I want to do something interesting

I wore the pair of pants I finished, but I'm still not happy with the waistband. I complained a bit about waistbands on PR, so I'm not getting into it again. Needless to say, my waist is not shaped quite as I'd prefer.

I do feel a contoured waistband is a better option than a straight one, but I'm more curved in the back than the front, and though the waistbands are also curved that way, I still need to adjust for myself. I'm going to make my own somehow, maybe just tape myself up with painter's tape or something and mark the level right at my belly button...something like that.

So I was feeling the need to complete something and I've been wanting a new top for dancing. I did the Jalie 2682 that I've done a couple times. I used a bamboo cotton and added lots of crystals. It danced well for me, seemed to grow a bit as I wore it, but loose is better than tight. If a top clings to my bust, it will ride up when my arms are lifted.



I have that "what do I want to sew" thingy going on right now. I have some stretch denim and can continue to work on jeans. I still want to do more slacks. I really need shirts, but maybe not always knit. Jackets are fun as they are a bit of a challenge.

Ugh.....so many ideas, no clue.

A new iron, yet again

Yup, I've been sewing, just not writing about it as it seems so dull.

I did get myself a new gravity feed iron yesterday at the Missouri Sewing Company here in KC. It's a Pacific Steam PSI-5E and so far, after one afternoon of using it, I'm very happy.

After the problems with the crappy Rowenta steam generator, it was time to start something different.

Here's a photo of the set-up:


Right now I'm working on pants. I seem to have the problem of them coming out too big or too small. I think I change by 2 sizes in the day. And yes....I'm serious. I'm working on a Vogue pattern, a Claire Shaeffer design, the one with the pair of pants in red on the envelope. I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

The fit is going very well, the crotch curve is perfect and the wider leg keeps me from having drag lines. It's just getting the right fit/height of the waistband that is causing some issues. I should be done with that today and ready to try another pair.

I got a funky magazine the other day. Seriously, as I was browsing through the magazine I couldn't help but wonder what it was. Talk about eclectic, clothes and dodads for the house. It kind of reminds me a bit of Steinmart, but still different. I did find a few outfits I liked though, and just now went online to get a photo. I actually like the garments more online and will add it to my snoop shopping list. Some of the jeans are great for ideas, and lots of long skirts that I like.

Here's a photo of the dress that caught my attention:


Oh, and here's a link to the website, Midnight Velvet.

A bit discouraged

I know this happens to each of us, but it's amazing how it can kind of just bring the sewing desire down.

Jennifer, aka Okie2thdoc, gave me a really luscious piece of teal bamboo knit. I made a practice top using Kwik Sew 3756.


I was making a top, but I used the dress pattern and shortened the sleeves.

My muslin came out too bit with armholes too low. Easy enough, calculate the size issues, and retrace and I should be fine. Nope, now it's too tight all over and the armholes are still too low. I did a small in the upper chest.

I don't think I've ever had luck with a KwikSew pattern. Looking back at a bunch of top patterns I bought, I had the same issue with low armholes.

I'm kind of wondering if others have the same issue.

I did like the pattern for the panties.

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I went to Hancock Fabrics yesterday and got some good deals on fabrics to use for muslins. All the value fabrics were an additional $1 off, and since I just want the correct weight and preferably a light ugly color, I hit the jackpot. I got two different woven weights, one a light broadcloth weight and one a pants weight, and the same for knits, one a lighter stretchier one and then a heavier one.

I also got stocked up on needles and found buttons to put on my jeans.

Today it's raining, a good day to sew. I stayed out of the sewing room yesterday. Oh, and I'm not tossing the flopped top. I might have enough to piece a new front and use the back as the back of a new top. Sleeves can be recut....we'll see what happens.

Sewing in the snow

It snowed yet again yesterday and the little flurries are happily swirling around still today. Is it Spring yet?

I did get the pair of non-stretch jeans completed. I'm sure many of you already saw the review on PatternReview. I wore them dancing and they were fine, then wore them the next day also. By the second day they were feeling stretched out a bit. I've decided the crotch length is too long so on the pair I'm doing right now (same fabric, I had a lot of it) I've shorten the crotch length 1" straight across both front and back pieces and hoping for the best. I'm using a varigated blue for the stitching which looks kinda different.





