Self-Stitched September

more information about Self-Stitched September. I'm planning on participating in this event--I'm not certain if I can participate in the photo pool, but I know I can manage to wear something self-made.

'I, Rose, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear at least 1 handmade item of clothing every day for the duration of September 2010'.

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.

Memorial Day 2010 - sewing and stash

It's a three day weekend in the United States. Monday is Memorial day, commemorating the men and women who have died in military service. For those who have died, we salute you.

* * *

I've been sewing: I've made 2 Hotpatterns Sunshine tops and 1 pair of Hotpatterns Marrakesh pants. I'm really happy about the Marrakesh I'm getting ready to make another top. It's late, so tonight I'm going to make a knit top, using a TNT. It's too late to start a woven top, using a new pattern.

Yesterday, I also refolded a large part of my fabric stash. it's great--I know what I have it now. I really have a LOT of fabric. It makes me wish that I had a two bedroom apartment, so that I could devote 1 room to sewing and stash storage. I was very bad last weekend. I fell off the wagon and I'm rolling around in yardage.

Last Saturday, I went to Happy Stop in Oakland and I purchased 2 bags of fabric. I hadn't been there for about a year. Simon missed me! I bought some beige embroidered cotton, 2 1/2 yards that I managed to squeeze a pair of the Marrakesh pants (note: I really need at least 2 5/8 of a yard.) I also purchased some ikat style prints wovens (one pink and one turquoise), as well as some quiet rayon plaids, suitable for pants and skirts, or sheath dresses. I have a habit of picking remnants, even at fabric discounters. I'm really glad that I picked up the habit of pre-washing. After my purchasing spree, I went home, sewed the fabric pieces together and drove to my local laundry-mat. I loading 2 front loading washing machines, put in the laundry detergent and synthrapol, loaded my quarters, and I watched the water turn brown in one of the machines. The dye on three of the remnants ran--lucking none of the dye stuck to the other fabrics, but I have some yardage that is looks like a Deadhead caught in the rain. I'm really glad that I pre-wash with synthrapol. The washed out fabrics are probably going to Goodwill. I'm not upset about the remnants that ran--Simon bundled together all the pieces I selected that were less than 2 yards and had given me a special price. If I had paid full retail/britex prices, I would be upset. As it is, I resigned to the fact that I thought that some of the fabrics had a weird finish or hand to them when I folded them in the store. C'est la vie!

A week ago Friday, I went to an estate sale during lunch time--it was less than a mile from work and the craigslist ad mentioned fabric, so I decided to go. It turned out to be the estate of the owners of a Japanese gift shop. I managed to score several Japanese fabric, several yukata/kimono lengths of cotton (they were cotton--I could read the kanji), marked down from $168 to $10 each. The fabric is about 12 inches wide, and was rolled up and wrapped in paper. I think that the previous owners had cats, because I kept sneezing when I picked them up. They were part of the laundromat trip last Saturday--I did fold and sew/baste the fabric lengths before laundering, and then I spent a good few hours ironing them dry and re-rolling them before storing them.

I know that I'm jumping around in my timeline, but after I went to Happy Stop in Oakland, I decided to go to Fabrix in San Francisco. It was a glorious day--the sun was out, it was warm and it was a great day to cross the Bay Bridge. I bought some more fabric, most notably some knit yardage: a grey, black, and white abstract suitable for work clothing, and another printed knit that is reminiscent of Gustav Klimt. And more fabrics, mostly rayon wovens that are suitable for pants.

I hope that everyone enjoys a happy and safe holiday.

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!

HotPatterns Marrakesh Pants part 2

I've finished two wearable pairs of HotPatterns Marrakesh Pants. I made the second pair from the mystery slate gray flannel. For this pair, I decided not to alter the pattern and trim outside seam at the hip line (and the pockets). I think that they turned out very well--I still have to sew on the hook and eye at the waistband. I'm glad that I removed a quarter inch from the front legs--the pants are still drapey, but they are not billowy. There is still some extra fabric gathered at the waist, but it's not excessive (altering the outside seam would fix that). After writing this post, I've viewed Trudy's Marrakesh Pants video and it looks like there is no extra fabric gathering at the waist. I may need to look at my draft again...

