Yesterday and Today

Yesterday I worked my this dress.  I had to reposition the darts at the top of the dress, one was higher than the other and slightly off center.  Don't know how I did that,  also made the dress too wide and will have to cut down the seems.  Boy do I hate taking out seems!  This time it will teach me to fit with clothes off, instead of on.  It's easy to misjudge the width of the fabric.  Thank goodness I did this with the muslin as well.  So maybe today if I am so inclined I will continue on the dress, although I doubt it because it is too hot.  That means I would have to open the blinds in this room.  My rule of practice is to suffer until 7:00 pm.   I will say I liked how the electric bill looked for this month, and all because of my methods.    Switch reels................I am looking for other sources of fabric.  Have noticed that the the online fabric stores have really been coming up with good sales.  I've been getting feed back from: "sew -what's-new.com and the ladies list a few places that I can save money.  That's always good news.  Right now I am still going along with the program of getting rid of some material.  Will check with the girls to see what they are doing.  Every time I check it gives me an incentive to move my arse.

attempted dress

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I decided to make a dress out of this fabric.  I already made a skirt out of it and wore it last summer.  I cut out the pattern but this time used muslin because I wanted to see if this was going to fit. My goal is to use the remainder of my fabric stash so that I can collect more.   Lo and behold the pattern was too small and thank God for the muslin.  I had to cut an inch for both the front and back.  After cutting out the actual fabric for the front part of the dress; I realized that there wasn't going to be enough fabric for the back.  With the remainder of the fabric I decided to cut in pieces and then so them back.  So actually there are three pieces to the back of the dress.  I decided to use this seem for decorative.  Although I must admit it isn't too clear, but I will do better nexk time.    I am undecided whether to put sleeves on this or just leave it sleeveless.  I might do the latter.  

last touches

Even though I screwed up on the button holes I decided to put some more on the opposite side of the shirt.  I know this looks tacky but when I put the shirt on it looks decorative.  I am thinking about really embellishing the button holes.  It was suppose to be a mock up.   I am glad I moved both the buttons holes and the buttons over more towards the edge, had I not it would not have fit.  I will just wear this with jeans.

In the first place I hadn't used the Bernina auto button hole in a long time.  You have a choice to use either the automatic or just do it manually.  I like the auto one better.  I screwed up because I forgot how to use it, and then I place it on the fabric crooked, even though I thought I place it straight. I know I am suppose to test drive the button hole and I did that, but wouldn't you know it; when I actually got on the fabric the machine seemed temper mental, of course we all know that it was more than likely user error.  I would like to blame this on the machine.  Much easier lol! I learned a lot from making this shirt.  Now the next one I make will be much better without the mistakes at least not as noticeable.  From a distance the shirt looks not too shabby lol!  I really have to figure out what design to cover up the button holes. Well on to the next project.

blog cruising

I think I am going to do a check on the girls two days out of the week and once on the weekends.  It kind of gets my juices flowing.  I emailed one of the ladies, because we are built up practically the same, and I'd like to know where she got her dress form.    One of my friends suggested that I get one of the old wire forms. They are not that easy to get it seems.  I will keep looking around.  Today was another scorcher and I had every intention of putting the buttons on the shirt, but the phone rang.  I am not the type of person to be side tracked I tell you.  Maybe I shouldn't answer the phone.  I have another friend that calls me every other day from Seattle and when she calls I can't get anything done, further more I don't feel like doing anything because she is all over the place in conversation and I am tired when we are through talking.  She might start out talking about lettuce, but then end up on duck boots!  Go figure. What's really unfair is that she can clean the house, wash the dishes and everything while on the phone.  I don't do that, today she called and sounded like she was in a man hole...........I knew she was doing something because she sounded a bit distant.  She thinks I don't know..........well tomorrow is another day.

shirt today

At last! I am practically done with this shirt.  Now that I have it together, I feel the material is heavy for a shirt.  More than likely I will wear this in the winter. I will shorten the sleeves to my elbow.  That's more comfortable for me.   I will put on the buttons later and do the hem it's just too hot. I'm sweating too much and really don't want to feel any fabric on my skin.    In the mean time when I use this pattern again I will remember to check notches where they say. This time I stapled the directions together so it looked like a little magazine.  That worked well and from now on will do that, guess everything really has to be orderly for me. I am learning that I follow format far better in order.  I think that maybe I will make a few notations on the pattern as well and maybe that will help me more.  I am determined not to be intimidated by these patterns.   I remembered the notches in the collar, but not at the base of the shirt where you connect the collar and that was my probably my problem.  Once I visually remember how they are suppose to meet it became easier for me to sew the shirt.   It is just too hot to do anything .  It feels like it's a 103 out there, and I won't put the air on until 6:30.   I am going to work on making my own pattern from the book I just purchased on patterns and see how that works.  

another collar

After working and manipulating the fabric for the past two hours, I placed the shirt on the cutting table having hand sewn the collar in, and finally realizing that the collar was upside down.  I copied from the diagram.

