Choir Wardrobe 3/15/15...Punting...

I intended to show you a new bright green Hot Patterns La Strada top today in the choir post.

Still in the plan...but not like I intended.  The green top didn't work and, faced with a need to pick something quick, I went with something that's going to look really, really familiar.


Yup.  Switching the scarf for the mint/seafoam/ Lucite green necklace, and a rayon Jalie 2566 T for the cotton/lycra one...it's the same as Thursday's work wear post.

Because it works with March colors...blue, gray and Lucite green.

I finished the top last night and sighed over it's extreme oversized-ness but figured I'd make it work.  But as I got ready this morning, I thought of something I *might* be able to do to fix it up a bit, and I didn't want to wear it if it might be fixable.  Hence the last minute swap.

But I put the top on over my blue T, just so you would get an idea of what I'm up against.

The extreme sheerness of the fabric is certainly not the pattern's fault;  I knew when I ordered it that it was very thin and planned to use it for a loose drapey top layer.  It was supposed to go over a blue Jalie 965 tank top.

 Very seriously drapey.  The sleeves are a good 3" longer than they look to be in the pattern illustration.  And, as that length really comes from the width at the top, it looks hugely oversized above the bustline.

And, since the shoulder line is so long, the underarm seam is pretty low.

As in it hits just above my waist.

Even if I didn't need an underlayer due to the sheerness of the fabric, I'd need an underlay for decency's sake based on that open side seam.

The back shows the huge shoulders really well...but you can see that I don't have a pinch of extra ease below the waist.  In fact, it might could use a pinch MORE. (I cut a size 12, based on the bust measurements/ finished garment measurements)

Anyway.  Gonna try cutting that upper chest/shoulder volume down a bit by shortening the shoulder line substantially and raising the underarm seam to a much higher stopping point.

Maybe it will work, maybe not.  I like the design...but it's gonna need some work to be wearable.

Work Wear 17

...Because today was an 'If you see it, I made it' kinda day...

I wanted to wear the new cotton voile scarf.  So I scrounged around in the closet to see what I had that would work today.

And I pulled out my original Sewing Workshop Thai Coat. which is a deep blue with white pindots.

At first, I put on a white T and jeans.  But it just didn't work...the slits on the side of the coat were high enough that the white t peeped out on the sides if I didn't tuck it in and, while jeans seem to go with most everything...they just didn't seem to be quite right.

So.

I tried the tropical wool Sewing Workshop Plaza Pants...and they worked.

'Sympathetic' is the word May Martin uses on the Sewing Bee.

 And, as luck would have it, my navy cotton/lycra Jalie 2566 was hanging in the closet instead of in the laundry basket.

Column dressing, to be sure.

And the blues in the scarf pretty much worked with it all.  But that camera flash...sigh...

Oh well.  It was fun to wear.

Here's a look at the scarf;  I had two yards of the fabric and thought I could just split it in half lengthwise.  But I found that I needed to pay attention to those zig zags...and they got wider as the pattern moved across the fabric.  So I ended up cutting it a little less than half way across, and I used the side with the narrower zig zags.  Getting some practice using the narrow rolled edge foot... ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 3/8/15

This looks so uber casual...but the gray fabric sparkles...

Sewing Workshop Eureka top...hm, nuther review I need to write...from a really sheer, really sparkly, really devious to sew rayon jersey over a gray rayon/lycra jersey Jalie 965 tank top, with RTW Jeans.

And a navy blue necklace, 'cause the colors for March are gray, navy and 'Lucite Green'...which is the current Pantone-speak for 'mint'.

I actually ordered this fabric last fall specifically to make this top and, since we're wearing gray for three straight months, figured maybe I'd better get it done.

I did give the back of the top a little hi/lo action, with a downward swish that doesn't show at all in the photo  but made it more graceful, IMHO.

I'm not kidding when I say it was ghastly to sew.   Had to baby the serger big time to get it to even make a stitch on it.  The neckband...well, the fabric curled like a pillbug with the least amount of stretch, so the first attempt at the neckband didn't work....it curled and skinnied and didn't even stretch enough to go on without puckers.

So I cut another one...wider and longer...so that it wouldn't disappear and I wouldn't have to stretch it so much.  It looked nicer from the stitching point of view, but it was too wide and long to lay flat on the neckline.

So my solution was to press the whole thing to the wrong side and topstitch it down. Worked great, and it doesn't matter that the neckline is too wide; I'm always going to wear it with an underlayer anyway.

I was really relieved to finish it...but now I'm enjoying its funky sparkle.  You may see this a lot in the next 3 months... ;-)

In the Queue...

We had a 'winter weather event'...basically an ice storm although it was not as bad as it could've been, it was bad enough to close the roads for a couple of days.

So I spent some time at my cutting table...

I unpicked the denim jacket muslin and trimmed some pieces, recut others.  It's back in the queue to be sewn up; hoping I have solved the shoulder issues and can cut out the fabric.

But I moved on to the second version of the McCall's 6436 shirt; this one in the white.  I moved down the bust dart, cut the collar about 1/4" back away from the center front on the band, added a pinch to the back hip and reworked the 'painless placket' to be a little more useful.  Hoping that works on that one as well.  If it turns out, it's a SWAP item done.

One of the things I kinda went crazy on in the last sales was fabric for scarves.  I bought two pieces of silk chiffon/charmeuse burnout...two yards, split in half lengthwise, will make two oblong scarves.

So that's four scarves...two for me, two to give away.

I also bought two pieces of cotton voile, with the same thing in mind.

One of the pieces of cotton voile I've put back for later...I may make scarves, or I may do something else.

