setting a sleeve & other stuff

Managed an update over the weekend, and a save – not bad! (click a pic for all the details)

another petersham waistband to get crotch fitting properly (hated removing the old waistband, but needs must)

chopped off the bottoms of this hot linen/rayon trouser

re-stitched the label inside a pocket removed from trousers

and re-attached pocket to the cut off pants legs fashioned into a small self-lined purse (using waistband for handles)

making more wearable outfit!

What’s on the table just now? What’s not is my denim hat. Remember the hat? It’s on hold, awaiting horsehair braid . . . (no, it’s not real horsehair).

denim hat on the corner, waiting . . .
(click to go to post)

The machine’s currently threaded for a new duster, using handkerchief linen from stash.

(Pattern? Good question. One of the Big Four and very basic: front, back, sleeve, front & neck facings. From California days and I didn’t save it. I had one cut out and made a  pattern from those pieces.)

Since linen ravels so badly this had to have french seams, which means double the work.

Not satisfied with that, I decided to add a bit of shoulder seam detail. And if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge . . . 😄

Then there was that one sleeve that had to be pieced to fit the limited fabric…

So its slow sewing this week, and lots and lots and lots of ironing between seaming and seaming and seaming.

Remind me not to do french seams on a fabric that has no right or wrong side. . .

(click a pic for all the details)

right side: decorative stitching down pieced sleeve using rayon thread from stash. No, that’s not a boo boo toward bottom right; it’s a natural slub which is typical in linen

you can see how loosely woven and light this handkerchief linen is

a completed french seam viewed from inside the duster

first i serged the seam on the right side of the garment

sleeve has been set (sewn) in & side seam serged & seam and ready for next step

turning garment inside out, the next step is sewing carefully to encase the serged seam completely (see the long thread tail hanging out the end)

french seam will then go from wrist to hem of garment

 

poignant pillows & other stuff…

click to go over to keith’s facebook page

One of my favourite people, cat, and used bookstore is going away.

Meeeeehhhh ! ! !

It’s retirement time for Keith in Chicago, who reports he has several projects in mind and I, for one, am eager to hear what they are.

Meanwhile, I’ve been contemplating for many moons how some of Samantha‘s gifted-to-me  Book Cotton fabric could find its way over to Chicago and into Keith’s possession.

What better item than a pillow, with an added bonus of fitting Keith’s lifestyle, both old and new.

Another dip into the stash and I came up with the perfect backing.

after all, its used books **and** sheet music 😉

Aside from unselfish sewing & crocheting, what’s been doin’ around here?

To keep spirits up I listened to some “Beyond Our Ken” wireless programmes. You can wander through some here.

Ever on the watch for new stuff… no, actually bored and wanting something new to watch, I spied these 2 videos over on Marcy Tilton’s blog.

Scroll past the eye candy to the “Fitting” section and see how Marcy fits tee shirts. I’m inspired.

In case you’re as tired as I am of reading doom-and-gloom headlines, here’s one from the NY Times (from Lizzie over at Vintage Traveler I think). When they start spouting words like “elegant,” “sophisticated,” and “practical” I get interested. Add “““We’re political people,” (Karla Welch). “Clothes are a form of armor.””   I was hooked. Let us know what you think.

Lovelies, may your weekend be glorious and totally suited to whatever you love doing!

   ❤   ❤   ❤

happy mother’s day!

May you all have lovely, individually creative weekends!

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this ‘n that

Have been trying to finish up a batch huge pile of UFOs (unfinished objects) which includes things cut out but not sewn.

Have had some success, and was wear-testing the last one today. Not that the pile is gone, mind you.

Click a pic below so you can read the texts. And onward to the next one . . .

finished ages ago & in use daily: 20″ square pillows of green cord & gifted fabric from https://remissionary.wordpress.com/ lovely stash (thanks again, Linda!)

very loose, cool & pj-like short trews for summer already worn & approved!

black linen-cotton skirt repurposed from long & hot dress. Worn & elastic waist altered, then worn again today. it’ll do nicely!

FINALLY learning to safely toss bent pins out

and now i’ve got the whole collection… pity there won’t be more 😢

lessons learnt

Vogue 8750
click to go to pattern

Okay. Let’s look at this one last time, shall we?

Remember this, this, and more recently the petersham post here?

After several years of working (mostly not working) on this, I still think it’s a good pattern.

Just not in the fabric I chose. And there’s a huge learning curve in that “NOT.”

As I got into the pattern, which has some weird pieces that prove interesting for fit, I discovered that precise seam widths were vital. (ugh!) A fraction off in some places and it’s seam ripper time.

see any top stitching?
thought not.

But even more important was the concept of those side pieces. Definitely bias effect going on, which should affect what fabric gets used, and its pattern.

Blithely ignorant, I lost a lot of the skirt’s character, as all the interesting top stitched detail  became invisible on this patterned fabric.

Although I thought the weight of the cotton would be good (it’s okay), it turned out the ravelling has been horrendous. Something I didn’t discover until I’d washed it a few times, which I did over the past 2 years.

see all the straggling ends? don’t believe that using pinking shears on a cotton will handle any ravelling… just sayin’

But lest we get discouraged, there have been positives: Learning about petersham ribbon from Hila’s post and actually using it for a waistband has been a huge plus. (Suspect it will influence most future skirts.)

The other huge plus has been realising, then acknowledging my mistake in using fabric I do not like. (An early on-line purchase so I didn’t touch it beforehand.)

HUGE lesson learnt: Don’t even think about using up fabrics you don’t want to touch… even for a toile.

Below are assorted photos from the recent finishing. However, if you’re looking for sassy photos of me wearing this . . . 😱   Shock! Horror!

pinned on RIGHT side about every inch & wound up taking them all out as I went – not needed (yeah, sez Ali!)

fold back your tape at zip ends whilst still on the RIGHT side!

sewn ribbon just needs a bit of tacking down on WRONG side for finishing

close-up of inside of finished petersham waistband

can you see the slight curve? didn’t have to fuss a bit with the iron – just went right into place easy-peasy!

Do you ever see sassy piccies of me??  Lol!   Will admit to laundering it again, giving it a good press, and trying it on. It fits loosely, as I made a straight 16 I think, and am not about to alter it.

The petersham waist works really well for me (hate waistbands) as it sits at the waist (or would if I fitted it properly) and doesn’t annoy. Because of the weird side pieces there’s a good fit at the hip, particularly when seated.

Would I make it again? “Never say never.”  Maybe. . . . but with better fabric.

😊  Have a grand weekend, Lovelies!