Another new blouse!
For the upcoming holidays I need some new clothes, so I have been working on some blouses to wear and this is one I just finished.
Butterick B0468/B5300
Of course, if you pull this pattern it doesn’t look like this. I added the collar and the sleeve ruffles. The fabric is from Michael Levine’s Loft in LA. I think it was $2 for the whole bit I bought. In order to make the ruffles, I used the directions in Roberta Carr’s book, Couture: The Art of Sewing (ISBN 0-935278-28-1). Since the ruffles are all cut on the bias it is very difficult to make a rolled hem, so I improvised and used what we used to call a ‘baby hem’. In order to get the fabric ’stiff’ enough for me to sew and press I ‘painted’ Pefect Sew’ on the edges and let it dry.
Perfect Sew
I then stitched around the circumference of the ruffle and then pressed and sewed again. Probably not the best instructions; however, the ‘baby hem’ is demonstrated in lots of sewing books.
And, thus I have a new blouse. The buttons are from my stash. Once completed I just hand washed the Perfect Sew from the blouse. The fabric was difficult to work with, but I like how the blouse turned out and I am sure I will wear it many, many times.
Thanks for visiting!
The Sewing Workshop – Trio T-Shirt, Top & Pants
I have finally finished the Trio pattern. I purchased this and some of the fabric at the ASG Conference in New Mexico.
Trio T-Shirt, Top & Pants
The fabric for the top is from the Project Sewing Workshop and is linen. Ugh! It was really difficult to work with. Also, it does not launder well – as you can see, it needs a good pressing. The buttons came from my stash. It is a cute top – sort of a lightweight jacket.
Trio Top and the Trio T-shirt
Would I make this top again? Not sure yet. I think I need to wear it a bit before I retire the pattern. The T-Shirt pattern is really nice. Fits well, too. It has raglan sleeves, which I usually don’t like because of my rounded back, but this pattern was (or is) well drafted. Had some problems with the neck edge. The pattern had some odd measurements, but I consulted my Easy Sewing Guide to Sewing Tops & T-Shirts, by Marcy Tilton, and I was able to get the neck edge. The fabric is some I purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics some time ago. The pattern is a little too loud for me, but I do like the T-Shirt and I really like the weight of this knit, unfortunately I have no idea what the fabric is.
Trio T-Shirt
And finally the pants, they fit really well. I made size medium and the length and the sizing is perfect. So what’s wrong? They are cute, but I don’t think I would make them again. They’re a sort of ‘cargo’ pant style. I took a class on pants from Linda Lee (who wrote/designed this pattern) at the ASG Conference. Her lecture was all about drape of pant fabric. If the fabric has a really good drape then the pants will be slimming (she wrote a Threads Magazine article about this, too). I felt the fabric I used (some from my stash) had nice ’slimming ‘ drape, however, this style of pant has this big pocket at the bottom and so the pants seem too heavy at the ankles – making me look shorter than I am. I did add some side pockets and I do like the waist band treatment. Would I make the pants again, no.
Sewing Workshop Trio T-Shirt, Top & Pants
The quest for the perfect blouse!
McCalls M5138
Lately, my sewing has been tailored garments, most specifically wool jackets and coats. However, now I am turning to blouses and T-shirts (knits). So to begin this quest, I started with McCall’s M5138. Many sewers have already blogged about his pattern and there are several good reviews on Pattern Review (PR) about it- but how about one more!
What I Like: It is a great fitting blouse. Once I got it to fit. Had to move the bust dart so it actually pointed to my bust apex and not some other region on my body. Also had to shorten the bust dart and shorted the front fish eye darts. The shoulders fit well. The armscye actually falls on my body in the right place. There is ample room in the sleeve cap for movement, but not so much that I had trouble easing it into the armhole when sewing.
The length of the blouse is good in the sleeve and the body and the collar rolls well. I did cut the under collar on the bias, which helps get a nice roll on the upper collar. When I wear one of these blouses (so-far I have made two) I have been complemented and gotten, “You made this!” Always nice to hear.
What I didn’t like: Ugh! Multiply sized patterns are great, but I fall between two sizes: my bust/high bust falls in the AA (6-8-10-12) and my hips fall in EE (14-16-18-20). So rather than just enlarging the pattern, I purchased two patterns and just combined the two at the waist area. A little bit more expensive (with buying two patterns) but it saves a lot of time in drafting a larger hip size. I know how to do pattern drafting, but I just want to draft enough changes to get the pattern to fit me beause, I want to sew.