The silk has been cut into rectangles and is slowly getting fed through the narrow rolled hem foot on the sewing machine.  I'm very glad these are not going to be closely inspected.  There is a knack to that rolled hem foot...maybe I'll get it by the time I get all four of those made.

The other piece of voile I cut first...it was a bit longer than 2 yards, and it was 54" wide so I'm thinking I might actually squeeze a camp shirt out of the piece that didn't turn into the scarf.

But...it was kind of a border print.  Ziz zags running the length of the fabric; broad on one side and narrower on the other.  I cut the scarf from the narrower side, and the campshirt...or whatever...is going to have to be cut on the crossgrain, I think, to keep the pattern balanced.

Thank you, Patrick Grant.  I've learned the importance of pattern balance... ;-)

I did that scarf first and the rolled hem foot finished it off quite nicely.  The silk is another story...

Anyway, whilst I was cutting I pulled out a remnant of some poly shirting that I had to give a go at  the cut-on-cap-sleeve shell  from New Look 6273.  I'm auditioning it for the silk charmeuse  tops that I need for the SWAP plan...if it works, I'm a happy camper.

And, Lucite green (or mint green or seafoam green, as it has gone by in years past) being a color for choir, I managed to get one piece in that color in the new acquisitions as well. It's a bit thin, so I'll have to wear a cami under the Hot Patterns LaStrada top I squeezed out of my slightly more than one yard.  I'm not sure I have thread the right color for that, though...I've still got to check.

Finally, since I was auditioning new patterns, I finally cut Katherine Tilton's Vogue 8691 from some marbelized blue-on-white cotton jersey.  I left off the little floucy things, because the reverse of my fabric is just white and I didn't want the backside showing.  I'm not sure I had enough fabric for the flouces anyway.  We'll see how it looks with the little peaks on the regular hem.

And a tablecloth, just because the fabric was in the way and it'll be a quick rolled edge on the serger. (yes, it was upholstery cotton intended for a tablecloth...).

So I've got somewhere close to 10 yards in the queue.  And I'm making myself do those fiddly scarves first, whilst the rolled edge foot is on the machine...

TGBSB -- Season 3 Semifinals thoughts

(Hopefully not too much of a spoiler, but you never know... consider yourself warned if you haven't seen it yet)
Wow wow and wow.


Anything can happen in the semis...
This is a very evenly matched group.

Neil...breaking stereotypes left and right, he's done exceptionally well all along and is the discussion-board  favorite to take home the golden dress form.  But he's not immune to the misaligned pattern or the not perfect embellishment...or, in the walkaway dress challenge, the unfortunate slip of the scissors.

Lorna, the consistent second-placer, is, I think, someone who sews very well within her own comfort zone.  She's branching out, though..and that refashion challenge this week had to be a big step for her.
Still, she's not experienced in the new territory and she's not inclined to practice techniques because, as she says, 'I don't like to waste material.' So her sewing is not always dead on.

I can identify with that.

I think Matt has really good technical skills; he's just inexperienced, and it shows every now and then in his fearless beginner's optimism that an idea is just going to work (like the hardware on his peacock costume).  His fit problems on the jacket were all related to the fact that he used a pattern intended to be made from a jersey knit, so the close fit did not translate well to leather. He's going to be formidable behind a sewing machine by the time his kids get to high school and involved in theater.  And, seeing as how they seem to be excited about costumes and dress-up now, I would expect them to be inclined to that.

 Deborah has a good instinct of what will and will not work, and running the slider off the end of an altered zipper  is a mistake I bet every one of us has made at some point.  My heart broke for her at that moment.  Been there, done that...knew she didn't have time to fix it.  But zippers aside, her jacket was too small for the model.  It needed a FBA.  I'm not sure the model she had didn't put her at a bit of a disadvantage; the other models were a bit less, um, curvy, so who's to say if anyone of the others would've caught and allowed for that issue?  They were allowed to cut out the jackets before they came; bit late to adjust for something as baseline as a full bust after that.  Surely they had the model's measurements to go by when they were cutting....

Paul squeaked by last week; I think if Ryan had done just one point better on his kilt...having the right underlap or having it the right height or having it the right length...he would've gone on and Paul would've gone home.  Paul was on the bubble this week and I think he was aware of it.  But the bubble was not for sure...and Patrick even owned up that there just wasn't much difference amongst most of the lace skirts.

Anyone can mess up...and anyone can do something stellar.  And two of the three going into the finals are pretty much who I expected from the beginning.  That third slot...well, it could've been any of several.


And I'm kinda sad that next week is the end....

Buying like I was really sewing....

I finally updated the 'fabric in' totals...

Shocking, but in 2 months I have managed to acquire a fuzz over 42 yards of fabric.

Whilst sewing up less than 1/4 of that amount.

Time to put the brakes on, I believe, and get some sewing done....

But I'm not going to get a sewing road trip on the schedule this year, it appears, so at least I don't have to resist fabric live-and-in-person.... :-)

Off to work on the Denim Jacket muslin #2.  If I've got the shoulders/sleeves right, we're full steam ahead...

Choir Wardrobe 3/1/15

I really am kinda making myself do this tonight.

March's colors are Navy, Gray and 'Lucite Green' (from the Pantone colors for spring 2015).

I actually have something close to that shade of green, but it's a rayon tank top and it was chilly and rainy today and I wasn't ready to pull out spring clothes yet. So I went with the Navy and Gray options. ;-)

Only one piece of this outfit came from my own sewing room, although I will admit to doing a rather botched job of shortening the sleeves on the Evan Piccone jacket I bought at Penny's way longer ago than I can remember...

