Pendralma the Second and Alma Part 2

Okay, so I made these over a month ago, and due to severe Hate-My-Current-Project-Itis, sadly never blogged these.  Enjoy!

Pendralma the Second

  

Details:

Pattern: Sewaholic Pendrell + Sewaholic Alma neckline and collar

Fabric: 1 1/2 yards of cotton voile; Palos Verdes Albalone Cove grey/orange (sez Fabric.com)

Notions: none.  well, thread. and pro-sheer light interfacing in the collar

Notes: Not my first rodeo on this one: see here.  Also, possibly the fastest completed garment ever...how many is too many for 1 wardrobe?

Alma Part 2

Details:

Pattern: Sewaholic Alma, retraced and amended, with plain collar and cap sleeves
Fabric: 1 1/2 yards of cotton voile: Palos Verdes La Venta green/gray
Notions: invisible zipper, uh, and thread
Notes: Not my first rodeo on this one, either: see here. Except dumb-butt-me complained last time about shortening the front waist darts, but brilliant-me realized I could just not sew them.  Problem solved!

With both blouses, I used sorcery to save fabric.  Okay, not really.  On the Alma, I cheated by tracing out a complete front and back so I didn't have to cut them on the fold.  That way I could squeeze more pieces on the the flat fabric.  With the Pendrell, I cut a good 3 inches off the length of the pattern, so I could squeeze those pieces together on the fabric.  In both cases, I pieced the bias neck tape for the neck and arm facings.

I have one more piece of Palos Verdes cotton voile.  Should I wait for the new Sewaholic Belcarra blouse? Or veer off for parts unknown?

"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.  : )

When Life Gives You Skinny Jeans, Fight Back

 According to a completely unscientific and most likely inaccurate poll performed just last week, less than 5% of middleschoolers actually wear pants.*

Add to this a recent (well, a couple of months ago) horrific shopping excursion for said pants, and one can only come to the conclusion that I live in a pants desert.

After shopping on line, even Boden had let me down, with my options being narrowly defined as "straight", "skinny", or God-forbid: "super skinny".  

Fine.  I'll buy your straight leg pants, but I'm not through.  

I'm sure there's a pattern out there somewhere for what I want.

The Facts:

Pattern: Sewaholic Thurlow

Fabric: Kaufman Ibiza cotton/spandex twill, from Fabric.com, + leftover cotton scraps for facings and 

pockets

Notions: 9" zipper, 1 black 3/4" button, 1 clear button, interfacing

The details:

Uh, actually, I made these shorts last summer, and spent some time dinking with the fit then.  At that time, I ended up adding length to the crotch at the back inseam.  On these, in stretch fabric, they were huge, and I ended up taking in the inseams by about 1/2", and also the outer leg seam by about the same.  That may not have been the right thing to do, as they might have stretched a bit as I sewed them, and they're a bit snug now that they've been washed again.  

I top-stitched the darts and around the back welt pockets, as well as the inseam and along the hip to just below the pockets, because I wanted a more casual look to wear with sneakers.  I also top-stitched the waistband, and went with a regular button front rather than a concealed hook.

And I added a 7th belt loop right at the center back.  And serged off the the back extension and top-stitched that seam, too.  But that's it, really.  

Also, those wrinkles under the butt drove me nuts for about a week. I think they're there for movement, but I'm open to suggestions on what to fix for the next pair.  Also, is that rear seam too snug?  It doesn't FEEL snug...but like I said before, give me free tips, please.  I ask my husband, and just get, "Looks great."

Hmm.

Verdict?  They're not perfect, but they'll do.  

"Oh, good.  The trash men are here."

*Data was obtained by frequency count of students walking past my classroom in the hall after dismissal, wearing pants that were neither leggings nor jeans.  For the purpose of this study, sweats and track pants were also excluded.  As were shorts, because that's ridiculous.  It's January in Missouri, people.

Estimated sample size is about 250 students; approximately 5 met the criteria defined for 'pants'.

** I like skinny and straight leg styles, too, but a person craves a little variety in her leg styles, right?  Also, full disclaimer: Not all shirts work with skinny jeans.  Or if you plan to wear knee socks.

The 64 Dollar Sweatshirt

Because sometimes, you just want a reeallly nice sweatshirt.  Right?

I'm laughing at some of  these are truly terrible pictures! 

