Pants Grainline Musings, part 1

There's been an interesting discussion of grainlines on pants on the Sewing World SIPP Thread. It's got me thinking about grainlines, but I haven't got time right now to go dig out some pants patterns and compare them.

I've heard some instructors over the last few years that have said the grainline needs to be shifted on pants; but the way they describe shifting the grainline involve drawing a line parallel to the grainline somewhere other than where it was originally stamped on the pattern...usually moving the line to the center of the leg. Ok, sure, you've drawn a new line, but you haven't changed the grain of the pants. If the grainline drawn on the pattern is parallel to the center of the leg, the center was on grain before the 'new' line was drawn.

The specific discussion is how grainline relates to the seams; Loes Hinse's Oxford Pants are the main topic of discussion; it just so happens that the first pair of Oxfords I made I made from a plaid fabric,so the grainline is easy to see. (Click on the photo icon on the review, wait forever for Photoworks to bring up the whole album front page, click on 'launch slideshow' and then 'view pictures larger' to see it the best). You can see in the photo that both the side seam and the center front seam are on-grain...which means both those seams were cut parallel to the grainline. The grainline just determines how the pattern is placed on the fabric; the seams are products of pattern drafting and can be drawn parallel to the grain if the designer so chooses. In other words, the grainline shouldn't determine the seam line. But consensus is that, if the outseam is on grain (cut parallel to the grainline) the pants will hang very nicely.

At least, that's what I think...when I've got time, I'll pull some patterns out and do some comparision. Meantime, I'm still sewing costumes...gotta have 'em done tomorrow.

Adding Khaki

I headed into the sewing nook yesterday to start on the next batch of costumes; the soldiers are done to the velcro at the neck and the hem on the lower edge and Miss A has said she could finish those out...she doesn't have a serger and I hated to ask her to make whole garments, but the straight stitch stuff I can share. So I planned to start on the three robes.

Then it hit me: the robes are needed for Saturday; I need Khaki to wear in choir tomorrow. So I hit 'pause' on the costumes while I made up the skirt I cut from the khaki silk twill last week. I took care with it; serged all the edges, then sewed the seams conventionally and pressed them open, then topstitched them. I'm very pleased with it!

I made the Loes Hinse gore skirt; but I used three godets, putting one in the back and one one either side. I wanted to put one in the front,too, but I didn't have enough fabric to do that AND get the City Dress shell top. But, given the kind of untraditional asymetry that's going on with skirts these days, I thought it would be ok to just have the front straight.

It's an awful color for me, really, but the skirt moves and drapes and swishes and is very feminine feeling...it's going to get worn a lot. So I've got something to put on tomorrow, and I can get back to costuming...after Bible study this morning.

SWAP Results

Well, I was just going to post the link to the Swap Results Page at Timmel Fabrics, but since Linda already mentioned it in yesterday's comments, I'll admit to being awarded 5th place. Julie said the votes were so close that she decided to award 5 places instead of 3, so I got an 'honorable mention' prize; which is pretty cool! The top 3 SWAP wardrobes are awesome...make sure you look closely at Hellenne's coat. If I remember right, she did that while watching the Olympics...it would've taken me 2 years, minimum (evidenced by the 3.5 years and counting I've spent beading a vest). Amazing!

But the best part of doing the SWAP challenge is that it gave me an incentive to sew up the things I had planned to make, anyway, and I got to share the process with other sewing enthusiasts.

Now I need to get my focus off of SWAP and back on to the costumes; it's been a little distracting ;)

Sewing Week

DH is on an annual business trip this week so it's Sewing Week for me!

And I've got about an hour to an hour and a half left on the red soldier costumes, and about 5 hours of work to do on the other pieces. Then I get to get back to choir sewing...for me and DH, since he passed the auditions to join the choir last week (fortunately, they weren't doing auditions when I joined four years ago; I'm not sure I'd've passed).

It's one thing to make choir clothes for myself...but it's going to be another to make it for him; May's color combo is khaki and, um, pink. I've got some pink oxford in the stash, so I think he's going to get a Jalie 2111 short sleeve shirt this week. Land's End has a couple of pink knit shirts on their clearance pages, too. So I'm off to send in a LE order...something I haven't done in a long time.

After that, you'll find me camped out in the sewing nook ;)

Saturday Snapshot

In the CD Player: Don Potter, Since the Fall

On the Bookstand: I haven't done anymore reading on my Bevere or my Boone, but I did take a lunch break and re-read Helene Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road on Thursday...that book always makes me feel rather unlettered, since I've only read a fraction of the books that she ordered. But such a poignant story! I don't know how many times I've read it, but for the first time it struck me that these letters were written well after the end of WW II, yet the English people were still dealing with extreme rationing. It really impressed me. (I could chase a rabbit here about American consumption, but I'll spare you. I'm not going to get THAT random).

On the Sewing Table: 'champagne' (that's thte best word for the color) poly stretch charmeuse tank top from my modified Loes Hinse City Dress bodice, khaki silk twill Loes Hinse gore skirt, six red costume tunics, 3 full length costume robes and 2 rather largish costume over vests. Miss M and Miss A may, perhaps, take some to sew. I should've gotten farther on the red tunics yesterday, but I procrastinated starting because I had to change the thread in the serger (it takes 2 minutes. Why do I drag my feet so?)

Projects completed this week: After posting last Saturday,I finished DD's embroidered denim capris; after supper I cut out and finished a Jalie 2005 crew-neck t and a Chrisine Johnson Basewear 2 mock-T shell, both from some GORGEOUS cotton/lycra jersey print I got last summer from Emma One Sock. Thursday, after cutting at church, I finished off a City Dress shell in the silk twill...ooooh, it feels so good!

Body-For-Life progress: The scales say I've lost 2 pounds...but I know, with Free Day tomorrow that by Monday it could be back up again. Still, I put on a pair of pants that were 'I can't wear these' two weeks ago...and they didn't look *too* bad. So there's some progress somewhere.

So much for parity

I was so proud of myself for resisting personal purchases while I was chasing down Bible costume fabric...and then, yesterday, I happened to check out the dollar table at the Wal-Mart closest to me (the first time I'd looked closely at it since we moved to this end of town). I was really surprised to see some fairly nice stuff on it. I found a piece of stone-colored herringbone suiting that appears to be a poly microfiber, and got 6 yards, telling myself that, since DH has decided to join the choir at church, it would be nice to make him a new Bible costume at some point in the future, because he will need it eventually. His old costume is from the boat-neck Simplicity pattern; he'd be happy enough with it but I don't like it; it looks uncomfortable. Anyway, six yards is plenty for a new basic robe; I might even get a skirt or pair of pants out of what's left over. ;)

I also found this interesting piece of fabric:



You can see how loosely it's woven; I just slid some of the threads over w/my thumbnail; any seams in it need to be reinforced so they don't just pull out. I was thinking I'd like a new Bible costume myself and thought this would work, but there was only 3 1/3 yds of it, and a basic Bible robe takes 4. I got it anyway, thinking perhaps I'd make a shorter overdress thing, but when I got home with it I realized it has almost all the summer choir colors in it...I could wear it with pink, blue and lavendar. So now I've decided it has to be a jacket. It's really pretty cheap fabric...it's coarse and floppy...so I'm not sure what style. I'll have to fuse textured weft to it so that it has enough body to hold together and hang nicely, but I'm almost afraid it's too loosely woven to fuse well. I think some testing is called for.

Meantime, I need to work on the six soldier tunics, 3 robes and two vest coats we cut out yesterday for, um, next Saturday. So that will be idea perculation time.

Thursday's Outings

Today is Take Your Kids to Work Day at DH's place of employment and both the two younger DKids are going with him...they have official 'Take Your Kids To Work' T shirts and are very excited about 'an outing with Father' (why am I seeing Mr Banks with Jane and Michael here?)

Me, I'm hauling about 44 yards of freshly washed fabric to church for a stack and whack on the long tables in the fellowship hall; and I just realized I don't have to leave at 2:30 to get the kids.

By George, I believe Miss A and I can finish that task today!

The Shopping Annointing Falls

A sick kiddo can throw a wrench in the plans, no doubt about it! I intended to go looking for costume fabric on Monday; but DD got up with a stomach virus and I didn't feel comfortable leaving her at home by herself...so I waited until DS got home from school and took off.

I found about 3 pieces of fabric in the small stash at church that'll do to replace some of the missing costumes; I got three more chuncks from the dollar table at Wal-Mart so we have enough material to alleviate the current costume crunch; I found some red poly/rayon linen-look at Hancock's that was on sale; with the 'charity/club' discount, it was about $2.30/yd. What's more, they had enough for six soldier tunics!

I had a fabric finding annointing; the whole trip took only a couple of hours; I'd expected to spend all day.

So all this fabric is going through the wash; I did two loads yesterday and I think I can get by with the rest in one load today. Tomorrow, Miss A and I will stack-n-whack six soldier tunics and about 4 robes and *maybe* two or three vests...we'll see how we get along time-wise.

