J. Sterns Tee #0041

Here's the J. Stern's Tee I made yesterday. It's a basic t-shirt with extra seaming details at the bust. It also has a long, curves hem at the bottom. It's about 10am here and the light isn't all that great. I mean, it's light but it's kind of blotchy because it is through the big birch trees in our yard.

I made this out of the remaining doubleknit I used on this BWOF pleated bodice dress. It's a pretty thick fabric and it wasn't a great match. It has the right amount of stretch according to the pattern envelope but it is just so thick. It's a bit tight as you can see in the photos. I made a small which is what I supposed to make according to the envelope. I may trace off the medium too. I did my typical petite 1/2" shortening between shoulders and bust. I don't think that I needed to. I think the bust seaming would look better down a 1/2" and the armhole is too tight. On a BWOF pattern, I make the armhole a bit smaller too and it's perfect. This is too snug.


Here are the swayback wrinkles. I always get these. I could put a CB seam in it but . . . well, it's just a t-shirt. You can tell it's a bit too small in the hips. I should have flared out a little bit.



See? Don't you think the seam would be better down a 1/2"? And I found that the bottom front was longer than the bodice. I stretched it to fit but that created some gathering in the top piece.


This is something that I will change if I make this again. See how long it is in the front? I'm not sure if it is supposed to be longer in the front than the back but it is. I will shorten it on the pink dotted line. Probably my swayback wrinkles are making the back a bit higher so the front looks longer. But, when I sit down, the front folds up because of my legs so it's too long anyway.

The bodice side seams.

I serged the bottom hem.

Another view of the bodice with those wrinkles. See the boat in the background? That's our ocean boat. We are headed to Homer for a week of halibut fishing.

I'll post a review later on PatternReview.com.

More on the knockoff

Yesterday I decided I would knockoff this HP dress. It's the Metropolitan Good Times Top, Tunic, and Dress. Here's the line drawing from HotPatterns.



Check out this Simplicity pattern. It's got the yoke, the gathers, and everything. This is one of the few Simplicity patterns I was going to buy a few weeks ago. But, of course, they didn't have it in my size. Now, I'll have to track it down. It's purty darn close. We'll see what I decide to do.



I still have a ton of hand stitching to do on my couture jacket before tomorrow so I'll be scarce today. Although I do want to review the J. Sterns top I made yesterday.

And I know a bunch of you asked what Hot Patterns emailed to me. I don't want to trash them. Suffice it to say it wasn't all that nice and I'll probably never buy a Hot Patterns pattern.

Before 8am . . .

I'll post later about my couture jacket class. I have quite a few things to explain for that. It seems like we spent six weeks fitting the jacket and now we are hot and heavy to try to finish it. Of course, it hasn't been that long but it seems like it to me. Anyway, thought I take you on a tour of what I've done today before 8am. People always wonder how I can get so much done. This is how:

--Four mile run (5:30am)

--Cut out and sewed the sleeveless J. Sterns top. You'll get a picture when my camera comes back from Whittier. The Husband-Unit took it because it is water proof.

--Contemplating my next knit dress. I want to be able to wear it with the red leather obi. Is this too nautical or too Fourth of July? I think one of the May BWOF knit dresses but I haven't decided which one.

--I've always really liked this HotPatterns patten. I love the dress version. I've decided to knock it off. HotPatterns won't like it (they sent me a nasty email last time for this dress; God forbid, I show YOU how to knock it off; stealing customers!; losing revenue! chaos!) but I know that BWOF fits me and why buy an expensive pattern that has lukewarm reviews? The line drawing is small but you can see the general idea of the dress.

I'm going to use this BWOF pattern to knock it off. It's from July 2008. I've never made it but with a few modifications, it should be fine. I'll raised the neck, change the location of the pleats, lengthen, add a belt, and change the sleeves.

And yes, that's really only two things (run and J.Sterns top) but I think the planning phase is just as important as the sewing phase. If I can get this all worked out in my head, the sewing will be easy. I think that is one reason I rarely make mistakes while I sew. I've mentally sewn it five times before I get to the machine. While I'm washing the dishes, folding laundry, feeding kids, *insert annoying chore here* , I'm putting pieces together in my head.

Another post later on the jacket class. Stay tuned.

