M5924..Ugh

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

It did to a point...mine was much longer.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

The fit of the neck was my favorite part.  The sleeves were a tad snug and I've got puny arms.


Fabric Used:  Aubergine 100% Cotton rib knit from Fabric.com

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added 2" to each side of the bodice and skirt because of my lack of a waist. Turns out it was unneeded - I had to delete all but 5/8".  And wasn't that a fun job....I had already serged all the seams (I know, what was I thinking???)  Because the pleats go right to the edge of the seam I was unable to just zip up the sides to take it in.


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Nope, it looked terrible on me.  After I had it sewn up I realized it's reminiscent of the 80's style of dresses I used to wear way back when.  They weren't flattering then...still aren't.  My son absolutely refused to take a picture of me in it - he said it was probably the ugliest thing he's seen all year.  Don't hold back.


Conclusion: I won't sew this one again.  Now I need to decide if I'll cut it down to a top because I like the cowl/turtleneck or harvest as much fabric as possible for another project.

Circle Scarf

I always agonize over gift giving, especially to co-workers.  Giving an appropriate gift is a chore...you don't want it to be cheap but are limited by funds; nor do you want it tossed into a drawer and forgotten. I don't sew for others except the DD, not even Hubba-Bubba, so making Christmas gifts for co-workers made me nervous. 

We've had some snow and very cold, windy weather here lately.  Enter the one size fits all circle scarf.  I used this tutorial for an Infinity Scarf but left out the twist. Of course in the rush before the holiday I forgot to take pictures of the finished scarves BUT I do have pictures of the wearable muslin and left over swatches of fabric.  They all seemed genuinely pleased with their gifts... I hope they use them :o)

B5332 Butterick Fast & Easy

Pattern Description: Loose-fitting, unlined jackets A, B, C, D, slightly below waist length has collar, front variations, single or double-breasted front button closures and stitched hems. A, C: short sleeves with button and button loop closures. B, D: elbow length sleeves. D: stitched pleats in sleeves.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It does - which I am thoroughly pleased about :o)

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Very easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
My favorite part of the pattern is the double breasted yoke - you don't have to have a proper shirt on underneath, a cami is sufficient.

Fabric Used:  It was a very loose weave with no body at all.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added a lining because the fabric frayed so easily. Figuring out how to line the thing took more time than the jacket did.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? The fabric for the next one has already been chosen! Green linen, without a lining this time.

Conclusion: Next time I'll CLEARLY mark the pattern pieces - I sewed one of the sleeve button loops on the wrong side of the slit...duh! Even with this error, I love wearing it.

The Room is Done....Well, Mostly

The new sewing room is nearly finished! The color, Woodlawn Silver Brook, a Valspar paint from Lowe's, is absolutely fab. I was so excited about it I put all my old stuff into it and was seriously underwhelmed. Three plastic tables and assorted plastic buckets...I needed something a little more permanent so off to Ikea I went...twice. The dark brown-black Expedit squares and tables/legs contrast wonderfully with the walls. When I chose the legs for the table I decided on this trestle type:

Turns out they're not as steady as these are:

Trip three to Ikea today to return the trestles and purchase 4 more legs only to find out they don't have black in stock. Someone had just purchased the last box of them...that's one hundred legs! What does one do with a hundred table legs?? The fellas that told me the leg story said they'd have more in tomorrow which actually works out as I forgot the receipt for the trestles.

The furniture issue should be solved tomorrow then it'll be on to a window treatment. Over the Turkey Day weekend I popped into Hancock to take advantage of the patterns on sale and found some graphite and white slubby material (not sure what the fiber content is) that I thought would be great made up as Vogue 7361. The more I look at it the more I want to make a fabric covered valance for the new room with it. Not sure I want to make curtains out of fabric meant for a garment tho...a little too Scarlett.

I've got my next 4 or 5 sewing projects all lined up for cutting. The sewing will have to wait until I get the room finished tho - I'm not sure where I put everything!