Some Easy Sewing

During March, I did some easy sewing while working on tax returns. I was amazed at what I accomplished with only short periods of sewing! This post is my Winter/Fall Finale. Yes, I realize that the middle of April is approaching. Tax season is winding down for me. If there are no last minute crises, I'm done. Also, I finished all of the cold weather sewing projects that were cut. That's a first for me!

The first two pictures are dedicated to two sewing professionals who are fighting cancer. Both of these amazing women have made a huge impact on my sewing.

The skirt is M3830. It's a simple skirt that is great for working on fit. Shannon Gifford worked with me for over a month in her skirt muslin class. I lost count of the number of muslins that I did. I was almost ready to say that my figure isn't suited for a pencil skirt. With her encouragement, I changed my mind. I love the fit, comfort, and look of this skirt. I now have a sloper to use with future skirt, pants, and dresses. I've taken numerous classes from this amazing woman who has made such a positive impact on my sewing. I'm sending strong vibes for her recovery.

The top is my TNT KS3338 without sleeves. I had to do a lot of easing to stop the armholes from gaping. I like the result, but may reduce the size of the armscye next time. Then again, I may not.

This top is another TNT t-shirt. Normally, I wouldn't show a picture of such a simple, easy top. The thing that makes this top amazing to me is the fabric. I purchased it from Ann at GorgeousFabric. Ann is going through 12 weeks of cancer treatment, but still is an active blogger and busy selling her truly gorgeous fabric. I so appreciate having a source for such nice fabric at a reasonable price. Lisa is sewing a garment a week for the 12 weeks to show support for Ann. I'm not able to join her in this project, but I can send wishes for a strong recovery.

This top is B4347 that I've sewed before. This time I made it in Vera Wang polyester knit from Fabric.com. This pattern will go into my TNT drawer. I like it.

The sweater is Burda Style Karen Cardigan and is my big disappointment for the month. I purposefully made the picture small, but you can see the problems. The fabric is a sweater knit from EOS. It sewed well and the drape is fantastic. The problems are (1) The reverse side shows on the front and makes it look unfinished. I did an impressive job of serging the curved edges, too. *sigh* (2) The style doesn't suit my body and makes me look heavier. I don't need that! Compare this picture to one at the beginning of the post. In the earlier picture, I'm almost dressed correctly for my vase shaped body. Trinny & Susannah recommend pencil skirts and scoop neck tops/dresses that are fitted under the girls. While the top is not exactly fitted, it's not overly loose either. I'm not sure what the fate of this cardigan will be. I may line it or it may be cut into another garment. I do love the fabric.

In other March activities, this picture shows that Spring has arrived in Central Florida. The little pots are peppers and tomatoes that are ready to be planted in the garden. The front garden is weeded and mulched. My manicure is ruined, but the yard is looking a lot better. This winter was the coldest one in the recorded DeLand, Florida history. I could have told them that!

I need to hem a pair of pants to complete my first "Dressing a Lollipop Vase" project. I'll have more on that soon.

Frantic February: Finish or Find New Home

I know that I said that I wasn't going to monthly reviews, but I just can't help myself. The end of a month and the beginning of a new one is a time to reflect and plan. February was hectic to say the least. I do tax returns and the month began without a computer able to download the tax program. Because my son was going to get and set up it, I started the process before Christmas. Really, I paid for his computer engineering degree and he was happy to help. Of course, he was busy and thinking that tax returns weren't due until April 15. Yea, sure. I seldom nag but I became a major nagging mom. That story ended well. He did an excellent job of buying, putting together, and installing my wonderful high speed, lots of memory computer. Of course, that process meant dragging out computer programs and related stuff. My sewing room also functions as a home office during the season so getting it organized was a must. What a mess!! My sewing gear does have a home that it doesn't see very often, sad to say. I got everything put in proper places. I even sorted the Burda patterns I have traced and neatly put them in envelopes. Wow! I impress myself. It will stay neat for the next couple of months. After that, I hope that I can remember how nice a neat sewing room really is.

Despite the time I spent catching up on returns, I managed to get some sewing done. Apparently, I do better when I'm really busy. (That's another one of those things I must remember!) I actually competed three garments, using 6 yards of fabric. I love all of them. I've posted already about the Jalie 2919 Cardigan and the KS 3740 Cowl Top. I did decide I liked the collar and kept it "creative turned around". Thanks you everyone who gave me feedback. The third garment was the Jalie 2788 Twist Top.

It was made from a polyester/lycra knit that I bought from Fabric.com. It went together easily and the fit is great, IMHO. I didn't make any fitting adjustments other than cutting the side seams one size larger, as usual. I love the tie and scooped back.I did not include a modesty panel and something is definitely needed before I wear it out of the house. I have a brown tank on the sewing table. It should be quick to make and will go well with the Jalie Cardigan. That should help with the snug fit of that cardigan.

