I actually got out my knitting last night! I was going to sew, but overwhelmed with what to work on: miniature quilt, blouse muslin, xmas gift I need to finish..., I decided to knit instead. It's a scarf out of this yarn. Not the easiest to knit but it's just a simple garter stitch.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Fitting Frustrations!
I had hoped to do lots of sewing this holiday weekend but a variety of things got in the way.
I finally go to my sewing today, but the heat and some annoying fitting problems made at least my garment sewing short lived. I spent alittle time working on my miniature quilt. This quilt is a project that I will have to work on bit by bit over the next year.
So...the fitting. Ugh. Lets see, so far I have a size 14 muslin with the side seams let out 1/4 inch and a size 16 muslin with a narrow chest adjustment. Without sleeves, the 16 is kinda big and the 14 is fitted. But I forgot that this pattern has a tie in the back so the 16 looked like it might fit better. That is until I put the sleeves in. I hate set-in sleeves but I spent the time to do both sets on each muslin. I'm glad I did. The size 16 narrow chest adjustment that seemed fine without sleeves was awful once they were in! It definitely pulls and tells me I don't need the adjustment or I took too much out. The 14 actually fits better - nicely fitted across the upper chest and shoulders. But there are some drag lines coming from the bust. It could just be that this is the wrong time of the month to be fitting things in my chest, if you know what I mean. I fear that the size 16 without bust adjustment will be too big in the upper chest. To address the drag lines I think I need a bit more room in lower part of the armscye. But I'm not sure how much more time and effort I want to spend on this, let alone how to do such an adjustment. The fabric for the blouse is inexpensive cotton from Joann's but I was hoping to make more New Look blouses, so understanding the fit would be beneficial. But at this point I was too hot to deal with it...or any sewing. So I took a break and later on I worked on my quilt.
- It's HOT! Over 100 yesterday and today and near 100 on Saturday. We don't have a/c, so we tried to do as little as possible.
- Doing as little as possible was all I could do Saturday. I somehow hurt my back and it started spasming so I spent most of the day on the couch with ice on my back. At least the ice kept me cool. Fortunately the combination of ice, rest, and some nice little white pills did the trick and by night I was almost back to normal. The only thing I can figure is that I moved a rib a bit when I watered plants Saturday morning. Good thing I have a chiropractor appointment on Wednesday.
- College football on TV. Had to watch Penn State start the season off with a win. Yippee. Colorado State didn't do so well. Bummer. But other teams I root for (Stanford, Michigan) also won. Also watched a few movies. Not an entirely bad way to spend a few days off.
I finally go to my sewing today, but the heat and some annoying fitting problems made at least my garment sewing short lived. I spent alittle time working on my miniature quilt. This quilt is a project that I will have to work on bit by bit over the next year.
So...the fitting. Ugh. Lets see, so far I have a size 14 muslin with the side seams let out 1/4 inch and a size 16 muslin with a narrow chest adjustment. Without sleeves, the 16 is kinda big and the 14 is fitted. But I forgot that this pattern has a tie in the back so the 16 looked like it might fit better. That is until I put the sleeves in. I hate set-in sleeves but I spent the time to do both sets on each muslin. I'm glad I did. The size 16 narrow chest adjustment that seemed fine without sleeves was awful once they were in! It definitely pulls and tells me I don't need the adjustment or I took too much out. The 14 actually fits better - nicely fitted across the upper chest and shoulders. But there are some drag lines coming from the bust. It could just be that this is the wrong time of the month to be fitting things in my chest, if you know what I mean. I fear that the size 16 without bust adjustment will be too big in the upper chest. To address the drag lines I think I need a bit more room in lower part of the armscye. But I'm not sure how much more time and effort I want to spend on this, let alone how to do such an adjustment. The fabric for the blouse is inexpensive cotton from Joann's but I was hoping to make more New Look blouses, so understanding the fit would be beneficial. But at this point I was too hot to deal with it...or any sewing. So I took a break and later on I worked on my quilt.
