Palate Clearing Project

The Civil War Dress has been one of the most frustrating sewing experiences for me.  And heavens, it is not even done!

Let's hope there is truth in
advertising and it is Very Easy

I need something quick and hopefully a whole lot easier right now.  Something that I can finish with minimal or no fitting issues.  You know, a project that allows me to reign supreme over fabric and machine.  Yes, something that can be accomplished with no tears!

So I give you my new project.  Yes, a skirt that is labeled “Very Easy.”  This Vogue is from the late 70’s.  I know, this is as big a departure for me as the dreaded Civil War Dress.  However, the pattern has only 3 pieces including the waistband!  This seems very easy indeed.


The plan is to make either View A or B.  The views are the same the only difference being the length of the skirt.  Since I am so short, I fear a View A (the shortest) will be the equivalent to View B ( the next shortest) on me.

First There Were Tears And Then The Rain Came

Tears, yes there were a lot of tears along with a melt down or two.  The bodice of the Civil War dress was the cause.  This bodice is one of the most frustrating I have ever encountered.  I have done 2 muslins and still the fit is not right. 

Get this: after the first muslin I had to do the following

1.  Remove an inch from the back

2.  Remove a 1/2 inch from each seam of the side

3.  Add in 1 inch in the front

4. Remove 3 inches from the sleeve.

After the second muslin I have to do the following:

1. Remove a 1/2 inch from one seam in the side

2. Add another inch on the front.

Hey at least the back and the sleeves were fixed on the first go around. This process was so frustrating!  The event was fast approaching.

So boy was I excited when the prediction was 100% chance of rain for Saturday, the day I needed the outfit.  My tears of frustration became tears of joy!  Not one of my friends wanted to cross the weather man and our attendance was cancelled.

I have not finished this outfit.  I now don’t need it until the fall!  Maybe the third muslin will be right?  I don’t know and I certainly no longer care.  Yes, there is a bit of pride involved.  I do have to finish it ….sometime.  But for now a break is in order so I can regain some feeling of sanity.

A Skirt

More quick and easy because I am starting to panic.  My muslin of the bodice was horribly off.  So I put that aside to do a quick and easy skirt. 

Same method as the petticoat with the plans to put on a waistband.

It looks short on the dress form but the skirt nicely skims the ground when I am wearing it ‘cause I am really short!  I love that the skirt only has one seam in it.  I suppose I should have cartridge pleated the top.  I only pleated it and will have to do a bit of stack pleating in the back of the skirt.

I need to finish the
petticoat.

You can see that I have still not added the final ruffle to the petticoat.  Ouch…that hoop is noticeable on the bottom.

The only plus is that it looks like it may rain on Saturday because I am not sure that I will be able to finish a bodice that fits in time.

I think all this rushing is making me not like the outfit one bit.  If it does rain this weekend, I probably will not need this outfit until fall/winter of this year.  Plenty of time to get it done then!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I hope everyone out there is spending their day letting the important people in their lives how much they mean to you!  I plan on doing this and hopefully not having another sewing meltdown.

Easy Petticoat

I have to make an easy petticoat, there is not enough time to do anything else.  My friends told me that all I had to do was measure out a length of fabric just a little bigger than my biggest hoop to make a drawstring petticoat.  This method was referred to as the sausage method – a term I am not in love with.  I mean, do I want to wear a sausage?  No, I do not.  I prefer there be no meat terms in my sewing thank you very much.

With  bottom ruffle
tacked up

With the largest hoop of 110 inches, I measured out a length of white cotton fabric 117 inches.  I sewed it together and then made a casing at the top.  To make the casing, I merely folded over a bit of the top edge of the length and sewed it down.  I then threaded cording through the opening.  Put on, pull tight and you have a quick petticoat which is over a foot too long!

So to correct the length, I made some tucks in the petticoat over where the hoops are.

Missing the bottom ruffle

Note, I had to shorten the hoop by sewing up the ruffle around the bottom.  I was tripping over the silly thing.  This was an easier fix than changing the lengths between the hoop.

