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!

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)

sunday sevens #43

“What,” you might ask, “is so special about freezer paper & crackers?”

Nothing.

Except I had no source for either until Friday. Yippee!

We who sew know freezer paper is great for tracing dressmaking patterns. It’s sturdy enough to write on, you can iron it, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than anything else.

My lack thereof was crimping both use and storage of my PDF patterns.

You know what I’ll finally be able to do this week!

I should also explain that an early Christmas box arrived from my sewing bestie, Samantha. Needless to say, I picked up the phone and we had a long natter whilst I was unwrapping things. (Yes, I tried to wait, but it’s been such a difficult time I needed an early holiday.) Have included some of her lovelies below.

Here’s some of the other things that happened last week ~ as my contribution to Natalie’s Sunday Sevens. If you’d like to find out more, just check out her site.

this lovely abalone & nickel silver pin came all the way from the Midlands, along with the cute dangle

also in my Midlands box was this lovely fan from Málaga, Spain

trying to get into the season… and from my own library cause there wasn’t time for the local library!

before: 2 ugly plastic sacks full of… plastic sacks.

after I’d finally done my thing with 2 quilting squares picked up last year

experimential crochet with a varigated cotton yarn

 

 

my chaotic pdf pattern storage

organised chaos?
😱

(To the lovely uninitiated, a pdf sewing pattern is one you pay for, download, print out, and then tape/glue/somehow stick together to form an entire sheet(s) of pattern pieces, which you then cut out before attaching to your fabric, cutting out, and sewing. Clear as mud? Hmm…  Think of NOT waiting 2-3 weeks for a paper pattern from around the world to arrive in your mailbox.)

Yes, we sewers are a bit different, and not just in wardrobe choices. We also buy patterns and translate instructions… but that’s another story for another day. 😉

Sewing pal Jen (aka Let the Sewing Begin) and I were talking the other day. We’re in the same country and time zone. Whee!

I asked her how she was storing her pdf patterns, and promised to send her photos of what I was doing.

See all those odd-shaped pieces of paper hanging where my haberdashery storage shoe boxes should be stacked? In that photo on the left, above…? And the photos below are more, but not visible above ’cause they’re hanging to the left of the above photo. That’s what we were talking about: How do we store those pesky pdf pieces of paper?

but wait – there’s more on the left side

and these

Jen said she folds hers up, and puts them and the directions into a plastic bag.

Having already spent our talking time resolving other, more earth-shattering world problems we decided to table further discussion, and I promised to send her photos.

Ah.   The moment of truth.

So that night I took an honest look .  .  .

Then I had a thought… If I’m using clothes pegs, sent by dear friend Ali, for some of the patterns… why not just clothes peg them all onto a skirt hanger or two instead of the metal shelving? Then they wouldn’t take up so much space.

So I tried that (on the left), but quickly realized it was impossible to ~

• keep pieces from intermingling
• keep the taller pegs from getting stuck in the metal shelving
• get a pattern off the hanger without everything falling off

Oh. And then one fell off on its own.  Scratch that idea. Deep sigh.

uh … all clippies are NOT created equal . . .

Then I saw those big clips I’d stared using. You know, the ones from office supply shops that take up space in a desk drawer. (over on the right)

But with only 3 of them I couldn’t really do an adequate test. Not with eight pdf’s, and probably at least 2 more  somewhere, which we won’t go into right now.

At which point I gave up for the evening, having taken these photos and deciding maybe it was time to call in Those More Expert.

Lovely Readers, how do you store your pdf’s?

 

Submitted for today’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

sunday sevens #38

It’s time for Sunday Sevens again, as created by Natalie. Anyone can participate, and the rules are very flexible! Why not check it out ~

Special thanks to Nee (Sew Fusion) and Ali (Thimberlina) for their guidance prepping that mustard wool on Friday & Saturday.

It’s washed, dried, and awaiting ironing to steam out the wrinkles before cutting out.

As what? Oh, didn’t I say? Am thinking a coat from Butterick.

But before that can happen, I’ve a batch of linen (and more warm days) to get through.

Hope your week is wonderful!

planning this for the mustard wool – but need a good lining… and cooler weather!

wool drying over the shower rail saturday. oops! forgot to neaten those raw edges.

last sunday night’s pile of mending & dart placement, which kept my mind busy

outside the grocer’s it’s pumpkin & mum season

thank goodness the past week has been sunny and not too hot & humid, as rivers crest away downstream from my location

time to get out some of my decorations. please ignore the unpolished candlestick! and my little photo bomber!

why this pattern arrived thursday should make an interesting story in a month or so 😘