Pinning sleeves

Peter came home from work yesterday and while I was in my sewing room as usual, Rockwell wasn't with me, keeping me company and watching out for Peter. So it was a quiet and lonely homecoming. Peter had to come upstairs and sit by the window like Rockwell did in the afternoons, just so I wouldn't feel alone. Then he grabbed "my" camera and took some pix of me while I was pinning the shoulder seam on the mauve jacket.

You don't usually get to see the "big picture" as I am always taking extreme close-ups of my work.

And yes, I made my shirt and skirt too. :)

Skirt finished and jacket half done

I've been a little distracted with all that's been going on over at my puppy blog and while I managed to get a lot sewed in the last week, I haven't been able to blog about it until now.

In this photo lies my secret weapon - the ancient-but-still-serviceable electric scissors my Mum gave me the last time she visited. She doesn't do much sewing any more - at least, not heavy duty stuff - and she figured I could use them. I remember her using them years and years ago but I never thought any more about them. When I wrote the last line on my last entry "oh my aching hand" I suddenly remembered the electric scissors. Well, I can say they worked like a dream. Who knew! Not me anyway. I used my shears to cut small details but the electric scissors cut through the bulk of the corduroy (and I do mean bulk) like a hot knife through butter.

As usual, once I got everything cut out and the interfacing ironed on, I started assembling as many pieces as I could. I don't follow the exact order as shown in the pattern instructions because I feel it's faster to "assembly line" as many pieces as possible.

Before I knew it, I had the body of the jacket assembled and looking pretty purple! The red jacket peeking out from behind it is there so I can compare a finished jacket with the one in progress, in addition to looking at the instructions.

Unfortunately, part way through some of the top stitching, I noticed that the top thread tension had increased and caused the top thread to look stretched-out. I fiddled with the tension gizmo - thread tension is the bane of my existence - and I got it worked out. I decided not to pick out the stitching and re-do the top stitching, even though the difference is noticeable. I hate picking out stitching and I also thought that it might look worse if I did that, because of the fluff and nap of the fabric. Maybe after I wash and iron it a few times, it will become less noticeable.

As I wrote earlier, I decided to line the skirt. Since the pattern doesn't call for lining, I had to make it up as I went. I have lined this skirt before but each time, I do it a different way. This time, I sewed the lining to the skirt at the top and let it hang free down the sides and at the bottom. The problem arises with the vent. How do I work the lining vent around the skirt vent so you don't see the lining at the vent when the skirt is worn? In this photo, I have the skirt on the ironing board and am trying to figure it out.

The vent can fold either way (left or right) so that part didn't matter. In this photo, I have decided to sew the lining down under the sewn part of the vent - the angled line of stitching at the top of the vent. The opposite bit of lining will hang free and won't show because it is folded and behind the vent anyway.

Finally, the only other place where I attached the lining to the skirt is around the zipper. I don't want the lining to get caught in the zipper so I sew it down along the zipper stitching line. And it wasn't until I got home and started putting the skirt together that I realized the zipper I chose was so pink! It must have looked a lot more mauve in the store, that's all I can think. Anyway, the skirt is completely finished and now I'm onto the sleeves of the jacket.

Corduroy Skirt and Jacket

At last, I am finished the wedding gift! I will post pictures of the finished product after we attend the event. In the meantime, I did decide to start on the mauve corduroy. I haven't got very far but I decided to post the beginnings for fear of losing loyal readers who may wonder if I am ever coming back.

The first pattern is McCall's 3830 for the skirt. I make the second longest skirt, view B, for my Fall and Winter skirts. I have several of these skirts and they are warm and practical and I think they look good, especially with boots to give a uniform look to what's left of my short legs peeking out from under the skirt. I also like to wear them with dark tights. And I like the fact that they don't blow around or up in the cold Winter winds like a wider, more circular skirt would, which is important when it's about -30C out there.

The second pattern is Vogue 7610 for the jacket. I have quite a few of these jackets and made one for my niece in the last entry series. To my mind, they work under every circumstance I can think of, except maybe a visit with the Queen, and even then, if it was at Balmoral in sometimes chilly Scotland, I'd give it a whirl. I don't think it will be too much mauve if I wear the skirt and jacket together, especially if I wear different colours in the legs and top.