Friday, September 03, 2004
Fitting woes and art supplies
Well, I tried going up a size on the New Look blouse and then doing the pattern adjustment for a small upper chest but the blouse was too big overall. Hmmm, I guess I'm between sizes. I tried on the smaller size to compare and think that I will now try to let out the side seams 1/4 inch and see if that helps. The blouse has front and back vertical darts and should be fitted. Too large and it will just emphasize the "homemadeness." Too small and the buttons in front will pull and I definitely won't be comfortable wearing it.
That reminds me of an incident I witnessed at work a few weeks ago. I work in a predominantly male field so women are scarce and due to the nature of the field (science and engineering), usually not fashionable (sad, but true). I was at an all-day review and noticed one woman, who has a fairly boyish figure and was dressed rather plainly, was wearing a blouse that was too small across the front - even with her A-cup. As a result it gapped a bit. What shocked me though was the guy in the next row had casually turned around for something but his eyes locked on her. Not on her face, but the gap in her blouse! He was staring at the bit of bra or skin he could see! He didn't just do this once either! I was sitting in the row behind her and I saw him turn around again and stare. Blatently. What a perv! I'm glad I don't work with this guy.
Anyway, back to sewing...
Or art. I went out last night to a buy a frame but had an alterior motive - the 2-day pattern sale at Joann's. Since I'm trying my darndest to keep from buying more fabric, I'm indulging in patterns instead. I ordered eight at Wazoodle's Kwik Sew sale and picked up two last night at Joann's. Then I went to buy the frame but had to browse the art supplies. I love art supplies. I always loved art in school and try to dabble in it now and then. I recently bought a portable easel at Costco - it was a good price and even came with a blank canvas, brushes and acrylic paints. I have some watercolors at home and even took a watercolor class but I've not painted with acrylics. I can't even remember if I used them in school. So I bought a book to learn about the materials and methods of painting, some more blank canvases for practicing, and a sketch book for trying out ideas (I think I'll use colored pencils or even crayons). Yeah, I know, like I need more hobbies. There's just something about art suppies, fabric, patterns, etc. that makes me want to create. The problem is putting brush to canvas and scissor to fabric.
That reminds me of an incident I witnessed at work a few weeks ago. I work in a predominantly male field so women are scarce and due to the nature of the field (science and engineering), usually not fashionable (sad, but true). I was at an all-day review and noticed one woman, who has a fairly boyish figure and was dressed rather plainly, was wearing a blouse that was too small across the front - even with her A-cup. As a result it gapped a bit. What shocked me though was the guy in the next row had casually turned around for something but his eyes locked on her. Not on her face, but the gap in her blouse! He was staring at the bit of bra or skin he could see! He didn't just do this once either! I was sitting in the row behind her and I saw him turn around again and stare. Blatently. What a perv! I'm glad I don't work with this guy.
Anyway, back to sewing...
Or art. I went out last night to a buy a frame but had an alterior motive - the 2-day pattern sale at Joann's. Since I'm trying my darndest to keep from buying more fabric, I'm indulging in patterns instead. I ordered eight at Wazoodle's Kwik Sew sale and picked up two last night at Joann's. Then I went to buy the frame but had to browse the art supplies. I love art supplies. I always loved art in school and try to dabble in it now and then. I recently bought a portable easel at Costco - it was a good price and even came with a blank canvas, brushes and acrylic paints. I have some watercolors at home and even took a watercolor class but I've not painted with acrylics. I can't even remember if I used them in school. So I bought a book to learn about the materials and methods of painting, some more blank canvases for practicing, and a sketch book for trying out ideas (I think I'll use colored pencils or even crayons). Yeah, I know, like I need more hobbies. There's just something about art suppies, fabric, patterns, etc. that makes me want to create. The problem is putting brush to canvas and scissor to fabric.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
What to work on next?
Sooooo many projects and so little time. I have my evenings back now that the Olympics are over. I found it fun to watch but got a little obsessed trying to watch everything. The PVR was heavily used these last few weeks - it was filled with Olympics and the daily Sew Much More episodes. I'm currently whittling away at the sewing shows. My husband hooked up my computer to the output of the satellite receiver so I can watch TV in the sewing/computer room. The real benefit is that while he's engrossed in XBox and hogging the TV, I can still watch things we've saved on the PVR. And I can save them to the hard drive too! The quality is not the best, but it works.
