Okay...Where Were We?....

Have you been thinking of me?  I certainly have not forgotten you!  I've been busy and sewing between the holidays and regular days since my last post.  It's now about time I brought my friends and readers up to date on the specifics of these activities.

One thing I've begun since moving cross country (about a year ago) began because I currently have no dedicated sewing space.  I now have begun to work on multiple projects simultaneously.  It's only because when I cut something out (my least favorite part of the process), I must clean up and return the area used back to its original appearance.  So, I seem to have begun to cut out multiple projects at a time.  It's fine, but I've always been a 'one-project-at-a-time' sewist, so it seems to be taking me a longer time to get anything to the point where I can blog about the process.  I rarely hoard fabric or purchase it without a specific project in mind.  I worked at a fabric store during my son's last two years of high school and accumulated a lot of fabric at a substantial discount during those years.  Moving (and paying to move) lunks and trunks of this yardage cured me of hoarding.  Don't misunderstand, I still love beautiful fabric, so when the fabric is purchased, the next step is to cut the project out, organize it with the associated notions, and work on it with the hours or minutes I have available.   With that as a background of how my life currently works, I will share with you how my current minutes have been spent.

The things I seem to sew are things that make me stretch my talents and keep me open to new sewing experiences.  Most of the time, the projects I select appear nowhere else on internet blogging sites (like patternreview.com or the personal blogs on blogger.com or wordpress), so there are very few sewing hints or completed examples of identical projects posted by others.   I feel more like a pioneer in the sewing world.  Part of that is because I have been sewing for so many years, the 'standard solid-color-shift-dress' sort of sewing doesn't seem to interest me any more.  New and interesting designers do, though....and working with new and interesting fibers and textiles....and incorporating my other talents (cross stitch/embroidery/silk ribbon embroidery/quilting) keep my creative projects interesting.

I did take everyone's lead and create a dress from the ever-popular Vogue 1314 by Tracey Reese.  I bought an ideal  soft, patterned knit fabric from the local Hancock sale table for it.  My sister (another seamstress) copied me and rushed to the local store buy two yards for her own version in another color.  I had no problem with her actions because we've had many, many sewn items in our closets that are from the same pattern since we were little girls.  We always end up in identical clothing in different colors, and the picture below proves how proud we were of my mothers sewing talent (and our new bicycles). lol  

'The Girls'
Back in the Day in Nebraska

Weren't we adorable?????  Bows and all!..hahahahaha!!!!!...My sister would die if she knew I posted this pic, but you won't tell her, so she will never know...right?  I would have rather shown another pic of us at Easter in some identical frocks we wore that year.  She and I recently laughed long and hard about our holiday outfits as tried to remember which color hers was versus mine.  She didn't have a copy of the picture and mine remains packed away.....so, instead you get this little glimpse into our history.  We are a year apart in age and a size apart in clothing.  I think her interest in sewing no longer keeps pace with mine, but, she remains a creative individual and my creative backboard with a very good eye for style and 'the arts.'

Vogue 1314
Photo courtesy of McCalls Patterns

This pattern had been produced many times, so I was able to incorporate some design changes to improve the fit.  Invaluable were the suggestions made by Sarah, one of my favorite bloggers, posting to Goodbye Valentino. I had already completed my dress by the time she wrote the blog about this pattern, but I went back and opened the side seams to incorporate the changes she suggested.  It improved the garment dramatically, and I plan to make it again with the RTW changes the designer made to the original dress. Also...thank you, Andrea (posting from Knit-Knac.blogspot.com)  for the inspiration for my second version of this dress....I love this dress and the changes she plans to make to it; I am currently seeking the ideal fabric to duplicate the new version of this pattern, too.

Vogue 1314
Front Neckline

Wow!...my blogs are too long....but I can't leave without telling you about a couple of other projects 'in-process.'  This second one is taking a long time to cut out.  It took a long time to find the fabric and a few additional days to read the pattern instructions to make sure I understood the construction process.

