Another UFO finished - summer skirt

Another UFO finished!

This is the last of my UFO posts - at least for a very long time

I did view C

I think it must be 4 years ago now. I took my original sewing machine to a dealer for a service as it was struggling.  I actually thought it was me causing problems due to my inexperience as I was trying to take up dressmaking with no previous experience. The machine was declared dead. It had many problems including a timing problem that couldn't be fixed locally and would cost a lot to send away. Then the rust on one side and wear on the other of a really important part would come into play. I bought a replacement that used the same feet and was light enough to take to class - Alison has this machine now.

I was looking,  unsuccessfully, for a dressmaking class and this dealer,  a quilt shop,  ran a dressmaking class once a month, bringing in a tutor specially. I started with the mandatory pyjamas. The tutor also had a day class making a skirt - everyone making the same skirt. McCall's 3830.

Obviously,  we all wanted it to fit!

I bought my original fabric from the shop - at the time the most expensive fabric I had ever bought. I loved the fabric but when prewashing and preparing found a significant  flaw. The flaw turned out to be present through the whole bolt. For the class I chose this Art Gallery fabric in its place and didn't get the chance to prewash as it was bought on the day. I do like the fabric but the diagonal pattern made matching very difficult.

Lovely fabric but very awkward diagonal pattern match

My skirt was huge. I didn't get it finished. I can't find a photo of the original skirt before it was pinned tighter. Oh, of course, I should say there was no toile/muslin as it was supposed to be completed in the one day. I don't know if anyone actually achieved that. Years later, I met someone else who had been there (neither of us remembered the other) and who had completely abandoned her unfinished skirt. One of the reasons I like to do toiles.

It's inside out here - I hope you can see how big it was! Can you just see where I have basted it a lot smaller?

On another occasion I took it to class - by now I had found a class,  sewing bee,  which I still attend - and Lyn pinned me in. A lot needed to be taken off. I needed to alter the facings to fit. However,  I found trying to match the pattern in any sensible way very difficult. I did try and spent a long time doing so but didn't succeed in any meaningful way.  The pattern was abandoned again.

So it was in my UFO box.

The skirt had been pinned and basted to the size I was then - significantly smaller than I am now.  I had pinned in a zip ready for a centred application. I hand tacked then machine basted this in. I took out the sides to the original size and found my current size is between the skirt pattern size (too much ease ) and the size it had been pinned to. I machine basted in place.

Original centred zip pinned in. I tacked and machine basted this before deciding against it.

Then I remembered that the fabric had never been washed so I washed and tumble dried it.  I hoped it wouldn't shrink too much though as I'm currently losing weight I wasn't too worried and it's a bit on the long side, so I could cope with a little shrinkage.

I hadn't finished any of the edges. I took out the centred zip completely,  overlocked all the seam edges and inserted a concealed zipper instead. That went in well. I was reminded at that point, though,  that to get the best pattern match at the back there is a step between the two sides of the back and I needed to take that into account.

I tried on the skirt at this point and it was fine! Or will be in another half stone time! Or rather when my prominent abdomen shrinks a bit. It would probably benefit from a lining but that's not on my agenda for this skirt. I might wear an underskirt.

The facing had been altered to fit and was too small. I asked advice about whether to try to recut the facings,  using the altered skirt as the pattern or to use bias binding. I had enough fabric to replace them.  I drew up the new facings on paper. The waistline was rather uneven,  not only between the sides but also along the length. That needed to be evened out.

At class,  Lyn advised that I try the skirt on and she marked the waistline. I trimmed it to that point. In some cases, I  had very little seam allowance so the facing was going to need to be attached with a ¼” seam allowance.

This led to a slight problem - I had already inserted the zip. It means that the zip is lower than it would be and had left a gap - solution,  hook and eye.

Facings

My mind was elsewhere and I cut the facings wrongly so they had to be redone. Twice!

In the end,  I managed to attach the narrow interfaced facings with a ¼” SA and understitched.  They look OK and pressed nicely. The loose edge is overlocked. The facings are attached at the zip, some of the darts and the sides.

Kick pleat/ vent

I'd only done one of these before - on Helen's tweed skirt. I  needed to look carefully at instructions as I really had little recollection how to do it. There was one on my jacket last term,  but I didn't get as far as doing that, and that one was lined. I still have that to look forward to. I checked the process with Lyn before I continued.  In fact it was quite straightforward, even though the unevenness caused by my pattern matching shift made it a little more complex. I bagged the hem at the vent.

Hem

No particular issues here. I'm not sure about the best length as it will depend on footwear. Also,  I'm hoping to lose rather more weight which will make the skirt hang longer. So this is a compromise. It's simply overlocked,  turned up ⅝” and top stitched at ½”.

