Summer is Over...

The temperatures here in Texas have finally dropped. Enough that there are serious gaps in what I have to wear and I hastily put three garments together. First, I made the Vogue 8634 cowl neck top. You may recognize the fabric as the same $1.95/yard Lycra knit that I had used back in August for the Lena Sommermode top. Granted, this is some odd fabric but it was ideal for testing the pattern.

I made view B, Xlg (20-22), borrowing the long sleeves from view C.  And, as usual, I added to the hem (2") and shortened the sleeves (2”). I also eliminated the front horizontal seam by pinning the upper and lower front pattern pieces together.  To secure the cowl, I edge-stitched along the neck seam using the coverstitch.  The top went together very quickly and I will be making it again using a more subdued fabric.  This style would be great to wear under a vest or jacket.

Next, I made a cardigan and a sleeveless top.  For the top, I used Simplicity 2598, view E. The cardi-wrap is the star of this pattern and the top, I suspect, is really an “oh, by the way” afterthought.  I just cannot bring myself to sew the cardi.  To me, those pointy cardi-wrap tails are begging to get caught in the car door, or worse - a public toilet!

The fabric is a stretch polyester knit that I purchased several months ago from Farbic Mart.  I cut a size 18W-20W with 22W-24W side seams and added 1” to the hem. 

Needing to wear the top in a few hours, I didn’t use the coverstitch binder to finish the armhole edges. This fabric curled as soon as it was cut and I simply didn’t have time to experiment. Instead, I sewed clear elastic in the armhole seam allowance, folded the seam allowance over and coverstitched.  It worked! The elastic will keep the armhole from stretching out of shape. I also sewed clear elastic into the shoulder seams.

For the cardigan, I used Simplicity 2288, view A.  This fabric also came from Fabric Mart. I made a size 20, using size 22 side seams and skipped the pleated ruffle trim.  I didn’t shorten the sleeves as they look a bit short on the envelope model.  It ended up being the correct sleeve length for me. 

The neatly stacked pieces of the 1952 dress are patiently waiting next to the Bernina. I am still working on the shoulder pads. There isn’t a pending occasion/looming deadline for the dress though I’m sure that locating the right belt buckle will improve my motivation.

I purchased some denim and a few knit pieces from Fabric.com a few days ago. I want to sew another jean jacket, this time actually using denim. And, after these easy projects, I could use something a bit more complicated. However, my goal is to complete the 1952 dress before I tackle the jean jacket.

Enjoy your week!