Quick (?) Sew: Floral-Velour, Cowl Neck Knit Top (M6078)

I've still got some work to do on my latest version of McCalls 6078.

Pretty though, don't you think?

It's always so interesting working with knits. I really have to think about drape and fit on each unique project. Once more I'm needing to take in and reshape the side seams. It's a relatively quick sew, but not just zip-zap and she's done. Still need to put a little extra thought and time into it.

This is a remnant leftover from my V8323 Katherine Tilton Princess Laurel Tee. Since I've worked with this fabric before and found it not to be super stretchy or fluid, I would have expected not to need to alter the fit at the side seams. But that is just not the case! Right now I've got the sides safety-pinned and I plan to double check that I'm happy with the fit before I stitch them up. I also still have all the edge finishing to do (armhole, neck and hem).

Yup I'm looking forward to wearing this cutey. She's the kinda sorta-quick project that keeps me....

Enchanted by Sewing!
Project UPdate

I'm so glad I got my floral velour cowl neck tee done in time for my sewing day with my buddy Susan out Discovery Bay way (that's in the San Francisco Bay delta). Is there anything better than having a new thing you made yourself, to wear when you get together with a buddy? Boy, did we have fun! Can't wait for our next meetup. I interviewed her too and will be using that interview in this month's Enchanted by Sewing audio podcast. And thanks for taking all those photos Susan, so I could get the perfect one 

Panne Velour Princess Tee - Bit of a Pain (V8323)

Do you spell that Panne or Pain?
Working with Panne Velour Knit is a slippery business!

I was sure I'd have no problem zip-stitching up this crushed panne velour knit tee in time for having our neighbors over for New Years Eve supper. Har de har har! 

Do you like snakes because of the way they slither? Well if so, I recommend you run right out and buy a couple yards of crushed panne velour. Actually, I still recommend it. It's a beautiful fabric and it feels fantastic. I just encourage you to take a little extra time - OK a lot of extra time- when you plan your sewing schedule around this material. I also recommend choosing a pattern that requires minimal stitching.

This is my third experience with Katherine Tilton's form-fitting princess-seamed tee shirt, V8323. I've been quite happy with the red and floral velour versions I created recently. I've already worn both a number of times. Working with slippery panne velour is a bit of a surprise though. My Princess Laurel,  floral version of this tee was also a velour type fabric, but it didn't have the same moving-down-the-road, slithery characteristics as this crushed panne. The neck didn't cut right (because of the way the material moves), so I've cut a piece of thin tissue paper I plan to baste down -by hand - so that the neck will actually be round. The fabric just slipped and slid around and under my scissors and shaped things in unexpected ways, so getting a round neckline didn't happen. Once I baste down the round shape on the tissue, and eyeball it to make sure it is round and symmetrical on both sides, I'll cut right along the stitching line. Or else I'll leave that stitching line in place and sew the self-fabric bias strip right up against that basting line.

When I started out sewing the princess and side seams, I immediately found that funny things were happening. The back raw edge started disappearing beneath the front one. So I had to get busy with Auntie Seama Rippah. And you know how Auntie feels about knits, right? To date, I've got the princess seams and side seams hand-basted. And what did I learn then? I'm also going to need to sew it up tighter. Yup, it's the fluid nature of that panne velour.  I'm sure I'll be hand-basting the sleeves on as well.

It looks like it will be a pretty shirt that feels great on my skin. Perhaps you'll see me in it by next New Years Eve!

~ ~ ~ 

Web Resources

I wore the Red Interlock Knit Version of this tee for Christmas and plan to wear it for Valentine's Day. I've certainly been wearing it since the holiday, because I love it's fit, color and feel http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/12/fitted-red-tee-in-time-for-christmas.html

My Princess Laurel Tee - I used Floral Velour the first time I made a tee with this pattern. I've worn this shirt quite a lot as well. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/12/terminado-my-princess-laurel-tee.html

Auntie Seama Rippah and I aren't really the best of friends http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/11/avoiding-auntie-seama-rippah-for.html

Inspired by Amy Adams - Creating the Perfect Shirt Dress For Me

Amy's modeling a shirt dress made up in  a paisley silk twill.
 I'm thinking of a nice rayon challis.
I'll also be using a waistline that suits my figure type.
No matter what fabric I make it up in, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to find a nice grassy bank to pose on, when I get  my next shirt dress done!

