Sunday, May 31, 2009

Knit cardigan started


Knit cardigan started
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl
I was able to make pattern adjustments, cut out the pattern and began the sewing process. The FBA resulted in a bust dart and I decided to keep it. I sewed the front and back shoulders together. Perhaps after dinner just a few more stitches.

Knit for cardigan

This is knit fabric purchased to go with the dress fabric.

Knit for cardigan
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl
I wish I could find the aqua shade in a knit to have that as an alternate look. I am using a Nancy Zieman knit pattern from McCall's for the cardigan. Has a shawl collar and I am going to make the short sleeve version.

Simplicity 2798 Complete

The dress is complete. Here is a view of it hanging. The skirt band and the yoke are from the same contrasting fabric. I got two thumbs up from DH for this dress.

Dress band


Skirt band
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl
Dress is complete. The dress band is the same fabric as the yoke.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Blogthings - Your Word is "Peace"

Okay I took the quiz also!


Blogthings - Your Word is "Peace": "Your Word is 'Peace'

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of.
Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you.

While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life.
You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway."

Sewing on my mind

I had visions of completing the dress as well as the knit cardigan. Family situation arose and off to big D today instead.

Yet I want to let you know that I spent 10 minutes here or there before going to work each day to do a little something toward completing the dress. The top stitching around the armhole bias binding was completed yesterday before going to work. My plan when we return this evening is to turn up the hem band and stitch in place. Then stitch down the back facing to zipper tape.

Fast forward>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>It is now 10:42 PM and I am happy to tell you that all is complete with dress except the back facing stitching. Yeah!!!!!!! Tomorrow AM I will take some photos of the dress. The knit fabric for cardigan has been washed and dried. It feels even nicer since washing. I read through the instructions for the cardigan; it has a turn back shawl color. I plan to do all the hemming with my new coverstitch machine. Finally will get to use it for real sewing--not practice. It appears to be a straight forward, easy pattern. I still need to pin fit the pattern to determine best size. I am hoping that I can get back with minimal changes.

Later.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Sewing journey continues

I have been so productive for the past two days sewing my new dress in between many other necessary and fun activities. Gosh if only the holiday could be extended another day.


My latest dress is almost complete. I am so pleased with the fit. I decided to go with the finished measurements on the pattern. I still pin fitted the pattern and using the D cup front and side front pieces I still had to add an inch to the bust. I chose to use the size 16 but perhaps if I had used 18, I would not have had to do this. I used Sandra Betzina's princess bust adjustment technique to add the extra needed.

The waist and hip fit perfect. I have been using an 18 in other patterns and normally ended up taking up the seams to fit snugger. The 16 fit without any other adjustments. The dress is complete except for stitching down the armhole bindings and turning up the lower band attached at the hem line. The lower band is the same material as the yoke. I used an invisible zipper instead of using a regular zipper with lapped seam.

Someone asked if the dress is for casual wear or business. I am thinking more along the lines of business casual. I plan to make a knit short sleeve cardigan to wear with this. I have the knit fabric; I acquired it when I purchased the dress fabric. My ambitious plans for this holiday weekend was to have that cut and sewn also.

My rating for this pattern is high. I can see several other options to use to make additional dresses for summer and fall. Instructions are very good and no mislabeled pattern pieces. I hope to have photos later. Time to go eat strawberry shortcake!

Back pieces-underlined


Back pieces-underlined
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

I underlined all main body pieces with white China silk lining. After pin basting lining fabric to fabric I then serged the edges together. For the back piece I sewed the dart with lining and fabric together. Underlining is fairly new technique for me. It is one that I am beginning to like more and more.

Front view 2

This is front pinned to AlmaMarie. There will be a band at the bottom of the skirt using same fabric as the yoke.

Front view 2
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

Pocket


Pocket
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl
Another view of pocket.

Side front with pocket


Side front with pocket
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

This is side front with pocket. This pocket is sewn in similar to Butterick skirt with side front pleating and pocket.

Yoke, piping and front

Yoke attached to front and piping at the edge.

Simplicity 2798


Simplicity 2798
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Attitude of Gratitude Award




Thank you Cennetta for this award!



