Carolyn's Sewing Room

Sheath Dress the Sure Fit Designs Way

2012-01-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about all the garments I have made with Sure Fit Designs and realized I had not included my sheath dresses in my blog. They became a staple in my wardrobe last summer, and I'm sure will be a repeat this summer. Hopefully, with weight loss, I'll need to take them in. This was my favorite dress. I loved the fabric from Sawyer Brooks. It was my first order from them, and I hate to admit how many times I have ordered since. I used the dress kit from Sure Fit Designs with the instructions to make it into a princess seam design without sleeves. The instructions that Glenda provides for drafting designs alone is worth the amount paid for the kit. The fit for everything I have drafted has come out perfect.

Here is the second dress I made. Again the fabric was from Sawyer Brook. This looked great under a black jacket. If you want to know more about Sure Fit Designs, you can find their website here: Sure Fit Designs

Yoga Pants - The Most Comfortable Pants on Earth!

2012-01-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

I have made 5 pairs of yoga pants since fall. These have to be the most comfortable pair of pants I've worn since maternity pants 28 years ago! They can be worn for work or dressy occasions as well as for running errands, or just hanging out around the house. It just depends on how you style them. Four of my pairs have been from ponte knit fabrics, a type of double knit. Some have complained that the fabric wears out to soon, but I have not found that to be the case. Below, you can see my gray pair. The fabric is from Fabricmart. I normally would not wear these tucked in, but wanted you to get a better idea about the band. Can you tell that my sewing assistant, Sammi is just as proud of the pants as I am?I had made some yoga pants last year, but didn't care for the snug fit. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get rid of that dreaded panty line. So this year, I pulled out my Sure Fit Designs blue print along with the wonderful new book Glenda has written on pants. Her last pant in the book is a yoga pant. Not only does she give you directions for drafting your own, she provides ways to vary the styles. You can find Sure fit Designs at this link: Sure Fit Designs

As always, they came out perfect!

I am now trying to lose weight (3 down and 26 to go!) I didn't want to invest in a new pair of jeans or take the time to make a pair that would become too big soon (keep your fingers crossed!) Peggy Sagers from Silhouette patterns provided the idea of making a pair of yoga pants out of stretch denim. So using the yoga pants pattern I drafted from Sure Fit Designs, I proceeded. I made the fit more snug because of the fabric, but lengthened the waistband a little because the stretch isn't as great as the ponte knit. I included pockets that were topstitched to give it a jeans appearance as well as topstitched the inner seam. I loved them! Here's the back side of the jeans, along with my sewing assistant again. Click on the picture for a better view.
Here's a detailed picture of the front. I used 2" elastic in the band. These jeans took about 2 hours to make, including redrafting the front to include pockets. Again, click on the picture for a full view.

And last but not least, the front of the jeans. I am wearing them with a cardigan made from a beautiful knit I purchased from Emma One Sock. The pattern is a combination of Pamela's perfect T'shirt changed into a cardigan, with the side dart moved to a french dart, and the front redrawn from the Loes Hinse Cardigan. I love the shape of the front of that pattern.

The Comraderie of Sewing

2011-11-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been nearly two months since I wrote in my blog! I have had alot going on. My wonderful, 81 year old father had a heart attack, then triple bypass surgery. I traveled to Sudbury, MA a week ago to be with him. I arrived just before the snow storm, and just in time to experience the power outage at my sister's home. Fortunately, the power came on three days later, and we could bring Dad home. He is doing remarkably well, and is the perfect patient.

While in MA, I discovered just how close some of my Stitcher's Guild friends are to Sudbury. I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon last week with Betsy and Debra at Sawyer Brook where I also met Dixie. I found a fabulous wool cashmere and cotton print to make a shirt/vest combo.

Dixie introduced me to a staff person, Sue who was from KY. I mentioned that my family was from Butler, a town that is hardly on the map and that no one has ever heard of. Not only had Sue heard of Butler, she was raised there! She asked about my family, and I responded she would not know them. They left KY in the 50's. When I finally told her the family name, I learned that my great uncle had been a friend of her father's!

