tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49999511525534308952024-03-14T00:56:09.615-06:00Sew Forth and ConquerA chronicle of my sewing and other creative journeysMarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-73545859360661841172017-01-19T23:51:00.000-07:002017-01-19T23:51:41.829-07:00May We Never Forget Our History<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">With conquering limbs astride from land to land;</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,</span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Linux Libertine', Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; color: #575b5d; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Emma Lazarus </span><br />
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<span style="color: #575b5d; font-family: Source Sans Pro, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white;">at the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty</span></span>MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-40314542576005856032015-11-15T15:38:00.000-07:002015-11-15T15:39:15.867-07:00New(ish) Addition to the Sewing Room HerdExcuse me while I dust the cobwebs off my blog. Cough, cough.<br />
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Okay, I'm back.<br />
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While I have a variety of items sewn over the last 10 months or so that I really want to show you (as well as many plans for new projects in the works), I'm going to start off with the purchase that has been helping me create lovely things in the sewing studio lately. Last January when I received my tax refund, I decided to buy myself a gift. Something I'd been looking at for awhile, but hadn't felt like I should spend the money on. Something I thought maybe I didn't really need, but would love to have. It turns out, however, that I really did need it after all.<br />
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Meet my new(ish) Juki TL2000Qi. She's a beauty.</div>
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Ash was almost as excited as I was when she arrived and insisted on helping her move in.</div>
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She came with her own accessories . . . </div>
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And her own bed . . . </div>
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And her own bed clothes . . . .</div>
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She seemed to be at home almost right away . . .</div>
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She took right over and insisted on immediately doing the quilting on the quilt I had been making for my best friend. The quilt that had been sitting for 2 years with the layers pinned together but not quilted because none of my other machines were willing to complete the task. Juki jumped right in, with no qualms or hesitations, and powered right through that quilt. She was very patient with my rusty free-motion quilting skills. However, she did ask me several times why, when I hadn't quilted for years, I decided to jump back into it with a queen-sized bed quilt instead of a nice small wall hanging. I just gritted my teeth and said "I love you Juki." </div>
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Juki is a straight-stitch only machine, but does beautiful free-motion work as well. She's very fast and couldn't care less about getting speeding tickets. We have been working together on all sorts of projects and seem to have developed a very strong bond with each other. Although, being straight-stitch only, she cannot do every task. So she has agreed to be part of the sewing studio team and doesn't get upset when I turn to the serger or my Rocketeer (Singer 500A) to help us out. We all make beautiful music together.</div>
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I don't have a local dealer for Juki, so I purchased her new online from Amazon (three cheers for Amazon Prime--talk about instant gratification!!). It's been about 10 months and we've had no problems so far. I love this machine!!!</div>
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On a smaller herd animal level, I also acquired this little cutie from <a href="http://marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a>.</div>
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I guess that's all for now. I hope to be back soon with discussion of some recent (and not so recent) projects. In the meantime, although this post is probably already too photo-heavy, I'll leave you with some snaps of the completed quilt I made for my friend.</div>
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I think Bear's Paw is my favorite traditional quilt block! Take care all and see you soon!</div>
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MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-40938313443782640482014-10-19T15:55:00.001-06:002014-10-19T15:55:05.134-06:00Biting the Photographic BulletAt the outset, I would like to thank each of you who left a comment on my last post, as well as those who may have read and sent positive thoughts without a written comment. Your thoughts, sympathies and good wishes were (and still are) extremely helpful in getting through a difficult period. It is hard and unreal to think that Mom is no longer here to talk with, ask questions of and share with--especially with regard to our love of sewing, both garment and quilting, which Mom handed down to both me and my sister. Although I find that I often still have those conversations with her in my head while I am going about things. I must say also that it was rather heartwarming to know that I was missed in the blogosphere. And then I went and disappeared again. sigh.<br />
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Now, where were we? I believe I last left you with a photo of the fabrics I had pulled from the collection to use in a summer 6-PAC grouping of garments <i>a la </i>Stitcher's Guild. I did get five out of the six pieces completed (I just never felt the need for the lightweight jacket and stalled out on that one) and found them to be quite perfect to wear this summer. But when it came down to writing a post on the garments, I kept putting it off. And putting it off. And putting it off. Why?<br />
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Because one of the pieces is a pair of pants.<br />
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We all know that things can look lovely on a dress form. But then we all think to ourselves "yes, beautiful, but how does it fit? What does it look like on you?" You can only show others the fit and flattery (or not) of a garment by showing how it really looks on you. This is most especially true with pants. So, I've decided I just need to bite the bullet and start photographing myself wearing some of the garments I make.<br />
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This is difficult for me. I am a large person. At least, larger than I would like to be. Nothing brings that home to me more than seeing myself in a photograph. But you can't just pin a pair of pants to the front of a dress form or hang them on a hanger and expect anyone to be able to see what they are or how they look, or be able to determine if this is a pattern they might like to try out themselves. And, to me, that's part of my purpose in blogging about what I make--to encourage others to try the patterns I find so fun to make and wear. So here we go. Biting the photographic bullet.<br />
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Let's start off slow with dress form pictures of the tops and skirt. The skirt is just my basic straight skirt--a tube of fabric; one seam with a slit opening in the lower seam and an elastic waist. With only one seam, the slit can be worn to either the side or the back. This is a natural colored linen. <br />
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The first top is OOP Vogue 8582, the Marcy Tilton top with the side drape. On this one, I cut it with the drape on both sides, but folded the corner of the pattern down, so that the drape is at a lower angle than the original 90 degrees. The fabric is a gorgeous rayon/lycra knit from <a href="http://marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a>. <br />
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Hopefully, in this photo you can see what I did with the pattern. The pattern piece on top is the original design lines, with the drape cut to the side at pretty much a 90 degree angle from the side seam. The bottom pattern piece shows how I simply folded down the upper corner of the drape to achieve the lower angle. I really like this look!</div>
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The second top is McCalls 6566, view C, made in a rayon batik from <a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a>. This loose, drapey look may not be the most flattering to me, but this makes such a cool and comfortable summer top that I kind of don't care. It's hard to see the design detail in this fabric, but I love the slightly gathered lower panel in the back.</div>
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The third top is my pattern-morph of the bottom of Vogue 1261 with the top of the StyleArc Adele Top. For this top I used a oatmeal colored rayon/lycra knit I found at JoAnns. The color was perfect, but the knit was a little thin to use single layer as a top without showing the world pretty much everything. So I double layered the front and back body, cutting the upper layer a couple of inches shorter. The sleeves are single layer. I love this look. Unfortunately, the fabric developed a little bit of waviness in stitching the lower hems which didn't want to press out nicely. Instead of taking the time to rip it out, thereby thoroughly exercising the more colorful side of my vocabulary, I have chosen to like the way it looks with the waviness. It's a design detail. Work with me.</div>
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This is how I wore this top to work one day with a pair of Cutting Line Designs Easy, Ageless, Cool pants (not part of the intended 6-PAC).<br />
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Apparently I need to remember to smile when taking photos.</div>
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The pants I made for the 6-PAC were Cutting Line Designs Discover Something Novel pattern, using the same natural linen as the above skirt. </div>
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Love these pants! They are fun to sew, fun to wear and extremely comfortable. And it's like Louise Cutting designed this crotch curve just for me.</div>
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The back of these pants hang pretty well for me.</div>
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I added pockets to the side seams because I am lost without pockets to put my keys in. I forgot to take a close-up of the pocket detail.</div>
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It's a little difficult to see, but I'm very proud of how straight and centered that side seam is!</div>
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And one last one with the Vogue 8582.</div>
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So. There it is. That's me. I guess that wasn't so bad after all.</div>
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I will be doing a more thorough post on the Discover Something Novel pants--I have made several pairs because I love them so much. And this weekend I made the new Marcy Tilton skirt--love love! So I'll do a post on that and on the latest Lynn Mizono dress that I also finished up this weekend. Plus several items from previous times that I still want to post about. That all should keep me busy for awhile. </div>
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So what have you all been up to?</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-62460326964873405282014-06-29T19:45:00.000-06:002014-06-29T19:45:05.511-06:00It's Been Awhile Wow. It's been a long first part of the year. I haven't sewn a thing for months except for a bit of mending. Somewhere around the first of the year, my Sewing Mojo packed up its bags and left me. I didn't hear a word from it for most of winter and spring. Not even a postcard. It did, however, leave behind its sibling to care for me and mend my wounds. The Fabric Acquisition Mojo. It has been a steady companion for the last six months. The only times I've been near the sewing studio have been to throw fabric into it.<br />
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But then, I haven't been feeling well for awhile either. So I've had no energy or interest in doing much of anything lately.<br />
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And then my Mom died. Two weeks ago. Saturday, June 14, 2014. The most fabulous, talented, beautiful, supportive person I've ever known. There isn't a person she's met that doesn't say she had an important impact on them. I know I was--and will continue to be--extremely fortunate to have had this woman for my mother and my friend. She showed me nearly every day how to be a better human being. I can only thank her by going forward and being that better human being.<br />
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If you have continued reading this far, I should at least give you some sewing content as a thank you. This was about the last project I finished before the Mojo took a hike this winter. I was testing this Katherine Tilton pattern as a possibility for a bigger project I have in mind. In the end, I decided the pattern won't work for the project, but I am happy with the jacket I got.<br />
