This past week I finally got around to making a muslin of the cape that my mom asked for back in December – for Christmas.  I mentioned it when I showed off the muslin for her Jackie O outfit, and it’s taken me until now to get enough muslin to make it up.

This cape is supposed to replace a cape my mom’s mom made for her forever ago.  I think that particular cape wore out awhile back, but with the recent resurgence in capes (and her daughter’s new found love of sewing), she decided it was time to have it replaced.  Her old cape had a collar and slits for your hands, met in the center front and closed with a frog closure, and hit just below the knee.  We spent awhile sending patterns back and forth, but nothing seemed just right.  Finally, I decided (on my own!) that I wanted to use Simplicity 5252.

It had a cute rounded collar, slits for hands hidden in the princess seams, a lining and facing, a below the knee length, and bonus pockets hidden inside the lining. It also included a placket for buttons or a fur trim, but I figured it would be easy enough to lop that off and instead finish the cape at the center front.

The muslin is now on its way to my mom.  Here’s to hoping it meets expectations.  If she likes the collar and overall shape, then she should only need to mark the hem length and decide whether the shoulders fit her nicely or not.  Then we can get to fabric selection!  I can’t wait!

As for the Jackie O dress, it fits her really well as is.  She likely needs it taken in just a touch though, and she’d like me to help her decide on just how much, so we’re waiting until we see each other at the end of March before we move on to the next step.  I already have a beautiful blue Irish linen from Fine Fabrics waiting.  And, instead of the cute but boxy little coat that came with Simplicity 6402, I’m going to make her a French-style jacket.  When I picked up the Irish linen, I also picked up a beautiful boucle made up of all of my mom’s favorite jewel tones that pairs beautifully with the color of the linen.  I planned on using it for the matching jacket, but when we were discussing the fabric and the fit, a French-style jacket seemed a better way to go.  Now I just need to find the time to muslin a French-sytle jacket sometime in the next month.  And learn more about constructing one.  Then my mom will have three muslins and no completed Christmas presents.  But, at least we’re having fun with the process!

This week’s lesson in the Perfect Bombshell Dresses course was cutting an underlining for the bodice out of cotton muslin, cutting the bodice out of the fashion fabric, and hand basting them together.  I like this method of transferring the pattern to the underlining using a tracing wheel and wax tracing paper and then basting the underlining to the fashion fabric by hand, and I hope to continue using it in future projects that require such precision until it just becomes second nature.  I would just love to find a local source for wax tracing paper since I only have dark blue right now.  Gertie and Susan Khalje use red and white at various times in their Craftsy courses, and I can see the advantage of at least having white at home.

What do you think?  Is it a bit much to trace, underline, and hand baste for all but the most complicated of projects?

I mentioned in my post on Tuesday that I was going to a Fit Clinic held through the Bay Area Sewists Meet Up group this past weekend. Well, I decided I didn’t have the courage to wear a muslin of a bustier in front of strangers, so instead I made up a muslin of the Paco Peralta Draped Top.

I traced the pattern since it is hand drawn (by the designer himself, I suspect!) in three sizes (with instructions online for how to grade up or down). I then cut the smallest size out of muslin and stitched it up following the online instructions.

The tricky part for me was the V point at the bottom of the bias-cut cowl portion of the front of the blouse. I followed the same method I used for my Crescent skirt and V-neck Renfrew (see the Sewaholic tutorial here), but it took me three attempts to get anything acceptable.

On Saturday morning I jumped on the Caltrain with blouse, pattern, pins, and marker in hand, and before I knew it I was introducing myself to three other sewing enthusiasts in the area: Amanda, our host; Miriam; and Annamarie. Together, I think all three women had over 100 years of sewing experience. Compare that to my two. I was in awe. We sat around and chatted for awhile, getting to know one another and generally enjoying the atmosphere. Then, the fitting began. Since our wonderful host Amanda had had such a busy week, she hadn’t had time to make a muslin, but her pattern and fabric selection were fun to ohh and ahh over. The fitting began with Annamarie and her spectacular 80s blouse. She’d also brought a pattern she no longer wanted, Simplicity 6782, and I was the lucky one who got to take it home.

