Waffle Caramel Coat

So why am I posting a wool coat in July, you ask?

The story started in January.  Actually in December, when I fell in love with this fabric.  Lizzy made a jacket from it.  I wanted to make a jacket from it.  And the Caramel Coat pattern called to me and insisted it would be the one.  But what followed was an endless repetition of: I am in the fabric store and my plaid swatch is NOT.  I was not happy with any lining material.  It was always the wrong colour.  I was supposed to buy some in LA, and failed.  (red? forest green? What was I thinking???!!) Then I got some blue in Berlin.  The wrong blue.  I now had six meters of jewel coloured charmeuse but still no lining.

I cut the fabric out in January, despite no lining, and it took all month. I cut a size 38 based on my measurements even though I sized down for the Dropje.  I'm afraid the moral of the plaid story is that I am not suited for the precision of cutting plaid.  I cut out one front piece, and then for about a month I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the other front piece to plaid-match.  I mean, really.  I emailed for help (Juki was fast at replying!) Prepare for the final letdown...when you don't cut out the first piece straight, despite all the straight lines in the plaid, then the matching second piece also can't be straight.  Reeeaaallly?

Yeah man, I got it where it mattered.  This once. 

Instead of sewing everything I could without the lining, I let it languish.  Finally in Paris in April, I forced myself to finally settle for some matching Bemberg.  It is hard to return to a project that has been sitting in the corner for awhile- I think I skimped on some of the interfacing because I just wanted to get on with things.  Bringing the ideas and excitement out of the back of my mind was not so easy, they were dusty and vague, not to mention that it is a coat, and it has a coat amount of details, and I didn't mark my pattern pieces.  However, it is not a very difficult pattern to sew and the instructions are for the most part good at breaking it down into manageable pieces.

However, I found these instructions worse than for the Dropje jacket.  I ADORED the Dropje instructions.  I still like the layout in these.  However, for instance when creating a back pleat in the lining I was lost, because I haven't done this before and the one line drawing didn't make sense.  There were a few spots where the English translation was downright bad.  It was on minor things and didn't influence me much.  If you love this jacket, I still think the instructions are enough even if you haven't made something this complicated before.  I really have a hard time visualising jacket facings, and on this one I sewed it wrong twice before I got it right.  Even with EXACTLY matching the pictures.  (except, obviously, not quite.)  This felt like an intense effort.  But I think that's because I was determined to do it in three days, despite kind of forgetting it for months until now.  So, the fact that it's (almost) doable in three days does speak for something. I ended up hand sewing the lining down.  I am suspicious.  Was there a better way to do it?

Now have some photos.  Even too many.  Thank god this thing is finally done.  I vowed not to do ANYTHING for six months that required pattern matching and I have already broken my vow and the results are terrible.  So terrible.  

Yeah I matched the underside of the sleeve where no one cares.  Not, like, on the top, where you can see it.

Main beef: pocket location.  Bad.

Also my button holer on my sewing machine doesn't work.  All of a sudden all my projects need buttons and they are getting snaps instead.  I have tried, and I will try again, but for now there is no way to make a buttonhole, so I used these fake leather latches instead. I got them in Paris planning to use two of them and a few buttons, but seems like three of them work just as well.

Pattern complaint: I actually loved the kind of pseudo double welt pocket construction. So much easier than all the welt pockets I have ever done.  However, the pocket location is terrible.  Don't put it there.  Put it anywhere forward, but the pocket location marked on the pattern gives you an armpit pocket which is super inconvenient.  

Anyway very happily a friend of mine in the southern hemisphere just happens to need a jacket RIGHT NOW.  So the whole story has a happy ending.  She reports that she has already worn it and loves it! 

Here's proof in action:

 

A trio of panties

So I have been introduced to the addictive qualities of making underwear.  At first you think that this is just not gonna fit.  No way.  Especially on my first pair, which were the:

1. Grace Hipster panty, by Ohhh Lulu.

Interesting features: pieces of bias cut woven scraps, mixed with some knits at the sides.
The little crotch bit is only sewn down to the back.
Wonder of wonders, although it looked MASSIVE, it fits.
I cut a size M, managing not to cut a small out of vanity, for my 37'' hips.
You don't sew anything along the legholes, just fold over and finish, and that is good for minimising panty lines on the butt.  

2. Rose cross over bikini by Ohhh Lulu

This was my third pair.  I again used size M and again tried to ignore how massive they looked.  This requires a bit more attention because you have to sew the fold over elastic twice.  It's also good to baste the overlap very thoroughly.  I learned all this by not doing either of those things.  I just folded the elastic and kind of pulled tension on it while trying to shove the fabric into it and sew at the same time...I missed a spot on the front.

Good thing here: the crotch liner is fully enclosed.