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I used a cotton fabric I've had on the shelves for a few years. Black with red and white striping. I took several inches of width out of the pattern through the body and cut the bottom panels opposite to the body to play with the stripes. I may well make this pattern again--it's a nice little jacket and an easy sew. But next time I would completely face the bottom panel, rather than just a small hem. I think it would give a nicer weight and finish to the bottom of the jacket.</div>
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I like the red buttons. They seem happy.</div>
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Now I need to get back to the living part of life, rather than just existing, as I have been. I've been feeling better lately and have more energy. The Sewing Mojo and I have been negotiating a return to the studio. The acquired fabric piles have been washed, ironed and folded neatly. Ready for any whim that may come.<br />
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I have decided to start back in the studio by sewing a summer six-PAC per the Stitcher's Guild sew-a-long that is the brainchild of Elizabeth. I have chosen an assortment of fabrics in a neutral/natural color theme, because I need the basics. Shown below, from the top moving clockwise, is a feather print rayon batik from Fabric.com (for a top), a natural 100% linen from JoAnns (skirt or pants), an ivory with light brown specks rayon knit from JoAnns (top), a textured ivory/taupe tweedy linen from (probably) Fabric.com (lightweight jacket), a printed tone-on-tone woven from Marcy Tilton of some blend that I can't recall (some sort of shirt), and an RPL woven from EmmaOneSock (pants). In the middle is a lovely print rayon/lycra knit from Marcy Tilton for another top. I will be using mostly all patterns I have used before, so the reporting on the sewing may be less than interesting. But I am looking forward to the project.<br />
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I am sure, however, that after all this light neutral sewing I will be needing some color in my world. These below were an early birthday present from My Guy.</div>
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So, I'm thinking something red!</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-39067926194472377512013-11-06T19:45:00.000-07:002013-11-06T20:30:00.282-07:00Vogue 8499 Marcy Tilton Skirt (Number 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've had this piece of quilting cotton on my shelves for several years now. It's a print of zebras done in black, white and brown. I believe I found it at <a href="http://Equilter.com/">Equilter.com</a>. I just love the graphic quality of the print and it has that quirky factor that touches my funny bone. I purchased 3 yards because I knew I wanted to make a garment out of it rather than getting just a small piece for the quilting stash. (Yes, I have a quilting stash too. Sigh.) But I could never decide on the perfect pattern to use with it, so it has been sitting there a long time. </div>
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Until about three weeks ago when it suddenly shouted at me that it wanted to be a Marcy Tilton skirt. Specifically, Vogue 8499.<br />
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So I obeyed.<br />
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Oh. My. Gosh. I love this skirt. It turned out just as I envisioned. Just as the fabric told me it would look in this pattern.</div>
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This really is one of my favorite skirt patterns. The bell shape is very flattering and very fun to wear. The pockets enhance the interesting shape of the skirt and add a fun element. It's difficult to see in this print, but I chose to use buttons at the top of the pockets, rather than the recommended zippers.</div>
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It may be a little out there, but I have a feeling that I will be wearing this skirt a lot. The cotton fabric will be nice to wear in the summer months, but it also will be quite wearable in all but the coldest times of the rest of the year, worn with tights and boots. </div>
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This skirt just makes me happy! (And I love the zebra noses!)</div>
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ETA: I have posted about two previous versions of this skirt <a href="http://sewforthandconquer.blogspot.com/2013/01/vogue-8499-skirt-and-stylearc-debra.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and <a href="http://sewforthandconquer.blogspot.com/2013/03/vogue-8499-skirt-version-2.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-25502609925946040362013-10-05T15:43:00.000-06:002013-10-05T15:43:22.928-06:00McCall's 6566 and The Sewing Workshop E-Dress/SkirtWow, it's October already. And we've already had snow here (meaning here in town, not just up in the mountains, although the town snow melted off pretty quickly). And I've still got summer projects to blog about.<br />
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A few more pieces that I managed to accomplish this summer included a couple of tops from <a href="http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6566-products-22757.php?page_id=483" target="_blank">McCall's 6566</a>:<br />
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I bought this pattern because, while the tops are really very simple, there are some design/style lines tossed in that added a little interest. I also liked that the fabric recommendations included both knits and wovens, thus expanding the possibilities.</div>
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I started with View C, which is a dolman-sleeved top with a plain front and a gathered inset at the lower back. I thought it looked like a good possibility for the type of loose, airy tops I like to wear in the summer. I don't seem to have a picture of the first version I made, which ended up being much too large through the body and too wide in the neckline. I wear that version for casual weekend wear, but it's much too sloppy-fitting to wear to work. For the second version, I went down a size. I also then offset the center front and back pattern pieces about a half of an inch past the fold of the fabric when cutting, which effectively reduced the circumference of the neckline by two inches and took a little more out of the width of the body as well. This gave me just what I wanted for a loose-fitting, but not overwhelming, top. This version I made out of another of the rayon challis I've gotten from <a href="http://Fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a>. </div>
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I love how this top turned out and I wore it quite a bit this summer. I know I will be making more next summer.</div>
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I also wanted to try View D, which has a cross-over back inset. I used a rayon knit for this one. When looking at the pattern pieces, I appeared to me that the cross-over back might be lower and more revealing that what I wanted, so I raised the angle of back neckline a bit. The pattern piece is show in the photo below. The curved red line is the original pattern line. I cut starting about an inch and a half above that line at the side back seam, gradually blending back to the original line.</div>
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This pretty much worked, but I will raise the back even more next time I make this one. It's still a little lower than I would like--okay for weekend wear, but it doesn't feel appropriate for work. I'll also go down a size over all for the next one, as this turned out a little oversized, and probably raise/narrow the neckline in front as well. But, really, I think I like the pattern and it could be fun to play with--color blocking, combining multiple prints, stripes changing direction, etc. My fabric had a tie-dye effect that I could run in different directions.</div>
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Here's the back view:</div>
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Another pattern I finally got around to making this summer was the <a href="http://www.sewingworkshop.com/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.pbv.v1.tpl&product_id=1238&category_id=6" target="_blank">Sewing Workshop's E-Dress/Skirt</a>. This is a downloaded pattern from the SW website. </div>
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I'm not really a dress person, but I love a good skirt. And now I'm kicking myself for not getting to this one sooner than I did. This skirt has simple lines, but I love how the bottom band is shaped so as to give the skirt a bit of a lantern shape. I made my first version out of a green rayon/poly/lycra woven (no idea where I got this fabric from--it's been sitting on the shelves for awhile).</div>
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Once I knew I was happy (excited, really) with the fit and look of the pattern, I pulled a charcoal gray pinstripe 100% linen out of the pile of summer "Chosen Ones" fabrics. </div>
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The bottom band on this skirt is another opportunity to play with fabric. I've been thinking about some embellishment or fabric manipulation ideas for other versions of this. </div>
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This SW E-Skirt pattern will be a regular TNT in the skirt pattern rotation for me. I've got a couple planned for my fall/winter sewing and I think this skirt could be a real workhorse garment in anyone's wardrobe! </div>
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I've started sewing for fall and winter. Around here the last couple of years we seem to be getting less and less fall, more and more winter. It makes me want to sew coats and jackets!</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-440296854028945762013-09-02T10:06:00.000-06:002013-09-02T10:06:38.946-06:00I Thought I Had a Plan--What Happened?So now that it's September, Labor Day weekend and the symbolic (at least to me) end of summer, I thought I'd finally write that post about my summer sewing plans. At least this way I can both tell you about what I want(ed) to sew this summer and also give you an immediate update on my progress.<br />
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Progress on the Plan: Not much.<br />
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I think I've said it before. I'm just not a summer person. I don't enjoy the heat of summer and I find it difficult to warm up to (heh, heh) the fabrics and clothing styles necessary to survive the heat. However, this summer I wanted to try to be more organized and thoughtful in planning some sewing that would help me build a more cohesive, interesting and fun to wear summer wardrobe. So late in May (very late in May), when it finally appeared like summer might actually arrive in Montana, I started pulling fabrics from the shelves. I just grabbed whatever was there that was summery in weight and color that I thought might be fun to get sewn up in the next couple of months. Surprisingly, the fabrics I pulled, when piled together, worked as a group much more than I expected. I seemed to have subconsciously pulled a core of grey and white (and a little black of course) with strong accents of bright green. From there, there were segues into some neutral linen colors, some rust/browns and a bit of turquoise. I also came across a striped linen scarf with some of the same colors. The photos below show the grouping of fabrics I threw together. Much more than I knew I would ever get through during the summer, but plenty to chose from as I went.<br />
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I thought "okay, now I'm ready to sew that thoughtful summer wardrobe." Then I promptly pulled out a fabric that was not included in my grouping and made a shirt. Sigh.</div>
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This is a rayon challis border print I got from <a href="http://Fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> several years ago. I just love the print and have been wanting to sew it up for quite awhile now. (I wish I could have avoided the twinning of the print at center front, but was limited with fabric.)</div>
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Fabrics like rayon challis (when you can find the good stuff with good prints) are my favorite for summer tops because they are so lightweight and cool to wear when it's hot out.</div>
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I like loose fitting, kind of floaty tops for summer and this is a pattern I use often when I want to let a fabric carry the day in a garment. It's adapted from Lois Ericson's pattern Layers & Layers. I used the little top shown in grey under the vest in the middle of the lower row on the pattern cover (Jacket B), with a few adaptations, including changing the neckline to a V-neck.</div>
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I create a cut on, fold-over placket for buttons/buttonholes and finish the neckline with a bias binding.</div>
