Holiday sewing

This is what I started working on this weekend-Simplicity 1072.

I am using these fabrics.

The red/white/gray/black circles is stretch lace fabric that I purchased from Vogue Fabrics a second time. The first attempt at using it was back in August when I was working on the Paulina Top by Itch to Stitch.  I still plan to remake that top as I used the wrong sizes and this fabric was not quite right for that project.

Fast forward to November/December I ordered the suede-look knit in a cranberry red color from Vogue Fabrics and the stretch lace was still available.  So I ordered more to use with the knit, not really sure what I would make.

I went back and forth over what top to make using the cranberry red knit, thinking I may make another Renfrew top and decided that the lace would not work.  I then looked at other patterns and while reading through blogs or sewing reviews on Pattern Review I came across another version of Simplicity 1072 and decided that this was what I would make.

I am using the stretch lace as an overlay to the knit center piece.  I hand basted the lace to the knit fabric.  Let me say that the suede look knit fabric is clingy and fiddly to work with, adding the lace was challenging.  The hand basting I treated like quilters do when layering base fabric to quilted top fabric.  This was the only way to get the lace laying right and the knit from moving and puckering.

I have sewn the front pieces together requiring some undoing of stitching because of the fiddly knit. I have attached the sleeves which are HUGE-WAY TO WIDE! I suspected that when cutting around the pattern and went down in size.  I normally use a 14 for upper chest and shoulders, should have gone with a 12 as I am having to take a deeper seem at the front where it is attached to the sleeves.  This will help draw up the front area so that the neckline will be better fitted.

I will end up taking out a lot of width with the sleeves.  When you look at the model on the front of the envelope, her sleeves are crunched up and twisted, plus she is holding them close in to her sides.

That is where things were left for the moment.  I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon and a few errands to run in the extremely cold weather we are experiencing.  It was 17 degrees F with wind chill of -4!!!  Too cold for my liking.

More later!