Pants Pizazz!

I took a big step last week-end ... I cut out a pair of pants in a brown wool that has aged nicely in the stash for 2 years. Why the nerves over something I have successfully cut and fitted before? Because of the new fit. You see, I have been working with a trainer at work for the past six months (if you count the almost 5 weeks we were "paused" due to vacation and work load) and as a result, I have lost some inches. I was not sure how much this would matter until the Liz Claiborn pants I had purchased last fall began to actually fall off! So, I took a deep breath and decided that I would take a risk and go down a whole size on the pattern.

I pulled out the HP Razor Sharp pants pattern and cut out a size 14. Something I haven't done on pants since my early years of sewing (and those didn't even fit right!). Rather than make up muslin, I pulled out the brown wool and just went at it! I cut it out as a 14 as is with out any additions to the s.a. at all. When sewing, I did hedge and only use 3/8" s.a. on the s.s and the inseam, however, I did use the full 5/8" at CB&CF. I also did my standard curve adjustment (I lower the J into more of an L) as that is something that is standard for my figure. By eliminating the darts at the front and back, I have that little bit of ease that I need at the waist.

I gave them a quick try on a minute ago and held my breath while I turned into my corner mirrors ... WAHOOO!!!! IT WORKED!!!! The back looks AMAZING! I now have quite the nice butt in these pants! So, now all I have to do is to cut out the silk organza that I want to use as a lining and I will have a new pair of trousers for parent teacher night at the end of the week. The even better news is that now I can breathe easier and cut out another pair in the cashmere wool (lined again with the silk organza) as I now am certain of the fit!

I would show photos but I need to get to bed as we are expecting snow and freezing rain over night, so I will have to shovel in the morning. That means getting up early ...

This will really motivate me to continue on with the training as I definitely see a difference in the body shape even if the pounds are not dropping much! Who needs scales when you have a measuring tape???

I will post back tomorrow night after I come back from the Beaver meeting with Monkey Girl and have the lining cut out. Then I may have a photo to share as well. I will start to draft my review of the pattern as I go, but that will be posted much later in the week.

Why posture really does matter ...

The mess on the floor next to Mindy the dressform is actually a pile of rib knits and lining pieces that are destined for the new drawer unit that I purloined from Hamster Boy. He needed a new Lego box as his collection is fast outgrowing the drawers. So, he nicely offered to donate the drawers to the workshop if I would buy him a large and flat Rubbermaid. Who am I to turn that down? Now, to those pants ...

Why did these pants suddenly have so much more wrinkles in the photos then in the mirror? I know that there have been many almonds and some surgery under the belt between the last fitting session and this photo, but I am not liking these pants too much on screen. The pockets are gaping a bit as well, now that I look again. Taking digi photos of the "reverse" view was very humbling... where did that wonderful fit that I saw before go to? It took me about 4 shots before I figured it out.

When I started to re-jig the workshop, I bought some mirror tiles and placed them in the corner, giving me a more all around view when I fit. Better, but not perfect. I would need to change the angles I think to achieve what I really want. I made a discovery today ... When I fit using the mirrors, I must have shifted my posture to get the view of the back of my pants. When I take the pictures of the finished product, my posture is proper, so I discover more wrinkles that disappear only if I adopt a pose similar to that of Carol Burnett's secretary character, Mrs Wiggins! (I so wish I could find a screen shot of her walking, she is one of my all time fave Burnett characters!) This shift is most likely a result of my having to twist a bit to view the mirrors ... but definitely not how I normally stand or walk. So, I am posting these pants, wrinkles and all, knowing that my routine should now be tweak and click rather than tweak and twist! I know that if I lift these up at CB, a lot of those pesky wrinkles disappear but truth be told, I just don't want to have to rip out all that top stitching again! So, I am going to live with them and see if I like them better after a couple of weeks without almonds and lots of time on the Elliptical. Because right now, I am not too hot on doing any further pattern tweaking on these! I need a complete break from Dragons ... St George I am not!

