Choir Wardrobe: Easter Weekend

 Three days of services ...because there's just not room in our converted-retail-space facility to get everyone in at once.  So we have services on Friday and Saturday for the 'regular' folks, some of whom bring family from other churches, so as to leave room in the three services on Sunday for the folks who don't come so regularly.

And, as usual on days when it just seems silly to talk about what I wore, I'll refer newcomers to the 'What's the choir wardrobe?' post linked on the sidebar to explain why I wander into such shallow waters.

March choir colors are gray, black and mint green...and the greens look much closer in color in real life than they do in these photos!  One looks almost blue, one looks almost white...but, truly, they're all minty green...a little lighter or darker but still close enough.

Friday night kicked off with comfy stuff...the new modified, as-yet-unreviewed  Vogue 9057 green T that was almost a disaster...I'm thinking I might shorten it a bit; it's just a bit on the sloppy side of long, I think.  I think the print version that I made earlier this year is a wee bit long, too, so I think I'm just going to fold a tuck in the pattern to adjust future iterations.  I need to make the sleeve a pinch longer if I want to roll it up; not sure if I want to go that trendy.

I'm wearing it with a vest from the May, 2008 edition of Burda World of Fashion, made from a strange stretchy poly that was, according to the online vendor,  stretch charmeuse, but was a heavy matte-back gray satin that was horrible to sew.  I had one wadder from the fabric, but managed to get a vest that is somewhat useful.  The comfy comes from the dark gray double knit Sewing Workshop Helix Pants, which also have not been reviewed yet, and also which you could see better if the kitty wasn't being friendly.


Saturday, we started the process of adding another vehicle to the family by wandering around a car lot trying on various models to see which ones actually felt like I could see out of them (my number one criteria for a vehicle I drive.  Amazing how many different manufacturers are following the same style and making the rear window teeny...).

But, it took a lot longer than we'd planned and the afternoon went by way faster than I'd expected. So, even though it doesn't look like it, I felt really thrown together.  Went with black and mint;  cotton/lycra Daphne pants from Fred Bloebum,  poly herringbone Bistro Jacket from Loes Hinse,  ...and a RTW, mail-order experiment.  I'm sure you've all seen advertisements from an online vendor whose name starts with a 'Z' and ends with a flower...some very cool, funky, interesting pieces.  I'd read some rather favorable comments on their customer service, a couple of my friends had made purchases they were happy with, so I thought.weeeellll,  maybe I'll give them a try on something I can't find fabric for.

I was a little disgruntled to see that you have to create an account before you can even browse the site.   And I really didn't see anything like the tops that were in the facebook ads. But I did find a crochet vest and a lacy mint green top, so I decided to give it a go.

Well, I discovered another thing I didn't see in print anywhere when I ordered...these folks take orders for stuff for a specified amount of time; once the time has expired, THEN they place the order with their supplier.

So the stuff I ordered on March 2 actually arrived March 22...because I ordered early in the 'event'.  Now, that's their business model and that's how, they say, they keep the prices low.  They also don't allow returns, although they do work with folks if something is clearly defective or misrepresented or doesn't fit.  But...this ain't those instant-ship shoe folks. 

So...when the merchandise arrived, I was pleased to see that the size chart worked and the vest and the top both fit.  The vest...which I'll try to get photographed sometime soon...is a nice enough poly-cotton and is created by sewing various bits of crochet or crochet-like fabrics into the vest shape.  I'll wear it and enjoy it, I think.

The mint top...oy, it's not really what I expected.  I don't remember how they described it, but the fabric is created by wooly-nylon satin stitching somehow.  It's sort of like eyelet, only...snaggy wooly nylon thread.  I had to dab fray-check on several spots so I could trim dangly bits without  the overstitching unraveling.  And the lacy stuff is over a lining, which is exceedingly cheap tricot.  I had to wear a cami under it.  The back is split, which I knew, but it exposes that cheap lining.  It really looks pretty bad..  It will NEVER BE WORN without a top layer.

But...truth be told, it's stage wear.  And from 10 feet away, the ugly really isn't discernible.   So it will do when we wear mint green in choir.  And I was right...I was looking for garments in fabrics I couldn't buy and, well, that's exactly what this is...lol.

