Fabric Stash

A few months ago, I went thru my fabric stash and wrote up index cards with a little swatch of fabric, fabric name, purchase place, fabric content, width, and yardarge, plus notes on shrinkage, dye running, my intention when I bought it (if I can remember), and what I might have used it for previously. I put all my little cards in recipe boxes. Well, I was at the drugstore with my daughter, and I saw these little binders for index cards. So I have to go back thru the index cards and punch holes in them which means that I, usually, have to move the little swatch of fabric. Last night, I went thru the silks and polyesters, getting them ready to be put into a little binder.

My son slept very poorly last night. The swimming pool is closed until further notice. My serger presser foot is broken (again!). I'm having a hard time concentrating at work, so I'm typing this instead.

Busy

I almost finished Burda 8665. The presser foot lift is broken again on my serger, so I couldn't coverstich the hems.

There were 2 problems ... well, at least 2 problems, with that burda magazine pattern.

1. I chose the pattern in a size too big. I'm a 44 not a 46 on top.
2. The fabric was too crisp. The pattern needed a very drapey fabric.

The linen/rayon burnout is working out nicely for Burda 8665.

I started on the tops from Simplicity 5633 OOP. The pattern calls for a facing. I've been reading Sewing Secrets From the Fashion Industry, and that book recommends replacing all your facings with bias binding. Naturally, I'm out of fabric to do this for these tops. It was the excuse I needed to place an order with The Sewing Place for some white batiste, 2 neue mode patterns, and the fasturn set.

Neopets

Okay, so I created a neopet, Stevie1220, the flotsam. Stevie really liked the chocolate coated mint bar, but she is bloated. And now, we've spent most of our points making a shop.

Tired Tuesday

Well, it's good to know that it isn't going to cost $12k to fly my family to NZ.

I sewed one facing on to Burda 8665. That was all I could manage last night. I'm still tired from all the wedding festivities. This morning, my alarm went off at 6:30, but I didn't wake up until 7:15 when the baby woke up.

NewZealand

It costs $3000 to fly one adult to New Zealand, and it's an 18 hour trip.

Did I finish in time?

NO!!!

Well, this is the second top that I've attempted from Burda Plus magazine. Based on my chest measurement, I should be a 46. But they aren't fitting me. I just learned one potential problem: Burda, of all the major pattern makers, allows for the most curvature in the upper back. I'm very erect, so that excess fabric may be part of my problem. Burda, also, has the smallest sleever, and I know that's part of the problem. But the tops have been too big in the shoulders, in both cases. And, now that I think about it, the last time I made a Burda pattern from an envelope, it was too big in the shoulders; I went down a size on subsequent versions.

The good part of this is that size 44 is the top of the range of regular patterns which would make many more styles available to me. The bad part of this is that the top I was making for the wedding was an unmitigated disaster. I think there was more wrong with it than just the fit in the shoulders. Can you say matronly? I've got to remember to choose patterns that have a lot of waist shaping. When I don't, all of that extra fabric that I add for my bust stays in the pattern, and I look terrible.

So I ripped it apart, and recut the pieces for Burda 8665. Did that go happily together? NO!!! I was flying along, until I sewed the facings to the wrong side of the fronts. ARGH!

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My brother is moving to NZ because he accepted a tenured position at the University of Wellington. I believe they offered his wife a job as well.

Leaving things to the last minute

At least, I have a good excuse. May was just crazy, and I did get DD's dress done. Yesterday, I was able to edge stitch the facings, but at this rate, I'm not going to finish until after the wedding. I'm going to take tomorrow morning off work, and hopefully, I'll be able to sew up the sides, put the sleeves in, and hem everything.

Will I finish in time for the wedding?

I sewed the facing to the top with the clear elastic acting at a stablizer. I'm going to have to edge stitch to keep that elastic from popping out.

Whirlwind weekend

I decided not to use the silk organza. One of my sewing buddies suggested fleshtone tulle instead. So I'm going to try this. Because the tulle doesn't offer much support, I decided to use clear elastic on the neckline.

The pattern calls for buttonloops. My first buttonloops came out terrible. I'm not sure why. Anyway, I decided to try making monk's cord. I've done it before. It's ridiculously easy and comes out beautifully. This time, I just didn't have any yarns that were the right colors. Either they were too green or too dark. I had no aqua. So I went back to the bias tube, and this time they came out okay. I'm not going to use button loops. Instead I'm going to tack down the bias tube, leaving holes for the buttons.