After we're done, we really need to seriously deal with the whole disorganized costume issue...anyone know where I can get chains like they use to secure leather jackets to the racks in the department stores? ;)

Back to Parity

Yeah! It's only about 6 weeks since the Atlanta Expo, and the 'yards out' column is once again registering more than the 'yards in' colum! Saturday I finished up the second pair of capris for DD, then at 8 Saturday evening I got crazy and started cutting some really nice cotton/lycra fabric I got from EOS last year...and now I have two tops, a Jalie 2005 crew neck and a Christine Jonson Basewear 2 Mock T shell. The choir colors this month are lavendar and black, and since the print in that fabric is shades of purple (including lavendar) on black, I can get away with it. I even wore the mock T to church Sunday! Incidently, it's a mock T because I didn't *quite* have enough fabric for the full-out folded over turtleneck.

But...Emma One Sock has a sale this week; I've been perusing Fashion Fabrics Club, too...I need to watch it or I'll end up buying something.

I need to sew what I've got!

Bible Costumes Revisited

Note added 10/27/08 For folks who landed here looking for info on making Bible costumes...if you click on 'Bible Costume Info' on the sidebar, you will bring up a series of posts about sewing Bible Costumes, including some tutorials on how to put them together .

*Whew* Blogger's been down...I thought I never would get this posted!

A bit of background: due to a communications glitch, we had to come up with some Roman soldier costumes on very short notice the week before Easter. Because we had out of town company that week, the bulk of the process fell upon Miss A and Miss M and, because Miss M is working two or three jobs, Miss A really got stuck with the most of it. She cut everything out; Miss M and her hubby put together the vinyl tunics, I made the shorts, and Miss A made all six red tunics to go under the vinyl pieces.

We did not know who would be wearing these costumes, but we were asked to make 5 large and 1 extra-large. We had a large McCall's 2060 (one size per pattern on the McCall's biblical costumes) pattern in the box, which had never been used but included a thigh-length tunic for under the 'armor' part of the soldier's costume. Rather than try to figure out how much to shorten our TNT caftan pattern, Miss A (who was not feeling at all well and who was working against a very tight timeline) decided to use the McCall's pattern...which is clearly labeled 'Large 38,40'...and just grade it up to XLarge. She commented that they looked very small, but I thought she was comparing it to the caftan pattern, which runs pretty big.

Well, on Easter Sunday we had a hard time even getting them on the guys who were the soldiers...and some of them were pretty big guys, who ended up wearing white t-shirts. Also, we had to scramble to costume the apostles; somehow a huge number of our costumes disappeared from the storage area in the past year (currently under investigation). It was kind of stressful. However, the action moved fast enough that the costuming problems weren't noticeable. The little drama, (which was actually a pantomime to a song I didn't know but had a chorus built around the words 'I want to leave a legacy') was about the fates of the twelve apostles...how they each died. It was incredibly powerful, and all the problems just didn't matter.

I picked up the costumes and brought them home to wash, then compared the 'Large' McCall's 2060 to the 'Medium' McCall's 2339, which is the Nativity pattern set that I used last fall to make a costume for a young man at church who needed to take one to Phoenix Master's Commission. I'd assumed that the basic robe/cloak/drape patterns were the same, and the difference between the Passion patterns and the Nativity patterns would only be the extra pieces...the soldier, high priest and Pilate in the Passion set, and the angel and wise men in the Nativity...but I was wrong. The basic tunic patterns are VERY different; the sleeve/shoulder construction is completely different and the Large in the Passion set was smaller than the Medium in the Nativity set! A LOT smaller. I really think the 2060 Passion set is mislabeled, and it should be a Childrens/Youth size Large. So...word up to anyone who's making Bible costumes; measure the actual pattern if you're working with McCall's 2060!

Anyway, the revisited part...the first weekend in May is our second annual anniversary/leadership conference, which is titled 'Legacy', and Pastor has decided to have the kids (it was mostly our high school and college age young men) perform the drama again. So, now we're going to make six red tunics in the right size, and about 3 size Medium (the guys playing the apostles are all rather smallish fellows) costumes to help alleviate the shortage we've come up with.

So...it's back to the dollar table at Wal-Mart for suitable fabric; you know what my next couple of weeks will be like ;)

Saturday Snapshot

In the CD Player: Caedmon's Call, 40 Acres

On the Bookstand: The same books as last week; I took a sidetrack and re-read John Eldredge's Waking the Dead this week. Wow.

On the Sewing Table: Embroidered Denim pull-on capris for DD

Projects completed this week: Finished the six pairs of shorts last Saturday afternoon...we BARELY squeaked through on that costume job, but the result was fine. Also finished the tiedye skirt/top set and a pair of stretch twill capris for DD.

Body-For-Life progress: Not quite as much muscle soreness as I expected. Scales show 1 lb lower than on Sunday, but that's not significant. But I feel good to be moving in the right direction. ;)

Kids sizing mini-rant

Three years ago, I made a hat and capris for DD from Simplicity 5540. She was six years old, going into a size six. The pants were, um, rather large. I told her they were cropped pants, not capris, and figured she'd be able to wear them for several years. Now, she's 9 and the last jeans I bought for her were a size 10 slim. We pulled out the summer clothes box last week, and she put those purple capris on yet again. She had to work at it just a little; they're *just* big enough to get over her hips...but the length is perfect. It just needs a wee bit of length added to the back crotch seam. So, I'm thinking I'm going to use some stretch twill and denim I have in the stash, use 3/8" side seams instead of 5/8" and she'll have some capris that fit. In a slightly modified size 6.

She can also still wear Simplicity 5641, which I made for her in a slightly lengthened size 5, for Easter that same year. It hits her just above her knees now and actually looks really good.

I feel kinda bad for letting her run around in such oversized clothes in years past.

But...she's a 10 slim...and the dress is a 5...the pants are a 6...who'da thunk that they'd've been so big? Has anyone else found kids patterns to be way oversized related to RTW? Why do you suppose that is?

I guess I just need to take new measurements each time I sew for her. Nuisance for both of us.

But I should get the capris made real soon; several things in that summer box WERE outgrown!

But she's happy she can still wear the dress...

The SWAP Entries are Up!

There are 23 ladies who completed a total of 25 SWAP wardrobes (yup...two ladies actually made two wardrobes each! Incredible but true!). The work is awesome and can be seen at Timmel Fabrics SWAP page. The wardrobes are fantastic; I'm honored just to be on the same page as such incredibly talented seamstresses. Incidently, all registered Sewing World members can vote for their favorites; the top 3 will receive prizes from Timmel Fabrics and will also be featured in an upcoming article in Stitches magazine (sort of the Australian equivalent of Threads). Julie will post the instructions for voting sometime today and the polls (email to Julie) will open tomorrow and go for a week. I'm already trying to figure out how in the WORLD I'm going to pick three favorites.

Go look at all the pictures! They are amazing and inspiring! But there are a lot of photos on the page, so if you're (like me) on dial-up, it'll take a little while for them all to load...be patient, it's worth it. ;)

French Toast

That's what McCall's labeled a line of girl's patterns back in the 90's, with a caption 'You don't eat 'em. You wear 'em.' I'd made an outfit for older DD from the pattern way back then and hung on to it because I thought it was cute. I pulled it out and made a little simpler version...minus all the lace-finished edges...for younger DD. The fabric is a gift from my DMIL, and, even though the T-top turned out a little big, DD loves it...as you can tell.

Now all the current projects are done; time to cut again...or mend...

It's Traditional

I was sewing for church most of Friday and Saturday, but the kids would not be happy if they didn't get a chance to color eggs...so after supper Saturday, we colored a couple of boxes of eggs. Stuck in creative mode, I colored a few myself. Nothing fancy...just the basic Paas kit and some Crayolas.

Now, of course, they mourn if someone eats one of 'their' eggs...













I saw pre-colored eggs for sale in the grocery store; what's the fun in that?

Day One

Every self-improvement program has a Day One...some are more distinct than others.

Almost 6 years ago, DH and I embarked on the Body-for Life Challenge...we took photos, sent in the essay and everything. Our results were probably more normal than the ones that are posted on the site, and certainly not as jaw-dropping as the Challenge winners, but we were pleased to have improved even a little (I lost 12 lbs, if I remember right). But I discovered if I didn't really keep at it, the weight would creep back on. And I had problems...surgery, injuries, thyroid trouble...anyway, over the intervening years I tackled the program w/varying degrees of commitment and success. While I never really got back to where I wanted to be, I figured at least I wasn't getting any worse.

But when we moved (twice since August of '04), things got waaaay behind, and it's been over two years since I even tried to maintain any kind of exercise plan. Oh, I walked here and there a bit, but nothing consistent. Now all my fat clothes are tight and I have a choice between engaging in the battle of the bulge or giving up and going up in size. I decided it would hurt less to start the exercise program again...and today is Day One: lower body weight work. There are two sets of flex-weights that seem to have disappeared when we moved; that's really odd and I need to find them before the next Lower Body day comes 'round (Friday). But it feels right to be doing again.

The worst part is the first two weeks; I know I'm gonna feel like I was hit by a truck. Oh well. It's still less painful than tracing all my TNT patterns in a larger size ;)

My goal? Well, let's put it this way...when we completed the first official challenge (which was the only one we actually did all the paperwork on), we got Body-for-Life t shirts as a reward for completing the program. My goal is to lose enough weight/fluff that I will wear that T shirt; I'm in bad enough shape that I feel too hypocritical to wear it now.