Next, it was my turn. First thing of note was the waist. Again, I’m long waisted, so they moved the waist down and inch and a quarter. We discussed several ways of doing this taking into account the bias piece that cuts through the waist line, but we decided it would be best to just move the curve of the side seam down without messing with any of the seam lines on the front. Next was the back sleeve. They added a wedge to the top of the back shoulder seam, starting at a half an inch at the shoulder and tapering to nothing at the neck. They also altered the curve of the back sleeve a bit. Finally, they pinned out a sharper V as another possible design change.

Finally, after my turn was up, Miriam showed off a dress muslin that will hopefully become a royal affair for an Oscar party she has next weekend.

After the fitting was done, we exchanged our favorite fabric stores then packed our bags and said our goodbyes. Miriam and Annamarie sounded like they might be heading over to Discount Fabrics, and though I was tempted, I instead hopped back on the Caltrain. I’ve spent too much on classes lately to justify any new fabric purchases!

All in all it was a great event, and I’m very happy that I got to take advantage of over 100 years of collective sewing knowledge. I look forward to the next event!

You likely already know that I’m currently following along with Gertie’s Sew Retro Perfect Bombshell Dresses class (which I’m pretty sure used to be called Sew Retro The Perfect Fit Bombshell Dress – hmmmm…) on Craftsy.

What you may or may not have noticed was the little image for Susan Khalje’s The Couture Dress class pop up over on the right hand side of this blog under “Participation” a few weeks back.

Two classes, one of which I’m half way through, does not suggest too much of an addiction problem…  But, then this week two more sewing classes were announced on Craftsy that really got under my skin: Gertie’s Sew Retro The Starlet Suit Jacket and Kenneth King’s Jean-ius! Reverse Engineer Your Favorite Fit.

Gertie’s Starlet Suit Jacket class takes you through hand tailoring a suit jacket (and fusible techniques, which I imagine will reinforce what I learned in Sherry’s Ready-to-Wear Tailoring Sew-Along), and I’m eager to get more practice with techniques such as pad stitching, bound buttonholes, and welt pockets.

Kenneth King’s Jean-ius! class goes over how to go from your favorite pants to pattern to new pair of pants. I love Ali’s purple cords, which she copied from her favorite pair of jeans; I’ve just finished my first pair of jeans (more on those in another post!); and most of my favorite jeans are covered in holes thanks to all of the bike commuting I do.  This class seemed like a great next step for me.  Plus, I figure it’ll teach me how to copy most anything I want, which is empowering.

Since I’m already pressed for time going one video a week with the bombshell dress class and fitting in a Couture Dress video here and there when I can, it was hard to justify adding two more courses to my list.  But, then, when I signed in to Craftsy today, what did I see scrolling across the bottom of my home page?  Each Craftsy class, even these new ones, was being offered for $25.

Go look now if you’ve been considering a Craftsy class but don’t want to pay the current $40 a class rate.  Even at $25 each the classes still add up (I’ve promised myself no new projects for awhile so that I can stay within budget), but I’ve enjoyed them so much that I think they’re definitely worth it. Even though I haven’t finished the actual bombshell dress, I’ve already used many of the techniques taught in the Bombshell Dress class. I’m two-thirds of the way through watching The Couture Dress, and I think my recent projects have benefited from her meticulous techniques as well.  And, though I haven’t watched any of the videos yet, I plan to use some of the Starlet Jacket’s hand tailoring techniques in a cape for my mom (another upcoming post!). I think these classes are truly helping me learn how to sew well – which is what I want after all, right?

Now to go make a copy of my husband’s favorite pants so that he’ll get something out of these classes, too!

UPDATE:  I just add two more classes to my Craftsy line up.  But, both were free so no fear over blowing the budget.  First is the Block of the Month class.  I think it’ll be fun to learn a bit about quilting while also finding a use for some of my scraps.  Second is the Dipped, Dusted & Rolled: Handmade Chocolates class.  Who doesn’t love a good excuse to keep chocolate in the house?

This week in the Perfect Fit Bomshell Dress Crafsty course, I was to take our muslin modifications back to our pattern. Right now I’m leaving the cup pieces as is (for a bit of the backstory, read my posts here and here), but I may have a few other seamstresses help me check the fit this weekend at a Fit Clinic held through the Bay Area Sewists Meet Up group (as long as I can get up the courage to try on a wee bit of a bustier bodice in front of strangers!).  The big modification that I made is to add a lot of length to the bodice. This pattern is short on most from what I’ve gathered from the class, but it’s even worse on me because I’m a bit long waisted.  I checked the fit by holding the pieces up to me and my dress form, checking to make sure that the bottom of the pieces now hit right at my natural waist.