Pattern: Papercut Patterns Undercover Hood
Fabric: Amazingly-luscious double-faced cotton knit, sweatshirt weight, and obviously knitted by angels or virgins, or virgin angels, a Christmas gift from my mom and purchased at Kaplan's Fabric, where upon I had a lovely conversation with Alan, the owner, about discounts, asking, and Mick Jagger's autograph.
Notions: None.  Well, scrap jersey for hood lining.
Time to complete: 2 evenings, including time spent petting fabric

Warning: inside photos at 9:30 at night with overhead only lighting.  Sorry.

Construction Notes:
Not much to say here; this is rated a 'rookie' pattern, and it was pretty simple and straightforward.  I didn't even read the instructions, because honestly, if you've sewn a t-shirt, you've got this down.  I've never sewn with these patterns before, and I do want to add that it is a pretty nice deal.  I took advantage of the sale at the beginning of the month, not really knowing quite what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised.  First off, shipping (from NZ) is included in the price of the pattern.  Second, these are printed on nice heavy kraft-paper-ish sheets, so no fussy faffing about with tissue.  I DID trace it off anyway, because at this point, I know how much it sucks to cut an $18 pattern to the wrong size. (Renfrew, I'm looking at you.)

I swear we tried every variation of flash, no flash, fill flash, full-frontal flash--wait, not that one.

I also made a muslin, because did I mention this fabric was spun at the fingertips of immortals? [Must.Not.Screw.Up.Angel.Fabric.]  I swear, I wish Google had a Feel-o-vision app or something. When I finally wear this out of the house, I'm afraid I'm going to demand that everyone feel my shirt.  That could be bad...

Anyway, muslin-fabric-akin-to-shards-of-glass aside, I traced and cut a size SMALL.  This seemed not quite right, as XS matched my bust measurement, but my waist and hips matched the next size up.  (Sizing runs XXS to L; I typically wear an M in RTW).  I did not grade for a closer fit, because honestly, a snug fitting sweatshirt does not sound like my kind of fun.  With the muslin, I did decide to add 1" to the lengths of the sleeves.  I've historically struggled with monkey-arm syndrome, and absolutely HATE sleeves that are a hair too short.  Plus, it's a sweatshirt, and you're supposed to be able to drag your hair into a ponytail without flashing wrist bones, right?  I also changed up some construction steps, and added some extra in, because I'm like that.  Here goes:

• I attached the pocket before attaching the sleeves to front.  (I'm a rebel--not really.)
• I bar-tacked those pocket corners; am I the only person whose pockets rip there?
• I encased the hood/neckline seam in binding, and stitched it flat to the shirt.  A $64.00 sweatshirt does not have a serged seam showing front and center.

Other than that, I used my serger for everything here, (3/8" seam allowances), except where I didn't.  I used the coverstitch machine for attaching the pocket and top-stitching the hood, and my plain-ole regular machine for the bar tacks on the pocket corners.

Accidental stripe matching is surely a side effect of magical fabric.

Sorry for the truly terrible pictures, I'm sure you get the idea that I may never actually take this off again.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!  We did, and I've been enjoying every minute of winter break. This is actually my second completed sewing project, my Alma blouse still needs photographing, so hopefully I will get that up sometime before the year ends. : )

Just in case I don't, have a wonderful New Year's, and I'll catch you on the other side!

The Everyday Skirt that Lives up to its Name

The Details: 

Pattern: Liesl + Co Everyday Skirt

Fabric: single weave wool, inherited from Grandma's stash

Notions: interfacing, 1/2" elastic, top-stitching thread

This was, quite possibly, the easiest skirt I've ever made. If I cursed once, it was a top-stitching thread curse, not at all related to the pattern.  Even piecing together the downloaded pattern was easy...unlike Burda patterns that get taped together in one gigantic 5 sheet by 6 sheet poster, these are taped together just into individual pattern pieces, AND they're printed with 1" grid lines so they're easy to line up.  I did have a slight head scratching moment though, before I realized I needed to cut one of my printed pieces in half in order to align the two slivers to the main piece.  Love.  Easy-peasey, and paper-saving, too.

 

The only downside I can come up with is the sizing; which really isn't a downside.  I originally cut a medium, as that's where I fit on the size chart, but went with a small in this one.  I am never a small in anything, seriously.  Ever.  In any case, if you're at the upper ranges on the size chart, you might be okay; there is ease built in, and you don't actually fit it to yourself until you insert the elastic in the back waistband. Going with a smaller size also cut down on the poofiness of the skirt around my butt, which can only be considered a good thing.

