The zip

The zip is stitched in using a little set of 3 beads at regular intervals.

I am colouring the metal zip orange with a permanent pen so it will blend with the rest of the work. You can see the difference between the pull and above with the lower portion.

Cuff 'em

Eventual progress on wardrobe...3 days to do 6 cuffs sets.
Basically, the continuous bound plackets take more time than you would think. Especially when I hadn't added them to my break down list.

But here are the dresses and blouses ready for hand work. I like to hand stitch things like cuffs, waistbands, collars and etc after stitching and turning to inside.

As you can see collars are to come. But I need to work out the fit. I have lost a little of that medicine weight gain, so may need to trim a bit from the CF before adding the button stands. (I added a little there after finding the last set of blouses were just a bit snug over the tum. Now they aren't. Hurrah!)

Continuous bound plackets and cuffs now can be done in the dark. Or something.

Wardrobe - Blouse with cap sleeves

I have had this fabric for a VERY long time. And when the wardrobe plans started looking like black and off-white, I rummaged around to find it.

I tried to do the Winifred Aldrich grown on cap sleeves adaptation to my bodice pattern. However, it asks you to raise the pattern at the shoulder end, lengthen it, as well as drawing a line up from the side seam.

Well.

Not sure how a crisp woven would work doing that, but basically I ended up with drooping fabric ...almost cowl-like...between neck and shoulder.

So, I darted the fullness into the neck. It worked, and carries a theme from the black knit top! It isn't really obvious because the play of light on the polyester jacquard effect fabric.

I sewed the blouse with French seams because the fabric shreaded whispy threads that have got onto everything. (Besides my dry rough hands catching on everything.) So, I stitched the button stands on and then tried it on to see how it fit.

Okay, I knew I had enlarged the base pattern, but somehow this would fit me with a couple more stone weight!

Then whilst I was doing the pleat neck thing and trying to work out how I was going to sort the toooo large bit. I realised, Oh. French seams.

I had done the first pass as was required wrong sides together with a narrow seam (I used the overlocker for this because of the whisps), then turn to right sides together and enclose the edges of the seam. So, I realised when I sewed the button stand on with the overlocker, I had done overlock pass right next to the edge, like I did for the first pass of the French seams. So, if you included the Seam allowances on the button stands and also on the blouse, it was something like over 4 cm too much. So, I went back at it and stitched them for the normal 1.5cm seam allowance and voila! It fit.

Phew.

Basic side dart pattern with several adaptations to get it be grown on/cut on cap sleeves a la Winifred Aldrich.

I finished the blouse with some of the buttons from a random pack I bought at a show, and whilst watching cooking shows have stitched beads round the collar and down the bodice sides of the button stand.

Oh, and hey! No problems with stitching the button holes!

And can you imagine this with the lacy black jacket over? I will show you when I get some photos wearing it.

Wardrobe - Trumpet skirt

Today's piece of the wardrobe is an off-white gabardine trumpet skirt with a faced waist finish.

Trumpet skirts fit to the hip and flare out from there, but the flare is integral to the pattern piece, rather than being added to the sides. The resulting pattern piece looks like...a trumpet bell!

I used a variegated white and black embroidery thread to topstitch at the waist and at the hem. This gives continuity for the black knit top. I am debating a topstitched motif or geometric shape, but will ponder that a while longer.

I like a faced waist treatment for skirts like these because I am short waisted. With an interfaced facing in the top, it still gives the support to the skirt that you would get with a waistband, but doesn't take up any more space.

Thanks for the feedback on the lacy jacket! Good ideas. I finished my article tonight, so perhaps I can get some more sewing done. Hopefully I can get photos of these garments whilst modelling them!

Wardrobe - lacy jacket

The next photo from the coordinating wardrobe I am doing is a black lacy jacket made of cotton lace. (actually the third sewn)

I thought that if I was doing a classy type of wardrobe, I needed a cardy type garment with a bit more class. For those moments when you are in restaurants who have confused the temp control for the walk-in cooler with the one for the dining area. You have been there I am sure. So you are all hunched up trying to stay warm rather than enjoying a moment out of the heat.

At the moment, I have pinned the fronts together to keep it on the hanger. In actuality, they hold nicely on their own when I wear this. I am debating a thinner but not skinny ribbon should I want to hold it together better. For instance with a blouse of silky type fabric (coming up!).

The pattern for this again was my side dart bodice pattern with set in cap sleeves. It is only just hip length. Instead of sewing darts in the lace, I pleated the darts into the side seam...just folds that release, rather than stitched down. It moulds the shape of the jacket to mine in a subtle way. The lace has no stretch, or I might have considered doing away with the dart.

I decided to finish the edges right the way around like you would a bolero using a satin ribbon. Stitched right side to wrong side and then flipped to the front. To hold it in place, I have stitched clear beads with a black lining in a beaded running stitch technique. Every now and then I did a tiny back stitch so the whole lot doesn't come off at once if I lose one.

The effect has somewhat ruffled the ribbon. I was considering beading the other side of the ribbon as well. But I have been looking at it several days and think this look is better. If the action of hand beading the other side causes a similar effect but the beads are not precisely lined up, it would just look like a mistake.

I decided to draw the line at ribbon on the hem of the sleeves. What do you think?

Any comments about the idea of a ribbon of sorts to join the sides? (probably you need to see it on me to really tell)

How about the idea of beading the other side of the ribbon down?

I am currently doing something which I can tell you next week. and sewing bits of the wardrobe in-between. So, that is why I have not been able to do the 'how I did this' post or the 'this is what it looks like when I wear it' photos yet.

Wardrobe - Knit top

Being very discouraged about the meds v weight gain which I mentioned recently, I decided to take motivation from the current Pattern Review Wardrobe contest. Plenty of things fit, but not necessarily things that go together! Since I am in need of some basics anyway, (because I tend to go for interesting fabrics!) I have settled on a black and off-white scheme. I may introduce colour at some point, but for now I am sticking with those contrasts.

The rules:

The contest runs 1 April through 15 May, 2015

"During this 6-week contest, you'll be required to sew the following 9 items:
4 tops
3 bottoms
2 sewist's choice
The tops may be tee's, blouses, shirts, tunics--pretty much any item that covers the top half of your body!
Bottoms may be pants, shorts, jeans, skirts, culottes, jumpsuits, etc.
The 2 "Sewist's Choice" items may be another top or bottom, a dress, a jacket or cardigan (just examples).
ONE item, and only one item, can be something previously purchased or sewn or purchased during the contest.
For this contest, swimsuits will not be eligible.
Each top must coordinate with each bottom. A dress, if included, must coordinate with the other items but may be worn alone."

So, of course I started with a challenge to myself. I seldom if ever sew knits. But I had a piece of black firm knit (not up on the terminology!) so this is the first garment.

I had to manipulate the photo on the computer so it would show black knit...more important than true wardrobe door colour!

I used a bodice pattern I drafted a few years and several pounds ago. I know enough about knits to know you don't really need much ease. I had enough of the black knit to trial the garment and then to make it up. The first try was a bit too snug, but I made it long enough to perhaps be a body shaper of sorts. (although the proof of that will have to be in the wearing!) So, possibly a wearable toile.

The second try was fine and I went on to finish it off nicely as you can see in the photo above. I used a topstitching stitch to give a change from dull black to a sharper more interesting look.

The bodice pattern I used had a side bust dart. I traced it off and then rotated the dart into the neckline.  I have taken photos of that process, but I might not be able to do the tutorial on how-to until later in the week. And hopefully it won't be too long before I can get some wearing the clothes photos, too.

So, that is no.1 out of the nine! At this writing, I am pretty much halfway.