~ Sewing FO’s: V8663 & V1236

Mar 232013
 

After hardly sewing for the past two months, I have completed two dresses in the past three days!  One dress is awesome and I love it; the other dress is horrible and the fabric is back in my fabric stash.

First, the happy-making dress.

Pattern: V8663
Fabric: Knit jersey (2 yards leftovers from my Queen of the Mountains Top)
Notions: Thread, Twill Tape, Zipper
Total Time: 3 Hours
Total Cost: Pattern $3.99, Fabric from leftovers

I made this dress on Saturday, over the course of watching several episodes of some silly TV show.  I didn’t have enough of either fabric to make the full dress, so I combined the two fabrics just like I had for my Queen of the Mountains Top.  To be honest, I felt very unsure about this fabric combination while I was working on it; worrying that it would be some silly dress that I wouldn’t want to wear.  But I was pleasantly surprised when I first pulled it on… it fits perfectly without my having done any formal fitting or thinking very hard about what size to cut, and the fabric combination seems to work very well.

I cut the smallest size for the bodice and then graded out to a size 12 for the skirt.  It is just amazing to me that this dress seems to fit perfectly even though I didn’t do an SBA or anything fancy on the fit (I wonder if this is the magic of working with knit fabrics).  I love the drapey skirt and the fitted bodice. For the armholes and neckband, the pattern calls for using commercially-bought bias tape, however, I made my own using the same fabric as for the skirt.

Here’s the obligatory ‘back view’.  I am confident that I cut the right sizes for both the bodice and the skirt, as everything seems to hang just perfectly.

And below, I am doing a happy twirl dance to show off how much I love my new dress!!!

I made this dress with two modifications, for which I got the ideas from Reviews on PR.  Firstly, I didn’t add the zipper at the back.  As you can see in the below photograph, I cut the back bodice piece as though I was going to install a back zip, but later read about other sewists having good luck with not adding the back zip at all and decided to try that.  I sewed the bodice and the skirt together using a long stitch length and stretching the fabric slightly, and I am able to very easily pull the dress on and off without any zipper and it is awesome (please refer to my happy twirl above).

Secondly, and also inspired by other reviews on PR, I topstitched the front pleats on the bodice and I love the design detail that this gives the piece (see below).  In addition, I think this helps the bodice fit my bust better (rather than having extra poofy fabric, it lays flat against my torso).

Anyway, I seriously love this dress and will absolutely, positively be making more dresses from this pattern again.  It was SO EASY to make and it FITS PERFECTLY after no fitting alterations and is possibly THE MOST COMFORTABLE dress I have ever owned.  I just love love love it!

And here we have one thing that is not like the others, with Kiko getting comfortable in my “sewing queue.”  As you recall, I had written a post about my spring wardrobe plans, and the above dress allows me to mark off one item from that list.  Below, I can technically mark this next pattern off my list, though I do not feel that I have another dress that is suitable for me to wear in public…

Pattern: V1236
Fabric: Woven cotton, 1.5 yards
Notions: Thread
Total Time: 3 Hours
Total Cost:  Pattern = $3.99, Fabric = $10 = = $13.99

So, there are some unfavorable reviews of this pattern over on PR.  A few days ago, I decided to disregard all of those unfavorable reviews and make this dress.  I had this BRILLIANT idea that I could make it more flattering by adding shirring at the waistline.

…And I made the whole dress, with the shirring.  And then I tried it on.  And then I felt badly about myself.  And then I took the dress off.  And then I stuffed the dress at the bottom of my fabric leftover stashpile to be reclaimed for another project.  And I never want to think about that image I saw in the mirror of me wearing this dress, ever again.

The positive is that I learned how to do shirring, and I also learned that shirring is not a magic solution to a dress that fits like a potato sack.  I wasn’t even going to write a blog about this dress (in part because there is no way that I’m going to post a photo of me wearing it; it is so awful), but it feels like such a waste of time and fabric to have made this dress and not even show it off (if only a photo of it laying on my cutting board).  So, BEHOLD! I made this and it is awful!!!  But regale in my SHIRRING!!!

Anyway, I’m very disappointed in the result of this dress – - it looks so cute in the pattern photos but it looks so horribly atrocious on me.  And I think my fabric was so cute, that maybe it could have been such a great dress… you know, if the pattern wasn’t drafted to be the exact opposite style of what I should wear.  I think that this style of dress is best suited to people who are equally proportioned on top and on bottom.  As a “pear”, I generally cut a skirt that is about four sizes larger than my bust, and I usually have to grade the bust down with an SBA.  This dress seemed to emphasize the  disproportionate sizing between my bust and butt, and was incredibly unflattering on either end.

In order to end this post on a happy note, however, here is my happy twirl again.  Yay for being able to make clothing that is well-fitted and flattering to one’s own unique body!!!

~ Sewing FOs: Tiny Pocket Tank & Mint Thurlows ~

Mar 152013
 

Apropos of nothing, apparently Google Reader is going away and I’m struggling to find a new Reader.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I’m trying out Bloglovin’ (and apparently I need to claim my blog by posting about it, or something, I dunno) – - so I guess you can follow my blog there if you like (Follow my blog with Bloglovin).  But, le sigh, responding well to change isn’t my forté and I haven’t yet developed the lovin’ for Bloglovin.

But I digress.

Anyway, I finally have some sewing FOs to show you!!!  These were in hibernation for a LONG time, due to various home DIY projects and temporary chicken housing that required the total occupation of my sewing room.  Once I got my sewing room back, it took me all of 30 minutes to finish off these projects.