Even though I said I was going to focus on the other projects in my family, I started a top the other night as I felt the need for a burst of speed sewing to improve my mood. I figure it was better than eating almonds ... So, I cut out the Butterick 4347 v. D in a nice poly knit crochet type fabric in a wine colour. I am going to underline it with a nice coral silkweight powerdry from the previous EFQ spellbinding. This project was perfect for me as I needed to think about layouts due to the knit being really narrow. I ended up piecing the crossover pieces at the underbust point. I am going to sew it up tomorrow morning. The Scouts are off to the Library tomorrow night, so no prep time for me for a change! That means I get to sew all week in the mornings! WOOHOO!! I promise to post updates ...

We are down to 88 days till the Pilot moves back home ... Hamster Boy is really bummed out tonight after saying good bye to Dad tonight. They had a great Boys' weekend while Monkey Girl and I went to a sleepover with her Beavers (this is what we call the youngest age grouping of Scouts up here in Canada) and then bought her a new bike. He misses his Dad so much ... Pilot didn't want to leave either. 4 more sleeps till he comes back for that long Easter weekend! We are so counting days!

The Dragon Unleashed ...

First a bit of snarky soapbox time ... there is another run of HP patterns out, this time with instruction sheets courtesy of McCall's. Kudos to a small Indie company for reaching for the big guns wrt getting help. Congrats on pulling it off! Makes me smile in pride that I have been a supporter of Trudy and Jeremy in my own small way! Now for the soapbox.

It has been said by others before, and I just have to say it again. Why is it a crime to have to make a muslin for an HP pattern but it is considered par for the course for other companies? Nobody blinks an eye at muslins for Marfy or Burda (don't get me started on their instructions, BTW!), but the minute somebody recommends a muslin for HP people get upset saying for the amount of $ the patterns, cost they shouldn't have to do muslins ... Sorry. I wasn't aware of the fact that HP gave out custom sized patterns that didn't require a fitting session. Get over it people, Trudy designs her patterns her way and just because it may require you to do alterations that you may not have to do in other lines doesn't make her patterns bad. Custom fit takes work. IN ANY PATTERN LINE. So, come on, if you order the pattern, bite the bullet, make a muslin and enjoy the journey .. you just may learn to like muslins when you see the quality in the final garment.

OK, enough of that. Last night I finished altering the Pilot's shirt pattern and actually hemmed the Dragon Pants. Yup, I am wearing them as I speak. Any of the extra ease that I was thinking of tinkering with is gone (no doubt thanks to all those chocolate almonds), but they are still very wearable. The drape is not as nice as I like, but that is due to the fabric, I think. Now that it is warming up, I will sew these up in a lightweight brown crepe I got in a Fabric Mart bundle last year. I think the legs are a bit too wide, but I will see how they lie in the crepe. It amazes me how fabrics change a pattern! I am off to take pictures and post the final product!

Easter is Coming ...

Knowing that the weather is calling for double digit temps ABOVE ZERO (Celsius) tomorrow, my thoughts of sewing are running far and fast from the Cherry Blossom coat and thinking of Easter dresses. I love dresses but don't have much chance to wear them other than on Sundays and with Monkey Girl still in the wriggle on Mom's lap at Mass stage, they aren't always practical! So, my dress pattern selection is somewhat limited as I tend to be somewhat picky.

There is a lot of talk over at the Stitcher's Guild about the new batch of Hot Patterns. They are nice patterns, but I am in the minority in not being a fan of the styles. There is much too much gathering for my tastes. I prefer a more fitted look, I guess. Maybe this is due to over caution owing to my relatively substantial bust size. That tends to dominate my choice of patterns somewhat. While I am not plus size having a bra that is larger than a DDD (US sizing) with a smaller waist, makes them a bit, well, obvious. So, having all that fabric tends to make me think that they would look even larger. Even in my HP Patchoulli Dress, which called for underbust gathers, I used the optional darted bodice that Trudy so nicely thought to design and include in the pattern. So, do I remake the Patchoulli? I have a nice silk chiffon that would be beautiful in it, but I don't think that I have enough for the Bias skirt and the ruffles. That is out.

Option 2 is a Marfy pattern I fell in love with due to the waist detailing. It looks like it might be a challenge to sew, but to be honest, I have not even taken the pieces out to look at yet. It might be easy for all I know!

