Another Vogue 2925...completed

Here's another wonderful version of Vogue 2925 knit top. This one is in a size 12. The fit is much better. Not as snug as the size 10. No alterations were needed. For the side seams I did sew a 3/8 inch seam allowance.

Does the fabric look familiar? I had made a long New Look knit skirt earlier this year and reviewed it on PR. I had enough fabric left over to make this top. I love the idea that I now have a matching two piece outfit.



Here are the pleats pinned at the shoulder. Instead of trying to mark the fabric with chalk or pencil, I use my pins to mark the pleat lines. Then I carefully fold over, matching the pins to create the pleat. I use a third pin to hold down the pleat until I baste it in place.





Here I am stitching the front shoulder seam. I also place a 1/4 inch twill tape in the stitching area. I find the twill tape does a great job stabilizing the seams.

I have serged the shoulder seam and made sure the serger has caught the twilll tape:


Here's a view of one of the shoulder seams completed. At this point I go ahead and serge the hem areas (neckline & armhole):


For the finished neckline, I turn over the neckline 3/8 inches (instead of 5/8 from pattern instructions) and pin. Notice the neckline is smooth:


Another TNT top is finished. I have a fantastic slinky knit that looks like lace that would be perfect for a dressy version.

I will be back later to post a picture of me wearing this new knit top and with the skirt I made this year.

Re-Designing Men's XL T-Shirt to Fit Me

I was definitely in the mood to sew today. I have been collecting Men's XL t-shirts in the hopes of being able to re-design/cut down to fit me.





So, I took one of my DH's discarded t-shirts and morphed it into a Kwik Sew 2900 t-shirt...View C. My version came out shorter.

Here's the steps I took:

1) I cut up the sides of the t-shirt:



2) I carefully cut around the sleeve and sleeve cap seams
3) I left the ribbed neckline alone and the existing shoulder seams
4) I folded the t-shirt lengthwise, matching the shoulders and neckline and bottom hems.

5) I took my KS pattern pieces front and back and placed the pattern pieces on the fold of the t-shirt:


6) I carefully cut out the front and back. Notice the ribbed knit neckline and shoulder seams are still intact:



7) For the sleeves, I placed the KS sleeve pattern over each sleeve and cut the new piece out:


Here's a picture of the before (top sleeve) and after (bottom) for the sleeve. Notice the nicer sleeve cap of the bottom sleeve and the sleeve hem is still intact:


8) I serged the new sleeves flat into the new t-shirt
9) I serged the sides of the new t-shirt from the underarm of the sleeve to the side for the left side and the right side.
10) Hem the new t-shirt.

Since the typical RTW logo t-shirts have very little stretch, I ended up tracing a Medium in this KS pattern. I shortened the pattern length at the bottom by 2 inches. I usually use a size Small when the knit fabric has quite a bit of stretch.

Here I am modeling my new RTW t-shirt. Notice I have kept the vendor's logos (front and back) where they should be:



DH was quite impressed with the outcome and how quickly it was sewn. He asked me if I had taken a "before" picture of the XL t-shirt on me. Well, I forgot. I was caught up in my sewing mood that I forgot. DH has offered to dig up another XL t-shirt from the same vendor, but in a different color. I will be back to post what the before t-shirt looked like on me so you can get an idea of the difference in size.

I'm off to cut up some more XL t-shirts, including one from my recent trip to Seattle.

Tote Bag Completed

It's done!


This bag is from my TNT Kwik Sew 2036 pattern. It was quick to sew up as I did not add my typical lining and I omitted the inside zippered pocket. Looks like I will have to make one for myself. This was from a 1-3/4 yard home dec remnant...enough to make two bags.

I created a stiff insert to give the bag a flat bottom. I measured inside of the bottom of the bag. The measurement came out to about 13-1/2" x 5-1/2". I used Darice stiff plastic canvas (perforated) from Joann's and cut to size. I covered it in a plain lightweight home dec fabric in a light color...it will be easy to find things at the bottom of the bag.


I am happy to be modeling the finished bag. I love the fabric design as well as the durability. I hope my SIL will enjoy the bag.

This will be a great bag to carry some books, magazines, a sweater, a bottle of water, etc. Times when you need to throw things into the bag and go.

Working on My Crotch Curve

** Updated with pictures **

Just for fun and for practice, I made an attempt to draw my first crotch curve last week. I used my 40" flexible ruler. I wrapped 3 individual rubber bands on the ruler. One to mark my front waistline, one to mark my crotch point, and the last one to mark my back waistline. I wrapped the ruler from my front, under my crotch, and over my rear. Yes, I had to wiggle the rubber bands along the flexible ruler for proper placement to represent the 3 points on my body. I carefully stepped out of my flexible ruler and immediately placed the ruler on my cutting table. I had already laid out and taped together 2 sheets of 8-1/2"x11" paper. I traced the inside edge of my ruler and marked the rubber band points on my paper.

