My Big Bad Sewing thread

[Dee Dee Warren]

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Happy now? This was so frustrating that I am taking a time out from sewing and working on jewelry. Will post on that soon.

[Dee Dee Warren]

masteringmiters.jpgI found this great book a few years ago at The Sewing Workshop site, Mastering Miters by Linda Lee. For such a small book, it is pricey ($12) but worth every cent if you get stressed out by mitres like I do. Even after I am shown, I promptly forget so I need a good guide, and the instructions in this are clear and easy. Here is a collection of the mitres I practiced this week (just did one try each, and wasn't trying to be particularly neat, just want to see if I could do it and if the instructions were clear).

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[Dee Dee Warren]

I can see you are all in awe of my mitering awesomeness.


BTW, all of my sewing right now is going on in the Project Effie Trinket thread... so it will be a while here.

[Dee Dee Warren]

I did a work version of the skirt I am using for the base of Project Effie Trinket in some corduroy striped fabric I had. I don’t know if I will ever made the entire suite form Vogue 1166, but I really like the simple straight skirt, and really like that the instructions include the lining. I seem to screw up every time I have to just add a lining to an unlined pattern. Here are pics of the completed skirt and the funky lining.

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[Teallaura]

[Dee Dee Warren]

Here is my next project. I am a bit concerned about getting the fit right as it seems like the top is made for someone with a boyish figure. We shall see. I am also a bit concerned because there are no reviews of this pattern on patternreview.com which seems to be just downright bizarre to me.

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[moreta]

Love the colors on the skirt. I like the new pattern as well. I think it could work with a more buxom figure by using a self piping on the bodice rather than a contrasting color. I'm assuming that's piping anyway. I like the "B" view with the contrasting waistline too. If I were making it for me I'd be tempted to try a darker color on the waistline and between the gores and a lighter panel for the gores. It seems like that might slim my tummy and hips down a bit, shrink my waist in and balance it all out with the top. But then I just like swishy skirts.

[Dee Dee Warren]

It is piping that is on the bodice.... it is the seam placement that is making alterations difficult. I am making View B if I ever can get the bodice to fit.

[technomage]

Here is my next project.

I'm definitely not fond of the materials they chose for the model, but View B does look nice.

[Dee Dee Warren]

Hey Justin good to see you here! I have some material already picked out but I am second guessing it. When you spend a lot of time with this pattern, as I have so far, you begin to see an Oriental feel to it. I am beginning to see like a Chinese satin fabric looking nice. Terrible to work with though.... horrible.

I "may" have found an alteration to work with the bodice. I only did a front panel hold it up to me type of test, but it is enough to warrant making a full bodice muslin to see. I can tell you that this pattern is not Simplicity B-Cup standard. There is no way that any full B cupped woman would fit in this bodice. It is definitely designed for an A-cup gal. Before political correctness, pattern envelopes used to say things like "not suitable for hefty girls" on children's patterns, and "not suitable for mature figures" on women's patterns. This one should definitely say "not suitable for curvier buntlines." (meaning not suitable without major alterations)

And even though those seam lines are designed to be like princess seams, unless I want a ton of fabric under bust, I will have to do a waistline dart. I think.

[Dee Dee Warren]

Bustline not buntline!!!! What a buntline would be though has me intrigued.

[Teallaura]

Hey Justin good to see you here! I have some material already picked out but I am second guessing it. When you spend a lot of time with this pattern, as I have so far, you begin to see an Oriental feel to it. I am beginning to see like a Chinese satin fabric looking nice. Terrible to work with though.... horrible.

I "may" have found an alteration to work with the bodice. I only did a front panel hold it up to me type of test, but it is enough to warrant making a full bodice muslin to see. I can tell you that this pattern is not Simplicity B-Cup standard. There is no way that any full B cupped woman would fit in this bodice. It is definitely designed for an A-cup gal. Before political correctness, pattern envelopes used to say things like "not suitable for hefty girls" on children's patterns, and "not suitable for mature figures" on women's patterns. This one should definitely say "not suitable for curvier buntlines." (meaning not suitable without major alterations)

And even though those seam lines are designed to be like princess seams, unless I want a ton of fabric under bust, I will have to do a waistline dart. I think.

Try webbing (sticky or iron on) on the seams. It helps stabilize the satin as you work. Costs some time applying it but makes life soooo much easier as you sew.

If I were making it for me I'd be tempted to try a darker color on the waistline and between the gores

Me, too!

[Teallaura]

Bustline not buntline!!!! What a buntline would be though has me intrigued.

Um, I figured you meant your backside since that's where most people have bunt cakes end up...

[Dee Dee Warren]

As much as I would like to do an oriental fabric, I really can't afford to buy new fabric when I have something suitable already. I already have to buy some lining.

I think I made a good bodice muslin but the pattern has a funky weird front pattern piece for the interior lining. I say, um, I don't think so, but I do have to make a bodice lining pattern that eliminates some unnecessary seams, but I am going to keep the starburst princess seam even though it will get bulky because with the major muslin changes I made, I can't possibly recreate their funky weird one.

Need to find something really thin for the lining. Silly Jo-Ann's doesn't carry cotton batiste which is what I think I need for the top lining. I will have to order some online. It is good to have unhand anyways.

[technomage]

I am beginning to see like a Chinese satin fabric looking nice. Terrible to work with though.... horrible.

Ewww. Yes, it would look lovely ... but I wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten-foot sewing needle.

Most of my sewing is extremely introductory level--SCA garb from the "simpler" time periods, which basically means a T-Tunic and trim. I have made my own modern-era dress pants once--and will never, ever, EVER attempt to do so again, though I'd have no objection to making pajama pants or something of that sort.

Now, my son--he's gotten bit, but hard, by the sewing bug. He recently made himself a Japanese hakama ... with no pattern. He looked at some pictures of the finished product, and cut the material freehand.

I was very proud of him ... even if I did feel like smacking the little show-off upside the head.