Pattern: Grainline Studios Tiny Pocket Tank
Fabric: 1.5 yards of cotton
Notions: Just thread
Cost: Pattern was $6.50 and fabric was cheap (but I don’t remember how much)
Time to Make: 1-2 Hours

So, I absolutely LOVE my Tiny Pocket Tank and will definitely make many more of them.  It was SO EASY to make and is a style of top that I very much gravitate towards.  I wish that I had made this earlier in my sewing career – - as of this writing, I am approaching my one year-iversary of learning to sew and making this top back when I was a total beginner would have given me a quick and easy project to gain a lot of confidence.  The pattern instructions were very appropriate for a total beginner and there were very few pieces to cut out and piece together (one back, one front, one pocket, and pieces to make bias tape for the arm and neck holes).  I didn’t make any alterations to the pattern (cut the smallest size).  For future versions, I hope to experiment with different fabrics.

(Also, I’m sorry that these pieces look so wrinkly in the photos; I feel rather frustrated with how cotton seems to wrinkle so quickly.)

Pattern: Sewaholic Thurlow Trousers
Fabric: 3 yards of cotton sateen
Notions: Trouser Zipper, Hook & Eye, thread.


This is the third wearable version of the Thurlow Trouser pattern that I’ve sewn.  Now that I’ve made it so many times, the pattern comes together like a breeze.  This version features a sort of mint colored cotton sateen that I was excited about when I saw the fabric at fabric.com, however, I am much less excited about them now that they are made.  Firstly, the color isn’t nearly as minty as the website led me to believe, and I actually don’t like the color all that much.  I wanted a BOLD MINT pair of trousers; these are muted and pretty blah.  I’m thinking about trying to dye the trousers to be more green-green.

Secondly, I’m a little wary of the appropriateness of this fabric for this pattern and am not so sure about the fit.  The fabric is very stretchy and very prone to wrinkling.  And since it is SO stretchy, I sewed the trousers together with a slightly larger seam allowance around the hip area because I was worried that they would stretch way out of shape after a small amount of wear.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been bicycling as much this winter (since it’s been so ridiculously freezing), and I’ve gained some weight in that area and I’m not sure the trousers fit very well, as a result.  (They might fit better once I resume my normal cycling schedule.)  I also wish I had cut them to be more of a straight leg rather than so boot-cutty.  (I might rip them apart and adjust them so).

All in all, these are very comfortable trousers that will be good for the Day Job, although they aren’t as stylish as I had hoped they would be.

For my next sewing project, I want to make a dress and am contemplating the following patterns: V1236, V8723, or V8663.  The last two are “Very Easy Vogue” patterns and the first one appears to also be very easy.

   

~ Sewing FOs: Truffles! ~

Jan 282013
 

Little by little, I think I’m getting better at this sewing business, though I still have a long way to go before I can say that I am no longer a beginner.

Pattern: Truffle Dress
Fabric: Moderate Stretch Rayon for Muslin and Moderate Stretch Polyester for non-muslin (3 yards each)
Notions: Zippers
Alterations: Small Bust & Sway Back Adjustments
Sizes: 0 for the bodice, 8 for the skirt

This pattern is from the Colette Sewing Handbook which the author uses to impress upon the up-and-coming sewist to carefully plan out the pattern (measure & alter the pattern pieces, make & fit a muslin) before cutting into your fancy fashion fabric.  Below is my ‘wearable muslin.’  In the making of this muslin, I was very responsible and I engaged in all of the aforementioned best sewing practices.  Even still, when I first finished my muslin, it had a pretty good fit, although there was considerable bagginess at the bust despite the SBA.  To try and correct the bagginess, I pulled the fabric from the front of the bodice up and over to the inside and handstitched it to the lining.  I suspect that was a very ‘slapdash’ way to correct the fit, but I didn’t see any other way and, heh, it’s a muslin anyway.

As for the construction, one major modification that I made to the pattern was to convert it to a side zipper rather than a back zipper.  Please, can someone clarify for me why it seems that most dresses have back zips?  I do yoga regularly and seem to have pretty good shoulder flexibility, but the idea of having to contort my body in such a way as to zip up a back zipper is beyond practical.  Or perhaps there is an easy way of zipping up (and then zipping down) a back zipper???  I have no idea.  Anyway, in employing the Colette Handbook’s recommendation about planning out my pattern, I therefore eliminated 1/2 inch from the back pattern piece (since I didn’t think I needed that space for my zipper installation).  The only funky thing about this pattern modification was that I couldn’t figure out how to then ‘right’ the lining.  Per the pattern, with the right sides of my bodice pieces facing, I stitched the neckline and the armholes, leaving a small hole in one of the shoulders to pull the dress through so that the right sides would be out.  I pulled the dress out of this hole multiple times and each time it was the same; I could pull only one half of the dress through correctly and the other half would be twisted.  Later, as I was pondering this when I should have been sleeping, I realized that I had inadvertently made a moebius (so for the second version of the dress, I cut open the back bodice where the zipper would have gone and was able to pull the dress through correctly).

I spent several days ruminating over what I should do about this lining conundrum and I finally realized that I couldn’t have both the neckline and the armholes stitched the way that I had them, and ripped out the stitches at the armholes and was able to flip the lining over the neckline to the inside of the dress.  I then was faced with two raw edges at each of the armholes and wasn’t sure what the best method of finishing them would be.  I spent a few more days thinking about this and finally just decided to use some of the bias tape that I continue to buy for super cheap at thrift and antique stores.  From my stash, the color and width of bias tape that seemed most appropriate was this kelly green that I actually like quite a bit, though it does make the dress seem more casual.