I'm gonna tan me a cow . . Burda #151 Leather Obi Belt

My first foray into leather was a big honking success (I think). I'm glad I did something simple with few seams and easy construction. I bought this red leather at a local beading place called Black Elk Beads and Leather. Alaska has a large population of Alaska Natives who do beadwork. This shop carries leathers, beads, thread, buckles, embellishments, and the like. They also have things like seal skin, sinew, leather crafting materials, and fur. This is not a place for the sensitive animal-lover.

Anyhoo, this is BWOF 06/09 #151. Cidell already did a review of this pattern using fabric. I have wanted to try leather for a while and thought this would be the perfect pattern for it. I did follow Cidell's advice and look closely at the length of the belt. Like her, I realized that the belt would be too long. I took a good 2" out of the center of the belt and 2" out of the angled "side" piece. That's a total of 8" because these pieces were either on the fold or doubled. I also reduced the length of the ties from 35" to 22". Those would be some loooong straps. I do think you need to be careful about how much you take off total. The front should wrap around to the sides and the "side pieces" should overlap at the back so you get that great overlap effect.



The back with the overlap is my favorite part. There is an opening in the side to allow the strap to come through. It's kinda like a wrap dress.



I really like the combination with this black dress. It's from BWOF 11/2008 I want to make a berry floral print dress and wear the red belt with that also.

Here's the side. You can see the opening in the seam to allow the strap to come through. You can tell I could have shortened it a tad more. I topstitched all the seams to help them lie flat. That and I like the look of the topstitching on the leather.

My leather sewing friends. I should have added the rolling leather foot I have. My friend gave me a Necchi machine a few months ago and it came with a leather rolling foot. I used Coats and Clark Heavy Duty thread. For the topstitching I pulled all the threads to the back and tied the thread off. For extra assurance, I used Fraycheck on the seams.

Here's the inside seam with the opening.

Here's the non-opening side seam.

Now, I'll have to make something to wear with this rockin' belt.

Green Pepper #150 Children's Oregon Jacket

Okay, I finally got this puppy done. It turned out well if I do say so myself. I hope it fits until winter. He is growing like a bean. I may have to stop feeding him.

Son: Mom, why do I have to wear this. It's warm outside.
Mom: You just do. Why are your eyes all squinty?
Son: Mom, it's so bright out. I'm hot.



Son: *SIGH* Mom, why do I have to wear the hood?
Mom: Listen dammit*, just hold on a second okay?
Son: *sigh*


Son: Mom, can I go play now? The Sisters** are getting into my sand castle.
Mom: It'll just take one more second. Hang on. Do you have to be so squinty?
Son (jumping and sticking out arms at weird angles): Bttttttzzzzzz. Btttttzzzzzz. See my super ice powers??
Mom: *sigh* Hold still, one more second.



Son (attempting to run away): ICE POWERS! ICE POWERS! I'M FREEZING YOU!!!BBBBTTTTZZZZZZ! BBBBBBBZZZZTTTT! Stop you hot evil woman.
Mom (smirking and being hot): One more photo. This is the last one. bbbbzzzzzttt, yourself.
Son: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I'm burning, I'm burning!!! She's burning me with her evil burn powers!!!!!
Construction note: I decided to add one of the hood reducers. I extended the hood several inches so it would cover more than the original version. But, I didn't know how much to extend it. So I added this contraption so we could expand it if we needed to.



Mom: Okay, this is the last one.
Son: BBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT. You said the last one was the last picture.
Mom: Well, hot evil ladies lie. Stand still.
Son: bbbzzt.



I did something different with the lining this time. I bagged the sleeves so I'd have an easier time with the eleastic casings. Usually I have the raw edges of the lining and the outer fabric. Because I bagged the sleeves, I have nice edges that I don't need to finish. Now, when I fold it over the make the casing, I won't be dealing with turning it under twice to finish the edge.

Here's the folded over section without the elastic. I just flipped and stitched. Much easier than flip, flip stitch especially when you are dealing with slick fabrics.

This is where the zipper, overflap, lining, and hem all meet.

