Sew Passionista by Diana

Just One More Top

2012-02-12T18:46:00.001-04:00

Well, I've had this one finished for a couple of weeks but am just getting around to blogging it now.

The pattern is Vogue 8323, View A, the sleeveless one to which I added the sleeves from the other two views.

The fabric is a polyester sweater knit.

The pattern is true to size. I made a size 12 and with my usual FBA, it fit well.

I added 2" to the length and I am satisfied with the change. I made this pattern before (here) and I knew I like a longer length in my tops.

The problem! The neckline is too high! I have to wear it folded down.In order to wear it like that I had to add a piece to the back facing.

I'd like to make the sleeveless version for summer and will have to modify the neckline.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Moving on to another project, I made a second Wrap like the green one I previously posted about here..

This item was very popular in my Sewing Group and will be our next group project.I wrote the directions here on Diana's Sewing Blog.

I had to add three little darts on the neckband and the ladies really liked that feature. The sweater knit I used had a great selvage which I cut off and sewed all around the sides. I love the result.

That's all for now.

I hope you found time to sew this weekend

Vogue 1261, #2

2012-02-05T16:06:00.005-04:00

This is my own take on Vogue 1261.as well as my second version.Here is the result

.

The fabric is a light polyester sweater knit .

The changes I made:

.......I lengthened the top by 3" so I could wear it with my jeggings and I do prefer long tunics for this.

......I lengthened the sleeves a lot and ruched them with clear elastic. ( I sewed three rows of ruching on each sleeve )

.....I added a 1"neckband.I rather think that I shouldn't have added this. The wider neckline would have been better for the trim I sdded to it.

.....I sewed a 1" frill to the neckband .I used the picot edge finish on my serger for the frills.

.....I formed three flowers with the frilled strips on the left shoulder just below the neckband which I sewed on by hand.

That's really all I have to say about this top. I love it. It doesn't photograph well though as it looks kind of ugly in the photos IMO.

I do hope you found time to sew this weekend.

Happy sewing from

A Couple of Simple Projects

2012-01-30T09:24:00.001-04:00

I. was very busy this week preparing a couple of simple projects for my Sewing group. I did finish another top but no time for pics yet so it will have to wait.

The first project was this really cute wrap I found in Quick Stuff to Sew,winter 2010. (also in Threads,May 2009).

If you're interested, look here on Diana's Sewing Lessons.

The second project is one I got inspired to make when I watched Peggy Sagers' web cast this past week.I made it to take to class on Thursday to inspire the ladies and it worked.This will be our next Project. I'll put a tutorial on Diana's Sewing Lessons in a couple of days if you want to check it out.

Isn't it cute? And it's warm and cozy too. The fabric is a wool acrylic knit and came from my stash. I could never decide what to do with it before because the colour isn't really me. But I love this piece and have already warn it a couple of times.

That's all for now. Hope you had time to sew this week.

More later from

DDD ( ha, ha! Fooled you!)

Katherine Tilton's V8691

2012-01-22T17:02:00.001-04:00

I wasn't all that productive this week but I did manage to finish my version of V8691.

This is one of those patterns that really intrigue me and I had to try . This is what I came up with.I made View D.

I had planned on adding the flounce using the plain brown knit I used for the neckband but after basting a part of the flounce to the hem and trying it on ,I realized that look wasn't for me.

I only had one meter of the animal print ponti knit and I wanted to use three colours so I found this cotton crochet look lace in my stash for the sleeves which I lined with skin tone mesh knit left over from a skating costume for my GD.

Now about this pattern!

I found it to run rather large and that caused a few problems and naturally I didn't make a muslin.

First, I made my regular one inch FBA and that was too much for this pattern. I used Peggy Sagers" draping lessons on her webcasts to figure out how to get rid of the excess. Please watch these to learn all kinds of things about fitting and draping.

Next, the shoulders were at least an inch too wide and I was able to take in the front shoulder width because the princess seam ran up to the shoulders. In the back I was able to add a shoulder dart.

But the worst part of this pattern is the excessive fabric in this area.

It also occurs in the front. You can see in this photo.

And I don't know how to fix that. If anyone can help with this alteration please let me know. I've encountered this problem before on a princess seamed coat.

This top is comfortable to wear and I do like it. I want to try another version in the spring but I'll have to iron out the glitches first.Also I'll make it longer to make up for not using the length in the flounces.

Happy Sewing from

My Month of Tops Continues

2012-01-15T17:57:00.000-04:00

This has been a busy week in my sewing room. I've finished the set I'll show you today and have cut out three other tops, one of which is almost done.And most of the fabrics have come from my stash!

The first part of the set is this simple turtle neck made from Butterick 3344, one of my all-time favorite patterns

.
The fabric was a piece of stable sweater knit leftover from something else and is a really good match for this cardigan.The belt was a recent find at our local second hand store. It's gorgeous and I paid $2.00.

The second piece is a cardigan.The pattern is B5394 to which I added patch pockets and a self belt.I also added three inches to the length, just because.

The fabric for the cardi is a wool sweater knit which has metallic threads running through it. It's very warm and cozy. I like it but it may look a little like a robe so I forgive you if you think so..But it's just the type of garment I'll reach for often on a cold day like today.

Special steps I took to make this unstable knit workable are as follows.

The knit was quite unstable and a little see through in spots so I knew I had to stabilize the seams. I used clear elastic at the neckline and a sheer bias stay tape that has memory.( I no longer have the packaging so I can''t tell what kind). I had to trim the tape close to the stitching lines because it tended to show through in spots. Here's a pic.

As for the pockets, I hand stitched them to the sweater. It seemed the only way to make them as subtle as possible.

I didn't interface any part of the cardi. I wanted to keep the integrity of the knit and I'm satisfied with the result.

Here's another look.

It's very cold here in Eastern Canada today and I'm very comfy in my new sweater set.

More pics here.

Hope you had time to sew this weekend.

More later from

Making Time to Sew

2012-01-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

I love getting comments on my posts and I thank all who stop by and take the time to write something.

Nan left this nice comment.

"This is a really pretty top. You accomplish so much. You are obviously a very high energy person. Do you have any hints about how to organize one's sewing to accomplish the way you do?I love your choices. I have become a real fan. I hope to get started sewing again but I don't much time. Thanks for what you share. It is appreciated"

Thank you Nan. First I must say that I'm retired so I have plenty of time to sew and I do sew often. Having said that, I think it's important to schedule time to sew. Add a specific amount of time to your schedule even if it's only half an hour a few times a week.

Personally. I schedule Wednesday as a full, guilt free sewing day. I try to start by 10:00 and sew all day until I'm too tired to sew anymore

When I was still working ( I was a high school teacher for many years ), I used to sew every other Saturday. I had to be very organized to pull this off but my sewing Saturdays helped relieve the stress of a very stressful job.

In addition,I like spending Sunday afternoon after church in my sewing room. I usually do some cutting out or planning for specific projects .Other than this, I make a conscious effort to sew for an hour here or there , rather than sitting in front of the TV or computer in the evenings at least a couple of times a week.

I also mentor a sewing group on Thursday afternoons twice a month. I love sharing my enthusiasm for my craft with others!

As for being a high energy person, ( I'm 63 ) ,it's more that I find it really hard to sit and do nothing.I like to have hand sewing or pattern cutting to do when watching TV. But when watching a movie wth my DH, I don't do that. He doesn't like me to and I think it would be disrespectful to do so.

Of course.it helps to absolutely LOVE sewing. The older I get, the more I live and breathe it.

Nan, I don't know if this will help you in any way,but remember this. If you love sewing, just sew whenever you can. It can be a life-long rewarding passtime and you can continue to learn more and more as time goes on. I 've always loved to sew but at this time in my life it's my passion.

Happy Sewing!

Oh goodness! I can't publish a post without one single photo! So Here's my little cutie Riley on Christmas Eve. She was so happy with her red dress and shoes. She said " I'm a princess"

My Month of TopsJ

2012-01-07T20:27:00.003-04:00

January is always sew for me month.I have several tops patterns that I've been wanting to try for a while now so this is going to be my month of tops.The first I'll show you is Vogue 1261.

I made View B.

I didn't do anything special with it except to add 1 1/2" to the length and to use my own method for the cowl collar. Since the opening for the collar was wider these are the measurements I used instead of the ones in tutorial.

The neckline of this top is really wide.Now I knew this before cutting it out but I decided to just go for it anyway.The result is that the collar isn't great but it will do.

Here Is my finished top. It looks orange but is really a very pretty red.

I like it like this.

I
The fabric is a polyester/acrylic (and that means it will pill I know) sweater knit
I. used a twin needle for the hem which I secured first with Steam-a-Seam. The points at the sides had to be mitered before hemming.

This top isn't what I'd call slimming but it is a fun, cute ,and comfortable piece which will be cozy to wear on a Sunday afternoon after changing out of my "church" clothes.

I'm happy with it and recommend it gladly.

Next time I'll be talking about Butterick 5394 and the cardigan I'm working on using View E.

I hope you had time to sew this weekend dear fellow sewists!

More later from

My Christmas Outfit (V1275)

2012-01-04T19:49:00.001-04:00

I was very organized this year and had all the usual tasks finished ahead of schedule so I actually had time to make a special top for Christmas.I used Vogue 1275, Sandra Betzina's newest pattern with a little help from Peggy Saeger's webcasts..

I

Here is my top

The fabric is a beautiful glitzy slinky type polyester in shades of burgundy,black.gold and cream.

I mentioned Peggy Saeger's Webcasts,. I've been watching and learning quite a lot about draping . I think it's incredibly generous of Peggy to make these little gems free of charge.

What I did was to baste all seams except the sleeves. I tried it on and fitted the top to my body at both the side seams and the seams joining the shirred center front to the side front pieces. I also redistributed the shirring and ended about three inches above the hemline.because I felt there was too much at the bust and that wasn't flattering at all.

I must say that this garment fits me very well. By fitting it on me, I got the waistline just right as well as the hips.

AS i was fitting, I felt as though the neckline would slide right off my shoulders so I stabilized it with clear elastic before sewing on the facing. The end result was a very flattering neckline which I finished off with the selvage of my fabric which I first applied with Steam-a-Seam followed by top stitching.

I love every thing about this new top...the fit, the neckline, the shirring at the bottom of the sleeves which is very cute

I wore it Christmas Day with a black velour skirt which has probably seen its last days.

Did you get the chance to sew something special for Christmas?

More later from

Dress #1 for Tamara

2011-12-30T21:27:00.003-04:00

I sewed several things for my daughter for Christmas. The first item was this dress.

I used this OOP Butterick pattern that I made for her before and she loved it.

The fabric is a rayon jersey. I doubled the bodice front and sewed down the opening so it wouldn't gape and I lined the skirt with tricot lining.. I left out the side zipper because the fabric had so much stretch.

As usual, I worried that the dress wouldn't fit but it did and very well too. Here's a peek at my darling daughter on her first day back at work after Christmas

I have lots to show you but a sore neck is keeping me away from the computer except for short periods of time.

More later from

A New Dress, V8742

2011-11-27T14:23:00.024-04:00

I loved Vogue 8742 as soon as I saw it!

I've had this beautiful Fukuru knit for a few years .The colours are lovely and rich against the black background. I knew it would be a dress but until now, I just couldn't find the right one. Here it is.

The jewel neckline will be great to wear with a chunky necklace ,

but I love the dress better with a cowl collar which I decided to make as a separate accessory.

I also made an infinity scarf which will be a great addition to the dress.
Here it hangs loosely at the back

Here it wraps cosily around the neck.

This pattern is easy to sew. The sizing is quite accurate.( it calls for a two way stretch ) I sewed size 12 with an extra 1/2" at the side seams and I did my usual FBA of one inch. I love the fit.

There is no zipper ,only a button and loop for a closure.

The shirring which is done on the side front pieces where they join the sides of the center front is flattering for a mature figure,IMO

I added facings to the neckline instead of folding back the neckline seam and I lowered the neckline about an inch.

That's all there was to it. A quick easy dress which I'd love to try in a stretch crepe in a plain colour.

What do you think?

More pics here.

More later from

Vogue 8605, a New Version

2011-11-20T14:11:00.029-04:00

Early this fall, I noted that black leather was being used with grey wool or other fabrics by many designers. I immediately became intrigued . I had a large piece of charcoal wool left over from this coat made in February . I also had some black faux leather.

Vogue 8605 came to mind again for the third time this year.You can read about the changes I've made to this pattern in this post.

Here is what I came up with this time.

This time I lengthened the sleeves as much as my yardage allowed and added the faux leather cuffs.As you see here , I also covered the sleeve seam with a strip of the leather.

I used the trim on the facings of the pocket openings and turned them to the outside and top stitched. The result is far from perfect but ....

The bound buttonholes are also made from the faux leather.

as is the collar and front facings which I pressed so they would show like a piping down the front. To see how I did this, look here on my other blog.

I added a cotton flannel interlining to the upper front and back for added warmth and lined with a beautiful polyester satin from my stash.

