Deer in headlights

I bet you’re wondering how my dress is coming along. 

Umm…. 

Well….

I did make the 2nd muslin on Tuesday night.  I cut it out and sewed it.  In one night.  That’s a record for me.  I usually sew slower than a snail.  If you’ll remember, I had the great idea to make it a size smaller in real muslin, because the sz 14 in a stretchy knit was gargantuan.  Folks, that sz 12 would have made a hoochie mama blush.  I could barely get it over my hips and you could forget about ever zipping it up the back.

It’s not all bad though, for two good realizations came out of this process:

1. I could reasonably be assured that I can go ahead and make this in a sz 14 in my double-knit fabric and just baste the side seams, fitting as I go.
2. This dress is gorgeous. 

I absolutely adore this dress.  The cut is very flattering.  I love the pleats going up the bodice, so cute and flattering at the same time.

Now, about those princess seams…  I tried the “clipping the curve” method to get the princess seams not to pucker and gather as I sewed them, but it did not work.  I think the curved part is just too deep a curve.  I might have to flatten that curve a bit.

And my only worry about going straight to the fashion fabric is that I have not muslined the sleeves at all yet.  I’m just going to treat it like I treat making a left hand turn against on-coming, close my eyes, hit the pedal and just go for it.  😉  

image from xraynova.com

Ok, here’s the confession part of the post:  I was going to cut my double-knit last night, but I suffered from the deer in headlights syndrome.  I pre-treated it and it came out all lovely and soft and beautiful and I just got scared to cut into it.  So I did my Xmas cards and laundry instead.  But tonight is another sewing night my friends and this hoochie mama needs a new dress!  I think this might be a two or three night process.  I might get this dress done over the weekend.  We’ll see.  I’m not making any promises. 

One quick question:  I can get kind of obsessive over things at times (shocking to you, I know), and I can’t stop thinking about color blocking.  Do you think I could use a different color knit for the center of the dress (i.e. betweeen the princess seams) or just leave well enough alone and make it in just one color?  Here’s a picture of the envelope to refresh your memory.

Simplicity 2337

Happy sewing everyone!

Good news and Bad news

First the bad news:  I have to make another muslin.

Now the good news: I get to make it in a size smaller!!!

Last night I pushed through and finished a down and dirty muslin of S2337.  For a refresher, here’s the pic.

Simplicity 2337

Since I am making the dress using double-knit fabric, I had the hare-brained idea bright idea to use a stretch fabric.  However, did I use a similar knit fabric to what I will actually use for the final dress?  NO!  I used some leftover fabric that was too stretchy and too thin for this dress.  Live and learn, I guess.

There is no photographic evidence of this muslin.  I know you all want to see how hideous it was, but I was lucky that my camera battery was dead.  I made a sz 14 suspecting that I would need to move up to the sz 16 since I have gained weight recently.  So in my infinite wisdom, I thought I should sew just 1/2 inch side seams instead of 5/8ths giving me another inch all around.  The end result was hideously big. 

Of course I will need to make another muslin, gratefully in a sz 12 this next time, in real muslin.  I think this dress will be flattering once it’s in the right fabric and not giantess-sized, but it’s so hard to tell in its current drapey, stretchy, too big state. 

I can say with great confidence though that the neckline is Burda low.  In fact, I think you could see my belly button from space it’s so low.  Not sure how I’ll rectify that yet. 

Although I am bummed I have to make another muslin, thereby slowing my process down even more, I am glad to have vanity sizing and am excited to work on a new project again.  It’s been so long since I worked with a knit, it almost feels like an alien fabric in my hands.  I do love the stability of wovens, I have to say.

One note re: the drafting.  The princess seams on this bodice are a little tricky.   The side panel bust curve is really curvy, but the front panel to which it is sewn is not that curvy, so that creates lots of puckers, especially in an unstable fabric like a stretchy knit.  I will have to see how it works in a woven fabric first before I decide what method with which to tackle them once I start working with the double-knit.

Long story, short: More muslining tonight!

On my way

Simplicity 2337 won out as my favorite but not for the reasons you might think.  Yes, it won yesterday’s poll as the hands down favorite.  But, again, that’s not why I chose it.  As I was sitting watching zombies last night (love that show), I perused the pattern pieces of the patterns I had on hand, having not received my package from ButtMcVogue yet.  So that left me with V8529, S2648, S2337, and B5522. 

Originally I was just going to go with B5522, because I just adore those sleeves.  I decided against that one though ultimately due to the shapelessness of the dress (not wanting to make this a long drawn out muslining process to get a good look and fit) and because I had read on reviews of this pattern that the sleeves are pretty fiddly.  I want a somewhat simple and fast project.