Today, I plan on producing an accurate crotch curve. I will be using 1/4" elastic to wrap around my waist and using my flexible ruler to get an accurate crotch curve along with the 3 points (front waist, crotch pt, and back waist).

I plan on tracing my crotch curve on a piece of sturdy white paper and also on my tracing paper.

I also ordered a Pants Fitting book by Cynthia Guffey.

I will be back to post a picture of my crotch curve.


**** Sunday Evening Update ****

I finally got around to producing a pretty accurate crotch curve and I have pictures to show.

First off, I couldn't find my white roll of paper. So, I ended up taking four (4) pieces of 8-1/2" x 11" paper and taping them together.

I put on my one-piece swimsuit and tied my 1/4" wide elastic around my waist. I stepped into my flexible ruler and made sure the "rubber bands" were hitting my front waist and crotch point. DH (who was laughing hysterically at this point) helped me adjust the back waist rubber band on the ruler to match the elastic at my back waist.

Once I explained to DH that this step was necessary for proper pants fitting, he quieted down considerably. We did have a good laugh.


I had just "stepped out" of my flexible ruler and quickly laid it on my white paper. I used my Crayola pencil to trace the curve inside the ruler. I marked a line where the rubber band points were. The "front" of the curve is on the left side near the pencils.


I decided to try 3 times and traced the 3 curves. As you can see, I came up with 3 slightly different results. I am going with the last traced curve I did, which is the inside curve. When I stepped out of my ruler, I had to be careful not to distort the ruler. I finally got the hang of it on my third try.


Here's a picture of one of the rubber bands "wrapped" around the ruler.

Guess what? My practice crotch curve from last week was pretty close to the one I drew this afternoon. I feel comfortable going forward with what I have.

Now, I have a question to my fellow sewists. Does this crotch curve look weird to you? Average? What does it tell you?

Sewing Expo Classes - Fitting Accomplished: Pants

Friday late afternoon:

I was able to make it to my 2nd Expo class. It was "Fitting Accomplished: Pants" class with Cynthia Guffey. First off, I want to say that I would recommend any of Cynthia's classes. She has an interesting way of teaching...straight forward, direct, and makes sure you "get it". Personally, I found her class captivating. She definitely got my attention and the fitting techniques...well "I got it".

Cynthia demonstrated how to take the bottom half measurements (from the waist down). Basically, side seams, front and back, hip differences, and slopes. Also, waist to knee, finished length, crotch depth, and crotch length. She also mentioned using the flexible ruler to get the crotch curve, trace the ruler to paper, and then use your traced crotch curve to layover your pants pattern.

She also mentioned about using darts in pants. For round butts, use 2 darts. For flat butts, use 3 darts. Narrow and longer darts uses less fullness. Wider and shorter darts adds more fullness.

I learned a few things about the "wrinkles" in the front of pants. If I step forward and I see a "smile", my crotch depth is not deep enough or too shallow. If I see a "frown", my crotch depth is too deep. What I should be seeing is a "straight" break across.

I also learned a few things about the back of pants. If I see too much fullness, I need to adjust my hip curve. If I see a "pull up and down", I would have a flat butt. Wrinkles at the inner thigh, would need a tuck in the inner leg seam back. Cynthia actually demonstrated these techniques with a lady in class who made her own pants. We watched as Cynthia made the tweaks and tucks on the lady and low and behold...the lady's pants fit perfectly in the back.

She demonstrated how to make a waist yoke, for those of us who might have a narrow waist and wide hips.

Her final demonstration, was to make a pants facing that fits. This was very helpful after you make a adjustments to your pants pattern and add darts.

The class was only an hour long, but I learned a lot of wonderful techniques. Again, I highly recommend Cynthia Guffey's classes. An entertaining and enjoyable experience.



Saturday:

I was signed up for 3 classes on Saturday, two of them with Cynthia Guffey. Unfortunately, I hit rock bottom with my cold (2 weeks now) and could not attend. I coughed myself awake at 3am and woke up DH too. DH gave me OJ, vitamin C, zinc, and hot tea. He made me "first breakfast" and then off to sleep I went. I woke up hours later and just felt miserable. I had "second breakfast" then decided to stay indoors and well, keep quiet. You know I must be really sick if I can't attend my sewing classes. For some odd reason, I would every now and then look at the clock and say "Oh, I would be in this class by now". A real bummer.