Finished!   

Some puckers from my too large tum but it should be good in a month or so. The facings are nicely sewn.

Side view - some puckers from my too large tum. I may shorten, but not sure if I can because of the vent

My invisible zip is exactly that!

That was a lot of work. More work,  really,  than starting from scratch. I  do like the skirt,  though - nice fabric.  I have a much clearer idea of what alterations to make if I remade this skirt in a different fabric - so you might say this skirt has been finished 4 years too late and is in some ways a wearable toile!!

One more UFO dealt with. I'm not doing any more at present as I have other projects which take precedence.

Update on my mother - she is feeling rather better. We looked after her for 3 days following her discharge from hospital but were able to return home tonight. We can't stay with my mother, which makes it slightly more awkward, though the accommodation we used was very close by. She's too independent to allow us around for much longer though I'm going back next weekend.

Perfecting pattern for Helen's red silk dress; part 4. Getting rid of UFOs. Weight loss update

Altering Pattern Pieces

It might seem premature to start working on the pattern for Helen's red silk dress before I've had feedback about how the green toile fits.

While making the toile I was aware of issues which needed to be addressed. Even if the size is otherwise perfect and that's unlikely.

Cutting single layer - making full size pattern pieces

This is the biggy for me. The difficulties I had with the back were due to me cutting on the fold and the fabric slipping. I have already redrawn the back skirt as one full skirt piece, though I will have to modify and I will be redrawing the front of the dress as one full piece, too. I don't need to alter the back bodice pieces, unless I just do another piece to help with fabric layout. I haven't yet done the front.

Princess seams

In the final dress, the seams will be overlocked together pressed to one side and top stitched as in the original. They are not French seamed, though with a fine silk that would presumably be possible. Helen wants me to identically mimic the original so I’ll overlock and stitch over the overlocking. I need to buy some better colour overlocker threads. Note to self - put on my to do/to buy list

The first issue was the way the princess seams had to be folded on the back bodice of the dress. One side is rather curved,  the other is straight and Dan pointed out that the seam wouldn't lie in the direction of the curved seam. I therefore trued up the seams to allow them to lie in the direction they wanted to. A few minor changes but which should improve the sewing experience. I hadn’t realised this. I always find it fascinating the little tips I pick up which aren’t given consciously, really, but are part of the experience my tutors have.

Armhole

I also had to true the back armhole,  shaving a little off the area where the princess seam meets the armhole. I had to trim this area on the toile. There had been a small projection in this area,  as a consequence of the way the seams were trying to lie.

I carefully smoothed out the front armhole curve after folding out the dart. I had done this previously but I felt the edge was raggy.  It's better now.

I'm not doing these in order of completion.

Dress length

The sides of the dress were a good bit shorter than the front in particular but also the back.  Doing the toile, I trimmed the front after measuring from the floor. I wasn't sure how to make changes to the pattern and asked Dan's advice. She advised adding to the side seam to smooth out what is effectively a dip at that point. This would give me more leeway. The hem would still need to be evened in the same way as for the toile on the final dress. I haven't actually done that as yet - I'll do it when I redraw the pattern pieces.

External band at waist

I decided to slightly lengthen the band at the waistband - by 3 cms but haven't redrawn the pattern piece yet.

Pocket, pocket flap, poppets

Most of my time in class was spent on the pocket and this has been redrawn.

First,  I marked on the pattern front where the pocket was to go. This was pocket size without seam allowances. I attached pattern front and back at the side seams and continued the pocket across the seam. There will be a lot of drill holes marking corners  etc. I will also make card versions.

The two pieces are not stuck together here and have slipped slightly. 

After discussion with Rory and examination of the toile,  we concluded that there had to be additional support behind the poppets or they would tear out almost instantly. You'll remember the original dress doesn't have this and Helen doesn't want it. However,  the original dress has torn in that area. I don't  want to put a lot of effort into something which will tear so readily. I'll discuss with Helen.

Anyway,  I concluded I wanted to put an interfaced facing piece onto the pocket edge and the area where the poppets attach. Just a couple of cms wide but it should make all the difference. I will overlock so that there isn't extra bulk and move the facing away from the side seams where several layers come together.

Rory also helped me with the proper placement of the pocket flap and with the placement of the poppets.  Once I had it explained what the principles were,  I was able to fine tune this myself.

In class,  I also drew up the facing for the pocket. That's not in the photo for some reason.

I will redraw all pieces onto fresh paper and make cardboard templates for the pockets and the flaps to help make the seam allowances even.

