Concert Black Haiku - Part 1

All About Vision

Cutting, Pinning  - Plan to Sew

Replace Concert Black

M3650 - Out of Print - Many Vendors Still Carry This Pattern Used

Tired of the black top I've been wearing to sing as a member of Stanford Symphonic Chorus, I've recently cut out a Tried-and-True Pattern. The material is some kind of heavy-silklike, man-made fabric. I bought it in New York's Garment District. When performing we all wear black. The styles are up to us.

Our next concert is early March. Nothing like a goal to get something sewn!

Nothing like using a Tried-and-True  pattern to inspire me to dream about something new, take up my shears, and get going.

Fall Fundamentals: Black Elastic Waist Twill - Cropped Pants

Yup - they already work great with a number of shirts I have.

Very quick to sew.

I used 3" wide elastic for the waistband

Sewed onto the waist area  with two lines of stitching- not run through a channel

No pockets - Saves sewing time, improves fit, decreases issues involved in setting the pockets neatly into the side seams

Why else do I not sew pockets? When I used to sew pants pockets they would develop holes in the bottom (because I put heavy things in them) - I used to lose my keys (- cell phone - money).

I used to do all kinds of reinforcing with heavier material  - but then I just kept putting the heavy stuff in and losing it.

I still like sewing pockets in shirts.

These pants fit nicely - because I made them to fit me and work on my figure. That is the pleasure of sewing my own.

They are some kind of black twill material. Yup I found it in my fabric inventory.

Out of print - Many similar can be found

Summer Basics: Toile Mobile Pocket Bag

A five inch zipper.

A remnant from an old lined curtain reworked.

An hour and a half's work from first cut to final stitch.

No pattern - sized as I sewed.

Sized to hold cell phone, iPod and a coin/credit card purse. 

Included a mini pocket inside to hold a subway or train pass.

Pattern Work: Altering a Patch Pocket for Sukey

I'll trim the top of the actual pocket, so those stitches won't show. How bout that little tuck? I like the 3-d effect it gives the pocket, and it makes a little more inside space as well.

I like learning to alter major aspects of patterns, but nothing beats quick and easy pattern changes.Changing a patch pocket's shape and depth is a very straightforward alteration. No fitting required! 

Altering a patch pocket is great for first timers, and easy timers too. You can play with pockets on aprons, shirts, jackets, or .... ?

Here I traced the rectangular pocket pattern.

Entonces/Then I rounded the bottom corner.

I graded the pocket out a little above the point where the rounded corner comes in, so that I could take a little 3-d tuck in the middle of the pocket.

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I'm making this pocket for a shirt I call 'Sukey', in honor of the bird and berries fabric's designer.

EnchBySew-54: A Postcard from the Mother of the Bride (MOB)

Modernized Downton Abbey
MOB: Lace Overblouse/Lace Jacket

Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 53'rd, and other, episodes of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast

Or listen directly on the web by clicking on
http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/FINAL_castMotherOfTheBride_Laurel_Shimer_part3_postcard_MOB.mp3


Part three of my series about my 3-piece Mother-Of-The-Bride (MOB) outfit.
Wrapping up my MOB sewing project -sharing  my experiences working on this ensemble.
It’s about- Planning, Patterns, Prick stitching , Perturbation, and Patience.

All 3 garment pieces have involved  pattern creation or alteration.

Snapshot of This Month’s Show

- Pensamientos Primeros – Planning and Patterns
        Recapping the history of my mob ensemble
        a. Camisole slip - See my previous podcast - "A Camisole for the Mother of the Bride"

b. Modified Dirndl skirt

i. Modified dirndl is not the Heidi style traditional alpine look
It's NOT http://www.kaffeeundkuchen.co/home/guide-to-buying-and-wearing-a-dirndl
ii. It's NOT any of these fun skirts! http://vintagedancer.com/1940s/1940s-skirts/
iii. Back in the 80’s I remember a number of the suit patterns I sewed called the style of skirt I just made
a ‘modified dirndl’ – but I can’t find a link quickly. I’ll describe it
iv. What IS a modified dirndl?
1. Somewhat straight skirt
2. Not so straight that walking is inhibited
a. No slits or kick pleats needed
3. Wth a little gathered ease
4. Attached to a waistband

c. Lace over blouse
i. Kept under garments as narrow as possible. Lace blouse loose fit
ii. Downton Abbey inspired lace overblouse
1. Not straight hobbled skirt of Edwardian era

iv. Slightly below waist
v. Loose
vi. Scalloped lace ¾ sleeves and down the open front of blouse
vii. Hem of blouse maybe 3 inches higher than knee length skirt


