a button, horsehair braid, ribbon & a cat

Completed my handkerchief linen duster this week and gave it some good wear testing, but totally forgot to get any photos.

(click any pic in today’s entry to go to large photos & comments)

Decided to use totally different buttons, which suddenly reappeared and are the ones I’d originally thought of before the others seduced me.

I sewed on one of the favoured, large plain buttons (the one below in photo) but it was too heavy and bright. Apologies, Dear Readers, for asking your opinions and then ignoring them.

The orphan dresses I’ll mostly wear with this duster are more subdued, and this button sets the  mood. Shoulda toldja that before, right? Sooorry. 😢

In a package from Vogue Fabrics in Chicago was more petersham ribbons, and that horsehair braid I hoped would be perfect for a hat brim. Nope.Too flimsy for the denim. No idea what to try next.

Reading is still in progress, with an addition from Nanacathy‘s latest list. Blue Monday was written by a husband & wife team, Nicci (her) French (him). I found the premise interesting, but too wordy, and a bit too psychological just now.

Some pretty shots to hopefully brighten your week.

From my soon-to-be retired used bookstore owner friend Keith, in Chicago. Lovely comments from Keith, and delightful poses from author Hodge, Chicago’s Most Famous Cat, at the end.

Enjoy your week!

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fluid sewing thoughts

“Fluid. n. A body whose particles move freely among themselves, and yield to the least  force impressed…

”January isn’t the time for me to be making resolutions, ’cause all I want to do is rest up from a hectic December. But…

There are some patterns sitting on my cutting table, so I’m sharing them with you. They’re things I’ve seen and admired on Ruth’s (Core Couture) and/or Felicia’s (Older Babe Sews Clothes) blogs.

My plans would include lighter weight fabrics, and V- or scooped necklines. And elasticated waists. And pockets, inseam or elsewhere.

So, with all that in mind, let’s look at some piccies, and please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts afterwards!

Vogue 9193 (click to go to pattern)

Vogue 9193       Love the hem on this top & would do whichever version I’ve linen enough for, but sleeveless. Felicia reports problems with those dolman sleeves, and solutions. As I’ve had similar thoughts about similar styles, will have a long think before tackling. Fabric: Linen (summer), knits? (winter)

Butterick 5655 – “Fast & Easy” (click to go to pattern)

Butterick 5655 – “Fast & Easy”    Hm. Am thinking a short version from some viscose in stash. Although it might be fun to play with the sleeves
& that front insert… Hold thought for another season. Fabric: Rayon or maybe linen

Vogue 8813      Still pondering what to use with this one… cannot locate a decent knit is the main problem. Or excuse. 😉

Vogue 8813 (click to go to pattern)

Vogue 1508      Like the shape of the top’s hem very much. Trousers are too slim for my taste, plus the back is contrasting fabric from the front. Not my style. Fabric: Linen

photo of my downloaded pattern page

Vogue 1508 (click to go to pattern)

VeraVenus Cardigan Coat (free)    (Click link to go to pattern.) After seeing this several times on people & reading how comfy they found it, I decided to switch my plans for a mustard wool to this pattern. Have a rayon piece cut out now, to check fit, etc., before cutting into the wool. Fabric: wool (winter), rayon (summer)

Butterick 6377  Will change neckline as I don’t do anything that tight round my neck. Fabric: Any stash stretch fabric to pair with V9193 trouser (above).

Butterick 6377 (click to go to pattern)

SUMMER

Vogue 8975    Liked the jacket on this, but the dress is also a possibility. Fabric: Linen, rayon.

Vogue 8975 (click to go to pattern)

Farrow Dress, Grainline    Have not purchased yet; keep trying to talk myself into it. Needs neckline re-do, but that back fascinates me, along with the longer length. Fabric: Almost anything from stash.

McCall’s 6083 Lounging ONLY, in the green version. Fabric: Rayon from stash

Grainline’s new Farrow dress (click to go to pattern)

McCall’s 6083 (click to go to pattern)

learning about linen (or, why isn’t it autumn yet?)

(click for complete poem & painting on wikipedia) Illustration of poem “To Autumn” by John Keats, painted by W. J. Neatby. From “A Day with Keats: With numerous coloured illustrations” by May Clarissa Gillington Byron and illustrations by W. J. Neatby

A lovely bit by John Keats reminded me it’s supposed to be Autumn now.

            SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!

With all the hurricane problems, I’d forgotten. We had 3 days of cool, dry temperatures whetting my appetite for more.

But it’s hotted up again.   😱

not keen on finishing this but, to quote Hila (Saturday Night Stitch), “done is better than perfect.” and she’s right.