Right now, I need to put a final ruffle around the bottom of the petticoat to finish it off.

The Hoop

I could make one. 

Sure I could!  It would take days and quite a bit of money to buy all the supplies.

There is no way I am going to do this.  I don’t care if I am not "period correct." When I went downtown to buy fabric, I looked around for a hoop.  the first place I saw with them hanging in the doorway, I stopped, inquired and was told the cost was $22.  Yes!!  Simple, quick and I suspect cheaper than making it myself.   I think it was a fantastic investment. It looks something like this:

Think about the time it would take to make a hoop.  I know I could not buy the supplies for under $22.

The bottom hoop is 110 inches….this is "period correct."  Oh lucky me!

I Never Thought My Next Outfit Would Be….

A Civil War dress.  

Seriously…this never crossed my mind.  In that brief period I was out of work, a few friends convinced me to attend a Civil War event in February during the long weekend.  At the time, I thought why not, even though this is not a time period I particularly like, the project would keep me busy while looking for work.  Little did I know that a few days after agreeing to this project, I would find a job and have no time to whip together a Civil War era outfit.

So now, here I am less than 2 weeks away and what do I have?

It is really a darker tan than what
shows up in this picture.

Well I bought yards and yards of this fabric for a whopping $10!  I was lucky: the burn test revealed it is all cotton.  Yay!

So what do I now need:

1.  A hoop

2.  Petticoat to cover the hoop

3.  Skirt to cover hoop and petticoat

4.  Bodice

Sure, this is doable….maybe with a few all-nighters.

Oooo Shiny …..Pretty

There I was perusing a local thrift shop which rarely has anything vintage in nature. It really is a thrift shop with used modern clothes.  But there in the back of the handbag section sat this pretty little bag.

I had to have it!  I love the opalescence of the color.  I figure this is from the mid-1960’s though I could be wrong.  Don’t care, it was shiny and pretty and it is now mine!

Work?!

So, I found and started a new job.  The simple fact of starting a new job has somehow destroyed even the littlest desire to sew.  How can that be?  Seriously, I am working many less hours a day and I have a much shorter/ less traffic commute.  So why am I so tired?  What I do like is that the outfit I wore to interview is this one!

Enough whining.  The skirt is finished.  I have to say it is not one of my best jobs.  The not having enough fabric did result in a rather odd looking waistband which people will not be seeing.  I encountered many more problems with the pleats.  When I finally tried the skirt on, I did not like where the pleats ended.  Lets face it when you are a shorty (5’1”) this is bound to happen.  So, I had to rip out the pleats and make them shorter so that they worked on my body.  Isnt that a great thing about sewing, tailoring to fit YOUR body.

Back...err..
same as the front

Without further ado…..the rather unexciting photos:

Front

Yes, no glamour shots.  Living alone makes the photos of me hard to happen.  I wonder if I can train the cat to do this?

I set the pleats using a water/ vinegar mix and it has worked amazingly well.  Wish I knew about this trick years ago.  These pleats are NOT falling out…think set in stone.  You just need to lower the amount of vinegar ( I went seriously overboard with the vinegar) or let it air out for a day or two.  

Pieces of Eight

Well actually 4.  I was able to piece the waistband together with 4 pieces.  No pictures because it really is not that attractive.  I was able to find one piece of fabric that could go the length of the waistband but not the width.  I pieced together the width of the waistband from various pieces.  It worked, but as I mentioned not really pretty.

Lining a Pleated Skirt

Do you know how to do this?

I did not.  Having found the elusive brown lining fabric, I  now needed to figure this out.  I know that after trying to get the pleats in the fashion fabric, there was no way I was cutting the required fabric and pleating the lining in the same way.  It would give me another headache requiring a nap besides just being too bulky for a lining.

So, I pulled out my lining reference book.  I love this book so much.  I recommend it for anyone who needs help with linings.

Alas, the instructions for creating a lining for a pleated skirt seemed very complicated to me and did not make a lot of sense.  I got out my pattern pieces and started folding parts, trying to spread other parts to follow the very limited instructions.

