Finishing Last Year's Projects....Vogue 1268

I have so much holiday sewing to complete!  And with it being so cold out here in the eastern United States, I can find few valid reasons to leave the house other than work or walking my dog, Domino.  Yes, I have finally purchased a few pairs of socks to wear in this frigid weather, and it now takes less than two hours for my feet to warm up after coming inside. lol  My hands stay busy, and this post is to describe the last step taken to complete a sewing project begun over a year ago.

It turned out pretty well as far as sewing goes, and I have just sewn on the single button, the finishing touch to this fully-lined synthetic suede dress.  I have seen a few versions of Vogue 1268 on Patternreview.com, and only one seamstress completed  her garment in a similar weight fabric as mine.  We also had a similar assessment about the final results of the Guy Larouche pattern style and final fit.  

Vogue 1268
Image courtesy of McCall Patterns

I purchased the fabric I used (from either fashionfabricsclub.com or fabricmart.com) before I moved from California, and completed the dress not too long after arriving here in Virginia.  I had gained a bit of weight in the interim, so there was no trying it on until recently, after dropping approximately 25-30 lbs.  Now that I have returned to something closer to my 'normal' weight, I have sewn on the statement button and am ready to place it into my very limited wardrobe rotation.

Diamond-stitched Microsuede
Photo courtesy of Martha's Fabrics

The dress was cut in a size 16 with a FBA for a DD bustline at the time.  I now am closer to a size 12 or 14 and my ribcage is 2" smaller and only a D cup at the bustline.  I did no other adjustments to the pattern, neither lengthening the dress at the hemline or changing the sleeve length.  I worked hard to get the one buttonhole as perfect as I could, seeing that it was a focal point of the dress and almost as large as a small welt pocket (overexaggeration) and difficult to ignore.  lol

The pictures below show the selection I made for the single buttonhole.  Yes, it is a large one....about 1-1/2" across.  It was one of the largest available from a website called As Cute as a Button based in San Diego, CA.  I was pleased that I was able to get the button through my bound buttonhole, which I made approximately 1-3/4" wide.

Button from "As Cute as a Button"

Dress Front

I also added an heavy duty hook and eye to hold the front of the dress stable.  I am very pleased with the finished product.  I chose a pair of heels from Sole Society to wear with it.  They are taupe and dark brown with a gold-colored piping around an edge that ties the ensemble together.  I plan to wear this with dark brown tights as soon as an appropriate occasion presents itself.  Hopefully, soon!

Sole Society Shoe

Dress Front
Vogue 1268

Dress Back

Just before the New Year, I also finished a gift for my middle grandson.  He seems to have become obsessed with PacMan, so I took it upon myself to order some custom-designed fabric from Spoonflower that had the colorful representation of that game.  Are you familiar with Spoonflower?  We'll discuss that experience in the next post!  I hope all of my readers return to hear and see the details of that experience.  Happy New Year to you and all my fellow bloggers.  I'm trying hard re-kindle my blogging desire and post more this year.  I learn so soooo much from reading all the blogs I follow, I feel obligated to contribute my two cents.  Please write me back!  I enjoy your comments

'Til then....keep sewing....one stitch at a time!

P.S. .....Domino says Hi!

I Won, I Won!!!!!!.....Downton Abbey, Here I Come!

I've always felt like a fish out of water, someone with eclectic tastes and unusual interests cultivated in a midwestern childhood and an adolescence basted in California liberalism.  It makes for strange bedfellows and friends, and leaves me alone a lot of the time.  As I get older, it doesn't bother me half as much as it used to.  I do a lot of reading, sewing and solitary television watching.  Most of the shows I watch are not of interest to a majority of those I encounter IRL (in real life) (lol).  Since I've begun blogging and become involved in the internet, my world has expanded to introduce me to more people like me.  Sites like Pinterest and Facebook help begin conversations with interesting people and connects me with organizations and groups who are no longer satisfied to sit alone at home and bay at the moon.  

