Choir Wardrobe 7/12/14

Same combo as last week...just turned inside-out, color-wise. 

Coldwater jeans, with navy rayon jersey Jalie 2566 cap sleeve t...I will do a review on that as soon as I get a minute, because it is turning into my TNT T shirt pattern and I really ought to have mentioned it on PR, at least. ;-) 

Also wearing the needs-to-be-replaced-because-it's-wearing-out Jalie 2919 Pleated cardigan.   Not sure when I'll get around to actually replacing it, but I've got the fabric now and hopefully I'll remember not to use it for anything else.

And a double scarf...a scrap of sparkly dot-infused netting, left over from some costuming something that was being discarded from the school costume stash and toted home by The Princess about 11 years ago, that she finally said I could have, so I just whacked it into a rectangle.  I have a pink poly chiffon scarf that I made some time ago, just to have a scarf the right color.  I think I hit on the idea of putting them together last year and I liked that so well I just keep em' that way.

Back from Girls Camp

...and I realized I never posted the Choir photo from last week...

Jeans from Coldwater, I think, an ancient poly tricotene Evan Piccone blazer,  a hot pink version of Simplicity 2603 and a scarf that got several compliments.

It's the remnant from the Jiffy Pop Top.  It was a very interesting fabric...a blue poly knit with the lame sort of printed on.  Sort of.  So I had this 3" bit along the selvages that were not lamanized, for want of a better term, so I just squared up the bit left at the end...it was at least 60" wide...and, bingo, a silver/navy blue scarf, which works great when gray and navy are in the choir line up.  :-)

And, when I got home, a package was awaiting.  I got 3 yards of a rayon/lycra jersey in a spot on perfect shade of gray...not too dark, not too light...for the cardigan I was going to make from the fabric I inadvertently cut into two tops.

The really significant thing about that order is that I only ordered one piece of fabric.  Which safely arrived WITHOUT a traveling buddy.

Changing paradigms... ;-)

Pattern Keepers Winner...

...is....

Angela the Creative Diva!

So, Miss Angela, if you would email your mailing address to me at

tig77LW atsign yahoodotcom

I'll get them off in the mail to you!

Thanks, everyone, for playing and for the comments.  It's always fun to see who's actually reading the blog; thanks to everyone who stops by and leaves a comment now and then!

Last Call for Pattern Savers Giveaway

Maybe I should've put the giveaway at the top of the post instead of at the bottom, in view of today's abbreviated feed collectors.

Giving away one package tomorrow morning to one person drawn from comments on this week's blog posts; just asking for you to tell me how long you've been reading Sew Random and what your favorite posts tend to be about...Choir Wardrobe?  Costuming?  The Sewing Assistant?

Happy Friday! :-)

Choir Wardrobe 07-06-14...and a birthday giveaway...

Choir colors changed for July...we're now doing navy, hot pink/fuschia and gray.  So I snuck in the inaugural wearing of the new Sewing Workshop Plaza Pants, slightly wavy pleats and all. 

Which turned out not to show up hardly at all.  So.

These are a tropical weight wool that I got absolutely ages ago at the Atlanta Sewing Expo.  Now, there are those who will think, 'Wool in Alabama in the summer???' and I have to tell you that these are WAY more comfortable than a similar weight poly blend.  They're downright breezy as air flows right through.   :-) 

The barely visible top underneath is a summer wardrobe staple, Simplicity 4076, the scoop-neck view .  The topper is a linen jacket from Coldwater. 

I have a hack for you, too... the necklace was really a bit too long for the neckline.  I had a brainstorm and found a small safety pin that I fastened between a couple of beads about 2 inches in from the end.  Then I fastened the spring clasp on the safety pin and let the tail dangle under my hair in the back.  And the beads filled in the neckline just right. ;-)

I did some hunting for a couple of odd things...like the waistband interfacing that I almost never use, but added to the un-elasticized front of the Plaza pants...and found some long missing stuff.  Like the missing half of the Farewell to Arms skirt that I feared I had thrown away...and two and a half packages of these goodies:

Yep, these are those zip closure bags with the extra pocket on the front for patterns.  Love, love them.
And apparently they're no longer available.  Now, I happened to think it would be selfish of me to keep such a bounty all to myself, and, as it happens to be my birthday week, I thought I'd do a giveaway.  I will give one package of ten to a lucky random drawing winner.

But I'm going to be shameless here.  If you're interested...and I'll send them anywhere in the globe... you need to leave a comment for me telling me how long you've been reading Sew Random, and what your favorite topic that I cover might be...costuming?  Choir wardrobe?  Stashing stuff?  Whatever? 

My birthday is actually Friday, so I'll let this run through midnight Friday night and I'll draw the winner Saturday.

Have a great week!

Pants off the WIP list...and learning the new machine

I don't have photos yet; I'm sure they'll show up sooner or later.

I finally finished the Sewing Workshop Plaza pants that have been hanging out on the WIP list since 2011.  I cut them out of a dark midnight navy tropical wool, and they'd just languished in the bag, waiting on me to get enough time to work on them.

I was afraid that either 1) the fabric would have had moth damage by now or 2) they would be too small; neither of which turned out to be the case.

But I sewed them on the new machine, and I learned some things about it that are different than my old machine.

I cannot adjust the pressure foot pressure.  This meant that I got more slippage between the top layer of fabric, which was next to the foot, and the bottom layer, which was next to the feed dogs.

And I didn't catch on.

Now, this machine HAS a walking foot, which would correct the problem.  However, it is something of a nuisance to put on/take off as it involves unscrewing the snap-on shank that most of the feet attach to, and Janome switched what WAS a thumb screw on my old machine to a screw that needs a screwdriver.  And the only one that fits is the little triangly one that comes with the machine and is slow as Christmas to use, as it has to be repositioned after every half turn.

So, when I took it off to do some zig--zag stitching,  I didn't put it back on.

And the Plaza pants have this funky pleat thing going on down the front of them.

I did not notice until the final try on that I have some ripply things happening in those front pleats, due to the top layer of fabric being pushed against the pull of the bottom layer against the feed dogs.

Now, it's not horrible and it won't keep me from wearing them, but it is enough that it will bug me.  Not enough to go through what would be a  burdensome amount of ripping and re-stitching that might not improve the look anyway, but just enough to make me annoyed.

If I *KNEW* I could make it better, I'd fix it, but I suspect that I'd go to all that trouble and end up with something that really won't look any better, due to all the wrangling that would be done to undo the  first time.   See, I'd reversed the direction of the pleat so I could put some pockets in under it, so it's not just a matter of restitching that pleat...there are pockets involved.

So, I'm just going to grin and bear it...it really doesn't show unless I'm standing stock still.  Oh, and it will probably be magnified in a flash photo.

But, that is one really long-standing item off the WIP (aka the 'UFO' list).  If I can get one thing made from that list every three months or so, I'll eventually get back to current sewing.