Having successfully made a wearable muslin, I then confidently started cutting into my fashion fabric, and that’s where it started to go awry.  First, because the bodice of the muslin was so baggy, I decided to augment my SBA even more dramatically and I think I somehow made a concave bust adjustment.  After I initially put enough pieces together for a try-on, I was horrified to find that I couldn’t even pull it onto my body.  Fortunately, I had just enough fabric left over to cut out the bodice pieces again, which I did and tried to re-correct my over-correction in the bust.    Then, I don’t understand how or why, but my front and back bodice pieces weren’t lining up at the sides and so I ripped and re-stitched.

I guess all of this made me cranky (sadly, the Colette Handbook doesn’t have a chapter on what to do when you want to throw your sewing project into the incinerator) and I started losing interest in finishing this dress, instead dreaming about what project to work on next.  However, because I am trying to be better, I persevered and finished the dress without too many more unexpected moments.  I think it turned out okay, but I feel that my muslin was much more successful than this version, which feels like a disappointment.

I think that the business of the fabric print detracts from the design effect of the front drape piece.  Also, I don’t know why this one is so much shorter than the muslin; I definitely prefer the length on the muslin.  And below you can see my side zip; for the fashion fabric version I decided to use just a normal zipper rather than an invisible zip.  However, one good thing about this version is that the fit of the bodice is MUCH improved and I definitely prefer it to the muslin with the weird wrinkles at the neckline where I slapdashed it to fit better.

I’m still patiently waiting for the time when my sewing skills are sufficiently advanced that I can just proceed the sewing best practices of planning and muslining, and then actually make a finished piece with relatively no frustration or difficulty.  I’ll be celebrating my one year anniversary of embarking on this sewing journey in March, so I guess I shouldn’t give myself such a hard time that everything is not easy and perfect yet.

~ Sewing & Knitting FOs: V8323, V8328, & Knitted Tights ~

Jan 042013
 

Okay folks, I’ve decided to show you my three latest finished projects in one post, as an ensemble, though I feel each of these pieces would look better without the others.  Or rather, if I had made three coordinating outfits to showcase each piece, that might have been more flattering.  I dunno, frequently my sense of style is questionable.

First off, the top.  This is Vogue 8323 and it is my favorite of the three.
Pattern description: “Knit tops with princess seams and stitched hems. A: sleeveless armholes with bias tape finish. B: cowl collar neckline with below elbow length sleeves. C: scoop neckline with bias tape finish.”

I made View A modified with full length sleeves using a stable poly knit.

This pattern was both interesting and enjoyable for me to work.  The pattern instructions were very clear and easy to follow.  It also used two techniques that were new to me: princess seams and doublestitching.  With regards to the princess seams, I feel very silly, but I have naively assumed they were a type of seam (like a french seam), but now I understand that they are a way of shaping / fitting a garment, like darts.  And as for the doublestitching, I went the extra mile and read all about this type of seam – - and I learned that doublestitching is well-suited for knits, providing both structure and the ability for the fabric to stretch naturally (but not stretch out of shape).

I am mostly pleased with the fit of this top.  I cut a size 10 which fits nicely in the hips and waist, but as usual, was WAY too big in the bust.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take the time to measure the pattern pieces or make a muslin so I was disappointed when I first pulled the top on and realized it was baggy around my bust.  I then gave myself a mental scolding for not making a muslin and did a little slapdash fix-it wherein I seamed the fronts across to the side fronts a little higher, making for a less drapey neck but a more fitted bodice (and I am not happy with how my slapdash looks obviously slapdash).

This leads me to consider establishing a set of rules to follow when sewing garments:

  • Measure pattern pieces and compare the measurements to similar garments that fit well – or – Make muslins and carefully alter them
  • Pair patterns and fabrics carefully
  • Read reviews of patterns and make notes about helpful tips

With regards to the inspiration to make this top, a while ago on Pinterest, I saw the below top while I was browsing the “Women’s Fashion” section, and noticed its similarity to this particular Vogue sewing pattern and LOVED this purple/wine fabric.  Then, serendipitously, I found a stable poly knit fabric (as called for in this pattern) in almost the exact same color of purple/wine.  I still have more of this fabric and I think I could make this pattern again that more closely resembles the below top if I did a small-bust adjustment and kept the neck lower and drapier.

As for the skirt, I’ve been wanting to make more cold weather skirts.  A few months ago, I procured two yards of green wool (green being, naturally, one of my most favorite colors) from a thrift store for just a few dollars and I decided to try making a cold weather skirt.  I pondered my collection of skirt patterns and decided on V8328, an out of print pattern.

Actually, this is the very first sewing pattern I ever purchased!  This goes way back, possibly seven years ago when I first decided I wanted to make my own clothes (it was after I spent a week in Austin, Texas where I was confronted with an awe-inspiring DIY fashion scene).  Without knowing the first thing about sewing anything, I ordered myself a sewing machine from Amazon.com and bought this pattern (at full price!) from Joann’s (as well as some quilting cotton).  Unsurprisingly (having failed to set myself up for success), my first attempt at sewing didn’t go well, and I was so discouraged that I packed away my sewing machine, where it gathered dust until about 9 months ago (when I decided to learn to sew anew).

Obviously, I made View C and I think that for a cold weather skirt, it turned out okay.  Though, I fear that I made it drape stiffly and unflattering by lining it in a medium weight cotton.  Oops…  I like the color combination a lot; I just think it makes me look super dumpy.  And I don’t find my knitted tights with horizontal self-striping all that slimming either, so it could just be several visually enlarging factors coming together all at once.

… Maybe this would have been better as a pencil skirt, thereby not having so much bulky fabric at my waist and hips… hrm.

