Sewcialist Mini Challenge | White McCall's 7573

Hello, friends! I'm back with another top! Last month, Sewcialists had a mini-challenge going on Instagram and it pushed me to go ahead and get something done out of my queue. It was a color challenge where we would "spin" a wheel and we would have to sew something of the color that we were given. I got "white".... just like I wanted LOL. 

So I made McCall's 7573, view C, and I cut the 12. I had been wanting to make this top for quite some time so I'm happy this challenge kicked my butt into gear.

The Telltale 30 before THIRTY

I've been wanting to make a "30 before 30" list for a while but I just kept forgetting. Now that I'm 26.5, I figured I better get to it if I want to be able to put down some big BUT tangible plans out there. I'm pretty sure I will be able to do most of them, I just want the list to keep me accountable. So let's get to it!

16. Inspired - DKNY Vogue 1407 | #sew16in2016

This post has been a LOOOONNNGGG time coming. I first posted a picture of this pattern and fabric match on my instagram May2015. It wasn't until Sept2015 that I posted a picture of me actually CUTTING the fabric. And here we are, over a year later finally getting to the actual sewing of the dress! I think what took me so long was that I didn't want to cut out the lining pieces because my tricot is so shifty. But I'll get to that in a minute.

This dress is Vogue 1407, a DKNY designer pattern. I love the silhouette of the pattern and if you've been reading for a while,  you know I love wrap and v-necklines. I was also drawn to this pattern because I am always looking for multi-purpose garments. Things I can wear to work, church, or even dressier events. This one definitely fit the bill.

Like the Rising Sun - McCall's 6887

Hello everyone! It's been quiet around here this month but it's only because I've been busy making and crafting and enjoying it! :-D That also means that I have quite a few posts coming in the next couple of weeks ;-) (also, this post is pic heavy but it also has some fit questions :-))


Today I have a dress that I made by force of the one that gave birth to me lol I had a different project in mind at the time with completely different fabric but after I let her in to what was in my recent fabric purchase, she "insisted" that the yellow fabric in the box would be what I was making next. Why you ask? Because SHE had a yellow dress that she was planning to wear and of course I needed to properly coordinate. I love her.

After submitting to her suggestion (lol) I set off to find a pattern that would go with the Thred&Needles challenge for March which was Michelle Obama inspired fashion. I went through a long google search of the FLOTUS in yellow dresses and I found one that I thought I could pull off. Usher in McCall's 6887. I made View C which is better know as "business in the front and party in the back" LOL. The front had all of the design elements that I wanted to pull off the imitation dress (scoop neck, princess seams in bodice and skirt, sleeveless, straight skirt... ). I cut a combination of the size 12 and 14. I cut a 12 D in the bodice. On both center skirt pieces (front and back) I cut a 12, on accident really. I was supposed to grade out to a 14 in the skirt so I just cut a 14 in the side skirt pieces (front and back) and added the SA back to the side bodice pieces that would make them match up with the skirt. I cut a 12 at the top of the bodice back and graded out the a 14 at the skirt join. Are you still with me?

The Sew '16 Challenge - My Master List

I decided since most of my year will focus around the topics from the The Sew '16 challenge I talked about in my last post, that I should make a post that I can reference and update with completed links and what not to make it easier for me and you to see the progress I've made.

So as I said before, the challenge was made by Emily of Hungarian Housekeeping. You choose 16 out of the 20 categories to complete in 2016. The categories are:

