It made me smile

I so want to make a pair of boxers out of this fabric. Because it's just so wrong ...

Progress update

Well, my pledge to sew a little every day has worked out well. So far I've made sexy elf garb for the ren faire (and wore it) and I'm nearly done with a beautiful though fiddly robe for a friend. I'm also getting ready to make the prototype I-Spy bag for our church and have the stuff for half a dozen more once I get the dimensions and methods right. And buy better fabric than I had in my stash. Unfortunately I can't share my creations at the moment because DH has the camera with him 800 miles away at a friend's wedding. Drat.

Oh, well, we'll have a big photo shoot next week when the camera's here again. Until then I've got stuff to keep me busy. Including a nightgown to go with the robe, the sloper for my skirt for the Your Own Pattern contest on Pattern Review and, on the not-at-all-fun side, a full out war against fruit flies. Right now the kitchen stuff is half in the kitchen, half in the living room and I'm meticulously scrubbing every surface in there. And even with that it looks like we'll have to call in the exterminator. Stupid flies. I've put out apple cider traps and taken the chance to run a scientific experiment to determine which trap works best. It turns out that a wide mouth jar with 1/4" apple cider vinegar with just a drop of detergent in it to break surface tension is, in fact, the best. They get in to take a sip and wind up drowning. I can't say I feel sorry for them.

A wet paper towel and a quick hand is second best.

All the rest of the traps seem to serve more as single bars than anything else. Not what I'm going for ... the idea is to decrease the population, not increase it.

Oh well. Hopefully I can carve out a little space in the living room to sew (or, novel idea, actually clean off my little sewing table in the office and sew there) and get some more work done. Sure beats squashing fruit flies.

A Prayer for China

A few people know that I spent one summer in China six years ago. It seems like less. I was in the Sichan provence teaching middle school in the school buildings, living in a hotel surrounded by apartments, and shopping in their malls and little store fronts. It was amazing and wonderful and overwhelming.

And now I'm not certain if any of those buildings are standing. The city I was in was fairly far from the epicenter but still close enough to be in danger. And I have no idea what kind of building codes those buildings were built under.

On May 12th a huge earthquake hit Sichan. More than ten thousand people have likely died. I can't even imagine ten thousand people. That's a huge number. In some cities most of the buildings are destroyed or in imminant danger of collapsing. Roads, water lines, gas lines, train tracks ... it's all damaged. In 1989 I was in San Francisco when the Loma Prieta quake hit. The quake was surreal - nothing was solid any more. The after affects are unworldly and terrifying. And it was only a 6.9 quake. The Sichan one was a 7.8.

My prayers go out to all affected by this quake. And I also pray that we here in the US will take the time to notice and to help.

Tempting New Looks

With the semester over I'm looking forwards to finally getting back to my machine.  I desprately need some clothes for my new job as a teacher and research assistant.  Starting next Monday I'm going to try sewing for 20 minutes a day and see how much I can get done - hopefully I'll be surprised how the time adds up.  We'll see.

Anyway, just in time for this resolution, New Look released some great patterns.  Granted, they're mostly casual wear but I need some of that as well.  Besides, if I only sew stuffy teacher stuff I'll get bored and we can't have that.  

New Look 6801

 
Isn't this a great summer dress?  I love the neckline and the sleeve options.  Cut mid-thigh lenght it'd be a great tunic to wear over pants (NOT leggings, thank you very much) while that long sleeve version would be so fantastic with black boots come fall. 

New Look 6802

Here's another great knit dress.  I probably wont' get this because neither option is flattering to my figure but I can still appreciate it, right?  I like this interpretation of the twist front and the modesty panel underneath that keeps this from being as, well, showy  as many of the other twist tops and dresses are.  I'm not overly excited about the other dress option and can't say I'd really want to sew  darts in knits but, well, that's me.  Still, the twist dress is great.

New Look 6815

This is my hands-down favorite of the bunch. If this had only been out when I was planning my SWAP for Timmel this year ... not that I participated but I did dream and my biggest frustration was finding a wardrobe pattern that had three pieces I'd want to make in it (per the special twist in the rules this year). I've wanted to make a shirt dress for a while now and those button-up shirts would be great for my wardrobe. Bonus points since once I've gotten the fit right in the dress, the shirt would be super easy. I even like those pants and I NEVER like wardrobe pants. The button flaps on the side really make them chic.  This is one pattern I totally plan on getting and making up for my coming professional wardrobe.  And speaking of SWAPs and wardrobes, I should get a plan together.  Hm.

New Look 6807

Another great casual piece, though made up in the right fabrics I can see this with a nice skirt and jacket.  I love curved, gathered necklines on knit shirts and they love me so obviously, this pattern should be mine.  I like the raglan sleeve look as well, especially with those cute little cap sleeves.  I don't have any knit shirts with 3/4 bishop sleeves but maybe it's time for a change.

Ok, time to get to work to plan the mothers day stuff we're doing and then to clean up my sewing area so the 20-minute sessions can get started!  