The faux leather was cold against the neck so i sewed a band of the wool to the collar like this

I love this jacket. I've worn it a few times and have gotten a lot of compliments.It is very comfortable! However, I'm giving it away because I have too many jackets and this one is the same fabric as last winter's coat.

I had thought to give it to my pregnant DIL but she didn't think it was her so one of my sisters will probably receive it for Christmas.

More pics here.

I hope you found time to sew this weekend!

More later from

A Nostalgic Jacket

2011-11-12T13:13:00.013-04:00

About eight tears ago I made this jacket twice for myself and twice for my DD.
The pattern is OOP Vogue pattern 2679.

I loved the black stretch denim version I made first and I thought I'd make a new version. Not a good idea!

This pattern has had it's day and I'm not in love with my new jacket although it's fine. I didn't make pants but bought a pair of jeans instead to save time..

The fabric is a medium weight striped stretch cotton denim that I bought at C&M Textiles in Ottawa.

I top stitched using two spools of grey polyester thread .

The closures are heavy black snaps which I hate applying!!

I like the the cuffs. They can also be worn folded back.

I used a Hong Kong finish to give a clean finish to the inside of the jacket.

Please ignore the silly expression on my face in this photo!

I've worn this a few times and haven't gotten a single comment so I guess I'm not the only one who thinks it's mediocre! Lol!

I hope you had time to sew this weekend. Have a great week!

More later from

A Marci Tilton T-shirt V 8636

2011-11-04T14:16:00.018-03:00

Just a quick post on this one.

I made this top, Vogue 8636, a while back and I just want to say that it's a good pattern. No modifications with this one to make it wearable,just the addition of a bust dart which I later changed to a row of ease stitching. I prefer that method to a dart on a knit garment. For more info on this method, look here on Diana's Sewing Lessons.

The design of this Marci top is very simple and very 70's isn't it! The fun part is how you can change it up and satisfy your creative urge.

I used three fabrics for my version... the black polka dots and the white are both rayon lycra and the neck and cuff bands are stretch mesh with a litlle flower design.

I decided to go with white top stitching for contrast.

The sizing was generous and I didn't need any extra at the side seams of the size 12.

This version is best suited to spring and summer but I'd like to try one for winter ,maybe in a soft sweater knit this time.

Hope you 've found time to sew this weekend!

More later from

Absent but Sewing..... My Fall Pieces

2011-11-02T16:44:00.004-03:00

Wow! I sort of dissappeared there for a while didn't I!
Does it happen to you that you just don't want to blog and most especially ,you don't want to have your picture taken to show on your blog? What is that about!?! Well that's been my reason for being away so long.

Today, I feel the spirit moving and am looking forward to blogging and visiting your blogs.

I've made a few simple things in the past few weeks. I'll show you the V8750 skirt first.

I loved this skirt as soon as I saw it and decided to use a cotton stretch sateen for my version. I decided not to use a contrasting top stitching thread but rather a matching one. I ended up being sorry.The interesting cut doesn't show up well . Here's the photo but it didn't photograph well at all I think due to the sheen of the fabric.

This is a great pattern and is a true "pencil"
skirt. I love the fit. I made size 12 and didn't need the extra inch at the side seams.I lined it although there are no lining pattern pieces. I had to draft my own by following the shape of the finished skirt.

Then I made a top to match the skirt. I used an old BWOF issue ( Feb. of 2008 style #124). The fabric is a rayon/lycra which I find is too thin and draws attention to the bust area so I drafted a lining piece just for the front and that worked well.

There is shirring at the princess seam on one side and at the side seam on the other.

I decided to shir the sleeves at the hem . I cut them a few inches longer and shirred both at the seam and at mid point of the sleeve.

Next I made this S2603 two piece set (with a few modifications) in a rayon blend knit and I really like the results.

Last time I made this set I felt it was too full at mid front so I cut off about 6" starting at the collar seam and down the front. I also took another 6" from the slanted front hem area and angled to nothing by the side seam. I think I like this version better than the navy one I made last year.

I've got lots more to show you but I'll save them for another time.
It feels good to be back in Sewing Blogland.

A Sporty Suit

2011-09-13T17:24:00.026-03:00

This suit,which officially marks the end of my summer sewing, is just the style of outfit I love wearing.I know I'll get a lot of mileage out of these two pieces.

The jacket is an old favorite of mine, Burda 8905 (OOP)If you have this pattern and have never used it, I can truthfully say that it is a little gem. I've made it six times!

and the skirt is from BWOF (which I know is now Burda Style ) in the February issue of 20003, style #128.

I used the stripe of the cotton twill fabric in all directions which was great fun in the planning stage.I used a contrasting heavy duty thread for the top stitchingwhich you know I love to do!

For the facings, I used a taupe linen stripe which I think coordinates well with the tan/cream cotton twill.

I tidied up all the seams by using either a Hong Kong or a flat fell finish.

This outfit was really a joy to make .Next spring, I'll add pants as well.

More pics here!

And now on to some fall sewing and a quilt for Riley.

Happy Sewing from

My Marci Tilton Jacket, Vogue 8430

2011-08-29T20:22:00.051-03:00

I've had Vogue 8430

for a long time and was hesitant to make it because I had read unfavorable reviews. I knew it would be boxy, a style not flattering on me.

I practically haunt Marci Tilton's website. I love all the items she shows and all the info she provides about the featured garments. I came across this one

a couple of weeks ago and was very inspired to try a version of my own.Marci gave this info on how she had changed the pattern

"The pattern ran big on her slim frame, so we pared it down, making a double pointed dart at the back neck, adding a seam at the center back."

I didn't get the dart at the neck part but after finishing the jacket, I now understad but I'll get to that later.

Armed with this scant knowledge I dug in and started my pattern changes.

I'll show you what I came up with and then itemize my changes to the pattern.

I wanted a jacket to wear with my Marci Tilton skirt which I love and had lots of fabric left over . I decided against the off white top-stitching though as I thought it would limit what I could wear with it.

The fabric is a very stretchy and not very heavy cotton/lycra suiting.

The changes I made to the pattern are as follows with the help of photos.

I narrowed the shoulders and added what I took away to the sleeves.

I raised the armhole at the side seams and lowered the underarm of the sleeve.

I then measured the armscye and compared it to the sleeve. I found that the sleeve measurement was less so I had to deepen the curve toward the underarm of the sleeve until I had enough ease.

Now I want to stress that I really didn't know what I was doing and had no idea if all this would work.

I added a bit to the length of the jacket and a back seam and curved it in by using the back pattern piece of another jacket. This was to give the jacket a little extra shaping .

This worked very well except I forgot to add the seam allowances and had to butt the two back pieces together with a zigzag stitch and cover it up with bias strips on both the outside and inside of the back.In truth, I could have just sewn the back together without having added the seam allowance because the neck area as well as the whole jacket is very roomy.

No harm done because the back hangs very well.

That brings me back to the double eyed darts Marci talked about.I should tell you that the collar and jacket front are all in one piece. I think she started the dart at the collar outside edge, probably halfway between the center back and the shoulder seams ,fattened the dart through the neck and ended in a point down from the shoulder in the upper back.The reason I think this is that the collar sits back and away from the neck quite a lot and could be taken in in this way.

and this technique would have helped solve this. I'm hoping to illustrate this on my other blog this week but no time right now.

It's too late for me to add these darts now but if I ever......

After the jacket was put together and after trying it on,it didn't look well left unbuttoned.It seemed to want to close in a slanted line so I made buttonholes on a straight line along the center front. I didn't dare cut them open so I sewed the buttons over them and and added snap closures with one side on the slant. That works well IMO. ( I forgot to take a pic of the snaps)

I also added pockets, again they seemed to want to be slanted

and the sleeves wants to be rolled up

Oh and BTW, there's a big dart going upward from the bottom of the sleeve! Yes it works! I wondered why it was there but I like the effect.

All in all, I like this jacket although it doesn't photograph well at all. I would make other changes if I ever make it again. It's still very roomy but definitely wearable.

Another possibility of placing the collar. There are others as well.

If you can stand to look at yet more photos, look here.

Have a great week and I hope you had time to sew on this long weekend!

Vogue 8605 ( MY Version) for my Sister

2011-08-23T21:17:00.024-03:00

I made this orange jacket using a modified version of Vogue 8605 in May.

When my sister saw it , she really liked it and I got her to try it on so I could surprise her with one for her birthday which was Sunday.

Here is my sister's jacket

The fabric is a suit weight linen trimmed with a coordinating striped linen in a lighter weight.

I made this jacket almost exactly like my orange one. Only the buttonholes are different in shape and made from the striped linen.The buttons were a Used Clothing Store find.

For the inside finishes , I used both flat-felled seams,

and a Hong Kong finish.

The bias bands at the hem and the bottom of the sleeves also added extra length to both.

To see more details on how I made this jacket you can refer to the link to my orange jacket in the first line of this post.

Here is my sister wearing her new jacket. I think she was really surprised and I know she loved it.

This jacket was a joy to make! I love working with linen!

More later from

A Quick Project and About Claire Schaeffer's Couture DVD's

2011-08-09T15:45:00.021-03:00

Well Riley and family left two weeks ago and I have to admit I was at a loss for a few days afterwards. I guess I was suffering withdrawal symptoms after hogging my little precious for two whole weeks! But this week it's back to business.

I got this

in the mail last week and have been watching and I'm absolutely thrilled with these videos by Claire Schaeffer. I'm learning so much. There are little things in there that should be so obvious but that I just hadn't thought of before.

One example is when making spaghetti straps using bias strips, Stretch the strip as you sew it to avoid thread breakage after the strap is completed.

Now I probably should have known that but???

Another is when using beeswax to strengthen thread for hand sewing, press the thread between tow sheets of paper towels to stiffen the thread.

I never really knew that before!!!

A third is when pressing seams open especially in wool fabric where you want a really
crisp result, dampen the the seams with a wet sponge!

Isn't that a great idea?!?!

Claire Schaeffer inspired me to go rummaging in my husband's wood stash where I found a nice piece of corner trim which my Dh turned into a pressing stick for me.
. See!!

I still need to cover it because Bob glued the two pieces together and so i can't apply heat to the bare wood.

As for sewing, I've made a few things since Riley left. I'll just show you one for now. It's a nice cool lounger for a warm summer night after a bath.

The fabric is a rayon batik and the pattern is New Look 4694 a tops pattern that I lengthened for this project.I also added an inch to the side seams for comfort.

I lengthened the sleeves as well and used a decorative stitch to accent the neckline.

I love the results. The only little problem is that it is a little too low in the neck so if I ever decide to make a top, I'll have to raise it a bit.

I've been looking at your blogs and enjoying what you are showing.

More later from

Riley is Preventing me From Sewing

2011-07-30T13:53:00.013-03:00

Well there won't be any projects to show for a while because my son and his family are here for two weeks.

I've been monopolizing Riley for a whole week already and she's probably tired of being hugged and kissed!!! But those chubby little cheeks are so darn cute!

I've been seeing some amazing things on your blogs and I'll be very glad to get back to sewing when my little angel leaves. I'll need some comforting and sewing always makes me feel better.

I'm planning to make V8663 View B for Tamara.

More later from

How Vogue 8570 Turned into Something Else.

2011-07-11T16:58:00.025-03:00

I've had this yellow fabric for years and always thought it was too bright but when I saw the Queen wearing yellow to Will and Kate's wedding, I knew I had to make it into a dress!

I've also had this pattern for a while and thought it would make a nice cool dress for those hot summer days. I was so wrong!

This is what it looked like with a few modifications.

It looks Ok but the neckline was quite a bit higher than the picture on the envelope and I had to add back darts and curve in the side seams at the waist line because it was very boxy.

The real problem however was that because I'm chesty ,having to draw in my bra straps to avoid them showing was just too uncomfortable. I guess, the style was not a wise choice for me. Live and learn!

Because I had put in a lot of work on it including lining it, I was upset that it didn't turn out. I had very little fabric left so restyling it seemed like an impossibility. But where there's a will, there's away.

I managed to piece together a new bodice loosely based on S2247. I had to do some creative cutting and seaming but I did it.So here is what I came up with.

In addition to the new bodice, I added front darts to give it a bit more shape and I added an invisible zipper.V 8570 didn't call for one! I changed the back slit to a kick pleat.I changed the pockets too so they wouldn't add bulk to the hip area.I used the pockets application from Sandra Betzina's coat V1060.I've applied these pockets several times and love them.

The fabric is a very soft stretch cotton twill and the lining is cotton voile.

I love this dress now. I regret the Vogue one didn't turn out because I still love the style but now I know I have to stick to age as well as figure appropriate styles. This one, like my last dress, S2404, reminds me of the 60's and/or Madmen. It skims over my body with a nice amount of ease and I've decided that's a good look for me.

I wore this to church and out to lunch today and got lots of compliments so it's official . My yellow dress is a success! More pics here.

Hope you are having a nice summer and are finding time to sew!