The categories I have chosen are: (*Titles will be hyperlinked with blog posts when category is completed)
1. Newbie - Sew a type of garment you never have before
4. Four Seasons - Make a garment that can be worn in all seasons
5. Quick Sew -  Sew something that takes less than an hour
6. Slow Sew - Sew something that takes more than a month. (Bonus points if your quick sew and slow sew go together.)
7. Share the Love - Sew for someone you never have before
8. Stash Stretcher - Sew something entirely from stash materials: pattern, notions, and all.
9. Let It Go - Throw away or donate a garment you made (not a wadder or UFO)
10. Aliens Out -  Get rid of your UFO's. All of Them. Finish them, toss them, pass them on. (Challenge option: hold on to your UFO-free status until the end of the year.)
11. Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun - What do you wear most often? What's your go-to outfit? Duplicate it. Or triplicate it. Or make as many as you can wear in a year.
12. Same Same, But Different - Sew the same thing from different fabrics.
13. One and Only - Sew a one-piece garment (Easy option: sew a garment that has one pattern piece. Even easier option: okay, go ahead and don't count those facings, ties, etc)
14. Dream the Impossible Dream - Set a wildly ambitious goal for yourself.
15. Nostalgia -  Look back through your old sewing notes, doodles or pinned ideas. Pick one of the earliest ideas and make it happen.
16. Inspired - Sew something inspired by a book, film, series, etc.
18. Piles of Styles -  Take one handmade garment and style it as many ways as you can.
19. Sew Less Frosting - Stop sewing pretty, photogenic things that you will rarely wear. Stop sewing impractical things.

9.Let It Go | #sew16in2016

This year, instead of rushing to do a bunch of monthly challenges, I found a more easy-going challenge to keep me motivated and that I can work at my own pace. Emily over at Hungarian Housekeeping came up with the Sew '16 Challenge. You pick 16 out of 20 categories to focus your makes around for 2016. (To find the descriptions of each category, go to this blog post).

from Hungarian Housekeeping

I have already chosen the 16 categories I want to do and I'm going to start with Number 9: Let It Go. The description says: "Throw away or donate a garment that you made (not a wadder or a UFO)". After cleaning my closet for the New Year, like I normally do, I found some makes that I know I won't be wearing anymore for one reason or another. 

(blog post links in the captions)

Shine bright like a Diamond - Burda 6858

October is almost OVER! Time is flying faster than I can look up some days. Two weeks ago one of my best friends married one of my other friends in a BEAUTIFUL outdoor wedding in a crook of Richmond, VA. Being that I love me an event to sew for, I mulled over about 4 different patterns, none of which were the one I chose lol The colors were purple and silver so I had some purple stretch cotton and purple lace I was going to use.....but did not lol. As the date got closer I was bordering on not making anything because I had found a really pretty gown at Ross. Then 2 weeks before the date, I had an epiphany at work and this pattern popped into my head.  As soon as I got home I pulled it out and searched my stash for fabric that would go with it. With a new determination, and a couple of other turns taken, I finished the dress the night before the wedding in 4 hours lol.

Shirtdress 2 Ways - McCall's 6124

Hello, Lovely People! I have a couple of posts backlogged but I wanted to get this one in by the deadline. There are a few reasons why I chose to make a Shirtdress for August. The first one is that Ruqayyah started a Facebook group and the first sewalong for the group was a Shirtdress. Second, Michelle contacted me about working together for the TMS challenge this month (Two is the Magic Number). She suggested we make the same pattern or different patterns but the same fabric or any other combination. 

First let me say, I was honored because I'm still surprised that people actually read my blog! Plus Michelle is the winner of the Rippin' Ain't Easy sewing competition run by PrettyGirlsSew as well as one of the judges for the 2nd round of The Super Online Sewing Match run by Sew Mama Sew.

I more than happily accepted and suggested we make Shirtdresses out of African Print fabric. We decided on McCall's 6124, picked a day to meet and set off to make our garments! The deal was done!

The New Wave - Manta Wave Leggings

I'm back with some new new. I've had about 11-13 Named patterns in my email for about a year and change and I hadn't made one YET... until now. I started with something easy just to see what sizing was like. These are the Manta Wave Leggings.