I ended up using all three kinds of seam sealant. See this post for my science experiment. I used Seam Grip on the hood and neck. I figured that this would get the most wear and tear and that since it was on the anterior part of the body, it would see the most rain. I did not like working with this sealer. It is hard to apply, stinky, and gets all over everything. It also has to cure for 12 hours which puts the ky-bosch on progress. Even after it was "cured" it was very tacky. It stuck to itself and my sewing machine repeatedly. When I was putting in the zipper, it was sticking to the machine as if life depending on it. If I was using it on flat seams like a tent it would be way easier. The hood is curved and then, of course, so was the neck. If I had a child-sized dress form it would have been easier. I would have turned it inside out and pinned it to the form. Then I could have easily painted the goop on. As it was, it was sort of pinned to my duct tape double. There was a lot of fiddling and I ended up getting it on the floor once and my hands many times. I used Seam Sealer 3 on the arms and side seams. This is easy, easy to use and dries quickly. I used the K-Tape on the hood where I attached the webbing. It worked great for this.

* No, I don't really cuss at my kids. Sometimes I do feel like I should.

** My son doesn't know his sisters' names. Yes, they are identical twins. Do they look identical? Not really. Instead he calls one or both of them The Sisters. Yes, it's embarassing when he says,"Mom, The Sister in the yellow shirt kicked me!"

Can I just say . . .

Yum! I'm the proud new owner of some delicious red leather. This is going to become the Obi belt from the June issue. I traced out the pattern but I'll need to take several inches out of the waist. See this review from PatternReview.com. I don't really know anything about leather so I'll have to do some research on cutting and sewing it.


I'm sort of stalled on the kid raincoat. I'll explain more later. Right now I have to take my son for a teeth cleaning.

Researching Waterproofing Options

I'm making my son a Green Pepper raincoat from this pattern. I've used this pattern before as a winter coat. This time it will just be the fabric and a lining. Because of that, I want it to be waterproof even at the seams. There are several products out there that claim to waterproof a seam. I bought them and tried them out.

I'm a science teacher. I like experiments. I like being methodical. Yes, I'm type-A in a very big way. So, I made four samples and tested the waterproofing ability of each product. First up, Seam Sealer 3. It's a water-based product that claims to "put an end to leaky seams and joints." This product is super easy to apply with a dauber cap and dries quickly with little odor.


K-Tape is a "universal repair tape that can be used on all smooth synthetic fabrics, fleece, and vinyl." It's 18" by 3". For this sample, I cut it to a width of about 1/2". This is a very easy product with which to work. It's just like masking tape that stretches. I did notice that if you stretch it when you apply it, the fabric will gather as the tape shrinks back to its regular length.



Seam Grip is like rubber cement. It smells similar and had a similar consistency. You use a brush to apply it and you should be in a well ventilated area. It "permanently seams, bonds, and repairs tents, outerwear, and gear." This one has to cure for 8-12 hours. If you want to glue two things together you apply a light coating of Seam Grip to both surfaces, let them dry for a few minutes, and then stick them together. Sound familiar? Rubber cement uses the same directions.


Here they are together. I had high hopes for the K-Tape but I think Seam Grip won out in the end.

Here they are after a good washing. I wanted to see how they held up under a washing cycle.

After washing the seams on the Seam Sealer 3 sample started to peel up. And, I think it's actually okay. It's not a glue, it is supposed to soak into the thread itself and make the thread waterproof. It's kind of like Fray Check.

The Test: I pinned all the samples and applied about 3mL to each sample. This fabric (Nylon Burlington DWR) is so waterproof, it was hard to stop the beads of water from rolling off. The bottom, my control, is a sample with no sealant on it. On all samples, I tried to concentrate the water to the seams. Like I said, that was hard to do because they wanted to roll off.

This is what it looked like an hour later. Notice the control sample has visible water spots along the seams.

These were pinned to a cardboard tube to test for water leakage. Of all the samples, the only one to leak was the control (ignore my goof-up at the top).

Overall, how did they do? Well the easiest to apply was the Seam Sealer 3. You just dab it on. I think the most effective one will be the Seam Grip. It acts like a silicone caulk that moves with the garment. I think it will be the best overall. I may use the tape for a large area though. If I decide to embroidery something on this coat, I will probably tape it inside with the K-Tape and use the Seam Grip around the edges of the tape.

Helpful? I figure someone out there has gotta be into outerwear like I am. :)

More Undies

On the potty training front I've been somewhat successful. One of the girls (twin #2)just decided that she's a Big Girl and is now potty trained. I'd like to say I had something to do with it but it was just her. We still have an occasional accident but really, she did it on her own. The other twin?? Well, she could care less. I'm not sure if it's defiance because her sister got so much positive attention for peeing in the potty or what. Twin #1 also talked later and is just waaaaaay laid back in general. Who knows. I'm not worried about it. Right now, I'm just happy I have half the diapers to change. To celebrate I made #2 new underwear and she got to pick out the butt design. She kept yelling, "I want flowers on my butt!!!" So be it. I also tried my hand at piping. I need a lot more practice. I love this pattern (that*darn*kat review on PatternReview.com) because you can use itty-bitty-teeny pieces of left-over knit.