The top is a sleeveless version of Christine Jonson's Basewear Two top that's probably about 6 years old, made from some wonderful rayon/lycra knit that I would love to find again in more colors...and, you know, Lee or something jeans.

I've started work on another Sewing Workshop Eureka top, but the knit I'm using is sheer, with metallic threads, and it curls like crazy.  I totally messed up one neckband and took it off, and cut out another ...a little wider and a little longer...to see if it goes on any easier.

Doesn't help that the serger doesn't like it either.  I gave up on that and I'm using the conventional machine w/ a zig-zag on the neckband, as that's the only seam that actually has any stress on it.

I may even resort to hand basting.  That's how annoying that fabric is.

Hoping to get to muslin number two on the denim jacket plan this week, too.  If the weather reports are correct and we have another Winter Weather Event on Wed/Thur, it might get done. ;-)

Workwear 16

Another jump-in-front-of-the-camera selfie.

Note to self:  look the other way next time so your glasses don't reflect the lamp...

The Zig-Zag Jalie 2566, teamed up with my much-loved-but-wearing-out Jalie 2919 cardigan and RTW black jeans.


I added a bathroom mirror selfie of the T shirt; I really wasn't sure what to do about the band.  There was no way to get a nice solid stripe.  I thought about doing a plain black or white band but decided that would be kinda standoutish.  So I just let the band do its sharktooth thing.  I could switch it if I decide to...but I think it's ok as is.  Any opinions?  Would you go with a solid color?

As the Governor of our great state has declared a state of emergency due to expected snowfall...in an area with primarily solar snow removal...our offices, as well as pretty much all of the town, are going to be closed tomorrow.  So my plan to post the new t's daily is not going to happen.

Not sure if I will get any sewing done.  I neglected housework and all last weekend; I might see if I can catch that up just a bit.

Or I might chuck it and sew anyway.  You never know with a snow day. ;-)

Work Wear 15 and a Goodie

I just may document each of the new tops as I wear it...

Today it was the long sleeved black Jalie 2566 T   (ahem.  You did notice that I FINALLY REVIEWED THAT BABY!)

It was worn with black/brown striped Loes Hinse Oxford Pants (and the stripe is not nearly so pronounced when it is not in front of a flash...)  and Burda magazine's 'waistcoat' from May 2009.

And my spontaneous infinity scarf purchase, just because it has black, brown and denim blue in it.  I felt way spiffier than the photo looks.

Two of the three outstanding fabric orders arrived today and one of them contained a goodie I've been trying to snag for years...  Emma Onesock actually carries those Pantone color guides!  I found out because she mentioned that it was excluded from her recent sale.

Now I can be spot on my choir colors! LOL!

Actually, I bought it so I could reference the numbers to get a better idea of what the actual colors of fabrics are from the retailers who cite them.  My monitor is NOT the most color correct thing out there.

I've marked two of our upcoming choir colors ...Lucite Green,just under the tab on the left and Scuba Blue, which is just above the sticky note on the right.

I will say that Lucite Green is considerably lighter than I thought, and Scuba Blue is more intense than I thought.

Two of the fabrics that came in today's boxes were ordered because I perceived them to be close to what I thought was Lucite Green;  neither one was...although one was the next-door-neighbor color to Scuba Blue and will probably pass for that.

So.  Hopefully the guide will help me actually pick the right colors going forward...lol...

Choir Wardrobe 2/22/15

Last Sunday for the February colors of Black and white; I grabbed  a black-and-white striped knit Jalie 2566 (still unreviewed) t-shirt and put it under the Vogue 8305 drapey cardigan. Black jeans that need overdying in the worst way...





And, just to pat myself on the back, I did it!  5 t shirts in one weekend.  The diagonal stripe is The Sewing Workshops' Helix T, and the others are...you guessed it...Jalie 2566.  The solid black T's and the zig zag stripe are cotton/lycra, the blue/white stripe is a mystery knit from the flat fold table at Hancock's, and the Helix T is a really, really nice rayon lycra from EmmaOne Sock that has actually been sewn up in the same calendar month that it arrived.

6.75 yds out.  But, oy, the yards coming in...too many cold weather sales going on...

My goal for tomorrow...write up that Jalie 2566 T shirt review...

My Challenge: A 5 -T Weekend

The  only event on the schedule this weekend is a breakfast meeting...that might or might not happen, depending upon the weather. 

I have 5 t-shirts cut out and queued up.  Gonna see if I can get all 5 sewn up.  4 of the 5 are my TNT Jalie 2566  that-still-hasn't-been-reviewed, and the 5th one is my first go at the Sewing Workshop's Helix T.

I want all of  'em in the wardrobe, and I want some yards out recorded.

I might or might not have fabric on order from one or two online vendors who had sales last week... (whistles a little innocuous tune...)

So!  Here goes... :-)

Are you watching the Bee?

I'd put up links, but they seem to only be actually good for a few days.

But go to Youtube and search for 'The Great British Sewing Bee season 3' and, if you're quick enough, you'll get some results.

Once again, Judges May and Patrick and host Claudia challenge, question, encourage,  rank and remark upon the sewing of a weekly dwindling number of home sewers.

Once again, I'm amazed at how well these folks perform under pressure.

Every week, my jaw drops at the 90 minute transformation challenge.  They complete incredible transformations -- I'd still be trying to make up my mind what I wanted to do.

The show is charming.  The folks are warm and friendly, and the only hint of drama comes from a camera shot of a somewhat stony face when one contestant hears that another has chosen to do the same creature for a kids' costume challenge.

