A Clever Tool

Check out this clever invention for adding seam allowances to pattern pieces. Home sewists rock!

Fashion or...Something Else?

Fashion can be kind of crazy. Check out this gown from Givenchy's Spring 2000 collection.

Old news, I know, but I stumbled across it today and it really struck me...it looks just like something I once made!

Now I'm wondering if I missed my calling as a fashion designer. See more beautiful gowns.

(Disclaimer: My cheesecloth ghosts served eerily for many Halloweens; now their spirits have been set free to pass on to the other side. I snagged this photo from the Martha Stewart website.)

Apron: Fashion Accessory?

I was looking for an interesting pattern (free pattern...yes, I am just that cheap) for an apron and look what turned up. The woman who wrote this back in 1926 took her aprons seriously!

Did you ever stop to consider how many different kinds of aprons there were? A great, big, roomy, coverall apron for mother when guests are expected and important things are happening in the kitchen. A wee bit of a lace apron for the person who is in charge of the tea-urn at five o'clock. A smart bungalow apron to make household duties seem pleasant, and a rather petty apron with deep pockets for the sewing room. And, of course, sweet little aprons for the kiddies—gaily colored and bound with an almost grown-up regard for smartness.

You see, there are really so many interesting kinds of aprons that the subject deserves a lesson all by itself. We're going to teach you little important points about tea-aprons and work-aprons, children's aprons and chafing-dish aprons. And when you are all finished with the lesson, you are actually going to make a pretty apron for yourself.

It sounds like something out of a simpler, safer and happier time, but every generation has it's burdens. The women who were sewing aprons in 1926 were just a few years away from the Great Depression, child birth was a major cause of death for women, and people still routinely died from smallpox. I need to remind myself of these things when I yearn for simpler times.

Goals for 2010

I have a few sewing goals for 2010 and without going into too much detail, here they are:

• Master the use of my serger. It's old and not very fancy, but it's functional and it's a crime to just let it sit.
• Master the use of my sewing machine. It's relatively new and very fancy so it's an even bigger crime to fail to use all the features.
• When I say "master the use of my sewing machine," that includes the embroidery function.
• Make a well-fitting blazer. This will have to come towards the end of the year because, of course, one of my other goals is to lose a few (okay, maybe more than a few) pounds.

That's it for now. I'll have to come up with some intermediate steps for the first three goals so I can measure my progress.

Love Me Some Doll Clothes

I love dolls so it should come as no surprise that I love making doll clothes. The "clients" patiently endure fitting after fitting, and they never complain about my fabric choices. It's been many, many years since I've made doll clothes so now that I have a granddaughter of suitable age, I thought the time was right to indulge myself.

The clothes for American Girl dolls are large enough so you can add lots of fun details, yet still small enough so that they can be made from mere scraps. My granddaughter was the lucky hand-me-down recipient of one of her aunt's American Girl dolls - her Girl of Today (I was the lucky recipient of Josephina and, yes, I will eventually make clothes for her as well) and now I plan for her - my granddaughter, that is - to be the lucky recipient of a hand made wardrobe for her doll as well. I'll be using Simplicity 7083, which includes enough pieces for a nice-sized wardrobe.

I made the first piece today, a pair of white twill "jeans." They turned out well despite a few construction details that left me scratching my head, most notably a back seam opening where the fabric doesn't overlap. Instead, the overlap is constructed by offsetting the Velcro. No pictures of this because I didn't have any Velcro on hand, but I'll be sure to post photos when that's complete. Unless that works out a lot better than I'm imagining, I'll probably modify the pattern to add an overlap before making the pants again.

They do fit the doll beautifully. After I make the matching jacket, I'll post a photo of the outfit on the model.

I added some embroidery on the hem/side seam of the right leg of the pants. I used a vine stitch on my sewing machine to stitch the leaves, then added hand-worked French knots. I'll do something that coordinates when I make the jacket.

