My Samples

The past few days have brought about some talk of samples out here in the sewing world. This is how I handle mine. I make samples for just about everything I put to the machine. Sometimes it is just pure play. Other times it is purely functional. On the left are some woolen samples I did. I made a jacket in the houndstooth and did the bound buttonholes with a purchased whipped piping. It was black with copper whipping. Loved that jacket and its still tucked in the back of the closet.

This is a great way to get to know your machine, stitch by stitch and foot by foot. At one point I had the samples in sheet protectors in a binder but that got too cumbersome. So now I just keep them in a plastic box. I refer to my box often, sometimes just for inspiration and other times for specific technique. Sometimes I forget I know how to do something!
When I make samples I do all sorts of trial runs with different stitch lengths, threads, needles, tensions, etc. When I firm up on the way I like the technique best I take a Pigma pen and write on the sample all of the above and any other pertinent info. I use abbreviations, N-needle, SL-stitch length, T-tension, etc. If I am trying a technique I have seen in a book or magazine, I abbreviate that too.
If I am trying a technique I saw in "Fine Machine Sewing" on page 47, I will take the pen and write "FMS-47" and now I know exactly where to look up the technique if I need further info. If the technique comes from a magazine, ie, Sew Beautiful, page 28, it will say "SB-28.
I have found this to be time really well spent. It can be mindless fun or a garment specific endeavor. Either way, I end up with lots of samples at the ready next time I need a little inspiration.

The finger is a little better. I didn't do any sewing today but did manage to clean the pink cave.

As we sip our lemonades and grill our burgers, lets remember those many who have given the ultimate sacrifice so we can embrace our freedoms. May we never forget how much they gave. I say that for all the generations of men and woman who have gone before as well as our soldiers who are now serving. May they come home soon to enjoy their own freedoms and families in this wonderful country of ours.

Rotary Cutter Accident

Those are three words that will put the fear of God into anyone! I was trimming the organza on my blouse and moved it into position and Zip! my finger was sliced, I swear the bone stopped it. Bleeding like a stuck pig, I immediately lifted it up and put hard pressure on it. Then I ran and got DH. He doctored me up and all is OK. I am not about to go get stitches as I just don't have the time! I think it will be fine. I do all my cutting out with a rotary cutter and this is the one and only time I have had an accident. I have been sewing since 6:30 this AM and its noon now so I think I was just getting tired. Time for a break.

This is what I have accomplished today. I did my loops for the closure. they are strips of bias organza double folded and inserted into a seam. I had to add the seam break there to accomplish this.
This blouse meets at center front with no overlap and a toggle closure. To prevent unnecessary peekaboo and also to have a place to install some snaps, I added this placket which will lay underneath the other side.
What looks like a stripper's boa is the bias cut organza trim. I stitched it down the middle and slightly gathered it. I first pinned it all to the blouse and then handbasted it into place.
As I handbasted it into place, I did so on the fold where the gathering line was. I like this pic because you can see the shimmer in the fabric. After this I went to the machine and stitched on that fold. Then I placed another row of the little flower trim over the fold all the way around the neckline and CF. I decided to trim back the trim making one layer shorter than the other but cutting both back. Then Cutzilla attacked me and my sewing binge was over.

And would you look at what a sewing angel dropped on my doorstep? How cool is that? The blue micro check is a great weight to make rompers for twin baby boy and would work wonderfully with the smocked insert I am working on for him. Love all the goodies! Thanks Sewing Angel...Bunny

My fitting issues!

I always need to start every pattern with making it a petite. I do this as Sandra Betzina suggests and that is by folding out fabric in the upper chest, front and back, and the corresponding fold out in the sleeve . I make this to every pattern I use right out of the envelope. It has made a major difference in my fit. Thank you, Sandra! I fold out a total of a half inch. I am narrow in the back and torso in general , I guess. But I take a C cup and then small waist, and healthy hips made for birthin' babies. I usually use a size 6 but this pattern started at 8, but that's fine.
After petiting the pattern I did my usual SFBA, saggy full bust adjustment! I did an increase to the side dart for a C cup. I lowered the dart based on my bust point and also moved the waist to bust darts a little closer together. Then I did a pivot and slide to cover my flat pattern measurements. Are you spinning yet? Next I did an S dart adjustment. This was my first time, so it will be interesting to see how that comes out. I also needed to add width at the high hip. All of this took me all day. I did a brief stint in the garden, but once my back started singing I quit and came back in to sew some more.

When I came back in I cut out my muslin and sewed it together. I was generally pleased. I decided to add 3/4 of an inch to the neckline. Too much décolletages for moi! I also added to the high hip some more after that. But when it was all done I was pretty happy. Now lets see how the actual garment comes out. Fabrics have such idiosyncrasies in their fit and draping. Many's the time a muslin fits perfectly and then the garment needs to be majorly tweeked.

