A Disappointing Vest, Vogue 9034

And now I've come to the bottom of the pile, the last of the garments I made during the summer and early autumn of this year. The bottom of the pile also means the last of the photos taken by my sister, Lisa, at the end of October. I'll miss these colorful portraits!

In September, I whipped up this vest and top:

Only after arriving home and editing these photos did I notice I didn't have the lapels of this vest turned back properly. So, I took some selfies to show how the lapels are supposed to lie.

This vest was made using Vogue 9034, a pattern I can't recommend as is. The reasons? Many shortcuts were taken with the pattern instructions and pieces. And it's not a Very Easy Vogue pattern. So, what gives, Vogue?

First of all, the garment is lined to the edges. Not a good construction practice. I much prefer facings and hems, to give the garment more structure. Secondly, no interfacing in the lapels!!! Horrors! I foolishly followed the instructions, and put interfacing only in the collar. Big mistake, as you can see in the photos. Those lapels are crying out for more support.

Thirdly, no tailoring techniques were recommended. To give Vogue credit, the undercollar is cut in two pieces, on the bias. A surprise, considering the lack of any other tailoring tricks. I did know enough to hand sew the undercollar/body seam to the collar/facing seam. But I really should have interfaced the front, faced and interfaced the armholes, and hemmed the bottom. I'm not sure why I blindly sewed along to the directions. I must have been in a trance of some sort!

The fabric is a rayon/linen blend from Marcy Tilton. It was a gem to work with, and I love the color. The jersey for the top is from her, also. I used my TNT t-shirt pattern, Vogue 8793.

I love the print of the top, and it was cool how these two fabrics came together, as they were purchased separately. Too bad I probably won't wear the vest very much. It just looks too sloppy. A shame. I suppose I could take it apart and remake it the right way, but I'm not sure how motivated I am to do that.

I do like the asymmetry of the front of the vest. I'm not crazy about the rest of it, though, so I just might reclaim the fabric for another pursuit. I have at least 1/2 yard of the fabric remaining, so it could become part of another garment.

All in all, a disappointing pattern and garment.

*****

Why in the world, you ask, am I standing next to a Hindu statue (a deity?), with my hand on its head? Because I couldn't resist her. The grounds of the manor where my sister lives is dotted with these, along with a few Japanese and Celtic statues. An eclectic mix, almost humorously positioned among the grasses and Indiana limestone rocks that dot the landscape. I had fun wandering the gardens and photographing the statuary. Enjoy!

A Go-With-Everything Ponte Jacket

Back in September I realized I could really use a basic cardigan in my wardrobe, an easy-to-wear jacket that would go with (almost) everything. So I dug through my resource center and found a black ponte milled for Eileen Fisher, purchased from Sawyer Brook a couple of years ago. The fabric is rayon and nylon, and it has a soft hand and drape.

Now, basic isn't my normal thing. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I like asymmetry, uneven hemlines, and maybe a touch of paint. But not on this garment. I really needed it to be PLAIN. Enter McCall's 6996, view C/D, a simple cardigan with a wide center front band that becomes a collar of sorts. Without buttons or pockets. Really basic.

There is one nice design feature on the jacket - gathering at the center back seam of the band:

I like the extra interest this gathering gives, even though it's a small area that is almost covered by my hair.

A simple pattern and easy to sew fabric made for a quick project. Cutting this out and sewing it up was a dream. A dream in terms of easiness, but I have to admit, it was a bit boring for me to sew, and I was glad to get it over with. But it will be the perfect thing to grab when I need an extra layer over a t-shirt, and I expect to wear it a lot. I'm in the market for a really funky cardigan style jacket to make from ponte but I haven't found one yet. Maybe I'll have to design one that more suits my style.