Which means I’m still very much in summer dresses mode.

Which means those linen plans are still firmly in place. But that’s a good thing.

The current issue of Threads’ magazine has a great article all about linen.

things about linen

• It’s a cellulose material made from fibre stems of flax, anywhere from 5 to 21 inches in length.
• More than 30,000 years ago, people were using flax fibres to make linen-like cloth.
• Egyptians did the first linen manufacturing about 4,000 years ago.
• It’s highly absorbent, like cotton and rayon, but allows evaporation more quickly than either, thus making it cooler for warm weather clothing.
• Those qualities also made it ideal for undergarments.
• It is extremely durable, with a lint-free surface that also resists dust and dirt.
• Linen is resistant to both insects and the sun which makes it ideal for home décor.
• It doesn’t stretch, making it ideal for painting canvas and embroidery.
• Lack of stretch makes it wrinkle more easily.
• It takes paint and dyes well.
• It can be damaged by bleach, mildew, and perspiration.
• Continual creasing in the same places (think folds, hems, etc.) can weaken and break the fibres.
• Linen is strongest when wet! Best to iron when damp.

And the list goes on!

Plus, the article has ideas about how to handle your linen garment once it’s made, including different ways to dry it to get different effects. And ways to avoid ironing it, if you like that look.

I threw this 100% linen camp shirt (rescued from a Virginia charity shop) into the dryer for 5 minutes when I decided I didn’t want to iron it. (Note that I liberally sprayed it first with water to dampen it. Dry linen gets drier in the dryer, and that’s not good as fibres can break.)

What do you think about the effect? It’s very soft and no Fabric Police accost me when I wear it in public. He-he!

back of shirt

front of shirt

Edited to add: linen #2: different weights 
linen #3: boring? no way!

memademay: the final days

adore this vintage koret blouse of slubbed rayon but never posted about it. (couldn’t get photo to do justice to the colours)

Worn:

• parrot pants & green dress – everything pictured except red blouse (am overhauling it)
• both Sorbetto’s
• green linen shirt
• blue rayon denim dress
• cinema dress
• red skirt/culottes

For my first participation in Me Made May I didn’t set the bar very high – new job & didn’t want to be stressing out on what I was wearing. So I made a pledge that included upcycled items, and discovered that’s a large portion of what I was wearing.

Thinking about the experience, part of the outcome was influenced by a third of the month having much lower temps than expected, and I’d already packed away those items.

(To be honest, I don’t like making hot weather clothes & have lagged behind in  sewing those projects.)

Another bump in the road is a decision to retire the DKNY Vogue pattern used for three of the dresses, because the front neckline pleats make the dress “front heavy.” Fabric weight doesn’t make any difference. I’m constantly pulling them back into place.

Now, what to replace it with is the big question.

Maybe I should give the McCall’s 6117 pattern I used for the cinema dress another go, as it doesn’t have the same problem (so it’s not my posture going wonky).

Know I need to make several more pairs of shorts for sleep & lounging, and could use some solid coloured tank tops to go with them (and with skirts when it really gets hot).

One thing I discovered is I really like having space to put colours together: all beige/white blouses, red & orange, yellow. It makes it much easier to decide combinations. I can hold up a patterned top or bottom half and decide what will (or more frequently won’t!) match it.

So much to sew and so little time to do it in!

inspiration:

Last Sunday’s Guardian had a list of 50 summer dresses for London, so I picked out a couple of silhouettes I liked ~ 2 kimono dresses, a modified shirtwaist, and one simply because it’s green. (Hopeless, I know.)

• green
• gold
• stripe
• multi

So off I need to go and see what patterns I might have (or can modify) to give these a try…

Guess that’s a plan.  😀

How did you all fare in May, and what did you discover?

watching paint dry… or not

Surmounting the daily question of how bad the fumes would get was the more burning question: WHEN am I gonna get to that linen dress I’ve been wanting to sew?

Maybe tomorrow? F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!

Nah, I haven’t cut it out yet today, but the sun hasn’t set yet. 😊

There’s a problem with last summer’s favourite pattern, Vogue 1236. The shoulder seam always pulls forward.

see how this pulls forward?
drives me crazy!

This appears to be a pattern problem: The back is high and the additional length of the front piece lowers the entire front.

Does that make sense?

Wish I could get a better side view of this, to check for other possible causes.

Moving right along, the other pattern from last summer, McCall’s 6117, doesn’t have the problem, so that’s my choice.

 

 

Are they done with the painting?

Uh, there’s still the front door . . .