I've lowered the waistline on the pattern for the third pair, which will be made from linen. I consider this linen as the really good stuff from the stash, especially since it usually retails for $12 a yard (I got it on sale for $6 a yard earlier this month. This yardage hasn't aged at all in my stash LOL!). I shouldn't get too worried when cutting this out--I'm familiar with the Marrakesh pattern, since I've sewn it several times. I made the first two pairs from woven fabrics with crosswise stretch. The linen doesn't have any crosswise stretch, but I'll double check the fit of the pattern before cutting, as well as comparing pattern to the second pair of pants.

Fabric prep--I washed the linen the other night, and I've pressed it (with steam) to remove the wrinkles (suggested by Sandra Betzina's Fabric Savvy). I'm glad that I pre-washed the fabric-- the lint catcher in the dryer was filled when I dried this load of fabric yardage. It could have been the linen or it could have been another piece, but I'm glad that I'm not going to encounter that dust when sewing. Right now, I'm letting the fabric rest on the cutting table for two reasons: I don't like to cut fabric late at night (or early in the morning). The second reason is there has been some discussion on sewing blogs/boards that fabric gets stretched when it's tightly wound on bolts, so it should be allowed to relax and contract before it's cut into garments. Even if the fabric relaxed after I laundered it, I may have stretched it when I pressed it. So the fabric is resting, spread over and gently folded on my cutting table, with all the notions assembled and ready to go. I guess that sewist and the fabric should be relaxed before cutting.

I know--I don't have any pictures of my work. I'll try to get some up after the third pair. I'm in awe of those bloggers post with pictures every time!

HotPatterns Wong Singh Jones Marrakesh Pants

After three muslins (made from muslin), I have made one wearable pair of HotPatterns Wong Singh Jones Marrakesh Pants. Yaaaay! Muslin number one was straight from the pattern. I found that I needed to increase the length of the U of my crotch, more on the back pants piece than in the front. I also added some on the sideseam (on the back piece). I made my first wearable pair from a grey fabric pinstriped with silver thread--it has a really nice drape, while it's soft to wear. I can't remember from where I got this: it could have been Fabrix, Fabrics R Us, or Happy Stop.

I'm happy with the final results, but I think that there are more fitting problems issues to fine-tune:

• I think that the front is a little too loose/drapey, so I'm folding out a .25 inch from the front piece, right along the center of the pattern piece.
• The waistline is a hybrid of elastic and drawstring, along with a zipper--I like how Trudy designed this. I've noticed that very easy to gather a lot of fabric on a drawstring, and this excess fabric will create a bulky waistline, but because of this design I think that I can shave about 1 to 1.5 inches from around the waist (from the front and back pants pattern pieces). If I remove this extra fabric, it will help provide better shaping to my waist. I can probably be more aggressive with removing extra fabric around the waist because the zipper will allow me pull the pants around around my hips. I'm debating if I want to keep the inseam pockets because reshaping the waist-to-hip curve means I'll have to check pockets, too. Many of the other sewists who have made this pattern eliminated the pockets completely. Decisions, decisions.

My next fabric will be a mystery slate grey piece that I pulled out of my stash. I was going to use a striped piece of black rayon (I think that it's rayon) that I purchased from Fabrix. Last night I pulled it out of my stash, removed the machine basting (I sew the ends of my fabric together when I prewash, then store the fabric with the basting. That way, I know that I washed it) and then I laid it out on my cutting table so that I could work on it when I got home. Then I realized that I was going to be altering and tweaking the fit again, and I thought about the strong stripes, so I went digging though my fabric stash again. I found the mystery slate grey piece along with some really colorful (and even) plaid pieces (that I know that I purchased from Fabrix). The plaids are currently in the wash with some recently acquired linen (which I will be labeling with their origin after the are removed from the dryer).

