Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Aaahhh, sewing again!

A blissful three hours of cutting and sewing have restored my mental health!  I can't believe how good I feel for having spent the afternoon sewing.

Last night, I went to our monthly guild meeting and we were treated to a mini fashion show. Two months ago, members were invited to pick up a package of two fabrics, donated by guild members, and they were to make one garment (or more), using both fabrics. The entries were great. And I was obviously inspired to get sewing today.

First, a picture of the coat that I finished prior to the surgery that has kept me relatively inactive for a month or more.  I still don't have the buttons or snaps sewn on, but I needed the dress form and the coat had to come off. So the picture is sans closures.


This is Vogue 8548, an out-of-print pattern. I saw this pattern made up by Tany of http://tanysewsandknits.blogspot.com/2011/12/merry-christmas-feliz-natal-feliz.html
and also by Erica of http://www.ericabunker.com/

So I ordered the pattern from Vogue and it was well worth the wait. I really really like this pattern. And hopefully I will get to wear the coat a couple of times this year before spring comes for sure.
Actually today we have freezing rain, so there are still a few weeks of real winter left in store for us.


Prior to my surgery, I had washed some lengths of knit fabrics and put them with patterns I wanted to sew, thinking that these would be easy to do. So today, I took one of these fabrics downstairs to cut out and used Vogue 8636 by Marcy Tilton.

I confess I cut this out on the wrong grain (I wasn't looking carefully) but as Marcy says, with knits that have two-way stretch, it really doesn't matter which way the stretch goes. This fabric has enough lycra in it to recover and keep its shape.


There is no one here to take photos of this on me, so the dress form will have to do. I followed Marcy's instructions to the letter, since she knows knit tops so well. I had read her book on Sewing Knit Tops several years ago.

The neckline is interesting, it is a wider neckband that is brought into the neck by four little darts sewn just above the raglan seams. This gives an opportunity for using other fabrics and one of Marcy's versions shows that neckband in sheer lace, which is a pretty option.

I was just so happy to have sewn and actually finished something in one afternoon, that I have another length of knit in the wash right now. And hope to make a second version of this top tomorrow. I will pay more attention as I cut out, as the second fabric is a nice rayon knit that I bought from Fabrics in Vogue last fall and I want to do it right.

Boy, there is just nothing like sewing and finishing something up that you are pleased with to get your creative urges flowing once again.  



4 comments:

  1. I was so excited to read that you were able to cut and sew out a top today. Such wonderful mental therapy for you. Love, love the colour and I should try that pattern. I always think that Marcy Tilton's patterns are too far out for me but when I see them sewn up, they aren't.

    Can't wait to see tomorrow's version of the top.

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  2. Thanks Ann, I know what you mean about Marcy. Most of her patterns strike me that way too, but she has a couple of knit patterns that are quite nice. I have another one that has interesting seams, and I still have not sewn up her sweater set from years ago.

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  3. I'm so glad you were able to sew. I totally understand how it smooths out the creases and brings a calm to your soul!

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  4. So glad things are picking up for you. Your new coat does look amazing!
    Thank you so much for your congratulations

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