Anyway, back to sewing. Or knitting. I was inspired to start this blog after reading knitter blogs. Alas, sewing is not quite as "in" as knitting is these days and knitter blogs far outweigh sewing blogs. But still, it's a neat way to chronicle one's projects and can be a fun outlet for amateur writing. My interest in knitting was renewed when I read about and saw pictures of the wonderful sweaters these knitting bloggers were creating. I bought sock yarn. I bought frou-frou yarn to make scarves. I thought I would multi-task by spending my TV time knitting as well. Hasn't happened.
However, I am sewing and that's a good thing. But whenever I finish a project I get overwhelmed by what to work on next. Should I work on something for this season or next? Should I try something new or use a pattern I've sewn already? Do I start with a pattern and find the fabric (it better be stash fabric) or pick a fabric and find a pattern? Easy or challenging? Or perhaps I should work on the drapes I've been meaning to make or quilts that I've started and not finished?
I decided last night to work on a short sleeve blouse I started. The muslin didn't quite fit so I decided to look more closely into why it doesn't fit. The muslin fits fine in the upper chest and shoulders but is too small across the bust and waist. If I go up a size, it will be too big in the upper chest. This is a common problem for me. I consulted Fast Fit by Sandra Betzina and found that the breast apex on my pattern is about 1 inch too low and 1 inch toward my arm. The instructions for fixing it call for starting with a garment that fits everywhere except the upper chest, which means that I need to cut the bigger size and alter the pattern for my small upper chest. The alteration calls for adjusting the both the bodice and the sleeve patterns. I'm hoping to work on it tonight.
Anyway, back to sewing. Or knitting. I was inspired to start this blog after reading knitter blogs. Alas, sewing is not quite as "in" as knitting is these days and knitter blogs far outweigh sewing blogs. But still, it's a neat way to chronicle one's projects and can be a fun outlet for amateur writing. My interest in knitting was renewed when I read about and saw pictures of the wonderful sweaters these knitting bloggers were creating. I bought sock yarn. I bought frou-frou yarn to make scarves. I thought I would multi-task by spending my TV time knitting as well. Hasn't happened.
However, I am sewing and that's a good thing. But whenever I finish a project I get overwhelmed by what to work on next. Should I work on something for this season or next? Should I try something new or use a pattern I've sewn already? Do I start with a pattern and find the fabric (it better be stash fabric) or pick a fabric and find a pattern? Easy or challenging? Or perhaps I should work on the drapes I've been meaning to make or quilts that I've started and not finished?
I decided last night to work on a short sleeve blouse I started. The muslin didn't quite fit so I decided to look more closely into why it doesn't fit. The muslin fits fine in the upper chest and shoulders but is too small across the bust and waist. If I go up a size, it will be too big in the upper chest. This is a common problem for me. I consulted Fast Fit by Sandra Betzina and found that the breast apex on my pattern is about 1 inch too low and 1 inch toward my arm. The instructions for fixing it call for starting with a garment that fits everywhere except the upper chest, which means that I need to cut the bigger size and alter the pattern for my small upper chest. The alteration calls for adjusting the both the bodice and the sleeve patterns. I'm hoping to work on it tonight.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
A week of travelling and tiny quilts
Do I need help? I flew across the country to attend a two-day meeting for work and when I checked into my hotel I saw that it was only 7:30 so I hopped back in the car and drove about 30 minutes to G-Street Fabrics in Rockville MD. Never mind that I'd just spent all day flying and hadn't had a decent meal! I had an hour and a half to shop before they closed! I actually was on a mission. I wanted to find buckles for the purse I'm making with the leftover black and white skirt fabric. I thought for sure they'd have them but they didn't. So I looked through their pile of $2.77 fabrics instead. In the past, I've found that they mostly have cottons in this pile but this time I found some good deals. I found a yard of a buttermilk knit in a paisley pattern - it actually was 1 1/4 yards, so enough for a Jalie T-shirt. I also scored a 2-yard piece of a beige poorboy knit that had decent recovery. And the final catch of the day was nearly 7 yards of a sheer polyester to make valences for my kitchen windows. I could tell the green/gold/browns would go well in there and how could I pass up the price? It was also suitcase-friendly thin fabric. Tally: 10 yards
