Oh my Word!....It's everything

everyone says it is. VoNBBS was available at the downtown library and I got to look at it for the better part of two weeks. Not all the projects in the book are applicable to me and my lifestyle, but enough of them are for me to copy some of them. So first up. The project that doesn't require much skill at pattern drafting, the full gathered skirt. Yes, here comes Vogue 7375 in black and white gingham as seen in 1952.

This is basically a dirndl skirt and I'm not sure this is a good fit for my figure issues. I can guaranty the additional project of the halter dress from this pattern will never see the light of day. I am full-figured and short waisted and well past the age where an open back is sexy. I'd have to nail down that halter top with industrial double-sided duct tape and then be plastered into the next year to wear that one. But the skirt is safe, so let's try it.

Fabric Acquisition Air Trip

   
     Here's the latest fabric haul. I bought all of this at Jo-Ann Fabrics in Hamburg, NY. There's a nice piece of denim. I also purchased a piece of fine whale corduroy, some white eyelet, 4 yards of burgundy poplin and some teal linen-like polyester. The most important acquisition is not shown, but there's a clue to its identity is in the top two pieces of fabric; the black and white gingham and the houndtooth.

New Look 6808 is finished!

     Here's the linen blouse finished and on my dressmaker's dummy. It looks like I didn't press it, but those are just the wrinkles from getting it onto "Judy". I think the fit will be good around the bust, but I'm a bit worried about the neckline again. When I scale up in pattern size to make the D-cup bust adjustments less radical, I often find that pattern makers assume my head, neck, shoulders and just about everything else is large too. I need to find the balance between being able to use a commercial pattern and having to redraft it so much that I might as well save the money and start my own self-drafted pattern stash.

     Pictured below is the finished blouse on me. The neckline is a little large. I will have to be careful about which bra I wear with this blouse. Next time I make this, I'll choose a size smaller on the commercial pattern and scale up the bust adjustment. It's wearable, but it could be improved. (B on fit, A- on choice of materials, and A on finish = B+/A- overall on the project.)

More about New Look 6808

 When I've finished tailor tacking and marking all the pattern points, I carefully remove the paper pattern and cut the tailor tacks. Above you can see that I've more or less pinned the cut pieces, right side out, onto my dress form. I do this to keep to keep organized. I tend to loose things mid -project. I also have poor lighting in the evening and if I determine right side out, left and right ahead of time, it saves ripping, picking, tears and money into the swear jar.

This pattern has many darts for fitting. Here's a view of the front as I marked and pinned in the bust darts. From here on out, it simply a matter of sewing up side seams, applying a lapped zipper and facing the neckline and armholes. Simple? Yes!

New Look 6808 in Chocolate Linen

I don't need many supplies for this project. I've chosen is a chocolate brown linen fashion fabric from my stash. I bought this fabric from G-Street Fabrics last time I was in Washington, DC. In addition, the pattern calls for some thread, a zipper and a bit of interfacing.

 Here's the project mapped out on my cork board. This habit keeps me from losing all the bits and pieces during the work process. I thought this pattern fit pretty well straight from the envelope, so I didn't do any major adjustments.

Here are the cut pieces ready for tailor tacking and marking of all points and darts. I take the time to mark with thread on most projects because it is often a long time before I get time to sew after cutting and many other kinds of markings disappear with time and humidity.

A New (to me) Source of Patterns

I've been doing the happy dance lately. I've discovered that Simplicity/NewLook patterns have a UK website and will ship to my house in the EU. I have to buy in GBP, but this, I can manage. I've spent the last several weeks viewing their website and dreaming away my sewing time.

I finally placed and order and it came! Everything! Quickly!

I've decided to start with the New Look Pattern at the top of the photo. It's New Look 6808, view B. I've got some chocolate brown linen in my fabric stash that will be just right for this.

Simplicity 3673 Finished!

 Here's the finished jumper. As you can see, I need better indoor lighting. I think it's still a bit large in the neckline but otherwise it fits well. I might want to try this one again in a grey wool flannel.

