Don't fear the reaper...

Especially if it is an elf reaper! That is one pointy hood, I will probably go back and adjust that.

The wool jacket is done.  This was a very easy sew after the muslin was done and corrections made.  Pretty quick too, if you don't count the nine (yes, nine) darts in this pattern.  The only things I did differently from the directions were -

1. Pressed the seam allowance open, they were too bulky when serged.
2. Used a closure instead of ties.  As mentioned before, I rarely wear jackets closed and thought the ties would be aggravating.
3. Slimmed the sleeves from nothing at the elbow to about 3/4" at the wrist.

Overall, I like this pattern, although I think it looks a little big. So now I'm on the lookout for some really nice boiled wool.  I'm pretty sure this is not 100% wool, maybe some acrylic blended in??

In the irony stinks category, I used the days I was snowed in to sew this and finished it just in time for 60+ degree (F) weather. Anyway, maybe I'll like the fit better, when I do get to wear it.

 Happy Sewing, Suzanne

Butterfly Sling Purse

She's done!!! even though I almost gave up and crushed her in her chrysalis. This project ran a whole gamut of emotions - from receiving the pattern (top of the very first roller coaster hill, WHOO HEE! FUN!) to despair over my fabric choices (plunge down said hill, OH NO! What have I done?). But I have persevered, would not say totally successfully, and the butterfly has emerged -

 

 

When I first received this pattern, I was so excited.  It looked like a challenge (and it was), it looked like fun, I immediately thought of some fabric I had that I thought would be great.  I could not find that particular piece, but ran across this and thought it would also be great.  Pulled out some coordinating pieces and immediately cut it out. And almost as immediately started second guessing myself that those don't really coordinate as well as I thought in natural light.  After getting DD's second opinion decided they would work and proceeded to finish.

 

Best laid plans and all that - this main fabric turned out to be some type of double-cloth, which raveled like it's life depended on it and would not hold a press. So the ID holder and the slip pocket were ripped, er I mean, carefully unpicked and redone with a quilting fabric that I found and thought played nicely with the other two. This time when I did the ID holder, I measured the finished measurements, outside and inside, and cut a small frame (sort of like matting a picture) from Peltex to fold my fabric around.  Then I decided that the zipper pocket needed to be the same fabric as the slip pocket and the ID holder so it was ripped oops, again I mean carefully unpicked and redone.

 

 

 

The card organizers went pretty much as planned.

 

 

I never could get the corners nice and square like the pattern picture.  Totally not the patterns fault, it was an operator inefficiency.  Like I said the fabric was hard to work with, but the main problem was that I tend to check out the pictures/illustrations and think I know what to do.  So the zippers were not trimmed as closely as they should have been.  All the corners look like this, so they match, and they were ripped and resewn 2-3 times to get this, then I actually read the directions, decided I was not ripping again, so good enough. Have highlighted this in my directions for the next make, they will be square!

 

 

One more finished picture -

 

 

 

The casualties of my war -

 

 

I should also note that I had issues applying the purse lock, again very good directions, but I need better tools especially the one punch small holes.

 

In conclusion, this pattern is a challenge that brought up some skills that I need improve.  It's very small, perfect for traveling in my opinion, and a great sew.

 

Happy Sewing, Suzanne

 

 

 



Getting by with a little help from my...

family!! When dear daughter helped my get better pictures of my muslin, she also helped mark what looked to be a better shoulder seam.  You can barely see where she drew in this picture -

Just barely, on the right side -

Then I went home and sewed the alteration -

The scooped in line is the alteration

Then my dear husband was kind enough to take a picture -

and I think it is much improved.  So I neatened up the alteration with my handy-dandy design ruler, very similar to this one.

Then transferred the changes to my pattern -

Again, the scooped in line is the alteration

Now my fabric has been abused, um I mean pretreated and I am off to cut out my jacket.  Because even though it was in the 60's yesterday there has got to be some more cold weather left, right???

Happy Sewing, Suzanne