It took me a long time to get on the Luna Pants bandwagon because I wasn’t sure if this particular style would be flattering to my shape but after seeing so many great versions during Me Made May I decided to take the plunge. I used this clay colored quilting cotton from the April Rhodes Bound collection. I love the dress I made with this green fabric from the same collection, a Washi with sleeves. The fabric has a really nice soft feel to it. 
The dress is really comfortable to wear and I knew this fabric would be great for this pattern. It is not this orange in real life btw.
I cut between the medium and large lines (closer to the large around the hips) based on my hip size which is 41 inches. I lengthened the pattern by an inch. I used the leftover scraps from my Bound fabric Washi dress for the pockets.
I love the way the tops of the pockets are stitched flat in the waistband seam. Now that I know how to do this, I am tempted to make a skirt just to add pockets exactly like this.
The sewing is straightforward and the directions are easy to follow. Rae also has a series of blog posts that walk you through the construction. Link to Luna Pants Sewalong here. But I didn’t even need it although I will read through her posts before I make the pattern again just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Even after lengthening the pants, they ended up too short (I hemmed one leg first and tried them on.) What I did to make these fit was to add a facing with more of the green fabric (add facings to all the things is my motto). When I make them again I will probably add two inches and then use a hem facing again because it is fun to add the contrasting fabric and even with the facing I think I would like them a bit longer.
The facing makes them cuter too and it really doesn’t take a lot of time. Another picture of the inside of the pant leg with hem facing:
If you had told me a couple of years ago that a) I would make pants and b) I would wear them in pictures online, I would have said you were crazy but I really like these. They are fun and comfortable and a quick sew. I have plans to make them again soon. I have some April Rhodes Fringe fabric that I know will be perfect. Here are more pictures of the pants as worn tonight to book club. We read Lab Girl. It is an amazing book. I highly recommend it. Front view:
side view
back view
pants in motion (a bit rumpled after book group.) 
Have fun! Make pants! to be continued 🙂
Author Archives: nursebeansews
A Linen Pearl Shift for Spring
It’s all about the zipper.
I originally bought this cotton-linen blend fabric because I was inspired by the beautiful version of Anna Maria Horner’s Painted Portrait Dress posted by Miss Make during Me Made May 2015. If you click on her blog post, it is the short sleeved version in the 3rd row on the left. Perfect dress. But then last winter, I found that I was wearing my plaid Pearl shifts so frequently that I thought the fabric would be perfect for a spring version of the pattern. Since then, I also saw a great version of the Inari Tee dress on Instagram using this same fabric so I may need to get more. In any event, this is a great simple pattern that sews up fast. Here is the finished shift hanging on my new place to photograph my projects: my front door. I came to appreciate the importance of natural light taking all those selfies for Me Made May and it already has a hook which is not currently occupied by a holiday wreath.
Here are some tricks/shortcuts I use when making this pattern. First, I size up for french seams: I cut on the next size up cutting line for the sleeves and side seams to allow room for french seams. I don’t seem to be able to capture the fraying threads with just one seam and always end up with two, no matter how well I think I have trimmed the threads. Since this happens every time I sew french seams, I am trying to just roll with it and know that my seams are very strong (ha!) and I need to plan for it. I cut on the Large seam line although I am generally more of a medium. This gives me enough space for my double seam and have the dress still fit. By the way, I only use french seams for the long seam from the wrist to the hem. I am not confident enough to attempt them at the shoulder seam. Those I sew using a regular seam and then zigzag to finish. 
I don’t gather the sleeves: It may sound funny but I don’t gather the sleeves. I have only made the Pearl with heavier fabric with some stretch/give. I line up the center of the sleeve with the shoulder seam, pin it, and then I sew from the top down in one direction and then from the top down on the other side without using pins, just holding the fabric in place as I go. I get a nice clean shoulder seam with no puckers. Then I sew the sleeve and side seams in one long seam. I generally end up trimming a bit of the sleeve before sewing the long seam in order to make everything line up but I end up with a nice looking sleeve that fits the way I want it too. I am happy with the somewhat close fit I get doing it this way and it is quick and easy. I wouldn’t try this at home using your nice fabric. I would try it first with a muslin to see if you like the way it fits, but I did it this way the first time and it has worked for me ever since (this is my 4th Pearl shift.) Picture of finished sleeve seam below. 
