Sewing Workshop - Mimosa Top

Spring approacheth. Heck, Spring is officially here, and it's the first one since I've returned to sewing, so I am starting to think about a spring/summer wardrobe. In particular, I am thinking about tops. Tops are a challenge for me, with my generous bust and "fluffy tummy", but summer tops are even more challenging, when you add in my "mature" upper arms, narrow shoulders, and my aversion to showing too much skin.

So, I decided to try my hand at the Sewing Workshop Mimosa top. This Asian-inspired top screams "I am for the small busted", but, heck, I am fearless about hacking up patterns, right? I started with a Large, which is usually the right size when I am adding a dart. Because the front pattern piece crosses the entire body, I added two darts in that piece. Each dart added 2" in width and 2" in length. (I recently realized that my FBAs weren't adding enough in length.) This made for a very big dart. But there were actually two of them in the front pattern piece, meaning there would be four when both fronts were sewn. I also moved the shoulder forward 1/2".

When I made the muslin, I realized several things. First, this large is very narrow across the upper back, so I added 1" to the CB seam (1/2" on the fold). The armhole was nice and high and hugged the body well, which I liked. I realized that I preferred leaving the second front dart unsewn - but leaving the fullness there. Otherwise it would have been four front darts when both front pieces were overlapped and closed, and I didn't like that look. I also reshaped the side front open edge to accommodate this unstitched dart.

I made the finished top out of a blue fabric remnant that I really liked. It is a linen look fabric, with a pronounced weave. It has a bit of a "homespun" feel to it. I believe it is a blend of cotton, maybe linen, maybe rayon, and possibly a bit of synthetic. It does wrinkle, but it also washed and dried well in the machine.

For the final top, I made a few more changes. Rather than attach a binding to the side front that is open, I hemmed it using the same technique as on the bottom. I mitered the corner between the side front and the bottom, so there were four mitered corners in all. I was reluctant to use a binding as wide as the pattern called for along the neckline, because the neckline was already quite high. I was also reluctant to cut the binding cross grain, as the pattern called for, so I used a narrower bias binding around the neck.

To close it, I found an acceptable, but not fabulous, button from my grandmother's button box. This box has mostly pretty nasty buttons – many of them cut off of clothing and quite beaten up. But for this top, it was fine. I placed the button where it fit best when the front was closed, ignoring the placement on the pattern. By this point, I had pretty much frankenpatterned the paper pieces anyway.

The final result? meh. It is ok. The first time I put it on and looked in the mirror, I got the overpowering impression of hospital scrubs. I hope no one else thinks that, since the funky hemline hopefully offsets that effect. :) It has a bit of the "loving hands at home" look with the imperfect, large dart, and the imperfect, bumpy bias binding. I do think it will work as a layering piece. And, if it's really hot, it's better than sweating in a long sleeved shirt, and it does cover me adequately (no small feat). But beyond that, I will have to wear it and see what I think. :)

I am standing on a fairly steep driveway in these photos. I am wearing this Mimosa top with my new favorite pant pattern - the Trio. I will
review it later when I get photos of my second version.

I tried the outfit on with the Valencia jacket I made recently. I thought it looked OK, but DD1 did not like it worn all together. She might be right – I haven't decided yet.

P.S. If you have a smaller bust, this is a goto pattern for many women. I have seen it made up beautifully in many different fabrics. Check pattern review, but I have seen it other places as well.

P.P.S. I wore the top today, on an unseasonably warm day. I like it! It covers me well, especially the armholes and cleavage areas, and it camouflages my tummy. I may make a couple of these for those hot days when you have to find something to wear. :)

Sewing Workshop - Liberty Top

Our traditional Easter High Tea. So decadent...

For awhile now I've been wanting to make a Liberty top. I have seen some really beautiful versions on the Sewing Workshop Gallery, Pattern Review, Stitcher's Guild, and in my own sewing group. Then, at our last sew group meeting, Heather Nishimura showed her latest version of the Liberty and I fell in love. Heather is one of those stealth sewists. She quietly, and without fanfare, makes the most gorgeous pieces. She always looks so elegant and beautiful - she really rocks her wardrobe. She had the brilliant idea of making a pullover using the Liberty pattern. She used a black/grey stripe knit (with the stripe positioned vertically) and placed the center front on the fold of the fabric. She finished it off with a turtleneck.

