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Cool enough to sew
Friday, July 29, 2005
The front has gone stationary and is draped across North Georgia. Even so, it's rainy and cooler. I've even managed to get motivated to design something new.
Did you see this Mediterranean Villa Dress in the Outlet at Coldwater Creek?
Since I've not yet made my shirtwaist dress, I've decided to incorporate some of the features of this one into my draft. I especially like the straight skirt with the inverted pleat. This design will work great made up in a batik-look cotton print that I've had in the stash for several years. Mine will have sleeves of some sort, and lots of driving ease. <g>
On Neefer's Wednesday Blog, she had a couple of those personality quizzes. I couldn't resist:
|
Your Element is EarthYour power color: yellow (wha???)Your energy: balancing Your season: changing of seasons Dedicated and responsible, you are a rock to your friends. |
and
Your Aura is PurpleYour Personality: You're a dreamer and visionary. You believe you were put on this earth to do something great. You in Love: You're very passionate but often too busy for love. You need a man who sees your vision and adopts it as his own. Your Career: You need a job that helps you make a difference. You have a bright future as a guru, politician, teacher, or musician. |  |
Hmmmm....
Too hot for words!
Thursday, July 28, 2005
I hate hot weather.
I hated it more when I lived in South Georgia (really South, wa-a-a-y below Macon), but the novelty of summers in the low 90s has officially worn off. The heat drains all ambition and initiative. I have no desire to do anything save be still and get cool. Give me October! Please!
It's enough to make me want to spend July and August in Hawaii. <beg>
"Please don't fling me into that briar patch, Brer Fox!"
It reminds me of a visit to an antique store in Savannah. I wish you could have heard the man say, in his wonderful accent, "We pa-ay for owah sins in Jewlyyyy and Awugust, but we doan ha-ave much wintah."
Cool Max shorts
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Cool Max makes nice shorts. DH was a little skeptical, I could tell, about the drapey polyester fabric. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, though, so he said "Let me wear them a while..." He wore them all evening with nary a complaint.
They were a bit long, but looked nice over all. I used the elastic measurement suggested on the pattern,which was somewhat loose. I believe the swimsuit pattern wanted a drawstring at the waist, so that may be the reason the elastic is loose--I didn't use the drawstring on these shorts.
There's a bit of the Cool Max left in the navy, plus a light blue. None of the men I might sew for will wear the light blue, so I may make some shorty pajamas for myself out of the rest.
Light blue top with navy trim plus some shorts out of whichever fabric there's enough of. I want to avoid looking like a 10 year old boy, so perhaps a princess seam on the top? Maybe I can work in a bit of shirring or a ruffle somewhere...
Soothing sewing
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
To soothe my frazzled nerves after the morning's trauma, I thought about taking the evening off from sewing. I couldn't resist hearing what Falco was going to do next, though, so I headed back into the fray.
DH needed some work-out shorts, and I remembered two pieces of Cool Max in the stash. I used the navy one, so that I wouldn't have to change the serger thread. Which is the right side of the stuff is anybody's guess. I tried the test of sprinkling water on each side to see how it reacted and I couldn't tell any difference. Finally, I chose the silkiest-feeling side for the inside and proceeded. I'm sure they'll be fine.
For a pattern, I used Kwik Sew 2693, which, although a swimsuit pattern, worked out fine with some slight changes:
- DH wouldn't want those stripes down the leg, so I used the shorter version and just cut the leg as long as the longer version
- Changed the inseam pockets to trouser-style
- Left off the lining
- Narrowed the leg to match a RTW pair that he has
Tonight I'll sew on the elastic waistband, and perhaps I'll have a success to report.
Revenge of the "Man-pants"
Monday, July 25, 2005
I'm listening to the book Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis while sewing this week. There are 12 casettes, so I listened to it all last week as well. It's full of long names that don't mean anything to me--names like Vespasian, Helena Justina, Crispus. I generally can't tell if the characters are men or women until I hear a description. The hero's name is Marcus Didius Falco. I don't know what his "sir name" is, but his private name is Marcus--the name that only his lady-friend calls him. Most people call him Falco, but when he introduces himself, he says "Didius Falco."
