Ashley E Horne This is long, so strap in because I’m recapping my recent makes for Arizona Frocktails and what happened in 2024. Welcome back sew friends! 2024 was crazy for me and that trickled into this year. I’ve been working on my peace because January 2025 has shaped up to be a continuation of the crazy. Let’s review, last January I was hospitalized for almost 2 consecutive weeks! I was in so much pain as a result of a procedure I had in October 2023 that nothing was helping the pain.
A fibroid died and they didn’t tell me that it is the worst pain you can ever experience and no painkiller can help. You just have to ride it out. I couldn’t sleep or eat and lost over 20 lbs. My heart goes out to any of my readers who have fibroids or have experienced this, it was not fun.
February
I healed from that then my husband was hospitalized because his blood pressure was through the roof. I’m talking stroke-level dangerous territory that was scary because he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Thankfully, we lived next door to the fire station so it didn’t take long for them to get to us. The doctors got it under control and he was home about a week later. He’s doing great now and taking all of his meds. And then things settle down or so we thought…
March
I was back in the hospital with fluid in my lungs. If you are new to my story, I have a rare condition called CTEPH, which is high pulmonary pressure due to blood clots known as embolisms in my lungs (pulmonary embolism to be exact). Sometimes the condition can cause fluid retention in the body like the lungs or legs and cause those areas to swell or feel extra pressure. The way doctors would tell you to fight it is to watch your salt intake, but there is salt in everything so even doing that can still cause a build-up of fluids. Well, I was in the hospital for a week and then I was out again. They love to keep me for a week, lol.
April through June
April 7th was the hardest day of my life, it was the day my Dad passed away. I didn’t talk about it on the blog or social media because I honestly wasn’t in a space to share, but his health had been declining since the lockdown. He had a stroke and didn’t recover. The hardest thing was watching his health slowly decline and I am a Daddy’s girl so if you are one too then you know how your heart would break watching your dad in pain and suffering. While in Chicago laying my Dad to rest, I did get to see some family I hadn’t seen in a while so it was bittersweet. I’ve been on a “grief roller coaster” as they call it, ever since and some days have been better than others. I try to take it one day and one moment at a time because anything can trigger a full-blown cry fest. I told you it was a crazy year and there was still more.
July to October
Skipping ahead to July I had to have the biggest surgery of my life because I could not keep living with chronic anemia. Let me tell you my blood count was frequently low. The standard number is 12. At my lowest, it was 4.1 and my highest was 6-7. Doctors didn’t understand how I was walking around, but it was pure stubbornness and determination, haha. After my hysterectomy things quieted down. I recovered my blood count went up to 12! I didn’t know what to do with all that extra energy. And I celebrated my birthday and made this caftan.
November
We moved to a new place that was brighter and not as depressing. Yay to no longer living near a pool and being woken at 3 am to someone singing or playing music. We have been able to rest. Even Jack Jack is happier because he gets to take long walks with me around our neighborhood lake. My mom is back in Arizona so we got together for Thanksgiving. We don’t celebrate the holiday but get together because it’s the time of year we are all off work. My husband and I did find out that the top surgeon in Arizona could not perform the surgery to remove my blood clots but then…
December
the month of Christmas miracles came and we got the best news. I am a candidate for the surgery, a pulmonary endarterectomy in San Diego and I would be there for about 3 WEEKS. YIKES! Now we have to save like crazy to get there, so if you want to support you can buy one of my shirts. I don’t plan to do a GoFund me. I’d rather you get something in return for supporting me on my journey. If you do support I appreciate it in advance. I’ll try to keep you posted when the surgery happens.
And even better news I got to see my baby brother after a few years apart.
Fast Forward to Now
I decided that no matter what was going on in the world, hubby and I would find our peace. For him that meant going out with his friends and for me making new ones through a book club. Now look at me being a full-on adult and joining a book club. Well, I wouldn’t say full-on adult I also joined a coloring book club. It’s very relaxing if you ever want to try coloring to pass the time. Sometimes, you have to step away from the news and social media and focus on what brings you joy. And that included going to the Arizona Frocktails event this past Saturday.
I convinced my sew bestie to come with me and we had a blast. I made some new sewing friends whose work is mesmerizing. The theme was “My mom wouldn’t wear that.” Initially, it was hard to come up with an idea because my mom loves my closet, haha. I called her up and she told me she wouldn’t wear green or yellow because those are Packers (American Football team) colors and she is a die-hard Bears fan. She also said that she wouldn’t wear wool. That last one was the idea I went with. Can you believe my whole look was me made?! That shows that with practice and patience, you can get there too if you aren’t there yet. I’ve been working on my wardrobe for the last 5 years, so it takes time but it’s possible to have a complete me-made wardrobe.
