Squares

I forgot that I'd posted the beginnings of the Creeper blanket, but not the result, and definitely not the Minecrafty pillows, so...

Floofycat shown for scale.  (The Enderman has a bubble print cotton on the back and the Creeper has a firework print...)

Experimental Swirl

I mentioned in the last post that I had an idea for a bias swirl skirt, but needed to experiment with the pattern piece before I committed the Chosen Cloth to it.

The first thing that needed experimentation was the pattern itself, because this is the bias swirl skirt pattern I actually already had

 and at no time in recorded history have I had (or do I ever plan to have) 34½" hips, so that needed to be rectified.  Plus, the shape of this skirt-as-sewn is an A-line, and I wanted something significantly fuller.  PLUS plus, I wanted the swirl shapes to be more extreme.

So, after determining that the three skirt swirl pattern pieces as given were actually identical (my guess is that it was repeated three times to help people figure out if they had enough fabric or not...), I traced off one and started working with extending the swoosh.  I also tried widening the piece, so it would create something that actually fit  over my hips, but I eventually realized that the overall enlargening could be accomplished by simply cutting more than the original six panels, which would also add to the fullness and end up with a gathered waist instead of a fitted waistband.

On to the weird prints for the first experiment skirt...

*tumbleweeds*

Yes, I know, no-one reads this, so no-one noticed that I haven't posted for a long time.  Not to sound whiny, but I've been low-grade sick since December, which might be the reason I've put on juuuuust enough weight that none of my tried'n'true patterns fit properly, which can kinda destroy the desire to sew things with those patterns. (We have acquired a second-hand Xbox 360 and Kinect, so I've started using those for exercise and dance games, when I don't feel too icky.)    A thing that also happened and is probably related to other aspects of feeling no motivation:  My Dad died just before Thanksgiving.  So.

I've only sewn three clothing things in that time (I did sew a few teacher gifts--but no photos--and surprisingly few doll items.)

This simple shell is made from two cotton prints sent to me by a doll friend, using vintage Simplicity 3263

This is made with my heavily altered New Look 6217 (I fused the front pieces into one, with a really deep dart.)  I bought the cloth in a thrift store, but I think it's currently available in JoAnn Fabric.

I still can't decide if it's ~cupcake cute~ or ~aggressively quirky middle age woman~  Go Me on the pattern matching, though.

The last thing I sewed was an experimental mash-up of a couple patterns...which didn't end up the way I envisioned...which is only a technicality, since I can barely get the thing zipped right now.

It was eked out of right around 2 yards of a (thrifted) border print.  I do think there's still potential to the idea, although who knows if I'll ever try it again.

And I cut out pieces for a wearable muslin of a skirt idea I've had for a while--a bias swirl skirt, but compensating for the fact that the 'real' pattern I have is way too small (I wanna lose weight, yes, but not that much weight), and I wanted a more extreme angle to the swirls.  I might be able to convince myself to start sewing it together today...

As if that weren't enough

I also started today on putting together the patchwork creeper blanket I'm making the kiddo for his impending birthday

Cat eyes (and cattails)

Buoyed by the quick completion of the witch cameo shirt, I decided to see about using the other yard of JoAnn Fabric Halloween print I already bought this year, a black field with scattered pale green cat eyes (which, alas, don't glow in the dark.)

I'd already decided I would see if I could squeeze the exterior pieces of McCall's 3905 (from 1973) out of that yard. (Apparently don't have a photo of the pattern envelope, so here's a link to the Vintage Pattern Wiki entry for it.)

This was my fourth time making this shirt, and it was the fourth time I decided to use the pattern piece for the long sleeves, but cut it short to make little puffy short sleeves, instead of making the bias ruffle "short sleeve" version.  This deviation helps immensely in squeezing this shirt out of small yardages, as well as just plain appealing more to my aesthetic sense.

It's also the fourth time making this shirt and moving the zipper from the center back to the left side--which does save a tiny bit of cloth (cutting the center back pieces on the fold instead of with seam allowances--at this point, the piece placement was nowhere near what's shown on the cutting layout), but, more importantly, means there's no need for a separating zipper. (I do have separating zippers in my stash, but most of them are outerwear weight.)  Also, as challenging as it can be to wiggle out of a side-zip garment, it seems like it would be even more of a challenge to get a separating zipper together and zipped while in the center of one's own back...