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After finishing the black border print, I promptly made another one out of yet another fabric not from the "Chosen Ones." This is another rayon challis from Fabric.com. These two tops I made in a longer tunic style to take advantage of the border print and because I sufficient of the batiky challis. I often vary the finished lengths of this top pattern depending on the fabric I'm using and the look I want to achieve.</div>
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And then I kept going with other fabrics not within the plan. A striped rayon knit from <a href="http://www.girlcharlee.com/" target="_blank">Girl Charlee</a> made up in Vogue 8881. This was less successful than I had hoped. The long front and back seams pull oddly a bit when worn and I haven't gotten around to seeing if I can resolve that issue.</div>
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Next, a camp shirt in a fun cotton print of a cartoony undersea scene. This is <a href="http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Shopper_id=8460921137588460&Store_id=516&page_id=23&Item_ID=1281" target="_blank">Cutting Lines Designs Easy Ageless Cool</a> pattern. I like to always have a "go to" camp shirt pattern in my arsenal and this is a good one. I often come across weird prints that just tickle my funny bone somehow and I think a camp shirt is a good way to use those kind of prints.</div>
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Inevitably, another Sewing Workshop Liberty T-Shirt in a rayon knit print. I actually have two pieces of this knit, one obtained from Fabric.com and the other from <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/fabricindex.asp" target="_blank">EmmaOneSock</a>. I think I also saw it briefly on <a href="http://marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton's site</a>. It is a beautiful print and I have worn this top often this summer. But it wasn't in the Chosen pile. Sigh.</div>
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I do have more things that I have sewn up this summer, including even a few from the "Chosen Ones" fabrics. I hope to get them on the blog here soon. Even so, I did not get as much sewing done this summer as I had hoped. My sewing room faces directly west. As a result, it becomes miserable to be in after about 3 or 4:00 in the afternoon unless you enjoy sewing in a steam room. So I just didn't spend as much time in there as I wanted to.</div>
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Now that it's officially September, I'm craving some autumn sewing. I know that we will continue to have warm days for awhile, so I'm going to start with lighter pieces. At the moment I have another Vogue 8499 Marcy Tilton skirt under the needle. But those wools are starting to sing their siren songs.<br />
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-79372133975704987602013-06-23T13:03:00.001-06:002013-06-23T13:24:32.149-06:00Vogue 1347 Chado Ralph Rucci JacketMy last project for late winter/early spring--which I actually finished several weeks ago, but am only now getting to blogging about--was the shirt/jacket from <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1347-products-44841.php?page_id=315&search_control=display&list=search" target="_blank">Vogue 1347</a>, a design by Chado Ralph Rucci. I think the Chado RR designs for Vogue Patterns always are very interesting, with fascinating design and construction details, but are not always a garment that I think I would actually wear. This jacket, however, seemed to be very wearable (with the possible exception of the dangling ties, which in our household will probably be viewed as just more cat toys) and I wanted to give it a try.<br />
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For the fabric, I selected this piece that has been in my collection for a number of years, but I could never decide on the "right" project for it. Since I wanted to see how this pattern would look in a stripe, I thought now was the time to use this fabric. I couldn't find reference to this particular piece of fabric in my records, but I think it might have been a FabricMart find. It is a black and silver textured stripe, with a touch of white, in some sort of man-made fiber(s), I'm thinking maybe acetate and lycra. Lots of lycra. For a woven fabric, this baby has cross-grain stretch like you wouldn't believe. For the ties, I chose a random piece of black off the shelves, picking one that had the right shade of black and a dressier feel to it. Everything was from stash, even the buttons (yay!).<br />
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Sadly, I failed to match the stripes going down from the yoke to the lower bodice in the front, but I just didn't have enough fabric to make that happen. I was able to match the bias pieces of the back yoke to achieve a nice chevron effect. Although I will pat myself on the back in noting that my bias stripes in the back matched up perfectly, I also observe that a slight misalignment of stripes in the back yoke would be less noticeable on this pattern because that seam is covered by a strip of the solid black.</div>
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Hmmm. The above picture makes it look like the hips are a little too snug, but that is not the case on my body. There is plenty of ease in this pattern at all areas. But this picture does point out one of my construction mistakes that I elected to leave as a mistake. In pretty much the first step of the instructions, you are directed to sew the lower front and back bodice pieces together at the side seams. I knew from the pattern photo, as well as the pattern pieces themselves and the instructions, that the lower section of the side seams is to be left open for a vent. But no, I blithely sat down at the machine, sewed and finished the seam from top to bottom, and only remembered about the vent as I was pressing the seam again. DUH! Really? I can't get past the first step of the instructions without making a mistake? I chalked it up to the hubris that sometimes bites an experienced sewist in the a$$, decided I liked the look as it was and moved on.</div>
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Here's a couple of closer looks at the back yoke area.</div>
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As I mentioned above, the Vogue CRR patterns always have intriguing design and construction details. This particular pattern has great design lines, with the yoke/upper sleeve piece, the separate under sleeve and the lower sleeve band, as well as the decorative bands. As far as construction details, I actually omitted the major one, which is that all of the seams in this garment are supposed to be flat-fell construction. However, I think I also mentioned above that the fabric I chose has a LOT of lycra. It's really stretchy on the cross-grain. The thought of trying to do flat-fell seams on this fabric made me want to tear my hair out before I even tried sewing a seam. So I intentionally opted out of the flat-fell technique. Instead, I stitched the seams, finished them on the serger and then top-stitched them flat. Honestly, with the color and texture of this fabric (and using black thread), the effort of doing a true flat-fell would have been lost--you can barely even see the top-stitching unless you're looking very close. Here's a picture of the inside yoke area.</div>
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I thought that with the multiple pieces involved in the sleeves of this garment, it would be fun to play with a stripe to see what the effect would be. I think it looks pretty cool, if I do say so myself. </div>
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The front and back yoke/upper sleeve is all one piece (well, one piece for each side which is then seamed together at center back as shown above). The shaping for the shoulder area is achieved with a dart placed where the shoulder seam would normally be. The collar is a fairly standard shirt two-piece stand and collar construction, with the stand at center front being squared off instead of curved (much easier to make both sides identical!)<br />
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I will say that the solid black I used for the decorative bands became a little stiff by the time they were sewn in a tube, turned and top-stitched onto the body of the garment. As a result, the bands on the sleeves kind of cause the sleeves to stand out and open in a bit of a bell shape. In some ways, I don't mind that because it emphasizes the lovely piecing of the sleeve design. In other ways, it makes this garment kind of "a lotta look." It certainly won't be one of my every-day pieces to wear. But it will be really fun to pull out when a dressier look is called for. But then again, it might be just fine to wear to work open over a nice knit top, with basic black slacks and a great silver necklace. I'll have to try some more styling options. All in all, I'm very pleased with how this jacket turned out. I would love to try another version using a solid color, probably a linen, similar to the look shown on the pattern cover. I think solid linen would result in a garment that would be very wearable in daily life.</div>
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As far as sizing, after looking at the finished garment measurements on the pattern tissues and doing a little flat measuring of my own, I elected to size down two sizes in the upper body/sleeves and one size through the hips from what is recommended for my measurements on the actual size chart on the back of the envelope. It worked perfectly. I would also say that this pattern is surprisingly simple to sew. The only difficulties I see would be if you've never done a two-piece stand collar and the top stitching. The instructions for the collar were pretty clear and, as I noted, the stand is squared off in the front, so there is no having to match the shape of the curves at each end. An edge-stitching or blind hem foot is always helpful with achieving even top-stitching, but I chose to fly without a net and just used my regular straight stitch foot (I'm too lazy to change foots unless I really need to.)</div>
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If you've always really wanted to sew up a Vogue Chado Ralph Rucci design, but were hesitating because you thought they were too difficult, this pattern would be an excellent one to dip your toes in the water with.</div>
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In other sewing, I've finally moved on to sewing for warm weather. I've pulled fabrics/patterns and even stitched up a few items. Hopefully I'll have updates soon.<br />
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MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-55657007039699302302013-05-12T11:38:00.000-06:002013-05-12T11:58:18.862-06:00Three TNT TopsI recently made up three knit tops over a weekend. I had pulled the fabrics out and had them sitting on the work table while I admired them and tried to decide what they wanted to be. One I had purchased several years ago, one purchased last summer and the last purchased just about a month ago. I love each for its striking and unique look.<br />
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I often get on myself for not using and expressing more creativity in my sewing, whether that be by redesigning and changing up how I use my TNT (Tried and True) patterns, or by experimenting more with combining fabrics, or by working more with fabric manipulation/embellishment. I feel often like I'm copping out or not pushing myself enough in my sewing. Especially when I read others' blogs and am so impressed with their creativity in what they do.<br />
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But then, sometimes, I look at a fabric and just want to let its beauty sing on its own in a simple design that I know will work and I will love wearing.<br />
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These photos aren't the best at showing the details of the garments (they kind of just look like blobs of fabric), but they do show the fabrics. And you've seen other versions of these patterns made by both myself and others in the sewing world.<br />
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I believe I got this first fabric several years ago from <a href="http://www.marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a>. I'm not positive, because I couldn't find an entry for it in my record book, but I'm pretty sure it was MT. I used the <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/" target="_blank">StyleArc</a> Adele Top pattern for this one because I thought the angles of the pattern went well with the angles of the fabric.<br />
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This is a nice lightweight rayon knit that should work well going into early summer, even with long sleeves. I love the rough raw-edge feel to the lines in the fabric. (please try to ignore the wobbly-looking hem--it's not that bad in real life)</div>
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Next up was a gorgeous rayon/lycra knit that I got from EmmaOneSock last July. It's kind of a spotty stripe print in black, gray and white. For the pattern, I used Vogue 8582 (now OOP), the Marcy Tilton designed knit top with the side drape.</div>
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I use this pattern a lot because it fits nicely through the shoulders and upper torso, but has an easy loose fit elsewhere that makes it extremely comfortable to wear. I'm sure I'll be using it again soon with the sleeves shortened for a couple summer tops.</div>