The pattern for this skirt, now that I have some very basic sewing knowledge and skill, was very easy to put together.  Though, I am very interested in your thoughts on this skirt, as I’m not really sure if it’s a hit or a miss.  I will definitely make this skirt pattern again, in a much lighter weight fabric because I think the shape and design have a lot of potential.

And finally, my knitted tights.  As you all know, I started these back in September, thinking that hand-knit tights were the wave of the future.  Now that they’re finished, I’m not so sure about that.

Ravelry Project Page
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock
Needles: US 3, US 2, and US 1
Pattern: Assets of Evo (pattern for short-shorts that I converted to tights)

I have previously written about these tights sufficiently and I don’t have much to add.  While I mostly enjoyed knitting them, were I to knit another pair of tights, I think that toe-up would be more my cuppa tea.  Although, really, this was too much plain stockinette in the round for me.  Bo-ring!

But what I actually dislike about these tights, as I have stated above, is that I don’t find them to be particularly figure flattering.  Furthermore, I consider myself to be fairly tolerant to scratchy wool, but I am finding the Noro Kureyon against my upper thighs to be uncomfortable.

So, I leave you with my first finished projects post of 2013 feeling kind of ho-hum.  I definitely want to make the skirt and the top again, learning from the mistakes of these versions, and I think I might knit some thigh-high stockings in a pretty lace.  I have worn the purple top a few times since finishing it, with a flattering pair of jeans, and that combination of not-dumpy bottom garment greatly improves my feelings about the success of the top.  I have not yet worn my cold weather skirt or knitted tights (except for this photoshoot) because it is so ridiculously cold outside (this morning when I rode my bicycle to work, it was 5 degrees (F), and that called for thermal underwear and thick pants rather than a skirt and tights).

For my next sewing project, I promise to adhere to the above stated rules for sewing garments, in particular the part about making a muslin and choosing my fabric carefully.

~ Sewing FO: Business Time Trousers (and a partially completed Anise Jacket) ~

Dec 032012
 

Trouser Pattern (complete): Thurlow by Sewaholic
Jacket Pattern (almost complete): Anise by Colette 
Fabric: Wool Suiting from Hancocks (6 yards for the matching suit, on sale for $9 per yard, from $25 per yard)
Notions for Trousers: Interfacing, 5″ zipper, hook & eye

I had almost finished my Anise jacket last week when I decided to take another break from it and whip up a matching pair of trousers, using this wool suiting fabric that I had bought at Hancocks during one of their big sales.  After a handful of muslins and one successful pair of trousers under my belt, I now feel confident in my trouser-making ability, with this being my second successful pair of trousers.

Side view with pocket depth detail.  The fly gapes a little bit, but not too much.

Front view.  I wanted to make these slim-fitting, so I cut them a little narrower than the previous version, and they seem a wee bit tight across the front.  But there is no restriction of movement, they are very comfortable, and they don’t seem like they might bust out anywhere, so I think the fit is very good.  (Though, perhaps the leg length is a little long).

Rear view.  Despite my better judgment, I tried the welt pockets again and they were a nightmare.  After several attempts, I decided to make these a single welt instead of a double, and they turned out OKAY.  Interestingly, my Anise jacket has welt pockets that are done up a little differently, and I found that the welt pockets according to that pattern are much easier to do.  If I ever decide to make welt pockets on trousers, I will adapt the pockets from the Anise pattern.

Despite my ill feelings about the pockets, I am pleased with how the rear view of the trousers look.  Per the name of these trousers, Business Time Trousers, I was hoping these would be attractive trousers that I could wear to the Day Job.

Something strange happened to the back piece of the trousers.  I don’t know if it’s the result of my having amateurishly redrafted the back piece so many times, but the back piece didn’t line up with the front piece so I added an inch and  a half long band at the top of the back piece to get it to line up with the front piece, before adding the waist band (this is somewhat discernible in the below photo).  These are not low-rise trousers; they have that magical quality of being well-fitted against the lower back when I stand but also provide sufficient coverage for when I sit.

I also made them be straight leg and long enough to wear with a pair of pumps.  It’s hard to see in these photos, but I am wearing my favorite green pumps (along with some handknit socks).

One of my hugest accomplishments with these trousers is that I finally installed the front fly and zipper without difficulty and correctly!!!  And it looks really good!

Here’s the inside view of the front fly.  I am such an ACCOMPLISHER!  I can make trousers no problem and I only learned how to sew 7 months ago!!!

(The back of the guts looks a little messy because of that extra band I had to add to the back piece).

I am excited to finish my Anise jacket.  I still need to correct one small error I made to the collar and then add buttonholes and buttons to the front, and then I will have a stylish Business Time Suit!  And if you’re wondering about my handknit sweater, it is my Lavandae sweater that I knat out of Knit Picks Andean Treasure way back in 2009 that is still going strong.  All in all, I am EXTREMELY happy with how these trousers have turned out.  And even though I am SO CLOSE to finishing the Anise Jacket, I have a hankering to sew a pretty blouse rather than fix my collar mistake and do the buttonholes.

In other news, even though I announced that I was taking a hiatus from knitting pattern design stuff, I apparently am taking a hiatus from that hiatus and have a shawl design in the works.  I am hoping to have this pattern ready for testing very soon, so if you are possibly interested in testing, drop me a line on Ravelry and I will let you know the details of the test knit when they are known to me.  And if you are possibly interested in testing but concerned that the holiday season might limit your availability for test knitting, never fear, I am VERY flexible and easy-going about deadlines for test knitting.  Right now, I am thinking that the “deadline” will be the end of January.

