new finished garments! and a marie jacket update

Good news! I have two finished garments to share today! First up... New Look 6251 in black polar fleece. This was made on my Singer and was almost finished when the foot lifter broke. I was able to finish with a little extra effort getting the fabric under the foot.

 

Exposed pocket zippers.

Not too bad on the zipper installation!

Doesn't look too bad... but again, the fit is not amazing. I should have shortened the pattern before I began, because there was not a lot of room alter at the hemline once the zippers were in. I did take in where the sleeve meets the shoulders by a good inch, and the side seams another 1/2 inch.

 

See what I mean? By no means terrible... but still not quite right. The proportions feel a little too top heavy. But it's a fairly quick and easy pattern, so I think I may be able do some easy alterations (shorten, take in the shoulders/upper back,  add an elastic or pull cord at the waist...) and whip up a take-2 pretty easily. That's what I should do... or I might try Kwik Sew 3813 :) Any thoughts?

Oh, and you notice the grey corduroy mini? It's a Grainline Moss Skirt! And this was my first make on my new Bernina. I sewed a size 8, and the only alteration was lengthening it a bit at the hem. It sits pretty low on the hips (which I don't have much of to being with!), so next time I'll take in the waistband just a smidge to feel a little more secure. Otherwise, a great pattern!

You can really see the extra fabric in the back and shoulders of the jacket in this picture. And there is a fold under the waistband on the hips.... maybe bring in the waistband?

I needed a little dose of spring, so I lined the pockets with a pretty spring floral cotton! And check out that beautiful understitching when putting the pockets together!

Notice the tuck under the waistband... is that because the waistband is a little to big and not staying up?

It was also only my second fly zipper installation, and if you think that it would be difficult to do... you'd be right. But after three tries I got it! I used a combination of the pattern instructions included, the Grainline Fly Insertion Tutorial, and I made-up my own methods at times when I was still scratching my head after reading both sets of instructions.

I also added a little extra topstiching here and there, like the back yoke, the waistband, and pockets.

And I almost forgot! You wanted to know what I did with the StyleARC Marie Jacket! Well, I got this pictures on my phone the other day:

 

My sister told me she loves it and it fits her even better than the Modcloth.com jacket I was inspired by.  Funny how that extra 7 inches tall can make such a big difference...

Oh well, I'm getting closer to a perfect fitting mid-weight jacket!

elle pants disappointment

So frustrated! I was making up another pair of StyleARC's Elle Pants to wear to work, since my last pair came out so well. This time I was using a grey bengaline, bought from Joann.com, with a similar stretch as my black pair. Inspired by Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow, I added back pockets to this pair. (Check out her amazing pink pair she just posted!)

But first the good...

They came together super quick this time around thanks to a little tip from Handmade Jane! Since I only have white serger thread, and threading the machine can be a pain, I have been sewing seams once on the regualr sewing machine with matching thread then finishing the raw edged on the serger. With Jane's tip I can cut out that first pass on the sewing machine! She points out that you actually only need to change one thread on the serger to match your fabric, since only one thread with actually show on the outside! Changing the first thread is way easier than the whole upper and lower loops anyway, and I just threaded it with a regular spool to match my project. Great!

And the waistband came together with no fuss at all this time around, and lays beautifully. I was feeling so good about how they were coming together!!!

The pockets are adequate, but not perfect. They ended up a little lower than they should but overall they are O.K.

Now the bad...

THEY ARE TOO TIGHT! So frustrated! The last pair fit so nice, maybe even a little ease to spare, and I don't think I did anything different this time that would have affected the sizing. Even the fabric had near similar stretch! A whole afternoon (and $20 in fabric) wasted for nothing, not even learning anything since I have no idea why they don't fit... and I really, really needed another pair of pants for work.

AND THERE'S MORE! I broke a serger needle. It's been a while since they'd been changed so no big deal... except I changed it and the new needle immeadiatly broke (and it's kinda scary when that needle goes!). Maybe I didn't tighen the screw enough... but then the third one snapped too! Mr. Sew Rachel thinks the tension must be off, but I swear it's not. So not only do I not have any pants, but I'm unable to use my serger and can't figure out why.

