Worse than Curtains

Warning: I've discovered something worse than curtains.

Not to say that curtains are not useful, or are harmful, they're just...boring.  

Sewing curtains is boring.  

They are big, dumb rectangles of boring.  And then you go and do something stupid in your boredom, and they become big, dumb, stupid, f&9a&% curtains.  

This is why I buy curtains.

Sometimes, though, you can't buy what you want.  You look and look and look, and there are just no replacement seat cushions for your porch chairs.  Anywhere.  Not the right color, not the right fabric, not even the right size.  And the fabric on your current ones are rotting away in the sunlight.

Nothing says, "Welcome to our home!" quite like rotten porch chairs.  It makes the accidentally forgotten-to-water-and-now-dead mums look intentional.  Grisly.  Adams Family-y.

Hmm.

So I sucked it up, and recovered my porch chair cushions.

And the weather promptly turned cold and snowy, go figure.

To be fair, the first one wasn't boring, the second one was okay, the third one took a while to get going on, and the fourth was still sitting on my ironing board cut out, as of last night.  I powered through, telling myself I couldn't move on until it was done.

I powered through after these pictures, and finished. 

Chairs are summer popsicle ready, whenever it decides to come.  I'm still planning on re-painting the front door, but honestly, it might be June before warmth and time collide.  

The Details: 

Fabric: Sunbrella outdoor canvas, Capri blue: 4 yards

Notions: Coats and Clark UV resistant thread, poly foam fillers from previous cushions, 

sew-in velcro for loops, motivating beverages

Time to complete: Not unlike childbirth, I've forgotten the specifics

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.

A Perfect Alma* in 15, Maybe 16, Easy Steps

*Perfect being exactly what I had pictured in my mind.

1. Make size 8 in fashion fabric, adding 2" to hem, based on pattern reviews.  Realize it's too tight to raise arms comfortably. Curse.
2. Compare back shoulder on pattern to well fitting blouse: realize it's 1/2" too short for comfort.  
3. Look at pattern.  Size 10 is just right across the back.  Hmm.  Recall previous problems with sewing all long sleeved blouses. Decide it was also unflatteringly tight across belly, muslin entire size 10.
4. Laugh at ridiculously large purple gingham muslin. Try again.
5. Grade from 10 at back shoulder and front high bust through the armscye, using 8 for bottom of armscye and below. Keep 2" added length. Straighten out side seam shaping. Muslin that in badly dyed green plaid. Omit zipper, because it can slide over head.

   

   altered armscye

   
   

   

   straightened side seam

6. Ah, much better arm movement.  Except--tidal pool thing going on with front when arms raised over head. Fabric rushes up with arm tide movement, then gets stuck in one giant fold above breasts when arms lowered.  Yank down front; muse for a while.  



Add caption

7. Pick top ends of front darts so fabric doesn't high-center across bust.  Raise arms, then lower: Success!  Lower dart top by two inches on pattern. 
8. Critically study sleeves and arms.  Self-diagnose slightly forward shoulders. Rotate sleeve cap to provide more ease at front of shoulder.  Decide it was better before.
9. Go to bookstore and buy fitting guide. Read that perfect fit may need to be compromised for ease of movement.  Remember that writing on whiteboard in front of children is a job requirement.  Cut into 2nd fashion fabric with bodice as planned.
        
10. Test fit.  Decide to deepen back darts by 1/4" each, resulting in removing 1" of fabric across back waist.  Add zipper, noting it is much easier this time with straight-er side seams.  Test fit, do happy dance.  Mark back dart alteration on pattern.  

    

    back view with deepened darts

11. Muse on using sleeve as originally drafted vs. one with ease shifted 1/4" toward front.  Realize that last of tracing paper was used on tracing size 10 bodice, and cannot retrace sleeve pattern. Decide to go with altered draft. Perhaps issues were with construction, not pattern.
12. Nope, sleeve still not great.  Realize should have used a size 10 sleeve, but too late now.  Fudge armscye seams by sewing shallower allowances.  Not perfect, but still not great. Settle for just OK.
13. Finish shirt with additional top-stitching, and narrow hem.
    
