Have you seen her…tell me have you seen her?

 

Has anyone seen my sewing mojo? Would you please tell her to come back?  Thank you

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve posted but things have been going on in my sewing world.  Look for more posts soon.  I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving has a happy and safe holiday.

Butterick B5567 view D pictures

Here are the not so great pictures of Butterick B5567 View D.

I really need to start smiling when I take pictures.  This is the muslin.  I would add a snap in the front.  I think the back is fine but someone at work suggested I do a sway back adjustment to make it more fitted.  I don’t know I like the loose fit.

What do you think?

Butterick B5567 view D

source Butterick McCall's patterns website

I finished the muslin for Butterick B5567 late tonight. Looks good to me but pictures don’t lie. I will take some photos tomorrow and post. I hope this will turn into a tnt pattern.

Take care,

 

Carla

TnT = Tried and True Patterns

Believe it or not, I have a few tried and true (tnt) patterns.  I don’t utilize them as well as Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic does with her tnt patterns.  I believe I don’t use my tnt patterns for the following reasons:

1.  I have pattern ADD.  There are so many patterns in my collection and new patterns that other bloggers have made that I don’t use my tnt patterns.

2. I really don’t know what looks good on me.  I begin to doubt the garments I make with my tnt patterns.  I hate shopping for clothes.  Really. Hate. Shopping. For.Clothes but that’s one way of discovering what styles look good on my body.  I’m going to make a point of trying on clothes and taking pictures.

3. I don’t have enough of the right fabric.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I have a lot of fabric but the more I sew, the more I realize that the fabric I purchased when I first started sewing isn’t the best.

4.I don’t have a plan for sewing.  I should participate in the Stitchers Guild Six Pack wardrobe plan and just use my tnt patterns.

So here are my tnt patterns.

Skirts

McCalls 3830 View C pencil skirt.  I’ve made this skirt twice.

McCall's 3830 black done

McCall's 3830 view C front

New Look 6899 View D.  I have the muslin of this skirt.  It fits great but I haven’t made a single garment!

Tops and Blouses

Simplicity 2598 view E Knit top – shell

Kwik Sew 2740 view B Knit mock turtleneck

Front

Simplicity 3887 View D woven pullover top

Black and White Simplicity 3887 view D

These are the patterns that I can sew and actually wear the item in public.  That makes them tried and true to me.  I’m still working on the dress that will not end.  At this point, I just refuse to quit.  I don’t think the dress is a good look for me but whatever.

In my stash, I have fabric for 5 of  McCall’s 3880 view C skirt.  All I need is lining.

Close up of plaid

Five fabrics for McCall's 3880 skirt

close up of pinstripe fabrics

I have one piece of fabric that would work for New Look 6899.

brown and green floral for New Look 689

I could really use the skirts now that it’s hotter than all get out in Atlanta.  Most of the fabrics are lightweight with the exception of the blue/black wool in the lower left of the picture with all 5 fabrics.

I know I’m not going to sew these skirts back to back.  If I can sew them all before the end of October that would be great.

ETA:  I’ve given up on the dress that wouldn’t end.  If the garment doesn’t look good or feel comfortable in the muslin stage then it’s time to let it go.  I’ve traced Lisette 0459 view A dress.

Now if I can figure out how to do an FBA on the front pattern piece.

I’ve also fallen for Simplicity 3833 view B.

I’ve cut out the muslin for Butterick B5567.  See, I told you I had sewing  pattern ADD.

Enjoy

Designer Patterns

I made a quick stop at the my local Goodwill Store.  I saw this bag and bought it for $7.97.

Some of the patterns that was in the bag:

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Some are uncut and not ONE of them is my  size.  I went online to learn the prices of some of them.  I’m thinking about selling them but I will have to research the different store options (Etsy,  Ebay, etc.)

I’m still working on the dress.   I hope to have pictures of a better fitting muslin this weekend.

Take care.

