Quick Tip - Fold Over Elastic for Binding Raw Edges

Here's one that is very useful for summer sewing. When making certain garments, like camisoles, I use fold-over elastic to bind the raw edges. This gives a bulk-free finish that looks very RTW. To do this, remove the seam allowance from the edge to be bound. Then, fold the elastic over the trimmed edge and stitch using a narrow zigzag stitch (I use 1mm width on my Pfaff). Don't pull the elastic as you sew. You want a 1:1 ratio of length of elastic to garment edge length. If you are making a camisole, or other spaghetti-strapped piece, you can then extend the fold-over elastic to create the straps. Here's a (not so great, sorry) picture of a camisole I made using this technique.

Happy sewing, and Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!

Vogue 8658 - Some Progress

I did manage to grab a little time to whip together the muslin for this dress. It's super simple to make straight from the envelope. It took less than an hour to cut out and sew the muslin. Before I even cut the muslin, I lowered the bust darts. When I put the muslin on, the front fit really well. The back, though, was kind of baggy. It reminded me of the sacque dresses my mom used to wear when I was a kid, only not retro-fab. To counter that, I added back waist darts.

That seems to have done the trick, adding a little shaping without over-fitting. I cut out the Italian cotton and I got it sewn together at the shoulders. I'll try to make the bias tape for the neckline and armhole finishes tomorrow.

Parting Thought - a useful website: This is a great website, though the language on it is NSFW. Whatthe[cuss]shouldImakefordinner.com

It randomly chooses a recipe from Epicurious.com. I love it because it seems to look for recipes that take less than an hour to make - perfect for busy evenings. It makes me chuckle whenever I bring it up. It uses crude language, but it has been a godsend to me for weekday dinners.

Happy sewing!

Okay, that site just made me a liar - it doesn't pick only recipes that take less than an hour, but a few mouse clicks on the "I don't [cussing] like that" button will soon find you short-order recipes.

Sewing - The Next Generation...

We're fortunate in our town to have sewing/cooking/shop classes in the middle school. They start out with woodshop, then move on to cooking, then sewing at the end of the year. In school, DS the Younger has been learning to make a fleece hat. Earlier this week he came home and asked if I could teach him sewing. Well, who am I to say no to that, right? So to start off, we decided to make a pillowcase. I figured that was a good way to get him used to my Pfaff. So we got some blue cotton and went to town. I showed him how to measure and cut the fabric using the rotary cutter and a ruler. We hemmed the top of the case first, then sewed the seams. He took to it like a duck to water - of course! Here are some pictures of him working on it:

 Pinning the hem

Sewing away!

And, here he is with the finished product.

He did all the work. I did the pressing for him, since he's a little nervous about using my gravity feed iron, and I don't entirely blame him. But other than that, he did the rest of it. I'm so proud of him! My little swatch off the old fabric bolt. He said he'd like to make pajama bottoms next, so that will be our next project.

Happy sewing!

A Timely Editorial

 Image: Zorger.com

This morning's Wall Street Journal has an Op Ed piece entitled "Is Internet Civility an Oxymoron?". My apologies in advance - the website requires you have an account to read the entire piece. But it's worth picking up a copy or reading it at the library. There is something going on recently on the internet, wherein people's veneer of civility seems to be wearing away faster than the cheap plating on a plastic charm bracelet. And the anonymity of the internet seems to exacerbate it. I've noted some sewing sites have become downright hostile in parts. Adding to the problem is the fact that anyone who tries to point out bad behavior is immediately and loudly shouted down. It's kind of a pig pile mentality that has been brewing for a while, but seems to have broken out into the open like an ugly boil. I don't know whether it's an extension of the whole "us vs them" mentality that has been rampant in politics lately, or if it's broader and more nefarious than that.

Mind you. I'm not saying I'm perfect. Not by a long shot. I've made my own share of stupid, snarky (some might say mean-spirited) remarks in the past, but lately the mob mentality seems to be taking over, and it's really disheartening. It's caused me to re-evaluate my opinions of some sites. Not just sewing - if you ever want to see toxic comments, go to Boston.com. Even some of my favorite fashion sites have had bombs lobbed in their comment sections. Yikes!

There's a saying (attributed here in Boston to the Irish Mafia) that goes, "Never write when you can speak. Never speak when you can nod. Never nod when you can wink." It's not a bad approach to commenting on the internet. The first sentence is salient to my point. Think about if you would actually say the words you're typing if you were face to face with that person. The screen and keyboard act as a barrier, behind which it's really easy to sling unpleasant remarks with little fear of retribution. Moderation does some good, but not always. In fact, I witnessed a shocking situation recently where a provocative comment on a message board generated even more provocative responses from moderators, supposedly the people who are charged with keeping the board civil. It was truly ugly.