I only told you all that to let you know what sort of state my mind must be in trying to work it all out and to provide an excuse for what I did to DH's new pants.
You know, the ones *he* bought the fabric for...
Late last night, just as he was calling out his first "It's time for bed!", I put the last stitch in the waist hook. I put them on the ironing board happily and promised myself that I would press and present them this morning first thing. Perhaps he would want to wear them to work and I could get a photo.
I awoke while he was in the shower and jumped up to give the trousers their final press. I was so pleased with the way that they looked. I had made the buttonholes on the back welt pockets extra long, for easy buttoning. The hem was smooth, the belt loops perfect. I knew the waistband was just right this time--I am no longer fooled by his magic expanding waistline.
After carefully creasing the legs and pressing all of the construction rumples away, I proudly carried them in to him. He was *delighted* to have a new pair of navy blue pants. He pulled them on and started to hook the waist hook and got a funny look on his face.
He said "Why is the fly this way?"
(Insert appropriate expression of the most wretched disgust here!)
Yep, I had turned the fly so that it opened right over left.
Stupidus Maximus!!!
"No, you're not wearing them like that!!"
I'm still stinging. It was sweet of him to offer, but I prefer to never be reminded of my odious mistake. Once the trash man cometh, I plan to forget it completely!
Rustybobn Sews Cloth Napkins
Friday, July 22, 2005
One of the items on my short list of projects was some new table napkins. (My British friends get an odd look on their faces when I ask for a napkin at the table, but I'm not sure what they think a napkin is, exactly.) At any rate, I despise those flimsy paper ones, so we use cloth napkins at every meal. Before the Flylady came into my life, I used to find my stock of napkins at yard sales (along with a lot of other jumble). Most people get them for gifts and never use them, so you can pick up nice ones for very little. Too bad I couldn't avoid buying little chachkas here and there along with Grandma's heirloom linen napkins.
Flylady frowns on bringing home more clutter--especially other people's cast off clutter, so I shun yard sales now. This avoidance of bringing home more "stuff", along with carting off carloads to charity collection boxes has gone far to clear my own house. ("You can't organize clutter!")
My need for napkins complemented my need to trim down stash quite nicely. Finding myself free last evening, I located some lengths of suitable fabric and cut them up into 18 inch squares.
When I made my Christmas napkins, I had worked out a method for hemming that created what appeared to be mitred corners. Naturally, it took several tries to accomplish this, and I did not remember it precisely until I had already completed the hems (poorly) on about 5 of the new napkins.
I decided to journal these instructions so that I could review them before I attempted to make napkins again. I don't know if this is an original method or if I read it somewhere and only half remembered it. All I know is that it works. My MIL thought I had really mitred the Christmas napkins--high praise in my book!
 | After cutting the napkins to 18 inches square, press in 1/2 inch around the perimeter of the napkin. The finished hem will be about 1/4 inch. |
 | Turn under the raw edge to meet the fold and stitch in place. Start stitching in the middle of one of the sides, not at a corner. |
 | As you approach the corner, turn under the approaching edge and hold in place with a pin or your fingers. Fold in all the way to the raw edge. |
  | This is the tricky part (so tricky it takes two photos): Fold the corner of the side that you are stitching up and over into a triangle and position the folded edge so that the corner looks like a mitre. |
 | Continue stitching around the corner of the napkin and proceed down the second side. |
 | Not bad, eh?, and IMHO no more difficult than doing a rolled edge on a serger. I like this a lot better than a rolled edge--especially the one my serger produces! |
This should be a feat I could accomplish at the end of a project. If the fabric is suitable and the scrap large enough, cut a napkin and hem it. The napkins would all be hemmed with matching thread, and I'd never run short again!