Someone had made a comment about double-knit not being really drapey.  So that took V8529 out of contention as the drape cowl is a major component of the design.  I know Carolyn said that it was drapey enough, but I don’t want to chance it.  Plus, I don’t like that CF yoke seam.  I looked at the pattern piece itself and I can see why they put a CF seam there, but think you can still jigger it to work on the fold. 

Then I seriously considered S2648 because I just adore the versions that Eugenia made, but two things deterred me.  As I mentioned yesterday, it doesn’t have long sleeves and it had many more pattern pieces than the other Simplicity pattern.  I know I could stick some other pattern’s sleeves on S2648, but I am not experienced to know if any old sleeve will work with any old armscye.  And, again, since I want this to be a relatively painless process before I move on to Xmas gift sewing, I just don’t want to fool with things endlessly.

Simplicity 2337

I thought S2337 would be complicated pattern just looking at the pattern envelope.  View A (top right) has pleating, a crossover bodice and cuffed sleeves.  But when I looked at the pattern pieces involved, it’s really a simple dress.  I read over the instructions and I didn’t see anything I didn’t understand at first glance, so the simplicity of the pattern (pun intended, hahaha) won me over. 

My only concern is this is an unlined pattern with facings.  I am wondering if I want to line it without facings.  Would that be simpler?  How do I line the pleated half of the bodice?  Should I pleat the pattern piece tissue and make the lining from that?  Here’s the line drawing.

What do you think I should do?  Lining or facings?  I think lining is nicer, but it might be a pain to reinvent the wheel.  But I am scared that the facings will constantly flip out as I know they are wont to do.  *sigh*  Nothing is ever cut in dried in sewing, is it?

So I cut my muslin last night and am ready to sew it tonight.  I cut out a 14, but suspect that I am now a 16.  I hope not, but we’ll see. 

Happy sewing everyone!

Contenders

I did some research tonight and looked through the completely unnecessarily large pattern collection for more dress patterns for which I could use double-knit fabric. 

Ok peeps.  Here we go.  These six patterns are the final contenders for my double-knit dress…

Vogue 8666

Love the color blocking opportunity with Vogue 8666.  And, while it does not have princess seams per se, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is shaping in those extra bodice seams.  Could I be right?

Vogue 8409

Next we have Vogue 8409.  I love that bodice.  Not sure if I have the body to rock the overall shape, but that bodice is killer!

Vogue 8529

On to Vogue 8529.  Possible color blocking opportunity here either with the yoke or the side panels.  Not sure if I am enamored with the center front seam on the yoke though.  Wondering if I can cut that piece on the fold.  Hmmmm….

Simplicity 2648

Then we have Simplicity 2648.  Great reviews for this dress, especially from Eugenia.  Has different cup sizes.  Side panel color blocking oppy?  Only drawback is no long sleeves for the dead of winter. 

Simplicity 2337

The next pattern contender is Simplicity 2337.  I really love view A with the vertical gathers on the bodice, the crossover and long sleeves.  Bonus: princess seams in front. 

Butterick 5522

And the final contender is the Muse knockoff, Butterick 5522.  I love those sleeves, but don’t know if I am up to their challenge right now.  And I would have to do major futzing to make this look less like the 60’s tent dress it is and into something a little more fitted.  I’m not talking sheath dress, but more of a fitted shift dress.

So, what do you think?  Here’s a poll.  Tell me what you think!

Hunting

This Saturday is the start of my evil plan to take over the world sewing one stitch at a time.  After that I am taking a much deserved break from the secret super surprise and before I start making my kids pj’s for Xmas.  I am going to make something for me, Me, MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

🙂

As I mentioned before, I am jonesing to make something from my small doubleknit collection.  Maybe the grey with some black accents.  Or black and red.  I haven’t had a chance to look through my hefty pattern collection yet, but I perused the selection at ButtMcVogue.  I would have liked to search by fabric type, but that kind of search option is not available on their sites.  Um, ButtMcVogue, it would be great if your search mechanism was a bit more robust please.  I settled, instead to look at all the dress offerings and then looking at what fabrics were suggested for each.  I wanted a slightly fitted dress to take advantage of the stretch of the doubleknit, but nothing too skin tight.  I don’t want to be asked again when my baby is due like I was asked this past weekend.  Can you believe it????  I was so pissed and then so depressed about it.  Where’s a white chocolate bar when you most need it?  Needless to say, I have been back to running.  Let me tell you, there’s nothing like someone saying you look so fat you might be pregnant to motivate you.

There was a sale at ButtMcVogue this past week, so I picked up a few patterns…

Butterick 5559

Remember how I saw someone at work wearing this exact dress???? 

Vogue 8409

Love this dress but may be a little low cut for work. 

Vogue 8666

I love how with this one you can use two different colors.  I wonder how I would color block if I use the view with the sleeves.  Keep the sleeves the main color or the accent color.  What do you think?

