Fly Zipper Instruction Comparison

[Warning: Long post with many photos ahead. ]

There are many ways to insert a fly zipper. There is not a set "right" or "wrong" way, because most instructions get to you to the same place, eventually. The difference is in ease of construction, which is a subjective thing. What may be "easy" for me, might not be "easy" for you and vice versa. The main thing to remember is to be open to trying a new method. If it doesn't work for you, keep trying different methods until you find one that does work for you. I had not previously tried BWOF's instructions for the fly zip until earlier this month. My previous method was based on the Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing method. Many of the Big 4's instructions follow similarly to BWOF's to a point, but finish differently, either with or without the underlap. I'm not sure who would want to wear trousers without the underlap, but whatever makes people happy is fine with me.

Let's take a look step by step at each method and compare ease of construction. The BWOF sample is in red and the Reader's Digest sample is in white. I did not show any basting, but you certainly could (probably should) for each step to make sure things stay where they're supposed to during the stitching process.

Step 1: This is the same for both methods. Stitch the crotch seam, from the inseam to the end of the fly as indicated on the pattern. Press the right fly facing to the inside along the center front line. Press the left fly facing to the inside 1/4" to the left of the center front line - you can see that in the picture below - you can see the excess fabric to the left of traced CF line on one side of fly opening.

Step 2: This is where things start to differ. Burda: Stitch the zipper, face up, to the left side of the zipper opening, using a zipper foot and stitching close the the facing fold and zipper teeth. RD: Place zipper face down on right facing that has been opened out, aligning zipper with the CF line. Stitch down the center of the zipper tape on the right, furthest from the CF line.

Step 3: Burda: Pin zipper opening closed, aligning CFs. RD: Turn right front zipper facing and zipper to the inside.

Step 4: Burda: Turn the work over to the inside; extend only the right facing and zipper, and stitch zipper to facing only. In the second photo, you'll see the piece on the machine with the facing extended; stitch only through the facing, not the front of the trousers. RD: Topstitch right side of trousers on the top stitching line. This step is where much of the trouble begins. Note that by this step, both sides of the zipper tape are secured in the Burda directions, but only one side in the RD directions.

Step 5: Burda: From the right side, topstitch the right front of the trousers, along the stitching lines. (It is there, sorry you can't see it in this photo.) Remove pins holding CF closed. RD: Baste the left zipper tape to the left zipper opening, aligning the fold along the zipper teeth. Note the second photo below. It is very difficult to baste, and subsequently stitch this by machine. The topstitching from the previous step catches everything underneath and it's hard to get those last few stitches in. I had to remove a stitch to even get it stitched halfway decent.

Step 6: This is the same for both. From the wrong side, pin the fly underlap in place, over the left zipper tape. If you do no other basting, this would be the one place where it's a good idea. You'll be stitching from the other side in the next step and those pins underneath will probably catch on the feed dogs and who knows what else on their trip through the machine.

Step 7: Burda: (This isn't so much tricky, as hard to visualize, follow the three pictures below after the comparison picture.) Turn the facing with the underlap pinned to it over, so that you can stitch from the other side of the facing. Photo 1, shows me starting to turn it, photo 2 shows it flipped over. Photo 3 shows the piece actually at the machine; the stitching is closer than that, but you get the idea. The piece is to be stitched close to the existing seam, a little further over to the left than where the machine foot is in the photo. RD: Stitch through all layers, facing, zipper and underlap close to zipper; remove basting.


That's it. You're done with both methods. Here's the final picture. Both zippers are closed in the picture. Notice there's a bit of weird wrinkling at the base of RD version. Not something I'd wear. It says "homemade" not "handmade". The Burda zip is flat and smooth. Furthermore, the Burda zip is installed with only 4 seams, and can be done without any basting if you're a bit crazy like me and like to take risks. I didn't do any basting for the Burda in these samples.

At this point, you could do a bartack at CF where the topstitching ends. You can also baste across the top of zipper tapes, *with the zipper unzipped* and cut off any excess zipper above the top edge of the trousers. This is easier than shortening the zipper from the bottom and gives you the security of the original zipper stop being in place, rather than the zigzag tacks that are sometimes used to shorten zippers.

Parting Shot: My latest treasure from Australia has arrived! I'll do a whole post on it next week, showing some of the pages and comparing it to the current BWOFs. It doesn't have it's pattern insert, but upon close inspection, it looks like it had one at one time. This one is from August 1958.