Best of the Summer from Butterick, Simplicity, and McCall's

After the horrors of tents on straps (thanks keely for the mental image!) and horrendous jumpers, here's something far more soothing.  The top five patterns (in my book) from Butterick, Simplicity, and McCall's.  Enjoy!

#5 - McCall's 5658

The more I look at this, the more I like it as a great summer party dress set. The inverse pleats at the waist give it shape while being very now, and the different necklines give you the option to make it perfect for a summer wedding (A) or a more formal affair (B).  And C is just right for a casual and cool day dress.  Also, with the sea of sacks this season, it's great to see something that shows a waist!

Plus I just love that shade of blue, especially with gold.  So that might affect my judgment.  Still, neat little dress, neat options, neat job McCall's!

#4 - McCall's 5651

It really doesn't get more basic than this - undies, bras, and slips in simple, easy-to-sew styles.  But what really makes it special is that attitude.  Look at that, it's a DIY Style pattern targeting those in their teens and 20s.  I love that and want to nurture and encourage it as much as I can.  Really, just looking at that pattern makes me think of my two sad slips and want to replace them with knit silk versions.  Maybe with some contrast lace and ... see what it's doing?  It's INSPIRING, just from the envelope.  Now that's something special.  And this is one pattern that won't be out of style in a year or two.  No, we've been quietly wearing all these for a while and they're here to stay.  

Besides, just a few weeks ago someone on PatternReview was complaining about the lack of slip patterns available.  Well, here you go, one new one to add to the drawer!  Thanks, McCall's, and great job showing how a pattern picture (even if it's just line drawings) can be truly inspiring!  And even more for helping the new generation catch the sewing bug.  Great job!

#3 - Butterick 5218

The Big Shirt is back and this is a neat variation on that simple theme.  I really like the placket, the front pleat, the different collars (specifically A), and the sleeves.  The only thing I'm not liking is the length of C but, fortunately, there's three other lengths to choose from.  This style looks great over skinny jeans on those fortunate rectangles who can wear both styles and tucked into a high waisted skirt for us hour glasses.  Made up in a rough cotton it's got the safari look that's in, while made up in something nicer, like silk or a nice cotton, it's perfect for the office and church.  

Similar to this, and a close runner up, is McCall's 
5664.  Again we see the elegant placket that I love.  Does it tell you anything about my button-hole sewing skills that I'd rather do a placket than a row of buttons?  I thought so.

The sleeves are different on this, and different in a good way.  I really like the shorter sleeves and the 3/4 bishop sleeves can be really great, especially as fall creeps up.  The reason I went with the Butterick over this one, though, is the twin problem of the volume and the under bust tie.  On the model it's not bad, though the bow's a little odd.  However I'm not certain how it'll look on others, especially me.  That tie keeps it from being tucked in as a random high-tie plus tuck equals two waist lines.  One is plenty for me, thank you.  And those two style details are so 2008 that they're going to date this pattern long before the Butterick goes out of style.  I might still get the McCall one because I think it has potential but if either become TNTs, I'm pretty certain it'll be the Butterick.  Still, can't go wrong with one more pattern in the drawer!

#2 - Simplicity 2899


Remember on the "Worst Of" list how McCall's completely bombed with their plus sized shirt? Remember me telling them to check out Simplicity's stuff to see how it SHOULD be done? Well, this what I was talking about.   This is a FANTASTIC jacket with more options than you could exaust in a wardrobe of jackets.  Those lines are incredibly flattering, giving waist definition and showing off the legs.  And it's only available in Women's sizes.  That's right, one of this year's hottest jacket patterns and women less than size 18W are missing out.  How's that for a change?  

I love that Simplicity has embraced their Women's line enough to give them great, modern styles made for THEM (not a 16-year-old size 6) rather than throwing them the normal assortment of sacks and sized-up misses stuff that never fits right.  Good for you Simplicity!  

#1 - Butterick 5206
What a fantastic basic wrap dress.  I love it.  Great V-neck (and work-safe with the addition of a camisole), great sleeve options, fantastic obi-belt for showing off the waist, and nice, flattering skirt.  What's not to love?

Sure, it's no show-stopper but that's what makes me think this'll be this year's best little knit dress.  You can make it up in different fabrics with different twists and each one will be fantastic.  I can imagine this in a solid black with a red belt and contrasts, a cute floral with solid contrasts for summer, and a rich olive with black accents for fall.  I need to get this pattern and then get back to sewing knits.  It's been too long and this is just the pattern I need to get started again!

Good job Butterick, you win Best Pattern for Summer 2008!  At least in this competition.  I guess it's even since you also lost ... but we're putting all memories of jumpsuits out of mind and focusing on this lovely dress.  Good job!

Summer Patterns

irst McCall released their summer line. And I yawned. Then Simplicity and I wasn't sure what to say. Now Butterick has shown their line and once again I'm underwhelmed by far. It'd be one thing if, like the Vogue line, they were all so crazy, so out there that I could find some enjoyment commenting on them. Or if they were horrendously terrible. After all, I'm not above laughing at travesties, provided no blood is involved. Or, best, if each pattern were inspiring, beautiful, and new jewels for the pattern boxes.

