Sunday, September 11, 2011

Back to the Future

Sew, I spent the day making the Vogue pattern V8728 which is a remake of a 1946 dress.  I thought it would work well on me because I have an hour glass shape and usually anything fitted on top with a full skirt works well. 

This was odd.  The top was too big and the skirt is more full than I'm used to.  It's probably because I used a heavier fabric but I wanted something to transition into the fall.  I'm going to have to take the shoulders up about an inch so that the neckline doesn't sit oddly, wide and ugly.  The sleeves were also a little too pronounced so I will take them in alot to sit closer to the pattern picture.  On the plus side, I got this lovely striped seersucker for less than $3.00 a yard because it had a bad smell and no one would buy it.  I washed it, smell gone (it smelled like it had been in storage a long time).  The fabric is a heavier seersucker than you usually see in the store, so I think it is an older fabric.

On the pattern, the neckline is wide rounded but it leaves too much to spaced.  So by tucking up the shoulders it changes the pattern a bit, but I like it better.

This week I bought some fabulous fabrics for some lined trousers, a fabulous Donna Karan jacket, and a vest and skirt.  All ready for the fall.

I also signed up for weightwatchers with a plan to drop the weight I've put on since recovering from ankle surgery.  I just want to drop 25 lbs....not much,  but seems like a lot from where I'm looking.

So that's my life this week.  Tonight finish up college work and back to work tomorrow.  This was a fun weekend.  I was in a zombie apocolypse video shoot yesterday for a staff appreciation day next month, and I spent the day in our library mascot uniform.  Sot though this weekend was short because I worked, it was fun.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Denim Days

I must confess, I didn't manage to sew 30 minutes a day,  I'm lucky if I sewed at all last week.  Going back to school and working, and taking care of my family/dogs is about all I can handle.  I was very happy to have Labor Day weekend to sew. 

Sew, I thought I'd try sewing with denim.  I chose a heavy stretch denim with a particularly nice stripe to it  and McCall's 6361 Palmer Pletsch pants and skirt pattern.  I made the skirt because I didn't want to make any mistakes making a pant and being disappointed.  The skirt was easy to put together.  I don't have the patience to do all the fittings the pattern recommends, but it was almost exactly right; I only took the waist in a bit.  I used a beautifulI flowery fabric for the waistband lining and the pockets, kind of like my little secret.   One note to consider that I wish I had known.  According to Burda, I didn't have to use a denim needle with a stretch denim.  Good to know but I didn't really have any problems.

A side note-today the weather was sew beautifull; the high this morning in the 60's. Instead of sewing, I took my dogs for a walk in the fields.  Until today, I\tt's just been too hot to enjoy the outdoors except very early in the morning.  The coolness is something we haven't seen in several months.  I am so tired of the heat and glad for fall.

But I do want to make a couple of summer dresses with a jacket to transition to fall using a Lisette pattern (2209) that I admire.   I actually thought the patterns were for younger women, but I've seen some reviews by women my age and thought I could get away with it. 

Well, I need to get to cutting a pattern out.  The part of sewing I dislike the most.  My spouse did buy me a dressmaker's form for my birthday and that makes me feel more like a seamstress.  Sew, see you soon.