The Winter of Two Patterns

Fast forward several months and I’m still getting organized. Can you believe it? Simplify has become both my middle name and my mantra. I’ve tossed most of my old clothing. A few things I’ve been able to alter - but most? No, not worth the time or effort. Even though I don’t have many garments, my closet has nine boxes of fabric along with a floor to ceiling stack of neatly folded two to three yard lengths.

I have been sewing, just not blogging. The quality of my photos gets the blame. Usually it is late at night when I take pictures of my projects. I don’t know if it is the camera or the lighting (or both), but the photos are awful and I end up deleting them and then not blogging. I either need to find a decent lamp or a new camera…

Jalie 3245

This winter’s sewing focused on two patterns. One for tops, Jalie 3245, and the other for pants, Burda 2-2007-120.

Burda 2-2007-120

Why only two? Well, once home after working all day and fighting traffic (both coming and going), I often didn’t feel like tracing new patterns and wondering if I was going to end up with something wearable. With so few garments in the closet, I needed a sure bet and took the expedient route. Boring, utilitarian sewing with incredibly bad lighting (really, really bad!) produced enough business casual garments to get me through the winter.

The pants are straight forward, nothing fancy…just pants, but I like that back yoke seaming that meets the pocket seam on the side. For me, sewing a yoke seam is much easier than marking and sewing waist darts, especially with dark fabric and INCREDIBLY BAD LIGHTING. I didn’t include the cuffs. Sewn entirely on the machines.

The tops came together with whatever knit fabric I could extract from the stack without knocking it over. Some even came from the Fabriconda. Those were the most interesting as I had to combine fabrics to have enough to make make a top.

This cotton tunic is my escape from the Winter of Two Patterns. I bought the fabric at Super Textiles in Dallas. It is just down the road from the Golden D'or Fabric Outlet. Interesting place. Go there if you get a chance. Haven’t worn it yet as it is waiting for a pair of white Capri’s. The pattern is Burda 8918, and long OOP.

Burda 8918

I did my standard "add an inch to the neckline at the shoulder" maneuver. I also left off the ties and went with a narrow elastic loop and a button instead. I didn’t want to fiddle with a skinny bias loop. Simplify…

News? Well, DD#2 got married and it was a very happy wedding. Their new puppy even showed up! I ended up purchasing my MOB dress. I shopped for quality fabric, both online and off, that would be flattering and a good value and was unsuccessful. I think it would have helped had I had a definite style in mind. Anyway, no complaints. The purchased dress was kind to my budget and appropriate. Plus, it fit and I was comfortable the entire evening. A win all the way around.

Here we are at Easter:

What else? DD#1 graduated with her MBA. I’m so proud of her!

Will work on the lighting thingy…

Fabriconda #3 - Burda 08-2011-138

The Fabriconda bag had several small pieces of cotton fabric of similar weight. The fact that they did not coordinate was of no concern. I pulled out a TNT top pattern, Burda Style 08-2011-138, and had fun. I have sewn this pattern several times. This round the sleeve was shortened one inch. I have yet to make it with the back button closure, and wasn't interested in tackling it for this top.

Burda Style 08-2011-138

This selection of fabrics had many flaws and tape residue that had to be worked around. By combining the undamaged bits, there was just enough for my top.

To help pull together the disparate prints, I added a scrap of the floral to the center front neckband along with the tab and a button I found in the stash. Like the recent Jaile t-shirt and the Rachel Comey top, I had to sew pieces together to get fabric long enough for the pattern pieces.

Front

Back

I would not have deliberately planned for this combination of fabrics, but you know, I was amused and I believe it will pair nicely with my new black capris...

One Step Forward...

Once home, I made quick work of getting those Golden D'or Fabric Outlet pieces inspected and washed. After serious culling, the remaining fabrics are worth the seven dollars paid. The picture above is a sampling. Don't know that I would do that again, but it was amusing to see what was in that bag!

Before the Dallas trip, I completed a pair of capris (Ottobre Woman Every-Woman's Pants 05-2008-16), the Classic Flares (Ottobre Woman 02-2013-20) and a pair of cropped pants using Burda 7068. They were all made from the same $1.99/yd black windowpane cotton fabric purchased from FabricMart.com. Same fabric, same thread and so I couldn't help but put them together assembly line style. Did it save any time? Maybe yes, maybe no. But it was satisfying when I had three new garments all at once. I didn't take photos mainly because details on black fabric do not show up well and besides, nothing you haven't seen me make before. Just pants.