Unfortunately the 3 lines managed to miss all possible targets. There were one or two crazy items, but no theme like Vogue had. Just the odd crazy, like Uncle Ben at a funeral. Yeah, there were a few bad calls - but very little that was so mind-shatteringly wretched that I HAD to drop everything and comment. And there were the occasional nice items, but again, nothing worth writing about. However once the total count has reached three lines and 99 total patterns I figure I have to say SOMETHING. So I present the best and worst from the three lines.

The Worst

#5 - McCall's 5652

 Let's start at the top, shall we?  Spaghetti straps forbearing any bra wearage?  Check.  Tiny little bodice designed to best minimize and pull down the most endowed woman?  Check.  Gathered empire waist to completely obsure any hint of a figure?  Check.

So in basic we've got a 4-year-old's dress in misses' sizing.  Gack.  And the fabrics and colors picked for the sample couldn't be worse.  Seriously, who decided this was a good idea?  Maybe done in lace and frills with a cute undershirt covering up all that skin for a western take on sweet lolita ... no, not even that would work.   Maybe just adverting the eyes until McCall quietly discontinues this odd pattern.

#4 - McCall's 5666

This shirt really rather deserves the triple six in the pattern number.  Really, what team of evil comes up with something like this?  It's like some twisted designer, saturated with images of anorexic teens, decided that any woman with a healthy or slightly more than healthy BMI must be horrendously ashamed of herself and unwilling to go out the door in anything less than a full on duvet cover.  Really.  And then, when someone complained about the lack of shaping, the designer said "FINE!" and cinched it in at one of the worst possible places.  Look at that poor model.  She's either drugged into staying there as the camera snaps or dreaming up various ways to torture the designer.  Preferably the latter.  Good grief, pay a ten minute visit to Simplicity and LOOK at their Woman's stuff!  There's a number of designs that help women rock their bodies of all sizes.  This - this is not rock.  This is karaoke.  Karaoke at a country western bar in Portland at 3 am during a beer shortage.  Except worse.

#3 - Butterick 5227

This is one of GFY's scroll down disasters.  That is, it starts out innocently enough.  Yes, that white top's too wide and unfitted and the fabric looks like it came from a long picked over dollar bin but it could be nice.  And the brown version is rather cute on top with that scoop neck and nice little cap sleeves.  And then you scroll down.  No waist definition, flare at hips and then - wow.  Extra volume right at the thighs.  Every woman's worst nightmare and you went there, Butterick, you went there.  Really, a little shorter and it might work.  Longer (as shown in the yellow dress) and it's quite nice.  But right there?  Oh no.  Oh no no no no no.  And it's just made all the worse by the fabric and fitting.  I get it, this is a fast and easy (and super-tacky) pattern.  But if it doesn't look good in a fast and easy fabric then why by all that's good are you selling it???  Ick.

#2 - McCall's 5656

I actually debated on this one.  After all, the two line drawings aren't bad at all.  A lot more volume than any woman I've met likes in her jumper but beyond that they're inoffensive.  But that white one.  Oh my.  We see here that someone clearly failed their proportions class.  Badly.  Those sleeves are just too big, those shoulders too small, the neckline too oddly smallish big, and the dress too wide for any of it to work.  It really makes you wonder - why did no one step back and LOOK at the dress and say, "hey, the sleeves are really messing it all up - how long would it take to rip 'em out and make this baby sleeveless?"  It's not like they don't have other garments to shoot.  Then just sketch sleeves on the yellow drawing and, while it's probably still not great, there's at least a chance someone will buy the pattern.  Maybe. 

#5 - 5229

I'll admit, Butterick's Fast and Easy line has never been exactly cutting edge.  Actually it's almost exactly what my favorite thrift store back in Virginia regularly has in their pattern rack.  For 10c a piece.  Half off on some days.

But for all my low expectations ... this one still stunned me.  Stop for a moment and look, really look, at E and D.  That's right.  You're not hallucinating.  Those are, in face, drop-waist, wide necked, dowdy-sleeved jumpsuits.  

If this isn't a sign of the end times I don't know what is.

I'm looking and a sadistic side of me is trying to imagine how they could look worse.  Maybe if you turned them into high waders, those pants that make a model look stubby - oh wait, D is already doing just that.  I know, pockets at the thighs so that the woman looks even wider ... oh, they beat me to it.  Ok, I'm stumped.  Apparently these can't get any worse.  And my eyes are watering.  This is, without a doubt, the WORST pattern released this year.  Yay butterick, you lose!

And this post is getting long ... ok, then, top five tomorrow!

And now for something completely different

A few of my favorite songs as depicted by various You Tube persons.

Enjoy! :)


Title of The Song by Da Vinci's Notebook


Accidentally in Love (Casting Crows) + Disney princesses. Fun. :)

Speaking of Disney (I miss my CA and FL homes):

Fun family pictures (not my family - actually I have no clue who they are) put to one of the best songs ever


And a little They Might Be Giants to round it off.

Next on the Sewing Agenda

Pretty!