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Finally, there was this more recent acquisition--a rayon/lycra knit print from <a href="http://www.sawyerbrook.com/" target="_blank">Sawyer Brook</a>. As soon as I saw this fabric come up on their website, I knew I had to have some. I just love the African theme of the print and the colors that were used. I also knew pretty much right away that it wanted to be another <a href="http://www.sewingworkshop.com/" target="_blank">Sewing Workshop</a> Liberty top. (and that one figure's head does not actually land right on my boob when I'm wearing the shirt, it just looks that way on the dress form)</div>
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I apologize if you all are getting completely bored with how often I make this pattern, but I just can't resist. You know when people ask that question: If you were marooned on a desert island with a sewing machine and all the fabric/notions you could desire, what would be the top 10 patterns you would want to have with you? Well, the SW Liberty Shirt would be number 1 on my list. And I'm fairly positive this pattern also will be showing up a couple of times in my summer sewing.</div>
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And so I go on, torn between the thought that I should be more creative in using and applying the sewing skills I know I have and the knowledge that sometimes it's good to let the uniqueness of the fabric and patterns speak for themselves. Where do you fall on this continuum?</div>
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Last weekend I went through the majority of my fabric collection, reorganizing and culling some of the (to me) dead weight. I now have five big black trash bags of fabric in the trunk of the car waiting to go to the thrift shop. I still have A LOT of fabric, but I feel better about what I have and it's all up off the floor and on the shelving units (yes "units" plural). I still have to go through the sewing closet before I'm finished, but I am a bit rejuvenated and ready to sew. Sewing so far this weekend has been a little boring--I made two pair of black pants from my TNT pattern to replace two pair in the closet that have become pretty worn out. I used a cotton/lycra sateen for one and a 100% linen for the other, both fabrics very nice and found at JoAnn's, surprisingly enough. I always try to have several pairs of basic black pants in my closet as they are my go to garment for my bottom half.</div>
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My other project for this weekend is to finish up the last of my late winter projects. I'm working on <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1347-products-44841.php?page_id=315" target="_blank">Vogue 1347</a>, the Chado Ralph Rucci shirt/jacket. It's been sitting on the work table half-completed for two weeks now and I want to get it done.</div>
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We've finally had a few sunny and relatively warm days here in my neck of Montana, so I'm finally starting to think about summer sewing. I've pulled the stack of fabrics I want to work with for summer and I've been thinking about joining the <a href="http://artisanssquare.com/sg/index.php/topic,20669.0.html" target="_blank">Stitchers' Guild Summer 6-PAC</a> sew-a-long. Warm weather clothes are not my favorite to sew, so I need all the incentive and cheering on that I can get!</div>
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Finally, on my last post, Martha asked about faille. There are several descriptions of faille at <a href="http://TextileGlossary.com/">TextileGlossary.com</a>. Essentially, faille is known by its kind of ribbed texture created by differing weights of the fibers used in the warp and weft of the fabric. Faille comes in all types of fiber content; I currently have pieces of faille in both silk and cotton, and I have seen it also in both polyester and acetate. As far as drapiness, in my experience that can vary quite a bit. I have always washed any piece of faille I've acquired (because I wash virtually everything in my collection before it goes on the shelves, except a few special pieces of wool or silk), and I've had some become very drapey and some not. The drape of the fabric also can depend on the fiber content and the thickness of the warp/weft fibers used. The cotton and poly blend faille I used in my skirt clearly had a nice drape to it that lent itself well to the tucks and volume of that pattern. Other failles I have encountered have a much more stiff hand to them.</div>
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I have a large hunk of black cotton faille I got a while back from FabricMart. I purchased this piece because I needed to make a couple of art garments and I was hoping the fabric would discharge well. Nicely, upon applying a bleach/water discharge, the fabric became a lovely rust which then moved toward a lighter salmon/pink color. I shall have to take some photos of the vests I made with this fabric and write up a post on it soon.</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-58254437415114195512013-04-14T17:47:00.000-06:002013-04-14T17:47:29.421-06:00Vogue 1333 Sandra Betzina SkirtI've been wanting to stitch this skirt up for quite awhile, but couldn't decide what fabric to use. Mainly because this skirt is a fabric hog in requiring approximately 3 1/2 yards of 60" fabric in the mid to upper size ranges. (I made a size F, which is roughly equivalent to my measurements on the chart.) I just didn't have anything really suitable in stash that was that much yardage. Finally, I pulled this fabric off the shelf that I got from FabricMart about a year ago--there was more than enough yardage and I wanted to see how the skirt worked up in a border print. The fabric is a dark gray cotton/poly/lycra faille with an embroidered border of flowers in colors ranging from white to pink to fuchsia to burgundy, and vines in green. Totally NOT my usual in fabric choice (other than it being faille--I love faille). I'm not usually one to pick floral motifs in my fabrics, but this one just kind of pulled at something in me. I'm glad I went with the whim, though, because I love this fabric and I love how the skirt turned out. (this knit top actually matches one of the colors in the flowers, even though it doesn't seem so in the photo)<br />
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Kitty had to help with the photo shoot. Everyone, meet Ash. She is 8 months old and is learning how to be a sewing room kitty. Some days are better than others.</div>
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Side view:<br />
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This is pattern basically is a simple elastic waist skirt with an overlay piece that has sewn tucks in three places. I really like how the tucks/pleats cause the side drape to fall in nice folds and give interest to the skirt. Of course, the overall volume of the skirt will look different depending on the fabric you choose. You want something with a nice drape; anything with a stiffer hand might tend to look like you are wearing a one-sided pannier. My hips and behind don't need that kind of help. Actually, the tucks lay very nicely along the back without adding too much extra bulk.</div>
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The back:</div>
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As I noted above, I wanted to see how this pattern made up in a border print. I think the answer is "fabulous!" Note that the pattern pieces are not a straight line across the bottom where the border is placed; they both curve a bit. This worked alright in my fabric because I had a couple of inches of plain fabric at the selvedge to work with in placing the hem. Some border prints may be a little trickier for placement.</div>
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Other than the layout and cutting (this pattern essentially is just two really big pattern pieces cut single layer, so you need a fairly good sized cutting space and no help from kitty), this skirt is very fast and easy to stitch together. I think this would make a great skirt for summer in a lighter weight and color of fabric, and I'm considering options in the fabric collection for a summer version.</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-51950345174118300532013-03-31T20:33:00.000-06:002013-04-01T09:24:47.165-06:00Butterick 5891 Katherine Tilton Top and JacketJust a warning--this post has quite a few pictures.<br />
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Butterick Patterns recently released a couple of patterns designed by Katherine Tilton, sister of Marcy Tilton. (I'm still a bit curious about why she moved from Vogue to Butterick--anyone have any ideas?) One pattern that really hit my "need to make it now" button was B5891, a very interesting pattern for a top/vest and a jacket. I purchased it right away (well, as soon as the Butterick website put them on sale).<br />
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I decided to try the vest first. The pattern actually describes this views A/B as a "top," but I call it a vest because I would only wear it over another garment with sleeves. My upper arms do not make public appearances any more.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-73j9oireIyQ/UVjmEwa2S9I/AAAAAAAAAQs/3BwN6c4aGc4/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-73j9oireIyQ/UVjmEwa2S9I/AAAAAAAAAQs/3BwN6c4aGc4/s640/DSC_0018.JPG" width="491" /></a></div>
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I chose an odd fabric I had sitting on the shelves that I got from Vogue Fabrics about three years ago. It was labeled as a poly/rayon blend striped jacquard. I thought it was kind of weird and wasn't sure what to do with it, so it sat around for awhile. I figured it would be good to use for testing this pattern, since I wouldn't mind if it became a wadder.<br />
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This is a very interesting pattern. It is rather cumbersome to cut out because there are 15 pattern pieces and they are almost all cut with the fabric single layer. I think it is essential to keep the pattern pieces attached to the cut fabric until the last possible moment and to transfer all the markings to the fabric. It is very easy to get the pieces mixed up or get them turned around. It would be a nightmare if your fabric looked the same on both front and back. Luckily, my fabric had some sort of interfacing pre-fused to it, so it was quite clear which was the wrong side. This did become an issue at one point, however, because the inside of the double collar shows the wrong side of the inner collar when you wear the neck unbuttoned. As a result, I chose to self-line the inner collar so it would look nicer when open.</div>
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Here's a view with the collar buttoned up</div>
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And the back. I tried to play with the texture of the fabric in the peplum pieces.</div>
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The front peplum pieces have tucks sewn in, which adds an interesting contrast to the otherwise fairly straight structure of the garment.</div>
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Overall, I'm basically happy with the resulting vest. My fabric is probably a little to stiff for this pattern, so it may not be the most flattering look on me. The vest is narrow through the shoulders, but increases greatly in width at the hipline--my stiffer fabric kind of accentuates that. Also, if I ever make it again, I will cut the armscyes a little lower. They are cut high under the armpit, which is a good feature if you are going to wear it alone as a top (no bra flashing when you raise your arms), but makes it a little tight with a shirt on underneath. </div>
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While this is not a difficult garment to stitch together, I must say that the pattern directions were a little vague in some areas and also could have included a little more info on finishing details for a better resulting garment. A beginning level sewist might have some difficulties figuring out what the instructions mean for you to do in certain places, but a little playing with the pieces reveals how it all comes together.</div>
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Shortly after finishing the vest, I just had to make the jacket as well. For this I chose a raw silk tweed in natural, black and white. I previously had washed the fabric, so it was a little more drapey than perhaps this view needs. The collar is a really neat feature and I'm not sure it comes across as nice as it could with another fabric with more body to it. However, I must say, I LOVE this jacket. The collar is really fun to play with, and can be draped in different ways. There is a small button hidden inside the <strike>left</strike> right collar that will hold the <strike>right</strike> left side of the collar inside, like here:</div>
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Or, you can leave that unbuttoned for a completely different look:</div>
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As I was rather convinced that this wasn't going to turn out well, I didn't bother to change the serger thread to a color that would blend into the fabric, so you can see the serging on the collar edges as it drapes. When I decided I really like this jacket, I was kind of pissed at myself for being lazy. But, actually, the more I look at it, the more I kind of like the contrast of the black serging. The nature of the tweed is such that it hides some of the design features, such as the front shoulder princess seams, so the bit of contrast seems to add something to me.</div>