Catching up

I have been remiss in updating my blog. If you have been following my blog, thank you for your patience! It's been well over a month since I've made an entry. I've been busy though. Since my last post, I've:

• rehearsed and performed with a troupe at a dance festival (which also included creating and finishing my costume),
• helped a co-worker go fabric shopping with his visiting sisters,
• started working with a new manager at work (this a good thing),
• attended a work related conference,
• had a honeybee swarm invade my patio (if this happens to you, call a beekeeper and they can take care of it),
• had a U-pipe develop crack in my bathroom (thank goodness for two things: 1) I have a responsive landlady and 2) the damaged pipe drains water so I wasn't dealing with water pouring into my bathroom).

After I discovered the cracked U-pipe, I spent half the night re-arranging the sewing materials so that there would be room for the plumbers get around (my apartment looks like a ill-kempt fabric warehouse). But onward to sewing related things.

I've acquired more fabric under very sad circumstances. Last weekend, La Fred had a liquidation sale. Fred Bloembaum, the owner and creator was not there--she is very ill and her friends were running the sale. It was really two sales: one part were the sample clothes that Fred had made to demonstrate the patterns that she designs (it was advertised in Craigslist as Art to Wear). The other part of the sale was the dispersal of her sewing collection: her sewing books, patterns from her personal collection (e.g. Vogue, Butterick, etc), and her fabric and notions. I got to the sale in the late afternoon and by then the items were being discounted. I bought fabric (in great colors--coral and tangerine), sewing books, notions (needles, rotary blades, and petersham), patterns (mostly vogues and neue modes). It was very interesting to see her clothing merchandise and her sewing collection together in one room: it was a unique (if incomplete) view of the creative cycle. Fred is very artistic and creative in combining colors and textures--hopefully I can learn from her through her materials. In some ways, I'm very conservative when selecting/combining fabrics-- I was able to purchase some books that illustrate the different things: I'm enjoying reading "Modern Fashion in Detail" by Claire Wilcox and Valerie Mendes, which contains super close-up pictures of the clothing at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It's a great book to browse through. I'm still trying to find a place for my acquisitions.

I spent some time talking with Fred's friends. I did meet Fred at the Artistry in Fashion event, but I had not taken a workshop with her. Her friend and neighbor Mary told me that Fred is reading the messages sent to her at the CarePages (look for the group named FredFans) and she is touched and nicely overwhelmed by messages left by all people remember her from her workshops.

I have been sewing. I got tired of wearing the same clothing and I made 3 t-shirts from tried and true patterns: Simplicity 4076 and Burda 7970. I did use two fabrics from my LA trip, but they were not fabrics shown in previous post. One of the fabric was a remnant of a black and grey border print knit, the other is a orange/yellow/blue tie-dye mesh that a friend bought for me because I kept flirting bargaining with the store owner and his dad and she wanted to get out of there. I used a border knit print for the third shirt from my stash (purchased from Fabrix in SF). I also made some tea-cozies as gifts for my friends.

My next project is the Hot Patterns Marrakesh pants. I traced out the pattern over the weekend , read through a number of pattern reviews, and I actually cut out the fabric in muslin. I didn't compare the tracing to my previous pants draft, and I altered the tracing and made another muslin. Oh well, muslins are for learning--and I did figure out how the different pieces are assembled so it was a good time investment. I have altered my tracing for my curvy booty (lengthening the crotch after consulting Pants for Real People), pin fit the tracing paper. I feel comfortable that my next step is to cut out the pattern in real fashion fabric--one of the many pieces of inexpensive pieces of yardage that I have in my apartment. It this one works, then I'll use the good stuff.