Well, I finally finished something, the top made from the Nancy Erickson aqua pebble knit.
Here is the pattern I used:
The Pattern, vogue 2483, is OOP. I originally purchased it for the top with its diagonal dart. I did not think I liked the shrug but I see how this could be a really cute transitional outfit, post workout perhaps, although I don't think this is what was originally intended.
You can click on both photos to enlarge which might especially be helpful with the line drawings.
The top is self lined and top-stitched all around. The original design might have been meant for double faced fabric, although Vogue Patterns never tells you this, and I think it would be very nice in a double faced fabric fabric, maybe even a knit, although perhaps a firm knit like this one, not a really stretchy knit.
The pattern calls for the front pieces to be interfaced with a fusible interfacing, and for a more drapey fabric such a a lightweight flannel or wool crepe this would be necessary. The cotton pebble knit is pretty firm and I did not think it needed the interfacing. The top turned out very nicely without it.
First I sewed and top-stitched the front darts and sewed the fronts together at the center. Then I sewed the back darts and inserted the zipper. The pattern calls for a centered zipper but I used an invisible zipper. I did try a new technique though, at least for me.
I inserted the invisible zipper in the outside fabric in the standard manner, before sewing the center back seam, lining up the zipper along the fabric edge and sewing in place. I had previously trimmed by center back seam to 1/2". I lined the zipper up at the top so that the top of the zipper teeth were just a scant 1/8 inch below the neckline seam-line as I wanted a clean finish at the neck with no hook and eye. After the zipper was in place I sewed the lower part of the center back seam.
Next, I attached the back lining to the zipper seam. This was new for me. I had never done it before. I usually sew the garment and then hand sew the lining to the zipper tape after the garment is constructed, using the opening of the lining around the zipper to turn the garment inside out so I can attach the pieces, but I am never completely happy with the way the finished garment looks. Oh it looks nice, but I always have a sneaking suspicion that it could look nicer.
Not long ago I discovered a new blog (for me) by Kathleen Fasanella called Fashion Incubator. One of Kathleen's posts was about a centered zipper construction where the facing was sewn to the zipper as part of the construction process. This made me start thinking that I could do something similar with my invisible zipper as well. I don't recall that I have ever read about doing this before, or perhaps my brain was just not ready to absorb the information. After I sewed the zipper in the outer fabric I took my back lining pieces and sewed them over the zipper tape at the back zipper seam. I lined up the neck and center back edges exactly and then I sewed just OUTSIDE the original zipper seam-line. I did this because the invisible zipper seam is very close to the teeth on the outside of the zipper. But the inside of an invisible zipper is wider than what you see on the outside and I was afraid that the lining fabric would interfere with the operation of the zipper. I did not take pictures but perhaps I should have, although you can follow Kathleen's technique and imagine what I did pretty well. After attaching the lining to the zipper I sewed the lining center back seam leaving a few inches open below the bottom of the zipper to be used later on in turning the garment.
Here is the finished garment showing the zipper, first the outside and then the inside of the zipper seam, very neatly finished:
The top of the zipper opening is not quite as perfectly smooth and clean as I would like. I finally accepted that it did not have to be perfect when I noticed that even Armani had a little bump at the top of his invisible zippers, but his are less noticeable than this one. Still it is not so bad that I am going to fret about it too much. The next one will be better. (forgive me all you perfectionists out there) I had a little trouble trimming out the extra bulk from this technique, but not much, and I think this will become my preferred method for the invisible zippers in lined garments. The opening at the bottom of the zipper was adequate for turning the garment and is far easier to hide with hand stitching.
After finishing the zipper I sewed the outer layer together at the side seams and the lining together at the side seams, leaving the shoulder seams open on both pieces**. Then attached the lining to the outer fabric at the neck and armhole openings. At that point it is easy to attach the lining to the outer fabric at the shoulder using the same technique I used for the lilac blocks shell. (oh how weird is that, linking to my own blog??). Because of the zipper I had to turn each shoulder separately, rather than doing it at one time, but that really is no additional hardship.
Next I sewed the lining to the outer layer at the bottom hems, turning the garment through the opening I left in the center back lining to do this. Once the seams were turned and pressed, the neckline, armhole and lower edges continuing into side seams were top-stitched. It is really hard to see the top-stitching as I did not use a different thread (intentionally) but it does make the garment look more finished. I hope you can see something in this photo:
I really like the way this top turned out. It is going to become a favorite, sleek and modern and comfortable too. I suppose there will be more of them in my future.
** oh yeah, don't believe that really went as simply as it sounds. I really don't need "real life" to distract me from what I am doing, I am more than capable of distracting myself. I actually did baste the shoulders together to check the fit of the garment on me, then I forgot about it (duh!!). I sewed the shoulders together late at night and got up early yesterday morning to finish. What with being freshly awakened, getting breakfast ready and getting my DH out the door, I forgot that I sewed the shoulders together even though they were looking right at me. I sewed the neckline and armholes together and then couldn't figure out how to turn the garment. I got one weird-looking tangled mess which I kept turning and pulling and generally cursing and panicking. Imagine a human being at a sewing table acting something like a cat that has gotten something sticky on her tail which is attached to a long piece of string. She keeps turning around and getting herself more and more tangled and panicked.... well, you have the picture.
I finally realized that I had to unsew the armhole seams and unbaste the shoulders. That done, everything proceeded correctly. I am sometimes amazed at my own capacity for making stupid mistakes. Well, Sandra Betzina always says that sewing just offers more opportunities to do something wrong. I guess you know you are becoming a good seamstress when you can get yourself out of the messes you get yourself into. At least I hope that is what it means, otherwise there is no hope for me.