I have ordered some suitable snaps and a Snapsetter (as recommended by Seamstress Erin). They are coming from the US, I believe, so will take a little while. We weren't very happy with the system we used though it did work.

Inside the toile pocket there are some raw edges and I need to think more carefully how to ensure this doesn't happen. Dan  also advised me on how to attach the flap in a better manner. One side on the toile is unsatisfactory.

The toile,  of course, was designed to help me with fit and with construction. I'm now much clearer about how to construct the final garment. Writing this, though, I realise I haven't completely worked out all issues (I'm thinking of bias binding at neck and armhole edges) but at least I'm getting there.

I waited before posting the toile as I needed to let Rory see it. Helen has now received it, says she loves it, has sent me a (poor) photo and intends to wear it to work today (Friday 27th January) and out for a birthday celebration tonight - presumably an after works drink. I didn't specify the problems I saw - and I guess if Helen doesn't see them, or doesn't care, well that's fine. I can't tell from the photo whether it fits well or needs any further modification.

I may as well wait now until I get feedback before completing the pattern modifications.

Broken Foot Control

At the sewing bee yesterday, I dropped my foot control getting it out of my sewing machine bag (I like to take my own sewing machine). We're a little cramped, to say the least. As it hit the floor, the control broke into 3 pieces - top, bottom and a spring. My tutor put it together apparently ok but unfortunately it was stuck and couldn't be used. I spent the rest of the class using the foot free start/stop control which I don't really like - I prefer the foot pedal and the knee lift as this gives me greater use of my hands.

My husband was reluctant to pull it apart although he didn't think it was broken. I saw a bit of plastic which I thought had sheared but he pointed out that it couldn't be as otherwise the pedal wouldn't ever have been able to move. I phoned my machine dealer, expecting to have to go and possibly replace the pedal, but he gave us instructions over the phone and the pedal is now working. At least I hope it is - I haven't tried it in earnest but it is moving freely. It seems that this is a fairly common issue.

Another Hack for Joanne? Postponed

I need to take a break from Helen's dress for a while. I want to make a couple of things for myself and Joanne, who is visiting at the moment, has asked me to hack a top she likes but which doesn't fit well - bust gathers gather on top of the bust instead of underneath, the length is pulled up at the front and feels too short. I have a couple of patterns with some similarities and I'd prefer to start there rather than with another full blown hack. I plan to use the pattern of the bodice for Joanne's bridesmaids dress to help with sizing, though as Dan pointed out that is for woven whereas this  top is stretch. Unfortunately, Joanne forgot to leave the top when she left to go back and so I think I'll leave that for a bit - we'll be visiting in 3 weeks.

UFOs

I thought perhaps a slightly snazzier image would make me feel better about these!

The first thing I do for myself will be a really simple UFO. I’ve decided I either complete the UFOs lying around or they go out - they are just taking up space both physically and emotionally. I’ve already abandoned a couple of UFO projects so I feel I have made real progress! I had decided to enter the PR UFO contest but as I have abandoned every project bar one I’ve picked up so far, that may not happen! I guess I can see why I abandoned these projects.

Abandoned projects

Simplicity 1156 - I suspect this is abandoned forever
Although Dan pinned this tighter, making the dress more satisfactory than it was prior to that, sorry it just doesn't work for me. I still find it frumpy and the length is not right - it is too short at the back, longer at the front, and overall just not an attractive length - I couldn't even the dress by trimming from the front (the dress is already hemmed) as overall I would prefer it longer. I also took off the bias binding around the neck and armholes (I can't remember why!!) so too much to do, anyway. This fabric will be discarded after I mark the changes from Dan's fitting onto my pattern - in case.

I've shown the skinny pattern version rather than the one on me, which is elsewhere on this blog, regrettably!
If you want you could search for it

Vogue 1082 skirt
There is just too much to do and as I am losing weight, it doesn't seem worth modifying the fit at this stage. I will wait until autumn as it's more a cool weather skirt in any case. The fabric I used is a summer weight cotton but I don't feel it suits the skirt. This really would be more of a toile for fit. I do like this skirt very much.

The skirt has been partially sewn up, basted and taken apart again - a mess of fabric pieces and threads

Sewing case
I didn't understand the instructions and didn't have all the materials I needed at the time - the interfacing was difficult to get (I have it now). I just don't need it at this stage.

Thread catcher.
Again, I didn't understand the instructions. It will have to wait - too much to do. This is not technically a UFO as I hadn't really started. I would like one but there are alternatives.

Trousers McCall's 6901
They are a million miles away with fit so not at this stage. The fabric will be discarded. actually, I probably won't use the pattern again, either.

