Finally...something in the 'FINISHED' column!!

Both the Loud Jacket and the Simplicity Tank top made it into the finished column this weekend.  I literally sewed that jacket about 10 - 20 minutes at a time; sometimes less.  One night all I did was set the machine up for buttonholes.  Another night I managed to sew on two buttons.  It was like that pretty much start to finish.

And, since I'm currently on a choir hiatus, it didn't matter that I finished it the evening of the last day that the choir wore lime green and purple.

I wore it to work today, anyway, with the green challis tank, even though I don't think the lengths worked together very well. 


I decided to put side seam pockets in it because I HAVE to have a place to stash a kleenex, my office keys, my cell phone and possibly a communion set.  This was not the most comfortable place to put these pockets; they're really too high to be useful for parking my hands, as you can see.  But so long as I can carry what I need to carry when I need to carry it, that'll work for me.

After I had the front partly assembled, it occurred to me that it would've been easy to put a patch pocket on the inside between the side seam and the side front seam for carrying stuff.  Maybe next time....

Or, maybe I'll lengthen the jacket a bit and put welt pockets in the side front.  That would be the most natural hand-parking spot.

I really do like this pattern, (OOP McCall's 5191)  though.  So long as I use a fabric with some Lycra in it, it doesn't seem to mind the middle age creep as much as some of my other jacket patterns.

(ETA:  Just didn't have the oomph to take another picture and upload it last night, but I'm pretty stinkin' proud of the pattern matching, even if I am probably never going to wear it buttoned up.... :-)...back to original text  )

I should've had my Sweet Baboo take a photo of the top by itself, but, well, it was late and he was on antihistamines and I just didn't have the heart to ask him to do a lengthy photo session.  The shoulders of the top are just about right, now (I just whacked off about an inch and a quarter off shoulder seam at the arrmhole and tapered it down to the existing cutting line on either side).  There's still some wonkiness at the bottom of the armhole, though.  It looks like I need to scoop the lower front curve just a bit and perhaps even rotate a very small dart out of it.   And I think it would be more flattering with a shirt tail hem instead of straight across.  So I have at least one more iteration to go before it  achieves Wardrobe Workhorse status.  But it's close.

Then, as I was poking through my spreadsheet for the year I found a piece of Home Dec fabric listed in the 'fabric purchased' column...and I didn't even remember what it was.  Found it with the new purchases and decided that, shoot, it only takes a few minutes to turn it into a table cloth...just trim the corners and run it through the serger...so I did.  Boom.  Another 2.5 yards into the 'OUT' column.

And then I put it on the table and suddenly remembered that I don't need 2.5 yards of length...I really only need a fuzz under 2.25 yards, but I've learned to buy 2.5, in case the ends are cut crooked.  This had been cut pretty straight and I didn't loose any length to square it up.  So I had to whack off the extra and then reserge.  So it took a little longer...

 But, before all this hit the 'out' column, I had a teeny bit more creep into the 'In' list.  What can you do if an on line vendor posts a 'Crazy Priced Fabric'  that is pretty much exactly what you've been looking for to use for a specific pattern?   You buy it, of course, and  it has to have a traveling buddy...           

So the 'IN' box now has some rayon/lycra jersey stripe that will be dead on perfect for my new Sewing Workshop cardigan pattern...and it was such a good deal that I have enough for a maxi dress or a couple of tops as well...

The gray is a wool shadow stripe that has a nice springy hand; there's enough there for a serious jacket, or maybe a not-so-serious jacket and a pair of pants.  We'll see.

 So, yeah, the discrepancy between 'In' and 'Out' still got bigger...Think I'm going to work on some of the UFO's next...least till I get a chance to spend a day cutting...

Loud Jacket, In Progress

Well, I didn't get to sew *all* evening, but I got a little bit done.  The back and the front are assembled and topstitched...and I don't think I did a half bad job of pattern matching.  Not perfect, but good enough.

The next 'work unit' will be the sleeves, collar, cuffs and facings.  I'm trying to decide if I want to go out of the box and put pockets in this jacket; the pattern has none, so I'd be adding a new element.  And if I *do* add pockets, should they be welt pockets or side seam pockets??

Decisions, decisions...

Questions, answers and the beginnings of a LOUD Jacket...