I have a lot of things I SHOULD make but this would just be pure joy to try. It's Susan's "farewell to Narnia" dress from Prince Caspian, coming out on May 15th. I just love the look of the dress ... or at least the look of the top. Unfortunately this is the only picture of this dress so everything below the elbow is a mystery. There's a lot of chatter over on Narniaweb.com about the skirt and lower sleeves and really, any of the guesses could be right.

My guess? Look on.



Yes, it's a bit Pirates of the Carribean extra-ish, but I suspect it'll look better when made up in bright, crisp fabrics. I'm working on some technical sketches and such and will get back soon (really!) with some progress!

(House) Planning for the Future

Since DH and I are currently stuck in an apartment we'll occasionally go to some site like houseplans.com and dream a bit. I'm especially a fan of these cheap dates since, for a brief bit in high school, I seriously considered going into architecture. I took all three drafting classes my school offered, loved them, and nearly got a job with an architectural firm near the school. In the end, though, it just wasn't quite what I wanted to do with life. Though there's always those background "what ifs." But back on topic, I still enjoy looking at house plans and mentally playing with them like I toy with patterns.

Tonight in one of our little house plan dates DH and I found a plan that's strangely growing on me. It's got everything we want, it's just not exactly your normal plan. But then we're not exactly you're normal people, so I guess it works. :)

Here's the plan (found on houseplans.com under staff picks):






Isn't it ... unique? Since I'm really not a fan of the costal style I'd like to make it more English country cottage on the outside and DH has claimed the tower as his "wizards tower" study. So remove the balcony and put a few subtle castle-y details on it. I love the large, open kitchen with lots of counter space (so different from our current cramped kitchen), the upstairs laundry room, and not-too-large master bedroom. We'd turn bedroom 2 into a sewing room (nice and close to laundry) and bedroom 3 DH wants to use as a chapel. We'll keep bedroom 4 ready for guests. That should give ALL of us room to breath. Though there's always the chance of renting it out, especially if we're close to whatever college I'm teaching at. We're keeping our imaginary options open there. :) I'd definately want a basement for storage. The basement stairs would go right under the other stairs. DH wants to use a hidden door to get to it, maybe a sliding bookcase or something. I think it sounds fun. We might put a media room down there for, you know, all those movies we watch. I think I'm giving us a dream life along with a dream house but, well, it's fun.

So, thanks for dreaming with me. :)

Sewing Videos Online

Just thought I'd start putting all those videos I find online into a neatly organized section on the blog so I (and others!) can find them again. Because it's so annoying to spend 20 minuets googling that video when all you remember about it was that it was about sewing and absolutely fabulous.

Singer Sewing Company quicktime videos. - Lots of short videos on how to use their feet. Since one manufacturer's feet look like another's, useful to anyone who has a machine.

Threads Videos - Quicktime and Realtime. Good videos on pressing (by GorgeousThings!), a tour of a fabric store, knit neckline bindings, and a video showing Pancho Martinez do amazing embroidery with just a zigzag machine. It's not something I'll be doing any time soon (especially after watching how close his fingers get to that unguarded needle!!) but it's pure inspiration and eye candy.

That's it for now, I'll get more up later!

Vogue Summer 2008 - The Anime Collection

(this is totally cut-n-paste from my comments on PatternReview's message board so if it looks familiar it's not just you)

Is anyone else getting an anime vibe from this collection or was it just me? As I was looking the thought "if I ever get into cosplay I should stock up on some of these" kept going through my head.


These pants are so cute mechanic chick (helped greatly by the tank top) while the jacket with the collar up is ... someone else. Still trying to pin it down.


Sexy, but the odd (in a good way) front placket is right on the edge. Just what the mature love interest is likely to wear. Sexy but in control.


First off, love the neck treatment of the purple one. If I get into making tees I might have to pick it up just for that detail. The other two with the curves and zigzags have to be standard costume for at least a few anime characters.


Total anime or sci-fi villian. Or fan service, that works too. But you'd have to add a thigh-high slit. :)


That jacket so looks like a anime futuristic military uniform. I think it's the lapel in that color. I feel the need to add random pins and braid.


The vibe's not so strong with these but the over all asian feel still qualifies them as honorable mentions. And despite having none of the characteristics needed to pull off these pieces, I'm still tempted just because they're so totally unique.

----

Ok, that was all the seriously anime stuff I found. Still, interesting. Beyond the desire to buy for any future costume needs that may come up, I really didn't fall for anything in this line. But, well, that's standard for vogue and me. That's fine, I love the more plebian other 3 so we're good. :) I did appreciate some stuff though. For example:

Hidden under those large (but strangely attractive) tailored shirts are hollywood pants in 8502.

The dress in 8491 is so Laura Bennet with the great squarish neckline in front and v in back. Also love the many darts which make fitting easier.

8494 is one of those dresses that manages to be totally current with the beaded neckline but will still be chic many years from now.

I kinda want the Ralph Rucci shirt dress just for the instruction sheet. The halter-ish style top is bad on me but it shouldn't be impossible to take it's better parts (like that braided trim, pockets, and construction) and morph them with a shirt dress better suited for my figure.