They're wave leggings because they curve below the knee in the front and above the calf in the back. There are only two pattern pieces for this pattern, a top and a bottom. There also isn't side seams. This pattern is REALLY really easy to make up. The pattern instructions for these are only 1 page long (and that's including pictures lol)

Jade is New to Me

My mother is the best cook in our family. (no offense aunties!) Really she is. I may be biased but I don't think that's it. Majority of my friends can vouch for it's deliciousness and she is always called on for recipe advice and cooking tips. Growing up watching her, I realized that she pretty much uses much of the same ingredients on everything lol. Lemon Pepper, Seasoned Salt or Garlic Salt, Parsley Flakes, Pepper, Pepper, Pepper (lol), and PAPRIKA. My mom puts Paprika on EVERYTHING. On meats, I understand her obsession, it gives the meat color. But I'll be making Macaroni&Cheese and if I turn around and look back, she'll be sprinkling paprika on my mac!!! I keep trying to tell her that Paprika doesn't ACTUALLY have flavor but she ignores me and continues to be the best cook I know.

I say that all to say... I made the Jade skirt from Paprika Patterns.

Ginger Separates and Dares

Hello, hello, hello!

I haven't been participating in The Monthly Stitch monthly challenges like I'm used to doing but today I'm back to jump in for Indie Pattern Month! Week two of the Indie competition is "Separates": basically sewing at least 2 things that go together. Perfect time for me because 1. I wanted to make a pair of high-waisted shorts and 2. Gillian DARED me to make some shorts or cutoffs... well look at them stars aligning again ;-)

*Disclaimer: This is going to be a very long (but informative ;-)) post!

For this outfit I used Closet Case Files patterns; The Nettie bodysuit and The Ginger Jeans. I told you I wasn't done with these here bodysuits lol I have another fabric washed and on the cutting table too.. but I digress.  For the bodysuit, I cut a size 12 in both the bodysuit and the gingers.

Me-Made-May '15 !

Well May starts tomorrow and this year I want to participate in Me-Made-May'15 being hosted by Zoe over at 'So, Zo...What Do You Know?'. This year I finally have enough garments and UFO's to make some kind of substantial pledge.

Hopefully with this, I determine what I don't wear and why but I will also be forced to MAKE things that I plan to wear. Not just for fancy occasions as I tend to do lol

So Here's my pledge:

'I, Tasha of 'TheTellTaleTasha', sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '15. I endeavour to wear one me-made garments (or altered by me) each day for the duration of May 2015'.

I think that will keep me busy enough. I've also been on a pattern/fabric cutting spree trying to get some of my UFO's ready to sew. Right now I have out all my summer UFO's that use black thread since that's what I have in my machine and serger right now lol No need to complicate things right? lol. On the table is 2 cardigans, 4 Netties, a vest, and 2 skirts. 9 more pieces to add to MMMay :-)

I will be daily posting on Instagram and on Flikr and maybe on Pinterest and I will try to do weekly roundups posted every Monday. That'll kick my blog back into gear!

Wish me luck!

Denim Never Dies in the Jungle....

It's February already!! But I've got a score to settle with January... The TMS challenge for January 2015 is/was "Denim Never Dies", which was perfect because I had decided that I needed to make more pants in 2015 and I had JUST bought the Ginger Jeans pattern by Closet Case Files. A little bit after the challenge announcement, they added a bonus challenge to celebrate their pink rebranding! I had some pink denim in my stash so I was just a "Ready Freddy".

Like I said, this is the Ginger Jeans pattern by Closet Case Files. I made View A, the low rise with the stove pipe leg. I cut a straight size 12. This was a wearable muslin for me so I just wanted to see what the pattern would look like made straight up. I made no modifications.  I did take some flat measurements of a pair of jeans I really like to see how they related and the measurements were very very close. 

Scandal Challenge & TMS November - McCall's 6209

Welcome back! I've squeezed in the mini available corner of my dining room to actually make something! lol Can't wait to be done with all of our house renovations so I can have some space to sew! lol But enough about my #sewingroomwoes. 

Last month, PrettyGirlsSew decided that October would be The Scandal Challenge *shutter clicks* lol. You had to pick one of five categories to make a garment for.  "9-5 on Capital Hill", "Date Night with Jake", "Inaguration After Party", "Lunch date with the Gladiators" or "Stakeout with Huck". 