Debbie Cook posted some questions/answers on her blog apparently pertaining to a discussion over on Pattern Review.  I haven't been spending much time on the boards, so this one has gotten by me, but I thought I'd answer Debbie's questions, too...if for no other reason than I would please myself by putting up posts two days in a row... ;-)


1. Do you cut with your fabric RS out or WS out? 

Depends.  If it's more stable one way or the other, I'll cut it that way.  Sometimes you don't have a choice...witness the project that I spent most of the day yesterday cutting out:

It will be a McCall's 5191 jacket; that print is so big that I thought I should pay attention to placement and ended up doing my best to match it at the most obvious seams.  I know I made a boo boo at least one spot...hoping it's not horrible.  A near match is worse than a total mismatch...  anyway, that fabric had to be cut right side up.  One piece at a time.

2. How do you make your pattern markings?

I have two basic methods...tailors tacks for interior marks and snips for notches/dots on the seam line.  On rare occasions I will pull out the tracing paper and spikey wheel when those two things are  not sufficient.

3. Do you follow the cutting layout in patterns?

Why?  There's enough info on the pattern pieces to lay them out...and, normally I'm using stashed fabric which will be either more or less than stated on the envelope anyway.  You do what ya gotta do.  That McCall's layout certainly looked nothing like that photo...

4. Are you obsessed with re-folding your pattern tissue on or very close to the original fold lines?
Oh, yeah.  But I trace all my patterns and then put the sheets back in the envelopes uncut.  Well, actually, most of them don't go back in the envelope; they go in the zipper portion of those special pattern-keeper bags that I can't find at Nancy's Notions at the moment.  The envelope, instructions and traced pieces go in the front pocket of the bag.

5. I thought of one more ... Do you make all the markings? 

Nope.  Just the ones I reasonably expect I'll need.  Button/button holes are NEVER marked; I mark that placement after the garment is constructed based on my own anatomical requirements...i.e., there must be a button/buttonhole at the full bust level.  Which I guarantee you will not be where one is marked on the pattern.

Also...if you don't mark button/button hole on a sleeve cuff, you don't have to worry about that little notch that tells you which end of the cuff goes where.   Just put the cuff on and then mark your buttonholes on the correct side and sew the buttons correspondingly.


And, yes, that jacket is going to be purple and lime green, which are the choir colors for this month.  I ordered it early in the summer, before I knew I would be sitting out of choir a bit.  I *may* be back by the end of the month (since there are 5 Sundays in September this year) and it was on the top of the pile...; -)

I also cut out another Simplicity 2599 shell top, this one from lime green rayon challis that actually belonged to the Princess.  She left it behind when she moved out, and when I asked her if she had plans for it (seeing as how it IS the green for choir this month) she told me to have at it.  This will be the 3rd iteration of that top...the review picture looks pretty awful, and I've already sent that version on to Goodwill.  But if this one actually fits well, I'll update the review.

Which happens to be my most recent review and is almost exactly a year old. The little sewing I've been doing for the past year has all been TNT's.  Just haven't tried anything new.  For a year.  Sad.

Adri jacket done

Twelve teeny mitered corners later, and I have a jacket.  Actually, it's more of an overshirt than a jacket, but for summer choir wear it'll be just about perfect.  Once I decide I can live with the inevitable linen creases. ;-).

I finally decided to skip the bias binding on the neckline; if I'd had the time and the inclination I could've made some samples and figured out a way to miter a binding-meets-hem corner, but the linen was stable and pressed very nicely so I decided to just turn the seam under and go.  Here's a detail shot of the collar/neckline/mitered corners; you can click to make it big enough to actually see.

This will probably show up in tomorrow's choir wardrobe post.

Mitering Away

I'm making good progress on the Adri jacket.  It's really a simple thing to put together EXCEPT...all the seam allowances are pressed open, then they are turned under and topstitched.

Except for the neckline seam, which has a single fold bias binding over it.

And I'm fussy when it comes to points that show like that, so I'm doing little bitty mitered corners.

Counting the front lapel, there are 12 mitered corners.

Except I can't figure out how to miter that front lapel corner.  It's a double turned 5/8" on the front edge, and the single fold bias binding on the  neckline edge.

I have Linda Lee's little booklet on miters, which covers several different corner arrangements, but bound edge meeting hemmed edge is not one of them.

I may skip the binding and just fold under the neckline seam, too.

Pondering that while I do the other 10 corners....

Starting from Scratch

"Oh," says the lounging kitty,"Were you working here?"