I LOVE the new Alice+Olivia pants though I'll need to do a review dive to see what body shape they normally draft for. I'm all curves which sounds great for a 50s bombshell, not so great for fitting pants. And speaking of 50s - I like the vintage patterns they released even if I'm just so no a fan of the Dior New Look. I'm a 40s girl at heart. Fortunately Vogue already has more 40s stuff out than I can keep up with so I'm not complaining. :)

Simplicity Summer of 08

Hot off the presses and (even better) 99c at Joann's this weekend, Simplicity's Summer offerings.  Overall I liked this line.  Yes, there are a lot of bags posing as garments with various details but, well, that's the style.  Besides, after seeing so many I think they're growing on me.  Dangerous, I know.

So let's look at the looks I'll be adding to my collection and what looks really should be avoided, 99c sale or not.

Out

*crickets chirp* 

You know, no matter how hard I look I can't find any actual garment travesties in this group.  There are some I won't be adding (specifically anything with square necks or for children) but none that I can really hate.  At least in the garment devision.  However in the craft division....

A pattern for a clown.  I HATE clowns.  Scary, creepy, twisted things.  I've never really liked clowns but then there was that time at Busch Gardens when a mutant undead clown chased me through a whole forest of limping, grasping, hideous undead clowns ... I'm totally scared for life.

Bad pattern for making me relive those nightmares.  Ick.

Onto much happier thoughts...

So Hot, So Mine

1. S2941

If you know me, you know costumes are my weakness.  After all, a good, historically accurate costume just doesn't go out of style.  And they're so much more fun to wear than everyday stuff.  Sadly there just haven't been many good patterns released recently.  So it's good to see Simplicity and Andrea Schewe (my favorite designer) releasing at least this one pattern.  It's something!  And it's a something I think my husband would highly appreciate.  :)  I really like all the different pieces in the pattern though I wish they'd stop using those barbie dolls for the front and back views and switch to the nice basic line drawings they use for all their other patterns.  It's hard to see the details with those dolls.

4.  S2938

I really like the dress in this pattern, it's got that easy-breezy black dress look with just a nod to current trends with the gathered neckline.  And it's got a size zipper!  I so prefer those over back zippers as they're much easier to reach to zip up.  I always have trouble contorting myself just right to zip up those last three inches with back zippers.  In regards to the rest of the pattern, I can't say I'm a fan of the boxy hobbit jacket with just the single button.  I really don't get why I'd want a jacket with sleeves too short to keep my arms warm and a front that gapes open giving me a cold tummy.  Plus, as a pear I really don't need that tent like line making my hips look even bigger.  So a pass on that one.  The pants look nice but as pants and I don't get along I'd rather that they'd included a skirt.  Oh well.  Still, I'll buy it for the dress and that's enough for me.

3 S2940

I'm a fan of all things kimono at the moment.  It started with sewing one up for a friend's wedding present and then another and then one for myself and then, well, it kind of went from there.  I love how, with the right fabrics, one pattern can be a shirt, a jacket, a cool weekend robe, a sexy geisha robe, and, I'm sure, much more.  While I'm really pleased with the pattern I've morphed beyond recognition into my own creation, that doesn't keep me from wanting a whole slew of similar patterns to draw details from.  In this particular case I really like the sleeves and the boxy and potentially authentic lines.  And just look at that skirt!  Is it really a high waisted wrap skirt with just a hint of an obi?  I so want.

2.  S2927

Dressaday.com's getting to me, I love this pattern in part because it has pockets. I didn't used to have a thing for pockets. The buttoned collar is a great detail, giving it a nice 60s vibe and all the graceful lines look like they add nice shaping. I also like the short little sleeves, though it's driving me crazy that I can't remember the name of that style. It'll come to me. Overall it's a cute little summer dress that would look ever so chic with wedge sandals and a kitschy necklace and it should whip up in an afternoon of easy sewing. What's not to love?

--------
And my favorite and the one I vote most likely to make the Best Patterns of 08 list...

1. S2923

Shirt dresses take a little extra work in construction but pay off so well. They've got a forever-chic look and blend professionalism with comfort. Fantastic. This one is an especially good version. I love the flattering princess seam, the pencil and aline skirt options, the buttons that stop a little below the waist (buttonholes are a pain on my machine so the less the better), the graceful back yoke, the gathers, the many sleeve options, and, best of all, the mandarin collar. I think my asian side is showing. The asian side gained from living in asian neighborhoods, not through any bloodline. Sadly my body is pure western european with all the difficult to fit curves that come with it. But back to the shirt dress, I can so see making that up in three or four versions for throwing on for classes next semester. So easy and so chic.

----

So, what was your favorite pattern from this collection? Any you thought should have gotten nixed at the drawing board?

McCall's 5576 Step-by-Step: Cutting

Now that your pattern is nicely laid out and pinned to the fabric it's time to take a deep breath and cut!  No going back now!

