Black Linen

The other day my husband and I were getting ready to go out to dinner to celebrate my dad's 85th birthday. I was wearing this top and was opining...okay, I was whining...that I needed a black linen jacket to wear with it.

It's not as though I don't have a jacket pattern that would be perfect in linen. I do and how cute is that pleated peplum in the back?

I even have a piece of black linen. I'm just not sure if it's "the right linen" for a jacket. Hopefully, someone can chime in and help me out.

This is actually a linen/rayon blend that is fairly lightweight. Held up to a window, you can clearly see daylight through the weave. I think it might be too thin for a jacket, or at the very least would require lining. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Too thin? A different design, maybe?

Not Quite What Was Expected

I fell in love with this pattern the first time I saw it; I really liked the bodice with overlay. However, when it came to actually making the top, the bodice with overlay caused me some problems. I needed to lengthen the bodice by 1 inch, which seemed pretty straight forward; however an unintended consequence was too much fullness in the overlay across the bust. I actually set the top aside for about a month and worked on some Christmas sewing because I was pretty stumped about how to remove the fullness.

So I finally took the plunge to finish is. I tried on the top and pinched out the fullness over the bust, which was about 1 inch at the side seam, tapering off at the bust apex. Then I took the whole thing apart and stared at it for a while. Finally, I decided to just position the overlay under the bodice with the placement that I wanted, smooth it all out and trace the outline of the bocide onto the overlay. Then I put it all back together and was grateful that it fit reasonably well.

The only other thing that caused me a problem, and caused me to scratch my head as well, was the sleeves. I have what could only be described as fairly burly forearms. But the sleeves, which on the pattern looked as though they were close fitting, were enormous. I first sewed them with the regular 5/8 inch seam allowance, tried on the top, and could only laugh; they were absolutely ludicrous! I ended up taking the 5/8 inch at the underarm seam, tapering to 1-7/8 inches at the hem! I'm not sure what was up with that. I'm pretty sure that most women would need to take them in even more.

The last thing - and this is no fault of the pattern - is that my top is far dressier than I expected. I'm sure this is due to my fabric choice. But now I have a really cute, fairly dressy top that I'm not sure where I will wear it. It's just a bit too dressy for the grocery store, gardening or scrubbing the bathroom. The photo on the pattern jacket shows the top in what appears to be a solid cotton knit. View A is drawn in a print and I thought it still looked fairly casual, which is probably where I got the idea that I could use the red and black jersey and have an every day top. My bad!

The top is still just a tad short from shoulder to bodice seam but other than that the fit is reasonable. As I mentioned, I would not recommend this pattern to someone who would need to lengthen the bodice unless they also needed a full bust adjustment. The other thing that happened by lengthening the bodice is that the v-neck took quite a plunge. So I tacked it at a more modest level. I also tacked the overlay to the bodice to keep it in place.

I may sew this pattern again, but it is far more likely that I'll try a wrap top that does not have a horizontal seam under the bust.

On the other hand, my husband loves it.

(Note: Garment was completed and reviewed at Pattern Review in January of '08.)

Adding to the Pattern Stash

Because you can never have enough, right?

Simplicity patterns were on sale at Joann today for $1.99 so of course I had to make a special trip to pick up a few items from my wish list.

I picked up six patterns for $11.94, a savings of $87.76 off retail. Not that anyone actually pays the marked price, do they? I don't think so. I hope not.

Of the six patterns, four are for jackets or coats.

S2150: I've been lusting after this one since I first saw it last month. I like View A, the denim jacket.



S2508: The white one is awfully similar to a coat my daughter's been wanting.



S2560: Oh, won't I just be the trendsetter in this one!

S2341: I have BIG PLANS for this one. More on that another time.



The other two patterns are for tops.

S2364



S2594

Two of the patterns - 2560 and 2364 - call for knits, which is pretty unusual for me. I really need to get over the fear of my serger and I love these two patterns enough that they just might motivate me to do that.

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.