Just a quick note to say that I'm taking a little hiatus from crafting and blogging. I'm still hopeful about finishing the swimsuit (it's going well!) but no promises. I have no idea if this purposeful hiatus will be longer than any previous unannounced extended period of silence around this blog, but I hope you'll all keep me subscribed in your readers. I'll be back before too long.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Twin Needle Fun (and a Lonsdale update...)
I went out and purchased a twin needle for my bathing suit project, because (and I hope I don't offend anyone here) I think zig-zagged topstiching looks kind of cheap/homemade. I was a little scared to give it a go, but I'm so thrilled with the result! It looks so clean and it stretches SO well.
(Excuse the iPhone photos...)
The only issue is the back side. It seems as if it's skipping stitches or failing to catch threads or something... can you see what I mean in this photo, or is it too far away?
I'm assuming this is a tension issue, but I'm not sure how to fix it. Do any of my wise blogging friends have any advice? (In case it's relevant, I was using a walking foot.)
In other news: I basted the zipper into my Lonsdale muslin last night, and I'm sorry to say that it's entirely unwearable. The saddest part is that it's only really because of two relatively minor issues in execution, which I just don't really have the energy to try and fix. I'm a bit sad, because I really loved the fabric (butter yellow linen), but at least it was on clearance so it's not a huge loss financially. On the bright side, aside from those issues it actually fits really well, so at least I can try again with different fabric sometime in the near future.
(I'll post some photos and discuss in greater detail tomorrow. Although, I can't promise that I'll be able to post anything unflattering, which might defeat the purpose? Apparently I might have a few more self-confidence issues then I'm willing to admit...)
(Excuse the iPhone photos...)
The only issue is the back side. It seems as if it's skipping stitches or failing to catch threads or something... can you see what I mean in this photo, or is it too far away?
I'm assuming this is a tension issue, but I'm not sure how to fix it. Do any of my wise blogging friends have any advice? (In case it's relevant, I was using a walking foot.)
In other news: I basted the zipper into my Lonsdale muslin last night, and I'm sorry to say that it's entirely unwearable. The saddest part is that it's only really because of two relatively minor issues in execution, which I just don't really have the energy to try and fix. I'm a bit sad, because I really loved the fabric (butter yellow linen), but at least it was on clearance so it's not a huge loss financially. On the bright side, aside from those issues it actually fits really well, so at least I can try again with different fabric sometime in the near future.
(I'll post some photos and discuss in greater detail tomorrow. Although, I can't promise that I'll be able to post anything unflattering, which might defeat the purpose? Apparently I might have a few more self-confidence issues then I'm willing to admit...)
On The Table...
I'm this close to being done the Lonsdale dress. Seriously, I just have to insert the zipper and hem the outer skirt (lining is already hemmed. Win.) Despite being another "wearable muslin" I'm actually hoping pretty badly that this will be... well, wearable. Fingers crossed!
After that's finished, I'm going to attempt something pretty ambitious: swimwear. I'm not sure if this is crazy or not, but I'm going for it. We're planning a trip somewhere warm at the end of the month (thank you, tax returns!) and I've had to admit that my favourite suit is really past its prime. I've bought another one in the meantime, but I'd really love to be able to recreate my old one. Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm for this project I neglected to take a "before" photo, so I can't really show you what I'm going for. This is where it's at, currently:
I've never cared much for the colours or print, but the fit was beyond perfect. It was the first time I discovered a "D-cup" top in a swimwear store that didn't obviously look like a D-cup top, if you know what I mean. (Don't get me started ranting about how things start to look different in larger sizes. Maybe I'm a rarity in that I have a large bust - F-cup - but need relatively little in the way of "support". That's not to say that my bust is enviously perky; it must just be rather light, as I definitely don't require extra-wide bands/straps, "full coverage," or any of the other modifications that bra companies seem to make for every style of bra above a C-cup.)