Saturday Snapshot

In the CD player: Dwayne Roberts, Apostolic Prayers

On the bookstand: I've decided to list all the books I'm reading, instead of just the top one: Still reading Tolkein's The End of the Third Age; I'm also reading John Bevere's Drawing Near, and, for a ladies' study at church, Wellington Boone's Woman, You're a Kingmaker. I *think* that's all at the moment ;)

On the sewing table: Six pairs of red pull-on guy's shorts; these have to be finished today as they are needed in the morning to be worn by guys dressed as Roman soldiers. Miss A is doing the tunics and Miss M is putting together the vinyl "armor". But I'm probably 3/4 done with them so it shouldn't be a problem. Also a tie-dyed knit T-top and ruffled skirt for DD.

Projects finished this week: Tiered madras plaid skirt for DD.

For those who can receive it: Have a blessed celebration of the Resurrection!

The Historic Dogwood

It was a beautiful day at the Botanical Garden yesterday...the 'Historic Dogwood' was in full bloom. This tree is about 120 years old, but until 10 years ago it was growing west of town, near a road that had to be widened. After much negotiation, the tree was dug up and transported to the Garden, where it obviously has settled right down. It's an amazing story and I was tickled to death that we happened to go at dogwood blossom time.

There's a Canada goose gander in the photo, too; as we walked around the water garden, which is to the left of the photo, we found his mate sitting on a nest with about 6 or 7 eggs:


We had a good, refreshing day.

A Play Day

DInlaws are visiting, actually just passing through on their way to a timeshare in Destin, FL, so DH took a vacation day and we're planning an outing to the botanical gardens. It looks like it's going to be nice today, and I plan on enjoying it.

Meanwhile, Miss A and Miss M are going to be frantically working on a last minute costume request. I'll catch up with them tomorrow; today I've got some relaxing to do.

I might put the waistband on the tiered madras skirt that's in progress for DD; it's all that's left to do and she'll have a new skirt.

If we get tired of looking at flowers. ;)

Now I get a Goodie

One of the incentives Julie offers to folks who embark on the SWAP challenge is a free pattern to everyone who completes a SWAP collection and sends in photos and a little written description of the process by the deadline. I'd actually forgotten about that until this morning; now I get to pick a pattern. Julie carries Jalie patterns, Loes Hinse Patterns, Louise Cutting patterns, La Fred's patterns...among others. Right now, I'm sort of leaning towards Jalie's Jeans Jacket, but I'm also considering Loes' Princess Tank and La Fred's Maia Jacket. I don't have to make up my mind for a while yet...Julie's swamped this week with incoming photos so there's certainly no rush. But it's nice to get a little reward for finishing (Thanks, Julie!)

Finish one, start one

The photos and the little (hah! I ended up with over a page's worth) of written detail went off to Julie at Timmel Fabrics yesterday, and I added all the extra photos to the SWAP album linked on the side bar. I was kind of miffed at myself, somehow I missed getting a photo of an outfit with the black skirt...but the batteries in the camera died and I could NOT find any anywhere in the house. But it's the same fabric as the black pants...so it's not like a major mystery as to how the black skirt would look with the tops. I was just not happy with myself for missing it. But the SWAP is officially DONE.

So last night I started New Projects...I traced off about 4 patterns for DD, then cut out two skirts and a t-shirt for her. That child needs clothes, so I've got some work. I need to cut out a couple of pairs of capris, too, but I ran out of time.

And, do you know, when I sat down to update the fabric stash to reflect the fact that I used up two entire pieces from the stash...I discovered that somehow I'd overlooked both of them! One was a gift from my DMIL, so I'm not surprised it didn't get logged in, but the other piece has been residing in my stash for at least 10 years. I must've missed it somehow when I did the original 'swatch and measure' project. Oh, well, it does cut down on the volume of the stash...that's two pieces gone from the bins...even if it doesn't reduce the current total.

I wonder how many other pieces of stealth stash are lurking in those bins? ;)

Done to the Paperwork

First I made up my mind to drop the grey blouse and sub the royal twinset from last year. But yesterday evening I walked into my sewing nook and saw the blouse lying there, armholes all unstitched, and knew I couldn't just let it turn into a UFO (UnFinished Object). So I grabbed some scrap fabric and started trying to get a gusset or something into the sleeve/armsceye to make it work.

I'll spare you the details. Nothing did. So I took a deep breath and took the sleeves the rest of the way off and finished off the armholes. One nice sleeveless scrunchneck blouse done. (It's currently the top review at the 'My Reviewed Patterns' on the sidebar or you can see the finished item on my SWAP link). I cut the covered buttons off and put them away before I put the sleeves with the rest of the fabric...I still have enough for another blouse; the sleeves might turn into facings or something. "Find a fitted sleeve that works" is now on my list of things to do this year.

But that completed the SWAP. I decided to switch the slinky twinset for the Vogue 7799 cross neck top that fits kinda wonky...partly because the top fits funny (that's my fault; the fabric was too heavy and stretchy for that pattern) and partly because the SWAP needs a shot of intense color. So...the now-named 'Shifting Skies' collection only needs the official photos and a little descriptive blurb, which I'll likely do today.

Next up: sewing for DD, while I decide which pants pattern I want to use on the khaki cotton/lycra I bought in Atlanta.

Saturday Snapshot

In the CD player: Scott Brenner, "The Divine Whisperer"

On the bookstand: The End of the Third Age, J.R.R. Tolkein. The fourth book in Christopher Tolkein's examination of the writing of the Lord of the Rings. I started the series ages and ages ago, but life got in the way. I finally got back to it last week, finished the third book and am now digging into the final bit of the story of the story.

On the Sewing Table:I unstitched the underarms of the grey blouse sleeves; I'm going to have to play with them to get them truly wearable. So, I decided to swap the SWAP tops...I will use my royal blue slinky twinset as one of the items. Now, I only need photographs and a short descriptive blurb and it's on to other sewing projects.

Decision Time

I finished the white twin set to the buttons/buttonholes yesterday; that'll be a quick finish-off today, then I will be down to the grey blouse. I've got to decide what to do about the grey blouse, apart from the changes I need to make to the pattern. It has been perculating in the back of my brain all week, and I think I've got a plan. I'm going to unstitch the underarms, which is no small task; that seam was straight stitched twice in the underarm area, then the seams were serged together. Anyway, once the underarm is opened up, I'll put the blouse on and get DH or perhaps DD to measure how much it spreads when I raise my arms, then draft a football-shaped gusset and sew into the underarm. It may not be perfectly elegant, but I really don't think it will be that noticeable and it should make the blouse wearable. We'll see...it's worth a try. Meantime, do I keep this blouse in the SWAP or make a substitution? I kind of need it...I seem to remember the rules saying we should have two blouses, as opposed to simple pullover tops. Perhaps I'd best check w/Julie (from Timmel Fabrics...the lady who's sponsoring the whole SWAP competition) and see if the lace shell will qualify as a blouse...I do have a royal blue twinset that I can put into the combo. But the photos and blog write up are all due a week from tomorrow; it's time to make up my mind.

Anyway, I've got a bunch of handwork to do while the laundry runs today!

In My Closet

I thought about posting a picture...but really, what can you see in a picture of a closet? Shoulders edge-on and the bottom flare of the skirts. Nothing impressive.

Anyway, there's a discussion on Sewing World about Midlife Chic that's got me thinking about the whole 'look' thing. So I'll talk about what's in the closet. For a long time I said I had four wardrobes in my closet, but now, with the addition of some softer tailored Loes Hinse pieces, I think I've got five. The original four are Strictly Business (tailored jackets, skirts, pants), Ritzy Glitzy (party clothes...this is a very small wardrobe), Fun & Funky (I used to call this one 'Funky Chunky', but decided I needed to drop the 'Chunky'...in more ways than one. Haven't quite gotten rid of all the 'chunky', but at least I'm not proclaiming it anymore) and Lands' End Mom. 'Fun and Funky' is mostly comprised of Sewing Workshop stlye garments, which are quirky, funky and fun to wear...and tend to push the Teen Son into his eye-rolling routine. I'm still trying to decide what to call the simple but elegant softer tailored things...they don't really fit into the other four but I haven't found a label that sums them up like the others, either. I mean, when I say 'Lands' End Mom', everyone knows what I'm talking about. This year's SWAP, as a whole, is more a part of that 5th group, too, and it doesn't have a name either.

But that's a basic description of what's in my closet. I'm afraid I mostly live in Lands' End Mom clothes, although I'm trying to move a little more into the 5th group, which is easy to wear but looks nice. (I thought about calling it 'Nice 'n' Easy' but I really don't want to associate it with drug store hair color). I need to get away from wearing jeans so much.

But the toughest part of the wardrobe to update, to me, is the accessories. Scarves, jewelry, shoes, purses. Omigosh...purses. That's really a fashion mystery to me. I have a medium sized black leather backpack from Wilson's Leather that I carry virtually all the time (ok, I don't carry it if I'm dressed in Ritzy Glitzy, but the rest of the time...yeah...). Scarves I do sometimes; my jewelry tends to be the stuff my husband has given me over the years. It's usually small and very simple, but, hey, he gave it to me and I'm a sentimental mush so...that's what I wear. Shoes? Well, I have a size 6 1/2 WIDE foot...just try shopping for shoes with a 6 1/2 W foot. I've been lurking around on Zappo's for a while, but I haven't bought anything yet. I need to, soon, though, because the last batch of dress shoes are wearing out. See, I happened to hit Shoe Carnivale at a fortuitious moment a few (um, ok, several) years ago and they had a bunch of Hush Puppy shoes in one style...and it was available in 6 1/2 W. I bought 4 pairs, in different colors. They've worn well, although there have been a few times when I've dressed in a hurry and then discovered after arriving at my destination that I had one blue shoe and one black shoe on my feet. I've definitely gotten my money's worth from them, but I haven't had such luck at SC since. Shoes are definitely a problem.