Soon after the assembly line ended, I started the Vogue 1247 Rachel Comey top and was pleased that I'd pinned the pattern to the dress form before cutting the fabric. The top would have been way too large had I gone with the size that matched my measurements. I chose a less-than-wonderful floral polyester and all went well until I went to overlock. The usually dependable Kenmore was skipping stitches and I blamed it on the polyester. I switched out needle sizes and types and unthreaded and rethreaded the machine. It didn't help. Finally, I removed all thread and rotated the hand wheel. Yep, sure enough, the looper was hitting the back of the needle plate. It wasn't loose nor did it look odd. I removed the plate and laid it flat on the table. Flat? Shouldn't it be flat? Nope, it was like a rocking chair...

See that triangular piece on the right of the needle plate? It was bent. I took pliers to it and that corrected the skipped stitches. No clue as to how it got bent. Not trusting it to remain flat, I bought a replacement from eBay, swapped them out and the the machine stitches like new. Now, in my panic before I determined the problem was the needle plate, I overreacted and there is a similar model (via eBay) on its way.

The quilt? It is resting as:

• I ripped the Supreme Slider by catching it on the needle when removing it from the Bernina. I'm hoping I can find some type of tape that will keep me from having to buy another one anytime soon - any ideas? I also somehow managed to stitch through it.

• I quilted to the edge of a panel where I should have left a seam allowance. Yes, I have some unstitching to do and I'm not happy about it...

 

In other news, DD #1 gifted me some Robert Kaufman fat quarters from the Passage to India collection. I love the prints and was able to find more online. I'm in no hurry to decide what these fabrics will become. Aren't they beautiful?

Burda Plus 01-2013-433

I’m still working on the third panel of the quilt. I chuckle and chortle every time I unfold the panels to inspect my silliness! Nothing planned – just whatever I feel like stitching at the moment. Anyway, that last panel will be finished soon enough and then the next challenge will be uniting them. For some reason I worry that they won’t match up. I know it is illogical as each and every block was squared up.

Burda Plus 01-2013-433

So, taking a break from the quilt, I stitched up a woven t-shirt/tunic. This one is 433 from the Burda Plus Spring/Summer 2013 magazine. I used a silk/cotton blend that I’ve had for a few years. I want to say that it came from Fabric Mart, but I'm not really sure...

After pinning the pattern pieces together to check the fit on the dress form, I modified the too-wide-for-me neckline. Brought it in about an inch at the shoulders. And, to compensate for the smaller opening, dropped the center front about an inch or so. Don't know that it was really necessary, but that is what I did.

The length of the t-shirt/tunic was shortened as my intent was to sew a top and not a dress. The only other change was to the binding. The coverstitch machine did not want to bind over seams. The outside of the stitched binding looked fine, but flip it over and you can see that it produced loops, not completed stitches over the seamed areas. After a few tries, I surrendered and instead folded the bias strips in half and sewed them onto the neckline and the bottom of the sleeves using a ¼” seam allowance. Then, to finish, I serged and edge-stitched. If I hadn’t been in a hurry, I probably could have sorted it out. Maybe it was the needle. Maybe it was the tension or perhaps the fabric itself. Who knows?  Who cares? It worked.

Neckline Finish

Sleeve Finish

You can bet this pattern will be used again. Perfect for anything light and drapey in the stash. Oh, wait. That is what Burda recommends…

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...

MOB Dress In Action

Details to come...

Muslin for MOB Dress

Bodice: Bernina My Label princess seam dress

• Bodice shortened to fit midriff
• Neckline lowered (may be lowered 1/2" more)
• Outer shoulder narrowed by 5/8"
• Gathers added to center front

Midriff: Butterick 4510 Maggy London, from 2005 (OOP)

• Pin-tucks, pleats, ruching or alternative will be included to add interest (lining pieces were used for this muslin)

Skirt: Burda Plus Autumn/Winter 2011 425A

• Skirt height trimmed to meet midriff at waist

Jacket:

• To be determined...