Option #2 is this Marfy pattern I fell in love with. If I use the silk chiffon (assuming I have enough) it will be quite flirty and will take me into the humid summers of Ontario. It would even do for the Pilot's Grad ceremony/garden party if I find the right hat to go with it. The only downside would be that the lovely darting would be lost in the floral design of the pattern. I need something that will travel and sit well. So, what to buy instead? I know I don't have anything else in the stash that would suit this pattern. I am not sure if I should buy until I try to fit the pattern. I think I will be safe and just get some muslin and go from there. But it sure is nice to be thinking of dresses ...

Spring is coming ... somewhere!

Earlier in the week the Monkey asked me to BBQ hot dogs for lunch. As it was a wonderfully sunny day and the deck had been cleared of snow by the sun, I went outside. I even opened the deck umbrella for a bit to provide some shade for the kitchen as it was really warming up in there. It was a huge surprise when a fly took wing from underneath the umbrella. IT had been hibernating, I guess along with a half dozen lady bugs. So, despite the fact that March definitely came in like a Lion this year, spring is coming! I am now on robin watch! When I see the first one I will know spring has arrived!

I went back to the sewing room this morning. Before I took that last hiatus, I had trimmed and then repinned the Dragon pockets, both front and back. I then abandoned the sewing room for a couple of days that magically turned into a couple of weeks. Some of it was for medical reasons, but now there are no more excuses. I only have the cargo pocket to add and the inseams to stitch before doing the waistband, so they are almost done. There shouldn't be any more tweaking until I get the lighter weight fabric from the EFQ (ordered a week before Lent began). So, hoping that Monkey will let me finish these this aft, I will have them done for the Pilot's arrival tomorrow noon.

In light of the spring like atmosphere, I have some worries about the Cherry Blossom coat. I have been staring at it, wondering why it doesn't appeal to me. I am of the opinion that it really is not a flattering coat on me right now. I wonder if I made it too large? IT is supposed to be a loose fitting design, so I wonder if I made it too big? Seeing as I no longer need the warmth factor, I am going to rip out the lining and replace it with a layer without any fleece. Maybe a layer of flannel instead. I have more lining, although it is not silk. I also think I will take the seams in at the s.s. and armscye to see what that will do. And shorten it some more. So, once the Dragon is domesticated, I will do my round of rip stitching and then pin it all and post for help. I have always been lucky that the majority of my readers have the knowledge and tact to give me what I need to hear and to provide good solutions. I really don't want to give up on this.

Last week, Diva Phyllis posted a shot of her wearing her HP Sportive Suit Skirt. While I love the skirt and have it in my to do list for Spring, I fell head over heels in lust for her blouse! I commented on it and Phyllis was nice enough to brainstorm the construction of it for me. She even found a pattern for me/us. I went to the local Fabricland yesterday and bough the pattern. And (mea culpa) some fabric to go with it. The colours in this fabric will lend itself to many items in my Closet, so I think it will be a nice dressy blouse for spring.

I also picked up this little gem of a top. I made a formal top a few years back that had similar lines to view D. This photo is not flattering as I see that the Twins are a bit droopy and hindsight being perfect< I should have widened the bodice piece a smidge ... but oh well, it was good for the price of the silk! The point is, I like the wrap over styling of the bodice, but was uncomfortable with the lie of the crossover. This new pattern eliminates that problem by having an under layer to the wrap. Now, I just have to choose the right fabric for this top. I have a Pucci type print that I think would hide the wrap detailing, so that is out. Same with the lace. That leaves me with powerdry and some Sophia knits that are coming with that box from Ressy. And some summer weight jersey's that are too light for Canada's early spring. So, do I make it in the caramel silkweight powerdry? Or the white cotton lycra that I was going to use for the twisted turtleneck? I think I have enough for both, but do I need 2 white tops?

I think I have finally found a use for that red gabardine that has been harrassing me so loudly! I think it will become a HP Sportive Suit jacket. I have a nice summer floral print with a matching red in it that would do well in the skirt of the suit. Or do I have it backwards ... should the print go on the top and the solid on the bottom? I can never get that straight! Anyway, I think that the print would make a nice spring/summer skirt as it is a nice weight cotton with some lycra to it. A jacket would not be right for this fabric, but I could sew it up in this zip front blouse. I know this is a flattering look for me, so it would be great for this. Maybe with the red skirt? I am determined to use that red ... I have to purge it from the stash this spring!