But I'm working on it! I've come a long way from the cheap poly doubleknit queen I was back in my teens and twenties... ;)

Sleeve Considerations

Yesterday, I posted the sleeve question on Sewing World, with a link to the photos, and on Pattern Review, with a link to the blog explanation and just let the whole sleeve thing perculate in the back of my head while I worked on the twinset (the shell is done; the cardi only needs the edge finishes and buttons/buttonholes). I also searched through my Threads collection to see what I could glean from that. I also had DH take some better photos; you can see them at More grey blouse photos (click to next to see them both) I've come to a couple of conclusions:

1) There are two different things going on here; the armsceye is not positioned right and the sleeve cap is shaped wrong. I'm going to have to fix both of them if I want to use the pattern. It's pretty clear from the second new photo that the blouse is hiking because it's not right at the bottom of the armsceye...that's where it's really being lifted from; my engineering husband even thought that was the problem. Kathleen suggested morphing on a sleeve that fits, but unfortunately I haven't made a blouse with a true, fitted sleeve that fit in like, forever, so I don't have an example. My comment about lowering the armsceye, btw, wasn't what I thought I needed to do to fix the sleeve; it's what I'd have to do to morph on the Butterick sleeve to which I compared this pattern and I didn't --don't-- want to do that. I like the way the sleeve transitions from fitted at the top to full at the bottom; but I do want it to fit. So I'll be doing some muslining over the next few weeks and I'll report back. I'm on a sleeve fitting quest now ;)

2) I could, perhaps, salvage these sleeves by slashing and spreading the sleeves, then sewing a self-fabric diamond applique over the whole adjustment...y'know, make a design detail ;). But I'm not going to have time to do that before the SWAP deadline...and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to start whacking on a sleeve that I *like* that just doesn't behave. I've got to get over that part...I want to wear the blouse. But another possibility would be to insert a gusset in the underarm; that might give enough ease to allow my arm to move. I do have enough to make another set of sleeves; actually, I've got enough fabric to make a whole 'nuther blouse, which I'd sort of planned to do...from another pattern I want to try. If I cut more sleeves, I'm not sure I can still get another blouse from it. The easiest option, of course, is just to perform a sleevectomy and finish the armholes. Decisions, decisions.

The Sleeves that Bind

Ok, this is the grey blouse pattern:


I'm making view C, the one with the scrunched collar and cuffs. I got the collar slipstitched down last night, sewed up the side seams and tried it on and was quite pleased with the way it fit; it skimmed along nicely and draped well.

Then I put the sleeves in. As I mentioned earlier, I was afraid the sleeves would be too small as they seemed tight just when I pulled them on. Once they were in, and the seams trimmed, they actually feel ok. The blouse looks really good, in fact.

Until I try to raise my arms. The whole blouse hikes if I so much as park my hands on my hips (the view B on the envelope...with the hand on the hip...unh-unh. It'd be hiked on that side). I haven't managed to snag a photographer to post a picture; I will later, if I get the chance. The sleeves are binding like crazy. This is probably my biggest fitting frustration at the moment; I haven't made very many blouses lately but it seems to be a recurring theme...sleeves that bind. In this case, bind badly.

I did make one blouse back before Christmas that didn't bind in the arms...Butterick 5208 (click the link to see the review). So I thought I'd do a little investigation and compared the ok Butterick pattern to the binding Vogue (the Vogue is on top):


The shoulders are about the same width in both patterns, which is actually slightly extended. The Vogue pattern has a higher, curvier underarm than the Butterick. But the big difference is in the sleeve cap. Look at how much narrower the Vogue cap is than the Butterick...no wonder it binds.

And why didn't I do this check before I cut the blouse out???? I might add that the sleeve went into the Vogue blouse with NO easing at all. I put the ease lines in but didn't have to adjust them. (To be truthful, there was a spot on each sleeve -- I think it was the top of the back -- where I felt like I was stretching the armsecye slightly to fit the sleeve). I think it's just a bad draft all the way around.

I'm really at the bottom of the sleeve fitting learning curve; I do not want to drop the armsceye on the Vogue blouse because this blouse will likely be worn under jackets w/a high armsecye; I need to seriously reshape the sleeve cap and narrow the shoulder on the blouse so that the armseye seam hits at the pivot point of my arm (right now it's about 1/2" past it). However, I'm pretty much at square one on just how to go about doing that. Time to hit the books.

But...what about the SWAP blouse? I think I'll go ahead and finish it for now;I can wear it and it looks good...I just have to keep my arms down ;). I've got plenty of fabric so I could cut another pair of sleeves (grumble, grumble), but I think I'm more likely to just take the sleeves off and bind the armholes and have a sleeveless scrunch neck blouse.

I'll make up my mind on that later. Meantime, I gotta get the SWAP finished. I did get the knit twinset cut out last night; I'm putting household chores on hold for the day just to see if I can get anything close to done with it.


ETA: Ok, I have some pretty pathetic attempts at self-photography, but you can sort of see what's going on with the blouse in these photos (click on the link, then use the 'next' arrow to see the other two) Grey Blouse

Homestretch

Ok, it's pretty apparent that I'm going to run out of time to make the second blouse. But it's ok; I need the twin set, too. So I'll be cutting that out tonight. Meantime, the grey blouse is sitting on the sewing machine, needle down, with the cuff in the process of being attached to the left sleeve. Then the handwork of sewing down the cuffs and collar on the wrong side and stitching on the buttons (I had to make loops for the cuffs...the style won't allow buttonholes). I'm a little nervous about the sleeves; when I just pull them on they feel unbelieveably tight right at the cap. I'm HOPING that when I put the sleeves in and trim the seam allowance it'll be ok. I haven't run into quite this problem before so I've just got put it together to see if it will do. Anyway, it'll be a snap to finish up once the hand sewing's done.

Now, I do have a previously-made top and a previously purchased top that I could substitute for both of these, if I have to (the rules allow that), so I guess I could sort of call myself done if I have to. But I'd rather get these two things done and increase my options. ;)

Saturday Snapshot

In the CD player: Phil Keaggy; "Brushstrokes: Music to Paint By"

On the bookstand:I do believe I'm going to finish Zacharias' Can Man Live Without God?in the next week. Amazing apologetics.

On the sewing table: Grey rayon(?) SWAP blouse. Currently putting cuffs on the sleeves.

Out the window: Warm and damp from last night's rain; everything is green and blooming.

Today's reminder: Don't forget to adjust your clocks tonight! ;)


Oh-- I just realized yesterday that the blog settings only allowed people w/Blogger accounts to post comments. Mea culpa...I changed the settings so that's fixed now.

The Ongoing Portable Project

While I was waiting for Number 1 Son to get a tooth filled yesterday, I looked at what was in my hands and realized I was looking at today's blog post. ;)

I made this vest from an OOP McCall's pattern in the fall of 2002. It's cotton blend upholstery fabric, with a jacquard pattern. I'd had an idea about wanting a beaded vest...I purchased beads in colors as close to the colors used on the design as I could find, and commenced sewing beads over the colored threads. Since then, it has lived in a large Zip-lok bag in my car and when I'm waiting someplace...like a dentist's office...I pull it out and sew on a few more beads. I'll guess I'm about 2/3 done.

It's started some interesting conversations and at least gives me a sense of accomplishment when I'm just sitting around. It even accompanied me on a couple of high school drama competions I chaperoned and changed my attitude on the 'sit and wait' that is such an integral part of the whole overnight competion experience.

I still haven't decided what -- if any -- closures I'm going to put on it. I thought I'd wait till I had all the beading done and then see how it looks.

And I've no idea what I'll do to fill my time in waiting rooms when it's done. But I'll think of something.

The Finish Line Approacheth...

I got zero sewing done yesterday. Not a stitch either removed or put in. I didn't get anything else done around the house, either...I'm aggravated by my inability to use those little bits of time in between the outside-the-house obligations that seem to always crop up. I did get side two of the invisible zipper unpicked this morning, but in just a few minutes I've got to take oldest DS to the dentist (that will be the fourth trip to the dentist I've made for one reason or another this week), so I probably won't get it sewn back. And I'm getting nervous...that SWAP deadline is creeping up. I'm about to decide to switch the second (cream silk) blouse for a (white rayon knit) Loes Hinse sweater set. I need both tops; they'll both work with the SWAP, and the sweater set I can make in a day.

We'll see how much more trouble...er, how much longer it takes to finish the grey blouse. Which really isn't about how much more sewing time it requires, but how much daily sewing time I can find.

Go back two spaces

I've decided to put an invisible zipper in the back of my SWAP blouses...I don't like making button loops and I hate buttoning them even more, not to mention the whole faced slit issue. So I added a seam allowance at the back and, last night, I *tried* to put the zipper in the first blouse.

