Wanting to start something new

Still working on that shirt. I get so impatient when I want a project to be finished already. I prefer the phase where I wonder what fabric to use with which pattern, to the nitty gritty of finishing.

In the meantime, tragedy befell my favourite track pants!

I don't know how long I have had these Pearl Izumi pants but it has to be close to 15 years. I love them. They make my butt look small. They fit comfortably over my yoga pants and I wear them to the gym three days a week. Last week, I was zipping down the ankle zipper when it suddenly parted company with itself! The zippy mechanism jumped off the teeth. I can rip everything apart and install a new zipper. But I was wondering if any of you clever sewers out there had a magic fix? You have to get the zipper teeth back into the zipper pull and I'm not sure if I can do that.

I finished the cute little blouse with clear buttons. They have a little band of "cut glass" around the edge which sparkles nicely. I haven't worn it yet but plan to, the first warm day. Today was warm and it got up to 10C (50F) but that isn't really warm enough for a short sleeved blouse. And I have a cold so I didn't even get to go out and enjoy the weather much. But soon!

I decided to flat fell the armhole edge, to contain the ravelly polyester fabric edges. I've been doing French seams for all the rest.

It turned out well.

I put the cuffs on by sewing the right side of the cuff to the wrong side of the sleeve first.

Then after I sewed up the ends, I turned the cuff to the right side and used the zipper foot to sew the folded edge to just over the sewing line.

Here's the finished cuff. I still think I'm going to sew a line of top stitching around the other three sides.

After I turned the facings to the inside down the front, I saw that there was going to be bagging. This might fix itself after I put on the buttons and buttonholes, but in the meantime, I hand sewed a line of basting down the fronts to hold the facings down flat.

So I have just got buttons and buttonholes to go, and maybe some top stitching.

Prom dress continues, stuck at the zipper

Well, I thought I could fake the invisible zipper as I have done once before, without the proper invisible zipper foot, but I was wrong. sigh. Let's start where we left off last time.

I added the vertically quilted pieces to the back, where I needed a little extra width. They were quite a bit wider than I needed but I wanted to give myself wiggle room. I also noticed that putting the zipper in might be easier with the simply quilted piece, rather than trying to sew the zipper to all those layers of hair canvas interfacing, so I think that part turned out for the best.

I trimmed those pieces up a bit more and here, I am illustrating what it will look like once the zipper is in. I have been hoping this "fix" will look like a "design feature" and I think it will!

This is just one panel of how odd the construction of the skirt seemed, before I actually followed the instructions and sewed all four of the skirt pieces together.

Here is the dress, just hanging around the neck of my judy, which is why the skirt looks oddly wide (because it's not actually ON the judy). But it does look exactly like the pattern instructions.

Once the skirt is sewn onto the bodice, you have to press the seam allowance UP, into the bodice, so that it can get concealed by the lining. This is difficult because of the layers of interfacing that have to be folded up. So I decided to sew up the seam allowance by hand (instead of just pressing it up), taking some internal stitches here and there but also making pick stitches right through to the quilting on the outside. This is turning into a true couture garment, with all this hand sewing.

The instructions also called for understitching the top edge of the bodice as much as possible by machine, which I did. But it still tended to roll out so I pick stitched the entire thing around the inside, including the two "drape" pieces (the things that go around the neck to make the halter).

These pick stitches are all on the inside and never show on the outside.

So then it came time to put in the invisible zipper. I basted it all in by hand first (of course!). Then I tried cheating with a non-invisible zipper foot and couldn't get the zipper teeth to roll out far enough to give it the proper "invisible" effect. So now I have to call my sister (my niece's mother) and see if she has this foot attachment on her machine. If so, I can go over and first do a fitting and then sew it up. If not, I will have to go find one. But I'm almost done!

Prom dress finished!

I'm done! And it all came together smoothly, much to my relief. Not that I expected trouble but when you are sewing for someone else, you kind of hold your breath.

Even when sewing the midriff lining down, on the inside, I tried to keep the stitches tiny and invisible.

I put the zipper in exactly the way the instructions said and it went well too. In this photo, the zipper allowances are still basted together.

