Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Vogue 8817, a Picture at Last!


Here's a photo of the Katherine Tilton T that I finished a little while back, complete with my damp and unstyled hair. It really is a great top and I'm looking forward to making some more creative ones soon. You can't get much plainer than charcoal gray, can you?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Vogue Fabrics Haul

Really, I had fully intended not to buy any fabric while in Chicago. I have more than enough. But then I heard the siren song of Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL. The mothership of the company. I weakened, and I bought.

Honestly I could have done worse. I tried to keep the choices interesting and different. And I also kept in mind that Vogue Fabrics has a website.

I bought a couple of cottons. The lavender print is lady superheroes, which will be perfect for some pajama pants. This was actually the most expensive fabric I got at $11.99 per yard. The multicolor print is Paris inspired and there is a black border along the lower edge. $7.99 a yard.



I also got a variety of other fabrics. The print on the left with the portraits from Old Master paintings is actually a stretch denim. The other side is perfectly usable textured blue. $7.99 per yard. The green is a drapey rayon. I am a sucker for script on fabric. $6.99 a yard. The black, cream and blue is an ITY knit for a possible dress.  $6.99 a yard.


Monday, May 20, 2013

HotPatterns Gypsophelia Peasant Top


Like many of you, I'm on a lot of email feeds for fabric vendors. One of them is fabric.com. Although I haven't ordered anything in a while, I have in the past--mostly successfully. One of the features on the site is a section with free pattern downloads, and they happen to partner with HotPatterns.


This top was the most recent offering, the Gypsophelia Peasant Top. I've been needing some new tops for my business casual workplace, so this looked like a good candidate. I'm not a big user of pattern downloads, but the price was right, so why not experiment? The pattern downloaded and printed without a hitch and assembling it was simple enough. To pick the size, I used the charts on HotPatterns' website and picked a combination that seemed reasonable.

I used a stash fabric that I bought in Juarez years ago, pre-narcoterrorism. It's a poly something or other, but not bad. Similar to a silk chiffon but with a little more body. Unfortunately, it is black so some of the detail is lost in the photo.

The pattern's instructions were brief but perfectly fine. I did a few things differently; I have my own preferred way on certain parts of construction.
  • Bias bindings. The pattern has a piece for all of them, but I just measured then used a ruler and rotary cutter. Much easier, but you won't have those things if you're a casual sewist.
  • Neck binding. The instructions have you join all the top's parts together before adding the neck binding. It's much simpler to do working only with the center front and back pieces. 
  • Attaching the sleeve bindings. I did do this per the instructions and completed the bindings before  sewing the side seams. It's probably better to attach one side of the binding, make the seam, then fold over and stitch the other side down.
  • The hem. It's curved. I found it easier to finish it before making the side seams than after, but I was finishing the seam edges with a serger.
  • No instructions on seam finishing. As I mentioned, I used a serger. If you're a casual sewist, you may not realize that a finish is needed, but you definitely do with 3/8" seams (which I liked).
I realize this list may look a bit picky but it's not really. A free download is something that a novice might choose because it's low risk, not realizing that a few simple modifications will make construction so much easier. I think this is a great partnership that encourages sewing while publicizing the pattern company and selling some fabric besides. Genius!

I'll also mention that the recommendation for the bias tape maker was a wonderful one that I will take HotPattens up on. Of all the sewing stuff I have, I don't have one of these. I did the binding without, but it would have been simpler with a tool. I also liked that the instructions have you gather up the sleeves based on your own measurements instead of an arbitrary number. 

The only major alteration required was to shorten the top by 3 1/4". I'm 5'4" and the top looks better on me that way--more like the drawing. All in all though, it's a successful prototype that worked out very nicely.

Ughh, goofy picture. I thought I had a better one on the camera. Oh well!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Random Thoughts

I've been trying to put together a "real" post for a while but nothing has come together yet. In the meantime, here's another edition of Random Thoughts.
  • I've worn the new T and like it very much. Sorry, no pictures yet. But it passes the wear test.
  • I did spend a weekend in Chicago with a great group of friends! A wonderful girls' weekend featuring the Haute Couture Club's annual fashion show and a visit to the Ebony Fashion Fair exhibit at the Chicago History Museum
  • I didn't plan to fabric shop, but it was impossible to resist the lure of Vogue Fabrics in Evanston. More on that soon.
  • Material Girls was last weekend. Much tracing and cutting of patterns. It's nice doing sewing related things with a group. We all work on our own projects, but it's a nice opportunity for conversation. I got some advice on what size to sew for the First Day of School project from one of the ladies. She sews for her little nieces in Puerto Rico. As a result, I cut a darling little peasant top out of a fabric remnant that's ready to sew up. Should be quick and fun. I'm planning on making some linen pants to go with, so some little girl will have an outfit. 
  • I experimented with a free HotPatterns download from Fabric.com yesterday. It's almost complete but I still can't tell if it's going to fit and exactly what it's going to look like. A try-on with the proper underpinnings is in order.
  • I submitted my entries to Fiber Arts Fiesta on Thursday. Interesting moment--the sewing competition is run by a long-time ASG friend. There was some confusion when I walked in because she couldn't find my name on her sheet. Well, she was looking for my former name! Yes, and we see each other pretty often and she knew I was married. Too funny!
  • DH and I are getting ready for a trip to the Tri-States next week for his college reunion. Other than that, we're still planning out some of the details (we're staying with family so that makes it easy). We will be seeing a Broadway play--we have tickets for the Motown show. 
  • Time to get up, more sewing today. I am hoping to sew up new pair of TSW Hudson pants for our vacation. 

Saturday, May 11, 2013

What I've Been Working on--Vogue 8817

Kind of quiet here lately, but there has been sewing.

I've been working on a prototype of a  t-shirt from Katherine Tilton's Vogue 8817. It has been blogged in the sewing blogosphere quite a bit for this view:



Although I love this tunic, I'm making the other one:



My version is a good bit plainer, as I'm using some dark charcoal jersey from the Vera Wang Lavender Label collection.  Fabric.com bought out her inventory several years ago (2008?), and I bought several pieces. This is the first of it that I've sewn up.

This T has interesting lines that don't show well on the envelope photos. Princess seams with a two piece center front section, scoop neck, an oval inset in the back, and sleeve bands. The technical drawings show all of this (Views A and B):


I cut my usual size 10/14 combination of sizes, then made some additional width adjustments through the torso. I'm more than the B cup Vogues are drafted for, plus I'm carrying a little more in the waist/hip    right now, too. I also lowered the seam on the center front panel. The original placement hit me in exactly the wrong spot.

I'm almost done with the prototype. I had originally planned to have it ready in time for a trip to Chicago but life intervened. All that's left are the hems, but I'd like to try on the T one more time before stitching them.