Papercut Peter & the Wolf, take 2 & unfinished...

After my muslin version of these pants, I knew that they would fit in this incredible stretchy Marc Jacobs wool.  Very unseasonal, until I land in Seattle in two months...So, I knew they would fit but I didn't realise at all just how much more stretchy the wool is compared to that totally zero stretch hemp/tencel.  In the hemp pants, the bagginess at the butt was a positive thing because it made it possible to fit in the pants.  In these, hm. 

I left these at full length (hits perfectly at my ankle as a full length pant.) and cut an XS.  Construction was good, although it's the first time I've worked with such a loose weave.  Not easy to get stitches out of!  I didn't quite get my seams lined up for the zip....but then I noticed that I could get the pants on without the zip.  Oops.  Then I realised I had exactly 6 hours until I needed to pack up my sewing machine to go.  There went my concentration.

So lovely people, is there any way to fix this problem that you see below at this stage of sewing???  Otherwise I could call these my lounge sweatpants...I did manage to fit another scrap of this fabric into my luggage but I'm not sure it's enough to cut another leg (for example.)

Without the waistband, a problem is found

The front isn't too too terrible

With waistband - so much room that I could pull them on without the zip!

HELLLPP!  I'm DROWNING!

By Hand London Polly 2

For my second Polly top I had so many awesome scraps I wanted to use that it was hard to choose the best ones.  Finally I settled for the silk-linen that was leftover from my Lisette Jacket as I adored the drape of it, and I paired it with the never-ending silk that was my Victoria Blazer lining (and my Papercut Saiph!)

I used a size US 6.  I took 1 inch from the centre front and about 1 inch from the top of the shoulders.  I cut about 2 inches off the bottom.  French seamed, and in order to show off the very cool selvedges I left the back open at the bottom since I didn't have enough fabric to cut it on the fold.  That also helps get it on without a zip.

I adore my new Polly top!  The fit is magical and actually the horseshoe front went in more easily this time as both my fabrics had just enough give.  Unfortunately this was the project that got shunted to the very end so I was sewing my bindings with the wrong coloured thread and it shows some on the front...

Photo update!  Thanks Mum!

Sewaholic Cambie

I cut this project ahead of time, but started it just upon returning from my Christmas holiday.  With one week left to go before I move, I was feeling pretty stressed and wanted Cambie to go really well, not cause trouble, and to look awesome at the end.  I have a beautiful second Cambie waiting...if if if this pattern didn't cause trouble.

The fabric is a silk-cotton jacquard that I got from ramie and linen on etsy.  They are a wonderful resource and I have bought many other fabrics there (notably my incredible to-die-for stretch silk.)  The outside has an incredible shimmer to it, and with the lining this is a really warm dress...too warm for summer...

I cut a size 4.  I didn't make any alterations to the pattern, and quickly realised I should have gone down to a size 0 at the hips.  I don't like how much the hips stick out.  For the lining I used Japanese cotton batiste for the bodice and black bemberg for the skirt.  That way it will be a good winter dress.

As has been my issue lately, I have no clue how to finish my seams.  I zigzagged the pockets and left everything else.  Eventually the skirt seams all got attacked by my pinking shears, but I suspect this is not a mature way to end things.  Probably it's another topic I'll have to tackle in a few month's time, but I do see that my sewing machine has some interesting stitches I could probably use to finish my seams.

But overall, this went exactly as I hoped!  I could have shortened the skirt by about 4 more inches, and I did go the lazy way out and just hemmed the skirt by machine.  I really don't like the hips sticking out so much, but by keeping this version of the dress a bit long it does balance out.  And the way the lining goes in, as everybody has mentioned so many times, is magical.  Utterly magical.  I'm in love with how beautifully this dress is finished and I want to do everything like this forever.  And my waist and neckline just about match up perfectly!

This dress fits exactly right, except for that 1 inch bodice shortening that I have not yet implemented.  Another fix for the next version...which won't be coming up soon, sadly. 

Colourblocked Papercut Coppelia

The patchwork idea was a last minute decision when the pattern I was planning to use for my scraps looked like it needed too many changes.

For this I cut one inch out of the centre back and I left the length alone.  I cut an XXS. I wasn't sure whether my colourblocking would look good or stupid...but I love it!  I actually like the fit a lot more than my blue one, which seems heavy because of the weight of the bamboo.  Taking the 2 inches out of the back seems to have improved the fit dramatically.

No surprises on construction - this took only a few hours to complete.  Thanks Leanne for the photos!  

Unexpected V-neck Sewaholic Renfrew

I was planning to do a patchwork Vogue top, view 3 of Vogue 8755 (and in fact on the model it doesn't look that long til you see it covers her butt and she's probably six feet tall) but when I pulled the pieces out of the envelope they looked suspiciously dresslength.  As I am in a total moving-induced panic, this was too much to handle.  The patchwork wool scraps got instantly relegated to a different project, leaving me a luscious pile of gray heathered merino...so I decided to make a long-sleeved Renfrew.