Though I'm making plain sewing progress on the simple black denim skirt I talked about in my most recent Enchanted by Sewing audio podcast episode, I have been distracted by the idea of either draping or altering a pattern to create the perfect shirt dress pattern. That garment has been running around in my head since I took my draping class last year. At that time I was working towards creating a shirt dress, but didn't feel quite ready to create all the classic features of that type of dress. I did create a pattern I used for a really pretty linen dress with a front polka dot zipper that I like a lot, but with simpler details.

Amy's dress is more along the lines of the
full-skirted versions. I'm working on one of the
no-sewn/included waistline, to be worn with a wide
self-fabric belt that covers a 3" elastic.

Since I finished creating and producing last month's audio podcast, I'd been working on my skirt and also the muslin, and necessary pattern alterations to an out-of-print McCalls 3623 shirt dress (there are plenty of shirt dresses in current pattern catalog, and unused versions of this pattern are still available through many vendors on the web). Then I opened the Vogue August 2014 issue, turned to the article on redheads (photographed by the great Fran Leibovitz - can that woman take a bad photo?) and found Amy Adams wearing the quintessential paisley, silk twill shirt dress. 

Amy and I don't have the same figure types. She is more of an hour glass type and I'm a rectangle. So though I'm distracted by the idea of her full skirt with gathers, I'm still at work on my straight up and down shirt dress, complemented by a 3" wide elastic based belt.

I'll be creating a first test version of this dress in a pretty piece of rosy-peach linen-look material I picked up from the freebie counter at school. I've been using a black 3" wide elastic belt I already own over my muslin,  to test out the waist and hip style lines that belt will create. Wearing my peaches and cream dress (Of course I've already named it!) will help me make decisions about any changes I might want to make to the pattern, before I use it again.  I've been planning to create a version of this dress in a beautiful length of silk noil/raw silk that it's my fabric inventory. Now I've got plans for a rayon challis as well, inspired by seeing Amy in this dress.

Doesn't finding this article seem like a sign from beyond, that I really needed a well-fitting shirt dress pattern?

Being able to follow through on inspiration like this is one of many things that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

In my Enchanted by Sewing audio podcasts, I talk about wardrobe additions I've sewn and how I've sewn them, as well as garments I'm inspired to sew.

Amy Adams wearing a beautiful and sewing-inspirational silk twill shirt dress in Vogue's August issue for this year http://www.fabzz.com/amy-adams-annie-leibovitz-photoshoot-for-vogue-august-2014.html

Sewing Some California Romance (Vogue 8810)

My daughter graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last weekend, and I sewed to celebrate!

I first made Vogue 8810 in a straight skirt, no sleeve variation (You can see the black and white houndstooth version I made last summer in my Romancing the Dress posting). I like the simple lines of this frock pattern, which work when I want to get a little bit dressed up, but also don't get in my way when I hop on my bike and pedal off to chorus, or walk downtown for groceries.

This is my California Romance version of the pattern. I was crazy about this poppy trim when I found it at Brittex not too many months back. Now how could I use it? Hey, nothing like shopping my fabric inventory!! This light weight plaid shirting fabric worked well. To give this fabric sufficient clout for a dress, I used rayon beneath, interlining the bodice and sewing a full slip beneath the skirt.

Once more I didn't use the drawstring waist that came with the pattern. My friend Susan worked hard to alter the bodice, fitting the shoulders better and adding long diagonal darts I like a lot. I had meant to wear this with my favorite brown leather belt but the bias cut skirts just looked wrong with that belt. It was bunchy and unattractive at the waist when I tried on the belt. Instead I sewed on a piece of wide black elastic that didn't go all the way around to meet in the front and then sewed that CA poppy trim from Brittex

So happy I found a use for my
CA poppy trim

on top of that, just buttoning it at the side with this pretty green button. The front then hangs flat on me, which works better with what the pattern designer was going for.

Interpreting the romance of my life in California in the clothes I wear, keeps me enchanted by sewing!

Imagining Jackets

Vogue 8885 is a sleeper, well worth trying

Lot of beautiful jackets came up in Sewing class this semester.

My favorite was a real sleeper pattern sewn by Isabelle, a sewist who works at Thai Silks (also known as Exotic Silks). Guess what her favorite fabric is?

The suggested fabrics for Vogue jacket, 8885, don't include silk, but Isabelle's choice of "mud" silk, woven in black and blue threads was spot on for view D. I would have passed right by this pattern if I hadn't seen what Isabelle can do with a pile of mud :-)

You know who wants this pattern now, don't you?

