Kensington Gardens Shirt - Terminado!/Finished!

Hey look what I finally finished!
Love wearing it too. Great over jeans and fitted trousers.I have not completed a lot of sewing recently, but I have been making a concerted effort to get more sewing time in.  Because I just missed time at the machine, as well as finishing and enjoying new garments. 

I call it my Kensington Gardens Shirt in honor of that wonderful park in London, where you find the Peter Pan statue. The contrast fabric is William Morris Strawberry Thief. The green material is also Liberty of London, but I don’t know what design it is, or if it’s one of the old classics like the Strawberry Thief.

I had this shirt cut out probably two years ago  - from my No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency pattern (much altered B5526). After cutting it out, I tucked it away and more or less forgot about it.  

A few months back, I dug it out because - hey I can't let Liberty of London fabric go to waste! I have been sewing it off and on for something like two or three months. Just tiny snips of time. Finally I pushed myself to put in blocks of time, and finally it is done. Hooray!

This project has really reminded me you have to have confidence about resolving sewing challenges - I had more than one.

I had an awful lot of problems with things like laying the button holes out iregulalrly (yup I measured - but then I did something funny....) - so I added more buttons in between, sewed the right strip on top of the left, and now all the buttons are decorative. I pull it over my head to put it on, and that works just fine. 

I really disliked this shirt for a while. I altered a lot of aspects of the pattern style, and it was cut too big and loose for the floaty fabric-  but now I like it a lot. Isn't that always amazing when a project goes from potential wadder to wardrobe enhancer? I just have to be careful not to wear it over full pants because of the loose cut. 

Part of my other challenges were... the Liberty of London Tanna Lawn material is very fluid so I added quilt batting to the collar (used the collar band only) and the part down along the front facing because even with interfacing it was limp. Then I did some very simple machine straight stitch quilting. 

At one point I considered taking some waist tucks, which looked like they'd work out as well - like I did on the purple check Kaufaman gingham plus Liberty of London Mauverina print contrasts using this same shirt pattern about 2.5 years ago.  But I started to get used to the looseness, and am now happy with it. Can always take those tucks down the road if I change my mind.

Oh - I also changed the cuffs from the original under elbow cuff with placket , to a simple band of the Strawberry Thief that I sewed in print side upside down, then seamed along either (pressed) edge, then ran wide elastic in and turned up. After that I simply sewed the rest of the underarm seam. (I have a feeling I did something more permanent to make that cuff stay in place.....) I always push my shirt sleeves up, so 3/4 sleeves are better for me. And these cuffs hit me just right, a touch below the elbow, or I can push the elastic up just above the elbow,  if I'm in the mood.

Collar and front band are stabilized with both quilt batting and fusible interfacing
How about that pin?
Who knows how long that's been floating around in my costume jewelry collection.
It really helps make the shirt.

Amaryllis - My New Semi-Fitted Blouse (Pink and White Striped Seersucker)

Here's the kind of amaryllis that inspired me to name my
new blouse. These bulbs show up in our stores around
 the winter holidays, are inexpensive,  and  are 
pretty easy to grow.

I'll be talking about the techniques I used to create my new Amaryllis blouse in this month's Enchanted by Sewing audio podcast, which will be published before the end of July. 

Yes, I love my new Amaryllis blouse!
And I'm so happy I bought this wide red belt this summer.
It also sets off my CA Summer Skies Shirt - both of
which I've been wearing a ton with my new summer denim skirt.

I’ve begun to enjoy naming the garments I craft. It reminds me each one is a work of art! That’s what the designers do. I’m designing for myself, and it’s fun to think like those fashion designers who give name to their creations, just like I do :-)

As I did with last month's CA Summer Skies seersucker Shirt,
I interfaced and lined my blouse facings with silk organza. This also gave me a
 neat completely concealed outside edge to  hand stitch down

I named my new pink and white seersucker blouse Amaryllis, after the musical “The Music Man” Are you a fan of  that play? You may recall it’s set in the American town of River City, Iowa in 1912 in. Below is a snippet from a blog posting I wrote a few years back, in my first blog, “The Simple Romantic” When I began that blog it represented a lot of my different interests including: hiking, sewing, and time travel! The Simple Romantic blog is still out on the web – and nowadays I keep it current by adding in postings from my different, more specifically themed blogs. I’ve included a link below, to the full time travel posting relating to the Music Man. Here’s that excerpt…

Suddenly I find myself there in the middle of the train station, a looker-on to the arrival in town of The Music Man himself. Is it the huge striped-candy blossom that makes me think about the barbershop quartet rehearsing in their shirtsleeves ? Perhaps it's the memory of Winthrop's heartbreaking lisp when he is forced to greet his elder sister, Marion's, piano student - she's named after the belladona lily, that sent me tumbling back in time.

