Winners & Wadders

I have been sewing.  Lots!  Anne on The Great British Sewing Bee claims to have sewed every day for  70 years or so--and I have attempted to do just that!  Ann was rather validating.

More sewing, but less blogging.  So, some catch up is in order.  A few mornings ago I grabbed my camera, wrapped my little bend-y tripod around the umbrella stand and got caught up :)

WINNERS

Simplicity 1806 in a cotton lawn from Fabric Mart.  

I made this in a 10 on top and a 12 on the sides, with a FBA in the princess seams.  Worn here with a black denim Magic Pencil Skirt.  The skirt was a little on the big side, so I put it into the dryer for a few washes.  Now perfect.

Now, I found the collar to be a bit fiddly--frankly, I think it's odd.  The lawn fabric is very soft, yet the collar still sticks up and out.

So, I tacked it down in the center front and pressed it into submission.  Sort of.  I'm thinking of taking it off completely and binding it instead.  Still, it's a nice cool top for hot days.

My moo moo!  Or is it mu mu?  Hmm.  Anyway, McCalls 6080 fit the bill perfectly sewn up in a nice soft rayon challis from Denver Fabrics.  It's perfect for early mornings and warm evenings and now I can open and close the blinds without shocking the neighbor walking his dog.

However, the neckline is a Plan B.  I messed up the neckline facing and ended up binding it.  Then, the neckline gaped and was way too revealing.  So, I inserted a pleated placket thing-y in the same fabric as the binding and closed it with a button.  Done.

Moo moo #2!  Simplicity 2852 (actually a favorite top pattern--I just made it super long) in a super soft, full bodied knot from Denver Fabrics.  I initially made it as a swim cover but like to wear it in the evenings so much--and don't want chlorine to get to it.  Silly?

Vogue 8534 has been a summer favorite for sure.  Love the pleats and the shaped hemline.

White top #1.  

Simplicity 2188 sewed up fine in  a cotton crinkle gauze.   I like everything about this top, the pleats, the cap sleeves, the fit.  However.  The shoulders pull forward.  ??  I'm not aware of having rounded shoulders.  It doesn't pull anywhere.  Does the weight of the pleats pull it forward?  Mystery.  

White Top #2.  

McCalls 5890, a Nancy Zieman pattern sewn in a cotton knit from Joannes.  This is a keeper.  Pattern reviews mentioned the fiddly hem, so I added an inch and squared them off.  Next time I'll add the inch at the lengthen/shorten line to avoid the hem flaring out.  But really like the fit with the princess seams and the cap sleeves.  

WADDERS

New Look 6936, View B.  The church lady dress.  After this pic, I shortened it quite a bit to wear as a pool dress in Thailand.  Still didn't work for me.

So, I cut it off into a shirt with a varied hem.  Still....  Then I took the elastic out.  Still...it's OK to wear with skinny jeans.  Around the house.  The knit, which I found in UB and bought gobs of, is so crazy soft.  Still...

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Vogue 1250.  Yuk!  I think I must be the ONLY negative review on PR.  Gazillions of glowing reviews.  

Besides looking like heck on me, I am simply not willing to wear the required foundational wear to even begin to make this dress work.  Oh, and a cami is required to compensate for the low arm syncs and neckline--both of which are impossible to adjust due to the convoluted puzzle-like pattern pieces. 

Bleck.  Enough said.  

All in all, most all my summer sewing projects have been winners and I pretty much am wearing sewn garments every day as I now have a few years of winners!  Learning fit is ongoing, but I feel I'm really making progress.

So much for catching up--as I said, I've been doing lots more sewing than blogging, so I have more to share.  

Next time! :)

I couldn't end with that other blue dress.  This is New Look 6045 from last summer.  It's in a cotton that has tiny white dots in it. Cool and comfortable.  Spanx not required ;)