Three Patterns Tested

Once this sparkly and heathered ITY knit from Fabric Mart showed up, I questioned what caused me to choose it. Could it be the $1.00/yard price? Well, yes, price indeed was the factor that compelled me to purchase 10 yards. Based on other ITY knits I've sewn, I was expecting more stretch, but at $1.00/yard, I've nothing ugly to say. Not perfect, but plenty good enough for assessing new patterns. By the way, this purple above is more indicative of the fabric color than the other photos.

I've had the Style Arc Creative Cate pattern for awhile and had hopes that it would be wonderful. It almost is. Notice the horizontal line at the bust point. I believe that means more fabric is needed there. I never ever need a FBA (full bust adjustment). Ever.

Though the bust measurement of the dress form is the same as mine, the horizontal line doesn't show up when I'm wearing the top. So, if I use a stretchier knit, will the top then be too loose? Looks like I'll be digging another knit out of the stack to find out...I like this style. A lot. The horizontal line? Not so much.

Next, I tweaked the measurements on the Bernina My Label t-shirt. I serged one shoulder (with clear elastic, of course) and switched to the coverstitch. The self-fabric strip refused to cooperate with the binder despite given several opportunities. Eventually, it was replaced with a cotton knit from the scrap box. Can't say that this is my favorite combination, but I was able to finish the project.

This version is too wide across the upper front and there is something odd with the bust at the side seams. While wearing this top, I notice that the fabric wants to make a bust dart - see the wrinkles on the right. On me, I get one large fold. There is too much fabric, but I don't know what measurement/s to change to make it go away. Do you? I suppose I should compare the measurements to my original pattern and that would tell the story. No matter; I'll revert to my older BML t-shirt pattern.

Even if this one isn't a great fit and is a bit strange, I'm gonna wear it anyway. Yep, I am...

The third pattern sampled is this oldie but goodie Burda 1-2006-131. Burda being Burda, I knew better and yet didn't bother to raise the neckline. However, I did skip the center back seam. To avoid using the binder for the neck finish, I added 1/4" seam allowance and serged the self-fabric strip, right sides together, to the top. Then, I folded the strip up and over the seam allowance and coverstitched to secure the back side of the strip to the top. I prefer to use the binder, but I sure did not want another purple top with peachy/orange binding. One is quite enough, thank you.

I chose ivory thread for the contrast top-stitching (coverstitched) as the purple blended with the fabric and the seams disappeared. This pattern will be better once the neckline has been adjusted to a Tammyriffic level (I'm guessing about an inch to an inch and a half).

Burda 1-2006-131

Okay, of the three, the Creative Cate is my favorite. I'm gonna pass on the BML tweaked version as the older one is better. The Burda pick is worth fine-tuning the neckline.

There are still yards of this fabric left...

Uh, Catching Up is Hard to Do...

So, I'm talking with DD#2 and she mentions my blog. She said it had been awhile since I had posted and I should get back to it...Yes, I'm feeling a bit guilty and I do miss it. However, in my defense, my solo workshop has been producing, I've merely skipped the documenting part.

I've yet to show you what I had sewn for the wedding, which by now seems so very long ago. I enjoyed sewing with silk, beaded lace, pretty linings and learned that installing an invisible zipper is much easier than a lapped one.

If your guess for the wedding venue was the front porch of The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island you would be correct. What a beautiful place to have a wedding! If you ever have a chance to visit – do it!

A few details regarding my dress: I overestimated the size needed for the McCall’s jacket. Therefore, the first muslin was a fail. Besides being excessively big, it was also shapeless. I pinned a few other jacket patterns together on the dress form and was not any happier. Finally, because I knew it fit, I pulled out my BML classic shirt pattern and, using the front and back pieces, blended the front and hem of the McCall’s pattern. The muslin looked good and I went with it.

The dress was colorful, comfortable and perfect for the occasion. For the most part, the pictures were professionally done (copyrighted) and those that weren't included folks that might not appreciate being splattered across the web. So, sorry - I'm not going to post pictures.

Once back home and settled, I took the dress to be cleaned. The Bah! Humbug! dry-cleaner refused to clean the dress. Why? It lacked tags stating the fiber content and how it should be cleaned. No matter the sign stating they did fiber testing before cleaning. I was sent next door to a bridal gown cleaning/preserving shop and the young woman there told me that their fees started at $60, but my dress would certainly be beyond that. I haven't had anything dry-cleaned in years and that seemed a bit high. Is it? Months later, the dress still hasn’t made a journey through the chemicals...

Besides the wedding on Mackinac Island, there was also a Texas reception at the Welfare Café in Welfare, Texas. I sewed the bride's dress for the reception from an ivory beaded lace and silk dupioni.  Lovely. But once again, no pictures...

Since the wedding, I've been sewing everyday things, just no blogging. I had to make a choice. Either I could sew or I could blog. Due to a diminishing wardrobe, it was indeed an easy choice. I sewed mostly TNT's: t-shirts, simple dresses and even a skirt, along with a few pairs of pants. Not many pants as all of the jeans, shorts and pants I sewed last year are still going strong, though I admit that my favorites are fading.

So, see, you didn't miss much. I'll be back. Promise.