I have decided to line the skirt because the cotton fabric, textured a bit even on the wrong side, will stick to tights and ride up as I walk. I could wear a slip instead of lining it but the slip can show at the back vent. Plus I want the option of adding a slip (or two) when it really gets cold. I went to my stash of lining fabrics and discovered that I had a bit but not enough of some mauve that matches exactly (to the left), some really lovely, thin light grey stuff, of which I had bought yards for some project I can no longer remember, and some darker, cheaper stuff (on the right). Because it's just the skirt, I have decided to go with the cheaper darker stuff and save the nice grey for when I can remember what that project was. You can also see the corduroy behind the pieces of lining.

It's nice that the lining is wide enough to accommodate the two skirt pattern pieces side by side. In the photo, I have forgotten to turn up the bottom of the pattern pieces by an inch, which I do to make the lining that much shorter than the finished skirt. I did that and then pinned the pieces to the lining and cut them out using pinking shears. I still haven't decided how I'm going to attach the lining, nor how I'm finishing the seams. Corduroy gives off those little fabric pills and lining ravels mercilessly.

The corduroy is quite a bit narrower than the lining and so I will get out all my pattern pieces so that I can play around with them like puzzle pieces and therefore waste as little of the fabric as possible.

Finally, you can get an idea of the colour and the nap with this last picture. I have folded the end of the fabric over and in the part on the front of the photo, you are looking up the nap, so it looks darker. In the back of the photo, you are looking down the nap, so it looks lighter in colour. I plan to cut the pieces so that the nap runs down my body, from top to bottom. When I run my hand down my skirt to smooth it, I will be smoothing down the nap as well, not brushing it up.

Next - layout and cutting. Oh my aching hand.

Thinking about the next thing

I had a dream last night about sewing - imagine that. :) I had several UFOs (unfinished objects) and was sorting them out to decide what to do with them. One project consisted of two unfinished jackets, each in black and white pieces. In the dream, I was trying to make sense of what I had been trying to accomplish. It looked as though I had cut out two identical jackets - one in black and the other in white and then I had randomly mixed up the pieces so one jacket had a white sleeve and a black sleeve and two black lapels and they just looked awful. The other project consisted of two kinds of pink fabric that I had started to sew into shorts, pants, a skirt, some tops - way too much pink. Anyway, it reinforced why I have "My Rule" about only working on one project at a time.

Currently, I am sewing a wedding present but not blogging about it because I like presents to be a surprise. But I am almost finished so I can start to think of my next project while wrapping this one up. I wanted to make Peter another pair of shorts after altering the pattern for the first pair of shorts I made that were too voluminous. Now however, it seems to be Fall all of a sudden so shorts won't get worn until next year. Ditto for another rayon cycling shirt for him. I recently bought a very cute pattern for a summer dress for me - sleeveless, buttons up the front - but now that Summer is gone, I may put that on hold too. So I think I'm going to work on some skirts that are knee length or slightly longer. I have some plain navy acrylic fabric that will make a serviceable skirt in the 6 or 8 gore pattern I have used before. Since I am teaching 4 mornings each week until Christmas, I will certainly get some wear out of skirts that I can layer with slips and leotards and knee-high boots as it gets colder.

However, I also bought some corduroy at the last big FabricLand sale and it is calling to me. It is beautiful, baby wale, mauve corduroy. I thought I would make a long skirt and another of the jean jackets of which I have about 12 already (I am obsessed I know but the jacket is so wearable and comfortable and I like it, darnit). For the skirt, I thought I would make another of the same pattern I have used quite a few times before - a straight skirt with a back vent that hits about mid calf. I am only 5 foot 2 so long skirts can overwhelm me but this one seems to work because it is simple and goes straight down. Also, if I made a wider skirt in corduroy, I think it would be too much - too big looking, too much bulky fabric (even baby wale corduroy gets bulky). I have one of these straight skirts already in a dark green corduroy and I wear it a lot in the cooler weather.

About the colour - whether you pronounce it properly ("mowve") or the other way ("mahve"), it is an old-fashioned word and connotes an old lady image. However when you describe it as a pale purple tending toward the blue instead of the pink, the colour of an evening sky perhaps, then it sounds much more artistic. When I decide on the next project, we'll have photos!

Totes are Done

The bags were a hit! I gave away all six large totes and some of the smaller zipped bags and people seemed happy to have them. Back tracking a few days -- I also made the two little rectangular bags above, just for fun. I thought because they were dark, some of the men might like one. Some of the men did take a couple of the small bags as I hoped, for small tools and things. One even mentioned allen wrenches, which is what Peter keeps in his.