Sigh. I'm not sure what the goal is with sharing this discouragement. I guess we all have bad sewing days and sewing failures, I just usually can take some socalce in knowing I've learned something in the process. Maybe some time and reflection will help.

a stylearc marie jacket

I'd hinted a few posts back that I had another StyleARC pattern in the works, and here it is! The Marie Jacket! I still need to hem the sleeves but wanted to show your right away.

Looks like I installed my zipper on the wrong side... oh well!

source: http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=523&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=47

 

Other bloggers have also noticed that the jacket has much more of a hi-low hem that the illustration suggests, and it's very long.  More on that later...

I used a really lovely, fairly thick, heathered charcoal grey knit from Joann Fabrics. I love this fabric! It has a metallic thread throughout, and washed, cut and sewed beautifully. The pattern calls for a snap to hold up the cowl when zipped, but I decided to try a magnetic clasp originally sold for handbags. It's a little heavier, but I think a fun detail. I was inspired by the same closure in my sister's Modcloth Jacket... in fact her jacket inspired the whole make!

 

 

 

 

I love the back seaming. I could see it done with an insteresting contrast... leather shoulder detail maybe?

Could use a little more back shaping... and sooooo long!

 

 

When first constructed it was too big overall, so I re-set each sleeve taking out 1 1/4", took in just shy on an inch on each side seam and 1/4" in the sleeves. Still, after all that work it just wasn't very flattering.

Apparently my body no longer has a shape... well, I guess a pudgy rectangle is shape.

One, it's really long. That's not a surprise for me. The hi-low hits unflattering in the front, and completely covers my butt, and not in a cute show-it-off way. The cowl ended up bulky, with four layers when zipped of that nice, thick jersey. Even after taking things in, it doesn't fit snugly on my shoulders or waist, instead choosing to enphasize that pudgy ring between my bellybutton and lack-of-hips all the way around. (Yes, I am implying that my jacket has a mind of it's own and is choosing to hug my unflattering bits...) And maybe it's just overall too much fabric for my small frame. So I see two options, send it to my sister (same measurments, but 7" taller and a great hoursglass shape), or shorten to a bomber-style length. At that length, I would be cutting it off above the area it unflatteringly hugs, the rest of the jacket having about the same amount of ease. 

Sorry the picture it so dark! I've tucked the hem under to my hip level, where my hands are. I should have work lighter jeans!

So what should I do? Send the longer hi-low version to my sister, or alter it to a shorter bomber jacket?

i made pants!

Hear that?

That's the sound of me crossing off another 2014 sewing goal! I made pants! Real pants! Wear-outside-the-house pants! And they fit!

And I got a self-timer app for my new iPhone!

Per the suggestion of Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow, I used StyleARC's Elle Pants pattern. I even splurged to get a yard and a half of the suggested stretch bengaline fabric shipped over from Australia, to ensure the best possible conditions for pants-making success.

 

 

Gillian was right! The pants are super easy to sew up with just three pattern pieces, no fly, buttons, or pockets. Good thing too, because I found the accompanying instructions be be more than a little confusing. BUT, I will say that Chloe of StyleARC is quick and fabulous at responding to construction questions via e-mail!

She writes about Elle Pants: "This is the pant of the moment, slim line from ankle to waistline. Elastic waist 35mm or 1 ¼ inch wide. These pants sit so beautifully without any bulk, wear them with your high heels out for the night or with your sneakers for brunch.....a must have piece in your wardrobe!"

It's hard to evaluate and adjust the fit during construction, as you really can't get a feel for the fit until the waistband it on. Still, before adding the waistband I did adjust(scoop out) the crotch by about 1/4 inch, and lowered the front about 1.5 inches so that the waistband would lay perpendicular on my body, accommodating for my fuller bum. But once I had the waistband attached and I could really judge the fit, I'm not sure those adjustments were actually necessary.

After attaching the waistband I was able to narrow the legs on the outside seam by about an inch from the top of the hip all the way down. I'm very pleased with how well the legs fit, and how easy the adjustment was! I also ended up only having to shorten the pants 2.5 inches!

