Just chit chat

I've seriously been sewing off and on for the last few days, doing a lot of different things.

Okay, I worked on a pair of pants from Simplicity 2700. Here's the envelope cover:


I've had semi-good success since my flop with the Burda pattern, which I do think was my booboo. I will post exactly what I've done when my pants are complete. But let me say the first pair came out too tight. Once again, my mistake, everything seemed fine until the very end. Let's put it this way, they fit in the morning, by evening....no such thing.

I remade them in a dark green stretch denim and they seem to fit quite well. I'll bring them to our KCPinheads meeting tomorrow and have the ladies help me pin up a hem, then I hope to complete them, wear them dancing tomorrow night, and do a review.

Here's only one photo I've done. On the waistband of the original pair I sewed twill tape at the top edge, but it seems too thick to do with this new fabric. I decided to do a 1" strip of silk organza, stitched at the top edge, to give me no give, but also give no extra thickness. Hopefully you can see in the photo.

This is a side seam. You can see the inside pocket lining fabric, the lighter green, and it also edges the edge of the waistband that will be sewn to the inside. I recently bought a bunch of silk organza and plan on using it in different garments. I think this will become a great use.

Many years back I inherited an old sewing machine from my grandmother. I had always hoped for the treadle (as I know there was one) but this is the one I ended up with. It is a White Family Rotary from 1929. I figured that out from the serial number and also by hunting down photos online.

I've started to clean it up, and it took awhile to figure out the bobbin shuttle was inserted upside down which kept me from being able to pull up the bobbin thread. It worked pretty well once I figured that out. I will have to learn how to use the different accessories (I don't know if I care that much to be honest.)

My plan is to piece a simple quilt top on it, just to say I did.

Here is what I have for photos at this time.

Antique sewing machine

I haven't posted in a few days and I feel I should comment on my last post. First of all, thanks for the comments you all made. I sewed up the pants, attempted to pull them up and had a great laugh. I'm not sure what happened, maybe I just measured myself much too small.

I wadded them up in disgust and crumpled up the paper tracing. Hey, I'd have to retrace either way.

Then I started reading online and read a thorough pivot/slide method and decided to give it a try. I was quite successful for a first try. I posted my muslin on PR, trust me, it wasn't that exciting. So then I decided to try a different pattern, which happens to look like the Burda one btw. More success except they've ended up a tad too tight.

I'm still working on it and will post when I'm done. And I definitely need to go back and look at the Burda pattern, at least for the different pocket options and such. I'm aiming for the TNT where I can change pocket styles. Next I'll retackle the jeans pattern.

Right now I'm trying to get an old machine to work. Well, it works, it powers up and the needle moves, I just can't seem to get the bobbin thread pulled up.

Here's the photos:

Time to work on pants

It's time to start on pants. I wear jeans ALL the time, so when it comes to other pant styles, I sometimes am not sure what I think. For the most part, I can buy slacks without too much trouble. I'm fairly straight up and down, no defined waist (waist is TOO big) and no large hips.

I did make some pants last summer that weren't horrible, they fit fairly well, but they also weren't perfect.

There were a lot of good comments and reviews about the following pattern, so I decided to start there. Plus the pants I did before were also a Burda pattern. I need a slim fit through the hips and thighs otherwise I feel fat.

This pair is from the August 2009 Burda magazine.





I measured my hips in cm's without looking. I got 104 cms. Of course, that is right between sizes. A 42 is for a 102 cm hip and 44 for the 106 cm hip. I drew out a size 43, let's be technical here.

The trouble spot is the belly (and also the sway back and long back seam later.) I graded the pattern to the largest size, the size 46 right at the waist. I also straighted the CF seam to be on grain, which gave me another 1" at the waist (we'll see what happens with that.)

I had some white bottomweight fabric in my stash, got out my supply of sharpies and got to work.

Instead of adding my seam allowance to the pattern, I traced around the pattern, then did heavy sharpie dots to leak through to the other side. I added 1" seam allowances and more at the waist. I drew out the waistbands too. Oh, and I'm leaving out the pockets for fitting purposes.

Here's how my muslin looks now.



I did all sorts of drawing and writing on the pieces so I know what to compare with the original pattern.

But before I start to sew up this muslin I have a smelly torn horse blanket to repair. The darn horse just loves to rip it up. I really want to get that thing out of my sewing room...did I say SMELLY???!!!

Wish me luck with the muslin and the fitting. Maybe I'll get lucky.

All sorts of goodies to share

I finished my Vogue1100 jacket and I'm really happy with it. Here's the photo

and you can read the review here at PatternReview.

And lucky me got TWO boxes of fabric from Mr. UPS man today (I love him.....)

I got the follow from VogueFabrics:

The fabric on the left I want to do as a hoodie for my step-daughter, and another for me (or another top.) Then the magenta rayon double knit is for a top, the print for a skirt overlay. The dark knit on the right has sparkles in it, I'll save it for a top for next Fall/Winter.


The little checked print is a knit for a top, the black poly has a cute lipstick print that's perfect for a jacket lining (I couldn't resist) and the turquoise is just a heavy knit for a top.

The next ones are from the $1.95 sale at Fabric.com just recently. I didn't have a single mistake in this order either.

We have the "Designer Wool Blend Tweed Boucle Suiting Teal," the "Designer Silk Blend Emerald" and the "Designer Light Weight Wool Blend Suiting Fancy Taupe."