More later from

Simplicity 2404, my First Summer Dress of 2011

2011-07-04T17:12:00.022-03:00

We had one hot day last week, and I immediately felt like making a sleeveless dress!

I'm intrigued by Simplicity's Amazing Fit patterns because they give so many chances to get a really good fit, so S2404

I used the C cup pieces for the front bodice even though I'm a double D because in the past, I've tried the D cup pieces and I found the result was too roomy. For the hips, I used the average pieces and that was fine,

The fabric is a stretch cotton poplin which really doesn't wrinkle very much so I'm very happy with the results. Here it is...

I think it has a retro look ,don't you?

The style is very simple with a split neckline...

...and released darts...

I used an invisible zipper for the back closure and I've put a tutorial here on my method of applying an invisible zipper because I've never seen it anywhere else and I can honestly say I thought it up myself. ( I really don't mean to blow my own horn though).

As soon as I put my new dress on, I got a flashback to the 60's. ( Oh dear, please don't take that the wrong way!!!) It so reminds me of dresses I wore in my youth!

I think this dress will become a favorite. It's cool and comfortable to wear and DH likes it. That's always a plus!

I hope my fellow Canadians had a great Canada Day and I wish my American friends a wonderful 4th of July!

More later from

Burda 8905, An Almost UFO

2011-06-26T19:57:00.031-03:00

I've been planning to make this jacket out of this fabric for so long that it feels like I've completed an unfinished project. This is really not the time to be making yet another jacket but this fabric ,a cotton twill, was yelling out.

"Enough already! You promised I could be a jean jacket!"

Here it is.

It's probably not to every one's taste but I like it. It replaces this one that went to live with Tamara in Ottawa a couple of years ago.

Burda 8905 is out of print, but if you have this pattern let me tell you that it's a little gem.

It's easy to make, unless you decide to Hong Kong finish every single seam which is what I did. That took a long time and I was very happy when the last stitch was finished!

It's slimming as it has a nice curve at the waist at the side seams. That's what I really like about it.

I've made this five times previously.A couple were for my daughter. I always thought I should do an FBA but always forgot when cutting it out. This time I did and ended up being sorry. The FBA caused the two front pieces below the yoke to curve and so the pockets when placed within the seam joining the yoke to the lower bottom front were slanted . I had to place the pockets lower . This is how they look.

It's Ok but....

Special features of this piece are the snap buttons ,the pink top stitching and the polka dot quilter's cotton I used for the facings and the Hong Kong finished seams because I didn't have enough fabric.

The polka dots might be a bit much but only the lapel reveals them really. What do you think?

Sometimes I think that sewers wear clothes that other people just don't. I always know that's the case when I wear an item and no one comments or compliments me.This may be one of those items.

But on the other hand, it looks a little Coldwatercreekish, don't you think?
More pics here!

It's finally hot here today ,so next up are a couple of little dresses to keep me cool.

More later from

Not Quite a Wadder

2011-06-16T18:58:00.029-03:00

I've been absent from Blogland for a while because I've been trying to catch up on weeding and other yard work now that it's no longer raining every day.I have done some sewing though.

Does anyone else out there love this pattern?

It's Butterick 5646 and I loved it the minute I saw it.I was a little leery of the length and I decided to make a mock up first using a crinkle semi sheer polyester that has a nice weight from my stash.I made View B.It's the green one in the picture.

The long slanted bust dart posed a problem because I don't know how to do an FBA on this type of front. This is what I came up with.

I added 3/4 inch below the dart across the front , then made the legs of the dart 3/8"wider on each side and tapered them to meet the same end point. It didn't really do the trick and is going to take some tweaking. If anyone out there knows the correct way to do this please let me know! I'd really appreciate it. I'm thinking bust dart but I'm not sure.

I knew before starting out that the back would be way too long so I had to cut off about 3" there. Now the back didn't meet the angled sides of the front piece so I had to trim off the side point from the front piece.Here is the line drawing

I'll show you the finished top now. It's still plenty long enough.I just couldn't get a decent shot on my dress form so ...

Do you know what I forgot to do? I forgot to check how low the armhole sets!!! ooh! Frustration!
It's really low!! Thus my reaction to the finished garment...an almost wadder.
I know I can wear a cami underneath it and I will, but I decided to do something quite radical...I added a piece to fill in the bottom of the armhole. See! Not very elegant but it feels better.

The pockets are quite unique. To shape them into the square they're suppose to be ,I had to use some stabilizer. I show what I did here on my other blog.

I'm also not satisfied with the cut of the shoulders and upper chest.
If I do make this again, I'm going to redraft that section along with the armscye.

Anyway, I don't know if it's worth blogging on this piece but what the heck.

It actually looks better and is quite cute in real life. It just doesn't photograph well.

Would I make this again?

Yes I think so . It's a comfy and elegant top . I'll probably wear this one as an at-home piece or at a barbecue type gathering.

So if you like this pattern, go ahead and give it a try. Please let me know if you do. I'd love to see it made up by someone else.

More pics here.

More later from

My Own Design but Inspired by Marci Tilton

2011-06-08T17:20:00.007-03:00

I enjoyed making this garment so much! It was fun from beginning to end!

I bought this cotton knit stripe on impulse and agonized about what to make with it.I settled on something similar to the sleeveless top in Simplicity 2374 with the draped sides.So that was my starting point.

The weather influenced my decision to add 3/4 sleeves.(It's been so cold and it feels like warm weather is never going to arrive.) I had to redraft the shoulder area and armscye to fit the sleeves using another top pattern.I did this by laying the front and back of the top pattern over the pieces from 2374 but only at the shoulder and armhole area.
I wish I had taken photos as I went along but I didn't.

After I had the front and back sewn together, I added the neckband and tried it on . I knew it was not a good look for me.It stuck out over the bust area and looked like a maternity top. To tame that beast I played with the front and this is what I came up with.

Now ,I had a matching neck band and under bust trim and the fit was somewhat better.

I added the sleeves,

tried it on again and asked DH for his opinion. He said:

"It looks like a maternity top"

I said:

"But it's cute,right?"

He said:

"I guess!"

It was back to the drawing board. Oh, I mean the sewing room!

I fiddled with the back this time ( I was still having fun by the way) and after some time ,this is what I did.

Exposed darts!It was starting to look like a Marci Tilton T-shirt!

Now all there was left to do was to hem the thing. I realized it was shorter at both the front and back than I liked. I asked myself:

"What would Marci do?" And it hit me like a ton of bricks:

"She would add a contrasting band!!!"

And This is what I did.

I had so much fun creating this top! I had such a feeling of satisfaction that it was my own design, even if MT did inspire me during the process.It made me realize that even if it just hangs in the closet without being worn very much,it doesn't matter. It was the whole process of creating and sewing that was worth while.

I'm adding this a couple of days later. I've worn this all day and both DD and DH have said they like my top and think it's very me! Tamara took these pictures.

PS. Dear Fellow Sewing Bloggers,
Thank you for stopping by and taking a look at what I've been up to. I appreciate all of you wonderful people . It makes me so happy, knowing you're out there and that you love sewing as much as I do.God bless us all!

A Dress for Tamara's Birthday

2011-06-04T21:37:00.024-03:00

My daughter is home for a wedding and her birthday ,which is Tuesday. Of course that called for a new dress.

The pattern she's been wanting me to make is Simplicity 2369 so I made a combination of Views A,B and C

Here it is:

And here are some detail shots. The dress is not a wrap dress but just looks that way.

It is fastened with two long ties tied in a bow,

Tamara really likes the loose flowing sleeves.

A back view

The fabric is a poly/lycra. I used no interfacing and the only notions I used were thread and Steam-a-Seam to hold the hems before straight stitching them.The whole dress including the cutting out took about six hours to make and was sewn entirely by machine.

This is an easy project. The dress looks like the pattern envelope and the neckline isn't too low. I would highly recommend this pattern!

I made a size10 top and size 12 bottom and the dress was a perfect fit. Tamara declared it her new favorite dress.Here she is wearing it to a wedding party.

Here we are together . I'm wearing this dress made last spring.

I love having a daughter and it is very special and makes me very happy to have her home for the first time in 10 years for her birthday .

Check in with me in a few days for a fun and really cute top which I designed myself!.

Hope you've had time to sew this weekend!

My First Burda Style Piece

2011-05-25T13:54:00.029-03:00

I first want to thank everyone who stopped by and who commented on my orange jacket and on Jessie's trench.I really appreciate your feedback. I think that narrow pants would be a good look with my jacket so I'll be making a pair soon.

Now for my latest project.

I subscribed to BWOF for a year in '08,'09, but since I didn't make anything, I decided to not renew until I'd made at least six items.I often peruse the ones I have and I was looking for a casual skirt to use up the rest of the fabric from this outfit....

I really liked this style

...so I decided to copy the pattern and set to work.Not too hard really because I outlined all the pattern pieces in black before tracing.I didn't follow the instructions but just did things my way.

Here is what I came up with....

I made the skirt about 3" longer by cheating a bit and lowering the placement cutting line for the band at the bottom. I ended up with a length of 22.5"

Another change I made was to the zipper application. I wanted a more exposed zipper so this is what I did....

I cut out a facing, measured the opening I wanted (7/8") wide by the length of the zipper to below the zipper stop and marked it on the facing and sewed around it.

I trimmed it open....

pressed the facing to the inside....

....placed the zipper behind it ( I used Wonder tape to keep it in place) and did a double row of top stitching....

I made a facing piece to cover the inside of the zipper and extended the skirt facing to include this facing so the inside of the skirt has a nice neat look.....

Other details include the reverse coloured band which I finished off with a double row of top stitching on the navy part of the skirt.

I forgot to lay the back piece on the fold so I had to sew a narrow seam which I top stitched for stability.

This skirt only took me about three hours to make ( after making up the pattern ) so it was quick and fun to sew. I like it a lot and it's just the type of casual skirt that I'll be sure to wear.

My hair and face were a mess so I just took photos this way.

My husband's comment was," but the zipper should be in the back,shouldn't it?"But he thought it was cute,though.

That's all for now! We're going to Calgary for a few days where I hear it's even going to be colder and rainier than here.

Where oh where has the sun gone!

Vogue 8605, Remodeled

2011-05-19T16:28:00.048-03:00

I absolutely love this pattern!

I've always known the style wasn't for me but I made it once before in a winter knit.

Well,I've worn this to death, but in the house only for warmth. It was just too roomy.

I know this style looks wonderful on tall thin women but since I'm 5'4 1/2" tall and not quite slim,it just didn't look right. I eventually altered it by raising the underarm by about 2" and also taking the same off the sides and the sleeves. It then became quite cute,IMO.

I was just stash cruising one night and I came upon a remnant piece of coat weight orange linen, the same linen I used for this trench coat).Well it hit me like a ton of bricks! A new and improved version of V8605!

Here it is and I LOVE it! (Although I wore it to a meeting today and didn't get any comments,positive or negative!)

I not only changed the depth of the armhole, took 2" off the sides and under sleeve but I changed the collar to a wing collar;

I took away about 1.5" of the center front as there was way too much fabric there;

I eliminated the back seam to save on fabric

Added a sleeve band to make the sleeve a bit longer

I faced the hem to add a bit to the length of the jacket.

And I made my own version of "bound" buttonholes. To see how I made these, look here on my other blog.

A few close-ups of design details;

(the pockets)

(the top-stitching)

(the buttons)

(behind the buttons and buttonholes)

Because this jacket is unlined, I used a pretty batik from my stash to make a Hong Kong finish on all the seams. This was great fun and is really easy to do. It takes a little time but is well worth it.
There's an article in the current issue of Threads about Hong Kong finishes. If you don't get Threads, I have a tutorial on Diana's Sewing Lessons.

I also broke down and sewed in shoulder pads. This style really doesn't look well on sloping shoulders ( which I have).

I wore it with my Marci Tilton skirt which, my husband pointed out and I tend to agree, doesn't do much for it.Now I have to make something to wear with this ,my new favorite jacket.

What do you think?

See more pics here!

More later from

A Trench Jacket for Jessica

2011-05-15T22:03:00.047-03:00

Jessica is my 14 year old grand-daughter and she holds a very special place in my heart because she was my first grandchild.As all you grand-parents out there know,the love for a grandchild is boundless. Although at 14, she is a half inch taller than me Jessie will always be, to me, my little sweetie!

I had planned on making a new spring suit this year , but I found a lovely cotton/spandex sateen-like fabric in my stash that wanted to become something for Jessie. When I asked her, she said she would love a jacket.

I had this McCall's pattern 5525 and Jess chose View C.

This jacket was really a labour of love.
At Easter, I took measurements and decided size 10 would fit her OK.I went ahead and cut out,sewed and hoped it would fit her and she would like it.

Today, my DH and I drove the two hours to take it to her.Guess what!. It fit her perfectly and she loved it! So here it is.

Some detail shots...