I remain a lifelong supporter of the Public Broadcasting System, and for the past three years have become an avid fan of their Masterpiece Theatre show: Downton Abbey.  Are you?   Oh, I hope someone (maybe a few of you) out there is/are as fascinated by the clothes, decorum and storyline of this captivating saga as I am! I digress....

This January, the fourth season of this show begins, and all Downton fans are holding their breath and waiting to see what happens following the sudden death of one of the main characters at the end of last season.  I follow the show for 'behind the scenes' articles on the PBS website, and they recently sent me an email asking if I were interested in attending the local premiere preview of the first episode of the upcoming season.  This will occur just a few weeks ahead of the show's national premiere date!  Of course, I said I would LOVE to!   I quickly submitted my name as one of the group of thousands who must have responded, and lo and behold....about a week later I received an email advising me that I had been selected!  I think it was because I was a party of one....having no clue as to who I would ask to go with me, I submitted only myself as an interested party.

So off I'll go....alone into the Washington night.....wending my way through the dark streets of DC in early evening....carrying a shower gift for Lady Mary's baby (which will be donated to the National Center for Children and HOPE in Northern Virginia, Inc. on behalf of WETA-TV supporters).  Oh my!....What shall I take (or make) for the baby???....homemade or storebought????  OMG!!!! So second issue is...what should I wear!!??....what would you wear!!!!????  I've been sewing like mad, so I do have choices....just which one?  

I've decided it will be what I made from this Suzi Chin Butterick Pattern 4978.. The Washington Metro area is COLD right now....so I am delighted to own an appropriate heavy wool winter coat and have decided to walk from the self-park garage nearby to the hotel event ($34 valet parking they warned!) in a pair of black booties I ordered from Sole Society.   I will wear black hosiery and my earring choice remains open.  I'll toss my black Pashmina over my shoulders and carry my black kidskin gloves.  

I know....I wish I could wear anything Lady Sybill wore (before her untimely death), but this ensemble will have to do.

Full Length Dress
(Tea Length)

                                        

Dress Inside Lining

Dress Front with Bow at Waist

Dress Back at Zipper

Just to add....making the dress was not difficult, and was made with $2 per yard fabric from (FabricMart, I think).  LOTS of handwork and basting on the chiffon, but handwork is something I have never minded doing.  I was more delighted to find the lining in the perfect brown at my local JoAnn's.  That brown lining in straight grain and stretch is soooo hard to find!  It is my goal to gather my coins and purchase a bolt of each as soon as I can.  I was also proud of my regular zipper.  Zipper insertion is so important to a new sewist, when I began to sew I practiced and practiced until I could insert them perfectly (lapped, centered and hand-picked).  Now, this was waaay before invisible zippers were even invented, and I still strive to master invisible zipper insertion today.

The only real question I encountered on this dress was figuring out which way the finished side of the lining should face.....which way would you have done it?  Choice one is to have the finished side of the lining facing your body.....choice two is to have the finished side of the lining facing the underside of the chiffon.  Is there a rational choice?  Chime in.....which way would you have completed the garment?  After the event, I'll tell you which way I finished mine and tell you what I chose to take as a shower gift for Lady Mary's baby boy.  Will I meet any blogger friends or sewists there?  Let me know if you will be there, too!  I'm so excited!

'Til next time....

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

A Quick Gift for a New Baby....

If you are one of my followers, you already know I now live with my sister in a Washington, DC suburb.  I've been here since closing my mother's home and driving cross-country with my doggy, Domino.  My sister had recently become a widow and needed a little emotional support.  I brought along my sewing machine and serger and have used them for smaller projects for friends and family more often than embarking on the major personal projects I normally tackle.  I've been residing about a year in a home my (only) sister has owned over 40+ years.  Over that period of time, she has witnessed the neighborhood changes and neighbors come and go.

She currently has a next door neighbor who owns a beagle who has become close friends with my Westie due to an unrepaired hole in the fence.  Well...this female neighbor is now pregnant, and the baby is due the first week of December.  This latest project of mine is a small gift to her new baby, which will be a girl!

