Finished Item: New Look 6130 Top

I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to sew - boooooooo! I have a few almost done projects. My dress I intend to wear on Mother's Day is almost done. My black pencil skirt is almost done. My red shirt is ready to start.

Hopefully I'll have some time this weekend to sew, we'll see!

This top was just awaiting finishing. I ended up having to sew two pleats into the front because it was gaping badly. Now, what I noticed, is that I didn't account for how much I'd take it in with adding the bias tape to finish the neck and arm holes so now it's slightly snug. Oy! This is what happens when you make a fitted garment with no muslin. Lesson learned.

Also - INVISIBLE ZIPPERS ARE THE BEES-KNEES!!!!!!!!

Why doesn't everything include an invisible zipper?!? So much easier than the silly top stitching. And a lapped zipper? Pfft. No thank you. All lapped zippers shall be forever replaced with invisible zips.

**I've been watching the Great British Sewing Bee so it's a 'zip' and not a 'zipper'. :-) With that said - Congrats Ann!!!! Impeccable sewing and a lovely personality to boot!

I'll have to get better pics when I wear it, but here's a quick one with my M3830 skirt.

Love the new fake hourglass figure! 

Review:

Pattern Description: 

Misses' peplum top with neckline and sleeve variations.

Pattern Sizing:

8-18, I cut a 14 (I could have cut a 12 and made some alterations)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes (except I left off the ties)

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love the peplum. I don't know why I waited so long to sew a peplum!!! I love the shape it gives me. I love the flirtiness of the style.

Fabric Used:

Stretch cotton twill from SR Harris 

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

My front neckline was gaping something awful (and I of course hadn't made a muslin! so I made a couple darts in front). My neckline in back is too high, I have to figure out how to fix that. I think I'd lengthen the bodice just a bit. I keep pulling it down. 

I left out the facings because I hate facings. I did bias tape on the neck and armholes.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yep! I want to make it in a polka-dot.

Conclusion: 

Cute, easy and great wardrobe staple, especially in black.

Then, I've been meaning to finish a tutu wreath for a friend's daughter and I ran out of pink tulle. And lost the letter. And yeah...that was a week and a half ago. But I found the letter! And I bought more tulle!!! It's prettier in person.

Also, I was looking at old pics today, choosing which to frame and adorn my bookcase with at work, and came across this pic of the boy next to me (right) from last May. He's taller than I am now. That's ridiculous. He's not supposed to grow that fast! Just wait! Hold on a minute!!!! Alas, he's only 13 so I may see another crazy growth spurt at some point. Darn kids.

Another Sewing Filled Weekend

As you may know, I've been learning to knit. I've become enamored with knitting in short order. I spend tons of time (more than I'd care to admit) browsing awesomeness on Ravelry.

I've been focused on making tops for work as it was an area that was lacking in my wardrobe. Now I need pants and have two pair cut and ready to sew. But I wanted to make something FUN this weekend.

So, I cut S2406, view B, in a blue/black/white animal print (What animal?) charmeuse. I think that the shape is simple enough to handle a busy print. I haven't sewed it yet.

I bought some black stretch (cotton twill?) fabric from SR harris for $5/yd on one of my trips there. I bought 2.5 yards of it and was able to cut a top and skirt from it - SCORE!

Since I needed a fun and cute sew, I decided to do the peplum thing. I don't know why I waited so long! I had NL6130 in my stash. It was probably the 2nd pattern I bought. It looked complicated so I kept putting off sewing it. It was an easy sew. Not fast necessarily, but easy.

Now, I'm not much of a muslin'er. I should have made a muslin and I'm not willing to consider this a muslin - as in throw away. I like it too much. I cut a size 14 and ended up taking 3/4" side seams and trimming an inch off the back before adding the zipper...the finished bust measurement on the 14 was 40" and on the 12 was 38".  So I ended up with a finished bust of ~38.5" and my full bust is 38.5". The amount of stretch was more than I expected so zero ease was perfect.

I do have gaping around the neckline that I'm wondering if I can take two small pleats to fix it. I could probably unpick the shoulder seams and trim it but I'm scared of messing it up.

Gaping at the neck and also slightly too big around the armscye

But SO much potential!

I also cut V8672, The drawing made it look more pencil skirt-ish than it is. It sewed up very straight. I didn't want a straight skirt. I wanted a fitted pencil skirt! I sewed a 16 and it looked like a cute skirt for work or church. I didn't want a work skirt and I don't go to church. So I took in another 1/2". Still not to my liking. So I tried pegging it, but didn't do a good job and got some bubbling after the hip. I'll have to try to fix that. 

But together....eeeeeeee! I like. I like it alot.