Simplicity 2659: The muslin

I've got a few weddings this season that I am sewing for.  The first upcoming is actually just some alterations to a bridesmaid's dress - I'll show you that when I finish.  The other is a bolero jacket for a lovely bride who found her dream dress, but needs to cover her arms and shoulders, as it is strapless.  I'm making her a bolero to wear over the dress.

This is her inspiration photo, although she wants her sleeves to be cap length.  For the pattern, she has chosen Simplicity 2659, which is an OOP wardrobe pattern with a short bolero with a wide pleated collar.  I'll remove the pleats from the collar, shorten the sleeves and shorten the bodice in back to reveal the buttons along the back of her dress.  I whipped up a quickie muslin to determine the exact changes we'd need to make and to check for fit.

Isn't she cute?!  The fit is great out of the envelope - how awesome is that!  The two folds under her bust are just from the tucking I did in back, not a fit issue.

Here you can see that I folded up the sleeve and CB to the length she wants.  Other than eliminating the pleats on the collar, these are the only changes I'll need to make, so as soon as I finish the bridesmaid alterations, I'll cut this out.  The dress came with a wide, long sash that Danye won't be using, so I'll be cutting the jacket from that.  Fun!

New Look 6896

Happy Valentine's Day!

And what better way to celebrate than with a new pink skirt!  After my crazy fabric shopping spree, we decided it would be better for the budget if we reassembled my sewing room...  So I finally finished a skirt I cut out before I got pregnant.

I thought it appropriate that I finished it just in time for a Valentine Date with my sweetheart!

The pattern is New Look 6896, which I actually purchased for the wide leg pant, but this skirt is a really nice basic 3/4 circle with a narrow shaped yoke.  The pattern also includes a version with pockets.  The fabric I used was a stretch twill.  I'm not sure where it came from, but I wish I had more!  It was nice to sew and has just enough stretch to make it very comfortable to wear.  I interfaced the yoke with hymo, which is perfect.  It supports the fabric well and shapes the waist nicely.  I decided to go with such a firm interfacing after reading in Claire Schaeffer's Couture  Sewing Techniques that a heavy fabric needs a firm interfacing.  I had never really thought about it that way before, but it paid off here.  I was also really grateful for my walking foot when sewing this, particularly when stitching down the yoke facing, which I did by stitching in the ditch.  The upper, uninterfaced layer wanted to stretch, but the hymo kept the facing underneath stable.  After just a few inches without the walking foot it was a bunched up, mismatched mess.  The walking foot kept the layers together perfectly.

Invisible zip, of course.  This one didn't quite line up at the seam, but I decided it was close enough.  Lazy sewing, or acceptance of a minor imperfection?  You can decide.  I'm OK with it.

Fabric P0rn

It is the 10th of the month and I have not sewn a single stitch.  I'm getting seriously crazy, but since I can't sew, you all know what I've been doing instead...

Like I need more stash.

Oh, but I do!!  FabricMart AND Fabric.com tempted me with sales!  What's a sewing deprived sewist to do?

From Fabric Mart, a couple of acetate lining fabrics in olive and pink, black lace yardage, black poly satin (perhaps to underline the lace?) and some pink seersucker.  I also tossed a mystery bundle into the cart.

If you're unfamiliar with the Fabric Mart mystery bundle (as I was) please go rectify that oversight at once.  The deal is that you get 10 yards of their choice for 15 bucks.  Even if they all sucked, 1.50 a yard is still good for muslin fabric, so what have you got to lose.  But these are all awesome fabrics!!  I got a heavy black satin, purple and green printed voile, periwinkle ponte knit (yum!!), dark purple sateen (enough for a dress, double yum!!) and some tan tropical wool suiting.  And each piece was over 2 yards, so this was much more than 10 yards total.  What a deal!

During fabric.com's extra 30% off clearance sale, I picked up these lovelies.  Tan poly suiting, pink stretch pique, blue check cotton shirting, lavender ottoman knit and some dark burgundy stretch gabardine.  I also got a skein of Berrocco Sox yarn so that I can attempt my first pair of socks.  Stay tuned for that!

Then fabric.com had the audacity to have a sale on knits!!  I cannot resist knits, as you may know.  More than half my stash is knit fabrics and I love to sew them.  These are a border print stretch peachskin, a polka dot crinkle knit, a couple of lengths of slinky in lavender and turquoise, some pink matte jersey and a cool black lightweight jersey with lurex stripes.

I also picked up the scarf collar top pattern from Jalie.  All these new stretch fabrics deserve a new Jalie pattern!!

The total damage was about 50 yards of fabric.  It sure adds up fast!  I'm not really sure when I'm going to get a chance to start sewing up some of these yummy fabrics.

My sewing room looks like this, and I have a bridesmaid dress to alter and a bolero to make before I can get to the fun stuff.  At least I can still knit...

Blog Love!

Hey all you blogging ladies, have you heard about this great pattern sale just for YOU?

Sew Chic Patterns is offering 30% off her fabulous vintage inspired patterns just for sewing bloggers!  Use the coupon code BLOGLUV 2011 at her Etsy shop.  All the info is on her blog, here.

I have sewn 2 of her designs, the Myrtlewood and the Fantasia.  Both patterns were beautifully drafted, with a complete, easy to follow instruction booklet and they fit beautifully!  Her designs are beautiful and unique.  I get tons of complements every time I wear one of her designs.  Strangers literally stop me on the street.  Awesome!

I might have just ordered this one...

um, and this one.

Hurry!  Shop!!  You only have until Valentine's Day!

Monthly Roundup - January '11

Here we are 1 month into 2011!  I sewed a bit more than I expected to this month, and that is always fun!

Final tally:
Jalie 2794 top (My)

burdastyle 9/2010-121 top (K)

Ottobre 01/2009-23 pants (L)

Butterick 5566 skirt (K)

Ottobre 06/2010-13 jumpsuit (My)

Ottobre 01/2009-23 pants refashion (L)

Vogue 8699 top (K)

Vogue 8603 skirt (K)

Simplicity 3765 pants (D)

Evangeline fingerless gloves (K)

So that is 9 sewn items and 1 knitted.  I've been doing a lot of selfish sewing this month.  It's been fun to sew for me now that I'm not immensely pregnant, although the nursing bustline has given me a few frustrations.  Don't be looking for any closely fitted woven tops from me any time soon...

While I didn't do anything wildly challenging, I did play with a few more features on my serger.  I feel like I have a ton to learn about serging.  I really want to really get to know her and utilize her to her full potential.  My next big goal in that regard is to experiment with flatlocking to make some running tops for Mitch.

Next up I have a skirt about halfway done and a few tops I'm contemplating, but at the moment I've been evicted from my sewing room while we paint and carpet the house.  Necessary and exciting, but I miss my machines already!!