Do you think she will like it?  Let me tell you where you can get the patterns so you can duplicate the projects for your next expectant mother.

The booties come in multiple sizes (birth to 18 months) and the hat instructions include birth to adult head sizes.  The patterns can be ordered from the Etsy sites here and here.  The pair of items require the purchase of two separate patterns.  I made them from a pink shearling found online on Ebay.  The second pattern is for Bubbo the Frog (he doesn't look like a frog in pink, does he?) lol  This is the second time I have used this seller (DIYFluffies) publishing from the Netherlands, but her English instructions made the sewing experience  just as pleasant.  This sellers pattern instructions are always very clear and the pieces fit together perfectly, just as her dragon pattern did.

The stuffed animal (above) is sitting on a large popcorn can in the picture, and the hat and booties are below him in the front.  These hat and booties require the skill set of an advanced beginner because the drawings and instructions are not so easy to decipher, but nothing that could not be figured out with a little thought.  I used white fleece for the bottom of the frog and his extremities.  The bottom of the booties are made with anti-skid gripper fabric available at most fabric stores.  The position of the frog's legs are left to you the seamstress, and I also warn you to use a stabilizer when sewing on the features of the frog's face.  I also customized the frog by including squeakers; one is in his front leg, the other in the main body.  It should provide some audible interest for the baby as she grows up.

Thank you for stopping by to see my latest project.  I am currently sewing Christmas gifts, so there will be more to share very soon....

Til then, keep going....one stitch at a time!

Hey!  Why didn't I get into the pictures?

Shaken from the Doldrums...

 Yes....it has been that long.  Where have I been?  Close by...closed up and closed in.  Like many of us, dealing with my personal demons...healthwise and otherwise.  Now I am better, as it is always revealed  when you step outside yourself and think of others not as fortunate as you--in spite of whatever your current circumstances are.  Just be reminded, we are fortunate to be alive today...many are not.  We are fortunate to move free of debilitating pain....many are not.  And, Rhonda Buss (author of Rhonda's Creative Life,) an expert sewist and fellow blogger, reminded so many of her readers that many of those not so fortunate are children, much younger than we who have had many more years of life.  I felt I needed to participate in the Mary Bridge Childrens' Hospital Pillowcase Project she sponsored, and it helped snap me out of my malaise.

Thank you, Rhonda.....thank you thank you Thank You.  You are an angel to the children who get to pick a pillowcase for themselves, and to those of us who felt the joy of guiding each stitch in our donated pillowcases. The picture above is the pillowcase grouping I created.  They are not perfect and have unique flaws which set them apart from the factory-created examples.  My overlock blade was often too dull to cleanly sever several bulky seamlines, but, I kept sewing.  At the end I was visualizing even more fabric combinations but forced myself to stop after completing twelve.  I put one of my vintage printed labels in each one, hoping the child that chose one of them would find it and wonder who was the creator.  They honor my three grandsons, all healthy and growing up in sunny northern California.  All are rather boyish looking, although I did throw in one with purple and red flowers just for me.  (smile)

Well, that has taken up only a portion of our yearlong separation.  The other time has been filled with sewing, and I have several posts currently in draft status, just waiting to share the final garment on a dress form or on my body.  I have lost so much weight, they will fit differently better, but, I currently have so few opportunities to dress up and model them with the proper accessories, days months have passed by.  I promise to reveal them soon, even if they lie on the floor!

There are several crafting projects to complete, too.  Below you will see three examples of decoupaged cigar boxes I am completing for my son and his oldest two boys.  They were covered with napkins purchased at The Party Store ($1 per pkg).  Each napkin was roughly torn and slapped down with ModgePodge inside the lid and outer surfaces of each box.  Isn't the lizard eye menacing???!!!  My oldest grandson will love it!  The bottom of each box will sit on four colored flat-bottomed marbles and each top will be hinged and latched with hardware I purchased from an overseas Etsy seller.  The inside of each box will be lined in green felt, and it is my hope they use them to store the secrets and treasures accumulated over their lifetimes.  I hope they keep them forever and never surprise their mother by storing a tarantula or frog inside.  lol....