I felt bad for DH, as I've been having these coughing attacks early in the morning for the last few days. He was one tired puppy yesterday. We were grateful to have a day of rest.



Sunday:

I've decided to remain quiet today and rest. I've got my sewing notes from class, my Nikon D40 field guide book, and chick flick DVDs nearby to keep me entertained.

Butterick 5251 - Sweater Knit Cardigan-WIP #1

I am currently working on the Butterick 5251 knit cardigan. I have to mention, it's coming along nicely. It is turning out to be a wonderful looking knit garment. This will be a long post with lots of pictures for your viewing pleasure.

This is a close up of the bulky sweater knit I am using for this knit cardigan. It's a pretty blue and dark brown diamond patterned knit that I found at G-Streets. I had about 2 yards and 2 inches of this fabric. Turns out it wasn't enough to fit the belt pattern piece. Since this fabric had a 4-way stretch, I was able to reposition the belt pattern piece along the selvage.


Here's the fusible knit interface applied to the collar. I used Pellon's Easy Knit (that's what it said on the paper that came with it). I applied and fused it with a damp press cloth and medium/high heat setting.


Here, I am pinning the front pieces to the back piece. I match my notches first and then match the ends. Then I gently pin along the seam line and careful not to stretch the knit fabric.


I'm sewing a 5/8 inch seam using a narrow zigzag stitch. Once I'm done with the seams on my SM, I go to my serger and finish the seam edges. I stitch about 1/8 inch away from my SM seam (main seam). This gives the seams a nice finish as well as reinforces them. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the finished seams. I will include a picture in my next post.


To give you an idea of the narrow zigzag stitch I used, here's the display on my SM. This shows what the actual stitch would look like. Your SM stitch settings will be different than mine. This gives you an idea of what you should try to get your machine to stitch out.



Here's a picture of the narrow zigzag stitch I used. As you can see, it's not quite a deep zigzag and not quite a straight stitch. The narrow zigzag gives the seam some stretch and prevents the stitch from popping or breaking.

Here's the collar after it is sewn together (interfaced with non-interfaced). I pinned the back collar area away from the seam line.


This is the first time I am sewing a knit on my Sapphire SM. I tried sewing a knit over a year ago and had some issues. I guess with experience and getting to know my SM, I didn't encounter any problems with sewing this sweater knit fabric. You'll notice the thickness in the picture. That is about 5 layers of bulky knit fabric. I set my SM speed to the slowest setting and it did not hesitate one bit.


Save the best picture for last. Here's the collar and front facings installed. The collar is actually a bit wider than what's presented on the pattern envelope picture. The line drawings appear to be exact. I think I have to get used to the collar. It just seems a bit wide towards the bottom when I tried on the cardigan. I do like the style...very contemporary looking.

This cardigan is about 80% completed. I still have to finish (hand sew) the collar back, hem the cardigan, topstitch the hem and front facing areas, and create the self fabric belt. I will be back with more pictures and another post later.

Happy Sewing!

How Do I Trace My Patterns?

To go along with my previous post of my favorite tracing tools, I thought I would provide a simple tutorial on how to trace a pattern. This might be similar to what you already do or this might be completely new to some of you who don’t know where to begin.

First of all, I expand my cutting table to accommodate my cutting board…not fully extended because my sewing space is very small. I open my pattern sheet and lay it out on my cutting board. Sometimes, I leave my pattern sheet like this overnight (e.g. KwikSew) to give the paper time to flatten/relax.

I take my sketch paper roll and lay it over the pattern piece I want to trace. I place my weights over the flat area of the tracing paper and unroll until I incorporate the entire single pattern piece. In my example, it’s the front pattern piece of my shorts. I then cut the paper from the roll. I rearrange my pattern weights to make sure both papers (tracing & pattern) are flat.

I am ready to start tracing. I use my pencil to trace the outline of my pattern. I use my yardstick for most of the lines. Here, I show my small straight lines going around a curve. Then I go back and fill in the missing line by hand…producing a curve. A lot of times, I trace the whole curve by hand.


Next, I use my Sharpie Ultra Fine marker and mark my notches, grain line, shorten/lengthen lines, dots, circles, darts, pleats, etc. My own personal preference is to write the pattern name and number, pattern piece number, name of pattern piece (e.g. front, back, collar), size I traced, and any finished measurements (e.g. bust, waist, hip). I have a really good reason for writing all this pertinent information. Once I refold the original pattern sheet(s) and put it back in the envelope, I don't plan on taking it back out again. Here, you see that I've traced 3 pattern pieces on one sheet. Sometimes, I'll have enough room to trace other small pattern pieces on the same sheet.