I use a contrasting lighter-weight fabric to finish the neck, hem and sleeves: I finish the neckline, hem and sleeves with facings similar to my technique with my Washi’s and Beatrix blouses. In this case, I used two different fabrics since I only had a quarter yard of each. I like how they harmonize. I got these at The Cloth Pocket and the Stitch Lab during trips to Austin. Both are great sources for fabric and inspiration. Choosing facing fabrics is a fun challenge each time I sew. I try to use something I have in my stash. This is less of a challenge these days because my stash is growing. I sew the neckline binding by topstitching about an inch down which I think is a nice look for this simple shift in the heavier fabric.
Word to the wise: measure at least twice and make sure you are looking at the right numbers on your ruler: I used the Brumby Skirt zipper technique as extensively described in my prior post about a Beatrix tunic. I generally make two similar garments at a time. It is often quicker to cut out and sew two similar things. However, a downside to this approach is that when you make a mistake, you sometimes make it twice as I did in this case where I sewed a zipper opening that was not the same size as either of the zippers I had purchased (I realized later that I had lined up the wrong end of the ruler so I was off by an inch without realizing it) and had to delay finishing my projects while I waited for a new order of the right sized zippers to arrive.
Make a muslin and check the fit, even for this simple pattern. I have narrowed the shape of this shift just slightly to make it a bit less triangular which I think is more flattering for my shape and I grade the hemline slightly so that the back is a bit longer than the front, as I do when I make the Beatrix tunic.
That is really all to say that is new. Here are some pictures of the process. A sad zipper that is too small for its opening as seen below.
I blame the ruler that has different numbers on the two sides. Of course, I was looking at the wrong side when I measured. I took this picture May 19th and then the project sat as Me Made May sped by and then it was June. More pictures of the Brumby zipper opening technique.
Hem facings in process: step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Sleeve facings
Many views of the neckline. I like the tiny bit of color peeking out.
Neckline with zipper. A little wonky but the nubby fabric hides all.
Neckline selfie. It’s a little higher than the Beatrix, a little 60’s looking. I like it with the linen. That’s my dad at a young age in the background. My sewing room walls are covered with my favorite pictures.
Front of finished dress once againBack of finished dress
Inside of dress front
and back
Alison Glass Beatrix Tunic
I started a couple of projects during May, but life got busy and I had some zipper issues and they stayed unfinished until today when I had a lovely unplugged Thursday and had the time and energy to finish them. The first is another tunic using the Made By Rae blouse pattern, the Beatrix. I used this great fabric from Alison Glass. All over the internet there are dresses and Beatrix blouses made with this plus-patterned fabric in different colors but I was actually inspired by this post by Tara whose blog Girl Like the Sea is wonderful. When I saw the same fabric on sale, I snatched it up. I liked the white strips Tara used in the blouse for her daughter and it made me think a white exposed zipper would work well.
This is my third Beatrix Tunic. The first two were blogged here and here. I have made several versions of the Green Bee Pearl shift and this project is sort of a combination of the patterns. I had used exposed zippers when I made my plaid Pearls and was really happy with the extra zing the metal zipper gave to a relatively simple pattern so I decided to try it here. The hardest part was finding the right zipper. I finally ordered two sizes of white zippers from Zipit, an etsy store with a good selection. I had already cut out this pattern and a linen Pearl and prepared the back for the zipper using Megan Nielson’s tutorial. When I previously inserted the zippers on the plaid Pearls, I used a technique based on Dana’s zipper bag tutorial. It had worked really well for me but I thought the Brumby method might give me a cleaner look. What I learned about the Brumby method, in which you prepare the opening for the zipper first, is that measuring accurately is key. Sadly, when I went to insert the zipper into the opening, it turned out that my measurements were off and the opening for my zipper was too long. One of my zippers was too short and one was too long (sort of a Goldielocks problem). So I had to order more zippers. And this is why these tunics did not end being worn during May! I now have a lot of zippers. 🙂
Sometimes I will make a great deal of headway on a project and then weeks go by before I find the time to get back to it. I have learned to relax and know that some day I will finish, even if it takes weeks (or months). For this tunic, I cut out the top of the Beatrix and graded out to the width of the Pearl. This time, I didn’t curve the hem but used the Pearl hem line. My new go-to work uniform is a tunic over leggings with boots in the winter and sandals in the summer. It is easy and comfortable. I will definitely be making more of these. Some pictures below.
