A Bare Face Day

Progress is such a lovely thing and finally, I've made some. I vaguely remember sewing at a much faster pace - before - but lately, I seem to get caught up in a project and diddle along. Maybe that's bogged down in a project rather than caught up. Either way, I think I should have this top done by Monday but no promises. We'll see. Next, I have to figure out how to cover the buttons with the silk dupioni before I sew them on. I'm hoping the super amazing glue that I used for textile art work will do the trick without staining the front. We'll see.




Millicent needs a cup increase in order to hold this top (Vogue 2893) up properly. On me, it's filled out more. I'm not sure why I think my stomach is huge and sticking out because...




... I'm constantly flattening out front seams and eliminating darts. After I took the unfinished front image, I took the side seams in 3/4" and the front seams in 1 1/4" for a total of 8 1/2" mostly across the front. Before I put the pattern away, I'll make those adjustments and trace a clean copy - just in case I sew it again some time. I also need to add 3/8" to the center back and back facing pieces. Something went screwy with my math and there was only a 1/4" seam when I compared the new draft to the original pattern. Good thing I compared them or I would have sewn at 5/8 and wondered why it was so tight.

Yesterday, I wanted to stay home, sit around in my yoga pants, and have a bare face day. I didn't want to go to Fabricland and I didn't want to spend money so I dug around in my trims box hoping to come up with something that would work for the loops. I can't remember what but an item in there reminded me of this Berroco yarn and when I compared the colors, they were perfect together.

The yarn is very soft and splits easily. To strengthen it, I stitched over it with a wide, short, zigzag wrapping the yarn in a thread casing to make it more durable, easy to work with, and even closer to the perfect color.




There is a line of basting 5/8" in from each edge of the lacing strip. The chalk marks are evenly spaced. To attach the loops, I caught just a bit of the fabric along the basting line in front of the chalk line and then wrapped the cording around the pin, pulled it tight to the side, and basted it in place. It was quick without a lot of fiddly measuring and pinning. Have I mentioned how much I dislike fiddly?




The excess cording along the edge was left there until the lacing section was sewn in place and then trimmed even with the seam allowances. Then, once everything was secure, the basting stitches were pulled out. The loops aren't 100% identical but they're very very close and... it works! Good and enough.




The lacing strip starts 1/2" up from the hem and 1/2" down from the top. I did that to give the illusion that the lacing could be easily undone. In hindsight, it would be better even with the top and bottom, especially the top. The back needs the tension to help hold it securely.




This is the unfinished back before the seams were adjusted. Once the front and side seams were narrowed, it fit smoothly over my hips. The hem concerns me. There are so many levels that it's hard to tell if it will be even. It's a good thing that - should the hem look uneven - the end of the laces will sit at the curve of the derriere and be nicely distracting. I think it's more a matter of sitting the top properly on the body and having enough bust to hold it in place.

It was a good thing I didn't go to Fabricland yesterday. I would have gone first thing in the morning and have barely made it home before driving back to pick up my son since he was feeling sick. His school is a couple blocks from the fabric store and half an hour from home. It seems to me that home should be a couple blocks from the store considering how often I go there and then again, if it was closer, I might go more often and that's not a good idea although - LOL - to be fair - I've hardly been there at all since the summer. I'm more than stashed up and currently in sewing down mode.

Have a great weekend. Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - It's time to start dreaming about my next project - a skirt to go with - most likely Vogue 7937 from the Self Imposed Sewing Club. It's the one on the left in the center square of the header.

Three Part Strip

It seemed like a lot more should have gotten done yesterday and instead, it was one of those blur days - probably because by the time I got home from shopping for bras for my daughter it was already almost noon. That frustrates me. Half the day is "wasted" although I did find two bras in her size for $9.99. One is royal blue lace and the other black with satin trim. The bands are way too stretchy IMHO but the elastic seems strong enough for now, for tide-me-over bras. I tried a few on in my size and none were as nice as the ones I've sewn. I guess that means I've turned a corner of some kind in bra making.

At the same store, I found a beautiful skirt with unusual shirring at the top. Elastic was sewn vertically in very narrow rows with the ends staggered in a jester shape. The fabric was dark grey and taffeta-like with black embroidered peacock feathers with rhinestone accents. VERY pretty. I tried it on with a grey, ribbed-knit sweater with a sewn in belt below the bust and a large rhinestone buckle. They looked fabulous together, not so fabulous on me. I quit looking after that and brought the idea home. Less expensive. Less frustrating.




In September, I picked up a length of silk organza for a pressing cloth. HOW did I do without that for so many years? It's fabulous. Above, I've stitched the long length of the front facing and then pressed the seam open and now it's prepped to be pressed closed. The pins hold it nicely in place and by looking through the organza, I'm able to press only the edge and not over the pins.