Vogue 8957
Image Courtesy of McCalls.com

I LOVE this evening jacket!   I am making View B (shown above) which is sleeveless by design, but I will be adding the tiny cap sleeve from View A.  The jacket is fully lined and is put together by joining a series of split circles lengthwise (the number depending on the size you are creating).  The pattern in my size required 5 yards of fabric 60" wide.  The instructions suggest a template be made for the three circles, and they be cut from the yardage a total of 68 times...that's right....no typo...sixty-eight times!  The circles are joined by french seams (my choice) and the edges of each ruffle are to be double-rolled after staystitching.  I don't recommend this project to anyone fearful of handwork or as I've seen it called "fiddly" handwork.  It will be beautiful, though....and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Vogue 8957
Over 60+ pieces of fabric!

My non-sewing machine handwork includes cross stitch.  My current project is a little black girl in a yellow dress.  The pattern was purchased from an Etsy vendor, and I am working diligently on this every day for the past month or so.  She reminds me of my childhood when the neighbors used to refer to me as that 'big-legged girl.'  As you see, she has braids and ribbons, too, so she holds a special place in my heart.  I'm not sure if she will become a pillow or be framed on my wall, but she will be one of a pair of little black girls whose charts are waiting to be completed.  I know, more of tedious work that calms me and currently strains my eyes.  I am getting older....

Little Girl in a Yellow Dress
Cross Stitch

Okay....that's all for today.  This post has taken too long to compose.  I hope you enjoyed the update.  I haven't told you about my Easter dress because its soo springy and the weatherman is predicting another snowstorm tonite in my area.....sigh!  I will also include my completion of a summer version of the ever-popular Vogue 8728.

Vogue 8728
Photo Courtesy of McCalls.com

I goofed putting together the belt buckle, so I am re-doing that portion of this project.  It also includes a lapped zipper....I still detest the invisible type, but, I am getting better at them.  This vintage dress required an old fashioned installation at the side seam.  I'll show you the result on my next post.  It's been fun!...comment any time.  If I've omitted anything, please ask....I love comments and appreciate hearing from everyone who visits!

Remember....Keep going....one stitch at a time!....

Do You Remember the Selfish Seamstress?

Do any of you remember the posts of the Selfish Seamstress?  If you've been reading sewing blogs as long as I have, you would miss her as much as I do.  She was a fabulous exceptional seamstress and had a witty sense of humor that left you panting for her next project and post....which always included a tongue-in-cheek rant that reinforced her commitment to sewing only for herself.

This past year or so, after moving cross county to be with my recently-widowed sister, the pressure to sew for her friends and the new people I meet became intense.  Although the Selfish Seamstresses posts had become infrequent (following her marriage and move to Europe), I sought out her blog just to purchase one of the coffee cups she offered with her original haiku poems that politely discourage the begging.  The one I chose says, "Sew something for you?  It's not that I don't have time...I just don't want to."  (teehee)  I keep it on my sewing spot filled with the small notions I constantly reach for.  In spite of her blog's inactivity, all of her items are still available and can be purchased to support St. Jude's Hospital for Children, and include a variety of tote bags, tshirts and customizable mugs with similarly unique haiku.  (Check them out....and if anyone knows of her whereabouts, tell her we miss her!)

I had gotten pretty good at dissuading the begging babble that surrounds accomplished sewists, and had gotten really good at politely rebuffing their offers of payment, no matter what the project.  This holiday season was very discouraging, though.  Because of a very limited budget, I chose to make presents for my immediate family and the results reminded me of the reason I had refrained from sewing for anyone except myself.

The niece I had made things for all her life now had an opinion and seemed not to like what I created....she didn't take it out of the box or say much about it...not even a mumbled, "Thank you."  She sorta sniffed at what I described as the 'difficulties' I encountered making it.  (I lengthened each 3 inches, the horn buttons came from China via an EBay seller and I quilted the inside lining.  I was really pleased with the long-haired fur, which had been ordered from a website:  imstuffedfur.com)  The special length zippers (my niece is 6'2" barefoot) were ordered from an Etsy seller (Zipit) and I enjoyed look;ing for the special zipper pull placed on each one.  This niece has lupus and recently had knee surgery, so she needs to keep her joints warm as she performs her work-related duties.  I thought this was going to be a great present., although my sister predicted she would not like it and suggested instead that I ask my niece what she wanted.  I was too far in, too much time had been spent, too much money had been invested in the project.  I had only enough time to finish it before the holiday, and no time to rethink the process.  Did I have enough money to purchase whatever she would say she wanted?  No....so I plunged forward to complete the project.  I just hoped she would be gracious, and watched if she keyed on my sister's reaction...it was disappointing.