Stay-stiched neck line above and darts below as per the Beatrix Sewalong, a great tutorial broken into smaller, manageable steps. I don’t own a serger so I zip zag most seams to finish.
Sleeves are turned down once, ironed and then a second time and stitched with two rows of stitches. Quick, easy and durable.
My favorite way to make a simple pattern more interesting is a contrasting hem. I love these two fabrics together.
I have blogged about my very simple method for hem facings here and here. Pictures of the steps below. I start with a 3 inch strip of fabric and sew it on right sides together keeping in mind the direction that it will face once the facing is turned up.
Lots of ironing is involved.
I actually use the metal plate on my sewing machine as my guide as I sew. It works perfectly for the measurements of this hem facing.
When I think of it, I leave the threads long and pull them to the inside and knot them using the quilter’s technique of sliding the knot down the thread using a big pin or needle as seen here.
Some pictures of the finished hem. I was really happy with how this one turned out.
with facing showing
My zipper didn’t completely line up with the top of the dress so I added a hook and eye at the top. My top stitching along the zipper is not perfect but as my dad actually used to say, “It wouldn’t be noticed from a trotting horse” which is true. I think the machine sometimes has trouble with the layers.
Finished Dress/Tunic ready to be worn. I intentionally made the back slightly longer (you can see the back facing peeking through in the picture below) because that is where my weight is (ahem) and if I make the front and back the same, the back appears to be riding up which is not the look I am going for. 
Rae also recently posted about a Beatrix with a zipper. Hers has an invisible zipper, something I have yet to master. You can link to her post and see her beautiful blouse here.
Nursebean Unplugged: Beauty in Your Own Backyard
This year, I made a New Year’s resolution to honor Sunday as a day of rest, free of work, plans, screens. Each week I have posted one photo on Instagram that I take on that Sunday to remind me of what was special about that day. Unplugged Sunday #20, May 22nd, was mostly about listening…to birdsong, to hymns in church, to the quiet hum of neighbors having barbecues, to the little boy across the street who is learning to play the saxophone. Since it isn’t in my house and the music is muted, the sounds of a new player wafting across the street, even the squeaky wrong notes, are not irritating but on the contrary, make me nostalgic for the time when my elementary school aged kids practiced their various instruments: trumpet, violin, piano, bass, drums and yes, for a time, a saxophone. I tried to get a picture of a bird to represent my unplugged Sunday but they eluded me. This tree is full of birds but I couldn’t catch one on camera. I loved hearing their songs all day long.
It was a beautiful sunny day and in the afternoon, Sadie wandered in the back yard and I wandered with her. My husband has made a beautiful meadow in our backyard. What started as a project to reduce the amount of mowing has made our yard more beautiful. This picture makes me think of other meadows in my past. 
Many of our flowers were just on the verge of blooming. Peonies are ubiquitous on Instagram this time of year. Ours were still tightly wound up buds. This one looks like a little wooden headed doll from my children’s youth.
I previously blogged about a little walk I took with Sadie in my neighborhood and beauty I found by taking the time to pay attention. On this Sunday, I focused in on my backyard and once again, I found beauty everywhere. 