The Beginning of the MOB Dress

With some decisions made, the process has begun. I have been shopping for months, trying to find an appropriate dress to wear at my daughter’s upcoming wedding. MOB dresses seem to fall into the following categories:

• Las Vegas showgirl
• Muddy colored polyester knits incorporating sequins and geriatric styling
• Cringe-worthy MOB regulation uniform 

 

Well, that just isn’t going to work. I ended up at Sew Elegant, a little shop on West Avenue, in San Antonio. They have lovely formal wear fabrics. My first visit was several months ago during lunch hour. This time, DD#1 accompanied me and when she saw this fabric, we were done shopping!

 

Now I have to decide on which patterns to use. I’ve looked at every pattern website I can think of along with searches through my own pattern collection. All I know right now is that there will be an unlined jacket from the embroidered silk organza and a simple, full-length dress sewn from the silk dupioni. The lining is rayon - Ambiance Bemberg. I’m thinking there should be an underlined bodice, but don’t really want to underline the whole dress as drapey is preferred for the skirt.

The lines need to be clean. That means no fancy pleating, ruffles, etc. to compete with the embroidery. The purple of the flowers matches the purple of the bridesmaid dresses and the mother of the groom’s dress is a creamy beige lace, so these fabrics will certainly coordinate. Tell me though - does that even matter?

For the dress, I’m considering 425A from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Burda Plus.

And, for the jacket, McCall’s 9700 (OOP from 1998), view A with the short sleeves from view B. View A lacks the front princess seams of view B. No side seams either, but the center back seam, which gives shaping, needs to go as it would be a shame to break up the flowers. Frankenpattern? Likely...

And, yes, a muslin will be happening very soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy your week!

Again with Burda 02-2007-129

Recently, I haven’t had large chunks of sewing time. I grab ten minutes here, twenty there and I really just wanted to sew something without any style or fit challenges. As it was, it took about two weeks to complete this pair of jeans. Using a pattern that already had the kinks worked out was golden.

Burda 02-2007-129

The waist is good: not too high, not too low. I can’t say that the front pockets are total perfection but they ain’t bad either…and big enough to actually be useful.

I did change up the back pockets as I really liked the shape and size of the pockets (from Burda 8059) I’d sewn on my recent Burda 7284 jeans. I felt this pocket pattern deserved to go another round.  My trusty Clover pocket curve template made quick work of the corners.

 

I was able to enjoy sewing. Mindlessly. Yes, check out the zipper topstitching. I’d forgotten to topstitch the seam before sewing in the zipper. No seam ripper was going to spoil my fun and so I just did the best I could after the fact…

I have spent the past several months figuring out how to sew myself pants. Next, I want to tackle the classic shirt. Thanks to the BML (Bernina My Label) software, I do possess a shirt pattern that fits (see this posting).  There truly isn’t a need to chase other patterns. And, even if there were, I already possess several; enough that I should be forbidden from buying any more…

My BML shirt pattern works but could be tweaked. The most obvious issue is the sleeve cap - there is a bit more ease than necessary on the back. Common sense tells me to take scissors to the pattern, even out the cap and see what happens.

I sewed lots of denim in 2011. May 2012 be the year of the shirt…

Better!

Once I got started, it took about two hours (probably less) to put this together. I like the smaller size so much better. The proportions look right and I’m going to retrace the Burda jacket pattern (08-2008-127) before moving forward.

Burda 08-2011-138

The fabric is the same as the first version – a stretch rayon from Fabric.com. And, like the first, I skipped the back opening. The only thing done differently, other than the size, was fusing interfacing to the sleeve binding. Oh, I did add a bit to the neckband at the shoulders (see my last post).

Along with this top, I had intended to complete my new jeans today. It shouldn't have been any problem as they are finished except for attaching the belt loops. However, my plans changed after I broke three jeans needles (new, straight from the package!) right in a row. I can’t fault the machine, nor am I putting too much gas on the pedal. I’m simply requiring those needles to go through many, many layers of heavy fabric. After this, I’m ready to find a pair of safety goggles…

Tell me, would a size 18 needle work any better?

Excuses, Excuses...

Since I last posted, I’ve cut out the resized Burda top and it has gone no further. A last minute Halloween costume (a classic witch) pushed it aside. I needed a costume to wear to the office. Yes, to the office – all day.