Jessie loved the way she can sort of mold the collar and put it where she wants it. I interfaced the front and also added interfacing just to the lapel area of the facing. I used medium weight Armo Weft and I was afraid it was too stiff but it turned out just fine.

The buttons were a thrift store find and worked perfectly with the fabric which is a pinky beige and there is a hint of pink in the buttons too.

I made the pockets and pocket flaps a little bigger than the pattern pieces because I thought they were too small.

The sleeves had a little too much ease and the stretch in the fabric helped but I ended up using a method for set-in sleeves that I learned by watching Margaret Islander when she was a guest on Sew Perfect years ago. I posted a tutorial on this method on my other blog so if you're interested, take a peek here.

The lining is an oriental print and is a polyester charmeuse type fabric.

I forgot to take my camera so I took pics with my phone but didn't do a very good job but here is my Jessie in her new trench jacket!

More pics here!

More later from

Simplicity 4954. My Chanel Inspired Jacket

2011-04-26T18:13:00.024-03:00

Sorry I didn't post this sooner. What with a houseful for Easter dinner and my continuing respiratory problem, I'm just getting the energy to write this.

So , Voici! My jacket is finished. Here is the pattern I used.

I'm very happy with it and am satisfied with the trims.In a way,I wish I had made it to button down the front, but I closed it with a heavier type hook and eye and that works too.

The lining is a silk /cotton blend and the blush colour is perfect for this boucle.I used a satin ribbon in a deeper pink to add a touch of class to the front facings.

I sewed a chain weight just below the hemline and under the fold of the lining and it makes the jacket hang nicely.

I used pad stitching to secure the front and back facings to the jacket front and upper back and this really makes the jacket feel professional.I was able o do this and make the stitches invisible because of the nature of the fabric.

This is what I had planned to wear it with for Easter mass but I couldn't go because the candle smoke really makes me sick and I haven't been able to attend mass for most of the winter.

I've posted this dress and it's matching beaded bolero on the A Few of my Favorite Things section on my sidebar at right.The bolero is self drafted and the dress is B4871.

I love my Chanel inspired jacket and I know it will stay in my wardrobe for many years to come.
More photos here.

More later from

Thank You for the Suggestions

2011-04-19T21:15:00.015-03:00

I just want to say a quick Thank you to all who commented and gave advice. I really appreciate your honesty. I've decided to try the fringe coming out of the neck and center seams and to not use the ribbon. I'll baste the fringe first just in case it doesn't look good.If that doesn't work,I'll leave the trims out completely from the that area .

Thank you Vicki for telling me about Paco's jacket. I don't know how I missed it. I love Paco's work and I check it out regularly.

And a big Hello to Margaret.So nice to hear from you.I've lost your E-mail (computer crash) so I can't write to you personally.I wish we could have another week with Sandra. it was a highlight for sure!

Jacket Not Finished Yet, But...

2011-04-17T18:20:00.023-03:00

I've been cleaning, so I haven't got a lot more done on my jacket.I'm actually reconsidering the trims as I'm not loving the trim along the center front as much as I do on the pockets. I've just got it pinned and I do think it needs something else to make it less pretty or precious or something.

I've braided yarns from the fabric together in various thicknesses and I may go in that direction.

However I did put this striped jacket/cardi together for my sewing group Thursday. I wanted to show them another version and in a lighter knit than the last one.

I must admit that I don't love it but my sewing friends seemed to like it. My husband got that look when I asked him what he thought ,so....

Anyway, my sewing group have named my sewing bag that I take along to class my "magic bag of goodies".One of the notions they are most impressed with is my Steam-a-Seam which I used to secure the facing of the cardi down.

I sometimes feel like Ron Collins, Sandra Betzina's partner in the Power Sewing web TV shows who uses S-a_S on everything he possibly can.I do love it a lot.A couple more of my favorite notions that I couldn't be without are my Fiskar spring loaded scissors ,which are so great for arthritic hands and my Clover Leaf chalk marker wheely thingy that I use so often for so many things.

Wow this is one all-over-the-place post! Sorry!

I do hope to have my jacket completed for Thursday as I'm giving a presentation about our trip to Paris to my Retired Teachers group and I think it would be such an appropriate thing to wear.

Have a great week, fellow sewers ! More later from

Chanel Jacket, Part 2

2011-04-12T20:46:00.017-03:00

I meant to do this a few days ago, but my respiratory problems resurfaced with a vengeance.

What I want to talk about and show you are the first steps of the construction process.

My fabric is a wool/silk/cotton blend boucle and those of you who have worked with boucle know that it's a difficult fabric to deal with . Knowing this , I knew I had to interface as well as serge finish each piece as soon as I had finished the cutting out of my jacket.

I used a light,slightly stretchy interfacing and am really happy with the hand it gave the fabric, not too much, not too little.After fusing the interfacing to each piece, I layed the pattern over it to assure that nothing had stretched or shrunk.

I then serged each piece making sure to not cut off more than just the tiniest amount. I checked by placing each pattern piece another time and I transferred all markings to the interfacing.

For a lining I've decided to go with a silk cotton blend. I wanted silk something or other but could not find the right colour. Well I had just the right shade in my stash. I'm a little hesitant because I 'm not positive it's slippery enough but I had to make a decision and it's cut out now.

I'm considering quilting the lining to the jacket but since I want to have this finished for Easter,that may not happen.

After much deliberation, I settled on the fringe and velvet ribbon as my trims. I just could not find anything else that was just right and I think I'm happy with it, at least on the pockets which is the only place I've used it so far.

I applied the pockets by using Sandra Betzina and Ron Collin's tutorial on Power Sewing this week which explained how to apply patch pockets using invisible hand stitching. Talk about an opportune time for them to put this out. I'll give a few details about this method in my next post.

I'll leave you with a peek at what I've accomplished so far.

My Chanel Jacket...Part 1

2011-04-06T23:16:00.000-03:00

For years ,I've been wanting to make another Chanel type jacket.I made the one below before I learned how to alter patterns for a full bust, and sloping and narrow shoulders which are my fitting issues.

I've always really liked this jacket and have worn it in spite of the way it didn't quite fit. The pattern is S4954 (OOP)

I bought this lovely fabric

from Julie at Timmel Fabrics in Halifax when I attended the Sandra Betzina Workshop and I always planned on using V8043(OOP).

which is a Today's Fit pattern. I got to try on a sample and Sandra determined I was a size B for this jacket. But, since I've already made S4794

and really like it's lines, I decided to use it instead,but this time with alterations.

Here are diagrams of my alterations. The blue broken lines represent the new cutting lines (or the alterations).
The first one shows my Full Bust Adjustment or FBA. I usually add 1" here.

A close-up shows where I narrowed the shoulders by 3/8" from both the center front (CF) and the side front (SF) pieces.

You can also see in this pic how I fix my sloping shoulder problem by starting at the neck at size 12 and sloping down to size 8 by the shoulder.This amounts to 1/2". I then have to lower the armhole by 1/2".

This diagram shows the corresponding changes to the back pattern pieces as well as my sway back fix. For this I just fold out 1/4 to 3/8" above the waistline. This tiny change makes the biggest difference in the way the back of my garments fit!

Finally these are my trims which I plan to use but I don't know in which order yet!.

I'll also chose from these chains to weight the hem of my somewhat-like-a-Chanel jacket.

More later from

This and That

2011-04-03T21:12:00.014-03:00

I've been back from Ottawa, aka Nana Heaven, for a few days now.Of course, I can't resist showing you my favorite of the hundred or so pictures I took while I was there.

I don't have a new garment to show you but I have a Chanel type jacket in the works. The pattern is chosen and altered, the jacket is cut out but not the lining, and I'm trying to decide on trims. I'll have more on that in a couple of days.

I just thought I'd tell you about a sewing group I've helped to organize and that I'm mentoring.Our small community is near a large lake ( Grand Lake ) and has a much larger population in summer than the rest of the year.Among the permanent residents is a fairly large group of retired people like myself who have time on their hands. There is a well equipped community hall about a mile from my house and I thought I'd try to persuade people to come and sew with me on Thursday afternoons. We've been getting together for about two months now and I'm very happy with what is transpiring.

There are about 12 regular ladies who are taking advantage of the chance to sew with friends and neighbours and who really seem to appreciate any help that can be given. We will soon be joined by a former Home Economics teacher who will be very welcome to help with instructions or just give a helping hand.

This week we only had five sewers who all wanted to make the cardi that I showed you here. I copied a couple of sizes out of newspaper ahead of time and after measuring everyone, they were ready to go.

So far, many of the ladies have made the Fleece Tied Blanket that I showed here and they were thrilled with their results. They all made Hair towels like this one . That was a popular project.

Some weeks, each member has a project of their own or someone needs help with fitting issues or pattern alterations.

It really makes me happy to see how everyone seems to enjoy these afternoons.
And I have to admit that I love stepping back into my teacher shoes.

I hope you had time to sew this week.

More later from

Dress for Tamara S2247

2011-03-17T22:02:00.025-03:00

It's been a long time since I've made DD anything so I guess it was high time. I'm going to Ottawa next week ( I just can't go any longer without hugging Angel Baby Riley) so I thought a garment for Tamara was a good thing.

She mentioned a while ago that she would like a gored dress with a cowl collar. I knew I just had to find a princess style dress and I could use my cowl collar technique with maybe a little tweaking. I found S2247

I used the body of the dress ,rounded the neckline,and drafted a cowl by measuring the neckline.I didn't use the sleeves from this pattern. I have a sleeve pattern that I know DD likes so I used that.

The fabric is a poly/rayon ponti knit. I used a small zigzag stitch for most of the seams with a universal size 12 needle. I machine stitched the hems on the skirt and sleeves after serge finishing.

The only problem that I encountered was the collar which proved to be too thick when I doubled it. After over an hour of taking out the zigzag stitches and twin needle stitches, I recut the collar as a single layer . I finished the seams joining the two parts of the collar with flat felled ( is that the correct term?) seams and the edge of the collar with a quarter inch hem and it looks fine I think.

I used an invisible zipper (for once I found one that matched perfectly) but closed the seam at the top just above the zipper so I wouldn't have to split the collar at the back since there are already two seams on my version of a cowl.The dress still goes on very easily this way.

That's pretty much all there is to say about Tamara's dress so here it is.
.

As for the pattern, it's one of Simplicity's Amazing Fit and I intend to use it for myself. I really like it. There are many opportunities to achieve a really good fit with these patterns!

And here is a photo of Tamara in the dress! It ended up a bit too big through the hip area but otherwise it looks good on her.

Wednesday is my BIG Sewing Day

2011-03-10T11:01:00.045-04:00

I've probably mentioned the fact before that Wednesday is my guilt free sewing day and other than a quick tidy up of the house, sewing is all I do on that day.And do you know what else? I have popcorn ( a big bowl of it ) for dinner with a glass of wine. Isn't that decadent?

On Wednesdays, my husband goes to the city to do errands ,groceries,etc and to do chores for his sister who lives alone. So I'm left completely free!

I LOVE retirement!

Yesterday (being Wed.) I started early and using this pattern, McCall's 6164 View A which is the pink one

...and made this.

The fabric is rayon jersey. I usually avoid this knit because it is thin and readily shows all bumps and accentuates the bust too much. I really liked this swirly,tie-dyed print so I decided I would double the body of the top and that's just what I did.

How did I do this?

I should have left the shoulders open as in when lining a vest but I don't like the results of that method on knit fabric so I started out by sewing the shoulder seams of each layer and then joining the two backs and two fronts at the hemline.

As you see in the above illustration,I then joined the side seams of the two layers in one continuous seam.

The next step was to turn the whole thing right side out, and to pin the necklines together and to check that everything was smooth and it was so I took out the pins and from the armholes I reached in and re pinned the neckline from the wrong side.(This was easy to do) and sewed the two tops together at the neckline. After trimming the seam I pressed carefully,pinned the armholes together and top stitched the neckline.

The sleeves were then sewn as usual and serge finished.I ran a row of stitching at the bottom where the hem stitching would usually be. ( I sewed and stretched a little instead of using a twin needle as I didn't have much thread left).

Here is the top from the inside.

The shirring on the sleeves is formed by threading elastic through a casing in the seam allowance.

About my Full Bust Adjustment on this one. I spliced and spread the pattern an inch in the usual place about 4" below the underarm. But instead of adding a dart, I ran a row of stitching for about 4" and pulled in the threads to form a slight gather

I then sewed my side seams with the front down against the feed dogs and this is how it ended up.You can barely see the gathers!

I really love this top. It's fun and rather youthful but I think I'm OK with that.
Maybe my grand-daughter Jessica will like it and I'll make her one.

More picks here.

Hope you're having a nice weekend and that you got some nice relaxing sewing done!

Two Quickies

2011-03-05T19:28:00.018-04:00

I'm definitely feeling like my old self again and my sewing mojo is back full force. I decided after working so long on my coat that I would make a couple of easy pieces. I've had this cardi pattern for a while and have been dying to try it.

I also bought this bright and fun argyle knit and I knew I'd have to choose carefully what it would become.