14. Retrace size 10 sleeve for next iteration.
15. Go sew knits for while.
16. (Optional) Pose ninja/gangsta style for pictures with locals.

Just the Facts:

Pattern: Sewaholic Alma Blouse

Fabric: Cotton/hemp blend purchased at the amazing Kaplan's over the summer

Notions: interfacing for collar facing, invisible zip, knit stabilizer for zipper opening

Time to complete: It's a good thing I don't pay myself by the hour.  Time spent in Research and Development always pays off in the end, though, right?

Bonus: that invisible side zip? Rates a solid A on the Erin McKean Dress A Day Zipper Grading System.  Boo-yah.

Minoru, Minoru, Minoru

 

Can I tell you how many times I've wanted this finished already, either to wear, or to work on something else?  This is when the crazy happens, and I tend to take short cuts in order to be done that I don't end up appreciating in the long run.  Luckily, it was a busy month, and life itself kept me in check.  And, I got sick. Twice.

I actually started wearing this work on Wednesday, but couldn't get semi-decent pictures until today, as it is dark when I go to work, and dark again on my drive home.  These were taken at about 3:30, and you can see how long my shadow is already...plus, it was 17 degrees outside ( -8 C, if that's your thing) and we decided not to linger over these.

The fabric is something inherited from Grandma's stash. It may be some sort of wool/acrylic/poly-something blend?  I don't know.  I machine washed it, and it came out fine, if not slightly static-y.  The underside is coated with something that makes water bead up, and the top is slightly fuzzy like mohair. I used a double layer of silk organza as a press cloth, and my, but it does press nicely. 60" wide, and I had exactly what the pattern called for, and a little left over.  I can only assume she had planned to use this for a coat as well.  At this point, I realize I could attempt to do a burn test, but my excuse is that I currently have a child with a fear of house fires, and just don't want to send him into therapy. Yet.

mid-construction and hanging threads

Hanging loop and tag

The lining is flannel-backed Kasha satin from Vogue fabrics.  I ordered Ivory, as my fabric is ivory, but wasn't expecting to end up with two completely different shades of ivory.  I ordered ivory zippers as well, and they were the exact right shade.  Hmm.  Personally, I would call this more of a 'blush' color, but it works.  I additionally thought about adding Thinsulate, but decided it would be too bulky.

The zippers were a small problem.  I had to order them, and for the life of me couldn't find a matching pair in both a closed end and a separating zipper.  So I ordered two separating, and tacked the shorter one closed at the end.  Also, the pattern calls for an 18" zipper for the hood, but I'd read a couple people note that their opening was too big for the zipper, so I purchased a 20" zipper, and it worked just fine.

I totally used the sew-along pages when working on this. I even researched pockets for the front, and went back and forth on them.  I downloaded Karen's pockets, played with them, stitched the pleat flat, and gave up.  I actually like the way the plain front looks.  (Although it is tough to break a pocket habit)

On a completely unrelated note: Every time I pressed a seam, I wished I had already made a new ironing board cover.  I also wanted new pajama pants to sew in, but I stayed faithful and didn't commit project adultery.

Pattern: Sewaholic Minoru
Fabric: inherited wool/acrylic/poly? blend; Kasha lining (from Vogue Fabrics)
Notions: 20" and 28" separating zippers--I paid the dollar to have the 28" one shortened to the correct length, and tacked the shorter one shut; 2" wide elastic in cuffs and waist
Time to complete: longer than I'd have liked; I had a birthday in the middle of making this, but I don't think I overly aged in the process
Pattern changes: I lined the hood. And that's it.

This picture cracks me up, mostly because of the ninja window cling I'd forgotten 

was stuck on the edge of the mirror.