So how to combat this problem? Well, there's always the Golden Rule. Do unto others on the internet as you would have them do to you. There's also the "just ignore and step back" approach. That's my favorite these days. I just would rather not engage in snarky sarcasm or mean debating. Hell, I just finished chemo. I got way more important things to worry about! Like what I'm going to make to go with my Madras Patchwork Skirt. I'm thinking a rayon jersey top from this Extra Wide Rayon Jersey in Coral. I just wish the weather would warm up just a wee bit!

Happy sewing!

PS - for those who knew her, Shannon Gifford, a lovely lady and a shining light in the sewing community, passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. Please keep her family in your thoughts.

Hmmmmmm...

I may have to drop back and punt on the fabulous vintage dress. I ordered the pattern over a week ago but there has been no sign of it, and I haven't been able to get a response from the Etsy seller. I was hoping to fit the muslin this weekend and hopefully have it done well in time for my final session (YAY!!!!!) next Thursday. As it is I may head up to JoAnn tonight while DH and the boys are swimming and see what I like.

Pfooey - I hate it when things like this happen.

What is it About Chicago?

 Image: Vicon

Here's an interesting tidbit. Based on some highly unscientific number crunching I have been doing recently, I find that the Windy City has more sewing enthusiasts than any other individual city. How very Kewl! It's also a little surprising. I would have thought New York would easily be the leader in that area, thanks to the Garment District, or perhaps Seattle, thanks to the plethora of sewing schools and experts out there. But nope. Chicago is head and shoulders above any other city. So - Chicago sewistas, why is this? You are one stylish city, we all know that. Is there some gelling factor (a sewing school or similar) that makes Chicago such a mecca for personalized fabulosity? I ask this without any irony. I really want to know!

Happy sewing!

Well, What to Work on Now?

March in Boston is such a cruel month. The first whiff of spring arrives. You start to feel lighter and happier, then - bam! Winter sneaks up behind you and smacks you in the head with a 2X4 just to keep you from getting complacent.  And there you have the forecast for the Boston area this week. Maybe I'll take the dog for a long walk tonight before the weather changes.

That leaves me in a quandary about what to sew next. I'm still finishing the Chanel jacket. That's all down to the hand stitching and trim now. I'm working on it in the evenings, but there isn't much to show or blog about until it's ready to be trimmed.

So now the question is, "What to work on next?" I'm thinking about either a dress or a shirt. I was inspired by Erica B's White Shirt. I have this McCalls 6035 pattern that I think would look really cute:

I like the tab sleeves for spring. I have some cute striped shirting that has been aging in my stash for a while. I think I'll use that. It's orange and white - orange seems to be my color for transition/spring this year. Well, that gives me a hobby. I think I'll start on the muslin after dinner.

Happy sewing!

And the Final Top is Done!

Woo hoo! The final top is done. This is for Kit, who wanted something with an open neck, sleeves and ruching. I was going to use Simplicity 4076, but the truth is, I don't really like the drafting on that pattern. The shoulders run huge. So I took a look through my BWOF collection and found this top in the June 2008 issue. It's got everything she wanted, and it's really easy! I started tracing the pattern off at 5:30. I finished the top at about 7:15. I really like this one. I may make it for myself. But not in silver holograph knit.

So all the tops are done. The gig is tomorrow night. I'll be down cheering Booty Vortex on. And please, don't forget to text a vote for them!

In other news, it's shedding season, and I don't mean the dog. I'm thinking a wardrobe. What do you think of me as a strawberry blonde? I'm kind of sick of the dark hair. Or maybe an Anna Wintour bob! No matter what, I'm getting a bright pink wig too!

Happy sewing!

A Quick Update on the Tops

I haven't had time for much today, for obvious reasons, but I wanted to post the progress on the ladies' tops for the "Be the Wonder" contest at Foxwoods. I managed to make two of the four tops. I'll review them later. Both of them are based on patterns from Burda World of Fashion. First up is Julia's top. Hers is a bandeau style halter. I didn't get a picture on Shelley before DH took it with him to rehearsal last night. But he snapped a quick picture on her.

I also finished Nancy's top. She plays tenor sax and wanted something with a v-neck and cap sleeves. So I modified a raglan sleeve top.

Two down, two more to go...

Happy sewing!

Next Up - Booty Call!