 

 

~ Sewing FO: Capped Sleeve Blouse the Third ~

Nov 072012
 

This is my third time working this pattern, the Capped Sleeve Blouse from Stitch by Stitch by Deborah Moebes, and I am very happy with my finished blouse.  As this is the third time that I have made this pattern, you might be interested in my first and second versions.  However, a brief summary is that the first version fit perfectly but didn’t have enough ease or stretch to allow me to comfortably wear it (and perform basic functions like move my arms – - in fact, I broke out a lot of seams when I reached one arm upwards) so then I made a second version in a stretchy knit fabric and it was perfect and has been one of my most favorite tops.   Since finishing the second version, I had the idea about using a woven fabric cut on the bias to provide the needed stretch, and here is the result of that experiment.

Pattern: Capped Sleeve Blouse from Stitch by Stitch by Deborah Moebes
Fabric: Cotton (I think an Amy Butler print, from fabric.com) (1.5 yards)
Notions: Buttons
Size: 4
Total Time: approx. 4 hours

Summary of Modifications:

1. Cut pattern pieces on the bias.

2. Added an inch across the cross-back of the pattern piece to provide some extra wiggle room (see photo above).

3. Lengthened the bottom hemline of the blouse and modified the hem to be straight rather than curved.

4. Omitted the front waist darts (actually, I ripped them out after I had sewed them because the blouse was too tight across the waist).

5. Rounded collar (I had been trying for a Peter Pan collar, but that didn’t work out)

Modification I should have made:

1. Small bust adjustment and I cannot believe that I forgot to do this.

I added a bit of rick-rack along the sleeve hem, though the image in my head about what this would look like was considerably awesomer than how it turned out and I opted to not add any more rick-rack, as was my plan.  I might rip out the rick-rack, but I probably won’t due to laziness.

I do believe that I achieved the perfect balance of stretchy fabric and wearing ease to be able to comfortably wear this top but have plenty of room to move about.  For example, with the extra room at the cross-back, I can wildly flail my arms around with no risk of busting out any seams.

I used the buttonhole  function on my sewing machine and successfully made some misaligned buttonholes.  My machine seems to make okay buttonholes, but I haven’t figured out how to line up the fabric to get the buttonhole to be exactly where I want it.  On this particular blouse, I think my misaligned buttons sort of blend in with the floral print, however, I am thinking about hand-stitching buttonholes in future projects where it would behoove me to have well-aligned buttonholes.

(Sorry for the duplicated photo; I just wanted to show you the misaligned buttons).

Anyway, I am very happy with my finished blouse.  This will be a perfect addition to my Day Job wardrobe, but can also be dressed-down for more casual wear.

~ Sewing FO: HOORAY!!! Trousers ~

Oct 282012
 

A momentous triumph in my sewing career (now, just shy of six months of experience), these trousers represent the value of patience and perseverance.  These being the third version, with three muslins, I suppose the adage “third time’s the charm” comes to mind, but the relevance lies in my learning from each version of the trousers and making revisions accordingly.  Perhaps it would be more appropriate to state that I made five muslins and one actual pair of trousers for wearing.  Nevertheless, I am delighted to present to you the latest FO to come off my sewing table, a pair of wearable and well-fitting trousers….  HOORAY!!!

Pattern: Thurlow Trousers
Fabric: Corduroy from Hancocks (on sale for almost $6 per yard)
Notions: Zipper, Hook & Eye
Total Cost of Trousers: approx. $20

Wow, $20 for a pair of well-fitting trousers, that is hard to beat!

I love these trousers.  They are part of my attempt to make for myself a “fab fall wardrobe”, and specifically these trousers are intended to augment my meager supply of work-appropriate trousers.  My existing supply of work-appropriate trousers are all poorly-fitting and not-at-all fashionable, so imagine my delight to have work-appropriate trousers that will make me feel somewhat stylish.  And in these photos, I have paired these trousers with my Tumbleweed Vest.

The trousers aren’t perfect yet.  There still seems to be some bagginess around the thighs and I’m not exactly sure what is the source of that issue.  I’m hesitant to take in the width of the legs any more because these are supposed to be work-appropriate, but perhaps that is the only solution.  There is also some pooling of the fabric at the back of my thighs, so I’m not sure if there is too much fabric, or if the angle of the hips needs to be adjusted.  Sheesh, pants are complicated!

Also, on my next version, I need to remember to add more room in the butt region, as I had to sew these together with a very small seam allowance at the rear and I am concerned that might not be sufficient for the pants to not bust apart.

One of the major changes I made to these trousers was to do patch pockets rather than the welt pockets, and I find these pockets to be vastly superior and were incredibly easy.  I traced the pockets from some patch pockets on one of my favorite pair of jeans, turned all of the edges under and then top-stitched them to the pants.  Easy peasy!  And they are big enough to actually serve their purpose as pockets.

And below you can see another major change I made to the pattern.  For the front pockets, I omitted the two facing pieces and just made the pocket in the main fabric (actually, I didn’t use any lining fabric for these) so that I don’t have the extra bulk in the front.

With this being my third time working through the whole pattern, it was no surprise that most all of the elements came together easily and without any frustration.  However, I still managed to piece together the fly incorrectly.  On my previous version of these trousers, I pieced the fly together correctly, but it gaped open ridiculously.  This time, I had decided to switch my waistband pieces so that the piece with the pointy end would flap over the front (see above photo), and hopefully make the fly not gape open.  This was successful and I am very happy with my front fly alteration.  However, I continue to be mystified about the “proper” placement of the zipper vis-a-vis the fly facing and fly extension (I suspect it was a fluke that I did it correctly last time).

I was going to take an amazing photo of my fly construction, slapdashed together after I couldn’t figure out the pattern, but my sweet little helper came by and needed some attention.  So, you know, priorities.