This is what I came up with. I used my favorite sleeveles sweater pattern S3634 for this and just added a cowl collar using the procedure I described here. the only problem is that I forgot to center the darker rows of the argyle but oh well,if I don't point it out to everyone,it might go unnoticed.

I think pairing it with a black topper was a good way to tone the brightness down and I'm happy with the two pieces together.

The cardi is made of black rayon/poly ponti knit. I think the pattern and fabric work well together.The faced front drapes well thanks to the weight of the fabric. I secured the facing by stitching in the ditch at the front and back shoulder/sleeve seams. I used Steam-a-Seam to close the facing along the front.

All hems were machine stitched. I ended up facing the sleeves because I found them too short even for 3/4 sleeves.
I took off about an inch from the back bottom because I found it a little too long. Although the back of this piece is loose ,from the front it looks semi fitted.

I'm very happy with this combo and will likely make it again.

More pics here.

I hope you found time to sew this weekend. Have a great week!

A New Coat....Butterick 5295

2011-02-27T15:06:00.046-04:00

This is longest I have ever worked on any one item! A whole month! But you know, I enjoyed the process immensely.

I made View A of Butterick 5295 with a few changes.

I'll show you the finished coat first and then if you're interested in the changes I made ,you might read on.

The fabric is a soft wool/poly blend that looks like mohair. It is fairly light weight . Here are the interfaced pieces.

I also added an interlinig to the upper back for extra warmth.

I used real leather for the buttonholes and the pocket flaps.

For the lining, I used a lovely plaid silky fabric .

Now for the changes.

I had the chance to try this coat on at Fabricville because it was made up as a display by one of the women who works there. I asked if I could try it on and when I did,I loved everything about it except it gaped at the center front bottom. And I know how to fix that problem.I learned it by watching Sandra Betzina on Sew Perfect and I never forgot it. Look here.to see how to do this. Here is a photo of the pattern piece altered.I added 3" of ease.

The next change was to the pockets. I don't care for patch pockets on a coat so I used the welt pocket from B6900 an OOP pattern than I made up a few years ago. I like that this pocket opens from the top of the flap and the lips of the welts were not required.

I ended up taking away from the flare of the coat because I decided it was not flattering because it seemed to flare up starting at the high hip point. So I tapered the side seams from that point and took off 2" by the bottom. It changed the style of the coat quite a bit. This problem may have been a result of the 3" of walking ease which might have been excessive. But all the same, I'm very happy with the results of my coat and the fit is quite good I think.

More pics here.

So I guess I'm back. I'm feeling like my old self again so I'll be posting again soon.
Happy Sewing from

Just Checking In

2011-02-20T20:35:00.010-04:00

Well, I am working on my coat but only in small steps and I don't even have the energy to begin writing about it.

I've been visiting my favorite blogs and although I don't leave many comments, i am enjoying seeing what you are up to.

My son sent me this picture of Riley this week and the cuteness of it made my week so I thought I'd share.

Look at those eyes!!!She looks just like her daddy did at 14 months.

Have a great week!

Oh and I just learned how to do this ( sign my name I mean)

Well...I haven't quite figured it out yet.

A Little Animal!!

2011-01-30T14:31:00.028-04:00

I saw this fun ,a little furry and a little burnout fabric one day at Fabricville and I immediately thought it would be cute as a vest to go with the blue pieces I made in November and my navy pants as well as jeans.

A picture came to mind of a drapey collar somewhat like this one courtesy of Coldwater Creek.

and a soft finish rather than the firmly interfaced tailored kind of vest we used to wear.

I started out with this pattern from the 90's ( View ).

This piece was a real challenge! It took me a lot of pondering and experimenting before creating a collar that even remotely resembles the Coldwater Creek jacket.It's not perfect but I am satisfied with the results so here it is.

And a close-up of the collar treatmant. I stitched the collar on the outside across the back of the neck and left it open from the shoulder point.

After I was finished ,I realized that this Marci Tilton jacket had the desired collar and I could have used the front pattern piece to draft my collar because this is pretty much what I came up with

I lined it in a fun print and used hook closures. I think it looks good with jeans and this turtle neck top (which is a favorite of mine made years ago. I always get compliments on this every single time I wear it for whatever reason).

I don't have a lot of strength due to an on-going allergies related respiratory problem but I'm working on my coat a little at a time.I'm enjoying the different phases of coat construction very much.I'm hoping to post on the various steps this weekend but on my other blog.

Hope you have time to sew this weekend!

Close Fitting Pants and a Split Cowl Top

2011-01-23T17:44:00.032-04:00

I had planned on starting my coat this week but I decided that all I could handle was something easier.

I've been wanting a pair of black leggings-like pants and I found just the fabric at
Fabricville. It's a heavy Rayon/Polyester/Lycra ponti knit .

I had to morphe together two patterns to get the look I wanted and these are the ones I used.

The Today's Fit V1034 jeans fit just right through the hips and thighs and the Anne Klein pattern had a side closure ,back darts and a plain front. To get the right ankle width I measured a pair of RTW skinny jeans that I own. I decided I would make them 12" wide at the ankle.I wish I had taken photos but what I did was to taper the legs from the knee down ,taking an equal amount from both the inseam and side seams.I also made sure that the Anne Klein pants had the rightn crotch depth which they did.

It's so hard to get a decent pants photo but here is what they look like on the bed.

and with flats.

I decided that I wanted the waistband to fit above my muffin top and added an inch to the length at about the middle of the upper front and back pieces. I had planned on an invisible zipper but the fabric is so stretchy that I realized they didn't need it. I sewed the regular (not contoured) waistband and then inserted some elastic through that.This is how they look.

I wanted another warm,cozy knit sweater like top ,this time in the same dark pink as my DD's Christmas gift. I wanted something different and got the idea to do a split cowl when I was taking pictures of this dress to add to my "A Few of my Favorite Things" section on my side bar.I no longer have that Burda pattern but found this one .

When I compared the pattern to the dress, I found that the dress was simply a longer version of the top. I measured the collar and decided to make it an inch deeper and to place it so it opened at the sleeve seam instead of the shoulder seam.Like this.

I joined the collar together on the inside a couple of inches so it would stand up better. ( The bee pin is by Joan Rivers bought at The Shopping Channel).

This top is almost tunic length and is a good partner for the narrow pants.

I've worn this outfit since this afternoon and I'm thinking the pants could have been a bit narrower. I want to make them again in brown so I'l adjust the pattern for a slimmer fit next time.

This week.,I'm hoping to feel well enough to start working on my coat.If not, there's another vest in the works out of this furry burnout stuff I just bought.

I hope you all had a restful weekend and that you found time to sew!

A Much Needed Piece ( Butterick 5394 ) and Vogue 8356 For Me

2011-01-15T19:01:00.040-04:00

I want to make a few quick pieces this week because Wednesday ( my big sewing day ), I'm going to start a long coat.( Butterick 5295 ).I'll be keeping you posted on my progress on my other blog.

I'm always cold and so I decided to take advantage of the vest's recent popularity.I bought this gorgeous brown and gold lurex sweater knit at C&M Textiles in Ottawa a while back and it was perfect for Butterick 5394.

I've been loving View B and the vest was quite easy to make.I only had a meter of fabric but it was 72" wide.

Here it is paired with a silk and gold lurex turtle neck sweater.

The only change I made was to the pockets which I dressed up by gathering the top.

The knit isn't substantial enough to hold the collar up although I interfaced it with light fusible knit. But I like the collar like this.

...or like this

This is a really comfortable ,cozy vest and I'm already loving having it in my wardrobe.Here, I'm wearing it with my Marci Tilton skirt made last winter.

A few more pics here.

I also made Vogue 8597 View B in a polyester sweater knit in a charcoal heather colour.I decided on a tunic length to wear with narrow (but not quite leggings) pants that I've just cut out.

A view of the improved cowl .

That's all I've got for now. And yes I am feeling much better.

I hope you had time to sew this weekend. Have a great week.

Catching up

2011-01-09T22:32:00.006-04:00

Isn't Christmas hard work?

Once again my DH has asked me to promise to simplify gift giving, decorating.etc. for next year and I really,really intend to keep my promise this time. (?). But can you really teach an old dog new tricks? My problem is I don't know the limits to my strength and I push myself too much until I get sick which I am and have been since
Christmas day.

Enough of that. I hope everyone in sewing Blogland has had a peaceful and happy Christmas surrounded by your loved ones. We surely did. and a belated happy New Year to you all!

On to sewing stuff. This year, I only made two sewn gifts . For Tamara,my DD, I made this.

The top is a poly/acrylic sweater knitin the perfect colour for DD and she's promised to send me a photo. The pattern is V8597
I altered the cowl collar and it sat beautifully on the neckline unlike the one I made DD last winter.

To see how I altered the cowl collar on this top, please visit my other blog where I've posted the details.

The skirt is S1234 but is OOP.The fabric is black Ponti knit and it worked really well for this style. DD loved the whole outfit and would now like a gored dress with a cowl collar.

The second sewn gift I made was for my step grand-daughter Jessica who is 17 and lives in Ottawa. She innocently asked if I could make her a "boyfriend" blazer and how could I refuse! Armed with her measurements which i took during my October trip ,
I decided to give it a try. Here it is and she tells me it fits her perfectly. Now that was a relief!!

The pattern was McCall's 6172 by Palmer & Pletsch and I highly recommend it.
The fabric is an RPL and worked beautifully for this style..
The lining was a poly satin in shades of grey and black ( I can't think of the term for this shading process).

That's all I have in me for now.
Have a great week and Happy sewing!

Sunburst Darts on a Top

2010-11-13T20:22:00.059-04:00

Thanks to all for the nice comments on my last project! I enjoyed looking at your blogs too.

So I made the sunburst top with a matching gored skirt and I love both pieces.The top is today's fit V8151 and the skirt is new look 6509 and is OOP.Both were made in one day (on Wed.,my big sewing day) and were the last things for me until I finish my Christmas sewing.

Here is the top first.

I decided to use the plain knit on the body so the darts would be more prominent and the animal print for both the sleeves and the neckband. I like the effect and the only negative is that although I cut the top 1" longer than the pattern and faced the hem as well,it's still a little shorter than I like .When I made this version,

I must have added at least 3" because it's quite a bit longer.

The darts on the new one are quite a bit shorter because I thought the darts on the white one pointed too prominently to the bust. I like the short ones but the result is that the upper chest is a bit too wide as the darts didn't take in enough fabric in that area but I can live with it.

I thought you might like to see what the pattern piece looks like with the added darts.On the right is the front showing the bust dart and on the left,the bust dart is closed and opened at the neck.

In this photo, the darts are drawn in.

It was quite simple really. My bust darts were 2&1/4".( I know that's an awfully wide dart and I wouldn't ever make this top as is.Sandra Betzina made the change to this pattern at the workshop I attended but I didn't like the way it turned out.) for a total of 4.5"". When I closed them,the neckline was openend that amount.I decided I wanted five darts on each side and one in the middle. I divided the 4.5" by 11 and figured I could make each dart about 1/2" each ( I cheated a little).

The skirt has eight gores and I cut it 2" shorter than the pattern .I likt my skirts just below the knee. I skipped the zipper and inserted elastic at the waist because I got lazy. I don't particularly like elasticized waistlines but it will do in this case.

Here are the two pieces together .

And I wore the ensemble this way to church today.

A few more pics here.

I'm calling these pieces my "Blue, Navy Blue" mini wardrobe. Next up is this shirt .The fabric is a semi sheer polyester animal print that I've had in my stash for quite some time. It will have to wait until my Christmas sewing is done however.

I do hope you found time to sew this weekend and that you have a great week!

A New Favorite!

2010-11-07T14:50:00.031-04:00

I had a great sewing week! I sprained my ankle last weekend so I had to stay off my feet for most of the last few days. Of course that didn't prevent me from sewing. I'm a slow sewer though so I only finished two pieces but I'm very happy with them.

I'll show you first and then give you a few details.

And here is my inspiration taken from the Coldwater Creek website a couple of years ago.

The only real difference is in the sleeves which I made full length rather than 3/4.

The stats,

Fabric ...polyester Ponti in blue and navy animal print.

Trim ...foldover cotton braiding by Domcord bought at Fabricville.

Interfacing... Fusi Knit. ( I only interfaced the front facing and the upper collar so as to keep the softness of the knit fabric).

Pattern....A combination of S2374 for the front and back, the sleeves from the Bacall Sweater by Lois Hinse (but I cut them wider at the bottom)and a self drafted collar. The sleeveless shell is my favorite S3604

I ended up sewing the braiding entirely by hand because the sewing machine tended to "spread " it and as I said ,I had to do a lot of sitting so it gave me something to do.

Here are a few detail shots.

Ouch! The colour in this one is awful!

I wore this set with navy wool gabardine pants (made with my favorite pants pattern, V2873) to church this morning.My DH took this pic and he said that this is a real Diana outfit.

More pics here.

Next up is this top and a gored skirt out of the coordinating plain blue.