Gathered front with waistband

It was really hard to get good photos of the color of this fabric--the top picture is probably the closest to the actual color; it's kind of a green-gold, not really mustard, but more of an 'antique gold' color.  I'll be honest, I've struggled with this fabric since I first brought it home from my grandma's house--it's not chartruese, which I would have liked, and it's not khaki, which would be easy...and I'm still not sure I particularly like it, but it is growing on me.

In any case.  I had no hope of matching thread to it, so I went with gold topstitching thread, and just tried to make it look like an intentional 'design feature'.

Also, regular thread just got lost in the weave.

Side view of pocket + elastic back waistband

I also wasn't 100% sure I liked the idea of a elastic-waisted skirt.  I KNOW how I feel about elastic-waist pants, but I did that vehemence transfer to skirts?  I don't know.  In any case, this is okay.  I left my sweater untucked so it didn't show, but I could also wear this with a cardi and be covered just as well.

closer view of waistband

How I will most likely wear this

This really is an every-day skirt.  It was dead comfortable today, and I went through a whole day of teaching essay format, reviewing verbals, and ending with a curriculum meeting without a hitch. 

The elastic was comfy, but those pockets were divine.

Have you ever gotten home, and realized how much stuff you actually had in your pockets that you'd completely forgotten about?

At some point, I realized that in addition to my car keys, I had a jumbo pencil, pink pearl eraser, my name badge, and a dry-erase marker in one pocket, and my phone (and full disclosure: a candy wrapper) in the other.  

Clearly, I need more of these.

Exit Signs Shirt

My youngest son has already christened this the "Exit Signs Shirt".  He was playing in the button box while I was sewing this morning, and asked whose exit sign shirt I was making.  I guess the design looks like exit signs.  I'm down with that; I like exit signs.

I've been overthinking this shirt all week, and on Thursday, I got tired of thinking about it, and just jumped in. The body is from Simplicity 2060, but the sleeves are stolen straight from 2211, minus the sleeve band.  I've made a couple of shirts from the Itinerary dress pattern, and I don't like those sleeves.  For some reason, they just bug me--either I've set them in wrong each time, or they needed some alteration--they're fine when my arms are hanging loose, but any sort of movement and the whole yoke slides up.  And this was even after sewing the seam with a narrow allowance for a little more ease. ( I'm open to suggestions here if you've got 'em.)  Rather than dinking with bicep alteration, I just pirated the sleeves from the Market blouse, again minus the sleeve bands because they are ridiculously narrow.  My biceps lift children and cast-iron cookware; I don't know whose arms these are drafted for.  I would like to be able to say I took careful consideration to compare the cap heights and seam lines, but no, I just gathered the top as needed to fit the hole.  And we have functional arm-movement!  Hooray!

The armscye still may need to be dropped a smidge, but this works for now.

The buttons are from my inherited stash--they are Sears brand, and there were only 3 of the 4 remaining on the card.  They're 5/8" vs the 1/2" listed on the pattern, but really, what's an 1/8 of an inch between friends? Also, I would've sworn these buttons were red on the card, but they look like a pretty dead-on match for the fuschia/magenta/dark pinky-purple of the blouse.

Let's all just agree to not notice the first button hole is stitched twice, and the other two, not so much.

The fabic is Tina Givens voile, and it is soft and light.  I also bought this in a pale turquoise colorway, so I could actually have this exact shirt in two different colors...although that may be too much, even for me.

Anyway, easy sewing, easy shirt, short weekend, and I'm already plotting out the next 4 projects. : )

The Blueberry Picking Dress

So, Fall for Cotton? Done.  Did I fall?  Um, yes. 

This cotton is so soft and drapey.  Maybe it's softened with age?

I found it at an antique store a couple of weeks ago, and at a grand total of $3.50 for the lot, I went with it.  This print reminds me of blueberries, and I just feel like I should be out in the garden picking fruit.  Maybe barefoot, maybe not--only if the yard's been pooper-scooped recently.

Work?  No, I'll just supervise.

