JCC - Two Pieces Done

Only three more to finish in 27 minutes! This isn't going to happen.

I almost finished the jacket, but my fourth ff covered button has disappeared, and I took that as a Message that I shouldn't try to make my first set of bound buttonholes in a jacket (or anything, for that matter, outside of practice scraps) tonight. Tomorrow, after a bit more practice.

I did get the skirt finished, and my daughter made me a beautiful matching necklace. Here is a picture in terrible lighting, with my loyal hound.

I'll take better pictures when I get the jacket done. I couldn't find an invisible zipper in a coordinating color, so I tried a hand stitched zipper and was really happy with the results.

This has been a great experience. I have learned a great deal and had lots of fun. I'm also participating in Sarah Veblen's underlining class at Patternreview.com, and that has given me much to think about for coordinating skirts and tops. So this skirt and the finished jacket will only be the beginning.


My favorite piece? The necklace that my daughter made to go with this capsule wardrobe.


Elle

Meme! (I guess it is called that because it's all about "me".)

I went to visit Claire's blog at http://sewingislikechocolate.blogspot.com/ to catch up with her sewing and related thoughts, and found that she was so kind to think of me to tag for a meme, so here goes.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was working as a slave, I mean "associate", at a law firm doing round the clock projects while my daughter repeatedly watched the entire Star Wars trilogy (the three good ones) and had pizza with the staff, then went to sleep curled up at my feet. This was fine until she started school, so that was the year I stressed about what to do. It all worked out.

2.) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
It is 9:32 p.m. here in beautiful Connecticut (truly a lovely day) so, like Claire, I shall focus on tomorrow:
a) Get allergy shots without having a strong reaction and taking out the tv set on which the kiddies are watching Jiminy Cricket sing Xmas songs in that annoying voice (I kid you not, this happened two Saturdays ago at 8:30 in the morning -- me not happy).
b) Go to the barn and hand graze my horse then do rehab with him for 30 minutes (walk/trot work with a few bucks thrown in because I won't let him canter) while my daughter has a riding lesson. Then I get to walk as she rides her horse around for a nice relaxing trail ride because mine still can't be ridden for more than 30 minutes. Grrr. Soon!
c) Go to Joann's to get clear elastic because I'm sure I'll need it for something; I just read about using it with knits and slinky fabrics.
d) Work on my June Capsule Contest jacket! I just got the acceptance PM from Elizabeth.
e) Make sourdough bread/brie/fig jam sandwiches for my daughter's harp recital on Sunday.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Dark chocolate Snicker's bars. Found them a Joann's
Callebaut bittersweet chocolate cut up in chunks
Dried, unsweetened mango slices
Pastries

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Send my daughter to the college of her choice.
Buy that 1000 acre estate in a temperate climate and raise Lusitanos and greyhounds.
Have a lot of help around the barn named Raoul and such.
Invite all of my friends to visit whenever they want, for however long they want to stay.
Travel, travel, travel.
Intense study of couture, fabric, etc.
Donate to WWF, alternative energy projects.
Adopt.

5) Places I have lived
Pennsylvania, Chile, Puerto Rico, New Caledonia, Australia, Connecticut, Colorado, the Middle East, Connecticut.

6.) Jobs I have had:
Since 16:
Restaurant hostess (was a cocktail waitress until they discovered I was only 16)
Dental assistant (boy it's fun assisting a dentist when the patient is wrapped up in chains and giving you that fanatical, homicidal glare while the cops watch every twitch)
Assistant at geochem lab
Writer at technology consulting groups
Author (under a different name)
IT consultant at large insurance company in Connecticut
law clerk at Connecticut Supreme Court
associate at law firm
now in house attorney at large Connecticut energy company (energy prices are only going up, baby -- see above alternative energy plug)

7.) 6 peeps I wanna know more about
There are so many people I'd like to know more about, but have they already been tagged?
Alexandra at http://www.studio-alexandra.com/ because I so admire her style, especially her use of scarves. I'll be copying her there for my JCC entry.
Gigi at http://behindtheseams.wordpress.com/ because she seems so nice and beautiful and I've found her tutorials so helpful.
Kathleen Fassanella at http://fashion-incubator.com/mt/ because she's Kathleen Fassanella -- always interesting.
Elizabeth ("ejvc") who came up with the JCC at Artisantssquare.com and because of her wit. I suspect she is a bit sleep deprived.
Dawn at The Secret Pocket. Her Little Prince coat is gorgeous and her work is impeccable.
New people that I "meet" every day in this fantastic online sewing community.
And of course, Claire, who is a joy to visit fabric shops with. There is a woman who knows her fabric, and how to pull them together. I need to stop buying the same stuff, but how can I when she goes unerringly for the best wool doubleknits? I can't tag her again, but the thought remains.

Next blog entry: My JCC plans based on the Advance pattern below. With pleas for help. Please check back tomorrow!

Fitting & Alterations - Help Needed

It became evident early on in my Timmel SWAP 2008 attempt that I need some serious help with fitting. As Claire notes on her blog, 50 is the new 30 (making me 27), but my figure hasn't recognized this basic fact.

Apparently, I need a broad back adjustment (probably from trying to hold in my 17 hand warmblood), a sway back adjustment, and a full bust adjustment. This I learned in my first fitting class, what will be discovered if we complete all six?

Sadly, my local sewing center closed just two days after that first class, but a few of us have contacted the teacher and will try to carry on. Now that I know how much help I need (yes, ignorance is bliss), I really really need to finish this course.

Predictably, I took about 15 patterns with me to class and chose one of the most complicated as my first effort. Because it is a very fitted vintage style, it demands these alterations. As our instructor said, I probably wouldn't need all of them with a less fitted pattern, but then I need fitted or I look frumpy.

