Decision made

Glad to know I’m not the only one dithering in the sewing room. Vivien: you were right, a jacket was (almost) what was needed. The day after my previous blogpost about not being able to decide I suddenly knew what I wanted to do. A jacket/cardigan from fabric that I bought last year at the fabric market in Utrecht. I had it in my hands several times and each time I was unsure about what I wanted to make from it. Now it was clear: a jacket with a black accent. It was in my hands last Thursday too. and at a subconscious level it must have remained in my mind.

I took my chances and used a Lekala pattern that I bought a few months ago. The sleeves are a bit wide but otherwise it’s quite good. It’s a cardigan pattern so that might explain the wider sleeves. I will take them in a bit. Also the dressform doesn’t do it justice. It has nice shape in the waist. I’ll line it and when it’s finished I will show it on me.  On my screen it looks black and white, but it’s off-white.

Can’t decide

I just wasted an hour or so in my sewing room and I just can’t decide on my next project. I’ve finished my lingerie set (made two panties to go with the bra). No other projects are in progress. I’m trying to be a bit better organized and don’t start on more than one thing at a time. Let’s see how long I can do that ;)

My thoughts while taking out fabrics from my closet

• Shall I do a last summer project? The weather has been horrible here (I was so cold that I wore socks in August, normally I don’t wear anything on my feet till October). It seems the weather is better next week and September is often nice….
• Shall I start the winter coat I’m planning. This is the fabric and I’m planning Burda 6845 for it.  Hopefully it’s still a while till it’s time to wear such a coat, but it takes a bit of time to construct…
  
• This red linen is nice for the jacket I drafted, oh no, it’s better for a dress, too casual for the style of jacket I’ve in mind, it’s better in a jean-jacket style or at least better for summer, I want a jacket for the next few months. Back went the linen…
• This grey fabric is perfect for the jacket, but it ‘won’t be nice with topstitching. Have to underline it. Lots of work. It’s dark, too dark perhaps. Still half in summer mood of course, I’m more into brighter colors still.. ..
• Oh, this wool has been in my stash for years now, it’s so beautiful, I really should make it this year. Back in the closet, it’s a real winter fabric….
• Perhaps I should sew a t-shirt or another lingerie set, easy and (almost) instant gratification.

Not asking for opinions on what I should start, Í just feel I can’t decide. While I really intended to start a new project tonight, it did not work out that way. I will sleep on it and perhaps something strikes my fancy for real tomorrow.

On another note: thank you for the comments on my bra. It's always nice to read comments and especially to know that these lingerie posts are inspiring to some of you. Lauriana: I’m glad to know you found a way to comment on my blog, I was not aware that going to a blog through Bloglovin might be an issue. I do have issues with commenting when I read on the Ipad, which I often do and therefor are a irregular commenter myself  In general: I love to read the comments but am not at all offended if you don’t comment or only occassionally. There is just not enough time in the day for all of us.

Copy from RTW

This summer I bought my first bra in what must be over 10 years. Since I started making my own bras, I only bought sports bras and made all the “regular” ones myself. I went to a shop to buy a new sports bra and then I saw this one. I tried it on, it looked good and fitted very well. End of story: it went home with me. It’s a Freya bra and I wear it regularly, it’s very comfortable. (the picture is from the web, not me)

My bra making journey started because it was so difficult to find good fitting bra’s in my size: I’m full busted but have a narrow frame. According to most size charts I’m a C80 and a bra measurement tool from one of our countries lingerie selling stores even puts me in the B85 size range. Those sizes don’t fit me. It’s more like E75 or F70 that is the right fit for me. Which might sound huge, and perhaps it is, but it does not feel that way. A bra that fits well does make you feel good, no matter the letter/number in the size. Though it’s more easy to find bras in my size now, they usually are in the higher price range (or maybe I’m picky).

Loving the shape and the fit I wouldn’t be me if I wouldn’t try to copy this bra. I used silk organza to trace the parts of and then transferred them to paper, checked the seamslines and trued them where necessary.

In the past days I didn’t feel like sewing other then the bra, the weather here is like we plunged into fall (it’s cold and rain showers that give the feeling of it being October), I’m inclined to start winter sewing. This is the result of my copy from RTW:

Glad I made a muslin

I’m in a mood for skirts, have sewn two recently (one not blogged about yet). Last year I bought Vogue 1389 for the skirt pattern. I like the jacket too, would only sew a real lapel collar but the skirt had a special appeal to me. Learning how to draft patterns does not mean I’m not using patterns any more, some are intriguing to learn about the way they are drafted. This pattern is one of those.

It has two main pattern pieces if you don’t count the facings and there is no side seam. That seam is drafted a bit more to the back . The upper part with the darts is a combined front/upper back pattern. Difficult to trace between sizes, therefor I took the size by hip measurement. I was inclined to use my fashion fabric (a teal linen) but decided to make a muslin first. Glad I did. Barely enough room at hip height but way too much fabric in the waist. I have no idea (yet) how to solve this. I might just take my skirt draft and make something similar. I just can’t do without a vertical line somewhere. I’ll keep the muslin and take it to class when it starts again in September, see what my teacher thinks.

On a side note: the instructions are pretty difficult as they have you sew the dart till halfway, then turn and fold and stitch the remaining half to the facing, which is attached prior to sewing the darts. No way I’m using a facing in a muslin phase, I’ve sewn all the darts from beginning to end which worked fine. When you read this and want to try this pattern using Vogue’s instructions, I would advise a muslin, as there is no way to alter at the waist later.

 

 

StyleArc – Kellie top – how a summer top became one for fall

Not the best photos and not the best top I ever made. For being a relatively easy knit top I had a lot of problems with it. The journey of this top started when visiting my sewing friend Joana. She had made this top and I tried it on. Despite being a size smaller than I’ve used before for StyleArc patterns, the fit was quite good, so I used her pattern.

When it came to construction I was working on my own again. The top has an inner part that also is the facing for the neckline and armholes in the sleeveless version. It has been a long time since I used such a construction, and I was rather tired, so I thought I’d better use the order of construction as in the pattern instructions. Wrong decision, for the sleeveless version they are incorrect. If you want to do the neckline and armhole facings the side seams have to be left open till the last moment. That is what I forgot and what Joana told me when I asked how she had constructed her version.

I left the top alone for a few days and reworked the neckline (why is it that topstitching with the coverstitch always unravels easily, except when you want to get rid of it). I would advise some interfacing in the neckline as mine was gaping. I’ll leave it as is now but next timeI will possible use another neckline finish and I will make it a bit deeper at the front. About an inch I would think.

I had more fabric and decided to insert the sleeves. Easier than unpicking my serged seams So instead of a summer top this now is my first fall-top. Despite my struggles I will use the pattern again.