Of course, dupioni presses like a dream but... PERFECT! After this, I stitch the corners and the top and bottom of the facing, trim, and press again. Using this step method gives the most nicely turned, long edge possible.

Hmm... I really REALLY need to recover my pressing surface. It's looking quite tacky in pictures.

This three part strip is for the back lacing. In Vogue's version, the top actually laces closed. In mine, it doesn't. Since there are already buttons at the front for getting in and out, I've added the modesty panel that you see underneath these two edges to secure the back. The top will look like it's laced up but my back flesh will never be on display. That's a lot more comfortable for dancing.

While waiting on spaghetti sauce, I did some knitting. The top is taking shape and it's going to take FOREVER. I'm at the point where the two front strips would overlap if I was stitching it together. I hope it turns out as wonderful as I'm imagining. There's a lot of ribbing. So much that I just might be tired of it if it wasn't my favourite stitch. I'll be ready for a change though. Maybe something with cables next.




Today, I want to finish the lace-up section. I've been dragging my butt deciding the best way to make the loops. The choices are self fabric which sounds fiddly, the velvet ribbon folded velvet in which looks not bad, or back to Fabricland for the narrower trim above in a burgandy-ish color. I think it's called rat tail although I'm not sure. I have it in blue so I'll play with that first. If it looks best, I'll go shopping. If I'm not sure, I'll use the ribbon since it "wastes" another hour to drive over there and back. I'd rather stay home and play.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the doctor's office phoned to organize our flu shots. So nice to have them call me and not have to worry about that. The four of us go tomorrow morning. Yucky but good.

Facings & Lacings

A social knitting group is not the best place to sew up seams and pick up stitches, especially if you need to pick up 66 evenly along two edges. Knowing that, I sewed the sleeve seams, picked up the stitches, and established the rib pattern on my sweater yesterday morning so it would be ready for last night.




Here's how it looked on Millicent in the morning after the sleeve seams were sewn. That little lump at the neck gets attached to the cross over bit once it's knit. You can't really see it in the image below, just a little bit, below her hair, on the right side of the picture.




The instructions call to pick up 66 stitches on one side of the front, knit a long ribbed section, wrap it around the back, and sew it to the other side of the front. A picked up edge looks different than a sewn edge. You can see that in the picture if you look closely. The edge on the right is the pick up one and the not as neat edge on the left is the sewn one. I ignored the instructions, picked up on both sides, and will simultaneously knit the lengths until they meet at center back using a three needle cast off to get a neat finish.




The timing was perfect. I finished prepping the sweater just before ten and then made a big pot of chicken soup for dinner. After that, I worked on the Vogue 2893 silk dupioni top. The sleeves are finished except for the hem and the front and back sections are sewn together. This morning, I'll work on the facings and the back lacing. Above, you can see the silk dupioni seam pressed open over the cotton-silk interlining. Pretty.

One of the women at knitting last night mentioned a sale on bras at a local store. Apparently they are in my daughter's size and selling for 9.99 and 12.99. I'll go see if that's true. If it is, I can mail them to her and she can take back at her store whatever doesn't work. That'll tide her over until lingerie month. After that - sewing.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - progress on the top is coming along well. A nice feeling after the prolonged skirt project which I have figured out how to fix!

Near To Nil

All the suggestions for organizing as an occupation made me smile. Thank you. Organizing is part of every job and it's certainly something I enjoy however, as a full time occupation, it's not the kind of work I'd want to do. For now, it's a labour of love.

Once, when I was visiting my daughter, she graciously allowed me to completely re-organize her kitchen while she was at work. I loved doing that for her. I know her. She knows me. It was easy. With my friend, we did the work together. That's important when a person is ready for and willing to learn a new way of being. My role was to assist but not to do it for her. That takes a sensitivity as to how hard you can push and when to let go and while that degree of awareness is possible with a complete stranger, it's not nearly as easy. And then...

... there's the matter of remuneration. My friend and I spent eighteen hours on her main areas. At eight hours a day, every crook and cranny of a full house could easily take weeks or months depending on the size of the house and the state of things. The homeowner would need to be available, willing to work that hard, committed to the results, and wealthy enough to afford the help because, at even $20.00 an hour, one week would equal $800.00. The likelihood of that happening here where I live is near to nil. Besides - LOL - you can't wear heels to work.




Some more lingerie supplies arrived from SewSassy yesterday. The roll is of leg elastic for panties. The black bundle is 1 1/8" wide elastic lace also for panties. The underwires are in my and my daughter's size. I'm stashing up for lingerie month.

