A T-shirt at Last

I have finally finished a t-shirt! woo woo!

It's based on this Butterick from 1978:

I like the raglan look in the front. The shoulder comes over from the back. I always struggle with getting the shoulder seam in the right place (I have very square shoulders that are forward which seems unusual. I used to think I was broad shouldered, but I think that's not actually true, I'm just very square rather than sloped.

I also like that there's a center back seam for better shaping. I still need to make some tweaks to the back for my rounded back. I have to say that I kicked butt on the stripe matching on the back and sides!



The fabric is a cotton/lycra knit that I bought at The Fabric Fairy at least 18 months ago (maybe longer.)

I had to rip out the shoulder seam and re-do it after a few hours because it was driving me nuts and I'm glad I did. The neckline was just too drape-y beforehand. It's still a little saggy but not so much that it irritates me.

Next up: planning for Halloween!!! (I noticed I did not blog last years's costume for my daughter which won 2nd place in the Pattern Review contest!) shocking! and also an outfit or two to wear to my cousin-in-law's wedding in New York.

I've got your fit, right here in my pants!

I had my first pants fitting class tonight. I got the tissue fitted. I added a lot of tissue to the pattern including in the length which seems odd. I don't think I have particularly long legs. I guess the Butterick Connie Crawford patterns run "short."

I have a pretty significantly tipped waist, so I still need to do some figuring at the waistband.

When I bought the pattern for my fitting class, I also bought a pattern for a knit pant. I hope I can use what i learn in the pant fitting class to make a nice pair of lounging around pants.

I'm not sure if I'll buy fabric or use stash. I definitely need new black pants. I have some black wool in my stash, but that might require lining (an also potentially dry cleaning!) I have some purple twill, but I think purple pants are pretty impractical! (ooh, alliterative!) I guess I should do some digging to see what I have before I buy anything.

At an estate sale this weekend I bought a few patterns including some pretty groovy early 1960s knee length shorts. I think if i actually get the fit right (aka, big enough in the inner thigh) that I could actually wear shorts! I don't know because I hate the crotch creep.

Off to sleep and dreams of fitting pants!

quilt top for Sacha

quilt top
Originally uploaded by Becky says Woot!

Just in time! My cousin had her baby on Thursday and I had the top and most of the bottom done by then. I still need to finish this up. I'm not sure how to quilt it though. Maybe just straight lines since i haven't done any quilting in a long long time

wow, time flies and quilting.

So, I have been a very bad blogger, sucked into facebook and other social media.

One friend and two relatives are pregnant so I've decided to make baby quilts! There are so many cool quilt patterns floating around the internet and in books.

I bought fabric, but before I could start on the quilt, I forced myself to work on some UFOs. A burda wrap blouse and a refashion of a fleece jacket into a vest for Greta. I still have a skirt that needs to be done (waistband and hemming and maybe a lining) but I'll do that after quilt #1 is done.

I'm working on the Daisy Mae quilt from Valori Well's book first. Not sure who it'll go to. It's not super "baby" which I think is better anyway. The quilt will be 42" x 60" which is longer than most baby quilts. I decided to use that dimension because the baby quilt that Greta uses the most is that size. (it's an eye spy type quilt with a US map panel on the back.)

I've got all my fabric squares and strips cut out. So, soon, I begin to sew!

wedding skirt is done~

I finished the skirt to wear to the wedding. But our camera is not working so no pics. I think it's a tad too long, but maybe I can fix that next year.

I still need to hem my blouse and add a hook/eye.

the snowpocalypse have caused any plans of remaking the blouse in a different fabric to disappear.

other sewing projects to do before we leave for SFO on Tuesday: small embroidered label, a purse for a small girl, and two sock monkies. (um, yeah, might not get those sock monkies done.)

duh!

I cut out the lining for my skirt to wear to BIL's wedding. I thought to my self: oh, I didn't mark the darts, so I pulled out the pattern pieces and found out I'd cut out the pieces for view A rather than view C!

Luckily, I bought enough lining to cut out two skirt's worth. I labeled the wrong lining for a future skirt and re-cut out the proper pieces.

I also cut out the facings from the wrong set. But now that i think about it, I will probably do a regular waistband because faced waistbands seem to shift around and slide up. I still need to get some grosgrain ribbon or twill tape to reinforce the waistband.

I also cut out two muslins for my top. I may actually wear a tucked in shirt. I'm going to ask Dave which one he likes better (hopefully he will be able to see beyond the weird pattern of my muslin fabric (it was the only chiffon-y, silky thing in my stash.

abandon ship!

For the upcoming wedding, I started making a vintage dress pattern. I tissue fit and then realized the fabric I wanted to use was too stiff. bah. I think I'll use the pattern for a summer wedding since it'll be better in a very flowy fabric.

So, I thought, Hey, I've got McCall 5466 in the stash, I'll make that since it'll be better with the heavier weight wool lycra blend I want to use.

UGH. This pattern is ALL WRONG for my body type! So, back into the envelope it goes. I may try to remake it some time with some major modifications, but for now, I don't have the patience!

So, I am making a skirt. I'm using a "tried 'n' true" New Look basic A-line skirt. But I'm adding a ruffle to the back from a skirt in the Otona No Couture Skirts book. You can see the cover at the Japan Couture Addicts site. It's book 65 on their list. (no one else has made it though. boo!)

I recklessly cut into my fashion fabric ($2.99/yd Pendelton wool.lycra!) and pinned the pieces together. Fit is GO! So I cut out the ruffles from the Japanese book (enlarging by FOUR sizes from their largest which is a 38" hip [size 13]) and pinned htose to the back. AND IT LOOKS good.

and I am so sad because my camera is toast and I can't take a picture of it!

No all I have to do is: finish the skirt, sew two nightgowns, embroider and sew a lunchbag, applique a onesie and figure out which blouse to make AND make the blouse! all in one week.

I'm thinking of making a Burda WOF for the top in a stretch satin. But that may be courting disaster.