I had to do a little creative thinking; this blouse has a scrunched mock-t type neckline. The collar piece is cut on the bias, and the facing portion of the collar is interfaced and about 1/3 the depth of the rest of the collar, which is gathered at the CB seam to fit the facing. The pattern guide instructs pressing the SA up on the facing, sewing the yet-to-be gathered side of the collar to the neckline, then gathering it, then sewing the facing to it, RST, at the back and turning the facing to the wrong side and hand stitching it down. Now, since I wanted to put in an invisible zipper, I had to gather the edges of the collar, but sew the zipper on before I sewed down the facing portion of the collar. I had a brilliant idea and cut two narrow strips of fusible interfacing the length of the seam, gathered the edge to fit and fused the strips to the gathers to hold them in place. So far so good.

The trouble started when I sewed the zipper in. Of course, getting the back seam to match at the neckline and top was a big deal and I pinned and matched and matched and pinned. After the zipper was in, though, I found that one side had shifted slightly (it is a pretty bulky seam in that area) and it was a very little bit off...that is, the neckline seam on one side was just a little higher than the other. But I decided I could live with it, as it was in the back and not noticeable from, say, two feet.

But then I tried to turn the blouse right side out and discovered that, in my obsession with gettting the seams to match, I'd managed to sew the zipper in with one side twisted at the shoulder. I essentially had a funky looking Mobius strip, and the only fix was to take the zipper off and redo it. Well, that just meant I could fix the slight (and it really was very slight) mismatch at the collar seam.

So, I unpicked half the zipper, straightened out the fabric, moved the zipper by the amount it was off and resewed the seam.

Only to discover that I'd moved the zipper the wrong direction. What was a very slight mismatch is now a glaring boo-boo.

I threw the blouse on the ironing board and went to bed. Perhaps I'll get to the seam ripper today...

Adding Links

I did some work yesterday on the sidebar to get some more links...mostly to the blogs/websites of other sewing enthusiasts...available. Most of the sites I check are in the Creative Fashion Sewing Ring, but there are a few that aren't listed there. I haven't quite got all the links I'd like, but I'm getting there. I really don't like the way the Creative Fashion Sewing Ring (CFSR) linkage/text looks, but if I read the participation requirements right, that table has to be included in my site for me to participate in the ring. I think a link to the ring list would be sufficient, but until I come up with a better way to do it I'm afraid I'm stuck with the kinda klunky looking table.

There's one site that I wasn't really sure where to put; it's Kathleen Fasanella's Fashion-Incubator. Kathleen is not exactly a home sewing enthusiast; she's a professional patternmaker. Her blog is really aimed at garment industry folks who want to do lean, efficient production of sewn products, but she includes tutorials showing the 'way it's done' in the garment industry that are quite enlightening. So I put her link under 'Sewing enthusiasts' even though it doesn't quite fit. Check it out if you haven't.

Cat Fur Studio, which is Barbara Elfman Bell's site, is a really large page. Scroll around and you'll get it all.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to include links to fashion blogs; some are interesting but, I have to be honest, the language that shows up in some of them makes me wince. I've only got three bookmarked myself and those are pretty safe (although Manolo can post some definitely PG-13 rated items and some of the commentors on his blog can be somewhat potty mouthed --potty keyboarded?). I'm really not all up into fashion as such anyway...only as it pertains to inspiration for sewing. I'm embarrassed to admit that I really don't even know most of the folks the fashion bloggers write about. Fashioned, which is Liana's fashion blog, is a good one for home sewers as she focuses on the details that could be translated into home sewn garments...and Liana (whose sewing blog, Sew Intriguing, is listed in the CFSR) is an amazing seamstress with a truly inspiring ability to create elegant, fashionable clothing. But her fashion blog is linked to her sewing blog so you can find it if fashion is your thing.

One thing that I'd like to see on the CFSR list is a note of when each was last updated; only a few of us post daily, or nearly daily. There are several who post about weekly, but there are a couple of blogs that haven't been updated since, oh, last fall. Just a thought, but I'm not sure it's possible or to whom I should mention that little detail.

Anyway, all of this has sent me to older DD's copy of HTML 4 for Dummies...maybe I'll finally get into it and learn how to do cool links and layouts myself. ;)

Two weeks and counting

The SWAP deadline is April 8; that gives me basically this week and next to finish the last two blouses. They're both from the same pattern, which I think is an OOP Vogue, and the first is really a test made from $1/yd Wally World fabric that just happens to be pretty nice, but if for some reason it doesn't work I'm not going to be out a bunch. I've got a backup plan... a white rayon/lycra rib knit Loes Hinse Sweater Set...if it doesn't, so I'm not *really* worried, but it would be nice if it fits. I think it will, but it has been a while since I did the alterations to the pattern and I probably need to check and make sure it'll be ok.

Or maybe I'll just use extra large 'Fit Insurance' side seams ;)

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig

Boy, that was a quick trip!

To winter and back... Spring sure looks good here ;).

I did get a little bit of sewing-related stuff in; I traced off a Petite Plus pattern for Mom...it was the Short Sleeve Shell. Based on her measurements, I traced an 18 in the shoulders and a 22 everywhere else, but after the first muslin I had to take the shoulders in about an inch, move the bust dart down and add some to the sleeve width and hips, as well as add some curve at the top back (which meant adding a back seam). You should've seen me slicing the muslin and taping it back together...I was putting my Cynthia Guffey fitting workshop to work, for sure!

After the second iteration, it already looked much better than RTW, but she still had some excess fulness in her back at the armsceye notch, and it was binding in the front. So, I scooped out the back armsceye, adjusted the sleeve, dropped the front bust point some more (I accused her of switching foundation garments on me, but she said she hadn't) and added just a little more ease in the hips. I got all those changes transferred to the pattern, but I ran out of time so it'll either wait on Mom to sew up one more muslin, or I'll do it when I take older DD up for a wedding in May.

I also accompanied my brother and his wife to their weekly Bible study group and met another sewing buddy (Hi, Kbear ;) )

Wouldn't you know, during the trip DD put a hole in the jeans she got for Christmas; those were the last unpatched jeans she had. Good thing there's a Lee outlet right on the Pennyrile Parkway. I bought the only two pairs of 10 Slim jeans I could find.

Now I'll start the next 'to patch' pile.

Saturday Snapshot:
I drove 450 miles. 'Nuff said.

We're off....

Indiana State Police online reports the roads in Central/Southern Indiana are clear, so the DKids and I are off to Grandma's House.

I'll catch everyone Monday...

Have a great weekend!

New Stuff to Check Out

Yesterday was a busy day on the 'net...

The biggest news is the creation of a new sewing forum, SWRefuge. It's really not meant to replace anything, but, as the name suggests, provide an alternative cyber meeting space should anything happen to Ye Olde Sewing World, which has been showing some signs of instability. I apparently joined Sewing World just after the last major crash, so I'm not familiar with the symptoms but I can take it from the ladies who have been posting to SW for many years that it's getting shaky and may crash soon. Apparently, the crash comes and the SW administrators work the site over to get it all fixed, but that can take a while and, for those of us who need our daily SW fix, the SW Refuge site (they are soliciting suggestions for a less derivative name) will be there should the Crash come.

I think it's great that three ladies from SW have put their heads together to do this collectively, and the lady who posts as 'Dragonlady' deserves a big shout-out for using her computer expertise to set it all up. Liana and Kathryn ('fxdoc') also worked on this and are now encouraging everyone to register so that we will have a backup site for sewing discussion. And who knows...this may just become another FVF (Frequently Visited Forum) for all of us; can there be too many places to talk about sewing?

Next up on the New Stuff list: a whole new pattern collection from Hot Patterns called Classix Nouveau. These are some not-so-fashion-dependent garments that will be really popular, I think. There are two or three patterns there that I like, but to be honest I think I've already got patterns in the stash that are pretty similar. But the CN chatter may motivate me to pull them out and give them a go! ;) I've still got a short list of about 7 patterns that I want to get from HP...just haven't done it yet. Gotta get the 'Must be sewn soon!' list cranked through the manufacturing process first.

Finally, I happened to check the Sewing Workshop site yesterday and discovered that there's a new pattern up there, the Ikina Jacket and Pant. The pants don't do much for me...wide legged cropped length just won't help my already height challenged silhouette, but I do like the jacket. There's some good photos of Ikina Jackets in the Sewing Workshop Gallery...have a look.

At the moment, I'm still planning to take the kids to see Grandma and Grandaddy tomorrow, so I may or may not get to post the rest of the week. I haven't checked the weather since last night, though, and it looked like that nasty weather system was moving pretty slow. I don't know if it will be cleared out in time for me to drive up tomorrow or not. At least the sun is shining here at the moment! Yesterday was a mean windy, rainy March day...

Travel Plans

Arg! When I first talked to Mom about heading north, the weather forecast was for rain/snow on Monday. Since the weekend was going to be really busy on this end, I decided to give myself Monday to catch up on sleep, do laundry and pack.

Well, the forecast was off...the weather folks are now saying that it's going to start snowing in central Indiana tonight, and they'll have 5" - 8" by noon tomorrow, with windy conditions. Ugh. Don't think I'll try to drive up in that! If it is cleared out, maybe I can make the trip by Wednesday.

But that'll give me an extra day here; maybe I can get some work done on the next SWAP blouse. ;)

A Little Sewing Here, A Little Sewing There...

