I am thinking strongly about sewing

But I am not sewing. I have fabric swatches in my purse to get thread and zippers but yet to make it to JoAnn's to buy them. Work has consumed way more of my personal time as it has for other staff. Some staff just don't seem to have any personal life-not a good thing.

Today I found myself touching different people's clothing as I kept thinking I could make that skirt, or dress. So I did ask before touching. One skirt I looked at with great interest today was one that was black and white with a black band at the hemline!!! When inquiring where they purchased it, not in VA. She thought probably in South Carolina or Florida. Oh well.

I am reading some sewing articles so close to doing but not!

New sewing adventure

I began to make pattern adjustments for the Vogue dress. Both the pattern and the fabric have been in my stash for sometime now. The pattern is OOP on the Vogue site. I had a similar dress several years ago that I purchased during one of my business trips to Chicago. Every time I wore the dress I got a lot of compliments. Unfortunately, the dress shrunk or I got larger. I am pretty sure it was the latter reason.

The fabric was one of my first purchases from EOS. I had not heard of Linda's fabric site until I moved out of Pennsylvania, where she is located, and back to VA, approximately 4+ years ago. This was a rayon fabric that I purchased during one of her sales. It is floral print with a periwinkle blue background. I think it has appropriately aged at this time to become a new dress.

This is the dress idea:

Greenblackknit-Fabriccom-72008

Greenblueknit-Fabriccom-72008
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

This is another one of the four knits I purchased. I just saw a BWOF dress made from this knit on Pattern Review. I think it was made by Karen. I love the geometric look of this fabric.

More knit from Fabric.com

More knit from Fabric.com
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

I have an embroidery card that has similar designs and I can see making a skirt or something to go with this fabric and simulate the beads using the embroidery designs on the skirt.

Another knit from Fabric.com

Another knit from Fabric.com
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

This is a red/white/black knit from Fabric.com. This will go well with my new black fabrics from Fabric Mart that arrived in the mystery bundle.

Knit from Fabric.com-72008

Knit from Fabric.com-72008
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

One of four knit fabrics I recently purchased from Fabric.com. This is brown with white circles. I am thinking dress out of this fabric.

Jalie tops

Well I completed another Jalie top today. From start to finish sewing time, I completed this in about two hours. I made Jalie 2806. I used a knit fabric I purchased from EOS about 18 months ago. The knit was not what I thought I purchased after it arrived and I have had it just laying in the knit stash. It was a bit thinner than expected. It also wrinkles rather easily and I have not experienced that with a knit before. Not sure of the blend. So I decided to use it to make this and if things did not work out then not a real loss.

I am pleased with the fit of the pattern though I think I may take deeper seams through the waist area on the next one. I like the gathered fold over piece. I saw a similar top in Macy's several weeks ago. I plan to make another top or two using this pattern and the fold over as well as the ruching scoopneck style.

Here are photos of me wearing it after sewing it. It has not been fully pressed.

My DH and I went shopping and dining. Here is my second Sweetheart Neckline Jalie top I made about two weeks ago. I really like this Jalie pattern and see more of this top in my future as well.

Sewing Ups and Downs

The Butterick dress and I are going to part ways. I basted side seams yesterday evening so I could try on for fitting adjustments. This dress is huge! This dress is better suited for someone with broad, broad shoulders.

Actually the whole dress is just way too big. I read Pattern Reviews on this dress and did not read anything about it running too large. Though two reviewers thought it was wide in the neckline. On me, it was falling off my shoulders it was so wide.

I took another 5/8 seam in the shoulders and that helped. I also deepened the darts as the back was extremely full. The front vertical darts were taken up also as the dress was too loose in the front below the drawstring. I also used 1 inch seams on the sides. All of this helped but from the side I look very pregnant. Not a look I want at all. Everything feels wrong about this dress right now.

I decided I just do not want to mess with this anymore at this time. I am putting it aside for another day. I have two other dresses I want to make up next so moving on. But first I am going to make my next Jalie top. The pattern is cut out and ready to sew. I threaded my serger and got the stitches/differential feed and tensions set for sewing tomorrow.

Fabric Mart Fabrics

I finally was able to take photos of my new fabrics from my recent Fabric Mart purchase.

Here are the silks I purchased:

The floral green one is pretty bright and I had in mind to use it for a lining. The black and white paisley is just gorgeous and I think it will become a blouse. The black,white and touch of golden brown has a little stretch to it and when I made the purchase I was thinking lining. Now I am thinking blouse. They are so soft to the touch!

Here are the fabrics from the mystery bundle. I am truly excited about all the pieces but the black and white tweed and the black with white stripes will be great with the black and white pieces above.

The red fabric is a nice red for me, closer to red-orange than red-blue. I am not sure of the fabric type, the texture is small ridges. It has some body to it though not terribly beefy, certainly would not be clingy. That will be important for me to think about in making it into something.

Here are the other two pieces which are a taupe colorway. Photo does not do the plaid justice.

The plaid is a wool or wool blend. The taupe solid fabric is definitely a polyester, perhaps similar to georgette. Not sure how it would hold up as a lining.

I am pleased with the mystery bundle and I like to think that they put some thought into putting together fabrics that will work with other pieces in the bundle. This was my first mystery bundle purchase. I know of others who have taken advantage of their bundles and have expressed their pleasure in the items.

Dress Front

Dress Front
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

Front of dress attached to shoulders.

Zipper view

Zipper view
Originally uploaded by Danvillegirl

Another view. I had not fully pressed or top stitiched this in this photo. It looks like an invisible zipper but it is not.