I flew home Friday and then spent the next two days in a quilting class...working on a miniature quilt. Yikes. The course, taught by Sally Collins, can be considered as a way to learn how to improve your accuracy at cutting and sewing on "normal" size quilts, since accuracy is key when dealing with 1/2 inch blocks, or one can take the class to learn how to make a very small quilt. I took it for both reasons. I've only taken one other quilt class and I've only made one pieced quilt - well, actually just the top. I have made two small "quilts" - the top blocks are appliqued using Heat 'n Bond. I don't really think of them as quilts. I also have a small paper piecing project begun. After two full days in Sally's class I have 270 tiny pieces cut and only 8 pieces sewn together. The first day was spent learning about color and composition. Twelve women used the same Circle of Stars pattern and turned out 12 very different looks simply with different color choices. My quilt is a greenish-brownish background with yellow stars and brown centers. It reminds me of sunflowers or black-eyed-susans. Not at all what I thought the fabric would create. I simply started with a set of 8 fat quarters that ranged from gray to brown to green and pulled a few fabrics from my stash. Most of my fabric stash is fashion fabric for garment sewing but I have been accumulating quilt fabric - at an all too rapid pace, I'm afraid. I mostly collect cat prints for a "some day" cat-themed quilt. I'm pleased with the color choices of this quilt and hope to someday actually finish it. Yeah. Right. Famous words of a novice quilter. I also stopped at Joann's that night and buoyed by the thrill of taking fabric colors and combining them into something special, I bought 30 fat-quarters (it "helped" that Joann's was having a sale: $1/fat quarter). I'm not counting the fat-quarters in my stash. I don't think I will count (or have every counted) quilting fabric in my stash because it's not used up in the same way. Quilt fabric is like an on-going resource - like paper or pens. Hey, it's my stash and I can make the rules.
Anyway, the class was really great and I highly recommend taking Sally's classes if you ever get the chance. My husband actually saw the announcement at the quilt store and suggested I take it (yes, he actually goes into fabric stores with me). I thought it was too expensive and out of my quilting league but my husband persuaded me. Yes, he persuaded me to take the class. No I did not slip him a drug and yes, he was my husband and not an alien. Another customer happened to have taken the class and was planning to take it again. She told me how good it was and I relented. I had my husband, the store owner and the customer pushing me to take this class! How could I not? I am really glad I did take it, even though I spent more money on notions during the class (needed just the right pins, scissors, thread, needles...) and of course the fat quarter buying spree at Joann's. Expensive class indeed. But it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I really do hope to finish the quilt...and make a few more.
I flew home Friday and then spent the next two days in a quilting class...working on a miniature quilt. Yikes. The course, taught by Sally Collins, can be considered as a way to learn how to improve your accuracy at cutting and sewing on "normal" size quilts, since accuracy is key when dealing with 1/2 inch blocks, or one can take the class to learn how to make a very small quilt. I took it for both reasons. I've only taken one other quilt class and I've only made one pieced quilt - well, actually just the top. I have made two small "quilts" - the top blocks are appliqued using Heat 'n Bond. I don't really think of them as quilts. I also have a small paper piecing project begun. After two full days in Sally's class I have 270 tiny pieces cut and only 8 pieces sewn together. The first day was spent learning about color and composition. Twelve women used the same Circle of Stars pattern and turned out 12 very different looks simply with different color choices. My quilt is a greenish-brownish background with yellow stars and brown centers. It reminds me of sunflowers or black-eyed-susans. Not at all what I thought the fabric would create. I simply started with a set of 8 fat quarters that ranged from gray to brown to green and pulled a few fabrics from my stash. Most of my fabric stash is fashion fabric for garment sewing but I have been accumulating quilt fabric - at an all too rapid pace, I'm afraid. I mostly collect cat prints for a "some day" cat-themed quilt. I'm pleased with the color choices of this quilt and hope to someday actually finish it. Yeah. Right. Famous words of a novice quilter. I also stopped at Joann's that night and buoyed by the thrill of taking fabric colors and combining them into something special, I bought 30 fat-quarters (it "helped" that Joann's was having a sale: $1/fat quarter). I'm not counting the fat-quarters in my stash. I don't think I will count (or have every counted) quilting fabric in my stash because it's not used up in the same way. Quilt fabric is like an on-going resource - like paper or pens. Hey, it's my stash and I can make the rules.
