sewdistracted

Marfy once again.

I found myself in the sewing room yesterday with an hour to spare and the inspiration to go back to the Marfy coat.

As you might recall, I had altered the pattern and made new pattern pieces before I went away, almost a month ago.  I should have known better than to start a project just before leaving, the interruption also scatters my concentration and motivation, and it seems harder to pick up something that was started before than it is to just begin something new.

So yesterday I marked the new pieces on the muslin and cut them out.  I had a lot of fun doing so.  I actually do love the process of laying out and marking and cutting.  Of course since this was muslin I just used markers and dressmakers carbon, but it was still fun.

I only cut 5/8" seams, especially around the large sleeve opening because the wider 1 inch seams I used on the first muslin were really too unwieldy.  I may or may not regret this.

Then, much to my glee, I found that I had made a mistake when I looked at the clock and I actually had another hour.  The fronts and back have been sewed together and I started to work on the sleeves, but realized I needed a little more time to lay the pieces out and think about front and back and what was what.  I am glad I did.  

All I did today was lay out the pieces.  I didn't even pin them, but I am happy to leave them there on the cutting table waiting for my next bit of time.  It may be tomorrow.  

In the meantime I pulled out three or four pieces of fabric I will use for some desperately needed spring clothes.  I still have to gather together linings, zippers and other notions, but I shall use these simple little bits of nearly instant gratification as rewards for completing the steps of my coat.

Seduced by Spring

I seem to be suffering from sewing ADD as a friend put it so aptly a few days ago.  Every day I intend to sew.  Every day I am seduced by the garden, or by other things that I feel I should be doing.  I haven't yet accepted that if I put things off for a year or two already, another day or two or three won't really matter.

And yet I really do want to sew and I am thinking about the beautiful colors of all the fabrics that are waiting for my attention.  

But the spring days are so lovely, and I am not doing the hard work yet, just weeding, and cleaning out beds, and contemplating the future.  I go out in the yard and the world seems filled with peace and possibilities; I forget to come back inside.  I will be chased indoors soon enough.  

I just want you to know I am around. 

The new Marfy patterns arrived.  I've been meaning to file them for 3 days.  I might do it tonight.  I have some new fabric too, and loads of new ideas.  You will be hearing from me again.

Yes Ma, I can finish something.

The #1 sewing assistant is taking a break on a stack of jeans waiting to be ironed.  Notice the muslin  and pattern pieces around him.  

He tells me that keeping track of my project inventory (by lying on it usually) is hard work.

I've been fiddling with the muslin.  Fiddling is the most apt description because I have just been busy with other things and haven't given it enough attention. Not a problem really, just the way things are right now.

Nonetheless yesterday I just wanted to finish something, anything, I just didn't want to spend my sewing time fiddling around with more adjustments.  I wanted results.  I wanted something I could wear today.

And I got results.

And I am wearing the results of my labors today.    

I considered tracing off a top from a recent Burda, but that was extra time.  And then I remembered that huge drawer with all the UFOs in it.  And I remembered that simple bias slip that I wrote about how many months ago.  

Well I never made it.  I cut it out.  And then I shoved it in with all the other UFOs because I was tired and I wanted to do a really nice job.  

Last night I was tired.  And I had a glass of wine with dinner.  I really enjoyed that glass of wine.  And perhaps the hem on my new slip is not as perfect as it would have been had I started earlier in the day and not had that glass of wine first, but it doesn't matter.

But it is done and it is nice enough.  I sewed French seams at the sides even though that may not have been absolutely necessary.  The center of the skirt is on the bias, the side seams are neither true bias nor straight of grain, but bemberg rayon ravels and I want to be able to throw this in the washer and dryer without having to think about it.  This way I can do that without worry about it raveling.

Pardon the wrinkles.  Although I finished the skirt my photography skills were obviously not up to par last night because the photos I thought I took did not turn out even as well as this.  So I had to take the slip off to photograph it and I did not press it first.  It is just a slip, bias, two pieces.  Simple.

