Friday, August 3, 2012

WIP it! WIP it good

I've been glued to the tv watching the olympics and not as much sewing has happened as i would've liked. I even skipped Project Runway last night because i was watching the olympics. I'll watch it on demand over the weekend. I hope it's on there. It better be on there. otherwise i guess i can just catch up next week because they rerun the previous week's show right before the new show. (Update: Project Runway IS on demand! And there are bonus features, including exit interviews with the winners and losers of each challenge and visits to each of the designers' homes with a peak inside their closets.) My other favorite show right now is "So you think you can dance" on Wednesday night. They were courteous enough to show a rerun this week rather than a new episode because they knew i'd be watching olympics. I've been watching all of the gymnastics, swimming and diving. I did catch some archery and rowing as well.

so what am i working on? i'm actually kind of in the middle of 4 projects right now. 4 WIPs! What am i thinking!? Blue knit skirt needs some hem tape for the bottom hem. I'm OCD and can't stand to leave it unhemmed, but it wasn't cooperating. So i need to give it another go after i buy some fusible hem tape to stabilize it. or i could try starching it maybe? My "tent event" dress is also a WIP. i got bored and moved on to another project, but i will make myself finish it, promise! Then we also have my knit dress that needs some help which i have all cut out, but i need to work on the sizing of the top - much too big.

but instead of working on any of those things already in progress, i'm working on…


NewLook 6095
I'm doing view A, which is the version with the short sleeves. does it bother anyone else that view A is the bottom left corner dress? Left to right it reads D, B, A, C. yeah that bothers me. I thought sleeveless would be taking the easy way out, so i'm doing the sleeves. I hope they turn out looking okay and don't stick out awkwardly. They look a little bigger than a cap sleeve. If they look bad, i'll try to fix them or just take them off. Here's the fabric…

Amy Butler - Deco Dots Citrine
you can buy it here - and support the cute little sewing shop near where i live. i got everything cut out pretty easily (esp. compared to those knits i was working on earlier!) but i was unaware that stay stitching needed to be inside the seam allowance. well duh. it makes sense now that i think about it. i stay stitched right at 5/8th. you should be happy i stay stitched at all! look at me following directions!! except the directions didn't specifically say how far in to stay stitch. (Update: the directions DID say how far in to stay stitch - problem is, those directions were on a completely different page and that is just too much to ask of me. who flips back to reference other pages? obviously not me.)  i made friends with my seam Ripper. I've named him Jack. That's right. I'm hilarious. 

I fixed the stay stitching and i've finished the interfacing of the neckline and joined the shoulder seams. And I took photos! And my camera battery died! so i need to go recharge it so that i can get the photos off. so there will be more photos soon because i was very impressed with myself. the seams look super neat. my topstitching around the neck started to veer off course. by like 2 millimeters. and i looked at it and was like "that's fine." and then i promptly ripped it out and did it again. Muuuuch better. 

So next it says to sew up the back center seam half way up, but i'm being a rebel and will do that last when i install the zipper. so then it says to sew up the side seams next, and then insert the sleeves. BUT i could just install the sleeves and then sew the side seams all the way up connecting the bottom sleeve seam in the process?? 

and should i just hem the bottom of the sleeve first because it would be easier to sew the hem with the sleeve flat? or if i wait until i've sewn the bottom of the sleeve seams together, then the hem will look neater, but it might be more difficult to sew around because it will be a tight circle. not sure which route i'm going to end up taking. maybe i could do a hybrid of the 2, and sew almost all of the sleeve hem while it's flat, then sew the seam and then finish the hem very carefully?

what to do, what to do… Anyone have some brilliant advice or a preferred order of doing things?

Actual photos to come soon, promise! i love seeing all the photos in your blogs, and i've found that catching up on blogs is a great way to spend the commercial breaks during the olympics. 

And to make up for all those missing photos, here's a photo that was already on my computer…

on our wedding day, April 2012


8 comments:

  1. I really enjoy your blog--you've got a great sense of humor:) I forget how I found my way here, but we are neighbors in a sense--I live in Goose Creek and checked out five-eighths for the first time a couple months ago.
    As far as advice, I just wanted to chime in with my favorite way to do sleeves. I like to iron the hem while the sleeve is flat, because it's much easier than ironing in the round. Then I sew the bottom of the sleeve and re-press the hem--it doesn't always line up perfectly across the seam for me, so I just repress that area so that it does. Then I sew in the round. I like the clean finish it gives and think it's pretty easy to do. Adult sleeves are much easier to sew in the round than toddler sleeves (which I have more practice at), and it's much less fussy to sew the hem after the bottom seam, because you don't have to worry about matching up the bottom edge of the sleeve. Hope that all makes sense!
    Good luck on your sewing projects, I look forward to seeing how they all go :)
    angie (http://danikate-designs.blogspot.com/)

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    1. Hi Neighbor! It's so neat to see blogs from people so far away, and so close by! Thanks for the advice! I'm going to sew the sleeve hem in the round like you said. I thought sewing in an adult sleeve would be tough, but a toddler sleeve, wow that must take some patience and finesse!!

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  2. Wow, lots going on here!

    As for the order of sewing the dress, I think most people disagree with how the pattern instructions will tell you to sew on sleeves. The easiest way is to sew the sleeve on, THEN sew up the side seam and down the rest of the sleeve. Here's a tute: http://www.whatthecraft.com/tuts/easysleeves.html

    I would wait to hem the sleeves until you've sewed them on. That way you can try it on and see how short you want them to be. It's not too hard to press and sew a hem in a circle, I promise.

    I laughed at your OCD comments because I'm the same way ;)

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    1. Thanks, that makes sense! I've got the sleeves on now and hopefully hem them up tonight. And then tomorrow is time to tackle the back zipper, ahhhh!

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  3. Yeah, I love your blog too. Why don't you have a follow button? I always have to root this blog out, although I enjoy it so much it is worth it. I have a few patterns where view A is not in the expected location. I do love that pattern though, are you going to make the bag too? Great fabric by the way.

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    1. Thanks for the feedback! I just added two options to follow on the sidebar. Let me know if there's something else I should add. I enjoy your blog as well and follow through the bloglovin website.

      I hadn't planned on making the bag because i have a dozen tote bags already. I'm excited about making dresses and tops right now, but some day i hope to make a foray into pants or shorts! Maybe i could make an "every day purse." I think I want to make a sewing machine cover out of remnants. My machine has a hard plastic cover, but you have to remove the spool of thread from the top of the machine in order for the cover to fit on. So I'd like to make a fabric cover where I can leave the thread on the machine. Or is that bad practice? Should I be removing the thread from the machine in between uses?

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  4. I am totally Olympics obsessed too! I moved a tv upstairs so I can sew and watch simultaneously.

    Your wedding photo is gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks! That was one of our must-have photos, an "ocean sunset shot." And we really lucked out with perfect weather on the day.
      I have a small tv on a dresser next to my sewing machine, but I keep getting so distracted! At least I can sew during commercials.

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Thanks for reading! I welcome any advice, insights, witty remarks, snarky comebacks, commiserations or just a quick hello. I'd love to check out your blog as well, so let me know where you're posting. Happy sewing!