Birthday weekend in London and frantically getting porfolios ready

I haven’t written a blog post in a while as I have been too busy.

My main reason for starting my blog was to act as a kind of log book for me. Tonight I handed in my portfolio for the Fashion and Clothing Course I have been doing. Whew! It seems a long time since I had to do anything like this - and while I was used to academic submissions, this was very different. It means, though, that as I was documenting for my portfolio, I had less reason to blog, as well as less time. I haven't mentioned the courses for a while. The Pattern Cutting Course has been running smoothly, and to plan, but the Sewing Course has been a fiasco from start to finish, not due to the tutor. I spoke about the problems previously but I elected to continue, in any case.

I made a dress for my final garment, see above, which was submitted alongside a previously made skirt, see below. I will submit a review of the dress later.

 

Tonight, I’m too tired to sew and not tired enough to go to bed just yet, so decided I’d write this post. I’m not through with sewing, you see - I have another portfolio to submit on Thursday for my Pattern Cutting course and I’m way behind. I drew up the pattern for my final garment - a pair of cropped trousers for golf and today cut out and made up the toile. It was awful! It was too baggy, too long at the front and rather twisted in appearance. DH took some photos.

How could that happen when I’d been so careful? Well, I found out the answer! I realised that the sewing class tonight would involve a lot of waiting and paperwork and that after I had sewn on the last poppet to finish my dress, I could look at my toile. These crops have side vents - and I realised I had cut one longer than the other! In a vent, there is a crucial point to which the side seam must be sewed. I had very carefully marked these points - but a 2.5 cm difference in the position of one made a huge difference! I started sewing at that point, sewing up to the side waist so it is no surprise that the front was 2.5 cms too long for the back!

When I realised what I had done, I inadvertently made the situation worse by reducing the length of the long side, when what I should have done was move the stitch point down by 2.5cms. Magic tape will come to my rescue - tomorrow. I'll get it sorted.

I ripped the toile apart and re-pinned to the correct position. Now, the trousers at least met at the top in the right place. I tried them on in the college toilets, just pinned, so my critique is likely to be far from accurate. However, I don’t think I now need to alter the waist height. However, I do need to narrow the trouser legs, increase the side seams to tighten a little and make a knock knee adjustment as they were not lying properly due to my knock knees (the left is a lot worse than the right due to arthritis). I thought that had been taken into account previously as I had already made such an adjustment at an earlier pattern stage for my block, but it's relatively easy fix, though I'd probably be better having separate right and left leg patterns. I'm not sure I have time for that though.

So my plan is that tomorrow I will re-sew the toile, making a knock knee adjustment, greater on the left, narrowing the legs and adjusting the vent. If the result is reasonable, I will draw up what will have to be my final pattern and stitch up a complete garment - if I have time. I’m busy tomorrow night and Wednesday morning and all day Thursday, but I hope there will be enough time to achieve this by Thursday evening.

So I have been pretty immersed in the course work for the two courses I’m doing but not everything has been course work.

By birthday is on 4th July and I said I'd like to visit the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the V&A in London. We arranged our hotel but I was unable to get tickets for Alexander McQueen. Fortunately, I joined the V&A as a member and that gave me access to a members' only showing on the morning of my birthday. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition. I don’t have any pictures but there are many online and the exhibition was reviewed very well by Kate from Fabrickated. My youngest daughter was unable to go with me, though she had so much wanted to go, because she had a lot of back pain after camping at Glastonbury a few days before that. So DH accompanied me to that too. The exhibition finishes on 2 August and has been so popular and constantly sold out that the museum is opening overnight for the last two weekends. There are many supportive materials available. One of my pattern cutting friends went at a busy time and found that she couldn't read the notices (I use a large print book - but she's young and doesn't need that!) because people kept getting in the way. Although I don't live on London, I still think that my membership plus 1 guest has already been very useful; I do have a number of things later in the year pencilled in. We're likely to be in London reasonably often.

While in the V&A I also chose to visit the shoe exhibition Shoes: Pleasure and Pain which is on until January. This was also well reviewed by Kate. This time, it was at a rather busy (Saturday late morning) public time and my enjoyment was a little spoiled by the crowds - and the heat! As a northerner, I’m not used to the heat in London. Fortunately, I hadn’t been in London 3 days earlier when the temperature broke all records.

