#FAYE'S SEWING LIFE (HELD HOSTAGE BY MY SEWING PROJECT)...

...being held hostage by a sewing project isn't ALL THAT BAD!  After all, it's a rainy day in Georgia and I do have my cup of Superwoman Tea  (White Mangosteen Peach Green Tea) to power me on through with this project (Vogue 8959).

Vogue 8959 is still in process.  Started this cape for my Mother last Friday evening and of course I thought I'd finish it last Monday.  I always underestimate the time it will take to complete my projects.  I forget to factor in interruptions, the fact that I work full time, and that some evenings I'm mentally tired and just can't get any sewing done at all.  I allow myself to be HELD HOSTAGE BY MY SEWING PROJECTS in order to avoid UFO's - which really is a GOOD THING because I have so few of them in my sewing room.

What sewing project is holding you hostage this weekend???




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#FAYE'S SEWING LIFE - A Turtle or A Zebra?...

...i've been wanting to make a few turtleneck knit tops to fill a wardrobe gap.  I made the first one (here) using oop Kwik Sew 1287 that fits perfectly.  However,  I wanted to use a different pattern for the second top - this time I wanted a funnel neck instead of a turtle neck.  I toyed with the idea of trying to redraft the Kwik Sew pattern making it into a funnel, but couldn't wrap my brain around doing that.  A little research lead me to StyleArc's Debra Zebra top.  I've never worked with StyleArc patterns before but went ahead and downloaded it anyway. 

The jury's still out about me liking PDF patterns, but with a strong cup of coffee and lots of scotch tape I was able to make it through.  I choose my size range based on my bust measurement, but afterwards wondered if I should have used my high bust measurement instead.  Hind sight!  I choose a colorful ITY knit to use as a muslin.  The results:  I'm in Love with my muslin and the neck is really comfortable.  I'm sure that this will not be my last StyleArc pattern.

I didn't realize that the paisleys were so large until after the top was finished.

My wearable muslin adds a much needed pop of color.

Have you ever made a funnel neck garment???

BLOGLIKECRAZY 2016 DAY 23: #Faye's Sewing Life...

...whether we sew as a creative outlet, to enhance our abilities and skills, or out of need, sewing is very therapeutic and rewarding. 

 I'm sure we will all agree - the benefits of knowing how to sew is well worth the challenges that present themselves from time to time.  Because we sew, we literately have ALMOST any garment we desire right at our fingertips.  It's a P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S skill we possess!

• Whether its a time consuming tailored coat or jacket, a couture dress or skirt, or just some type of quick and easy instant gratification project.  We can have it all - garment wise.

Today's make is a simple Navy Turtleneck knit shirt.  A turtleneck - Why? Because every Fall I tell myself that I need one.  Turtleneck knit shirts complete the Fall/Winter Eddie Bauer/Land's End Inspired part of my Fall/Winter casual wardrobe.  I could never seem to find a Navy Turtleneck in the stores whenever I looked, and just never got around to making one.   I have white, beige, chocolate brown, tan and black, I was missing Navy - but not any more.

 Though I have numerous turtle neck shirt patterns I used Kwik Sew's 1287 to fill my Navy shirt void.  Ok, on with the show.  I've got a lot of catching up to do, because it always seems I'm running behind in this sewing game of mine...
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BLOGLIKECRAZY 2016 DAY 22: #Faye's Sewing Life...

...vogue 8962 ended up on my sewing radar this week.  24 Pattern Review and made by Anne Whalley 7 times in 2015, the year the pattern premiered.  All reviews were very positive, so I decided that it must be a worthy pattern to make.

Vogue 8962

I have no complaints with the pattern at all.  Directions were very clear; however I differed in opinion with the order of construction and just did my own thing.  Nothing complicated at all about this

pullover tunic with back yoke.

The way that the back pattern piece extends around to create the side front  is an interesting design feature that results in there being no side seams at all.  And I'm loving the shaped hemline and cowl neckline.

I over estimated the size range in the waist and hip area resulting in the tunic being too large in those areas.  But because I decided to sew the sleeves in flat before stitching the sloping side front seam, it was easy to decrease the size by just takinga larger seam allowance.  I narrow hemmed the sleeve rather than follow the pattern suggestion, because leaving the sleeve slightly longer just felt right for me.

I am very satisfied with the results and will be wearing this top with skinny jeans or leggings and boots.  What's going on in your sewing life???

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BLOGLIKECRAZY 2016 DAY 18: #Faye'sSewingLife...

...sometimes in Faye's Sewing Life getting down to the actual sewing process
 becomes quite difficult.  Unless of course unless you take into consideration:

• Time spent thinking about sewing
• Time spent perusing pattern after pattern
• Time spent pulling piles of fabric from the stash trying to decide just which piece to use; then having to put the fabric back up again

Vogue 1261 won out this week after hibernating in the pattern stash since 2013.

I chose View B, an easy enough top to make. 

•  I alleviated the center back seam because what's the point of having it on this particular design.

• I toyed with using the exposed/top-stitched armhole seaming as the pattern suggested but decided not to due to the textured knit chosen for the project.  I stitched the sleeve in flat and then top-stitched the seam.

• I hemmed the sleeves but zigzagged the bottom hem as a finish.  Normally I would have serged the bottom hem then turned up to stitch.  But in this case I had only one spool of mustard cone thread, and I felt that turning up to stitch would have caused the hem to be a bit bumpy due to this textured knit.
• I folded the collar and stitched to the neckline, then top-stitched the seam down

MY REVIEW OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT:  I really should have listened to the advice of Pattern Review contributors who had this to say about the pattern:

• View B runs smaller than Views A or C
• Sleeves of View B are smaller than those of Views A and C
• The sleeves are tight and need enlarging

I guess you could say, what's the use of reading the reviews if you aren't going to take heed of them. 
Besides that, the sleeves even looked tight the pattern envelope.   I think it's a great top give the fact that I should have cut a size larger and enlarged the sleeves.

Nice top, but future makers beware...

BLOGLIKECRAZY 2016 DAY 16: #Faye's Sewing Life...

...beneath a deluge of paper patterns (mostly from the Big 4 companies) is where you'll find my sewing life.  Neat little envelopes that represent all kinds of "sewing possibilities" can be found in nearly every room in my house.  I sometimes take a couple of them to bed with me  - you know, as light late night reading material.  My intent is to  compare and make decisions about which one I should make next.  I try to at least read through the instruction sheets, but that rarely happens because in a matter of minutes I'm fast asleep.  At it leads to some happy sewing dreams...

Vogue 1261

Vogue 1261 won out this time after debating over at least ten other slouchy top patterns.

There will be a new mustard knit top in my very near future...