I couldn't stay away from the sewing machine entirely yesterday, but I did work in between and amongst doing household chores. I didn't finish the chores, but Swap Top # 4 is finished...this is the one from the required Timmel Fabrics purchase:


Only two more blouses to go...but it looks like I'll be taking the kids and heading up to Mom and Dad's for a few days next week (it's Spring Break down here). It'll be chilly and snowish in Indiana, from what I've heard, and all the flowers are blooming here, so we're taking a break from Spring and going back to Winter, I guess. But it's been more than a year since we've been home so it's LONG overdue.

I'll just have to sew like crazy when I get back. ;)

Saturday Snapshot:

In the CD player: Paul Wilbur, "The Watchman"
On the Bookstand: Still reading Can Man Live Without God?.
It's a scholarly book and I'm having to read it slowly to make sure I'm understanding everything. An intellectual stretch, to be sure!

On the Sewing Table: Textile Studio Santa Monica T, in a sagey green cotton interlock. For Choir.

Lace Trimmed Shell In Progress

I'm pleased with the way it's looking. It probably would've been a little better if I'd hand basted it first, but that's a Perfect World scenario...y'know, as in 'In a Perfect World, my kids and hubby (um, and I...) would put away things when they were done with them and I'd have a maid so that I wouldn't have to spend sewing time doing things like mopping floors and cleaning bathtubs...'

I'll probably only finish sewing down the lace today. Housecleaning is to the 'I can't put it off any longer' stage...

On the Sewing Table

...is my linen shell, from the cream linen I purchased from Julie for SWAP. I've also got a Santa Monica T cut out, in a sagey green, because that's this month's choir color and I can crank it out pretty fast. Besides, I wanted to try a different seam method on it to see if I can get the neckline to be a little less lumpy. But it dropped my stash...for some reason I had listed that I had 4 5/8 yds of that sage knit; turns out I only had 1 5/8 yds. Musta been a typo ;). That reduces the total stash yardage that I started the year with, no?

The linen shell is going to be very nice, I think. I cut it double layer, since the linen is pretty transparent, and I played around with some lace I'd picked up on a serious discount (marked down from $12/yd to 50 cents/yd) at Hancock's earlier this year. I preshrank the lace on Tuesday (poured Very Hot water over it, let it sit until it cooled and then ironed it), so if I can catch a few minutes today I should have some finished products by the weekend.

I gotta get crackin' on those last three SWAP tops...the deadline is April 8 and it's coming quickly...and two of them still are not cut out yet.

Patch Happy

So, after a weekend full of inspiring and technically enlightening sewing instruction, what would be the first thing you do upon returning home?

I patched blue jeans.

Actually, I took six pairs of jeans with holey knees with me to Atlanta; I thought, since the HOTEL HAD CABLE! I could open up the inseams prepratory to patching them while we watched the 'Project Runway' finale (not having cable, I've never seen one episode).

Well, we went through all the channels on the tv twice and they didn't have Bravo available. Oh, well. But we chatted the evening away while I ripped open the legs on all these pants, so when I got home they were ready to sew.

Most of them I did Sunday afternoon, but there was one pair that waited till this morning to get finished up. It's a good thing patched jeans are 'in'...it makes it kind of fun to be creative with a tediously necessary chore! DD would almost rather wear the patched jeans than the intact ones; which is a good thing, since she only has one pair of jeans that aren't patched.

Here's a sample of the 'creative patch job'...the frayed knee was done at Christmas; the other one will fray out to match it after a couple of trips through the laundry.

Ain't it cute?

I thought about posting a photo of all my expo fabric; but I think it would just look like a pile of fabric. Mostly solids, the beauty of them is the hand and drape. But I did get a print that I'll post...even though the image of it is pretty poor, too. That moire look is just because of the digitization...in real life it's very smooth..almost slick...and the print is very sharp. I tried several different image manipulations but this is the best I could get it. I've got 2 5/8 yards of it -- it's 58" cotton lycra shirting -- and I'm debating what to make. A blouse? A tiered skirt? Not sure...the fabric just enchanted me. I've got to finish the SWAP before I cut into Expo fabric; maybe by then I'll have a plan. ;)

The other fabrics I purchased were:
1)khaki silk twill from Vogue Fabric. Omigosh, this feels like butter and drapes like a dream. It'll be a drapey skirt; not sure which pattern I'll use yet.
2)Khaki cotton/lycra bottomweight sateen, also from Vogue. The sateen side looks a little too shiny for me; I actually think I'll use the reverse side (a twilled weave) for the right side. I got 5 yards; I'm thinking a straight skirt,a pair of pants and maybe a pair of capris. From May - September our base color for choir will be khaki, which is not one of my more flattering colors. I think I'll be ok so long as I wear the color-of-the-month next to my face. ;)
3)Black cotton/linen suiting from Louise Cutting. Because I can never have enough black fabric (that's what we wear for choir the other 7 months of the year). It feels yummy, too!
4)Teal slinky from Emma Seabrooke. I debated between the teal and the gorgeous purple she had, but I think there's a good chance we'll end up with teal as a color for choir next fall...while I don't think we'll ever wear purple. I'm thinking Sewing Workshop Cityscapes dress; one of SW's patterns that looks like a true dud in the illustrations but actually is quite flattering on a body.

That brings up a slightly different thought... I missed seeing Linda Lee and the SW booth; I know she's trying to take the business in a little different direction as she really wants to try and entice the next generation to sew, but the SW clothes are so funky that I think it hurts not to be at the Expo with the samples. I know I had written off some of the patterns that I now have and love (the Cityscapes among them)...and I have them because I saw them on a body in the Fashion Show at the expo. Some things just don't translate well to drawings. I hope she finds a way to get her garments seen live and in person if she's not going to do the expos. Just my 2 cents worth! ;)

Extra Expo Shopping

Now I have another shopping list.

I've taken classes from Cynthia Guffey for 3 years now, and every year I come away with a list of Things to Get...but for some reason I don't get them, and the next year, in class I'm smacking my forehead wondering why I haven't picked it up yet...

1) narrow masking tape. Cynthia uses it for all kinds of stuff, including stitch guides on fabric and cutting guides.

2) Straight stitch throat plate and foot for my New Home. Very basic...and I can't seem to remember to get it. When I'm at the dealer, I also need to remember to get an 'edge joining foot'.

I happened to comment to one of my classmates at the end of our sample making class w/Cynthia that I hoped I could get these feet for my machine, and the Viking rep who was kind of supervising the use of the machines strongly encouraged me to come down to her booth and check out a new Viking. I laughed to my companion that that was one sure way to never get to come to an Expo again...go home with a new sewing machine. (unless I happened to win one in the big giveaway, of course ;) )

But I'm curious...can one even get a top quality, multi-function sewing machine, without all those fancy embroidery stitches that I'd rarely, if ever, use?

Expo 06 Report

Wow.

I have just about hit information overload; I'm not sure I haven't overtaxed my sitting, um, muscles... travel to Atlanta, sit sit sit in classes, then travel back to Alabama (we had a good test of patience getting through Atlanta...let's just say that Friday was NOT a good day to be driving anywhere in the Atlanta metro area) and sit some more in the marriage conference. My tailbone, which I cracked in high school but hasn't bothered me for years, is actually a bit achy.

But it was all worth it! I don't think I had a dud class amongst the lot. I had Louise Cutting, Peggy Sagers, Karen Maslowski and Cynthia Guffey. I bought 5 patterns (4 Silhouettes and 1 Cutting Line), 5 pieces of very nice fabric and my complete 'short list' of notions, plus a couple of others that I happened to find. I missed Linda Lee/The Sewing Workshop, and Threads magazine was MIA as well. But overall, the vendor area covered a larger portion of the exhibit hall than it has the past two years, so it is a thriving show, and I certainly had no trouble finding places to spend money.

I saw Shannon Gifford, Rusty Bobbin, Queendom, and a Pattern Review lurker or two. It's so cool to get face-to-face contact with internet pals!

Now the ladies over at Pattern Review are putting together a PR weekend at Baer Fabrics in Louisville the first of June. If I don't spend anymore money and am a good girl and sew what I bought at the Expo, maybe I can go to Louisville next!

Expo Bound

Miss A and I are leaving around noonish today to head over to Atlanta; I'm looking forward to seeing everyone! Here's what I'll be wearing... ;)
I'll report back Saturday evening.

Expo Packing

Some things I don't want to forget:
Fabric Swatches: So I can match those temptations at Vogue, Wool House, Cutting Line and elsewhere to what's already in the stash!

Small stapler: For attaching the samples I will make in Cynthia Guffey's Thursday evening class to the notes and sketches of same.

The Shopping List: Those few items I cannot leave the Expo without...fusible interfacing, tie interfacing and a french curve (mine broke and Hancock's doesn't carry them anymore) from Peggy Sagers; Ergo cutter blades from Martelli.

The Muslin I made for the Friday morning fitting class. After dragging myself around to make it, it'd be the pits if I somehow forgot to pack it!

My Camera...and this year I need to remember to use it.

Ah, we're going to have such fun...sinus headache or no sinus headache... ;)

On the Mend

I managed to get through the rehearsal and the service Saturday...then crashed on Sunday. But I actually feel a little better today, so I'm hopeful that I'll be funtional enough to enjoy the Sewing Expo later this week (as in day after tomorrow...)

Only now I've got to completely re-decide what to wear to said Expo, since I obviously didn't get anything done at all on the new stuff I wanted to wear. It's funny how being around a bunch of other sewing people causes me to consider very carefully what I'm going to put on. I did get my shirt muslin thrown together yesterday, so Friday's apparel has to include a top that's thin enough it won't mess up the fit process too much.