This is what the zipper looks like on the inside, with the tops of the tape tucked in and the top edges of the bodice folded under. I took some tiny hand stitches to secure the edges even more and then added a hook and eye at the top.

And here is the dress, on my judy. It doesn't zip up the back because my niece is narrower than I am. And it will look even cuter on her, as she is cute too! I am going to request a copy of a photo of the dress in action but that won't be until June. And now for the Vogue dress!

More little bags

Call me crazy but I'm making more bags. I had such fun making the last set that I decided to use up the rest of the upholstery type fabric and I got another two sets of bags out of it.

I ran out of the pale green rayon for the lining so I am using some craft fabric I bought ages ago for the second set.

I also had to make more bias tape for the larger bag. For a complete tutorial on how to make a batch of bias tape, go here, from March 8, 2008.

Now I have just enough bias tape in both fabrics to make a large bag with each kind of lining.

Here are all the pieces, waiting for me to get zippers for them. For the sharp-eyed, there is a bonus fifth bag in there. I just can't throw away even a small piece of fabric if it can possibly be turned into a bag. Tomorrow, I'll be getting the zippers. I was going to walk - it is "only" a 10 km round trip - but I am getting a ride instead by a fortuitous set of circumstances.

White denim jacket and skirt

So I got some plain wood buttons. There wasn't a huge choice so I settled on some shank buttons because they weren't very dark, or very big or very textured. Sort of like the Baby Bear's middle of the road choices.

I wanted to get them now because it is far easier to put a buttonhole on the pocket flap before you sew it to the jacket.

Here, I've made the holes and set the buttons on the flaps, with the shank in the buttonhole.

The other decision I made was about the skirt pocket facing or lining. I didn't want to use the denim because then the pockets would be too thick and look weird. I had some almost white lining but then I remembered the thinner cotton I used to make the last two white shirts I made so I used that instead. You can't really tell from the photo but the denim is in the middle, the lining on the left and the shirt fabric on the right.

The skirt zipper is a mock fly - a real one is more complicated.

The zipper itself is too long, even at the regular skirt size, 18 cm length, because the waistband is supposed to sit just below the waist. So I sew a zigzag stitch in one spot as a new stop, above the original metal stop at the bottom, and cut off the excess zipper tape.

Here's the fly with just the one side sewed down.

Here's the fly with both sides sewed down. Not too exciting but simple is good too.

Navy linen outfit

Forging ahead. But first, I had a question on an old post about sewing skirt linings to the zipper tape. On the recent linen skirt and on the one I am making now, I will hand sew the lining to the zipper tape.

This is not complicated and in fact, it is easier except for the time it takes, than machine sewing. I like machine sewing because it never lets go. Sometimes, in my hand sewing the original knot will come undone or something and then I have to re-stitch. But you don't see the stitching from the outside and it is more elegant.

When I machine sew my lining down, I pin it from the wrong side and then sew it from the outside, running the line of stitching down the original line where the zipper was sewed in the first place. You can see this on the outside of this peach skirt - the two lines of stitching, one on top of the other. The trouble I run into with machine sewing is that sometimes I miss catching the lining on the inside and then I have to either sew it a third time or do it by hand.

On this navy skirt and the previous linen skirt, the pattern called for the use of grosgrain ribbon at the top instead of a facing. I also decided to line the skirt which is a simple enough thing to do.

Once the ribbon is sewn on, you just trim the seam and fold it over and tuck in the raw end of the ribbon by the zipper. I haven't worn the linen skirt yet so I don't know if the ribbon might feel uncomfortable at the top, especially as this is a high-waisted skirt but since it is high-waisted, I plan to tuck in whatever shirt I am wearing so I hope it won't be an issue.

I decided to set the sleeve in first, before I sewed up the underarm seam, because it is generally a little easier to get it in flat that way.

Then I trim the seam and sew on the double fold bias tape to finish it (since there isn't a lining with this jacket). I am using purchased tape because it is easier to let some machine in a factory make it uniform and nicely folded. But they only had one package of navy when I bought it and I think I will have to go back for a second package because, now that I am doing the sleeve this way, I might as well put seam binding all the way down the entire underarm seam including that of the sleeve as well. Of course, you can't do any of this if the sleeve seam doesn't match the side seam of the body of the jacket.