In the course of our weekend, I also visited the Imperial War Museum to see the exhibition 'Fashion on the Ration’. I very much enjoyed that too but was disappointed that in addition to not being allowed to take photographs, or sketch, there were no postcards available of particular garments and the book was text rather than any exhibition photos. I liked a utility garment - these must have been two a penny at the time; one was sold by M&S. But no joy, I’ll just have to remember, as although I'm not a vintage enthusiast, this looked fabulous and I'd love to make it.

Not everything was sewing related, though. I did visit Tate Modern for the first time. I found London very wearying in the heat.

On each of the two evenings we spent in London, we met our youngest daughter and her fiancé (we can't stay with them as their flat is so tiny (and they have so far been thwarted in their attempts to get onto the property ladder) but we stay in a hotel across the road). The first evening, I was so pooped and my feet were killing me that we ate in our hotel. The second evening was my birthday and we went to a lovely and helpful restaurant not too far from our hotel that my daughter recommended and booked. My oldest daughter came to London to join us so that was lovely.

A while back, my youngest daughter had requested that I make her a kimono and she chose the fabric for it when we were at Olympia in February. Eventually, we decided on one of the patterns I already had (free with a magazine) and she requested that I make it as long as possible both in body and sleeve - there she requested 3/4 length sleeves. Well, I did make it and took it to London with me to give her. I will review that, too, later. I took a couple of photos of it on my mannequin but we weren't able to get any of my daughter wearing it. She’ll send me photos eventually. I'll post then.

On the Sunday, we decided to leave London and return to Cambridge slowly, via Duxford (we drove to London; originally we were going to leave the car in Cambridge and get the train but our plans changed.). No, I didn't do any fabric shopping while I was there! My daughter had prepared a lovely family celebration evening meal and my grandsons gave me their handmade cards. Then, unexpectedly, my middle daughter arrived. So I didn't see all three daughters at the same time, but at least saw them all in the same weekend.

On the Monday morning, we were babysitting for our younger grandson until he went to nursery school in the afternoon but then we made our way home slowly. This meant I missed my sewing class, which meant in turn that I have been more pressurised since! As I went to London via Cambridge on the Thursday, I also missed my pattern cutting class.

So it comes full circle. I need to go to bed now so I'll be refreshed for my marathon to come, tomorrow!

On Friday I'm going to see the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition at the Bowes gallery. Should be good. I'll write more about that next week, perhaps.

Bye for now.

Anne

 

College Evening Class Update

I've realised I haven't updated about my College classes after being so uncertain about continuing them previously.

Major changes to the dressmaking techniques class, which I've mentioned before (no longer called that but that title will be best here), but meaning a bigger class, twice the number still with only one tutor, in inadequate space, mixed ability with lots of absolute beginners rather than the class was were expecting and now a certificate course rather than pure adult learning, and a huge level of disorganisation meant that many dropped out and I seriously considered doing the same. In fact I had asked for a refund of the class after the tutor had said it wouldn't meet my needs but DH suggested I should give it a chance. I think I actually said in a previous post that I had attended my last one. One of the other students, Elizabeth, decided to continue and we agreed to work together. Plus we were given permission to work in a separate room - more space but no tutor available as she would be working with beginners in the original room. We could call on her if necessary. The room was very useful from the very first night when there were 4 of us oldies (the other two have since dropped out) and we critiqued the fit of Elizabeth's dress, giving her advice on what we felt she could do to improve the fit. She checked this in a quick 2 minute discussion with the tutor, who agreed with our suggestions. E has since made those changes and her dress was looking good and fitting well.

So, I'm going along with the syllabus. Having to be seen to be able to complete basic tasks. I don't mind the recap of seam types etc. Elizabeth and I have managed to combine picking up and completing the exercises with some of our own work. One very useful exercise was me taking Elizabeth through the steps to insert an invisible zip on the evening we were expecting this to be the exercise but the actual exercise turned out to be very basic and very quick to do. We used written and photographic instructions to help and used my invisible zipper foot. Elizabeth had inserted a pretty competent invisible zip in the dress mentioned earlier but had taken several tries to get it to look okay. She had managed to come up with a way of inserting but the way we followed was easier (though with calico being the same on both sides,  we thought that we had got the work twisted). She hadn't known that it's usual to sew this type of zip before the seam is closed and hadn't known there was a special foot. Her result was excellent.  She has since gone and bought a similar book to the one I had taken with me and an invisible zipper foot, though she hasn't used it in earnest yet.

I do have to produce a portfolio, which I haven’t properly started yet. All of our little samples will be included. I think the mini garment will be a skirt, which we did in our first term in September but it’ll be a useful recap - and I can’t find my original sample. I still have the mini jeans and that might be suitable to put in as well/instead.