Above is a detail of the elastic lace. It's pretty. Now if I could just find the fabric that I want for the panties at the price I'd like to pay. I found the PERFECT fabric in Salmon Arm a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, there was only one meter. It 90% nylon and 10% spandex with four way stretch and a light feel. I bought the one meter and I'm still looking. At least I can test the pattern with it.

I also bought the Elan 511 demi cup, bra pattern. The range of sizes should work for both of us although one review on PR said the sizing is small. However, reading the review, it didn't sound like the person had much experience sewing bras so I'm not giving it too much credit. I can compare the pattern pieces to my current, fits really well, pattern and go from there.

Four weeks ago, I told you about AdrenaSmart, my new best friend. WOW - this is one fabulous product especially if you've been crying at the drop of a hat over everything like I was. I haven't felt this calm and capable in YEARS. It supports the adrenals and kicked in right away. A month later, I'm barely tearing up never mind crying my eyes out. It's so good that the men in my life have offered to buy it if I won't. Too funny.

Two weeks ago, I started taking EstraSmart. This product is designed to balance hormone levels. What I've found especially interesting is that in the last two weeks my allergies have been much better. I'm not completely desensitized but I'm not re-acting as strongly as I used to to certain foods. In fact, I ate peanut butter and honey on wheat bread for breakfast yesterday and had only a slightly sore mouth but nothing as major as before. That could have backfired. I was being brave, testing out what I'd been sensing. Now, I'm hopeful that if I stay on this supplement and continue with a restrictive diet, my allergies will heal.

I've long believed that the allergies are a result of hormones as they appeared during hormone shifts. A few years ago, I paid for an extensive (and expensive) hormone study however, when I took the information to my doctor, he asked what am I supposed to do with this? How frustrating. I knew hormones were the answer only he wasn't interested and/or didn't know what to do, a naturopath was too expensive, and I wasn't getting anywhere on my own. Or, maybe I am. If what I am sensing is true, EstraSmart might make the difference. It might fix me.

Yesterday, I started taking GlucoSmart, which is designed to regulate blood sugar levels. It's expensive and it's the only product of its kind containing two ingredients that the health food store tells me are not common in other supplements of this nature. After the success with the other two products, I'm willing to try it - because I'm always thirsty which is a symptom of poor blood sugar levels, because I have some skin tags which I've learned are a first sign of type two diabetes, and because two of my children have insulin issues. It just makes sense to me. We'll see what happens.

I mention the products as MY story. I'm not sure what your results might be however, just in case the info could help someone, I wanted to mention it. I know that I have searched for answers for a long time and they've all come through something I've read, heard from another person, or researched on my own. You can read more about the company at HormoneHelp.com.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the perfect velvet ribbon to match my silk dupioni. MUCH nicer than a shoelace.

The Footprint And The Potential

This past weekend, I was able to do several of my favourite things: support and encourage another person and organize and make efficient time and space. I spent two long days helping a friend sort and sift through every cupboard, closet, and container in the main living areas of her home. We did the kitchen, dining room, living room, entryway, and hallway including the fridge, the pantry, and the linen and coat closets. Everything is sparkling clean and clutter free. There are more rooms to do. I may be invited back to help again. I imagine many of you do not think that's as exciting as I do - LOL.

The total make-over kind of task is something I'm good at. I can find potential in a space or a system with little effort. When we were buying, renovating, and flipping homes, my husband commented that I never saw the actual house. I saw the footprint and the potential. It's true. In my mind, walls were knocked down and moved around and I could see how things could go together in a way that improved the space. Organization is a language I understand.

Organization is not my friend's language. It's not that she's unorganized or not capable of being organized. It's just not the language that comes as easily to her. We've talked about that often because she's an amazing cook. She gets that language and easily makes points about utilizing all areas of the taste buds in a dish and contrasting flavours and flavour enhancers and of course you need this or that and it should be cooked this way to do that. As you know, I understand the kitchen on a very basic level.

Over the past few weeks, I've come to the conclusion that while I can - and am - learning to do better in the kitchen, it will never be my first love ALTHOUGH... it is getting easier with practice. I hope my friend comes to the same conclusion with her home. It's a nice level of acceptance and possibility.

Another nice level of acceptance and possibility, is the calm I feel around finding employment. I'm not in rush nor am I standing still. What will be, will be. This change in my way of being happened between ordering and receiving the above books. I bought them as research for writing ideas and they would have been fabulous reference material. Now, they're just fabulous in my collection.

I Googled the authors of these books to see what they are doing now. I could only find information, other than a link to a book, about Ronda Chaney. She still teaches fashion in California. The list of courses is fabulous. I so wish I lived a lot closer. I'd be signed up in a minute. Those kinds of courses are not easily available anymore, a thought that led me to look at the copyright dates.

