The muslin is done, vogue 8648, the “The Couture Dress” from craftsy.com, class by Susan Khalje

Sometimes I wonder “when will I ever be an expert”??? I feel so sure that others out there “NEVER MAKE ALL THE MISTAKES I DO”!!! But then logic hits me and I realize I am probably not the only slow learner out there. Still it seems like others “just get it”. I make mistakes…. But on the bright side, I am always learning. I am a visual learner, so the classes at craftsy are fantastic to me!!!

I have worked on my muslin. The midriff pieces were worth MARKING WELL. I thought I had been thoural with all my markings, but when I was assembling them I got really confused. Turns out,  I missed a few marks and that was enough to throw me off. Now I have very clear marks, even telling what is up and down!!!

I was very careful to follow all the directions and be exact about the seam-line. However I am wondering if this pattern runs a bit big??? Here are some photo’s of the muslin before I started to make changes to it.

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I wish that things would fit perfectly when you follow the sizing in the pattern! Yes I know, “people are different and the pattern companies make the patterns for all sorts of people”. But Margrethe is very standard shaped and I followed the measurements!!!

I started to think about “Emily from Craftsy”. She was the model Susan Khalje sews for in this class . I know they used a size 12, basically the same size I used and I think Margrethe “must be smaller then Emily“!!! She at least is a lot shorter!

I went back to the class, scanned  through it and found that Emily’s hip measurement is 39 inches. The bottom measurement of this pattern is 40 1/2 inches. That gives her an ease of 1 1/2 inches, Susan Khalje  thinks that was adequate ease. The sizing on the pattern cover would make Emily in between sizes 14 and 16. Yes, I should have made Margrethe’s pattern smaller. Her hip measurement is 38 1/2 inches. I made her a 14 over the hips, 12 over the midriff and in-between 10 and 12 in the bust (following pattern cover instructions).

I am no expert on fitting, but I am learning. It looks like the side seam was in a good place. Most of all I thought the dress needed to be more centered towards the front, making it lie more securely over the shoulders. I therefore downsized taking fabric mostly from the front and back center pieces.  This ment moving the side front and back  pieces a bit towards the front and back.

I also took a little from the waist and a “tad” in the sides.

What do you think Susan??? Would you do something else???  I will probably take a little from the width of the skirt, giving Margrethe about the same ease as Susan gave Emily.

Because Margrethe lives 5 hours from me I am partly using myself as a model. We are almost identical in measurement. We are the same in height, I am a little bigger over the bust and midriff and her hips are a little wider then mine. But all in all we are close enough that I feel I can do this. For closer fitting i use my dressform.

I think I will do ok. Hope so

Planning vogue 8333 and vogue 8648, dress with matching jacket.

I have recently really “discovered” the craftsy.com platform. What a wonderful place to develop skills!!! I signed up for lots of their classes. I watch a little sequence every day, first watching through the classes and then going back to work on the projects. Wow,- this is developing!!!

Margrethe (My oldest son’s girlfriend) is  my “project”. This past february when we were cebrating my brother in-laws 50th birthday, she was  COLD in her cute little dress. So, I promised to make her something warmer.

I got some navy blue wool fabric from the states. Margrethe chose the color and the style. She liked the look of an outfit worn by “Kate of England”. Here is the photo from internet of “Kate” : http://blog.badjoan.com/2011/07/get-look-kate-middleton-navy-dress-and.html.

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My focus now at craftsy.com is the class called “The Couture Dress”. In the class we use vogue 8648 and Margrethe wanted view A. 

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I am still in the beginning phase of this project. I have prepared and cut out the fabric for the muslin version of the dress ( I hope to sew it together today). When the dress is finnished (at some point) I will make the jacket using vogue 8333.

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When I bought the fabric I thought I only would be making a dress with it. I was therefore uncertain if my fabric was adequate for both these projects. I have already cut out fabric for a test run of the jacket ( different fabric) . Hopefully it will end up being a “wearable sloper”. To “test my fabric” I placed all the jacket pattern pieces and the “dress sloper pieces on my fabric and YES, I think I can make it . There wont be lots of leftovers but it doesnt matter. I am true to the grain in the pattern pieces and that is the most important thing.

I will underline the outfit with a cotton batiste and use a sand washed silk as lining. Now I just have to keep my tongue straight and do a good job Hope this turns out well!!!

lekala 5304, safari jacket, “philosopical sewing”

While I was working on this project I got a bit “philosophical”

INTRODUCTION

THE SEWING DRAMA

There is more action in the sewing room then most people would imagine. A drama is taking place where I (the sewer) and the fabric bash at each other.

Firs I must understand the pattern. What on earth did the designers mean for me to do??? I spend much time thinking about sewing solutions, finding answers to my deep “problems”, always on the lookout for answers and clues. The sewing detective!!!

What fabric to choose for a specific pattern takes consideration? No doubt, “what I am thinking about” as I go for my daily walks with my dog?

Once all those fundamentals are in place I bash at the fabric using all the tools I come over. The poor fabric doesn’t stand a chance. I will FORCE it to obey me. I am the boss!!!

It is incredible what you can do to a flat piece of fabric. Cutting and shaping it using darts, pleats and interfacing. Not to mention the sewing machine, that forcefully tacks everything in place. Then after that battle my wonderful steam iron, helping my fabric relax after the battle (the spa).  Convincing it that things are OK and that life as a garment is a “good life”. Hopefully, in the end, it will comply and lay itself smoothly against the body!