Thursday morning, My Sweet Baboo headed out the front door to go to his early morning men's Bible study, and to his surprise he found our strictly-inside; no-front-claws kitty sitting on the front step.  She bolted into the house...leaving behind her break-away collar and shredded tufts of fur all over the front walk.  She had to have slipped out of the house Wednesday night amongst the goings-and-comings of the family;  I know she was in the house when I left around 5:30, but after that we just don't know.

I heard a noise in the bushes beside the front door when I came home around 9ish, but I assumed it was a possum or a squirrel and didn't investigate.  It was dark so even if there had been fur tufts on the front walk then I'm not sure I'd've noticed them.

She was unusually subdued all morning; I saw a small scratch on her nose and another just above her lip on one side, so I called the vet and ran her by before I went into work.  They found a couple of nasty scratches and one puncture wound on her back and she was running a fever.  Two shots and an oral antibiotic later we were headed home.

She is just now beginning to move more like her old self; I suspect she had some pretty sore muscles along with the scrapes and bites.  Hopefully she has learned her lesson and won't be so quick to try to dart out the door now.

But she must be feeling better; she has plunked herself down on the pattern I'm trying to trace for the coral linen jacket.  I've settled on Vogue 1055 (I've no idea how long that link will work; it's currently OOP), an Adri designed wardrobe pattern.  The jacket is constructed in one layer...no linings, facings or under collar....  But I haven't made it before, and the reviews on PR only discuss the skirt and one of the shell tops, so I'm actually debating a muslin, although I want to get it put together next week.  If my typical Vogue alterations work, I'm ok.  I hope. ;-)

But first I've got to move a pitiful kitty...

A Selfish Sewing Day

Well, I did do some laundry and cook supper, but by-and-large, I spent the day communing with my sewing machine.  The khaki jacket is done; it will be a good tan top layer, even though it looks seriously like it should have a 'Carhart' or 'Dickies' label on it.  I was hoping for an Aussie bush vibe...oh, well.

Then I decided I needed a quick project or two.  The border print Vogue-1250 wanna be fabric was still annoying me; I decided to just find something that I could use that fabric for.  In the end, though,  I had to ignore what the fabric wanted to be and just make a pattern that would work.  Turns out I only had 1 3/8 yards anyway; and there was that striking graphic that would only work if laid out carefully.

So it ended up being another Simplicity 2630 top.  And it worked...more or less, anyway.  I'm not sure how that flower thing looks with the drapes in it; it kinda loses its floral appearance and resembles...well, something else.  But at least I can quit stewing on it.

And, tomorrow is the last day for purple in choir, at least for the foreseeable future, and I had some gorgeous deep purple jersey that was calling to me (It really is much darker than the flash shows; but without the flash it looked royal blue...).  I carefully cut out another Vogue 8669 sleeveless cowl, and, if I'm lucky, I may be able to squeeze one more top from the remnants.  But that will have to wait.  I raised the underarm on this iteration and it feels much more secure.  Next time I'll do the FBA; this fabric was much stretchier than the matte jersey I used for the first top so I thought I could get by without it.  It's ok, but I think it will look better with just a pinch added.

I'm guessing it will be the purple top and the khaki jacket tomorrow... ;-)

Next Up: Tan Jacket

Ok, well, khaki, but it'll pass for tan.

We've had a number of months in which 'tan/beige' has been one of the choir colors and I've kind of danced around the edges of it because, really, it's not one of my more flattering colors.

But, well, having a tan jacket would certainly go a long way towards improving my choices.  And I realized this week that I had a large piece of khaki stretch sateen from which I could probably squeeze a jacket AND a pair of pants...so I decided to use it to test out a jacket pattern that's been in the 'on deck' box for about 2 years now (and, I just discovered, is listed as 'Out of Print' - boo!), McCall's 5860.  So, yesterday I pulled it out, traced it off, and made the following alterations:

1) added 1/2" to all vertical seams except center back and center front.  High bust size is 14, the largest size in the envelope, but as I've said before, I'm, um, over that size everywhere below my high bust measurement. ;-)

2) made a 3/8" square shoulder adjustment

3)Lowered the bust shaping 1 1/2 inches and added a 1/2" FBA

4) Shortened the sleeves 2"

All of those are pretty much standard adjustments for me; however, when I cut out the cuff for the jacket and checked how much circumference it had, I found that it would be a whopping 12 1/4", buttoned up.  So I whacked THREE INCHES off the cuff side seams, and then narrowed the lower edges of the sleeve (on the graded seam) to match.  Yeesh.  The sleeves on the envelope photos do not look nearly that floppy. Sigh.