Here are the steps to follow for accepting and extending this award to others:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate a few blogger's that show an attitude of gratitude

3. Link to your nominees within your post

4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award

5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award.

6. Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude




Nominees:

Susan-2B Sewing

Mary-Mary is Sewfast

Beth-Rusty Bobbin Inklings

Gwen-All My Seams


There are more that I could nominate but these four were top of mind.



I am truly grateful for all of the new sewing friends that I have met through blogging. There is so much sharing and learning from everyone. Because of this sharing, my sewing skills are so much more than what they use to be. I have been willing to try new techniques and have sent emails to many asking for more information. It was always a pleasure to get a response and support.

I am most thankful to my Grandmother who was my initial sewing teacher and I am so glad I got those genes from her.

I always thankful that I am alive and well and that my DH of 36 years is still sharing life with me.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Wearability factor

I wore my new dress today, without the chain belt. And I liked it. I started with it on but I could not find the right tightness/looseness. If I loosened too much, the belt front slipped down further than I wanted, no problem with the back area with my "hip fluff" that keeps most anything from falling off in the rear. If I tightened it, there was some gathering that just did not look right. So no belt.

I have to say that with the higher waist styles skirts and now faux high waist skirt with this dress, my posture is improving as I feel compelled to stand straight and suck in the tummy.

I got lots of compliments from co-workers and my staff. They all wanted to touch the blouse fabric. It is really nice fabric and I must search through my records to find the site where I purchased this vintage '60's fabric. The skirt being silk noil wrinkled somewhat but nothing like the linen houndstooth skirt I made. One look at that and it immediately wrinkles.

I did feel like the skirt expanded a little after several hours of wearing. I suppose that is better than the "how did this skirt get so tight after lunch feeling". All in all I like the dress and the look and feel.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Thank you Omega

I wanted to thank Omega for presenting me with the Blogger Buddy Award. It is nice to have so many sewing/blogger friends. I need to pass this on and I will soon. It is time to get off the computer and fix dinner. You can see the award on the side bar!!!

Simplicity Dress


Simplicity Dresses
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

A collage of all the views

Side view without belt


Side view without belt
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl
Without the belt.

Back view w-belt


Back view w-belt
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

Wearing completed dress

I could not stand the idea of not showing the dress with me wearing it. So took some photo shots after I got home from work. The dress has not been fully pressed since hemming so there are wrinkles yet. I like wearing it with a belt. I may make the sash that is one of the design option with this pattern. If I do that should I use the bodice fabric or the skirt fabric? Your thoughts, please.

Yes Virginia it is a dress!


Unhemmed but complete
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl
Well the dress is finally complete. This photo of the dress does not show that it is hemmed but got it hemmed before I fell into bed last night!!

The dress does not look very flattering hanging! My DH said wow, this looks big! It does! But when on it fits well. Though I will wear a belt as the models wear in some of the versions shown on pattern envelope. I am even debating making the sash that is a design option with this pattern.

I hope to wear it later this week to work.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Sewing again

Well I have been sewing for a couple of hours this afternoon. The zipper insertion into the side seam is complete. My new zipper foot is so perfect for percise sewing, should have purchased it years ago.





After inserting the zipper I tried on the dress again and decided I needed to release some of the front seams as it was just a smidgen too tight. I think I may still need to take deeper seams through the back seams. I will make that decision after I insert the sleeves. Once that is done is hemming and yes, Virginia, it will be a complete dress.





I have already started planning my next dress though I have not settled on the pattern yet. The fabric is a cotton fabric of kiwi green, aqua dots on white back that I acquired from Les Fabrique in Charlottesville. I then saw the dress fabric at this site, made up in a child's dress. I like some of the contrasting fabric they used and decided I wanted to incorporate contrasting fabric as well. The dots along with contrasting fabric a part of a series of coordinating fabric by Michael Miller. So I ordered 1/2 a yard of three coordinating fabrics from The Quilted Castle.





You can see the fabric pieces in this photo.
Photo courtesy of The Quilted Castle



The upper right corner in the photo above is the main fabric and what I acquired in Charlottesville. The contrasting fabrics I selected are the three bottom fabrics.