I cut out my traced pattern pieces with my Fiskar paper scissors. I cut right on the outside edge of my traced lines. Here are examples of my pocket and front pattern pieces along with two other small pieces.

When all of my pattern pieces are traced and cut out, I will go ahead and make the necessary pattern adjustments (e.g. shorten the length). I found that Scotch Magic Tape works well with this paper.

I am now ready to place my traced pattern pieces on my fabric.

I will mention that this can be a time consuming process. Sometimes, I will spend one weekend day just tracing several patterns. That way, I am ready to go once I have the fabric selected. My sewing room receives natural light in the morning and so that is the perfect time for me to trace.

I have demonstrated this pattern tracing technique in my sewing class and my students thought this was one of the best learning experiences they had.

Happy Sewing!

My Favorite Tracing Tools (updated)

I have received some questions from fellow sewers on PR…what do I use to trace my patterns? Great question. Here are the basic tools I use: tracing paper, yard stick, 18" ruler, pattern weights, pencil & eraser, and a Sharpie marker.


For the tracing paper, I use Staedler’s sketch paper (on a roll). It’s an 8lb lightweight tracing paper that loves my Sharpie marker. I don’t have a problem with bleed through on this paper with my Ultra Fine Sharpies. It comes in two sizes (rolls). The roll shown in the picture is 18” x 50 yards and it’s the widest roll I’ve seen available. It’s a highly transparent paper and accepts pencil, ink, charcoal & felt tip markers. My only issue with this paper is water. Be careful when using this paper, not to get any moisture on it. This roll was about $15 at my local Staples.

To keep the tracing paper flat over my pattern paper I use my pattern weights. You can use other heavy items, like a stapler, small cans of sliced olives, metal washers, etc. I think you get the idea.

For tracing the lines, I simply use a pencil Crayola Colored Pencils. I found the Crayola Colored Pencils do not leave behind dust/grit. When I used the regular lead pencils...my hands and tools (e.g. white pattern weights) would get dirty. Not the case with the colored pencils.

For marking the pattern, I use an Ultra Fine Sharpie. I mark my notches, dots, squares, shorten/lengthen lines, grain lines, darts, pleats, etc. I also use it to write my pattern information, size, finished sizes, etc.

For tracing straight lines, I use my metal yard stick. You can easily use a wood or plastic version. I also have an 18” plastic ruler for drawing smaller lines. I prefer the metal ruler for it’s added weight, as I get less shifting/movement while tracing.

For tracing curved lines, I use nothing but my hand. I’ve gotten really good with drawing curves by hand. I think that’s related more to my drawing/sketching/painting experience. There are curved rulers available that can help you trace a curve.


I was out and about last night with DH and made a trip to our local Lowe’s. I found the Carriff Soil Separator Cloth. I bought the smallest roll (in width) they had: 24” x 300’. This roll was located next to the black drainage tubes that are used to help with drainage around the house. This roll was about $18. On Carriff's website...they do have a listing for Sewer's Cloth which has the same SKU number as the soil separator cloth. Interesting, huh? For the rest and future posts, I will refer to this cloth as "sewing cloth". I'd rather use a sew-friendly terminology. :)

DH who works in the plant nursery business, mentioned that he could get this cloth for me. I told him, let me try this out and see if I like it enough to get a humongous roll. lol!

I plan on trying out my new sewing cloth later today. Part of my test will be to find a writing tool that doesn't bleed on this cloth. I will post my findings and results later.

Stay tuned for a future post on "why do I trace my patterns".


** Update: I forgot three other tools that I use: a cutting board, Scotch (Magic) tape, and a good pair of paper scissors **

I have a foldable cardboard cutting board that I use over my wood cutting table. I use it to protect my table from nicks when I use my scissors to cut the tracing paper and fabric. Also, it protects my pins from dulling...the cardboard is softer than my wood table.

The Scotch tape is used when I need to shorten the traced pattern piece or when I need to add on to the tracing paper because the original pattern is wider than the tracing paper roll.

I have special scissors for cutting paper and other non-fabric items. I love using my Fiskars (the orange handle). Lets face it, after tracing so many pattern pieces you want a good comfortable scissor to use.


** Another update: Sketch/tracing paper **

I have two Staples in my local area. One store closest to my house carries the sketch/tracing paper. The other Staples (bigger store) does not. ??? If you can't find the Staedler’s brand, I remember seeing another brand (can't remember the name) at AC Moore and it also came on a roll. You just need to make sure the paper can take felt tip markers...meaning no bleed through.