Fit: can't tell you.  These were MASSIVE.  Like I thought the others would be.  Seriously huge.  I am not sure whether to sew a small or XS next, but because this requires big scraps on the bias, I am waiting til I have some scraps for the second pair.  (Or I might just make a silk pair.  I have a lot of silk scraps.) 

3. Watson bikini by Cloth Habit
This was my second pair.  I made a size small. I again thought they would be huge and I made them out of some white stretchy stuff that came in a bra kit from Spitzenparadies.  In fact I think all the materials came from that kit.  I basically dug around and pulled out whatever looked useful.  I don't usually wear underwear made of non-natural fibers, but to my shock, these fit like normal bikini underwear.  No way!!  (I might wear them.) Because this is a fully knit pattern, I will probably use some holey woolen shirts to make more pairs.  I like wool underwear : )  I'm also proud of my random decision to use purple thread.  These look special, what with all that crazy underwear elastic at the top!!

Summary: 2 out of three successes isn't bad at all!  Now it's time to put these to the test...and they are so fast to make that I am already planning more.

A simple kind of success: Ooh La leggings by Papercut Patterns

I had some small scraps left over after the v neck drape dress. (note: small.)  I also have been coveting black leggings to go with this amazing silk top I have which I don't wear because I don't have black leggings.

But ugh they are like 50 money units and I just didn't feeeel like it.  So I got out the ooh la leggings pattern one day while debating what I could do next.  The thinking went like this:
'Oh! perfect black legging pattern!'
'ugh but that pattern turned out SOOOO bad in thin viscose.'
'Eh but this thick jersey will be perfect.  Do I have enough?'
'No.'
'Too bad.  I think I'll make them anyway.'

Side note: don't make these out of very thin fabrics.  My thin viscose pair was terrible.  It was a pain to sew so much tissue thin jersey, it was awful to topstitch and they were see through and bad.  Thin leggings shouldn't be done with decorative seams, I think.  The best fabric for these is definitely a sturdy, relatively thick knit with lots of stretch.  I was remembering the problems I had previously with these leggings and it all comes down to use of the right materials.  Also, I used to always use a straight stitch on knits and I am finally coming round to using a zig zag sometimes, like on my waistband.

Size XS.  I am 5'4'', muscular, and I cut about 4'' off the bottom of these.  The bottoms are a touch loose. 

I cut out each top piece twice instead of on the fold and made a center seam.  The only off grain part is the front legs.  And I had to piece together one front leg.

I didn't topstitch the big u-of attaching the fronts and backs.  I remember from the first version that the U is right at the underside of my butt and the topstitching was very unflattering.  I put them on, recut the front waist (removed about 1cm) and then I used 2'' elastic to take advantage of the extra fabric at the waist.  They are very high cut if you only use 1'' elastic as indicated by the instructions.  Even with 2'' elastic they are still relatively modest, just about an inch below my belly button.

I love them!  And I so seldom sew sensible things, using cheap leftover materials, that I actually would have bought.  That makes this feel like an even tastier success. 

Thanks to Francesca who took the photos while we were in Zurich together!  

Sleeveless Plantain Dress, by deer and doe

I was planning to make an Ondee out of this quilted soft cotton jersey from Paris.  Bindings are a contrasting shade of lilac in organic jersey.  I wasn't sold on the combination, exactly...but that's what happens when you look at fabric for three days and go craaaazzzyyyy!!  And I couldn't think of any contrasting colour that would look better. And I do love my Ondee in Navy (the stripes went to a friend.)

But....still not sold on the combination, not to mention I think one Ondee is enough actually.  I guess I don't really really really love it.  So on a day dedicated to cutting out (I seem to work lately like this: one day of wild cutting craziness, followed by a few weeks of sewing,) I brainstormed making another long dress Plantain.  Except, of course, without sleeves because 1 meter fabric and it's hot outside.  I used the contrast fabric and thread after all and I reckon it matches much better than I had imagined. 

No big surprises.  I had actually made a pattern piece when I first turned the Plantain into a dress.  I just drew the line out into an A-line skirt.  The quilting, however, makes this into a warm, cozy dress.  Not what one really desires on a 38 degree day!  I love it though.  I think this is my perfect not-summer dress to wear with a cardigan at work.  In retrospect it would have made a nice Ondee too but I don't regret the change.

Waver Jacket by Papercut Patterns

I have been hunting for a simple hooded rainjacket forever.  I have a dream fabric, which hasn't found its pattern match.  That's why I snapped this up immediately without a second though.  The fabric is wool tweed, and the lining is voile, with charmeuse sleeves.

I cut an XS after debating cutting the XXS. When Papercut added the XXS it seemed to fit me better, like the sizes were also shifted to a larger direction.  I actually took my time on this project and it does show.  The tweed was going to be my Dropje vest.  Then it was going to be my Marfy jacket (on hold until I become skilled at Chanel jackets, and wide shoulder management.)  I was getting impatient for this tweed to be something, because it is beautiful.  It has silver and teal flecks in it.