The first blouse I used a stretch woven. Here it is on my dress form. HONEST! It looks better on me!
Stretch woven McCalls 5138
Here is the second blouse I made from this pattern. This is a oxford-type cloth – no stretch. Both these fabrics I picked up from Jo-Anns. I do have some better fabric to work with (that I purchased at the ASG Conference) but I wanted to refine the pattern (and my sewing skills) before I move on to those fabrics- besides, it never hurts to have some fabric ‘aging’ in the stash!
Well, this doesn’t look so great on the dress form, but it does look nice on me. I really didn’t like this fabric. It frayed really nicely and is a little thin, but it was inexpensive at Jo-Anns so I don’t have much invested in either of these blouses.
As to the buttons for both blouses – they came from my button stash.
So tomorrow I will be teaching my ASG Neighborhood Group. We are making this blouse. The other participants are just getting started with fitting their pattern. Should be an interesting sewing adventure. Have a great weekend!
Working on Vogue 7903 Sandra Betzina’s Today’s Fit
I have ‘heard’ and seen much success with Sandra Betzina’s Today’s Fit pattens from Vogue – so, in need of some blouses, I thought I would try one:
But, I have found that I need to make some major adjustments to the bust area. The bust darts are pointing some where other than where they should be:
You may not be able to see the bust darts, but I had to shorten them by about two inches. I am hoping this will fix the problem, but in the meantime -
I was getting ‘too much help form the cats’ so I gave up and will begin again tomorrow night.
Pencil Skirt Success
I came of age in the ’80’s - and over the years I’ve given up the big hair, the big shoulder pads in jackets, but I still love a good pencil skirt and this is it: I recently made two of these. This one is from home dec fabric I purchased at M&L Fabrics in Anaheim.
The pattern is very easy and I purchased it through Lanetzliving.net, which is a great website for fininding out-of-print patterns. The pattern is Butterick 5390.
I installed a lapped zipper:
I used Kenneth King’s lapped zipper method from his book. I know there are LOTS of sewing books to show the lapped zipper, but I wanted to try the ‘King’ method.
ASG Creativity Contest
Today I send off my outfit for the ASG Creativity Contest. Once I receive the outfit back I will dutifully post it here (with lots of pictures) and review it on Pattern Review.
The process for this contest is that you make the outfit as per the contest requirements and then send in a 300 word report with samples about the outfit you made. If the selection committe is interested in it, then they ask you to send the completed outfit to them for review. I really wasn’t expecting to get that call – but I did. I am quite honored; however, I am also very apprehensive, too. For me, sewing isn’t a goal – it is a process. In sewing, I am ALWAYS learning – with each project I gain some improvement, but I am FAR from being an expert. I truly enjoy the process of sewing an outfit. Some clothes do turn out better then others, but in the end I love this hobby. So entering a sewing ’contest’ is a little stressful for me because I put all these “I-am-not-the-expert-sewer-I-wish-I-was” expectations on myself and I think it is the unknown about the judges and the judging of my sewing that stresses me the most. No one wants to be ridiculed by ‘The Seam Police’. But, even with all that, I still went a head and entered this contest. And, the next contest is the LA County Fair – entry forms due in June (I think). Do I want to stress myself out for that, too. Maybe? We shall see.
My favorite sewing book? Well at least a good one.
Okay. I just finished the first of several drafts of the ASG newsletter that I write and I included this book in the book review section:
This is the ’sewing’ book about fit I turn to again and again. It has lots of photos showing different fit problems and how to fix them on the paper pattern and a great discussion on ‘how to read the wrinkles’. From some reviews I’ve read I guess this book was originally issued under another title and was reissued in the 1980s. Yeah, the clothes in the book my not be to your liking (yes they are dated), but the technique of fitting are great. I would recomend this book to anyone who wants to refine their fitting.
So, its late and I’m tired. Tired. Tired. Tired.
Exhausted! But successful!
I hate the feeling of having too many things to do and not enough time to do them. I try to schedule my time so that I get ample rest, eat well and have the on-going opportunity to be creative – sewing! However, this past month – February – has been a blur of requirments to get STUFF done; however, I did take a to day sewing workshop, which was a two hour drive (round trip from my house) on two of the rainest days of the year! The class was a pressure cooker. What was the workshop, you may ask? It was learning to make bras!