Then a light bulb went off.  I checked my RTW pleated skirts and the linings looked very simple.  Surely, I thought there has to be a simpler way to do this.  My OCD kicked in and I headed to the computer to do some research. 

Easy, quick lining.  Not
really pretty but functional

Sure enough, there on the Threads site was a super simple, easy to understand quick, down and dirty lining for a pleated skirt.  Righty-oh, this one is for me!  I can measure my hips add a couple of inches and divide by 2.  I added a couple of darts front and back to make the waist fit and I was done without the need for a nap this time!

Please Pleat Me

Wow, apparently I do not understand pleats.  Or maybe I just don’t understand English.  It is one of the two.  I spent hours trying to figure out the pleats on this skirt.  When I followed the directions, they way they read to me, I came out with a skirt that looked nothing even the most remotely like the pattern picture. 

I think something is missing
from these instructions

I have a degree …hell I even have an advanced degree….still the instructions made no sense!  I tried it another way…nope that wasn’t it either.  At this point, it just seemed like the pattern picture and the instructions were mocking me. I eventually had to throw away the instructions and just try to recreate the pattern picture.  After some trial and error and a couple of hours….I figured it out….miracle of miracles!

I was then exhausted and had to take a nap!

Miscalculation

McCall 8086 is cut out and read to be sewn.  I thought there was plenty of fabric.  It looked that way when I eye-balled it.  However, I have a bad habit which gets you into trouble: I don’t trace the waistband or lay out a pattern piece.  Really, all you are talking about is a 4 inch wide rectangle….why use a pattern piece?

How do I get a waistband out of this mess?

Up until now, this has not been a problem, there was always sufficient left over fabric for the waistband. I prefer not to have a lot of fabric left over from a project because I tend to hold on to the fabric thinking it may come in handy for something….so I like it when I estimate just right.  Not so this time….take a look at what is left.  Bits and bobs really.

It looks like a lot of fabric but it isn’t.  I am going to have to piece together a waistband.  I am not sure how.   On the positive side, there certainly will not be left over fabric from this project!!

2011 – My Year of the Skirt

I have decided that I want to make one skirt for every month this year.  As I am currently unemployed, I can get a jump start on this skirt making.  I am enjoying how quickly skirts come together, even if you line them.  I have added a little counter to keep track of the number of skirts completed.

Without further ado……drumroll……the next skirt for 2011 is: McCall 8086 copyrighted in 1950.  I had traced this pattern in December so it is ready to roll.

This is going to be a first for me: a skirt with pleats.  I have made knife pleat trim for a Victorian ball gown but never a pleated skirt.

Material will be a heavy chocolate brown cotton blend.  It has a little stretch to it.  I hope it is not too heavy for the pleats!

Karmariffic

r

Yes, my dressform
is smaller than I am

Side view

All done on the navy skirt, and yes it is hemmed!  I plan to wear it tomorrow for lunch with a friend!  I do like how it turned out though the fabric is a lint magnet!  Is there any trick to stop a fabric from picking up lint?  The skirt has a nice swish when you walk

Here is how I plan to style the skirt.

I have some navy shoes which
will be perfect with this  outfit.

Isn’t this top fabulous?  It is a vintage top that an old secretary of mine gave me.  It used to be her grandmother’s top from Bullock’s Wilshire.  I think it is perfect with this skirt!  I am excited to wear it.

Why karmariffic you might ask.  Well, as I mentioned, a little over a week ago I was summarily dismissed from my job because they wanted a younger person doing my job.  That younger person with no experience lasted 4 days.  Ha…karmariffic in my book.  Will I ask for my old job back now that I know they are looking to fill it again – no way!  Its like going back to someone who broke up with you … not a good idea in the long run

What Happens When the Light Bulb Does Not Go Off?

Or that is a rather long way of saying that I still cannot figure out those lapped zippers.  Seriously, I feel dense given the research I have done.  I have now read instructions on how to put in lapped zippers both on the web and in my sewing books with the intent to put one in my skirt. 