I followed the instructions and found them ok.  Unfortunately, when it came time to put buttonholes in the lining, I made a discovery.  My sewing machine does not make buttonholes.  It's a used machine and was serviced when I bought it.  The buttonholer was known to be finicky.  People, it is beyond finicky.  I tried the automatic buttonholer and the non automatic one.  NO chance, and unfortunately I doubt I can get my machine to the shop in Bern in the next three months. 

Luckily I have a new snap kit!!!  I made grommet holes instead!  I interfaced them because the voile is quite light, and I practiced on my dishtowels...they are quite grommety now.  Practice with these kits is key.  I put a few holes in myself somehow during the process, and I haven't done real snaps yet.  The cord is some emergency hiking stuff which is glow in the dark, just because why not, and I quite like the orange. 

I used the usual bagging method for sewing the sleeves instead of doing them by hand.  I got confused as to how to do the corners- the technique in the instructions has you pinch together the corner while the jacket is inside out, after sewing all the seams and leaving the last cm free.  The problem is that it's not clear where to pinch, and it's not clear how to bring this three-way open hole together.  I turned it right side out and marked the fold with a pin, however I still didn't quite know where to sew the lining and as a result it doesn't lay quite right. 

So as you see: I have no closures yet.  I first thought about snaps: Should I put just one snap at the top?  Or also a snap in the middle?  I don't tolerate things that don't close, so something is needed...and I can't do buttons.  Or maybe I should find someone with a functioning buttonholer?  This is possible too, and I have played with so many variations that it seems like buttons might be the way to go.  If so -- orange buttons? Or some dark colour?
Fit: good.  Sleeves are quite short.  People with long arms: lengthen the sleeves.  I do not have long arms.

Marlborough Bra for real!

I made a prototype in January when I got on the bra bandwagon.  Things were going great, and then I got started sewing the Real Bra...I didn't know that lace requires some special sewing techniques, and I was still very nervous with the new sewing machine.  I sewed the first cup together, and then on the second one the feed dogs ate the lace and then got indigestion.  I had to take apart the innards of the machine and call the shop panicking...of course it was all fine after a rethreading!  But that really threw this bra into the corner for awhile.

It was with some surprise that I pulled the bra pieces out of their bag and saw that, despite my whining, I had actually finished sewing all the lace bits!  It still took me awhile to get up the nerve to finish it.  Despite bra making being easy in some ways, it's fiddly and I have to refer to the directions at every step.  Once I finally went for it, I finished this in a single sewing stint.  I have been following Anne and paid a lot of attention to her fit issues with this bra because I thought I had a similar shape to her, so I was pretty curious how a non-foam version would fit (and I reckoned I would try some of her recommended bra patterns if the Marlborough wasn't a go for me.)

Regarding the pattern, I read Demystifying Bra Making, by Norma Loehr, prior to making my foam tester bra, and that gave me what felt like a solid foundation.  The book has you make your own center bridge, and I have done that. Coming back to the theme after six months, a few of the terms were hazy but overall not difficult to understand.  I continue to find that my Pfaff with its IDT is terrible to make bras.  It doesn't go well over small, fiddly bits and my stitching is pretty horrendous.  It didn't eat anything else, at least.  And, shock of shocks, the bra fits! I did not use elastic over the green lace top, because on store-bought bras I find that anything tight on that edge creates double boob.  I don't know if it will end up becoming too loose too quickly without that support, but for now it fits very well.  I also didn't pull on the underarm elastic and it gapes a lot.  My kit came with wide shoulder straps and plastic bits, which I don't like so much. 

The changes I will make are to tighten the underarm elastic, to remove some of the height of the center bridge, and to sew on the bottom elastic with a bit more fabric, because it actually wrinkles a lot- I sewed it on with the tiniest of seam allowances but I think I don't need much bottom band more than the elastic itself.  The fit of the bra seems correct.  It doesn't give me a lot of lift or volume, but it is comparable to some of my store bought bras.  I think that when I tighten the arm elastic, it will pull toward the center a bit more which I would prefer.

I also find it strange that the back piece is not the correct height for the hook and eye pieces.  You have to cut it down quite a lot and the instructions don't mention this anywhere.  Even with my hook and eye being big, I still had to snip a new curve to the back.  

My bra kits are from Spitzenparadies.  I got this one and this one.  It took me quite awhile to find everything on the site because of how I still don't have much German sewing vocabulary.  The green kit is quite see through, but has huge amounts of the flowered stretchy fabric.  The brown kit is more like mud brown...oh well. I also bought a huge variety of wires, most of which weren't the right size.  I think two sets are pretty decent and another one or two are maybe ok.  I tried to compare by measuring current bras but that didn't produce great results.  I will wear the two good ones around and see if they are good enough to buy more of.