And below is my altered back pattern piece with my various fit modifications compared to the pattern tissue piece.  I’ve modified the back piece several times and now, except for the width of the leg being substantially narrower, my modification piece isn’t all that different than the pattern piece, especially considering that I plan to add some width to the butt.

I sewed up these pants remarkably quickly, having bought the fabric yesterday at a big sale at Hancock’s.  As I wrote above, now that I’ve worked through this pattern so many times, it’s become very quick to piece together (especially since I’ve omitted some of the more time-consuming elements (like welt pockets)).

Today, I took a break from my sewing to cook up a batch of creamy broccoli cheddar soup.  I used this recipe that I found on Pinterest and the finished soup is DELICIOUS.  I’ve been craving soup lately, undoubtedly because of the cooler weather.

Also, check out the view I enjoyed from my sewing table last night during the sunset.  Yeah lots of power lines, but the foothills were golden and beautiful against the ominously cloudy sky.

Also also, I look really weird and tired in the above photos and that is a result of my having stayed up WAY past my bedtime last night at a Halloween party hosted by my next door neighbors.  I dressed up as a zombie, using the zombie costume I’ve had in my costume stash for several years, and Josh went as Robert Smith of the Cure, and we had a splendid time at the party.  It was particularly interesting being at the party because our neighbor’s house is an almost exact replica of our house, but has different updates and style elements (so I spent a good amount of time scoping out their house, which is basically my house modified).  And the neighbors themselves were very nice people to get to know better (previously, the male neighbor helped me take down some insidious locust trees but I haven’t ever talked to the female neighbor).  Of course, “staying up WAY past my bedtime,” is rather meaningless unless you know that I tend to go to bed at 9:30-10:00 (and it’s been inching closer to 9:00 these days – - what can I say… I’m a morning person, not a night owl), and even though I was at this party until the ridiculously late hour of 11:30 last night (and didn’t get to bed until the shockingly late hour of 12:30), I still got up at 5:30 this morning to seize the day and finish sewing my trousers.

~ Sewing FO: Fabulously Ugly Trousers ~

Oct 222012
 

Happy Monday, internet browsers!  I hope ya’ll had a lovely weekend filled with satisfying experiences and memorable moments.  Me, I accomplished something that is a sewist’s equivalent to sending a person to the moon; I sewed for myself some semi-well-fitting trousers!  (This fact is even more astonishing because I taught myself how to sew less than six months ago, and now I have completed an Advanced Level pattern.)

(VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The fabric that I used for my trousers may detract from their visual appeal even more than their fit issues.  I bought this silly polyester for $3 at a thrift store and, despite having made three muslins, I didn’t want to possibly mess up my nice fabric so I made these trousers with fabric that I didn’t care about.  And I am very glad that I used this fabric (that I did not care about) because the trousers still need a bit of work.  It is kind of a bummer, because I devoted considerable time and mental energy to these trousers, and they are nothing that I would want to be caught dead in public wearing.  But they are getting close.  Besides, life is all about learning, yanno.)

Pattern: Thurlow Trousers by Sewaholic
Fabric: 3 yards of ridiculous polyester bought for $3 from a thrift store
Notions: Trouser zipper, hook & eye
Total Time: 7.5 hours on Saturday, plus many hours fitting the muslin and cutting out the pattern pieces

The making of these trousers is a ridiculously long tale that I will not-briefly summarize for you.

THE PLAN

Last month, when I announced my plans to make a “less drab, more fab” fall wardrobe, my good friend Amy (who just started up a crafting blog of her own!) contacted me and suggested we have a trouser sew-along because she, like me, wanted to make for herself some well-fitting trousers.  I leaped at this opportunity for several reasons: (1) Amy is a much more experienced sewist and I figured that I would greatly benefit from her sewing knowledge and expertise in my quest for well-fitting trousers; (2) the pattern for these trousers is very confusing and I was hopeful that she could assist me in understanding the convoluted pattern instructions, and (3) Amy is a fun person to hang out with.   Despite the numerous patterns for trousers available, we decided that we would both work the same pattern (the Thurlow pattern).   We also decided that we would do all of the prep work on our own (working up a muslin and fitting it, cutting out all of our pieces and doing the boring interfacing) and then would gather at my residence and spend the day sewing our trousers together.

FITTING THE MUSLIN

As I stated above, I made three muslins for these trousers.  The first was cut from a size 4 in the pattern (I typically wear a size 6 in RTW trousers and I’ve heard that this pattern is sized large so I started with one size smaller than my RTW size) and it was GINORMOUS.  For my second version, I ripped apart my muslin and re-cut the pieces to a size 0 and, while it was much improved, it was still awful.  The crotch depth was ridiculously long and I had a serious case of “mom butt” happening.  I then did a bunch of edumacation about crotch depth and fitting pants across the rear, and re-drafted the back pattern piece.  The third muslin was such a relief to me in how much better it was than the previous two – - many of the fitting woes were solved (the only woe that seemed to remain was that the crotch depth now seemed a little too short).  I did not make a fourth muslin to solve the shallow crotch depth because I figured that would be an easy fix, now that I was an expert on crotch depth.

SEW-ALONG SATURDAY

On Saturday, I pulled my big sewing table out to the living room and created a space for the two of us to sew our trousers.  Amy arrived with her sewing machine and trouser-making supplies and we proceeded to sew some trousers.

FRONT POCKETS

Two hours later, we had finally completed the first step in the pattern (which was actually Step 2 because the first step was to do the interfacing, which we had already done)…

Working on these trousers with Amy was good for my sewing self-confidence; Amy found the pattern instructions just as confusing as I did and together, we were able find a little bit of humor in the fact that it took us two hours to complete one step.  (For anyone working this pattern, here’s a few hints about Step 2… in the diagram, the piece that is white with slashes is actually the wrong side of your lining (this is not listed anywhere in the key), and your pocket facing pieces don’t do anything structural to your pockets, they are there just so your lining doesn’t show).  Amy and I each sewed, ripped out, and re-sewed our front pockets three times each.  By the time that we were done with this one step, we decided to order some pizza, because we were pretty fed up with our trousers.