The t-shirt I'm wearing with the jacket is also a recent make. The fabric is a rayon/lycra jersey, once again from Sawyer Brook. I had visions of combining it with other fabrics, but that never happened, so I decided on a top. It's a lot of print for me, but it will usually be covered by this jacket, or one of my black vests. I used my TNT t-shirt pattern, Vogue 8793, Katherine Tilton's zipper collar top. I made it with a neckband instead of the collar.

I've been on a quest of perfecting my TNT t-shirt pattern. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting close.

And that's the news from my little corner of the world. I have some other garments finished but I need more photos. We got 6" of snow Wednesday, so outdoor shots are out. The daylight hasn't been good here lately either, so I'm still waiting for a sunny day so I can take photos indoors. I'll be using my new camera and tripod. Wish me luck!

An Update

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First, a clerical note. I've just made it a bit easier for you to follow my blog via Bloglovin'. There is now a button on the right you can click to follow me. Thanks to Shams of Communing With Fabric for suggesting this. (FYI, the code above has to stay in this post to keep me connected with Bloglovin'. That way I can see how many readers are following me with Bloglovin'.) I'm curious to know how many of my readers use Bloglovin' as opposed to their Blogger reading list?

Second, a big thank you to all who have visited my blog in the past several months, errr, make that the past year. I've been posting so seldom, I'm just *this* happy to see that people do visit the blog in spite of me. So why don't I show up here more often? It's the photos. I don't have a dress form, and my husband's schedule (he's my photographer) and mine never seem to coincide. Then there are the factors of daylight, sunlight, good hair, etc. It's just been too much for me to overcome. I've made the conclusion I need to get a tripod and remote so that I can do my photo shoots on my own. Then I can write about the garments I've been making in a far more timely manner (and I would be out of excuses about why I don't write!). I could also get a dress form, but that's a big investment and I'd rather show the clothes on my body, anyway. So my goal is to get set up with a camera/tripod/remote in the next month or so. Until then, I'm going to try to get DH to take some shots of new garments I made this summer for fall wear. I believe I have a dozen things to show you, if not more!

*****

I've been a busy gal in my studio all summer long and into the fall. The mojo has been strong, and I move fairly seamlessly from one garment to the next. Some makes are a bit creative, while others are simple basics. I've decided one can never have enough t-shirts, and Vogue 8793 has been getting a workout. It's my go-to pattern for a basic tee, and I also lengthened it for a tunic or two. I also sewed Katherine Tilton's Butterick 5891 three times, switching from a collared shirt to a vee neck jacket to a vee neck long vest. There have been several one-offs, and a copy of a copy of a RTW tunic. So, I don't lack for things to write about - and photograph!

Here's one garment I can write about, a top I made in July, modeled on a very hot day:

This is Vogue 7883, which is out of print. It's been in my stash for a few years, patiently waiting to be used. The lightweight linen had also lingered in my "resource center" for a couple of years, and the two made a good marriage.

I'm tall, so I lengthened the top above the horizontal seam line. In hindsight, I probably should have lengthened it both above and below that seam, to maintain the balance of the sections. I added at least 3", if not 4". I like how the lower sections are layered:

This make was very easy and the top is very easy to wear. Nice and cool in the hot weather. It's not for the autumn weather we're having now, but maybe you gals in the southern hemisphere will be encouraged to try this one.

*****

On the knitting front, I didn't make a stitch all summer long. There was just no interest. But the needles started calling to me in September, and I jumped head first into a huge project that will take me at least a year to complete. It's designed by Kaffe Fassett, whom you might know from the quilting world. Long before he quilted, he knit (like, in the 70's). We can credit him for making color knitting popular. His patterns were, and continue to be, very intricate and time-consuming explosions of color. His work is like painting with yarn. I've long wanted to make one of his designs, but never found just the right thing. Until now. Here is a photo of the Jubilee Throw:

I've completed three panels and have three more on needles. (There are 24 in all.) It's great to have a variety to choose from each time I sit down to knit. Sometimes I'm in the mood for stranded work, while other times I prefer intarsia. While this is an enormous project, it's broken up into small sections and there are a lot of different stitch designs included. I'm really enjoying it!

