Wadder-Top not for me!

Well I am disappointed. The Simplicity top did not work for me. I pin fitted the pattern and made a FBA, but it was not enough. I also added to the bicep area of the sleeve. I cut a 14 through the front shoulder and back tapering to a 12 at the upper back area to accomodate a narrow back. On the front I cut a 14 through the front shoulder, upper chest tapering to 16 underarm and through the bust. In the past with Simplicity I always use a 14 through shoulders, taper to larger bust size through hips.

This is a form fitting knit top that should not be worn by a 55 year old female with a not so slim body form. This top is really made for a younger woman, look at the pattern photo! Perhaps making a larger FBA than I did would make for a better fitting front. But the underarm was very high. Normally underarms are not high enough for me, not so with this pattern.

When I started making pattern adjustments using the FFRP techniques, I also pin fitted knit top patterns. I then read from others at Pattern Review that you really cannot pin fit knit patterns. I know that knit patterns normally accomodate for stretch and you are working with negative ease. Before reading this, nothing was ever said in FFRP that you can't, I did and yes sometimes patterns were rather full/big. But I took deeper seams. I think I should have pin fitted this one more.

Others who made this pattern had issues with the neckband. I did not follow the pattern instructions for affixing the neckband. They are not very good. I normally use this technique. It works great and it did for this neckline. Thus I did not have the problems others wrote about at Pattern Review. Good for me! Shame I will not be able to enjoy my nice neckband. I also used my gathering foot that I never have use to create nice gathers.

I decided that I will give the top to Goodwill. Someone will be able to wear it. I decided to try a rolled hem using my serger and yes, by golly, the rolled hem was perfect. Let me tell you I hardly ever have this happen. So, a Goodwill shopper will get a nice top to wear. This is buttermilk knit that I purchased from EOS sometime back. It was great to sew.

Is this making lemonaide out of lemons? Perhaps. It is better to give this than to throw it away unfinished. That would truly be a waste.

Today's sewing

Angie, a fellow blogger and pattern reviewer on Pattern Review, made me aware of a great paint program that one can take line drawings of patterns and overlay a photo of your fabric onto the line drawing. I have seen others doing this but for the life of me could not get it to work with some of my photo type programs on my computer. She gave me some very helpful instructions and I have come up with two patterns I want to sew. They are both knit tops and should sew up quickly.

Here is the Simplicity 4076 pattern, line drawings.


I am making C. Here it is with fabric overlay.

This is a knit that has been aging in my collection for about a year, maybe two. I have adjusted the pattern for and have cut out the fabric. I hope to sew some on it this evening and of course tomorrow.

I'm So Excited

"I'm so excited"
"And I just can't hide it"
"I'm about to loose control"
"And I think I like, like it"

I've got that tune running through my head. I am getting very excited as I will be going on vacation midweek, next week and heading off to the National ASG conference. I am thinking about what I am going to pack, what I am going to wear, making a list of things I want to buy and hope that those things are there. I have had to refrain from buying fabric on line for several weeks as I am hopeful that I will find some great fabric to touch and feel while at the conference.

Some sewists from our local ASG are planning on going. I need to find out what times some of them are traveling and maybe we can have a caravan on the road. I am driving up Thursday. I hope to see some sewing friends from Florida. I lived there for nine years and developed some great sewing friendships while there. Hopefully I will meet some other fellow bloggers there as well. There are few sewists who have posted they will be at ASG on the Artisans Square boards.

I'm so excited!!!!

What's Next? Where did the time go?

In reading some other blogs this past weekend, many individuals were talking about and beginning to plan on sewing fashions for fall. Where did summer go????

Around May, I pulled out numerous fabrics from my stash, some aged more than others, and developed a sewing plan to make numerous items-knit tops, a blouse, a lightweight jacket, a coordinated outfit or two. It is now almost the end of July and I am asking myself what's next, what have I completed, and where the heck did summer go and the time I was going to sew?

