Long Time No Blog

Well hello! It's been a while.  I have no projects to show for my absence. Got really far on the Colette Patterns Crepe, but never finished it. The underlined pieces are still hanging up, but I don't think it's salvageable. Grrr.

So, here's what I'm working on now.  More than a year ago, I fell in love with ModCloth's Breakfast Epiphanies dress:

I'd decided on a cream bodice with a brown skirt. I was so serious, I purchased a 4-ply silk crepe remnant from Promenade Fabrics in New Orleans and wool crepe from Jo-Ann. You know I've always felt my sewing skills didn't warrant good fabric ;-)

I looked through my stash and decided  Vogue 8787 is close to the inspiration dress. Not quite the cowl I want, but it will do. This was quite a popular pattern when it was introduced. It has 25 reviews.

I purchased the fabric before reading through the pattern. The bodice front is self-lined. The 4-ply silk crepe is too heavy to double. I thought about this silk cotton voile from Fabric Mart. I love the way it looks with with the brown wool crepe. Unfortunately, the hand isn't right.

                                 

              

I have a silk twill remnant from Vogue that kind of looks like this. Not crazy about pink and brown.Don't get me wrong;I love the color combination. Pink is my favorite color; it just doesn't work with my current hair color. 

                                     

I have had the hardest time finding thread to match. Anyhoo. More about the pattern alts later.

Staying the Course

I just couldn't seem to shake whatever bug I caught Christmas Day, so there has been a little progress on the dress.

Here's the current state of the front bodice pattern piece with a Y-dart FBA. The Y-dart FBA is for those of us who need to add a significant amount to the pattern piece. You divide the amount you need to add to the pattern in half and add it in two places. Here's a better view of one.

                               

As I'm writing this, I realize I didn't tissue-fit the alt. Oh well, I've cut the muslin. That brings me to the point of this post:  the work needed to keep things from stretching out of shape. I did directional staystitching on the seamlines.

Questions for you on staystitching: where do you staystitch -- on the seam line or 1/8" from the seam line? When do you staystitch? I staystitch each piece after cutting. I noticed some pattern instructions have you staystich after you've started constructing. Lastly, do you do directional staystitching or, for example, do you staystitch the whole neckline in one pass?

Don't get tripped up by the white thread; this is a muslin.

                         

Next, there's stay tape. I love fusible stay tapes. My only problem is, I can't see the stitching line after fusing it to the garment. You can feel the stitching line if you've staystitched it. So, do you have to both staystitch and use a stay tape?

                         

I redrew part of the darts and the armhole dots onto the stay tape.

                         

Last question:  which seams do you tape? I did the whole bodice. I might do the skirt's waist.

                                     

Here's the bodice with the darts in place. I stitched the shoulder darts with a longer stitch length, just in case they needed tweaking. I am determined to get better at sewing darts this year! I had to try the one on the left three times before I actually got the point right. I kept stopping short of the point for some reason.The one on the right is a little crooked.

                             

I pinned the bust darts because I'm sure they will need adjusting. Last question: I am asymmetrical and I want to fit my right side.  How exactly do I try on the muslin for fitting, right side out or wrong side out (darts pinned on outside either way)? 

Let's see what happens this weekend :-)

Book Review: Couture Sewing -- The Couture Cardigan Jacket

This is one of the best sewing books! I'm fascinated by the classic Chanel jacket because of it's iconic status and exquisite craftsmanship. I'm not one for designer labels, but I want a similar jacket for the quality. As a home sewer, it's one of those garments that done well, will be a source of pride for years to come. This book will help you get there.

Three cheers for a book dedicated to the subject. I was wondering why this hadn't happened before. However, it is worth the wait! I love getting a sneak peak into Shaeffer's personal collection. The garment index makes interesting reading.

On to the making of the jacket. Shaeffer starts at the beginning -- with suggested fabrics and a good pattern. Of course there is a section on the famous trims. There's a detailed resources section in the back of the book; you'll know where to go for what.

The book assumes you can manage diagnosing and correcting any fit issues on your own. You'll do this with a toile. In terms of construction, this book breaks down a very daunting process into digestible chunks starting with the quilting. This is still advanced stuff and obviously includes tailoring. Please bone up on your hand stitches.  There are chapters on buttonholes, the three-piece sleeve, edge finishing, hand-set sleeves, patch pockets and finishing.

Perhaps my favorite chapter is "What Makes Chanel's Cardigan Jacket Different." I love it for the historical perspective. It helps ground you as you think about what you want your finished jacket to look like.

In the DVD, you're walked through each step of the construction process. The DVD and the book can stand alone as complete instructional tools. Together, they are awesome. I will say that based on the reviews, I'd decided not to purchase Couture Sewing:  Tailoring Techniques. After watching the DVD that accompanies this book, I will purchase Couture Sewing:  Tailoring Techniques for the DVD. If the DVD instruction is as good as it is on this DVD, it's worth the purchase.

If you want to make your own Chanel-style cardigan jacket, this book is a must. As other reviewers have mentioned, the techniques here are specific to construction a Chanel-style jacket, but they will help make you a better sewer as you apply them to other projects. This is a great addition to any sewing library.