I have done a wee bit of stitching here and there...I made a half-dozen diapers for my neighbor, who has a new baby; hemmed the remants of the waffle fabric I used for the linen towels last year to use as dish towels (they are rather oddly proportioned, but they'll dry dishes, so who cares...) and made up the first of several patterns that I made years ago, when I was about 30 pounds lighter, and recently re-traced.
This one is La Fred's Athena Blouse; I posted about the last time I made it back in 2006; I originally made it in 2003, Before Blogging, lol.
Back then, I actually sized down from my measurements as pattern measurements showed that it had a generous amount of ease. So I remembered that and sized down when I traced my ...bigger size...to have a go at it again. But...I didn't remeasure. I just assumed consistent ease. Ooopsie.
And I decided to use it on the the floral fabric I got in my recently - mentioned Fabric-store.com cash-in of my loyalty points. It's a beautiful print on fine cotton fabric; but the size of the print was such that I didn't want to cut small pieces...like a band and collar...from it. So I went with the Athena, because it has a cut-on collar. But the print was so large that, when I tried to match it across the front, I had to place the front pieces such that it was then impossible to get the rest of the pieces on the fabric (and I had an extra half yard!). So I just shrugged and cut it out as instructed, with no attempt to match. Um, I'd've been better off going for a deliberate mismatch that was balanced, but more on that later...
The fabric is a very tight weave; it was difficult to get pins to go into it, and the pinholes didn't close up, even after I sprayed it with water and steam pressed it. Maybe after it's washed they'll go away. Maybe...
This pattern has 6 places where you have to sew an inside-corner to an outside-corner; it's the caveat I would give anyone. It does have a really cool shape.
But I learned that the larger sizes apparently don't have as much ease as the smaller sizes...my shirt is a bit snug. I don't think it's unwearable, but I will add a bit...maybe via a full bust adjustment...if I make it again...and I probably will. I want at least one in linen.
I'll tell you, my friends, but will not mention it elsewhere, lol. that near match on the front made me gnash my teeth a bit. Fortunately the print is fairly well balanced so it's not terribly noticeable, but it bummed me. With a match that close, you'd think I could have actually matched it...but I'm telling you, I tried several different ways to get it on there and it broke up the yardage so bad I couldn't get the other pieces (back, sleeves...which are pretty big...and front facing) all on.
A friend recently asked me if I was still working on that wardrobe from the Vivienne files...and while the specific additions for Nov. and Dec. of 2021 are still in the queue, the garments I have sewn since, by and large, all work with the pink-green-navy-white color scheme. So, while I haven't 'finished' that series, I am still building on it.
Today, I cut down a massive t-shirt...almost too much, lol. It was from the previous year's collection in the merch shop at last fall's women's conference; I got it for five bucks and decided I'd use it to test the Style Arc Kim's Swing Top. I took a TNT T shirt pattern and used it to pick the size to trace (a 12) and then I did a full bust adjustment. I had to shorten the top by 2" to get it on the boxy original shirt (which I somehow missed getting a photo of before I took it apart).
It also came out a wee bit snug. May have been partly due to the difficulty I had putting in on the half-deconstructed t-shirt (I left the shoulders and neckline intact)...it may not have been quite right. But I think I will trace off a larger size before I try it again. The sleeves are especially...fitted, lol. But for a $5 test of the pattern...it's fine.
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