I used my v-neck pieces as I was too lazy to fix the lengths from my last round neck version, I'm afraid I've been cutting and folding my pattern pieces rather than copying them, because I ran out of tracing paper!  I cut and sewed this in a single-day frenzy and then put the finishing touches on it the following morning, prior to leaving for a 3-day tramp in the rainforest.  But...I hadn't tried it on and I couldn't just leave it, so I took it along and it became my most awesome rainforest top layer (except when it was raining.)  I was alone otherwise I'd have some action photos for you.

Fit was perfect, top is lovely, I just wished that I had cut all my threads before I left!

If I still had my Vogue 8755 I would totally use the rest of this incredible merino to make lounge pants.  Moving is hard!  I have to let go of projects, empty my scrap-stash...and the final things I'm working on are starting to make me stress with the feeling that I have to finish everything NOW!  Luckily I have a friend who's passing on allll my scraps and leftovers to a just-starting sewist friend of hers who can't afford fabrics and such, so I feel like everything is going to a great cause. 

Vogue Paris Original, V2323 - muslin

In love with this dress pattern!  Here is the cover of it.  It's my first seriously vintage pattern and I really had no idea how things would progress.  I decided to do a full muslin, underlined in silk, to see how (whether) it would fit and also to get the hang of using gelatin to make the silk easier to work with.  I made the muslin from a leftover piece of herringbone black wool with silver lurex threads in it.  The underlining was a silk chiffon.  I used this technique with gelatin prior to cutting and ironing the silk.

Because this was my first ever muslin, I mean an actual one, I did it in stages so it kind of felt like it took forever, although sewing the pieces together was easy.  I ignored a lot of the subtleties in the instructions and didn't do any gathering stitches except on the sleeves.

The pattern is slightly small for me according to the size chart, but came with all its pieces and they were in great shape.  It seemed like a relatively straightforward construction.  The puzzle piece on the front creates most of the three dimensional shape, and I love how clever it is (although after lots of pinning of Polly tops, I initially suspected it would be very tiresome to sew together!)  In actual fact you are supposed to gather the curves (which I didn't do on my muslin) and it is supposed to hang flat.  (Mine really doesn't since I didn't put much effort into that puzzle piece front.)  I had forgotten that in the 70's, dresses were shapeless sheaths.  Also I think it looks much better in 2 colours!

I was surprised how huge the dress ended up.  The silk underlining, which I sewed onto EVERY SINGLE piece, meant my pieces held their shape - the wool would have definitely started to stretch alone.  So there wasn't distortion increasing the size.  Seems that Vogue in 1970 already ran big!  I cut off 7 inches of the bottom (and I'm thinking of cutting off more), and I considered cutting a bit off the side seams but ended up leaving it.  On my final version I'll just cut my fabric shorter to start with.  Not sure what I will do with the side seams.

My final version is planned in silk velvet.  I was planning to underline as I did on my muslin, but my facings were really annoying and it has you hand sew down the wrist seams and such...so I think I'll just do a normal lining so I can have a neater inner finish.  I was also planning to use cotton voile for the underlining, and now I'm considering using silk or even bemberg, just to make sure it doesn't stick to me - since the velvet is quite heavy this won't be a summer dress!

I was really hoping that I wouldn't need to make any big modifications because I wasn't sure how I would face the puzzle front if I had to do an FBA, for instance.  Luckily I don't need to change anything.

Long Liberty Anna, at long last

I have no idea what my problem has been with fitting Annas.
I cut a size 6, and measured so carefully so that I would make it bigger than my last size 6 Anna.
I did 3/8" side seams with that in mind, even though I was sad to forego the french seams and clean inner finish.

Result?  ARG!!!!  My Anna is still big!  It's not terribly big, mind you - not as bad as my recent flowered Anna.  But it is definitely not very formfitting.  So whyever was my first Anna so much smaller?  I will never know...

This was my first v-neck Anna.  The facings went in ok and I understitched them with a vengeance.  By this time around there were no construction surprises and all of my seams matched up when I attached the bodice.  I cut 8 inches off the hem when cutting out the dress - no sense wasting fabric - and that was spot-on so I could do a normal 1 inch hem.

Since my dress is striped and is dark I didn't see any sense in hand sewing the slit.  I did hand sew the facings down at the zipper and I'm really pleased with the result.

Overall I love my Anna!  Next one will have to be a miniskirt Anna!  Also, I think that silk is a better choice for the long flowy Anna (or rayon) because mine kept catching around my legs since the cotton sticks.  I know that usually I wouldn't wear tights with this but an unexpected cold front came through.  Silk would behave better...