My 2011 Sewing Retrospective: Curl up with a beverage.

Once again, I'm squeaking out this post just under the wire....and I squeaked out sewing one more garment, this StyleArc Demi Drape Top that I finished tonight (I'll write a separate blog post about it and the StyleArc experience later...)


 StyleArc Demi Drape Top.  (Yes, Elle, StyleArc includes fabric swatches in with their patterns!  But that will be a separate post.)

Welcome to my 2011 sewing retrospective!  This is a long post, so get your favorite beverage and settle in.  At least there aren't any commercials.

In 2011, I sewed 22 garments (9 dresses, 3 skirts, 4 tops, 1 jumper, 1 vest, 1 nightgown, 1 flannel night shirt, and 2 leggings) plus 1 bag, 3 finger puppets and 10 pairs of underwear.  Eclectic, huh?  I didn't sew as much as I wanted to because cooking good-for-me food got in the way; thankfully cooking is faster for me now that it doesn't take me an eon to chop veggies anymore.

2011 Hits:

New Look 6071 is my absolute favorite. Finished at the end of October, I've been wearing this dress during this relatively mild fall and winter with a brown cami, brown cardi, brown stockings and brown mary janes (too bad I don't have any pix of me dressed like that!). It is comfy, classy, and I feel stylish.

I think the cross-over front is just awesome.

Simplicity 2406 is a close second. The obi sash is amazing and I love the pockets!

New Look 6000 (sounds like a pattern...from the future!) was a very retro 60's style dress. I struggled with the zipper on this one, but moved it to the side for great results. 

Also loved this retro 60's pencil skirt, Simplicity 2154.  Loved it so much, I made it in brown, too.

Butterick 5559, sewn while catsitting Buddy, is another favorite. 

He helped a LOT.

I'm also fond of this Burda 7379 with a crazy ruffle.   Because who doesn't love a crazy ruffle, am I right??

LOVE this ruffle

And of course I love new underwear made with Antoinette's make-yer-own-undies tutorial. 
Here's my favorite pair of the year:
 
I'm bananas for this underwear!  

I made three fingerpuppets after being inspired by an ad in an Austin newspaper. The pig is my favorite.

Here's my "inspiration" ad:

 Dr. Jeff LaMour, do you have any idea what you inspired?


2011 Misses 

I didn't like this Vogue 1236 when it was done, mostly my fault. The neckline was too low so I sewed the straps with a larger SA, which brought the bottom of the dress up too high. And it's too small in my hips. Plus I used different fabric for the facings and I feel like they are on display.
I wore it once and never wore it again:

Other people love the Jalie tulip top; I sewed it probably a size or two too big.  I never wore it out of the house.  Its major problems disappear, as long as I keep my arms out to the side like this:

I don't know, I spent hours on Simplicity 50's retro jumper and feel like a kindergarten teacher. I wish I had cut it from uncut corduroy which would have made it look like velveteen, probably, and give it less of a teacher vibe.  Worn only once.

I really don't like this Burda 7696. The V is too low, and I shouldn't have cut the bottom of the dress so large. This is my "reworked" version and it still needs more work.  I think I wore it twice, then started taking it apart.

I gave my half-done "muslin" of this dress which was too big for me to a coworker who finished it--it looks great on her.

I think if I had made this Simplicity dress in a smaller size or a darker color I would have liked it more. The cowl is heavy due to its size (and my double knit fabric choice) and too large.

However the green muslin of this dress, with the articulated sleeve, is a favorite nightgown of mine.

Obviously, I don't wear it with a belt to sleep!

But what else happened?

• I wrote my 100th pattern review this fall and my third pattern review star followed shortly after.
• The New Look 6000 dress was featured on patternreview's blog and twitter feed.   Thanks Deepika and the Pattern Review crew!   I featured the dress on my holiday card with Suede.

• Butterick featured the 5559 dress on their Facebook page in Nov.

 

• I went to NYC's garment district for the first time ever back in June, with Antoinette.  Meg featured our trip on her super useful blog, Shop the Garment District.  I also had my "sewing-rite-of-passage" photo taken with Kashi of Metro Textiles.   At my house, Antoinette pulled my hand-me-down serger out of the closet and showed me how to use it (though I still haven't serged "for real" yet)

• I went again in September for Elizabeth and Robin's shopping day.

 

• I attended 3 sewing conferences:  PR weekend Chicago in May, which kickstarted my sewing again and inspired me to take my sewing up to the next level.  Thanks Tina!

Old and new friends!

• American Sewing Expo in Sept which is where I met Suede.  The Simplicity folks gave me a copy of their Fabric Guide to say thanks for my support of Simplicity and New Look.  I also took a serger class. And a zipper flower class, can't forget about that.

 
Meetup with Elle!

• Went to PR weekend Austin in Nov where Leslie outdid herself.  I now have a custom-fitted pants pattern but still need to sew it up.  I also was introduced to TexStyles which I wish was in NJ.