The Facts:

Fabric: 100% cotton, vintage, 3+ yards and 35" wide; ivory cotton lawn for bodice underlining

Pattern: Colette Parfait (gifted from Suzy in swap)

Notions: 4 7/8" white buttons (new), 2 1/2" clear buttons from stash, invisible zip

Total cost: $3.50 for fabric + $4.00 for white buttons

Construction notes:

• I did a small bust adjustment to grade down to a B-cup courtesy of Sew L.A.
• I graded from a six at the top of waistline to 8 at the bottom of the waistline, then to a 10 at the hips.
• I underlined the bodice with ivory cotton voile, then slip-stitched the facings flat to the underlining
• I did not sew buttonholes on pockets: they're not handy if they're buttoned shut
• I used bigger buttons--7/8"--and 1/2" clear ones under tabs
• I made top button hole on tab horizontal (no room for a vertical one)
• I faced the hem with a 2" wide bias strip, then top-stitched it flat--the unhemmed skirt was exactly the length I wanted, so next time I will hopefully remember to lengthen the skirt pieces.
• I could probably shorten the straps a smidge, I don't remember right now if I traced them at a six or an eight, but they could stand a little shortening
• The six-gore skirt really worked well with the narrow fabric width!

 On a completely unrelated note, I always love browsing through catalogs, but I'm beginning to think that part of the reason I love catalog shopping so much is the pictures.  Those catalog models always seem to have such glamorous lives.

Wait.  Cool enough for stockings, but no coat needed?

How clean is that desk?  

And don't get me started on the Athleta catalog.  I just want to live wherever it is they shoot pictures.

I think it's not just the clothes (which don't get me wrong, they're fabulous), it's the whole life.  I think I'm as seduced by the backdrops as I am the actual clothes. I try to make a point to picture the clothes in my kitchen making mac and cheese, getting cough medicine at my local grocery store, or while waiting in the drive-thru as a little litmus test: is it the dress/skirt/pants/shirt I love, or is it just the imagined lifestyle?

In any case, here is how I really wear my clothes: 

Standing outside in the middle of street while my kids play...

...and getting super sweet hugs and loud wet kisses.

And I'm good with that.

Sew Weekly Reunion Pantone Challenge

Thank you, Picmonkey!

Whew! My Sew Weekly Reunion project is complete!  I'm so glad we had a month for this instead of just a week.  I have much more appreciation for the hard work everyone did!

All apologies for the wrinkles...we're blaming wind, drinks, and a sloping driveway.

The Facts
Fabric: blouse: cotton voile, skirt: wool (from inherited stash), cotton voile scraps for facing

Notions: blouse: thread, skirt: 9" zip (from stash), lightweight interfacing, navy rayon seam binding (from stash), dark turquoise seam binding for hem (from Suzy), 2  3/4" buttons, (from stash) 

Pantone Challenge colors:

blouse: vivacious, koi, turbulence,  a smidge of acai?
skirt: I'm going with deep lichen...but maybe my skirt is a bit  more olive-y

Patterns: 
blouse: Sewaholic Pendrell (gifted by Suzy of SuzyBee Sews), modified view B, skirt: Simplicity 2475 Amazing Fit skirt, view B

Year: 
blouse: 2010
skirt: current

Time to complete:
blouse: an evening or two
skirt: a week of evenings

First worn: 
blouse: to work on Thursday 8/22
skirt:  to the Kansas City Historic Garment District Museum

Wear again? Yep! (but maybe not together)
Aside from parent/teacher meetings, our staff is fairly casual

Total cost: about 1 1/2 yards of fabric @ $6.99/yd, and skirt thread, so we'll say about $15.00.

My mom and dad and I spent Saturday with a trip to the River Market and the Kansas City Garment District Museum, followed by lunch and a trip to Bob Jones shoes.  I was so excited to finally go, and I swear I took lots of great pictures.  Unfortunately, when I got home this is all I had: 

Hmm.  I don't know why my camera ate the pictures, but I'm pretty sure my sister's laughing.  We went on a trip to Panama City together a couple of years ago, and came home with a million pictures of me, and exactly 1 picture of her feet.

I did get this great picture of my parents, though, in front of the giant needle & button statue.

Aren't they great? In solidarity, my mom wore a shirt I made for her from the Maria Denmark Day-to-Night Drape top pattern.  

Both Mom and Dad declared that the skirt was something my grandmother (my dad's mother) would have loved.  That olive-y green was her favorite color, which would explain why I had matching buttons, zipper, and fabric in my inherited stash.   It is a good color; I think it will go with pretty much everything I own.  For the blouse, I just serged the seams, but on the skirt, I kind of felt that the green wool deserved more attention, so I used bias binding on each seam and on the hem.  

In any case, my husband took some pictures for me at home that evening after dinner. 

Apparently, my kids think I'm wide enough to hide not just one, but two...