The applique pieces are all from my husband's deceased grandmother. I just love having really cute fabric for appliques like this. Before she died, I think her plan was to make a scrap quilt. She had hundreds of 4" squares cut out. They are all random fabrics. You can tell some are very old. She would love that I am using them. Like I've said in previous posts, I think the most important thing I can do is pass history on to my kids. Their great-grandmother's fabric is part of their history.




When twin #1 saw this she said, "Awwwwww, soooo cute! I want bunnies!!!" So I may use bunnies to lure her to the potty.



Enjoy! We went camping last night so I'm a bit tired. It was just me, a tent, and three kids. I'm whooped.

Trying to resist . . .

Wool JERSEY from Fabric.com. I've bought some black but never found any colors. They have crimson and gray (and black) .

Wool suiting!

I'm not much of a chiffon gal but I love this.

This is all part of the Vera Lavender collection. Darn them for sending me an email update about their sale!!

Couture Jacket Class -- 4

So this week is all about hand basting. We have tissue-fit, muslin-fit, and are now ready to work on the wool. The first step is to trace all the markings onto the wool using a white wax-based tracing paper. Next you hand baste all the markings so that everything shows up on both sides.

This is the wrong side of one of my back sections. I have hand basted all the stitching lines, notches, grainlines, etc.


Here it is without all the text.

We are using this really thick cotton thread to do the hand basting. The white paper on the top is the wax-based tracing paper. It's really large so you can trace a few pieces at a time.

She suggests using Milliner's needles in size 8. They are long so it's easier to baste a long distance before taking another stitch.

This is NOT for use on my wool jacket but I finally found a supply for Beeswax. They have it at Black Elk Beads and Leather. The other thing they have is a lot of leather. I almost bought this fantastic red leather the other day but I want to make sure I have enough for a purse. I need to bring my pattern with me next time. Paulette, if you haven't gone there, you have to go.

I'm going to go watch TV and hand baste . . .

Burda 04-2009 #112 Raglan T-shirt

Well, it's official. I'm not liking this fabric in any form. When I used it for this pleated top a while ago, I thought it was just too thin for that pattern. This is a simple top and it should work okay for this. It's still too thin. I'm not a big fan. It's the bamboo/lycra from Fabric.com. I know they are a sponsor but I have to be truthful to you, readers. I won't be buying more and I'll probably get rid of the two yards of blue I bought.

I do really like the embroidery I put on the front. It's tone-on-tone so it's pretty hard to see.


The top fits well but it's just too thin. That, and wrinkly. I can't believe how wrinkly it is.



Here's a close-up of the embroidery. It's, of course, from Urban Threads. They are having a sale right now if you are interested. This is one of the designs that is on sale. Sale ends at the end of this month.

Overall, the pattern fits nicely but the fabric is blahhhhh. ETA for Gail: The original pattern has no neckband. They just have you fold over and stitch. For reference, this band was 2.5" wide originally. Folded in half and sewed on, it's about an inch when it's all said and done.

Thanks Ladies!

Rose sent me the One Lovely Blog award. Thanks Rose!



Paulette gave me the Attitude of Gratitude award. Thanks Paulette!

The Stylist gave me the Blogger Buddy Award. There was actually another person that gave me this award but I swear I've looked at 200 emails tonight and can't find that one!! Uh. It serves me right for not posting about this earlier.

And this is totally silly but I'm type-A. I was one of those kids that loved the "stickers on the chart" approach to life in elementary school. I just noticed that I have four stars over at PatternReview.com! Woooooooo hooooooo!

Next up -- A jacket class update. Paulette and I are going to be hand basting forever!

Questions and Answers

Maggie has left a new comment on your post "Done, done, diggity done!": Wow, really creative pieces. I love how you make things that are not the usual stuff of "wardrobes" and yet they become a wardrobe. What pattern is the green jacket? Marguerite
Marguerite- The pattern is Simplicity 4081. Here's the blog post on it.