So this afternoon I sat down to put a lapped zipper in my skirt. 

I pinned, and ironed and placed the zipper.  All for nought.  It just didn’t make any sense.  After spending much too trying to get a lapped zipper,  I made an executive decision to just do a centered zipper.  It turned out great!  All hand sewn because I do not do well putting in zippers by machine.

But perhaps that will change – while hunting through the house for a prescription (not found anywhere) I cam across an adjustable zipper foot and an invisible zipper foot both of which were purchased oh about 2 years ago.  Perhaps the next invisible zipper I put in I will try the machine again.

Am I Blue?

Not really; I did lose my job last Friday but I have to believe it was for the best.  I thought this would mean more sewing and posting but I guess not!

So here is Butterick 5882 all most done!  

It came together so very quickly and I love the insets.  They look like box pleats when you walk.  I can think of making this skirt with coordinating fabric for the inset.  Oh the possiblities.  I lined the skirt and the lining is in and hemmed!!  Look at me actually hemming something.  It is a light navy cotton blend.  Love this.

All that is left is putting in a zipper, adding a waistband and hemming the skirt.  I should be able to handle this tomorrow provided I don’t take another 3 hour nap.

First Project for 2011

After some thought, review of the pattern stash and fabric stash, I have decided on this pattern to start out the new year:  Butterick 5882, View B

Not too hard so that I will get frustrated but somewhat challenging with 4 insets. 

The fabric is cut out and ready to sew.  I think I will only line the skirt up to the insets.

A Pressing Matter

I had ironed the skirt numerous
times at this point - YUCK
Wrinkles!!!

I think everyone knows that one should press while sewing.  However, what I tend to do is iron rather than press.

With my Vogue 6329 skirt that I do love, I have not shared pictures of the final product because every single picture showed a terribly wrinkled skirt.  As the skirt hung on the dress form it didn’t look so bad.  But boy, looking at the photos what a wrinkled mess!

So off I went to iron it …again…and again….and again with steam….but I was ironing NOT pressing.   

Finally, I made a pressing a pressing cloth and went to town with a water/vinegar solution.  And the skirt started to look better.  

Better but not perfect

Albeit the skirt smelled a little vinegary for a while…phew but it was worth it.  I am still not 100% happy but I am definitely happier and no longer embarrassed.  I tend to be very tentative with an iron.  That must stop!

What Do You Consider A Fail?

I know that my December list became an epic fail in my mind.  Not because I did not have sufficient time?  Oh no, it was simply because I did not plan and check what I was doing. 

A quick recap:

1. Under no circumstances am I permitted to purchase fabric. Notions such as thread and zippers are permitted. SUCCESS!!

2. Finish a minimum of 2 UFOs.  FAIL –  1 completed except for the hem.

3. Fix the lining on the vintage coat. FAIL – I thought this would be just sewing up the seams.  Oh my NO!  I had not really examined the lining.  I will have to replace the entire thing.  UGH.

4. Sew 2 hems: FAIL – only did one.

5. 1 new skirt out of existing fabric.  FAIL.  I took the fabric with me and I didn’t notice that it had shrunk in the pre-wash so it no longer fit the selected pattern.

6. Trace off 3 patterns:   SUCCESS!!  I traced 5 patterns.  Yup, got carried away with the soil separator.

I know that this is not an unmitigated failure of a to do list.  I did get a lot accomplished.  But this is why I try to be very careful when making lists.  I don’t know  how you react to lists but let me tell you this one started to really stress me out.  When December 30^th rolled around, I started scrambling to try and finish more on my list.  Geez…that sucked.  I hate doing that to myself …it gives me flash backs of my former career…..shudder. 

What I learned is no more lists for a little while.  I apparently am a wimp and just cant take the pressure!   Thus, you will see no resolutions, sewing or non-sewing happening here.  I want to enjoy sewing so I guess I just have to putter along at my own speed for a while.