The whole thing took me about an hour, even after the wine.  The closure is simple, two hooks and eyes at one side seam.  I think I will wear it a lot, after all it goes with one of my favorite skirts.  And I like it so much that I will save the pattern because I am sure to need another slip sooner or later.  I tend to line skirts I make but I do buy skirts occasionally and they might need a nice bias slip.

Dreams and Community

Before I went away to the rain-soaked South, Karen nominated me for a sisterhood award and I was (and am) so flattered.  I really meant to write a post thanking her.

Now, upon my return I find that Jenni has also nominated me.  Of course I hightailed it over to her blog and where I found myself trying not to drool over the stack of bills waiting to be paid while I looked at her fabulous new trenchcoat.  Do go look.

I think these awards are great, and I am extremely flattered to be nominated.  Everyone who blogs puts themselves out there everyday and of course the best award is to have your words read by someone who cares about what you are doing, and for like-minded people to share their thoughts and comments.  The sharing of blogs is another way of showing that we care about the efforts of our blogging sisters.  

I am supposed to nominate 10 more bloggers.  But I need to think about this a bit.  Many blogs I read have been nominated and I don't want to nominate the same blogs again and again.  I am also always discovering new blogs and I want them to be included.  You are all, after all, my sewing and blogging sisters.  So I will update you with the new links in the future.

Meanwhile I have been home 48 hours and have not sewed.  Partially this is my own fault as I overly optimistically cut back on my allergy meds the first night home and had to take a dose yesterday morning to compensate with the result that I was drowsy and foggy brained all day.  I was definitely not in any position to be wielding scissors or manning a sewing machine.  

On the way home however, I dreamed about sewing.  Specifically I dreamed about a coat.  Obviously I have coats on the brain even though I really want it to be spring and not coat weather.

The coat in my dreams is rather vague but I remember it as somehow being a cross between the Marfy coat I am currently working on and the jacket from Simplicity 4046 which I made a few years ago.  I know that, looking at these two patterns, it doesn't make sense to me now, but I woke up distinctly thinking of these two jackets.  Or perhaps that was just confusion and longing.

Mostly I remember the color.  The collar was a beautiful shade of deep aqua or a dull turquoise in a soft plushy wool velour or cashmere,  and it also had cuffs in the same aqua color.  The rest of the coat was two shades of gray or taupe, I think more taupe, with a seam below the bust with some kind of embellishment.  

I think the overall shape is more the Marfy in length and style, but the neckline would be more like the simplicity pattern if it were properly interfaced and constructed.  

This is a very vague description.  I can't even draw it as I keep thinking everything I draw isn't right.  But I need to remember this coat.  

Someday the fabric and the pattern and my inspiration will all come together and this coat will make its entrance into my life.

Ready to go

Well, I didn't spend as much time on my jacket project as I originally hoped to but I am happy with my progress so far.  I have the alterations made to the pattern and new front and back pieces cut out and ready to sew as soon as I return.  It will be nice to have something waiting for me that I can just sew up when I have a few minutes.

I am not inclined to sew tonight even though it is early yet.  I'm just too tired already, and I don't want to get all wrapped up in my project and stay up too late...we have a lot of driving tomorrow.  

I'll be back on the 18th, but I doubt I will get to the jacket that soon.  Have a good week.

Doubts, Musings, and Moving Forward

So I didn't get much done yesterday either.

The full first muslin is made.  

I need to add an inch at the shoulders.  In the back I need that Inch all the way down and I might even need a little more room near the bottom.  So of course then I started second-guessing myself.  I know I am not really a 42. I wondered if perhaps I should try a 44.

But my issues aren't with the back.  

When I gained a lot of weight I bought and made a 46 and later decided that was a mistake.  I made a 44 last year and the muslin is still wadded up in my UFO pile where I left it in disgust.  If I make the 42 I have to increase the size of the back at the shoulders and on down.  I might need to add a little more width near the bottom to accommodate my lower half, but that is an easy adjustment.  The neckline on the 42 fits, which means less hassle with collar alterations.

Of course if I need an inch at the shoulders in the back I also need it in the front.  But I absolutely need no more fabric between those shoulders and the bust.  I made the 42 because the 42 is my size for the area of my upper chest, between the shoulders and the bust.  That is the most difficult area for me to fit.  It is easier to expand out to accommodate the bust and shoulders. 