I had great success with the Jalie sweater top I made. The pattern is Jalie 2911 and here's the photo:


For mine I got the fabric at Vogue Fabrics online and it's just wonderful. I can't get out of this top.

Whoo Hooo, my backside

The Jalie jeans are done and I'm ready to start on pair #2.

Seriously, not a bad fit, as good as or the same as my purchased jeans for the most part. The denim I used is much to lightweight, so that problem is easily corrected. Of course, do I have any stretch denim....nooooooo. So what am I planning on doing, just using regular denim and hoping for the best.

Why oh why would I even contemplate such a thing when I know to use the stretch denim as recommended?

Because I'm a dork.

The pictures didn't turn out so well, for some horrible reason it decided to snow today. We don't need any snow, it's time for Spring.

Jalie Jeans

The Jalie Jeans pattern is turning out to be a good one. The fabric I used for my first pair is too light weight, but at the same time it does make for easier sewing.


Pair 1 is complete minus the hem. I want to toss them in the washer/dryer first, then hem.

Here are a few detail photos:



I have some more denim but it's not stretch denim. I'd still like to try the fabric as it's quite heavy, so I obviously have to make it larger.

I also got a bunch of HotPatterns in the mail today, but I'll post as I sew.

I did finish up one more of the Burda Hoodies for my step-daughter. I made a new composite photo for Pattern Review and hopefully will never post a hoodie photo there are again. This one came out so cute too that I just wanted to post it.

Tried shopping

I went to Dillards, a nice department store in this area. Walked in a the designer section and went to the first section I came to, Antonio Melani. They didn't look like anything special to me, but whatever, let's try on pants.

I fit into their size 12 consistently, the pants were exact throughout the different styles, which I think is quite good. In the past I would have bought them based on fit, they fit well for all I knew, until I had a good look at the backside...those darn butt wrinkles.

Once again, I'm never exactly sure what the wrinkles are telling me, raise here, lower there, add here, decrease there, etc. But I do see another consistent factor, and that is that the wrinkles point MORE to my right hip, so my right hip is higher (I'll go check my numbers) and that I need to lower that side. I guess that means to add it at the waist? See, this is what confuses me.

I did measure the top of the waistband, took note where it hit in relation to my belly button, and went on to the next section in the store.

That was Ralph Lauren and the pants run large. I fit into a size 10, though they were a tad tight, and a size 12 was too large. The crotch length was also too long on all the pants, they went up to and over my bellybutton.

I did find some jeans I liked, but the boot cut ones had big pocket flaps, and I've decided that is a no-no for my backside.

Enough trying on pants. I realized that was about the same as sewing 10 muslins, none of which were "right enough."

So the SO and I wandered through the other sections of the designer section and I saw a lot of styles that I recognized as current pattern, how cool is that.

There was one top almost the same as the Jalie top I made recently, except the front wasn't seamed, but the back neck/shoulder area was the same. I adored the fabrics, which were rayon/lycra and just tried one on for good measure. At a $100 I wouldn't be buying one. What I did like was the longer tunic version and the slits at the hem. It was more flared at the hip also. The top I tried on was a large and much too small, I didn't even try the XL. Don't you love the stripe of dots over the bustline. I would hope as a sewer I would have noticed that and placed them elsewhere. Each of the tops was lined up differently. I didn't check if the front/back were lined up the same or not. The back of the neckline was also too snug, and I have a forward head. But aren't the colors of that fabric great?


Enough shopping (and not buying.) We went out to eat afterwards.

At home I measured that pair of dark green pants I'd sewn and the waistband was 1.5 inches larger. Hmmmmm. I took part of the waistband off, took off 1/2 inch on each CB side and also raised the CB 1/2 inch and I'll finish topstitching today and wear them and see how it goes. Oh, I scooped out the crotch a tad. I still need the leg width a bit narrower, at least for a heavy fabric like this one. See, I'm learning. Drapey fabric can have a wider leg width than stiff fabric.

I looked closely at the construction of the store pants, and mine equals it just fine, which I find nice to know.

I did like the color of the light bluish/grey ones I have on in the photo above, so that's something for me to look for. It's not a color I can wear around my face, but it works in the pants, and will move nicely into Spring.

I also want to start on the Jalie Jeans, the Sew-Along on PR, so will pull that pattern out today also.