Birthday shoes

I bought this pair of shoes for my birthday the other week. I had posted that I would take photos to show; finally I did that yesterday.

I have not yet worn them. For some reason they look somewhat blue on my monitor; they are black. It is an embossed suede to look like a skin with a black patent leather heel. I did lighten the photo of the toe of the shoe so you could see the tassel. I hope to wear them soon.

All but the snaps

The jacket is now complete except for sewing on the snaps.  I decided I wanted to try to cover them.  I need to practice this; so I need to pull up a couple of bookmarked blog postings that others have so nicely shared on how to do this. So for now taking breather.

Here are some photos of the completed jacket-front view

And front view with collar folded back-

And back view

Side view

with dart

 

 

 

 

This is inside front showing underlining.

My first jacket for 2011.  A nice and rather easy jacket to sew to start the Jacket a Month.

Jacket is progressing!

I made great progress on my jacket this evening.  I was going to line jacket using Stitch 'N Flip method but I made an error when first attaching lining and fabric and now it is more of an underline jacket which is acceptable to me.  This is really an easy jacket to make.

Gwen commented on my jacket and I visited her blog to see her versions.  I like how she used the pattern for two jackets from this pattern. 

Making this jacket has gotten me into the mode of sewing more jackets.  It has been awhile since I made any jackets.

I ordered some fabric from EOS this week and both pieces were purchased with jackets in mind.  I may have to sign up for the jacket a month sew along. 

I think I will be able to complete the jacket tomorrow.  Photos later.

TGIF

So glad it is Friday!  Heck of work week; more stressful as each day progressed.  Too many deadlines; too much data collection; too much of -------, whatever. 

To keep my sanity I keep browsing fashion sites, magazines and catalogues for upcoming sewing projects.  Last night I peeked into the sewing room and was inspired to get going on my jacket again.  Hopefully this evening I can take a few moments to actually do some more on the jacket.  I will get some sewing time on Saturday and Sunday.  My goal is to finish jacket and get the next project up and going.  Will see.

Checking in

The front darts have been sewn into the jacket front and jacket lining.  The dart was created due to the FBA made and I decided to incorporate the dart into the design.  I had real issue with getting the darts marked on the fabric and then getting them sewn going in the same direction.  A rookie mistake that I should not be making.  Both front darts now match.  And that is where I left the jacket on Sunday evening and have not touched it since.

Monday, I went to our local JoAnn's to check out what is left at the store.  The store will be relocating to another location and claims to be moving into a larger store.  The store they were in was large, IMHO, and was always understocked looking.  Hope the relocation will be truly be an improvement.  I wanted to get some sewing notions and marking paper.  I ordered some marking paper from Create For Less but thought it would not hurt to check locally as well; JoAnn's being the only local source at this time.

There is hardly anything left in the old store and as far as I can tell, they are not replenishing until they open the new store in APRIL!  The old store is bound to close before the new is ready as there is hardly anything left in the store including patterns.

Speaking of patterns they are running a huge sale with McCall's and Butterick selling for 4 for $2, and Vogue/Burda/Simplicity selling for $1.99.  Being a patternaholic I took advantage of the price and purchased a few patterns.  There were a few that were on my list of patterns to buy.  Some were patterns that were discontinued some time back, at least I don't see them on the BMV websites.

I am feeling the urge to start sewing for spring and have a few tops I want to make that will work for transitioning from winter to spring.  More later.

Updates from Roanoke

This past week was busy 4-day work week.  I did not do much in the way of sewing during the week, though always thinking about sewing related ideas.

I did celebrate my birthday on Wednesday-January 19.  I hit the big 60!   I can hardly believe it, but I along with many of my HS classmates are starting to celebrate this accomplishment.  My birthday present to myself was to buy some fabric, only I am currently waiting for feedback on an order as some of what I wanted to purchase may no longer be available.  Have no fear, I have a lot of other alternatives.

Yesterday AM I began the pattern fitting and adjustments for the McCall's jacket pattern that I am going to sew next.  This will use up all of the black/white wool fabric.  I actually finished the adjustments before having to get ready to go to Danville to have dinner with several of our HS classmates who also had or were celebrating turning 60 as well.  Great time of good food and fellowship.  We laughed a lot, which helps burn all those calories from the food and beverages we had.

This morning, I began the cutting out process of the jacket.  I am also going to add a lining to this, again because it is wool and want an extra fabric between me and wool.  It should be an easy jacket to make.  I am going with the shorter version, mainly because that is about all the fabric I have left. 

Off to fix some breakfast and then back to sewing.  More later.

Skirt is complete

The Simplicity skirt is complete and I wrote a review over at PR.  Next up is the McCall's jacket using the remaining black/white houndstooth fabric.  It really has been a nice piece of fabric to work with.

Here are some photos of the completed skirt

Close up of the ruffle edge on the skirt pocket.

Extended sewing time

I am enjoying my holiday off today.  I got to spend more uninterrupted time in my sewing room today-very productive time I admint.  I have completed my skirt except for the hemming and attaching a hook and eye at the waistband. 

I again used El's facing technique for an invisible zipper and actually stitched down the lining of the skirt to the zipper tape, making a more polished look than I cannot do with my hand stitching.  I will take some better photos of this later and post.

I am taking a much needed break now and going to take a shower.  I saw a pair of black pumps the other day and decided I am going to go shopping and hope they have them in my size.  My birthday present to myself, a couple of days early!!

This photo was taken with my Black Berry so not the greatest photo, but let's you see the completed skirt.  Strings hanging down are serger threads where I serge finished the skirt and lining hem edges.

Attaching contour waistband

I worked on the skirt pattern yesterday evening and completed the front portion.  I am trying something new, for me, using a technique I read in a past Threads’ article. 