First, take a moment to look over your layout before cutting.  Are all of your pieces perfectly on grain?  Are you missing anything?  All the pieces facing the right way?  If so, great, let's go!

Although I normally use a rotary cutter, for this pattern I pulled out my trusty scissors just to ensure I still knew how to use them.  It was also a good reminder for why I prefer my rotary cutter.  Make sure you're using nice sharp scissors reserved for cutting fabric.  If your scissors have nicks and rough edges they can snag your fabric and ruin it before you have a chance to use it.  I've written "Sewing Scissors DO NOT USE" all over mine to help tell them apart from our regular scissors.  

Start with a long, mostly straight edge (the hemline is good) and cut with long, clean, controlled strokes.  Don't hurry!  Cut on the OUTSIDE of the black cutting line.  Again, go slow, there's no reason to rush.  Enjoy the cutting process and the sound of the scissors.  Be careful not to lift the fabric up any more than is necessary to fit the bottom blade under it.  This is one of the many reasons I love my rotary cutter - no lifting of the fabric.  However the mats and blades are relatively expensive so most beginners have to serve some time cutting out their patterns the way their grandmothers did.  It builds character.

When you get to a corner (such as when you move from cutting the hem to the side seam) cut a little past the turn then come back and start cutting up the side.  This helps keep everything neat and sharp.  

When you're cutting along a curve, especially a sharper one like you find at the neckline, continue with the long cuts but pivoting the scissors as you cut to follow the curve.  What you DON'T want to do is take little snips.  It's far too easy for those to turn out a jagged edge.  

After the piece is cut out take the time to mark it then and there.  (Lesson on marking coming soon.)  After marking the piece, leave it there if possible and move on to the next piece.  Picking it up can shift the fabric and mean a minute or two of resmoothing before cutting the next piece.  Unfortunately my cutting space is so small that I can only cut one large piece at a time so I do pick up just cut pieces, fold them a time or two, and put them in a neat pile off to the side.  Basically, do what works for you but do it knowing the reasons and (potential) consequences.  

Continue cutting out the various pieces until you're finished.  Now take a moment and look over the instruction sheet to make sure you've got everything you need.  More than once I've thought I was finished when I'd only cut out one sleeve or forgotten a facing or some other thing like that.  Double checking can cut down on a lot of frustration.  Now you're ready to sew!

McCall's 5576 Step-by-Step: Pinning the Pattern Pieces to the Fabric

Now it's time to pin the pattern pieces to the fabric.  This is an important step and well worth doing carefully because if you mess this up there's not much that can be done.  No pressure, though.  :)

First look over the pattern layout in the pattern instructions and take a moment to recheck which pieces you'll need and how many times you cut each.  Now lay down your first piece according to the instructions.  Don't pin it yet!

Find the grainline on the pattern piece.  Unless the piece is on the fold (we'll get to that in a moment) it's the long line with an arrow at either end.  Measure from it to the selvage or fold (whichever is closer) at several points.  Is it the same distance from the selvage/fold at each point?  If not (and it's probably not) then adjust it until it is.  Now put two pins in along the grainline.  If you skip this step you're likely to cut the piece off-grain and that can later cause the piece to hang wrong and try and twist around your body.  If you've ever had a garment whose side seam wanted to be in the front then you know what a pain it is.  And no, there's no way to really make an off grain piece behave like it should.  So don't cut off grain!

Now smooth out the pattern with your hand, making sure it and the fabric are flat.  Pin around the edges of the fabric, putting the pins parallel to the cutting line and about 1/2" in.  I put pins ever 6 or 7 inches on long straight edges and every few inches on more curved edges.

If you look at the picture you'll notice how I pin the corners.  Rather than pinning parallel there I put them at an angle.  It seems to hold the fabric better.  Make sure all your corners have pins as this will help you a lot when you get to cutting.

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Excursus: Pinning patterns that go on a fold.

Placing and pinning a pattern piece that goes on a fold is, in some ways, easier than other, non-fold, pieces.  Pieces that go on a fold are indicated by, instead of a grain line with arrows on both ends (or on one end in some cases), a line about 1 inch in from one side with arrows pointing to the edge.  That's the side you'll want to put on the fold.  I just lay it down and adjust it until the pattern is right on the fold all the way down and then pin it.  You can measure the distance from fold to grainline if you really want (I usually don't) but if you just line up the pattern edge with the fold then you should be fine.  And that's it!  Easy! 

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Repeat this for the rest of the pieces or at least as many as you can fit onto your cutting surface. Now you're ready to cut!

McCall's 5576 Step-by-Step: Tracing and Getting the Fabric Ready

I'm a half-and-half tracer - half the time I do it, the other half I just use the pattern directly.  So why trace at all, especially when you can get patterns at $1.99 on sale?  Lots of reasons but I do it for the fit and durability.  I trace onto the cheapest interfacing I can get at Joann's and because it's fabric-like I can sew it up, pin it, and generally assemble the pieces as though they're fabric to check for fit.  You'll see below how I did that with this pattern.  It's also great for doing modifications - I can draw all over with my colored pencils taking in some here or adding something there and it won't tear like the cheap tissue pattern.  Also it means if I need a different size then I can get it, even if the pattern's out of print.  This is the big one.  So there's a bit of an apologetic for tracing.  With that done, let's get onto the dress!