It's also the fourth time making this shirt with a Halloween print.  Huh.

Yeah, I couldn't resist getting the cat-shaped door hook in the photo.

I knew I'd need to use some other cloth for the facings, so I rummaged through my stash for something that was somewhat coordinated in color, but that I wouldn't mind using for facings (instead of, y'know, saving it for use in something visible.)  It wasn't until I was in the process of cutting out the facing pieces that I made the connection of why, exactly, it was an appropriate print to use:

It's cattails.  Ha.

Anyway.  I ignored the pieces given for the facing and cut them so that they extended to the armscyes  and got sewn in with the sleeves, because I like facings to be machine sewn to as many points as possible.  There's also lots of stitching in the ditch to tack the facings in other areas--there're facings on the hem, too, which got ditch stitched at all seams.  I've maybe mentioned before my aversion to hand sewing...?  Things're topstitched, too.

The buttons are purely decorative (YES I SEWED THEM WITH THE MACHINE)--I had considered eliminating the overlap and, subsequently, the buttons, but I thought the shirt would look a little plain without them.

I also tried something new-for-me with the way I applied the elastic to the sleeves, using a method that I've seen in readymade clothes a lot.  The elastic is stretched along the edge of the cloth on the wrong side and then serged to the cloth; that is then folded over to the wrong side, pulled taught, and stitched through the serging through all layers.  I'll probably be using this method again.

As with the witch cameo shirt, I haven't yet tried this on, relying on previous experience with this pattern to know how I expect it to fit.  I do have a skirt I think will go well with this, and plan to wear it on Wednesday.  October, yay!

(And, yes, indeed, of course, it's covered with genuine cat hair.)

Settled in & Sewin'

So, after the 'excitement' of ceiling repair and room relocation, I finally felt like sewing human-size things this weekend.  (Doll-size things have been sporadically sewn since moving to this new room.)

I started by shortening a thrifted skirt and repairing a torn dress, then, at around 3 o'clock on Saturday, deciding hey, there's black thread in the machine, why not go ahead and make that simple shell shirt from that mere yard you bought of the witch cameo print from JoAnn Fabric's Halloween selection this year? (OK, maybe the thought didn't exactly flow like that...)

I used Simplicity 3263 (from 1950) again

this time going with view 4,  without the collar detail.  As I mentioned, I had only one yard of the print--it's possible I could have also squeezed the collar out of that yard, but, honestly, I wanted to have a bit of the print left to use for other projects.  That means I used a contrast print for the facings, too...and I made the facings all-in-one pieces, which I attached in a variation of the WRONG WRONG WRONG way I detailed before (I sewed the arm holes first this time, which made the 'flip it right-sides-together without actually turning it inside-out' bit at least seem easier...although...there's no physical reason it actually should be...)

And here it is!

I tried making a lapped zipper again, and, like many other vintage sewing enthusiasts, I think I may be a convert.

I haven't tried it on yet, letting my previous experiences with this same pattern bolster my confidence about little things like 'fit.'  Besides, I don't have a skirt that I think would look just right with it.

I may have to make that, too.

*rip*

I was helping the kiddo fasten his seat belt when I heard a quiet rip from an arm hole of the strawberry appliqué dress I made a few months ago.

Oops.

Well.  I considered my options for repair, quickly discarding the idea of reshaping both arm holes (which sounded like work), settling on the idea of applying a decorative tab to that area--since it was on the opposite side of the dress from the appliqués, it could conceivably pass as an intentional design element.  Sure.

Patching and reinforcing the ripped area and creating and applying the tab were straightforward, but it turns out that I did not have any giant spectacular red buttons in my stash (nevermind being in just the right shade of orangey red to match the strawberries), so I went with an unimpressive red button.

If I find a spectacular red button, it'll be easy enough to replace.  Plus, cardigan season is approaching, so this 'design feature' may not be visible for a few months.  I...um...I just hope it doesn't feel weird...  I plan to wear this dress tomorrow, so I'll find out then.