DH's band, Booty Vortex, is one of ten bands who made the finals of the "Be the Wonder" contest at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. Next weekend, they will perform the theme song, and hopefully they'll win the gig to be the new voice of Foxwoods! Check out their site and text your votes in next Saturday, please!

Booty Vortex is a 12-piece disco/funk band. The ladies in the band, Kit, Julia, Maureen and Nancy, wanted to have a unified look, so I'm going to make them all tops. The tops will be different styles, but made from the same white/silver holographic fabric. I'll post updates as each style is completed.

In the meantime, tonight was my BFF's birthday dinner, so I broke out my new dress for the occasion.

Not too shabby.
Happy sewing!

Elsewhere in Ann-Land

Can I just tell you how happy I am to get back to my sewing machine? I sewed up the muslin of the bodice for Vogue 8593. I started out with a size 12, rather than my usual size 14. I've found lately that Vogue has been running big through the shoulders on many of their newer designs. This is no exception. I sewed it straight from the pattern (just the bodice). I was right to start with a 12. It would be too big in a 14 at the shoulders. So I'll morph it out to a 14 below the arms and do a FBA. Here's a shot on Shelley:

 

It will need some work, but that's okay. I'll probably get a bunch done tomorrow on it. This pattern only requires 25% stretch on the cross grain, so rather than a knit, I'll use a stretch RPL. This muslin is made with leftover fabric from my son's ballroom dance pants.  Here's a picture of the back:

I really like the lines. I'm debating whether to make it with sleeves or sleeveless. I'll decide on that tomorrow. So far this is quite easy and goes together quickly. I think Linda had some issues with the fit of the bodice so I'll go check out her review on her blog.

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful words of support. It's been an interesting last few months, and it's not something that I'll talk too much about (though you may end up with wardrobe updates after each session!), but I wanted to let you know, and hopefully help some other people.

Parting Shot: Green Nails!

Every now and then I like to cut loose with my nail color and break away from my usual rotation of natural tones or reds. Yesterday, Christina put this really cool green on me (how un-Valentines, eh?). It's "Jade is the New Black" from OPI's new Hong Kong collection. On top of it, she put a coat of the sheer silver polish from the Christmas collection (sorry I can't remember the name). I wore it to our annual "Sick of Winter Party", which had its largest attendance in years. It's been a looong winter, and we aren't getting hit with as much as BW and Philly are. It was a blast and much needed!

Happy sewing!

Happy New Year!

I can't say I'll be terribly sorry to bid adieu to 2009. It was a wildly uneven year. From great highs to great lows, and lots of stuff in between. But it ended on a high note, in more ways than one!

From a sewing perspective, I sewed a LOT of things. Some of my favorites from the year include: (each link opens in a new window)
Burda Hoodie
Hotpatterns Uptown Downtown Dress
My Susan Khalje Bustier
McCalls 5287 Shirtdress
Simplicity 3503 Boho Maxi Dress, that I wore for DS the Younger's TV appearance
Burda 9812 Pants for DS the Second
Burda Spring Coat
Embroidered Spring Skirt
And of course, Tatitana's Dresses.

There were some incredible moments. I met some wonderful new sewing friends. I hosted a Sit and Sew with Susan Khalje. Gorgeous Fabrics is going strong. I celebrated my half-life wedding anniversary, and my family and friends are just wonderful and supportive.

Yes, there's been one major bump in that road. It sucks, but I'll get past it (keep me in your thoughts on January 5th, please). And of course, it's been painful dealing with this economy. But chin up! We're all going to come through this okay, and perhaps a little wiser!

Parting Shot: Alta

If you have never been there, go! Utah is one of my favorite places in the world. And Alta is one of my favorite places in Utah.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful New Year. May 2010 bring you health, happiness and prosperity in whatever way you define it.

For Once I Wish it WASN'T All About Me

We have a running joke in my family that "It's all about me, all the time." Not just me Ann, but any of my siblings as well. It's just one of those sayings we have.

I kinda wish it wasn't all about me. After last week's diagnosis, I've spent more time talking about myself than I ever wanted to. Hell, even I'm sick of me! I find that the best remedy is to spend time with my family and to sew. So this weekend I finished the curtains for the family room.

Now of course, I have to redecorate the rest of the room, since it doesn't match the old color scheme. But it's bright; it reminds me of the Caribbean, and since the curtains are lined with flannel, they keep the room incredibly warm.