I cannot blame the costume alone for my sewing lapses. After work, by the time I’ve fought my way home through rush hour, I’m ready for comfy clothes and dinner. Then, it is easy to call it a day. Not a problem as I could get up early the next morning and sew. However, I don’t, and the days go by…

I just haven’t been protecting my sewing time as well as I could. One reason, I finally bought myself a “smarty pants” phone (a Samsung Galaxy S II) and have had to learn how to use it. I’m an old BlackBerry enthusiast and was a bit apprehensive about the switch. It is fine. Well, more than fine (I love it!) and I’m not looking back…

I’ve also had to do some vehicle maintenance – new brakes. Blah.

And, last week I had my share of sinus/sore throat/earache troubles. Not bad enough to where I wanted to visit the doctor, but lots of cough drops, acetaminophen and hot tea were involved. I’m feeling much better, thanks for asking…

On the happy side, I took in the UT/Kansas game. A fun, fun day!

And, I was able to cut out another pair of jeans using Burda 7284. Nearly complete and the opposite of “mom” jeans, this pair will require a belt and that means belt loops. I’ll show them to you once I’ve figured out what kind of belt loops I want to make.

Have a good week…and sew something already!

Burda 08-2011-138

I used the “new to me” Activa140 to sew this top. As hoped, it did just fine. However, I will not be switching it out for the 930 Record. The 930 is my solid tank and has the undisputed #1 spot here.

As is my custom, I ignored the Burda instructions and put the top together as I pleased. The buttons and loops at the back were skipped. First, I didn’t want to spend time sewing details on a top that might not work; also, I don’t think I’d be comfortable with that back neck opening. The top is cut longer in the back and I love the ¾ sleeves! The sleeve bands are a nice touch. I didn’t interface them but next time I might - I’ll see how they do. Also, I will bring in the neck yokes at the shoulders to ensure bra strap coverage.

The fabric came from Fabric.com – a stretch rayon. The color makes me smile.

Make it a great week!

Ottobre “Mom” Jeans, a Jacket and More

Seems like forever since I last blogged, but it really has only been a few weeks. My routine has been predictably boring and once I have taken care of the requirements of the day, there's not much energy left for sewing. It is just too easy to substitute a glass of iced tea and a sliver of Key lime pie.

I did finish the Ottobre “mom” jeans. The pockets were embroidered with randomly dialed stitches…nothing planned at all. To help tie the front and back together, I continued the embroidery onto the front of the jeans. Even though they are not my favorite pair, they do fit and I’ve already worn them to the office and put them through the washer and dryer. This is how they look straight from the dryer.

I traced the pattern for an unlined jacket, Burda 08-2008-127, and pinned it on the dress form to get a rough idea of how it would fit. It has stayed there for two weeks. With the heat, it is not pleasant to think about trying on anything long-sleeved.  There is, however, a piece of mystery brownish black/gold brocade that is a wonderful candidate for the pattern.

Burda 08-2008-127

The downside: due to the loose weave, the fabric will need to be block fused and then underlined. Also, bound buttonholes would be best. I’m thinking that this is a bigger investment than I am willing to make with an unproved pattern. And, since there is still plenty of denim, I’m gonna try it out with that (no block fusing/no underlining required).

While tracing the jacket pattern, I went ahead and traced a top pattern, Burda Style 08-2011-138. I like that the front and back hemlines are different. The buttons on the back add a nice detail, but I’m betting they are more decorative than functional and so will pass on them for now.

Burda Style 08-2011-138

Jalie 2806, a  top pattern purchased months ago, has patiently waited on the sewing table. It promises to be a basic and versatile style for me. Problem is, I can’t decide what size. Overlaying my BML (Bernina My Label) t-shirt pattern, it looks like my size incorporates three different pattern sizes. I keep stalling as I don’t want to waste my time or my fabric with a poor sizing choice. Purely illogical as I have a $1.00/yard knit that is perfect for testing; not much to lose if it doesn’t work.

Julie - Thank for your shirt pattern suggestion (Silhouettes Classic Blouse, #600). I have several projects in the works but hope to order this soon.

Jared - You recently asked about my sewing machine and the denim I’m using. Most of my sewing (including the denim projects) is done on a Bernina 930 Record and the denim came from Safe Denim. And yes, it is holding up. The fabric is wonderful!

Okay, off for another glass of iced tea (decaf – it is late after all)…Happy sewing!