Well, I love knit t-shirts, pullovers, and the like, that have interesting details and this one was fabulous. I couldn't wait to try it out. I traced off a Large and added a dart. I tested the pattern fit using a light yellow cotton interlock someone had given me at our last Babes meeting. I finished the neckline with a binding.

My test garment, using donated cotton interlock.

For my actual garment, I used a Japanese knit from Emma One Sock. This slightly sheer knit has a weighty hang - really nice. For this version, I didn't sew the dart, I eased it. For the neckline I finished with a piece of the selvedge.

The second version uses a Japanese sweater knit from Emma One Sock

When I wear this top, the neckline pulls a bit to the back. The next time I make this top (and there will be a next time) I plan to move the shoulder seam forward 1/2" and to shorten the sleeves an inch. Eventually I want to make the pattern as shown on the envelope. It's a great one!

[Edited on 4/9/10.] Heather has sent me a picture of her striped Liberty turtleneck for posting! My understanding is that it will appear soon on the SW gallery. Isn't it gorgeous?

Vogue 8499 - Marcy Tilton pants

For a long time I have been wanting to make this Marcy Tilton pattern, except I was planning to make the skirt. Then, when I finally decided it was time to tackle the Holy Grail of Sewing – the well fitting pant – I took a second look at these cute pants with the knee darts and the horizontal pockets. Though this pattern isn't designed to be closely fitted, even loose pants can be a challenge to fit.

In this case, I read the reviews on Pattern Review and, uniformly, people said that this pattern runs really large. According to the hip measurement (and I always sew pants/skirts based on my hip measurement because I have small hips and a very large waist and it's usually easiest for me to alter the waist, but YMMV) I should be a size 16.

Most Vogue patterns indicate the bust, waist, and hip location, along with the finished garment measurement at those points. For some odd reason, that is not true of this pattern, so I measured the flat pattern. I was very surprised to find that the finished garment measured somewheres around 55" for a size 6. (I am going by memory, but it was in this range.) Given that my hips are 40", which, according to Vogue, is a size 16, I am not surprised that people have been finding these pants to be oversized.

I decided to cut out a size 6, the smallest size available, and alter the waist. The back of the pant is gathered elastic, but the front uses a curved facing. This makes sense because the pockets do not lay well if the front waist is gathered.

I said I decided to cut out a size 6. I intended to cut out a size 6. However, I cut out all the pieces as a size 6 except one – the side back. The side back I cut out in a size 12. I did not notice the error at first. I made the muslin before I realized my mistake. But the muslin fit me well, so I decided to leave it this way for the final pant, but it was an accident, and I think the size 6 on the side back would have worked too. :)

I altered the pattern by increasing the waist, the front waist facing, and also the side front, where the pocket is located. The waist shaping begins in the pocket, so both the upper and lower side front were affected. Finally, I shortened the pants by 1.5" on the "lengthen or shorten here" line – I am 5'5".

The fabric I used is a Taslan that a friend gave me. She bought the Taslan from Mizono, back when she manufactured locally. It's a 100% nylon fabric, in a khaki green color, and has a wonderful drape – and these pants need a fabric with good drape.

I sewed these on a recent sewing retreat and, even though they have extensive top-stitching (even the knee darts are topstitched), they were fairly quick to sew up. Once they were finished, I found them to be comfortable to wear and flattering. Seven women at the retreat also tried them on and they fit everyone, even though they were different sizes and shapes. The only alterations needed were in the overall length, or to take in the waist. The pants fit around the hips, and flattered, every person who tried them on.

I love these pants and will definitely be making them again. And I still want to make that skirt...

Front

Back. I had worn these for several hours so they are a bit rumpled.

Closeup of knee darts. A little hard to see, but all seams are top-stitched, even the darts.

Using the pocket

Closeup of pockets and front waist with facing

Sewing Workshop - Now Shirt

Another great pattern from Sewing Workshop!

I have recently seen several versions of the Now top, the Zen top, and a hybrid of both. I need more tops, so I decided to make the Now on my recent sewing retreat. This fabric, a wonderfully soft Italian cotton, was from Emma One Sock. I think. It might have been Gorgeous Fabrics. If you recognize it, please let me know. It is, essentially, a plaid, though of course it prominently features the circle motif that I love.