Midnight Garden - Jacket - Part VIII

Templates, Part 3

This is the last of template mini-series! While this last group is technically not a template, it still serves the same purpose: to provide an accurate, consistent image every time the template is used. Here are the last of the templates, the rubber stamps for embossing the velvet:

Yes, those are hand carved. I purchase blocks at Michael's craft store that are intended to be carved for block printing or stamping. Before any carving is done, I decide how I want the final image to look. For example, if I carved away everything but the flower (which I did), I end up with a flower stamp. If I carved away the flower, but left the surrounding portion of the stamp, I'd end up with a negative image of a flower, with a stamped solid border around it. To emboss velvet, you need a stamp that has a raised image, so I carved away everything but the flower or leaf.

To begin, I use tracing paper to transfer the traced image to the block:

Once the image is transferred, the carving can begin. The carving begins with carving around the outline with a narrow blade. All the carving is done with a linoleum cutter. The one I have has interchangeable blades so that I can make fine cuts or wide cuts. After carving the outline, I switch to a wider blade and carve away everything but the flower. Once the excess rubber block is removed from around the image, I use a fine blade to carve in details. I then trim the stamp to roughly the shape of the stamp - this helps with positioning it when actually using it.

Below, you'll see some samples of embossing made with my new stamps. I'm still using that sample piece of velvet, so they're not the greatest. It is good enough for me to see if the details of the stamps are sharp enough.

Now, if the silk would get here and I could find the right navy blue velvet, I'd be set. I think I've found a few online sources for the velvet. I'm looking for rayon/acetate in navy blue. From what I've seen and read, the rayon/acetate works really well for stamping. I've got to check one more source I just thought of, and then make a decision as to what to purchase. It's not an easy decision at $20.00+ per yard, especially when I need 5 yards.

Parting Shot: Unexpected surprise! A while ago, Patsijean emailed me and wanted to know if I'd like some back issues of Quilting Arts. I just started a subscription last year, and don't have any of the back issues. She's been doing the "reduce, reuse, recycle" thing and has gifted them to me. What I didn't expect in the box was the extra fabrics she sent me as well! The plaid taffetas are really wonderful - those nice ones are getting harder to find! There's also a stripe and piece of lacey fabric with stars. The larger gold piece is a crinkly with a really interesting texture. I already have some plans for that gold. There's not enough for a vintage dress, but there is enough for a bodice! I have had this stuff for a week, but haven't shared it because I got backlogged with the starting of school, so I apologize for not posting it sooner. Thank you so much, Patsijean!

How I do it all . . .

or don't.

Shorty asked how I seemed to do it all: sewing, teaching full time, house, kids, church, etc., etc., Some people also think I never sleep! It certainly sounds that way, doesn't it? I'll have to admit, I am a very busy person. So, how do I do it all?

First, it helps to realize that not every day every task will get done. Things happen that change even the best plans, and how you adjust and deal with that can make a huge difference in how your day goes. I do get frustrated at times when things don't get done in my own time frame, but I believe that God has a plan for my day, just as I do. While the plans aren't always the same, I know that He is still in control. There are priorities, and as much as I'd love to sew 24/7, that's not going to happen. What does happen is that dinner for the family gets made, laundry and some cleaning and the homework/piano lessons get done.

Here are a few things that I do that help to manage a pretty busy life:

• Advanced planning. I plan out everything - from what I'm wearing to work tomorrow to a 3 week dinner menu rotation to what my next big projects are for 2008/09. I'm always planning the next project before the current one is finished. For example, right now, I'm making a pair of trousers from Patrones, I know that my next project is going to be a shirt dress made from a vintage pattern. I still need to wash the fabric, but knowing that I'm going to do laundry tomorrow, I'll pull out the fabric today and put it on the dryer to remind me to wash it. I probably won't get to cutting out the dress until Friday at the earliest, but the fabric will be ready for me.

• Organization. I like to have everything ready for a project - zippers, buttons, thread, everything together so that when I begin sewing I don't have to search around for it. I also gather up all my clothes/accessories for the next day the night before. My workout clothes are all together, my workouts for the week are stacked in the order I'm going to do them, etc.

• Have family members help. I can not do everything around the house and work full time, plus sew. My children are now of an age where they can help - they live here, too! There was a point when they much younger and not able to help me out - I know the frustration of having to do everything with a baby and a toddler in tow! They are now extremely helpful in doing chores around the house so that we all can do the things we like to do. They can load/unload the dishwasher, they fold their own laundry, make school lunches, vacuum and help clean. Is everything perfect? No, but I do appreciate the help!