Today, I met my sewing buddies again for a trip to a fabric store in Natick. This time, Denise also joined us. It was great fun looking at fabric with fellow sewers, already knowing their preferences from Stitcher's Guild. We've been posting for so long, we all know each other fairly well: our moments of joy, sorrow, dreams, frustrations. Not only do we share a passion for fabric, sewing, fashion, and clothes. We also share our lives. It's great to have such wonderful friends, and finally get to meet them in person.

The End of A Great Week!

2011-09-11T15:58:00.001-07:00

It's been a great week off from work. I managed to accomplish the sewing goals I made for myself for the week as well as spend some quality time with my hubby. The total for the week was:

Pants - 4
Skirts -3
Sweater - 1
Shells - 2
Vest -1
Top - 1
Total - 12 Garments.

This sweater set rounded out my sewing this week. A great addition to my fall wardrobe. It's from Loes Hinse Sweater Set pattern. It had been years since I had sewn it. I made alterations with, once again, Sure Fit Designs, and it came out perfectly. I had orange sweater material left from the vest, so I made a shell from it as well.

All fabric is from Gorgeous Fabrics. They are a light sweater fabric that is perfect for early fall, and in Alabama will also work all winter.

I've really enjoyed having the week off to sew and hang out at the house instead of going somewhere. My husband and I decided this will be a new tradition for us Labor Day week. We decided it was a good practice for retirement in 10 years.

I was having this "sewcation" simultaneously with Carolyn in NJ. It was great fun knowing that she was sewing hard at home and anticipating her creations. Carolyn is always inspiring and makes the most beautiful clothes.

Unfortunately, now it's back to work and catching up with what I missed in the world of Public Health Social Work.

A New Vest

2011-09-09T20:35:00.001-07:00

This is my next item completed during my Sewcation. It 's a vest made from Pamela's Patterns Draped Cardigan. I love this pattern, and have made it several times as a cardigan and once before as a vest. The fabric is a wonderful sweater knit from Gorgeous Fabrics. I had enough to make a shell from the Sweater Set from Loes Hinse. It will go with a brown cardigan of the same pattern that I'm working on.

The shirt was completed last week. It was drafted from Sure Fits and fit perfectly without any alterations. (Hurray) Once I have finished the brown cardigan, I will have met my goals for the week! Lots of new clothing items, mostly basics to update my wardrobe.

Staycation Continued

2011-09-09T01:43:00.000-07:00

I would have posted my progess sooner, but I have been busy sewing! It's been a great week sewing, hanging out with my husband, and just enjoying being home. I realize how much I'm going to enjoy retirement. Unfortunately, that won't happen for another 10 years!

So far, I've made three pairs of pants, three skirts, a top, and a shirt. I hope to get a draped cardigan/vest, LH sweater set, and a shell completed before the weekend is over.

My body has been changing over the last few months. I'd like to attribute it mostly to menopause, but I think it has to do with the fact that I have a husband now who loves to eat (particularly fried chicken and ice cream). Therefore, I needed some basics to add to my wardrobe. I made these three skirts from Pamela's Patterns pencil skirt. I love this pattern. It is so fast to sew - about 30 minutes including cutting out. The brown is much darker, more chocolate. It came out lighter in the picture.

I also made cooresponding pants to the skirts. The first was the brown. I drafted it from Sure Fit Designs with a shaped waistband. It is my least favorite. This was not my most flattering style, but is wearable. I changed plans after the brown, and made the black and camel with an elastic facing similar to the old SoHo pants from Textile Studios, again, drafted from Sure Fit. They fit very well and are very comfortable.
My favorite project thus far has been The Sewing Workshop Trio Top with the jacquard from Emma One Sock. (Pictured in the first photo.) I love this pattern! I have a green knit to make a t-shirt underneath. In the meantime I can wear it with a white t-shirt. It also matches my brown pants perfectly. The buttons I found at JoAnn's were great. In the back, I changed the direction of the yoke. I also used the brown linen for the bias facing for the sleeves.

