01-01-11 and 09-2010-121

I could not resist posting on such an auspicious day-it's quite binary! I've been working at home while watching the SyFy channel's Twilight Zone marathon.

I have sewn one garment: the BurdaStyle 09-2010-121 turtleneck top. When I organized my stash yesterday, I came across a purple/white/grey/black animal knit print that I purchased last February at Michael Levine's Loft in Los Angeles. It's a nice bright colored pattern which I think is suitable for winter in Northern California. I managed to use about half of the piece of fabric - about 1 and 3/4 yards, so I'm off to a good start for the PatternReview contest. I had to enlarge the pattern (Burda's pattern goes up to a size 44 and I am larger), and add a FBA (which meant that I added a dart). It's really funny, I didn't worry at all when doing the alterations--I just measured the pattern flat, measured me and pulled out my Real Fit for Real People and I made the changes. It was a very smooth process.

I finished the neckline using Summerset's suggested technique, which ensures that the turtleneck remains folded while wearing it. I made three other versions last weekend and I'm consider this pattern a TNT. PatternReview has 17 reviews already--I haven't added mine yet and I can see why it's popular.

Two shirts!

It took me a little longer than I expected, but I finished the two shirts today. Buttons and buttonholes take longer than sewing seams. I should have time to wear, launder, and check for loose threads and buttons before I travel (and press--I just noticed the wrinkles in the sleeve of the red cherry print. Yikes!). The gold and white shirt is an African print from a special bundle from Michael's (purchased earlier this year). I love the creamy white square buttons that I found at Joan's. Sorry about the iPod pic--my computer is still being repaired.

One down, one more to go

Well, I still need to add buttonholes and buttons. I'm going to use the red ones that are pinned to my dressform. I should be able to assemble the gold and white shirt tomorrow night. After that, I'll make some t-shirts. I have some bamboo jersey from a coop purchase.

Pardon the mess in the background. That is part of my ever-growing stash of fabric. I'm glad to have sewn something with this blouse weight cotton (with stretch). I purchased it over a year ago from Fabrics R Us in San Jose. It was $2.99 a yard (it was outside). I saw someone else purchasing it so I asked for some yardage. It's a fun print, probably, more summery than winter, but I like it and that is what counts. :)

Where did June go? Oh, well! On to July...

I hope that you have been as busy as I have. I've been distracted by work, working out, the World Cup, HBO (I subscribed so I can watch True Blood, but I didn't realize there were so many other shows available via On-Demand), and my home internet access breaking down. The internet access broke first, which led me around in circles for a while, trying to figure out what sort of internet/phone/tv/cell phone combination will work best for me. I didn't make any major changes, but thank goodness that I live in an apartment complex with neighbors who are generous with their wireless access. My new modem should arrive later this week, and I can stop imposing on my neighbors.

After the flurry of sewing in May, I slowed down in June. It's July and so I'm starting up again. I've worked on two blouses: I've perfected the Simplicity 2614 bias blouse pattern. Even though it has different pattern pieces for different bust sizes, I still had to do an FBA. I also lengthened it (I like to wear my shirts on the longer side). I also found out that this pattern works better in a drapey rayon weave, rather than a woven cotton (even if the cotton has crosswise stretch). This pattern goes together so quickly, that I should consider this part of my TNT patterns, even though I have made it only three times. I plan on making another version before the week is over.

I also tried putting together a muslin of HotPatterns Miss Moneypenny Pussycat blouse (HotPatterns 1047). I had traced out the pattern a month or so ago, but I actually cut it out in muslin to check the fit, as well as the instructions. I'm glad that I made a muslin, as I couldn't figure out how to add the tie-collar part (this pattern also has neck and buttonhole facings). NOTE: I have the older version of this pattern--HotPatterns original instruction style can be cryptic--I don't know if the instructions in newer version are different/clearer. Luckily, I still had Simplicity 2614 on my sewing table. One of the views features a tie-collar--I quickly cut some fabric for the view (of Simplicity 2614) with the necktie. The blouse went together very quickly and very nicely. I should be able to transfer the tie-collar instructions from the Simplicity pattern to the HotPatterns blouse. If I have time this weekend, I'll finish the muslin, and check for alterations.

I'm so happy that I'm experiencing success and progress with these two blouses. My default look at work is a knit t-shirt or blouse. They are better than what is available in ready-to-wear, but I've been feeling that they are too informal. I'm glad that I'm adding woven blouses to my self-sewn wardrobe. It's great--I can go through my stash and identify fabrics that are suitable for these blouses. One issue is that many of my stashed fabrics are informal. Ahh! well, it will be fun to see how I can use them all.

May Recap

What did I sew during the Merry Month of May?

Six pairs of Marrakesh pants.