• Set small, achievable goals. These are goals that I know can be achieved in a short amount of time and help me to feel like I'm accomplishing something, especially in the sewing studio. Instead of "sew dress" as a goal, I'll set a goal of "cutting out dress", and that's it. If I can get that done, then I feel that I've done something productive. Even something small, like changing the thread in the serger can be a mini-goal and make me feel prepared for the next sewing task.

Add to that a bit of multi-tasking and a pretty high energy level and that's how it works for me. You don't even want to see me on caffeine and sugar.

Parting Shot: Child in action. Here's my daughter, helping to feed the cats. Both children have jobs to do while I'm making dinner to help out such as feeding the cats, making lunches and taking out the trash.

Midnight Garden - Jacket - Part VII

Templates, Part 2

Before we get to today's templates, I thought of one important thing about using the freezer paper applique templates. Always trace them from the original using a pencil. This is important because if you use a Sharpie marker or ink of any kind it may bleed onto the fabric when using the template to make the applique piece. I've had this happen, and of course it was on a light yellow colored fabric!

Today's template is a metal template. Why in the world would I use a metal template? Most of the fiber artists that I know don't use metal ones. If they do, they are the miniature brass stencil sort of templates. I need metal templates to get consistent pieces when cutting motifs out of synthetics with a wood burning tool. For obvious reason, paper or template plastic isn't going to work!

To make templates, I bought a roll of aluminum flashing from the home improvement store. It can be found on the aisle with all the roofing supplies. I only paid about $5.00 for this piece, and since there's 10 feet of it, it will last me quite a long time, or I'll be able to make a long border for a full skirt (that's another project!).

I then make paper templates from the original artwork, and trace those onto the metal with a fine point Sharpie marker. Notice I'm working with a small piece here - there's no way I'm going to wrangle a 10 foot piece of aluminum!

Once the templates have been traced, I cut the pieces out of the metal. I use an old pair of scissors, but tin snips would probably work fine, too. The aluminum is pretty thin, so it cuts easily. Just because it's thin, doesn't mean it's not sharp. It is. I'd advise being cautious and wearing gloves. For once, I don't have personal experience, but now that I've posted this the next piece of metal I pick up will slice me!


After the pieces are cut out, they will need to have the edges sanded a bit so that they aren't sharp. This will dull the edges so that they won't cut skin or snag fabric.

You can see the templates below, ready to use. This sort of template, like the paper templates, will have less detail when used. It's not as bad as the paper template, but something to be aware of.
I also decided to make a larger flower template. This was easily done, using a photocopier to enlarge the original artwork. Today I photocopied the flower in 5% increments from 125% to 155%. I then decided which one was the best size and used that to make the template. Photocopiers are great for enlarging or reducing artwork without have to redraw it. You know you'll never get the artwork exactly like the original, and you don't have to try with access to a good photocopier!

Parting Shot: The annual book covering party. My daughter brought home 5 books to cover, and there's probably a few more, so good old mom sat down to help her get them done. Notice I'm covering the books, and she's taking the picture.

First Day of School

More school clothes, BWOF 6/07 #137

Here's my son, ready for the first day of school in his new pants that I finished yesterday:

He really wanted to wear them the first day of school, so I had to get them done quickly. I was able to finish them quickly for a few reasons. First, my son didn't care about the welt pockets on the front. He liked the pattern because of the big patch pockets on the front and back, so he said I didn't have to make them. Second, I really love BWOF's directions for a fly front zipper - it's quick, painless and produces a really great result. If I'm not interrupted, I can install one in 30 to 45 minutes.

I will have to say that I really didn't encounter anything unusual with this set of BWOF directions. I didn't do the welt pockets, so I can't comment on that section of directions, but the rest of the directions were exactly what I expected. The fly front zipper is the only technique that takes a little concentration. I've done quite a few fly zips in the last few weeks, and I'll have to compare the BWOF's directions with some other directions I've used in the past and let you see why I prefer them. That's a whole other post, though.

Here's a few of shots of the pockets - the back patch pockets have flaps and velcro and the front patch pockets also get sewn into the side seam.