Making A Complete Wardrobe From 4 Basic Patterns was published in 1987 and Make It Your Own: Personalizing Patterns For Creative Design was published in 1994. I remember the 80's as a time when I studied fashion sewing techniques extensively. There was a local instructor who taught everything from lingerie to outerwear. I learned a tremendous amount from her and then we weren't sewing fashions anymore. We were quilting.

While the details are vague - probably due to the fact that I was having babies and starting a business - I remember a huge shift in sewing world at that time. Workshops, fabrics, notions, and books of this calibre were no longer available. And even though we're experiencing another shift back toward fashion sewing, many of the currently available books and certainly the current articles in magazines are on a simplified level. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years - from an observer's perspective - from a fashion sewing perspective - not from a writing and teaching perspective.

Although I sewed everything from lingerie to outwear, I don't remember working on labour intensive projects. It could be because I've always been a lover of simple shapes and clean lines or it could be that I didn't take the time. That's one of the blessings of being over forty. I'm able to focus in more clearly on what I want to learn and where I want to invest my energy and on doing a thorough job in my own way.




On Friday, I said I would hand baste together the interlining and the fashion fabric for the Vogue 2893 top. I didn't. Yesterday, I serged the vertical edges instead. Because I'm working with silk dupioni, which frays like crazy, I'm not trimming down the seam allowance. It was more organized and efficient - LOL - to serge finish them now before sewing the seams together.




The other edges are trimmed and machine basted together. I was amazed at how much the cotton-silk shifted while cutting out the pieces. When I pinned the silk dupioni fashion layer together with the cotton-silk interlining layer, they were often different shapes. Not a lot but not identical. Something to keep in mind if I ever make a garment from the cotton-silk. It may need spray starch or a special cutting out process. Since fiddly is not my first love, I'll need to figure that out or abandon the idea of sewing cotton-silk garments. We'll see.

This morning, I'm going to clean my fridge, go for coffee with a friend, pick up fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, and spend the afternoon sewing. After a tremendous amount of prep work, the Vogue top is ready to go together. I plan to baste the seams through the hip area and sew them tightly through the upper garment as I know that area fits well. This will allow me to finish the front and back facings and add the lacing and the buttons before fine-tuning the fit of the back princess seams. That should work well. For the lacing...

... the pattern calls for grommets and a shoe-lace. How ugly is that? I'm going to use loops instead of grommets and cording instead of a shoe-lace. I think. First, I need to pop by Fabricland and see what they have that would work. Today. So I can keep on sewing.

There is enough of the silk dupioni left for the facings and a skirt to go with. Maybe. Depending on what I find at Fabricland. If I also need to make bias for the loops and cord, I won't have enough for the skirt. That's okay. I want to sew a black pencil skirt for its versatility, something that Sal talked about today in her posting Styling A Single Piece Multiple Ways. She shows examples from casual Friday to formal wear using the same skirt. VERY interesting.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - innate skills and the ability to learn

Finished & Fitted

Sharon was over yesterday to sew another bra. We're making tremendous progress with fitting but we're not quite there yet. I sent an email and pictures to my workshop instructor and another to BraMakersSupply.com hoping that one or the other or both would give us some advice. Last night, Linda, my instructor, emailed back with how-to information that should make the difference. Talk about great service. We'll try her suggestion next although - LOL - there's a one week workshop that's starting to look like a lot of fun.

I finished and fitted the muslin for the Vogue 2893 top, made adjustments to the pattern, and cut out the silk dupioni fashion fabric and the cotton-silk interlining. The cotton silk is a fairly bright blue, which might not be the exact right color but it's so light of hand and so strong that it's perfect for the interlining. It won't be visible.




I'll hand baste the interlining to each garment piece and then baste the seams together and try the top on again before doing any permanent seams or finishes. I know that the armhole depth is good, the bicep and bust widths are correct. and the garment sits snug against my body across the top. It's the hips that aren't co-operating. However, there are two back princess seams and two side seams so plenty of room to make adjustments. It'll work.

gMarie wrote - What types of stitches are you using to construct your bras? I want to make them and pretty, fun, funky matching sets - but I want them to be pretty. I don't want to notice the seams and think - UGH!




Seams are more noticeable on plain fabrics than with lace or a print. The only stitches I use are a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch - mostly a zigzag. Above you can see black stitches on pink. They're evenly spaced, straight, and neat. I think that looks pretty. Below, you can see the zigzag stitch through the plain pink and through the lace covered cups. Look at where the cups meet the lace and...

... you'll see the straight stitches used to attach the channelling. When stitching around the channelling, I'm careful to evenly space the stitching line from the edge of the cup. The short row of tight zigzag is something new to keep the underwires from moving around in the channelling. They need to sit tight to the bridge.