Anyway ... enough time typing for now. I need to get back to finishing off the Dragon so that I can get to that coat!

HP Bo Ho Deluxe Lacy Wrap Cardigan

Thanks to the second job interview, I am getting more of my HP patterns done in a short period of time! I managed to get the bodice and collar of the HP cardigan cut and put together. I am using a very lightweight sweater knit bought on sale with Christmas money from the MIL, so this is one of her gifts to me. Again this is intended to be a very wearable muslin as I have yet to find just the right knit for this sweater, but I do need something for Friday. I like the shawl collar and the slight double breasted styling, although I am not a ribbon and lace person, so that will be modified!

Once again, I cut out the GG 16 and just went with it as is. So far this has worked for me. While the cardigan is not as double breasted on me as the model, I think I like it a little less overlapped anyway for my figure. But, the pattern still seems to have enough give, especially with only 3/8" s.a. that are allowed.

The pattern is intended for "cut and sew knits", sweatshirt fleece and stretchy rib knits. The one review I have seen of this pattern argued that this pattern is better designed for wovens due to the requirement to interface the collar facing. Apparently when she did it, the bodice was too stiff. In the making of my coat and now this cardigan, I read up on shawl collars. Threads magazine (Jan 2004) recommends that to maintain the look of the jacket, you fuse the front of the jacket and even put a second layer above the roll line. That would make a knit cardigan very heavy. As the fabric I chose has a boucle look to it, but is very lightweight, I decided to go ahead and interface anyway. I used a lightweight fusi knit for the facings and also for the area above the roll line of the bodice. I also reinforced the dart in the bodice with a second strip of interfacing to support the dart. I always fuse a scrap to the shoulders, but this time, I extended it to the back neck seamline as well as stay stitching. I have no illusions about this fabric, but I want it to look good for Friday! So far, my choices seem to be working. The fusi-knit is lightweight enough that it provides support but does not overpower the fabric or the lie of the collar.

So far, the instruction in this pattern are extremely well written. They follow a logical sequence and are easy to understand for me. I recommend reading them thoroughly before you sew as they have a unique treatment for the attaching the shawl collar facing. Trudy has you pin the facing on, RS together but not stitch along the edge. You only stitch the bottom to the hemline. After you flip, you attach the facing by binding the edges together. The binding shown on the collar actually encloses the raw edges. Included in the instructions are guidelines for making your own binding. For this version, I did not bind, but stitched them RS together and then across the hemline and then flipped. I also stitched in the ditch at the CB neck seam and also at the shoulder to anchor the neck facings. Because of the boucle effect, I may even top stitch the collar facing's interior edge as well. The stitches will be hidden in the texture of the fabric.

All I have left to do is to do the sleeves, the ties, the s.s. and the hem. I may use the diff feed on the serger and attempt a lettuce hem for the sleeves. After all, I do have another day ...maybe I can get the HP Dragon Cargo pants started as I try to figure out those cuffs on the coat!

Call backs and cuffs ....

Thanks for all the good wishes regarding the interview yesterday. I got a phone call tonight to schedule the second interview with the rest of the management team of the Fitness Centre. Looks like Friday I will have that second interview. What am I going to throw together now that I have an extra night to plan? Can't wear the same jacket twice in one week. At least, not the same fabric one ... I will have to examine the pattern file and see what I have that will be fast. I have a Silhouette pattern for a jacket that I can do easily. They usually fit without any alterations. Or, I pull out the HP Cardigan resting in the wait pile. I can put together a wearable muslin with fabric in the stash. I seem to have good luck with the GG sizing, so let's see if it works as well as the others!

For some reason I can't get the cuffs right on this Cherry Blossom coat. After talking with Kay Y. and Mary Beth today, I think that the problem is one of my own making. The problem is that the sleeve, without the cuff, is the perfect length for me. When I add the cuff, it needs folding back to lie correctly. This happened in the muslin as well, and as the fold back equalled the cuff width perfectly, I assumed that meant the cuff and the contrast panel would be folded back onto the sleeve. Therein lies my problem. When I stitch the contrast cuff to the cuff facing and then fold it back, I have way too many layers at the hemline. The problem is, the instructions are a bit dodgy so I have been puzzling and ripping for 2 days to figure this out.

