Picture heavy

In keeping with my policy to have the blog with the worst pictures on the web here are a bunch of one of my latest efforts.

I know, I know. 

I should get a tripod and a remote. I should sign up for Instagram how-to courses. I should get lights. I should allow more than 40 seconds for photo shoot. I should be like one of those mommy bloggers who have the photographic skills of Yosef Karsh  (famous Canadian photographer), but that would affect my sewing time.

So in this blog, unfortunately, what you see is what you get.

So here we are.

I got this fabric in New York recently, sort of a heavy knit lace at Parons, who usually are a better source for quality wools and boucles.

I was wary of something with too many seams to interfere with the lace.

I have also decided for the next little while to pursue a new approach to my sewing - I am going to try to sew only things that I will actually wear - as in reach for in the morning when I am in a rush.

This is a new tactic for me, and so original I am thinking of patenting it.

So with that in mind I decided to use this basic dolman top I have used before - knowing from experience that tops with sleeves like this actually work better in fabrics with some body as they go all droopy and is-that-an-old-rag-you-have-hanging-from-your-shoulders if you use something light like a jersey.

Counter intuitive I know but what I have experienced based on bathroom mirror research.

So this is the pattern I used, out of print but there are tons similar:

I also got the bright idea to do the scoop neck version but to make a ring to put on over it to look sort of like a cowl so this top could be more trans-seasonal.

I first tried a long infinity type ring but it was way too many layers and I know would be hot flash inducing, so I cut it down to something that went around my neck once.

I have to tell you that quite honestly I have had my struggles being really crazy about the infinity scarf with everything look. I know I am the only person in the universe who feels this way but my neck feels sort of stuffed into too much fabric when I wear them. 

Maybe I was scarred by a forceps delivery or by having my mother tie too many scratchy wool scarves around and around my neck in Manitoba in the winter (you might get strangled but at least you would be warm was the rule) to really be enthusiastic about the scarved up look.

Enough talking.

Here are the hanger shots:

And here are the shots on me, taken by the only available photographer, the charming Miss Scarlett who was home for lunch (we have lunch together twice a week at my house because it fits both our school schedules) on "pyjama" day:

Here is the result of our photo shoot:

Note lurking Daisy, I didn't want to press the hems, which I did by hand, in case I flattened the lace but seeing these shots I think I will.

The thing with this top of course is you have to wear something under it. I tried a camisole but what is the point of a nice comfortable top if you have to wear body armour under it?

Since I have decided to actually try some of the patterns in my long standing collection I went searching for something to make out of some coincidentally totally matching rayon single knit. It really is too easily wrinkled (rayon is a wood based product and of course single knits can act like paper) for a real top.

I pulled out one of my meaning-to-trys, the tank from Pamela's patterns twin set.

I followed the instructions to choose the size based on high bust measurement. This gave me a medium, and although this was absolutely perfect for what I wanted, nice and loose, it would have been way too big for an actually summer tank as you can see. I could even see the bottom of my bra underneath in the arm holes for example. 

Good to find that out and very nice when your wearable muslin is actually useful. I may in fact extend this to make a sleeveless night gown for summer and now I know that about this pattern:

More tomorrow but right now I have dogs agitating for trips to the park.

Banded cardigan: Pamela's patterns

OK.

Here is another experiment with Pamela's patterns and a wearable muslin version of this pattern that I will probably wear.

The fabric was not outstanding, a sale ponte from Fabricmart that I tried without success to dye as I never wear purple.

I tried to de-purple it but despite hot machine washing, two loads of navy dye and even an indignant round in the dryer, it came out exactly the same - at least it didn't pill - further demonstrating it was resistant to everything.

I am finding these patterns quite interesting to sew in a basic garment sort of way. The designs are not what you call fashion forward but they probably have legs to an extent because of that. And they are easy to construct with most of the work at the front end as pre-measurements and fit-as-you- sew.

If you have ever spent time working through a TNT and sorting out the fitting issues you will appreciate the way these patterns are constructed, with lots of pauses asking you to try it on, to respond to a fitting question, and to tell you how to fix it before you move on. 

There seems to me to be a fair amount of experience in fitting in these patterns.

The other thing that sort of surprises me is how different the fit is between sizes and the full bust and ordinary bust fronts (there are two pattern pieces for each). If you look at my last T shirt as an extra small and the previous one as a small with the full front - they come from another planet. You might have to fool around with different sizes to get one right.

The forward shoulder and full tummy built in is nice and I note a real curve at the hip in this jacket for example. I had to serge this pronounced curve off my jacket once I tried it on because I don't really have any hip curve at all.

Now to pictures of the jacket taken by my cheerful photographer who thinks remembering to include my whole head is a triumph but never notices the hair piece sticking straight up or that the bedroom curtain is wonky because he had just closed the window.

At any rate. Willing workers should get nothing but praise.

Pretty basic but I quite like it. I will post dress form close-ups tomorrow when I am not so tired after having taught all day.

This is sort of a something-to-put-on-over jacket and really needs a great fabric to carry it into something interesting, I have just that fabric in mind.