*****

So that's what I've been doing the past few months. Here's hoping I can get posting more regularly real soon. Thanks for visiting!

Polka Dots, Print, and Stripes, Oh My!

The moment I saw Katherine Tilton's pattern for a top with a zipper trimmed double collar (Vogue 8793), I knew I wanted to make it. When I saw Shams' versions, I wanted to make it even more. I love the zipper-trimmed double collar, and the fabric collage.

Vogue 8793

With the pattern in mind, I sorted through my stash and found a rayon polka dot jersey and a rayon/metallic striped jersey (both from Marcy T) I thought would work. Wanting a third fabric to round out the collage, I added a printed rayon jersey from Sawyer Brook, and went to work on it. Here is the result:

I really love the look of these fabrics together. Each has a fun personality, making for a whimsical garment. Of course, the collar takes center stage on this design.

I like the contrast of the rugged zipper with the smooth fabrics, so I used lightweight molded separating zippers, as Katherine recommends. This required an internet order from zipperstop.com in NYC, but service was very quick so I waited only from one weekend to the next. Sawyer Brook stocks some YKK coil and invisible zippers, so I was able to match the lilac color using a real color chart instead of photos on my computer monitor - a big advantage. The collar edges are fairly long, and a 28" zipper was too short. Not wanting to piece them (Katherine gives instructions for this), I was able to get them in the 36" length.

The pattern instructions have the teeth beginning at the center fronts, rather than at the neck seam. I was ok with this, and sewed mine that way. When I make the pattern again, I might place them close to the seam. It might make sewing the seam more difficult, which is why I stuck with Katherine's instructions. The zippers are inserted into the seam between the collar and facing. I fused them in place using Steam-A-Seam II, which worked great. After sewing the pieces together, the edge is topstitched. Then the inner collar is laid on top of the outer collar, the edges are basted together, and sewn to the neck edge.

I can't say how much I like this collar. It is so unusual and on trend - I just love it! On Katherine's blog she shows some tops where she lowered the neckline a bit, extending the length of the collars. That would be great for warmer weather. (A couple of posts earlier, she shows how she constructed the collar for the red top on the pattern envelope.)

I'm pleased with my placement of fabrics, except for the striped sleeve. The fabric was narrow and I had short yardage, so I had to turn the sleeve lengthwise in order to fit all the pieces. I do like having the stripes vertical on the back.

However, cutting the back on the crossgrain means there is stretch in the length of the back. It was problematic only in the armscyes, which lengthened some. As usual, I added length and width to the front and back, and added bust darts. It took several tries to get the bust darts looking good. I first placed them in the side seam, but ended up moving them to the armscyes. That seems to be the best location for me.

I found the pattern instructions to be well-written and easy to follow. The sleeve length is quite long. The length of the pattern piece is perfect for my long arms, which means most women will need to shorten it. I found the shoulder width quite wide, so much so that the sleeves were dropped. I trimmed away over an inch around the armhole to get a better fit. It might have been a bit too much in the back, but it was definitely needed in the front and at the shoulder seam.

I love the design of this top, and definitely plan to make it again. I like the fabrics together, but, I'm not really comfortable wearing these stripes. I think it's their boldness. The narrower, subtler stripes I used in my Back Words collage top are very quiet. The stripes in this top seem to holler, "Hey, look at me! I'm glittery metallic stripes!" I try not to think about them when I'm wearing the top, but every time I see myself in a mirror I wonder who the clown is, wearing strips and dots together. One of my co-workers asked me why I don't buy enough of one fabric to make an entire top! She was joking, of course. At least, that's what she told me. (Ahem.)

I have enough of the polka dot and print fabrics to make another top, so maybe you'll be seeing them in a collaged top this summer. You won't see these stripes with them, though!