carrotflowers

Kayaki top #10 from Home Couture

Project Notes: I actually made this quite awhile ago, back in the summer, I think. This is the second time I’ve sewn this pattern - well third, I made a test version out of leftover curtain fabric. The test version is one of the first things I ever sewed, so I have a certain sentimental affection for this pattern. It’s also sweet and so simple and fast to make!

This pattern features raglan sleeves. The first time I made a wearable version, I consulted my go to person for sewing advice (whom I’ve sadly moved away from) and she taught me that I needed to match up the bottom end of the sleeve (the end near your armpit) and not worry that the top, by the shoulder, doesn’t match up. She also had me pin where the stitching would be, to then open it up and see if the seam appeared to line up correctly - a great tip. I have now mastered the raglan sleeve!

Mistakes/Complications: Well, I made the elastic a little too tight in the sleeves.

Notes for Next Time: Ummm…don’t make the elastic too tight?

Tags: Home Couture, Machiko Kayaki, raglan sleeve, top

Made: ottobre outfit

“Suzette” sash pants sans sash & the Maya top

Project Notes: This set was made for a friend’s daughter. The buttons are self-covered. The patterns are Ottobre Design, both from the first issue of 2008. The pants are drafted with belt loops and a sash but I skipped those for simplicity’s sake, and because I thought the sash was overkill (at least in this version, with my already busy fabric choices).

Mistakes/Complications: Well, these pants threw me for a loop. Every 2 out of three seams it felt like I ended up undoing. Matching pieces up wrong, sewing on the wrong side so that one crotch seam was in and the other seam the stitching was out, instead of the stitching both being in. Dumb but reversible mistakes. I cleverly sought advice on the pants after I’d made them. Turns out this is the sort of pattern where you sew the inseams and side seams, then put one leg in the other and sew the crotch, as demonstrated in this tutorial. I just winged it the best I could, and in the end it turned out ok. The pants also seemed waaay too wide in the waist so I ended up taking in the elastic twice. I also didn’t quite get how to do the leg bottoms’ elastic. I did each leg differently; one seemed better than the other but now I don’t remember what I did. I’m waiting to long to type up my notes and defeating the purpose of my sewing journal!

Notes for Next Time: Well, I think the top was a bit short and wide - this is a sort of common flaw with the Ottobre patterns, in my opinion. So next time I’d take it in a little and add to the lengthen. It might also be fun to add a band to the bottom, maybe in fabric matching the binding. About the pants - they were just way loose in the waist, just something to keep in mind. It might be fun to add a little detail to the join in the pants - maybe ribbon or rick rack going around?

Tags: ottobre design, pants, top

muslin

Recently I appropriated a ton of free patterns via freecycle. I ended up re-freecycling over half, there were too many for a lifetime! I finally cracked open the envelope on one of them, this Butterick top. I love the one with the Mandarin collar and the kimono (or Dolman?) sleeves. So I started with a muslin and cut out the size 6. Making a muslin is a fantastic idea when you are working from an unfamiliar pattern or pattern company. For examply, by now I am pretty sure what size I need for burdastyle.com or a Machiko Kayaki pattern. In this case however, it’s a good thing I started with a muslin.

Three muslins later and I had altered the pattern, changing it so that rather than have separate facings, I extended the right and left front so that it could just fold over. I extended them just so that it would close comfortably as well, because it was too tight. I also had to narrow the darts.

It had been so long since I’d make a muslin - or sewn in general - that I remembered a couple of important things:

1. BASTE - use basting stitches when making a muslin so you can just rip it right the hell back out, easily.

2. Don’t trim the seams. :(   A couple of times I needed to rejoin pieces, after I’d already gotten carried away and trimmed the seams down. Blech.

p.s. in the lower right of the big photo - my new iron - I treated myself to a Rowenta. It just glides over fabric so smoothly

Tags: muslin, top, Vogue