This will be a fun top to wear through out the fall and winter. Once it's too cold in Alabama for the brown linen pants, I can wear it with the chocolate brown pants.

Fall Sewing

2011-09-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

As tropical storm Lee comes through Alabama, I am busy working on my fall wardrobe. Lucky for me, I've taken a week off from work for a Staycation! We had planned for this in the last few weeks. For me, that meant purchasing fabric to get ready. I purchased a collection from Emma One Sock and Gorgeous Fabrics. I love these fabrics! If you are looking for a great RPL at a reasonable price, I highly recommend Emma One Sock. I bought it in brown, black, and camel to make pants using my Sure Fit Designs Kit and pencil skirts from Pamelas Patterns.

The first item I made was a a pair of pants out of a beautiful brown/white cross weave linen to match the beautiful brocade I purchased. I used my Sure Fit Pants Blue Print and drafted them based on the Katherine Pant by Style Arc. They fit perfectly at first try. No Tweaking! Being in Alabama, I can wear these well into October before the weather turns cooler. They will also be perfect for summer next year.

These were very easy to draft. I cut through the front dart to make a princess seam pant. Then I chopped it to make the pant, angling it down about 1 1/2 inches to the side. Because the opening is on the bias, I used fusible stay tape to stabilize. There are definitely more of these in my future. I'm thinking they will be cute in a light weight denim.

I'm now working on The Sewing Workshop Trio Top out of the stripe brocade to go with the pants. I also have the RPL in the washing machine getting ready to go.

Staycation and Fall Planning!

2011-08-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have decided to start a tradition of taking a staycation around Labor Day each year. We plan to take a week off from work and have absolutely no plans. I'm sure he'll take the opportunity to go to the casino a couple of times, giving me some time in my sewing room!

I plan to start my fall wardrobe and have acquired my new fabrics from Gorgeous Fabrics and Emma One Sock. What wonderful fabrics as you can see from the picture above! I purchased a brown knit and orange knit from Gorgeous fabrics. They feel wonderful and are the perfect weight for Alabama winters. The brown will become a cardigan, probably Loes Hinse Sweater Set, and the orange will be a vest from the draped cardigan from Pamela's Patterns.

The brown, black, and camel RPL is from EmmaOneSock. I highly recommend it. It's excellent quality, just enough stretch, beautiful drape, and only $12 a yard. They will become pants from Sure Fit Designs and pencil skirts from Pamela's Patterns.

The brown linen is going to be pants self drafted, but based on Katherine's pants from Style Arc. This fabric matches beautifully with the jacquard stripe from EOC that will be a Trio Top from TSW along with the green knit for a Trio Top. I love these three fabrics together. It's my favorite combo in a long time.

I hope to get my patterns ready and much of my fabric cut out before the week off. I think I'm going to like this new tradition of ours.

Black and White

2011-05-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have been sewing up a storm with my new Bernina this past week. Here are some of my new creations. First, I bought some wonderful fabric from Marcy Tilton recently. Some fabrics are just worth the price, and I loved a french print. It happened to match a lavender cardigan I made several years ago. The fabric became a Tango Skirt - a pattern I have made millions of times. I was very pleased how this one turned out. I used a decorative stitch for the hem, which matched the design of the print perfectly.

Now for the topic at hand: black and white.

I have been trying to make more unusual pieces. It's been a challenge experimenting with new designs and challenging myself with new techniques.

I purchased black and white fabrics from Fabric.com - one is polka dot while the other is a stripe. I intended to use them together and was able to make two tops. It was fun making two totally different things. The first shirt is a Marcy Tilton pattern from Vogue, while the second is the Urban T from The Sewing Workshop. That's the joy of sewing.