The article on the sunburst darts is by Marci Tilton and was in the Vogue Patterns magazine in the Oct./Nov.issue,2006. The pattern is Today's Fit V8151. I made this before and love it.

Have a great week all and Happy Sewing!

Not Much to Post About

2010-10-31T20:41:00.010-03:00

Hi all! Thank you for stopping by to see what I'm up to!

I sewed this week (of course!) but only finished my warm and cozy nightie. To see it ,look at my right hand sidebar at A Few of My Favorite Things
because it didn't warrant a whole post. But I can tell you,I love it and it is deliciously cozy and according to DH,very cute.My sisters, however, thought it was ridiculously big and too heavy. ( I have three sisters and we get together every year for an overnighter at a hotel and to begin our Christmas shopping).But enough of that.

I had the pleasure of running into Ann of Ann's Fashion Studio not once but twice over the weekend and dear fellow sewists, this lady is every bit as nice as she looks.We had great chats and I was very interested in hearing about her Uniquely You dress form.She has a link on her blog post so check it out. I'm just about ready to break it to DH that I would like to have one for Christmas.

I'm also just about ready to begin my on-going fleece Hats and Mitts project for children in need but I do want to finish a couple of pieces I'm working on using this blue animal print Ponti de Roma knit. So check back with me later in the week for more details.

Happy Halloween Everybody (We only got one Trick or Treater this year! Boo-hoo!)

Today's Fit ,Vogue 1197

2010-10-23T22:07:00.040-03:00

I just got back from Ottawa where I spent six days with darling Riley. So I thought I'd show you a few pics of the little sweetie.

We got very attached to one another on this trip and we both cried when I left.Riley is now 11 months old and she is crawling and creeping all over the place. She is such a joy as all you grandmothers out there will empathise with..

Now on to sewing stuff.

I finished this top before I went to Ottawa.

It took me about six hours from start to finish including the cutting out which I did one layer at a time in order to match up the design.I did a fairly good job of matching as you see here.

Stats.

Pattern, V1197
Fabric, poly/wool blend very light,almost sheer sweater knit ( I have to wear a cami underneath).

Needle used, an 80/12 universal needle worked very well.

Stitch usedI used the stretch stitch for this piece but I basted the side seams first because as you know, a stretch stitch is pretty permanent.

Size used, I cut the upper back and shoulders size C and the front and side seams a size D.It's a good fit. My measurements are between the C & D.

Changes made,I combined the two views by using the cowl of A because I didn't have enough fabric after matching the front and back. I changed the finished length from 34.5" on view B to 25" because I really don't like a long tunic on me.

Problems encountered,The strange shape of the sleeves caused some difficulty.Here is a pic of the pattern piece.

You are suppose to make the shirring by sewing a length of elastic while stretching it along the bottom third or so of the sleeve. When I did this, I found the shirring to be lumpy.I decided to ditch the elastic and to sew double gathering lines, draw them up to the right length and secure the gathering with stay tape ( I used the selvage of silk organza to avoid bulk)

This worked better than the elastic but the result is still a little lumpy. Next time I'm just going to cut the sleeves straight and long and then gather both the top and under sleeve. I'm pretty sure,that will solve the bumpy gathers problem.

I also stabilized the neck with silk organza selvage before sewing on the cowl. I then ran a row of top stitching around the neckline so the seam would lie flat. This step is not in the instructions.

I'm pretty satisfied with this top although the cowl doesn't look anything like the drawing on the pattern envelope. I would like to try it again and try my idea for the shirring on the sleeves.

Other Pics here.

My next project will be a nice soft and cozy wool knit nightie/lounger out of this fabric and loosely based on the pattern shown .

Have a great week and I do hope you found time to sew this weekend!

Messoni Knit Twin Set

2010-10-11T15:57:00.017-03:00

I hope all my Canadian Blogger friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did here in New Brunswick.

Thank you to all who stopped by to look or left a comment about my last project. I've worn my jacket a few times already and it's going to Ottawa with me on Thursday.

I finished my cardi set. I had a few issues with this pattern, Simplicity
2474 (for the cardi) but it turned out very well and I really am happy with the end result.

Here is a pic and then I'll reveal where the problems were.

The fabric, is a Messoni sweater knit bought at C&M Textiles in Ottawa. I don't remember the fiber content but it doesn't act like a polyester . It's more like a natural fiber.

I didn't do my usual FBA because I usually don't need it in a knit garment but I should have as this knit is quite stable.

The length was fine but the front band was a lot shorter (about 3") and that required a much deeper hem than I like. I solved this by adding another 1.5" to the band.When it was sewn on I didn't like the way the two side fronts hung (sort of on the diagonal) so I ended up reshaping the center fronts so that I cut off a piece that measured 1.25" at the bottom CF amd tapered to nothing at about chest level.I had to baste the band on a couple of times before it hung straight down but now I like the results.

I should mention that when cutting out the cardi and tank that I didn't double up the fabric but cut one side at a time likr this. That's the only way really to assure that the stripes don't end up uneven at the hem.

For the sleeveless tank I used S3191 which is a really nice pattern for the cardi and the tank.I made the neckband and collar band from strips cut crosswise in the direction of the stretch and I think it adds a nice touch to this simple top.

While I was at it ,I decided to make a tube scarf after reading the article in Vogue Patterns Magazine.I only had a 12"wide strip left but it was enough and I think it will be a useful accessory.

Sorry no photo of me wearing the set . I just didn't feel like doing anything to my hair today!

Have a great week!

Next I'm working on this.

Another new Coat/Jacket...Vogue 1060 #2

2010-10-02T18:04:00.042-03:00

If you've been following my blog from the start (since July 2008!!) you might remember this coat made from V1060 (Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina..

Well I liked this coat but was disappointed that it was just too tight. When I compared my measurements with the Today's Fit chart, I was well within the size C
range as I had been when Sandra herself measured me in Aug. 2006.And although I almost always add one inch at the side seams for insurance,this time I forgot. To be honest I've worn this one very little.

I've had this piece of really stretchy and soft two sided denim that I bought from Julie at Timmel Fabric ( I miss you Julie),since 2006 and suddenly it told me it wanted to become Vogue 1060!I don't know why it didn't tell me this before because IMO, the pattern and fabric turned out to be a perfect match.

First thing was to alter the pattern. I had no idea how to do an FBA on a dolman sleeved garment so I winged it .This is what I did.

It worked fine except that I over did it a bit and could have used less space in the bust area. Live and learn.

I decided to cut the shoulder and neck area in Size C but the chest and hip area in a size D with an extra half inch fit assurance and that worked very well.
I also had to cut the coat about 4" shorter than the pattern because I just didn't have enough fabric.

After sewing in the darts I found the the waistline was too low so I simply raised them a bit (I didn't have to unsew them for this,but just reshaped them and they ended up a little longer but that didn't affect the look of the coat.)

I omitted the front and collar facing as I wanted to show the other side of the denim.I serge finished the edges and then top stitched them into place.

This is how I dealt with the collar.

I used the rust side for the cuffs. ( I know I didn't match the stripes but I just didn't have enough fabric)

I omitted the tie belt and added machine stitched buttonholes. First I sewed oval cuts of interfaced fabric to the wrong side and top stitched them in place. Oh yes and I used rust thread in the bobbin so it would show on the right side at the pockets, hem,the center back ,top of sleeves and around the buttonholes.

I chose buttons from my stash that had large holes. They were big enough to accommodate suede lace also from my stash and this is what I came up with. I think it makes for interesting closures don't you?.

So here is the finished product.

I really like this one and have a feeling it's going to get a lot of wear for a long time to come
.

More pics here.

I hope you've found time to sew this week.Next up for me is a cardi set made out of this yummy Messoni knit bought at C&M Textiles in Ottawa last year.

Back From Paris (Already)

2010-09-28T18:00:00.026-03:00

I knew that our time in Paris would fly and it did! It was everything we thought it would be and more.Here are a few of pics and then on to fabric related musings.

In front of the gates to Versailles

The Louvre

In front of Chanel and yes I went in, and was very courteously treated.

One of the windows at Chanel.

Another one.

I examined every piece with hungry eyes. .The workmanship was so exquisite that I almost felt discouraged for my own poor garments.No photos allowed of course.

A very nice young sales person even unlocked the door that leads to Mademoiselle Chanel`s workshops and apartment to show me the famous staircase where Coco used to sit and watch the "defile" of her creations. I was very impressed with the treatment I received there in comparison to the Ritz.

My husband in front of the Ritz before we went in and were promptly escorted out!!! (Ce n'est pas permis)

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On our last day,we went to Monmartre where there are streets of nothing but fabric stores! I was so excited I couldn't concentrate on what I wanted to buy. I also forgot to take pictures but everywhere you saw signs that said coupons. Coupons had a different meaning here . It meant cuts of fabrics left over from designer workshops.This nice gentleman kindly explained this to me and suggested a piece of cashmere coating (3 metres for 30 euros) and I also found this gorgeous coupon of rich red wool double knit, again 3 metres for 30 Euros at his shop.That's all I bought as there simply wasn't anymore room in my luggage for more and my poor Dh was the one who had to lug these pieces around.

A few pics of fabric stores.This one was called Reine and the fabrics were yummy.

The week went all too fast but we were both glad to come home as we were exhausted and we decided we should have taken our dream trip to Paris when we were younger.

I'll leave you with a lovely view of the Eiffel Tower at night taken from our boat ride on the Seine.

A Bag for Paris

2010-09-12T15:29:00.024-03:00

Just a last quick post.
I probably have a purse of every colour you can imagine but not navy.

I really like making bags or purses although they require an awful lot
of effort,IMO.

I knew I still had one more item in me to make before out trip and since I've had this interesting piece of weathered look faux leather, which was a remnant from the Drapery Department at Fabricville, for a couple of years, I decided to make an across the body bag to take along to Paris.

I didn't use a pattern. I just layed out the fabric and the design came to me after staring at it for a while.

Stats:

Fabric: Faux leather which looks like strips of fabric sewn together.
Lining: Burberry-like plaid polyester silky ( I love it!)
Interfacing: Drapery weight heavy fusible.
Hardware: Two glitzy heavy weight zippers from my stash
Two metal rings salvaged from an old piece of luggage.

Here it is and I'm very happy with the results!

The only embellishment to the outside is a zippered pocket.
The closure is simply a zipper starting at about 4""down one side ,across the top and finishing 4" down the other side. I thought this would be the best anti-thief closure to use.

I ended up making it a bit bigger than I had planned. It measures 14" by 14".

I added depth to the purse by sewing three darts at each rounded corner at the bottom of the front and back.

The straps were the hardest part to sew. neither one of my machines really wanted the job but eventually they got done.I made them long enough to wear over my head and across my chest.

On the inside I formed two pockets (one for cell phone ) by pleating a long piece of interfaced lining. The pleats give the pockets depth.

On the other side I added a zippered pocket.

A look at the inside.

So I think I'm set to go.

Talk to you when I get back.

My New Raincoat and I'm almost Ready For Paris

2010-09-11T13:24:00.002-03:00

Thank you all so much for the nice comments you left on my last post. I've already worn my little red jacket twice and love it and received compliments!

I have to admit that I'm getting very excited about our trip. We are leaving on the 14th (Tues.) and I'm almost too excited to function!

Now about my raincoat which turned out to be not even a little bit water resistant let alone waterproof! But that's OK cause I sprayed it with Fabrigard and am now confident it will be fine.

I had a hard time to decide on a pattern for this garment but finally settled on this Easy Vogue ( V8623)

At first look it seems an unlikely choice but I have so wanted to try this pattern and it suited the fabric.

Here, I'll show you the finished product and you can tell me if I chose wisely.

I wore it shopping yesterday and got a couple of compliments already.

The stats:

Fabric: a material called "Memory cloth" because you can coax it to hold a certain shape then smooth it out again.

Lining:a polyester satin print which is quite gorgeous,I think.

Interfacing: a medium fusible knit because that's all I had on hand that was suitable.

Buttons: variegated buttons which are perfect for the fabric which is a little irridescent.

How I adapted this pattern:I lengthened all the pieces by 13" .I simply added this to the bottom of the pattern pieces because I imagined the coat to be a little flared out at the bottom which it is.

There are no pockets on this design so I added my favorite Ssandra Betzina pockets in the same way I did to this coat.

Sewing machine needle used: A 70/10 sharp which worked flawlessly.

Thread: Gutterman all-purpose polyester thread.

Problems I encountered: I had to pick out all my edge stitching which I used to avoid having to press some of the seams because I had to otherwise use a press cloth on this fabric..The edge stitching caused puckering so it had to go.

This is a customized pattern which has separate pieces for an A,B.C and D cup.I cut the D cup but that ended up being too roomy so I had to shave some of the bust curve off. The C cup pieces would have been plenty big enough although I wear a 34 DD bra. I reveal this in case this info can be helpful to someone out there.

Here are some detail shots.

I love the way the collar stands away from the neck and the memory in the fabric keeps it that way.