1. one in heavy rayon suiting (from Fabrics R Us in San Jose via the stash).
2. one in a slate grey flannel (from the stash from somewhere). I honestly cannot remember how I acquired this fabric. My stash may be reproducing on it's own--it would explain all the lint I find in my apartment.
3. one in a green textured linen (from Elliot Berman, owned less than 2 weeks before cutting!). These are fun, because I used a quilting cotton in a US dollar print for the pockets and waistband lining--I'll always have money in my pockets!
4. one in wild burgundy and cream plaid, with a lime green line (from a Hancock Fabrics store closure, from the stash, and it's at least a year old). And yes, I matched the plaids on all the seams, including the center back seam which matches horizontally, but not vertically (because the plaid is uneven). I love these pants---they remind me of a pair of Perry Ellis plaid pants that I wore when I was in high school. I still have those pants--I'm never going to fit in them again, but just looking at them in my closet makes me smile.
5. one in a reddish-pink cottony/lineny blend. This pair of pants frays whenever I launder it-these pants are not going to last through the summer because the I didn't take the time to finish all the seams. The allowances are topstitched down, but the unfinished edges are going to erode away like a cliffside hit by ocean waves at high tide (from Fabrics R Us, owned less than 1 week before cutting).
6. one embroidered khaki linen/cotton blend (from Happy Stop, owned less than 1 week before cutting). A fun neutral color, but the embroidery makes it a little more special than the plain khaki pants that are all over Silicon Valley.

After sewing six pairs of these pants, I can sew this pattern from memory, including the fly zipper. Sewing the Marrakesh pattern from memory doesn't mean that I didn't make mistakes, but I was able to catch them and fix them before they went too far. Regarding zippers: I watched the Threads/Sandra Betzina video a few times while I was sewing the first two pairs, but last night when I pulled out my pattern for the BWOF 402 pants (I need to have more trousers in my wardrobe rotation), I didn't hesitate to put in the zipper for muslin. I must have been upset when I last tried sewing the 402 pants, as I found the pattern all crumpled up. Luckily, Swedish tracing paper irons very well.

More sewing--Four Sunshine tops:

1. one in purple & white stretch (rayon & lycra?) fabric from Michael Levine Loft (purchased in February 2010.
2. one in a brown tribal cotton lycra (from an online coop, via the stash, at least 1 year old). This may be too informal for work, but it's great to wear on weekends
3. A combination of a black rayon/lycra and a remnant of black/red/white/beige stretch lycra (from Happy Stop, at least 3 years old). Definitely suitable for work.
4. A black and white small/geometric stretch lycra, from a BABES exchange, I think (age unknown). I debated using a solid color for the collar and I elected not to. I think that was not the best decision. The result is a very busy looking shirt. I'll wear it a couple of times before I decide if it's a pass/fail.

I can understand why this pattern is so popular--it's a great/fashionable shirt that got a little more going on than a simple t-shirt--its very flattering. But it's easy to sew.

And I made two other tops:

1 Simplicity 4076 (the simple t-shirt) made from a red and white chain-link patten (from Gorgeous Fabrics from about 4 years ago, via the stash). Definitely suitable for work. I like it because it's bright.

1 Burda 7970 T-shirt, made from a Gustav Klimt cotton lycra from Fabrix (owned less than 2 weeks before cutting). Very suitable--I wore it today. It might be better for Fall/Autumn, but I really like the rich colors.

1 Simplicity 2614. This is a pullover top (made from a woven) and it's custom fit pattern (A-D cups). Another plus is that it doesn't require buttonholes. Laura--thank you bringing this pattern to my attention. I made two muslins, the second one in a clearly defined striped shirting, which didn't seem to work. The back and lower front is cut on the bias (which is why you can pull it on over your head) and the stripes just look awkward. I think that a small scale pattern (floral or checks) will work better. I did pull some fabrics out of the stash for this project, but I got busy with other patterns.

I also have one garment which hasn't quite reached UFO status--one pair of McCall's shorts--I need to re-cut the waistband, and attach that. It's been sitting at my cutting table for 2 weeks.

I also went through part of my fabric and notion stash (I'd get overwhelmed if I went through ALL of it). I pulled out and re-folded some of my knits and stretch fabrics, selecting some for the different t-shirts tops that I planned on sewing (but I didn't get around to sewing ALL of them LOL!). I also went through my stash of interfacing, and I think that I'm set for the next few years, unless someone figures out a way to make garments completely out of interfacing. *smile*

There was a meme travelling around the blogosphere --Me-Made-May*. I followed along, trying to wear clothing that I had made (of course, I didn't take any pictures). I had problems on Fridays--we have casual Fridays at work, and while I have made some jeans, I just don't like the way they fit. So one of my upcoming projects is to make another pair of jeans (or pants from denim), so I have something to wear on Fridays.

*There will be a follow up in the Fall, Self-Stitched September, so maybe I'll try to participate in that.

HotPatterns 1071 Weekender Sunshine Top

My current project is working with the HotPatterns 1071 Weekender Sunshine top. This top has been reviewed over 25 times on PatternReview--it's considered a winner. I purchased this pattern last summer, but I didn't have time to make it before the weather turned cold. Now the weather is warm and I have a plethora of knits and jerseys, so it's time to sew. I need more summer tops, as the ones that I have made over the past few years have been worn out. We are business casual at work and I want to make certain that I'm not veering to the sloppy side of casual.

