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.

Orange Ruffles

I covet the M5522 blouse that Karen is making. She's using a stunning orange plaid that I love. Unfortunately, my body (and my overall appearance) doesn't think much of bright plaids or most plaids on my top part. I've had this pattern, one of the Pattern Review Top 10, for a while now and never got around to making it. After the inspiration from Karen, I have the fabric chosen. I also found buttons that I really like with it. They pick up the orange and the shades of red in the fabric. It's on the sewing list and will be a blouse soon. I'm planning to do View C with the ruffles. I love ruffles but have to be careful because I'm only 5' tall. I think this fabric will work. The ruffles can be eliminated if they look like I'm playing "little girl".

I got my new computer yesterday. I'm quickly developing a love affair with it. So far, everything is working like a dream and soooo fast. This post is a test. I've been using Kodak Easy Share, but want to start using Photoshop Elements. I decided not to load both programs and just learn how to use Photoshop. That seems to be working fine with the simple things that I did before. I can expand my knowledge base gradually now. I'd like to do more with my blog photography. That is, I'd like to work on it between sewing projects. Right now, I need to get my e-mail working and do some sewing!

Mistake or Creativity?

When I saw this KS3740 pattern and this 4-way stretch cotton knit, I knew that I had to make the bodice on the cross grain and the collar on the grain as stated in the pattern. Also, I knew that I had to put the under collar on top. Sure I did. Ha! Ha! When I started pressing the collar and realized that I sewed (serged, of course) it on upside down, I screamed a loud "funacala".

I had the seam ripper in my hand when I looked at it again. I kinda like the way the fabric looks rolled to wrong, now my right, side of the collar. It would not look very good in most fabrics, but it looks almost like a trim in this stripe. What do you think?

I especially like the way the back looks.

I may just leave it the way it is. I was pleased that I used the stripe vertically rather than horizonally. I don't need any added width!

Note: The word "funacala" is one I created when I was doing tax returns with the client sitting next to me. I'd get frustrated with the simple things people do that result in higher taxes for them. Sometimes the computer would do crazy things, too. Most people knew what I meant by the tone of my voice. I did have one woman ask me. Of course, I smiled and replied "not fun" instead of "what the...." The word has become a habit that Big Bertha, my sewing machine, knows well.

Stay warm!!

Jalie 2919: Simple with Details

I now am a big fan of the new Jalie 2919 cardigan! This pattern was simple and quick to sew. I cut it out one night last week and sewed it the next afternoon. Yet, the pleat details make it appear more complex, IMHO. From the reviews on Pattern Review, I knew that it was snug so I made it up one size from what I usually do with Jalie patterns. It is still too snug across the shoulders and in the armscye. I plan to make the pattern again, but I will fix those two problems first. Also, I have very thin arms and the sleeves fit pretty tight and are still long although I shortened them 2" as I usually do. I'll just shorten the sleeves and keep the width. I could see where the sleeves could be a problem for anyone without toothpick arms. I used a very stretchy 4-way cotton polyester knit. I did cut off 1/2" from the lapels so that I could fit all my pattern pieces on the fabric. (I barely had enough scraps to test my serger stitch.) Next time I'll make it with the original lapel pattern. The fabric had more than enough stretch, according to the Jalie chart so this cardigan is just snug. I'm wearing it with a short sleeve RTW top. I really need to make a tank top to wear with this cardigan. That will help with a bit of the snugness. Overall, I still love this cardigan!

Now, there's a picture of the snug back.

The pleats are straight when the cardigan is on the sewing table. There's some pulling going on because of the tight shoulders. That doesn't bother me enough to try to fix it until next time. The cardigan looks a lot better when I'm not standing still and checking every detail. That's how we improve as sewers, right?

The pants are My Label made from polyester fabric. They were quick to make and are very comfortable. I know the fabric won't last long so I didn't put in the effort that I would with quality fabric. I need to use stash and the fabric is too nice for just a muslin. I'll enjoy wearing the cardigan. It's done and I'm moving on.

Gotta Have Some Sunshine

It's been cold and dreary in Central Florida. I won't post pictures of all the brown plants/grass and dead pineapple plants (I almost cried after covering them so carefully!). If I did show publicly how awful our yard looks, the Florida Tourist Bureau Police would get me for sure. The pictures would not be as beautiful as the snow ones in the blogs from the Northeast. The snow is sooo lovely to just look at. Of course, I only look at pictures and don't have to shovel it, try to get around in it, or be housebound with 2 ft of the lovely white stuff outside my door. While the sunshine outside is rare these days, I did have some in my sewing room. I decided to make the Hot Patterns Weekender Sunshine Top.

I was expecting a challenge. In the past, I've had difficulty with the fit and the instructions with Hot Patterns. I had a pleasant surprise. Maybe the sewing goddess was just with me. I made this blouse in a size S in the shoulders/armholes and size M in the side seam. I didn't make any other adjustments and actually used one of my "why did I buy that" fabrics. I did a roll serger hem for the sleeves and bottom hem. I should have taken close-up pictures. They don't show well in these pictures and turned pretty well. I'll take pictures to include in my review on PR. (Yes, I will get to that soon.) I actually like the blouse and have worn it out already. I may get to work on some of my Hot Patterns stash before long. I love the styles but have been leary of potential problems. Here's a back view of the Sunshine Top:

The brown twill pullon pants are a Vogue UFO from a couple of years ago. I don't remember the pattern number and doubt that I'll make them again. I like the fit of My Label pullon pants better. Actually, I like the comfort and fit of the LH Hepburn pants even better. It's worth taking a little extra effort to put in a fly front. After working on that panne velvet dress, I wanted to sew something really simple. I made a pair of ML pants in a camel/brown color. I like the pants but they didn't go well at all with this top. I remembered those brown pants sitting on my embarrassing UFO shelf and out they came. I think that I will get a lot of wear from both pair of pants.