Next week is a big week – we’ll finally be cutting into our fashion fabric!

I’m so excited I can hardly find the words… I’m this week’s BurdaStyle Featured Member! Take a look!

And, the funny thing is that right when I admitted to the world that I was was just fine that I don’t have a true sewing space, just my sewing machine on a filing cabinet in the corner of our “dining room”, my husband and I find the perfect sewing table (though others might call it a vanity) on the side of the street one block from our house on our run this morning. It fits just perfectly in the corner of the “living room”. (Really, all the rooms are just one and the same, so I haven’t moved that far from the built-in ironing board.)

Take a look at my new sewing corner!  Wiley is.

After work tonight I hung my thread rack and a push-pin board on the blank wall you see behind the table.  I now have my most recent project sitting right next to my machine waiting for the next chance I get to sew.  And, the drawers are now all full of patterns, interfacing, scissors, ribbon, and all the other sewing-related items I’ve collected to date.  I didn’t think I needed a sewing space, but I have to say it’s feels really nice to have one.

It’s been a good day.  I hope the same is true for all of you.  Happy sewing!

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been talking about making jeans. Well, actually I can. It’s only been about a year. In the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing. But, considering a year is nearly as long as I’ve been engrossed in this whole sewing nonsense, it feels like a long time to me. My pattern of choice:  Jalie 2908.  I blame Tanit-Isis.  That woman makes a pair of jeans a week, I swear, and they’re all from this pattern.  With that kind of endorsement, how could I use any other pattern? For the past year both the pattern and the denim have been sitting in my meager stash just waiting for me to make the time.  Over the summer I found the time to trace the pattern in my size, but not the time to make the jeans.  This past fall I found the time to cut all of the pieces out of denim, but not the time to turn on the machine.  Each time I thought about it, some more pressing project at work or home came up.  I think I was really just afraid of making pants.

I finally got motivated this past week thanks to the Sew Weekly‘s theme, “Unfinished Objects” or UFOs.  I was determined to get these jeans sewn up so that I could show them off over there. And, things were going so well. It turns out jeans are pretty easy to put together.  Especially thanks to clear pattern instructions.  The tricky part was learning how my machine wanted to handle the thick layers of denim.  I have a little sore spot on my thumb from turning the hand crank so much!  Then, disaster struck.  I ran out of thread.  All I had left to do were the belt loops, waistband, and hem.

“No problem,” I thought.  ”I’ll run out to the store tomorrow and pick up more thread.  I’ll be wearing these jeans by the end of the weekend.”  Unfortunately, the store I chose had a poor selection of jeans thread.  Nothing they had matched what I had been using.  Discouraged, I left without the thread.  The jeans remain as you see them above, a little raw on top and bottom.   And, my 2012 Sew Weekly streak is now broken.

After piecing together the bodice and doing the first round of fitting (hello extra length!), Gertie then walks the class through adjusting the bodice bra cups, specifically for a full-bust adjustment.  As I’m not the bustiest of ladies, I figured this week’s homework would be light.  But, I spent most of the week fiddling with the bra cups all the same.  My issue was getting the little piece of the bodice that juts up between the bra cups to lay flat.  When made according to the original pattern pieces, it would pull forward just a little.  To me (and all of you in last week’s comments), a bustier top should fit snug everywhere.  No gapping allowed.  Anywhere.  My instincts, both last week and this week, suggested it just wasn’t “cuppy” enough.  So, I added more fabric to make more of a cup.  The result:  a baggy mess.  The extra fabric just pooled at the center.  Adding structure helped a bit, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was making it worse.  It’s incredibly hard to fit something like this on yourself!  Finally, this past weekend, I put it all back together according to the original pattern to remind myself how bad the gap really was.  And, when I added a bit of structure to the top this time around, the gap was nearly gone.  Maybe structure was all it really needed in the first place?

After all that, my plan is to cut the bra cup pieces according to the original pattern and cut the bodice adding 2″ in length.  Worst case I have a gap at the center of the sweetheart neckline but nice lines and a snug fit everywhere else.  Best case the additional structure does what it should, and I have a snug fit everywhere, including at the center of the sweetheart neckline.