I actually wanted to share a source for my favorite straight pins, but the cigar boxes added so much more visual interest to the picture I included them in the shot, too.  The large blue can in the foreground holds five thousand extra long superfine Iris straight pins!  All those sewists (like me) who do not gravitate toward using ball head pins (except on dressforms) will love these pins.  They are very thin (superfine) and extra long (1-3/4") which remains ideal for old-school sewists who still pin pattern to fabric a majority of the time.  And, I confess....they work great with the bad habit I have of sewing over pins with my 401 Singer Slant-O-Matic.   I know, I know...my sister has told me I can't do that on any other machine.....including her $2000 Bernina...lol  So far, it has worked fine in certain cases (to ease in set-in sleeves especially), so I will continue this horrible, horrible habit another 50 years until I begin to throw off machine timing or begin breaking straight pins one after the other.  I also have the habit of cutting out several garments at once, so I no longer fear running out of my supply of these special pins before I remove them from other projects.

While my son was still in high school, I worked as a training instructor in a (now defunct) fashion fabric store in Fremont, CA.   I fell in love with the extralong pins they carried, and purchased six or seven packages of them, each containing 300 pins.  Well, this year I opened the last package and found out the company is no longer in business.  WAWAK has their replacement, and I am glad I was able to find them.  (Atlanta Thread Supply went out of business and WAWAK took over their customers, website and inventory.)  Looking for a pin that does not snag your fabric and holds a maximum area flatly and smoothly, check these out.

Don't forget me!  This blogging community is amazingly supportive and I have learned so much from its contributors.  My sewing has improved immensely, even though I have been sewing over 55 years, so thanks to you all.   I love the fact that there is still so much more to learn.  I hope to become a frequent participant and encourage your comments.  If you would like to see more detail on the cigar box project, just let me know.

Til next post, take care of your health and take each stitch....one atta time!

Cynthia


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Two Years Six Months Later.....!

Wow!  Do you believe it!?  It's finally finished!!!!

After selecting all the fabric, making sure it was 100% cotton and pre-shrinking every fat quarter in hot water, I began the project to complete the childs quilt called Funny Babies, designed by Amy Bradley.  The quilt's background fabric would be blue (we knew the baby would be a boy) and I wanted to select at least one of each primary color a child would learn to identify during childhood.   Fabric selection was the most fun....

Red, Blue, Green, Red and Yellow



Beginning binding at bottom center of quilt

Binding attached and ready for final handwork

All Done!

The quilting was done by a Georgian quilt shop in light blue thread.  I allowed them to make the design selections and am very happy with their choices.  I wanted to share the detail they added visually to the back of the quilt where I used white muslin.  Can you see the many toys and baby items sewn into the design in the following four pictures?

See the teddy bear...?

And the keyring rattle....?

Can you make out the pacifier....?

There's the ducky...!

Sigh....So, this project has been completed.  I hope finishing three more quilts for my growing grandsons will not take me as long.  I did learn a lot....One....avoid appliques and stick with piece quilting from now on!  Two...being exact when measuring is critical.  Three....The love you stitch into the project will cover all errors.....(smile)

I just hope I will bring the smiles to my niece and her son you see below when they open the box.  I loved doing it.  The package will go in the mail Monday.....

You will be hearing more from me, soon.  Til then....keep sewing....one stitch at a time!

On Washington DC's METRO over 2012 Labor Day Weekend

Wedding Attire

 

 

New Look 6124

 

M y youngest niece asked me to sew her a dress she could wear at an upcoming wedding she had been invited to attend.  Because I have been sewing for her since the day she was born, saying yes was no problem at all.  About a month ago I came to live with her and her mother, so I had the opportunity to fulfill her request with her new measurements.  I also wanted her to become more involved with the pattern and fabric selection this time around, and this was a prime opportunity. 