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Here's the back. Rather simple, but it really hangs nicely.</div>
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It also has side seam pockets.</div>
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I am really very happy with this jacket. It's a fun look, adaptable to lots of different fabrics for different looks. Furthermore, this is much simpler and definitely quicker to put together than the top/vest view of the pattern. I see at least one (maybe two) more of these in my future!</div>
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MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-78763030259409453582013-03-20T12:42:00.000-06:002013-03-20T13:21:21.159-06:00I'm Now a Bloglovin FoolI've joined the troops in flocking to Bloglovin<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/3520101" target="_blank">Follow my Blog with Bloglovin</a>MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-66196114035449421542013-03-04T12:56:00.001-07:002013-03-04T12:56:51.603-07:00Vogue 8499 Skirt Version 2Although it has taken me forever to write up a post about it, I made a second version of the Vogue 8499 Marcy Tilton skirt in early January. This time I used a linen/cotton blend fabric in black with cream dots woven in to create a striped effect (<a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/" target="_blank">acquired from EmmaOneSock</a>). I love this second version even more than the first! (The top is another StyleArc Debra Zebra--it fits better on me than it looks on the dressform)<br />
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The dots/stripes were woven across the grain of the fabric, so I cut the main pieces of the skirt on the cross grain for vertical stripes and then cut the pockets with the grain for a little contrast and interest.</div>
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For the pocket closures, I used plain black zippers with silver metallic teeth that I found at the local JoAnn's and added some simple silver zipper pulls that I had in stash. I again made a shallower sub-pocket inside one of the larger outer pockets to be more accessible for my work keys and such, but again forgot to take a photo of that part.</div>
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This skirt is so fun--both to sew and to wear. Although it has a pretty distinctive look to it, I think there might be room for at least one more in my closet if the right fabric comes along or pops off the shelves of the fabric collection.</div>
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While searching out the photos of this skirt, I also came across photos of one of my last projects in 2012. I finally got around to making up the E-Shrug, a downloaded pattern from The SewingWorkshop. I made the lengthened version with long sleeves for a nice sweatery waterfall cardigan. The fabric is another colorway of the poly/cotton sweater knit from <a href="http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/xcart/home.php" target="_blank">FabricMart</a> that I used to make Vogue 8854 last fall.</div>
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I did get some time in the sewing room this last weekend--hopefully I can get some photos taken in the next day or so to post.</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-12175410992948943452013-01-06T21:50:00.000-07:002013-01-06T21:59:46.117-07:00Vogue 8499 Skirt and StyleArc Debra Zebra TopWell, I seem to be getting a slow start to the New Year. I just can't decide what I want to work on and where I want to focus. Also, I have several projects I completed during the last couple of months of 2012 which I still want to blog about, but haven't gotten to. Here's one.<br />
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I've owned a copy of Vogue 8499 since it was issued (the copyright year on the envelope is 2008). This is a skirt and pant pattern designed by Marcy Tilton.<br />
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I originally purchased the pattern because I loved the lines of the skirt. I was not so thrilled with the pants at the time. True to my nature, I tossed the pattern on the pile of other purchased-but-never-made-up patterns and allowed it to languish for several years. Then I kept seeing other sewists making up fabulous versions of the pants and I wanted to jump on the bandwagon of making these "cute with an edge" pants. After two failed attempts, I had to admit that the style of these pants just do not mesh with my personal body structure, no matter how many alterations/adaptations I made. But I kept thinking that I still wanted to try the skirt. So I put the pattern back onto the pile of oblivion.<br />
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Then earlier this fall I purchased a fabric from <a href="http://www.marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a> that I thought wanted to be a skirt. Rummaging through various patterns options, I came across Vogue 8499 and thought "aha!" finally the perfect opportunity to try this pattern. Of course, I didn't want to cut my lovely MT fabric without testing the pattern first, so I pulled out a piece I had acquired last summer at JoAnn's. The fabric is a linen/rayon blend in grey with black circle/swirls printed on it. My response to the pattern test was "Oh my gosh, what took me so long!!??" I love this skirt! It is very comfortable and is so fun to wear!<br />
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Even though I tend to wear my skirts long in length, I did shorten this pattern about 1.25 inches (but I have short legs). If you haven't made this pattern before, be aware that, as a result of the skirt design and technique for stitching the skirt panels together, the hems of each piece (center front, 2 side fronts and the back) are finished prior to stitching the lengthwise seams together. Thus, you must determine your preferred finished skirt length at the outset of the process--you cannot leave that decision to the last step of your sewing. I shortened the pattern pieces at a point between the top of the pockets and the waist to avoid messing with the pocket pieces. I also omitted the recommended zipper closure at the back waist and used just an elastic waistband. I added a slight amount to each side of the main body pieces from about the top of the pockets up to the waist to make sure there was enough width to pull the skirt up over my hips. It worked well.</div>
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I didn't have any appropriate zippers in stash to finish the tops of the pockets in the manner recommended by the pattern (and I was not leaving the house that weekend just to buy notions for a test garment!), so I added a fold over facing (with interfacing for support) to the top of the pocket pieces and made a buttonhole. I actually really like this closure option. I also added a shorter "sub pocket" inside one of the outer pockets that is only about 4 inches deep so that I can carry things like my keys at work without digging all the way to the floor each time I want to use them. I forgot to take a photo of that.</div>
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In the photos, I have this skirt paired with a <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/" target="_blank">StyleArc</a> Debra Zebra Top in a dark grey rayon/lycra knit. This funnel-neck top is wonderful both standing on its own as a top and as a layering piece under other items. I have made several of these now in different basic colors and I'm pretty sure I will be making more. Another winner by StyleArc! If I recall correctly, the only alteration I made to this top pattern was my standard adding width to the sleeve for my big upper arms.</div>
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I have another V8499 skirt in progress as I am writing this post. In the end, I decided to hold off on using my MT fabric that I originally had in mind for this project because I thought it might be a little too lightweight. I need to ponder it more. So I pulled a different piece from the fabric shelves. I'm about halfway through the sewing process and am at that point where I'm wondering just exactly where my brain was when I thought this fabric would be fabulous in this skirt. But I'm pushing through to get to the "oh yes, I was right about this pairing" stage. Hopefully I find it.<br />
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-20153848199465010502012-12-26T09:53:00.000-07:002012-12-26T09:53:04.235-07:00Thank You Gwen!So, the other day I discovered that the lovely Gwen of the blog <a href="http://allmyseams.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">All My Seams</a> included me in her nominations for the Lovely Blog/Very Inspiring Blog Awards. I am deeply flattered by, and appreciative of, her recognition. Gwen does beautiful work and, if you subscribe to <em>Threads Magazine</em> or can get your hands on one, the most recent issue that just came out (for February?) has a "Readers' Closet" article which features a gorgeous jacket made by Gwen. It is absolutely a "must see."<br />
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The Rules of the Award provide as follows:<br />
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1. Thank the person who nominated you. (See above)<span style="background-color: blue;"><br /></span>2. Add The One Lovely Blog Award/Very Inspiring Blogger Award to your post. (also see above)<br />3. Share 3 things about yourself.<br />4. Pass the award on to 10 nominees.<br />5. Include this set of rules.<br />6. Inform your nominees by posting a comment on their blogs.<br />
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Three things about myself? Well, let's see:<br />
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1. I love cheese. (which is really is an understatement of my feelings about cheese.) I am fairly indiscriminate in the variety of cheeses I am more than obliging to consume, but I would have to say that my favorite is Brie. Although a true Brie connoisseur would probably consider me a barbarian because I much prefer my Brie to be well on its way down the path to over-ripe. As in, you can smell it from the next room. Which reminds me of a line in a Family Guy rerun I recently watched on TV. Something was making a horrendous smell and one character asked what it could be. The character Brian (who is a dog, if you don't watch the show) responded that he wasn't sure, but thought it was "either really bad meat or really good cheese." Hilarious.<br />
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2. I got my undergraduate degree (a B.F.A.) from the Department of Drama/Dance at the University of Montana. My emphasis was in costume construction. I had no desire to be a costume designer, but I absolutely loved the process of taking the designer's two-dimensional rendering of a character in costume and making it come alive in three dimensions. And I got to learn a lot about flat-patterning and draping.<br />
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3. For a nearly complete turn-around after getting my B.F.A., I went on to law school. Rather than go into private practice as an attorney, however, I have spent my years since law school working as a law clerk for three different judges. I have been very lucky to have fallen into this field of work and to have been allowed to it for so many years. The people I have had the opportunity to work for and with (both currently and in the past) are truly amazing.<br />
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I know this award has been making the rounds of the internet for the last few weeks, so I'm sure all of the bloggers that I love to follow already have been nominated by someone else. If you've previously been nominated, or if you don't care to participate in awards, please feel free to disregard this. Actually, it is quite difficult to narrow my list to only ten bloggers, but these are the ones that come to mind first.<br />
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Each of these sewists has a developed personal aesthetic which I really admire, even though it doesn't always coincide with mine. These sewists' blogs exude the passion and skill with which they approach the art and craft of sewing. I also am appreciative of the generous way in which they share their knowledge and love of sewing with others. Several of these bloggers are not currently active on their blogs, but it is well worth going back to read their previous posts (over and over again)--I can only hope that they eventually decide to become actively involved in the internet sewing community again some day.<br />
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1. Shams of <a href="http://communingwithfabric.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Communing with Fabric</a>. I was so flattered and excited (I think I even did a little dance around the room) when Shams became my first follower after I set up my blog.<br />
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2. Margy of <a href="http://fool4fabric.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Fool for Fabric</a><br />
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3. JillyBe of <a href="http://jillybejoyful.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">JillyBeJoyful</a><br />
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4. Robyn (BlueMooney) of <a href="http://bluemooney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">UnZipped</a><br />