If you watch in the background, you'll see the contestants joking with each other and helping each other out.

Five out of nine didn't even finish the little boy's lined, welt-pocketed vest.  Real people, real sewing.

Of course, I would've constructed it differently, so as to not have to 'sew blind'...and probably would've lost points for not following directions. :-)

I've heard that a pilot for an American version was actually filmed, then broadcast on some obscure cable channel with no promotion and so faded instantly away. 

Wonder if some kind of challenge could be wrangled around the Sewing Expos that travel the country...recorded and posted to Youtube, they'd go viral around the sewing community, if they were well done.  And it would be great promotion for the Expos.  But it would add the expense of a production crew.  Dunno if the ROI would be worth it.

So, I'll watch the rest of the season...and see if the stereotype shattering Lt. Col. will keep his string of creativity and excellent needlework running to the end, or if the continually-second-place retired air hostess will kick her game up enough to end up on top instead of runner-up.

Such fun... ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 2-15-15

February's colors are black and white; it was cold this morning and I was chicken.

The pants were not as warm as I would've liked; RPL woven stripe, in a modification of Loes Hinse's Oxford pants...ie., I took the stovepipe shape and turned it into something of a flare.  It sort of works; worn these pants for years.  Dunno if I will ever try it again; I've got a Jalie flared leg pants pattern that works pretty well and seems to fit better through the thigh.

RTW white knit top and the hemmed gray-scale scarf panel.

And a RTW wool flannel jacket.  Because I was too self conscious to wear the hippie caveman vest.... I had it on, with an appropriate necklace and...I chickened out.

Fun...yes...but maybe a little too out there for choir.  For me, anyway...

Right there in plain sight...

If I had actually paid attention, I would've seen the problem when I traced the pattern.

Look at where that circle to match the end of the collar is located.

Right slap on the CF line.

The pieces matched up beautifully, just as drafted.

Only...the light has finally dawned on me... no shirt EVER should have the collar on that CF line.

I looked at every RTW banded collar shirt in my closet (I only have about 3).  Every one has the collar set back from that CF line between 1/4" and 3/8"...just like all my hubby's.

So why does the home sewing pattern industry not recognize this?

And why has it taken me so long to pay attention enough to realize that it is NOT my fault that the collars always look wonky?

So...I will be adjusting the collar pattern so that it hits about 1/4" short of that marked dot.

I've also got an idea for a little tweek for that 'painless placket' to actually turn it from a slit/dart into a placket and still be pretty painless.

So, yeah, I will be making another go at that shirt very soon.  :-)

Finally...something 'done'...

It's done, it's pressed, it's in the closet.

I need to go check a couple of things on the pattern before I write the review up, but my first iteration of McCall's 6436 finally gives me something to put in the 'done' column.

So, it's the pre-review photo discussion...

Not horrible, but a LONG way from TNT status.

The fabric is a lovely shirting that came from one of Michael's crazy sales about 12 years ago...but it's 100% cotton and so has no stretch whatsoever.  

This pattern comes in muti-cup sizing; I cut out the D cup and still need a wee bit of a FBA,   The darts are about 3/4" too high, too, and maybe just a bit too long.  Hard to tell, since they're not quite pointed right.

The shoulders fit fairly well, which is something.  I believe I did a little work on those, but I'll have to check my notes.  I cut it out before Christmas and now I'm not sure what I did to the pattern...

I left the back darts in and it's just a hair snug in the back.  I think I'll add a wee bit to the side seams, though, and leave the dart shaping there.  It at least gives the suggestion of a back waist...

I took a good bit out of the circumference of the cuff; it was huge.  But I think I need to put about 1/2" back in, just in case I want to wear a wristwatch. 

And I will change up that sleeve vent.  I've finally figured out what is wonky with that Palmer/Pletsch 'Painless Placket' that is used in virtually all their long-sleeved garments.... There is a seam along that vent line, and the opening is actually just a finished off bit at the bottom, not a true placket at all.  So, when the cuff is buttoned up, the sides of the sleeve are actually pulled into an overlap...creating a dart.  And, like all darts, it makes a bubble. Which means it's really just a gappy slit.

So, before I make it again...I'ma gonna tape the sleeve pattern up along that seam, which is perfectly FINE, as there is no shaping in it whatsoever, and put a true placket on it. 

Even a continuous lap lays flatter than the PP slit... and there was no mention of easing the sleeve cap, which was absolutely necessary.

The other issue is the collar bit that I pointed out a couple of days ago.  But I still need to verify that it was a problem with the draft and not my error.  Either way,  I'm not terribly happy with the collar directions...too much handwork, and it still doesn't have that professional polish I'm looking for.

But I'm not awfully disappointed.  I like the overall shape of the shirt and the fit in the shoulders is better than I've had in earlier shirts.  It's definitely wearable under a vest or a sweater.   I may very well make some pattern changes and give it another go before too long.

But first I think I'll sew up some quick knit tops.  I want to get some 'yards out' recorded...

Choir Wardrobe 02 08

 Black and white means I get to wear this jacket; it was the first one off of the Vogue/Todays  Fit 8043.  I had a slight matching problem with the plaid on the sleeves....put the match line on the wrong plaid line...but I'd forgotten that until I re-read the review.  So it obviously doesn't bother me much now.

RTW jeans and sweater...and it really was a bit too warm for this combo today, being as how it got into the low 60's, but I wore it anyway. 

Maybe it's not just me...

I have had a very  common experience when making banded-collar shirts.

