There are always lessons to be learned and re-learned like with this Simplicity 2756 blouse. WHAT WAS I THINKING! It was a brief moment of romanticism and now it's over. Did I mention that I am ever so definitely not a gathers kind of girl? At the stage above I tried it on and... NOT. I have seen this blouse on blogs and it looks good on some woman but on me, I felt like a prissy little girl. On Stitcher's Guild, we're having a discussion about what is your key style question. For me, it's a feeling that this is or this isn't me.
A look that is me typically has smoother lines and cleaner details like this Vogue 8598 top above. Although I get tired of them occasionally - and that's usually what lures me into romanticism - princess seams are my best look. I had enough black fabric left - it was FABULOUS to work with - to make this top and add the bubble sleeve from the Simplicity pattern so I quickly cut it out and started sewing. Did I mention how important it is to measure twice and cut once?
After that entire and very long and rather stressful and seemingly unending journey to better fit, I failed to use my moulage to check the pattern. I just cut and sewed and had a lovely time. Here it is at the collar stage - a thing of beauty.
I did an amazing good job stitching the collar and collar band. In the step above, I'm hand stitching the band in place on the right side UNDER the collar. See how nice and flat it's lying. That is SO WORTH WORKING toward. Care, attention to detail, accurate stitching, and step-by-step pressing will help you to create a fabulous garment.
I basted every seam and then, once happy with them, serged and pressed them. This time, I used dark green thread in the bobbin. I could still see it but not as clearly as the grey thread I used last time. This is better. Did I mention how much I believe in life long learning? I'll take this forward. From now on, I'll choose the darkest color I can still see that blends in the best AND...
... I tried a new technique for the hem transferring it from a Marcy Tilton video on sewing t-shirts. I cut 5/8" strips of fusi-knit interfacing, fused them to the hem, serged the edge, and pressed up creating a firmer hem. It WORKED LIKE WONDERFUL. Did I mention how important it is to pay attention to those "what if" thoughts. You just never know where they might lead you. This is a step I'll use more often. AND THEN...
... I sewed the bubble sleeve, tried the blouse on, and burst out laughing. I think I already mentioned that I'm not a gathers kind of girl and this sleeve is too much for me especially at hip level. Talk about additional inches. Flounces maybe; gathers definitely not.
And the saddest news of all. Because I failed to measure the pattern against my moulage, it's way too big. If I were trying this on at the store, I wouldn't buy it. It's not a matter of too much ease. It's too wide in the shoulder and too low in the underarm, has no range of arm motion, and feels uncomfortable. That set me off in a whole new direction.
Did I mention that I can sometimes be like a dog with a bone? I get an idea in my head and I can't shake it and it has me scurrying and worrying. Sometimes, like this time, it's grounded on absolutely nothing. BUT... I'm getting better. This time, for ONLY 24 hours, I went slightly stir crazy wondering if I needed to drop down one or two sizes and how I was going to figure that out and what might that mean to my entire pattern collection which is two sizes bigger and and and and and...
... and then last night, while I was knitting, I thought you're wigging and wondering all based on this one pattern and you haven't even measured it against your moulage? Did I mention - I know I did but let me say it again - how important it is to measure twice and cut once?
Laying the pattern on my moulage, the shoulder length was an entire 1 1/2" longer than I would have wanted it to be making the blouse too big and the underarm too low. How I wish I'd done that sooner but even so I HAD A BLISSFUL DAY OF SEWING. It was fabulous. I'm not upset or regretful or any of those things. It was a beautiful day. Well... maybe regretful about the fabric!
It was one of those $2.00 a meter finds that turned out to be a fabric I'd want more of so yesterday found me - for the fifth Sunday in a row - butt up in the discount section at Fabricland hoping against hope to find some more. I was not so lucky BUT - fortunately or unfortunately depending on your way of thinking - the discount section is 50% off for an extended period of time while they clear out boxes of discount fabric from the back. This was probably NOT good information for me to know because YES - I bought fabric - some fabulous dark purple ribbing to make a t-shirt for $2.70 and a dark green for a short, pegged skirt for $1.50. They both washed up great.
Did I mention that shopping in the discount section is an art form? It's like shopping in a second hand store. Best to not even look at the color, pattern, or style until you feel the fabric. For clothing, I flip through the racks feeling the shoulders of each garment. For fabric, I move bolt to bolt rubbing a section between my finger tips. ONLY when I feel quality, do I actually look at the garment or the fabric. From there, I make a decision about whether it's something I'd like or use. Once you develop your hand, you can get some amazing good deals. The ribbing - regular $15.00 a meter. I saved just under forty dollars. AND... I'll go look again because...
... on Friday, I put my resume in to be considered for an on-call clerical position. It's not a posted job. It's a secretarial pool at the university that float and fill in in different departments. If I were to get an interview and/or a job, I have one thing to wear to work so sewing up a few suitable garments might be a good idea just in case and for when because at some point, I am going back to work.
All was not lost. Remember last week when I said I needed to sew because of my Sunday uniform? I really REALLY did not want to wear the same old same old thing to church again. It's too dark of a picture to really see but - a perked up uniform. Here is the short denim skirt with my new purple sweater. It looked great, felt like me, and got lots of lovely compliments. Did I mention how important it is to be true to yourself?
Have a great day - Myrna
Grateful - H1N1 immunization today - finally!
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