Simplicity 2892 sewn for a friend

So last week I asked for guesses about the round blue gift for my dad.....It was a roll of duct tape! 

So I violated two of my sewing rules this weekend.

1. Never sew apparel for anyone else
2. Never sew on a deadline

Why violate these rules???  A coworker and friend of mine is leaving the area and she loves loves loves Simplicity 2892 view B that I made 3 summers ago.


July 2009, back when my hair was short and the bathroom light was yellow.

Everytime I wear it, she comments on it.  Gushes.  Professes her love for it.   So when I cleaned out my stash last month, I found enough of the very same fabric to make another shirt.  And when I heard she was leaving, I thought now is the time to make it.

So I wore it two weeks ago as a test, to see what she would say.
Would she still love it?
She saw it and said "I love that shirt.  Some day you will bequeath it to me."

I was going to start sewing it last weekend and never got around to it.

So this weekend is it.  She moves out of the area on Tuesday. And in less than an hour, I'm going to pick her up to go to a movie and have dinner.  So at 3:30 yesterday afternoon, I started sewing this shirt.

I thought it would take 2-3 hours.
It took almost 12.

I doubt it took me almost 12 hrs when I sewed it for myself.  I'm a different sewist now than I was then.  I actually iron fabric and the pattern first.  I finished the raw edges first.  I ironed seams.  I actually read the instructions for armhole binding.  I used my narrow hem foot to make a narrow hem.  But this isn't my best work.  If I had more time, I'd redo the hem and the armholes.  I would probably make different choices for the CB opening.

But here it is in its nascent  glory:



Yes, I made a tag, with care instructions. And also a care instruction for me and my ego:   "never ever tell me if you get rid of this shirt".

I guessed on her size as I wanted this to be a surprise.  On the left is the 6 and on the right is my 12 from 3 years ago


I actually made the CB slit thing with the button closure and elastic corded loop. I didn't do this on my version; I could get my noggin through the neckhole just fine. But I wasn't sure if it would be ok on the 6.


I had huge difficulties binding the armholes. I don't know what my problem is about them!!

Here are the pleats; they have to be ironed back in after every wash.

Here's the belt; mine then hers.  I did 5 rows of stitching on mine and 3 on hers.


I hope she likes it.
I hope it fits.
I'm going to wear my shirt today and then give her her shirt later on.  Let's see how she reacts....

(UPDATE on the shirt:  I wore my shirt, while hers was wrapped up in a box in the trunk. She said, "you wore the shirt in honor of me."  Saw the movie.  Went to dinner.  Gave her the box.  She had the best reaction ever of anyone I have ever sewn anything for.  And she says it fits perfectly and she's wearing it to work tmw, yea!  I'm so happy and relieved!!!)

In other news...
Farmer's market flowers for this week--my favorites!

Happy 48th anniversary mom and dad!


Oh, so here's another violation:  As I was perusing the dumpster this week, eying up two frames, a public safety officer pulled over to say we are not allowed to take anything out of the trash. Why, asked my coworker who was with me? "Because it's university property," said the public safety officer. Judging by the contents of the frames, this was clearly something students were tossing. I have no idea if the officer was right, or once you dump something in the dumpster, now it's university property until it's property of the landfill (I mean, it's not like a university official is carefully scouring the contents of the dumpster--many times I see the garbage men hook the dumpster up to the back of the dump truck and compact everything inside...), or if they are afraid you're going to hurt yourself climbing in the dumpster (which is something I wouldn't do--this stuff was lying on top--the lamps and vase I scored were next to it; the mirror was sticking out of it). It makes me think a lot about trash, the environment, consumption, sustainability, etc etc etc. and on Friday night I saw The Clean Bin Project at the Princeton Public Library, about a couple who didn't buy anything except food for 1 year and tried to generate no garbage for that year.

Anyway, the officer drove off, my coworker was outraged and I was pensive.  

Be well!