If you'll excuse the blurry photos, I can show easier than I can explain:
The collar wraps so far around that it overlaps when the band button is done up.

Of course, I will never wear it done up, but it's annoying just the same


Since I was doing laundry today, I had one of my hubby's RTW shirts handy, to photograph for contrast.
Not only do the front collars not overlap, there is a substantial gap between them.  


For years and years, I have assumed it's because I'm such a mediocre seamstress that I just can't get the collars right.

But I'm coming to a different conclusion now.

I think the drafts are bad.

You'd think I would have figured this out by now, and started walking that seam to make sure it's going to work.

I will be pulling that pattern out and giving that a good check before I write the review.

But first I have to pick out about 4 buttonholes.

The 'this ought to be a good idea'  buttonhole foot.

You put your button in the little space at the back and it automatically makes a buttonhole to fit it.

Except it makes a buttonhole that's a bit too big, so I actually have to use a button that is slightly smaller than my intended button in order to get one the right size.
I made buttonholes in the neckband and sleeve cuffs, then tried it on to mark the rest of the buttonholes on the band.  Well, actually to just mark the button that goes at the full bust, since that 's the one spot that there Must Be A Button.  Then I marked off the rest of the buttons from that.

And I thought that those buttonholes looked awfully big...but I hadn't moved anything so I just shook my head and kept going.

I had to refill the bobbin...that's when I noticed that somehow the little slider that holds the button in place on the foot had gotten jostled or somesuch thing and was not holding the button securely.

So it was making buttonholes about 1/8" too long.

Sigh.

Choir Wardrobe...February 1st. Already.

One month down in 2015.  Staggering.

But February is the EASY choir month...black and white.  Which means I can pull any number of things out of the closet. 

Today I found clean in my closet: 

The Vogue 8305 Drapey Cardigan, in soft drapey shape-shifting  rayon/lycra jersey,   very stout cotton/lycra blend knit done up in   Burda Magazine's Boat Neck top from Feb 2010 .  That black and white stripe actually has a hint of gold Lurex outlining the stripes.  Nothing major, just a hint, and I didn't know it was there when I ordered the fabric.  I think I have about a yard left; I need to make myself a shell top out of it.  Cause it's just that cool.

Black Lee straight leg jeans that are really looking more charcoal gray these days.  I've heard of folks overdying faded jeans...I may give it a go sometime.

I fought with the unblocker this afternoon and managed to watch the recap of the 2014 Great British Sewing Bee.  The folks who were in that group of sewing enthusiasts were just charming. 

I think I'll go spend an hour or two in my sewing room tonight. ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 01 25 15

AND...the number one compliment of the day was for the straight hair.  I replaced the flat iron I broke two weeks ago and am finally kinda getting the hang of using the thing.  Not sure I want to do it all the time, but it is nice that I can do it the day before and it will still look good...so I don't have to wash it again in the morning and leave the house with damp hair. 

Options are good.

Last Sunday for royal blue and black; I fudged a bit and wore a Today's Fit/ Vogue 8043  jacket made up in Fall Sky Tweed offered by Nancy Erickson about 10 years ago,  which has a good bit more white than black, but it blends well so I got away with it. ;-).  Repeated the royal blue bamboo jersey Burda Style funnel-neck top that I still haven't reviewed; I think the pattern was in the Sept. 2009 issue but I won't swear to it.

At-the-waist Coldwater jeans, since the jacket is short.

And an actual matched pair of shoes. ;-)

Working on the SWAP

Justa little.

I have finished the muslin for the black denim jacket; actually, it's not too bad, aside from the bit that's really bad...

Here's the OOP pattern...

 I don't remember when or where I got this; but it's been in my cabinet for ages.  I really like the little pleated back peplum and have thought it would make a great denim jacket.  When I went digging through the stash for a suitable pattern for the black denim from Miriam, this one came out on top of the stack.

The shoulder looked wide and the armsceye low, though.  But, hey, it's an illustration.  The actual pattern, once made up, might not fit quite like that, right?


Well, maybe if it was a Big 4 pattern.  In this case, I believe the artist was spot on.... (Pardon the awkward bathroom selfies...)

Yup.  That combo of wide shoulder and deep armsceye means I can't lift my arms.  But it seems to fit well otherwise, so I'm going to go back to the table and 1)raise the armceye at least 1.5" and 2)tip it 1" back into the shoulder. 1".  There was excessive ease in the sleeve cap; I trimmed the front of the cap a bit (There was 1" too much ease in the front, 1/2" too much in the back) to get the muslin to work; I'll reshape the sleeve once I see how big the resulting armsceye is.

I think the bagginess in the back is due to the lightweight muslin clinging to the t shirt underneath...I didn't notice that going on when I did the mirror over the shoulder look...we'll see if sturdy denim does better. So much bagginess from the shoulders; it's hard to tell what will be left once that's gone.  It will be as good as RTW in any case, probably better....

And, for an update on my Hubby's job situation...he started a new job today.  Pretty amazing events...the story is over on the faith blog, if you're interested.  Thanks so much for all the prayers and encouragement!

Choir Wardrobe 1/18/15

This is another one of those times when talking about what I wore is just...pitiful.

We had a leadership conference at church this weekend; our speaker was Wellington Boone.  He also spoke for all three church services yesterday AND a special Sunday night service last night, which lasted 4 hours and capped off 8 days of prayer and fasting.

I can't begin to tell you what this weekend has done in my spirit.  Phenomenal word and paradigm shifting.