I'm also still attending my pattern cutting class. This has also become a certificate course but the new bosses have fortunately not managed to destroy the class and several of us have continued plus a couple of new people. We are currently drafting pants patterns, fitting those pants, designing from this and we have to end up with a fitting pair of pants in the muslin stage - we're not required to make up in fashion fabric, though it was pointed out that fashion fabric needs to be firmly in mind when the pattern is being designed. I seem to be a very long way away from this stage at the moment, yet we’re halfway through the term.

The work is new to us and we have quite a lot of homework to do outside the class. I need to start my portfolio, which will be more complicated than the other. I’ve put together some jottings and I’ll type them into Word. I’ve taken some photos which can also be put in.

I’ll post something more specific nearer the end of term.

 

 

Blogger and Google Drive photo problems solved (I hope!); update on pattern cutting and dressmaking techniques classes

Just to prove I can still add photos - but this is the only one here! Unless you want photos of apple blossom, tulips, snowy mespilus, grape hyacinths etc. The garden is awash with colour. Gorgeous!

One of the problems I had was that my photos disappeared from my blog. This followed computer problems after which I changed the location of the photos to organise them better (not realising the chaos this would cause).

A few months ago, I discovered that photos taken on my smartphone could be directly uploaded to Blogger. In the add photo box in blogger, taking directly from your phone was an option. This worked well and was very easy. The only issue was the lack of editing of the photo.

I think I changed the settings on my phone, however, as I didn't like that every photo I took was potentially going to be broadcast. This is only in retrospect I'm working this out, so I'm not sure. However, I think I changed the share/privacy settings a little (my photos were always private, anyway). Anyway, my phone photos stopped being available to blogger. I couldn't work out how to change it back. At the same time I cleared up the photos as my phone had lots of photos on it and any particular one was difficult to find - but found this meant I deleted them from blogger.

Fortunately, I was able to restore the photos, after finding out how by Google search, though I couldn't restore their links into my posts. I manually restored the links, or at least some of them. Others I decided could be missed off the post.

I now found that if I downloaded my phone photos onto Google Drive, I could upload them into blogger. Still no editing but that seemed to work for a little while. I shared the contents of Drive across all my platforms - by this time my laptop was long gone, so that meant PC, tablet and phone. I did some posts on my PC and some on my tablet. The tablet was easier as I could start working on a post when I had some spare time eg waiting for a class to start. My tablet did not have access to my PC hard drive where I stored photos and had editing software. I decided this was okay.

Although I shared Drive across all platforms, I found that if I changed Drive, I could not access the changes to Drive made after a particular post was started. This meant that the image of the Drive was outdated. Changes I had made didn't show. I had previously noted that not all photos I tried to put onto Drive got there. Anyway, I realised I couldn't just use my modified Drive to replace the photos.

After the problems with the computer, I tried to organise my photos in Drive as they were so very difficult to find. Not at all like the lovely folders of individual projects I had envisioned. However, I now found that my blog posts were full of empty photo frames, some with captions. Only so far back, though, as my use of Drive to get photos from my phone and onto Blogger was relatively recent.

I still had the photos in Google Drive but Blogger couldn't find them (the ones that I had taken from our shared drive were fine - these were the ones DH took on his camera). Okay, I thought - all I need to do is to copy them or move them onto my computer. No. Nothing that straightforward. I've solved it now, but if anyone has problems with this, please ask me and I'll give you more details how to manage the transfer.

Some of the photos downloaded okay (select, choose download, choose 'save as ' after message about zipped file appears and choose where you want them to go). They downloaded into a zipped folder, but I could choose the site of that. Getting the photos out of the zipped folder was fine except on a couple of occasions when my computer hung or something - saying it was going to take over 4 hours to copy 40 photos - something I achieved later in a few seconds.

After I was sure that all the photos had downloaded okay, I took them out of the zipped files and put them into the appropriate file. At this stage, I didn't then delete the photos from Drive - I may as well leave them there!

I started to go through the blog posts to try and replace the photos. I have replaced some but decided others didn't need to be there. I don't feel that it's worth a lot more of my time to sort them to the nth degree. I have the info in my physical learning log.

I have decided that my blog posts from now on will not use Drive as an intermediary unless it's simply to get a photo from my phone onto my PC. I can then call up the photo from the appropriate folder, edit it if necessary (I'll probably continue to use Photoshop Elements as I've used it before) and then get Blogger to download, I mean upload, the edited photo.

