With all my good intentions to sew more, I have been trying! I was lucky enough to find a huge bag of laces that were dropped off to the senior craft shop donation table - many quite old, many very beautiful. I trusted Oxo-clean to work its magic and have saved what I wanted, put the rest back on the donation table.
My first use was on a nightgown. Several years ago, I was going to copy an old Barbizon gown, I bought some beautiful fabric and lace and proceeded to use my embroidery capability to begin the top part of the gown. To be truthful, I really don't have the sewing ability to do some of the things I try and when frustrated, tend to give up and start something else. That fabric, cut up gown, embroidered pieces and lace got moved from drawer to box, closet to closet over time. I think I had cut chunks for the gown back and top but didn't attempt to continue.
Ok, fast forward to April 2016, I looked at that box and decided to get busy - I bought a gown pattern that looked simple, tossed out the old cut up gown and laid out the new pattern on the fabric pieces - oops, not enough width. So, pieced enough to cut out the pattern, and sewed it up, using my serger to apply lace to the neck and armholes. The bottom was sewn with a rolled him. DONE! No, you aren't going to see a picture - it needs ironing and I'm not going to do that but I am happy with it, it is comfortable and the pieced sides don't bother me at all!
Next project, golf wind shirt! A friend gave me the fabric several years ago - I think she bought a lot to make one for herself and then had enough to share. It, too, had been sitting for several years - aging? I had the pattern because I had made one a long time ago. I cut it out one afternoon, made the shirt the next day except for sewing on the bottom band which I did the following day - another DONE!
guess what - I don't play golf anymore!
One more project - I guess I can call it done because I'm not sure what else to do with it! I've had Vogue 8430 for a while and wanted some boiled wool to make it. Last fall, when we were in New York, I picked up some wool Melton with the thought of using it for the jacket. I have read reviews all over the place, made notes of the hints that other people used in making the thing and finally bit the bullet and cut it out. Carefully followed all the directions on the pattern, which were very limited - I need exact directions people! I made a muslin, something I have never done before, and after looking at those pictures, I wasn't sure I even wanted to make the thing!
What a lot of fabric using the medium size! The sleeves look enormous! I tried folding out some fullness from the sleeves - didn't work so sleeves stayed. I went straight to the small size, extended to front to match the back length and cut out the jacket. It sat around for a couple days but I finally put the thing together - it was actually very easy to to. I added the sleeves before sewing the side seams - not sure why the directions have you set the things in. After I finished it, I took it to the dry cleaners for a good pressing and here is the result in an awful iPhone picture in the bathroom mirror!
My first use was on a nightgown. Several years ago, I was going to copy an old Barbizon gown, I bought some beautiful fabric and lace and proceeded to use my embroidery capability to begin the top part of the gown. To be truthful, I really don't have the sewing ability to do some of the things I try and when frustrated, tend to give up and start something else. That fabric, cut up gown, embroidered pieces and lace got moved from drawer to box, closet to closet over time. I think I had cut chunks for the gown back and top but didn't attempt to continue.
Ok, fast forward to April 2016, I looked at that box and decided to get busy - I bought a gown pattern that looked simple, tossed out the old cut up gown and laid out the new pattern on the fabric pieces - oops, not enough width. So, pieced enough to cut out the pattern, and sewed it up, using my serger to apply lace to the neck and armholes. The bottom was sewn with a rolled him. DONE! No, you aren't going to see a picture - it needs ironing and I'm not going to do that but I am happy with it, it is comfortable and the pieced sides don't bother me at all!
Next project, golf wind shirt! A friend gave me the fabric several years ago - I think she bought a lot to make one for herself and then had enough to share. It, too, had been sitting for several years - aging? I had the pattern because I had made one a long time ago. I cut it out one afternoon, made the shirt the next day except for sewing on the bottom band which I did the following day - another DONE!
guess what - I don't play golf anymore!One more project - I guess I can call it done because I'm not sure what else to do with it! I've had Vogue 8430 for a while and wanted some boiled wool to make it. Last fall, when we were in New York, I picked up some wool Melton with the thought of using it for the jacket. I have read reviews all over the place, made notes of the hints that other people used in making the thing and finally bit the bullet and cut it out. Carefully followed all the directions on the pattern, which were very limited - I need exact directions people! I made a muslin, something I have never done before, and after looking at those pictures, I wasn't sure I even wanted to make the thing!
What a lot of fabric using the medium size! The sleeves look enormous! I tried folding out some fullness from the sleeves - didn't work so sleeves stayed. I went straight to the small size, extended to front to match the back length and cut out the jacket. It sat around for a couple days but I finally put the thing together - it was actually very easy to to. I added the sleeves before sewing the side seams - not sure why the directions have you set the things in. After I finished it, I took it to the dry cleaners for a good pressing and here is the result in an awful iPhone picture in the bathroom mirror!
It feels too big and I can't figure out what to do with it as far as closure. I think my fabric was actually too heavy for this pattern - I don't think it will ever hang open like the picture on the pattern envelope. A button or something might bring it in enough that I can wear it. Really like the color though!
Next project is to work on t-shirts - I've made one that I rather like but want to do several at a time so that I don't have to keep dragging out directions each time. I have a piece, actually 2 pieces of silk that I would like to make as a dressy T. I saw one on Pinterest that was over $300 - surely I can put one together for a little less than that! There is also a piece of linen that is waiting to become something wonderful - not sure what as it is only 2 yards (what was I thinking?) A really wild piece of cotton voile is probably going to be another nightgown. I had better get busy and sew some of this up - back to NYC next November and the garment district is calling me!