Anyway, the class was really great and I highly recommend taking Sally's classes if you ever get the chance. My husband actually saw the announcement at the quilt store and suggested I take it (yes, he actually goes into fabric stores with me). I thought it was too expensive and out of my quilting league but my husband persuaded me. Yes, he persuaded me to take the class. No I did not slip him a drug and yes, he was my husband and not an alien. Another customer happened to have taken the class and was planning to take it again. She told me how good it was and I relented. I had my husband, the store owner and the customer pushing me to take this class! How could I not? I am really glad I did take it, even though I spent more money on notions during the class (needed just the right pins, scissors, thread, needles...) and of course the fat quarter buying spree at Joann's. Expensive class indeed. But it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I really do hope to finish the quilt...and make a few more.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Happiness is...
...putting in an invisible zipper without a second thought.
Zippers used to be a scary thing and invisible zippers were especially formidable. I often stopped sewing for the day when I got to the zipper. I prefer to start fresh when tackling difficult things. Well, last night I didn't hesitate when it came time for the zipper. It was late, but not that late so I forged ahead. I put on the plastic invisible zipper foot, basted my zipper into place and stiched. Done. Perfect. Big smiles.
I'm pleased how quickly I'm sewing up this skirt. Well, gosh, it ought to be easy by this time. I've sewn two almost identical skirts in the last two months. Yes, I decided to do the shorter skirt. The pattern of this fabric just didn't seem right for a longer skirt. I left out the horizontal seam, which also made the sewing go quicker. I have the side slit, waistband facing and hem to do and then I'm done. I should be able to finish it tonight!
My willpower is holding in resisting ordering from EOS and fabric.com. I actually think that the more I sew, the less I will buy. When I realize how long it takes to sew just a few yards of fabric, it really makes it clear that buying 30 yards of fabric a month will result in a huge stash. I shouldn't have had to put my rocket scientist degree to use to figure that out.
Zippers used to be a scary thing and invisible zippers were especially formidable. I often stopped sewing for the day when I got to the zipper. I prefer to start fresh when tackling difficult things. Well, last night I didn't hesitate when it came time for the zipper. It was late, but not that late so I forged ahead. I put on the plastic invisible zipper foot, basted my zipper into place and stiched. Done. Perfect. Big smiles.
I'm pleased how quickly I'm sewing up this skirt. Well, gosh, it ought to be easy by this time. I've sewn two almost identical skirts in the last two months. Yes, I decided to do the shorter skirt. The pattern of this fabric just didn't seem right for a longer skirt. I left out the horizontal seam, which also made the sewing go quicker. I have the side slit, waistband facing and hem to do and then I'm done. I should be able to finish it tonight!
My willpower is holding in resisting ordering from EOS and fabric.com. I actually think that the more I sew, the less I will buy. When I realize how long it takes to sew just a few yards of fabric, it really makes it clear that buying 30 yards of fabric a month will result in a huge stash. I shouldn't have had to put my rocket scientist degree to use to figure that out.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
All work, no sew
I've been very busy at work and thus have been too worn out to sew very much in the evenings - or even on the weekend! But there has been some sewing progress since my last post. I finished this purse - view A using the citrus print from my skirt and contrasting orange fabric. It was tedious! I'm preparing a review of it for patternreview so I'm not going to go into all of the details here - too much writing! The purse came out quite well, I think. I'll try to finish up the review and get a picture posted soon.
My dress form is still wearing the citrus print skirt because I have nothing to wear with it. Of course I have fabric and patterns to make tops, but I just haven't made any yet. I broke down and ordered an orange top and orange sandals from the Eddie Bauer on-line outlet store so that I can at least wear this outfit while it's still summer. I'll be very orangey!