Mary Nanna has left a new comment on your post "Another one . . . Burda 06-2009 #101": It's got such beautiful details, what a great pattern. Next time you do a question and answer, can you please tell me how you manage to sew so much with so many commitments and other demands on your time and energy?I can't work out how you do it, so I figured you must know a magic trick.
and
susan has left a new comment on your post "Gifts for my son . . .": This is a serious question - when do you sew? You have a young family,work,chase bears and neighbours, your husband is away - so when do you sew? And another serious question, do you enjoy wearing what you make or is it more the making that you really enjoy? Your output is very impressive! Well done.
Mary Nanna and Susan- Sorry, no magic here. I'm a quick sewer, have pretty good spatial ability, and LOVE to sew. That, and I don't clean house. Nothing magic, sorry.

Lisette M has left a new comment on your post "Another one . . . Burda 06-2009 #101": Beautiful dress! Do you mind sharing where you found those gorgeous shoes? Thanks!
Lisette- It's my little secret until I order the patent red ones. I plan on doing that tomorrow. Bwaaaaa haaaaa haaaaa.

Alison has left a new comment on your post "Utilitarian sewing and go VOTE!": Can I ask a dumb question? (& no, that's not it LOL). What is "the slope"?
Alison- I forget that everyone doesn't know Alaska jargon. The slope is the northernmost coast of Alaska. If someone says they work on The Slope it means they work with oil. Crude oil to be exact. Well, that or natural gas. You can also be a "sloper." He works two weeks on and two weeks off, hence the blog title. It's not a knitting reference but a nod to my time management. When he's "on the slope" I seem to have a lot more time to do things. ETA: It's a two to three hour flight each way and costs the company about $800 to ship their men up there.

designdreamer has left a new comment on your post "What the heck is it?": I'm so confused. Do you have 4 pair of binoculars????
No, we only have one pair but the FIL commissioned me to make multiple cases.


I will post a little ditty about how I do the top of zippers the next time I put in a zipper. Oh and I'm embarrassed to say that several of you have given me awards and things and I haven't posted about them. I will get to that tomorrow. Sorry! I *do* really appreciate them!!!!

Gifts for my son . . .

He'll be five (five!!) next week. I made him a new jacket out of my favorite Jalie jacket pattern #2212. I've made this in many sizes and this is a size K. I'm not planning on doing a review on this because I've done one at PatternReview.com. In fact, this was my very first review at PatternReview!! This is that wonderful Windstopper Polartec 300. It is totally windproof and water resistant. It has a wicking side (black) and a water-shedding side (hunter green).



The only thing I did differently to this version is to add my tag and add a hanging loop. I'm always on my kids to Hang Up Their Stuff but then I realize they can't because their coats have no loops!

I decided on re-usable gift bags with octopuses on them. He loves the ocean. I used the Lunch Sack Tutorial (it's on the right under favorite tutorials) and changed the dimensions. I added snaps to mine.

Are all boys into building things?? My son will spend three straight hours with the instruction book and put together these Bionicle things. He loves anything that has directions he can follow. He likes directions. Love them. He likes having A Plan. He's already pretty type-A for only being five. I am planning on these bags being the Bionicle's home after he opens the boxes.

Tomorrow is sewing class day! I'm hoping to cut out my wool. Yikes!

Burda 06-2009 #112 Cropped, Pleated Trousers

I should have added a disclaimer to my two previous posts saying, "Don't be annoyed/hurt/miffed/concerned/irritated/bothered if I decide not to follow your advice." I think the overwhelming majority of you said SHORT! But I decided on the medium length. In the end, I have to wear them, flattering or not. But, in all honesty, I think this is a flattering length for me. I know the camera adds a few pounds but I'm about 110 lbs and they look nice, really! Well, even if they don't I have decided that they look nice. And, as my mother once said, "When Dawn decides, so be it."


I do think that shoe and top choice make this look much better. I did narrow out the legs a little bit. I think I took about 3" out between the pocket and cuff. I spread it out between the inner and outer leg.



I love the facing. It's a polyester charmeuse that I used as a lining in this wool coat. .


Egads! Look at those huge thighs! Yea, I'm over it. I like the pants. Go ahead. Mock me. :)

This was my first attempt at inseam pockets. The front of the pocket is the lining and the back is the twill. I did this, not as a design feature, but because I barely had enough twill fabric.

Close-up of fly area.