No - I refuse to post the version I have; besides it's in pieces!

I also have trousers that I was going to hack. They had a tear so I had actually taken them apart and cut them up. Unfortunately I don't know if they would be anywhere close to fitting me now! Undecided what to do as yet.

Rory is going to drape me for a trouser block, hopefully starting next week or shortly thereafter. She originally asked me for my'best fitting pattern'. Sorry, there isn't one!

I am also going to another pattern hack class with Dan.

Postponed projects

The dress I hacked at Dan's last class, intended possibly as a MOB outfit for one of the events.

This is me in the original dress. The hacked version is plain grey

No photo of my version. The lining is great and fits really well but the outside needs work. I can't yet decide whether to take this garment with me to the new pattern hack class. Makes sense, doesn't it? In a way. On the other hand, something new that would fit in with my more immediate plans - a jacket or trousers would work better.

This wouldn't technically count as a UFO for the PR contest anyway as I will have to modify the outside layer of the dress which will probably mean re-cutting. The pattern certainly needs trued.You need to have cut out all the main pieces prior to October and I haven't. I'd like to finish this dress but I'm not in a hurry.

UFOs I will hopefully complete

Lace cardigan - more details in another post. Needs a fastening and the sleeves shortened.

Pattern envelope, now gone

This is from March 2016. Nearly done, just need to stitch hems on sleeves now -
sleeves looks short in photo but they are way too long

Skirt McCall's 3830 - more details in another post

The original was too big, taken in to too small, needs modified to intermediate state! Doable.

The fabric

These two would count as UFOs for the PR contest

The other UFOs that I have, which wouldn't count for the PR UFO contest are the two jackets I'm making but put off over Christmas and until now. They don't count because I haven't cut out the main fabric, just toile fabric and probably I was still working on them after the latest date, anyway. They will get done, soonish.

McCall's 6172 - just about ready to cut into main fabric. Boiled wool.

Grainline Morris Blazer - will be in lightweight boiled wool I suspect. nearly ready to go

Weight loss update

I was Slimmer of the Month for January with a weight loss of 12 lbs. 4 lbs this week despite Joanne being here - but I wasn't slimmer of the week as someone had lost 6 lbs and another had lost 5 lbs!! I thought 4 was impressive. The only time I ever lost more was when I was ill.

I'd like to carry on losing 2 lbs per week for a bit. 2 lbs this coming week would take me to 1 stone lost. That would be great.

Pie Crust Promises and Plans

Well, I reached the end of 2014 with many semi-promised makes unmade. I won't go into these in detail - but there were way too many. DH feels I need to focus on making things for myself, though he's not averse to the jacket I'm planning to make him using the lovely thick Burberry wool I bought when we were in Harrogate. I need to find a suitable pattern as I'm not up to drafting one for myself, though maybe I’ll have to as I haven't found a suitable gents' patterns on my searching (and of course DH has to approve, possibly the most difficult part!). There don’t seem to be many around. Anyone any ideas? I took a photo on my phone of a jacket that was fairly near the idea but it is so out of focus that I can't use it.

The other promises, those that I intend to honour, are New look 6048, a Project Runway summer dress with fairly full skirt, for DD2:

  

 

 

a tweed mini skirt for DD3 using a basic McCall’s 3830

 

 

or Style pattern (1961 or 1987 - both pretty old patterns and not on any database I found) and possibly a further, modified, New Look 6047 blouse for DD1.

 

 

I'm afraid my daughter was ill when she took this photo.

 

  

DD1 likes the blouse as she likes simple cuts. She finds it a touch low, by the sound of it, but said that she could fit a camisole underneath, so it sounds as if there is too much ease. I had done a FBA so perhaps I need to keep this but make a smaller size. She would also like it a little longer.  Our plans to visit after Christmas have also fallen through because of illness so I haven't seen the blouse on my daughter as yet and she hasn't been up to taking any different views.

 

I re-start my sewing and pattern cutting classes in mid January and have one more sewing bee next week. In the college sewing class, we're going to be looking at trouser skills and then make a pair of trousers, to fit. Making a well-fitting pair of trousers is something I have aimed towards. I started fitting using the Sure Fit Designs system even before I started on my current path. I made some pretty acceptable but not perfect muslins but I was actively losing weight at the time and as a result, the fit was off every time I tried it. I'm afraid I've put most of that weight back on - but not for long. I do plan to get rid of it again. In a previous class I attended, I started to make a pair of pants from a Palmer Pletsch pattern McCall's 6901, but the summer break then life events stopped me continuing - and the fit was horrendous, even after tissue fitting, so I've had no desire to pick it up again, but pick it up I will do and  either finish or jettison in the next few weeks.  I also need to finish the skirt I started making using the same McCall's 3830 pattern I'm considering for my daughter's skirt, above. Until I finish these two and finish the alterations and repairs for DD3, I'm best not to start anything else. However, I do plan to better document both my stash and my makes.