I decided to attach the front contour waistband to the skirt front first.  Normally you stitch front and back skirt pieces together at side seams.  Then you stitch front and back waistband pieces together at side seams.  Once this is done you then attach the waistband to the skirt.

I used this new method for the front skirt lining as well.

Once I complete the back skirt darts and seams, I will attach the back waistband pieces also.  The result will be that the all side seams (skirt and waistband) can be sewn in one continuous seam.  This will allow me an opportunity to adjust the side seam in the waist and hip areas with out having to remove waist band stitches to then adjust if necessary. 

Normally I do fittings along the way and get the best fit.  With weight/body changes, some of my skirts made in the past two years, need adjusting for me to wear them again, needing to take up seams in most. This method would allow for more ease of altering.

Tough Friday, fabulous weekend ahead

 

Yesterday was a tough one at work.  It was a day of scheduled meetings with my staff and on both occasions I got pulled from my responsibilities to do someone elses work.  What is wrong with this picture!!!

Normally DH and I go to grocery store on Friday.  He was feeling under the weather and I was stressed to the max, so this is postponed until today. So it will eat into my sewing time today but I needed the Friday night off for my mental health.

So last night I spent time on Google Reader reading lots of blogs, many of which I had not read in way too long.  It was very soothing actually.  I am so ready to be sewing and have my skirt ready to go.

I want to pattern fit and adjust a McCall’s pattern for the jacket I plan to make from remaining black/white wool fabric.  I have a long weekend so I think this will pan out.

Off to CURVES now, another stress reducer for me, and it is helping to get rid of the “too much Christmas” food.

Fix to KS 3790

In this post I wrote about the flipping neckline on KS 3790.  I have fixed it (more or less) by adding to galvanized washers to the facing inside.  I cut two square pieces of fabric, stitched three sides and then inserted the galvanized washer into the little pouch, serged the top edge together and then attached to the facing.  I also topstitched the neckline and this aided in keeping the edge from flipping over.

Here is a pic of my inside pouch.  DH says because they are galvanized they will not rust after getting wet.  We will see.

I wish I could take full credit for this, but is an idea from Sandra Betzina; and I remember Trina at Slapdash Seamstress using this trick on something she made.  Isn't it great that a hardware store can be useful for sewing as well!

Up next-Simplicity wool skirt

I am making a skirt using Simplicity 2343.  This will be my second time using this pattern; I am making the skirt that the model is wearing, the first skirt I made from this pattern was like the pink skirt in the upper left hand corner, minus the trim.  I like the ruffle on the skirt pocket.

This is the fabric I am using:

I acquired this three to four years ago while on a business trip in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area of VA.  I remember the fabric store though the name fails me now.  I remember blogging about this but in transitioning from the old blogger to new, I think that post is now lost in cyberspace.  This is a wool fabric with nice yet soft body to it.  I also cut out a lining though the pattern does not call for one.  I cannot imagine me wearing wool without the lining.

I have enough left over to make this jacket using this McCall's pattern.  This pattern is not lined either but I will use the Stitch n Flip lining method which will work well with this pattern as there is a front and back piece along with collar pieces.

I was able to cut out the skirt pattern along with lining fabric yesterday.  I felt ill most of the day so my sewing plans did not work out as I had hoped.  And today is back to work.  I hope everyone has a good week.

First garment of the year

The KS top is complete and I posted a review at PR.  This is my first project for 2011.  I also entered this in the PR fabric stash contest.

I really like the outcome of this top and being able to use the border with the stretch of the fabric.  Also not having to match stripes on the side seams!  Here are a few photos of the completed top

Kwik Sew Top update-1/5/11

I took these two photos with my Black Berry camera before leaving to go to work.  The cowl neck collar and sleeves are now attached; this leaves sleeve and top hem to do.  I have sewn a little each morning before work instead of playing around at computer.

Laying the top on the cutting table is not the best way to view this top.  I did not want to put on AlmaMarie as her shoulders are too wide and did not want to stretch this out doing that.



Right side of top with sleeve and cowl neck attached.



Another view of front



First project for 2011-KS3740

I am starting the year with a KS pattern-3740. 

 

I made this previously but drafted short sleeves.  I also made a skirt to go with it.  I am going to make it long sleeved this time.

The fit of the pattern is perfected and it is one that I like to wear.  It has a cowl neckline.  The pattern for the collar is well drafted and works well the pattern bodice.

The fabric is one I purchased from Fabric.com over one year ago, perhaps closer to two years.  It has a border print along the selvage edge and the stretch of the fabric is from selvage to selvage.  This makes it a little challenging to use as a border print.  It can used that way as I recall reading a review of a top made using the border print at the bottom of the knit top.  Using it this way eliminates some of the stretch in the width and you would need to adjust your pattern size accordingly.

My plan is to use the border print to run lengthwise as seen in this photo with pattern laying on top.

More updates later.

My last 2010 Project

I completed the KS 3790 pattern this AM.  Since most of the work was done yesterday, I am making this my last sewing project for 2010.  I only had to hem it this AM and used my coverstitch machine.  It worked perfectly, first time used in months.

I have very mixed feelings about the top and for now will wear it at home.  The issue is the front neckline which even though understitched continues to flip over to the front.  I am going to try to sew a coin or washer inside a little pouch and attach to the center of the front facing to see if that helps.  This is an issue with most everyone who sewed this top and reviewed on Pattern Review.

The drape of the fabric has it drooping more at the gathered side seam.  Plus the added width from my FBA added more droop.  I ended up taking a deeper side seam on the opposite side which helped.

Here are a few shots of the completed 3790 top.

Front view

Side view

View of the misbehaving front neckline

Happy New Year-2011

Happy New Year everyone!  Wishing you a happy, healthy and very productive sewing year!  Off to sew now!