Oh, I also did the Louise Cutting modification to the collar AND the collar band...trace the pattern, split it on the center back, tape the front edges together, overlapping the seams, and add a seam allowance to one of the cut  center back edges.  The other CB edge goes on a fold.  That'll eliminate a bunch of bulk at the front edge...I may even tape the facing to the jacket front to eliminate that seam as well.  

I'm debating adding side seam pockets, and I have just about convinced myself that it would be a good idea.  Small ones, you know, just to hold a kleenex, 'cause you never know when you'll need one during worship...

We have a wedding to attend today, so I don' t know if I'll actually get any fabric cutting out done.  My project for next week...if I have time. 

Standard rant:  this is a P/P Perfect Pattern, which means it does have things like the bust point marked, waistline marked, etc, BUT...those markings are only on some of the pieces.  Would it be too much to ask for the waistline and bust point level to be marked on ALL body pieces?  That would make alterations SO much easier...sigh...

Choir Wardrobe 2012 - Easter Weekend

Three days of services...one on Friday, three on Saturday and three on Sunday.   A fuzz over 5,000 folks (counting babies and everybody) attended, spread over the 7 services.  Yes, it was tiring.  But it was also very cool. ;-)

Anyway, the mundane side of it was that there were 3 outfits for choir this weekend.  Fortunately, turquoise is one of the colors that lives in my wardrobe, so it really wasn't so hard.  The colors actually are turquoise, charcoal gray and soft yellow...with jeans...

 Friday night was a last-minute.  I actually had sort of a plan...but, well, I picked up The Flute Player from the school bus stop, hit the grocery store for a couple of things I needed for today's dinner and pulled into the drive a fuzz over an hour before I needed to be ready and out the door.  My hair wasn't behaving well, so I decided I'd hop in the shower and give it a quick wash to see if I could get it to tame down a bit.  I stuck my head in The Actor's room and gave him a notice that we'd need to leave in an hour, and hit the shower.  Just as I got the shampoo lathered up good, he pounded on the bathroom door, and what I pieced together over the sound of the water was that he'd just remembered he'd gotten a text message earlier in the day and he needed to be at church an hour before choir call to help move some furniture.  Which meant that we pretty well should've been walking out the door at that very moment.

At that point, I was committed to the shower, so, well, he was half an hour late.  And I went with my hair gelled instead of  styled, wearing what was hanging in the closet instead of what needed a touch from the iron. But, hey, I was out of the door in less than 30 minutes from when I got the word, so I felt like I had Done My Part. ;-)  This was Coldwater Creek denim jeans,  my gray denim Jalie 2320 jacket and the yellow sweatery-knit Simplicity 2603 top.

Saturday, I did get the ironing done before taking the Flute Player to drama practice.  I stayed with her and measured the cast; that had not been done yet.  I still don't know how much help I'm going to be for that show...so much depends on how well the church sewing  goes this weekend.  I rather expect to spend most of Tech Week evenings at school, doing alterations.  Anyway, we left school about 11, ran home and changed clothes and got a bite to eat, then headed to church for round 2.

This was the first go at New Look 6407; in turquoise cotton/lycra shirting from Hancock's.   I've tweaked the pattern once since this version; I think if I do one more tweak it'll be just about perfect.  But this one isn't, and I usually try to wear a scarf to camouflage the too-low neckline.  ;-).  The scarf was a cheapie from Wal-Mart; the jeans were Lee boot cuts.

Today I wore the 'B Minus Jacket', (Vogue 1100) which hasn't been reviewed yet.  I really would like to find the pattern so I can check and see if the skimpy hems were because I goofed up on an alteration or not.    It's teamed up with another Simplicity 2603 top; this one from sparkly gray jersey knit, and the Coldwater Creek Knit Bootcuts.   The jacket looks rather rumpley, but then, this was AFTER 3rd service today, and I was feeling rather rumpley!   Actually, I think this jacket is something that is going to be worn for its own sake...not because it is particularly flattering, shape-wise.  Part of that is the fabric choice; this is a tropical weight gabardine and, really,  it is not at all forgiving with any kind of wobbly bobble, and I had plenty!  But it feels really good on (it's that silk cotton lining, I'm sure), and I expect I'll wear it, even if it isn't skinnifying.