I chose "9-5 on Capitol Hill". Now that I think about it though, this look for many would be a "Lunch date with the Gladiators". But this is actually something that I'd wear to work on any given day. And I work in DC at a "good gubment job" lol

With coffee in hand and my badge around my neck, I can see Olivia walking into the White House about to go fuss at Cyrus about another person he's threatening to kill lol.

This is McCalls 6209 View A. I thought View A looked the most Olivia-Pope-ish lol

So Many Good Days and Why I Sew!

Last week was so interesting for me. Aside from this schizophrenic weather, I was having a considerable amount of good days!

Which one looks the most Olivia Pope-ish to you ??

First: I found out that I had won a giveaway! $25 to shop at The Smuggler's Daughter! And it couldn't have come at a better time because I was debating with myself about how I needed to budget money for fabric to sew things up for fall/winter  or whether or not I should just not buy any fabric for a couple of months just to keep some money in my pocket. Well, I guess you probably know what I did lol I bought way more than my winnings worth of fabric. BUT this time I bought specific fabric for specific projects in mind. I plan on making a nice collection of Nettie bodysuits.

Amnesty MONOsewn - Vogue 1285

I think that I'm going to stop saying ahead of time what I'm going to make because it's a lot of pressure. And I feel like a loser when I don't finish lol I said that I was going to participate in the TMS MONOsewn challenge back in July... then August. It's almost October and I'm just now finishing lol. Lucky for me, September is Amnesty Month for the TMS Collective :-)

End of summer Romping - McCall's 6083

I just don't understand the logic behind rompers. Like, I'm completely opposed to the idea of having to pretty much get naked every time I want to use the bathroom. Sooo awkward and uncomfortable! not to mention if I'm out in public! They can definitely look extra classy and elegant at times but just the idea of stripping down in a dirty public restroom just makes me shutter. You gotta squat, hold your whole outfit up , pull toilet paper, wipe, do an arabesque, pirouette..  like who has time to do gymnastics when they have to go?! I say all that to say...I made a romper.

Two-Piece x Set-acular !

Happy Labor Day weekend!! I'm in Brooklyn right now having a ton of fun with family! Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays because of the way that Brooklyn celebrates. The whole weekend is a celebration of West Indian culture. All weekend, people carry around flags and wear clothes to rep where their from. Flags on car hoods and reggae and soca blasting from every block! I just love it! Tomorrow (Labor Day) is the West Indian day parade on Eastern Parkway and people will have their floats and mass trucks with music to represent their country. I love being West Indian!

Anyway! lol I went up to Central Park this afternoon to go take pics of my new 2 piece set for Two-piece Set-acular. I made a 3 quarter sleeve crop top and a knit pencil skirt for my set. Wasn't the ideal weather for it lol but I still got some nice, not sweaty, shots lol.

Fixed Crotch and Future Plans

Happy Sunday! It definitely is for ME because (as I'm writing this) I am comfortably sitting in my skort that I made for Oonapalooza!! yay!.. When I posted about how it was literally a pain to sit in these, Val (who's down with Stitch Once, Rip Twice) hit me up to let me know about a tutorial she so happened to be putting out like the next day lol. It was about adjusting the rise in crotch in pants and shorts. Lucky me! So I put her tutorial to the test.

reshaping the rise

lowering the rise

Wallah! Magic! I am very happy to say that it worked great! Now what I need to do is figure out how to come up with a block so that i can adjust the crotch areas BEFORE I sew up a pair of pants.  I swear there is ALWAYS something new to learn.

Now that that is out of the way, I can move on to the other 5 projects that I have cut out. Well, I have the patterns cut out. I need to cut out the fabric for four of them. These are my future plans for August:

OOna PalOOza! - Simplicity 1370

It's Oonapalooza!!

Here I go skimming the deadlines again lol

Once I saw that #sewcialists were dedicating the month of July to Oona Balloona I knew I HAD to get on the action. 

I got hip to Oona's blog not too long before she participated in Project Sewn and the competition sealed the deal on my love for her and her creativity!

This skort is inspired by HER!

This is Simplicity 1370.

It is very similar to the Zara skort that all the fashion bloggers have been rocking.