It wasn't until after I had coffee with Kay this a.m. that I came to the conclusion that my assumption is most likely faulty. I think the fold was sheer coincidence and the extra length is due to the bias cut of the jacket sleeves. So, I sent Trudy an e-mail to see if I am right before I cut on the line that I have marked on the sleeve. I am so close to having this coat done that I am frustrated beyond belief! I can't carry on until I know ... and once cut, I can't put it back!

I have commented before that the HP patterns always assume some skill and should not be taken lightly. But (how I hate that word ...) this pattern's instructions are muddled to say the least. I couldn't figure the sequence given for construction. It was not logical to say the least. So, I read them to look for unique things that I need to be aware of and then I went on my own. Which I tend to do more often as I progress in my sewing. I usually follow the same routine: assemble the fronts, the backs, attach the sleeves, collars and cuffs. Repeat for the lining and then take a deep breath and hope that I have the lining done right and that I won't see s.a. after I attach the lining. Yup, I saw the s.a. last night and had to frog stitch the lining and redo it so that the lining was silk out after I bag it as opposed to fleece out! That is one reason why I don't call myself an advanced sewer. Until I can do that easily, I am staying intermediate! Another reason to make another jacket tonight and tomorrow!

Cross your fingers on Friday and stay tuned!

Late Night Creations

Last night I burned a bit of midnight oil trying to throw something to wear to last minute job interview. Diva MB and I were talking and we agreed that the HP Sportive Skirt Suit Jacket would be perfect for the occasion as the interview was for an admin job at a local fitness centre. She didn't think I was serious when I mused about whether it would be possible to put it together in two hours or less. If it was possible, I had a new jacket for the interview. If not, I would at least have
a muslin done for when I am ready to cut the stretch velvet assigned to it from the stash. Win win, right?

The pattern has the same basic design as the HP Cherry Blossom coat currently co-habiting the workshop. Two piece raglan sleeves cut on the bias give the sleeves and the shoulder a very nice line. They curve so nicely over my sloped shoulders and flare out at the wrist. At least they would have, had I enough fabric in the chosen piece to do a full length sleeve! I was short fabric, so I shortened the sleeves to elbow length. I omitted the lining as speed was the goal here, and this was intended to be a tres casual jacket anyway. I like the shorter length sleeve. It gives a bit of a vintage feel to the jacket and also allows me to wear this jacket in the warmer weather as well. I will use the full length sleeve on the velvet as I don't usually wear black stretch velvet in warmer weather! I did not use the hoodie version of this jacket as I am not a hood person unless it is outerwear. Living in a climate where you usually have to wear a parka with a hood, having another hood underneath is not comfortable to me.

As this pattern is in the older sizing system, you should know that I do NOT sew the much complained about Slinky size range. I am very definitely a Glamour Girl. The princess seaming is very generously cut in the side pieces, making a flattering front for somebody with the shape to fit them! I cut out a 16, larger than my usual 14 as I wanted to be able to take in seams rather than have to add. As this was a (hopefully) fast muslin, I wanted to see if I could get away without my usual FBA. What are the chances, considering I usually have to add 2-3" across the front for the Girls? I held my breath and cut the 16 in the pattern. I pinned it to Mindy and it appeared like it would work even though I did not use a stretch fabric. So, I took another deep breath (and a huge sip of caffeine) and cut the fabric.

The fit was divine! It did not need any alterations at all. It has enough ease that I could easily wear a sweater underneath (assuming I had LS), so I could probably use 1" s.a. to make a closer fit next time, especially since I am going to use a stretch velvet. This makes me sad that HP discontinued the older range of sizes, but considering the large number of problems with the Slinky range, I can see why they did it. I wonder if the GG is the basis from which they graded to the Slinky and Curvy ranges?





I used the serger for this entire project, except for the facings and applying the collar and zipper. I used a Riri zipper that I bought from Londa's. Originally intended for a denim jacket, the zipper has multi-coloured teeth. This zipper really makes the jacket, I think. The colours really pop against the green in a way that I don't think they would have against the denim. Diva Ann once mentionned that the choice of a closure can drastically affect the finished garment. I have to agree with this. This zipper really jazzes this green jacket up.

