Black Skirt - Burda 1/11, #105

Between yesterday afternoon and a little time working on it this morning, I finished up the black skirt. 

I lined the yoke and finished all the hand stitching:

Here's the inside at the "v", cleanly finished with the yoke lining handstitched in place:

Earlier, I decided that I would cut the skirt as drafted and then see how it looked before changing the hemline.  I decided after seeing it on the dressform, I decided to remove about 2" from the hem at center front and back and tapered that into the sides.  It still has an uneven look, but it is not as extreme as the original.  If after wearing it I decide that I want a true even hem, I can still go back and retrim the hem.  To finish the hem, I just serged the edge, turned once and topstitched.  Clean and simple.

I'm happy with it and it will work nicely to fill a hole in my wardrobe. 

Parting Shot:  Snow Fort.  While we were outside on Saturday, my son and I also made a snow fort.  He is excited about it and will have fun this playing there with his friends.

Black Skirt - Burda 1/11, #105


A Good Progress and Some More Fun

Between last night and today, I've made good progress on the skirt.  I think I would have finished it today, but I chose instead to play in the snow with my son (see Parting Shot).  I had just as much fun and in 10 years, neither us will probably remember the black skirt, but we will remember the fun we had in the snow.

The skirt is pretty easy to make, but I thought I would show you some of the details of preparing and attaching the skirt front and backs to the respective yoke pieces.  I personally find that Burda skimps on some of the details for this sort of thing, which may or may not lead to problems with the finished garment.  First, let's look at preparing the skirt pieces.  Burda does instruct you to interface the bottom of the "v", which is good.  It is not in the main steps, so read every bit of the instructions carefully. 

Notice the stuffed ziplock bag.  I save small scraps of interfacing for jobs such as this and store it right by the ironing board.  You only need a small square and usually there are small bits leftover from cutting out something else.  I had my choice of four different kinds of black interfacing, and settled on a nice lightweight woven. 

Once the skirt pieces are interfaced and marked, Burda has you slash down the center front to the marking where the bottom of the "v" is.  That's fine, but I prefer to staystitch anything I'm going to clip into.  This isn't hard to do.  If you've marked the center front line, measure 5/8" on either side of the line and mark that point.  Now, using a ruler, connect the point of the "v" and the 5/8" mark; do this on both sides.  You will have a very long, skinny "v" shape.  Stay stitch along the marked line, taking one stitch across the point; this is also your stitching line when attaching the yoke.  Then, clip down to the bottom of the "v". 

Now the yoke can be attached.  As you can see from the photo below, I've also marked the seam lines on the yoke piece and where they intersect. 

Where they intersect is at the bottom of the "v" on the skirt.  With the yoke on the bottom and the skirt piece on top, I pin the point where the pieces intersect first, and then out to the side seam. Then I stitch them together.  You will notice that at the side seams you will have a 5/8" seam allowance, but as you travel toward the center the seam allowance will get very narrow.  Just align the stay stitching - also the seam line - to be 5/8" from the cut edge of the yoke and stitch right on that line.  This is another benefit of putting that stay stitching in!

I pressed my seams up toward the yoke, carefully folding at the point, whereas Burda has you press them down and topstitch the skirt.  I want the seams hidden when I put in the yoke lining for a neater inside, so I chose to press them up and skip the top stitching.

Other than, the skirt is business as usual, with side seams and an invisible zipper install in the left side seam.  I did end up using the serger to finish the seams for this fabric, it shredded a bit more than other faux suede that I've used in the past.  I'll probably have to use it for the hem, too.

All that's left is the yoke facing and hem!

Parting Shot:  Snow Fun!  Since we have snow, we might as well enjoy it.  My son and I went sledding this afternoon.  Here I am, just starting to go down to the bottom.  The second photo is me on the way back up.  The snow was pretty deep, and I was sinking as deep as my thighs in some places in the beginning before we packed out the trail back up to the top.