 

McCall's 6901. This looks slim fit - mine were most definitely not!!

 

My youngest daughter has long wanted a mini skirt made from our family tartan. This is not a tartan in current production (I don’t know if it ever was - certainly not in the years we tried to find it) but a few years ago my husband sourced a 'pattern' for the two tartan variants, the dress (rusty orange red) and the hunting (moss green) and a mill in the borders of Scotland willing to weave it. It cost a pretty penny as there was a minimum quantity required and each yard was pricey anyway. DH ordered the minimum quantity of double width heavy weight hunting tartan. When it was on the loom, he was called to see it and took a bottle of malt (whisky - Dalwhinnie in this case) with him to toast the tartan with the weavers. He got a kilt made from some of the tartan (there's 8 yards of tartan in a kilt) but there's a fair bit left over.

 

You can just see the kilt (hunting tartan) in this photo,
though the tartan itself is clearer - there's some double imaging here. I wish I had a better view.
The ghillie shirt was one of my first ever makes last year. I entered it in a Pattern Review competition for men's wear. It has never been worn since! Now that I have a modern sewing machine, I could have completed the neckline closure, which I couldn't do at the time. And the fabric would be more suitable next time around.

The tartan is really a bit heavy for a skirt for my daughter - and I have quite liked the idea of a long straightish skirt perhaps in tartan but more likely a complementary colour. Women aren't supposed to wear tartan and a tartan skirt alongside the kilt would be too much in any case. So we need to get more tartan woven in a lighter weight.  I'm not sure whether we'll choose the hunting or the dress. We haven't checked to see whether the mill is still in business but need to do so soon. It’s not really worth ordering just for a mini skirt, though, but perhaps we need to do it anyway.

I have been looking in the after Christmas sales and have bought nothing. Not a stitch of clothing. I nearly bought a pair of bargain Jaeger trousers but they were a little large in the waist, so I decided not to - I’m at my maximum weight at the moment. There was also a lovely brown leather jacket which was almost perfect - but the shoulders were a little wide for me.  The smaller size didn't accommodate my hips. I tried on and rejected quite a few other items.

This led me to realise

1.   It's not a bargain if it doesn't fit well, so I end up not wearing it

2.   Cost should not be the prime motivation in purchasing

3.   I need to consider colour more carefully

4.   I need to be sure that any new garment would fit into my wardrobe (literally as well as metaphorically!)

5.   Any garment needs also to fit into my lifestyle.

6.   I'm becoming much fussier, thinking 'I could do better than this' or asking why I should buy something imperfect to alter or tolerate

7.   I have too many clothes already.

8.   Like many, a small percentage of my clothes are worn repeatedly.

9.   I need to discard clothes before I can have more - there is literally no room for more!

Oh, and I have nothing to wear!

Decisions

1.   I am going to spend on average 1 hour per day for the next month going through and culling my clothes. I am going to be ruthless.

2.   I am going to follow a plan - not sure which one yet - to identify a series of outfits I can wear with the clothes I have. I'm reading some blogs for ideas and already have a number of books including Colour Me Beautiful (I was considered a summer years ago but sometimes wonder if I've moved more to winter with my silver grey hair. I might try to get retested)

3.   I am going to identify any gaps in my wardrobe and construct a reasonable plan and timetable to fill those gaps.

4.   I'm going to bite the bullet in more ways than one and I'm going to sign up for the RTW Fast. Am I mad? I'm so slow. I'm not very proficient. Etc.  However,  I have lots of clothes so I shouldn't often be in the position of having a serious deadline (although I have always responded quite well to deadlines!). And it's not as if I can just go out and buy clothes anyway. My skills would hopefully improve dramatically over the course of the next year. I'm assuming of course that I can wear the RTW I have, can modify that which I already have to fit and can continue to purchase footwear, lingerie esp bras and jewellery. I'll check out the rules, though.

5.   I have downloaded an app to help me with the wardrobe planning

6.   Tidy and rearrange ‘sewing room’ aka dining room. A lot of my stuff was moved out for Christmas to allow full use of the dining room. Today we started to rearrange the room with a view to making the layout more sensible and I started to cull my books and magazines. There's already quite a difference. Tomorrow we'll start to move my sewing stuff back in but we plan to keep the big boxes of stash fabric elsewhere (though not sure where that is!) and I might get to start to sew early in the New Year.