 

Young adults are so computer literate now, so she was easily able to look through the online patterns available, and selected a very simple style with the newest craze:  the peplum.  Her selection was New Look pattern 6124.  She asked my opinion for fabric options, and I quickly guided her away from the standard satin (too many wrinkles) worn too often by wedding guests and suggested the less-gaudy shantung.  She and I took a road trip to the local Hancock's where the fabric was on sale in her favorite color for only $2.99 per yard.  She was excited the cost was so low because (this time) she was paying for it.  lol...The entire ensemble was less than $25...including the pattern!

 

 

Pattern and the prepared fashion fabric and button

 

Now, the photo that follows was the result of all the recent classes I have taken on fitting and altering paper patterns.  This young lady is six feet two inches tall, size 6 pattern with a D-cup bustline.  I underlined the dress in a matching lightweight cotton, and she gave me her permission to post a finished picture of her in the dress on my blog.  Needless to say, she was delighted.  The two frosted buttons are an irridescent turquoise overlayed on a burgundy base that matched the suede shoes she wore.  A road trip to G Street Fabrics was coupled with a side trip to Rita's for a treat was the icing on the entire process. 



New Look 6124
(front)

What did I do differently?  Well, I decided to eliminate topstiching the tabs 3/8" from the edge as suggested in the instructions.  And, I hand finished the bottom of the peplum instead of topstitching it down.  I put in an invisible zipper (including the proper way to finish the facing on the inside) using one of the many instructions and hints posted by fellow bloggers on the internet.  I had almost forgotten the most important instruction:  that is, to begin the zipper installation after fusing interfacing in the back seam allowance....a critical step with this particular type of fabric, for sure!

New Look 6124
(rear)

I lengthened the back waist to 17 1/2". and slimmed the skirt bottom to more of a pegged look.  Her mother (my sister)  didn''t have any hips until she gave birth to her, so I suspect this young lady has inherited the same physical trait.  Slim hips are perfect for this style of dress, and the kick pleat left her ample room to stride down the aisle with the bride's son. 











I told her to have fun, take pictures, and smile.  She was so happy when she bounced down the ramp, I couldn't help but feel happy I had been a part of her joy.

Thanks for checking out my blog....I haven't been posting a lot, but I have been sewing.  I don't want to be lost like the bloggers mentioned in MPB's blog.  Thanks for stopping by to check on me......

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

Finishing Vogue 1305

Vogue 1305
(courtesy of Vogue pattern site)

Since it was already cut out, I decided Vogue 1305 would be the last dress I will sew during the final days of my stay in northern California.  I know, I've been rather quiet for a while, but it was only because I was in transition from one residence to a different, temporary one.  I will be making my final drive cross country the last week of this month, back to my home and belongings stored in the metro Atlanta area of Georgia.

I am not looking forward to 33 hours on the road, but I am looking forward to seeing the accumulation of items I haven't seen in six or seven years....particularly the vintage pattern collection I had been dragging around the country for decades.  Many of them are Vogue Patterns and include the woven labels Vogue used to include with your purchase when you bought the 'designer' patterns (Are any of my readers as old as I am?)  lol.  I look forward to posting most of them for sale on etsy or ebay as soon as I'm settled.  My son's last couple of years in high school I worked in an independent fabric store (Fabricland in Fremont, CA), and still have many of the fabrics purchased with my discount from there.  I've learned so many new techniques in junior college classes since I returned here to care for my mother, I am no longer reluctant to create the garments I envisioned when I made the purchases.  No more adding to my stash 'til they're considerably reduced!

I began this particular sewing journey discovering an error on the cutting layout of the pattern.  It was the first time this has happened to any pattern I've sewn, but it reinforced my commitment to understanding all the steps and terms prior to beginning to sew any pattern I haven't drafted.  If you're interested, you can take a peek at the discussion in my previous blog.