The picture above shows the straight stitches that secure the channelling meeting the zigzag stitches that secure the lace elastic. My bridge is usually narrower than this one. When it is, the bottom row of stitching forms a V going around one cup to the middle of the bridge and then back around the other cup. The center of the bridge is one of the least neat spots on a bra. I think that's why "they" cover it with a bow. I've yet to sew on a bow and at $1.50 each, not likely to happen soon.

K.Line wrote - I am so impressed with your beautiful work! I want to come visit you during Bra Month!! And I'm sorry that the workshop isn't financially viable at this time. Keep us posted.

What fun it would be to have you here during Bra Month. I'm aiming for January but it really depends on how things go with the work search. I've applied for three customer representative positions. One's casual on-call, one's part time, and one's full time. I'm hopeful and...

... I'm SO GLAD to be feeling light and relieved to have made this decision. I'm surprised it took so long since, although it was a difficult decision, it was a relief when I stopped teaching traditional quilt making and again when I stopped teaching all together (even though I later missed teaching - I needed that break) and still again when I stopped producing pieces for resale. Each aspect of our work being has an emotional and physical weight. Sometimes, we don't realize how heavy that load is until for one reason or another it is lightened.

With all that previous "relief" experience, how strange that I kept trying to figure out what product would sell and where to sell it and how to teach and who to teach. I had cut the strings but I was still hanging by a thread. It kept me grieving for too long. Recognizing that those doors were closed and turning in another direction expecting a window to open is another tremendous relief. My brain is thrilled to be letting go of juggling possibilities, pondering product development, generating marketing ideas and... and... and... and... and... and... and... all the myriad details of owning a business, to just be still.

I'm excited about becoming a part of the visible work force, about getting out of the house and interacting with other people on a regular basis, about clients and co-workers and being able to excel in my position and to support and encourage others through that position. I'm excited about learning new skills and about utilizing ones that I have in a new environment - LOL - while wearing my amazing new go to work wardrobe with heels and hair and make-up. It'll be an adjustment, I know, and I'm still excited.

AND... I'm excited that my creativity will be mine. Life in the studio will be completely and totally all about me for the first time in a really long time. That feels light and airy and full of potential and absolutely fabulous. YES YES!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - an end to grieving and feeling good about moving forward

Show Not Show & Tell

DONE! I am so done with fiddling with this pattern. Enough of that. Moving on. As you can see below, I am - sort of - finished.




For some reason, the fabric at the top of the yoke is pulling. It's not because it's skewed so I'm guessing that it's the stay tape used to prevent that edge from stretching. It seems to have condensed it instead. Whatever it is, it's frustrating. Even on my body, the yoke won't lay smooth and short of cutting off the top, I can't figure out how to smooth it out. Time for a time out!

I've transferred all of the information to a clean draft of the pattern and written out notes for next time. For now, I'm letting it go. While I see the potential and I still want a wearable version of this design, it has become so not fun anymore. I'll come back to it at some point in the future. Hopefully before February. I'd like to take a finished version to the next workshop to show Ron so he can see how it worked out. I won't give him all the details. LOL - we'll skip the (long) journey and get right to the good stuff - show not show & tell.




At the last workshop, I spent some time on the Vogue 2893 top. Ron helped me fit the muslin. The changes were widening the bicep and the back slightly, and raising the armhole half an inch. Since it's been awhile, I'll make another muslin and reacquaint myself with the changes/pattern before cutting out the "real" fabric.



Here's the pattern in case you've forgotten which one it is. I'm using a fuchsia silk dupioni with a cotton-silk underlining. That'll help to strengthen the seams. Dupioni frays like crazy. I have some large, black buttons. I like the size and shape better than any packaged covered ones so I'll figure out how to cover them AND...

... I may sew the skirt too as they go so well together. If I make it relatively plain, it could be part of my work wardrobe. I don't like the phrase back to work since I've been working all along. Perhaps, it's my visible work wardrobe although - LOL - right now, it's a fairly non-existent work wardrobe. I have enough to get by on if I were hired some time soon but more items will be necessary asap. My stash is up to it. I have a lot of - unsuitable for at home but wonderfully suitable to an office - fabrics. YES YES!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - Second chances. Tuesday, I filled out an online resume for a job I would really enjoy only it had been so long since I'd applied for a job and never like this - online. The form gathered information from my uploaded resume and filled in automatically. It was VERY disconcerting. Because of that, I didn't complete the form as well as I should have and received a thanks but no thanks email. I'm more than qualified for this job so I made changes and reapplied. I'm kicking myself for not knowing the first time but life's like that. You can't go back and redo. Moving on. God has a plan. What will be, will be.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Personal Growth: The "veritable life" of our emotions and our relationships is also intermittent. When you love someone you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern. The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in relationships lies neither in looking back to what it was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. For relationships too must be like islands. One must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, continually visited and abandoned by the tides. One must accept the security of the winged life, of ebb and flow, of intermittency. - - - Intermittency - an impossible lesson for human beings to learn. How can one learn to live through the ebb-tides of one's existence? How can one learn to take the trough of the waves? It is easier to understand here on the beach, where the breathlessly still ebb tides reveal another life below the level which mortals usually reach. - Gift from the Sea, page 100, by Anne Morrow Lindhaugh