I am most definitely sewing this again after the Cherry Blossom coat is done later tonight. I see this in the stretch velvet and even in a wool or denim with some piping on the raglan seaming. This pattern has replaced the McCall's pattern languishing in the stash in a similar style but for the sleeves. After the velvet is done, I see making a pair of pants to go with them. I have some nice red gabardine that I may finally get the courage up to sew into pants. Then I just need the guts to wear red pants! Being the product of a conservative mother, the thought of red pants has me doing a bit of an irrational twitch ... but that is another post altogether!

But it was a gift ....

Well, I went to the chain fabric store and searched for faux suede. I fond some, but it wasn't on sale, and I really only needed about a length of 6" at full width to allow for practice runs. So, I went to the remnant and clearance sale table and found some really nice velvet in a chocolate brown. That will complement the wool nicely, I think. The browns are close enough for the purposes of buttonholes. And it was on sale, too! Into the basket it went ... along with a nice blue sweater knit that 2 metres left and a nice burgundy textured knit as well. Perfect for the first round of the "twisted turtleneck", I think! I may have to line it, though. The Pilot says it is a bit see through. I think I have enough black interlock to underline the bodice at least ... I know I am supposed to be shopping the stash, but this stuff can't count as it was a gift. That's right, a gift. The MIL gave me a $25 GC for Fabricland (our national chain) and I had to spend it, right? No choice there or I risk offending the DMIL.

I don't need any more patterns right now as my last HP order has arrived. 6 more patterns for the table! Most of which can be done with stash fabric! Which ones? Razor Sharp pants, the Everyday Pants, the Bollywood dress for the Pilot's grad in the summer, one of the last Kensington Jackets, and the 2 classic shirts (princess and plain although the actual names escape me at the moment). That makes a lot of HP's to sew up in the next while. Sounds like a resolution to me! The only one I will make ... to sew up as many of the HP patterns in the stash as I can in the next 3-6 months. That should take me to the spring offering, don't you think?

Still on the subject of gifts, in their quest for ever more roast chicken, the two men in my life conspired together this Christmas and bought me not one, but 2 beer can chicken stands. Their philosophy being that now I can roast 2 birds at once in the oven and they can have more crunchy, spiced skin. Now, this type of cooking is not really well known to me, although I hear it is a big thing in some areas of the US. So, while I was fabric shopping, the Pilot and the monkeys went next door to the grocery store (yup, cruel world, isn't it? fabric and food in one location!) and bought a chicken. We came home and the Pilot did his duty, drinking half a can of beer so that we could use the rest for the bird. Messy way of cooking, I must say. Splatter ervywhere, although that could be the bird's fault. Very fatty bird. The result was ultra moist meat, but a messy oven. The skin wasn't as roasted as I would have liked either ... too much steam from the beer perhaps? Advice would be welcome from those more experienced in this ...

Shirts ... again!

Well, in keeping with a holiday tradition in the Newman household, I had the Pilot try on a muslin for a shirt. And once again, I have a nice fit in the back and the shoulders are an easy fix, but there is so much fluff in the front and for some reason it doesn't want to lie straight. I have decided to just stop trying to fix the KS pattern. I am going to start the muslin on the Vogue pattern instead. I hope to have that muslin done by Monday. Then I can make an appointment with Darrell for a fitting session. Maybe he can figure this out ...


I found some wonderful stretch velvet on eBay last week. A wonderful melange of browns and gold that the photo does not do justice! This will become a holiday dress and skirt for the little monkey and the HP Chilled Out Sweatsuit tunic top. I have some more of the velvet coming in a red floral pattern on black. I am not sure what that will become yet, but I am sure the little Monkey will claim some for herself. She was wandering around the family room with the fabric draped around her like a toga for a while. She is now sitting with an arm on the box it came in. I can see that this will be a fast project to sew and I will have to do my best to keep her out of it before Mass this weekend!

In the planning stage of the HP coat, I asked for and received plenty of advice regarding insulation and linings. People from all across the continent gave me help, but in the end, I needed somebody who is in the same climate as me to help out. So, I spoke to Kay, a fellow sewer in Ottawa about coats and thermal layers for our city. She just reviewed a wonderful coat on Pattern Review. I needed some advice about whether or not to actually sew in the MM thermal layer in my coat. I have it cut out and will stitch it together, but I will hold off actually putting it in between the lining and the wool. If I really need it, I will fashion it as an under vest layer. I like how Kay managed to add a front zipper to her coat and am going to shamelessly copy her closure ideas.