Dress Sides are Different and Separated by Center Seam

The fabric is a drapey rayon knit I purchased for $1 per yard at a Joann's sale.  The dress takes about 3 yards of 60" fabric for a size 16, so any fabric commitment is quite an investment.  This brightly colored fabric will serve as my muslin.  In the picture above I am trying to show you the different directions of the fabric from the front center seam.  One side of the dress is straight-grain perpendicular to the floor, the other side fluid and drapey.  I knew the weight of the dress (and it is substantial) is carried along this seam, so I stabilized it by placing a strip of 3/4" bias iron-on interfacing along this seamline prior to sewing them.  I now realize it was a good move because the seamline is completely smooth and straight no matter how I move in the dress.

Dress Rear with Long Sleeve Opening

In the picture above I am showing the back of the dress with the opening and the slit along the longer sleeve on the right side.  I had not chosen the single button yet, but the small loop is there (at the neckline) waiting for its companion.

Side Slit and Hemline

The hemline photographed in the picture above is unique because it hangs from the shorter lining, so no handwork is required.  It was an easy way to not have to worry about pulling out your hem with an errant pointy shoe heel.  I have to remember how its done for future reference.  

I will make this pattern again; the next time I will use a less transparent lining fabric.  I don't have the type of bustline that allows me to run around without a bra, but within my own home it is a great around-the-house dress for an old lady who hasn't forgotten style.  lol

*****

I will close with a picture of my extremely happy great nephew holding the two stuffed toys I made for him.  He called me on his mother's phone just to say thank you!  Then promptly ran off to feed the mouse some cheese and the dragon some grass!  He LOOOVES the dragon!  His goal is to teach the dragon to fly.  I didn't know they would be such a hit!....but it's worth it! In case you can't tell, in his right hand is the dragon, and in his left hand is the mouse.   

This little boy is the lucky one who received one of each stuffed animal....the other mouse went to my middle grandson and the latest dragon to his young brother whose middle name is Drake...a derivation of dragon (so my son has told me), now four months old and cuter than ever.

Yes....now I have made two of each of these stuffed animals, and I sleep at night swearing the light of their smiles brighten the stars above me. Those of you who pray to a higher power, include me as I leave this place and arrive safely at my new home.  I will certainly be back in touch as soon as my new laptop is reconnected.

'Til then....keep taking it one stitch at a time!......

Waiting for Vogue Patterns to Answer....

You haven't heard from me in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been sewing.

Let's see....

A new grandson arrived about 8 weeks ago, so I've been putting together little things for him.  His middle name is Drake, so his Dad has asked that I make him his own dragon (which is a derivation of 'Drake'). So, of course, it is in process.  (Isn't he a cutie-pie?)

Grandson #2

I am also in the midst of preparing for the upcoming June family birthdays (my only sister and my eldest niece).  I usually make gifts and stay away from trying to finance what I would really love to purchase for them.  So, that pressure is on, too.

Since my last post I have also completed a king-size quilt and have decided to send it off to be quilted by someone with a longarm quilting machine.  The quilt is to be raffled off by a social club I belong to.  Initially, the club members agreed to participate in its construction, but in the end no one pitched in (should I be surprised?).  I managed to get through it with the help of one member, and will now send it off to be professionally quilted before I put the binding around it.  I'll let you know how this new experience turns out.

The baby quilt for my eldest niece's baby is also completed, but I am still deciding whether to purchase a Flynn Multi-Frame quilter and suffer through the learning curve to finish the small quilt myself.

I have finished the Vogue coat I mentioned in my last post, but will show you pictures on the my dress form on my next post.  I really just wanted to post this entry to ask you a question....

I recently looked at the new Vogue patterns and fell in love with the white Lialia dress pattern by Julia Alarcon (Vogue 1305).  I was so excited about making the dress, I purchased the pattern at the very end of the previous pattern sale.  I have since purchased the fabric for the pattern and begun to cut it out.  This is only a problem because I have noticed an error (?) in the layout for the dresses lining.