Plethora of knits
Thursday, July 21, 2005
In keeping with my desire to avoid purchasing fabric, I've decided to follow up on yesterday's inclination. I'll design garments to suit the stash, as opposed to mining the stash to suit the garment.
Start with the fabric.
My stash has an (over)abundance of knit fabrics at present. Everything from underwear knits to slinky to sweater knits. We won't discuss how this happened, it just did. Neither will we dwell on my desire to sew wovens. That will simply have to be supressed until such time as the stash no longer overflows 5 large plastic bins.
So. What do I need? Dresses. I've been wanting new dresses for quite a while. There's nothing so easy to wear as a dress. You don't have to find anything to match it. You only have to make one garment to have an outfit. If it needs ironing, there's only one piece!
And dresses use a lot of fabric...
Given the way that I always have to make 3 or 4 of every pattern that I draft, I should be through those bins in no time!
Stash Woes
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Do you ever just look at your stash and think "How did I get all this *awful* fabric???" But then, when you start going through it, you don't want to get rid of any of it?
"Well, I could use this nasty blue polyester for lining.""That one matches this one--I bought it to make a spring hoodie."
"That's a nice piece of linen. It's white pants-weight, and I don't wear white pants, but it's linen!!!"
The trouble is that I've sort of promised myself not to buy any fabric for a while, and I don't have anything "in-stash" to make my next "Pink" top. I'm very frustrated. What I *should do* is pick a few of the stash fabrics and design a garment around them.
And throw out all of the blue polyester.
Maria's Hair
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
I don't think she's a redhead, or a blonde--at least not a yellow yarn blonde. The two browns are rather nice, especially the lighter one. I think that's what I'll look for, light-ish brown.
Her clothes patterns, included with the class, are a peasant-style blouse that extends to a slip, skirt, shoes, and vest. I'm not sure that I'll use those. When she gets some hair, I'll have a better idea. With no hair, Maria looks like a flamenco dancer to me. I may be able to adapt the vest and peasant blouse, but if she still looks like a flamenco dancer, the skirt will have to be different.
I think I've figured out why so many grown women like to make and collect dolls: Unlike your children, these will sit there and let you admire them all you want. They don't talk back and they'll keep smiling while wearing any ridiculous get-up you make for them.
The New Pink
Monday, July 18, 2005
I don't know what I'll call my next "Pink" top. It's drafted and the pattern is glued. Fortunately I drafted it before applying the July 15th update to PatternMaster, so I don't have to be too worried about the update changing things.
The "skirt" part will be cut on the straight grain this time. Perhaps you noticed the odd way that the dots lined up on The Pink's lower front? It looks as if I wasn't very careful laying it out--but I was, just didn't realize what bias would do to those dots.
There's no appropriate, light-colored fabric in the stash, so I may have to buy some. Every cotton I have is too busy for this style. I stumbled upon the pink dot when I was looking for something else. I got it when the Sprout was 2-and-a-half for a smocked dress outgrown before I had time to make it. (Don't worry--I made her plenty of other stuff!)
Hobby Lobby has a pretty pale yellow cotton with blue flowers that would make a nice "Pink" top.
My Maria's Head
Sunday, July 17, 2005
I painted over the original features on Maria's head. What did I have to lose?
Her face was originally done in Gelly Roll pens and colored pencils, over an acrylic layer. I re-painted with acrylics. She still looks a little traumatized, and one of her eyes is clearly larger than the other. But what an improvement!
I decided to make another head and choose between them. I think the difference is remarkable. Same pattern, but a completely different shape to the head. I still had to lay down a base coat of acrylic paint--I need to learn about "sealing," I believe. This paint matches the body better than the first head, I'm pleased to say.
I may do a bit of sanding to the forehead highlights, but I think the new head will be the one I sew to the body. Oh, and the big pictures are more true-to-color, but you can see the difference in shape here:
My Maria
Friday, July 15, 2005
Here's my Maria doll, the second in my Judy Ward doll class. Last night I removed this head and started another. I don't like the painted head, and the facial features are too light. Her expression looks a little hurt and pouty.