A cardigan in name only really as this meets in the middle but falls open and the funnel neck at the back gives it a little pleat around the neck but without the big drape of all those waterfall jackets, you might see more of that here from the side:

 I think this pattern has potential and I will be exploring that soon. 

Battle plans

In the scheme of things my battle is minor - survive an much overloaded upcoming academic year, a bit of work on a political campaign, and the challenge of working with my daughter on having Miss Heidi take a bottle/cup/anything with a straw before I take care of the two little girls while her mom and my dashing son-in-law are in NYC in four weeks visiting my son.

Should all be interesting.

Oh and in November I am booked to go to New York myself.

After much discussion we have decided that a person named Eric is who we are all going to be staying with AirBNB style in East Village. He is a designer has a nice place and rave reviews. The plan is that my daughter and son-in-law will stay there next month and then me a month later if it all turns out. And now my husband thinks he might too.

Poor Eric has no idea how Nova Scotians operate - en masse. He doesn't realize that we can't quite get our heads around the anonymity of the big city so we need a place where we know someone so we can all have a base. Poor Eric because he doesn't know how many family members/friends there are in the system and how many might be lined up at his door. He doesn't know he is being auditioned.

It has occurred to me just now that this may be the reason my son keeps getting small apartments with roommates.

No that can't be it.

Anyway my son and his girlfriend are on their way back to New York to their busy lives there, but they don't have to worry. We are all working out the visiting schedule, so no one gets lonely, even if that really is us.

And of course workwise I am going to need a break by mid November.

The school year started with the regular mix-ups of rooms, schedules, and classes and this year also included a call from a mother of a new student who wanted to make sure I was clear that her adult child was far more intelligent that any marks might show, and I needed to keep that in mind. 

I will keep that thought somewhere for sure.

Leading up to this school year I have had an interesting few months.

Somewhere along the time of the big fix-up I decided to also get rid off all spiritual and mental debris from my life. 

Best I could.

I have been pulling a few things from the back of the psychic drawers and taking them to the curb if they don't fit any more or more importantly if they weren't doing me a lot of good.

I have confessed, apologized, forgiven the best I can, remembered who stood by me and who didn't, the times I did and should have.

I have filled out garbage bags of things that aren't worth worrying about anymore and contemplated how many things really are in that pile called life's too short.

I have been letting things go, gotten some things off my chest. It's all good for the soul but maybe not easy on all bystanders.

Most of all I have realized that wondering why is generally a waste of time, that the things you fix yourself are the things that turn out, and that remembering your pleasures does you just about as much good as anything.

So I have decided that as busy as the next few months will be the hell with it there will be regular stops for sewing, even if the projects can't be too complex for a while.

Which brings me logically to Pamela's Perfect Fit T shirt.

You remember a few frames back I made the one with the full bust view in the size specified by my measurements and it was too baggy for my figure, and my purposes, which was something I could wear as a base garment.

Here is the same pattern, in the normal woman front in a size extra small, as incredible as it seems since I have not been an extra small since I was a baby.

I think this T shirt is just what I was looking for and I will be making it again in different necklines. Once I have been to New York and picked up more fabric of course:

Fast sewing is still pretty exciting.

Magic skirt version one

A couple of things.


No explanation necessary as to why this blog hasn't won any design awards.


First of all my apologies for the no make-up fact and wrinkly T-shirt. I actually think I started out with make-up but wore it off trying to get Mr. Rascal to drink out of the doggie water fountain thing we bought. I was trying to show him how it worked.


He needs to drink more but only likes running water.


Anyone want to come over to my house at 3:00 a.m. because there is a fox terrier standing in the bathtub waiting for someone to turn the tap on for him?


Didn't think so.


My photographic window of opportunity was short today - and I had to run to get it to happen - what with my photographer reading an extensive to-do list of things I have for him to do before he goes off to Goose Bay to be eaten by black flies. 


This tour of duty should be much better I hope, black flies excepted, as he will be coming home every couple of weeks for at least a week. This should be enough sewing time without getting to the lonely on Sunday nights part too often.


So here is the Pamela Pattern's Magic Skirt. Two darts front and back, a pegged shape and a very slim waist so really it isn't apparent at all that this is an elastic waist skirt.


I made the high waisted version so I could wear a belt with it. I am always very amused by those photo shoots that show a belt just sitting on top of a skirt waist as if the first time you move that belt won't ride up and the skirt won't ride down and you will look completely waist disorganized.


Really this pattern is an A1 work skirt.


Since I have a couple of complicated many piece skirt patterns in the pattern pile I am considering detouring to a few more of these. 


After all if it looks as good as, why not?


What really intrigues me is that this pattern says for stretch wovens too.


Now if that is true, ladies and gentlemen we may be in business.


Two of those units are getting cut out tonight and there are some Olympics on tomorrow.


Then I am going onto the cardigan which I am going to try and disguise as a suit top. I have been envying Carolyn's cardigans for years and this may be my year to come up with one.

Isn't it just wonderful when you find another TNT?