Amaryllis, of course, was that piano student, and now she has become the inspiration for my new semi-fitted summer blouse.

I'll be talking about the pattern alterations I made
in my Enchanted by Sewing audio podcast, which I'll publish
 before the end of this month
Putting the partially completed blouse on my
dress form Conchita, helped me to notice that the top
end of my darts needed some realignment!

I used stitch and pink seam finishing techniques for Amaryllis

Completed Stitch and Pink

I like Amaryllis with jeans too!

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Web Resources

Put a Little Muslin Into It - Altering a tried-and-true shirt pattern to create my Amaryllis Blouse http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/put-little-muslin-into-it-sleeveless.html

The Music Man - A Time Travel Trip

http://simpleromantic.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-travel-primer-lesson-6-music-man.html

Basics on last month's blue and white checked seersucker CA Summer Skies Shirt http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/terminado-my-ca-summer-skies-seersucker.html. Find out more about techniques I used, in the June Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/06/ench-by-sew-021-ca-summer-skies-sewing.html

Sewing a Simple Denim Skirt is Good Medicine http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/terminado-sewing-simple-denim-skirt-is.html

Sign up for email reminders, so you'll know when new editions of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast are published http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com

Put a little Muslin Into It - Sleeveless Blouse from Shirt Pattern (B5526 Pattern Alteration)

If English isn't your first language.... I based the title for this posting on the English phrase/idiomatic expression "Put a little muscle into it", which is an encouragement to work hard.

As I mentioned in a recent blog posting, I've been working on altering my tried-and-true B5526 from a shirt to a sleeveless   somewhat fitted, summer blouse. Here's the muslin I created to help me decide how I want that blouse to fit. As you can see, I tried out the dart on one side to see if I wanted to just have that bit of fabric be loose and blouse or add fit. After trying the muslin on my own-self, I went in favor of the dart.

My dress form, Conchita, has been of immeasurable help to me in this endeavor as I 
a) Dropped the shoulder seam slightly forward
b) Decreased the torso girth
c) Added a waist to apex-of-bust dart.

Practicing my draping skills to make pattern alterations is the kind of thing that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

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Web Resources

Planning for Rosa: My Summer Dream Blouse (Liberty of London Tana Lawn)

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/fabric-for-rosa-summer-dreams-blouse.html

My Experiences Creating Two Different Dress Forms (Audio Podcast with show notes links to various blog postings)

http://www.enchantedbysewingpodcast.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

Conchita's New Dress (Dress Form Fun)

As I mentioned in a recent blog posting, I've been working on altering my tried-and-true B5526 from a shirt to a short-sleeved, somewhat fitted, summer blouse. My dress form, Conchita, has been of immeasurable help to me in this endeavor as I 
a) Dropped the shoulder seam slightly forward
b) Decreased the torso girth
c) Added a waist to apex-of-bust dart.

Don't you think Conchita deserves this new lace frock to celebrate all the help she gives me? It's actually a piece of lace salvaged from a long-ago frock I had taken apart and then tucked into my fabric inventory. 

I simply draped the lace over Conchita's foamy body, but I think it suits her style.

Having fun with my dress form buddy is the kind of thing that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Planning for Rosa: My Summer Dream Blouse (Liberty of London Tana Lawn)

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/fabric-for-rosa-summer-dreams-blouse.html

My Experiences Creating Two Different Dress Forms (Audio Podcast with show notes links to various blog postings)

http://www.enchantedbysewingpodcast.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

Fabric for Rosa - The Summer Dreams Blouse

A few weeks back I purchased two yards of Rosa, a Liberty Art Fabric Tana Lawn, at Brittex in San Francisco. Like my other Tana Lawns, the hand of this material is incredible, like a wonderful silk - kind of - but with something else I haven't figured out how to describe. 

Why is this print different from any other basic flower print? I can't say, but for me, it is.

In preparation for cutting and sewing a short sleeved blouse from this wonderful fabric, I altered my favorite shirt pattern, (B5526) into a short sleeved blouse pattern. My alterations involved moving the shoulder lines forward, decreasing the bodice girth and adding waistline to bust apex darts.