Tracing the Pattern

(1) Gather the Materials

- Pattern

- Something to trace onto (I used non-fusible interfacing, 99c a yard)

- Dark colored pencils

- Ruler

(2) Unfold pattern, find each piece needed, and trace over your size with a bright pencil.  It'll make the next step far easier.

(3) Lay the tracing material over the first pattern piece, pin the two layers together or use a heavy object to keep them together (I use the ruler) and trace the pattern.  Make sure to include cutting lines, notches, and all triangles and circles.  Label with pattern piece, pattern number, and the size you cut out.  Repeat for all other pieces needed.

(4) Pinfit.  Pin the pattern pieces together as they'll go in the final product.  Don't bother with facings or hems unless they're vital.  You're just trying to get an idea of how the fit is on you.  Put it on and see how it fits - is anything too tight?  Too loose?  How's the fit in the shoulder area?  Yes, it's hard to do this with only half a pattern but soon you'll be a pro.

Getting the Fabric Ready

(1) Look at the pattern layout carefully.  Look again.  It's not the ONLY way to cut out the pattern but it's a really good place to start.  Unfortunately this dress's layout for sizes 8-14 is HORRIBLE for a new seamstress.  Instead of an easy fold in half like the other sizes it has you fold in one side just enough to fit on the front and back pieces.  That's hard and it takes a lot longer than is fun.  So if you're reading this prior to buying fabric - BUY ACCORDING TO THE 18-22 LAYOUT.  It's just half a yard more (2 5/8 rather than 2 1/8) and worth every inch.  Unfortunately I bought according to the smaller amount so that's what you'll see.

(1b) If you haven't yet, wash the fabric.  Cotton especially has a tendency to shrink in the wash and you want this to happen BEFORE you've spent hours cutting and sewing.  Wash it on the hottest setting it'll take and, if your cotton is strongly colored, don't put lighter colored stuff in with it.  Dye always bleeds the worse the first couple washes.  

(2) Prep the fabric for laying out.  "True" the grain by taking a snip half an inch down from one edge, cutting far enough in to get past the tightly woven selvage.  Now rip along that cut.  Yes, you read right.  Cottons rip wonderfully along their grain line and it's kinda fun.  Now the top edge should be perfectly perpendicular to the selvages.  Lay it out along a grid to make sure.  If not tug the fabric into shape.

(3) Fold the fabric according to layout instructions

(3a) If you're following the 18-22 layout then fold the fabric in half length wise.  Pin along the selvage ever 6 or so inches to keep it all together, especially if you're cutting on a table smaller than the fabric length. 

(3b) I bought according to the 8-16 layout so I had to do this the hard way.  First I measured the widest part of the front and back pieces.  This plus half an inch (just in case) is how much I need to fold over from one edge.  The magic number for my size (12 tapering to 14 at the hips) was 11.5 inches.  I folded then measured at three different spots to make sure it was all folded evenly.  Of course it wasn't.  Fold and measure again.  And again.  This is why that extra 1/2 yard would have been a great investment.

(4) If your cutting surface is shorter than your fabric (and mine usually is) then there's a danger of the fabric getting stretched off grain as it hangs off the edge of the table.  This is a slight to moderate risk for firmly woven cottons and a guarantee for looser wovens like chiffon and some satins.  I just take the bit that would hang over the edge and fold it up to sit on the end of my table.  True, it makes my small cutting area even smaller but it's better than dealing with a skewed grain.  Trust me on that one.

Now you're ready to pin the pattern pieces on!  You're doing great!

McCall's 5576 day 1

I have four classes sketched out so far - an introduction to the machine, first pattern (a robe), introduction to zippers and sleeves and darts, and a skirt fitting class. I'm considering using McCall's 5576 for the intro to zippers et al class and figured that maybe, just maybe I should make up the pattern myself to see if it would work for newbies. Plus I get a couple dresses out of the bargan. Score. :) So the making of the dress, day one...



I bought some snazy (and, for Joann's, expensive) black quilting cotton with silver sparkles. I keep hoping I didn't make a mistake - it was more than I wanted to pay and it's pretty stiff - certainly not the nice soft stuff I'd recomend to students. But it looks really fantastically sharp. Part of the trepidation is knowing that I can't frankenpattern or modify this pattern like I normally would. The standard saves I'd typically make really don't help the students see what their dress will look like. Though, if it really looks that bad, it could be an example of a creative save. But hopefully it'll work out fine. For my trial version, though, I'm going to use a much softer cotton (also from my little local J's) in a beautiful black and green geometric print that I love and which has been aging a year in my stash but has waited until now to tell me what it wants to be. The print should help hide errors, as well.

Back to the black fabric, it came home and I wanted to wash it immediately but we just did laundry yesterday and I'm not spending the 75c our apartment washers cost for one length of fabric. So I googled how to wash clothes in the bathtub. Ask and you shall receive! I so love all things Wiki.