The Outfit
Now that you are all caught up, let’s talk about the fit. The top was a turtleneck from Mimi G (Simplicity 1283). It has a zipper in the back and is a great starter project if you are uncomfortable with zippers. You may be able to find old copies on Etsy or eBay. The vest is by Nikki aka Beaute’ J’Adore, and it was a hacked pattern. and the skirt is by Marcia aka Keechii B Styles. Both Nikki and Marcia are indie and commercial pattern designers who can be found on Simplicity.com and their websites respectfully. Nikki’s pattern is for intermediate sewists, but Marcia’s is advanced. If you are ready for the big leagues take notes.
Pattern Review of McCalls 7749 and the Alba Skirt using Tweed and Denim
Fabric Choice: Denim (for the skirt front and back), tweed, and lining (for the vest and ruffles)
Color: Black, blue, and sequins!
Sewing Tools Needed That Aren’t Mentioned:
- 80/12 needle
- 3.0 stitch length on your machine
- Walking foot
- Buttonhole foot
- Serger or use a zig-zag stitch
- Iron and ironing board
- Upholstery needle (optional for thick parts)
- Use a pressing cloth to press it or a pressing roller
- Mallet or hammer for jean buttons (The back piece is fragile so using a regular hammer will cause it to bend)
- Jean buttons
- A ham (to press your seams open)
- Seam ripper
- Hand sewing needles
- Ruler
- Seam gauge
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you finished sewing it?
Yes, with a few alterations of course.
Are the instructions easy to follow?
For the most part, there were a few places where I had to reread the instructions for both the Alba skirt and McCalls 7749. I deciphered those for you so keep reading.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Liked
I loved them. They were both fun to make and I got so many compliments on them.
Disliked
Absolutely nothing.
Pattern Alterations or Any Design Changes You Made:
The Alba Skirt
I used a self-drafted A-line skirt I made and hadn’t finished for the front and back of the Alba skirt. I have been trying to use my fabric stash until I have sewn 30 yards of my fabric at home before I consider buying more. Since this wasn’t the original pattern piece, I just transferred the notches and markings to the skirt by measuring the original distance on the PDF pattern.
I suggest getting comfortable with zippers. The pattern has two options to attach the wrap part of the skirt either with two buttons or a zipper. I didn’t have another zipper, so I went with the button option. Practice making buttonholes on scrap fabric if you have the Brother cs6000i sewing machine. The automatic buttonhole maker can act funny sometimes.
Be sure to try on the skirt before you finish the waistband to make sure it fits as Marcia instructs. I ended up having to move the markings for my wrap buttons because my curves changed how the wrap was positioned in the front. Also, you have to slip-stitch the right front of the waistband because it extends past the zipper. Think of how the waistband is on your dress slacks. It goes on top of the other side of the waistband to fasten in place. When you are sewing the left side of the waistband, be sure to remove the basting stitch from the zipper flap that was attached to the right side. You have to sew it to the interfaced waistband piece.
If you decide to stitch in the ditch (stitch in the seam at the bottom of the waistband) make sure to press the non-interfaced raw edge under and then pin it over the seam. Stitch slowly and remove the pins as you go so that the pressed side doesn’t come undone. The trick is not to hit a pin as you sew and cause your needle to break. Also, stitch under the wrap until you get to the side seam and back stitch. Then start on the other side of the seam on the back and continue to stitch in the ditch. Adjust the width of the pleats if you have to make any adjustments to the side seams (e.g., take them in). You may need to make the pleats smaller in that case or move the fold and placement line markings so that they remain even on both sides. Marcia gives you the approximate measurements of the pleats, so those are easy to adjust.
McCalls 7749
The vest I shorten to the third button. If you fold the pattern piece up and inward you can keep it intact to use again. The hem I kept the same just serge the ends of the lining hem and the fabric hem separately to keep them from fraying. Make sure the lining is pressed up a little higher than the fabric-pressed hem, so you can slip-stitch the lining to the fabric and it won’t be seen on the outside.
Would you sew it again?
Yes, I want to make a denim version of the vest.
How long did it take?
The vest took a week after work and the skirt took 4 days. The Alba skirt was supposed to have been completed last January 2024, but you see how that year went. I signed up to be a pattern tester and then it got crazy. I wanted to use this month to finish an old project from last year so now January 2025’s goal has been accomplished. If you follow my extra steps as a newbie to advanced sewing you should be able to complete the skirt in less than a week.
Until next time…
