Wearing the faux leather skirt

I actually posted a photo of me wearing the faux leather skirt earlier this week, but the photo looked "wonky", so took down the post.  I tried posting via Picasa and it just did not work right.

So without further ado, here is the faux leather skirt as worn to work on Wednesday.

Front view, lighten to help view the topstitching

Back view with exposed zipper.

Side view, skirt is hanging even.  

November garment of the month

Yes, the faux leather skirt is complete; I finished it earlier this evening.  By the end of the project, my sewing machine was just not liking the fabric and I started having issues with sewing the hem.  I changed needles three times with this project.  When I had several layers to sew through I had to turn the hand wheel to sew and guide the fabric under the presser foot.

I learned  even more about sewing faux leather. I made a faux leather jacket  two years ago with fabric I purchased from EOS. Most recently fabric from Mood.

Here are a few shots of the skirt on hanger.

Front view of completed skirt

Back of skirt with exposed zipper

Close up of top stitching.

I plan to wear the skirt next week and will take some photos of me wearing.

From this to this!

Yesterday I looked like this when I screwed up sewing my exposed zipper onto the faux leather skirt.

Today I am like this

ALL SMILES!

I just was not going to let this situation defeat me, so I turned it into what a coworker always calls a "challenge" an OPPORTUNITY!  I searched via Google for examples of sewing exposed zippers; very interesting stuff out there.  Many I had seen before and some new ideas as well.  Thinking about it off and on yesterday evening while out and about with DH, I kept thinking that I could stitch it somewhat like I do with an invisible zipper with the zipper seam not basted together. 

So this morning after sleeping and letting my solution percolate, I was able to install the zipper very nicely if I say so myself!   Not the greatest photo, it was taken with my iPad and I did not adjust lighting, etc. before posting here.

I sewed the center back seam from the bottom edge of the skirt to the marked placement for zipper stop.  I then sewed a stitching line 5/8 from the edge of the open seams above the marked zipper stop; this was used as a guide for me to turn back the edge.  I unzipped the zipper and placed the teeth off the edge of the turned back skirt edge and pinned the zipper to the skirt.  The pin marks would not show as the zipper would be stitched down covering those marks.  I then used zipper foot to attach the right side thus not having any drag problems because zipper foot was not stitching on top of the faux leather.  I then repeated this on the left side. Viola!!!

I have now stitched the side seams and tried on.  I need  to take deeper side seams as I stitched only using 1/2 seam allowance as I was just not sure how the fabric was going to be once sewn together.  The front panel was stitched only using 1/2 inch as well and will adjust that as well.  Taking deeper seams will not present stitching problems as the old stitching line will not be exposed.

This leaves just a few other steps to take before it will be complete.  This is to be my November Garment of the month!!! 

Busy doing some early Thanksgiving cooking.  Updates later!

Where I am today with faux leather skirt

Here is photo of the back of the faux leather skirt from yesterday.

This AM I decided to go with an exposed zipper instead of an invisible zipper.  The first reason was that it looked good and second reason was aligning the yoke pieces at center back and not wanting to have to potentially resew that area if it did not line up. Lastly, I don't have a Teflon coated zipper foot and that was going to make sewing the zipper treacherous.  My Teflon foot is too wide to sew over an invisible zipper and of course I can not find my Foot Magic Telfon tape to attach to the bottom of the zipper foot.  So exposed zipper it is as I have done this easily on several garments.

Here I am after attempting the exposed zipper

I have sewed so meticulously and slowly so as not to have to undo seams because of the holes that are left when you remove thread.  I have sewn zippers numerous times and in some cases I use Magic Scotch Tape because it is so easy to remove; it is a sewing tip from long ago in a Power Sewing book by Sandra Betzina.  Never have I had any problems with removing that tape after stitching a zipper. UNTIL TODAY!

Here is a photo of the zipper attached to the back of the skirt.

 

When I go to remove the tape it seems like it had melded to the fabric ( and it had).  

The result is a separation of the fabric from the fabric backing!!!!!  And here is a smaller tear

Trust me screaming and swearing was just awful and I am glad I had the house to myself.

Thankfully, I have more of this fabric and was able to cut out all three back pieces again and start all over.  It now looks like yesterday evening's photo above.  Deja vu!

Now that a few hours have passed since doing the above, I have worked out another solution (I hope) to attach this exposed zipper; or I can wait until the mail man brings me my new order of Foot Magic Telfon tape and start on the camel/black skirt.

Will let you know soon my decision!

The look of progress

The camel and black skirt has been cut out.  I have not cut out the lining yet as I decided to cut out the faux leather skirt this evening.

Here is shot of the faux leather skirt cut out.  I still have a good amount of the fabric left and hopefully can use it to make a simple jacket.   The backing of this skirt is felt/knit backing and I was able to press out the fold lines in the fabric pressing with light steam and light heat setting. 

