Wednesday, May 27, 2015

A Different Kind of Mini Wardrobe...

First, I won 2nd place in the Wardrobe Contest on PR! Wooooohoo! Prize is a $75 gift certificate to Fabric Mart. You all know that's right up my alley! :)

There was some pretty strong competition over there and if you haven't checked out the entries, you SHOULD!

*****

My last attempt at an interview suit didn't make me so happy but I had to persevere and make another one! I decided on the Burda 3/2014 jacket and my TNT straight skirt, Butterick 5760. The weather had been absolutely dreadful here so I decided to make pants too! I used my TNT Vogue 9032.

Fabric is a wool/poly/lycra from Fabric Mart. Cut well. Sewed well. Pressed amazingly. I wore the pants to the interview yesterday and boy did those puppies grow! Wah! I came home and popped them in the dryer (to satisfy my own curiosity) and they fit fine. So we'll see about THAT.

Today I wore my red S1696 pants made from RPL and after about 2 hours they grew. This is why I avoid Lycra in my pants and especially in jeans. Where's the "comfort" if they can't make it through the day?!?! Whine...

B5760 skirt was made the same as here, the only change being a 1.5" hem instead of 2".
V9032 was made the same as previously...I left off the pockets and added belt carriers.

Even with TNT's, side seams get basted before being sewn. My pants have a 3/8" seam at the waist, 1/2" through the hip and 5/8" down. My skirt has 5/8" seams through waist and hip and 1" through the rest.

The jacket was muslined (as per my last post) in a size 42 and I ended up with the following changes:
*3/4" swayback
*taper the princess seams -- front and side front -- from 1/8" at the shoulder to 3/8" through to the waist, tapering to nothing.
*added 3/4" to the bicep on the sleeve. I measured and got 14 3/4" but somehow told myself it was 14 1/4". So i wanted a 15" sleeve. It's a little loose but doesn't look oversized. I made this adjustment on the upper sleeve only.
*I used 1/2" seam allowances and ended up using 5/8" at the front of the sleeve.
* I traced the separate facing piece but lost it during the cutting process...so I have excess at the shoulder seam on the facing. OOPS!

I am such a Burda fan.

It is an unlined jacket so I took the time to bind the back seam allowances; all others are serged with a narrow 3-thread overlock. I am really loving this jacket!

The photos!!!!

No, I didn't wear my FitBit to the interview! :)


All hems were done by hand


Just a little extra fabric in back.




OH the fight I had with this notched collar! It was my own fault; I'd sewn the wrong portion of the collar _and_ trimmed it back. I probably should've just cut a new collar and been done with it!


4 3/8" snaps as the closure


Pretty binding!!! You can just see the longer facing peeking through on the left :)


I probably should've done a slip-stitch. But I will usually wear the jacket closed so...


I ended up wearing the pants to yesterday's interview and will wear the skirt to the next one (different companies)


Skirt bias binding; top finished with button and elastic loop

I am really digging lapped zippers lately! :)


More binding on the waistband of the pants!


SUPER happy with how neat my fly-front turned out...


...less so about my machine stitched blind hem.

I'd run out of time and had to hem these by machine once I decided I was going to wear them. I was literally sewing on the last hook and eye about 90 seconds before I had to leave out the door.

Things went really well and the (90 minute!!!) phone interview I had today for another position went even better! I have a second interview tomorrow and an in-person for that job next week. Both plan to make a decision the week of June 8th at the latest.