Will I buy more stuff from the Z people?  Um...maybe.  But I'm going to read all descriptions very carefully and not assume anything.

Easter Sunday had a rainy forecast...gray RTW jeans,  my light gray Jalie 2566 T, and the ALSO un-reviewed McCall's 6844 matelasse knit cardigan, that turned out to be borderline too warm for the building today. Dunno if the AC wasn't quite working what, but I kept pulling it off in the conference room, where I was working with some volunteers to get a jump on the data entry that always follows a major outreach like Easter weekend.  I actually attended the Friday night service, then spent the rest of the weekend services working on the data entry, when I wasn't singing in the choir. Bur I got warm, just sitting and working, so this jacket is probably not going to see much use between, say, March and October.  It's cozy.

So, to everyone who stops by Sew Random...I pray the blessings of the day would touch you! 

Choir Wardrobe 3/20/16 - The Oops Edition

March Choir Colors are black, gray and mint green.

But just to glance at what I wore today...Gray Jalie Jean Jacket, black RTW sweater shell and black pinstripe modified Loes Hinse Oxfords...you'd think we were still in the grayscale month of February.


There's a hint of mint in my earrings, which you really can't see.  I actually put on a mint green scarf this morning and then took it off when I ate breakfast so, you know, I wouldn't dribble egg yolk or something on it.

And I forgot to put it back on.  Didn't even think about it till I got to church and saw everyone else's mint green and realized mine was MIA.

Oh, well.  At least I won't be repeating myself during the three days of services at the end of the week.

New patterns to try

I've been looking at the Style Arc patterns for quite some time; many, many folks have paid the shipping from Australia and been very happy with the garments they made from them.

I just wasn't sure they were different enough from what is available on this side of the pond to spring for the shipping.

But Style Arc has printed some multi-sized patterns and they are available through Amazon...and they had a significant sale last week, so I ordered, um, a few:

Of course, right after I ordered them, there were comments on the sewing discussion boards that the CAD-rendered multi-sized patterns  may not have the same fit that the single-sized patterns sold from Australia were reported to have.   Sigh.

But I thought these  (the Designer Daisy pants and Tunic came in the same packet) were unique enough that they might be worth a go.  We'll see.

On other news, I am pulling stuff for the postponed ten year giveaway. I think it's 5 posts away... :-)

The Story of the Green T...

So, the most recent purchases have been sewn.

This is amazing...it's mid March, and I'm showing more yards out than yards in.

We are setting new standards over here, my friends....

But, well, let me tell you a little story about why I should not sew at night...

I ordered a yard and a half of a rather darkish mint green fabric; the generous cutter sent two yards.

Yay...maybe I'll get a T and a Tank from the yardage...if I cut carefully.

I had altered the sleeves on View A of Marcy Tilton's Vogue 9057; I've been wanting a TNT pattern for a relaxed fit, short-sleeved, shirt-tail -hemmed T shirt, and, as my rayon/lycra jersey was very drapey and floppy, I thought it would be a good candidate.  I was just a few inches (like, 2 1/2) short of having enough to cut the front and back on the same lengthwise fold (hindsight; I should've folded 1 1/4" out of the length on both front and back; the top is plenty long...).

So, I folded carefully and cut the back, then folded carefully and cut...a second back. Oy.  It took some crafty folding to get the front on, since the fabric was not quite long enough for two lengths.  But I managed to get it done, and I barely had enough width left in one spot to get the neckband.

Trotted downstairs and sewed the shoulder seams, sewed the band seam, then proceeded to put the neckband on.

Then It Happened.

The thing that happens once in a very great while.

The fabric crawled up under itself and I didn't realize it until I noticed there were multiple shreds coming off the serger knife.

Oy again.

It was cut too far into the fabric to salvage.  What to do what to do what to do...Wait!  I cut TWO BACKS!

Pulled the neckband off, unpicked the serged shoulder seams, and trotted upstairs and swapped the spare back...which was in the scrap box...for the chopped up back.

Trotted back downstairs and promptly sewed the left back shoulder to the right front shoulder.

Oy again again.

I unpicked it, sewed the shoulder seams, pinned on the neckband and WENT TO BED.

The next day I got up and with very little other trouble finished it off.

And then somehow didn't manage to get a photo of it by iteslf today.