- Technicos
    - Pick Stitch and A hand-sewn zipper

- Pensamientos Finales  -Perturbation and Patience

Before Safety Pins there were Fibulas

I'd like to travel back and visit with the happy Greek Gal

Who fastened her peplos or chiton with this beauty

Before there were safety pins

There were fibulas

http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing2.html

MOB - Hand Sewing Zipper

On the left ..... I've unzipped the  hand-sewn zipper only part way on my Mother of the Bride (MOB) skirt. You really don't see the prick stitches with this dupioni fabric. The slubs in the fabric look more like stitches than the stitches. 

I don't bother to baste when I hand sew a zipper. You catch any errors as you sew, unlike on the machine. I think I spend less time doing this task by hand than on the machine, and it looks much cleaner too.

On the right  ..... the back side of the zip. The prick stitches are much more secure than a running stitch.

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How To Sew a Prick Stitch?  - You can't beat Craftsy!

  https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/10/prick-stitch/

Mother of the Bride-Shirring Inspiration: De Young Museum

My mother of the bride outfit also has a loose sheer blouse

And I'm quite partial to hip yoke shirring

De Young Museum, San Francisco, Golden Gate Park

MOB: Lessons in Lace: Which Scissors? (Mother of the Bride)

Tried both my Stagg and Gingher Scissors for cutting out my lace over-bodice. The Stagg worked better for this gorgeous lace. The Gingher often work better on smooth cottons.

EnchBySew-52: Audio/PODCAST - A Camisole for the Mother of the Bride (MOB)

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Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 52'nd, and other, episodes of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast

Or listen directly on the web by clicking on http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/castfFINALCamisoleMOB_LAURELSHIMERENCHANTEDBYSEWING.mp3

This podcast is an extension of my regular sewing blog - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com

~ ~ ~

The camisole I talk about in this show, is Part one of my 3-piece Mother-Of-The-Bride outfit. I'm also working on a lace over-blouse and a skirt.

In this show I'm begining to share with you, some of my experiences working on this ensemble.
All 3 garment pieces have involved  pattern creation or alteration.

Snapshot of This Month’s Show 

- Pensamientos Primeros/First Thoughts - short sewing history to date of my MOBride ensemble
Fabric is from fabric.com  

- Technicos/Techniques

I used the Jan Bones Lingerie Secrets book, to create the camisole pattern, based on my own measurements.

Original pattern was designed for knits. I made this garment from a woven golden dupioni fabric from fabric.com, so I cut the pattern on the bias.

I added 1 inch seam allowances to be on the safe side, since I was converting from a knit to a bias fabric.

Adding Darts....Darts and Natural Dart Placement

-Shoulder straps
         - sewing
        - placement

- Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts  - is it worth the trouble?

MOB: Lessons in Lace - Right Over Left - (Mother of the Bride, Technicos/Techniques)

Lace Fabric Source - fabric.com - Pattern B6095

The right side of the lace is showing here. I quadruple check each piece to make sure that the right  and left sides are  laid out with the right side of the lace on top

 1) Traced another tissue version of the pattern I've been altering - Made two copies (I kept original copy for future patterns of course)

2) There is a scallop edge on only one side - Women's patterns are usually right-over-left. So I first laid out one of my tissues underneath (on the wrong side) with the scallop edge going down the middle

3) Then I carefully placed the left tissue underneath the lace and quintuple check that the right side of the lace will come out right for the entire bodice!

Why Two Tissues? - I will baste right through the tissue pieces to get the darts positioned right. Then rip the paper off. I don't see a better way to mark them properly. You can also thread or tape baste, but you'll still have to position the pattern very cautiously . Lace moves around a lot too.