One More Sure Fit Designs

2011-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

I just love this system! Everything turns out great and fits so well. I opened the Shirt Kit and made my husband two shirts. This one is even easier to draft than the dress pattern - less measurements and no darts. It took no time to crank out the shirts. My husband loves them and says they are so comfortable.

James has narrow, sloping shoulders that don't fit well with the rest of his body. Shirts usually fall off of him at the shoulders. Not so with these shirts. I see more of these in his future, especially dress shirts. The shirts I made are 100% cotton, which should be nice and cool for summer.

Sure Fit Designs

2011-05-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

I became interested in Sure Fit Designs when Glenda Sparling did a Chat on Pattern Review. Sure Fit has several kits - Dress (consists of a fitted blouse and and skirt), Shirt, Pants, and Children. You take your measurements and then find a matching dot to your measurement on a chart that includes a drawing of a bodice, pant or skirt. You then draft your sloper to your measurements. There are not very many measurements. For instance, there are 11 for the dress kit.

After you draft your sloper, you sew up a muslin. Tweak it if necessary. Here is my muslin, which I thought turned out great. The only tweaks were for sloping shoulder, taking it out a little at the high hip, and narrowing the shoulder. I'm sure the last two alterations were user error when taking my measurements. I always have to alter for a sloping shoulder.

Here is the back and front of my muslin.

After you get your muslin the way you want it, you can draft your own patterns or use your sloper to alter existing patterns. My first effort was this shirt dress pictured below. I included a mandarin collar and front and back yoke. I moved the must dart to the top and gathered it to the yoke. I also made gathers at the back yoke. Then, I made it a drawstring. Taking an idea from Hot Patterns, I elasticized the drawstrings for 2/3's length and added fabric ties for the rest.

Here's a back view with the gathers at the back yoke.

And another front view.

I received Sure Fit Designs as a Birthday present and love it! I currently have plans for another shirt dress, but changing the design elements, and three sheath dresses.

V Neck Top

2011-04-07T19:00:00.001-07:00

Here is my latest creation from the wonderful fabrics I received from Fabric Mart Fabrics. It is a rayon jersey that was very soft, did not curl at all, and is very soft against the skin. I will really enjoy wearing this. It goes well with the white draped cardigan and the taupe/grey Marrakesh pants I made.

This was a very quick pattern to sew up. I cut it out one evening, and sewed it up tonight. This is the second V Neck Top from Christine Johnson that I have made and I plan to make many more. Her patterns are so well drafted and come together beautifully.

Weekender Summer in the City Top

2011-04-04T19:56:00.001-07:00

I have serious sewing mojo going on right now. Here is my latest shirt - the Hot Patterns Weekender Summer in the City top. It is gathered at the front and back yokes. The fabric is a rayon challis from Fabric Mart and had the perfect drape for this. I plan to make two more - one another blouse with ruched sleeves, and the other a shirt dress that I will wear belted. The shirt was very easy to fit. I did the usual adjustments for sloping shoulders and a high rounded back. Then took it in at the sides 1 inch and shortened it by

2 1/2 inches. I have only seen this made up once by someone else, but I recommend the pattern.

The Great Not So White Classic Shirt

2011-03-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying the Hot Patterns projects I have completed lately. They come together well and fit great. I needed a new basic shirt pattern and decided to try the Classic Nouveaux Great White Shirt - except in color. I first made a muslin making my usual alterations - sloping shoulder and high rounded back. I did not make a full bust adjustment, and found I didn't need it. I am a D - Cup and have never needed a FBA with Hot Patterns. The size is true to measurements suggested, and that is great as well.

For the "good" fabric, I used a beautiful light, floral cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics. I loved this fabric, as well as my muslin quite frankly. I have been working with knits and wovens with lycra so much lately, I forgot how enjoyable it is to work with a nice cotton. The muslin fabric I bought several years ago on sale, but was never excited about it. Once I made it up, I loved this shirt, too.

