TSW Stella Version 2, Part Two

And it's done! Incredibly, the flash shot showed off the color of this top the best so it's the one that got picked. Oops, probably should have rearranged the garment on the dress form a little bit better too.

But you get the general idea, right?

I worked on the tip of the cowl a bit last night and managed to finesse it into place with a little hand basting, some steam a seam, and pressing. Then I re-sewed the seams using the crease created by the pressing. It's not totally neat on the inside, but no one but me is going to see that. Yeah, didn't save any time by not basting the raw edges of the cowl together before sewing it to the top. Well, you live and learn.

The rayon jersey is very drapy, which is nice, but the neckline looked pretty meh until I folded it down. Doing this gave just enough structure, and is what you're seeing in the picture.

This is not a color I would have chosen without those little nailhead dots to jazz it up a bit (and the sale price), but now that it's made, I'm very happy with it. It's neutral and will work with a lot of other items in my wardrobe.

Thanks Rhonda!

Rhonda Buss featured me on her blog today! How cool is that? It was a big surprise to see my picture smiling back at me.

I'm sincerely flattered; Rhonda is such a creative person. She also does cool things like hosting exchange students, flying a plane and animal rescue in addition to her artistic endeavors.

If you're not already familiar with Rhonda's Creative Life, do check it out.

TSW Stella Version 2, Part One

I made this pattern for the first time in December and liked how it came out. I did need to tweak the top a little, and those changes have been transferred to the pattern pieces. The modified pattern is shorter through the body and the sleeves are narrower.

For this version, I'm using the taupe rayon jersey with nailhead embellishment that I bought in January. It was a bolt end from Casual Elegance, so the price was very reasonable.

Since this is a knit and pretty drapey, I changed the way I cut the cowl. I folded out the hem on the pattern piece, folded the fabric crosswise, then laid the neck edge of the pattern piece on the fold. The resulting cowl will be a double layer on the lengthwise grain. This change takes more fabric but will result in a more finished look than a hemmed neckline edge.

The nailheads are actually little plastic dots, not metal. I cut the pattern pieces out with a rotary cutter, and had no problems cutting through them. I sewed some samples, and both stitching and serging were fine. Pressing requires some care though. Even on low heat, touching the dots with the iron takes off the metallic "nailhead" finish. So I've been hovering the iron over the fabric without touching it, steaming, then finger-pressing. Alternatively, steaming through a press cloth has also worked.

The top has gone together fairly well so far. I've made it as far as sewing the cowl. It's mostly attached, but the point is going to require a little finessing to be balanced, centered and neatly sewn. A good point to stop for the evening and let Stella rest on the dress form.

TSW Ann's Cardigan

Last weekend started out with a bang--I opened my 6 year old Mac Book Pro Friday morning and the screen looked like this:

So that Saturday ended up being a day of running back and forth between the house and the Apple Store. While it was exciting and fun to buy a new computer (a Mac Book Air), I decided that my Sunday needed to be a day of creative relaxation. I had already traced off the TSW Ann's Cardigan Pattern,

...so I pulled out some knit fabric that's been aging for almost 10 years!

I think it's a cotton/poly double knit something-or-other that I originally bought for a knit suit during my business banking days. Since my current job isn't client-facing, I didn't need for that purpose,  but it's absolutely perfect for something like this. The front and back sides both look good, although distinctively different.

Here's the front:

And the back:

The cardigan went together pretty quickly. I got most of it done last Sunday, and I was able to finish it up this Saturday while watching the Whitney Houston funeral.  Here's the completed garment:

 I got it finished with time to spare before the "Meet Your New Mac" class at--yes, the Apple Store! Afterwards, I also got to wear it for a casual dinner date with DH. He even offered an unsolicited compliment on how nice it looked!

As for fit, it's good not great. Definitely not oversized, so let's put that issue to rest where Sewing Workshop is concerned. This is not loose fitting, and I would say the pattern is true to the measurements on the back of the envelope. I did my usual Small/Medium combination of sizes on this one and probably could have added a little more room at the back of the garment. The average person probably wouldn't notice, but I think the side seams are sitting a little farther back at the sides than they should be. Erhm, time for a little weight loss--just in time for Lent!

I don't think there will be a lot of these coming out of the Sewing Cave. This cardigan is pretty distinctive and it's one of my "loving hands at home" rules not to always be wearing the same recognizable style. I'm reminded of a math teacher I had in junior high school who had a jumpsuit pattern that she made several times. It had a mock turtleneck, cuffed bell sleeves, wide pant legs and a zipper up the back. She must have had 4 or 5 of them in rotation, and they all looked the same except for different fabrics. No, you have to use discretion if the garment is distinctive.  Perhaps I'll make another for the warm months, then I'll need to figure out a way to tweak the pattern into something that looks a little different. The pattern also comes with a knit tank top pattern, so I'll be playing with that when the weather gets warmer. I can always use another tank top.

My next project for Presidents' Day weekend will be another TSW Stella made from the Casual Elegance nail head rayon jersey. I cut it out this morning. It will be perfect for this time of the year, when winter's just about done but spring hasn't arrived yet. It can be worn by itself or as a layer, and it's not so distinctive that a repeat (or several) would be like my math teacher's jumpsuit wardrobe!

FYI, I was reading my iPad this morning and discovered that Anthropologie has a new "free" app designed for it. Kudos to them! It presents the merchandise in an interesting way and you can even save favorites for further examination or sharing via social media or email. I know a lot of us sewers like to peruse Anthropologie, so if you're an iPad person, do check it out.

Fabrics and Projects

I'm adding photos of the cottons I bought at Nob Hill Fabrics:

I guess both of these would be considered "quilt cottons" in some circles, but I think they can stand on their own as well.

I also finished the latest batch of pj pants after DH and I returned from a wine tasting Saturday afternoon:

I know you've seen similar before, but these are fun to make and great for hanging around the house. If it weren't for items like these, what would I do with crazy cotton prints that catch my eye and fall into my shopping cart?

Yay, February!

Yes, I'm still here. And I'm actually getting some sewing done! Another batch of pj pants using that stand-by of mine, McCalls 2476. I know. Not all that exciting but a bit of utility sewing is always good after a break. I made one pair last weekend, and almost completed the other two this morning. Gotta love a peaceful Saturday.

Life is slowly returning to normal (fingers crossed). The church pledge campaign has ended, thankfully, also the annual meeting and election of new Vestry. The spike in activity at work has passed, so things are proceeding at a busy but more sane pace. It's been so crazy that I finally got the Christmas stuff put away only last week (hangs head in shame). Whew--there was a lot to deal with during January, no wonder I couldn't get much sewing or blogging done.

And as usual with no time to get any actual sewing time in, I've been buying sewing related things. I discovered another local sewing shop yesterday, Nob Hill Fabrics, located on Central near Carlisle. I've known about this place for a while because the owner made a presentation to our ASG chapter and my friend Leslie teaches there. But this is the first time I actually visited. Yay, another independent store on my way home from work! I bought a couple of cottons while there (pictures to follow), and I have my eye on some other pieces. I'm still working on sewing down the stash though, so hopefully they'll still be there when I visit again.

I know I have several questions in my in-basket here at SewWest, so I hope to catch up with those in the near future. Have a great weekend and enjoy the Big Game no matter who wins!