So my next posts should have appropriately edited and oriented photos, even if I take them in class on my phone! No photos in this post, though - I spent a long time getting photos back into my blog posts and I'm quite tired! I still have one post, that I know of, to update, but I can't find the photos anywhere!

Update on classes:
My pattern cutting class has restarted - we enrolled on Thursday past and the first official class is next week. We worked in the extra enrolment class on modifying the style of a quarter trouser block. Next class, we will start on our personal block.

The news isn't so good with the dressmaking techniques class (now called sewing techniques).

I have enrolled but the new person in charge wants to have so many students in the one class that it just won't work. Previously there was a class size of 12, with different classes on different nights divided into beginners, 2 or maybe 3 classes I believe (absolute beginners included and those who were starting course even though they had some experience), continuers and advanced. I did one term of beginners, where we learned some skirt making techniques, one term of continuation where we learned some trouser and jean making techniques and the third term you do your own project, with the tutor on hand to help as required.

However, new guy wants to have 20 students, mixed levels (as he says we are all starting at the beginning of a BTec.) and they have 20 enrolled in the fulltime college course, during the day - but during the day, at any one time, some are doing research, some are doing fabric painting, some are ...etc so there is never a situation of 20 trying to sit and sew.  There isn't the power supply for 20 sewing machines, certainly not safely.The room might physically hold 20 students. The new guy has been told repeatedly that a mixed class of 20 won't work - we are adults there for 2 hours per week to learn how to sew, not students there for several hours a day over a college year.

At this stage, I still don't know what's happening - I believe new guy is prepared to have 2 classes if the number of students is 24+, but at the moment , due to all the chaos around this - people being enrolled for the wrong course, wrong night, wrong fee, being told class was full when it wasn't, turning up for enrolment and finding no-one there, giving up because they don't like fee increase or want to do a course etc, the numbers have not reached 24 (last term there were 50+). D is trying to chase up the 35 students who told her last term they wanted to continue but who haven't enrolled.

So I'm going back next Monday (today is a bank holiday here) and don't know whether this will be a class of 12 which would be tolerable or a class of 20 - meaning that in 2 hours my maximum share of tutor input would be 6 minutes - but then there's all the whole class stuff, admin, course related work etc taking time away from hands on sewing. A lot of us who were together last term are very unhappy and it's possible that we'll withdraw altogether, but only as a very last resort. If that happens, D and R have said they'll do extra classes in their studio (they currently only have one night work each per week - previously they each worked 3 or 4 nights, so their income has plunged). That's great for me as their studio is only 20 minutes from my house - the college is an hour, but not so great for those students who live closer to the college.

I actually quite like the idea of a course as it keeps things more structured. Extra sessions would be a sewing bee and not provide me with the basic foundations of technique that I am seeking. So I'll be at college to the bitter end, whatever that end might be!!

College classes, toiles and sloping waistline

I've been thinking hard what to do in next term's classes, that is between today and July. 10 evenings 2 hours each at pattern cutting,  same at dressmaking techniques and 11 weeks at my daytime class with guided learning which is 4 hours;  unfortunately I do have to miss a few of those because of golf and other commitments.

Although I have enrolled in the college courses for next term,  there is a massive shakeup because of funding and the need to accredit courses. I've paid 50% more to attend next term and at the moment it's not actually clear it's going ahead and if it does,  on which nights. We students don't feel it's right to alter the course and night ⅔ of the way through the year,  so many haven't signed up. There was only one pattern cutting class but several dressmaking classes - at beginner, continuation and advanced level. At the moment there is only one all level course;  the tutors have campaigned for more - obviously,  it's their livelihood that's at stake. They have 35 names for a 12 place class! They did assure is that they would work with the students as before. I'm not sure they can actually promise that.

The original plan for pattern cutting classes is drawing up a trouser pattern, cutting and getting a decent fit to create a block (sloper) and then make some design modifications. I'm happy with this plan. I didn't achieve a good fit from the dressmaking class on jeans but I did spend the majority of the classes available making jeans for DH as I wanted to practice the techniques taught before I forgot them. so I only had a little time on mine. I'm absolutely determined to have a pair of well fitting trousers for me by term end.

This term the evening dressmaking class was meant to be working on your own project. I'm undecided whether to make a dress or continue with last term's ill fated trousers. The dress,  I think. However, as this will now be module 1 of a BTEC, plans may change. I don't have any desire to do a qualification but I do like a more structured teaching approach, so I'll wait and see. There isn't another course near me. My Thursday class is great and I think the tutor is fantastic but at the end of the day it's not a structured class.