And now, a word from our sponsor... (bad language alert)

Folks, I try not to preach much, but I need to say something here. If you are a woman over age 40, make sure you have your annual mammogram. Fuck those bastards at the USPSTF. Mammograms work. And anyone who is an apologist for their recommendation that women in low risk groups (that would be me) under the age of 50 (that would be me) don't need annual mammograms? Take a good look at me, and try telling me to my face that the amount spent on mammograms to find the low percentage of breast cancer in that population isn't worth it. I'm worth it. And any woman is worth it. Ladies, get your mammograms. If you're due or overdue for one, call and schedule it. You could be saving your own life.

That concludes the high-horse portion of today's show.

Parting Shot - Mele Kalikimaka!

Some day I'll spend Christmas and the holidays in a place where I can hang ornaments on a real palm tree!

Happy sewing!

Two Down, Two to Go!

I spent all today in the studio/classroom (aka the "Atelier" - ha!) and made curtains for the two biggest windows in the family room. Sorry for the not-so-great picture. We left my good camera at my sister's at Thanksgiving and DH took this picture with his phone while I was working at the studio on the other set.  I have two other windows left; I hope to finish them tomorrow. They are the same size, so it should be pretty easy.

These are simple tab-top curtains, lined with flannel for warmth. The wind is whipping here in Boston today, and we run the Christmas lights through the bay window, so it will be nice to pull the curtains closed and keep the cold out. There isn't much to these. Having an industrial sewing machine is a godsend when you make curtains, because it cruises at lightning speed on straight seams. The only construction notes for you are regarding the measurements. I use 2 inch double fold hems, and I sew the lining to the top of the curtains with a one-inch seam. I spent more time pressing the curtains than I did actually sewing them. I do find that pressing as you go makes a huge difference. Don't wait until your curtains are done. Press each seam as you sew it for best results.

Tomorrow I'll be up at the "Atelier" finishing the last of the curtains. Then it's time to clean clean clean! 12 people will be descending on my classroom for Susan's class on Friday and it looks like a thread and fabric bomb exploded in there. Yikes!

Happy sewing!

Curtain Time

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving (or a great Thursday for my international friends). I have a project for the weekend. I need to make curtains for my family room. I'm using this English cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics.

I think I'm just going to make tab-top curtains. I like the clean look and they are easy. Soooo.... off to the sewing room. I want to try to get them done this weekend so I can clean the atelier in preparation for Susan Khalje's Sit and Sew next weekend. That's going to be so cool. It's 3 days of independent projects. I know many of the students, and I'm looking forward to meeting the folks I don't know yet. She's coming back in May of 2010 to do a full-blown 6 day Couture class. If you're interested, contact her (through her website). But I need to clean and vacuum so it looks less like a fabric bomb exploded, KWIM?

Happy sewing!

Happy Halloween!

Well, this week flew by with precious little to show for it. Poor DS the younger got the flu (I suspect seasonal, not H1N1, since the rest of us got seasonal flu shots and none of us have shown symptoms). He's fine now, but it meant that I didn't get much done on my dress. I have adjusted the pattern to raise the sleeve and I'll put another muslin together and post about it today. The good news about doing multiple muslins is that once I start on the final dress, it goes together really quickly. I'm hoping, now that everyone is healthy for Halloween, to get some work done on it.

Speaking of spooks, Happy Halloween! Every year we hand out candy for the kids and Witches' Brew for the grownups. It's essentially rum punch with green food coloring. Here's the recipe if you want to make your own:

1 part lemon/lime juice
2 parts simple syrup*
2 1/2 parts white or gold rum
1/2 part coconut rum
4 parts orange-pineapple juice (or to taste)
Dash (or to taste) Angostura Bitters
Green food coloring
Fresh nutmeg

*To make simple syrup, boil equal parts sugar and water together. Cool completely. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks


Mix all ingredients but food coloring and nutmeg together. Add food coloring until you get just the right shade of green. Pour over ice, garnish with grated nutmeg and a lime wedge. Enjoy (responsibly, of course)!

The Pants that were Not Meant To Be

Today has been one crazy day. We've had people stopping by that we hadn't seen in years, and both sons have places they had to be early. DS the elder is marching with the high school band at the Woburn Halloween Parade, a very big deal around here. DS the younger is doing an exhibition dance at Tufts University. I tried to sneak time to make my Razor Sharp Pants. I got the zipper replaced, and in doing so came up with a much better way to apply a fly zipper than any of the books and patterns tell you to. I'll do a tutorial on that at some point. So I sat down, got the inseam sewn up and went to the serger to finish the seam allowances. The phone rang. It was a minor emergency. Done, taken care of. I sat down and started serging. The phone rang again. Another very minor crisis. I sat down and continued serging. I finished the first side and the phone rang again. This time it was DS the elder trying to figure out timing for parade and Confirmation class tonight.