But.  Sewing blog and all.  January colors are royal blue and black; I pulled out one of my favorite shirts ever...the silk dupioni Sewing Workshop Chopin Blouse, put it over jeans and called it good.  Kinda tricky to put on the leadership badge w/no top layer, but I just ducked into the bathroom when I needed to put it on after choir, or take it off before we went up on the platform at the start of each service (no choir for the evening service...just the on-mike team).  Awkward but do-able. 

I've finished the first muslin for the potential black denim jacket pattern; I need to rework the shoulders but I think I like the overall style.  Photos tomorrow.  Hopefully.

Meantime, I'm still processing the weekend...probably will post more to the faith blog later...

Can't I just buy something?

There are a lot of my fellow sewing bloggers who are determining to go a whole year without purchasing any  Ready to Wear (RTW) clothing...committing to making every new garment that goes into the closet this year.

I think that's terrific.  But I'm not going to do that.

In fact, I'm trying to go the OTHER way...give myself permission to actually buy a RTW garment from time to time.

After years of making most of the clothes I own, that's a hard one.

Oh, I don't have a problem buying things like blue jeans or sweaters.  But stuff that's easy to make, or at all fitted...I just can't get myself to do it.

But, I want to change my paradigm from 'I have to make all my clothes' to 'I choose to make some lovely clothes', so instead of just looking at the pretty clothes online for inspiration, I've actually started clicking through to look at them as possibilities. 

Man, y'all. Clothes that are anything close to well made (and some that aren't) are expensive.

Scarves?  I cannot fathom paying $450 for a scarf.  Sure, it's pretty and a work of art and all, but one bad dribble at lunch... because I know I'll forget to take it off to eat...and, oy.  I have a scarf with a small hole in it because the first time I wore it, it got a chinese noodle drip.  Off to the dry cleaners, where they...I kid you not...put one of those plastic tag ties through it.  And, as if that wasn't bad enough, when I snipped the thing off at home, the tie rolled a bit and pulled a bit of the fabric up into the scissors.  So the little snaggy hole has an actual teeny oval cut right next to it. 

Nope.  Not paying more than $50 for a scarf.

Today I looked through the offerings of one particular upscale label on the Nordstrom site, found a pretty shirt-tail sweater...and then noticed that the curved bits on the hem rolled to the outside.  Or tried to, rather, and ended up just winging out. 

Any of us could've thrown it in the bin in frustration for an issue like that.  But there it was, offered for $127.  On sale.

I decided to try a service that sends a box of goodies to you for $20 after you fill out a size/style questionnaire.  The idea is that you look through the offerings and send back what you don't like.  The $20 is applied to the purchase price, and if you get everything in the box (5 items),  there's another discount.

It was kinda fun, I'll admit.  The box arrived yesterday and I had one hour before I had to leave the house so I thought I'd see what they sent.

A black knit dress...cute, but too small.  Had a stiff elastic cinched waist that would only look good on someone who actually HAS a waistline.  Not a pudgy post menopausal lady like me.  So I obviously would not be keeping the whole box.

There was a silver cuff bracelet.  Whoops, I should've checked 'Bracelets' under the 'don't send' header...they annoy the stew outta me when I'm typing on a key board, which is pretty much what I do all day.

There was a pullover sweater w/ a kangaroo pocket and a hood.  Taupe and white.  The color was a bit odd, and the sweater was just tight enough that the V-neckline...which plunged low enough that a cami underlayer would be a necessity...rippled and gaped and looked stretched out.  It wasn't, but...1/2" more girth on it and it might've been a keeper.

There was a pair of boyfriend jeans.  The cut on those was really, really cute; the length was spot on and the denim was butter soft.  But they had distress lines on them...and I am NOT a fan of the artificial distressed look...and they were just a hair too big.  I could actually pull them off and on without undoing the button/zipper.  Having lost 5ish pounds in the last month or so, and hoping that more will follow, I wasn't sure what to do with them.

The final garment was a burgundy blouse.  Pretty color, and burgundy is an annual color for the choir wardrobe in November. It had an interesting neckline w/ plether trim and the cut was good; the shoulders and bust actually fit pretty well.  But it was a poly crepe blouse (I had requested no polyester) and the sleeves were 2" too long.  But maybe I could move the button and cinch the cuff a bit....

Then I looked at the prices.  The dress and the bracelet, which were for sure going back, were $78 and $30, respectively.  The hooded sweater, which I was pretty sure was going back, was also $78.  The burgundy blouse was $68 and the jeans blew my mind at $128.  About twice as much as I have ever spent on a pair of jeans.

 Now, if any of those things had been truly wonderful I believe I would've paid the stated price for them and added something new and different to the wardrobe.  I might even have gotten the jeans if they'd been a hair snug instead of a hair loose.  If they had also been a good dark wash I probably would've gotten them. If the blouse had been rayon instead of polyester, I might've gotten that.  If the sweater had just been a pinch bigger around, or been more definitely either brown or gray, I might've kept that as well.  Aside from the two that didn't work at all, it was a box of near misses.

So, I ate the $20 deposit and sent it all back.  Left feedback so that if I decide to try again they have a little more data to work with.


And it occurred to me that the things that bugged me, bugged me because I sew.  My standards may be impossibly  high.

Back to the sewing room. ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 1/11/15

...The goofball edition.

At first glance, there's nothing really wrong with today's outfit...modified Loes Hinse Oxford Pants, a funnel-neck top from Burda magazine...Sept 2009, I think, but I somehow didn't ever get a review written...and the Vogue 8305 drapey cardigan.





But look close.  Look real close.