It's a triangle top, but the triangles were fixed together and to the string, rather than moving freely. Upon ripping it apart I discovered that the elastic is actually in perfect shape with great recovery, so I'm going to re-use it. I just so happened to have some swimsuit fabric lying around in a pretty awesome shade of blue, plus some white athletic fabric for the lining:
And, I have enough of both to screw this project up about ten times. Win!
My other plan is to take a stab at testing the new Suzy Patterns design. I'm not going to be overly ambitious and buy fabric; instead, I'm going to commit the cardinal sin of garment sewing and dive into my Mom's quilting cotton stash. I'm not 100% sure I have enough, but I think I'll be able to squeeze it out of this white floral (I'm going to go sleeveless, so that will help):
Compared to some of the other quilting cottons in my stash, it actually has a relatively nice hand. Hopefully it'll be a wearable muslin in the end!
So, that's where I'm at.
As an aside, I recently discovered I was kindly nominated - twice! - for the Liebster blog award:
For anyone who hasn't yet seen it, it's an award for relatively new bloggers with less than 200 followers. I'm so honoured that my peers would pick me! Particularly these two lovely ladies. After hemming and hawing about it, I've decided I don't want to nominate five others as per the rules (I'm such a rebel...), but instead I'd just like to implore you to go visit the talented sewists who nominated me:
Amy at Sew Well
Andrea at Four Square Walls
Seriously, go! They're two of my favourite bloggers, you won't regret it. (If you're not already a big fan like me!)
After that's finished, I'm going to attempt something pretty ambitious: swimwear. I'm not sure if this is crazy or not, but I'm going for it. We're planning a trip somewhere warm at the end of the month (thank you, tax returns!) and I've had to admit that my favourite suit is really past its prime. I've bought another one in the meantime, but I'd really love to be able to recreate my old one. Unfortunately, in my enthusiasm for this project I neglected to take a "before" photo, so I can't really show you what I'm going for. This is where it's at, currently:
I've never cared much for the colours or print, but the fit was beyond perfect. It was the first time I discovered a "D-cup" top in a swimwear store that didn't obviously look like a D-cup top, if you know what I mean. (Don't get me started ranting about how things start to look different in larger sizes. Maybe I'm a rarity in that I have a large bust - F-cup - but need relatively little in the way of "support". That's not to say that my bust is enviously perky; it must just be rather light, as I definitely don't require extra-wide bands/straps, "full coverage," or any of the other modifications that bra companies seem to make for every style of bra above a C-cup.)
It's a triangle top, but the triangles were fixed together and to the string, rather than moving freely. Upon ripping it apart I discovered that the elastic is actually in perfect shape with great recovery, so I'm going to re-use it. I just so happened to have some swimsuit fabric lying around in a pretty awesome shade of blue, plus some white athletic fabric for the lining:
And, I have enough of both to screw this project up about ten times. Win!
My other plan is to take a stab at testing the new Suzy Patterns design. I'm not going to be overly ambitious and buy fabric; instead, I'm going to commit the cardinal sin of garment sewing and dive into my Mom's quilting cotton stash. I'm not 100% sure I have enough, but I think I'll be able to squeeze it out of this white floral (I'm going to go sleeveless, so that will help):
Compared to some of the other quilting cottons in my stash, it actually has a relatively nice hand. Hopefully it'll be a wearable muslin in the end!
So, that's where I'm at.
As an aside, I recently discovered I was kindly nominated - twice! - for the Liebster blog award:
For anyone who hasn't yet seen it, it's an award for relatively new bloggers with less than 200 followers. I'm so honoured that my peers would pick me! Particularly these two lovely ladies. After hemming and hawing about it, I've decided I don't want to nominate five others as per the rules (I'm such a rebel...), but instead I'd just like to implore you to go visit the talented sewists who nominated me:
Amy at Sew Well
Andrea at Four Square Walls
Seriously, go! They're two of my favourite bloggers, you won't regret it. (If you're not already a big fan like me!)
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