I did make a Teal jacket and skirt with black and teal top from a Vogue and PMB pattern. I embroidered the jacket and skirt with design inspired by the blouse fabric. I made a knock off of a Talbots jacket and sheath. I made a purse from embellished fabric and I just completed my Duro Dress. I currently have two knit tops I want to make, which I will probably do this weekend. I have a blouse I want to make. A wrap skirt and I want to make a top to go with that. I have a jacket I want to make but want to embellish the fabric using the Embellisher before making it up.

And then it is fall! So like others I need to be making some transition clothes to go from here to there. I do have the fabric for this, where can I get some time?

Me Wearing Duro

I tried to do this yesterday but Blogger was being stubborn and not allowing me to post photos. You asked and here they are, photos of me wearing the Duro Dress from McCalls. Trust me as you can obviously see, I am not a photographer. It is most difficult to take a photo of yourself in the mirror and hold the camera steady with one hand. These were the best of the shots I came up with using this method. My DH is never home when I get dress most mornings, and in the evening, I normally am not in the mood to put on my newly sewn clothes and model them.

So here goes!

Photos-Duro Dress- See post below this one.

Completed dress, front view.


Back view.




Gathers converted to pleats. Smoother look, I think.

I forgot to post below, that I also shortened the dress by reducing the width of the bottom skirt band. I also took 3/8 inch tucks in the front and back bodice areas in the shoulder area. Otherwise the dress would hang even further off my shoulders. I still need to add a modesty piece after raising the v-neck part by 1/2 inch, it is still rather low, lower than I normally wear items.

I will write a review at Pattern Review this week also.

Duro Dress-Done!

My dress is done!!!! I have to serge finish two areas-where the top attaches to bottom and the bottom band attaching to skirt.

Will I make this dress again? Probably not. Was it worth making this one? Yes! Will I wear this dress? The right moment or occasion.

This dress is getting a lot of attention. I first read about it on A Dress A Day Blog. Since then I have seen several dresses made up. Now Simplicity Patterns has a similar dress. I decided to give it a try, even though I know that this is a style that perhaps is not the most flattering on me nor is it something I would normally run into a shop to buy, much less sew.

It was worth making though. Mostly because I used some sewing techniques I have not used in awhile-gathering fabric and attaching to another piece. Changing gathers to pleats when not planned and doing it to solve a problem.

The dress top is gathered to the midriff section and the front skirt area is gathered to the bottom of the midriff section. After sewing the dress top to bottom, I tried on the dress and OH MY GOD! I looked like a pregnant woman. No way, no how would I go out in public much less wear this around the house like that. At this point, I might have said, forget about it and stop working on the dress.

I have read where others converted gathers to pleats and thus I decided to do the same. I removed stitches from the front skirt piece attached to midriff piece, removed the gathering stitches and then pin fitted pleats attempting to match up pleats on both sides of the center skirt front area. I think I did a great job with this simply by sight and pinning. This worked great and dress is not all gathered in the center front. If one is skinny and has a flat tummy, you can wear this with all of the centered gathers.

I also did not follow the pattern instructions for sewing bands, facings, etc. Those instructions assume you do not have a serger as they never say anything about serging edges for finishing. If you don't have a serger, then I think you can still do it differently but you will have a nicer finish using them. Since I do have a serger, I simply sewed facings together and then attached pieces to each other, serge finished edges and eliminated a lot of slipstiching which I just hate to do.

I will wear the dress to some "girls night out" or "girls luncheon". I will take with me to ASG in a couple of weeks, I think I will have an opportunity to wear it there. I could use some new sandals though-coral or yellow ones!! Hmm, got to find a shoe sale.

Here are some photos of the completed dress. I will have to put my "game face on" as Carolyn, A Diary of a Sewing Fanatic did and showed off some of her fabulous completed clothes. (Note: I cannot get photos to post at this time. Blogger says they are, but they are not. Hopefully later.)

Where does the time go when you work all the time?