All the little zipped bags are built the same so I just sew one part on all of them at once, like an assembly line. Here, I am sewing a corner at the bottom and I don't bother to cut the threads between the bags until I am finished all of them.

I cut the bags out with pinking shears so the raw edges wouldn't fray too much. On the small bags, because I cut them out a couple of years ago, I hadn't used pinking shears so I trimmed all the edges after I sewed them. My sewing room is now buried under layers of tiny pills or puffs from the pinking. I am going to have to do a thorough vacuuming before I start my next project.

Here are the other three large totes that I made, after I changed the thread from white to black in my machine.

And here are all the bags at once, ready to be taken down to the family reunion. I had a fun time making them and a fun time giving them away. I also gave the "suede" jacket to my niece and she seemed to like it very much. She even wore it later, when it got a little cool. But I totally forgot to take a picture of her wearing it! I can't believe I did that. Next time.

Still working on the totes

The pattern for these bags doesn't call for inside pockets but I like to add some because it makes organizing the inside so much easier. The totes are quite large so small things get lost inside them. I used strips of fabric left over after amending my bedspread. The fabric is 100% cotton damask in the palest of pinks. I had odd lengths of strips of fabric and cut them to fit the bags, with one pocket running from side seam to side seam and the other side having a smaller piece. I ironed over and finished the top edge on all the pieces. When I sewed down the finished edge, I sewed all the pieces in one long chain and then snipped the threads to separate them.

I'm placing one of the smaller pockets here, on the inside of the tote bag piece. I overlaid the pattern piece so I could place the inside pocket so the stitching would be hidden by the outer pocket.

Once I had the inner pockets in place, I sewed the bottoms of the bags together. On the large totes, I like to sew down the pressed open seam on the bottom. It makes it neater on the inside and slightly easier to sew the handles without inadvertently folding up the seam allowance.

The handle is one long piece that you sew into a loop. Then you have to fold in the long cut edges and sew the whole thing closed all the way around the loop.

I'm making the three light coloured totes (using white thread) first - then I'll do the three darker totes. Here is one striped tote with the bottoms pinned ready to be sewn together. I have piled the three handles on the left because they are finished too.

Here I am placing the handle on one of the totes. It has to line up with the pattern markings and then it gets sewn down each side of each handle piece, right through all the layers of the tote, including the inner and outer pockets. In this fashion, the pockets are subdivided.

These are the three totes hanging up. I love it when a bag starts to take shape. Now for the side seams and tops.

Tote Bags

So I finds myself two pairs of needlenose pliers and I sets to tryin' to reef that defective snap outta there... Oh wait. Sorry, I was just listening to the Halifax Comedy Festival on CBC Radio. Ahem. I tend to pick up the accents wherever I go.
Anyway, I worked at that snap for a while and realized that it wasn't going to come quietly. Since it still functioned and went together as a snap, I straightened it out as best I could and decided to leave it alone, rather than risk damaging the fabric. Live and learn.

My next project is tote bags and more bags! I'm going to a family gathering next weekend and I thought I would take some bags to give away. I have already given these totes and smaller bags to my sisters and niece and I'm not sure about my Mum. I thought I would make some for my two aunts and three cousins, especially as one cousin is hosting the gathering and it's one aunt's birthday.

I have used this Simplicity 9949 for quite a few totes but also some of the smaller bags. It's simple and straightforward and I really like the zipper in the top of the tote for security. Underneath the pattern envelope are a few of the fabrics I am going to use.

Last year some time, I cut out a bunch of the small zippered bags but never finished making them. Now I plan to finish them and have a selection for family to choose from. Three of them are black pinwale corduroy so maybe some of the men will want one. Peter uses one of the small bags in denim for his bicycle tools and it keeps the securely corralled.

In this stack, I have pinned the zippers in to the small bags. I plan to use only white or black thread unless some topstitching will really be noticeable and then I only need to change the top thread in the machine.

I am planning to put the pieces together like an assembly line, for the most efficiency but it was too tempting and I made one little bag, just because I could!

The Jacket is Finished

I am finished the jacket and I think it looks great. I'll have to ask her mother to let me know if my niece wears it as much as I hope she might in the Fall. If it were mine, I'd be wearing it every chance I got!