I'll post a proper review a little later in the day. :)

Burda 04-2009 #101 A-line Skirt

Strangely enough, Marji and I made a skirt out of the same fabric. Marji, Cidell, Carolyn, and LindseyT all did a pencil skirt challenge using bright floral prints. I must be on the same wavelength because Marji posted about it the same day I finished the skirt. Mine's not a pencil skirt though. I'll have to look at that yoke piece and see why it looks crooked. I used this cotton/lycra sateen and topstitched it with red thread.


I had to take in a good three inches in the waist and I think I took in just a bit too much. Whoops. The serger and I got a little excited.



These are not shoes that I normally wear. My husband bought them as a joke but I kind like the red with the red buttons.

I, on the other hand, love these shoes and they are super comfortable. I may have to buy them in red.

Buttons are from stash and the fabric was given to me by my Couture Jacket class instructor. She had bought some fabric and they included some extra stuff.

I used a taupe invisible zipper because I had it on hand.

I did a blind hem with matching thread.

It's a faux-yoke.

I need to make my son a jacket next. He doesn't have any that fit him.

Bad, Bad Mom

So, what lucky mother gets the Bad Mom award? Well, that would be me. Girl #1 always eats lunch in about 2 minutes and doesn't eat much. Then 11 minutes later she is "starving." I'm tired of throwing away food. It's a typical day and she eats her two pieces of chicken and then wants to be done. I tell her she has to eat all six pieces of chicken (oh! the abuse!) or she can't leave the picnic table. Well, she's my drama queen with a capital 'd'. She cries and screams and carries on. And on and on and on. She stops crying and I look outside. Where did she go? Why didn't she eat her chicken? Dammit!


Then I go for a closer look.



She has passed out and taken a nap on the driveway. She used to always fall asleep all over the place. Some of you might remember this post or this one. Yes, that's an ant on her forehead. I took her inside and let her sleep on the floor and I de-ant-ified her.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

In other news, the binocular cases are finished. I couldn't find anything that was like the original ones so I improvised. I used jeans-style post buttons and reinforced the back with a button so the smaller post couldn't pull through the neoprene.

The father in law is happy so I am too.

Okay, what about this?

Thank you guys for the comments. I realize that most people just click away when they see something with which they don't agree. I do the same thing sometimes because I don't want to offend or make someone feel bad. I really appreciate the feedback and I'm not offended at all. I have a thick skin and I've never worn cropped pants before. Okay, taking your comments into consideration, I made two shorter mock-ups. If you consider the first pictures "long" then this would be the medium length. I do think it looks better. I didn't want to go short-short with the cropped pants because they are supposed to be 7/8 length pants. That's what Burda says anyway.


This would be the shorter length.



Here's a composite of the three lengths so you can compare (you'll have to click to see the whole thing). Do you think I need to go even shorter?!?

Thanks for the advice!

ETA: So I just did a search on cropped pants and came up with this article at www.youlookfab.com. The top three cropped pants are "safer" than the bottom three choices. It looks like I'm trying to attempt one of the "riskier" lengths. Maybe I'll try a much shorten version and see what you think.

Help with cropped pant length . . .

These are BWOF 06/2009 #112. I talked about them here. Beth had asked how tall I was because I said I'm not tall. I'm about 5'5" so I'm the average height for US women. I'm wearing 2" cork wedges in this photo. I looked at the BWOF model photo to pick my shoes. I made these pants shorter and longer and I think this is the best length. What do you think? Obviously when I do the real cuffs they will not be all crooked like this. I didn't realize my pin job was so bad until I looked at these photos.


This is my first time makes inseam pockets. I'll take some pictures of those when I do the real review.



I love that BWOF fits my butt with very little alteration.

So, good length?

Couture Jacket Class -- 3

So we have done lots of things in my Couture Jacket class but the pace is exceedingly slooooow. Here's a brief run-down on all the little things we have done so far.

1. Did a tissue fitting. I talked about it in this post. We decided to take out a 1/2" for the shoulder to bust region and add an inch in the back for my forward-thrusting neck.
2. We found all the stitching lines on the tissue paper and added 1" seam allowances to the edges. Those who though they might need to add more, added 1.5" or 2" seam allowances just to be sure.
3. We traced everything out on muslin. That's everything; all notches, grainlines, circles, bust points, waist markings, stitching line, everything.
4. We then put our muslin pieces together.
5. We did a muslin fitting. The fitting is really my favorite part. I sort of know how stuff should fit but how exactly does a sleeve and bodice fit together? Should the seam be over that pointy bone? Over the edge of the shoulder? In between the two? I'll get back to you on that.
6. After the fitting you re-mark anything that she pinned. Luckily for me, she didn't make any adjustments to my muslin. We will take in the final garment quite a bit in the waist and shoulders but, for now, we are not going to change anything on the muslin.
7. Take apart your muslin and use that for the final pattern when you cut out your fashion fabric. You do this because most of the time you have an asymmetrical shape and you need more room on one side than the other.
8. Prepare your wool and put it on grain. I pulled a thread and cut apart my wool because I have four yards of it. I only need 1.5 yards for the jacket. I sewed the wool together like in this post to make sure it was on grain.
   