This was a particularly wonderful gift because none of the flowers or plants were planted by me; they are all things that were planted by previous owners. I love the surprise in the spring when things emerge from the ground and you find you have flowers you didn’t even know you had. In the course of just a few minutes, this is what I found in my backyard: spring springing everywhere!
here
and here
this rhododendrun looks positively prehistoric
tiny wildflowers (weeds?) look like flower fairies from my children’s picture books
I love the shadows on the bricks
Our garden is sort of a mish-mosh of plantings by the former owners and weeds that are trying to take over. One of these days, I will spend some time putting things to rights but I kind of enjoy the chaotic jumble for now.
color everywhere
about to bloom
I finally got one picture with a bird in it 
Sadie the explorer
Sunlight at the end of the day
Thought for the week: Listen to the Music of your Life.
Nursebean Unplugged: Maine
With the beginning of summer and the return of hot weather, my thoughts turn to the place where I spent so many summers with my kids. I have the urge to jump in the car and head north as I did most years as soon as school got out and sometimes a day or two before. How lucky were we to spend so many beautiful days on an island in Maine surrounded by mountains, lakes, woods and the ocean. But my favorite place was probably the meadow.
The sound of the wind traveling through the tall grasses, the buzzing of insects, the wildflowers, the birds. I loved the hum of activity, the sunshine, the many little worlds contained in the expanse of the field. Sending the kids out to pick wildflowers for the dinner table. Sitting on the deck and listening to the hum of activity. It was mesmerizing and calming at the same time. (Maine summer 1997 above).
Life got pretty complicated for my kids and me about ten years ago and summers in Maine became a thing of the past, but I have so many happy memories of those times.
This weekend, I drove the familiar route on my way to help my daughter move her things back home for the summer break. As I drove up the Maine Turnpike, I saw swaths of purple along the side of the road. It was lupine season. I had forgotten! So unexpected and so beautiful. 
One of the best children’s books ever is this one about the lupine lady. One of our family favorites.
I didn’t have much time during this visit to do much more than spend a few minutes at a couple of old haunts. The roads where our old house used to be has one of the biggest fields of lupines on the island, but I just couldn’t bring myself to drive down it. So I went instead to a spot where the kids and I used to go to watch the sun set over Blueberry Hill.
And to the lake where I used to love to swim (still do but too cold this trip).
So peaceful. There is a big rock that we used to swim out to but I just liked being able to swim and swim without chlorine or line lanes or bumping into other people.
Lily pads below.
There were were wisps of fog shrouding the tops of some of the mountains.
Fog, sky and the shadows of trees forming a pattern on the field.
The harbor is just starting to have boats on moorings. In a few weeks, it will be full of boats. The day was mostly gray with bits of sunlight poking through. It matched my mood.
Not so much sad but thoughtful. I don’t wish my children young again. I am not interested in turning back time, even if I could, but those summers were precious. Every life is filled with befores and afters. This time when my children were little and we spent summers in Maine was ironically both an after-after some tough times that I never expected to come again and then turned out to be a before-before a big challenging shift that I didn’t see coming. I had planned on spending the rest of my summers in Maine but things turned out differently as they often do. This weekend in Maine, thoughts of those happy times swirled around me like friendly spirits. (Maine summer of 2002 below with our dog Sam, a gentle soul, much missed)
I ended up at the lake where we would take long walks as a family on a path along the shore to another rock where we would swim. This year I didn’t have time to do the walk so I just sat on a rock in the sun and took in the beauty. 
A peek at the Western Mountains and a favorite hiking trail.
Rocks line the shore.
The surface of the pond like a path spread out before me.
Beautiful beyond words. 
Nursebean Reads: Summer Reading PSA
Read these books. That is all.
I am taking a technology break so not currently posting on Instagram and Facebook but will probably keep doing a little blogging about summer reading and being unplugged. I am still reading quite a bit and have read or listened to over 60 books so far this year which is about 12 a month, so many more than in recent years.
I previously blogged about what is inspiring me to read as well as practical suggestions for finding more time to read here, here and here, but for right now I just had to share three books I am loving right now. One in a Million Boy is an absolute must read and I am recommending it to everyone I know.