THE REAL THING!!!

I started out with a relatively “plane” fabric. It was given to me by a friend as she was organizing her stuff. I don’t know the contents of the fibers, but an educated guess is a poly cotton mix, or maybe rayon? It has great drape and doesn’t crease easily. I thought that would be perfect for a top with pleats.

The design of this Lekala pattern is perfect for Cathrine. I knew she would like it. Lots of pockets and box pleats. Took forever adding interfacing and doing all the details, but it is so fun to see it take shape with all the details in place.

The instructions were not the best. There is f.esk no mark telling you where to end the collar seam,  compared to the front center, top part. I see now that I should have pulled it back a little, so I could have room for buttons in the top center front. But, oh well. This adds to my experience and it doesn’t really matter. She wont wear it all buttoned up anyway.

There are box pleats on the pockets, but there is no mention about the pleat area in the center back, or the slit area in the bottom of the sleeves. But I guess with Lekala I do not expect the instructions to be detailed.  As long as I have some type of drawing of the front and back I can usually figure out most things myself. I am happy with the “new” translations of the instructions found at lekala.co. If it wasnt for the front and back sketches and at least a little clearer instructions you find here, I do not think I would attempt any more lekala patterns. I do LOVE their design. There are some  talented stylists in Moscow too!

In the back I made a box pleat to match the style of the pockets. Here it isl ”basted down”.

This is how I sewed the slit opening in the sleeve.

I cut a long strip of fabric about 4 cm wide, folded it in half, basted and pressed it,

sewed arround the marked “slit area”, close to the line (reinforcing the fabric),

Cut it open

Folded it back, opening it all the way,

And of corse, press, press and press some more

I have never spent so much time in front of the ironing board than I do these days. The more I sew, the more I realize how important it is.

The blouse/jacket is taking shape. From some  “plain” fabric pieces draped on my dressform

and LOTS of small little details with interfacing

to a finnished product .

Yes, I love the design in the pattern. Would definitely make it again for Cathrine in a different fabric .  Oh, I really want to take my hand and pull that pleat down in that photo. But all in all, I think this was a success.

“Doggie scooter bag”.

I wanted to share this photo with you. It was taken one year ago by our cabin.  when we went for walks the two dogs from the neighbour farm were quite bothersome (they were not on a leash).  I made this bag for my scooter so I could transport her past this area (I did not have the car at that time).

Once we got past the “dogs” we could enjoy our walks.

I will add that we do not go for long drives like this, and she is well strapped in.

Kwik Sew 2993

The last couple of days I have worked on practical every day garment.

Cotton jersey will always be a favorite in this house and after making and modifying yesterdays project (This fabric is the same type as yesterday)(http://sewingforfun.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/mccalls-6603-2/ ) I wanted to make the next top in a more “slender shape”.

This year we have had the most wonderful easter weather. I have gone for long walks every day. After completing this last project my family joined me for a “stroll”. I finally have weather to take nice outside photo’s of my project.

Are you ready for a walk???

Luckily everyone came along. On monday nights we all gather as a family and do family type activities. My 15-year-old son wasnt thrilled at the idea of walking for 1 1/2 hours but  he joined in (even though he walked way ahead of all of us, listening to his own music. Maybe he could reach home before the rest of us?).

If anyone was reluctant (and maybe not so happy) to begin with, it is incredible what the sun, fresh air and physical activity will do to anyones mood. When we all returned home we actually had a positive time together as we played cards and ate homemade chocolate pudding .

The sun was strong and it was difficult to get photos without  “squinting eyes”.

Isnt this wonderful???

MCCalls 6603

In September last year I made this pattern for my daughter. I was not sure she would like the shape, but she ended up loving it. This is a garment she has worn a lot and I wanted to make one more.

Last time I used a cotton polyester velour. It was soft but sturdy. This time I had a cotton jersey. It is soft, not so firm and very stretchy. It was definitely the WRONG fabric for this pattern. Due to the stretchynes of the fabric it became way too big. I modefyed it as you can see in the above photo. I actually did this twice until I was happy with the fit.

Of course I know that the fabric makes or brakes a pattern. Still I guess I did not give this one enough thought. Happily it was a design that was easy to modefy. In adition to downsizing I also added a casing in the bottom.

So, here is the result:

Burda 7179, 1940′s vintage dress

I only have a few more days before the end of March. That means that time almost is out for this sewing challenge, so I have worked hard the last few days getting this dress done. I actually also have a 1940′s apron I would like to make, but it will have to wait until later. Some time I will feel like making it anyway, even though I did not get arround to it now .

The pattern instructions were good up until “point nr.6″. The seams “are numbered” on the pattern pieces and that was good because it made it much easier to follow allong. But in this point (nr.6)they talk about a seam nr. 4, and I could not find such a seam mark on the pattern pieces. So I got lost and started following my head and reasoning. Other than that I like the style and details .

Cotton is the prefered fabric for this pattern, but I used rayon. It is nice and soft, ready for summer!

I need to STOP making dresses for my oldest daughter (for now). She probably needs other stuff more than more dresses! Still, I thought this style was very representative for the time period I was sewing for and I had to make it.

This is a design that I could imagine my grandmother wearing. She was a very pretty woman and I know she would like it. So grandma, this one is for you!

Here you have your great-granddaughter in “your dress”:

Cathrine, my oldest daughter is named after my grandma’s mother. I think grandma would be proud of her