New Pattern Update

I tried on the new knit top after stitching binding to neck and inserting the sleeves. I basted side seams and tried on.

Neck binding looked good. I basted orignially. It was standing away from my body around the scoop part of the neckline. Thus I shortened binding and rebasted. Looked good so serged the binding to neckline. Fits great now.

The overall fit is not great nor is it too bad. However it is way to short and if it was longer then perhaps I could get by with the fact that it is a little too tight in the bust. Because it is short it stands away right at the waist line in front. Not a pretty sight, nor flattering. I realized after cutting that it probably was going to be on the short side.

Also in the front the armscye area on the bodice front seems to be to wide. It is not fitting my arm area well in the front. In looking at fitting related books, I may have a narrow chest area and need to go smaller in that area. I have a C/D cup so I have a tendency to go with larger size. Perhaps because I want to avoid doing a FBA. I think with this pattern I made need to go with smaller size in the chest area and then go to larger right under the arm area. Now that the sleeves are serged onto the front, my only option is to undo stitching in front area and scoop out some of the front armscye area tapering to original at the underarm. That comes from reading not my experience.

Well got to stop this writing at this time, need to finish getting ready for work. (Sigh!)

Snatching Sewing Moments

On Saturday, traveled to Durham, NC to visit my dad. About a three hour trip there from Roanoke. We returned home around 7 pm, stopped for dinner on the drive back.

Spent about an hour in sewing room, finishing up an embroidery design that was on the last color stitch. Have two more designs to sew and will be able to complete my second FSL bowl for one gift for Christmas. More to go!!!

While that was stitching out, I cut out a knit, T-shirt pattern from a new pattern company called Hot Patterns. They are a start up pattern company who had some difficulties meeting the orders they received from it appears a gazillion people wanting to try yet another independent pattern company pattern. I got two of my three that I ordered. I've included a link with this posting. http://www.hotpatterns.com/

I made the usual forward shoulder/swayback adjustment to the pattern. I used a cotton/lycra blend fabric in a steel gray color; ordered it from Vogue Fabrics.

This morning, Sunday, I started on the top, sewing the shoulders, binding the neck, attaching sleeves to bodice. I have basted the side seams at this time and will try on later to determine how it fits. I know right off that it is a short t-shirt. Perhaps to short for me, so next time I will lengthened. The pattern comes in three sizes, I ordered the glamour girl size as it is sized supposedly for women with B/C and D cup sizes.

More on this later and hopefully with pictures.

Thanksgiving & Sewing

Got up early on Thanksgiving and did some finishing touches to SNF Jacket; buttonhole/button, tacking of certain facing areas. Job Done!!!! Yeah!!! Then went to big "D", Danville, to have T-day dinner with some long time friends and their family. Great time. Non-traditional dinner-had Brunswick stew, cooked on big pot on brick grill in they side yard. Was excellent!!! Of course had desert(s)-bananna pudding, cherries in the snow and coconut custard pie. Back to CURVES on Monday.

Working on Free Standing Lace (FSL) Bowls for Christmas presents. Using both the Janome 300E and my Designer 1. Boy! these bowls use a lot of emboridery thread since the bobbin thread must match also. Thus you can understand why so much thread gets used. Here is a site with lots of FSL Bowl designs. My favorite! http://www.bfc-creations.com

Also want to try machine stitching a "knitted" look scarf. This was talked about in our last ASG meeting. You can get an idea of how it will work from the last Sulky Book (name escapes me now). More embroidery thread to buy and use. http://www.sulky.com

While machines are embroiderying I will be tracing a few patterns for jacket and knit tops to then cut fabric. Hope to do some sewing later today and Sunday as we will be traveling Saturday to NC to visit my dad and his brother.

SNF Jacket Completion

Finally! The jacket is completely sewn. I only need to add shoulder pads, buttonhole and button. I reviewed jacket on Pattern Review. Hem is wavy and I need to truly steam it and see if that helps. Other suggestions were to add a chain to the hem.

All in all I am pleased with the jacket. I will try this method again as it makes for a nice line jacket, especially when the jacket does not have a lining included in the pattern.

I want to make the LH Tuxedo Jacket next. I have some great fabric I purchased from Vogue Fabrics to make it up. All I need is time! Also want to work on making some knit tops.

SNF Jacket Almost Complete

Jacket is about complete, just a few minor things left to do. Photos reflect all the work that was basically done last night (Saturday) and today. I used my lining fabric to make the seam and edge binding. I used tie interfacing to make the sleeve heads reflected in the first photo. The second and third photos show the seam binding for the facing and hem. Also the seam binding was used on the sleeve edge since I chose to SNF instead of bagging the lining. (Note: for the future, I prefer to bag the lining.) I did not do that with this jacket since this was a learning experience. Too much hand sewing with this method.

The fabric has stretched some and I think it is due to so much handling. The interfacing I used was not as sturdy as I think I should have used for this ravely fabric. I love the fit of this jacket and made it previously in corduroy. I think that the jacket does better in firmer fabric. With this jacket I added a collar and did not do this with the first jacket.

I used 3/4 sleeves on the first jacket and went with the longer sleeve on this one. Unfortunately the sleeves seem to run short or I adjusted more than necessary. Thus the sleeve hems are only 1/2 inch.

I also used binding to bind the neck edge as this pattern does not have a back facing. Others noted this on Pattern Review that took the class and some made their own facing. I was rather lazy and decided to bind the neck edget and then stitch to lining. This worked okay.