Tonite I will be watching American Idol and hopefully cutting out the eyelet. I know I could avoid surprises by using similar fabric to to the garment, but eyelet is eyelet and it made no sense to do an eyelet muslin for an eyelet blouse!

I had fun playing with my closures. I will hold that one for a surprise. Lets just say they are silver plated! LOL!!!....Bunny

Improved Trim Options

Amazing what a stroll around Joann's can do for ones creative juices. First I found white rattail which would make a smaller, smoother piping. Duh! Why didn't I think of that? I have actually used rattail for piping before, too! Another senile moment sets in. Then, after lots of searching, I found a small piece of that silvery organza in the red tag fabrics. Snatched that up for insurance! Then I came upon a tiny little trim that I think will work nicely as well, kind of little flowerettes (heirloom term). So I am rarin' to go. Tonite will be a sewing night, at least till I get punchy. I don't like to sew at night but you gotta do what you gotta do. So I am psyched.
ETA: My sewing friend, Nonie, asked if I always make samples. I pretty much do. I try out the tensions, needles, etc on just about all my ideas. I don't like sewing surprises. So pretty much everything gets a sample tried out, even just plain straight stitching on cotton. You have to see the differences in stitch length, etc...
Nonie also asked where I get my ideas. They just pop into my head. I dont' think I have any better explanation. I see one thing, whether fabric , trim, or whatever, and that jump starts something in my head and I go from there. It just happens.

This lovely lace is one of my favorites. It truly is just a film. It is so sheer and so special. I hope you like it.

Piped Raw Edge Organza Trim

I have decided that I need something to wear to a garden wedding in NH in two weeks. I am going to try my dangdest to get done an eyelet blouse with some nifty embellishments and some sort of grey skirt, not sure what type yet.

My eyelet is "pearlized" and I love it. It is a tinge of grey instead of snow white with the silvery eyelet threads. The eyelet has a silver sheen to it, hard to detect in the photos. I am duly inspired by vague memories of a blouse I saw a couple of months ago. I played with making trim samples this afternoon until we had to leave to meet friends. These "trim tries" are tryouts and not lessons in accuracy. I was looking for a way to outline a neckline that would trim it off and also allow for the unique closure I plan. I would have played with more and more samples but my fabric is limited and I did not want to cut into it too much more. I am big on samples.

So here were what I tried. I cut my organza strips on the bias. My next move was to cover white piping with the organza. Why? If I used white cording, it had a twist to it that showed thru the organza in a nasty fashion. On one sample I cut the SAs off the piping and wrapped it with the organza. On the other I left the SAs on. Then I worked up the two samples above. On the right hand sample I have the eyelet under and the piping/organza on top with the SAs cut off the piping. It is triple stitched up to the piping and the organza lays flat - not exciting. On the left sample, toward the bottom, I left the SAs on and topstitched the right edge of the SA of the enclosed piping fabric with a small zigzag. On the top end I left the organza unstitched to see how that one worked out. A strip of bias organza is VERY slightly gathered, folded on the gather line, and stitched to the base eyelet. I like that.
Then there was my next sample. This is the slightly gathered ruffled organza, folded in half, the organza wrapped piping, and a bias band. This I liked. I am thinking of running this around the neckline. So now that I have settled on the trim, its time to make a muslin. Muslin report up next post. ........Bunny

A Room With a View

There are many, including our own children, who think DH and I live at the ends of the earth. We have lots of reasons why we chose to live up here on the Canadian border after spending 21 years in New Hampshire on Lake Horace. One of these reasons is the unique beauty of our property. We live on the Deer River on a 650 foot section of white water 100 feet from the house. Wildlife abounds. The bird watching is phenomenal and we have been visited by critters that we have never seen before. We have been here three years.

Two years ago we built a family room and a sewing room addition. The window in my sewing room where I sit and sew is blessed with a view into the shade garden. The crowning focal point of this garden is the very large boulder that you see. I tried to take the picture as you see it from my window. I am in a continual process of refining this garden and get so much satisfaction out of its textures and shades. There is a natural pool that the birds visit every evening as well as the beautiful stone slab bird bath that DD gave us before we moved. I will never forget the day DH and I moved that puppy off the truck. I thought for sure a foot or leg would get crushed. Then we paid one of the locals with his heavy equipment to put it on top of this rock after we moved here. It was well worth it.

I thought I would share this slice of my sewing world as it pops out its spring growth. We are a little behind the rest of you around the country, being in zone 4. I have been sewing and looked up and seen a herd of wild turkeys, or my chickens that broke loose, or little songbirds, or deer, or voles, or other critters. It is a delight to sit in my sewing room. I hope you have enjoyed this visit into my room with a view....Bunny