I actually think I'm done with school clothes for the children. I have one more planned dress to make for myself, and then I'll just be making whatever strikes me when the new BWOFs arrive. Tonight, I'm going to work on some MG artwork, templates and some new trousers for myself from Patrones. They're not for school, but I've been meaning to get them made and it hasn't happened yet - I'm interested to see how Patrones trousers will fit.

Q/A: Beth, who has sons, too, wanted to know "Is your son also completely fascinated by the sewing machine like mine are?" Yes, he is. He's actually fascinated by many mechanical items. The children have their own sewing machine - a smaller toy-like Janome that actually isn't too bad. He can sew a fairly decent seam, but I'm going to wait until he's big enough to sit at the large table and reach the floor before he can use mine!

Parting Shot: I couldn't leave my daughter out of the first day of school pictures. Doesn't she looked thrilled to be going back to school?

Midnight Garden - Jacket - Part VI

Templates, Part 1

[Editor's note: Q/A is being moved to near the end of the post, right before the Parting Shot. Keep reading, it's down there.]

Templates are wonderful things! I use templates a lot in my work for all sorts of things. I mostly use them to make sure that all artwork is consistently sized and shaped. In every day sewing there are many applications for templates. They can make topstitching or decorative stitching easier by making sure the placement is perfect for two different pieces. They can also make sure that two pieces are exactly a like, such as pockets and pocket flaps. For Midnight Garden, I will be using 4 or so templates, some of which will be made in different materials.

As we take a look at the templates, we'll take a look at what they're made of and how they're made. First, let's look at the templates for traditional turned edge applique. These templates are made from freezer paper. The freezer paper is see-through, sturdy, can be reused many times, and has the ability to be ironed directly to the fabric and be removed without harming the fabric. (I'll explain in a future post how I use the templates for applique.)

I start by finding my best image from the sheet of images that I'm working from. I outline the image with a Sharpie marker so that I can clearly see the outline. I then trace that image off onto the freezer paper and cut it out carefully.

There are few important things to remember when you're making freezer paper templates for applique. When tracing a template for applique, any inward cuts or curves need to be deeper and any outward curves a bit more severe. When wrapping the fabric around the template, some of those sharp details are lost, so you need to compensate for that.

The finished applique pieces will also be slightly larger than the template. If spacing is extremely important, cut the template 1/16 to 1/8" smaller that the size desired for the finished piece.

When actually using freezer template pieces, it will be ironed the piece to the wrong side of the fabric. This results in all the images being mirrored. In other words, if something is pointing left in the original drawing it will be pointing right when the piece is ready to be appliqued. In the picture below you can see that I flipped the original over and because it was outlined in Sharpie marker, I traced the mirror image. In this case, it's nice to have leaves that are pointing left and right for variety.

It is important to label all the pieces at this point, too. Some artwork is intricate and needs a numbering system to indicate order of applique. This artwork is fairly simple in that I can place leaf A, B or C anywhere and it will look good. The other nice thing about this artwork is that there is only one flower and it doesn't matter if it's mirrored imaged or which way is turned to the top.

This week, I'll show you the other types of templates that I'm using. I am going to order up navy blue silk duiponi today, so I should have it in the next few weeks to start construction. In the meantime, I need to finish all the templates, start making all the flowers, and make a skirt muslin. I need 50 to 60 flowers for the hand applique alone, I have no idea how many leaves I'll need, so I have plenty to keep me busy!

Q/A: I moved this portion because it seems like you get the read the title and then the Q/A interrupts that thought before you read/see the rest of the post. Thanks you all for you the compliments on the blouse - I'm excited to wear it now (with a camisole, of course!). Cherie wanted to know, "did you change the armscye as several others did?" I did not change it, it's a bit dropped shouldered but doesn't both me. I did notice that the shoulder seam was wider that what I'm accustomed to seeing. Since BWOF fits me perfectly (except for sleeve/body length), I figured it was designed that way. If you take a look at the photograph of the model in the white version, you'll see a sizeable wrinkle on her left shoulder (on the right if you're looking at it) between the neck and shoulder and the armscye then seems to be where we'd expect it. Just an observation.

Parting Shot: After my son saw all the things I made my daughter from BWOF, he wanted something from BWOF, too. I let him pick out a pair of trousers, and told him he'd have to help. Here he is, helping to trace his pattern pieces.

