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Sue's Sewing and Happenings
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Shine a Light
It was saturday morning, I was getting ready to head up to my parents, but... I really, really had to sew something, knowing that I'd have 1 or 2 days ON A WEEKEND of a sewing drought, so, I whipped up a Hot Pattern Weekender Sunshine Top http://www.hotpatternsstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HP&Product_Code=wk_st&Category_Code=to this top, by the way, is a winner. I've made it before and love the feminine fit and it goes together nicely. the only adjustment I need to do is make the sleeves wider for my larger than normal? upper arms. I used a beautiful rayon lycra.... oh and it drapes so nicely. And goes nicely with my blue eyes. well... I made the mistake of taking it up to my mom's, asked her to try it on (for fit mind you)... thinking, ah, it won't fit her, it will be too low, etc., she tried it on and liked it! She took it! But doesn't it look so cute on her...... and it goes nicely with her eyes too! 
oh, and the title of this entry, "Shine a Light" is what I was watching while sewing this top.... rockumentaries are the best for sewing... you get a little gossip, a little rock and roll, and I get to dance while I iron! Shine a Light was good, and I'll be watching it again before I put it into the Netflix return envelope ... Martin Scorsese chronicles the career of the Roling Stones with footage from the band's "A Bigger Bang" tour..... revealing interviews, behind the scenes clips and live performances.....AND....here's some Sue gossip: "Brown Sugar" was the first song I danced to at a "dance"... it was 8th grade, junior high, cafeteria, I was the dork in the corner, I went alone (you know, come to think of it, I still go alone to most places), and this was the first and only song I danced to..... maybe it was because I made my clothes, but whatever... Brown Sugar is forever etched in my brain as that moment. I said yeah, I said yeah, I said yeah, yeah!
Posted by sue
at 10:02 PM PDT
Updated: Sunday, August 31, 2008 10:21 PM PDT
Friday, August 29, 2008
What's on the sewing radar
here's what is on the cutting table Vogue 8491, a dress and jacket. I was just going to make the jacket, but I also have enough to make the dress. It's a little too "dressed up" for what I would wear to work, but oh so cute, I couldn't resist. and the dress would look great as a jumper. The fabric is a nice wool silk. http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V8491.htm?search=8491&page=1
Next is Vogue 2923 a DKNY jacket and top. The jacket fabric, is the print and is a cotton with lycra, the solid is a soft mystery, maybe silk, and these match perfectly. http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V2923.htm?search=dkny&page=2 
Next is Vogue 2850, the center illustration from dotted swiss I purchased from Vogue fabrics earlier this summer. I have made this version before out of an onionskin (mesh knit) and it came out nice. This one may be the first on my list. I was thinking of rolled edges, using serger for this.... http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V2850.htm?search=sui&page=1 Lastly is pants from the pattern from the pants fitting class I took this summer. (that is a tongue twister) This fabric is a nice heather grey double knit (not your mama's double knit... I hope). 
But, before all this gets sewn, I'm heading up to the mountains to visit my parents for a day or 2. Adios
Posted by sue
at 11:15 AM PDT
Updated: Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:05 AM PDT
Not So Hot Sweater - Part 2
Topic: August, 2008
I checked the pattern, the layout calls for the stretch to go down the sleeve not around.... don't know why it would call for that... doesn't make sense. Then I double checked the seams, there are 9 panels and 9 seams, didn't see those in the line drawing.... I think that the line drawing on patterns should represent the garment exactly! Very disappointing. 
this is the instructions, you can see the 9 panels which makes up the collar and body of the sweater, then the sleeves/shoulders are sewn into the center. I hesitate to do a pattern review of this because I have nothing nice to say, but maybe I'm missing something, and one of those members over there can prove me wrong!
Posted by sue
at 9:14 AM PDT
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Not so Hot Sweater
Here's the sweater wrap that didn't turn out too well.... 
I do not like the way the seams do not lay flat. I serged them, and will top stitch them down, but they are all wonky. I'm thinking of hand washing this, drying it and then putting it on fluff/air dry in the dryer and see what happens. I didn't hem the sleeves and used the selvege because I sorta like the frayed edges. But this is way too big in the shoulders and very sloppy looking on and the stretch on the sleeve goes DOWN and not around the arm (this was how the layout suggested), so they are growing and there's minimal ease for my arms... yuck! (Imagine reaching and having your sleeve tighten like a sausage casing.) Here's a photo of the back. I messed with the color so that it would show up better, but this is a black knit. 
and here's a line drawing of the pattern 
I think this will be my last Sager's pattern. Each one has been a disappointment... and they are not cheap! thank goodness I got the fabric on sale. Another thing I noticed just now while eyeing my entry and comparing my sweater with the line drawing.... either the line drawing is not correct, or my sweater is not correct.... but I got way more seams in my sweater. It is basically 7 identical godet type pieces that encircle the sleeve/shoulder piece, and then 2 other smaller godet type pieces for the back and if you look at my back, there are 3 visible seams, ah, I only see one on the line drawing.... I need to recheck my pattern, instructions and construction and see who goofed... but I don't think it was me....
Posted by sue
at 9:19 AM PDT
Updated: Thursday, August 28, 2008 10:04 AM PDT
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Hot August Nights
I know I've promised a view of last weekend's project, but it's been so hot in the house, that I just can't even bear to go upstairs even for a quick photo shoot! Yea, I'm probably the only house in So. Calif w/o air conditioning, but I really don't need it except a few days a year. We have an attic fan and most nights cool off pretty nicely and that works great... but lately, the air has been hot and still and there's no relief! arrrgh! So, my computer and sewing machine which are upstairs, have been idle until the weather cools. Me and my glass of wine have been hanging in the yard.... almost literally! I live on a corner and it has become a magnet for the neighborhood kids.... so, I hung 2 swings from the large pine, added a badminton net with rackets and spend my evenings outside with the neighbors sharing wine, dinner, watching the kids play, and seeing how high I can go on the swing before I jump off! hey, and I'm getting pretty good hitting that birdie! Thursday is Jeffrey's 5th birthday (my nephew... who lives 5 houses away), so last night we distributed invites made by his 6 year old sister, to the neighborhood kids inviting them for cake and juice in the "park" (my yard) on friday! I need to at least go upstairs and get my camera, those pictures should be good!
Posted by sue
at 9:11 AM PDT
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