I'm currently working on sewing my first test version in pink and white striped seersucker. When I say "test version" I don't mean a muslin - I've created a muslin already and fitted it on my dress form and on me. The test version is one that I'll be wearing to see how I like the alterations. I plan to make at least one more test version before I snip into Rosa. That's partly because I adore Rosa and partly because Tana Lawn is quite pricy - a real investment! - whether I buy it in San Francisco or London. 

http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/Liberty//Rosa-H-Tana-Lawn/59043

Designed for Liberty by Allan Thomas in 1997 and has been on Classic Tana since 2002. 100% cotton with a texture and sheen to beat the band! Product ID: 59043

Terminado! My CA Summer Skies Seersucker Shirt

I talked about the techniques I used, and what I learned about working with seersucker in the June Enchanted by Sewing Podcast.

Yeah! 

You know the joys of completing another project, don't you?

Love my new blue and white checked seersucker shirt. It's just made for summer. Well in fact it is! That's what I made it for :-)

And it's perfect with that new denim, elastic waist skirt I finished a few weeks back and have been wearing all the time. No, I don't think of myself as a skirt person but this garment has changed my mind. It's both comfortable and flattering. Nothing beats being able to design for my own figure.

I drafted the skirt myself but the shirt is an altered version of B5526, that infamous pattern I've made four times now and talk about all the time in my podcast. Yup, it's the one my buddy Susan originally altered. It started out life as my No. 1 Ladys' Detective Agency shirt. It's so great having a pattern that fits well, and lets me move on creatively from there.

Alterations on B5526 this time, in addition to Susan's original alterations to fit me

- No collar band. Oh I like that!

- Cut ends of my 3/4 length sleeves straight. Then rolled them up and hand sewed them into a permanent just-above-the-elbow roll. I'm the kind of person who always rolls up a sleeve, so why not make it permanent?

- Added pockets on either side. I varied the original pocket on the pattern, taking out the tuck. Lined the inside of the pockets with silk organza. I also used silk organza for the interfacing on the front facing (not included on the pattern), and the collar.

-Less topstitching this time because of the seersucker. I just did one row on all the edges - the hem, collar, and front facing. On crisper fabrics I do 2 or 3 for more of an edge. One row on the seersucker gave it enough definition. I continued to use commercial bias tape on the inside hem, to define the hem edge. Gee that works great.

More about sewing this shirt in my June Enchanted by Sewing podcast.

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Web Resources

The Enchanted By Sewing Podcast http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com

Ench By Sew-021- CA Summer Skies Sewing Summer Vacation Is a State of Mind

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~

Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

I know your June weather may not be the same as mine. Here in CA it’s time for summer skies, a little more heat, and a vacation feeling whether or not we’re able to leave town. (Hey,  feel free to post about what kind of sewing your climate inspires below!)

Sometimes I’m able to take an actual summer vacation and other years I focus on treating the summer like a vacation, even when I don’t leave the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live. This summer I was able to take a mini vacation weekend trip to Disneyland. As a matter of fact I just got back☺  I went with my beautiful, kind and funny, young adult daughter. Getting to bond with her at this age is really fun!  I took along a newly finished garment from my summer wardrobe on the trip and I’ll talk about sewing that in the show. I’m going to continue to focus on treating the rest of the summer like a vacation, no matter what I get to do. And I’m going to continue to sew for my summer vacation, no matter how far afield of home I manage to go.

Here’s what I’m talking about in this month’s show

* Primero: Planning My Summer Vacation Sewing

I may be a casual dresser, but I'm not into Normcore, anti-fashion. No, I go for an arty-romantic look, creating summer vacation outfits that make me feel special– whether I wear them on a trip across an ocean, a local museum visit, or just special tea with a buddy on my patio, is the kind of thing that keeps me Enchanted by Sewing

I’ve gotten a lot of great ideas for summer sewing, either for a vacation away from home or making a includes patterns for relaxed and beautiful garments that vacation right where I live, from this new-to-me book



* Entonces/Then Key pieces I’ve created so far for my summer vacation sewists wardrobe

Love my new denim skirt - It flatters my figure type!
And how about that CA Summer Skies Shirt?
You bet I'm happy with my latest rendition of B5526
Of course I had to get some new red sandals to enhance my blue and white summer wardrobe theme :-)

a. Straight denim skirt
b. Summer Skies shirt

c. I refurbished two pair of shorts and and a pair of pants by adding thread belt loops. Guess who feels like she got three new garments? This posting from my regular blog includes a how-to link for those belt loops http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/wardrobe-refurbish-sewist-loves-to.html

d. Closet Shopping turned up a couple of pretty, arty shirts I’ve made in past that work well with my refurbished pants

These garments together give a slightly dressy edge to my summer vacation and make me stand up a little straighter and really feel good about myself. -

* I followup with Technicos: Focusing on seersucker sewing  with my CA Summer skies shirt


 

Lilacs and Liberty: An Insiders View

I've had an awful lot of fun wearing this shirt I finished at the beginning of the year. Yup, it's another of my favorite Butterick 5526 - the pattern my buddy Susan altered for me. You may recall the other two versions I made. The first was my No.1 Lady's Detective Agency shirt, and later came the Mille Fleur shirt I took to London (I also finished the red plaid Pearly-Wannabe jacket for that trip. with some strips of bias trim I eked out of the scraps from the shirt).