I'm assuming it's still a bit early to be making mother of the bride test garments for my youngest daughter's wedding next year but I have a couple of items in mind - though please make further suggestions! At the moment,  I'm thinking possibly a dress with a lace top layer or cardigan type item or jacket?  

I like the lace top but am not keen on the dress though a bias dress can be very flattering I'm told

It can still be pretty cold in June here though it's also possible for it to be very warm so I'm looking for layered items, I think.  I'm planning to lose quite a bit of weight!  3 stones, I think (52 pounds; 18 kg) I need to anyway as I've put back on everything I lost last year - I lost 2 stones. Shame on me. I'm not fit and my joints are suffering.

During my Thursday class,  I intend to make a blouse - one that fits of course but using the best techniques I can.  I discussed this with Lyn last term and a blouse  was her suggestion. Today was the first session of the new term. I've chosen to repeat the blouse I made for DD1, in the same view, view A, after looking at other patterns I also considered. For me this time. 

 

Final blouse for DD1

Hers was cut in a size 14 with an FBA. After discussion with Lyn, and measurements, I decided to go with the size 20. I did cut into the pattern for DD1 but only a couple of pieces are affected and I fixed them today. The different sizes are fortunately spread across three separate sheets. I've lowered the bust apex by cutting and inserting a 2" strip between the armhole and apex, and of course also lengthened on the back. I also added a touch to the hip area, by grading between my size and the size up, which was on a separate sheet. I haven't altered the waist dart position - I'll wait to see what it looks like. Also, I may need an FBA as I take a D cup, though by their calculations I shouldn't need one. I'm narrow at the bottom of my back and carry more in front - we did discuss whether to do a larger size for the front and smaller for the back..  I felt the neckline was a little low for DD1 but I'll see what it looks like in the muslin. I'll cut that out and sew it up for next week. For the actual blouse I will use a fairly lightweight cotton, possibly some Liberty fabric I have though the blouse might be better in a plain fabric.

As if to bely what I said about this not being a structured class, the theme of this term is pockets and we have some homework to do for next week.

I've been working on my personalised bodice, using SFD. I drew up and cut out the pattern without too much difficulty, though I was concerned about bust dart placement. I started by using a material which was very difficult to use;  I had bought it cheaply to use for toiles. It slipped so much and was so difficult to sew that I gave up on it. I then cut out in some polycotton which worked better. However,  there was something far wrong with my front bodice side seams, related I think to the bust dart not being correct. I hoped that R could comment. I had a toile sewn by Sunday when I had a sewing bee with R, my pattern cutting tutor. She tested the fit on me and pinned some adjustments. These were - she lowered the neckline, slightly adjusted the slope of one shoulder, narrowed shoulder significantly by taking in at shoulder and also widening neck, took in at the upper side seam (I had enlarged here because of my large biceps)  but lowered the armhole to give additional room, significantly increased the back darts and shortened pattern torso length. She noted that the toile was too tight below the waistline but it was supposed to stop at waistline and I had to lose quite a bit of fabric length.

I have a significantly forward tilting pelvis or forward sloping waistline which means that my front bodice length is a lot longer than my back bodice length. R and I had a discussion about this, which I find more significant in a skirt (or trousers),  where I have to shorten front length and lengthen back. However,  such a sloping waistband doesn't look good (DH commented adversely when I tried on). The conclusion of our discussion was that I needed to compromise and bring up the front waistband, to make the waistband sit more level. If I can't cope with such a high front waistband, I have the option to remove the same amount all the way around to make a waistline below natural waist - or I could cut off same and create a yoke.

I also had a skirt block with me.  R suggested raising back by 2 cm. Otherwise it was pretty good except that the right side seam didn't lie where it should.   Left and back were fine. R measured the pieces against my skirt block where I had to make separate sides because of asymmetry; this asymmetry accounted for some of the problem but I had used the slippy fabric I originally used for the bodice and that accounted for more. R felt my block from class was valid (though front waistline was very low and after our discussion,  I feel I need to raise it.)

I have a bodice block from my pattern cutting class but when I started to design with it,  R changed the fit rather a lot, so I'm not sure how useful my block is. R agreed.  I also have one from a brief course I attended last summer (before I knew about the college course)  - the 3 blocks I have are all completely different!!  Ideally,  I would sew up all 3 and decide which was best to work from,  I suppose.

On Monday,  I drew up a completely new pattern for skirt and bodice. I made some but not all of the adjustments R had pinned because I realised as I was redrawing the pattern that I may have made an error with the armhole. So I didn't enlarge for large biceps but did drop slightly. I shortened bodice significantly.  With the skirt,  I raised back by 2 cms.