I have to look at what I already own too that would work well for double knits.  I’m sure I have at least 5 or 6 patterns from which to choose.

I can’t wait to sew for me!

Do you have any favorite patterns for doubleknits?

Crying uncle

Well, my friends, I think I have to give up the ghost on my tweed jumper.  I just can’t get it to fit around the girls right and now the fabric is looking a little forlorn.  Remember, this is how it looked last time:

1. I tried shortening the fisheye darts — only helped a little.
2. Then I tried letting out the side seams — no change.

At this point, the fabric doesn’t look good any more, so I didn’t have the heart to take pictures of what it looks like now though.  Trying to take out teensy tiny stitches out of a tweed just about did me in and definitely ruined the tweed.  And for some strange reason, the dress keeps hiking up in front so that the shoulder seams go behind my shoulders a bit.  I think that’s why the darts look so high.  But I can’t figure out why it’s doing that. 

I also can’t figure out why this iteration of a TNT is so drastically different from my other two.  The tweed is actually pretty lightweight and not all that different in thickness from the brocade I used for my fancy dress, so I can’t imagine that it’s a turn of the cloth issue as some of you have suggested.  So strange.

Anyway, I am just going to call it a wadder and move on.  I am pretty disappointed though.  As for the next project?  I have so many end of year projects on the docket that I am a little at a loss as to what to start on next. 

We’ll see what I feel like starting tonight. 

Wishing you a sewing day without wadders.

WTH!!!

People, can you see what’s wrong with the above picture (other than the crappy iPhone quality)?

Two nights ago, I tried on my tweed jumper (aka B5147) and was faced with double trouble.  Let’s just say the girls are not happy.  Now do you see what’s wrong?  There is major boob smooshing going on and not the good kind.

How did this happen?  This is my TNT folks.  Not some random pattern I picked up at a bar.  B5147 and I are going steady.  I thought there might even be a ring in the near future.  I feel betrayed!  Suddenly, B5147 doesn’t return my calls and now this!  Ok, my metaphor is losing steam here.  Seriously though…  My bust dart is about 1 inch too high (looks like I have low hanging fruit, hah!) and the fisheye dart looks too high too. 

What do I do in this situation???  Is it a simple matter of sacrificing the side seam allowances and then the dress will fall to the right level with some room for the girls?  Or do I have to actually release and lower the darts?  FYI, the dress fits everywhere else.  Just the bust is the problem.  Please let me know your suggestions.

I guess all the bad food choices and little exercise are catching up to my meager metabolism, not to mention the too little sleep I’ve been getting of late.  *sigh*  Gravity and aging are not my friends.

In disgust, I turned to knitting Jack’s sweater last night and was hit with another disaster.  My gauge swatch had lied to me and my knitting was 3.5 inches too narrow.  (Is there no loyalty with yarns and fabrics any longer?  They’re just like men!)  I had to frog the entire back and start over.   However, now I am confident I am on the right track with Jack’s sweater, although I am not entirely confident I will get either project done by Sunday when our photo shoot is scheduled.  😦  

Hope your yarn and fabrics are treating you nicer than I have been treated this week.

I can haz two colors?

 As I mentioned in my last post, I am making some new design choices with my latest B5147 dress.  I am using a lightweight plum tweed from Paron’s as the fashion fabric, some unknown type of lining (purchased from P&S fabrics).  My thinking was that since this was tweed, I would make a more casual dress, really more of a jumper, as I know I will wear it with a shirt or turtleneck underneath it since the pattern is sleeveless.  As I was sewing the lining to the fabric at the neck, I was inspired to add topstitching to the neckline and armscye.  I thought it would punch up the sporty look of the tweed.  The topstitching combined with my exposed zipper in the back would make this dress look completely different from my silk twill version or the dressier one I made for my cousin’s wedding.

Anyhoo, getting on with it.  I had changed the thread in my machine from the yummy plummy thread to the one that matched my lining.  So when I went to topstitch, I changed it again to the yummy plummy one.  I started to merrily topstitch away when I remembered that I had read somewhere that I could use two different color threads when sewing (one color for the needle and a different one for the bobbin).  What?!?!  You don’t have to use the same color for both the bobbin and needle?  Sacrilege!  Heresy!

Cue in the gratuitous LOLcats and the muse for my post title…

image from icanhazcheezburger.com

Well, it was too late to change my bobbin thread for the neckline topstitching, but I did change it for the armscye topstitching and I love it!  I know no one will ever see it but me and my dry cleaner, but I know that it’s there and it makes me happy.  Going forward, I will make sure that drapery matches the top fabric and that the carpet matches the lining if you catch my drift.  😉 

In exposed zipper news, it took me a good hour and a half to two hours to insert that sucker!  But insert it I did!  I have more to discuss on the exposed zipper front, but that will have to wait until next time.  All I have to do now on this dress is hand sew the lining to the zipper tape and sew the vent/hem.  Then this puppy will be done and ready for prime time!  I hope to wear it to work this week and on Sunday when Jack and I take our annual pictures.  🙂  

Happy sewing everyone.

