Saturday morning I put the dress on - I had a weird hip bubble and zipper bubble. Zipper bubble I know how to fix. The hip bubble perplexed me. After having 1,087 things to do on Saturday, I never got back to the dress. I had to rewear my black party dress. :sigh: So I decided to go all glam (for me! LOL!) with hair and make up.
This was a biennial fundraiser for the private school my husband works for. The venue was gorgeous! Gorgeous!! There was amazing food and lovely decorations all in a black and white theme but jazzed up! There were plain black table cloths/couches/chairs and plain white but there was black glittery and black/white chevron and oh it was just pretty!
And then I saw it.
Someone wearing jeans.
I am not a fashionista in any sense but I know how to dress appropriately for the occasion! You don't need to wear a ballgown but jeans?!?! Gah.
ANYWAY, after the weird hip bubble incident I decide to switch gears. I pull out my ever-in-progress B5678 and start the topstitching on the cuffs. I ripped it out 4 times. I tried to just stitch in the ditch. Ripped out twice.
DEEP SIGH.
Okay, I'll do the buttonholes. I have never ever ripped out buttonholes -- until Saturday. 3 times. And then I finally got a good buttonhole (and, duh, practiced on a scrap) but then guess what I did? Said, whew. That was difficult and turned all the darn dials back to the settings for straight stitch. And as you can guess...was not able to go back and get a decent buttonhole.
I quit. I quit!
Sunday morning I figured I needed a simple palette cleanser. A knit. A dark one (the serger had black thread in it). I traced and cut Burda 6910, view A
I used the black "jersey" that I picked up from SR Harris. It went together effortlessly and then I put it on.
DEEP SIGH.
I swear this material felt really, really nice on the bolt. I was so happy to have found a lightweight black knit. This fabric felt horrible on my skin! I can't describe it in any appropriate words, it was just nasty. Also; the short sleeved view is not for me. It hits right where my arm is biggest and wasn't at all attractive. So I plan to sew view B with the 3/4 sleeves this week as I *do* like the top and ruching is always my friend.
Overexposed to show details |
Ruched with 1/8" elastic |
::Oh gosh. My sewing mojo is dwindling now. Ok. Ok. Ok. I need something good. I need a good project!!!::
So I decide to completely switch gears and start my summer wardrobe like I've been wanting to. I pull out the new McCall's 6927 woven tee pattern (comes in sizes 8-16, A/B, C, D cups and 18W-24W, C/D, DD, DDD cup!)
I've seen a couple of reviews lately on PR with tops in graphic black & white prints and had a lightbulb moment! I have this awesome FabricMart burnout cotton voile in my stash! I only had 1 yard so I knew I'd be going sleeveless here.
(can anyone tell me why McCall's only has a 45" fabric requirement on this pattern??)
I decided to do view D without sleeves.
Can you see the happiness!?!? |
Me and my not accounting for the hips... |
Never thought I'd do the 'mullet hem'! |
My loop and button aren't gorgeous on the inside but they work. Vents added due to hips :) |
I pulled this pattern out and thought, "Hmmm. That's interesting that the size 14 has a 43" finished bust" and cut the front and back pieces out.
"Hmmm. Interesting that the dart is so big!"
By sheer luck, I cut the D cup pattern piece. I had paid zero attention. ZERO! lol! Also by sheer luck, I used grey thread that was already in my machine and it was perfect. Can we beg for ALL woven top/dress patterns to have cup sizing?!!?
I did a 1/2" narrow shoulder adjustment and 3/4" swayback adjustment. One DOH! - The finished hip was 43" on the 14. Mine are 44". Should've graded to a 16 there...so I believe the back wrinkles aren't more 'swayback' but rather my fabric not fitting over my hips fully! :) There will be more of this top. I will make it right.
Otherwise, it went together very quickly and easily. The vents were new to me and easy to do as was the back slit. In the end I wanted to prance around in this top all day long. I even dug out a pair of shorts to make me feel more summery -- even if it is well below freezing still!
Other notes:
Switched to a microtex needle to sew as after ripping out the side seams to add the vents I noticed fraying. I interfaced the area and sewed the vents.
Used store bought bias binding (I know some people hate it but I'm spoiled to it!)
*should* have used french seams with this fabric but will pink the seams.
15 year old said I should "cut the butt flap off". But I'm kinda liking the butt flap... :-)
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Progress on my sweater!!!! :-)