I will post another inkling on this jacket with final photo. I will also review on Pattern Review.

I enjoyed the on line class for the Stitch and Flip Jacket. I will use this technique in the future on certain jackets.

I need and am working on embroiderying some items for Christmas presents. While working on those things next week, I plan to cut out some other patterns for my next sewing projects. Sew many ideas and sew little time!!!

Sewing Blurb for Friday-11/18

Work on my SNF jacket has halted this week. I hope to work on it some tonight and definitely this weekend. I really should finish it this weekend.

I need to start on Christmas gifts and finish those that I have started.

I read some new reviews on Pattern Review for patterns from companies I have not tried in some time. I saw a great review for a Sewing Workshop pattern. Usually they are large on me so need to think about that before taking a plunge and ordering.

Also have been inspired by recent items seen on Wild Ginger site for Pattern Master Boutique. I have been going to Curves about three times a week for about almost a month. Hopefully I have to update my measurements.!!!!! Not sure if lost weight but I have definitely firmed some areas. My doctor will be proud, he better be!

Slow but sure progress

DH had to work late today. I worked until 6:00. After stopping at Kroger's, proceeded home. Fixed soup and sandwich. I then worked on my SNF jacket. I completed the sleeves using SNF and inserted one during the weekend, I inserted the other sleeve tonight. Next will be the collar, sleeve heads, facings, hems and DONE!!

I have had a stressful work life for the past several days thus lacking energy or time to sew. For such a simple jacket it has taken me forever!! But also learning a new technique and wanting to do it right has added to the extended sewing time. However, the jacket is fitting well and I will have a new one to wear with several skirts and pants in my current wardrobe.

Here are some photos of my progress thus far.

Photos-SNF Jacket-Simplicity 4698

I indicated in an earlier post that I was going to upload photos of my SNF jacket. These photos show the lining using the Stitch and Flip (SNF) method; and the look of the outside front. Interesting way of sewing a lining. I think this method speeds up making a jacket with a lining. The class focused on SNF and topstitching the lining after sewing to fabric pattern piece. One can eliminate the topstitching with this method if you 'sew' choose. I can see using topstitching and not.

The photos were taken about two weekends ago. With family visits and such on Sunday and limited time Saturday, I have SNF the sleeves and inserted one. I am further along than the pictures show. Have not taken shots of where I am now.

I love the fit of this jacket. I made an earlier version and did like the fit. I did not like the partial lining technique used with the pattern. So this SNF fits well for this jacket. This is Simplicity 4698.

More updates on progress and completion soon.

Progress on Stitch and Flip

I am making progress on my Stitch and Flip Jacket. DH had to work late last night, so I stopped for quick dinner after work. Then when I got home I went straight to my sewing room. Turned on the Janome 300E and began to embroidery some designs that will be sewn together to become a FSL Bowl for one of my work pals.

I then started on the jacket. I have attached the shoulders and now trying SNF on the sleeves. I think the jacket is going to look great. The fabric is ravely boucle material that has been in my stash forever. I don't even remember where I got it at this point. It is a lovely dark pink with gray and white slugs. Normally I would have the jacket complete by now if not trying to follow a lesson plan and having uninterrupted time to sew.

I made this jacket Simplicity 4698 before in a pale yellow corduroy. This jacket will look more dressy than that one and will have a collar. I will upload photos later today on my progress.

My sewing

My work of late has been stressful so have not had time to sew as I would like. I daily check reviews at PatternReview.com to see what others have made.

I attended our local ASG last night. Always nice to meet and spend time with fellow sewist. The program was on sewing machine "knitting". This is where you take Ultra Solvy and use decorative threads, such as Sulky, and sew a grid and then stitch through and over other threads or yarns to make a scarve that can end up looking much like knitted scarves.

The usual Show n Tell followed with many members showing their latest fashion, purses or embroidered projects they had completed. Got a great idea for making fleece scarves that require no sewing.

This always gives me more ideas, however, no more time to do than what I can now.

Sewing Blurb for Tuesday

Downloaded 2 new lessons for Stitch and Flip Class, online from Pattern Review. Interesting technique and has added to my skills for lining jackets. Now have other alternatives.

Ready to sew the sleeves and line. I will hopefully post some pictures of various stages of construction of the jacket. I have taken some recently just need to upload from camera to computer.

Working on some embroidery projects for Christmas. They are free standing laces that you then stitch together to make thread bowls. Similar in some ways to the fabric bowls.

I have way to many ideas and not enough time in the day or week to get it all done.

Sewing Blurb for Monday

Well back to work today. Hopefully can do some sewing this evening.

Recent projects include completing Kwik Sew top-3360. I wrote a review for this on Pattern Review.com. I was not too disappointed with this top. However as some other reviewers indicated, this seems to run on the large size and is not as shapely as drawing would believe it to be. Here is picture of top.

First Sewing Post

I had been using Yahoo 360 for blog. Can't find my own blog address. Can you tell I am new to this. I am.

I plan to write about sewing projects and such.

Here goes:
I am taking a class on Pattern Review.com called Stitch and Flip Jackets. Great class and I am learning a new technique to line jackets. Interesting concept. I am not sure that I like as much as the basic sewing of a lining but I wanted to learn something new and may be a faster approach to lining.

Sometimes I want to add linings to unlined jackets and this seems a simple way to do so. I will keep you posted.