I really thought I would be done today but no way. I had to pay lots of attention to the stripes and this old Kenmore, who is serving me without complaint while my Pfaff gets fixed, is not up to great knit sewing. However, if I go slow and pay lots of attention I can pull of something fairly reasonable. This project has really made me appreciate my Pfaff and how much more professional it has made my work appear.
Here you can see the back bodice. This piece should have been cut on the fold. Because I am totally swayback I added seam allowances and cut the back up the middle along the fold. To deal with the pattern piece, I did a wedge of nearly an inch at center back tapering to nothing at the sides, right at the point where you see the bodice get narrow. If you look at the lower edge of the piece above you can see how the edge indents and the lower right edge moves outward, the better to accomodate my swayback waist and fanny. There is a pin in each stripe to help the sewing along. The bottom of the bodice does a very slight chevron due to the wedge that was folded out. That's OK with me.
Whew!...The stripes matched. There are so many angles on these pattern pieces that you can only match so much. On this center back bodice seam I added the matching was critical.
As per Betzina's instruction, a miniscule zigzag is used to stitch the seams and then they are serged off. I really missed my Pfaff here as the stitch quality for this type of stitch is much better on the Pfaff. I know this top would have come out better with the other machine but ya got what ya got. At least I got and I am thankful for that!
All that remains is to complete the collar band which runs from one end of the sleeve to the end of the opposite sleeve. That and the cuffs will put me in modeling mode!
The first thing I do most mornings is throw a load of wash in. That usually happens about 6:00am. Then I get to go out and in the early morning have a somewhat meditational moment as each piece gets picked out and pinned to the line. As I try to pull out and pin like things together and slide the line out towards the tree some sort of crazy calm comes over me. I look around at the fields and birds, maybe a bit of haze, maybe a few turkeys, maybe some new blooms in the garden, and I feel all is right with the world and another glorious day awaits me....Bunny
Thank you for your laundry line comments :) It was calming just reading about it :)
ReplyDeleteI too find hanging my laundry on the clothes line to be very enjoyable. It is never a chore, always a pleasure.
ReplyDeleteI also sew with a Pfaff machine, love the built-in integrated feed. Do you ever have issues with your thread shredding while embroidering using the Pfaff?
solexa@sbcglobal.net
When you are matching stripe (r plaid) do you ever slip baste?
ReplyDeleteThe miracle of modern machines--sewing AND dryers! Still, nothing like seeing your laundry flapping in the breeze. You use white sheets, as I do, too. I bet you'll be glad to get your sewing machine back.
ReplyDeleteThe weather must be glorious up there cause not much in on the blogosphere from the north!!! I adore sheets that have dried in the sun - it's like captured smell of sunlight at night when you bury your nose into the sheets!
ReplyDeleteI haven't hung out clothes in years but I agree it is calming. I wish I still had a line sometimes.
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good on the stripes! Enjoy hanging out the laundry when you can - we can't always do that year round, can we? ;)
ReplyDeleteThat knit looks like its going to be PERFECT, Bunny! You've done a wonderful job of explaining just how you achieved the alterations, too. I'd heard that dual feed on the Pfaff was great.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about getting a Bernina with the Stitch Regulator so my quilting will improve. Sure wish they'd make ONE machine that would do it all.
I remember helping my Mom hang out the wash. ♥♥♥ that fresh clean smell! I also remember RUNNING out there FAST when it started to rain. LOL
Hugs,
Rett
You must miss hanging the washing in winter ;/. Lucky here in Australia we can do that all year round (but not at 6.00 am!)
ReplyDelete