The only changes I made to the floral shirt was to raise the armhole at the bottom 1/2 inch, and narrow the shoulders by 1/2 inch. It turned out perfect. Until it gets very hot, as it certainly can, I'll wear it with the green cardigan in the second picture. The shirt and cardigan will look great with my new, white Marrakesh pants or a white pencil skirt.

Now on to my next Hot Patterns project - a shirt dress from a different pattern.

All Aboard the Train!

2011-03-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Marrakesh pants are finished! I love this pattern. I made a pants muslin first, and struggled with some of the instructions. Then I decided to go with what I know, and worked it out. I tried to use Trudy's instructions for the fly front zipper, but then the waistband was too short. So for the real pants, I made the waistband extra long in the front and Sandra Betzina's instructions for the zipper. She has the best instructions for this.

As for alterations, there were very few. I love how Hot Patterns puts all of the measurements on the pattern including rise. The size 12 rise was perfect for me, but unfortunately, I needed the size 14 width. As usual, I needed a slight decrease in the width in the seat. That was it. They came out great. The fabric for the real pants were from Casual Elegance - linen-like polyester in tan and white. Because the pants were in a light colored fabric, I left off the pockets.

These pants are so comfortable. I wore the tan pair today at work and it felt as if I was in my pj's all day!

Here are the pictures. They remind me that I need to continue to try to lose those 2 pounds! The sweater set is from Silhouettes patterns. I then dared to take a picture with the pants tucked in so you could see the waistband.

Tribute to Mom

2011-03-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

My Mom's 80th birthday would be today. She passed away exactly 11 months ago and I miss her every day. Nearly everything I do has been influenced by her - cooking, sewing, housework, sense of humor, teaching music to children in my choir. As much as she would drive me crazy sometimes (and I am certain she would say the same about me), her influence was significant. I realize that she lives on in my every day activities, thoughts, and work.

As sick as she became, one of the first questions she would ask me was "what are you making?" We shared our passion for sewing. I will be thinking about her tonight when I cut out my new scarf-shirt.

Thanks Mom for everything you gave me. Believe it or not, I really was listening.

Hot Patterns Scarf - Shirt

2011-03-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

After purchasing this pattern, I heard from a couple of sewers that they weren't pleased with their results. I really wanted to love this pattern. Once you watch Trudy's You Tube Videos, you have to get the pattern because you just know you will look fabulous. Well.....

I love this pattern!!!! I read the comments and one review, and was determined to make it successful. I had some "silky" JoAnn's as my muslin, and I'm happy to say I can wear it. I have some charmeuse from Gorgeous Fabrics that I purchased specifically for this pattern.

The important thing is the fabric. It MUST be drapey. Not "kind of drapey", but DRAPEY! Otherwise, you will look like a balloon. Then you have to think about what tweaks you want to make. I made the usual alterations - sloping shoulders, shortened it by three inches. Then I took in the sides by one inch and added a vertical waist dart. Hanging fabric from the boobs just won't do. I think the dart made all the difference. I decided not to attach the scarf so I could use it with other outfits.

I have a Sunshine top cut out. Once it's completed, I'll make another scarf-shirt.

By the way, my sewing assistant decided to join me in the photo. She was great help today.

Mini Sewcation!

2011-02-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

Twice this month, I have worked on the weekends. That is, I've worked my day job on the weekend due to travel/meetings. I work every weekend playing for two church services and directing an adult and children's choir. So, I decided to take today off and have a mini sewcation and catch up on some things around the house.

After grocery shopping and straightening the house, I accomplished two projects in my sewing room and cut out another. The first was a Weekender Sunshine top from Hot Patterns. This is my third of these tops and I plan to make more. They are very figure flattering and quick to make.

The second was the Draped Cardigan from Pamela's Patterns. It's the picture on top of the post. I still can't get my pictures to post in order. Anyway, this is my third draped cardigan from this pattern. I also cut out a pale yellow knit (more like butter) and will leave off the sleeves and make a vest. Pamela has a picture of this on her web page.

