Vday 2

This V-Day movie fest just keeps going and going. Today's take included an old fave:



and some more Mr. Angie.A:

(I most especially like this one cause he reads & writes. That's so cute.)

Even my sap-o-meter has a limit, so I ended the day with Mel & Joaquin,


and just one more with Mr. Yummy, this one chock full of alpha male, explosions, guns & biceps.

(Note there's none of that extemporaneous reading in this one. Silly boy.)

On the sewing front...I sorted my patterns. Oh, and I went through 2 years of BWOF making sure there wasn't a "better" next project than the project I figured I'd do next. (You still with me?)

Truthfully...nothing is interesting me right now. None of my stash, none of my patterns, none of my magazines. Why does lack of mojo always seem to go hand in hand with a long weekend or vacation? Please someone explain this to me. Because its uber frustrating.

Shannon's making this skirt (BWOF 1/09 #132) and I'd really like one too. Wonder if she'd just go ahead and make it for me? Too bad her bum is more than a smidge smaller than mine.Drat her.


I would have never noticed this skirt if she hadn't pointed it out. The lines are adorable though, and it will definitely go into the "when I have more mojo" pile of to-do's.

For now, my future husband's biceps are calling, so I gotta run.

V-day

Spent the afternoon lounging around with my future husband, Keanu...


With a little bit of this thrown in...


Then finished it off with a little Meg & Tom:

A Valentine Song...

BWOF 2-09-118

I don't know why it's taken me 4 days to write this post!! Well...it's parent/teacher conferences at school this week...I had a sick day (blech) on Monday and had to leave early, so I guess that might have a little to do with it. (Feeling better now, just one of those 24 hour things I guess!)

Anyway, here's BWOF 2/09 #118, the puff-sleeve tee. It was pretty simple to sew, even with the odd insertion of the sleeve. Please forgive the no makeup, unfixed hair pic (it had been in a clip all day!) You know I love you guys when I slap something like this out there for all to see!


And since you can't see a thing in all that black (even with the flash) I blew this closeup out a little bit so you can at least some of the details of the top:


I really like the seam above my bust. I was more worried about that seam, than the puffy sleeves (which is what most with a bust to speak of were worried about.) I like it though, AND I love the sleeves! Sure, they're puffy, but that's kind of the point. They're "in your face!" puffy, not a fickle "will she or won't she" puffy.

I didn't have any trouble with the sleeve insertion directions, and that almost never happens with BWOF. The first time I read them, I could see what they were talking about. (But you know, people who sew for kids HATE Children's Corner directions and they have always made the most sense to me!)

I'm not positive, but I think the confusion comes from the very first place in the directions where you attach the sleeve (the gathered one) to the front & back bodice (which have been stitched at shoulder seams already). You don't attach the sleeve lining at this point, although it looks as though you would. The directions are pretty good about separating "sleeve" from "sleeve lining" though, and they really mean for the lining to be left free until the end.

Also, you end up with this weird little flat seam space on the bodice at the underarm, about 1.5" on either side (you can see it in the line drawing in my previous post). It looks like that sleeve will never go together...but it just does. Here are some pictures & explanations of the only section I had to stop & re-read a couple times & fiddle with pins (sleeve & bodice in hand) to figure it out.

After you are told to press the sleeve lining to the inside of the sleeve (near the end of the instructions) it says to "turn in the open edges of sleeve seams". You've stitched the entire sleeve & lining seam at this point up to notch #10, which is near the raw edge of the lining. So that "open edge" refers to the 1.5" of unsewn sleeve lining. I've made a picture of it turned in and pinned in place below.


You're supposed to pin it to the "Crosswise seam". But if you flip the top over so you can see the sleeve, bodice & side seams, then you can see there actually is a little "T" formed at the junction of the side seam. It perfectly matches the sleeve lining edge you turned in:


That's pretty much it. At that point, you just pin & stitch the remainder of the lining to the sleeve seam allowance. It isn't the neatest finish, but I just zigzagged it together with a wide zigzag. I was still assuming I was just working out the kinks on the pattern, so wasn't too concerned with interior neatness. Next time I might see if that area is suitable to serge (not sure because it does have that odd crosswise seam.)

You can read my review HERE at PR. I think it's a distinctive look, so it's probably not for everyone. You better have the sass to actually wear it!!

It is a snugger fit through the torso than the last few BWOF tee's I've made. I think this is to balance the puffs. It's also short, which is true for most of the BWOF tee's I've made. :D

I'd like to make it again because it was quick & easy pattern to put together , and I have a print knit that I think would be great. Then that will probably be my last version of this tee. There are plenty of other sassy patterns out there I need to get busy on.

And...I have a 4-day weekend! Woohoo!