I meant to put this picture on here yesterday.  I also realize that the ends of the collar were slightly off, so I thought i could fudge on it a bit and cut the right side to evenly match the left side of the collar, however it didn't fit well, just slightly off.  At one point I was going to let this be a UFO and get some white material and make a collar.  That would be attractive if I don't get the second collar right.  So I will try again tomorrow.  Almost finished, but will have to put the buttons on, and I don't have new buttons so just maybe I can make this look a little retro and used some used buttons, I will look the buttons.  last year a lady in the former building I lived in died and had a whole box of buttons used, and some old.  I just found five buttons that were 39 cents.  I wonder what year that was?  Now buttons cost 2.35 or more for just a few.   Thank goodness I do have a few referral books to help out. 

frustrated

I am using McCalls perfect shirt number M6076 and again the instructions are not clear.  They show a picture of how to put the collar together and then the next direction is : pin collar to neck edge of shirt, matching notches, center backs, triangles and large circles, clipping shirt neck edge where necessary.  Baste, keeping pressed-under edge free.   The diagram just shows the collar sewn on, but it is clear to my eye that it doesn't show how to get to that point.  So I am going to take the collar apart it put it together my way.  This makes no sense to me what ever.  I know ink is expensive but having a full clear picture would be better.  I even went to you tube to see how to put a collar together, but there is a different type collar, I believe it's the stand up collar.  So that didn't help.  Will work on this tomorrow.  I believe if I do it buy hand then I can see how it is to be pieced together.  

what a day

For got this part..............how did I do this?

I decide I am in a sewing mood today, only to find out as I am cutting out the collar and interface that just maybe I should check to see if I got things right.   I wondered why the blouse wasn't closing just right.  In my mind I pictured out it was going to go and looked at the diagram that has the layout of the pattern.  That's alright I now have done the interface. Started at 2:00 and already it's 5:29.    I think I am going to have to get one of those lights to work with..........for the time being I don't cut on the air conditioner until 5:00 or 6:00 pm and keep it on until 11:30. Then the house is good and cool and will remain so until 3:00 in the afternoon.  I am really going to be curious to find out what the bill will be this day.  In the mean time I have to work with the blinds open in the sewing room and it gets to warm in here.  I don't like sewing at night because I will end up sewing until four in the morning, especially if I have music going.  Ah sweet music!   I will attempt tomorrow to finish the rest of this, but I am so glad I rechecked the pattern.  It's bad enough I had to make up the sleeves.   Well at least I am learning from my mistakes. Still thinking about my Janome 7700 it will be home in just a couple of months.  Count down. 

 Last night I answered something on: "sew what's new.com"  It appears that the ladies in Canada are complaining about fabric being to high there, and are even coming to New York to get fabric.  So naturally I decided to make a remark.  I can remember in the 90's going to Vancouver and getting my stash with only a 100.00 and now it seems those days are over.  That's such a shame.  The ladies are also remarking that it's a good idea to go on line and some of them are listing places to go.   I just found a sight: "Carmens warehouse" and then there is one in  Canada called: "Tristans Italian Threads"  the prices are pretty good.  I was surprised, but the ladies say they get you with shipping charges.  Carmens seems to be cheaper with the thread.   I think I am going to use these sites instead of waiting for a sale from JoAnnes. 

mess up

Today I've working on the sleeves since 2:00 and just getting to this point of trying it on, I am going to shorten the sleeves.   Somehow the sleeve was smaller and the armhole was larger.  So I had to make my own sleeve.  Totally unsure about the directions on sleeve pattern it says cut one, so that's what I did and I must be missing something though I haven't figured it out yet.  Oh the adventures of a self taught sewer.  However I just decided to make my own sleeve.  This is going to be a tad different from the pattern.  So if I feel up to it after tomorrow visit from the doctor I will finish up the shirt. 

blouse

Okay..............yesterday I made myself serge the all parts of the blouse that needed serging.  I really forced myself to this, after being outside it what seemed like 104 degree weather.  I've never felt anything like that in my life, and I still feel tire from it.  This type of weather really makes zaps me of all of my energy.  It took me close to an hour to get my serger working.  I forgot how to thread for a three flatlock design.  I also had to change the thread from black to white.   That's a pill.  Sometimes i will luck out and pull the threads through just right and other times I have to thread the eye of the needles.  This was the day to thread the needles.  Sometimes I really think about having the Babylock Evolve, with the air, that would be so much easier.  I still love my Janome compulock, but sometimes I just don't feel like fiddling with it, by the time I remember how to thread it again, I almost lose interest in sewing.   I did force myself to follow through.  Now today I may or may not work on the blouse and stitch the rest of it out.  I just remembered I've not cut out the sleeves only on the muslin.......so now I have to go cut out the sleeves.  Maybe this music help me to move.