While sewing, I was thrilled to get a package from Gorgeous Fabrics and Marcy Tilton! My spring sewing is starting off with a bang. I have fabric to make two scarf-shirts from Hot Patterns, two pairs of Marcy Tilton pants, two pairs of Marrakesh pants from Hot patterns, and a couple of t-shirts. Stay tuned!

Has It Really Been a Year???

2011-02-20T12:19:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I posted on this blog! I haven't been neglecting my sewing, just my blog. Over the last year, I've made several one seam pants out of necessity. I gained some weight and needed pants fast! A combination of being a newlywed, and grieving my Mom's death by making many of her dishes as comfort food did me in. So after Christmas, it was back to Weight Watchers (I'm a life time member) and am down 8 pounds so far. I have 17 more to go.

Besides the one seam pants, I also made several jackets and cardigans. I have noticed that my style and taste for clothes is changing. I am making less structured things and focusing on better quality fabric. I have several things ready to start, including a couple of Marrakesh pants with fabric from Casual Elegance. My last completed project, as of last night was a Marcy Tilton top. I think it will become one of my favorites. I plan to make a couple more that are sleeveless for the hot, Alabama summers. Here's my new top: The first picture shows the twisted neckline, which was a lot of fun to do.

Hopefully, I won't wait another year for my next post.

My Second 1945 Jacket

2010-03-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

I thought my black wool crepe jacket would be my all time favorite, but I love my new 1945 jacket. For this jacket, I left off the collar, shortened the sleeve to 3/4's and shortened it. I made my own trim for embellishment and fringe along the edges. This jacket went together so much quicker since I dealt with most of the fitting issues. I still needed to tweak it a little more, so the third jacket will be even faster.

Here it is:

Nancy Erickson 1945 Jacket

2010-02-13T07:16:00.000-08:00

I finished my 1945 jacket yesterday. We had a snow day in Montgomery, AL due to 3 1/2 inches of snow - biggest snow since 1993! So I took full advantage and completed my jacket. It has been an interesting journey. I planned this jacket over a year ago and had all of the lining, interfacing, and shoulder pads ready to go. I waited until now to start it.

I could say that I procrastinated because last year was so busy. I began dating, planned a wedding, and married. However, I managed to make several other pieces during the year. As I began this project, I realized that subconsciously I wanted to make something special for my mother's funeral. As I began the jacket, I thought a great deal about her and how much she taught me. Now that I have completed it, I know that my mother only has a few days to live. God certainly works in mysterious ways.

The jacket had it's challenges. I was very proud of the fact I made perfect welt pockets, only to discover they were both going in the same direction! So I had to rip out an entire section of the jacket and begin again. Then, I cut the top part of the jacket too large and had to do some significant altering. Thanks to Nancy Erickson herself, I now have the fit just right!

I had made pants using the Textile studio Soho Pants pattern a couple of years ago out of the same fabric. They look great with the jacket. This was definitely a sewing challenge, I learned several techniques and lessons along the way. As Nancy said, the next jacket will definitely be easier.

Mom

2010-01-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

I have come to Boston to see my parents and help take care of my mother for the week. Mom has been sick for many months and continues to decline. As I sat in the hospital room today, I thought about what my mother has given me. She taught me to play the piano. (My mother was a wonderful piano teacher who continues to be loved by all of her students). She and my father taught me to love all kinds of music. I learned to accept everyone, no matter how different and to embrace the difference. Mom taught me to be kind and mind my manners. Mom taught me the love of sewing.

I come from several generations of seamstresses, witnessed by the many quilts we have acquired throughout the generations. My grandmother was an incredible artist who made the finest of suits. My mother made all of our Easter dresses and prom dresses. Going shopping for school clothes meant we went to Hancock's. I loved it. Although most of my clothes were homemade, we were the best dressed girls at school.