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5. Peg of <a href="http://deconstructaltercreate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deconstruct, Alter, Create</a><br />
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6. TerriK of <a href="http://sewsophisticated.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">SewTerri</a><br />
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7. Ann of <a href="http://annsthreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Stitch Me Up</a><br />
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8. Shannon of <a href="http://hungryzombiecouture.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HungryZombieCouture</a><br />
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9. Myrna of <a href="http://blog.myrnagiesbrecht.com/" target="_blank">MyrnaGiesbrecht</a><br />
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10. And, of course, the incomparable Carolyn of <a href="http://sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Diary of a Sewing Fanatic</a><br />
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To those who celebrate the occasion, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. To everyone, regardless of the special occasion you may (or may not) celebrate, I send thoughts of peace and good will unto others which we should all have in mind no matter what time of year it is. And may the New Year bring us all wondrous and beautiful things!MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-21753228473914902422012-11-23T11:09:00.000-07:002012-12-11T14:49:50.790-07:00Vogue 8854Wow, it's not often I purchase a new pattern and actually get it sewn up in the same season in which it was released! This is one of the Very Easy Vogue Patterns issued this late fall from <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/" target="_blank">VoguePatterns</a>. I've been looking for a couple hoodie patterns lately and I thought this one had interesting design lines with the offset placket opening. <br />
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For my test of the pattern, I selected a sweater knit recently purchased from <a href="http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/xcart/home.php" target="_blank">FabricMart</a>. It was described as a poly/cotton blend heathered stripe knit in the colors of sable, cream and dark brown. It is an interesting knit, with one side showing a flat knit with the stripes clearly delineated and the other side appearing more of a boucle texture. I chose the boucle textured side as the "right" side for my project. I've already thrown out the scraps of the fabric used for this top before thinking to snap a photo of the two sides, but here it is in another colorway where you can <i>kind of</i> see the difference between the two sides:<br />
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The size chart on the pattern envelope put me in a size XL (20-22) and the finished garment measurements printed on the pattern tissue, in addition to some flat-pattern measuring on my part, confirmed that XL was the size I wanted to make. I didn't even need to make my standard increase at the biceps on the sleeve! But I did shorten the sleeve pattern by about 1.5 inches.</div>
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I really wanted to make the version with the hood (after all, that's why I bought the pattern!), but my test fabric was only 2 yards and I just couldn't squeeze the hood piece on what I had. So I had to go with the collar version and the shorter back length of View B, with the front pocket. By the time I finished the garment, however, I was more than happy that I had to use the collar instead of hood--this collar is fabulous! My sweater knit was fairly substantial to begin with and I interfaced the collar piece, as the pattern instructs. Thus, the resulting collar has a nice ability to stand up in a shapely way, but is not so stiff that it looks board-like. It also is soft and malleable enough to be able to fold it down if I wish. It's really fun to play with for different looks! Also, the collar pattern piece is just a big rectangle, so it would be very simple to cut the collar to be a shorter height if you wanted.</div>
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Here's the finished top:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sv-Sn47iv94/UK-xZoykxnI/AAAAAAAAAM8/DZJEtp1e_5I/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sv-Sn47iv94/UK-xZoykxnI/AAAAAAAAAM8/DZJEtp1e_5I/s640/DSC_0011.JPG" width="468" /></a></div>
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The photo looks like I got a little over-zealous with the iron, but this isn't noticeable on the garment in real life.</div>
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A closer look:</div>
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This pattern is quite simple to put together and did not take a lot of time to construct. The most time consuming part is probably creating the front placket opening. And, while the pattern instructions are actually quite good and seem reasonably clear, I did veer from their suggested procedure in two aspects. The first variation I did was when making the front placket. The instructions tell you to sew the two fronts together with a seam which goes from the hem up to the bottom of the placket. Then you work on each of the two sides of the placket to finish the front. I thought this sounded like kind of a PITA to have to work on one side of the placket while the other half of the front was attached and dangling off to the side. So, after stay-stitching each inner corner of the plackets, I constructed them separately, then stitched and finished the center front seam. This worked just fine for me and probably involved much less swearing.</div>
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The other spot where I veered from the instructions as written was with the sleeves. The pattern instructs to stitch the body side seams and the underarm sleeve seams separately and then do a traditional set-in sleeve, stitched in the round. I totally understood why the pattern instructs to set the sleeve this way--this is not a dropped shoulder, the armscye sits at the normal shoulder point and, therefore, the sleeve has a relatively high cap. When inserting a regular sleeve with a normal-to-high sleeve cap, it usually is easier (and you typically get much better results) if you set in the sleeve more traditionally. However, knowing that I was working with a knit (which can be a little more forgiving when easing), I chose to put the sleeve in flat after I sewed the shoulder seams and then stitch the underarm and side body seam in one long go from bottom hem to sleeve hem. It worked fine.</div>
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An even closer look at the collar with button closure:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4BB8mfqSbM/UK-xdT4GcoI/AAAAAAAAANE/74GtsYATWhI/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4BB8mfqSbM/UK-xdT4GcoI/AAAAAAAAANE/74GtsYATWhI/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used an elastic hair tie for the button loop.</div>
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All in all, I think this is a great pattern. Pretty simple and quick to put together, and the instructions are pretty decent. The fit is good--I can wear a long-sleeved T-shirt or turtleneck underneath it, but nothing heavier than that. I like that it has a regular sleeve/shoulder, rather than a dropped shoulder line. The collar is really fun to wear and feels cozy, especially if there's a little wind in the air. I think it turned out really cute and I will be making at least one more before I put the pattern away (gotta have that hood!!).</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-67342338188103528322012-11-11T14:34:00.000-07:002012-11-11T15:49:44.400-07:00Taking the "U" out of a couple UFOsThe dreaded UFO. The UnFinished Object. I try not to have them hanging around, but sometimes a project just loses its steam or hits a wall, and I put it away for a bit. And then they sit in the dark recesses of the sewing closet, quietly laying a big guilt trip on me.<br />
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So, last week I pulled out two UFOs and got them finished up. The first project was cut out last May and I'm not sure why I never stitched it up, because I was really looking forward to having the top to wear. I suspect that I didn't have black thread on the serger at the time, so I went to another project that used whatever color was on the serger and then the weather warmed up too much for a long-sleeved shirt. Hmm. Anyway, this is another Sewing Workshop Liberty Shirt as a knit top. The fabric is a wonderful black and white print rayon/lycra knit from <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/" target="_blank">EmmaOneSock</a>. I love this pattern and I love this top!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-afS8gnIZWik/UKARJxr9tSI/AAAAAAAAAKk/jPHj_DqBX7w/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-afS8gnIZWik/UKARJxr9tSI/AAAAAAAAAKk/jPHj_DqBX7w/s640/DSC_0008.JPG" width="416" /></a></div>
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Next, I moved on to a jacket that has been in the works for at least a year and a half, if not more. The background--About 18 years ago, I made myself a jacket out of OOP Vogue 2461, a Vogue American Designer pattern by Calvin Klein (copyright of 1990). I used a beautiful dark green tone-on-tone printed poly raincoat fabric and lined it with an acetate/rayon blend faille. That jacket turned out to be a workhorse for me--it was light enough to wear through both spring and autumn, but had enough heft to be warm enough for much of the winter season except for the coldest of days, even here in Montana. Sadly, several years ago it was to the point of showing so much wear--the folds of the sleeve pleats and edges of the cuffs were wearing through--that I knew I needed to replace it. Basically, I wanted the same coat again. Luckily, my Mom still had the original pattern that I used, so I <strike>stole</strike> borrowed the pattern from her one time while over visiting. Then it sat for a year while I tried to find the perfect fabric.</div>
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Eventually, I found a lovely black crinkled texture poly from <a href="http://www.marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a> that I just loved, and it even was on sale! Then I puzzled over what to use as a lining. I really liked the rayon/acetate faille I had used previously, but that fabric has become extremely difficult to locate anymore. I finally found some, in black even, I think on the Fashion Fabrics Club website (but I'm not positive about that). I proceeded to cut everything out (well almost everything--I had to order another piece of the crinkle poly from Marcy Tilton in order to have enough for the hood, so that created some delay) and started to sew it up. Then, I got to the point of needing to set the grommets for the drawstrings and I froze. Now, I have set grommets before and had no problems, but the process always has the potential of going badly. I was so worried about having the grommets not set properly and ruining my project, that I folded everything up and put it in the closet. Fast forward to at least 18 months later, when autumn is quickly turning to winter, and I realize I just have to bite the bullet because I need a coat to wear. So I finished it. The grommets are not the best looking, but they are sturdily attached and the drawcord stops pretty much cover any ugliness in their application. The coat feels like it is going to be very warm, even warmer than my old green one. I am very happy. Here's a photo of the pattern cover:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKOiF6_nryI/UKAWPQlDz9I/AAAAAAAAAK4/c4c7EPNek5A/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BKOiF6_nryI/UKAWPQlDz9I/AAAAAAAAAK4/c4c7EPNek5A/s640/DSC_0001.JPG" width="474" /></a></div>
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Yes, it is very early 1990's styling, with the dropped shoulder and sleeves, but I actually like this in a coat, because it is easy to wear over bulky sweaters or work jackets. And I love the upper and lower cargo pockets with the flaps!</div>
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Here's the finished product, front and back:</div>
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Oh, yes, I also lengthened the pattern by 8 inches because I like coverage over my upper legs when the cold is biting. Here's a closer look at the upper body:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DcnByDNWE0s/UKAWU3mhlFI/AAAAAAAAALI/Gt_5Pwp4y74/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DcnByDNWE0s/UKAWU3mhlFI/AAAAAAAAALI/Gt_5Pwp4y74/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" width="361" /></a></div>
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And the oversized 1990's sleeve:</div>
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The lining:</div>
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And, finally, a detail of the sleeve cuff. This pattern has an interesting sleeve placket design which results in a kind of flange behind the placket that encloses the opening to keep out snow and rain. It works nicely.</div>
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I'm very happy to finally have this project done and I know I am going to enjoy wearing this jacket.</div>