I finally have my short-sleeved Renfrews ready to show off. These Renfrews take very little fabric to make up. Really, just the length of the top. Because I could get away with a fraction of a yard, I splurged. I made the one you see above in a linen knit from FineFabrics.com. Yes, you read right, linen and lycra combined. It’s pricey, but it works. It works well. In fact, I’d say I’ve made the perfect summer T-shirt. A flattering shirt to slip on for a warm, sunny day outdoors.

I’ll admit that getting the V-neck right was a bit of a challenge. Not because of Tasia’s instructions, mind you. They were gold. (If you want to get a sneak peak at the technique, check out her post on sewing the V in her Crescent skirt.) But, I pinned things a bit off, which made the neck binding a bit bubbly on one side. I knew it would drive me crazy, so I unpicked the entire thing. And, in the process I put a hole just under the V point. I couldn’t believe that my extra effort had actually made things worse! Instead of panicking, I just made the V a tad bit deeper and then resewed the neck binding, pinning more carefully this time. Even with the detour, the shirt came together in no time.

Everything else about sewing this shirt was straightforward. It has the similar bands for the neckline, sleeve hem, and shirt hem as the other Renfrew views (see my versions here and here). But, instead of cutting a scoop neck, you cut a V neck. Easy peasy.

I really can’t tell you how much I love this pattern. So much so I’m pretending it’s summer in these photos for this week’s Sew Weekly theme of “Down Under”. The idea: sew something appropriate for the Australian summer. My Sew Weekly post went up today, and you can read it in full here.

This T-shirt is my fourth completed 2012 SWAP item to be posted to this blog. Now just seven items to go…

I’ve mentioned several times that I’ve made four versions of this pattern already. Three were for me, but the fourth was a Christmas present for my husband’s sister. I had just enough of the green-and-white striped cotton knit left for a short-sleeved top, but I didn’t want to repeat the same sleeve-neck combination as the top above. I liked the look of the scoop neck with the stripe, so I combined the two to make my own view.

So, now I’ve caught you up on all of my Renfrew shenanigans. This pattern has been very good to me, and I hope it’ll be just as good to all of you. I know many of you should have received your patterns already, and I can’t wait to see your versions.

So far I’m happy with my progress for the Stitcher’s Guild‘s Sewing with a Plan 2012 challenge.  I’ve completed four garments, and I’ve made progress on three more.  I’ve spent time getting a good fit, and I’ve already found some patterns I love (I’m looking at you, Renfrow).  My weak spot is not really participating in the forum part of this challenge.  Maybe by April I’ll have found my voice over there.

Here is the current state of my SWAP as I head into February…

• Button-Down Shirt w/Collar

• Blouse or shirt (collar is optional)

1.  Sewaholic Pendrell in a gray and teal floral – completed.

2.  Paco Peralta Draped Top in gray silk. [Or another sleeveless Pendrell with a different neckline to stay with a single TNT pattern?]

• T-Shirt

3. Sewaholic Renfrew cowl neck in ivory cotton knit – completed.

4. Sewaholic Renfrew V neck in linen knit – completed, but not yet posted.

• Vest
• Overshirt
• Dress

5.  BurdaStyle 5/2011 Bustier Dress with Draped Detail in teal shantung with dragon print cotton lining – currently in the muslin phase.

• Jeans

6.  Jalie 2908 in dark blue denim – pattern pieces cut out back in the fall!

7.  Jalie 2908 as skinnies in dark blue denim.

• Trousers

8. Vogue V8156 in gray wool.

• Shorts or Capri Pants
• Skirt

9. Colette Patterns Beignet in ivory gabardine – completed.

• Jacket (jean jacket, windbreaker, hoodie, etc.)

10.  Sewaholic Minoru jacket in “Paint Me a ?” cotton with a gold Bemberg lining – coming together nicely.

11. Vogue V8435 in teal linen knit. [I have the linen knit already, and it goes well with this SWAP, but if I wanted to stick to repeating patterns for my doubles, then I might go with a second Beignet skirt instead of this wrap jacket since I don't think I'll be ready for a second Minoru before the end of April...  But, who knows?  I did first imagine the Minoru in sweatshirt knit.]

• Coat  (suit or sport coat)
• Overcoat or Raincoat
• Bathing Suit & Coverup

My goal is to complete two or three more items in February to keep on pace for a complete SWAP by the end of April. Crazy sewing…