Yum… pizza!

WELT POCKETS

After feeding our soul with some delicious pizza (and taking a needed mental break), we made it through a few steps in the pattern without issue and eventually came to the WELT POCKETS (bolded to emphasize their fear factor).  We were both very intimidated about this step leading up to our sew-along and did some reading about their construction in advance (a very good explanation about the construction for welt pockets is from Colette Patterns for the Anise Sewalong).  Amy and I both constructed our welt pockets without issue, though hers look much better than mine.  Even though I made a concerted effort to line mine up identically with one another, they are totally misaligned and wonky in many ways.  Further, these welt pockets, according to Amy and I, are really stupid.  Because of how they are constructed, the pockets themselves are shallow (as in, non-functional pockets that aren’t big enough to even hold a cellular telephone) and have a lot of extra layers of fabric (just like with the front pockets).  Those of us who are big-butted don’t appreciate having non-functional layers of extra fabric in the rear of our pants, thankyouverymuch.

Seriously, as a bubble-butted person, I don’t need bubbly welt pockets to enhance my bubble-buttedness!

FRONT FLY

Several months ago, I tried to work through this pattern and was overwhelmingly confused by all of the previous steps, but I persevered.  It was only when I got to the front fly section and was unable to make heads or tails of the instructions that I threw away my entire trouser project in complete frustration.  After that, I read many different tutorials about the construction of front flies and also examined the front flies on my own trousers to try to make sense of them.  During the sew-along with Amy, we took these steps very slowly and methodically, each unzipping our own trousers that we were wearing that day and examining our flies and discussing our various theories for how they might be constructed.  One important point about this section is that, on the diagrams (as with the front pockets) the white piece with slashes is the wrong side of the lining (not identified as such in the pattern key) and that made all the difference in our understanding of the pattern instructions.

Looking at the front fly from this perspective is particularly illuminating for someone trying to sew these for the first time.  Also, yes, I did omit some of the finishing work (see below, lost mojo).

PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER

After nearly seven hours of sewing these blasted trousers, I started to lose my sewing mojo.  This was too much sewing for one day and I blew through the rest of the pattern because I just wanted to be done.  My motivation for sewing with utmost meticulousness was dampened because I knew that I would never wear these trousers (with their fugly fabric) in public, so you know, why bother?  With as much haste as I could, I slapped these puppies together.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

With all of my sewing projects, there is a Moment of Truth when I go to try the garment on and it’s a mystery if the garment will fit well or will be an atrocious disaster.  This Moment always brings forth a balance of excitement and sheer terror.  On Saturday, this Moment gave to me a lovely relief, because the trousers fit sort-of well, not the atrocious disaster that I had feared (though not the perfectly fitting trousers of my dreams either).  I was exhausted from the all day sewing marathon, which was filled with indescribable frustration and discouraging confusion, but I was very happy because I had a template for trousers that seems to need only minor adjustments, and the knowledge of how to piece them together with less frustration in the future.  And so I procured some beers for Amy and myself and together we saluted our good day’s work.

(I totally meant to take a picture of our beers, but I forgot.  Trust me, it was a major highlight of the day.)

SOME THINGS I WILL CHANGE FOR FUTURE TROUSERS FROM THIS PATTERN

Having altered the pattern pieces so that the trousers fit through the crotch and butt, there are still a few other things about this pattern that I’m going to change for version 2.

1. Omit facings for front pockets and cut pocket pieces from main fabric.  As described above, the front pockets are pretty ridiculous.  Rather than the pockets being 3 layers of fabric thick (trouser layer and two pocket layers), they are 5 layers thick (trouser layer, two pocket layers, and two pocket facing layers) and that is completely asinine to me (both because it is a lot of stupid work for no good reason and also because those extra layers add a lot of unnecessary bulk, as evidenced below).  Those extra two layers are there only because the pattern has you cut the pocket piece from your lining fabric and then you add the two pocket facings so that your lining fabric doesn’t show.  Here’s a brilliant thought – - cut the pockets from your main fabric and forget about the stupid pocket facings.  Genius.

2. Change welt pockets to be patch pockets.  While I am confident that my skills in constructing welt pockets will improve with practice, I just don’t think they’re worth the effort.  Patch pockets are fine and significantly easier to do.  Also, these particular welt pockets are stupid and just annoy me. 

(I am standing very awkwardly in the below photo, I’m not sure why I thought that would look good for the camera.)

3. Remove excess ease from the legs.  At least, I think that would be the solution.  These trousers are designed to have a very wide leg but my finished trousers just seem to have too much excess fabric at the legs, particularly since I was aiming for fitted trousers.

EPILOGUE: …BUT WHAT DO I REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS PATTERN?

I taught myself how to sew less than six months ago, so arguably, this pattern was well above my skill level.  I have made several Renfrews (pattern also by Sewaholic) and they came together easily and I just love the finished top.  This pattern was kind of a nightmare, it was so confusing.  Normally, I would think that it was just because I am only six months old as a sewist, but because Amy (who has been sewing for many many years)  found it equally confusing, I am inclined to think that the pattern instructions could use significantly more detail for added clarity (and accuracy).  This is a very challenging pattern, made unnecessarily challenging by the extremely confusing instructions.

That said, with fairly minor adjustments to the back piece for crotch depth and butt dimensions, I was able to construct for myself a pair of semi-well-fitting trousers.  Which is very awesome!