This pattern has extra-long pieces that must be joined prior to cutting (in addition to requiring each piece be cut on single-layer fabric--but that's another topic).  The dress' lining layout shows different piece numbers joined together than the cutting layout for the fashion fabric.  Has anyone else run into a problem where the layout (or sewing instructions) have an error?  What did you do/what would you suggest I do?

I have sent an email to Vogue regarding this matter, but am unsure if I should wait to hear from them.  Has anyone else made this dress already or have a solution for my question?  If you have already purchased this pattern, would you take a look at the instructions and tell me if I am wrong?   The lining layout shows piece 1 (top) joined with piece 3A and piece 3 (top) joined with piece 1A.  Is there ever a logical reason for the pattern pieces to switch like this?

I certainly have a lot to do while I wait to hear from them.  In the meantime, I would certainly like to hear from you!

Great stitching....keep going....one stitch at a time!...

Cynthia

My Final Four

For those that wondered what had become of me, I wanted to let you know I am still alive....reading and sewing to my hearts content.  I discovered how much the horrible mattress at my mother's had contributed to my back issues only after moving and sleeping on a really good mattress.  I have also discovered how much the dust (and possibly the mold) had contributed to my persistent allergies following the move, as well.

My mind has rested and I have made a concerted effort to complete all the sewing projects I organized into plastic bags during my days of preparation.  Some are simple toys for my great nephew, others are projects for my (very) soon-to-arrive third grandson.  Others are the patterns to be altered for new dresses, skirts and tops for myself.

First up?....the simple hand puppets for my great nephew.  These were made from Butterick 4209
 using fleece left over from previous pajama and robe projects.  I made four of them: the monkey, the kitty, and two bears.  They all came out so cute...nothing you would see in real life!

Spotted Monkey

Fiery Kitty with a gigantic bow tie

Bear with a self-drafted tie

Camouflage Bear with self-drafted fringed scarf

My favorite is the unusual-patterned monkey.  I put pipe cleaners inside the tails of both the cat and the monkey, and this small step added so much character to both puppets.  I hope he enjoys them!

Now...don't worry that I have suddenly shifted away from sewing clothing...I haven't.  The past year or so has been difficult because of my move.  These are the final quick projects I organized for completion in-between my 'serious' sewing.  I made this great-nephew the same mouse I made for my second grandson, and it will go in the same box these puppets are shipped in.  These are my final four projects for him, and now I will move forward with more classic clothing sewing projects.

Now, I am off to begin the Hong Kong seams on my next project:   Vogue 1129.  Most sewists know how long this pattern has been available, and since I am a fan of anything that has something draped over the shoulder, it has been cut out for a loooong time waiting to find the right fabric to turn into the bias tape required to complete an interesting feature on the seaming (the coat is unlined).

Stay tuned...and thanks for stopping by!....
Keep sewing....one stitch at a time!....

PS:  My third grandson arrived in the world yesterday (March 19), and I have come to grips with the fact that I won't be sewing any pretty little dainty dresses or christening gowns for a little granddaughter.  {{{sigh....}}} :)


Welcome, Simon!!!!  Grandma loves you madly and am already planning things to create especially for you!

As I Back Out the Door....

The last few weeks of clearing the belongings left in my childhood home have been really, really stressful.  The circumstances under which the ol' homestead is being sold brings to the surface all the childhood memories from 1961, the year our Buick deposited our clan from the Nebraska flatlands to grow up in the middle of a growing area soon to be identified as Silicon Valley.  I will be sad to leave, even though I have always felt 'mid-western' and have shed the 'California-girl' mindset and beach goddess figure pressures I felt as an adolescent transplant.  Why did we come?  My sister's fragile health issues and the better California school system (at that time) was what they told us kids.  It was hard leaving our neighborhood and childhood friends and grandparents.  Sorting through papers left behind, there were also other skeletons rattling the leaves of the family tree that clarify why that dramatic decision was made.  Secrets were buried when my father suddenly died within 3 years of our arrival.  My mother never moved from the house my Dad bought for us, and amassed an amazing pile of what I can only refer to as 'stuff' in the 50+ years she lived here in a further attempt to bury family secrets.  