Later, grilling dinner and got to run.


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Slowly but surely

I got to spend some time Saturday AM and PM working on the dress. I had some fitting issues with the skirt portion of the dress. I had added to front and side front seams and found I really did not need this extra amount. I also learned to stick with what I know. In this case it was to sew the front bodice to the skirt front and back bodice to the back skirt pieces, then sew the side seams. To make the front skirt piece fit to bodice, I removed the bodice side seam stitches and then proceeded to attach front top to front bottom. This helped me determine the amount I needed to take up through the center front seams.

The bodice and skirt pieces are attached now. I started sewing the side zipper. I have sewn the right zipper side, or in this case the back side seam to the zipper tape. The front seam is folded under and folded over the back zipper stitching. It is pinned in place will be ready to sew.

I made a recent purchase of another zipper foot. This is a thin/slender foot, particularly compared to the zipper foot that came with the machine. This one will allow me to "hug" the zipper teeth. I think it provides more control of the stitching as well.

Friday, May 08, 2009

What you see previously is what you see now!

I was amazed to see that I had not posted since Monday. Not sure why I should be amazed, it has been one of those weeks! Work has consumed me.

Yesterday, my boss, another staff member and I traveled to Richmond, VA which is over 2.5 hours drive, normally. We attended a very productive meeting with several staff from a state government agency. We then had lunch and then visited our sister agency leaving Richmond around 3:30; arriving back in Roanoke around 6:15 and then I drove myself home. I left home at 6:30 AM to meet my boss for the ride to Richmond. 12 hour day is a long day.

Earlier this week my work days included late hours as well. So no sewing going on here. So the photo of my dress from Monday is the way the dress is on Friday. I hope to get some sewing in tomorrow as Sunday is Mother's day and a trip to Danville again. Monday, I again travel to Richmond and will stay overnight as this is a two day business trip.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Skirt unit in progress

I completed the skirt front and back pieces both in the fabric and lining. I mentioned in an earlier post I might use Stitch n Flip method of lining but decided against this. I intend to sew the skirt lining to fabric at the top edge and then attach that to the dress bodice. The bodice is underlined using China Silk white lining fabric. It worked well with the bodice fabric.

Here I pinned the front to the bodice just to see how this will look. I am loving the spring colors of this garment. I recently purchased a pair of pale pink shoes I ordered from Nordstrom's during their free shipping on shoes promotion. I need to post photos of the shoes; I also purchased a whiskey brown pair of slingbacks with white trim. I have two brown dresses I made to wear with those shoes. I want a pair of pants to wear with them as well.
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Dress progress

Yesterday's weather was perfect for staying in doors and sewing. So I made some progress with my dress. You can see the stand collar attached in this photo. I had to trim the back neckline about 1/4 inch to improve the fit. I am pleased with the fit of the bodice for this pattern. I am pretty much following the instructions with this pattern. Thus I am deviating from my usual sew all the front pieces and back pieces together then sew side seams. I think I chose mainly to do this because of the side zipper insertion which my method may prove to be a better way of fitting adjustments. Yet I wanted to make sure the top fit well before proceeding with the skirt portion.
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Saturday, May 02, 2009

No Sewing Today

I so wanted to sew some today but we needed to visit DH's mother in Danville. By the time we got home, I just did not have any energy or mojo to sew. I think tomorrow will be a better day for it and hope to get a start on it early AM before DH gets up.

I have been sewing the dress in my mind for days. I have been thinking about the lining and the skirt portion of the dress. I think I am going to try the Stitch "N Flip method. This is based on the method taught at PR by Shannon Gifford. I took her class through PR and it was Stitch 'N Flip lining method for jackets. It will work for the skirt as well. I also have thought about the side zipper and have decided to use the lapped zipper method instead of inserting an invisible zipper.

I have even begun planning my next project, which will be a sheath style dress. More later.

August Sewing Simplicity 7295

 I am not doing well as a blogger. I have been working on this project since July 30. Today, I finally finished it. It has been a stop-and-g...