in photo below to your circle. If you strip is too long, cut off the necessary amount  allowing yourself at least 1/4” to fold over to make a nice finish. Overlap the starting edge with the folded over end. Sew with a 1/4” seam allowance.

  Once this part is done, it’s time to attach the pincushion to the wooden disk. I like to lay my pincushion form, crocheted flower side down and put a big wad of fiberfill inside then the wooden disk on top. I was alone while putting the tutorial together and I found it impossible to hold my disk in place with a staple gun and camera in hand. I put my first staple where the folded short ends meet, then one right across from it. One on the side, one directly across from that one then fill in around. Hopefully the photo below explains it well enough. **** Tip….make sure your staples are shorter than the thickness of the wooden base.  ( speaking from experience here!)

(929-NeunZwoNeun is my brand name/ Etsy shop in case you’re wondering what the stamp is)

And that’s it!

Have fun sewing!

It’s a little sparse right now, but I’ll fill it up!

Click on the picture and it should take you to my shop.

Are you wondering about that name? Well, believe it or not, I wanted a name which was a little easier to say than ” Stella-Lily’s”! If you’re an English speaker, your thinking I’m crazy right now, but I decided this name 929 is easily said in English and by using Neun ( 9 in German) Zwo ( 2 in German) Neun ( 9 again) I could represent both sides of my life. The American in me living in Germany.

The number has very special meaning to me. Remember this post?

I hope you’ll pop over to the shop and check it out. I’ll be adding new things! Right now only home decor, but I hope to add a kids collection at some point!

I’ve been sewing a lot this summer. I’ve got a little bit to show you  today.

I’ve made several Lil Blue Boo Racerback dresses. They whip up in no time and are great as gifts.

Here is one  I gave to a friend’s daughter.

I also finally finished my umbrella project.

Made a Mission Maxi.

I took an art class by Joanne Sharpe

I’m taking my 4th online class by Whipstitch Fabrics. I’m so excited about this class!! We made drawstring pants last week, then we’ll make the Clover Pants by Colette Patterns which I have sewn once, but they just didn’t fit right so I can’t wait to get some fitting tips! Then we’ll finish with Vogue 1051. I think I’d like these trousers in about 10 different fabrics! Check out Deborah’s  (from Whipstitch Fabrics) post about these Vogue pants.

And that’s just a small sample of what I’ve been doing.

Here is my latest completed project. Just finished sewing today. This is the Oliver & S Firefly Jacket.

My picture doesn’t do the jacket justice. I need to get a picture of my daughter wearing it, but you’ll have to wait until the first day of school. Want the pattern? It’s here.

I also made her a coordinating dress using several different tutorials. Including two from Simple Simon & Co. This one for the sleeves and this one for the back. I didn’t have a matching zipper on hand so this was a great option for a summer dress.

Happy Sewing and see you soon!

My youngest starts preschool in a few weeks so be on the look out for me! I’ll be back here full force.

So, here you go! Enjoy!!

Click on this picture below to download the pdf

Just before Christmas  we had a mother/child afternoon of crafting at the preschool. I didn’t really pay so much attention to what was being crafted, I was just thinking it would be a nice way to spend a few hours with my middle child!

We made the tall angel with the gold crown inspired from Landlust at the preschool. The others were made here at home with my oldest daughter. My girls are 7 and 6 and it was a great craft for both of them to do! If you can’t read German, or didn’t see the magazine, I thought I’d show you how we did them.

Apparently EVERYONE in Germany was making these angels because the supplies were a little hard to come by.

Here is what you will need:

Firewood in various heights and sizes. Round or in the form below. Main thing, the wood pieces must be able to stand!!

Styrofoam balls in various sizes. The larger heads above are made from 10cm balls ( I think that is 4″) and I like the bigger heads better. But use what is appropriate with the wood size.

Plaster- we used actual plaster from a pharmacy for casts ( helps that a friend of mine is the pharmacist!) It can cost anywhere from 1€-2€ per roll. We needed two rolls per angel which we cut into smaller strips and put in a bowl.  You can also find plaster at your craft store. In German it’s called Gipsbände and anyone can buy it at the Apotheke. ( and a bowl of water to dunk it in)

Cardboard or thick card stock for the wings

Nails and a hammer.  I used 120mm for the head and smaller nails for the wings.

Be sure to protect your working surface and it would be a good idea to wear an apron. And have a hairdryer handy.

I found it easiest to first put the nail into the Styrofoam so I had something to hold onto. Then, dip a piece of plaster  into the water and place it on your ball. Repeat until the entire head is covered. Use the hairdryer to dry the ball. when dry, attach the head to the wood by hammering the nail in until firmly placed. I like to leave a little ” neck” . Cover the top of the nail with a small piece of plaster.

Repeat the plastering process and cover the wings both sides. ( I’m sorry I have no pictures of this , but my hands were covered in plaster which wasn’t ideal for taking pictures!!) I first covered the edges to seal them, then went to towards the middle. Blow dry and nail on in two places. Cover each nail with a small piece of plaster.

Use whatever you have handy to make a crown. Moss, ivy, gold stars, ribbon. Whatever you choose. We make these for Christmas, but they are such a nice decoration, we’ve left it up!

Happy Crafting!