And about halfway through today's services I wondered why my legs felt so sore.  Then I remembered all the up-and-down I'd done yesterday, measuring inseams and out seams and bending over to write things down...guess I got my exercising done...

Now, after going through all of this, I gotta give a little disclaimer that, really, it's not about the clothes any more than it's about a bunny.  Before we left the house this morning, I posted what was on my heart about the day on my other blog.  Just so you know. ;-)

Two Steps Forward, One and a Half Back

I am *still* working on the Vogue 1100 Jacket.  I finished off the bottom edges and topstitched it all, then decided the facing had somehow wonkered up too short; the jacket was curling at the bottom.  So I unpicked the topstitching and released the bottom edge; I'm going to have to hand hem it, to offset the facing at the bottom a teeny bit.

Part of the problem is that the pockets I drafted turned out to be too long.  So I'm going to trim about 3/4" off the bottom of the pocket bags and see if that helps with the lumpy bottom edge much.

They really only need to be big enough to hold a kleenex anyway.

So...*maybe* I'll get the jacket done by Sunday.  If I can work on it steadily tomorrow.  'Cause tomorrow is about the last chance.

The first of our 7 Easter Services (yes, we are repeating the same service 7 times, because we can't fit everyone into the building at once) is tomorrow night at 7 central; we're having 3 on Saturday (2 PM, 4 PM and 6 PM) and 3 on Sunday (8 AM, 9:45 AM and 11:30 AM).  If you are interested, the services will be streaming live at therockfamily.tv   (the dot tv stands for Tennessee Valley, not Television like I thought...)

Next week the children's ministry sewing starts.  Of my list of 8 or so volunteers, 2 of them have already told me they aren't going to be able to make it.  And I still don't know for sure what all we are doing...only that we need to do it quickly.

How DID I sew before the Internet?

'Toteworthy' nailed it...the problem with the jacket wasn't the mysterious unknown alterations, it was that I put the collar on upside down!!

Spent a bit of time spent unpicking and resewing and...TA DA...the humongeos error has evaporated:

It's wrangled and mangled and in need of a good pressing, but I am back to the point I was at last night.  And the collar is as it should be.  A long shot from perfect, due to the fudging necessary to deal with the already-trimmed seams, but WAY better than it was.

Obviously, the guide sheet is a necessary friend for this project.  And, since I recollected that page one/two of the guide sheet was missing from the envelope when I originally cut the jacket out, I signed up for Club BMV and ordered another copy of the pattern.  

I'm going to have to make this again, correct from the beginning, and see how it turns out. ;-)

Thanks to all my internet buddies who offered consolation and advice, and especially to 'Toteworthy' for spotting the actual error!!

A Humongeos Error of Unknown Origin

Ok, the topstitching was a pain in the patootie since I'm using a contrast thread so it needs to be darn near perfect.  I don't know how many times I pulled the topstitching off of those shoulder seams, only to have them still not be balanced perfectly.  I finally achieved 'good enough' and moved on to the collar.

It wasn't until I came to the computer and pulled up pictures of the pattern and other reviews to check the collar that I realized that only the sleeve side of those seams was supposed to be topstitched.  So I took out the topstitching on the body side; that alleviated much of the 'not quite symmetric' problem I was having.  But the collar is covering that up, so it doesn't show at all in the 'WIP' photograph.

The collar, however, was beyond such simple fixes. Look at it carefully, then look at the pattern on Vogues's site. Do you notice the difference?  The collar is supposed to come all the way to the front edge of the jacket!  Mine is a good 3 3/4 inches short.  On both sides. That's 7 1/2 inches total (can I scream?  Just a little??)  Now, if you look at the reviews for this pattern, you'll  see that everyone else's collar comes to the front edge as well.  This is obviously an error on my part. 

But, not being able to find the pattern, I can't even begin to figure out what the problem is.

My guess is that I made bustline alterations (low, full) and somehow altered the neckline without realizing it.  I don't remember making alterations, but I can't figure out ANY way I could've generated such a whopping big error without having done that.  I don't believe it was caused by stretching of the neckline; only the sleeves weren't stabilized by something right at the start, and the error is consistent between the jacket and the facing/lining, which I wouldn't expect if they had stretched out of shape.  It must be an error in the (presumably altered) pattern that I used to cut the jacket.

Of course, no one I meet when wearing the jacket is going to look at it and exclaim, 'Oh, my goodness!  Why isn't that collar where it's supposed to be?'  (unless, of course, said person happens to have read the blog...).  It just looks like that's the way the collar was supposed to be; it'll be our little secret that it's wrong.

