Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Business Travel again
I googled fabric shops for the area and found a JoAnn's and two quilting stores. Not sure that I would get the opportunity to shop anyway. Never hurts to check out the potential resources however.
I have some ideas shaping up for several new sewing projects. I also want to do some embroidery projects for gifts for Christmas! Gosh, did I just say Christmas. Tomorrow is October! I don't hardly remember the summer. More later.
Monday, September 29, 2008
What I wore 9-29-08
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Photos of the Vogue dress
View of the back shoulder and sleeve.
The sleeve as I have noted before is two pieces. This is the top seam of the sleeve. The cuff is a cut-on cuff. You can see it turned up here.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Slow and steady
I pressed and fussed over perfecting the collar on the dress. That is now complete. I completed the sewing of the sleeves that are two pieced sleeves with cut on cuffs. Sleeves are ready to insert.
Side seams are sewn and need to be pressed. Facing is now pinned in place and will baste the facings down, per instructions. This will allow me to do a fitting before I insert the sleeves. Once they are sewn in, then I will attach the snaps and topstitch the facings and hem. I think that I will get this completed tomorrow.
I had planned to take some photos as the dress progressed but didn't stop to get camera out and take some shots. I was intent on getting in as much sewing as possible.
Monday, September 22, 2008
After work
I trimmed the collar and upper front facing seam. Turned the collar and the front facing inside out and was pleased with how the collar was looking. Needs pressing and a little more trimming in the area where the collar and facing join. Next will be to sew the two sleeve pieces together, sew up the side seams, insert the sleeves, hem the dress, attach the snaps, topstitching the facings down and I will have a new dress.
This is a pen striped material with the stripes being a lovely blue shade. I acquired a blue fabric this weekend on sale at a local fabric/sewing machine dealer/quilting store. I am not sure if this is the right blue but if so, I can see me making the pattern jacket from it to go with this dress. It will give it a little "pop".
Sunday, September 21, 2008
B5247
B5257
B5259
M5752
Dress progress
The pattern instructions call for you to attach the interfaced collar to back neckline and a portion of the front area. You then attach the non-interfaced collar to the front interfacing, then fold back the front facing, stitch the two collar pieces together and then stitch the folded back front facing at the top edge. You will then turn everything inside out.
You can go here and see the attached collar and front facing folded to outside. I need to trim the seams, turn inside out and press.
The sleeves will be attached next. They are in two pieces which gives some nice fitting opportunities.
I basted the side seams to make sure that the fit was going to be okay. I discovered that I need to take a deeper back dart seam and perhaps extend it more into the upper back area.
Sewing Update
I ended up removing the foot and just sewing with the shank/ankle holding the button down to sew them on.
I finished the seam allowances by serging. This AM I interfaced the fold on facing and collar. I decided that the collar needed a double layer of the interfacing (So Soft) I was using. I think this worked well. I sewed the darts in the back and have the front darts ready to sew.
DH is up now so time to fix us some breakfast. It feels good to be sewing again. More later.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Sewing, what is that?
I cut the openings in the buttonholes on my blouse and was going to sew the buttons on. No buttons sewn yet. I did re-thread the serger for use on the dress. I suppose that may count as quasi-sewing. These things I have done a few evenings this week. When you get home late-late for me is -past 7 pm, then energy is not so high.
Today DH and I have to go to Danville to deal with family stuff. So my plans for sewing today are postponed to later today. Tomorrow there will be opportunities.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Guess what today was?
Here is a few shots of the dress when I originally made it. This has been a great dress to wear. Wear it, wash it, dry it, and hang it for the next wearing. Can't get much better than that. This was fabric I purchased when in DC for ASG National Conference about three years ago now. I had enough left to make the Jalie Sweetheart Top.
Sewing-no blogging
I then cut out the dress including marking the fabric for darts, etc. I think the fabric will sew up well as it was very easy to cut out, not fiddly nor excessive raveling.
I then stitched the buttonholes for the blouse. One of the buttonholes just did not stitch out correctly so had to undo stitches, which is very time consuming. If anyone reading this has an easy way to remove buttonhole stitches, I am open to any and all suggestions. I began sewing the buttons on the blouse and hope to wear this later this week.
More later.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Brown and blue
Friday, September 12, 2008
Around those who are sewing
There are a few of us who sew garments and home dec projects. We do have a "Designers" group who once a month tackle a garment project and currently they are working on jackets. I would love to participate in some of these groups but work gets in my way.
I missed out on the group trip to Mary Jo's but I was able to live through the experience by the telling of others.
TGIF! I have patterns to fit, fabrics to cut and sewing to start this weekend.
Coco Chanel
Thursday, September 11, 2008
ASG Meeting
I did get to JoAnn's earlier this week and got some very nice buttons for my blouse so I can finish that up and have something new to wear. I did wear my new Vogue dress on Tuesday and got lots of comments about the dress. I have to say that it wore well and the knit I used feels fabulous.
Got to run and finish getting dressed for work. Later.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Quick update
I have cut around patterns for a Vogue dress and for the Teagarden T. That's all the sewing related things I have done since returning to work. I have gotten home late Monday and Tuesday so sewing is slower than slow.
Later.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Blouse is complete-except
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Blouse progression
I am taking this a little slow as I have not made a blouse with front band, plus collar and collar stand. I am going for some perfection here, not speed. I mentioned this before but this is great fabric to sew.
Here are some shots of my progress today. Yesterday I did not sew. I had a mani-pedicure and it was fabulous. I love vacations that you get pampered and just do much of nothing!
Beauty note
Of course I find myself trying some new cosmetics as a result. Today I learned I won the August reader gift give away on "Beauty Tips Revealed"-an anti-aging product. She was nice enough to post a link to my blog.
I truly have been lucky winning items from other blogs:
- A coffee table book all about shoes
- Nails kit and polish
- Foot masque
- Fabric from Burda Style
- Two Vintage Patterns
- Anti-aging products
Now if I could only win the Mega Millions Lottery.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Vacation and Sewing
I am making View B but without the ruffle as I ran out of material. I really like this pattern, so far. It comes with B,C,D cup sizes. The instructions are good but I don't like how they have you attach the upper and low sections together so I am doing it my way. They have you sew the upper front and back together at shoulder and side seams. Then you sew the lower pieces together for the front and back. You then hem the lower edge and then attach to the upper pieces. I prefer and do sew the lower front pieces together and attach to the upper front pieces and do the same for the back. Then I sew the front unit to the back unit. This allows in my opinion better fitting opportunity or adjustments. You also have one continuous side seam.
The fabric I am using comes from my stash and is a lovely rayon fabric I purchased from Textile Studios several years ago-at least more than two years ago. It was a breeze to cut out and it sews great. I will take photos later. I actually have a complete bodice unit made and hemmed the blouse. This is done prior to attaching the front bands. I am following the instructions here at this point as I have not made a blouse that has a front button band in a couple of years. I have made pullover or back zipped blouses. So there maybe a better technique than this but this one seems to be easy enough to follow and under stand.
More later.
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