My Interview Outfit

As you know, I've been applying for jobs at the university. Yesterday, I learned that they've been receiving hundreds of resumes for each position. Considering how much I want to work there, that was somewhat discouraging. Luckily, I'd already decided to take a positive approach and - presuming that I'll eventually need it - work on my interview outfit. It's irrelevant that I don't currently have an interview scheduled. I'm getting ready. Eventually, I'll get the inevitable if you keep applying because persistence eventually pays off, please come and see us phone call.

From what I know about interviews, a suit is always best in this type of job situation so I'm beginning  with this Vogue 8459 boucle jacket from a few years ago. It fits fabulously and the color is very flattering. It's perhaps a bit heavy for the weather right now and will be better in a few weeks so it's a good thing that I'm not expecting a call tomorrow however, if there was one, I'd wear this with...

... the Vogue 7937 skirt, view C, bottom right that I started sewing yesterday in an electric, shot with black, that looks like navy, but is a somewhat brighter, blue. I expected it to be an easy sew since I've sewn view D at left three or four times already only the back pattern piece is very fiddly. It's drafted as...

... one pattern piece ( 9 ) that is cut out with the edge at far left on fold. The seam above is center back. The zipper is in the side seam but easy enough to move to the back which works better for my shape. Added to the fiddly-ness is the fact that...

... you're expected to trace the uneven stitching lines and match them side to side. As you can see, they start at 5/8" and widen and they're not the same on both sides of the seam. I'm sure there's a reason for this only I don't know what it is so I didn't bother. When I traced the pattern, I reduced the width to 5/8" meaning all I had to do was match the edges and sew, stopping at the large dots as indicated. That was fussy enough. Pressing the folds took forever.

The instructions say NOT to stitch across the pleat on the right side of the fabric however, the black thread is virtually invisible on my fabric. You can only see the short, narrow zigzag in the image above because of the chalk lines underneath. Once those were brushed away, the stitching disappeared while the pleat was held more securely. That works for me. I will hand stitch the hem though.

The design has a faced waist. I've decided to add a 3/4" waistband with elastic instead as per the instructions in Pants For Real People. I used a similar technique on the Marcy Tilton skirt a few weeks ago and it's smooth and fits and works with my fluctuating waist. For now, I'm embracing elastic. I'm sure I'll waffle on that at some point in the future but... for now... elastic.

Jeans are not my best look. When I saw this profile of myself in the mirror yesterday, it made me think of Debbie Cook's posting earlier in the day. She'd been wondering how to decide whether you're slim, average, or curvy for Simplicity's Amazing Fit patterns. Apparently, they left out those instructions. I have a few Amazing Fit patterns and I've never even looked for instructions because I know I'm curvy.

Click on the image above and you'll see the side seam on my jeans weaving in and out. It shows clearly that my back waist is smaller than my front waist while my back hip is much larger than my front hip. Add to that, I have forward thrusting thighs and protruding calves. It would take a lot of darts to follow my shape. No wonder I look better in skirts and trouser cuts.

Knowing what I know about my figure, for the interview skirt I cut the front one size smaller than the back and then took the four back seams in an additional 1/4" each from the waist tapered to the existing seam line seven inches below. That's a total of 2" at the waist in the back only because the front fits smoothly. This distribution of measurement for my waist is something I discovered only recently and has already been quite helpful. Before, I'd have taken the skirt in at the side seam distorting the front in a way that wasn't needed. Where to adjust and why has been good learning.

My plan is to finish the skirt and then sew a top and then, if I have time, sew a matching jacket which will give me two suit options. Initially, I wanted a white knit top only I don't have any white knit and neither does Fabricland. I checked yesterday and the choices weren't good. I was in the store about 45 minutes. I walked in fine and walked out with a screaming headache, swollen eyes, itchy skin, difficulty concentrating, and nausea. Obviously, I quit for the right reasons and now I have time to sew my interview outfit.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a lovely electric blue, perfect for an interview, bought on sale for $7.00 a meter, wool blend fabric in stash