In line with the finish-up theme of February, I made a comment on a blog stating that quilting makes me gruppy. Okay - If that's the case I need to find a new home for the quilt blocks that I have stored for years. I pulled out a set of blocks from the back of my embarrassing UFO shelf. A lot of hours went into making them. Plus, they were planned for a blank wall in my sewing room. Sooo.. I cut out sashing and border strips, laid out the quilt, and started sewing. After all, I need to finish them or give them away. I didn't get gruppy at all. In fact, I had most of it put together before I realized that I needed to get back to tax work. Here's the top half:

The bottom half needs two more pieces of sashing and it will be done.

I was amazed at the amount of details that I did. Naturally, I started thinking about the desire to add more of similar details to garments. My quilting projects are limited to "finish up" for the immediate future. Now that I don't have to spend as much time on fitting and basic sewing techniques, I 'm excited about the possibilities for garments. The applique and handwork don't show very well in the photos. I'm particularly excited about the hand silk ribbon embroidery that I did on the house block. I also need to apply my quilt planning and thinking about the end result to my wardrobe. I started thinking about my own personal style as a number of bloggers are doing now. Well, my style hit me: It's classic crazy with romantic touches. That's what I saw in the quilt and what, hopefully, will show more in my garment making. Of course, I don't want "wierd" and have to keep age appropriateness and my petite size in mind. I have some ideas which will be fun to do. I also have more direction in clearing out the UFO shelf and my closet!

It's time to get back to reducing taxes (legally, of course) and work on that brown tank - basics still have to be in classic crazy wardrobe.

November Review: The Jeans Month

I had a lot of fun this month with the Pattern Review "Build a Better Jean" course. I love my jeans and learned a a lot of great techniques that I'm sure will apply to other sewing. I used the Jalie jean pattern which is wonderful for my skinny legs. They fit pretty tight but there is lycra in the denim so they should stretch with wear. I'll just have to see. Otherwise, there will be some serious dieting before I wear them very often. That's just a manner of comfort as they fit great IMHO. I'll get pictures sometime this week. Before I started the course, I did finish the S2603 DNKY Cozy. That one was a fast and easy project.

Yep, you got it. I had another month of 2 garments completed. Actually, I still want to put rivets on the jeans, but they are finished and wearable. Does a ton of company count? I realized today that I felt good about sewing until I thought about writing this monthly review. I started feeling pretty bad about my dismal results. Frankly, I don't want to continue doing something that makes me feel bad. I'm not even thinking much about speed sewing for slow sewers. I'm thinking about new challenges and improving the quality of my sewing. Those two things certainly do not mean speedy sewing. I've decided not to continue doing the monthly reviews. After all, I'm not an advanced sewer (yet) who churns out a lot of projects. I like to watch the birds in the feeder, enjoy the sunset rising, give my kitty a good petting, etc., etc. I love sewing and blogging, but I've realized I don't enjoy the counting part of it.

So, I'll get those rivets on and make the tank that goes with the DNKY Cozy. Pictures are coming soon.

October Review: Muslin Month

Yikes! November is well underway. I think that it is about time to finish with October. I had another two garment month. I've already worn both tops numerous times though. I completed KS 3338 knit top (definitely a TNT). The other top was S2922. This one was planned as a wearable muslin for some nice fabric sewing in the future.

If I included muslins in my totals I would have had a very productive October. Actually, I did a lot of focused sewing. I made 4 versions of the pencil skirt muslin before I got one that fit well enough for me. Yippee!! I finally can make a pencil skirt!!! The strange thing is I love making skirts and can fit most styles with a bit of tweaking. Now I have a poster board sloper which makes pattern adjusting for any skirt go so much faster. Well, at least it was faster with the one skirt pattern I've used so far. (Actually, I'm trying not to think a lot about that skirt because I have several projects that I want to finish first. I'm actually showing a bit of discipline!) I made a muslin of the J Stern Tee which will be wearable with some finishing touches. I need purple thread to do topstitching and hemming. Of course, I thought I had some but apparently not. I'm pretty good at keeping thread organized. I must have 200 spools of thread but not a one that's purple! I also made a muslin of the Jalie Jeans. With the waist and hips fitted with the skirt sloper, I only had to do some minor tweaking for my skinny legs. I made the muslin with denim that was cheap because it had some flaws. Fortunately, I was able to cut around the flaws. I love it when that happens!!! The denim looks great and the muslin had large seam allowances. That muslin will be taken apart and made into a wearable pair of jeans in the near future. Let's see. Counting the muslins, I have 8 garments for the month. I have been working!