The Sunshine Top is a t-shirt variation--there are 5 pattern pieces: front, back, front collar, back collar, and sleeves (there is an optional hem band). It's got a round interfaced collar. Last week I traced the pattern pieces, cut them out and started sewing a wearable muslin (e.g. I used a knit that wouldn't break my heart if I had to throw it away). This is an older pattern and the instructions are not illustrated. The instructions start with assembling the collar pieces, then assembling the bodice then combining the two. It's pretty straightforward, if you can remember to sew right sides together. For some reason I didn't understand them. Frustrated, I decided to search around for someone else's review and I came across Pam Erny's Off the Cuff tutorial on this top. Wow! The instructions were soo much clearer after reading through that tutorial. Thank you, Pam!

I like how the first top turned out--the interfaced collar keeps the top from being too informal. Trudy has videos showing how the pattern variations--part one and part two. I made my first Sunshine top from a cotton interlock (with no appreciable lycra). I made some minor alterations to the pattern so it ill fit me better (a small FBA and adding more fabric to the front piece, to improve the drape). I made another one, this time using fabric that I purchased in at the Michael Levine Loft in Los Angeles. This fabric is a large scale abstract floral knit in shades of purple, lavender, and white. I was very surprised to discover that I don't have any dark purple thread! I did find a spool of lavender thread, which actually is a better match for this fabric, so off I went. I also have some solid color jerseys/knits--I think that the Sunshine top and this pattern will work well together. I think that the solid colors will also be more appropriate for a work environment.

It looks like the Merry Month of May might be HotPatterns month, too. I spent all day today sewing a new pair of Marrakesh pants in a light linen weave--these didn't turnout as well as my last pair--the back has some wrinkles that weren't visible in the other linen pair. Earlier this evening, I traced out the Miss MoneyPenny PussyCat Blouse. I purchased this pattern several years ago--my version has the Glamour Girl sizing. In the blogosphere, there have been several discussions about blouses with scarves or ties. Tomorrow night I'll try making it up in muslin to check the fit. If it works out, I'll make it in a real fabric. I have a collection of woven blouse-weight fabrics that I need to explore and sew down.

Note---regarding the February fabric haul: I'm looking through my pattern stash to find a great fit for the other fabrics I purchased in February. I haven't forgotten about them!

a lovely remedy for a mild malaise

I'm not posting as much as before because I'm back at work (still gainfully employed). However this morning I woke up not feeling well (feverish) so I took a sick day.

I was thinking of working on my trousers (Burda plus 02-2007-402), but I'm just not feeling it. So a lovely remedy for a mild malaise is to sew simple knit t-shirts. I've already finished Burda 7970, a simple knit t-shirt made from some black bamboo jersey/interlock that I bought from an online coop. The bamboo does not have a lot of stretch (crosswise or otherwise) but it is lovely soft. I think that I'm going to enjoy wearing it.

I've cut out another jersey top from a older Burda January 2006 (01-2006-131). It's a t-shirt with vertical seams that I've made it before (reviewed on PR). I searched my stash and I found a jersey made from some sort of synthetic: the fabric has an abstract design in purple, pink, lavender and burgundy. The colors should be nice for these cooler winter days. I'm trying to get away from wearing black all the time.

I should review Simplicity 2603 (the cardi wrap). I made another one from a light cottony/stretchy jersey in magenta that I purchased from Fabrics R Us. I purchased this fabric before I returned to work and it was so lovely that before the week was over, I drove back out to east San Jose to get more yardage in different colors ($3 a yard, outside near the parking area). My stash, now overflowing, contains yardage in lime green, chocolate brown, taupe, and black. I might use the yardage for some other t-shirt variations. We shall see.

Jalie 2787 and onto trousers!

I decided to take a break from pants and sew something easy.  Well, relatively easy for me: a knit top!  I selected Jalie 2787, women's criss-cross top, in the 3/4 sleeve version.  I traced out the pattern one evening, then sewed it a few nights later.  It went together very quickly--I cut it out and assembled all in one evening.  I like the fit, I like the drapes--there is enough drape in the bodice top that my it fits well, not too tight or too loose.  The pattern is designed that it can be used by nursing moms--uhh, not my situation, but that's not apparent to anyone but the wearer.   I selected a lovely black and white floral jersey with a bit of sparkle that was gifted to me at the last BABES meeting--thank you, Georgene!  I'll try to take pics this weekend.  I'm already planning on making it again. 

Tonight I traced out an old BWOF pattern from the plus section of September 2005, #129 . Here is the BWOF-September-129  technical drawing.   Earlier this year, I purchased some Knip XL issues.  I saw a very similar pattern for cargo pants, that features the curved insert on the front leg, as well as lots of pockets.   I really liked them and my original plan was to puzzle though the Dutch instructions as well as stretching my sewing skills.   Of course, I am at the beginning side of the learning curve for sewing trousers,  so I decided to hone my skills with an English language pattern.   When I came across this pattern, I decided that I'll start with this one.  I have this one traced, and I'll flat pattern measure it (thank you for the suggestion, Mary Beth!).   I think that the BWOF trousers are more fitted/less baggy, and I'll skip the extra pockets until I get a great fit.   

Well, we'll see what happens.  :)