Greetings! I'm back from the holiday, and trying to get back on track with my sewing. I actually have been sewing, and finished a slip made from a vintage Butterick that I have in the shop. For details and a review, I'm sending you over to the other blog. (Whew! So much blog juggling!)
My next definite project is a new, artsy top that I've mentioned being in the queue before, but now the tissue is out of the envelope and I'm really, really going to make it. Really.
I've even done some preemptive fitting research over at Pattern Review, and found some excellent advice from ClaireOKC which will be useful because this pattern runs big enormous! There's loose fitting, and there's "I'm wearing a tent".
Don't miss tomorrow's Wilma on Wednesday recipe... a particularly yummy and easy appetizer!
I finally turned on my sewing machine this weekend, and came up with a quick refashion of one of my husband's dress shirts, into a blouse for me. Months ago, I bought this Sandra Betzina "Today's Fit" blouse pattern, and kept flip-flopping on what fabric to make it up in.
Then, Roland ripped a shirt. And it became a great source of fabric. (He ripped the sleeve, and not along a seam, but just in a random place by the shoulder.) And this:
Became this:
The only changes I made were to grade out at the hips and narrow 2 of the front darts for a bit of room for the fluff, and I narrowed the shoulders by 1". I'm thinking the shoulder narrowing resulted in a sleeve that is a tad too tight, and that lowering the armhole a bit should relieve that. I had meant for the cuffs to not be contrasting, but an error in sewing made that not happen. I used the contrasting color because I didn't have enough fabric, and I'm happy with the "mistake". I was able to cut the collar out of the yoke. And there is very little left. BTW, wearing my Clover pants!
If you're looking for nice shirting fabric, thrifting an extra large men's shirt is a great source. And it made it quick because I used the original buttons/buttonholes. You'll just have to get used to the buttons on the "wrong" side. Why is that anyway?
Notice the patio? Remember this?
The patio is almost finished! Yay! In other news, in my other sewing blog, I'm doing a feature every Monday on fantasy sewing, choosing a pattern for sale in my Etsy shop, and then picking 3 or so different fabrics on how I would make it up. Come on over and take a look. Click here for today's installment!
Finally, a close up of the blouse:
Roland said that it looks better on me than it did on him! I was a little worried about it looking too masculine, so the sparkly necklace (doesn't look so sparkly here) is a nice touch.
Don't you love this blouse? So sleek and chic! And I've really gotten into getting the patterns in my Etsy shop, and am excited that they are actually selling! So I want to step it up a bit, and I've started a new blog just focusing on the vintage patterns, the shop, and things I make (and hopefully others make) from these patterns.
BUT. I'm not leaving this blog, because it's really my personal, here's what's happening in my life! It's the thread, dammit! LOL! There's the Tracy Reese "wedding dress" waiting to be revealed, and Wilma on Wednesday, after all.
If you love vintage patterns, though, and want to check them out in my etsy shop (where the majority are under $20, mostly under $10) come take a look at Sew Vintage Today. It's a wordpress blog, and there is a definite learning curve, so changes will be coming slowly but steadily... like adding the blogroll, and all the widgits and all the good stuff. Follow along for announcements, giveaways, and maybe even a contest or two. I just need that critical mass of followers, hint, hint.
Hope to see some old friends over there!