Technicos: Don't be Mad - Be Plaid

Though Vogue 8810 is a relatively straightforward pattern I've made before (in a straight skirted version), The CA Romance Dress is challenging for several reasons:

1) Susan's helping me to alter the pattern for an improved fit. I wrote about that in "Further Adventures of the CA Romance Dress".  I liked this dress shape before, but I'm liking the new tissue shape I saw in the mirror even more. Could I have been happy making this dress without these changes, working on my own pinning in front of the bathroom mirror? You bet I could. But I'm taking classes and it's a great chance to learn more about fitting techniques. I'm going to feel majorly couture wearing this creation!

2) I'm making this version with a wide bias cut skirt.  I'm using plaid fabric. Oh boy - plaid.

3) I'm working with only 4 yards of fabric, the bare minimum for the full-skirted version. (I won't be able to squeak the full-length sleeve out, you betcha).And BTW did I mention I'm using plaid fabric?

What helped? Pattern weights combined with pins. The pattern and fabric on these great big skirt pieces tends to shift about. Just as soon as I'd have it pinned on one side, it shifted on the other. So I switched to  laying out a whole lot of pattern weights first, moving them around and around, shifting and moving the fabric as I went until all the lines all around the piece seemed to be lining up.

After all the pattern weights were in place, then I pinned. And I used lots and lots of pins.

Previously I thought pattern weights were just for people who used them instead of pins. Now I think they made it possible for me to do some challenging plaid matching. Thanks to Kathleen and her husband who made these pattern weights for our sewing lab at school!

A Couple of Other Things I learned:

* After I already started cutting another Sewing Lab inhabitant suggested next time I make bigger seam allowances (maybe an inch instead of 5/8 inch), so that I can tweak the plaid matchup a little if the fabric pulls slightly out of do-wacky when I'm cutting. Would have been a good idea, but too late.

* Richard suggested that I stay/reinforcement stitch my bias-cut seams (in this case, the skirt side seams) when I was fretting about the challenges of that newly stretchy cross-cut side moving around on my when matching up those seams where the plaids come together in a diagonal manner. He also told me not to stress it too much when it comes to plaids, and just to enjoy it!

He's right. It's not a contest. The point is to have fun.

My fabric isn't, of course, wide enough to cut both sides of
the full bias-cut skirt front or back
So I cut each skirt piece - front and back- out twice
A total of four skirt pieces to cut
That 'flip!" note reminds me that I want to
cut mirror images of each piece.
I'm sure you'd never make a mistake doing that, but I sure have!

When I pin the pattern to the plaids, I pin on the seam line
Not the cutting line
The fabric can shift between the cutting and seam line

I test to make sure that I've still got plaids matching over and over
as I lay out each piece

It's not enough just to get the  seam's matching
We try to get all the plaids matching around the entire piece
THEN we work to matchup the plaids on this piece with plaids on the
pieces this will be sewn to. That would be
skirt front to skirt back, skirt top to dress  bodice, in this case

Notice I used pattern weights not only around the edges, but in the middle too. It helped really get the pattern to lay flat. (The pattern is in the middle here, I've already cut one piece and now it's flipped over. I put pins through the grainline to make sure it's laying straight, though the plaid matching makes that pretty durn  likely as well.

Romancing the Dress: Envisioning California Romance

Getting together the goods
For my California Romance Dress

I feel so successful about the black and off-white houndstooth dress I sewed last summer, from Vogue v8810, that I've begun planning my next version of this frock.

What really made this project a success?

1) I liked the look of the completed dress

PLUS

2) I've actually gotten in quite a lot of wearings.

The newest girl in my wardrobe will be made from this pattern and from this pretty plaid shirting and CA poppies trim (did you clue in on the significance of that California Romance name yet?). Since the fabric is  lighter than what's recommended for the pattern, I plan to interline the bodice to create a heavier fabric. Because I'll be making the fuller skirted version, I'm expecting the skirt zone to hold it's own. I may wear it with a half slip though.

I also plan to add a 3/4 sleeve - based on the full length, a more typical length for me, which makes me feel like I can really move around. I'll also include the inseam pockets - with a waistband leash - that I added to the pattern the last time I made it. I can't stand not having pockets. And, as I did last time, no bow-front casing. I'll wear it belted with a nice wide brown leather belt I already own. I'm going to spend a little time altering the bodice, probably taking it back a little bit at the shoulder seam in the front. I'm hoping to try that out with my buddy Susan in sewing lab this week.

This time I'm trying out the
full-skirted version of v8810
with an elbow, or just past sleeve,
Let's just hope I've got enough
material to match those plaids!