I did cut out a muslin of a short sleeve top using this New Look pattern. I have plans to make it up in an orange and white striped fabric - tiny stripes, the skirt is quite bold enough, thank you. Having read that the pattern had a lot of ease, I decided to cut a smaller size. Unfortunately there's not enough ease for my hips and waist and I'm not really thrilled with how it fits overall. It fits the dress form better than me, which is not a good sign. I have gained weight. But I knew that. I just didn't want to be confronted with it.
Since Eddie Bauer came to my rescue for at least one top to wear with the citrus skirt, I've decided to take a slight detour from the blouse and work on another Manhattan skirt. I have a black and white floral print that looks rather "toile-ish". It's the same cotton/lycra woven fabric as the citrus print. I bought it at the same store in Mesa. I'm going on a business trip next week to attend a two-day review and I think the black and white skirt would be perfect to wear with a black top and black sandals. I just can't decide whether I want to make the shorter style that I made for the other two skirts, but eliminate the horizontal seams, or make the longer version, which has a vertical seam down the front and a slit in the back instead of the side. Whatever I decide, I need to get moving! Fortunately it's a very easy skirt to make.
Oh yeah. I bought more fabric. My husband bought some shirts from REI that he really liked and he asked me to make some for him. The fabric is the wickaway type and when Wazoodle.com announced a sale on Malden Mills knits, well, you just know I had to check it out. The prices were really good and the fabrics will work well for his shirts or tops for me. 17 yards. Ouch. The good news is that I am restraining from buying more fabric from EOS, despite Linda's recent acquisition of great fabrics - I'm tempted but so far I'm holding firm. I'm wavering a bit on fabric.com. They've offered me a discount since I'm in their group of frequent buyers. They have some silk that I'm considering but I'm going to try to stand firm with them too. I have to remind myself that although the silk would make a lovely dress, so will the purple rayon I bought from Stone Mountain and Daughter and the linen I bought from EOS, and the rayon I bought from fabric.com - and those are just the fabrics off the top of my head. I must resist. I must resist.
My dress form is still wearing the citrus print skirt because I have nothing to wear with it. Of course I have fabric and patterns to make tops, but I just haven't made any yet. I broke down and ordered an orange top and orange sandals from the Eddie Bauer on-line outlet store so that I can at least wear this outfit while it's still summer. I'll be very orangey!
I did cut out a muslin of a short sleeve top using this New Look pattern. I have plans to make it up in an orange and white striped fabric - tiny stripes, the skirt is quite bold enough, thank you. Having read that the pattern had a lot of ease, I decided to cut a smaller size. Unfortunately there's not enough ease for my hips and waist and I'm not really thrilled with how it fits overall. It fits the dress form better than me, which is not a good sign. I have gained weight. But I knew that. I just didn't want to be confronted with it.
Since Eddie Bauer came to my rescue for at least one top to wear with the citrus skirt, I've decided to take a slight detour from the blouse and work on another Manhattan skirt. I have a black and white floral print that looks rather "toile-ish". It's the same cotton/lycra woven fabric as the citrus print. I bought it at the same store in Mesa. I'm going on a business trip next week to attend a two-day review and I think the black and white skirt would be perfect to wear with a black top and black sandals. I just can't decide whether I want to make the shorter style that I made for the other two skirts, but eliminate the horizontal seams, or make the longer version, which has a vertical seam down the front and a slit in the back instead of the side. Whatever I decide, I need to get moving! Fortunately it's a very easy skirt to make.
Oh yeah. I bought more fabric. My husband bought some shirts from REI that he really liked and he asked me to make some for him. The fabric is the wickaway type and when Wazoodle.com announced a sale on Malden Mills knits, well, you just know I had to check it out. The prices were really good and the fabrics will work well for his shirts or tops for me. 17 yards. Ouch. The good news is that I am restraining from buying more fabric from EOS, despite Linda's recent acquisition of great fabrics - I'm tempted but so far I'm holding firm. I'm wavering a bit on fabric.com. They've offered me a discount since I'm in their group of frequent buyers. They have some silk that I'm considering but I'm going to try to stand firm with them too. I have to remind myself that although the silk would make a lovely dress, so will the purple rayon I bought from Stone Mountain and Daughter and the linen I bought from EOS, and the rayon I bought from fabric.com - and those are just the fabrics off the top of my head. I must resist. I must resist.
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