Finally - the Vintage on a Live Model

As previously promised..........

Vintage McCalls 6308 - Part 1

Here is the muslin of the wonderful vintage blouse.  The pattern photo is a few posts back if you missed it.  I altered the pattern for forward shoulder and an increase at the waist.  I flat measured the pattern at the waist and compared that measurement to the pattern waist body measurement.  They had included a 4" ease.  Doing the same with my waist measurement, I added 4" -- 1" at each side seam.  I drew a line from the underarm to the increased waist measurement -- so my revised pattern just didn't have as much of an angle from the underarm to the waist. 

With this adjustment, I had to add to the peplum side seam.  I added 1" at each side seam tapering to only .5" at the peplum hem.  I did that at the hem for "insurance" knowing I could always take it back in if necessary.  I think these adjustments will work.

The peplum tie at the waist is a single layer of fabric.  The fabric I had planned to use has a definite right/wrong side, so am thinking of cutting a self facing.  I am vacillating on the fabric.  If I do cut a self facing, I may run short of fabric.  I haven't laid out the pattern yet, but it will probably be close. 

The sleeve is cut on the fold at the hem; therefore it is doubled.  I like the way it went into the bodice with enough ease with no puckering.  I sewed with the sleeve against the feed dog, and it eased wth no problem.  I do need to sew in the second sleeve so as to check for any problems. 

All in all, I think this will work just fine, and I still think it is as cute as ever.

Vogue 8088 and BWOF 2/2009 #108

Finally got a couple of photographs of the Vogue I completed today and the BWOF that was finished a month or more ago.

First off, Vogue 8088, the Marcy Tilton vest/jacket pattern.  There have been lots of discussion and many beautiful variations of both the Hot Patterns and Sewing Workshop shrugs posted on Stitcher's Guild.  As I admired them all I remembered some fabric that I had purchased over a year ago at C & C Fabrics in Dallas.  It is mostly rayon with a bit of poly and lycra.  I had nothing in mind for it when I purchased it and really wondered if I would ever use it, but the price was too good to pass up.

I had never been that interested in this Vogue pattern until the light bulb went off that it might fit with this fabric.

This wasn't my favorite pattern to sew.  I'm sure all "hicups" were of my doing, but I had to adjust one of the pattern pieces to get it to fit properly.  It was "off" a bit and probably a result of the fabric shifting a bit during cutting.  I made it work, and I am happy with the final vest.

The "stripes" have texture - almost a velvet feel.  Because of this, I chose not to use the french seams as the instructions recommended.  It was just to bulky along the stripes when I tested the french seam.  I just clean finished with the serger. 

I have some pink cotton/lycra knit that I plan to use for a tank top to wear under the vest.  The color is almost an exact match of the darker shade of pink in the flower.  These two pieces will work nicely with my Louise Cutting One Seams made from a beige linen.

BWOF Top

I've worn this one with black slacks, and I really liked the look.  This is the "ruffle" knit (probably nylon).  This fabric also came from C & C Fabrics.    Because of the ruffles, I needed a simple pattern.  I had traced this simple T off a while back from the 2/2009 BWOF.  No hemming required - just cut the "between the ruffle fabric" so the ruffle is the hem.  So, this was just shoulder and side seams + sewing in the sleeves and then I turned under the raw neck edge and topstitched.  Very easy.  Close-up of the fabric below.

I like this top, but it is hot to wear (with the long sleeves) - so not a summer top.  At least I got to wear it once and I'll let it hang in the closet until next fall/winter.

I have cut out the muslin for the vintage blouse pattern I showed in the last post.  I should be receiving an order from fabric.com today with some red silk/cotton that I plan to use for the real version.  I do hope the the red fabric will work with this one.  The UPS fella usually delivers here between 4 and 6 p.m. so I'll be watching for him.