I cut the pieces out of a well behaved piece of fabric, probably upholstery.

When sewing,  I found my dart problem was even worse than before. For some reason I had more problems sewing one side than the other. On the front, there was a very significant bend and I had to force the fabric to join the back.

A very significant gap - this is not the waistline!

 

Dart opened out

 

I sewed the pieces together to make a dress. I found,  however,  that I had to lose the 2 cms extension on the skirt back. I found the waistline higher than I'm used to - R says a higher waistline is slimming so I'll have a go!

I took the dress to D's sewing bee on Tuesday evening and tried it on for her advice as the other students were late. D shortened back bodice length even further as she said there was significant puddling - is this a sway back? Or just a large derriere? She pinned back darts longer and wider. She noted that the side seams were bowed - one side worse than the other. I took the toile apart and showed her what I thought was issue with front dart and she described how to fill this area out. The fill in is almost exactly the shape that she drew on the back pattern piece when drawing a straight side seam. So I'm sure this is the problem.

 

I spent the rest of the evening working out and trying to do the adjustments. As I've added to the front side seams,  this could make the bodice too big but it was tight previously.  I'll just have to sew it up again and try.  I made a rough adjustment to the toile but I'll transfer these to the pattern pieces properly and cut another toile,  perhaps next week. At Thursday class today, I transferred the alterations onto the pattern tissue. I'll make up the new, 3rd, toile, before going to pattern cutting class (if that happens)

New dart and side seam is much wider.

Pin shows original top of back dart - now both longer and wider

So over the next 3 months, I'm going to make 3 garments for me - trousers, dress (?) and blouse. Does that sound reasonable? It's unfortunate that I'm doing them all at the same time but that can't be helped - I don't like using one tutor for another tutor's project. Should I finish one early,  I can decide on another.

Recently I made a cardigan and that was nice because I didn't end up in the seemingly interminable toile making and fitting issues. I might take a break - I want to make some pattern weights and a scissors holder - no issues with fit there!  Just cut and sew.

I'll update later.

Jeans class 3; back pockets, yoke and problems with zip insertion.

I thought this was going to be a fairly straightforward class this week.  We didn't achieve as much as we should have.

Firstly, we finished off and tidied up our patch pockets. I decided against modifying the decorative top stitching on the pockets.

 We then measured out where the pockets were to go (the placement hadn't been marked on the pattern) and checked that each pocket was placed identically. We then sewed on the pockets using an edge stitch and an additional row of stitching inside this, with reinforcement at the top pocket corners.

Then it was time to add the yoke. We weren't using an overlocker, by the way, though I would choose to use one at home.  The yoke was sewn onto the back piece using a 1centimetre seam allowance. The seam allowance area was then stitched using a zigzag stitch and the seam allowance was then pressed in the yoke direction. After this, it was fairly straightforward to edge stitch and add a further row of stitching to catch down the seam allowance just within the 1cm.

Top stitching at top of pocket and bottom of yoke, in detail. . 

Overview of pocket and yoke

It was really impressive to see how much shaping the yoke added.



Back pocket and yoke added.

The next task was to zigzag stitch the curved seam on front and back. Since returning home I have overlocked those parts still accessible and my photos show that. However, at class, it was zigzag stich only, though the tutor may bring an overlocker next time. I'm not taking mine to class as it's hard enough just taking a sewing machine as there is quite a distance from the car park to the class - at least I do have a car. One time, I decided to just use the class machines - but never again. Compared to my other class on a Thursday, where I'm happy to use the machines as they stich nicely, these ones, although new, are very rough indeed.

Then it was zip time. Unfortunately, the tutor was having a major problem with her sewing machine so quite a bit of time was used up trying to sort this.

The first task was to stitch the zip right side to right side on the left front jean piece. Once this was achieved, the zip was turned back and the edge was edge stitched. My stitching is a bit wavery so I may take this out and change it, to make it look better. However, the actual sewing was achieved reasonably easily. I was concerned when the tutor was having so much bother that I would too.

Showing back of zip with reference to pocket bag

Zip on left side of front, turned back and edge stitched. Serging added afterwards.

Then we had to start preparing the other side. Time was running out, however, and the instructions were far from clear and possibly incorrect, according to our tutor. As requested, I attached the fly facing and then understitched.

Wrong side. Not tidied up yet.

Understitching on fly facing showing. I suppose this gets turned back.

