First '08 Projects Done...

Well, at least a couple of 'em. And I don't have any finished garment photos yet...

But I got the stretch velvet shirts done. DD really likes hers, except for the fact that the stretch velvet, being polyester, feels cold on her skin. I traced the next size up in the Jalie 2005 T for her; wonder how long this one'll last...

My stretch velvet Vogue 2945 top has a problem, though...largely stemming from the fact that this shirt is drafted for thin, drapey, very stretchy knits. The velvet is drapey, and even though it's not quite as stretchy as I think the pattern is designed for, it will stretch...but it sure ain't thin. I had to fiddle with it quite a bit to get it to work; I eventually cut away the 'stay' (read: front lining) just above the darts as it was just too bulky for an underlayer. And I think (hope?) the snug fit of the shirt was a result of the fabric choice; if this had been a nice 4-way stretch rayon/lycra jersey, I think it would've been a little better fitting.

However, the darts *are* too high for me; by about 1 1/4". I tried to fix that problem by shortening the darts 1". That actually worked somewhat to alleviate the overfitting, but I didn't think about problems that can arise when removing stitches from velvet. The right side, somehow, came out fine, but the left side is marred where the original stitching was (the white pin is the end of the new dart; you can see the old stitching around and past it). I've tried a couple of things to see if I could get the nap brushed back up; so far, no go. My last ditch effort is a trip through the washer and dryer. I suppose I *could* restitch the dart, but then it would be back to the original problem. I've no idea why one side came out fine and the other one didn't...and none of the other stitching I removed from anything in the process left marks. Maybe I pressed the dart on the left more aggressively than I realized.

I don't think I'll call it a wadder, though, even if the stitching lines don't come out. I can still wear it under a vest or jacket if I want; we'll see. But it was a good lesson to learn before I started sewing on the garment I actually purchased the fabric to make...and I'm about 1/3 done with the Cityscapes dress. I'm hoping to finish that today and wear it tomorrow...if not, then I'll throw a vest on over my 2945 top and wear that. I'll be funky either way...;)