Friday, February 27, 2009

Ebay purchase

Have you heard or do you use the Lutterloh system? My curiosity about this system final got to me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the price for this system so decided to check out Ebay. I won an auction last weekend for this,a somewhat lesser price, and it arrived yesterday. It is an interesting concept for drafting a pattern.

If you have experience with the program, leave me a comment on how well or not the system worked for a pattern draft and other information.

This will be a new project for me in the next few weeks. I am still going to work on the BWOF pattern to get it to fit right.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Pattern tweaks

I was able to play in my sewing room this evening! I tweaked the BWOF pattern a little more. I shortened by one inch. I removed the dart and adjusted the side seams from bust down using Debbie Cooks FBA tutorial. I still need to work on the back pattern piece shortening it and perhaps making an additional swayback adjustment. I need to pull out the FFRP book as I know that this is addressed in this book.

I even looked through my knit fabric stash and found a suitable knit to test for the second top. The other knit was just too stretchy, somewhat like slinky but yet not slinky. I have had that particular knit fabric for several years, acquired by Fabric.com.

I got some feedback at "burdaenglish" yahoo group on how some others did the neckline. Some helpful tips there. So I am hoping to play around with this, this weekend.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Top 108-Feb BWOF

Yes, I took the plunge and traced my first BWOF pattern. I chose pattern #108 as it was to my mind a simple pattern to start with. A front, a back and two sleeves.

Unsure of the size to use I ended up using the largest size and decided I would need a FBA. I also went back and forth on whether the dart was in the right location or should I lower it. For some reason, still unknown to me, my inner voice said not to lower and I chose not to listen. The dart sits to low and some of that could be the knit fabric I chose to use for this test garment.

I did a swayback adjustment but the back length is still to long. I have the same issue with Jalie patterns as well. More work to do on that problem.

I decided to follow the instructions for the neckline hem/topstitching and that created a sewing issue for me when it came to sewing the shoulder seams. Their way has you turn under the neckline seam allowances as first step and topstitch. Then sew shoulder seams. When doing that, the neckline was wonky and did not lay right. So I think I will do it another way. I just wrote (ranted) about this at the "burdaenglish" yahoo group. I am hoping someone will tell me if they used their method and how they got it to work.

So I am disappointed with my first try with this pattern. I will not give up and will tweak the pattern further and still use knit stash fabric that will not be painful to me if I ruin it. I did ruin this test knit fabric due to removing stitches one time to many. It now has holes in it.

More later.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

New fabrics

I bought some knit fabrics during the month and all arrived last week. I renewed my Vogue Fabric subscription and while online renewing I decided to look at some of the clearance fabrics. Here's what I purchased.

The yellow is a nice polyester knit with nice body and not very drapey. The other fabric is a brown and white with orange/brown border running down both selvages. Feels great and is rather drapey.
I participated in the Sewing Studios week long sale which ended last Sunday. I acquired two knit fabrics which I believe are a poly and cotton blend. The colors are coral and melon. I was surprised how well they went with the yellow knit from Vogue. Here's a shot of these three fabrics together. I have a Kwik Sew pattern in mind to make a dress from all three knits.
Photo courtesy of Kwik Sew.com

KS 2759 seond and third time around

This is the third time I have made the cami from this pattern. I added a little extra to the side seam with this one due to the stretch of the knit just being at 35% as required. This is my second time using this to make the cardigan.

I adjusted the cardigan this time by doing a small FBA as the first one I made fits okay but a little snug. I like the fit of this cardigan. Thought next time I might add a little to the upper back area as it feels a little snug.
This was great knit to sew with. ( You were right, Carolyn). I realized that Carolyn had sewn this knit fabric before. I acquired this from Fabric.com along with another knit piece that I have yet to make up.
My fold over elastic arrived yesterday. Unfortunately the pale yellow I ordered was not pale enough. I decided to try using bias tape to finish the front and back neck area of the cardigan. I like the results and it helps stabilize the front with out having to cut a front and back neck facing. I also used the bias tape for the cami neckline as well.
I took some shots of me wearing both. I cropped out as much of me as possible as I still had on my pj bottoms and no make-up
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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Weekend sewing

I have not gotten much sewing in this week. No surprise there! I have been thinking about sewing my cardigan and top though. I ordered some fold over elastic from Saf-T-Pockets.com as they have a great color selection of this elastic. I ordered a pale yellow as the background color for the cardi/cami is pale yellow. I am hoping that this will match/blend well enough to use this on the cami neckline. I received a notice that it has been shipped; so maybe, maybe, maybe it will arrive this weekend.