Like this? 

I have absolutely no idea what to do next as I can't make head nor tail of the instructions and haven't been able to work it out based on them. I looked at the jeans I'm wearing and it looks as though the zip should be between the layers. That makes much more sense to me.  That's what I had to do when I was putting the zip in my jacket - it lies between the front and the facing; here I think the zip should be sandwiched between the jeans front and the zip facing??

I've decided just to leave it until next time when presumably the tutor will have worked out what to do next (the instructions and diagrams were not drawn up by her and she seems to be struggling a bit), though I do think there will be some backpedalling.  I fully expect to have to take out my stitching on that side next week (that includes seam stitching,  overlocking of seam and understitching, so I won't be a happy bunny if that happens!) I'm almost tempted to take it out now to save time in class but maybe just maybe there is another way?

Okay,  I lied. I can't leave well alone.  Just as I was thinking about taking out some of my stitching,  I decided to try to follow the next few steps (without benefit of diagrams).

I'll list all the steps, including those I have done and have had checked.

Step 11: Starting with left front piece (this has a 0.5 cms extension - actually it didn't because R forgot to put it in but we were told it would work okay without this). Place zip right side down on right side and stitch down.  Check.

Step 12: Turn back zip and edge stitch on right side.  Check.
Up to here I'm fine and have had it checked. Matches diagrams too.

Step 13: apply fly facing, edge stitch and press. There was a diagram showing this step with what was clearly understitching and our tutor D told us to understitch. Check.

I had my work checked to this point.

No diagrams from this point on. I decided to machine baste everything that is with a long stitch length so it would be easy to take out at class next week.

Step 14: Join front rise from 1cm in from fork point to bottom of zipper. I did this but I didn't sew close enough up to zipper - I left 1cm there too.  Easily rectified. Done.

This shows line of green understitching on left which can fold over zip but doesn't seem to want to lie naturally there. 

Step 15: With right sides of both front leg pieces together line up pin down CF rise.  Open out, where zipper tape lies on right front of jean pin to fly facing. Zip tape will curve at waist seam.  Pin it as it wants to lie.  Do not straighten it up. Done.

Zip machine basted to fly facing only

Step 16: Stitch to fly facing only.  Done.

Step 17: with zip closed lie jean flat right side up, chalk in curved fly line. This must be wide enough to catch in fly facing.  Top stitch. Done.

Looks okay. Would be better with edge stitching?  Should blue line be parallel to zip rather than sloping in at top,  even though this means that fly lies better? 

However,  while I can close the zip and it is covered by fabric from right side,  I'm not sure that's how it is supposed to be.  When I topstitched around,  this is not vertical and perhaps it should be; it follows the line of the fly facing, which its also not vertical;  it is caught in at the waist edge which encourages the fold. Although the understitching on the fly facing encourages it to turn under, I'm  wondering if perhaps edgestitching might have been better - or in addition as the fold is quite loose rather than crisp - then it probably needs pressed at this stage.

Reverse side. Fly facing is Now much smaller than earlier photo because of fold. 

I don't understand the next step 18: zip guard, bag out bottom edge,  press and overlock side closed.  Leave top edge raw as this goes into waist seam.

Now I am really giving up until next week! I've taken a few photos on my smartphone to remind me of how I've got here. Next week is the last class before the mid term break although it's only the 4th class,  and so I'm hoping to be finished with the sample to let me get on with my trousers as soon as we return - I've definitely decided to do trousers and not jeans or slacks first. I'll need quite a bit of help with fitting before I start to construct. Fingers crossed that what I did today doesn't need to be undone. 

Jeans class 2 - pockets; DD's dress repair update

I posted my first jeans' class a bit too early; I meant to save and put in some more photos before publishing. Never mind.

Here are photos to end of stage 4. Plus how I think stage 5 is going to go.  I didn't' even know my phone could do that trick with the small insert and I couldn't work out how to switch it off. I eventually managed by switching off whole phone - there must be an easier way, though.

 I've seen a few posts on jeans sew-a-longs e.g. for the Ginger jeans. It strikes me that I might find it useful to read those. I don't have a jeans' pattern and I'm not sure what I would go for. I have seen reviews of Jalie jeans, Jamie jeans, Ginger jeans and possibly some others.  Any recommendations?  I do not want skinny jeans and would prefer a high rise. Another option is self drafting using the Sure Fit Designs system and modifying for jeans. I'm slightly concerned that they would look too grannyish as I don't have the necessary style knowledge - I am a grandmother and I'm not a fan of high fashion (on me that is) but I do like to give a nod to the current century! They would certainly fit better. Maybe skinny jeans that actually fitted my not-skinny legs would look okay; when I've tried on RTW, they look awful.