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My sewing mojo has been really revved up lately, so I have several new garments completed that I am excited to blog about. New entries coming shortly, I hope!</div>
MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-447650703694308842012-11-10T21:01:00.000-07:002012-11-11T10:37:21.640-07:00One Last Vogue 1261 (maybe . . . )After whipping up four versions of my Vogue 1261/SA Adele morph top in one weekend, I thought I should put the pattern away for awhile. The other day, however, I was in JoAnns Fabrics to get buttons for another project and realized the red tag clearance section was an additional 50 percent off. So I took a little look-see through the clearance racks, not really expecting to find anything. Lo and behold, a bolt of kinda cool knit surfaced. It is a double layer poly knit--gray opaque layered over a black sheer, then the gray is slashed to show the black. The gray also is printed with a design of concentric circles. I couldn't resist, so 2 yards came home with me. The fabric went straight into the washer and dryer with the length of flannel I also bought (for new pajama pants). As I pulled the knit out of the dryer and began to fold it up, it started telling me loudly that it wanted to be a Vogue 1261 tunic. By the next day, I had granted its wish. I'm really enjoying these tunic tops and think I will get a lot of use out of this one. The black sections are sheer, so I will need to wear another top or tank underneath.<br />
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It's not often that a piece of fabric goes into and out of the collection with a 24-hour turn around time!!</div>
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I also wanted to thank all those who commented on my last post about these tops. I really appreciate the positive support!</div>
<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-75148378501001335832012-10-21T15:10:00.000-06:002012-10-21T15:10:01.897-06:00Vogue 1261 (sort of)When <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/" target="_blank">Vogue Patterns </a>issued pattern 1261 (was it last winter?), I just had to have it. It seemed right up my alley, stylewise. I especially loved the views showing the seams stitched to the outside as a design element. And I knew I had the perfect textured wool knit from FabricMart in my stash.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While dreaming of the fabulous tops I could make with this pattern, in the back of my mind was that little voice which said "Marcy, you only love the concept of this pattern, and its 'look,' and you know full well it isn't going to work for you." The little voice said this because one pattern view was raglan sleeve, which never works for me, another view had dolman sleeves, which just adds extra pounds to my look that I don't need, and the third view (which seemed most likely to maybe work for me) appeared from the pattern photo to have too-wide shoulders and droopy armpits which translated to a lot of alterations to get a good result. Of course, I ordered the pattern anyway. Quick muslins of both views A and B proved my little voice correct and I just didn't have the wherewithal at the time to do the needed alterations. I tossed the pattern over in the corner of the cutting table, where it has mocked me for the last year.</div>
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Fast forward to about a week and a half ago when I was doing a semi-marathon tracing session of some StyleArc patterns I recently received. I was using my tracings of the Adele Top to analyze the potential fit of a couple of new SA top patterns because I just love the way the Adele fits through the shoulders, upper torso and armscye. Suddenly, my little voice chirped up again (in a more helpful, less irritating way than usual) and said "you can use this pattern with that Vogue pattern to achieve what you want." I pulled out my earlier tracings for view B of the Vogue top, laid them down over the Adele pattern pieces and re-traced the Adele shoulder/armscye portion gradually morphing into the original side seams of the Vogue. Then I pulled out a gray and black tie-dye print rayon/lycra knit from <a href="http://Fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> to test my new Frankenstein ("it's pronounced Franken-STEEN"). I loved the result and the fit was much better:</div>
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My Guy was a real help during the photo shoot of this garment, as you can see by the uncropped version of the picture: (any guesses as to his favorite part of the female figure?)</div>
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I then proceeded to go a little crazy, making up three more versions over that weekend. Next was a version with a collar in a black with white spotted rayon/lycra from <a href="http://www.marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a>:</div>
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Then another version with a plain neck in a fabulous swirly print rayon/lycra from <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/" target="_blank">EmmaOneSock</a>:</div>
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Finally, I pulled out that textured wool knit from <a href="http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/xcart/home.php" target="_blank">FabricMart</a> which I had always envisioned in this pattern. I added center front and back seams and stitched those, as well as the shoulder/armscye seams, to the outside. I also turned the sleeve hems to the outside and stitched the neck binding on in the reverse. I think this treatment will look even more effective once I wet the garment and run it through the dryer.</div>
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I stitched 3/8 inch away from the lower edge, instead of a regular hem. Hopefully, this will help keep the edge from stretching out of shape.</div>
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I really had to be careful with the cutting process to make sure all the exposed edges were smooth and even.</div>
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The above photo shows the sleeve hem and a better visual of the fabric's texture. The sleeve hem was turned to the outside, stitched at about 1/2 inch, and then the extra hem allowance was pressed down. I am hoping that, over time, the exposed edges will curl more than just sit flat. The knit fabric had a smooth knit surface on one side, with a texture on the reverse--I used the textured side as the "right" side. This photo also shows the closest to accurate color of the fabric--kind of a dark taupe, but with green overtones.</div>
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I am now really happy with this pattern and expect that it will become a regular in the TNT rotation.</div>
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(**worthless bonus points to anyone who knows the movie from which I quoted above--although I'm not sure I have the quote <i>exactly </i>correct)</div>
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MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-61907275220891789622012-10-16T21:33:00.000-06:002012-10-16T21:34:34.819-06:00StyleArc Abby CardiLast week I finally got around to testing out the Abby Cardigan from <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/" target="_blank">StyleArc</a> patterns.<br />
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<a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/images/stories/products/ABBY-CARDI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/images/stories/products/ABBY-CARDI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love this pattern! I ordered it in a size 18, corresponding to my full bust measurement. The only alteration I made when tracing the pattern was my standard increase to the width of the sleeve. This garment sews up quickly and easily--I can see whipping up one or two more of these for the winter. While the instructions in StyleArc patterns are typically, um, let's say "concise," and assume some familiarity with the process of putting a garment together, this cardi is not difficult to figure out. The only spot where someone might have any problems is with the back collar area, but if you've ever made a garment with a shawl collar, you should be good to go.<br />
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For the fabric, I used a charcoal gray with black pinstripe rayon/nylon/lycra knit by Eileen Fisher which I purchased from <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/" target="_blank">EmmaOneSock</a>. Beautiful fabric with a lovely soft hand. I thought it was very effective in this pattern and am more than happy with the results:<br />
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The pattern suggests several options for finishing the front edges and bottom hem. I chose to do a serged finish on these edges, single fold over and topstitch for a 5/8 inch hem. I also mitered the corners where the front edges meet the bottom hem:</div>
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I highly recommend this pattern if you are a cardigan type of gal. I know I will be making it again!</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-21345281266868634082012-09-23T12:21:00.000-06:002012-09-27T12:22:37.693-06:00Sewing Workshop West End TopNow that autumn is here, my sewing mojo seems to be flowing a little stronger and I'm excited to try out the plethora of new patterns I've received over the last few months. I wanted to try the Sewing Workshop's new pattern for the <a href="http://sewingworkshop.com/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.pbv.v1.tpl&product_id=1194&category_id=6" target="_blank">West End Top</a> first because I thought it would be a cute little top/jacket to throw on when the fall weather is cool, but still too warm for a regular long-sleeved jacket.<br />
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<a href="http://sewingworkshop.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/West_End_Top___P_4fe2315a64efb.jpg?ml=3&mlt=rt_mynxx_j15&tmpl=component" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sewingworkshop.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/West_End_Top___P_4fe2315a64efb.jpg?ml=3&mlt=rt_mynxx_j15&tmpl=component" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the jacket, the pattern recommends using a knit or stretch woven. I chose to ignore this and, instead, used a woven rayon I purchased from <a href="http://Fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> early this summer. This fabric is a kind of a loose, rustic weave, reminiscent of a hopsack-type fabric. This particular piece (I ordered several different ones from the grouping) is a natural color, woven with a diamond pattern. I traced the pattern in a size extra-large, mostly because I wanted to be sure I had enough ease in the garment using a non-stretch fabric. As I kind of expected, I easily could have gone down a size and been fine--the loose weave of this fabric did not cause any issues with ease and even may have added extra ease, as it has a tendency to grow when worked with and worn.<br />
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<i>(ETA--I totally forgot to mention that, when I traced the size XL, I made no fitting alterations and the only change I made was to add 5/8 of an inch seam allowance to the bottom of the Front and Front Facing pattern pieces so that I could make a clean finished edge next to the zipper in front.)</i><br />
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I wish I had used a better-looking zipper for this project. Something with metal teeth would have been a nicer look, but I was too impatient. A better zipper would have meant ordering from an on-line source--I copped out and purchased a regular nylon coil separating zipper from the local JoAnn's. It looks okay, but not as good as it could have. Overall I am very happy with this project and am pretty sure I will make this pattern up again. Well, the top/jacket at least. I've never been as enamored of the pants in this one as they're just not a good style for me. Here's my result for the top:<br />
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I paired this garment with a skirt from the <a href="http://sewingworkshop.com/shop/shapes-patterns?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.pbv.v1.tpl&product_id=97&category_id=7" target="_blank">Shapes Six Sense Skirt pattern</a>. For the skirt, I used another of the rayon "hopsack" fabrics from Fabric.com, this time in a natural and black stripe:<br />
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I guess it's not the best photo for seeing the design lines of the skirt, but take my word for it that this skirt pattern is especially effective in a stripe.<br />
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Next up is a pair of pants in a natural linen using my TNT basic pants pattern that I've used for years. Then, I'm thinking of doing a small capsule wardrobe for autumn using some gold/brown fabrics I've collected. As I said, the crisp autumn weather always turns on my sewing juices, so I'm definitely feeling the urge to get into the sewing room!MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-65626901695645502972012-09-21T10:21:00.000-06:002012-11-23T10:22:13.561-07:00In Memoriam: Teller 1995-2012<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><u>1995</u></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Sept. 21, 2012</u></b></span></div>
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She will be greatly missed.</div>