My mother bought me my first sewing machine when I was 20 years old and newly married. My former husband was at Officer Training School for the Air Force so I went home for three months. Mom purchased a used Singer and told me that if we made all kinds of garments over the three months, I would learn all the basics. She was right. We picked out patterns and fabric, and within three months, I had a new wardrobe. More importantly, I had found my passion.

That was 30 years ago. At age 50, as I care for my mother, I look at her hands and think about the many beautiful garments she made for us. The beautiful music she played. My Mom is an artist and I am so grateful to be her daughter. Thank you for the many gifts you have given me.

The Wedding

2010-01-19T05:42:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy being a newlywed, I just haven't had the time to post on this blog. That's a good thing, right? Anyway, the wedding was absolutely perfect. It was very small with our closest friends and family with us. The weather could not have been more perfect. I was very pleased with the dress and the coat. My only concern with the dress is that I had to watch the front. It tended to lower when I sat down, or perhaps it was my viewpoint that was worrisome. Anyway, all and all I was pleased with the dress and the coat.

Here's a picture of the happy couple!

The Dress is Complete!

2009-10-19T12:30:00.001-07:00

I am so pleased with the dress! Sewing on good fabric (vs. the fabric from the muslin) made all the difference in the world! It looks better on me than the dress form, but of course, I refuse to model the dress in public until the wedding!

I ended up taking it in on the sides (hurray for Weight Watchers!) and it is very slimming. The soft pleats drape beautifully. For some reason, they droop on the dress form. I guess the girls are perkier than the form!!!

The coat is complete except for pressing. Here's a picture prior to hemming and sewing on the button.

As soon as I can, I'll press the coat and post more pictures.

For the coat, I lowered the bodice seam. It seemed to hit in the middle of my bust line, so I lowered it about 2 inches. Because of the neckline of the dress, I also redrew the front, lowering the V of the jacket so that the dress peaked underneath.

The only sewing project left for the wedding is a formal for the cruise. Stay tuned.

A Reason for Sewing

2009-10-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

There are times when I go into auto pilot while sewing. I don't often need to read the instructions clearly, and I sew without thinking. Then there are times that stretch my mind and all of my abilities. That is when I am reminded why I love to sew. After years of developing skills, techniques, and knowledge, I can use them to accomplish something I have never tried before. This is one of those times.

This pattern calls for precision in sewing, marking every seam, pinning carefully, using your instincts, and saying little prayers along the way. And when it works, the outcome is great! After inserting the side pieces to the front and back bodice, and matching them to the darts, I was very pleased with my work. Here are the results of the back bodice prior to rinsing out the markings. It was particularly challenging matching the dart to the corner of the bodice and side back. However, the key is marking and pinning carefully.

Since I began posting this, I came down with the flu and have been off from work all week. The upside is that I actually finished the dress. I'll be cutting out the coat this weekend if all goes well. The dress turned out great. I may want to take it up in the side seams some, but will wait until closer to the wedding to make further alterations.

The Muslin: A Lesson in Patience

2009-09-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

The muslin is completed, but not without a lot of anxiety and frustration. This pattern is not for the faint hearted! I cut out the pattern pieces and fit them on my dress form. (Last post) But when I cut out the muslin for the bodice and sewed it together, it was disastrous. The bodice did not come together well and was about two sizes too large. This has never happened for me when making a FBA. After great thought, and encouragement from my fiancee (he even made me lie on the floor in the sewing room at one point!) I decided that perhaps the alterations were not necessary.

So..... back to the drawing board. I left the alterations to the skirt to shorten above the waistline but took out the rest and cut out the pattern as is. Voila! It fit perfectly!

The construction of this pattern is very difficult. The insets on the front side and back bodice are attached into points and tight corners. On the back side, it has to match perfectly with the dart on the skirt. In order to successfully do this, all seams must be marked exactly and pinned perfectly. Unfortunately, you have to sew a side, unpin, pin the next side, sew again, and so forth.