The main fabric is Robert Kaufaman Lilac Gingham and the trim is Liberty of London Tana Lawn "Mauverina". I've had a lot to say about Liberty and this wonderful quality cotton, both in my podcast and this blog.

I ams really happy with my threesome button groupings (Click
on the illustration to see an up-close view of those)
I also liked the pocket, a variation on the pattern pocket
but I took tucks instead of the folds in the sporty-style shirt.
I also added these long tucks in front and back that weren't in the
other two versions of this shirt. The fluid nature of the
gingham seemed to call for them. They're figure-flattering too.

In my February podcast, "Getting Shirty",  I described some of the seam finishing techniques for shirts I've been working on incorporating more often in my sewing projects. I'm really happy that I did a good job on the inside as well as the outside of this garment. I wear it often and so there's quite a lot of pleasure putting on this well-fitting (thanks Susan!) shirt.

Remember when I described slicing double packaged bias tape lengthwise and wrapping the one remaining fold over the raw edge of the hem, and facing edges in the podcast? Doesn't that make a nice crisp edge? You bet! And it really defines that shirt tail hem too. I sewed three rows of topstitching too, which also helps with the stable, crisp feeling.

Notice that French Seam. Isn't that a nice clean look? It really looks finished and helps with the hang of the garment.

Not being a dab hand at seam finishes, I wasn't sure if using a french seam at the shoulder seam would be challenging. But it worked out just fine. I did baste the set-in-sleeve first, but I would have done that even in a traditional rights-sides-together seam.

We spent a lot of time learning about seam finishes in my Intermediate Construction Class at Cañada. I'm only just starting to get in more practice with them - just as soon as I'm done with this bustier project I'm chugging away on. (Woof! It's turning into a multi-month project. But what a feeling of accomplishment it will be when I'm done:-) 

Once that challenging project is complete (Oh and did I mention I'm planning to squeeze out a simple straight denim skirt to wear with it before I move on? Hey it's got to have a real spot in my wardrobe....), I'm going to get some more recreational sewing time in with shirt sewing. You bet I've got one more cut out and in the hopper, and several more for which I have fabric (two of them are my favorite lengths of Liberty Tana Lawn I got on my trip to London last year). I'm really looking forward to polishing my seam finishing skills on those new garments. 

I'm looking forward even more, to putting them on and wearing them!

Practicing new skills and getting to enjoy the results. That's the kind of projects that keep me...

Enchanted by Sewing

More Techniques From This Shirt: http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/kit-1-progresso-en-curso-shirt-sewing.html

   Audio/Podcast Getting Shirty: http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/02/ench-by-sew-017-gettin-shirty.html Includes seam finishing techniques and pattern discussion

This book has really helped me to learn how to sew different seam finishes. The illustrations and descriptions are spot on!

The New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making Clothes and Home Accessories Updated Edition with All-New Projects and Simplicity Patterns (Reader's Digest)

Ench By Sew-017 Gettin' Shirty (Previously Ench By Sew-007)

VINTAGE PODCAST!
Listeners have requested that I re-publish this show, last published in
April 2013 (and removed for not-very-exciting technical challenges)

SEW now.... the February 2014 ReRun....
"Enchanted By Sewing" Podcast is, once more,
available in the pod-o-sphere!

This month we're getting' Shirty.

You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link. Or, download this podcast free from iTunes, to play on your favorite mobile device/mp3 player (like an iPhone or an Android), by clicking on this link to iTunes.

~~~

Is that garment you're sewing a shirt or a blouse? Is it the collar stand, or lack thereof that makes you decide one way or another? How about set-in sleeves versus dropped? Maybe it's your choice of fabric.... This month Laurel talks about her experiences creating her No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Shirt, with a Butterick pattern that sometimes says shirt and other times blouse. She also discusses sewing techniques that say shirt, and chats a little about the history of shirts and shirty language (with special attention to a scene from a Harry Potter book ).

 This podcast is an extension of  my on-web sewing life journal Me Encanta Coser, a blog that tells the story of an arty-romantic plain sewist in CA. My blog is written in English. The blogs name, and occasional references, pays tribute to the beautiful Spanish language which is a part of both the history and modern culture of the San Francisco Bay area, where I live.

Check out a free excerpt from
My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times
By clicking here

The show is created, produced, and brought to you by Laurel Shimer author of the Time Travel e-book My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times. This historical romance, ebook-novella is available exclusively on amazon.com for your iPad, nook or kindle ebook reader, for only 99 cents (Only 99 cents? That's less than a cup of coffee!) 