My alterations were pretty straight-forward: a dart (more on that in a bit), and I lengthened both the front and back by 4".

The most interesting feature of the Now is the collar. The pattern piece is a rectangle, and it is sewn to form a tube. You could cut the piece on the bias or line it with a contrasting fabric, though I made it as shown.

This top has no interfacing. The front bands are formed by folding the fabric over twice. They are not supposed to be top-stitched in place, but I mitered the hem and top-stitched the hem and front bands at the same time. The front of the collar is also folded over twice, but I put in a strip of interfacing because the collar was so soft – I didn't want the collar to collapse. I also made a pleat on the hem of the sleeves and sewed a button. I did not shorten the sleeves, which is very unusual for me, so they run a bit short.

You can see that the collar is a tube. You could pull a scarf through the collar, if you wanted to. The buttons are mother of pearl, but I used the back side.

I did learn one important thing from this pattern. I have not been adding my darts properly. I mostly focus on adding enough width, without thinking as much about the length. My sewing friends pointed out, very correctly, that I need to add at least another 1.5" to the length at center front. I am very glad to learn this and will modify the pattern correctly next time. Thanks, you guys. :)

Sewing Retreat 2010

View from the living room, aka "Sewing Central".

Moving in. Sewing stations not yet staged.

Who doesn't enjoy an intense session of sewing? But add in friends with the same passion, a beautiful coastal setting, with verdant hills, aged barns and fences, and scads of picturesque bovines, piles of delicious food, and hours of companionable sewing, sewing talk and laughter. Yup, Shams is a lucky girl.

For this retreat, I pre-cut five garments:

• Pajama bottoms using Louise Cutting's One Seam pants pattern
  
• A Sewing Workshop Now top
  
• A Sewing Workshop Liberty top
  
• A pair of Marcy Tilton pants
  
• A pair of Sewing Workshop Hudson pants
  

I managed to get all of them finished, but, as my camera battery died, the only photo I have is of me wearing the pjs, after sleeping in them all night.

One Seam Pant PJs, a bit rumpled after sleeping in them.

Over the next few days I hope to get photos and post reviews of some of these patterns. I am particularly loving the Liberty top, the Now shirt, and the Marcy Tilton pants. With daylight savings time, I hope it will be easier to get photos in the evenings.

Apparel City

Most of you know that I live in San Francisco. Most of you know that one of my favorite sewing-related haunts is FabriX, a discount fabric store that can be very hit or miss. It's not a place to go for a specific fabric, or the latest pattern (though they have some really old patterns), or sewing notions (though they have some), but if you go with a spirit of adventure, you can sometimes find real gems.

But there is another place in San Francisco that gives my little sewist heart palpitations of delight. Apparel City has been around forever, primarily servicing the ever-shrinking local garment industry, but they are more than happy to cater to the home sewist.

I first discovered Apparel City back when I took fashion classes at Canada College, twenty years ago. When I returned to sewing after 17 years, I was so sad to see some of my favorite establishments for servicing sewing machines had closed, like Mr B's, the Bernina dealer extraodinaire, and The Place That Sells Sewing Machines, which had won awards for its excellent customer service. But I am glad to report that Apparel City is still around and is happy to service any brand of sewing machine or serger.

When you first enter Apparel City, you see Sapporo irons, Juki and Janome sewing machines and sergers, and boxes of huge cones of thread. (They also sell professional machines.) To the left is a wall of more thread cones, huge rolls of elastic, enormous cones of twill tape. You come to a desk and behind the desk are many more goodies. First, there is a display of scissors, including Kai and Gingher. Behind the desk is a wall of metal rulers and curves of all types. On the desk, like candies, are boxes of marking chalk, the kind you see Marcy Tilton, Louise Cutting, and Linda Lee use. They sell sewing machine oil by the gallon. They sell oak tag by the roll, or by the yard. This is where I buy rolls of 36" pattern drafting paper ($40). The only fabric they sell is muslin, by the bolt or by the yard. They sell those hooks for hanging your patterns. They sell those wonderful Clover silk pins.

There is a wall, behind which they do the servicing. The repair guy is right there, available and easy to talk to, and he really knows his stuff. They can order parts for you, or service for you. They also service Sapporo irons.