This is the "Designer Linen Herringbone Beige," (lovely btw) and "Designer Stretch Wool Suiting Ebony" and "Designer Light Weight Wool Suiting Dune" and "Designer Wool Blend Boucle Suiting Ivory."

Phew.....

Okay, so I'm not the most organized person around, but I'm realizing how important it is to know the fiber content of my stash. Here is my new way to organize. I think I can keep up with this, and I probably can do the last box I ordered too as it's still in the box.


Last but not least, this is also supposed to be a blog about pretty nail polishes and I'm so totally failing in that department. Seriously, I don't know what happened, but some time ago my nails just decided to call it a day and they started to break and peel. I decided enough is enough and gave myself a little manicure today. I might have to keep them short through the winter months if the peeling is due to them drying out (very possible.) I did what I have to do though, which is a full 4 coats - base coat of a rebuilding protein (blah blah blah,) 2 coats of color (almost clear in this case) and a quick dry topcoat (I used Poshe.) The moment it chips, I'll redo it. Lots and lots of moisturizers will help.

Here is a before and after photo, I'm almost embarrassed by the before.


So if your nails look like crap, join me and lets get them pretty for Spring.

Presents and goodies

I never posted about Christmas gifts.

My mother knitted and sewed presents for everyone in the family. The kids got jammie pants and/or knitted caps, and Bill and I both got knitted socks. I also got a new apron.

Here I am modeling a few of the items:


I sewed for my daughters the Burda hoodie I had sewn for myself (and reviewed) a while back. Here's a pic of them wearing their hoodies sitting on the two chairs I reupholstered. I just got the 2nd chair done a few days ago.


My oldest daughter, Michelle, is a weaver (I don't know if there is an official name for that) and she made us all lovely scarves or table runners. Here is a photo of me and Kaylyn wearing the scarves:


And yesterday I went shopping and bought myself some "late" presents. Heck, I wear them all the time, so I deserve more boots, more boots, more boots:

Cats love fabric (and boxes)

Lucius just adores boxes and if it has fabric in it, even better. No joke, within minutes of opening a box of fabric, he will be sitting in it. He just has to test it out. Then the others have to come and inspect what is so exciting.


I'm working on a few things right now. I got the outside of the Vogue jacket (below) all done and it really looks cute and seems to fit well. I decided to order some lining for it, the Ambiance Bemberg Rayon everyone raves about, and ordered "nude" based on the color on the Fabric.com site. The real life fabric is much too dark for my ivory jacket, it's a like pinkish brown, and I truly needed a light ivory. I'm not even sure what I think about the fabric. It just feels like acetate lining to me. For the cost, I don't think I'll be purchasing it. I'll double check with others to see if that's just how it is.

I went to Joann's and just bought some of the "poshe" lining. I hope to get that finished up in the next few days.

I'd do it today but I absolutely want to get that darn chair recovered and out of my sewing room. It just sits there and stares and me, and is always in the way. Plus the giant air pressure stapler thingy and hose takes up tons of space. I don't remember if I posted photos of my sewing room (all cleaned up.) I know I did on PR, so I'll post them here too.


I love the arangement of my machines and the computer. The two glass desks were from OfficeMax and they are so stable and nice.


I'd still like to add a top to the raised cutting table so it can be a bit wider. Also when that table under the AC is moved then I can hopefully move the cutting table out to work on both sides. I'm not sure my exact plan yet. I'd also like to skirt the table, just so it looks prettier.


This is the chair that's been hogging up the room. I do want to figure out a better ironing station, but it needs to face the computer also, so it can't be up against the wall. I'm contemplating using the table that's under the window, and placing a shortlegged ironing board on top. Since I got the new steam generator iron, I don't think I can press straight onto a padded wood board, I think that would get too wet. I don't know what my best options are yet.


This half of the closet houses supplies. The other half still has stuff from my girls in college so it will be there for a few years still. I have my fabric stash in a large linen closet in the hallway. My goal is to not grow out of the linen closet for a stash. We'll see how I do on that...ask me again in a year.


I have some pictures I want to hang up still, I just haven't gotten around to it. This was my younger daughter's bedroom until she left for college. She painted it herself. I'm not a blue person, but it will stay that way for now (or she'd be sad.) I'd love to bring one of my wingbacked chairs up here to use to sit in and make the room cozier. I'm not sure I can fit it all well. The sewing area pretty much has to stay where it is, I want access to the windows.

Vogue1100

I'm really happy with the top I just completed. Check out the review on PatternReview.

Here's the photo of me shivering in the cold. My camera doesn't do well inside, the lighting is horrible.

I really was lucky with this one. I guessed on my adjustments and they worked right up.

Here's the envelope and line drawings for Vogue 1100:



I just started working out the muslin for the jacket. It's nice that it's not so fitted, so once again, I'm just using the lines based on my size.

I got the basic muslin worked up and have to do some adjustments. I need about 3/4" rounded upper back (ugh) and about the same for a forward shoulder... and this is in a raglan sleeve.

I pulled out the "Fit for Real People" book and think I can handle this. I will just redraft the sleeve, and attempt the adjustment for the rounded back. There is a large pleat in the back of this jacket, I might consider doing a seam of some sort if necessary.

Wish me luck.