The class was sponsored by the ASG-Los Angeles Chapter and the instructors were Ann and Deb from Needlenook Fabrics of Kansas. I was a dismal failure at this whole endeavor: Ann had to sew the last few steps of my bra since I did it wrong. Believe me- my frustration level was HIGH!
But, I came home and cut and sewed another bra. The second one took me probably a week to finish, but I got it done and most importantly: It fits! This is the most comfortable bra to wear. After putting my sewn bra on I hadn’t realized how uncomfortable store bought bras truly are. I am eager to sew some more and if you ever have the opportunity to take this workshop- do it! I had never sewn with these stretchy fabrics before nor used these techniques, so I learned a lot. Yes, the workshop was expensive $200 for ASG members, but for that price you get the pattern -customed fitted to you and enough material for three bras- is worth it. Ann and Deb, of Needlenook Fabrics, won’t let you leave the workshop until one bra is done – so yes, I was the LAST person there. But I wore my newly sewn bra home and have shown it to many fellow sewers encouraging them to step out of the box and try something new. Ultimately, it was a great workshop. Look to the ASGLA website (ASGLA.org) for next year’s dates for the Bra Workshop.
My next project is a street banner for the city- I applied for the program and was accepted! Although, at the time I applied I hadn’t realized how large the banners are! I have some serious painting to do. And, then once my banner is done – due to the city on March 13th - I will be on to my project for the ASG Creative Contest for the ASG Convention in July.
Another finished project!
I did it. I finished another ‘unfinished project’. Of course, I used the worst fabric – quite possibly the worse fabric choice available. Well, maybe not that bad, but- The problem is the fabric is ‘flocked’. Who knew they made flocked fabric – I thought only Christmas trees got flocked. I purchased this fabric at JoAnns – where sometimes you can get some great fabrics and sometimes you don’t! Anyway, the jacket can’t be dry cleaned and I can’t wash it since I, of course, over tailored it. But – I DID FINISH IT! Here’s another look at the lining, too. I purchase this at Michael Levine’s and I love animal prints. The buttons are from my stash. I know there has been some blog-chatter about using ’stuff’ from you stash just because its from your stash, but I love it when someone makes a garment and they use unique and interesting buttons/closures/trim or whatever that they bought years ago. There’s a story there and as a sewer I want to hear the story. 
My Coat of 100 Mistakes
It is done! I just picked my coat up from the dry cleaners and I can’t wait to wear it. I have christen it, ‘My Coat of 100 Mistakes’. It has taken me about seven months to finish this coat and there are SO many mistakes in it – maybe 100 is a conservative guess. I doubt Iwill be making another coat any time soon. How many coats does one need in sunny Southern California? So, what did I learn by making this coat -a few highlights:
- Underlining. Yes, I should have underlined this fabric, which unraveled just by looking at it.
- Extra wide seam allowances. Okay, I made it with 5/8 ” as per the instructions, but with this fabric I should have used at least 1 ” since the fabric unraveled so well.
- Bound Buttonholes. I should have had professional buttonholes made rather than the bound buttonholes- why? Once again the fabric was difficult to work with and the bound buttonholes were tricky and not as nice as I would like or should be.
The fabric I purchased at Fabric Land (in Orange, CA). The pattern is Simplicity 3966. I think this pattern is out of print. Not sure, you would have to check on it.
Of course, what would a coat be without some ‘fabo’ lining. I normally use (in my blazers) silk charmeuse in some crazy pattern. I know, all you professional tailors and my fellow tailoring students are now cringing – traditional tailoring requires a sedate color lining, but I love silk and fortunately for me, Michael Levines’ (downtown) has a ‘fabo’ selection of silk charmeuse. But having said all that, I ended up using a polyester fabric for lining! Why? Well, I saw this at Journal Fabrics and just fell in love with it.
I used the not-so-right-side for the right side of the lining. To bad I didn’t buy more and I could of made a dress, too. Oh well, maybe next coat (in about ten years)!
So there it is. I have finished one of my many projects!
Next week I will be going downtown and will be buying lining fabric (no doubt – silk charmeuse) for my three completed blazers that just need lining and buttons. So stay tuned for me finishing some more projects and now, I’m going out. To where? Who knows- but I’m going to wear My Coat of 100 Mistakes!