 

Black Skirt - Burda 1/11, #105


Slow Start

I didn't quite the progress made on the skirt as I had hoped today.  The pattern has been traced and the fabric is cut out, so that's a start.

The children had another snow day today (see below), so I helped my son work on some projects.  My day then, was not completely unproductive.  We built part of his new Lego set:

We also completed his model airplane by adding all the decals.  He's been waiting on this part for quite a while, as mom has been busy.  Today, I decided was the day to finish it up!

Tomorrow I should be able to get that skirt together.  I know it won't be hard and with a few hours of concentrated work it should be close to finished.

Parting Shot:  Again.  We've been fortunate to have some nicer weather the past few weeks in which a lot of our snow melted.  Today, we got another snow storm and it looks like it did a month ago!

Black Skirt - Burda 1/11 #105

My next project is going to be a black skirt.  Yeah, I know, not exciting.  I've actually needed to replace my black full circle skirt since last summer and never got around to it.  In reality, this will be replacing two other skirts in my wardrobe as well.  The old skirt was shredding at the zipper, and there was no saving it.  I need a fuller, longer length for singing in ladies ensemble and other times I might be on the platform.

I liked the look of this skirt, as it is a full circle, but has a yoke.  The only thing I don't like about it is that the skirt has a longer center front and back. 

This is by design, if you look at the line drawing, you can see that the skirt portion is not actually a circle but an oval.  I'm going to make a regular circle skirt hem line, no longer center front or back.  That's just personal preference, and something easy to change.  This is what sewing is all about:  making what you want in your own style.

I'll be using a faux suede.  This washes and wears nicely and because it doesn't ravel, I'm even thinking I won't have to hem it! 

This should be a quick sew, and I should be able to get it traced, cut out and started tomorrow!

Parting Shot:  V-Day Gift.  My husband gave me a gift certificate to Title 9 for Valentine's Day and one of the things I purchased was this sweater.  The sweater is a little different and fun for me and surprisingly, I chose the blue colorway instead of the red (for once)!

A Quick T-Shirt, Jalie 2805

You really can't get much easier or plainer than a t-shirt, but I have managed to put in a few nice details.  Part of the inspiration came from a shopping trip last weekend, when I was out looking for a skinny black belt to wear with the red dress.  Later when we were home and I was working on the top, the conversation in the studio went something like this:

DD:  Oh, you're working on a stripe t-shirt.  We saw some like that yesterday.
Me:  Yes, we did.  Did you see the collar cut on the bias?
DD:  No.  But I'm not surprised that you copied it. 
Me:  That's why I didn't buy the t-shirt.  I knew I had the fabric and pattern here at home.

So, that's how the bias collar came into being!  The pattern was easy and I like that Jalie 2805 offers quite a few neck and sleeve variations in one pattern.

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Didn't you make a similar t-shirt from Burda a few weeks ago?".  Yes, you're right.  I did.  I knew this pattern was coming in the mail and wanted to compare the two patterns.  To be honest, they're almost identical.  The shoulders are just a little bit different and the fit is almost the same.  Enough to be the same that I can't quite tell you what is different about them, except that the Jalie seems to sit a little better on my frame. 

At any rate, I really like the t-shirt and it was a quick little project that somehow ended up working well with the burgundy french terry jacket.  I bought the fabric from Marcy Tilton's website, and was pleasantly surprised that it matches as good as it does. 

Parting Shot:  Blue Fuzzy.  My son really loves warm furry textures and has some synthetic super soft fleece type blanket that he really loves.  He asked me one day if I could make a pillowcase like that.  I knew that JA's had that type of fabric - I used it for his sister's robe for Christmas.  I bought 2/3 of a yard, trimmed the edges straight and serged the two side seams.  That was it.  It was the perfect size and I didn't need to stitch the third side since it was on the fold or do a hem since they were on the selvedge!

As Promised, Red Dress Photos

I had my son snap a few photos of the red dress after church on Sunday morning.  It doesn't look quite as fresh as it did when I left the house earlier in the morning, but you get the idea.