WIPs

I normally save my posts for the finished product. But there's something to be said for putting it out there in the middle of the process...keeps me on track for one thing. And I've taken a page from Carolyn's playbook. Carolyn, who sews so many beautiful things and also works full time like me, gets her projects together BEFORE she starts to sew them up. Including buttons, interfacings, thread, etc. Thus leaving sewing time for just sewing (no running around). On that note, I tried to plan better when I bought these fabrics (or when I got them together from stash at home.)

Here are my current WIPs...

1. BWOF 2-09-118. Progress: Traced & fabric chosen (I think!) Ready to pin & cut out! I plan to use plain black cotton interlock, picked up for a different project a while back. It's a bit weighty which I think will work well. I also have some of this lavender left from Lu's tunic dress (which needs to be, um, finished too):


I bought that lavender knit from Fashion Fabrics Club about 10 years ago!! Wow.

2. BWOF 2-09-125

Pattern not traced yet, that's planned for later today. I actually have fabric chosen for this cute raglan sleeve top though. I purchased a baby blue stretch woven off the clearance table yesterday. I only spent $3 on it but it's such a pretty color & seems to be a really nice fabric. This is an extreme closeup!


I couldn't find a suitable match for the thread at the store. You would think it would be an easy match! But baby blues make it appear more "aqua" and aqua makes it appear more blue. I just went with the closest match I had at home. I also picked out buttons, some mother of pearl shell buttons. They'll have to be washed on the delicate cycle, but that's OK.


3. BWOF 2-09-121

I can't stand it, I have to have this little dress! Pattern not traced. BUT I happen to have purchased this fun print rayon challis last year or the year before...it's been needing a good project ever since. This looks like an easy pattern, so after I grade it up a bit it should go pretty fast. Fabric already prewashed! And I have the elastic. This one's a go. Woot!


4. Simplicity 2732


Such a cute top! Shannon had great success with the McCall's version of this top, and I saw one in the Butterick catalogue too I think. I've already got this one tissue fit, so all I need to do is pin, cut, make, wear. In theory.

I'm using this magenta stretch sateen. It's a very lightweight twill weave, and I just hope it's lightweight enough for this blouse. It's too light for pants --with my excess bum baggage-- so I probably won't be using it for bottoms (probably be OK for a skirt though).


Here are the thread & buttons, both grabbed at Wally World yesterday afternoon when I stopped for root beer. I generally avoid the "old" coats & clark thread, but I don't want to wait until I can get to a Hancocks or Hobby Lobby (who carries the new fancy coats & clark, which I LOVE!) I also chose sparkly jewel-ish buttons because, well, they were pretty.


One of the first places I stopped yesterday was the flea market, where I picked up the most awesome vintage glass beaded trim EVER!! There are 5 section pieces. The tag shows it's 1/2 yard, at $18.99/yd. I would imagine that would be greatly inflated today!


I now am the proud owner of 5 sections, 4 in perfect condition and 1 that is missing a bit of the bugle beads in the center. It would be an easy fix though. This stuff is heavy from all the cut glass beads. A closer picture of one entire section:


And here's the tag. Does anyone recognize the label?


It was shoved at the bottom of a tin filled with old thread spools. I squealed like a little girl when I found it! I might have even jumped up and down a little bit. :D

Ok, off to do some W in these WIPs!

BWOF-February

I LOVE when it comes on time (or early. I really love early.) You can preview the entire issue online now, but I just have to share my favorites (there are a LOT of favorites in this one).

This is such a great knit top. BWOF always has the best knit tops...and this one really appeals to me! I love the sleeves, and the interesting seam on the bodice. How cute is this?


I expect I'll see lots of this dress in reviews soon on PR! What a great dress, I love the color blocked effect.


What often happens with BWOF when there are really eye catching designs...some of the less eyecatching but still spectacular patterns go unnoticed in the frenzy to make "that BWOF top/dress/etc". So my next few choices are ones I liked in the magazine, but LOVED when I saw the line drawing.

Like this dress...How simple, and yet really cute for spring.



And this top...LOVE the sleeves, and the fact that it's raglan sleeve make it an easier pattern for beginners, AND a quick fix pattern for the non-novices out there. (there are several raglan sleeve patterns in this issue!)

BWOF hearts tunics. So no surprise, there are several in this issue. I typically avoid this style unless it has some sort of waist definition, otherwise I just look like I'm expecting. NOT a good look for me.

Having precursed with that...I love this one. It probably won't look great on me. It has a side zip, which is the bane of my existence sewing-wise, but both views of this are cute. Sue me.


And this one...well it's kimono sleeves and deep V neck, and drawstring...all are calling my name. I don't know if this will be the first item I sew from this issue but it's definitely in the top 3.


The plus section seemed to be repeats of things we've seen before. Apparently in BWOF land you only wear boxy jackets and LONG shirts. Once in a great while they will hit it out of the ballpark with their plus offerings (the summer dress issue last year?!) More often than not I find that section a letdown.

Um, I can't even remember the January issue. And didn't I blog post about how I was just dying for it to get here so I could make...what was it again? Hello, my name is Fickle.

So, what are your favorites from the February issue?