~~~

Links

• Shirt or Blouse - Pattern Plays a Big Role
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/04/shirt-or-blouse-pattern-plays-important.html

• No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency Shirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-1-ladys-detective-agency-shirt-b5526.html

~~~

Please post other links and other pertinent information that you would like to see included in these show notes.

Terminado! Lilacs and Liberty - New Shirt for a New Year

This shirt symbolizes my plans for 2014. It's one of several projects, sewing and otherwise, that  I've been wanting to complete.

Finishing Lilacs and Liberty in time to wear it out to a movie on the last day of 2013, gave me a good feeling about starting the new year out right.

The lilacs part comes from the lilac gingham. The liberty because the accents are from one of the smaller pieces of Liberty Tana Lawn I bought on a trip to London. I wrote and podcasted about that trip in June. This Liberty print is named Mauverina (the link is for another color variation).

The pattern I used for this shirt, B5526, is the one my friend Susan altered for me. I've sewn it twice since. The first time it was my No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency shirt. This time I altered it by adding tucks in the front and fish eye darts on either side in the back. I also used the pocket in the pattern but made a little kind of heart shaped tuck in the front I'm really happy with.

I interfaced the pocket, color, cuffs and hem with silk organza, that's a new thing for me to try.

I'm really happy with the way I grouped the buttons in groups of threes (except the top button stands alone, and it can also be left unbuttoned) - one every inch apart and then a space of 3 inches between each grouping.

I'm also happy that this long shirt is flattering over the jeans I made in the fall.

Knowing this is a piece I'll be reaching for again and again in my closet, keeps me....

Enchanted by Sewing

~ ~ ~
Resources

I like to pin swatches of Liberty's Tana Lawns 
http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/gorgeous-fabric-liberty-of-london/

Kits 1 and 2: Refitting B5526, with help from Helen - my DTD

Fold and refold, and cut the sleeve out twice
on two different pices of fabric
(Yes, I remembered to cut out one left and one right!)
 to squeeze out a front, back and two sleeves from
1 1/2 meters. Luckily it's a wider fabric

In my most recent posting, I described several personal sewing kits I've been creating - the first two were for B5526 shirts.

Somehow I did something funny with my back pattern piece from B5526, but I managed to recreate it ...using muslin, pattern tissue, a lot of comparing to my No. 1 Lady's Detective Shirt

My fantasy version of
Helen
my Duct Tape Dummy

and a lot of help from Helen - my Duct Tape Dummy. It took me 4 hours... I started at 10 p.m. one night and went to bed at 2 a.m. No, I'm not actually a night owl, but that was the best time to get it done.

Yes, I do wish I hadn't been so casual when it came to storing away or properly marking that original pattern piece!

After refitting B5526  I cut out most of two shirts using a lilac Robert Kaufman gingham for one and a green print LIberty Tana Lawn for the other. For both I used half meters (19.5 inches) of specialty Liberty Tana Lawn fabric for the cuffs and front facing. I had to do a lot of fooling around to  squeeeeezzze the front, back and sleeve out of the 1 and 1/2 meters (a little over a yard and a half) of green Tana Lawn I got the first time I visited this wonderful London store. I've normally been counting on having about 3 yards when I cut out these shirts.

I'd been holding onto the Liberty fabrics since my previous trip to London's wonderful Liberty (* See my blog and podcast links below for more on this London trip and the fabric I bought there at Liberty), but since I got two full shirt lengths on my more recent trip, it was time to use up these originals.

I love this classic William Morris Strawberry Thief print
As a matter of fact, one of the new shirt lengths
from my more recent Liberty trip, is
the green version of Strawberry Thief
I talk about this in the podcast (*link below)

I didn't cut out the collars and collar stands yet, because I didn't recheck the collar fit, and I had some issues with that collar being a shade bigger than I'd hoped when I made this shirt in the pink mille fleur print, just before our trip to the U.K. I'll probably have to use bits of the alternate fabric for these, probably on the under side of the collar. I'm sure I'll have to piece the green print, but hopefully it won't show.

Feeling confident I've got a shirt pattern like B5526 working so well, helps keep me enchanted by sewing!

* Have you gotten a chance to see my post - Lovin' London's Liberty and listen to the June "Enchanted By Sewing" podcast show, Laurel Loves London)?