I could easily have shortened it 1 1/4 inches...but, oh well. Mint green, gray and black are the choir colors;  black Lee jeans, and the ubiquitous Jalie drape front cardi.

And that's it for sewing mint this season.

I cut out the first actual garment in the SWAP plan...Loes Hinse' Oxfords, with the zipper from the Euros, from a really nice tropical wool pinstripe.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to think I'm going to finish all the garments for the SWAP by the end of next month, but I can get some of them done...maybe...lol

Workwear....24?

Tried another spot for the 'jump in front of the camera' shot...don't think I like that one, either...I had to put the camera on a lower shelf to get my feet in the photo, but the angle looks weird to me.  So I'll try another spot next time...

But I wanted to post a photo 'cause it's the blue fabric that was too sheer for a t-shirt, made up in the Jalie 2919 Cardigan . (Stops to count) 

That's cardi number 6 from that pattern, if I'm counting right.  With my favorite modifications of 3/4 length tabbed sleeves and a fishtail back.

The white shirt is kinda interesting; it came from an outlet store, and the 'french' cuffs are really not done correctly.  But it's a princess-seamed shirt, and the side panels are white knit.  So it's  a rather forgiving top.  I bought it last August; and this is the first time I've worn it, due to the weird cuffs, which I have intended to fix but can't seem to get around to it.  But, turned up over the sleeves they don't look as wonky.

Maybe I've found the way to make it work...

Choir Wardrobe 03 06 16

March colors: black, gray and mint green.  We've done mint green...or close enough...off and on in the last 3-4 years and, while I've made mint green stuff  I've never really been happy with it.  So I decided to try again and ordered a couple of pieces of mint green, which arrived early last week.  Friday night I traced/altered McCall's 6844 (there are 140 reviews for that on PatternReview; I'm late to the show...).  Yesterday I cut it out and sewed it up from one of the new arrivals, a matelasse double knit.  I wore it with  a Jalie 2566 t shirt, made up in one of the pieces that arrived in January, a wonderfully yummy viscose/lycra jersey, and gray Lee jeans.  And a sort-of-mint-green necklace that had belonged to my grandmother.

I have to admit, the matelasse fabric reminds me of jackets worn by grandmas who wintered in Florida (yeah, my grandma was one) back in the 70's, but it's the right color so I went for it.  And the cardi pattern, while not wonderfully flattering on me from all angles, as shown by the side shot with the horizontal line right where I really don't need any emphasis, is at least not a 'leisure suit' type of jacket that would've been worn 40 years ago.  I really think that one of the other views without that waistline seam might be more flattering on me, although I will say that that granny fabric made a wonderfully comfy jacket; it's a rayon blend and doesn't feel  plasticy-polyestery like those 70's double knits at all.

And a random lady from the congregation complemented me on the jacket; said she thought it was really, really pretty.  I'm trying to pretend she wasn't probably 15 years older than me...

A little in...a little out...

Mint green is coming up in choir...and that is one color I struggle with; I've made a couple of pieces but haven't been satisfied.  And we have Easter this month...which means extra services.

So I took advantage of a recent sale and got a couple of mintish green pieces of fabric to try again.  Let's see if I can get something through the machine in time to wear it Sunday...

But meantime I finished up the last of the tops I cut out last month...a wild print from EOS, made up in the least wild view of Marcy Tilton's 9057 top set.  I'm going to hold off on reviewing it until I get at least one other view made up, but I think I'm going to use one of the more. um, unique views for the mint jersey that arrived today, so maybe that will be soon.

Bad bathroom selfie:

 And an even worse 'set the timer and hop in front of the camera' selfie...but that's how I wore it today.

It was definitely a good choice for a gloomy, rainy day that even had some frozen precip falling early on.

I made a slight FBA, and shortened the neckband and did my typical cheater of using 1/4" seam allowances on a pattern that uses 5/8".    But I like the fit of this and think I'm very close to the 'relaxed fit' TNT t-shirt pattern.  I could probably scoop the neckline just a little to get an approximation of a Rag and Bone T shirt shape I have on my pinterest page. 

But now I'm gonna see about sewing up some mint...and then I've got to hit the SWAP plan, if I'm going to get those wardrobe basics cranked out by the end of next month.

I think I can I think I can I think I can...