I also had an opportunity this week to do some window shopping at Macy's while out for lunch. I got some great ideas for dresses and knew I had numerous patterns at home that would be very similar to those in the store. I am hoping that something in my fabric collection will jump out and say "make me"!

Thank you!

Thank you for the positive comments on the skirt. I wore it yesterday to work with black sweater/top and black opague hose with black shoes. I got quite a few compliments from my staff and peers.

I really like the flip of the drape when you walk. Rather "girly" feeling. I have to say though after wearing for awhile I felt like the skirt was getting larger! I really need to work on stabilizing those skirts without waistbands better. I am going to take deeper side seams from waist to just above hip with this skirt. I want it just a little snugger.

I do know this I will make another ruffle skirt as well as another view from this pattern.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Wearing Vogue skirt

Everyone likes to see the new garment on the person and not the dress form or hanger. So I compiled some blurry shots that I took of my skirt yesterday to do a review on PR. I plan to wear this skirt tomorrow or Thursday as I have business meetings both days. I wanted to have a new blouse or top to wear with it but will make do with what I have in my closet currently.

I really like this skirt pattern now that I worked through fitting issues. There are so many other views that this skirt can become a TNT skirt pattern.
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Sunday, February 15, 2009

KS 2759 Cardigan sleeve

This gives you a better idea of the fabric. This is the 3/4 sleeve for the cardigan.
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KS 2759


Photo of the fabric and pattern tracing for KS 2759. Ready to sew.
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Saturday, February 14, 2009

You know your sewing mojo is returning when.....

.......you wake up from a decent night's sleep and your first thought is you know what pattern you are going to use and for what fabric! I do think that I dreamed this in my sleep. So after drinking coffee, eating cereal, going to CURVES and returning home. I went straight to my sewing room and pulled out the pattern(s) and fabric. Both patterns are Kwik Sew patterns and one I have used twice now to make two camisole tops (cami's) plus the cardigan once. I knew that the fit was good for the cami. However when I woke this morning I thought about using another KS top to go with the cardigan.

That pattern required some pin fitting and after doing this I decided to do a FBA. After making the adjustment however, I decided that in the end this top was not going to work as well with the cardigan as I had thought. That's okay, I want to make this top and has been on my long to do list forever. I pulled some other knit fabrics out to decide what I want to try first. I haven't decided yet but the pattern is ready to go.

I cut out the cardigan and cami top from a knit fabric I purchased from Fabric.com a couple of years ago. I love the feel of it. Rather soft but good recovery.

After going out to dinner with DH for Valentines/Anniversary, we came home and I decided to trace my first BWOF pattern from the February 2009 issue. It is a simple knit top with boat neck and either long or 3/4 sleeves. I plan to use another knit fabric that I acquired at the same time I purchased the fabric mentioned above.

So tomorrow I plan to sew the cami and cardigan and to allow some time to cut out the other KS pattern and maybe even the BWOF pattern. I may be thinking more than I can reasonably do but the mojo is back.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

On to the next project

Now that I have put aside the Vogue jacket, I want to make something from the February BWOF issue. There are so many things to choose from. My key favorites are: the knit top/dress, this jacket, this simple top and this dress.

I still want to make a jacket for my skirt. However with the warming trend we have had lately (though I see from the weather channel we are heading for colder spell again) I am leaning more and more toward sleeveless top with cardigan to go with the skirt to transition into spring.

Again this week I have worked late hours and taking time to exercise as I know this helps me physically as well as mentally with stress that by the time I get home, I just don't have energy to actually do anything in my sewing room. The good news is this weekend is wide open for sewing opportunities.

My day has started early. I have a breakfast meeting and seminar to attend today. Our ASG meeting is tonight so I get to be around some other sewists. Later.

Monday, February 09, 2009

UNCLE!

First and foremost my DH's tests proved to be very positive. He was given a clean bill of health with both test. Thank you all for wishing us well.