Block Fuse

Yesterday was a gorgeous day. The sun shone. The trees flashed their colors. The sky was blue. Everything seemed just a little calmer, more creative. I started working on the skirt in the morning and had two guest over for coffee in the afternoon. We had a wonderful time chatting in the studio. LOVE days like those.

The skirt is all together except for the side seams, the hem, and tacking the facings. I debated skipping knitting last night to stay home and finish it but, since there was no rush, I went. I plan to wear that sweater with this skirt so it might be good to finish both of them - LOL.




When I sewed fashions before, interfacing drove me crazy - lining it up with the pattern pieces, getting it fused just right, shrinkage. I don't do it that way anymore. Now, I block fuse, securely attaching the interfacing to the fashion fabric BEFORE I cut out the pattern pieces. In my opinion, it's a much superior way. Avoids shrinkage. Works like wonderful.




When the pieces are cut out, they're accurate and evenly fused. I think this method has less waste as well. I can place the pieces up close to each other and the only amount of interfacing that gets thrown away is what's in-between, which would also be true if I cut out the interfacing first. It seems that I make greater use of odd sized pieces that at one point would have been thrown out. Either way it works for me and...




... the end result is nicely shaped and evenly fused pieces. YES YES.




This package came in the mail yesterday. Three books and a bar of Kiwi-Lime soap from Anna, one of my students in Australia. She spoils me. I've received many lovely gifts from Anna over the years. She's an incredibly giving and generous person.

Two of the books are by Barbara Sher - Refuse to Choose and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was. These are the ones about scanners and divers. I'm intrigued to read more. No guess that I'm a diver though - LOL.

The third book is Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It's a beautifully bound, gift book with uneven, torn pages and a smooth cover. A delight to hold. Small. Profound. I feel as if the author has climbed inside my mind and written about my life. How amazing that a book written over fifty years ago is exactly current today. She talks about how busy life is, women's many roles and choices, being torn in multiple directions, and the lack of intimacy in today's society. Imagine how she'd feel now? I think of fifty years ago as the good old days. It's an eye opener.

Thanks for the well wishes with job hunting. Having made the decision, I'm excited to see where God leads and what work I will end up doing. I have some ideas. Maybe after I read Barbara's book I'll change my mind. We'll see. For now, I want a job that is somewhat repetitive so that I can excel at it relatively quickly, one that involves interaction with people, work that can be left at work at the end of the day and not brought home even in my head, and a paycheque every other Friday. That part especially sounds blissful after years of self employment. I'm exploring working in a bank as a teller, which is now called a Customer Service Representative. I've often thought that matched my wishes wonderfully. Once again, time will tell.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - gifts

The Last Closed Door

In case you didn't recognize the patterns in the new header, they are from the Self Imposed Sewing Club minus V1202 and V2934 which were abandoned due to how unflattering the Dolman sleeve was on me. I've also substituted V7937 for B4859. This extended journey with V2983 has taught me to focus in on what it is I really like about a design and - if there's a better way to make it work - let go of the rest.

The V2983 skirt has wrap around seams that curve from mid back to side front. With my wider back, smaller waist, and high hips, it was more work than worth to get it to fit well. Instead, I decided to incorporate a side seam. That has been a much longer journey than it should have been. Stuff got in the way. Maybe the forest for the trees? Either way, I've decided not to go there again with the Butterick pattern and opted straight away for the simpler Vogue pattern with the same flippy back. I can exaggerate the Vogue lines further when I get to the sewing stage.

Meanwhile, I've been working on the V2983 skirt. First, I shortened the hip depth by an inch and then the overall length by 5 1/2" however, with the weird shape of the pattern pieces this caused distortion. As well, I originally cut the center back piece on bias as directed and then concluded that wasn't necessary for the next version which, after I sewed it, showed me exactly why the piece was on bias. It was necessary to that wrap around seam.