I'm very pleased with it.  It wore comfortably, even though it is pretty fitted.  I'm still not quite on board with the pleated skirt, but I don't think it looks horrible, either.  I think if there wasn't such a disparity between my waist and hips, it would look less out of proportion.

Thank you all for the comments on the running outfit. Cidell had used gripper elastic, too, and so I ordered up the gripper elastic this morning and was able to get it in 3/4" wide, which is the same width as the hem.  I think the fabric definitely had an influence on the creeping up of the shorts, this lycra stuff is pretty slippery.  That's certainly something to think about with future garments!  

Parting Shot:  With a Bow.  Oh yeah, we just had to put a bow on Wellie.  My daughter was looking through the ribbon bin with Wellie's help and that's what he got as a reward for "helping".

New Running Outfit - The Skort

The skort is now finished and I've taken it for a test run.  It is actually pretty good, but I think I'd change a few things.  Do forgive the white New England legs.  In the middle of winter, we get pretty pale here.  No running outdoors just yet, too cold and icy!

Let's start with the construction.  For the most part, it was pretty easy.  If you not a person who marks notches, you need to with this pattern.  There are two pieces to the sides that must be aligned and layered properly and when finishing up, you're going to have to align the skirt with the shorts or panty and the waistband.  I think that attaching all three pieces together was the most difficult part - the waistband and shorts are much smaller at the waist than the skirt portion.  Not hard, but careful matching of notches, pinning and stitching was necessary.  All of the construction was done on the serger and finished on the coverstitch machine. 

I measured carefully and made a size T.  I will have to say I did have my doubts about the fit when it came to the shorts portion.  They looked really, really, small, as did the waistband.  I shouldn't have feared because Jalie is the master of negative ease and activewear and the whole thing fit as it should! 

As far as performance when running, this is where I would make a change, but first, the good things. The side pockets are clever and my iPhone fits in the pocket perfectly.

The length is good for running; any longer and you really can't run properly.  The attached shorts take care of any modestly issues and the whole thing is actually better than traditional running shorts.  Even the back view isn't too bad:

The problem with this garment is that the shorts keep riding up my legs when running.  If I were to make another skort, I'd opt for the attached panty instead or use gripper elastic to finish the hem of the shorts.  I'm not a stranger to gripper elastic - all of my bike shorts have it (I used to do a lot of bike riding and ride in the summer for cross training).  The elastic is rubberized on one side to keep shorts and other athletic wear in place.  I think I'm going to order some from SewSassy and just redo the hem of the shorts. 

Overall, they are cute and look better than some things I've seen in the gym! I'd certainly make another pair if I need them.  I'm happy with the whole outfit.  When I saw the skort coming together, I was afraid the whole thing would read "bumblebee", but it actually doesn't, so that's good!

Parting Shot:  Book Day. Today my daughter was making books - she's got friends with birthdays coming up soon!  Of course, she couldn't do it alone and needed a little help.

New Running Outfit - The Top

I've got the top done and it was pretty easy.  The pattern isn't that difficult and has just a few pieces.

I eliminated the shoulder ties and added a contrast arm band finish, which wasn't part of the original pattern, but I liked the finish and it was easy to do.  The original instructions for the sleeveless style finishes the armhole by  has the sleeve turning the seam allowance to the inside and topstitching.  The finish I chose matches the neckline and was actually easier to do than turning a curved edge to the inside. 

Now, to finish off the skirt/short combo and take it for a test run tomorrow!

Parting Shot:  Chosen Spot.  Wellie isn't much of a lap cat, but he has been choosing to sit with me in the evenings.  It doesn't matter if I have knitting, stitching or a laptop, if he wants to sit he'll get in the way!

New Running Outfit!  

Introduction

Now that the red dress is done and I have all the fabrics and patterns, I can get started on my new running outfit.  I'm smart enough to know that it won't make me run a 5K in under 25 minutes or having me running marathon mileage next week, but it is mental boost to have fun, new workout wear!

I've chosen two Jalie patterns for this project, #2796 for the skirt with attached shorts and the #2804 for a top. 