This dress represents my idea of real California Romance, a garment that's both practical and pretty for a life that's lived in the every day, not just in an imaginary no-fuss-minimal-movement environment that often seems to be represented by magazine models in high heels and no bike or public transit in sight. As a matter of fact I thought quite a lot about why dresses are important and what makes them work for me so that they can go beyond special-occasion and into my daily wardrobe, so much in fact that I devoted quite a bit of my October "Enchanted by Sewing" podcast  to the theme of Romancing the Dress. This second show in
this relatively new free podcast show series will be up in the iTunes store before the end of this month. You can search iTunes using the phrase "Enchanted by Sewing", or simply signup to receive email notifications of all new shows (no spam!) at the Show Notes site for Enchanted By Sewing.

Alteraciones: Changing UP those Patterns

I've been working with
the alterations I've made over several years
On this tried-and-true pattern
To be sure the alterations are good ones
This pattern is out of print, but various
vendors have it for sale on the web

Progreso para octubre/October Progress

I'm  looking back at my plans for this month's sewing, to see how the actuals are coming along. Isn't that what we do when we want to see whether or not we're channeling our resources in the right direction and how our business is coming along? Sewing is not my business, it's my enchanting past time, but I like to feel that I step back and think sometimes, about whether or not my recreation energy is being well spent. The proof is in the pudding. Eventually I want to get some pretty, comfortable and useful clothes out of the time I invest with needles, pins and patterns. And I want to find that those are clothes that I spend a lot of time wearing, not attractive garments that just hang in my closet waiting for a special day to be worn.

Let's See How My October Sewing Basket  is Progressing .......

- 1.  Finish the basic much needed camisole I worked so hard on in September. Hooray it's done! I wore it under that new sheer yellow tee shirt I made a couple of months back, and immediately figured out that I need to stabilize the lovely broad braided shoulder straps (that idea came from the Jan Bones Lingerie book, which my library has), made out of spaghetti strap type tubes. So cute, and SO stretchy. I think I'm going to hand sew a piece of satin'y ribbon along the back of the straps and then try wearing it again.

- 2.  A new pair of pants, either light weight denim or beige twill - I've got 3 yards of each. I'll be using the same patterns I used for The Lady Wears Shorts, which I've got fitting pretty well. I'm taking a "Pants Construction" class at Cañada this month. 

ON HOLD Turns out this project is not due by the end of the month as I'd expected. I've put both the cutting out and sewing of these pants on hold until the end of this month because ...

Taking advantage of what Susan is learning
in the Fit Class
to get a really well-fitting blouse pattern,
That's something I don't currently
have in my pattern stash.
Vogue V8747

a) I'm learning a lot of techniques in my 4 week Pants Construction Class (it ends October 23) which will affect not only how I sew them but how I cut them out. The pockets for example will be cut with a leash that fastens into the waistband. We're starting in on waistbands this coming weekend and I have some questions about how to make my pants more stable in that zone, and how to better work with Petersham ribbon.  Better to wait on everything.
b) Sewing samples for my main sewing class, lingerie class and pants construction class seems to take an inordinate amount of time. I'm learning to enjoy cutting out and thinking hard about sample pattern shapes and techniques, but I'm surprised to find that I can spend 2-4 hours on just one sample, and we make several each week. Then sometimes I find I need to re do them. Now I know one reason why I never put the time in, to learn techniques before. The other reason is that it's just fun to sit down and sew up a favorite, tried and true pattern. That's something I probably won't do in October, but I am going to put on my list to do at least once in November.

- 3.  Trace, tissue fit and toile a very fitted princess-seamed Vogue blouse pattern. I'd like to say get it sewn too, but given time.... I'll be happy to just get going on this project.

IN PROGRESS I'm pleased to say that I've gotten going on this project. I've been working in sewing lab with my new buddy Susan. She's taking the fitting class I plan to take next fall, and we're putting her new knowledge to work.  It's taking a lot of energy just working out the fit, but it's going to be worth it to have a really well-fitting fitted princess-seamed blouse pattern. You can bet I've already got plans to sew that up in three different fabrics from my sta- errrr fabric inventory (!) once I get that pattern working. Here's what I've done with it.

a) Identified that I shouldn't try to fit the sleeve until I get the bodice, and it's resident armscye working with my body. I learned this by chatting to Kelly, an experienced Cañada Fashion Department class taker, who's often working in the sewing lab. Kelly told me to come and see her about my sleeve pattern once I've got the bodice in good shape. She's going to help me learn what to slash and where once the armhole area is working well for me. She also hinted at the possibility of a "cut-on gusset" once we do that. Lots of new things to learn

b) I traced, and cut out, the main princess-seamed bodice pattern pieces onto the tissue I use (medical supply paper, like the kind you sit on when you visit the doctor, only it's new and un-sat-on).I doubled all the pieces, as though I were cutting it out of actual fabric,  so that I could put it on like a full bodice for fitting. This included four pieces: bodice front, bodice side front, bodice back and bodice side back.

