Butterick 6946
I’ve made this before, in lightweight summer fabrics. This is one of my favorite patterns! After having several bombs in a row, I thought it would be best to use a tried and true pattern. The fabric is a cotton lycra blend that has been in my stash for several years. Yay for stash busting! I have enough leftover to make a self belt, which I think would work better than the black belt.
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Here’s a close-up of the fabric.
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Giving up!
I’ve been messing around with the royal blue Simplicity 1892 from the previous post. I think I’ve decided there’s no way to save it. On me, it looks even dumpier than on the dress form. That high neckline does nothing for me and because of my short waist, the midriff band makes me look even short than I am. I’m not going to finish something I’ll never wear. I have too many things in my closet that I finished just because I was so close to finishing, but haven’t worn. I’ve gotten over the need to do that. My only regret is the fabric. With money being tight, I hate to toss fabric like that. I think I might be able to get a nice pencil skirt out of it.
Sidetracked!
Yes, I am easily sidetracked. Yesterday, I went into my sewing room to cut the fashion fabric for Simplicity 1257, only to discover that I hadn’t prewashed the fabric. I was feeling the urge to work on something, so I rooted through my fabric stash and found this corderoy. Then I went through the pattern boxes to see what I could do with 4.5 yards. Here we go, Simplicity 1892, view 3. I added a 3/4 sleeve, which unfortunately really changed the look. I’m not sure I like it as much with sleeves. Oh, well, I have to stay warm somehow.
Isn’t the Internet Great?
My newest project is Simplicity 1265. This pattern was lent to me by a friend from http://www.saloon.pinup-parade.com, a message board for vintage enthusiasts. What a friendly and generous bunch of people!
The original pattern is a size 13 (31in bust), so I graded it up to my size. Other than that, I’ve made no changes. On my next muslin, I need to lower the waist an inch, extend the shoulder seam a bit, maybe .5 inch and take in the side seams at the bust.
McCall’s 9158 complete
Well, mostly complete. I’ve decided that my crinoline hits me at an unflattering length, so I’m making a new one. I don’t want to hem the dress until I have the crinoline done. While I was working on this, I wasnt sure I was happy with it. I think winter sewing just isn’t as fun as bright, crisp cottons in lovely prints. However, this one might not be a fun sundress, but I think the understated houndstooth works. I did make two major mistakes. I sewed the zipper into the right side seam instead of the standard left side and I put the pockets in way too low to be useable. I may end up sewing up the seams and cutting off the pockets. Other than those two things, I’m quite happy with it.
Organization
I have a grand plan to organize my sewing. My pattern collection was one of the problems. They were spilling out of their original boxes and I had no idea what I had. I finally picked up some nice pattern boxes and have been working to organize them. Part of that process has been to photograph them so that I can see them at a glance and know exactly what I’m looking for and what I already have. So far, I have photographed box #1 and given them their own Flickr set, so I know where to find them. If you’re interested in seeing my collection, they are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/12275674@N08/sets/72157608649336586/