Who did that!!?!!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger.  I’ve been sewing or making lots of muslins.  Recently, there’s been a whole muslingate  and here .   I make muslins.  I like muslins.  They work for me right now.  In fact, I’m glad I make muslins because it prevents stuff like this (see photo below) from happening to fashion fabric.

Okay, who did that!  You know it couldn’t have been me? Oh, wait.  It was me   I can’t believe I messed up the back so royally.  I was too busy making sure that I inserted the invisible zipper that I forgot to mark matching locations for both the  zipper and muslin.

So what went wrong on the back…

• incorrect invisible zipper insertion
• one size too big at the hip
• shorten bodice (wrinkles)?

Let’s look at the front

What went wrong with the front

• someone forgot to change the facings to match the dress front.
• one size to big in the hip
• need more waist shaping at the side seam otherwise it looks like I’m wearing a sack.

This morning, I removed the facings and the zipper.  I’m going to make some changes and try it again.   When I get the fitting issues resoled, I’m using these fabrics from Gail K.  I want to make two dress.

Have a great weekend

Carla

Knitting…say what!

My friend sent me a letter a few weeks ago.  The envelop contained a brief note,  a brochure and a knitting pattern. She was very sneaky! She knows I don’t knit in the summer. It’s too dang hot. The brochure was from Mother Bear Project which is an organization that provides hand-knit or crocheted bears to children affected by HIV/AIDS.  How could I resist?   This will be my first charity knitting project and my first experience using polyfill stuffing.  I’m not a fast knitter but this pattern seems to knit up quickly.  Stay tuned.

On the sewing front, I finished the muslin of McCall’s M6078 view B and I’m mostly happy with the fit.  I will take pictures of me wearing  the muslin top and a ready to wear top this weekend.

Happy Friday y’all

It’s the little things

So last night, I really needed to put the fabric down   I was too tired to think straight and the  lower looper thread on my serger kept breaking.  I must have re-threaded my serger 3 times and adjusted the tension who knows how many times before it dawned on me to step.away.from. the.machine.

Today when I got home, it took all of two minutes to figure out the problem.

When the lower looper thread breaks

You see that arrow?  It’s pointing to a very important piece of information.  “Turn handwheel toward you to chain off three or four stitches.”  That sentence is the difference between my serger working like a charm or crap.  I prefer working like a charm   I only have to remember this sentence when I need to re-thread the serger.  I’m writing about this because I have a feeling I might run into this again.  This way, I have a visual reference.  As you can see, I also highlighted and tabbed that page in the serger manual.

 

Back to the muslin of McCall’s M6078 – I serged the side seams and the top fits.  Woohoo!  The fabric is too thick for the cowl style but I’m going to finish it.  I want to practice hemming on my cover stitch machine.  No pictures because it’s rainy and dark.

Have a great evening.

Put the fabric DOWN!

You know it’s time to step away from the fabric when no matter how many times you re-read the lower looper of your serger or adjust the tension, the lower looper thread STILL breaks.  This is a prime example of trying to sew while sleepy.

I’m making a muslin of McCall’s M6078 View B

I hope this is an easy pattern (like it states on the pattern envelop).  The reviews have been good.  I’m making size XL no changes.  We’ll see how it works. I’m using my sewing machine, cover stitch machine and serger to construct this top.  I think I’m going to order more thread for the cover stitch machine.  I don’t want to have to share the same 4 spools of thread between the serger and cover stitch machine.

I need to practice hemming on the cover stitch machine.

Not a ripple in sight.  I love my cover stitch machine.

A bit off the edge but not bad.

I’m using very thick knit for the muslin.  The fashion fabric is much thinner.  I’ve had the fashion fabric over a year!   I ordered Vera Wang Jersey knit in black and in green from Fabric Mart in May 2010.  I don’t have pictures of the Vera Wang fabric but I this pattern works, you’ll see the finished item soon.

Take care,

I’m going to bed.