"The Kids"(c)

...And I'm moving the 'stuff' left in her wake.  I am now so removed from considering the value of these tangible 'things' I feel quite free to donate and trash the stuff I previously planned to sell for a king's ransom.  At this late date I'm literally giving everything away and not giving it another thought.  That's a good thing, right?  I did decide to repair and store my grandmother's Domestic (converted) treadle machine, the family picture albums and documents to further investigate and document my family tree.

Because this house is where I began (machine) sewing, I suddenly felt I wanted to consciously complete one more garment before I left the familiar walls, sounds and lighting of this house.  Of course, my way of releasing tension is to immerse myself in some mind-numbing stitching, so I dug out Vogue 1199 and the fabric had cut out a while ago.

Vogue 1199 rear view (untucked)
Photo courtesy of McCalls.com 

Since no one has previously reviewed this blouse on patternreview.com, I will attempt to post my first review of this garment there later this week.  Someone did complete and review the skirt included in the pattern (with positive comments), so I will add it to my list to complete from a yet-to-be-found wool gabardine.

Vogue 1199 front (untucked)
Photo courtesy of McCalls.com

Vogue 1199 front
Photo courtesy of McCalls.com

So, here follows some visual views of my version....

Front

Back

Fringed Ruffle close-up

If you don't look closely, you could miss the pintucks on the front and back of the top.  I think there are approximately 20 on the front and a similar number on the back.  These tucks were my meditative touchstone for a couple of hours each night.  The most difficult part of the process was marking them.  This particular garment demands proper marking.  The sleeve swirl (what I call the ruffles within the sleeve), collar ruffles and sleeve hem are finished with fabric strips cut on the straight grain and frayed 1/4" at the edges.  

Stay-stitched Edging 

Front Pintucks

Be sure to pull the single thread cross grain to ensure this pattern piece is perfectly straight on grain (pattern piece #9).  There is a reason I know what can go wrong here...lol.  Using 60" fabric, you would only need to purchase another 1/8th yard.  Using fabric 45" wide, this helpful hint will not help you...devising how to invisibly join the end will need to be created.  The shirt tail hem is a simple edgestitch.  A single button closes with a fabric loop at the neckline.  I moved the loop higher than it appears in the photograph.  I haven't picked the button yet (here I come Stone Mountain & Daughter!). The fabric was on sale for $1 yard at a JoAnn's sale and is a shrimp-colored lightweight polyester crepe.

Beside taking the time to complete each step to the best of your ability, I only have two construction suggestions:  

One.....cut the pattern piece for the ruffles at least 7"-8" longer in order to avoid piecing the strips.  None of the strips were long enough to completely cover the required edge without piecing them.  

Two...As you complete each tuck, take the time to tie off and trim the threads of each one at the top and bottom.  I didn't do this (sigh...) and now have to devote an evening to tying off these threads.  

I had a great time doing this blouse and plan to do another one.  I have a similar weight crepe in white and will dig it out of one of the bins I have packed and sew it for this spring/summer.  This blouse requires a lot of marking and basting.  If basting is not your thing, this may not be the project for you.  The next one will have an FBA adjustment and I won't be moving!...lol

Thanks for dropping by and reading about my latest sewing project!  In preparation for my move I have many projects cut, marked and ready to sew.  I hope you continue to stop by to see what I'm doing and share your thoughts in the coming months.  Please excuse the picture quality....for some reason some of them are so fuzzy I  had to resort to including cell phone photos as replacements.

I will be seeking out new notions at a nearby quilt show next weekend (free!) with a sewing buddy of mine.  I hope to test run some new sewing machines, overlocks and blind stitchers.  The sewing blogosphere has shown me my beloved Singer 401 is not the only girl on the block....lol    Happy Valentine's Day!

What do you do to relieve stress?  Do you take it one stitch at a time or use another activity?