Monday, March 31, 2014

Made the deadline!

Made the deadline for Blouse Contest at Pattern Review!!!!!!  Here is view of the front.

Back views!

Semi side view.

This is my March Garment of the Month also!!!



Saturday, March 29, 2014

Deadline looming

I have attached the collar stand and collar to the blouse.  You can see this here and here.  I look photos with my iPad last night and uploaded to Flickr.

Sleeves are ready to be inserted, sleeve cuff to add, buttonholes and buttons.

I ran into some issues attaching the collar stand and collar.  Perhaps neckline stretched some, though I did stay stitch earlier on.  I don't recall having this issue when I made previously and had no notes to myself on the pattern instructions that this was an issue.  After several attempts I finally got it attached okay.

I have to find buttons.  I just don't have enough on hand so will visit JA's today; sometimes they have a good selection and sometimes not.  Praying today is a good day.

Updates later.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

More patterns from Club BMV

As I have noted previously, I am a patternaholic!  Club BMV is such an enabler; I am getting better with resisting more pattern purchases. Now, however, I have become obsessed with Indie patterns and have purchased a few recently.

Here are the two patterns I bought during a recent Club BMV sale. Both Katherine Tilton patterns.  I truly love the look of these pants.  I never sew pants; I am going to change that as I want to give these a try.  At my age and time in life, it is rather ridiculous to not give pants sewing a try again.  No more excuses.
Misses' Pants-B6028



 B6026-Katherine Tilton pattern, sleeveless version

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Sunday, March 23, 2014

Blouse update

I am making slow but steady progress on the M5522 blouse.  Here are a few photos:

The blouse has been hemmed, required to do before attaching front band.  Front band attached and edges topstitched.  The piping truly added some depth to the ruffles.  Here is a close up:
I have also stitched the collar and is read to attach to the collar stand, no photo yet of that.    Not sure what color buttons I will use and need to purchase.  I am thinking black.  The princess seams are to be topstitched and I am holding off on that until the end in case I may need to take in the princess seams.  My second fitting created a doubt in my mind that the blouse was fitting enough; and if taking deeper side seam would work or not.  I still have some time to complete this for the PR contest, but feeling a little pressured now.

I love this fabric but it can be fiddly.  I found when I attached the front band that  fabric "crept" into that stitching and I had to go in and remove stitches and fabric that got caught up in the sewing of the band. 

Will add more photos later.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Spring time!!!???? and Blouse Progress

I am still continuing plans to switch to spring sewing.  Last week we had three glorious days of spring time with highs in the 60's and 70's.  Then Wednesday night, winter returned and Thursday was a high of 28!  Yesterday another great spring day-high of 72.  Today we are expecting rain, temperatures dropping to lows in the 30's with ice and snow called for.
 
If you look in the right sidebar of the blog under Instagram photos you will see a shot of the blouse.  That was the status this morning.  Since then I have interfaced the collar, collar stand, sleeve cuffs and front bodice band.  I have also turned up the hem and plan to stitch that tonight.

I basted the front bands and side seams earlier this week for my first fitting.  I found the size and fit to be good.  I think that I will need to make adjustments to the shoulder length before adding the sleeves.  I cannot find my blouse I made previously; I think I may have decided to give it to Goodwill as I was not wearing it very much.  I remember the sleeves being rather full and will probably made adjustments there also.

More updates and photos later.




Saturday, March 08, 2014

McCall's Blouse

I am making good progress on the McCall's blouse.  I am not following the pattern instructions on this one at this time.  The instructions have you sew the the upper front and back together at the shoulders and side seams.  Next you saw the front bottom pieces and the back bottom pieces together and then sew them together at the side seams.  Then you attach the bottom pieces to the top pieces.  Now if you have to make fitting adjustments you have to remove stitches at the seams that attach the top and bottom pieces and then you make have to undo the side seams to get in there and make those adjustments.

By sewing the bottom front to the top front pieces and doing the same for the back, you will then sew the shoulders and sides together.  You then have one continuous side seam and adjustments are easier to make.


Progress so far has been made with front and back units.  The blouse is now attached at the shoulders.  Because the blouse has a front band that you attach to the front of each front piece, I plan to baste this and baste side seams to take my first fitting.  I may need to made adjustments to the front and/or back princess seams of the bottom pieces.  Or I may only need to adjust the side seams.



I am also going to use the ruffle piece with this blouse.  I have already developed a design idea with this ruffle that will be different from the pattern instructions.  More later.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

"Sometimes I get a good feeling---"

I have been listening to music this evening and I have this song playing over and over.  Yes, I do have a good feeling as the temperatures rose some today making it feel like spring could be coming some day soon. 

Something did arrive earlier this week, new spring fabric from EOS.  I have not even taken it out of the plastic wrapping yet. 

French floral on stripe knit

Royal blue 11 oz rayon knit to go with fabric above



Floral lightweight cotton
The blue fabric is much prettier than it is showing up here.  My plan is make a skirt to wear with the fabric above it or to incorporate both pieces into a dress.  The floral cotton piece will become a blouse.

Speaking of blouses, I have serge finished the edges of the main bodice pieces of the blouse I am currently working on for the Fitted Blouse Contest at PR and as my Garment for the Month.  Another good feeling.
I hope your week has been going well.  More later.



Sunday, March 02, 2014

Blouse progress

I pulled out the pattern pieces for M5522 to see what adjustments were made previously.  I made one additional adjustment-a 5/8 inch high round neck adjustment. Other than this adjustment, I felt all pieces were adjusted correctly for my usual changes.

There are 12 pattern pieces!!!.  Here is the start  of the layout of the pattern onto the fabric.
The fabric is from Vogue Fabrics purchased 2011.  There have been several times that I pulled out this fabric with the idea of making a blouse.  Now was the right time.

Since taking this photo of the beginning layout I have not cut out all pattern pieces.  Next step cut out interfacing for appropriate pattern pieces and for the fabric weight.  Updates later.


Saturday, March 01, 2014

Ending and Beginning

I added the neckband to the New Look top.  Sorry, no photo to show at this time.  With all the adjustments I made I am not happy with this top.  There is still something off about it.

After attaching the neckband, the right back shoulder area looks stretched out of whack.  I snugged up the neckband on that side and it still stands away from my body but the left side fits as it should.  I have decided that this top will be something I will wear around the house.  I have spent enough time on it and I can say I learned something about fitting adjustments that I know now that I can use in the future.  Thus I am ending this project and have decided to also end my cold weather sewing.  It is still cold here in my neck of the woods, I am just ready to move onto spring sewing.

With today being March 1, it is time to begin work on my March Garment of the Month.  I had previously posted that I would make a Vogue knit dress, that will be later in the month.  I also signed up for the Intermediate Fitted Blouse Contest at Pattern Review; not the first time I have signed up for PR contests.  I either don't finish in time or others use more patterns or use more fabric to win the stash and pattern contests.
Thus to meet both deadlines, I have decided to sew a blouse for the garment of the month.

From McCall's Patterns Website

This is the blouse.  I made this blouse a couple of years ago.  I made view B previously but did not include the ruffle.  I have auditioned several fabrics from my stash-decisions, decisions, decisions!




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