Apparel City is not that far from Union Square, but it's on the other side of Market St, in an industrial part of town. Best of all, they open at 8:30am, Monday to Friday, and 9am on Saturday, so you can go nice and early, when there's loads of street parking, and you can park right in front.

Can you see why I love this place? It's the "Home Depot" for sewists. The place has the same aura as your local auto mechanic. And, no, I get nothing for my unsolicited endorsement, except, hopefully, seeing them continue in business when their customers, these days, are primarily small local designers and fashion students.

(At some point I'll go back, take photos, and add them to this entry. :) )

Serger

Some of you may have noticed I have mentioned once or twice that I don't have a working serger. Note how carefully that is phrased. I do have a serger that has been in storage for the last 17 years. And by storage, I mean it's been sitting in an open box, in an unfinished basement laundry room, exposed to humidity and damp. Well, I finally got the nerve up to face the serger.

Wow, my White 534 is in bad shape. I cleaned off the cobwebs and the grime. The thing has lots of rust, and the mechanism was fairly frozen. This is the reason for my most recent trip to Apparel City. I purchased industrial cleaner (and got advice for cleaning it), some sewing machine oil (a small bottle, thank you very much, since I don't need a whole gallon), and spools of serger thread (thinking hopefully). I hope to get this puppy back in working order, but if I can't do it, I'll take it in for servicing. I may also ask them to order me a new blade – they've already confirmed they can get it.

Wish me luck. :)

A Good Ironing Board Cover is a Joy Forever

Year ago I inherited a nice, sturdy ironing board from my mother. It used to have one of those nasty Teflon covers, sold by so many sewing supply places. I hated that cover, and then, during the years I was not using the ironing board, it was exposed to moisture and something metallic rusted all over it. It was a nasty mess and I threw the cover and padding away. I was left with a very nekkid ironing board.

For the last six months or so that I've been sewing again, I just threw a piece of wool yardage over the ironing board and ironed away. It wasn't very satisfactory, not thick enough, and was always shifting around, but I made it work.

For the last couple weeks, I have been preparing for an upcoming sewing retreat, and I decided it was high time I made a proper cover. Years ago I had a wool army blanket intended for a ironing board pad, but it was lost to the mists of time. (An old wool blanket makes a perfect pad! So, check army surplus stores, flea markets, your basement... Just toss it in the washer/dryer and it's ready to cut out.)

To create the pattern, I took my ironing board, placed it on the floor, upside down, and traced the shape onto paper. I used that shape to cut out five layers of wool – three from the green wool twill I had been using as an ad hoc cover, and two layers from a piece of wool I fulled in the washer. The resulting yardage was very thick and very pink. (Yes, the original yardage was pink, but it seemed even more pink, if that were possible.)

I layered those five pieces together and pad stitched the heck out of them. Not so tightly as to compress the loft, but very thoroughly so they won't be shifting. I then loosely whip stitched around the entire piece. Voila, an ironing board pad that will hold heat, but not get too hot.

The pad, consisting of 5 layers of wool, pad-stitched together, with the raw edges loosely whipped. Yeah, it's ugly, but who cares? No one will ever see it. ;)

I cut the cover itself out of a fairly heavyweight piece of denim that was lying around. It's a light-colored denim, so I wouldn't be using it for clothing, as I prefer the darker blues. I laid the pattern on the denim, added 3" all around, and cut it out.

Next, I found a half yard of a pretty quilting fabric, mauve with a paisley design, and I cut 4 or 5 bias strips, 1.5" wide. I joined them together to make a continuous length. This would form the casing for the elastic. I folded it, wrong sides together, and stitched it around the cover with a 1/4" seam allowance. I zigzagged over the raw edge, but you could serge it as well. At the beginning and ending of the casing, I just turned the raw edges under twice, and topstitched (before attaching to the cover).

Attaching the bias binding, folded wrong sides together, to the cover. I then zigzagged the raw edges.

I threaded a narrow elastic through the casing, placed the cover on the ironing board, and pulled tight! I tied the ends of the elastic in a big bow and tucked them out of the way.

Wow, I LOVE my new ironing board cover! It has the perfect amount of loft and it's hecka sturdy, not to mention it's a very pretty shade of blue. I'm now ready for the sewing retreat!