School/Work Clothes

BWOF 8/07 #117

Monday is the first day of school, so yesterday I had to attend teacher's meetings and try to get my classroom organized. This fall I get to teach Physics, Biology, Yearbook and a senior Composition class. This should be interesting. I know the Composition class doesn't quite fit with the science classes, but it is an extremely important class since good written communication skills are essential into today's electronic media driven society.

While teaching such fun classes, I'll get to wear my new blouse, BWOF 8/07 #117 (and of course, my new skirt and shoes):

Fashion photos today are courtesy of my son.

I really like the style of the blouse, plus it wasn't any harder to make than a regular blouse. This one is worth making. Being that it is BWOF, there are a few things about the construction that I'd like to share with in case you decide to make one.

First, I decided to use french seams throughout, except for the armhole seam, which I bound. This of course, is a personal preference for me for unlined garments. I suppose the whole thing could be serged, but since this version is white, I opted for the french seam.

Second, I found the suggested interfacing by BWOF to be a bit odd. On the pattern layout in the magazine, they denote pieces to be cut in interfacing by shading them in grey. If you follow the layout to a "t", you would be cutting two interfacing pieces for both the collar stand and collar. Now, most people with sewing experience would realize that you really only need one piece of interfacing each for the collar stand and collar, but this could be a problem for someone with less experience. What I find really odd concerning the interfacing is that there is none shaded for the button/buttonhole plackets. Usually, there is shading on half of the piece (so that you don't end up with too many thicknesses of interfacing) but on this one there's nothing. I felt the plackets needed that extra bit of support, especially since there will be buttons and buttonholes involved. I went ahead and interfaced those pieces, on one half only.

Third, I found that the markings for the tie placement on the front pieces is a bit nebulous. That's to be expected due to all the pleats in the waist area. The front placket piece is marked very clearly, so I suggest just pinning the tie ends in place, and when you go to stitch on the plackets, line it up properly and re-pin or baste the tie in place.

Lastly, I found one thing about the sleeve placket that needs a caution. To prepare the sleeve for the cuff, you slash the opening and then bind the slashed edges with a bias stripe. I couldn't find anywhere in the instructions that tell you to stay stitch either side of the opening before slashing. This may be an understood thing for an experienced sewist, but not for someone new. Personally, I hesitate to slash into any fabric without it being stabilized in some way. I double checked with a few books in my sewing library, and sure enough, it is suggested to stay stitch before slashing. Here's a series of pictures, showing the progression of the sleeve placket. First, the slash is marked and stay stitched.

It is then slashed to the point, opened up, and the bias strip is applied right sides together with a narrow 1/4" seam.

That middle point is a bit tricky to negotiate - be careful and stitch slowly. The bias strip is then folded in place and stitched down. You can stitch it down by hand or by machine. I opted to stitch it down by machine from the right side, very close to the seam line.

In the last photo, you can see the diamond pattern of the fabric. The little diamonds make it a bit more interesting than just plain white fabric.

If you love the look of this blouse, do put it on your list to sew. It's pretty in white, but wouldn't it be fabulous for the holidays in a deep burgundy silk with burgundy velvet ties, collar and cuffs? How about a black blouse with the ties, button placket, collar and cuffs in black and black faceted jewel-like buttons?

Parting Shot: My desk. After the meetings, I went to excavate my desk. Our administrator has just been piling all stuff on my desk all summer - that's three month's worth of incoming textbooks, standardized test materials and mail! There's also two large stacks of books he didn't bother putting on the desk, so he put them on my demonstration table.

Midnight Garden - Jacket - Part V

Artwork Complete!

At least, I think it's complete. I might still tweak it a bit, but the moment it's done. Once I get into actual construction, I'll know if it still needs work. Here it is for the front and back:

I did make a few changes as far as spacing/number of flowers and leaves with the flowers. The really important and obvious change is the leaves at the end of the vines and how they interact with the next vine. I wanted the vine sections to relate to one another, so I had to bridge that gap between them with some more leaves. Below is what I came up with. The first picture is the center front at the waist; the same motif is repeated at center back. The second picture is at the side seam - I needed something a bit smaller there because the curve on the back was a bit sharper, leaving less space to work with.

Tomorrow after work, I'll stop at another JoAnn's that's fairly close looking for navy blue Fidelio velvet. I've had good luck with working with it in the past, so I'm fairly certain if I can find the right color, I can get it at a good price (coupon plus my discount).

Parting Shot: I was working in the studio, and heard a weird clucking noise behind me. Sure enough, the wild turkeys were in the front yard. Note that Pix is completely mesmerized by the sight of the birds less than 10 feet from the window.

