sewing courses

It really is BLACK!

Honestly, why is BLACK so difficult to photograph?  It must just suck in all the light around it!  Anyway…

I have finished my 4th pair of pants, black ones, after spending extensive time with the muslin and making three pairs after that.  I thought my blue pair was my favourite – best fitting and lovely fabric.  Those were made with Horizon Suiting, 100% polyester.  (I actually managed to find and buy more Horizon Suiting in a Navy Blue colour.  Whoopie!)  I think these black pants have taken their place though.  Although in trying to photograph the black, that might not come across!

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Betcha by Golly ya thought it was gonna be about a UFO!

You know how it is.  You finish a garment and there is something that is not quite right about it.  So you put it aside for later… and there it sits.

Two weeks ago, I posted about my finished blue pants.  The only problem is that I sewed the invisible zipper in too close and after I tried the pants on and zipped them up, the fabric got stuck in my zipper and I had to break the zipper to get them off again!

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This is a lovely fabric (Blue Horizon Suiting, 100% polyester), a lovely pattern (Vogue V2948) and I’ve worked on the pants muslin to get a pretty good fit (Pant Fitting Techniques by Sandra Betzina).  Now I have the added extra of A BROKEN ZIPPER! Continue reading →

The Good News … and the Bad News.

The Good News … I’m feeling better, even though my nose doesn’t.  I felt good enough to spend most of this weekend sewing.  Yippee!  You might remember, I left off with the slash pockets being completed on my third pair of pants (out of the four I want to make for myself).  Gotta love that RTW Challenge and make ’em myself!

I have been using a couple of Craftsy courses:  “Pant Fitting Techniques” by Sandra Betzina and “One pattern, Many Looks:  Pants” by Kathy Ruddy; and Vogue pattern V2948.  So far, I have made a muslin, a brown pair and a black pair.  Now this blue pair, well, I just love the fabric.  It’s called Blue Horizon Suiting, 100% polyester, with no stretch.  It feels so much like an expensive suit pant fabric!  And the colour is the perfect blue!image

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Three (almost three) Out of Four Done!

Let me explain…  This past week our household was hit with the worst “COLD” in its history.  It started with our Daughter, then Me, then Mr. Green Thumb.  It hasn’t hit our Son yet, but Heaven help us if he gets it as he is in the middle of a University term and can’t afford to be ill.

Those of us who have been through it or haven’t had it yet are extremely wary of being near anyone (Mr. Green Thumb) who has it.  So much so that the Poor Man came out of the “sick room” for an Advil once and we chased him back in there with fiery torches and pitchforks!  Stay away!  Get back!  Poor Man.  It was even suggested that we just throw all the cold medication, chicken soup, and hot tea in there and shut the door quick! Continue reading →

In a panic for pants (trousers)!

Hello again!  Here I am!  The real thing!

My RTW Fast year is close to ending and I am still filling in the gaps in my handmade wardrobe.  There is still time left to sew up some pants for myself though – I would love to have a pair of black, blue and brown pants suitable for work.

So to recap… You’ve seen my pattern, Vogue V2948.  It has princess seams front and back and a curved waistband.  It is fantastic for alterations…

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What I did on my summer vacation. (Part II)

… just a hint … it involved a LOT of butt gazing!

The first (and last) time I sewed myself a pair of pants (trousers) was when I was in grade 8.  It was a tunic top and hipster/bell bottom pants, sort of like this pattern, made of PINK 100% polyester (the heavy stuff).

Those pants either “goosed” me when I walked or gave me “plumber’s crack” when I sat down.  I was at least lucky that the tunic top covered all my mistakes! Continue reading →

Learning something new…

For the past few weeks I have been working on my Islander Sewing Systems, “MotorCity Express jacket“. I received this pattern when I purchased the Craftsy course “Sew Better, Sew Faster: Smart Construction“.  

I have worked on the facings and lining layer, my sleeve gusset zippers and zipper pockets, and last week my fashion fabric layer. 

This week I bagged the lining!  I have, sort of, bagged linings before.  But this pattern had a final step for the sleeve layers that I have never done before, one that made for less hand sewing and more machine sewing – always a bonus! Continue reading →

It’s better with interfacing.

As you might remember, I have been working on my Motor City Express Jacket, which I started here and here.  I received this pattern when I purchased the Craftsy course “Sew Better, Sew Faster: Smart Construction“.  (I just love it when the courses I want go on sale!)  I am so looking forward to wearing my finished jacket soon!  (When our temperatures cool down though – it was terribly hot again Saturday afternoon – 90F or 32C – we are just not used to that!)

Last week, another Linda (of Remake Remodel Recycle) was mentioning in the comments section of my post about using interfacing to put the pattern markings on as I was having difficulty marking my fabric.  I couldn’t stop wondering about the lack of instruction in this pattern regarding the use of interfacing on the pocket openings.  The pattern instructed to use interfacing around the neck and arm openings and the hem, etc., but not the pocket openings, which I was something I wasn’t used to.  Maybe I was missing something.   Continue reading →

A little bit of this and a little bit of that…

I usually find lots of sewing time on the weekends, tucked between chores and errands and spending time with my family.  Last weekend was a busy one though, with not much sewing time.  Instead, it was a fun weekend in Vancouver with my sister, who would like me to sew a MOG (Mother of the Groom) dress for her for her son’s wedding in February.  We spent the day shopping for fabric for her.  I thought you might like to see what she bought and sent home with me … I’ve got lots to blog about in the future!

I like this dress pattern, McCall’s M7084.  My sister likes the top with the contrasting inserts shown in view C, but with the collar and sleeves of view D, so we have a blue made of 97% cotton, 3% spandex, with the white print for the inserts, again 97% cotton, 3% spandex. 

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This one is McCall’s M7169, view A, with view C sleeves, with the brownish flowers in the centre panel and the black for the sides.  Both these fabrics are cotton with spandex too.

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This one is a vintage pattern from 1978, Simplicity 8510.  It must be a favourite of my sister’s for her to keep it safe all this time.  The fabric is a similar beige as in the pattern photo, linen-like, 70% polyester, 30% rayon.  (It is deceiving sitting on my bedspread so ignore the pink flowered fabric!)

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Next, another vintage pattern, McCall’s 4408, and another pattern favourite from 1989.  She would like the skirt shorter, just under the knees, than in the pattern photo though.  The black print is a 100% polyester, the brown print and the “Clark Gable” print are both 100% cotton.

imageMy sister’s last purchase was the MOG dress fabric.   Continue reading →

Now that’s HOT!

We are completely lacking in energy here.  The temperature hit 32 C (89 F) today.  Not a common thing for us!  The whole family just lounged around waiting for the cooling fan to rotate towards them.

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Needless to say, after a long work week and today’s heat nothing much has been accomplished.  But I did get a lovely package in the mail and another from a friend at work.  Let me show you …

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