There is a white ribbon tied at Rose's waist and you can see that this jacket, while not a bolero length, is short. That's why I went with a high-waisted skirt.

Navy linen outfit

July 14
I have put the zipper in the navy skirt. (It doesn't look navy at all, but that's a trick of the light.)

As usual, I machine baste the opening edges together and then pin the zipper from the inside, pinning down the middle of the zipper tape. Then I baste down the outside edges of the zipper tape, because I sew down the middle from the right (outside) side and I don't want to try to pick basting thread out from machine sewed thread.

Here's the back of the jacket showing the one large pleat. I put the jacket on Rose inside out to show it from the wrong side.

Here's a close-up of the shoulder seam. I am putting seam binding on only one side of this seam to finish it. The other side, I zigzagged to make it more sturdy for future long-term wearing, but it will be covered by the front facing so I don't need to put seam binding on both sides of the seam.

And here is where I am tonight, hand sewing the collar facing in between the edges of the front facings. I often machine sew these things but when I am trying to achieve a more couture look, I will make the effort and hand sew with tiny stitches.

The navy wool suit

I've had a little extra time just to myself, so work on the navy wool is going very quickly. It is also fast because I have made this pattern several times (never mind how many skirts I have) and I don't have to match plaids.


I've already put the zipper in the skirt. I basted the opening with bright green thread by hand, because I knew I'd never see the thread to pick it out if it was navy, and the loose weave of the fabric would make it extra difficult to pick stitches out if I machine sewed it.

The jacket really does look extra long and it is long - mid thigh. But I knew that when I chose the pattern and so far, I think I was right. I may hem the skirt up an inch higher than the plaid I just made.

I am using some polyester for the lining that was not sold as lining. It has body and substance compared with regular lining. But it is also weirdly puncture-proof. Sticking pins in it has been ridiculously difficult and even sewing by machine, I have to hold the fabric taut otherwise it pokes down into the bobbin case as the needle tries to make a dent in it. And when I cut it out with pinking shears, it cut fine but the cut edges stick together almost like they were fused. Once I start to peel them apart, it is fine - they aren't really fused. But getting a purchase on the cut edge to get the two pieces apart is like trying to open a shrink-wrapped CD case.

This jacket pattern has one-piece sleeves so I am going to put the sleeves in at the shoulder first, and then sew up the entire underarm seam. It might not be any easier in reality but it has always seemed easier to me, to put sleeves in this way, rather than setting a tube inside the armhole.

Plaid wool suit

I often just pin a zipper in and then sew it without basting but with this very nice fabric I decided to baste as well. I even basted both sides down from the top, as opposed to basting down one side and up the other, to keep the sides as even as possible. I pinned the zipper down the stitching line and then basted down the outside edge of the zipper tape, so I wouldn't machine stitch into the basting thread. That just makes it difficult to pick the basting thread out afterwards.

Once the zipper was in, I basted the lining to the skirt (wrong sides together) and started pinning the facings on. I prefer converting darts to ease, depending on the fabric and this skirt was no exception. This was how much fabric I had to ease in to the facing.

I take up tiny bumps of fabric with each pin I put in, in a much longer space than would have been occupied by the dart.

Once I have slowly sewed over all those pins, trimmed the seam and given it a first press, this is what it looks like on the outside. I still have to understitch the facing and then give it a final press.

I decided I would make patch pockets for this jacket. The pattern calls for them as an option and the plaid is "informal" (compared to a pinstripe, say). I like having pockets although I rarely put anything in them because it ruins the line of the jacket. I matched the front edge of the pocket with the plaid because of the dart that goes up the middle of the front piece.

I wrote earlier that I had matched the vertical lines in the plaid at the shoulder - this is it.

This is what it looks like sewn and pressed.

It's looking good so far! All the plaids are matching well.

You can see under the arm that I chose to match the plaids at the top, because they can't be matched at both the top and the bottom of the underarm seam. Hopefully, the sleeves will also line up with the horizontal stripes when I sew them in.