Feeling exposed

Saturday night I was happily sewing along on my latest rendition of B5147 in plummy tweed.  I had just finished all my darts (all six of them on the shell) around 10:30pm.  I thought for a moment about starting the darts on the lining when I realized that I didn’t have matching thread for the lining.  Quelle horreur!  Not only that, but I didn’t have a matching zipper! 

That’s the problem with having a notion stash my friends.  You just assume you have all the supplies for every project under the sun.  Well, guess what?  Sometimes you don’t.  So that was my deciding factor to pack it up for the night. 

On Sunday, Jack and I headed over to Purl in Soho to peruse the yarn selection for his annual sweater vest.  I know I said that I probably wasn’t going to make his sweater this year, but I booked the appointment for our yearly pictures and I just can’t stand the thought of not having Jack in one of my sweaters.  Call it narcissism if you must!  After last year’s debacle, I made sure to get a color fast yarn that’s easily washable.  I chose Cascade Superwash 128 in a yummy forest green and an equally yummy ivory.  I still haven’t decided how to use the ivory yet, but will kind of “feel” it as I go I think.  

Jumping into the future:  Since I am an instant gratification person, I had to cast on Sunday night to see how the yarn looked.  I’m using Ann Budd’s book for the sweater vest pattern with a few modifications.  Me likey…

in progress: back of sweater

 

Back to the past:  Unfortunately, Purl didn’t have a large selection of thread and zippers for my new dress, so Jack and I had to walk over to P&S Fabrics to get those items.  P&S is my go to neighborhood fabric/notions store.  While their fabrics aren’t necessarily the best, you can find some bargains there occasionally and they have a decent selection of notions, buttons and yarn.  I started to panic, however, when they didn’t have an invisible zipper to match my plummy tweed.  What’s a girl to do without an invisible zipper in this modern age???  (Read: I have no idea how to insert any other kind of zipper.)  Near the zipper section, P&S has a few grubby bins filled with one-off zippers, some of them regular zippers that you could use as an exposed zipper.  Since I was already envisioning this dress as more of a jumper than an elegant sheath dress, an exposed zipper might be just the ticket!  There were two that I liked in two different lengths, 18 in and 20 in.  The pattern calls for a 20 in zipper, but an emergency call to Carolyn confirmed that an 18 in zipper would do just as well; I’m not an amazon being only 5 foot 4 inches tall.  And as it so happens, the 18 inch zipper (the one at the top of the picture with the deeper purple tape) is the one I like best with my fabric. 

Of course I have no idea how to insert an exposed zipper.  And of course, I went searching on the internet for a tutorial on how to insert one.  The tutorial I like best so far of all that I found was on the Husqvarna site (click on the exposed zipper tutorial).  That’s the one I will use tonight.

I sewed the darts in the lining last night and started to attach the lining to the dress at the neck.  I had a huge moment of inspiration at that point and am adding more detail to this simple sheath dress pattern to make it my own.  But that’s a post for another day…

I know.  I’m such a tease.  😉  

Happy sewing everyone!

Purplicity

image from http://www.unboxedconsulting.com

A SHORT POP QUIZ

1. Can one really have too much purple in their wardrobe?  A: I think not!
2.   What do my recent wool coat and my soon to be new sheath dress have in common? A: Plum thread.

 A pleasant happenstance this evening, while choosing thread for my new sheath dress, was that I didn’t need to rethread my sewing machine.  Why?  Because the thread I used for my coat was just the right shade for my new sheath dress.  I think I have just enough thread for the project too.  How cool is that?! 

I don’t know if I’ve admitted it before, but purple is my favorite color.  And while I haven’t indulged that much in it in my wardrobe in the past, I have begun to notice a purple trend in my stash lately.  Oh, I may have conveniently forgotton that one of my winter coats is purple.  And did I mention that I recently bought purple corduroy to duplicate my father’s jacket?  I don’t think I am going to use that corduroy for this jacket now though.  I mean, how can I get away with 3 jackets/coats that are purple???  That’s just a purple overload. 

I may need to join Purple Lovers Anonymous.

I made decent progress on my dress tonight.  I could have pushed my limits and finished all the darts on the lining too tonight, but I am sensibly knocking off early.  I don’t really have any thread that matches my lining and I need to buy a zipper, so I will just wait until I can pop over to P&S tomorrow and check out their selection of thread and zippers.  I like to be matchy matchy like that.  That’s just how I roll. 

Happy purplicity everyone.