The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

First up is the good. This is Jalie 2806 Scoopneck Top. I've made it before and will make it again. I especially like the fabric which is a very comfortable cotton knit from the old Fabric Fairy. Roxy seems to like it, too.

The part that is expecially good is the back. Look..no bunching!!! I didn't even pull the top down. I finally have a TNT back knit top that I like. That is an accomplishment for me. :)

Then, there is the bad news, Burda Style Magazine 08/2010 #120. There is nothing wrong with the blouse except that it looks terrible on me. I love the fabric. I was dressing to go out and DH sent me back to closet to find another top. I really tried. You are looking at 20 pintucks around the neck and sleeves (had to add 2 more on the front and back to fit the neck) where I had to measure, sew, and pull through threads. The top is ENORMOUS. The finished version is big after taking 3 inches off both sides. Normally, I make a 38 top tapering to a 40 hip with a Burda pattern. This time I made a straight 38 because I was concerned that it would be too big. It's going in the Goodwill bag. I just hope someone will enjoy wearing it.

You can see jacket #5 sitting on the bench. It has one button and requires 5. I really need to get those 4 buttons on the jacket. I'm dragging my feet because it is a spring/summer jacket. With only a few buttons to go, I don't want to put it on UFO shelf. (There's not any room anyway.)

The ugly part is my own sewing skills. I seem to be making everything twice these days. I don't mean sewing 2 versions either. That definitely is slowing my progress through the sewing list. I thought that I could make the Jalie top in my sleep. Well, I must have shut my eyes when I sewed the neckband. There was a big gap in the front. I had rip the neckband off, regather the front, and sew the neckband again. I never like frog sewing, but doing it with a knit is a slow process for me. The neckband on the pintuck gapped also so I ripped it, added pintucks and sewed the neckband on again. Hopefully, I can get the neck correct with future sewing. With the orange jacket the binding came loose in a number of places. With that one, I made an eye appointment. My eyes are fine. I guess I need to sew a little slower so I can get it right the first time. I'm going to work on a sheathe dress muslin now. The jacket buttons will be there tomorrow!

Burda Style 4/2011 #115

I've been a terrible blogger. The weeks seem to go so fast! I do have one legitimate excuse. I've spent a lot of time trying to be a nurse to an ailing husband. For a while, I was cooking 3 meals a day. That's amazing for me since I never cook anymore. I guess I did all right because he's a lot better now and back to his role as the family chef. I tried to work on my April jacket and seemed to make a mess of everything in this simple jacket. It's close to being finished now so I'll save that tale for another post. I also have been working on muslins for May, June, and July jackets. Do you think that I've had some problems focusing? I know I did! I did finish fitting one jacket. Hopefully, I can catch up with my JAM project this summer. At least, that's my plan.

I was able to wrap my mind around a simple dress that I love, Burda Style Magazine, 4/11 #115.

I added a neck band and eliminated the pockets. I don't use pockets on a dress and certainly don't need any extra stuff on my hips. The back is simple. (Please forgive the tilted tripod. I'm out of practice with it.)

I've chosen the fabric to make a top version of this pattern. I probably won't make the dress again, but I like the neckline for a top. This top goes with the pants and jacket that were planned for June. I wish I could get my sewing to keep pace with my plans!!

Originally, I planned this dress to wear for our 50th wedding anniversary celebration in Paris. I wanted a style and fabric that would pack well. This poly satin worked well for the intended purpose. Of course, that trip was cancelled. I still got to wear the dress. My thoughtful children took us to dinner at a local French Restaurant. We had wonderful food and a great time. That evening was so special that I don't regret our missed trip. We may make it to Paris sometime in the future. I'll even sew another dress for the trip!

Meanwhile, I'll try to concentrate on jackets!

Burda Style Magazine 04-2010-125

I finally finished my red skirt this weekend and wore it Saturday night. As I was finishing some handwork Saturday afternoon, I felt like I was on Project Runway. The bow was doing some big time flopping around. No, I didn't glue it although I'll admit that I was tempted. Burda describes this skirt as : "The posh, slim-cut skirt lends aristocratic superiority to a wearer while a pleated hem flounce and back bow add a delightfully fanciful touch." I don't have any desire for "aristocratic superiority" and didn't feel any. The rest of the description is accurate. I love the skirt.

The pattern did not have any facing. I thought that I could be lazy and sew it per instructions. I've never sewed a lining directly to the top of the skirt. I'll never do it again! The waist was not very stable. I did use a woven wool with some lycra so that could be part of the problem. Often, laziness doesn't pay! I'll go back to using a facing or waistband or, at a minimum, elastic.

I used my skirt sloper for the top of the skirt. I have a high right hip so I always have to make this adjustment. Other than that, I made the skirt without alteration and followed the instructions. Yes, I really was able to understand the instructions -- scarey. I made a straight size 40. If I made it again, I would go with size 38 so that the skirt would be a bit snugger. I didn't consider that the lycra would cause some stretching. (Shame on me!)

I love the flounce and the bow. I think that the back is particularly cute.







Here's a close up of the bow:



I'm working on my shirt pattern and having a fit. Actually I should say that I am not having a fit yet. I've thought about changing patterns, but I am going to be stubborn. I'm determined to make it work!

Burda Style Magazine 01/2009/106

As soon as I received this January 2009 issue of Burda Magazine, I traced this pattern. Then, I couldn't seem to find the right fabric. When I discovered this paisley knit from Fashionista Fabrics, I immediately thought of this pattern. I love the blouse so I think that I made the right choice. I probably thought of it because some version of it has appeared in several blogs recently.

I like these sleeves so much! At first, I was afraid of them but they went together easily.

I used Gigi's method of sewing the center panel bottom to the gathered cuff first. Then, I sewed the vertical seams. It worked like a charm. The corners even look pretty good. I'm so thankful that there are so many talented bloggers out there.

I'm working on a red skirt to wear with the top. Then, I'll model the outfit for another post. I need to get that skirt finished this week. As you can see from the top of my blog, I've joined Barbara's white shirt sew-along. I need a white shirt so this is the perfect opportunity to get it done. I want to get going on it so that maybe I can finish it with the group!