I have been thinking of things that help my turtle sewing pace pick up a bit. These are some things that I'm finding helpful for me. They may not be new or particularly helpful for everyone.

1. Using a clapper more often on seams, not just the bulky ones. In other words, I press less and clap more. It seems like garments are going together more easily.

2. Checking the fit as I go along. This is one of the things that takes time to save time. Even with a TNT pattern, the fabrics seem to fit a little differently. If I do something wrong, the sooner that I find the mistake, the less time it takes overall.

3. I sew at my most productive time which is early morning. I can seldom just sew all day (love it when I can!!!). I've been in the habit of doing the stuff I have to do first to get them out of the way (errands, laundry, dishes, basically any chore that is not sewing). I just have to force myself to stop sewing and do the adult responsible things.

4. When cutting, I need to remember to check the second layer of fabric to be sure that I clipped the notches. I had a tendancy to not cut the bottom layer and it's a pain to have to go back and check for notches later.

5. I now measure the geometric pieces like straight waistbands and belt loops and cut them with a ruler and rotary cutter. (tip from Shannon Gifford). Burda usually does this anyway in their patterns. For some unknown reason, the big 4 even give a pattern for elastic rather than giving measurements. I don't know why I never thought about this big time saver.

Well, I'm off the audition pocket sizes for my jeans! They are beginning to look like actual jeans. I can hardly wait to finish them.

August Review: Highs and Lows

For August, I completed two garments and almost finished a top. I'll do a post soon about the reason that top didn't quite make the August total. During two lack-of-focus weeks, I traced a bunch of patterns and even cut out a few of them. Most of them will be put away until Spring arrives. A few went on my Fall sewing list. I am so ready to start sewing for cooler weather. I'm looking forward to this hot, steamy weather ending.

On the positive side, I did attach collar bands and collars for a blouse and a jacket. I thought my collar points were good, but had a long way to go. Then, I compared them to a Liz Clairborne blouse in my closet. I'd still like to get closer to perfect, but the collars were as good as the Liz blouse. Perhaps, I'm being too hard on myself. I'll always be working on sewing skills - at least I'm progressing!

The blouse is V2634 made from a cotton print from GorgeousFabrics. Although the colors are not the most flattering for me, I loved this fabric when I first saw it on the site. It hardly winkles (amazing for a cotton) and is soft and comfortable to wear. I also like the pattern. I made size 12 in the shoulder/sleeve area and size 14 in the hip area. The fit is about as good as I can get with my lopsided body. I love the blouse and know that I'll make it many times. Next time, I'll put in sleeves and, hopefully, the pattern will work as well.

The other finished garment was Loes Hinse Hepburn pants. For some reason, I struggled with the zipper insertion. I've done lots of fly fronts, but this method was different. It took a long time for me to wrap my mind around it. I tried this pattern because Shannon likes it so much. At first, I thought that it was sort of silly to put a zipper in pants with an elastic waistband. Once I finished them I understood why she likes the pattern so much. The fit and comfort is much better than pullon pants. I haven't worn them out yet. That will be the real comfort test. These pants deserve their own post. I'll do pictures and blog about them later in the week.

That's about it for August. Right now, I need to hem my last summery top and get going on Fall Sewing. Yea!!

July Review: The F Words

No, there were not any nasty words coming out of my sewing room during July. The words that describe my sewing for the month are: four, fun, and fortunate.These monthly reviews do provide me with an incentive to focus on finishing projects. I like numbers, but sewing is not a numbers game for me. Sure, I could complete a lot of garments and even use up a lot of fabric. All I have to do is make a bunch of quick TNT T-shirts. Although I do wear a lot of t-shirts, I would find that kind of sewing BORING. I like variety. Also, I want to continue to increase my sewing skills. I know how to make t-shirts. Hopefully, I'll add to my list of "know how tos" by the end of the year.

I completed four garments this month: the S2936 raglan sleeve blouse in a woven fabric, a TNT KS3338 T-shirt, the Ottobre 02/2009 #1 Camisole Top, and a pair of "cheatin' jeans" from Loes Hines Cruise Pants pattern. These garments did provide a little bit of new learning. I'm proud of the way the woven blouse turned out. I'm about ready to move to a tailored blouse with set-in sleeves. The camisole was a new pattern which really didn't provide any new learning. I do have a great way to use up knit scraps. The pull-on pants gave me an opportunity to practice using the heavy jean topstitch thread. There will be a pair of jeans in the near future. (The pattern is cut out ready for tissue fitting and a muslin.) I made the KS t-shirt just because I love the fabric.