Constantly checking which is right and wrong side when I work with two different front pieces. 
 I want the right side of the lace to show for both bodice pieces. When I don't cut them at the same time, it's easy to mess up and put the pattern the wrong way.

MOB: Lessons in Lace (Mother of the Bride, Technicos/Techniques)

I have been fussing all month over the pattern work I've been doing for my Mother of the Bride (MOB) outfit. I don't even want to start fussing about where I've gotten to with it!

But I will enjoy showing some of the experiments I've made, learning to sew with the lace I'll be using for my MOB outfit.

This is sample lace I had in my inventory, not the real deal I'll be using for my MOB ensemble.

I chose stitch 22 on my machine to experiment with edging the lace.

Haven't decided yet how much I'll be stitching onto tissue paper, then peeling the paper away. It works  OK for some of the  parts, but in other cases I can't get all the paper off  - particularly once I gather the lace.

EnchBySew-49: Fall Color Sewing

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Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 49'th episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast,  produced in November of 2016. Or listen directly on the web by clicking on this link.

~ ~ ~ This Month’s Show ~ ~ ~

Pensamientos Primeros/First Thoughts: Impact of Color on My Sewing Choices

Technicos/Techniques: Patterning and Sewing Color

Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts:Searching for Color in San Diego County 

~ ~ ~ Web Resources ~ ~ ~

Recently I've created several postings related to the fall colors mentioned in this months 'cast,  in my Postcard from California blog http://postcardfromcalifornia.blogspot.com

My regular sewing blog  - includes postings about the princess-seamed shirt Marigold are in the Me Encanta Coser/Enchanted by Sewing blog http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com

Marigold's Machine Button Hole Sewing

Yup - Even with care,  this buttonhole is a little crooked at the bottom edge. This doesn't show because the button covers it, but it's more proof that buttonholes are tricky. Frankly if I want perfect openings, I sew them by hand. Also, I don't stress about perfection!

1) I used a contrasting thread on Marigold's buttons holes, so I sure didn't want crooked threaded openings! Yes, modern machines are programmable to sew buttonholes neatly and repetively, but I'm often challenged by accurate placement. So I draw my buttonholes on medical supply tissue paper and sew them one at a time.

I make test sewing samples first 

Fabric Test Package - I make sure to include a piece of the same interfacing between two pieces of the shirt's fabric, so that I'm testing the same situation as my shirt

2) First I laid the buttons down on tissue. In theory you add maybe 1/8" over the width of the button. I try by theory and I try my gut reaction. Then I sew, cut and try the button in each hole

3) I make sure to put a wide pencil line at top and bottom - this is where a programmed buttonhole knows how far to go - but I  making the decision in each case to stop or turn. 

That's because of experience. Sometimes the fabric or interfacing gets stuck in the machine (even though I always use the right presser foot), and the programmed stitches aren't even on both sides. I use my buttonhole machine setting, but I make the choices each time as though I'm sewing the first, and I no longer use the programmed setting.

4) When I cut the button hole, of course I put a pin across the top so the seam ripper I'm using to open the buttonhole,  doesn't slice past the top of the opening. Again... experience!

5) When test sewing these buttonholes, I found I needed a piece of tissue underneath, as well as on top, in order to make the interfaced fabric test package (in preparation for the actual shirt) move unstickily along. I don't usually need the underneath tissue, but this fabric is a kind of loose, rough weave, and I found this quite helpful to keep my machine sewing smoothly.

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Marigold - A Princess-Seamed Shirt - Terminado - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2016/11/fall-colors-marigold-princess-seamed.html

Fall Colors: Marigold - A Princess-Seamed Shirt with Sleeves (M6076)

M6076 - Doll is  covering up the phone/camera for selfie mirror shot!

I'm so happy I got this marigold yellow princess-seamed shirt done! Wore it twice on a trip to visit with my cousin in San Diego, and another two times since I got back from that visit.

I cut the original shirt out to be sleeveless (like Western Winds, Floribunda Bouquet, and Pinto shirts), but just a touch of fall rain got me interested in moving away from the no-sleeve look. So...

