Sewing Vloggers

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Simplicity 2501

If you have been following for a while you may know that my usual "MO" is to have one project of handwork and one project of machine work going at the same time. I find limiting myself to a max of two projects at a time can really prevent UFOs. Yesterday I decided on my machine project and have spent today altering the pattern and cutting and marking.
I will be making the blouse on the model but with the short sleeves of the little green version on the upper left. This is one of those patterns with different fronts for different cup sizes. I have had good luck with these in the past so did not make a muslin. The fabric is a poly georgette, not the most accommodating, but I think it will work well enough and will certainly take to the washing machine. The big quandary I faced, before attempting any cutting, was to decide if I wanted to wear this with a camisole or just do a double layer of fabric. Georgettes are rather sheer.  I had to lay everything out to first see if I had enough for a double layer bodice and I did. Doubled up gives sort of a mild psychedelic effect  but that's OK. So the decision was no cami, double bodice.
On the front this meant that the seam line would be on the fold. I marked it, folded back the pattern piece, and placed it on the fabric fold after the other alterations were made. For the back I simply cut two layers.



 


Next I had to "petite" the pattern. I have a tute on this in the right sidebar. You can see the small amount I folded out from the armscye to the neckline near CF. I needed to true the cutting line.
After "petiteing" the front, back, and sleeves, I needed to lower the apex of the bust. ( Aging sucks.)You can see how I cut out a block here that included the dart. A piece of tracing paper was placed behind the block and it was lowered the correct amount and taped in place at the top only. As I am doing all of this I am thinking, "will I regret not making a muslin?" Hmmm... You can tell by lowering the dart that now the waist line doesn't match up and I have some pleat details to worry about. To handle that I simply folded up the pattern so the hem edges were even again. This pic shows better what I mean.

Another nice feature of these "cup" patterns from Simplicity is that they give you the finished bust measurements of the pattern. You can see them here outlined in green. So, hopefully with this information everything will fit OK. If not, it will go under a jacket!!!

At this point it is cut out and marked. But now I feel like going back to my handwork. It is moving right along, but as always happens with embroidery, you just can't wait to move to the next color change. I have a lot of two step trellises to complete before that happens. This dress will have a coordinating print for a hem band and the straps and the piping. I took the colors from that print to pick the floss colors. It is all moving along pretty quickly and the whole garment should be completed within a few days. It just depends which project I decide to focus on the most.

This is the view from my front porch looking down the drive this morning. Depressing, isn't it? We may get some rain tomorrow. Hopefully that will happen and spring will rear its lovely head soon...Bunny

9 comments:

  1. To a Florida girl, the view down your driveway is GORGEOUS. ;-)

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  2. The colours in your smocking are beautiful.

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  3. I can not wait to see the whole fabric for your smocking, it looks like a lovely floral. I opted not to smock Easter dresses this year, instead I am making big puffy satin dresses that will hopfully look like a tulip when finished.

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  4. The blouse will be pretty - and nice when spring does finally arrive. We're supposed to get rain today, too, after the nasty icy stuff.

    The smocking is really lovely - that fabric did pleat up into a nice moire effect!

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  5. Beautiful smocking. I love floss. My driveway is very similar to yours. Bah!

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  6. Your smocking really caught my eye! So pretty, so detailed, so skill-ful! It must take some time to complete. A little girl's dress like that is bound to be treasured long after she outgrows it.

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  7. Ahhhh, so you prevent UFOs by having only 2 projects going at once, eh? Maybe I should try that technique - LOL!

    Glad you are feeling good enough to sew Bunny, and you are definitely encouraging my long-dormant smocking urge. Just need a grandbaby to kick it into high gear! :-)

    Maris
    http://sewmaris.com

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  8. What a nice blouse pattern! What a delicate embroidery on the girl's dress!
    BTW I came to same method of managing all my needlework. I have one knitting, one sewing and one cross-stitch project at a time :)

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  9. Your blouse is going to be very nice. Now that my chin definition is lest distinct with only a med-short neck, I can no longer wear a jewel neck. I envy that.

    The pleating is very nice and I love the colors you have chosen for the smocking. I am looking forward to seeing the completed dress.

    The view out your window looks beautiful to me. I come from Michigan, but have been living in middle Tennessee since 1979. I have never gotten used to the cold, rainy, mostly brown winters. We did get some snow a few times this year, but only a few inches at a time.

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