[Editor's Note: I apologize for the font size previously viewed in this post! Don't adjust your monitors or glasses - it was my fault! I'm not sure what happened, but it's fixed.]

Midnight Garden - Jacket - Part IV

The Moment of Truth . . . .

Wow, I didn't know that refashioning that skirt would elicit so many comments! I'm glad all you like it as much as I do. I'll consider it a success with all the great compliments.

I have a few Q/A's for the day to start the post. First, after seeing my daughter's birthday present ensemble Tamara wanted to know where I purchased my knit fabrics. Well, once in a while, I get lucky and find something decent (not too thin or with poor recovery) at JoAnn's. The striped fabric happened to be one in clearance that was one of the better ones. For online purchases geared more toward the younger set, try Wazoodle, Casual Fabrics, Sewzanne's, and Lucy's Fabrics. For some really nice "adult" type knits, try Emma One Sock.

I also had Beth ask how it took me to refashion the plaid skirt. It only took me a few days, because this one was a really easy one, actually. Because the skirt had so much fabric, I cut off the waistband, removed the zipper and side seam and hems and ironed the fabric flat. I then proceeded to cut out the new pattern as if I had bought yardage. It was a little tricky planning out where all the plaid pieces should meet and getting all the bias pieces to fit. There was no going back to the store to pick up an extra 1/2 yard! I do love a plaid-matching-just-enough-fabric challenge, though.

Now, the moment of truth. Since I'm still sort of in the planning stages, with no active construction on Midnight Garden, I had to know if I had enough navy blue fabric for the suit. Well, not just one suit, but two since the whole thing is reversible.

Yeah, you guessed it, even with getting to eliminate front facings, collar, and sleeve cuffs, I don't have enough. I have enough for one side, but not for another. I only have four yards of fabric. Four yards isn't enough. Why? Well, when you quilt and manipulate fabric, it does shrink it up a bit. The more stitching, the more it shrinks. Every quilted piece is rough cut about 2" larger than the finished piece all around to allow for shrinkage during quilting. In addition to that, I need extra fabric for the purse and hat.

That means it's time for plan B, C and possibly D. I know I'm not going to find matching fabric. That's just plain reality. I can do one side in one fabric and the other in something different. I did think about one side blue, one side silvery grey, but that's not going to work for me. You'll always see a bit of the other side no matter what happens, and another color would be distracting. Another reason it won't work for me is that I happen to look like a corpse in silvery and dove greys. I can wear any other color in the rainbow - avocado green, rust, even yellow, but lights greys, I can't do. If I have to model this ensemble, I have to look good, and at the very least, alive.

That leaves me with blue, not a problem. Now, what sort of fabric. The side without the applique was going to have some sort of dimensional surface treatment and some trapunto. This lead me to some experiments with satin and velvet. There were so many options to try that I finally made a list and after a few experiments, it became pretty obvious that certain techniques don't play nice with certain fabrics. One example is trapunto on velvet. It sounds like it would be gorgeous, but since it's already a fabric with a lush pile, it doesn't pop the way it does on smooth fabric. Quilting gets lost in the pile, too. You can see from the sample below, I've been trying all sorts of things; there's some quilting, embossing, cording, and trapunto all going on in that sample. It is a bit dark - it's hard to photograph velvet, and I did lighten the photo up a bit.

I went down to Manchester today to Fabric Fix and Martin's House of Cloth looking for companion fabrics. I discovered that my navy fabric is very dark - almost but not quite black. This means I have less of a chance of coordinating it with anything. Any navy fabric paired with it makes it look black. I did find the right kind of navy velvet, which is a plus. Right now, I have to think about what I'm going to do. I may just save the navy I have for another project or give it to MIL for a suit or something, and buy different fabric. I still need to finish up a bit of artwork - maybe by tomorrow I'll be able to show you that.

While this is a small change in plans from the original, it's not the end of the world - you must be flexible to realize these things will happen and it may open the door for a better final product. Besides, how could I do a midnight theme without a deep blue velvet?

Parting Shot: I couldn't go to Martin's without raiding their bin of discontinued patterns at 4 for $1.00. Here's today's haul, including 3 designer Vogues, a Claire Schaeffer and an odd assortment of other Vogue patterns (not that I'll ever make them, but I couldn't pass them up at 4 for $1.00!):