Countdown to Wedding....

Saturday was a wonderful shower for a wonderful daughter-in-law to be! Many thanks to daughter Sarah for the lovely invitations, the beautiful blue bird and bumble bee cupcakes and for just being you.....


and to Maid of Honor Lisa for party favors (bumble bees from Burdicks!), wonderful baked bread and yummy lemon punches

and to Sheryl and Brendan for giving us a reason to have this lovely day!


and a special thank you to Steve for keeping me sane and doing everything I asked that week{>!

Slan

Finished on the Fourth

I have to tell you, I definitely have mixed feelings about this pattern. As I mentioned in my last post, the seams are 3/8" so really the only thing you can do, outside of Hong Kong finish is serging them, which I did. I didn't want to do the Hong Kong for such a casual shirt.

Also, a small shoulder facing was built into the placket, but there was no back facing to attach it to. The entire collar (inner and outer) was simply sewn to the top of the blouse and the instructions called for the serged collar bottom to be sewn down between the shoulder seams of the blouse. I honestly couldn't live with such an amateur finish, so I laid a piece of binding over it and stitched it at the top and bottom. Since there was nothing then for the ends of the shoulder facing to attach to, they needed to be tacked down.


I like the shirt, mostly because I like the fabric, and I like the mix of horizontal and vertical stripe. I also used vintage enamel buttons which the shirt didn't deserve and which will come off when the shirt is no longer being used. I thought the 3 piece sleeve was a little uncomfortable, and the sleeves are quite tight, which is a cool look, but I think many people would struggle with fit, even in the lower arm, and mine are pretty thin. Finally, it pulls a bit, and yet it isn't too small -- in fact I think there is a bit of excess fabric just beside the shoulder blades.


My feeling is, if I'm going to sew, I'm going to have beautiful seams and corners, a la Sewing Workshop or Cutting Lines. I don't want to spend time and money to have something that is finished in a way I could have found at a discount store. It seemed a lot of work for something that I feel 'meh' about.

So, all in all, I'm not excited about working with these patterns again. If I do, I'll know to take their drafting into consideration and redo some things when I'm cutting the pattern. But, there are so many other great patterns out there, that it seems on shouldn't have to do that. But then, nothing is lost -- everything is a learning experience. On to something new.

Slan

Stephanie's Blouse Progress

Started working on the blouse which needs to be finished before I go to work on Tuesday. Interesting construction. The front and back are drafted with the upper sleeve included and then there are 2 under sleeves -- which attach first to the front side and back side and then to the front and back. Time will tell whether I like the look for fit.

I've decided to make the sides with the stripe going in a vertical direction with the front and back having a vertical stripe. I've cut the placket on the horizontal as well. Right now the stripe on the upper and lower sleeve seems to be matching up pretty well, so I may baste that before I saw to keep that stroke of luck going!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th!

Stephanie's Blouse by Silhouettes

I've never worked with Silhouette patterns before, but we are trying them out at Victorian Cupboard to see how they work with our sewing audience. We find it so hard to get new garment sewers - everyone at Open Sew tends to work on handbags or home dec. I think one of the big impediments is fear of fitting issues and the second may or may not be level of difficulty. So we are trying the Silhouette patterns, which are by Peggy Sagers because they make use of b, c, and d cup sizing and promise an uncomplicated pattern suitable for all sewing levels. I've just opened up the pattern for Stephanie's Blouse which is a pretty straight forward shirt. We're offering it as a class at the end of July, so I really need to make it up this weekend so it can hang in the shop for a bit to lure some stitchers!

A couple of interesting things with the pattern. All sizes come in the same package, but are broken down with 4 smaller sizes and 4 larger sizes grouped separately. Also, it has princess lines and there is a separate front side piece for each cup size, which is nice. Additionally, when they give the measurements for your particular size, they give the finished blouse size, not your body size. They do this so you get to choose how much ease you want, and they suggest you measure out a blouse that fits you well and choose your size based on those measurements, which isn't a bad idea. There is no set in sleeve -- the sleeve is built into the front and back pieces. Interesting and easy to sew. In addition to the princess seams, the sleeve is a two piece sleeve, so there is room for adjustment for a larger upper arm if necessary.

One thing I'm not really happy with is the 3/8 inch seam allowance. I like french seams on a blouse. Since I am teaching this, I will do it as the pattern calls for and just serge the edges, but if I were doing it only for myself, I would add extra seam allowance while cutting the pattern pieces so I could do my french seams.

Since it is such a basic pattern, I'm going to jazz it up a bit and am using a nice stripe which I will mix up with some pieces cut on the vertical and some on the horizontal. I'd also like to try to introduce some specialty stitches -- possibly do the bottom of the sleeve as a separate piece and join with the spanish hemstitch foot.

Will post results as I go along. If anyone out there has made this pattern, feel free to chime in with your thoughts and suggestions.

Scenes from Chesapeake's Eastern Shore

Creativity in Technology

Last night when I couldn't sleep, I was frustrated that I haven't done any creating in a while. Work and everything I need to keep up with has been in the way, or at least I've made that my excuse. But, in fairness, I did see some beautiful things at convention that I want to share with you. The first is my favorite -- a boiled wool jacket embroidered on a machine and embellished with matching yarn. The software is from Viking and, while whoever created this is probably a master at machine embroidery, it does show what is possible with technology and a good mind.

The second piece is, I think, also beautiful. It is also Husqvarna Viking software and is cutwork done with cutwork needles, which cut away the fabric as they sew. Some lovely work can be done with this.

The third piece is crochet done with machine embroidery and cotton thread. Granted, it may not give a true crocheter the satisfaction that handwork does, but it is interesting.

Lastly, something I think would be beautiful in home dec -- also cutwork, but quite modern and with a great deal of texture.

So, there is something to be said for technology. It doesn't come easily to me and I know that if I want to use it, I need to persevere and get through the learning curve -- first comes science, then comes art. There is a place for everything. One just needs to decide how much of it, if anything, they want to incorporate into their craft. It is tedious for those of us who are used to a different way of sewing, but some one of a kind work can be done with it.

Sleepless

Almost midnight, and still awake. Ah, well.

I've been busy - not necessarily accomplishing anything...just busy. Carolyn and I spent a week at the Husqvarna Viking Convention in Reno. From Monday until Friday, I saw no daylight, other than glimpses from my room in the morning and again at the end of day. I can't imagine living like that; a cavernous hole of a hotel with slot machines, restaurants, bars, and no vistas. How sad. The immediate view from my room on all four sides was parking lots. But, if you looked up, you were rewarded with the majesty of the Sierras, topped in snow, and looking different every time you saw them as they moved in and out of mists and clouds. Truly beautiful in an otherwise rather desolate landscape.

It was my first sewing machine convention and my feelings are mixed. I'm not an embroiderer, though we saw some lavish designs that I could imagine incorporating into my work. I'm not a quilter, or necessarily a crafter. I sew. I like patterns. I like cloth. Shape and structure intrigue me. But, I'm becoming bogged down in presser feet, yarn couching and stabilizer. Is this progress, or did I get lost? I'm not sure. I just know I haven't created anything in several weeks and I'm feeling it.

Slan