Here are some shots of my muslin. Excuse the wrinkles. I rolled it up and stuck it in my bag and it's been sitting there for a week.


We only made one arm out of muslin. We only attached it the bottom of the armhole. That's the part you don't want to mess with. The upper part of the sleeves can be taken in or let out as needed.


Here's the inside of the jacket without all the markings. She had us sew on the grainline so that she could see it from both sides of the jacket.


Here's my final muslin all put together. This will become my pattern.

Utilitarian sewing and go VOTE!

First off, because I keep forgetting: Go vote in the PatternReview.com Mini-Wardrobe contest. There are some amazing entries. There is one on there that just makes me giggle every time I look at the composite photo.

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Nothing too exciting on the sewing front. My husband wears a lot of overalls when he is working on the slope. They have to be made out of flame resistant material. These are expensive overalls. When guys stop working up there, they usually give their overalls to other workers. My husband got this set from his father who also works on the slope. They were too big in the waist. With my new-found altering expertise (I'm totally kidding, btw), I had him put them on inside out and I pinched out a dart through the waist. He didn't want two darts in the back and said he preferred this. It does mess up the seam in the back but who is going to (1) be looking and (2) care. Here's the dart I chalked on. I made the mark darker in the photo-editing program so you could see it.

Here's the inside after I sewed the dart. It's a crappy picture.

Here are the finished overalls. It looks kind of funny where that bottom triple stitched seam disappears. But, like I said, who is going to care? This is dude-clothing.

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Next up for me: Remember when I went through the phase a few months ago where I was sewing things out of my comfort zone (dolman top and gathered knit top)? Well, I love that dolman-sleeved top and wear it all the time with a tank and jeans. So, I decided to do another out-of -the-box pattern. I am making this 06/2009 #112 with this Ralph Lauren twill fabric (from the Houston Haul). I shy away from cropped pants because I am not tall. But, I really like this version in the magazine. We shall see, eh?

Make Me Stop

I have a birthday party to go to on Saturday. It's for a little girl who is turning five. I wanted to make her something crafty and something inexpensive. She's five. I'm not into spending lots of money on toys that kids destroy. Instead I made her little monster stuffies. These were my practice monsters. Aren't they cute?!?!?!??! Once I made these I just couldn't stop. I made eight of these today. I have a sickness, stop me. I made two different types of monster.


I would like to say that it was my kids who made me pose them in the garden. But no, that was all me.


This is the real set for the birthday girl. She's really into pink. I decided that I would add snaps to the "mom" and "baby" monsters so they would be a set and stick together. The back of the "mom" has the male end of the snaps and the back of the "babies" had the female end. It amuses me to no end that the ones on the "mom" look like nipples. Trust me, it's funny. I'll take a picture tomorrow.



What I love about these is that my kids love them so I know she will love them too. I like toys that promote that imagination side of play. Also, it used up a bunch of denim scraps. I think once they get washed the edges will fray and they will look even cuter.

So, what am I going to do with the other ones I made today? I was tossing around the idea of throwing them on Etsy. I really like making them. They make me chuckle. The embroidery machine does all the work. I just stuff them and stitch the side seams when they are finished. I may see if there are any takers . . .

More Jeans Stuff

If you are sick of me on my jeans kick I understand. Fell free to drop me hate mail, egg my house, or just skip this post. I found some interesting jeans information in InStlye magazine the other day. Here are some excerpts.

I have some 12oz black denim just waiting to get cut up.

This was a whole spread on the 6 types of cool jeans for Right Now.

This page talks all about how they shoot the denim with BB guns, bleach it, drill it, slice it, etc.

#3 was interesting. They show a pair of jeans that is heat-welded and use no stitches. They are a steal at $345. Yikes.

Uck, acid wash.