By the way, I found One in a Million Boy through @annebogel on her wonderful blog. I was inspired to read Our Souls At Night by Lindsey Mead who also writes for Great New Books.
You can link to my spring reading wrap-up here.
Happy summer reading everyone!
Me Made May 2016 Round-Up
Screenshot of my phone on Me Made May day 24. I looked at my instagram account and wondered why I had so many notifications. I scrolled down and this is what I saw. Pretty amazing.
Last year I participated in Me Made May but I had just started sewing clothes for myself. I posted maybe 8 or 10 times with many repeats. It was so fun though to see so many different versions of great patterns. I was totally inspired and went on to sew many projects inspired by those posts. This year I was ready. Me Made May is not really different for me than any other month because except for the days I work as a bedside RN when it is all scrubs all day until I come home and fall into the shower, (after 12 + hours, I can’t imagine taking a selfie or changing into anything other than sweats,) I wear me made clothes every day. The posting and selfies though are not my normal routine. But once again inspired by the community, I tried to post most days. Here are some of the posts.
The Washi Dress in many versions including a double gauze version with sleeves on a cold day not pictured in this post:
The Beatrix Blouse as a tunic and two sleeveless versions worn on the only warm days. 
The Bianca Top and Dress in many versions:
The Ruby Dress in many versions:
The Pearl Shift in flannel (on cold, rainy May days which were numerous):
I made two new Washi dresses for family members. A Paisley Washi for my mom for Mother’s Day and a Polka Dot Washi for my sister for her birthday.
and two new dresses for myself, a Nani Iro Washi:
and a Polka Dot Shift.
All in all, it was a great month, though cold. Note all the cardigans. Those were not for show folks!
Until next year, #nursebeansews over and out (with Sadie the photobomber!)
A Polka Dot Washi Dress for my Sister
This is the before picture.
When I made my first Washi Dress last winter, I didn’t have enough fabric and ended up adding a strip of a different fabric as a border. I was really happy with the result. I was new to this sewing business and if you look closely you can see that I didn’t match up the seams on the main part of the dress and the border but to be honest, it doesn’t even matter. It is cute. I wear it all the time and I get lots of compliments. It is a tribute to Rae that even my first attempts at her patterns have turned out to be wearable and cute.
I wanted to make the pattern again and decided to use some black quilting cotton from my stash to make a black Washi. I realized that I had enough black cotton to make almost two dresses but not quite so I decided to use a second fabric to make a contrasting band at the bottom of each skirt. I ended up making two versions: one for my daughter with polka dots and for myself, I used fabric leftover from my younger daughter’s grade school Invention Convention project, which was a “puppymobile”. Details of the two dresses can be seen here in my original post.
I was really happy with the effect this little change made to a basic black dress and I was happy to be able to make two dresses using fabric I already had. My sister saw the polka dot version I made for Sarah and said she really liked it. I happened to have the polka dot fabric in a different colorway so I offered to make her one.
When I made my own black washi with the puppy fabric lining, I must have cut the lining a bit bigger than the bodice pieces for the dress dress and when I went to topstitch the neckline, it shifted a bit.
I ended up doing it on purpose to create the effect of piping without actually having to make piping. I did that for Madeleine’s dress as well. It is such an easy thing to do and I love the effect.
Once again, I used the wonderfully clear Made By Rae videos to walk me through the sausage technique to get a clean finish for the lined bodice-finished dress inside out above. Sausage in process below.
I used the cutting lines for the Washi tunic and added several inches to create my seam line for the main part of the dress. I sewed all the side seams and added the contrasting border at the end lining up the seam in the border with the side seams of the dress.
After sewing on the border, I ironed the seam and then topstitched for a more finished look and for durability, something that is important to me as I machine wash everything. Dry cleaning costs are just not in my budget.
I am really happy with the way it turned out. The polka dots add just enough cute to be fun. 
And here is the finished dress which was mailed out to Michigan for the birthday girl.
The puppy version (slightly rumped) below. I wear it often. 