So I was able to get in a little sewing even tho we had my father's 85th birthday party on Saturday, and my brother and his fiance spent Sunday with us. They are getting married next weekend. Hopefully the top will be done. My daughter adores her Uncle Jack. On Saturday she came bounding into my bedroom, bursting with excitement, "When do we get to see Jack." It was the same thing on Sunday. Jack and Eina will be moving to New Zealand in August. I'm so sad about that. Jack hasn't said this to anyone except Eina, but he thinks they will be there forever. Eina has suggested that they will come back in 10 years. New Zealand is so far away.

Nightmares about drape

I cut my top out last night from a blue linen/rayon burnout that I got at Joann's. It's an interesting fabric. It looks like blue linen with sheer floral insets. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the facings and interfacing. I am going to use silk organza, but should I use 1 layer total or 2 layers, 1 facing and 1 interfacing?

I dreamed that it came out stiff as a board and stood away from my body.

Something to wear to a wedding

My brother is getting married on June 19th, and I decided last night that I don't have anything to wear to the wedding. So after much agonizing, I decided to make this top to go over a pegged knit skirt. I'm going to use a rayon/linen burnout from Joann's for the the top and a cotton/lycra knit for the skirt. I was able to trace the pattern last night. I made the back facing about 6 times as deep at center back. Sandra Betzina recommended this on her TV show, and it's probably in her books, too.

The Last of the Eyelet

I altered Kwik Sew 2489, again, taking out another inch in the front crotch length and adding 1/2 inch to the side seams. The 2 inches in circumference is probably too much. I was able to cut this out.

I cut out Simplicity 5633 view A, t-shirt, view B, tank top, and view C, skirt. For the skirt, I cut the yoke in a fuschia rayon. My daughter loves the color, but since the fabric is scratchy, I'm going to underline it with the eyelet.

And that used up all the eyelet. So Simplicity 5689 is on hold.

Just me and the baloney boy

Robert took our daughter camping, so I was home alone with our son, aka the baloney boy. I was able to get in a bit of sewing and finished the frilly dress and a pair of boxers for me to wear under dresses. I made the boxers out of the same material as the frilly dress. They were a joy to sew after that darn dress. This time, I put in the front fly. I'm going to make more of these, but (sigh) I have to make them a tad bigger. I'm not quite a XL. I made the others in an XXL; I had to grade up, but those are too big to wear under a skirt. I wear them for PJs.

Pleasant Surprise

At the last minute Robert cancelled his business travel, so I was able to go to the ASG neighborhood meeting last night. On top of that, instead of the paltry 4 people that had showed up last month, there were 8 people there. That's pretty good sized. One of the members brought the Marfy catalog. LIKE, WOW!!! It was fun to page thru. The discussion was much more lively. And they were very appreciative of that frilly dress for Isabel and my new jacket.

Tuesday Night Busy-ness

I did manage to sew the skirt to the top last night. Robert picked the kids up from daycare early to go to swim lessons. We had leftovers for dinner. Why is it when Robert makes dinner, he expects me to watch the kids, but when I make dinner, he is doing something on his computer. The three of us were sitting down at the table to eat dinner, and he was still on the computer.

Stupid White Dress

What a pain! The raglan sleeves were difficult to get in because they are a one piece sleeve, and the underarm curve is tight. It was tough to turn the neckline casing, this time because of a moderate curve at center front. I think next time I'll use bias tape. Getting the ruffles right on the skirt was tough, too. I should remember my own advice and just make one long ruffle, using the ruffler, cutting it where I need it. But no, I cut my strips then tried to fit them. I didn't follow the instructions for the width of the ruffles. They are all about 5 inches wide. I placed one at the bottom hem, one at the middle, and one at the waist. Instead of an invisible zip, I decided to make a placket with a snap. I still need to sew the skirt to the top and add the snap.

Simplicity 5633 t-shirt, tank top, and skirt: these are cut out of the white eyelet and ready to go.

I started tracing Simplicity 5689 in a size 4. I made this in a size 3 last year, and DD can still wear the dress. I considered making it again in a 3 and adding a ruffle to the bottom, but after all the ruffles in the white dress, I'm really not eager to do that. I plan on tracing the t-shirt and shorts, too. It just occured to me that I could make her a tank top out of this pattern, too. Hm

I've got quite a backlog of cut patterns. I used to sew at night after everyone else went to bed, but it's been keeping DD & DH up, so I trace, alter, and cut. I need to find time to sew.