Narrow Hems Are The Devil

So that's where I'm at today. I'm making a really simple top out of jersey knit. A really really soft jersey knit. (I love touching it so you can imagine how much I want to wear it.)

View B

Thing is that the bodice is all 3/8 with a narrow hem. Really hard on my eyes. Hems annoy the crud out of me anyway. Necessary, but annoying. I just want to sew pieces together!

Also annoying, if I have more than one of the same piece it always seems the first piece I don't usually have a problem with the hem or attaching the sleeve or whatever needs to be done, but I ALWAYS have a problem with the second one. I did the armhole on the first side with no problems so imagine my surprise when the second armhole didn't want to cooperate. This has happened to me with almost every garment I've done on my new machine. The first one always makes me go, "Oh, well that was easy. This will be quick." Doesn't work out that way.

I think I may need more deadlines in my life. I know that when I was trying to finish those St. Pat's shirts I was on a roll, but with no deadlines except Sept for our next Disney vacation I'm not pushing myself as hard to finish any projects.

Excuse the grammar mistakes, by brain no work right today. :)

Old Fashion Stare Down

Things have been hectic the last week or two so the sewing has been slow going. As I've said before I don't really have a space. My sewing stuff takes over 1/4 of the dining table and then the floor on that side all the way to the door. So if other things are taking up space on the table I have no space to sew. (Except the floor and that seems dangerous and, most of all, uncomfortable.)

I do however have a cardboard cutting/measuring board that I spread out on the bed and trace patterns and cut fabric. This means I have cut pieces just laying around staring at me. They are just taunting me with the simplicity of the planned projects, but the lack of time and space. I'm a fighter though so I WILL BE VICTORIOUS....hopefully like this coming week...if I can get all my ducks in a row...

Stash

For the majority of my "sewing life" I've always picked a pattern or project, bought exactly what I needed, and not had much left over. So that means really no stash. Well, with stress, boredom and, of course, my new sewing machine I now have a stash of fabric that I don't really have a plan for.

I tried to only buy for projects I had planned, but sometimes I needed to spend above a certain amount to use my coupon or get free shipping (I'm all about the free shipping) so I would get an extra yard or two of something else. Sometimes it was just on sale and I would think I had a plan for it.

Official "stash" status came with the box my mom just sent me with fabrics from her old stash. I spent this afternoon measuring it all out. Ten different fabrics, from about 1-4.5 yards, and six patterns.



Highlights:


One with farm animals on it (for an apron I'm guessing?),


one funky paisley (will make a great jacket/shrug),


a grey with navy stripe that reminds me of a baseball uniform,


and a pink print that looks like it was from 1985.

I have no idea what to do with the 80's print (big oversized off the shoulder tee with leggings and slouch socks?), but it just cracks me up when I look at it.

To top it off she sent a Hancock fabric gift card (don't have one near me, but can online order) so I can get even more fabric.

She also sent me a book from Amazon. Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto. Now I can figure out how to fit my fantastic boobs into patterns!

Spring Dress

This is the dress I've been working on.



It's So Easy It's Simplicity. (I hate when they pass up an opportunity for a good pun. Why not It's Sew Easy It's Simplicity?) It's also a size 16 because I bought the wrong package. I am not a size 16. That shirt I made for St. Pat's was a 20 because I made the rookie mistake of going by my bust measurement so it was too large.

This is how far I've gotten:



Like many projects before it the is a stall at the zipper. I know I'm just going to have to suck it up and put it on, but I'm just being lazy about it right now. I tried it on and it fits in a lot of places....except the boobs. Once the zipper's in I'm going to pray it zips up on my body. I have wonder-wear that may help it along.

Next up...one shirt, three different fabrics. That's the plan anyway. I have three different stretch knits that I'm making into the same shirt pattern. I know that's a little weird. I buy the same shirt in different patterns in off the rack too, drives my husband crazy (says the man with 15 different polo shirts).