Finally, I get a little uninterrupted time and I start on the other seam allowance. Halfway up, I see that tragedy has struck. Somewhere between all the phone calls on the first side, I managed to serge the center of the pant leg front into the seam allowance, cutting a big hole in the process.
Yep, that would be in front, at mid-thigh. There's nothing to do with it but drop back and punt. Here's the heartbreaking end to a frustrating project....
I think someone was trying to tell me something with these pants. They were just never meant to happen. I still have lots of this fabric left, and I really love it (sniff, sniff!) so I am going to start on my McCalls Dress. And this time I'm not answering the phone.

The Value of a Muslin, or How to Avoid Clown Pants

I have some lovely Loro Piana wool that I am going to make into a pair of pants and into a dress. I like pants because I wear them a lot these days, and I can whip out a pair in pretty short order. I decided to give a new pattern a shot: Vogue Wardrobe 1132

It looks pretty good, eh? I like those pants on the model. They aren't too low cut, and they seem to have good "bones". I had read MaryBeth's fantastic analysis of this pattern at The Sewing Divas and decided against making up the jacket or skirt. But the pants looked promising, and I was in the mood to try something new.

You all know I am a muslin hound. And not the "wearable" kind of muslin, either. I'm talking about cotton muslin (preferably unbleached) put together as a test garment with basting stitches and zippers in colors that don't occur in nature or in my wardrobe.

I made my muslin. The pants went together very easily. They have a mock-fly front. Since it's a muslin I skipped the pockets (side seam) and just sewed up the sides. I made my standard back crotch adjustment, which is to say I copied the sharp "L" curve from one of my TNT HotPatterns trousers, then I sewed up the pants. I omitted the waistband, since this is a fitting muslin.

Well...


I'm glad I made this muslin. It saved me cutting into my beautiful fabric with what would be disastrous results. These pants make Mom Jeans look like they are cutting edge. I'm not long-waisted, but these pants make me look like a fireplug, and that is without the waistband attached. I know higher waisted pants are coming back in, but if I add the waistband to them, these go almost up to my bra. I really don't want to look like John C. Reilly singing "Mr. Cellophane". The other thing that this muslin pointed out is that the darts are positioned WAY too close to the center front, adding to the overall dumpy look of the pants. I put on 4 inch heels to see if that helps. It does a little, but not enough. Thanks, I'll pass.

So, I learned a valuable lesson from this muslin. It didn't take all that much time, and it gave me an indication of how the finished garment would look. I think I'll pull out my favorite HotPatterns Razor Sharp pants and make myself a pair from that.

Happy sewing!

Are You an Innie or an Outie?

About darts, that is...

I was working on a muslin today and it has darts. So I got thinking as I was sewing. When I sew darts, I sew them from the outside, or seamline, in toward the dart point. When I sew a double-pointed dart (say, in a dress), I start at the middle and sew out to the ends.

sorry for the blurry picture - I had my kids' camera

I know some folks who sew starting at the point of the dart out to the seamline.

I once sat through a heated lively discussion between opinionated experts about which is the best way to sew darts. These experts didn't reach the point of calling each other "muffinhead" but you could see them heading in that direction before I jumped in and suggested we go out for ice cream.

I'm not offering any judgment on which is the best or worst way to sew a dart. But which way do you prefer? I like to start at the legs and sew to the point; it seems to work well for me. How about you? Are you an Innie (from the point out) or an Outie (from the legs to the point)?

Happy sewing!

Coda to the Collar Band Tutorial

I've been meaning to finish up the second version of Simplicity 2603 for the last several days, but life keeps getting in the way. I think I may break down and make the cardi wrap for this version after all. But I will make it from an amazing Italian Black Wool Jersey, which will go with this and just about anything else.

Back to the tank top, I did finally get around to finishing it today. All I needed to do was hem the armholes and the bottom. I'm not completely sold on Simplicity's method for finishing the armholes, which is to simply turn the hems in and sew. It's fraught with the possibility of error, and you run the risk of getting the dreaded twisted hem at the curves. Very Becky-home-ecky. You can avoid it by taking your time, basting (yes, basting knits, I know - but it yields good results) a scant half inch from the edge and then sewing in place. Here's the finished version:

Remind me to patch Shelley's shoulders. They are looking pretty raggy.

Happy sewing!