• I bought a sewing gauge and use it all the time!  It is SO handy.  It enables me to do things like this:

• I finally started ironing my seams during the sewing process as per Ann on Gorgeous Things.  It really does make a difference.
• After being chastised by Benson of TexStyles, I now clip all my threads as I sew.
• I installed my first ever invisible zip this August, then installed 4 more.

Inaugural zip; they got better after this one

• I sewed my first ever welt pockets in June, then didn't sew them again.

• I tried two new-to-me sewing pattern brands, Kwik Sew and StyleArc.

 
KwikSew 3740. I will make this again soon!  Maybe even as-soon-as-tmw soon!

What about 2012 (and beyond)?
I want to learn how to blind hem on my machine; I want to make a real pair of pants; I want to get my serger in working order and use it.   I will attend PR weekend in May in NYC.  I want to buy a real dressform.

To all my blog and pattern review readers:   A huge thank you for all of your comments and suggestions this year, and all your support about my various health issues (which are all manageable lately, may that trend continue, knock on wood!)

Wishing you a healthy and happy new year full of sewing and all of your favorite things!!!

Kwik Sew 3740 done

Hey triangle hair!

Oh hello 4 day weekend, how I love thee!
I finished up Kwik Sew 3740 today. This was my first KS pattern. I was inspired by the many versions of this shirt Leslie wore at PR weekend Austin.

My impressions:

• the pattern is printed on real paper
• the SAs are 1/4 inch as the directions are very pro-serger
• I didn't see a diagram as to how to position the pattern on the fabric.
• Although the envelope said it takes 1 5/8 I think it's more like 2 yards (the undercollar was not cut on the fold but rather at a jaunty angle, and it has a CF and CB seam--but since it's the undercollar you can't see it).

So, when I last discussed the shirt, I was annoyed that the SA of the cowl was visible.

So, Marie commented that she had read on someone's blog that they sewed the SA of half the collar then flipped it to the other side....this way the SA stays hidden. Great idea! I ripped out the stitching for the lower part of the front cowl, then made a snip and flipped the SA to the other side:

The SA is now hidden in the front, but the cowl doesn't scoop as nicely, especially when worn.(oh, and why not flip the SA to the other side all the way around the neckline?  Because depending on how the cowl is draped, the SA would then show on the outside of the back collar/shoulder).

Anyhoo, here's what it looks like when the collar is flipped up, looking under the hood.  On the right side you can also see my CF undercollar seam (if you have enough fabric, you won't have a CF undercollar seam):

The undercollar is much smaller than the upper collar, so that it pulls the upper collar under and thus hides the outer seam; isn't that cool?

There is some swayback pooling:

Oh, and of course I twin needle stitched the hems. The sleeve hem is a tight one because the sleeve is so narrow at the edge; I couldn't get the sleeve around my sewing machine.

Overall, I generally love the draping cowl, and I love how it doesn't droop into a v shape. I love that it's not too low cut.  But I have to work with fitting and size.  Speaking of which, this made me laugh; surely you jest Kwik Sew!  I cut a medium but then wound up sewing almost an extra-small in the shoulders, medium sleeves and almost small in the torso.


ha!

I will make this shirt again, especially without sleeves for summer.

I'm getting the urge to buy a dressform again but as usual I'm larger on the bottom than on the top. Back to investigate dressforms again? Also thinking of buying a lounge chair for my sewing room. Hrm.

And in case you didn't see, PR Weekend 2012 (May 18-20) is in NYC! Mark yer calenders! and yes, I'm going!
Be well and good night (ab muscle is feeling much better, phew!)!

Kwik Sew 3740 in progress

Lisette was super sweet and emailed me this morning to make sure I am ok since I haven't blogged for over 2 weeks.  The answer is yes!  After the thrill of PR Weekend Austin, I had some additional vacation time and cleaned and reorganized a bit of my house and prepped for Christmas.


I'm working on KS 3740.  It's my first KS pattern.  Leslie wore, like, 3 different versions of it in Austin and they all looked fab.  Finally, a cowl that doesn't fold into a v, doesn't fall over the shoulders, and isn't too low cut.

I cut a Medium.
At this point Monday night, I could see the shoulders are too big.


SO I cut the shoulders down to a small and then sewed the sleeves in with 5/8 inch seams instead of 1/4 tonight.

I'm not sure...
 

Problems:

•  I'm still hating the shoulders
• I hate the wrinkles in the sleeves
• I need to let out the hip area a bit (I sewed down the sides like a small but need to make it a medium)
• also there is serious swayback pooling (not pictured); maybe I should put some darts back there or a CB seam...
• also, the way the collar is sewn on (and I read the directions multiple times here but maybe I misinterpreted) the raw edge of the collar attachment can be seen.  I'm very tempted to rip out the collar just so the raw edge isn't exposed.

So while I was super enthused about this shirt on Monday night I've lost enthusiasm for it now...but you know me, I beat a dead sewing horse til it revives itself.

Food! Chicken "ziti" from the Prevention 30 minute chicken dinners booklet:
my Christmas tree

my solar powered Christmas lights:

Be well and good night!  (After 10 weeks of light or no ab/pelvic kidney pain, it has returned with a vengeance today. sigh...)