And nobody did laundry while I was laying around last week...imagine that.... I hope I have enough detergent to get a decent dent in the piles ;)

Saturday Snapshot

In the cd player: Wrestling Angels by Grover Levy
On the bookstand: Still Can Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias. I haven't had the concentration this week to delve into that; I took a little side trip and re-read Dorothy Sayer's Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon. Pleasant diversion in between naps.
On the sewing machine: Muslin of Simplicity 9693. I really like the top, but there's something funny about the fit in the front of the sleeves that I'd like some help with. It's the muslin for the Cynthia Guffey fitting class I'll be in at the expo next week.

But today I'm trying to make an official looking 'Animal Control' transfer that I can print and iron on a navy t shirt. I found a good looking badge online and merged it with some text, but giving it a blue background that will hopefully disappear on the blue shirt is a problem; the colors went all discontinuous and I'm having to fix it a pixel at a time.

My eyes are crossing and my mouse hand is getting sore...I'm not looking for perfect, just Close Enough.

Back to color correction...

Recuperating

Dress rehearsal for Uplink is tonight; I still need to get a blue t-shirt and ballcap, and put something official 'dog catcher' looking on them; hopefully I can locate some t-shirt transfer paper and just print it out and iron it on.

I'm semi-functional today; after two days on the couch I at least no longer have that 'hit-by-a-bus' achy feeling, but I'm not real perky. But the dog catcher is not a terribly perky character anyway. I'm just hoping my voice holds out!

This time next week I'll be in Cynthia Guffey's fitting class in Atlanta; I'm looking forward to that! She is such a hoot and does such inspiring stuff....

Blech

Why aren't germs required to check the daytimer before they check into the body? I don't have time to be sick, but my body isn't listening to that protest. The dog costume has been delegated...but there still isn't a backup dog catcher.

Maybe another day on the couch will improve my status.

This month's costuming

This month's Uplink service is Saturday; the costuming assignment for this one is a to make a 6-foot guy into a believable (not realistic) dog. I think we're going to go with black sweats, a pinned on tail (I have a good one that I made, oh, 13 years ago for DS when he was a dog for the fall festival),floppy ear shapes on a stretchy headband and doggy face paint. How we will manage the face paint around the mustache and goatee of the potential dog is going to be interesting...

BTW, I'm the dog catcher; fortunately animal control people in our area have dispensed with fancy uniforms and just wear jeans and tshirts.

But I also woke up this morning feeling a little, um, fluish. Little low grade feverish, little chest congestionish, little achy... Not bad enough to crawl back in bed, but bad enough that I'm nervous about how I'll feel by the weekend. Not to mention the trip to the Atlanta Expo next week. AAArrrgggg....

We'll see what ibuprofen, guifenisen and pseudoephedrine (yeah, I've still got some) can do to keep me functional.

Waiting for Tomorrow

I really intended to get my InTHETrenches set cut out yesterday...but I ended up spending most of the day ironing (it was really behind). Then, last night when I stopped by Pattern Review, I found that a new contest, Pattern Stash Reduction starts tomorrow. If I wait till tomorrow to cut it out, I can count it towards that contest.

Not that I have any chance of winning; there are ladies who that have given Scrooge-costuming-like dedication to the current Fabric Stash Reduction Contest. Last time I checked the contest report for that, the person in first place had sewn something like 73 items since Jan 1. I've sewn, um, six. I'm only doing Scrooge-type sewing production when absolutely unavoidable, so I do not expect to be at the top of this one, either. But it is fun to participate and log my progress into the Contest Report.

So I'll cut out ITT tomorrow; I'll still have a week to get it put together... ;)
Maybe I'll work on those muslins today.

SWAP Musings

Someone on Sewing World commented that my SWAP group for this year is very different from last year's SWAP group and asked which one I liked better.

There's no question which one 17 YO DS prefers; there's been no eye-rolling or negative comments about this year's combo!

They really are pretty different; last year's was funky, quirky and bold in color; this year's is subdued and classic. They'll fill different niches in the wardrobe...I mean, sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't. There are a few things from last year that I love and wear whenever I get the chance...the green Retro jacket, the embroidered linen pieces...but I haven't worn the print pieces very much, partly because the skirt has gotten too snug (and that ain't the skirt's fault), but also because, after doing two SWAP sets according to the recommendations from Stitches magazine, I decided that I don't care for wearing a top and skirt made from the same print. On me, anyway, it tends to look sort of frumpy. Julie Culshaw (Timmel Fabrics) has allowed SWAP participants to vary from the recommendations a bit; we're only required to use one print item...and the 'print' can be anything that uses multiple colors, such as a stripe, a plaid or a tweed. So the tweed jacket counts as the 'print' for this year and works beautifully to tie all the solid top and bottom pieces together.

Also, this year's SWAP is a little more real-world for me; I love the slinky pieces from last year but really haven't had much opportunity to wear them. I don't think I've even worn the pants yet; they're great and comfy, but there's just not that many occasions in my life to which I feel comfortable wearing slinky pants. Entertaining at home, perhaps, but since we moved last year (and there are still boxes and clutter about), we haven't done much of that. Hopefully that will change soon!

But, I can wear the black and the blue stuff from last year with this this year's pieces, and I can wear the black pieces from this year with last year's SWAP, so it's still all good!

Home Today

Sometimes life happens.

I was all dressed in my nice new jacket and rayon coordinates, anticipating a great worship service today, and came down to discover that 9 YO DD was not feeling well. At all. Since DH has to teach a men's class, I was the most expendable member of the family. So I'm home with a puny young 'un after all.

But I went ahead and had DH take photos for the SWAP before I changed so I've got some new photos up in the SWAP link.

DD slept for an hour and a half and woke up asking for toast, so I think she's feeling a little better now.

Moving on

I found my missing thread yesterday, and I sat down last night and whipped up the lining for the SWAP jacket. It only needs buttonholes/buttons and a wee bit of handsewing. I'll wear it to church tomorrow.

Next,I've got to take a break from SWAP (I'll only have 3 tops left to make with about a month to go) and do some sewing for the Atlanta Expo. I've got to make at least two muslins; a top and a pair of pants that exhibit some fitting issues that I've not been able to quite figure out. I'd also like to make Cutting Lines InTHETrenches set for the Expo also; Louise Cutting had a contest a while back for sewing a coordinating mini wardrobe, and part of the prize was that the winner's name would be in the little storyline that she was writing for her new pattern, which at that time was ITT. So that explains the 'Lisa' that you see in the text on the pattern front cover ;). The patterns were just released in time for last year's expo, and I received mine also as part of the prize pack (the last bit of the goodies was a free one-year subscription to Shannon Gifford's Sensible Sewing Newsletter, which I found so helpful that I renewed when it expired!). I got some great teal rayon/linen blend fabric from Louise from which to make the outfit...truth be told, I'll be a little embarrassed if I don't wear that on Thursday at the Expo. So that's next in the queue.

I think I'll add this for Saturday's postings, too; some Saturdays it may be all I'll manage:
Saturday snapshot:
Current reading: Can Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias
Currently in the CD player: 6.1, by Out of the Gray
Currently watching the Olympics, just a little. Ordinarily the TV is off.

Exercising Willpower

Two weeks from today I'll be at the Atlanta Sewing Expo. I've only got a day and a half, and I've got 9 classes in that time, but I expect to do a little shopping there...I have a short list of notions, patterns and fabrics that I'd like to pick up. But, in interest of maintaining some semblance of a balanced budget, that means that I have to save every sewing related penny for that event.

Which means that I'm looking at my favorite fabric sites, just to see what the new stuff is, finding things I like and forcing myself to navigate away before I hit the 'add to cart' button. It's nice to know that there's pretty stuff there, right? And I know that if I don't find what I need at Atlanta, there's a chance it might still be available at Emma One Sock or Fabric Mart or Fashion Fabrics Club....

But I gotta keep that credit card idle for two more weeks!

Delivered!

Well, they wouldn't win any prizes for construction, but they will server their purpose! This is actually a Simplicity African Caftan pattern that I'm pretty sure is OOP; we modified it a bit to have a front zipper. They're made of a lightweight poly crepe; kind of icky feeling and prone to poly-ripples but it works for this purpose. When the supplies were ordered ages ago, the person who ordered decided to get the longest zippers available, thinking it would be easier to get in and out. So these robes have large-teeth separating zippers sewn into the front. I whipstitched the bottoms together before I put the zippers in, but it's still not very, um, polished looking. Ah, well, ya do what ya gotta do.

The left one is a size XL; the right one has been eyeball graded up to a XXL; occasionally there is some big dude coming for baptism ;)

Lining blues

Why is it so tough to sit down and sew that lining? My jacket is all but finished except for the lining and the (small prayer for grace for a bulky, ravel prone fabric) buttonholes/buttons. But finding time to put the lining together...haven't managed it. Maybe this afternoon, while I'm doing laundry... an hour and a half or so should about do it.

I've got to get it done this week while the 'choir colors' are still black and blue (I know; that sounds like a bruise but it really looks pretty good on the platform). We'll be in black and lavendar for March. I think.

ETA...I checked the email; it's (moss, sage, olive)green and black next month. Maybe I need to change my upcoming sewing plan again...