I had a lot of fun during July. While the seam ripper did appear on several occasions, there were no frustrating problems. I traced and cutout some patterns. The planning and starting of new projects always is exciting. (That's the reason why I need some means of accountability.) I also did the dreaded pointed collar and collar stand for a blouse and my "never-ending" green linen jacket. They turned out a lot better than any of previous attempts. I'll definitely wear the blouse and jacket (assuming I can attach them satisfactorily). They don't look as good as I'd like but they are not bad. Plus, I didn't find the process frustrating and enjoyed trying a new technique. Maybe I really am learning to sew!!!

I feel quite fortunate to have such a wonderful fabric collection. Now that I've gotten over my purchasing guilt, it's nice to be able to "shop" at home with such gorgeous choices. I did put away some of my fabric choices for summer projects since I know I won't be able to complete them before Fall. I have more than enough still in my current projects basket. I started looking at my fabric for Fall and have a basket full of those choices. I think the Vogue Pattern Magazine and the Vogue Pattern Sale started that. Plus, I do love Fall sewing with all the earth tones. I have plenty of brown fabric to use along with matching colors.

Well, good-bye July and hello August. I'm working on the green jacket and, if nothing major happens, I'll finish it this month. I don't know how much wear I get from it now, but it's bugging me.

May Didn't Bring Many Flowers

Here in Central Florida, there was no rain for weeks, but once it did start to rain it wouldn't stop. We lost lost half of our tomatoe crop and at least half (if not more) of the snap bean plants. We have some flowers - just not as many as usual this time of year. The view from my sewing room is nice, but not as awesome as the picture on this blog. Mother Nature is settled down a bit now. The temp is in the eighties with afternoon thunder storms.

My May sewing experience is about the same as the weather. The first of the month I just couldn't get going on any sewing. There was vacation catch-up, lots of fun times with family and friends, and a bunch of mini crises. Most of the time, I can work around those things. It just didn't happen the beginning of the month. I was a lot like most of the Fashion Show Contestants: the one who couldn't use a rotary cutter properly and the ones who pinned and glued garments together. Actually, I didn't use any glue (although I was tempted) and, certainly fixed the "messes" before wearing anything on my "fashion show runway"- the driveway. This was definitely a learning month once the sewing mojo kicked in (about the last week in May).When Burda says a design is easy to sew but more time consuming, forget the "easy" most of the time and remember the more time consuming. At any rate, I did finish two garments this month: BWOF 0209 #118A (a knit top) and KS 3620 (a woven blouse). The KS blouse as been in process for a while and was used as a fitting "experiment". I have the fit pretty close to the way I like it now with only a few tweaks for future sewing. Yep, that's it. I only completed two garments. I did cut out several garments that I'm excited about sewing. (That means I'll be doing a lot of sewing until I run into a problem!) I'll get pictures of the two garments and post about them later in the week.

My stash did increase this month. I blame the Fabric Mart Memorial Day Sale and Carolyn's post that showed some gorgeous yellow linen. Yes, I bought some yellow linen for a dress or jacket. A few other fabrics jumped into my shopping cart for a total of 10.25 yards. I only used 4 yards of fabric this month. Storage is becoming a definite problem. I sure hope the Sewing Problem Grinch stays away from my sewing room. I need garments and storage space!

March Just Marched on By

Well, it's the last day of March. There's not much to report as far as finished projects go. I finished the caramel knit "pajama pants" and a pair of brown twill V1051 pants that I love. Those pants take a little more time to complete but the fit and feel of the pants are great. As I think about my goal of completing an 11 garment SWAP wardrobe for winter, I think it is an unrealistic goal for me. Certainly, I finished more than 11 garments since I started in October - just not all in the wardrobe. This probably will be the last full SWAP that I plan. Planning is important and, certainly, I agree with the SWAP concept. The great news is now I have some good, wearable basic clothes that form the foundation of my wardrobe. I just don't stay focused on an 11-garment plan. This year I've finished 7 garments, have a blouse to hem/sew on buttons, and another blouse muslin-fitted and cut out. I should get those two blouses finished in the next week or so. As for the other 2 blouses in the plan, they probably won't get done right away. I've done my 4 garment Spring Plan (will post that later) and have a number of other things I'm excited about sewing. The bottom line is: I have to be excited or I don't stay focused! On the positive side of March activity, I've traced patterns, pretreated fabric, and finished all the tax returns, including mine! Usually, I'm working pretty close to the April 15 deadline. I'm hoping that life gives the sewing time that I'm dreaming about right now!! I'll do what I can to make that happen.

Just so I have something to show, here's a picture of the last major quilt that I made. It was a challenge and took 3 months of pretty steady sewing. If you look closely, my beloved cat, Harry, is sitting on the corner of the bed. He's mostly white so he blends in with the quilt. He's 14 years old and becomes more loving everyday. He's such a sweetheart.