At left is my pattern. Doesn't she look so happy? The joie de vivre, the grace, the cool insouciance (noun the cheerful feeling you have when nothing is troubling you).

Ah, this is why I sew. It really isn't about fit. It is about feel. In this suit, I will carry some of this attitude into work with me, and it'll show.

If I can get it done. First I have to cut off the peplum sleeves to do the FBA, according to THE BOOK. This scares me. At least I traced the pattern first, it is safely back in its envelope.

Until next time,
Elle

Can't Get Enough Plaid

Someone started an interesting thread at Stitcher's Guild with respect to skirts and plaid. Naturally, the topic took off and soon we were discussing everything in plaid.

I even found a dress that I had made over fifteen years ago, which I was so proud of. Then. Now I look at it and mutter bad things to myself, like "80s shoulders" and "bad plaid placement at bodice". Oh well. I still like it.



This got me thinking about plaid, and the wonderful article with great pictures on how to sew with plaids at Timmel Fabrics.

So now I am basing my entire Timmel SWAP 2008 around a swing jacket in a plaid fabric, cut on the bias. I need to take it apart again to use a nice fusible interfacing on it, to keep it from stretching out too much so it will be awhile before I post pictures. In the meantime, I've begun a little library of my own, of pictures of plaid garments for future reference.


My favorite, at the moment, is this one:

Sixteen Years Ago

Yesterday I got up to work on my V2989 top some more, but I got all distracted and ended up taking pictures of a couple of things I made over 16 years ago. I've asked for a critique of the blue suit at Stitcher's Guild, and I'll repeat that request here:

Hello, I would appreciate comments on this suit, which I made over 16 years ago.

I've recently gotten back into sewing and I'd like to avoid some of my mistakes as I move forward.

Having said that, I can't believe I made this. Even a welt pocket! I was too afraid to put one into DD's hunt jacket, and I had already made one. The flaps were messed up, but the actual welts were fine.

I over pressed with a bad iron, I didn't use much interfacing, and cheap pellon where I did (buttons show this), I made my own lining for the skirt and it is too small, plus I sewed the hems of the skirt and lining together. Not sure if I'd do that again, it is doing funny stuff around the hem. This was before I realized that wool can shrink even if dry cleaned, no pre-shrinking in those days. I think that may be some of the problem.

The jacket is from Vogue 2538, a Christian Dior pattern (I'll post it as soon as I scan it in), and the skirt is from Style 4784.

Here is a link to my Picasa web album, with many shots of the jacket and skirt:



I'm self-taught, and hope to get to a class soon. They tend to be held in the evening during the week, which is difficult for me to make. Until then, I would appreciate comments and suggestions. Thanks!

Making Progress!

And not just on my pretty Storyboard. Although that has changed:



Last night I fused interfacing to my V2989 top and Style skirt facings (very deep because it is a raised waistband). It is new interfacing and I was afraid of it, but remembering that "the perfect is the enemy of the good" -- or, in my case, "the done" -- I forged ahead and all was well. In fact, I love both interfacings. I was so happy.

Until I draped the V2989 top against me and realized that it is going to be pretty tight. The pattern calls for 5/8" seam allowance, think it'll work if I do 3/8" on the side seams, and adjust the arms accordingly? The fabric is a cotton/lycra blend.



Oh, and I cut my Textile Studios Madison Avenue Dress out one size too small, what was I thinking? It will be perfect for DD, but I want to wear it. So, I'm thinking 3/8" side seam allowances instead of the 1/2" the pattern calls for. That should be just enough, especially if I keep doing yoga. Any thoughts on how this will affect the drape, etc? Here's a pic in case you don't already have it in your pattern stash:



I do want to be able to wear it to work with a soft jacket. Someone at PR lined the back of their dress to prevent see-through. I have lots of Bemberg eggshell that is the right color, but no stretchiness. Any thoughts on what to line an ivory cotton/lycra dress with?

These are all in my wearable muslin fabric from fashionfabricsclub.com so nothing to cry about, except for the time involved. DD will be able to wear anything too small for me, and look great in them.

Further cutting into my sewing time is a trip to Chicago this Sunday. I'll be landing at about 5:00 p.m. and staying at a Hilton in "the Loop", in meetings Monday morning, and possibly free Monday afternoon. My plane leaves at 8:00 p.m. Anybody available for a quick late lunch or early dinner, and possibly a snoop shopping expedition?

Hunt Jacket - Suitability 5004

This is a hunt jacket made from a Suitability pattern. I made the Women's version. It was my first foray back into the world of sewing after a 15 year hiatus. A bit over the top for a first-time-after-awhile project, especially because it was more complicated than anything I've made before, but much easier than I expected. The Suitability instructions were superb, everything went together perfectly, and the result was more than I had hoped for.

This has to be the most worn UFO on the planet. I literally finished sewing on the snaps (the buttons are "temporarily" sewn on the front of the jacket) before throwing it on my daughter, who then leapt onto her horse and rode into the ring to win her class. An equitation class, where looks do count. I like to think that this jacket played a small role.

Anyway, no lining either, the pieces sit in one of my drawers waiting to be sewn up and inserted. A nice Bemberg fabric. It was wonderful to be able to make her a beautiful, fitted, lightweight jacket out of a lovely wool/rayon blend. Unless you go for top of the line, the riding jackets tend to look very stiff and be as hot as ovens. Even the expensive wool jackets are lined in polyester, unless you go very top of the line.

Now I have to make another for me because she won't let me wear hers anymore. And I need to make us each a dressage jacket. Grrr.

But first, back to my Timmel 2008 SWAP stuff!

———————————————————

Edited to add a picture from a subsequent show.  This jacket got a lot of use!