Now that I have made three muslins and one full version, I feel confident in my ability to further modify the pattern, breeze through the instructions, and make for myself many pairs of trousers, and I am very very excited about that.  This week, my plan is to work on another pair of trousers in more respectable fabric, incorporating the above changes, and I am very hopeful they will yield a pair of trousers that I will love wearing.

~ Sewing FO: Butterick 5354 Top ~

Oct 172012
 

Another addition to my fab fall wardrobe, Butterick 5354 View D is a quick and easy pattern for a cool weather wardrobe staple.  This is a very basic top with tucks at the neckline for visual interest.  The pattern calls for moderate stretch knit fabric; I used a very slinky stretchy knit polyester from Hancocks that was on super sale.

Here is the drawing for Butterick 5354, View D is the long sleeved version.

I anticipate that I will make all views of this pattern, as this is a style of top that I feel very comfortable and confident wearing.  One of the most amazing things about sewing my own clothing is that I can find  styles that I like wearing and can make several versions of that same style.  Isn’t it always so sad when you find a perfect clothing item at a retail store, and unless you buy several of the same item, it will be the only one you will ever have (until, of course, it is no longer wearable and then you don’t even have that version anymore)?  Conversely, I suspect that I will retain this pattern in my collection for the duration of my existence, making subsequent versions whenever I want.

I do think a version in a solid print fabric is in my near future.  I like these stripes, but they are a little blinding.  Also, my next version will feature some waist shaping – - this top is basically a straight rectangle around my body, which is not the most flattering.

This pattern was so quick and easy to put together.  I did add one element that made it a little more advanced for me, using a technique that I have never before used.  Can you guess what that might be?  Here’s a hint….

I tried to match stripes!  Tried and did satisfactorily for my standards.  These stripes were challenging to match because they are kind of chevron-y / zig zag-y, and I didn’t get them lined up at the same place in their zig zag.  I have been avoiding sewing with stripes, plaids, or any type of print where it would behoove me to match up the patterning across seams.  For a while I thought that matching up patterns wasn’t a big deal for someone who is rather lackadaisical about certain things… but I recently saw a sewing blogger’s FO where she did not line up the stripey pattern print and it looked awful.  For a lackadaisical person like myself, there are some prints that would probably look fine not matched up, but I think stripes really need to be matched as much as possible.  And I am very lackadaisical and slapdash in my ways, so I shudder to think about what a more meticulous sewist would say.

For this pattern, I pulled out my twin needle and did some top stitching along the hems.  Check out the stretchy hem I achieved, woot!  I still need to develop my twin needle technique, because it’s slightly funky – - oh well, win some, lose some.

All in all, I am very happy with this top.  I bought 2 yards of this fabric and still have a lot left over.  While I do like this fabric, I don’t know that I need multiple garments featuring this particular print (it is kind of… ugly) but paired with a solid color bottom piece is good.

Anyway, as you can see, there is some yard work in my future.  I swear, all of those leaves have fallen in just the last two days.

~ Sewing FO: “Wool” Twirl Skirt ~

Oct 132012
 

Pattern: Simplicity 2655 (Have previously made a wearable muslin from this pattern)
Fabric: Some twill from unknown compound bought at thrift store for a few dollars
Yards: Approx 2 yards
Notions: Invisible Zipper, Horsehair Braid, Acrylic Yarn & Bias Tape (for piping)

Having just finished my new twirly skirt (see above for my attempt to capture the twirl action on camera) I am officially a fan of the Simplicity 2655 pattern.  This is my second version of this skirt, and even though it is made out of a potentially drab grey fabric, it has a remarkable flair that balances cuteness and sophistication.  A perfect addition to my fab fall wardrobe!

 (Now that I’m looking at these photos, I see that I wasn’t wearing the skirt centered on my hips, so please forgive my off-kilter seam.)

I was concerned that this drabbish grey fabric would produce a drabbish skirt, so I added some yellow piping along the  flounce as well as some horsehair braid along the bottom hem.  The piping I constructed all by myself, using some bias tape (that I made out of a fat quarter) and some acrylic yarn after skimming this piping installation tutorial from Colette Patterns.  I opted to “slapdash” my piping together with some acrylic yarn because I was uninterested in taking a trip out to Joann’s for some cording (generally, I love shopping for fabric, yarn, or other crafting supplies, but Joann’s really makes me want to hang myself… something about their failure to provide adequate staffing, particularly during mega blowout sales, that makes the shopping experience  rather horrendous).  The acrylic yarn worked very nicely and I love the piping detail on the skirt.  The horsehair braid was among my bounty from a recent thrift store excursion and I wanted some additional twirl effect from the skirt.  This was my first attempt at installing horsehair braid and I admit that it is a little uneven in its tension around the skirt, but I like it.

When I bought this fabric (at another thrift store excursion), I was under the impression that it was wool.  It has a woolish texture and appearance (and the thrift store label on it said “wool fabric”), but this is definitely not wool, by any stretch of the imagination.  The fabric had me almost convinced that it was wool until I went to iron it – - trust me, I am familiar with the various smells of wool and I know that wool under the iron does not emit that horrible chemically odor.  So, I really don’t know what this fabric is… it’s very very scratchy and obviously was engineered to give the appearance of wool (and it does seem to be very warm like wool).

I also added a lining from some very slippery fabric to the underside of the skirt.  I didn’t want the “wool”ish texture of the skirt to cling to the tights I will wear with this as the temperatures become cooler.

In these photos, I am wearing my new skirt with my Oleander sweater, which is one of the sweater patterns in my High Desert eBook, and I think this is a great pairing of skirt and sweater.

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