Pendralma

Pendralma

or

It's Late, and That's the Best I've Got

Today was a long day back at work after a wonderful warm and sunny vacation.  Sunshine, Floridian beaches, shorts, night swimming, and bare toes digging in the sand were all a wonderful respite from the loooonnng winter. But spring had come here, too, while we were gone: my tulips and irises had started  bursting forth--sure signs that winter won't last forever.

Sand Angels

It's late, and I've worn this all day, so you're getting wrinkly kitchen photos.  

I love sewing hard things.  I like the challenge of new things.

But I also love quick and easy things.

Enter: Pendrell blouse + Alma collar + bias binding for neckline.

Not hard; just right.

There's not a whole lot to say here; I traced the Alma neckline onto the Pendrell bodice pieces.

And I used bias binding on the neckline rather than facing.

I hate facings.

Close-up of collar, because it turned out well.

This photo probably is the best depiction of the colors in the shirt.  

About the only thing I messed up here is the width of the bias binding on the neckline. I  trimmed the seam allowances down before attaching the binding, and it ended up really wide.  BUT, the top-stitching is covered by the collar, and I'm pretty sure most people will never know.

I also stuck a tag over the ugliest part where the seam binding meets. 

Because it's late.

Details, in the briefest way possible:

Pattern: Sewaholic Pendrell + Sewaholic Alma neckline and collar

Fabric: Tula Pink The Bees Knees cotton voile

Notions: Pro-sheer interfacing for collar

Alternations: took 3 inches off length of blouse.

And, I'm off to sit on the couch with a drink, and avoid thinking about argumentative essays.

For as long as I can.

"Where's Waldo?"

Okay, so I was sewing along with the Project Sewn themes, and rocked my Twiggy dress.  And by "rocked it", what I'm really saying is, "I finished it."  Then came the pink project, and I faltered.  Long story short, it broke me.  This is not that dress though.

The Details:

Pattern: Burda Long Sleeve Top 2/2010 #112A

Fabric: Riley Blake 1/2" cotton/spandex jersey 1/2" stripe 

Notions: 1/2" knit stabilizing tape for neckline, 1/2" clear elastic for stabilizing shoulder seams

Notes: 

     This is the third fourth time I've made this shirt, and each time I messed around with the neckline.  I think the pattern calls for you to draft a strip to face the inside with, but who reads Burda instructions?  On this one, I used knit stay tape (this one)on the wrong side of the neckline, serged the edge, folded it under, and top-stitched it.  Previously, I used clear elastic to stabilize the neckline; mostly because using the folded under strip for facing seemed too bulky.  If you're wondering, the clear elastic works, too. On yet another version, I added a funnel neck collar, which also worked.  

    

That none of these others are blogged is more a testament to my picture taking than my sewing.  But here's the best I've got of the funnel-neck one: 

Yes, that's a Batman mask, and I'm laying on the floor.

     Back to this one, I also think the pattern may call for you to stabilize the armhole seams, 

but I didn't do that either.  And it's fine.

All I can focus on is that *&^% broken bead and the slightly askew stripe matching...and now that's all you can, too...  

   

Construction wise, I serged everything, and coverstitched the sleeves and hems.

Glorious hem...

At the end of the day, I usually come home, take off my cute shoes, and put on slippers.  

Can you tell the slippers happened before the pictures?

And as for Waldo?  Only one student alluded to that elusive man all day.  I call that a win.  : )