After washing the fabric I traced the pattern. I'm a very slow tracer. An hour and a half later I finished and pinfitted the traced pieces - looks good! Tomorrow I hope to cut and start on the actual sewing. Tonight I'm tired and I know better than to cut while tired - very odd things happen. So avoiding that. :)

New Class to Suck My Time!

For my internship I have to teach at the lay school my seminary hosts. Makes sense. So I go in to interview for a position and the director asks what class I'd like to teach. I reach for the list of standard classes on his desk and he pulls it away and says, "no, not what class of our normal roster you'd like to teach, what class, if you could design one, would you like?" Well, it just so happens I'd been dreaming. So I describe this class looking at the New Testament cannon and the various criticisms it's come under recently from everything from the Gospel of Judas to Bart Eerhmans' questions about scribal corruptions and next thing I know I'm down to teach The New Testament Cannon: Do We Really Have God's Word? next semester. Over the next few months I need to get together either a textbook or selected readings, a schedule, and a syllabus for this brand new class. Eeep! And, at the same time, very, very exciting!

In other news there's no way I can teach that class, take 4 classes myself, and still put in the hours they need me at work. So something has to give and it looks like work is the one that will. Financially things work out if I just bring in a couple hundred a month and so I began thinking ... is this the year to finally do what I've been wanting to do and start teaching sewing classes? There's been a bit of a convergence of stars here with more people living near campus, a woman donating new sewing machines, an increase in interest among those I've talked to, and our apartment is just right for a class of 6 people and sewing machines. It's not spacious but, well, neither are the places that my students will be sewing in. First on the docket - get caught up with classes so I can dream without guilt! But after that I need to do test runs of the class projects, get tables for sewing on, rearrange the living room, advertise, and, I'm sure, so much more. But I'm excited and, after a string of jobs that have left me more worn out and discouraged than anything else, I don't mind a bit.

Mending and Theology

Beautiful and thought-provoking quote from NPR

"Mending doesn't say, "This never happened." It says instead, as I believe the Christian cross does, "Something or someone was surely broken here, but with God's grace it will rise to new life." So too my old pajamas, the fence around the garden, the friendship torn by misunderstanding, a country being ripped apart by economic and social inequity and a global divide of enormous proportions — they all need mending.

I'm starting with the pajamas."

By Susan Cooke Kittredge

New Book (?) on the horizon?

Stone gargoyle in Belle's Library in Walt Disney World

Last Christmas my aunt gifted DH and I with a gift to the World - Walt Disney World, that is. With the stipulation that we go at the same time as her and my immediate family. Fortunately they're all only mildly crazy (hey, you knew I got it from somewhere) and a lot of fun to vacation with so we took her up on the offer in a millisecond. As Christmas presents for everyone I put together a pocket sized scavenger-hunt extrodinaire for the World, including the standard "find a stone monkey statue" stuff, points for going on the rides, pressed pennies to hunt down, pages for a daily schedule, abbreviated menus for all the counter service places in the parks, and a full section of logic puzzles, word searches, and games to keep everyone occupied when the lines got long. It was a huge hit.

Since I've sunk all that time and work into it I began to wonder - would other people be interested in this little booklet? Would it be possible to publish this hunt and both share the fun and get a little back from all my research? I'm in the first stages of finding out. After investigating two of the new online self-publishing places, blurb.com and lulu.com, the latter really had the size and prices I was looking for. Check one. So I uploaded my hunt to their site and ... oops, I was under the minimum number of pages. I thought that was a little odd since I had 73 pages and they wanted a minimum of 40 - but who knows how these things are calculated. Added some more games and puzzles, uploaded and ... drat. In order to get my booklets for my family to the right size to carry around - half pages (5.5"x4.25") - I'd set MS Word to print two pages per sheet. So Lulu was showing my stuff just the way Word was told to print it, only with everything shrunk beyond readability to fit onto the smallest size booklet they offer. D'oh. Which, yes, means that they thought I had half the pages that I do, what with the two-per-page and all. So they calculate their pages the same way everyone else does. That makes sense.

So now I'm messing with MS Word and trying to get everything to fit on the newly sized paper I'm forcing it to think it's using. You'd THINK that once everything was standardized to fit onto that original half sheet that just resizing the paper to a true half-sheet size would have everything fitting the same as always. You'd think. Sadly I now have another 7 or so hours of strictly formatting to mess with before I can even think of publishing. Oh well. Gives me time to look into copywrite issues, marketing, and all that jazz. If I'm going to sink that many more hours into this then I DO want it to pay me back, litterally. :)

So that's what's happening over in our little apartment. I've got more just randomness about sewing classes, a possible move, and current sewing stuff to blog about next time. For now I've dawdled enough messing with the Scavenger Hunt, time to hit that there homework with a nice, large stick. Teach it to mess with me. :)

Randomness

So far behind in critiquing the latest pattern collections, my own sewing, and even schoolwork.

But did have time for a quick quiz :)

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd   Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Drama Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Anime Nerd
Social Nerd
Musician
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace