Monday, June 27, 2011

Slow Sewing

I've been tracing patterns and working on a Loes Hinse Paris jacket. This jacket is not difficult to sew, I have just been lagging on finishing it. I'm not thrilled with my fabric choice so it's my own problem. Maybe tomorrow?

In the queue:

LH Portofino muslin
Shorts for the little grands
Linen Euros

That's it for now! Grands are coming for a week at the beach, so we will all be busy ;-)

Friday, June 17, 2011

Burda Kids' tee and a Loes Hinse Dress--A Couple of Finished Items ***Photos Added

First--the French Country Dress is NOT a difficult garment to sew--but you must cut out all of the required pieces!  I drove myself crazy trying to put this together minus one crucial piece...needless to say, I ripped and sewed and ripped some more.  Finally, I reread all of the directions, looked again at the fabric layout, etc and realized what a dope I'd been.  It is finished and I plan to wear it to my granddaughter's dance recital tonight.  Maybe DH will snap a quick picture--I left my camera at our condo.

Second, I finished the little Burda tee shirt for my DGD.  It is from the May 2011 issue, pattern #138 with short sleeves.  It is cute, it was easy, and again I procrastinated on getting it done.  I made the ankle pants with bottom bands for her from the same issue.  Those were done several weeks ago, but the shirt remained on the sewing table...outfit is finished now that school is out!  Maybe DH will snap a photo of the tee shirt too.  Fingers crossed!

I'm  hoping to do a few things here before we go back to cooler climates on Monday.  It is a 4-5 hour drive, so I like to have some handwork ready to do while we are on the road.  DH does all of the driving, so I have some time to sew on snaps, buttons, etc.  I find that the natural light in the car is very helpful to my old eyes.

I also bought a Singer 301 as a dedicated button hole maker.  Whooppee!  It works and I really had no problems in remembering how to use the buttonhole attachment.  It is just like the one I learned to sew with--Mom had a Featherweight with all of the attachments that came out over the years.  I have her machine, but no attachments.  Anyway, this has been an area of frustration for me, even though I have a couple of pretty fancy machines in the sewing studio(s).  Now I can have a sure thing buttonhole and that makes me happy!

Friday, June 10, 2011

One of Those Weeks...

I have been working on a Loes Hinse French Country Dress all week.  My latest step was to rip out half of the sewing as I finally got my head around the pieces and the directions!  Ugh!  I hate it when the only excuse I have is operator error!  Hopefully, there could be a photo in the next day or two. 

DH and I went out to lunch today and I wore a pair of Oxford zip pants and a twinset from the Perfect Tee pattern.  I made the short sleeve version and then a cardigan from the long sleeve tee.  I added 3/8 inch to the front edge and did NOT place the front on the fold when cutting it out.  I rounded the top of the center front openings and just serged and stitched the entire neck/front edge.  Easy and very pleased with the outcome.  I cut this out months ago and finished it (both pieces) during my recent flurry of UFO finishing.

These pants seem a bit long, but I'm wearing my comfy CROC sandals, not shoes with any heel.  This is the pair of pants made from the same faux linen as my last Paris jacket.  The sweater set is from some Missoni-like knit I bought from Sharon at Casual Elegance.  This outfit is as comfortable as pajama pants and a tee shirt, but I think it presents to the public in a more positive way!

Back to picking apart the FC Dress. 

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Catching Up--Miscenaleous Photos


 



I finished up some UFOs before leaving for the summer.  I have more to do, but here is the beginning of the projects!

First--the green boiled wool jacket.  I finished by covering large snaps with silk and then sewing black buttons on the right side for some ornamentation.  I'm happy with it--I'll wear it this fall when the weather is cooler!  LOL

Next is a long sleeved Perfect Tee that I started last fall when I returned from the last LH seminar.  I had only sewn the shoulder seams and finished the neckline.  I got out the Featherweight my mother left me and wanted to give it a little workout to ensure it is kept in good running  condition.  No problems at all in sewing the sleeve and side seams as well as the hems.  Great results!  The machine works perfectly and the shirt is finished!

The third item is a LH Paris jacket made from some faux linen purchased at Fabric Depot in Portland, Oregon. I'd been at a Patti Palmer fitting workshop and she had worn a suit made from the fabric.  I had to have it, but it's been maturing in the stash for 6 years!  I also made some Oxford zip pants from the fabric, so I have a "suit" if I want to wear the pieces together.



ETA--don't know what happened to the info on the skirt.  It is the Loes Hinse new Sarong Skirt.  Fabric from Casual Elegance.  I'm pleased with both the skirt and the fabric.