It was at that point that I decided to maintain the deep yoke and the pleats from the original design and to incorporate a regular side seam for its fitting benefits. I spent several muslins figuring out the best position for the side seam on those irregular shaped pieces. In the end, I got it right however, by that point, the hip and hem lines were out of balance and - just when I thought I was almost finished - I noticed that the front yoke was barely lower than the back one making it appear more like a mistake than a design feature. FRUSTRATING! That's when I decided there had to be a better way. In retrospect, it is so easy I wish I had gone there first but that's not the path that happened. Life's like that isn't it?




If you look at view C, middle right, of Simplicity 2451 above, it has similar lines to the Vogue skirt. The yoke is deeper. The pleats are less dramatic. BUT... by transferring the pleat lines of the Vogue skirt to the Simplicity outline, I would create a design with the features I wanted while still in balance. YES YES!




I began by tracing the Simplicity pattern widening the side seam to 1" and the hem to 5/8". Those wedges drawn across the center are the lines of the pleats intersecting at the hemline of the original pattern. Below, I have...

... taped them closed resulting in the original pattern shape without any design features. A basic pencil skirt. By placing the Vogue pattern piece underneath, I step-by-step transferred the design lines to the upper pattern re-drawing the elements from the Vogue pattern in a balanced way with the same pleats and a deeper front yoke.




In the image above, the center fronts were aligned before tracing the line of the first Vogue pleat closest to center front, slicing the pattern to the hemline, and then splitting and spreading it the distance of the pleat. I taped the new pattern to the old Vogue pattern and worked line by line.




The steps were repeated for each of the three pleats. Above, you can see that the Vogue and the redrawn patterns look very similar.




The blue lines show the hills and valleys that match the yoke of the Vogue pattern. To create new lines that matched the yoke of the Simplicity pattern, I folded the pleats in the correct direction and then cut through them following the top curve of the Simplicity pattern. When the paper was unfolded...




... it left the correct shape for each pleat as you can see in brown in the illustration above. Below, I've created a clean copy to avoid confusing lines when cutting out the pieces.




See the curved line over by the hip? Earlier, I had decided to eliminate the pockets from the original Vogue pattern because of the way they tucked into the wrapped seam and pleats. It created a lot of complications for something I didn't care whether I had or not. With this re-drawn version, it's easy to use the pocket from the Simplicity pattern so I'll put them back.




I sewed the final muslin on Saturday. It fits great. The Simplicity pattern had back darts as well as a shaped yoke for better fit and a back vent which I'll keep. It's a nice feature.

The side seam hangs straight or as straight as the pleats will allow. They move the seam around a bit but not enough to be an issue.




Here is the front with a deeper looking yoke than the Vogue pattern and the dramatic pleats that I loved. The front yoke is actually the same depth. The back yoke is narrower allowing for a design feature rather than a mistake. The muslin fit quite well. The "real" fabric is cut out and ready to sew. I intended to do that yesterday afternoon only I went out for coffee with a friend instead. Hopefully this morning. I have company coming this afternoon. Since it's not a difficult project, once I get to it it should go quickly.

Yesterday morning, I cleaned house and thought about closed doors. The results of the poll this past weekend are the last closed door for me, the one that turns me in new directions. I believe that God has shown me in numerous ways that these doors will not be opening and also that windows cannot open until I take different actions. The if you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got kind of thing. I may be wrong. Time will tell. It seems that it's time to look for a traditional job. That's scary exciting and will take time. I don't imagine I'll be hired anywhere tomorrow. I will need to learn how to apply for positions and how to interview. It has been twenty-three years since I last applied for a job. A while ago - LOL!

So... along with the Self Imposed Sewing Club... while job hunting... I'll be sewing a back to work wardrobe. Hopefully whatever job I get allows for dressing up some. After years of jeans, that's something I would enjoy but - once again - time will tell.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - acceptance

A Horizontal Seam

It has only been a year ago this month since I took the bra making workshop. It's amazing what I've learned in that time, how much fun sewing a bra is, and how addictive! I'm planning a lingerie month, probably in January so that I can fit my daughter at Christmas and sew for both of us at the same time. I've been stashing up in preparation.

Last Thursday, Sharon and I went to Fabricland and bought bits and pieces of bra fabrics. Yesterday, Howard and I went for a Sunday afternoon drive and stopped at the Fabricland in Salmon Arm where I picked up a suitable band fabric in the remnants and a black with pink paisley Chinese brocade that will work for cups. One was .30 and the other .50 meters. That's lots. Bras don't take much fabric. I also have a stash of clothing to be recycled into bras and panties - t-shirts, slips, skirts and so on.

Teaching Sharon has taught me SO MUCH. We started out with the completely wrong size partly because she was wearing the wrong size and partly because you can stuff the girls into something smaller and it's doable but the closer you get to the right size, the better the fit and the better you look. It's a journey. You fit and fine tune, get close, and keep fine tuning. That's how sewing goes. HOWEVER...