I shouldn't expect to be expert at face painting on the first try (well, I can *expect* it).
I'm not sure what to try next. I painted this head and sanded it a bit because the white that I used for the eyeballs bled onto the surrounding area. I don't have much of the dyed velour left, so I'll practice on a scrap first. A whole bunch of acrylic paints followed me home the other day, so I'll try those maybe.
"In the Pink" final
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Sorry, but I couldn't get happy with my ensemble this morning, so you'll have to see the new top on Brunhilde. The pants I wanted to wear with this top were in the wash. So.
I'm happy enough with it, for a first try. #2 is in the drafting stages. I took the evening off to watch Crazy in Alabama with the DH.
If I had known it was about civil rights, I don't know if I would have checked it out at the library. Having grown up in the South in the 60s & 70s, part of me just wants to forget how things were then. Unfortunately racial prejudice is still a problem that we can't just ignore.
I can remember my mother telling me as I was headed off for 1st or 2nd grade, that there would be black children in my class that year. (I'm trying now to remember how she expressed that, and I can't. She probably said "colored.")
I, of course, had never noticed race before. If there hadn't been any adults, the kids would have had an easier time of it.
"In the Pink" part 3
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Scooping the front armhole without adding a corresponding bit back to the sleeve cap was not a good thing. The top is wearable, and the original problem is a bit better, but the sleeve cap is now tighter.
No net improvement, and *not* what I wanted.
Funny thing is that the KOKOs don't fit like this. I have adequate driving room in them. What's the dif? (Trotting off to check)
Aha! Those tops were drafted from the blouse draft. The Pink was drafted from the dress, which had the armhole defaults set differently. Grrr.
I did say I had to make it another time or two anyway.
I do like the way that I made the front facing on this--there's no back facing. I joined the front facing into the blouse shoulder seams. This keeps any of the underside of the fabric from showing at the neckline. At the lower portion of the facing four seams come together, which was a bit tricky but easily doable for anybody who actually marks their fabric....
The hem is left to be done. I'm hoping to try out my new camera's timer feature tonight after I finish that bit.
"In the Pink" part 2
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
I always have to make a garment about three times before I eradicate all or at least most of the problems. Of course, then I don't want to make any more of them. One can only hope that some of the knowledge gleaned from that exercise will carry over to the next garment.
After working through the New Look 6407 KOs, I decided that my CF measurement could be a tiny bit longer. Then I realized that the length needed to be above the bust, so I added to the bust point measurement the same amount that I added to the CF.
Thus this pink top started out a step ahead. Even so, it has a number of *issues* to correct for the next version. I made some serious design mistakes--correctable, with any luck at all.
First, my neckline didn't open far enough and I could barely get it over my head. I opened up the facing and fixed that last night. A neck depth of 4.5 inches is plenty for a button-front top, but not for a pullover--at least not for my generously-proportioned noggin. The next one will be drafted to 5.25 deep.
Second, I forgot to leave extra seam allowance for the side zipper. My 3/8ths in allowance is not enough to insert *any* sort of zipper, and I cannot wear this top without one. I'm hoping to engineer some sort of fix involving bias tape.
Finally, the thing is too short. Without a hem, it's nearly perfect. With a hem turned up, it looks ridiculous. Bias tape may face this hem, or I may be able to bias bind it somehow.
Besides all that, there's a fit problem. You know that I've always complained about my PMB sleeves in wovens. I've tried all sorts of things to fix them. At long last, the sleeve caps are now tall enough and wide enough (and hard to ease in). I still need reaching room, though.
After I put the sleeves in "The Pink" and tried the top on, I could barely raise my arms to driving position. It pulled horribly across the sleeve and around to the back.
That's when I realized that the problem was not in the back. Pinning out some on each side of the front between bust point and shoulder improved my mobility considerably. The measuring tape revealed that while the top was over 14 inches across at the armpit, I am only about 12.25 inches across at that point.
I feel as if I'm on the verge of a fitting breakthrough.