I managed the past two days without crutches. This morning, I managed to get a lot of shopping and driving done. I also managed to do some wrapping this while the kids were at school. The downside is that I was standing on carpeted concrete wihtou slippers. My foot is now very sore. I needed to put it up this afternoon for a while. Time to put movies on for the kids and rest! I picked up "The Devil Wears Prada" this afternoon to cut and sew by tonight. But first I have to take some Ibuprofen ... and maybe order in Chinese for supper!

Baby steps ...

The flannel was cut out but I haven't gotten any further yet. Have to get going on that as the temps went below zero last night for the second night in a row. I have too many things on the go. I need to paint, I need to sew, I need to clean my house ... Today, I sew the flannel and see how it fits. Maybe even get the thermal layer cut out if the flannel is OK.

I am using a lining windlboc fleece from Malden Mills that I bought from wazoodle. This is a nice compact liner that will help keep me warm until it gets really cold! I am going to overlap the seams as opposed to using the regular seaming techinique. This was recommended in Threads. I may even try to flatlock on my serger with some scraps. Will have to see ...

The absentee husband called last night with details about his grad weekend in June. Garden Party followed by formal dinner. I have the garden party dress already planned, but am stumped by the formal. I am unhappy with the fit of the present fromals in the closet and want a new one. I am thinking of the Hot Patterns Bollywood Dress. I am trying to think if this would suit my figure ... I am trying to channel Nick and Stacy, here but they are silent today.

Here is my thought process ... the bodice would be great due to the neckline. The underbust gathers I think would be OK, but am not sure of the waistline gathers. Definitely no tulle underskirt! I also think I would need to lengthen the skirt to fit my height. The fullness should balance my bustline, right? But those gathers worry me under the waistband. I don't want another dress that looks OK, I want a great dress to WOW him after being away for a year!

The garden party will be one of two dresses. As it will be end June/early July and humid, I am thinking a lightweight silk. I have a nice floral silk chiffon and a nice rayon lining for comfort. The most probable dress will be this dress if I have enough fabric for the bias skirt layout:


The other option is this Marfy.

It has some beautiful dart work at the waist that I think would be a challenge for me to sew but the results would be lovely! The only thing is that I think a print would hide the detailing. This would require me to shop for fabric ... not a bad thing, in itself! The challenge would be finding the right fabric in the right weight for this. It sure is fun thinking about summer dresses when the temps are falling outside!

HP Cherry Blossom Coat part 1

The project on the table right now is the HP Cherry Blossom Coat. I am in the pattern proofing stage as I do the preliminary fit alterations and some design changes as well. First off, I love the lines of this coat. Second, I wish I had read the description a bit closer. Than I would have realized that this has an edge to edge closing to it rather than an overlap for buttons. If I want to wear this in the Canadian autumn and spring weather, I need to change the closure. I either add a windflap and a zipper or I extend the CF to allow for buttons. So, I have added an extension of 2 1/2" to allow for buttons. This also means I have to adjust the shawl collar and bottom facings as well as the coat. I only have to adjust the bottom facing, now. Then comes a trial run. I will use the coat rather than the lining and facings for this simply due to the number of pieces involved. I will probably use flannel as I have that in the stash and if it works out, it will be an underlining.

I am going to use some lightweight cashmere wool melton in 2 colours for the coat. The body will be a medium denim blue and the contrast will be in chocolate brown. I found both at Wazoodle a while ago. This has been aging in my stash for long enough time to sew it up before it gets too cold to wear it. For a lining, I am going to use some silk charmeuse in a nice navy that I adopted from Ressy, the Evil Fabric Queen. This will be the most lux item in my wardrobe other than my beaded silk formal seen here on Pattern Review. I figure every housewife needs to have some silk and cashmere in her wardrobe, right? I found these buttons at Darrell Thomas Textiles, a local fabric boutique that I just love! Whenever I want to fondle luscious silks, wools or cashmere, I go see Darrell! And he teaches, too! That is for another blog entry, though ...