... there are some things you can do to make fitting easier right from the beginning. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND starting with a horizontal seam bra like the Kwik Sew 3594 pattern above because the shape of the lower cup will help you work out questions with the cup size.

Begin by getting the band size correct. It has to match your body so if you measure 38" below the bust, sew the 38" band. Remember that negative ease is already built into the pattern so the measurement of the pattern piece will not equal your actual measurement.

Next, get the cup size as close as possible. Measure around the body at the high and full bust and calculate the cup size based on the difference. There are lots of online measuring charts or the pattern you are using will give recommendations. Believe the numbers even if that isn't your usual size. My difference is 3 1/2" making me a D cup. This is the first time in my life I've been a D cup other than when I was pregnant.

Sew a sample bra. Do not expect it to fit exactly. Get it close and improve from there.

Take a good look at the bridge between the cups. Are the cups too close together or too far apart. Adjust the bridge according. Is the bridge not wide enough at the top or at the bottom? Does it tip out? Adjust accordingly. The information in The Bra-Makers Manual from Bra Makers Supply is incredibly thorough with excellent illustrations for what to do for each of these scenarios and more. Kwik Sew patterns also have a lot of good information. They're very well written.

Once the band and the bridge are good, fine tune the cup. This is why I suggested the horizontal seam. On the lower cup, the vertical distance from top to bottom is the measurement between the chest wall and the fullest point of the breast plus seam allowances. The horizontal seam is the distance from the outside to the inside curve of the breast across the fullest point plus seam allowances. What we've discovered with both Sharon and myself is that you may need to adjust one of these measurements and not the other.

With my pattern, the width of the lower cup from point to point was perfect. The height was 1/2" too much creating a flat spot below the breast and a wrinkle. To shorten the piece, I lowered the upper curve and raised the lower curve by 1/4" each. This adjustment changed the measurement along those edges. To return them to the original length, I cut off the inner point and moved it over the required distance creating a flatter, eye shaped piece that still matches the length of the joining seams. This is fine FINE tuning. Before you get there, you'll have a wearable bra. After you get there, you'll have an even better bra. Eventually you'll have GORGEOUS bras and can play to your heart's content.

Sharon has sewn four or five bras along her journey to fit. She wears a larger band and cup size than I do. Enough larger that she can throw her scraps my way and they'll work. I can cut my new bra out of her it didn't fit quite right old one. How demoralizing is that - LOL!

The above pile is of her left over bits and pieces of beige along with some elastic and channelling being recycled from a previous wrong size sample. Sigh... they are more than big enough for me and here I was so proud of my larger than before size. The only blessing of menopause so far - LOL.




Beige is not my favourite color although it's good to have a neutral bra for underneath light coloured clothing - not that I wear light coloured clothing but, just in case, you never know. To brighten things up, there's lace It's gorgeous with a beautiful scalloped edge. That helps make boring beige easier to sew although I'd much rather...




... sew with fun colours. The pink above is an athletic fabric with really firm hold. The back is pink with black closures and straps. The front has...




... a black lace overlay and black elastic along the band and around the armhole and neckline. I love the way the overlay makes the pink look purple-ish. The bra looks great on Millicent especially from the back and side. In the front, not so good. She's slightly smaller than me. I was wearing one size down when I "dressed" her and need to pad her out again.




Here it is on me. I wanted you to see how the bridge sits nicely against the body and how the underwire completely encloses the breast. That's really important . You can also see how that lower cup fits me better now. There's no underneath flat section or wrinkle and the horizontal seam passes through the fullest point of the breast. YES YES.

What fun it will be to sew even more bras with matching panties. This pink fabric was in the bargain section last week at a fraction of the original price. I bought enough to make another bra and matching panties for me and a set for my daughter if she wants them. I also bought some brown leopard print. Too fun!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a date with Howard

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Personal Growth - God never closes a door without opening a window.

The above quote is driving me crazy. It's offered as a comfort only it's no comfort at all when there's been a significant delay (think two years so far) between the door closing and the window opening. What do I make of that? Who knows. Certainly not me. I alternate between "isn't this interesting" and "I'm so frustrated".

It's not that confirmations don't happen. They do. Take the poll this past weekend for instance There were 529 visitors Friday to Sunday of which 22 voted. In answer to the question, nine said they would definitely take a Studio Makeover workshop this fall, three said definitely in January, seven said maybe, and three said not at all. Since things happen, realistically I can count on about half of those people being able to follow through. Six people and $150.00 over a five week workshop equals $30.00 a week. That doesn't begin to cover expenses never mind any kind of profit. A closed door.

I'm thankful for closed doors. They alert you to stop wasting your energy in that direction. This is a good thing. Now, for some open windows. Wouldn't that be nice?