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MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-3971845321055041472012-09-19T12:47:00.000-06:002012-09-19T12:49:48.747-06:00StyleArc Ada TopDuring my quest for comfortable warm weather tops earlier this summer, I pulled out my pattern for the Ada Knit Top from <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/" target="_blank">StyleArc</a>.<br />
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<img alt="Interesting boxy knit top with side pockets" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/images/stories/2012/ADA-TOP.jpg" title="Interesting boxy knit top with side pockets" width="320" /><br />
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I thought this looked perfect for my needs--a looser fit, but with unique design lines to add some interest and make it not be just another t-shirt. My only concern was whether what appears to be a looser, comfortable fit in the design drawing would, in reality, simply be baggy and unattractive.<br />
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I ordered the pattern in size 18, which corresponds to my full bust measurement. The only alteration I made to the pattern when tracing it was to slash the sleeve piece from hem to shoulder point and spread a bit to add about one inch extra width at the hem, tapering to nothing at the shoulder point. I probably could have gotten away without this alteration, but I would rather have a sleeve on a summer top be a bit too loose than too constricting.<br />
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For my first attempt, I pulled out a rayon/lycra knit in a kind of tribal print which I recently obtained from <a href="http://www.fabric.com/">www.fabric.com</a>. The cutting process was a little more difficult than usual with this fabric, because not only is it quite lightweight, the print is slightly off-grain. Because of the off-grain print, I decided not to worry about any matching of the pattern across seam lines and just let the chips fall where they may. Because of this and the busyness of the print itself, it is rather difficult to see the design lines in the finished top. I am pleased with the outcome, however, and have worn the top a number of times this summer with enjoyment. The fit is just what I had hoped for--loose, but not baggy.<br />
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Here's a bit better look at the pocket, which is a little droopy in this lightweight knit--</div>
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For my second attempt, I used another rayon/lycra knit, this one from <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/" target="_blank">EmmaOneSock</a>. This knit was even lighter in weight than the tribal print knit and the resulting garment is less successful than the first one. This knit seemed almost to grow while I was sewing it up and I suspect that the pressing process during construction caused the knit to relax more than expected (even though I ironed the fabric prior to cutting). As a result, the final top is a little looser (read "baggy") and less flattering over all, and the pockets droop a bit more than I would like. But I do enjoy wearing this second version as well.<br />
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With the lighter colors of this print, it's a little easier to see the style lines of the pattern--<br />
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All in all, I would recommend this pattern. The pattern is well drafted, the construction process is simple and quick, and the resulting garment is fun and flattering to wear. I'll definitely be pulling this pattern out again next year when the warm weather hits again.MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-6315481284923084852012-07-10T17:29:00.001-06:002012-07-10T17:32:04.686-06:00Vogue 8792<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, as I mentioned before, I struggle with creating comfortable, wearable clothing appropriate for the hotter temperatures during our summer months. I'm just not that in to summer. I've also found that I keep making the same two TNT patterns for basic knit tops and decided I need to expand my repertoire. I went through my pattern stash (not a quick process) and pulled several patterns for simple tops that I have not previously made. One of these was <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v8792-products-16434.php?page_id=866&search_control=display&list=search" target="_blank">Vogue 8792</a>, which I picked up a few months back when Vogue released their summer patterns. I thought the angular seam lines were interesting. I decided to make a version of view A-B-C.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvXkvsdrco8/T_x2X4N1cnI/AAAAAAAAAE0/5B26zV86xdo/s1600/DSC_0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvXkvsdrco8/T_x2X4N1cnI/AAAAAAAAAE0/5B26zV86xdo/s400/DSC_0004.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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I also had this piece of rayon/lycra knit from <a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> for which I was having difficulty finding an appropriate pattern. I ordered 1 1/2 yards of the fabric and when it arrived I discovered it was pulled off grain. Washing the fabric helped straighten out the grain, but resulted in losing several inches on each end because the cut edges were now uneven. With less fabric than expected, and a lot of body to cover, none of my regular patterns would work. View A-B-C of this pattern has only two pieces--a front and a back. Additionally, these pieces are placed on the cross-grain, rather than lengthwise. This worked perfectly for my limited fabric.</div>
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The one fitting issue I anticipated when looking over the pattern was the sleeves. This top has cut-on cap sleeves. These type of sleeves often are cut too narrowly to fit around by biceps comfortably and also usually hit just at the widest part of my biceps, which just makes me look even heavier than I am. A little flat-pattern measuring indicated I would not be happy with the sleeves as drafted. Now, this pattern does not have a normal shoulder seam. Rather, the right shoulder of the front wraps around to the back, and the opposite shoulder on the back wraps up and over to the front. To make my sleeve alteration, I sort of eyeballed where the shoulder line would be, sliced from the sleeve hem to the neckline and spread the pattern to add approximately an inch in width to the sleeve at the hemline narrowing to nothing at the neckline. I also added about 2 inches in length to the sleeve hem. Below is a photo of my rather down and dirty alteration.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e247Lvva5N4/T_y6LeZuqvI/AAAAAAAAAFI/8h9rdP6QIsg/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e247Lvva5N4/T_y6LeZuqvI/AAAAAAAAAFI/8h9rdP6QIsg/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I then cut my fabric and stitched it up. This is one of the easiest sews ever. Two short seams, two longer seams, a neckline finish and a couple of hems. Here is the result:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x84urqzYO9A/T_y6NW02MLI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/npEreSOJOEI/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x84urqzYO9A/T_y6NW02MLI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/npEreSOJOEI/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" width="270" /></a></div>
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I did cut the pattern out one size larger than I would normally choose for a Vogue pattern. I wanted this to be rather loose-fitting for summer. When the temperatures get up to around 90F or better (it was 98F when I was driving home from work today), anything close-fitting or at all constricting makes me feel like I'm suffocating. I need some air flow! All in all, a quick and easy pattern with fairly good results, but I'm not sure I'm that enamoured of it that I would sew it again. I wore it to work today with a pair of ivory linen slacks and turquoise strappy flat sandals. It made a nice summer outfit and was very comfortable.</div>
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Finally, I noticed on my last post that Kelley posted a comment in which she requested info on my method for binding necklines on knit tops. My method is a fairly common one using a stitch-flip-topstitch process which is shown in many sewing books, blogs and probably Youtube videos, but I still thought I would try to take photos of the process when I sew my next top and blog a little mini-tutorial of the method. Is it worth doing?</div>MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999951152553430895.post-45383685238189672332012-05-26T11:18:00.000-06:002012-05-26T11:18:54.768-06:00Dipping My Toes in the StyleArc PoolSo, I've spent a lot of time recently observing the fabulous garments being made by others in the internet sewing world using patterns from the Australian company <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/" target="_blank">StyleArc</a>. After reading so many comments and blog posts touting the superior fit and style of these patterns, I decided I must give them a try. First up on the block was the Adele Top, a basic-looking knit top with an asymmetrical hemline and side slit. Per the sizing guide on the StyleArc website, I ordered a size 18, based on my bust measurement. After some flat pattern measuring and comparison to another TNT knit top pattern, I decided not to do any alteration to the bodice front or back so that I could test the general fit and draft of the pattern as designed. This comparison clearly showed, however, that the sleeve was much too narrow for my hefty arms. I traced the pattern and did a simple slash and spread alteration to the sleeve to achieve the width through the bicep area that I needed. A side result of this alteration was that it significantly flattened the sleeve cap, so I added back some height to the cap, double checked the armscye measurement and decided it didn't change the length of the armscye to a degree which couldn't still be easily eased in, especially considering I would be using a knit for this garment. Here is the sleeve pattern with my alterations. (It's not really purty, but it gets the job done.)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hQH-x4C_dgU/T8EK3kGhSXI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/P6ygDpbPC84/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hQH-x4C_dgU/T8EK3kGhSXI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/P6ygDpbPC84/s320/DSC_0002.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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For my test garment, I selected a black and camel poly ITY knit from <a href="http://Fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> that I wasn't so in love with that it would bother me if it turned into a wadder. I was very pleased with the result. The fit through the body of the top was near perfect, the shoulders were a good width (I often have to narrow the shoulder line of tops), it didn't look like I needed to do a FBA, and my sleeve alteration seemed to have worked well. The only issue I had was one that a number of others who have made this pattern observed as well--the top is a little too long. I thought it would be more flattering if shortened a bit (and this is from someone who loves herself a good tunic top!), so for the second iteration, I folded out about 2-1/4 inches in length between the top of the side slit and the bottom of the armscye. Here's the test garment:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_tufmRZGVyg/T8EK8yWABHI/AAAAAAAAAEg/FxqgWt9Tp_c/s1600/DSCN0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_tufmRZGVyg/T8EK8yWABHI/AAAAAAAAAEg/FxqgWt9Tp_c/s320/DSCN0010.JPG" width="194" /></a></div>
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Oh, just remembered that I also nixed the neckline method set out in the instructions and opted for my standard bound neckline.</div>
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Now happy with the fit of the pattern, I selected a lovely rayon/lycra knit I recently acquired from <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/" target="_blank">EmmaOneSock</a> for the real deal:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-ZzSb06AEk/T8EK55ej_VI/AAAAAAAAAEY/sZ8pOAY7Hlk/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-ZzSb06AEk/T8EK55ej_VI/AAAAAAAAAEY/sZ8pOAY7Hlk/s320/DSC_0001.JPG" width="221" /></a></div>
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I love it! I wore this top to work a couple days ago and it completely passed the wearability test. I may have to try another one with short sleeves for summer.</div>
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Today starts the Memorial Day holiday weekend, so I have three days in which I hope to get a lot of sewing done. Summer supposedly is coming soon (although we have been having a lot of rain, and even snow, during the last week or more) and I always have a difficult time figuring out what to wear during the warmer months. I just am not a summer person when it comes to clothes. Give me wool weather any day! As a result, my summer wardrobe is severely lacking and I need to crank out a few lighter weight basics to get me started. Hopefully included in there will be a try at another StyleArc pattern. Most likely the Peta Pants.</div>
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<br />MarcyFhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00419632861085433701noreply@blogger.com3