Vogue 8582 - Marcy Tilton top

Yet another swingy, long top with an assymetric hem.  Hmmm...  am I getting into a rut?  Please bear with me and I will try to do better next time.

This pattern, by Marcy Tilton, is really wonderful.  It features two different neck variations and each is lovely and worth checking out.  Views A and B feature a "twisted ribbing".  I saw this on one of Marcy's garments on her website a few years ago.  I emailed her and asked her how it was done.  At the time she told me she wasn't sure how she was going to release the technique.  Some time later, the technique was featured in her pattern and I'm so glad she chose this way of sharing it.  :)   I haven't made this version yet, but I have read the instructions and will be getting around to it at some point.

View C is a turtleneck with a twist.  Literally.  You sew the right side of the neck tube (one edge only) to the right side of the neck and turn the unsewn edge of the tube to the inside (wrong sides together).  But, instead of pinning in the usual way, you slide the edge a couple inches over.  As a result, the whole neckband is twisted.  This yields in a draped, "slouch" turtleneck which gracefully frames the neck.  You know how turtlenecks can sometimes have a mind of their own - they can sit there, all obstinate and stiff, well, not this one.

I made view C, with a couple of modifications.  First, I decided to put the floppy hip piece on both sides.  I like the original design, where it's only on one hip and the other side seam has a slit, but I had lots of fabric and just felt like it.  I made the second modification when I was sewing up the arm/side seam.  I felt it was too wide at the wrist so I used a 2" seam allowance there and tapered it back to the 5/8" at the elbow.  The resulting line is more flattering on me.

The fabric I used was a very cheap poly jersey.  Nasty stuff - it should have a huge sign posted on it in the store that says, "Do not even THINK of sewing this fabric unless you have a working serger!!"  I don't have a working serger at the moment, but the fabric was $2 per yard and I liked the color and drape.  Oh well.  The seams are on the inside, so their ugliness is hidden, but the only way to hem this nasty stuff without a serger (for me, anyway) is by hand.  So that's what I did.  At first I was going to leave the edges completely raw, but I played with the fabric after washing it and I didn't like how the raw edges behaved.  Raw edges can be dandy (and very high end) in more stable knits.

I've seen this same top in a boutique for about $170, made out of the same fabric, with serged hems.

Here's the top:

And here's the slouch neck:

Though I find this sort of top somewhat flattering on me and easy to wear, I promise my next garment will have different lines.  :)

Inspiration Shopping

I just love to inspiration shop.  My job has been stressful recently, so I took a day off today.  After some productive, early morning, fabric shopping, I visited my favorite boutique for some inspiration.  Whenever I feel blah or uninspired to sew, I know it's time to go shopping for clothes.  I can get my vibe back pretty quickly that way.  Just one new construction tip or shape idea can perk me right up and get the juices flowing again.

Oooh, there were some fabulous items, mostly in the $200-$300+ range - outside of my current budget.  I favor loosely structured garments made from yummy fabrics and cut in interesting ways.  Luckily there are many designers these days that are creating wonderful pieces.  Designers like Eileen Fisher, Citron, Cynthia Ashby,  Babette, Steel Ponies, Bodil, Sympli, Dressed to Kill, to name a few.  I have certainly purchased my share of nice clothes (especially when I'm not in sewing mode) but it's so much more fun to use their inspiration to create my own pieces.  I also tried on a few styles I've seen in the pattern books - I'd had the suspicion that some of these for me and I was right!

Last week I went to the Haight to hit a fabric store there for some elastic.  I discovered that store had closed a year ago (sigh) so I decided to visit some clothing stores.  The Haight is full of edgey clothing shops for the teen and twenty-something crowd and I found some pieces with fabulous details.  Beautiful draping, interesting shapes, gorgeous fabrics.

Today, after my shopping spree, I went to a coffee shop to reflect and made some notes, both for today's and last week's outing, before the details leave my memory forever.  I came home and finished a top (I will post after I get some photos) and then hit the fabric piles, to study and think about what I want to do next.

I have some ideas I'm excited about.  I can't wait to get to my machine this weekend.  :)

Vogue 1018 - Sandra Betzina Skirt

Oooh, I just love this Sandra Betzina skirt.  It's funky and asymmetric and I love funky and asymmetric.  I had close to 5 yards of this very unusual fabric.  It's very lightweight, drapey, 100% polyester in a scrumptious stripe with polka dots.  It feels similar to a very lightweight ripstop nylon. I think of it as a novelty seersucker because it has that quality to it.  It also has a chenille yarn that runs through the stripe.  You can see a closeup of the fabric here:



I wanted something special for this fabric and I hoped this skirt would be perfect. It's basically an a-line skirt with a drape and the fabric has some tucks sewn into it to create interesting texture and hang.

I did make one significant change to the pattern. It has a shaped, fitted yoke and I hate skirts with a rigid fit at the waist/hips. So, I added about 10" to the pattern at the waist to convert it to an elastic waistband. (I didn't want to just cut a larger size because I don't like to be drowned in too much fabric -- I cut the pattern in a size to fit my hips.) I did cut the drape in a larger size because I wasn't quite sure how to just enlarge that. It worked ok, I guess. (I cut the skirt in a size D and the drape in a size G.) The new yoke is a rectangular piece and I didn't even measure it -- I just cut it out and sewed it to fit. You can see the elastic waist here:



The only other modification I made was to change the grainline on the drape. I cut that so that the stripe would parallel the front edge of the drape. I wanted that bold stripe to be featured in the design

I did line it with navy sandwashed rayon fabric. So soft. I wasn't going to, but the skirt fabric was a little too lightweight, I felt.

Here it is:

I'm back!

I am back to sewing clothing for myself!  It's been a hiatus of close to 20 years.  Yes, twenty years.  I used to be an obsessive sewist and particularly loved to make designer and wearable art type of clothing.  Then I married, had two kids, gained weight, and my creative interests shifted, first to quilting, then to kids clothing and crafts, knitting, and felting.  Ten years later, I divorced, went back to work, gained more weight, and stopped sewing altogether, except for Halloween costumes (for my kids) and school plays, ballet performances, etc.

Well, my kids are now teenagers, and don't need (or want) my creative skills anymore.  I've had many passions in my life, but this is the big one.  At first, I wasn't that inspired about returning to sewing, partly because sewing didn't feel as fun at my current age/weight, but after a bit of "inspiration shopping" at some lovely boutiques, and some insanely crazy fabric shopping, I got over that. 

I am hooked, once again.  :)

Once I get some photos uploaded, I will start blogging.  :)