I also need that FBA.  I did that yesterday, and it took me a little time just because I am not that experienced with FBAs and the raglan sleeve in this jacket is very deep, almost to the waist. Even so,  the FBA was fairly easy.  The problem was that I don't want a dart from the side right at the bust and I didn't know how to place the dart so that it would not ruin the lines of the jacket or make me look like Humpty Dumpty. 

My first attempt at moving the dart was a dismal failure.  It is distinctly possible that the glass of wine I drank before attempting the dart migration contributed to the resulting mess.   

So I quit and decided to knit and watch TV.  Sometimes taking a break is the best solution.

Before I took that break I thought my entire idea and inner vision of this jacket was a big mistake.  I realized however that I really just needed to think about what I really wanted.

I want to make the jacket out of this fabric.  I have "seen" this jacket in this fabric almost since the first moment I saw the pattern, although I have also wondered if I have lost my mind and if this is more fitting, tailoring, and matching than I am ready to deal with.

But when I put the fabric on Matilda, and looked at the pattern and my muslin again, I confirmed that I really do want to give it a try.  I may be crazy, it may not work, it may be a mistake, but I will never know unless I try.

I believe I was correct in thinking that I do not want a dart coming out of the raglan sleeve, nor do I want a dart coming up from the bottom of the jacket or angling up from the side. It occurred to me that I can bring the dart down from the neckline and hide it under the collar.  Doing that will also add a little fullness at the hem in front.  But I probably need a little extra room there as well.  I should be able to give this a try later today.  

First though, laundry and pulling out clothes and knitting projects for the trip to Knoxville.  Once everything is together and packed and ready I know that my time will be free for playing with patterns and muslins and dreams of red and white jackets.

 

Update

I thought I had about an hour yesterday to work on the muslin, it ended up being less than that, but I did make progress.  Thursday is knitting night, and even a muslin in process wasn't going to keep me away.

I only managed to put together half of the jacket.  Even thought the back is cut in one piece on the pattern, I cut the muslin as two pieces just for ease in fitting.  It is rare that I cut a back piece on the fold anyway, even though I will cut the final back in the final version in one piece.  Usually there is just enough difference in the right and left that I need to work from a full pattern piece.  

This is what I learned so far:

The 42 looks like it is fine through the shoulder and through the back, at least the half back, that is already made.  I need to release the seam a little bit at the hips in back, but so far there are no other major back adjustments.  When I have a full garment I may see other changes, especially at the sleeves, but I have the right size pattern.

I definitely need to do a FBA, but I was expecting it.  Otherwise, the front seems to fit well through the shoulders and upper chest.

Today I can make and attach the other half back and do the FBA. Once that is done, I can see what other adjustments are needed.  I am sure there will be something, but I am feeling my confidence returning.

First Muslin Cut

There was no more sewing time last week after Matilda had her retrofitting, much to my chagrin.  And my frustration at my lack of sewing times continues...

But I did get a couple of hours to work on my jacket today and I got the entire laid out and marked and cut out of muslin so I can begin the process of fitting.

I had hoped to start sewing today as well, but I ended up with a little less time than I had hoped but I hope I can get the first draft assembled and checked on Matilda tomorrow.

   

I really couldn't wrap my head around the flat pattern adjustments because there have been so many changes in the intervening years since I last did this, and I realized the only thing to do was work from a muslin.  Besides I am really itching to just be working on something....

I would really like to get the muslin completely fitted and finished this week so that I can cut the actual garment as soon as we return from Knoxville.  Oh yeah, we are leaving on the 10th, which doesn't leave me much time.

Considering that this is Wednesday, and I feel like I have no idea what I am doing, this might be a completely unrealistic goal.  On the other hand, I am hoping that once I get to work things will come back to me, so far results have been promising.

A shrink-break

This morning I wanted to take a picture of a shirt I wear pretty frequently.  The fit is ok, although it could be better, and I wear it a great deal with sweaters.  I wanted to add it to the touch closet app, and thought a photo on Matilda would be better than a flat shot.

But alas, Matilda could not fit into the shirt.; it would not reach around her upper chest or her bosom and was therefore not photographable.