After returning home, I spent some time responding to company emails and report writing. Around 3:30 I went to my sewing room to work on the jacket from h---! I came to realize this AM that part of the not wanting to sew is the darn jacket. No matter what I do the bottom portion of the front pulls to the side. It is not even a pull it just swings out and to the side. After sewing the lining to the sleeves, I turned up the hem on the jacket and tried it on.

The back puffs out at the back and the front continues to do what I described above. No matter what I have tried to do I can not remedy this. I attempted this jacket before and that one is an UFO. I had pulled out that jacket before starting this one. The same front issue occurred on that one. I thought it was a FBA thing, but that is not the case. I just don't want to work on this pattern anymore! UNCLE! I'm calling it.

I am disappointed because I really wanted a jacket to wear with the matching fabric skirt. The skirt is now a good fit and is at the cleaners for me to wear. I have another jacket that is one of those multi- colored jackets and I can find some color of the skirt in the jacket but it just is not right! I looked through my fabric collection and DH even assisted, I found two fabrics that are okay. One is more winter into spring type look so I am kind of leaning toward that one. The other fabric is more gray than taupe, yet the brown in the plaid of this fabric makes the gray look a little taupe where the gray and brown cross. I have to say the taupe fabric leans more toward a lavender shading.

I then came across a knit fabric that is yellow with purple/burgundy print. A nice color blend with the lavendar taupe skirt. I thought perhaps a cardigan and sleeveless top. I have a KS pattern that I made a short sleeve cardigan and sleeveless pullover so I think this will work for this fabric.

I need to decide on another jacket pattern. I am tossing this Vogue one. Others have used it with success, but twice for me and poor results is enough to call UNCLE!

Mojo rising

This weekend was gorgeous. We had spring like weather on Saturday and Sunday. Highs in the upper 60's-low 70's. What a nice break from the extreme colds earlier in the week with highs only in the upper 20's.

I am like a bear in winter-I pretty much hibernate. With the warm temperatures on Saturday, I just did not feel like sewing at all. Though my thoughts did turn to warm weather clothing to sew. The closest thing I did to sewing on Saturday was to go to JoAnn's Fabrics to get some batting to be used as sleeve heads in jackets and I bought a Sew News magazine. With warm weather comes thoughts of grilling, so I stopped at the grocery store to buy steaks and baking potatoes. I cleaned up the grill and grilled our steaks for an early dinner. Then I just plunked myself down for TV time with DH.

Sunday AM I began work on my jacket again. Inserted the shoulder pads and sleeve heads, attached the lining unit to the neckline and front edge. That is as far as I got as again the spring like fever bit so DH and I went motorcycling.

Today I am going with DH to two doctors' appointments which are follow ups to two health issues he has had over the past few years. I like to go as he misses a lot of what the doctor says. This month he and I will have been married 36 years. I would like for him to be around much longer so I choose to go and hear what the doctors tell him about what he should and should not be doing. In between I need to do some work related things as well as ASG Treasurer work and who knows I just might get the jacket completed!

Friday, February 06, 2009

TGIF

Not much actual sewing going on here so far this week. I have even gone into the sewing room and basically turned around and walked out. I have been here, done this before. Hopefully this weekend my sewing mojo will return. Right now too much is going on with work, health, etc. and sewing something is just not doing it for me.

I continue to be inspired by others but just in a "sewist block" now. The good thing is that it is Friday, payday and like a kid, I start to stay up late tonight, watch taped TV programs and know that tomorrow there is no alarm clock to wake me up.

Later.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Response to some comments

First, thank you to all who have shared their prescription insurance issues with me. I am not taking no for an answer.

A great suggestion but unfortunately one I can not take advantage of is putting more funds in to my flexible spending account. That benefit went away a couple of years ago and I really miss it now.

Someone posed a question about how I am getting remarks or arrows on some photos I have on Flickr or posted here. I am using Picasa for most of my photo editing and I also use Picnic which allows me to put in additional shapes and such. I did use Photoshop but when I took my computer in the last time I did not put this back on the computer. The Firedog tech said that was a program creating some of my problems. I now don't think so but doing okay with two programs mentioned above.

Someone also asked what was FFRP-Fit For Real People. It is a book on fitting that I refer to the most when it comes to making pattern fitting adjustments.

August Sewing Simplicity 7295

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