First I finished the sewing part by putting on the tabs. Technically, these tabs should have another snap bottom on the band so you can really adjust the width of the bottom band. But since mass produced jackets don't have them, I'll leave them off here too.

Here's the tab pinned pointing the wrong way (to the front).

I've sewed it to the band and trimmed off the little bit of excess.

Now I've folded it so that it points to the back of the jacket and will sew it down in that position along the folded edge.

Time for the snaps! I only need 13 of them but I laid them all out so I could eliminate faulty ones.

Following the manufacturer's directions, I mark the spot where I want the first snap head to go on the first tab. I use a piece of hardwood underneath the working area to absorb all the hammering as well as the small holes that are created for the snaps.

In this photo, I have assembled the snap head and then I pressed it onto the band where the snap bottom will go. I made a slight impression in the fabric and then I hammered a hole where the snap bottom will go.

And here it is, all assembled.

The pocket snaps are a little tricky. You can't just hammer the hole-maker without a piece of wood behind it. I have a little piece of the hardwood that I can slip into the pocket itself so I can get the snap bottom in place. In this photo, I have already hammered the hole where it will match the snap head on the pocket flap.

Here, both halves of the pocket snap are assembled and ready to go.

I line up the snaps on the front of the jacket by first hammering on all the snap heads on the one side and then putting the top and bottom snaps in place. Then I can continue making impressions on the fabric with the snap head to line up with the snap bottoms are supposed to go.

Unfortunately, one snap had to go bad. It must have slipped off the metal template and one half slid sideways as I was hammering the two halves together. It's the one on the left in the photo. Now I have to figure out a way to pry the practically welded halves apart and hammer on a new snap bottom. I had some tiny needle-nosed pliers in my sewing room but even they don't seem small enough to uncurl the hammered metal. I'll have to think on it some more.

So aside from that one snap, here is the finished jacket. I am quite pleased with it. I used up nearly one large spool of thread (250m) which included winding 4 and 1/2 bobbins full. It took me about 13 hours in my sewing room which included the laying out, cutting, pinning, ironing, etc. and everything else that goes into making a jacket. The 13 hours didn't include blogging time. So now I know if someone asked me to make them a jacket like this, I would have to charge between $200 and $300 not including the materials. Not too many people would be willing to pay that, which is why I only sew for myself and for giving away presents to other people.

Band and Cuffs

I like to use a jacket I've made before as a help to see which part goes where. Of course, if it is the first time I've made a pattern, I have to follow the instructions. I just find looking at the real thing easier. Here I've got a red denim jacket showing which side of the vent opening in the sleeve is the one folded back a bit more than the other side. By laying both left sleeves down on the ironing board together, I can see how to fold the edges of the vent on the jacket I am currently making.

Here, I've folded over the vent edges and then pinned the top edge down because I'm going to sew across the loose edges at the top of the vent.

I've got the sleeve on the free arm of my sewing machine (the box that holds presser feet and things hinges back out of the way or I can take it off altogether) and I am about to sew across the top of the vent. You can see that one side is folded back a little more than the other. You can also see the wrong side of the sleeve and the flat fell leading down to the vent.

Once I had the vent sorted out, I sewed the cuff onto the end of the sleeve, with the right side of the cuff attached to the wrong side of the sleeve. In this way, when I have sewed up the ends of the cuffs, I can sew the folded edge of the cuff to the right side with a line of topstitching so there will be no hand sewing. This is how I have made cuffs and collars on shirts in the past in this blog. In this photo, the folded edge of the cuff is pinned in place, ready for sewing.

This is an extreme close up of the start of the topstitching on the cuff. I have left the needle down in the fabric and lifted the presser foot so you can see the detail.

Here is the result of the first line of topstitching, attaching the cuff to the sleeve. You can see on the inside or wrong side of the sleeve that the topstitching line is slightly off the cuff and on the sleeve part. That's because on the outside I have tried to sew very close to the fold and make sure that the first line of regular stitching is hidden under the fold.

Once the cuff is securely attached, I can finish the two lines of topstitching all the way around it. This photo shows the inside and outside of the finished cuff. There is a pin in it only to hold that corner down for the photo - it is quite stiff and springy fabric.

The bottom band is attached just like the cuffs. Now all I have left to do is attach the tabs on the bottom band and hammer on all 13 snaps and I'm done! Woo hoo!