Stash Management

I don't *think* I've posted on this before... ;)

So, if you're someone who buys for the future (as in 'This would make a great top!) instead of someone who buys for the next project (as in 'I need 2 7/8 yards of pink linen for this dress'), you and I are comrades...although I do admit to trying hard to move a little closer to the 'buying for the project' side.

In truth, if you sew a lot, it makes sense to purchase quality basic fabric when it's available and/or on sale, since that will get used. The stuff that could be trendy...well, maybe not so much. But sooner or later almost every sewing enthusiast will acquire a little more fabric than can be sewn in the immediate future...and the stash is born. I think my stash began back in the mid 80's, when I discovered Fashion Fabrics Club. I could get DEALS for $1.99/yd...and I sometimes bought on spec. In fact, what I truly think is the oldest piece of fabric in my stash was an early FFC purchase...a brown/black/cream tweed that I WILL make a jacket from one of these days. To my best guess, it dates from 1983. Old.

Anyway, keeping track of it has always been an issue. Fabric will get used if it's remembered. Over the years, I've kind of developed a system that sounds complicated, but it works. Helps on the accounting side, too, since when I purchase the fabric I don't always know if I'll use it for me, the kids, or a gift. Or, sometimes I change my mind. So there's a 'fabrics and notions' budget line that purchases come out of if I'm not *sure* what it will be; after it's made up then I'll transfer the expense from,say, kids' clothes to fabrics/notions in the budget. But that means keeping track of it.

I've actually got two levels of tracking now...one for recent purchases, and every six months or so I'll move the recent purchases that haven't yet been sewn into the stash. That's all just on paper...or rather, in the computer.

So, let's track a recent purchase; in June of last year, I bought some rayon knits from Emma One Sock, including a grey rib knit. The knits all got entered into the '2005 purchases' Excel spread sheet...information includes date purchased, where purchased, fabric description, width, yardage, cost/yard, a notation of what budget account I charged it too and any comments, such as 'dry clean only' or planned patterns. I also put a small swatch on a 3x5 card w/the same info. I didn't use the knit, so at the end of December I entered the information into my Access Data base, which assigns a number to that fabric. The number is written on the card and filed numerically in a card file box with all the rest of the stash cards. The data is alphabetized by fabric type (jersey knit, poplin, suiting, etc) and copied into an excel file, which totals everything for me (Yikes!). I print out the excel worksheet and keep it with the stash card file.

When I was looking for coordinates for my SWAP, I pulled the jacket card and started pulling other cards to coordinate. Lo and behold, the grey rib looked great with it, so I pulled that fabric and made another Vogue 7799 cross-neck T from it. I had already charged the fabric to 'Lisa's Clothes', so I didn't have to do any other transfers (although if I had used some notions, like lining or buttons, I probably would've transferred those). Note on the card what I made and when, and just add it to the 'completed projects' card file. When I next updated the Access data base, the line is cleared (not deleted) so the number can be used for another fabric.

That all sounds really complicated, but it really does keep me on top of what I've got and how well I'm doing on reducing the stash. I will never be without stash; there are some things that are advantageous to have stashed. But I do want to get it down to a reasonable number; surely 4 large rubbermade hinged totes should hold enough to keep me occupied for a while, don't you think? If I can get to the point where that's what I have, I think I'll consider the stashing under control.

Pinch Me

Ok, this has nothing whatsoever to do with sewing, but I'm still amazed and it's the only thing that's presenting itself for sharing today.

DH has been attending Promise Keepers events since the organization had their first stadium events outside of Boulder...I think it was 1994, when he and a handful of other guys went up to the conference at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis (it may even still have been called the Hoosier Dome then...I can't remember). He's brought back books and tapes, which I've read and listened to, which have fed me almost as much as him. For a few years...maybe 96 - 98 or thereabouts, several of the PK conferences were broacast live on Christian radio (actually, they may still be doing that; the local station that carried those conferences has changed formats so we wouldn't be able to get them anyway). One of our favorite speakers, whom we wouldn't miss and whose tapes we listened to multiple times during that time was Wellington Boone, whether he was speaking on marriage, racial reconciliation, or just 'walking the talk,' that brother flat put the truth out there.

Now, fast forward to February, 2006, and Bishop Wellington Boone is the guest speaker ...for the third time...at The Rock Family Worship Center in Huntsville, Al. Serving that body as deacons, DH and I were escorts...for the second time... for Bishop Boone and his lovely and gracious wife, Katheryn, while they were here (it ain't always just sewing costumes and such!). Wow.

Who would've thought that eight or nine years ago, when we were listening and learning, that we'd've been in that position. Certainly not me. So I am still amazed...

Maybe I'll have some sewing to report tomorrow. ;)

Smoothing the bumps

I finished hemming the Oxfords last night while watching ice dancing, snowboarding and slalom. They're still snug, but I think I can wear them. I was afraid the wool flannel would be itchy; it really isn't as bad as I thought. I have some Ambiance pantsliners that I made from Nancy Erikson's FSG pants pattern that have been hiding in my lingerie drawer, waiting on me to make the plum wool that I got from her at the same time into pants (another Future Project). I decided to try the Oxfords on with the liners; more of a laundry consideration than anything else at this point, since they weren't as irritiating as I expected. But...the lining sort of smoothed over places where the flannel was getting hung up and, to my surprise, they didn't look *quite* as snug, even with the extra layer underneath!

However, the elastic in the liners was completely shot, which really surprised me as they couldn't be more than 3 years old and I'd never worn them. It must've been old elastic to begin with. Anyway, I unpicked the elastic last night and will put some more on first chance I get. With good elastic and a good pressing, I think the liners will let me wear the pants just a little quicker than I would've otherwise... ;)

Olympic Sewing

Well, I meant to post a picture of my completed baptismal robes, but at the moment they're not photogenic...they're in a pile waiting to be washed to remove the basting tape in the zippers. But I did get them finished! One item off the 'to do' list.

The jacket needs the hand sewing...welts, hems...and the lining, which still needs to be assembled. The Oxfords are done to the hemming.

Fortunately, hand sewing is a wonderful thing to do while watching the Olympics. ;)

Taking Aim

At those baptismal robes. I'm making an appointment with myself for 10 AM to change the thread in the sewing machine and finish those babies up. It'll be good to have them over and done with so I can let that little back corner of my brain that's been fretting over them tend to something else...

When the fat pants are too tight...

...it's time to Do Something. I had to face it when I tried on the new gray flannel Oxfords...which feel pretty good but look like a 2nd skin in the hips and fanny. Not that there's a new problem with the pants...it's the weight I gained back since Christmas. I lost about 7 pounds leading into the holiday...just stressed and didn't have time to eat. Well, I'm eating again; hello poundage. So I started walking this week; I'm hoping to build back up enough to do a real Exercise and Eat Right program to seriously get rid of it. It's not fun, but it's not really hard...just requires consistent self-discipline (which is not my long suit, I'm afraid).

Sigh.

However, on the plus side, it looks like I have finally got the back curve of the Oxford Pants tweeked...just gotta lose 4 or 5 pounds so I can tell...

Pants, too

I'm ready to set the sleeves in the SWAP jacket, and while I was letting some fray block dry (it's quite ravelly) I decided to get a start on the grey flannel Oxford pants that were also cut and ready to go....

I actually washed the flannel (worsted wool) before cutting, kind of along the lines of 'If it's going to be ruined by the washer, I'd rather know now.' I don't intend to wash the finished product, but sometimes laundry boo-boos happen. It kind of fuzzed up and got a little spongy. I wasn't really thrilled with the result but decided I could live with it.

But I discovered that by vigorous ironing, the fuzziness got smoothed out and its nice drape returned.

I'm pleased!

SWAP Discipline

I knew making two jackets over the couse of the SWAP...the test and then the SWAP coordinate...would be challenging, but I was thinking about the time involved.

I didn't consider the fact that my attention span apparently doesn't like making the same pattern back-to-back, although I have plenty of evidence (namely, the baptismal robes that are still not even pulled out of the ziplok bags)around as a warning. I'm making fairly good progress on the jacket; I have the welt pockets completed to the hand stitching, but...my brain is continually trying to get me to run and start some new quick thing.

One project is the KS twist top. I really liked the Twist Top that Simplicity published a couple of years ago, but didn't manage to get one before it went out of print. The Burda WOF twist wasn't too bad, but I don't get WOF and, to be truthful, it looked like there was quite a bit of bunched fabric under the bust in that style. I did get the KS pattern, but it looked different. When Deepika posted the Top Ten Patterns of 2005 article, I saw the KS top and the Burda top on the same page and realized what the difference is: The Burda twist is vertical, while the KS twist is more horizontal. Consequently, the KS top is kind of flat on the bottom of the V, and the wider neckline looks a lot more, um, revealing. So I've been mentaly rotating the seam from the CF of the KS top to the side, so that I can make a vertical twist. I'm dying to try it and see if I can make it work...

But No!! That's not part of the SWAP! Must...finish...jacket.... Must...finish...SWAP....

Saturday Cheesy Poetry

I woke up with this running through my brain:

A little sewing here
A little sewing there,
Slow and steady will pay off:
A lovely thing to wear!

The SWAP jacket has the welt pockets done to the turning; I slit the openings last night and left the Fray Block drying overnight. But our church is doing a dinner for the homeless today, and I'm working in the kitchen...and the laundry is all behind (again! Arg!)...so who knows how much I'll get done today. But a little is all I need and I'll eventually get there!