Wednesday we had a super employee event! It was special recognition for achieving and exceeding sales records. After work I had an appointment to get my "hoofs and paws" done. (Manicure and pedicure). It had been weeks since I gave myself this treat. While in the middle of this, we had a terrible storm and power went off! At least my feet were out of the water at that time. The manicurist was just beginning to paint my toes. The safety lights were on, though all other power was out. Of course, this place has great windows and so there was some light. But candles were lit and I have to say that I have never had my toes painted by candlelight before!

Of course, my home is near this place so I called DH on my way home to learn that our power was out also. My plan had been to have soup and sandwich and then go into my sewing room for some creativity and R&R. Our power remained out for over 5 hours. During sleep I awoke to lights coming on and of course, blessedly the A/C.

Yesterday I worked late again as did hubby. We met up for dinner and got home around 8:00. By the time we do those things one must do to prepare for the next day, I decided I had no energy to go into the sewing room. I did check some blogs and got my sewing fix through others before going off to sleep.

My dress is calling for me and hopefully this evening, yeah it is FRIDAY!, I will be spending some sewing time this evening. When I look over what's left to do, it is really only the skirt part, attaching to bodice, hemming, WEARING! Dress will be complete in time for ASG.

Work and Fun

This week my work is taking me away somewhat from sewing. I have not touched my dress in progress. I worked after dinner on Monday night. Yesterday was CURVES, I scheduled this in on my calendar. I have to so I will get back to a regular routine. I have not toned up for nothing! But can't maintain if I don't go. Besides through diet and exercise I lowered my cholestrol by 10 points!!! So for now I am not on cholestrol medication and that's okay by me.

Today I am MC'ing a special event for our retail employees in my division. Our "Get 'Er Done" team put together a great event and I am truly proud of them. So I need to outline my words of "wisdom????!!!!!!" and prepare for todays luncheon celebration.

Here is a photo of a "Duro" Dress that I read about on Pattern Review and went to Sharon Sews blog to read more about. I think she did a great job. She used the Simplicity Pattern.

Photos of dress progression

This is the pattern:


This is what I completed this morning, the center front pieces with facings attached to bodice with midriff pinned to the top part. The next photo is the finished front with midriff attached.




Here is the back facing attached to the front. I have only sewn the one shoulder the other was basted in.



Here is the front and back on the dress form.




More to follow, stay tuned.

Dress Progress

I am making some progress on my dress. I hope to post a few photos of this journey. I took a few this morning before DH woke. I have moved further along in the sewing process since then.

Yesterday I stitched the front contrast center piece to the front bodice. I did not follow the pattern instructions on this. I am glad as it would be too fiddly to do it that way. I sewed the center front contrast piece center seam and the center facing (same pattern piece) center seam. I then stitched the facing and front piece together at neckline. I then basted the raw edges. This combined piece was then stitched to the front bodice pieces, then serge finished those edges.

This morning I pulled the gathering stitches on the front bodice and pin fitted the midriff pieces to the front bodice/contrast pieces. I then basted midriff edges together. I then sewed the back bodice pieces together. Stitched back facing to this piece then basted front to back at shoulder seams. It is important to refer to the instructions for this part due to the way they have you open out the back facing over the front pieces. Once sewn together, you turn back facing to back and shoulder seams will fold to the back as well.

I decided to baste this part as I wanted to be sure of the fit to this point. I thought it would be easier to adjust through shoulders if necessary after basting and trying on. I suggest this to those reading this and contemplating making this. I am glad I did. I discovered that even though I added a half inch to the center v-neck pieces, my dress was still lower than I prefer. I could take a deeper shoulder seam, but then would make the midriff shortwaisted. I will add a modesty piece to the center. I did discover that my midriff and the size 10 I cut out will be snug, so I let out the center back seam from upper back to waist. This is a 5/8 seam, so I tapered to 3/8 at the waist area. I used 5/8 seam for sides when I basted, I will reduce to 3/8, this will make the dress fit looser and better. It will give me some wiggle room.

After this, I removed basting and sew and finished edge of one shoulder. More to follow.