I constructed these little pants entirely using my sewing machine, by first zig-zag finishes all the exposed seam allowances, then stitching the seams. I would have used my serger (you see how bold I am becoming!) but I didn't have enough spools of white thread to pull it off.

An Ending and a Beginning

When I made the decision not to make any kind of hoody out of my Skullz fabric, I knew it meant the end of my beloved, faithful sweatpants, as my intention was to cut them apart to use as a pattern for a new pair. Yes, I could have purchased a pattern - I actually have a pattern for sweatpants - but my old pair was so comfy that I wanted another pair just like them.

To be honest, my sweats had long ago passed retirement age. How long ago? My husband nearly wept with joy when I told him I was going to cut them apart. Me: But they're comfortable! Him: You look like a homeless person! Me: A comfortable homeless person! It would be tempting to describe them as ratty, but that's not really fair to the rats of the world.

It took about two hours to pick the sweats apart and steam out the permanent bagginess in the knees and seat and produce this pattern piece. Because my fabric was bordering in the "not quite enough" range, I cut off 3 inches at the top with the intention of adding it back with a solid black casing. You can see I also pinned out some length in the crotch; roughly 2 inches in the back and tapering to 1-1/2 inches in the front.

Here's a close up of the part that's worn through. This is probably the main reason my husband thought they made me look like a homeless person. By way of explanation, I have extremely short legs combined with cold feet. It seemed natural to pull the excess length down onto my feet. Sort of like open-toed footy pajamas.

Now for the big surprise...I used my serger! Some of you might know that I don't have a warm relationship with my serger like I do with my sewing machine, the incomparable Lily. Actually, I'm fairly terrified of my serger. I think that's partly related to being spatially challenged and the serging process being so final. And partly related to high speeds and sharp, moving knives.

I've had my serger for over ten years and this is only the second time I've used it on an actual garment. It's not an expensive serger; it is a Kenmore and I received it as a gift from my parents (who knew nothing about sergers; I was surprised they even knew of sergers). But even with my lack of serging expertise, it produces what I think are very credible results.

It had been years since I'd sewn a pair of elastic/drawsting pants and I'd forgotten how fast it is! Before you knew it, I was ready to hem them up. I had serge finished the bottom edge before sewing the pants together. To finish, I folded up a 1 inch hem allowance and top-stitched it from the right side. I like the way it looks on the inside and the outside. Not quite as nice or easy as a cover stitch machine, but close enough.

Things I'll do differently next time:

• Make sure I have enough fabric. The sewn on casing is functional but looks kind of funky. Not that it's a big deal; these are strictly for around the house wear, but I'd still prefer self-fabric.
• Make a smaller opening for the drawstring and do a better job of stabilizing the area.
• Redraw the legs to make the finished pants slightly less tapered.
• Give more careful consideration to the elastic/drawstring.

The new sweats are fine, but don't seem as comfy and warm as the old ones. I'm not sure if that's due to differences in the fabric or because the old pair had elastic at the ankles while the new pair does not or the changes I made to the pattern. Or if it's just in my head.

Skullz

I bought this sweatshirt fleece last January and it's been aging in my stash ever since. Yes, I got strange looks from both my husband and my youngest daughter when I brought it home. I'm not sure why I fell in love with it. It may be that I'm entering my second childhood prematurely.

My original intention was to make a pair of sweat pants for bumming around the house. Working from home as I do, bumming around the house is a daily activity so the pants would definitely get a lot of use...but they wouldn't be a garment I would ever wear in public.

Which brings me to my dilemma. I love this fabric so much, I started wondering if maybe I shouldn't make a hoody, which might be a little more versatile. That idea was squelched when I measured the fabric. I have a scant yard and a quarter, and it hasn't yet been laundered.

That's probably not enough for a full on hoody, so now I'm thinking about a hooded vest. I wear activewear-style vests frequently, so I think it's a good option. I'm looking for opinions. Am I crazy to consider wearing this fabric outside the house? Vest? Sweatpants? Something for my granddaughter?

What do you think?