Pink Polka Dot Shift for Spring
Earlier this year I wrote a post about modifying New Look 6095 using techniques I learned by doing the Made By Rae Beatrix blouse Sewalong.
When I saw this great Cotton and Steel polka dot fabric (from the Lucky Strikes collection designed by Kimberly Kight), I knew it would be perfect for this pattern. The fabric is called Dime Store Dot. I bought it at fabric.com where, as seen below, it is apparently No Longer Available, but it is likely to be found elsewhere and those Cotton and Steel gals have several other dotty fabrics which would work just as well.
In my previous post, I went though the details of my muslin making process. My first shift was mostly a great success but I wanted to lengthen the sleeves a bit and fix the gaping in front on this version and I accomplished that by doing the same tiny fold I use when I make a Beatrix blouse. It is amazing that this tiny adjustment makes such a difference but it does.
This was a relatively quick sew and it was worn to church today for Me Made May day 22. It was a cold, grey day here and the polka dots were a great contrast. Not much else to say without repeating my previous blog so I will leave you with pictures. I drafted the facing using the Beatrix directions as my guide:
I was careful to staystitch the neckline and understitch the facing as instructed in the Sewalong.
I hemmed my dress using a hem facing as I have done for most of my dresses.
I used one row of hem stitching because the first row of stitches was pretty straight and my motto is “good enough is good enough” which is a good rule to follow in most situations.
I used a button from my stash of tag sale buttons.
Back view.
I created a thread loop using Tasia from Sewaholic‘s wonderful book: The Sewtionary. I love her clear instructions and photos on so many helpful techniques.
And here is the finished product. Many views because my husband was available to take pictures. This was a relatively inexpensive, fun dress to make. It feels like spring which makes me happy, even though our weather has been a bit drab.
I am pretty happy with the fit. The back gapes a bit so I may move the button or shorten the button loop but it is otherwise quite wearable.
With the obligatory cardigan (still cold in Connecticut).
I do not knit so this fall I bought a basic, inexpensive cardigan in multiple colors. I love this muted pink.
Happy Spring! 
Nursebean Reads: Must Read Books, Spring 2016
Earlier this year, I wrote some posts about my unplugged Sunday project and about ways that I have I found more time to read. You can link to them here and here. Today’s post is short and sweet. Here are my must-read book recommendations for right now.
I could not put Lab Girl down. Amazing memoir. Great writing. Unexpected twists and turns. Interesting characters. I am recommending it to everyone as a must read.
I loved Year of Yes. I had heard it recommended on the great podcast “What Should I Read Next”. I was not disappointed. I can’t imagine any woman not loving this book. I am recommending it to my daughters.
My younger daughter told me I had to read Citizen and she was right. Just read it. Short, powerful, I will read it again.
I have been sewing more but continue to find time for reading. I have especially enjoyed hand quilting to audio books and am LOVING the Cormorant Strike series by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling which I also learned about from listening to the What Should I read next podcast. Book 1, The Cuckoo’s Calling, is amazing on audio book.
The second two books in the three book series are a bit gruesome/disturbing in terms of details. They are true psychological thrillers in the Law and Order SVU mold, not usually my thing, but the characters are wonderful and the audio is amazing.
I have been listening in my car but then get so wrapped up in the story that I end up listening for several hours straight at home. I just finished book 3. So sorry to not have a book 4 to listen to!
Other books I have enjoyed this spring are this book which is a true story about the painter Velasquez and an Englishman who may or may not have owned one of his paintings. It made me want to hop on a train and go look at the Velasquez paintings at the Met.
I also read this book for book group. A really compelling story about a family’s experience during Hurricane Katrina. It is shocking what happened just ten years ago in this country. Very disturbing. Five Days at Memorial, another book about Katrina, has been on my to-read list for a long time and reading Zeitoun has made me want to finally read it.
Next up, this book that I heard about on the podcast. It weighs a ton but is supposed to be a terrific read.
What are you reading and enjoying lately?
nursebeansews 