It might still be better to get trousers to fit well then go on to jeans later. I do have fabric for trousers but not jeans; I'm not sure if the best fabric to go for - should there be some stretch in it?

The weather held up and I got to the class last night. Since then, it has deteriorated. Unfortunately, as have I! Normally, I go to my weekly sewing class today but the combination of the roads, a nasty cough and the lack of a specific project made me decide to stay at home. I'll do this post and finish the waistband lining on the grey wool skirt I needed to modify - that's what I would have been doing in class. I had already deconstructed the skirt to take in the yoke, yoke lining, skirt and lining and last week I stitched them all up again but L, my tutor, suggested that handstitching the lining down would give a better finish than the stitch-in-the-ditch I did the first time around. I also have a couple of pairs of trousers to add faux hems to in order to lengthen. Hopefully, next week I'll start a specific project - though it's been very useful in January to catch up with some repairs.


I didn't take finished pictures of the green dress I was mending for my daughter. It was quite a puzzle.

 

In this picture, you can't quite see that the rear of the other strap is wide

This loop allowed the thin strap to be lengthened; the torn area was repaired with a patch from the flap. It really disintegrated when the stitching was unpicked.

This rear flap was completely removed

There's no change from the front.

 However, I deconstructed the dress and removed the extraneous and unwanted flap. There was quite a bit of unpicking as the whole area had been understitched too. Where the strap had previously been attached had disintegrated so I had to patch in a piece of fabric on the inside of the yoke, pulling in the remaining fabric to the correct size. - the flap supplied the fabric. Inside the layers, there was clear elastic but I decided not to replace this; I sewed it by machine to the inside layer.  I added to the length of the thin strap using the redundant loop. I decided to leave the strap external rather than sewing it into the yoke in case it needed adjusted. Most of the dress then had to be put together using hand sewing as I couldn't have stitches showing on the correct side only in my repaired part. Where I had stitched the elastic mimicked the understitching in the original. I then skip stitched the tattoo layers together. It was slightly tricky and when I was finished I was glad to post it off to my daughter post haste, which is why I don't have photos. She has told me she's very pleased with the dress; she likes it much better without the flap and says the strap fits perfectly. Job well done!


Anyway, last night's jeans class. A fellow student, Linda, and I were the only two to have completed to stage 4. We had both looked at the next stage and interpreted it differently. We were able to work out that I was correct in pinning wrong side of the pocket to wrong side - she had done right sides - but she was correct in the amount of fabric to be pinned. I had thought it was the whole pocket. She realised the front was taken up in the fly and the side in the side seam. The tutor, D, was busy with other students but was able to confirm our conclusions. It's quite satisfactory when you work something out yourself.

After that, it was fairly straightforward. Seamed wrong sides together, turned, pressed and seamed right sides together to make a French seam. Then the layers were stay stitched together.

1st stitch line

Preparing to stich 2nd stitch line

Layers pinned together ready for stay stitching

View of front before basting together

Then onto the back pockets. D showed us how to make a cardboard template of a pocket so that our two pockets would be identical. I chose a straightforward shape and used the tutor's sizes. We then drew onto calico, adding a 1cm seam allowance all around except at the top of the pocket where it was 2 cms. After cutting the pocket out, we pressed using the template for accuracy. We had a choice for the top of the pocket. The top would be turned over twice and stitched down. However, the choice was in what to do with the side seam. Linda and I both chose to turn in the side seams first so that our top hems would look smooth from the top.

Edges were folded and pressed over template

We were going to have to wait for the rest of the class to catch up. This gave Linda and me a chance to try some decorative stitching on the pocket. I don't like what I did. Fortunately it's just a practice piece. I couldn't see the mark of my white dressmaker pencil and hadn't wanted to risk a darker colour so kept it ultra simple. Linda found a pencil worked well and she could rub out the marks. We were both using regular thread. I know that the pocket stitching and topstitching will be done in thicker thread. I need to give some thought to the eventual design - I like the look of two parallel curvy scrolls. I don't have smartphone photos from class of my pocket stitching - will take photos next week when it's time to sew on to the jeans.

That's where the class ended. Our sample jeans had not been marked with pocket position. So next week, we will start with D showing us how to position the pockets.

It's already evening and I didn't get the skirt yoke started. That's the danger of staying at home - other things always seem to take priority, even when you're not feeling well!