V1051

These are the pants that gave me such a fit while working on the June Capsule Contest. Well, the fit was fine (excellent actually), but the sewing was a challenge. If you want to see these pant well made, check out Erica's blog. I adapted the MyLabel flared pants which was an easy process. I traced the ML pants and back pattern pieces, copied the Vogue waistband and pant tops on the tracings, cut them apart, and added 5/8" seam allowances. I used this pattern to get some practice with the fly front which I had only done once. The instructions for this part were excellent. I only had one section to rip and that was because I was not paying attention. I elimated the front pockets. Gee, if I added a half circle under them I would have had a big fat smiley face on the front of my pants. At least I thought I would. The back pockets were big headaches. I really struggled there as I had trouble following the instructions. It's probably my lack of experience and certainly was a time consuming learning process. As I was finishing, I was thinking of throwing this pattern in the closest trash bin. Then, I tried them on for hemming. These are the most comfortable pants I have ever owned. I've worn them out for dinner- still comfortable. Now that I started wearing them, those front pockets should work as long as they are made in the same fabric. I definitely will make another pair for the Fall. Maybe those pockets will be easier next time.

June in July

I almost finished the June capsule. Actually, three garments and the purse were finished early Monday morning, June 30. I could have added a purchased blouse and submitted photos. The photo shoot was easy but the thought of struggling through the composite of photos was daunting. That should be easy with Adobe Elements, but I take forever (okay, several hours) to complete one. Since I really don't need any more gray hairs, I decided to wait for my instructional DVD. I'll master this composite process before I enter another contest. Certainly, I am not competitive in contests with so many talented and creative seamstresses out there. My prizes are the clothes I make to wear. So, I have some prizes!Pants: V1051 (modified) Cotton/lycra twill

Blouse: S3887 Silk garbardine

Purse: Lazy Girl Designs #120 Cotton fat quarters

Skirt: B5190 poly knit (shown in last post)

Each piece has a story of beginner "learning experiences".

Blouse: This pattern was an easy fit (no adjustments) and quick sew. It only took an afternoon to sew. That's pretty amazing since I have to think a lot as I'm sewing. I needed something quick since my muslin for the original planned blouse was a mess. I think I can fix it but knew another muslin would be required. Even without the contest deadline looming, I wanted a blouse I could wear before the end of summer. That muslin is in the UFO pile waiting for a day when I need a real challenge and feel patient. I did make a tie for this blouse this week. It looks a lot better. If I make it again, I'll bring the neckline in closer to my neck. The blouse is wearable, but the top is too close to falling off for my liking. I did add topstitching and a decorative stitch in orange to tie in the yellow/orange theme.

The Purse: I wanted to learn how to make a fringe to add to a Fall jacket. The fringe I added to the purse was much easier than I thought. It just involved cutting sections of a strip of fabric to the selvage and pulling threads. The problem occurred because I added 1 and 1/4 inch to allow for seams. That's fine but I added and cut apart the width rather than the length. So... I have a shorter length and wider width than the pattern. Of course that meant remeasuring the lining and patterns. I am skilled at making simple things difficult. At any rate, I do like my adaption of the pattern as the wider width fits my wallet and is just high enough.

The pants were my big challenge. I'll talk about them in another post. Tomorrow I play at the beach with my children and granchildren. Then, this weekend I'll start work on my coat muslin and maybe the white jacket that goes with this outfit (when I need a break from fitting). Happy Independence Day!!

B5190 Knit Skirt

I finally finished one garment for the June Capsule Contest. This is a knit skirt made with yellow, orange, white, and brown polyester knit from Gorgeous Fabric. The pattern was easy fit and easy sew. The waist of the pants was fitted using the My Label pullon pants. The fitting couldn't have been easier which is a nice change for me. I did have my share of beginner problems. Of course, I had one yard of fabric, the pattern required 2 yards, and there was a pattern that had to be matched. I have to make everything challenging! I considered changing to a top but I planned the mini wardrobe around this skirt. I made a yoke from the skirt pattern and used 3/8" seams rather than the suggested 5/8". Then I spent considerable time matching the pattern. I managed to cut out the skirt with scraps the size of a postage stamp! I wasn't sure all this would work but it did. I love the skirt which will go with tops in the colors that I usually wear. I also was uncertain about using polyester knit but this fabric worked beautifully. The sewing was a dream! Hopefully, the fabric will wear well. BTW, I did not make that poorly fitted blouse. It's much too tight for my comfort. You can see my motivation for struggling through this learning-to-sew process.

I did finish the computer storyboard for the wardrobe. At least, I thought I did, but it won't upload. I will figure that out eventually. Right now, I have to get back to sewing. I may be able to finish the garments by the June 30 deadline if I don't run into too many unexpected problems (lol). Today, I plan to finish the pants (another story) and finish cutting out the jacket (a simple one -- sure!). The blouse is cut out and the purse half finished.

May Planning Brings June Sewing

May has been a planning month with very little sewing. This summer I took a look at what I need the most and actually prioritized my sewing. Now all I have to do is follow the plan and try not to get distracted by new ideas (lol). First on the agenda is the June Capsule Contest (sew along for me) that is sponsored by Elizabeth on StichersGuild. The rules are to make four garments and one accessory from June 1 to June 30. There cannot be any black items and one item can be purchased or made before June. Here are my fabrics for the "contest":
So far, I've got the patterns ready for 4 items. The yellow blouse is giving me some fitting problems (I'll keep the nasty words off this blog.). I'm working on a muslin and, hopefully, can get that ready soon. I have cut out the orange pants. At least one item is ready to go! Next week's sewing is a purse which is the small yellow and orange piece although the orange doesn't show very well in the picture. I figure I'll get one fairly easy item done first to encourage myself. My computer challenge is a story board to show the fabrics and patterns together. I think I know how to do that but we'll see!