McCalls 6809

Very Easy Very Vogue 9427

My sister didn't goo and gush over her gift either, in spite of the effort and details I put into the project; she sews as well, so has knowledge of how time-consuming my efforts were.  I made the jacket from a plush deep purple fleece.  I quilted the inside hood/jacket facing and made cording for its edge.  Not sure if she liked it either, beside it being extremely soft and warm.   She did say thank you, however and has been wearing inside the house.

Purple and Warm

I know, I know....I have learned that you should give a gift for the pleasure of giving it, and that's what I am concentrating on.  I have made the decision not to put as much work into gifts for individuals that don't express an appreciation for the effort.  Maybe I do better at gifts for the little ones in my life.....i.e., my great nephew and 3 grandsons.  They seem to give me the big smile and thanks for the puppets, stuffed animals and aprons gifted them this past year or so.  I'm trying to be more understanding for my relatives who benefited and felt entitled during the years prior to the U.S. economic hiccup and the salary of a seasoned employee vs. the beginning salary my son and I began with.  Now, instead of getting what you may want, you should develop the skill to appreciate what you are given.  I can't be the only person who feels this way.

I've suddenly become a fan of the proverbial innocuous gift card....I'll be giving them more as gifts in the future.  I marvel at a fellow blogger who cheerfully accepted the fact that his mother did not like the housedress he made for her and (seemingly unaffected) he bounced out to get more fabric in an effort to please her with another effort.  I pray I can cheerfully try, try again.  I'll begin that journey tomorrow.  But, today, I am more like the Selfish Seamstress.  It seems safer....

I continue my journey....one stitch at a time....

All It Took....

Wow!  You came back to see what happened?!  Thank you so much!

Well, I've completed the Issey Miyake jacket and am anxious to show you the winning buttons and my next project.  Ummm.....let me see, where were we???.....Oh, yeah....Wasn't it here?...

I love my Singer automatic buttonholer!

 Here you see my trusty Singer buttonholer making one of the five buttonholes on the collar.  Both layers of the collar were handled as one, and adding a piece of tear-away stabilizer kept everything in line.  Doing these buttonholes and sewing on the buttons took an hour or so...no time at all.

What will surprise you if you make this jacket?  I was surprised to find that this jacket has what the instructions call a gusset under the sleeves.  I had no previous experience with this type of gusset, and wondered why the designer would choose to use it here.  Now, as I give the jacket its final press, I understand the function of this design choice.  As I smooth the jacket on the dress form, I notice the kimono sleeve falls smoothly from the dropped shoulder because it is supported by the gusset and undersleeve and there is no underarm pinch visible when the arm is moved. 

I was also surprised there is a tie belt in the back.  I'm not a 'tie-belt-in-the-back' kinda girl.  I am old enough to have lived when girls of elementary school age were required to wear dresses to school.  And, at the time, almost every little girl's dress had waist ties which were secured in a big bow just before you left for school.  I always managed to come home with one torn and scraggly tie hanging from a rip at the side seam or (at minimum,) left dragging loose in the dust behind me--the bow a distant morning memory.  I always got in trouble for this and seeing them brings back my mother's disappointment (once again) in my wardrobe malfunction and proof of some unladylike activity. 

So. as an adult, when the patterns I select have ties in the back, I usually omit them.  I used them in this case because the boxy style of the jacket needs some waistline shaping.  I also confess I may have selected the wrong interfacing, and wish I had selected a softer one to use at the cuff and hemline.  The interfacing used on the front facings is fine being stiffer or crisper, but the sharpness is not needed any other place, so I wish I had substituted a different one. 

So...here is the finished product.--------------'>'

I apologize for the poor-quality pictures.  The browns and oranges are so much more vivid than they appear here.  I'm getting better and better at taking them, so bear with me pleeze...:) 

What button did I use?  I totaled all the votes received before midnight Sunday, and the winner is.........