This afternoon, my sewing time was spent on a depadding Matilda and fitting her into a new bra.  Not only was this necessary for photography, but if I hope to fit any kind of jacket or blouse I need Matilda to be closer to my actual measurements.  

Here she is, in process (she kindly asked for there to be no embarrassing "before" photos).  The white shirt is another version of  the purple blouse that did not fit this morning.  I included two shots because I was shocked at the first photo, as I see myself more like photo 3.  Photo 4 was taken in a pose comparable to the first photo.

All photos are clickable, as usual, if you want to see the gory details.

While I was working on this it occurred to me that I needed to take a photo for reference next time I get my hair cut because I really love the way the cut turned out this time.  This morning I really made no effort, no blow-drying, just occasional tousling with my hands as it dried, and I really like the look.  Since I had new photos it seemed like time to update my blog photos as well.  This photo is not clickable.  No one needs to see my wrinkles in all their glorious detail.

This is about how I look day to day.  I don't really have the discipline for a polished "do".  

One thing I have noticed, and my hairdresser mentioned it as well, is that my hair has gotten darker over the past few years.  Yes there is more silver and gray, mostly widely scattered strands, for which I am thankful, but that hair which is not gray has gotten darker and more uniform in color.  This of course has meant that I can wear stronger colors than I used to pull off, but it has not been dramatic enough to really change my palette.  

Here is where I need your help:  I got a little carried away with the eyeshadow this morning.  I am out of my favorite eye-tonic, the one that makes my dark circles fade, so I thought to distract the eye with a little more color on the lid whereas I often go for  the "3 shades of invisible" look.  I am torn between thinking it is nice, and thinking it is way too bright.  I like playing with color, but I can't really see what it looks like until after I have my glasses on, and then I don't notice the eyeshadow through the glasses.  The photograph brings out the color really well.  Is it good or is it too much? Opinions welcome.

New Project

Last night I traced out a new pattern.  It is a pattern I had been obsessing about all week.  It was not part of my plan.  But more about that later.

In order to make space on the cutting table I had to tackle that pile of pattern tissue and UFO's that I had been avoiding.  There were piles of pattern drafts for things made last winter (I am talking February 2008 here), and various stages of muslins and what-not for various patterns and projects I no longer remember.  

As you can see from the photo above some of them even got wet in the interval; don't ask me how that happened.

All these bits of pattern paper have been sorted; some have been filed and others are now neatly stacked and stored in the UFO pile, a pile I have every intention of finishing up.  

So why am I tracing a new pattern when I have all these unfinished patterns and muslins just waiting for my attention? Because I was looking at a piece of fabric and it said something to me.  I think it wants to be this Marfy jacket, one of the free patterns in the new 2009 Marfy catalog.  I actually don't know that it will work, and it is more than I originally wanted to tackle as I worked my way back into sewing. But the idea would just not leave my head.  All this despite the fact that there is another coat I really want to be sewing and really want to move from its position as "fabric space hog" into the coat closet.

But there is no denying inspiration.

So I traced out the pattern.    It helped that I had organized the cutting table and actually had a roll of table paper right there at the ready for tracing.  

I had hoped also to get started on the muslin yesterday, but got started a little later than planned so that didn't happen. I had intended to sort out the paperwork for our taxes, just to see what was missing so I could track it down, but once I had everything out I figured I might as well put it all together, and add everything up.  Now most of the work on the taxes is done, except for a couple of 1099s, so in the long run I am ahead.

It probably won't happen tonight either.  We are having cocktail hour before dinner tonight, which makes pattern alteration and muslin cutting a questionable enterprise.

But that is one of the advantages of retirement.  Who says happy hour has to be on Friday?  Monday is so much more decadent, don't you think?

I think this project will take me a while.  I am sure there will be days when I want simpler things, when I don't want to struggle with fitting a muslin. Even after I get the muslin fitted I have to figure out if it will work in the desired fabric (I'm not telling yet).  I wasn't planning on a tailored project and yet I am a firm believer in making what you love and this project has been on my mind.  There will be many days when I want nothing more than to tackle one of those UFOs. There is no rush after all.