I sewed the pleats at the back down about three inches so they wouldn't stick out too much. I think the back is so cute.

They are hard to see but here are the pockets.

A peek at the lining.

And a few photos of me wearing the coat and feeling a little like a character in Madmen.

It's now Saturday afternoon and I just finished making an across the body bag in a distressed leather look upholstery fabric but I'll show you that another time.

Thanks for looking in on me and I hope you're having a great weekend!

Happy Sewing from Diana

Attention Canadians!Did You Know?

2010-09-10T19:11:00.007-03:00

There is a sewing contest at Fabricville! here is the link and the details.

I'd love to take part but I don't know if I'll have the time as I'm going to Ottawa to see Riley this fall after coming back from Paris. I have quite a few other irons in the fire too but I really encourage all to participate because the prizes are to die for!

I'll be posting my raincoat as soon as my camera battery has enough juice to finish taking photos.Right now I'm working on an across the chest handbag to take to Paris. What fun!!!

The Little Red Jacket That's Going to Paris

2010-09-04T23:12:00.005-03:00

Oh my! It's so hot! I'm working on a raincoat of sorts but it's not going well and I'm going to blame it on the 98 degrees and the high humidity we've had for this whole week.Enough already!

On the bright side, I did finish this little beauty.

The pattern is Vogue 1100 which I made last fall but but in a longer version.(Look here)

Here are the stats:

Fabric- a textured cotton in the yummiest red you ever saw.
Lining- a printed cotton voile in a happy fun print.
Buttons- gorgeous red buttons with a raised rope design.
Interfacing-lightweight Armo weft. (the fabric had enough weight that it didn't need anything heavier ).

The jacket went together very easily except at the bustline which was hard to ease in to the front center piece,thus a few puckers are visible but I'm not really a perfectionist so I let it go.

Here a few detail shots.

I love the collar!

I considered leaving out the back pleat but it turned out to be fine.

The turned back cuffs are really cute.

The lining really adds a nice touch doesn't it!

This is a key piece to my Paris wardrobe because I'm taking only red,white and navy pieces with a little black thrown in.That way ,I won't have to take as many shoes!

It's really very hard to know what to wear in Paris in the middle of September but I've decided to go with my summer clothes and to pack light. Wish me luck.That is such a hard thing for me to do!!!

My Dh just took this pick and got me giggling so excuse the silly expression on my face.

Look here for more pics.

The blue "raincoat is going much better now and I'm almost finished it so I'll be showing it to you early in the coming week.

I do hope you found time to sew this weekend!

New Look 6284 and Chaddo Ralph Rucci Pants

2010-08-22T17:06:00.042-03:00

My grandchildren visited last week so not much time for sewing.I thought though that I would show you a top I finished a while back but was waiting for the Chado Ralph Rucci V1054 pants to be finished before showing it and I just finished them.

The top is my second version of New Look 6807( Here is the first one )

I used a printed layer over a plain layer of polyester geogette.

I made three changes to the pattern.

#1. I added about 3" at both the center front and back because I wanted more gathers at the neckline.

#2. I lengthened the sleeves to 3/4 length and narrowed the fullness because I didn't have enough fabric.

#3. I added a couple of inches to the length of the top.

Here it is on Antoinette.

And here it is on me.

This garment is a great success because I really love it and have worn it as a lounging piece and found it to be very comfortable.

As for the pants,they've been a challenge! Here is the line drawing.

There's a band which extends from the front and back yoke and is sewn to the side of the front and back pieces so I didn't know how to alter the pants or if my usual size 12 would fit .So I cut a size 14. I took a chance without making a muslin because the crotch length was Ok

After sewing everything together and trying them on, the seat and the back of the legs had too much fabric!!
At this point ,I had sewn all the top stitching to that side panel."

"Why did she do that?" you might ask!

It had to come out on the back pieces . Then I took an extra 3/8" seam in from the original seam like this:

and still ,too much fabric back there. Now I always have to shave off 1/4" from the curve at the hip because I'm flat there. (That's the only place I'm flat! LOL) So I decided to try this but only to the back piece and not the band.I took the extra 1/4" from the top of the hip all the way to the bottom of the leg because I wanted the legs to be narrower than they were.This photo shows what I did.

And guess what! It worked! I achieved a great fit but not a perfect fit mind you.
There's still a bit too much fabric at the back of the knee.I think I would have been OK with a size 12.Therefore ,this pattern is pretty true to size, IMO.

So thenI had to unsew the inner legs at least part way so I could redo the top stitching in the back.Good thing I love to top stitch!

My advice for you, dear fellow sewists, is MAKE A MUSLIN WHEN TRYING A COMPLICATED PATTERN FOR THE FIRST TIME

One change I did make to the pattern was to extend the waistband an inch so it would fit over my muffin top.That worked great! See!

When I showed these pants to DH he thought they fit amazingly well! Little does he know just how much work went into making them fit like that!

I didn't line my jeans as the pattern called for. I've already put in enough hours on this garment.Enough is enough.

I used a hook and tab closure and hand stitched the hem.To add my own special touch,
I embroidered a tone on tone design on the back pockets which DH thought was very striking.

Will I make them again? Yes I think so as part of a csual pant suit I'm planning for the fall.

Well...Here they are!!

I'm happy with the way these two pieces look together in real life .

My Sandra Betzina top needed these pants to be appreciated. I love the two together.

Sorry for such a long post.
More later! Hope you find time to sew!.

Linen / Poplyester Blend a Great Fabric?

2010-08-15T15:23:00.023-03:00

No !!!.Absolutely not.

I used to fantasize aboout finding a linen / poly blend thinking it would have the best qualities of both fabrics, ie. breathable and non wrinkly.I was so excited when I found just such a fabric (the content is 45% linen /55% polyester.) at Fabricville this summer. Well, I was doomed to disappointment!

I washed the stuff three times and dried it as many times in a hot dryer which is what I do for most of my linens to cut down on wrinkles. Sometimes it works as in this dress which doesn't wrinkle at all and is pure linen and sometimes it doesn;t as in this coat which is a linen / rayon blend.

The fabric is really very nice.I bought the fabric in a dark wash denim look

a medium blue ,

and in grey.Here are the cropped pants I made.They are really attractive,but they wrinkle just like linen.

I used a couple of different patterns for these and I added the pocket I drafted for Tamara's houndstooth coat last winter. I love that pocket and use it every chance I get.

At the hem I sewed several rows of topstitching to add a little interest to an otherwise plain pant.

I've really only worn these once and Ryley wet all over them.She completely bypassed her diaper and totally soaked me!!!

As for the rest of my "dream fabric",I'll use it because I like it just as I like linen,but....

So has anyone else out there come across such a fabric and do you have a story to tell?

Happy Sewing from Diana!

Wedding a Great Success and my Dress too

2010-08-08T19:56:00.011-03:00

I want to say a big thank you to all of you who left me a comment about my Mother-of the-Groom dress.I really appreciated coming home and reading them. I wish I had some action photos but I don't yet. I will a little later and I intend to post them.
I got many compliments on my Kay Unger dress.I was very gratified.

Here is a photo of my darling Riley at her Mum and Dad's wedding!( Oh dear! I know how that sounds but it's the way of the world today isn't i?)

She is being her two big sisters in this photo. She spent 4 &1/2 hours at the wedding and didn't fuss once!Nana's good little girl!! Sorry! I turn into mush when I see my grandchildren.

This week I'm starting to work on a few pieces for our trip to Paris including the pants from Vogue 1054 which I'm making out of white bull denim. I know it's late for white but I've had these cut out since May and I really want to get them finished. Do you think mid September is too late for white? I think I already know the answer to that but I'll appreciate your opinions.

Has anyone out there made these pants?

Well I do hope you've had time to sew. I'm going to go to my favorite blogs now to see what you've been up to.

Have a great week and Happy Sewing!

Vogue 1182 by Kay Unger.....Drum Roll Please!!!

2010-07-29T21:47:00.003-03:00

Well,I'm ready for the reveal of my Vogue 1182.Just to remind you here is the pattern.

As I've said before,this is my Mother-of-the Groom dress. My youngest child Jeff is getting married on Sunday in Ottawa. I could have had this dress finished long before now ,but I chose to take my time with it and to take breaks from it. Without further ado! Voila! I love it!

The Fabric
The colour is exactly what I envisioned but unfortunately,I couldn't find a silk dupionni that was anywhere near this shade. I had to settle for a polyester shantung. The weight is about that of a taffeta and worked really well with this style..For lining,I used a silk /cotton.

The Style
This pattern by Kay Unger is very well thought out for a woman with a figure problem or two.(note the draping above the waist)

Level of Difficulty
This is not a pattern for a beginner.The directions are quite hard to follow.If there's anyone out there who is planning on making this,I would be more than happy to help.I spent a considerable amount of time figuring out the steps!

What I liked about the pattern
1.The armholes are just right---not too low,not too high.But I did have to run a line of stay stitching along the back of the armhole to make it fit closer to the body. To see how I do this ,look here.

2.The collar sits very nicely and is well drafted.But I did have to run a line of stitching on the outside under the collar so the lining wouldn't peek out.

3.The neckline is not extremely low.ButI did cut it about an inch higher tapering to nothing by the neck at the shoulder.

4.It is true to size. I usually cut a size 12 with extra at the side seams,but this fabric has no give so instead of the extra at the side seams,I cut a size 14 front and size 12 back and I really love the fit.

It's really rare that I'm completely satisfied with one of my creations and this time is no exception because there are a couple of things about this pattern that I didn't like.

1.The slit at the back does not include a facing and next time I would add one.

2. The length of the dress is not the length given at the back of the pattern envelope.which says that the length from base of neck to hemline is 38".Not so at all. I trusted the pattern but after putting the dress together and realizing that it is shorter than I'd like ,I measured and the pattern piece is only 36" before hemming!1Grrr!!I faced the hem but ,it's still too short.

This is what I did for a Full Bust Adjustment and it worked just fine.I really didn't have a clue what else to do.The photo also shows the addition to the neckline

Advice
Make a sample garment before cutting into your good fabric. I did ,but only to just below the hip.That's why I didn't notice the length.

Well.my husband just took a couple of pics but it's dark now and the lighting is not great but here I am at last in my Mother-of-the-Groom dress.

Now I have to finish packing as we're leaving tomorrow for Ottawa.I don't know if I'm more excited about my baby boy getting married or seeing little Riley???

So thanks in advance for any comments ,good or bad you might have on my dress. It was a challenge but I enjoyed it immensely.

Not What You are Expecting

2010-07-25T20:55:00.017-03:00

Well,I'm not quite finished my mother-of-the-groom dress although I've really only got the hem left to do.I don't have any hem tape so I'll pick some up tomorrow when I go to Fredericton and I'll finish the dress and hopefully have some pics and comments to make about the pattern later in the week.

However, I did make another dress this week because I just wanted an easy project to work on and this one fit the bill. I really had fun with it.I used Vogue 8486 which I made up last summer out of a rayon knit.Here it is. I wear this dress a lot but mostly at home on hot days. I find it's very huggy at the chest area and I've been wanting to try it again in a heavier fabric.

If you want an easy to make and extremely comfortable dress to wear on hot days,I highly recommend this pattern. the armholes are perfect (not too low ).The length is just right on my 5'4" frame.It comes to just below the knee on me.And it is pegged at the hemline but still roomy.

Fabricville is having it's 3/1 sale right now and I picked up a few pieces including this stretch cotton poplin print. When I saw it ,I immediately envisioned this pattern.

I made a couple of alterations to the pattern this time around. I made a Full Bust Adjustment of sorts.In other words,I didn't know how to go about it with the pleats at the neck and all,so I just tried this .

It seems to have worked OK.

I also shaped the waist on the side seams and a little at the back seam and I really like the results. The dress isn't quite as boxy now.

Then, since I had these sew-on thingies in black and the neckline was really wanting to be jazzed up, I did this!

This really styled the dress I think. I love it! Here it is!

This black cardi looks great with it too.

I wore it to church today and I still have it on.

Stay tuned for the Mother-of-the-groom dress and the pattern review.It's mostly good but there was one thing that made me Grrrrr! Lol.

Have a great week everyone and I hope you find time to sew!

This and That

2010-07-12T22:18:00.011-03:00

This week, I'm feverishly working on the dress for my son's wedding on Aug.1st.. If you remember,a few weeks ago,I said I was using Vogue 1182.

So far,I've altered the pattern,( an FBA and a sway back adjustment),I made a mock-up,raised the neckline about 3/4 of an inch,and have cut the dress and have put it together enough to know that it's a good fit and I love it.When I finish it, I'll give you a few details about the alterations I made. Hopefully,I'll help someone else with this rather difficult pattern.

Tonight,I thought I'd show you a new version of V1109 by Sandra Betzina which I made back in May and never got around to posting it. .

This time I used a cotton knit denim which was advertised as "leggings knit denim" It is a substantial weight but not too heavy for this style.