Sigh. I *really* liked the collar as drawn on the envelope and sewn by everyone else in the world but me.

I really, really hope that pattern turns up.  I want to know what happened here.

'Flying Blind' Jacket Progress

I have finished the lining of the jacket; it's ready to be attached to the shell when it's ready.  The next step is attaching the cuffs to the sleeves; first I need to fell stitch the cuffs into a circle, just to make sure they line up properly.  I don't know if the directions were to finish the cuffs, then hand stitch them, or do a funky clip to the seamline to sew the very bottom part of that seam by machine...I still can't find the pattern and guide.

So far, I think the only thing I have messed up is that I assumed the seam allowance on the pocket welts was 3/8"; however, once I got the welts actually pinned to the jacket it appears it was supposed to be 5/8"; my welts went a bit past the dots.  But that's pretty minor.


















For the lining, I used a silk/cotton panel print that I ordered from an online vendor, thinking I could use it for a scarf.  However, the fabric was much too substantial to be a scarf and it sat around for a while while I wondered what on earth I'd do with it.

As I recall, it somehow ended up lying next to the turquoise wool and I noticed that they went together rather well.   So I decided to use it for the body lining.  The back pleat is still basted shut.

The sleeve lining is Ambiance.

I *might* actually finish this in time for the Easter services; so far, I haven't heard anything about costume sewing...

Goin' to the Queue...

Since Turquoise/aqua is one of the colors for next month's choir wardrobe, I  pulled the  Vogue 1100 jacket out of the queue box. I'd cut the fabric, the lining and the interfacing and bagged it all up in a zip-lok bag sometime last summer, before we started the porch remodel.

For some unfathomable reason, I did NOT put the pattern in the bag with the  fabric. 

Now I can't find it.  I've looked in all the places I would expect it to be, but all the stuff got shuffled but good when we cleaned the porch off and, well, it's apparently been put in some unexpected place.

So, I'm rather flying blind on this.  But I'm determined to finish it before the volunteer sewing kicks in.  If it looks good when I'm done, I may very likely wear it for Easter.  We'll see.

Meantime, I did something I don't do often and browsed my bookmarked fashion blogs.  Normally I'm just shaking my head over what folks wear (or what designers send down the runway!) but I was completely smitten with  this Jacket I spotted on The Sartorialist.  I don't think my drafting skills are up to that...but I want to recreate that in the worst way.  Fabulous!!

Plannin' a brown jacket

I dug through the entire pattern cabinet and all my BWOF magazines trying to decide what I wanted to use for a brown jacket.

I have some lovely brown Zegna wool from Michael, so I knew what fabric the pattern must work for.

But I had some criteria...I didn't want to use my lovely wool on something that would be dated in a season or two; it had to have Staying Power. It also had to work w/a number of different shirt necklines. Shoulder princess lines were preferred, for ease of alteration.

And it had to work w/my body type...Middle Aged.

I compiled a short list of about 5 patterns, but ultimately decided upon Jacket 116 from BWOF 12/2008:


I've got 4 yards of the brown wool, so I might make pants, too.

Anyway, I expect it to take about a week to get the pattern traced (I think there are something like 12 - 13 pieces, some of which will have to be adapted and traced again for the lining).

But it's out on the Project Table to be traced...who knows, maybe I'll get a TNT out of it...

Makin' it Work

The tricks we do to Make Things Work.

I had barely enough of the black boucle to cut out the main pieces of the Plaza jacket; as I mentioned, I had to narrow the pieces by 2" each. In all honesty, I'm not sure that wasn't beneficial; this lofty fabric probably works better with a little less excess drape anyway.
But I *didn't* have enough to cut the back band. I misremembered how to make the thing and thought the back band was a facing; it wasn't until I had things cut that I realized it was actually part of the neckline. So I scrambled to look for something that I could use for the back neck...and found a piece of faux suede that's in the stash to be used for trim/binding. Bingo. It had a very slight amount of stretch in it, so it managed the curve ok.

It would've looked better if I had sewn it with the right side out (what is WITH ME on this lately? I *know* I checked that...). There isn't a lot of difference between the right and the wrong side, but it's still the less pretty side out. Sigh. I figured no one else would know the difference and, since it was already trimmed before I caught it, I wasn't about to try ripping things out to fix it.