It was a little challenging figuring out where to leave, and how to cut, extra tissue paper versus just moving the tissue around with gaps and inserting gap-filling tissue paper as Susan fits the pattern to me. This is something I will learn over time.

c) Susan fitted the tissue to my body. We used colored marking pens to note where tissue seams had been joined, wide posit tape (great for removing without tearing) and many pins. 

One thing I learned was that no matter how obvious the results of fitting seemed at the end, I could have marked the results more clearly. Next time I will know more.

d) I cut out 3 of the 4 pieces in crummy fabric to test the bodice. I'm already concerned that I missed a place where I'm supposed to add a seam allowance, but I'll find out once I sew it up and put it on. Sometimes you just have to forge ahead. And the material is so yucky, I won't care if I have to chuck it and start over.

e) I need to review how to join princess seams. There's a funny, but familiar, big notichy shape on the side front  I just don't get. So I'll need to break down and go back to the pattern instruction sheet.

f) On Monday I plan to have that bodice toile/muslin basted up and ready to review with Susan in Sewing Lab.

- 4. IN PROGRESS- Start in on the next project for my main sewing class at Cañada - elastic waist linen pants

Whew! These have really been a lot of work. I decided to be very scientific about a capri elastic-waist pants pattern I've been using for maybe seven years. I think I've actually sewn this  pattern at least 20 times, altering both the fit and the shape of the leg. I've sewn them as capris, long straight leggers, a divided skirt and palazzo pants. 

I retraced the original pattern, which I'd damaged and shrunk with regular scotch-type tape and the iron (I figured out to use iron-able posit tape after I first began working with this pattern). Pattern weights from an obliging drawer in the Sewing Lab at school helped me to get the damaged spot straightened out enough to trace the whole piece. Then I retraced that original tracing and filed away my first careful, reconstructed pattern pieces, so I can always go back to the original without the pain and agony. On the second tracing I drew in the alteration lines I've made over the years, making notes in different colors so I could see which were the original pattern lines, and which were mine. I had a kind of shlocky heavy-paper version of the pattern I had been using, that I took these lines from.

Next I've begun working to determine if the alterations I made over time, using the scotche here and the schotche there method, to determine if these are the best alterations for the garment. This may sound tedious, but I think it will prove to be worth it. I took a pair of dark linen capris I found I'd cut out of the pattern and forgotten about (I also drew there lines in on my pattern in another maker color to ensure they matched my schlocky pattern lines), taped them to a window with light coming behind and used narrow posit tape and pins to find the actual grain line of the fabric. Then I used more of the same to create perpendicular lines at hip and around the widest part of my hips. After which I basted in white thread, which stands out against the dark fabric, along all 3 lines on the one pants  front where I had done this. I did the same with one back leg. 

Entonces - I then basted up the pants (without the in seam pockets) - just the leg and crotch seams. I plan to try these on in Sewing Lab, tie a piece of elastic around my waist, mirror check, and ask a buddy to see if they think the basting lines of white grain-check thread are hanging straight. Also the widest-point of hip line may tell me something. 

Amazing how long this all takes! The payback comes as I continue to use this pattern, which I also intend to use in combination with a pattern from the lingerie class to make tap pants.

- 5. IN PROGRESS I'd love to get at least one tee done, either one of my new Hot Patterns or another of the Stretch and Sew 333 tees I sewed for class in September, but that is a bit too much blue skying.

a) I cut out one of the Strech and Sew tees, though trying a different neckline version for it may keep me from getting it done as quickly as I might otherwise do.

b) I tissue traced my new Hot Patterns Weekender Sunshine top. 

Though I'm spending a lot of time in the sewing lab at school, I'm doing more sewing science than sewing construction. They don't call it a "lab" for nothing. It's great to be able to take advantage of the facilities and the people around me. If I'm going to take sewing classes, I want to learn as much as I possibly can. The techniques and knowledge of how to fit, plus improving the way favorite patterns fit my body, are going to stand me in good stead when I want to just sit down and zip on my machine.