- I had to drop,  then piece the front and back at the bottom of the armscye, to extend

- I managed to cut sleeves out of a miniscule remnent

- I had to piece MORE scrap onto the sleeve, because I didn't gauge  the armscye changes right

- By the way.... I did not have a working sleeve piece for this pattern so I was finagling with the pattern piece the whole time!

And I still love it

It's all about color

I would never recommend doing this! I have cut out another version of this shirt (using a remnant that needed a home) - to fully test the pattern with the sleeve piece I think..... works.

Had I not loved the marigold fabric, I would have tossed this shirt, or just not bothered to work on the whole sleeve deal.

The artistry of piecing and testing... those are the kind of things that keep me....

Enchanted by Sewing

Lace for Everyday - Add A Motif - New York Sewing Inspiration

A lace motif would be fun to add to a plain woven or knit top or dress. Front, back or both? I never saw the front of this dress, so I don't actually know! This piece coordinates with the white tee worn underneath.

I found quite a lot of this type of pieces by searching on ...Victorian Trim Bodice Applique Motif Sew On

EnchBySew-48:Garment Copycatting

Click on this link in iTunes   to download the 48'th episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast,  produced in October of 2016. Or listen directly on the web by clicking on this link.

This Month’s Show 

Technicos: I'm learning to copycat a favorite knit top, without cutting the garment apart. 

Blog Posts from this Project
Part 1: Getting Started http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2016/10/copycat-pattern-work-sleeveless-tee.html

Part 2: Continuing up through Basted Garment http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2016/10/copycat-pattern-test-garment-basted.html

~ ~ ~ Other Resources
I have a number of Sewing Pinterest Boards: https://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/

Errata

I meant to refer to Lynda Maynard, not Lynda Myers!

Lace for Everyday - Flared Skirt Enhanced - New York Sewing Inspiration

I saw several appealing everyday style, lace enhanced garments on a recent trip to see my daughter in New York. I have a number of projects on my sewing table, and I just don't want to forgot this outfit I saw on the streets of Manhattan (next spring perhaps?)  A simple dark flared skirt with a lace overlay, paired with the kind of sleeveless tee that I often wear. This would be a great project for testing lace sewing skills.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources: 15 basic skirt styles http://www.ebay.com/gds/15-Essential-Skirt-Styles-You-Should-Have-in-Your-Wardrobe-/10000000177628604/g.html

Lace For Everyday - Simple Top Enhanced - New York Sewing Inspiration

So many great things I'm inspired to sew - thought I have plenty on my sewing plate right now.... Here's another simple everyday garment that could well inspire my future sewing - spotted on the subway on my recent trip to New York. A simple sleeveless top - fitted or unfitted. This young woman's top is cut higher than her waistline, but I think I'd cut it right at the waistline, with a beautiful scallop-edged lace band. This very simple style would look good over any basic shorts, skirt, or pants. Note the armscye is also trimmed with a thin lace trim.

Copycat Pattern Test Garment Basted - Sleeveless Tee

A few days back, I blogged about some of the techniques I used for learning to copy a garment pattern I'm creating my first test garment for this pattern using a plaid remnant, which is lighter weight and more fluid fabric than the original garment - a Pima cotton. Well.... I have the remnant - that's a good reason to test in this, though the fabric has a different kind of drape! Also it gives me a chance to simply make and wear a test garment and see if the basic idea work. 

Notice, after all my talk about not sewing pockets any more, that I've basted one up and pinned it on!  Well..... they are handy for slipping dog treats into - at least Jasper-the-pooch thinks so. He likes to put his furry feet on me for a cuddle and then try to slip his nose in my shirt pockets just in case I left some in there on the walk. I thought I would just try the pocket out while basting, figure out where I like possible pocket placement to be, and then decide if I actually want a pocket on this shirt. If I use the pocket I need to add some fusible interfacing.

I'm also fooling around with a sleeve pattern for this shirt at the same time. In theory, the first time through, I think I should just make up a sleeveless version to wear, but it's actually feeling a little fall 'like in our part of CA lately, and a sleeve seems like a good idea.

For the sleeve, I have a blue remnant that looks OK with this plaid (I can add a little plaid trim on the bottom edge). If the sleeve doesn't work out, then I'll just forget about it. No big deal as I'm not sure what else I would use that small amount of blue knit for.