Speaking of fixing; if you look closely at the photo of the back neck you can see the sort of rounded 'v' that shows where I patched the cutting boo-boo I mentioned Friday. *Ahem* Interesting design detail, don't you think? *ahem*







Just for grins, I'd say anyone who had only this much fabric left...which compresses into one scant handful...has made optimal use of the yardage. *Ahem* again...











But I seriously owe my MIL big time for this. I'd guess this fabric would retail for anywhere from $80/yard up -- IF it could be found at all. I'm a blessed woman. ;)


Incidentally, the jacket is marvelously warm to wear. I'm going to enjoy this one.

Thinkin' Pink

Next month's choir colors are deep hot pink and charcoal grey or black w/blue jeans (yeah, blue jeans one more month...). I've probably got enough stuff in the closet that I could squeak by without making anything new.

But I have two or three pieces of fabric in the stash that have just been languishing because I've been busy sewing stuff in the colors I needed.

So I'd really like to take the opportunity to make them up.

One is a piece of silk/linen/rayon blend suiting that came from Emma One Sock SEVERAL years ago. My intention was to replace a one-button blazer jacket that hadn't really fit since baby three (who is now 15). But the fabric is very loosely woven and floppy. I don't think I want to beat it into a tailored out blazer. But I do have the Fashion Sewing Group jacket muslined, tweaked and ready for fashion fabric. And the folks on Stitcher's Guild are doing a sew along on that pattern that I've been following whilst doing the most recent round of Church costuming...I'd sort of like to join along.

But there are a couple of other patterns I'm looking at, as well. One is Loes Hines' Milano Jacket, but my fabric would have to be fully interfaced (that floppy loose weave...) and I think it will therefore need a lining, which of course is not a feature of any Loes Hinse pattern. Vogue 1040 is also on the short list...I'd leave off the fringy trim and I'd need to get different buttons than the ones I have currently intended for that fabric (I don't have enough...but maybe Hancock's still has some). And I have made enough Vogue patterns that I pretty well know what my alterations need to be. But there's one more that's caught my eye...the Burda World of Fashion September issue, which arrived Tuesday, has a nice jacket, number 129, that I definitely want to make at some point, and it's very similar to the Milano...only it does have at least a nod to putting in a lining in the directions.

So, I've got some decisions to make...and pretty soon. It'd be nice to finish it in time to wear in September, and if I've got to start w/a muslin (which I'd need to do for the Burda jacket), I need to get on it.

Maybe I'll just go ahead and trace and muslin the BWOF jacket while I make up my mind?

Looks like I'll make it....

All I need to do to the eyelet jacket now is insert the (finished) sleeves and add buttons and buttonholes (or decorative snaps?). My goal is to wear it tomorrow with the recently finished brown Jalie 2862, so I've got to make a Hancock's run later today...I don't think I've got any buttons in the stash that really will suit. So I'll take the jacket along and see what I can find.

It's a dangerous trip; Vogues and Simplicity are both on sale this weekend. Cover me, I'm going in... ;)


Seriously, though, speaking of cover, please cover the Gulf coast in your prayers... Gustav is looking pretty mean.

Making Eyelet Progress

So, yeah, I recut both the left front and the left side front. Summerset was right...it would've bugged me even if no one else noticed it.

Once that little task was covered, I started sewing...and got all the pieces assembled I could before I had to change thread in the sewing machine for the contrast top stitching. Now, I have finished that first round of top stitching and I'm ready to put some more pieces together.

One thing that held me up on the jacket was trying to decide what to do about interfacing. I didn't want to use any, because I didn't want it showing through the eyelet holes.

Y'know what I decided? All that embroidery acts as a stabilizer in and of itself... so I decided to skip it altogether.

I think it'll be okay. ;)

Off to an Inauspicious Start....

I absolutely did not catch this when I cut the jacket out.

The two edges of the embroidery were not done the same.

And I cut both the front and the side front with one edge along the edge of the embroidery, not realizing that the embroidery on the bottom layer didn't come all the way to the seam line.

The left front will be be on the underlap, so I may use the one I've already cut, but I'm going to have to cut another left side front. There's an obvious discontinuity at the seam line where the embroidery *should* be.

Oh, I'll probably cut another left front as well, since I've got to re-do it anyway. At least I've got enough fabric.

Maybe I'll still have enough to cut a couple of vest fronts. Sigh.

Grumble, grumble, grumble....