Four-hole 3/8" shell
button

The tiny speckled shell button is the one selected by a majority of votes.......;)   I sewed the button over a round toothpick and wound thread between the fabric and button back to create the lift I wanted to avoid any pull or imprint on the fabric surface.



Jacket Back with Tie Belt



Lining and Welt Pockets

 I pulled a little of the pocket lining out of the pocket on the left so you could see the welt positioning.  They turned out really well in spite of me not doing any for a while.
And, my label at the back of the neck....the signal of the project coming to its conclusion.  I won't be making the pants included in this pattern, but I have several pairs of linen pants (i.e., white, ivory, copper-colored) that will coordinate well so I can wear it into California's fall weather. 
I'll get better at explaining myself and documenting my work without making my posts picture heavy.  Leave me a message if there's anything I can describe in more detail or clarify. Thanks for going with me!

*****

Next, I'll be sharing how the top mentioned in my first blog turned out (Donna Karan Vogue 1039).  This top was the last garment begun without knowing anything about a Full Bust Adjustment (FBA)---which I found out was one of the first things I need to make.  I was taking a sewing class at the local junior college and at the time, this top was what I was working on in my personal life.  It won't have that FBA, but I'll share the process of sewing the last garment cut out in a larger size to accomodate the alteration.  I'm happy that I now know much more about the pattern-making and altering process and can make accurate changes in garment design that work for my body.  It has also helped me incorporate different construction techniques (couture or manufacturing) into my projects.  I'll show you what I mean when we discuss this design.  I'll need your opinion on some things, too....so, don't forget to check back.  I looovvvve company......!

Til then....

Keep going!...one stitch at a time....

Clearing the Queue....

I will be moving sometime this winter, so I am focusing on finishing all the sewing projects I can before I pack up my machines for my return to Georgia. Completion of the garment in this post required I put in eight buttonholes. That dictated I select my buttons to determine what size buttonholes to make. Ultimately, I matched a fabric swatch and found two sets of buttons at the recent Bay Area Quilt, Craft & Sewing Expo in San Mateo, CA. I opted to use buttons smaller than the 7/8" suggested size. I didn't want the buttons to detract from the jacket design or interrupt the fabric visually. The fabric I chose is busy enough, I think. I also decided to make one buttonhole through both collar layers for each of the buttons.

When I chose this Issey Miyake jacket pattern (Vogue 1052) I remember wandering the aisles at Joann's looking for the right fabric. I knew I wanted something lighter than the "lightweight gabardine, poplin or denim" listed on the pattern back as Suggested Fabrics. I ultimately selected a dollar-per-yard chiffon from the sale area.  I felt like the collar made from this fabric would be softer and prettier, although I knew my choice would require I also underline the jacket front, back, and sleeves. The back of the pattern describes it as fully lined, with welt pockets, back tie belt, and a collar consisting of two matching layers atop one another with wrong sides together.

Let me now thank the ten ladies who have posted reviews of this pattern on patternreview.com, one of whom shared a technique for finishing the collar edges (involving a cording foot and Pearl Cotton No. 5 thread) that was much more appealing than the "turn-and-zigzag" instructions in the pattern. (Thanks ITAdmin!)  I have provided a link to her review because she documented the technique far better than I could. The worldwide sewing community's willingness to share construction techniques has improved my sewing knowledge and refined my final garments immensely! Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and blogging about it! .

Buttons are my favorite part of any garment. I have often paid more for the buttons than the garment fabric. Don't you feel that buttons often will make the garment?  I confess....I have a thing for buttons....(the button wall at Stone Mountain and Daughter sends me into rapture.) Initially, I was certain I wanted shank buttons...but, I stumbled into a four-hole button that fades completely into the background on this fabric.

You can help me choose the right button....Which one would you select? I know...they're hard to see, aren't they? The shank button (nestled just above the end of the fabric signature running at the bottom along the selvedge) is approximately 1/2" wide, and the speckled 4-hole shell button is smaller, about 3/8". The packets were about $1.75 each and contain 8-10 buttons. Such a deal!  I hope you can click on the picture to enlarge it....I would really like to hear your opinion on which button you'd select.  Especially if you are a button person, like me!  (smile)  My plan is to get the final jacket photo taken this weekend, so get your votes in early! 

Thanks for stopping by....

Talk to you soon!

Cynthia