For the fabrics, I've got a black matte lycra type stuff, the same stuff most exercise wear is made from and some yellow wicking knit fabric that I picked up at Fabric Fix.  I chose the yellow not only because it was the only wicking fabric they had, but because the color is bright and cheerful - just right for this time of year and working out. 

I've got everything cut, and I'm thinking these should be pretty easy to get together.  I've never had a problem with Jalie patterns, and I've already made up the top a couple of times.  The biggest thing is figuring out how to group the stitching so that I have to change the thread colors in the serger and coverstitch a minimal amount of times!

Parting Shot:  It is Melting!  Our snow is melting as for some strange reason we've had some very warm temperatures here.  It was in the 40's F today where I live and now we've got a lot of mush and puddles in the driveway.  I'm hoping this doesn't freeze up too hard overnight!

The Red Dress - Part Four

Done!

Between yesterday and today I was able to finish up the red dress.  It didn't need much work, but enough that I had to work on it in stages over the two days.  First up was to finish the lining bodice by inserting the sleeves. 

Then I was able to get the lining into the dress and the sleeve hems done.  I finished those in the same way that I would have if I had bagged a jacket lining and was quickly finishing the sleeves. 

I then tacked the bodice lining down around the zipper and waist seam and added the hook and thread loop.  For some reason I have plenty of black and white hooks and eyes, and silver hooks and bars, but no silver eyes.  So, I made the thread loop. 

Lastly, the hems.  The lining I stitched by machine, but the actual dress I bound and hand stitched to the underlining.  That's one of the little benefits of an underlining - you can stitch the hem to it, but not through the fashion fabric and have an invisible hem. 

Yay!  I'm really happy with it and I think I can wear quite a few different accessories with it.  Sorry, no pictures of me wearing it, but it has been a busy day and it isn't over yet.  I'll try to get a few pictures on Sunday. 

Next up:  a new running/gym outfit - an outfit that has been on hold for almost a month now!

Parting Shot:  Two Mitts.  I finished the other mitt for my daughter last night.  They turned out well and she's really excited about them.  She can wear them tonight and tomorrow to school.

The Red Dress - Part Three

A Lining, Almost!

I actually got quite a bit of work done on the dress this weekend.  The lining is mostly made, you can see the bodice below.  It still needs the sleeves inserted, but they are done and ready.

The sleeve hems having facings, like the neck.  The original pattern had sleeve facings, so I just incorporated them into the full sleeve lining.

The skirt lining is complete, installed and just needs to be trimmed.  You can also see the darts on the inside in the photo below.

There isn't much left for this one, just inserting those sleeves, inserting the bodice lining and hems!  Maybe tomorrow I'll get that done, just maybe.  Some projects are slower than others, and this is one of them.  I'd rather keep it a slower and make everything as nice as possible.

Parting Shot:  V-Day Flowers.  My husband surprised me with a lovely corsage for the Valentine's Banquet that we attended Friday night!  We also had to sing in a mixed ensemble, so it was nice to have something special and pretty to wear.  Corsages are a bit old-fashioned, and it did get a few looks since there weren't that many being worn.  As I said to my husband, "Raise the bar."

The Moose T-Shirt - Finally!

I took a little time today to get my son's t-shirt made up to match the moose print pajama shorts I made a few weeks ago.  I used Jalie 2918, and as usual, Jalie patterns delivered an easy to make and good looking product.   Although the pattern includes options for long sleeves and v-neck, my son chose short sleeves and a round neck.

You can get too much more simple than this t-shirt, just a front, back, sleeves and neckband.  The construction was typical of a knit with shoulder seams first, sleeves inserted in the flat and then the side and sleeves seam finished as one.  After that its just a neckband and hems.

He's happy that his pajama set is finally complete.  Now, I need to get back to that red dress!

Parting Shot:  Kitchen Helpers?  Hmm.  Only one of these two has the opposable thumbs necessary to peel carrots. 

Ann:  Those cones from yesterday are 3000 yards.