Although it doesn't show up well in the photos,I sewed double rows of red top stitching to outline all the seams using a double needle to maintain the stretch of the garment..

I cut a size D this time because when I made this version,I found it to be a little too form fitting.

I think my favorite part of this top is the sleeve.I love the way they look and feel when I'm wearing it.

Here it is and for once I managed to end up with a photo that shows the colour well.

Here I have it on with the white denim skirt from my last post but I have to say,it's much too hot to dress like this right now.

I hope you are all having a great weekend so far, and please check back with me in a few days and I'll show you my mother-of-the-groom dress.

Back to Normal

2010-07-11T19:13:00.054-03:00

I first want to thank everyone who kindly left me comments about my mum's passing. I hope I answered each of you individually, but in case I didn't,please know that each comment touched me and made me grateful for my cyber friends.

These two little people Riley and Sadie, were a great comfort to me during the most difficult times.

After a few days of much needed rest,I spent a few hours in my sewing room and managed to finish a few items that I'd started before.

The first is a fun top that I really love wearing. The fabric is a knit frilled mesh that I bought in Montreal.

It is a loose interpretation of View B of Simplicity 2374.I didn't have enough fabric to make the extended sides so I just straightened them.

The fabric was surprisingly easy to work with. It was just a matter of cutting the pieces in single layers and matching the frills at the front and back side seams.
I bound the neckline and armholes by using "frills" .The hem was formed by folding up the stripe under the bottom frill.

Here's another piece I had started but only finished Saturday. I used New Look 6345 which is one of my favorite patterns for skirts. I made View A

The fabric is Bull denim and the lining is a cotton voile. I love the results. I was aiming for a casual look so I didn't peg the skirt. It is straight without fitting snugly which makes for a more sporty look,IMO.

I added the pockets from View D

I sewed double rows of top stitching to most seams but to add a little extra
style,I sewed eight rows of stitching to the hem. I really like the result.

Here are the two pieces together.

Here I'm wearing the outfit but this muggy weather makes for bad hair every day so I cut off my head.

Have agreat week everyone!

My Beloved Mother

2010-07-03T16:55:00.011-03:00

I've been away from Blogland all through June because my dear mother,who suffered with Alzheimer's for 17 years passed away on June 27th after being bedridden for the past two months.I know she is now resting in peace and it is a great comfort to us that she is in heaven with my two sisters and my brother who all died in childhood.
She was the strongest person I have ever known and I loved her with all my heart.I'm used to missing her because I've been doing so all these years.

PS: We buried my mother in my Easter suit . We wanted her to look like she was going to church on Sunday and this suit seemed to fit the bill. She looked really nice in it with pearls at her neck and a pearl rosary.

Tamara's Spring Suit V1037

2010-05-30T19:41:00.003-03:00

I want to thank all of you who left wonderful comments on my last post.You were right. The dress was just right for the occasion and I got lots of compliments!

Last week we went to Ottawa again (to see Riley of course) before going to Montreal.Before leaving I really pushed myself to make DD's suit.I didn't get all of it finished so I couldn't take nice pics of it on Antoinette.I did some hand sewing on the way and finished up when I got there.

The pattern is V1037

The fabric is this gorgeous silk tweed I purchased at C&M Textiles in Montreal.They were having an 80% off sale on end of bolts and I was lucky enough to score this piece and Tamara loved it too.

The only changes I made was bound buttonholes,

and I changed the bound pocket to a single lip to save time. It doesn't show anyway.

I used a skirt pattern that I had already made for Tamara so there wouldn't be any fit issues and I'm pleased to say the suit was a perfect fit!

Unfortunately,last week was so hot and muggy that I didn't have the heart to insist on a photo of Tamara in the suit so this is the only good photo I managed to take.

I hope you all had a great week! I can't resist leaving you with a favorite Riley picture.

My LND (Little Navy Dress)

2010-05-18T19:51:00.008-03:00

When I made this dress for DD this winter,

I tried it on and knew that all I needed was an FBA and it would fit me.

I made the 3/4 sleeved version out of black ponti but didn't quite finish it because it was just too late to wear it so I've put it aside until the early fall. It fit very well in the knit fabric at size 12.

The version in this post is the sleeveless A-line view in a cotton( with 30% polyester )jacquard which of course has no stretch. I knew I'd have to cut it bigger so I added an inch to the seam allowance. I only needed 3/8 " of the extra but I was really glad I had it to use.

The changes I made to the pattern are as follows: besides doing my usual FBA, I cut the neck about an inch lower in the front and I added two inches to the length of the dress when I was cutting it out. That afforded me a nice wide hem which gave the skirt a little needed weight as this fabric is very light.

I added piping made out of the same fabric to the waistband and the neckline for a little added interest.

I used an invisible zipper closure which I inserted using my brand new invisible zipper foot which almost was my undoing. I ruined the first zip (the navy blue one) and fortunately I had a dark blue one on hand and it went in without a hitch.

The dress is lined in a semi sheer silk something or other that I had in my stash.I chose to add neck and armhole facings which I slip stitched to the lining on the inside.

So here it is all ready to be worn at a banquet my DH and I are attending in Montreal next week. I hope it doesn't look too homemade beside what other women will be wearing. Sometimes I find that is the case. I do like to be different but sometimes it bothers me that I am.I guess one is never too old to want to fit in!

I've put a short tutorial on Fixing a Gaping Armhole here if you're interested (or see my sidebar)

More Navy Blue

2010-05-08T18:31:00.062-03:00

Well, I had intended to post again before now,but I just didn't get around to it.
The other two pieces I made last week are not a matching set. I could wear them together but I probably won't .

The first one is a shirt that I made because I loved this pattern and couldn't resist it.

I think it reminds me of the 80's, and I loved the 80's,even the shoulder padded things we wore then.

The fabric is a cotton plaid that kept coaxing me to buy it when I was still working at Fabricville.I guess I don't wear plaid much. The last item I made was this one and now lives with Tamara in Ottawa!

So it was a bit of a shock when I tried this one on! I said

"Woah! I don't think I like plaids on me!"

But it is cute,isn't it?

There were a few things that didn't suit me about this style:

First,the dropped shoulders. In the 80's, we thought nothing of wearing those enormous shoulder pads, but now, it's different. We're not use to those anymore. I have narrow,slopped shoulders so I have to have shoulder pads but they won't be as big as before.

Then the loose fit of this over-blouse wasn't my thing at all.So I added a casing on the inside of the waist area. (Wish I had thought to snap a pic of it before I made the change ). I inserted an elastic and sewed a tie on each side.

And the sleeves were too big and wide so I formed a pleat at the bottom and sewed a button to keep it in place.

Having said all that, I kind of like it but it will probably only see the light of day at home or in the neighbourhood.

The other piece I made was a pair of pants from my TNT pattern.I used the same navy/white cotton pincord I used last summer for this
outfit.I wore those pieces a lot so this will take them even farther ( as to Paris for example in September!)

I recently decided that from now on,I'm not making or buying pants with a waistband that falls below my "muffin top"
. I started with these pants. I didn't change the front or back of the pattern pieces, just the waistband. This is what I did.

( I just discovered Fotoflexer and this was my first attempt at it)

I added one inch to the top of both front and back waistband pieces because I determined that much would do the trick and not distort the look of the pant.

This is what they look like on me. It's just a little thing but not seeing a bulge above my waist really makes me feel good about myself.Don't you think this is a good idea!!!I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

Here I am in the pant paired with last summer's Ann Klein jacket.

And they look well with last weeks cardi set so these pants will get a lot of wear.

What did you sew this week? Next for me is a navy (yes navy) dress for a banquet I'll be attending in Montreal in a couple of weeks.

Have a great week and Happy Sewing from Diana!

Blue,Navy Blue

2010-05-03T20:49:00.008-03:00

All week I've done nothing but sew. Why? Because I could!

I finished four pieces all of which were at least partly navy blue. I didn't have to change the thread on my sewing machine or my serger all week. And I still have two more navy pieces to make!!!Maybe just a little overkill you say?

I'll only show you a couple of the pieces today because of the lack of a photographer. ( I can't possibly ask my husband to drag himself away from the Montreal/Pittsburgh game now can I!)

The first two pieces were inspired by a fashion show I was in, a couple of weeks ago. The stylist put me in a cardi much like this

with a matching skirt.The cardigan cost $90.!! And it was too long so I decided to make View B, the shorter version. I had a piece of NAVY poly/lycra which had cost me nothing so I was able to get both the cardi and sleeveless top out of it.Here it is on Antoinette.

I like it this way too.

The little sleeveless top is a nice fit and will be a great piece for summer when I want something more than a T-shirt to wear.

I took the easy way out with this set. All hems were finished with Steam-a-Seam (one of my best friends).I don't wear my clothes all that much since I have a lot of them so this won't need to be washed a lot.

(Whoops,! Looks like two different things ,doesn't it? A photographer,I'm not,LOL.)

I'm really quite thrilled with this set. I always thought I was too short for that look but my husband said as I was leaving for church

" What a nice outfit!"

So here it is on.

I'll have more in a couple of days.
Hope you ,too, had time to sew this week!Have a great one!

Catching Up

2010-04-26T19:58:00.013-03:00

I just got back from Ottawa where I met Riley for the first time. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. Here she is at five months last Wednesday..

Her Nana sure hated to leave her behind! Please don't take offence at the "Yankees Suck" T-shirt. It was a joke from my son to my husband who is a die hard Yankees fan.

While in Ottawa, I didn't get to visit C&M Textiles like I had planned but I did get to Fabricland where there was a $5.99 sale on Vogue patterns. I picked up this lovely to make for my son's wedding in August.

I intend to use a raspberry silk dupionni for it. I'm also hoping to make a little jacket of some sort so my arms will be covered for photos.

Here are the other patterns I picked up.

I want to make a sleeveless dress out of this one. Has anyone else made this?Are there any glitches?

This will be for the fall probably but I don't know which fabric from my stash I'll use.

As for this Marci Tilton, I thought it would be a nice basic pattern to have on hand.

I had hoped,while I was in Ottawa, to get some photos of Tamara wearing some of the pieces I made her this winter, but the baby got in the way of that.

Now I have to catch up on my favorite blogs. I hope you've had time to sew this week.

A Pattern with a D Cup Front Piece

2010-04-15T21:40:00.012-03:00

This is going to be a short post. I just finished posting about the Hong Kong finish on my other blog and I'm a little tired. Or maybe it was babysitting a little 19 month old tornado today. Yep,that will do it for a Nana.

I wanted to talk about S2501 because there's been quite a bit of buzz in Blogland about these great patterns that give you a bust cup size choice.

Well.I'm sold. This is the same pattern I used for DD to make this blouse.

Mine looks different but I used the same back and sleeve pieces. For DD,I used the front for a B cup and for me ,a D cup.I also lowered the dart (a bit too much maybe) and made a slight swayback alteration to the back piece.I cut it a size 12 with a little extra on the side seams ,but I didn't need it. (My fabric is a stretch cotton ).

The only issue I have with this pattern is that it rides to the back a little. You'd need to cut the shoulder seam allowance off the front and add it to the back shoulder seam and I'm sure that would solve the problem.

I'd love to hear if anyone else has used one of these patterns. I think it's a big stride for pattern companies to recognize that all women aren't moderately endowed,don't you?

Happy Sewing Everybody. I'm getting ready to go see my other little baby grand-daughter in Ottawa next week!

Something For Me

2010-04-10T17:57:00.025-03:00

I have to admit that I needed a break once I had finished Tamara's coat and tote. I spent the next week cleaning for Easter.The day after Easter, the house was spic and span and I announced to my husband that I was going to sew all week. And that's just what I did! (It's depressing really just how slow I am because I only managed two garments.)

In this post I'm only going to show you one of the two.It's this jacket that I made using S2764 ,which of course is the same pattern as my DD's coat.

I wanted to try this pattern right away while it was fresh in my mind because I want to make a coat with it later.I did my usual FBA and changed the sleeves by taking out the pleats. That's all I needed to do and I'm happy with the fit. ( I cut size 12 and didn't need any extra for this one.)

The fabric is a cotton/poly knit that is about the weight of a lighter double knit.The right side was ribbed and I preferred the wrong side so that's what I used.You can see the texture here in this photo.I interfaced all but the sleeves with a light tricot fusible interfacing.

I just happened to have these big creamy buttons that were a perfect match.I made machine knit buttonholes and they look good I think.

I used a tricot lining to accommodate the stretch in the fabric.

I top-stitched every seam in sight . I didn't have any heavy thread on hand ( Not working at Fabricville has it's down side!, I often don't have what I need now)!),so I used two spools of Gutterman polyester all- purpose thread in the same needle,a size 16 jeans needle. Oh my! I do love the style of this collar .

I don't love the sleeves. I think folding out the pleats (on the pattern before I cut them),has made them hang not quite right. I'll leave them in for the coat I want to make.

I needed something to wear with my Marci Tilton skirt and I like this jacket with it.

A few more photos here.

What did you sew lately?