The first three weeks of January were great for sewing. I made a total of 5 garments before life got crazy the end of the month: the DNKY Simplicity tank, the Burda panne velvet dress, the sunshine top, and 2 pullon pants. The fabric used total was 9 yards. For the first time in the history of my sewing, I actually used more fabric than I bought. I wasn't planning to buy any, but went to Jo's for the Vogue pattern sale. I walked out with a few patterns and 6 yards of fabric. What's a girl going to do when the fabric is screaming "buy me". I seldom find that much that I like at JoAnn's and everything was on sale. Actually, I have 3 projects that I started and lost interest in finishing during January. If I count that yardage, I can add 6 yards for 15 total . I'm planning to finish those gems this month: a BurdaStyle Karen cardigan, a TNT tee, and a pencil skirt. I WILL NOT add to that UFO shelf and these projects are bugging me.

So far this month I've finished the Jalie cardigan which I love. I'm about an hour away from finishing the KS Cowl top. I'll post about them soon.

The Bad Boy Dress is Ready to Go

This Burda 08/09 #113 was made from a panne velvet fabric that acted like a bad boy the entire time that I was sewing. I even used a roller foot. The foot helped but the fabric was still a challenge. When I wasn't fighting the fabric, I was fighting the confusing Burda instructions. In the middle of this "exciting" experience, some thread got caught in the bobbin case. Big Bertha (my Bernina) simply refused to move along the fabric. Naturally, I thought it was the fabric, the needle or the tension. I nearly panicked. I finally tried to sew on some cotton and, of course, it didn't sew any better. I even rethreaded and didn't notice the caught thread. I didn't see it until I tried different thread as a last ditch effort before taking it to the dealer. Of course, my machine is due for her annual check-up, but not in the middle of making a dress! When I saw the problem I felt so STUPID. There were so many times that this dress almost went into the waste bin. Now that the pain and suffering has subsided I do like the dress and plan to wear it to a concert next week. After looking at the picture, I don't like the tights and shoes with it. I look too much like an old maid school m'am. (Note: I'm referring to the dowdy look. I know a number of single school teachers who look quite chic.) The major difficulty that I had with the Burda instructions were the direction for attaching the facing. I did read Dawn's blog where she just eliminated them and added stretch elastic for support. I planned to do that until I started working with the bad boy panne velvet. It just didn't hang smoothly and got bunchy and ucky looking. Sooo I went back to studying the directions for facings and, finally figured them out. At least, I think I did and was able to attach the facings. Here is the bodice before the facings are attached. There is a lining piece that is sewed right sides together to the front section and turned inside out before attaching the side fronts. I used a stretchy knit fabric that did work well. The center front section is gathered.

Here the facings are attached to the back, sleeve, and side front in the standard manner,
I sewed a piece of seam binding to the front edge to control those gathers. I would have preferred to use stretch lace but only had red and bright blue colors (ugh for this dress). I then folded the front edge level with the facings and hand stitched to the lining.

After attaching the bodice and skirt, I started to sew the casting for the elastic at the waist. Fortunately, I did a "try-on". Sewing the elastic where Burda said created a muffin top and made me look like someone from Alice in Wonderland (can't remember the character's name). Anyway, it looked ridiculous. I did remember Carolyn's wise words: just because the pattern says to do it one way doesn't mean you can't do it differently. I put the casting and elastic below the waist and on the skirt rather than the top. Yep! It's done and ready to go. The blood (from pin pricks), sweat, and tears didn't even stain it!

Since I finished this dress, I made a pair of pullon pants and the HP Sunshine top that I'll post about when I get pictures. Today I traced the pattern for a pair of shorts. It was 80 degrees and I was ready to wear them. I certainly was not in the mood to sew the wool skirt that is cut out and ready to sew. Who knows - We could have temperatures in the 30s next week! Meanwhile, I'm dreaming of Spring and Summer and all the great new patterns out there. My February Burda even came today with several tempting garments crying to be made.

On the Wild Side

My first project of the new year is a finish-up: the S2603 DNKY cozy tank. That finishes my Heidi Klum sort-of knock off. I love it! I really like the way that the two fabrics go together although it is a bit wild for my normal wardrobe. Also, it's comfy which is always a plus for me. Here's the tank alone:

I'm sure that I'll make this tank many times. Finally, my tenacity paid off. I got a knit with a band to fit. I can use the band on my TNT t-shirt or add sleeves to this tank. Yea! There is lots of fun ahead as I play with my stash and USE it!

My original plan was to photograph this outfit next to the "jungle" in the lot next door. Of course, the two cute little deer who live there were expected to make an appearance for the photo shot. It's just too dern cold. Remember, everything is relative and we Floridians shake when the temperature is in the 30s. I believe that my photographer's hands would shake too much for a decent photo. In fact, my sewing was interrupted yesterday afternoon when hubbie announced that there were frost warnings. We picked oranges, peppers, snow peas, and sugar snaps. Then, we spent another 2-3 hours covering the herb garden, the vegetable garden, the roses, and the water pipes with frost cloth. We have frost warnings for the next two nights. Brrrrr!

I have to do some bragging. My daughter, Blakely, stopped to visit on her way to a 12 hour bike race in South Florida. She won 3rd place and $100. Way to go, girl! Here's a picture of her as she was leaving us. Yes, she is wearing shorts. You'd think that she was from PA. She did say that the Floridians in the race were wearing layers of clothes. She was warm and toasty in her shorts!