Bringing All the Pieces Together

After making all the alterations, I'm reasonably satisfied that the garment will be successful enough to be worn. At this point, I make a list of the notions needed to complete the garment. I very rarely buy notions at the same time I buy the fabric for a many reasons.

First, I never know exactly how the fabric will wash. Sometimes after washing the fabric, it is an absolute disaster that needs to be tossed; other times I need to choose another more appropriate pattern. Either way, I will have wasted money on notions if I have purchased them with the fabric. 

Secondly, sometimes the alterations process shows that the pattern is either inappropriate for my body shape or the pattern is just poorly drafted. Both of these can happen and I wouldn't have wanted to spend money on notions.

Next, after years of sewing, I have a bit of a stash of buttons, zippers and thread. I like to "shop my stash" before making my final list of needed notions. 

Finally, where I live the fabric store is not the same place as the haberdashery shop. 

After a visit to the shops, I pin my pattern directions, envelope and notions to my cork board and I'm ready to begin. I follow the pattern guide sheet rather closely working each bit and fitting as I go. I'm afraid it all gets rather messy until it all comes together in the end.

First, the Planning and then some more Planning.

Washing the fabric, softened the cotton and loosened the weave. I need to plan on lining this jumper with this particular fabric. Luckily, the standard pattern directions have the sewer lining the bodice. It will be very simple to add a lining to the skirt section. Next, I create a project page in my sewing diary. I either draw a simple representation of the garment or add a color copy of the envelope front. I date the entry and note which view I'm making as well as the size from which I'm starting my alterations.

I know that there are several alterations that almost always have to be done. I usually need to add about 5/8 of an inch to each side of the shoulder seam. I can't forget to draft this into subsequent sleeve heads or arm hole facings. Luckily, this pattern has neither as I will be fully lining the top with the same pattern piece cut from the lining fabric. Also, I often need to take out some along the center line of the front and back and add something to the bust darts or gathers. I have a C/D-cup sized bust line and most industry standard patterns are drafted with a B-cup in mind.

Above you can see the redrafted muslins for the bodice. The back pattern piece is showing and you can see the additional length on the shoulder as well as the removal of some of the width in the center back. I also added about a 1/2 inch to the bust curve at the empire line to compensate for the the larger bust line. I also make note of these alterations on my project page in my sewing diary.

A Retro Jumper

Now's the time for some clothes and I prefer the retro look.

Here's a retro reprint pattern: Simplicity 3673. I store the pattern pieces in a large manilla envelope and I put the pattern envelope in a page protector in a 3-ring binder. The new pattern envelope is large enough to add redrafted pieces to the original pattern. I also like having my pattern envelopes stored seperately. After years of sewing, I now have my own personal pattern selection book of patterns I know and like. When shopping for fabric, I can just take the chosen pattern envelopes in their page protectors to the shops. No more lost pattern pieces and no more torn and unreadable envelopes.

This is the first time I'm making this design. I've chosen a Japanese cotton. It's a loose weave knubby textile in a small black and brown check. My first job after choosing the fabric is washing the fabric as I would the finished garment. If I don't like the result, I can do one of two things. Choose a different pattern from my personnel pattern book that would be more appropriate or add the fabric to my stash and head back to the store for a different fabric for this pattern or a different pattern that will give a better result with the washed fabric.

Finishing those Dinner Napkins

     After going to the store and getting some new white thread for the over-lock machine, I sat down to finish up this project. I set up the over-lock machine for a 3-thread rolled hem and I hemmed the napkins one after another; trimming off a scant 1/4 inch. Here's a close up of the process.

        I hemmed the napkins in "clothes-line" fashion rather than turning each corner. That is, I sergerd one straight edge followed by the straight edge of another napkin. When one edge on all the napkins was completed, I cut the them apart and hemmed the second edge. After all four edges were hemmed, I trimmed the hanging threads from all four corners and applied a small dot of Fray Check to each corner.

      Finally, I starched and ironed the napkins. I got more than twenty new family dinner napkins from those bedsheets. When the napkins get too worn or stained, I toss them into the clean rag bucket for a couple of more scrubs before they are finally discarded. I'm afraid that our linens live very long lives being used reused in our house.