Another uck, the skinny jean. These make me look like a badminton racket. Skinny ankles and calves with an ample space to serve a birdie.

The pictures should get bigger when you click on them. Enjoy!

Another one . . . Burda 06-2009 #101

So I like this one much better. I used a lovely blue double knit from Gorgeous Things. I tried to find it on her website but she must be sold out. I love this. It's not a dress for hot, hot weather though. It's certainly an Alaska dress with the double layered bodice in double knit. I didn't do much differently than last time. I did add my 1/2" bust adjustment so it's shortened just a bit.






The back had a center back seam. Burda would have you put a zipper in here. I added a swayback adjustment. I probably would have added a center back seam anyway to do the swayback adjustment. I didn't put in a zipper. Burda, it's a knit. Knits are stretchy.

Detail of bottom pleating.

Detail of top pleating.

Inside of bodice. The facing is not stitched down yet. I just had to show you guys. It did not finish the edges of the facing because I didn't want to add even more bulk. It's double knit, there are two layers, there are lots of pleats, it's thick enough.

I'm off to write the PatternReview review! :)

What the heck is it?

Living up here and being a huntin' family, I get a lot of odd requests. This object for example. It's made out of neoprene with lycra bindings. It has a strap on the inside, also made of neoprene. It has a plastic post-type button and three holes. Guess yet?

The inside.

The outside, unbuttoned.

Does anyone know where I can find this type of button? It's just like a jeans-style post button button but it's plastic. Metal would reflect light and you don't need that when you are looking for game. Guess yet?

Here it is from the side. Hmmmm, it's almost like something should go in there.

The request was to make four of them from this sorry pair of waders. They have been used for many years and they have several un-patchable holes. I took all the fun hardware off too.

I used a China Marker, or grease pencil, to mark the outline of the "thing".

Here are the four I cut out with the strap for the inside.

Did you figure it out? It's binocular covers. The strap on the inside goes around the binoculars to hold the cover on. The regular binocular straps actually support the weight of the binoculars. This cover just keeps the twigs, dirt, rain, and sweat off the eyepieces.

After this little project, I'll be knocking out another June 2009 pleated top but this time in the form of a, well, dress. I have the perfect fabric for it!

Am I busty yet?? Burda 06-2009 #102

This is BWOF 06-2009 #102. It's the pleated knit top in the newest issue of BWOF. The little sewing tip next to the pattern says, "The jersey top on the opposite page is particularly suited for women with a small bust, as the pleats add volume. Ladies with a large bust should topstitch pleat folds in place to prevent pleats from opening, thus reducing volume." When I read this, I thought, "Wow! I'll be busty when I wear this top! Wooo hoooo!" Well, I chose the wrong fabric. All in all, I really like the pattern but this one will be a wadder. I used a bamboo/lycra jersey. I've never used this fabric before. Does bamboo always wrinkle so badly? Out of the dryer, it was a mess. Ironing it made the edges curl like crazy. I should have known better than to try it with this top. This would be great as a thin layering t-shirt with no details. Putting the folds in almost killed me.

Okay, the nitty gritty. This top had two bodices. The pleats are done on the front version. There is also a dart tucked into those outer pleats. On the bodice lining there is no pleating but the dart is still there.


After you pleat your little heart out, you put the two layers together. You put them wrong sides together so you can sew the darts together. I assume this is to keep the two layers joined.



After pleating and joining the bodices, it's a piece of cake. Join the waist and peplum and attach to the bodice. I think the pattern has a lot of promise. I think I'll use a much more stable knit and make the dress version. This fabric was just too wimpy. I like the length on it. I didn't tack down the facing because I knew, at this point, I would be chucking this. I will be including the facing on the next go around. Since the bodice is lined, I can handsew the facing to the lining and it will be secure. You could just bind it but I like the look of no topstitching with all those pleats.



Here's a blow-up of that previous picture. You can see the pleats are unfolding themselves and sort of falling out of shape. Stitching the pleats closed would also help with this. I also *cough* forgot to do my shoulder to bust shortening too. That will help to make that area tighter. The v-neck is low but it'll be perfect once I do the 1/2" I usually do.

You can see the knit is stretched out in places.

So, no, I'm not busty yet but I'll get there. See where my shirt goes over my jeans? That's an indicator of how this this knit is. You can actually see the waistband of my jeans if you look closely.

I'll post this over at PatternReview.com too because I know there were several people wanting to make this top.