You know you were distracted when you got dressed in the morning when you look down and see this:

The funny thing is that I didn't even notice until almost the end of 3rd service today.  I was trying to make up my mind which shoes to wear...the sturdy cushy shoes or the cute shoes...and apparently got sidetracked before I made up my mind. 

Looking back...

2014 Stats:

Fabric In: 89.625 yds
Fabric Out: 36.875 yds
Last fabric added: 12/10/14
Garments made for me: 15
Garments made for other family members: 1
Muslins:  2
Misc. Church Sewing:
1 Girls Only Grad stole
Mystery Christmas gifts: yes. ;-) (actually, a set of waterbed sheets.  7 yards out...)

Truly abysmal...I bought nearly 90 yards, but did not get quite 40 sewn.

The one true, redeeming factor for the year is that

I MADE AN EPIC TRENCH COAT!

I will totally absolve myself of all quantity issues...that represents 3 months of sewing and I've worn it and worn it this fall.

Wiping the stats and starting over for the year now.

I've already resisted a couple of tempting sales...just because, really, I don't need anything at the moment.  I need to sew what I already own.

I really want to do a SWAP wardrobe this year...and my plan includes several garments that were in *last* year's plan.  But we're going to be launching a new data base application for an affiliate ministry in the next few months, so once again, sewing time may be hard to come by.

But I'ma gonna try. ;-)

Work Wear 14

Sigh.  I'm never really happy with the 'jump in front of the camera on a timer' photos, but, well, ya do what ya gotta do.

Actually wore the fuzzy cut-from-a-panel vest to work today; styled up with a RTW sweater and black jeans in boots it kinda sorta worked and I got a ton of compliments.   It does look better in person than in that photo.

I actually was considering cutting away the fuzzy edging and binding it, but every single person I mentioned that to vetoed the idea.

So,well, I guess I'll keep it.

If I'm doing caveman chic, I might as well do it all the way. ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 1/4/15

2015.  Can. NOT. Fathom. It.

But...ready or not, it's here...and our January colors of royal blue and black are pretty much repeated from Januaries past...which makes me happy, since royal blue is my Favorite Color In The Whole World.

I had a rather inexperienced photographer today; I didn't realize my scarf was so uneven and she didn't know enough to tell me.  But it's ok...you get the idea.  Lee jeans and a Lands' End sweater shell, under a blue wool flannel Silhouette Patterns Robin's Jacket...with the aforementioned scarf, which was pieced together from remnants.  



I did get one sewing related Christmas present...Edna Mode is probably my favorite Pixar character.  We have a little half wall, which is slowly being taken over by the talking Hallmark Ornaments that really have nothing to do with Christmas and just stay up year-round.  We  have 3 or 4 Muppet ornaments (Two of them belong to The Actor...), a Star Trek ornament w/ Captain Kirk up to his armpits in tribbles, and now...Edna.

She makes me smile.

You have my attention, darling.  Now speak before you lose it.

Happy New Year!

Choir Wardrobe: Last 2014 post...

Being as we'll be absent from choir next week, this is the last choir wardrobe post for 2014.  Seems kinda hard to believe...this year has gone by so fast.  Almost scary fast....

But today was the uber festive day; we arranged the choir around a large fresh cut fir tree that smelled SO GOOD...took me back to the days of my childhood, when that sharp scent was a true harbinger of Christmas.  I managed to stand next to the tree, just so I could inhale. ;-)

Sigh...today's ensemble was all stuff that fit way better ten pounds ago, but, well, I kept moving so it really didn't matter. ;-).

Silhouette Pattern's Robin's Jacket, made from a wool/lurex blend that I got from Nancy Erickson several years ago and made up almost immediately (relatively speaking; it got made in the same calendar year I bought it...) specifically to wear for choir in December.

I have on a black rayon/lycra turtleneck and, I'll be honest...I can't for the life of me remember what pattern I used on it.  It's probably at least 5 years old...As are the black wool Oxford Pants.  Column dressing at its best.

And, while I had on the nice black column, I thought I'd get a quick photo of the latest project:  the cut-and-wear vest.

When we last left our heroine, she was trying to decide the best way to discourage the knit from following its natural tendencies and curling like the tail of a whipped puppy.  Ultimately, I rolled the fuzzy borders to the outside and handstitched them down.  That helped stabilize the edge a bit...didn't do the trick entirely, but it did help.  I also ended up doing the same thing to the armholes; I tried it on w/just the raw edges and, not only did it look unfinished, but the cut edges wanted to spread.  Not good.  So I also rolled and stitched the armholes.

The Flute Player, home from the internship for the holiday break, asked me what I was making.

I replied that it would either be a funky fuzzy vest or something that looked like cave man attire.

I think if I styled it right...I might get away with funky fuzzy vest... ;-)

Family Photo Season

One good thing about the end of the year...everyone seems to be a little more willing to be photographed.  It's sort of expected that there will be Family Pictures Taken. 


The first picture was taken on Thanksgiving Day, after the pecan pie evaporated.  It's hard to believe those sweet kids have grown up into these awesome adult people....or that it happened so incredibly fast...

 

 

 

 

 

Picture two was the Christmas Letter Photo... these are the ones who are still at home. 

The holiday season is a great time of year, if for no other reason than I  get to hang out with these folks a little more than usual.

Choir Wardrobe 12 14 14

I admit.  The pants are a repeat from last  week, the never-yet reviewed Jalie Classic Women's Trousers, in that perfect for the month red/gray pinstripe on black.  Coldwater Creek boat  neck sweater shell and my TNT Jalie Pleated Cardigan, with a drapey modification to the back. 

And the red shoes.  Of course.  Because I can. ;-)

Sheepish admission...fabric in...