"In the Pink" Top
Monday, July 11, 2005
My man-pants reward sewing was supposed to be a shirtwaist dress, but it magically morphed into a knock-off of Butterick 4549.
This top has elements of several tops that I've already made. It will have a side zip like the Blue Satin top of last winter, empire waist and shirring from last year's shawl collared LuLu, and the neckline and collar from this year's collared Vees.
Just doesn't stack up.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Despite meetings until late last night, I was excited to try the Threads facing and lapped zipper technique. I held great hopes, and came home psyched up to work through it.
The method was from Threads #79, I believe, and had you sewing the facings on first before inserting the zipper. Rather than sewing the facings to the vertical seams, the article had you sew the neckline seams first. After you sewed on the zipper, you folded the facings down and stitched them in place. Sewing the lower portion of the seam came later, too.
I had a hard time following the instructions. For example, they showed an illustration of the seam allowances for the garment folded over the folded-somewhat-less edge of the facing, but it was hard to tell exactly how to align them. It seems to me that something important was edited out. (If the appropriate instruction was included, it was buried in text, and we've already established that I read pictures better than text--especially late at night.)
You'd have to be very careful to position *everything* exactly right to get this looking good. My sample went directly into the trash can after I trimmed the top of the zipper the way the article said to.
I'm running out of ugly zippers to play with.
Lapped zippers
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Last night I worked through the lapped zipper technique detailed at Fashion Incubator. The results are outstanding. I don't know why we don't see that technique everywhere.
I mean, why is the home-sewing technique so different??? This isn't that hard. It's a few more steps (and I know the top of mine isn't exactly right), but it's clearly superior--especially when there's a facing involved. When I think of all the ways that I have made facings to try to get them to be flat and neat on the inside, and here is such a great method.... well, I just wonder why, that's all.
When I insert a lapped zipper, I first sew the center seam below the zipper. I usually sew the zip to the underlap side next, followed by topstitching the overlap side. Of course there's no way to attach the facing neatly after that. But the patterns instruct you to do it that way.
I found a facing method in a Threads article that I want to try. It should work with the home-sewing methods we are familiar with. It's not going to be as good as this one, but I want to try it before Saturday's demo.
Saturday's ASG meeting
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
On Saturday our ASG neighborhood group meets, and I'm the program. When I offered to do it, months ago, there was plenty of time. Now, well, three days are left.
Zippers are the subject of the program--you can't get by without putting in a few of them. I've made samples of the various styles and I'll demonstrate how they are done. Then, we'll all work together on a mock-fly.
The mock-fly seems to be the one that people fear the most, and is on most of the commercially-available pants patterns. I think it will be a good one for a hands-on demonstration. If you can't come to the demo on Saturday, there are a number of sites where you can learn this style:
Fitting tips offers this one
Sew News has one
Threads even offers a video
Taking photos
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
I finished the black man-pants. The fabric has a lovely weight and drape. DH was very pleased with them--until this morning when he pronounced them too big in the waist.
Mr Expando-Waist. 8-[
When he said that I remembered that I had not measured the waist against some pants already in his closet the way that I usually do. I'll have the pleasure of fixing that this week.
<Sigh> I need a check list.
~~~
The birthday/anniversary camera arrived and is fabulous! There are so many settings that the thing will be obsolete before I learn 'em all. Since displaying photographs of black garments is less than useful, I'll show you a couple of the buildings we passed Saturday on our way to South Carolina.
(Fireworks? What fireworks??)
This one is the first in a series of 159 Georgia Courthouses--something I've been wanting to do, and no time like the present. It wasn't a pretty day, so this one may merit another trip. (You know how I like to do things twice....)
Franklin County Courthouse, Carnesville
A pretty little Methodist church sits across the road:
Happy Canada Day!
Friday, July 01, 2005
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In honour of all the nice Canadians I know virtually and otherwise, I'm wearing a Maple leaf on the collar of my Aloha Shirt today. Happy Canada Day to one and all! Go get yer E-card! |