Ottobre 2-2008-14

Not on my mini-wardrobe or anything, of course. But I have sewn a couple things this past month that I haven't shared yet. Why?

Well, one didn't fit the way I wanted it to. Two of the pictures were crap.And none of it was for my wardrobe, so they were all tinged with contest guilt.

Here they are anyway! First, I made a Textile Studios Santa Monica tee, one of my favorite TNTs for a quickie sewing fix. This one is in that pretty blue aqua knit I showed you last month (I'm still making a BWOF tee out of it too, I have plenty!)

See, not the best pic because you can't actually SEE any details of the tee. Especially not the neckline, which is my favorite part (it's raglan sleeve, but the neckline squares off. It's pretty, but you'll just have to take my word for it.)

Then I made the Jalie Sweetheart top out of my mauve knit. It would be perfect except that I didn't mark the shoulder portions clearly, so when it came time to gather & match notches, I had to guess. I guess too low for the top notch, so the entire neckline is off. Argh.


Still an OK top, but you can see my bra strap on the left. Phooey. This is a really thin knit though, that I planned to wear a cami or tank under. Maybe I'll wear a tank in a contrast color and pretend like it was "planned" to show.

Then I made the gored skirt from Ottobre 2/2008. I had this gorgeous brown Amy Butler print, but not quite enough to lengthen it like I wanted. I think it needs another inch. This is becoming a regular alteration for me with knee-length skirts. I have long legs and a shorter torso.


I am not crazy about the finished skirt. (It's been sitting on my sewing table waiting for finishing stuff for 3 weeks.) I loved it in the magazine! And I liked the contrast hem band, but I think the proportions are a bit off. I'll make it a bit wider (deeper) next time. Th.e skirt is also a bit too big. It sits below my waist and I can tug it over my hips without the zip. Whoops.

The directions were wonderful. No problems at all deciphering them. I really like Ottobre directions. They're to the point with no fuss or wasted time. I didn't have an invisible zip, so used a lapped zipper instead. I also added topstitching to the gore seams, in pink thread:


I really like the waist treatment on this skirt too, it's neat and tidy. It has a weird overlap though (for snap(s). I left it at first, but it was really unruly (almost 2 inches of overlap!) so I ended up trimming it off and I'll add a hook/eye instead.

I love the fabric I used for the hem band so much I've been hoarding it for years. It pains me that I don't love the skirt now. The only pic I have where you can see it is before pressing.


But you can see the tone on tone embroidery & the sequins that add a little "sparkle" (hehe, Tamara, are you reading?) You can see the lining fabric in this shot too, a pale pink satin batiste, also from the hoard, erm, stash.

I'll probably try this one again and lengthen the gores a tiny bit, and add to the hem band's depth. I have lots of quilting cottons and this skirt is perfect for them!