Trying really, really hard to curtail my purchases.  Not only am I becoming more and more reluctant to add to the fabric stash, but, well, the financial future is a little iffy, although My Sweet Babboo has some very solid job leads developing and we're hopeful that he'll transition to another company in the area.  But, well, temptation crossed my path and I succumbed.

I came across an interesting piece of fabric at Fabric Mart...at first glance, it wasn't much, but they had a picture of it on one of their employees and I thought, 'Now, THAT'S different...'

 It was sold by the panel...knitted wool blend.  It's way fuzzier on the reverse side than I expected, almost fleec-y.  And there must not have been much of a margin between the panels, I'm not sure it isn't cut just slightly into the circle on one side.

But ....according to the website, all you  have to do is cut around the border on the outer edge and the inner holes and, bingo, it's a vest with a drapey collar!

But, looking at how the panel is curling, I think it's going to take a bit of effort to deter that.

I'm thinking I'll fold the fleecy band to the other side and hand stitch it down.  That should deter the curling on the outer edge; I might not need to do that for the arm holes. 

It will be very warm and funky...

And, while I was there, I also snagged a piece of cotton/lycra t-shirt jersey with a cool blue/white marbled print.  Been wanting some cozy long sleeved t shirts...that will be great.

But this *should* be the last fabric in of the year.

Maybe. ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 12/07/14

I got me a couple of new red shirts!

They are not perfect.  That's a post for another day.

But they are as good as RTW and they are DONE and IN THE CLOSET.

And I wore one today, since December's choir wardrobe is the very seasonally appropriate Black, Gray and Red.

Jalie 2566,  which I GOTTA write a T-shirt review for on of these days, kinda frankenpatterned  up because there is no long-sleeved T version in the envelope, made in a yummy warm and comfy bamboo jersey that's been in the stash a while, Ann's Cardigan from Sewing Workshop and the first out-of-the-envelope go of Jalie's classic boot cut pants, to which I added pockets that were about twice as deep as necessary, so that my keys are nearly banging the top of my kneecap. They're made of a poly/lycra suiting that came from the dollar table at Wal-Mart, back when the dollar table at Wal-mart actually had useable fabric on it.  I really don't like the fabric..it feels cold and heavy...but I LOVE the colors with the red and white pinstripes on black, so I keep wearing them...and I have never reviewed that pattern, either, since I haven't got it tweaked for perfection.

Not doin' jeans if I can help it this month...it is the Christmas season, after all.

And...red shoes, which should make me happy, but my photographer failed to indicate that I had one pants leg hung up on the shoe. 

Ah, well... ;-)

Christmas Rhyming...just for fun

I posted a rhyme on facebook, and then thought, what the heck, I'll put it up here, too.

Inspiration that hit as I was pulling our our polyglot assortment of Christmas ornaments to hang on the tree this year.  I thought it might be kinda fun to see if anyone who hung out at the house would actually try to find all the stuff; I might even procure a small prize.  Sort of like the Pickle Game, taken to another level.

I admit I bobbled the rhyme/meter just a bit in the verse about the angels.  But the rest fits my memory of those 'I Spy' books my kids had.

I challenged my facebook friends to write a similar rhyme about their tree.  But after a few days, I began to realize there may not be much response there...as I looked through the photos of my friends' Christmas trees, I realized mine is rather old-fashioned and out of date.  I mean, who puts lights and random ornaments on a tree anymore?  The standard seems to be a few sets of color-coordinated ornaments, net and ribbon, with a pouffy bow or floral arrangement or something at the top.
  
Something like this: (courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

 Or  this:

  Or this:

Not much to I SPY on any of those.  But the old fashioned tree at our house...yeah, there's some I SPY possibilities there...

So what kind of tree is at your house?  BH&G beauty, or kitschy old fashionedness?


 I SPY UPON THE CHRISTMAS TREE…
A dolly named Sue and the Grinch with a tree
Two turtledoves and a partridge with a pear
Four bristle-tail birds and a wild black bear

A horse pulling a sleigh, a swirly sea shell
A World War One Ace (twice!) and a green striped bell
Three young carolers and their shadow
The State of Indiana and Three bells in a row

Three horses that rock, Chuck and the Gang
Two street cars and A Ford Mustang
A sewing basket, a box with thread
A tree in a thimble and a quilt edged with red.

A cat with a hat and a red hair bow,
A dulcimer and a barn with silo
A tree full of candy from 2009
A bristly rabbit and a duck made from pine

An angel in a rosy dress,
One with golden wings
A crystal angel with a tree
And one with a book to sing

A mouse in a nutshell, two birds in a nest
Two tiny sheep under a star to rest
Wise men on camels, a pair of mittens
A butcher shop and two mischievous kittens

Two lamp posts and a red front door
A doll named Ann and a Santa by Shore
A holly necklace on a dove
A round-headed kid with a tree that needs love.

Ice skates on Santa and on a Snowman, too
A red-striped shirt and a shirt that is blue.
I’ve found all this and more on our Christmas tree
How many of these things can you also see?

Work Wear 13

It's the same dress as yesterday! :-)

Only...not the EXACT same dress.  Another Sewing Workshop Cityscapes dress made in slinky knit; this time topped with a wool jersey Pamela's Patterns 110 Draped Front Cardi.

The infinity scarf was a random purchase, just because I loved the colors in it.

 I wondered if anyone at work would notice that it was the same dress, but I don't think anyone did.  But then, I'm not sure the folks in the office really even saw me at church yesterday, so I guess it was a long shot anyway.

:-)