Sunday, April 7, 2013

Fabric Stash Addition and Finished Items: McCall's 6519 and New Look 6189

Ahhhhh. I got my fabrics from Fabric Mart. I am officially on a fabric acquisition diet, until (eeek! LOL!) I'm thinking May 1st at the earliest. I have more fabric than I can sew right now, but it makes me happyyyyyyyyy.

Here are my newest additions:


The banana suiting will become a blazer. MUST become a blazer! I'd originally bought the camel fabric to become a jacket/blazer as well, but I'm thinking it will become pants as the houndstooth plaid was to become pants but the color/pattern is too busy for my lower half (IMO). If I can squeak out a fitted blazer and trouser shorts I'd be happy. But it's only 2.5 yards so...I dunno. Beautiful grey on grey plaid shall become pants!


This ring/dot jersey is pretty. I want to use it for a top but it's so much of it that I'm wondering if I should make a simple dress. Ooooh. Maybe a sleeveless top and pencil skirt? The flower patterned challis has already become a top (below) and there's enough to make another simple top. Chocolate wool crepe - DROOL!. Pants for sure. Navy rayon linen-look. So, I keep wanting to buy navy bottoms but then I get sad at it because it looks too uniform like. I don't want to look like a flight attendant. I guess pants but I don't want it to make me sad.

Finished Items:
NL 6189, I thought these might become a wearable muslin. If I cut the pants to the pattern envelope length, they *can* be. I tried to lengthen them to full pants, but didn't account for the fact that capri length pants taper in towards the bottom. So they hang weird.

This pattern is awesome. Mimi G reviewed the pattern and said she was able to cut them straight from the envelope. I pretty much did as well. I made them up the first time, and they came waaaaaay too high. I removed 1 inch (and will remove about 1.5" next time) from the length of the front. The waistband is really wide - which I LOVE - but yeah, the pattern as is came too high.







I am really, really happy with the fit of these. I'm stopping myself from cutting every suiting fabric I have with this pattern! LOL! This fabric came from my FM mystery bundle so I'm not certain what it is, but it's definitely suiting.

M6519 - Cute. Cute. Cute.


Normally this would all be too loosey-goosey for my tastes. But I thought the shirt would make a great layering piece and saw some cute renditions of the jacket. I used the 100% rayon challis and boy oh boy. I like sewing with it and it presses like a dream. I bought 1.25 yards of this fabric and have enough fabric to make this blouse again - or well, another simple one. It uses very, very little fabric. Both the front and back are cut on the fold. With a 60" fabric, you really only need 1/2 yard! There's a pocket but my print is busy and you can't even see it. I'd only cut the pocket on a solid and I'd make it smaller. It almost needs to a be a itty-bitty, non-functional, simply cute pocket. It's not full size (like on a button down) but it's a little too big.


LOVE. That's it. I just love it.


I do wish it were a little looser, and if the sizes overlapped (I cut a 14), I'd totally cut a 14 and grade out to a 16 from the waist down. But I am wearing this to work this week. I still have to do the bias bindings and was too sleepy at 1:30 a.m. when I finished it to watch a tutorial.

I'm happy with my sewing progress. I know I'm barely on the tip of the iceberg, but I'm having fun and enjoying myself and that's what counts.

PS:

Visited Home Depot and for a few dollars, scored these  "pattern weights". I used them with the challis and didn't need to pin. This will help cutting go faster.


Diameter: 2", 1.75", 1.5" (they get heavier as they get bigger too)