Something very cool and thoughtful was how StyleARC includes little care tags with their fabric to add to your finished garment, just like RTW.  No need to ruin your handmade garment because you forgot the fabric care!

Overall, I now have a great pants pattern the fits! While the instructions leave something to be desired... I enjoyed using the StyleARC pattern and will use them again (in fact, have another in the works currently!). The patterns are printed on nice, thick paper that will hold up to a lot of use, and I know if I ever have questions Chloe will respond promptly. The stretch bengaline was worth every penny. It sewed up very nicely with the right amount of weight, structure and stretch, making a great pair of stylish black pants for work! My one complaint is that they have that ever-so-slight snowpants sound when I walk. You know the sound I'm talking about...  Now that I've made a successful pair maybe I can explore some other fabric choices that would preform the same, without the little annoying "swishy" sound.

my georgia dress fabric from mood

Between my sewing machines in for tune-ups, a new job, and a bout with influenza (yuck!), it's been a long time! I have been able to get a little bit of sewing stuff done in between all that, including deciding on my Georgia Dress fabric... and it's here!

 

And it's my first time buying from Mood! And they even mail you your fabric in their famous Mood bag! Some day I will go to NYC visit them in person... but I digress. Here is my Georgia Dress fabric:

Thanks for all your input! I decided to go with some mid-weight cotton/lycra sateen in black. As awesome as an amazing print dress would be, I realized that I don't actually own a LBD and thought this would be a great oppurtunity to fill that gap in my closet. But I did also order a swatch of that yellow Oscar de la Renta tribal print.

Ordering swatches?! From Mood?! I feel like such a big, grown-up, sewing blogger now! And while I am spending a little more now on higher quality fabrics, I was surprised to find some of the options really reasonable, like my sateen at $8/yard.

Also, my StyleARC patterns arrived and are in progress, so stayed tuned for a update on those projects!

top 5 of 2013 - part 3: goals for the new year

 

Today's Top 5 of 2013 is Goals for the New Year, and what would be a more appropriate day to post it than today?  I've come so far in my sewing skills in 2013, but still have more I can learn!

#1 - Pants

This means real, wearable-outside-of-the-house pants. Not pajama pants. Leggings would be great to make, but the goal is actual pants. I attempted McCalls 6707 last February.... which ended in a ball of fabric and pins in my sewing drawer.  Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow suggested I try pants from the Austrailian pattern company styleARC. Gillian has made a lot of great versions of the Elle pant (check her makes out!), so I'm leaning towards that pattern for my 2014 pants goal, and may even splurge for the shipping on the suggested Stretch Bengaline fabric.

http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=404&category_id=2&keyword=elle&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=42

http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=31&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=587&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=47

#2 - Swimsuit

I've made a bikini a number of years ago using Kwik Sew 3330. I love the flirty mid-rise bottoms... but alas, I'm not quite comfortable in a bikini at the moment. 

I loved seeing everyone's Bombshell Swimsuit by Closet Case Files, but prefer a more traditional bottom so I'm making a Bombshell-inspired tankini! I'd planned on making this last summer, and already have the fabric and made a mock-up of the top using Kwik Sew 3761. This year, it's so happening!

#3 - Underwear

I've attempted the free pattern from So Zo.. What do you know?, with not yet great success. But what I really want to make are The Ginger Body Suit and Separates by Ohhh Lulu. I need some fabulous foundations for my 2014 makes!

#4 - Coat/Jacket

I have yet to decided what pattern to make, but I WILL be making a coat or jack for Winter 2014/2015. (Want some inspiration? Check out this awesome tailored coat by Male Pattern Boldness.)

#5 - While I'd love to use my last goal for making an amazing Sewaholic Cambie Dress (which I WILL make, and I have a feeling will become my new go-to dress pattern), I instead want to use this spot to make a goal to teach. I have had a few folks that have expressed interest in learning, and I know I am a great teacher, so in 2014 I'm going to be offering some informal 1-on-1 sewing lessons. I'm really excited about this possibility (and at the very least it will encourage me to keep my sewing room fairly neat)!

So.. what are some of your 2014 goals?