Garment a Month

I am continuing to make slow progress on the jacket.  I am participating in the Make a Garment a Month and I have decided that the project will be a faux leather skirt using some fantastic faux leather purchased last year from Sawyer Brooks Fabrics.

It's time to sew this loving fabric.  I am thinking that I will have enough left over to use as a design feature with something else.  What I have not decided is what skirt pattern I will use.  I have several skirt ideas pinned on my Pinterest board that will become the inspiration for whatever I choose. 

I have some stay-cation time coming up at the end of this month-can we get an AMEN!  So needed and so looking forward to it.  I plan to not only sew this skirt for my garment of the month but have several knit tops I want to sew up as well.

Sew much more later!

Finishing up

The Simplicity peplum top is almost complete.  I just took a break from early Saturday morning sewing.  The top is hemmed and the neck facings are attached, waiting to be clipped and pressed.  I basted the back princess seam in the upper back area to take out some of the back fullness and hopefully that will be the final adjustment so that I can think about wearing the top soon.

After this is completed I have been thinking about making several dresses.  I have some new fabric purchases that I really should begin to make something from them as the purpose was to have some  floral print dresses or tops.  I also want to make a jacket and skirt using fabric purchased from Vogue fabrics recently.

I have pulled out numerous dress patterns to consider and just having a hard time making the decision of which one I want to sew.

Updates later.

Top progress

Well--I ran into some fitting issues and some I think I should have anticipated from the beginning.  Just because the finished measurements are posted on the pattern piece, does not mean one should believe those measurements.

I ended up letting out all seams, ending up with 3/8 inch seam allowances to give me the room I needed from below the bust down.  Thank goodness for princess seams and being able to adjust all around.

Having said this about this pattern, it is a well drafted pattern in that all pattern pieces line up well.  I really need a 14-16-18 pattern and this one ended with 14 and the next sizes up would have been way to big in upper chest and shoulder area.  I will make this one again and will adjust for more width from under the bust down.  The FBA I made was perfect.  I also think the back piece is too long and could/should have folded out some of the length in the back above the waist.

Not the best photo as I took this with my iPhone looking back into mirror.  It gives you an idea of the folds.  I am slightly turned so that makes it look different also.

Here is a view of the front on a hanger.  The fabric is faux snakeskin looking leather.  It sewed very well.  I only have a few more things to do to complete the top.  I have to add facings, turn under and hem sleeves and bottom.

More to share later.

This and that

I found the perfect, truly perfect, faux black leather fabric.   I purchased it from Sawyer Brook.  I want a black leather top with or without a peplum.  I am thinking with.  I have seen and saved so many black leather top photos that I was thrilled when I saw this on Sawyer Brook website.  When it arrived and I could actually see and touch it,  I was doing the happy dance.  I need to make some adjustments with the Vogue peplum top pattern that I used this summer.  I think it is short waisted and needs a little more width at the waist.  I have some faux leather "skin" fabric purchased recently from Mood and may make that up first to further perfect the fit.

I decided on my next skirt project also and it will be one of the new Vogue pattern purchases I made recently.  You can see it in the side bar.   The fabric is from Waechter's in Asheville, NC.

I have a lot of ideas floating around about next projects and just need to find more sewing time.
Later.

I joined the Carnival and what arrived from Mood Fabrics

I  joined the carnival yesterday!  Last month I made several skirts-3 keepers, 1 wadder.  I enjoyed the change from making dresses to skirts.  I was switching to sewing up some tops.  I just completed a wadder with a KS top.  So when I read about Faye's Carnival of Skirts, I was thrilled as I have more skirts I want to make.

My first skirt, pattern to be determined, will be from this fabric.  I purchased it last year after reading someones blog and seeing their skirt.  They had acquired the fabric from JoAnn's and fortunately our local store had this fabric also. This is of course a faux leather with a knit backing.

I
So what about Mood Fabrics, you ask.  It was exciting to read and learn about the Mood Sewing Network and who was selected to be in the inaugural group.  I read many of their blogs though one or two were new to me; now they are on my blog reading list.  I have purchased fabric from Mood once many, many years ago when I was with a group on a shopping trip in NY.  I actually won a piece of fabric through Burda Style that came from Mood; the fabric was nice and unfortunately it just was not a fabric choice I would make so I have never made anything from it.

I decided to order fabric from them online recently.  I ordered a gold metallic knit with a touch of black streaks running through the knit; I also ordered a faux leather/vinyl fabric that I want to use to make a peplum top.  I want a piece of black faux leather for another peplum top.  I was uncertain as to the quality and feel of their product so I selected this one simply because the description indicated it would be suitable for garments.  I wish they would include those type of comments with some of their other faux leather pieces.  Some do claim to be more for home dec or for purses.

Here is the knit fabric

and the faux leather animal print (it was described as animal, I think it looks more like a snakeskin)  Really great color and I think it will work as a "neutral" with several skirts; or as the top peplum piece of a peplum style dress.

Their service was prompt and ordering was an ease.  I think the fabric I received was as described and was not disappointed.  I see more fabric purchases from them in the future.