I am pleased with the fit and what I think will be the end result. Next step: Starting on the actual dress. In the mean time, here are pictures of the muslin in a rust colored crepe.

The Alterations

2009-09-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

After much thought and one sleepless night, the pattern alterations are completed. This was a tricky pattern to alter due to how the tucks are made and the small bust darts. To make the full bust adjustment, I used the method in Fit for Real People, and think it turned out well. I may have increased slightly too much according to the dress form, but the muslin will tell the real story. Here's a picture of the alteration:

The waistline also needed to be raised, which brought about another challenge because the waist is in the middle of tucks on the front. I raised the waistline 3/4 inch straight through all tucks and redrew them.

I usually need an adjustment for high rounded back and sloping shoulders, but it wasn't necessary because of how the pattern is drafted. The neck line is three inches below the base in the back, and the dress falls mid way on shoulder.

Next the Muslin! I have an orange/rust color crepe that I plan to use. I knew I'd find a use for that fabric some day!

Fabric and Patterns for the Wedding Suit!

2009-09-10T17:55:00.001-07:00

The verdict is in! The fabric has been found. I went to Houston to see my daughter over the weekend in Houston and found just the right thing at High Fashion Fabrics. Actually, Stefanie found the fabric for the coat: a grey satin with beading. It was too much for the dress, so I found an off white crepe that was beefy and had wonderful drape.

Here are the fabrics:

The cream is a crepe fabric. The Satin is grey with beading. I have also made changes to my pattern selections. For the crepe fabric, I am making this Michael Kors design:

The jacket will be from this pattern:

I will be using a pearl and rhinestone button for the closure instead of the ribbon.

I will start working on the muslin for the dress this weekend. The big challenge will be the FBA. Stay tuned!

And the Winner is:

2009-07-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

After much contemplation and lots of suggestions on Sewer's Guild, my finally decision on the wedding suit is: (drum roll please)

I will be making the dress version with the suit. Now I just need to find the perfect fabric. In the mean time, I'll be sewing up a muslin to get the fit just perfect.

All is coming together. My fiancee has a contract on his house, so looks like the wedding will be in November. I can't wait. Being 50 is fabulous!!!!

The Birth of a Wedding Suit

2009-07-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

In preparation for my wedding, I have begun comtemplating patterns for my wedding suit. Since it will probably be in November and Alabama weather is very unpredictable (what place isn't?) I'm wanting a dress with a jacket. I don't think I can make a final decision on a pattern until I find the perfect fabric. But this is what I am considering:

2009-07-04T04:18:00.001-07:00

Here are the most recent creations from my sewing room:

I love this dress! It is from Vogue 8555. There are several large pleats, which was time consuming, but well worth the effort. I wear this with a lime green cardigan for the office. I have received several compliments on this dress and have been called Michelle Obama! The best of compliments.

Kwik Sew 3199 will be a new TNT blouse pattern for me. I love the fit of this blouse. The pattern also has a long sleeve, and mandarin collar versions. Definitely a pattern that will take me into fall.

The fabric is a fabulous embroidered cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics.

This is one of those patterns that didn't work for me! And it's a shame, because I loved this fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics. Oh well, the life of a sewer! It was from Favorite things. They are pull on pants with elastic in the back. No matter how much I took it up in the sides, it was just too big, and I knew that with the stretch fabric, the shorts would just keep slipping down. I would hate for my shorts to fall off in public, so sadly, they and the pattern went in the trash!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Fourth. There will be hamburgers and hot dogs cooking on the grill, while a watermelon cools in the refrigerator at the Miller/ O'Bryan home.

New Blog/ New Life

2009-07-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

Because of changes in my e-mail address, I have decided to start a new Blog for my sewing adventures. I have been neglectful over the past year in documenting my sewing activities, but what an eventful year it has been. I have met a wonderful man that I plan to spend the rest of my life with, and as wedding plans develop, I hope to post the progress of my wedding dress or suit on this blog. Until then, have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Carolyn