Three tops and more to come!

 

I have three tops to share with you, made between Thanksgiving and New Year's , I think. With the old year behind us, much is blur. These are part of last year and I am now working on this year's projects in earnest. You have seen me make these patterns before. They are tried and trues. I like to think the fabrications are unique and make them worthy of a second look here. I've tried different techniques each time. The first that you will see are two new Eureka tops. I believe they are number 6 and 7.   A search will bring up the others. The Eureka top is a very basic cut on sleeve tee shirt from the Sewing Workshop. It is the simplest of designs, therefore lending itself to all sorts of interpretations and play. It is large, boxy and so forgiving of fit. I highly recommend it. I did a bit of research and found that McCall's 7721, view B,  is nearly exact to my ruffled sleeve version presented here. I think it may just be a bit less boxy. 

I could wear it now with a turtleneck underneath but will save this for warmer weather. The fabric is Lady McElroy and it is called "EPIC Spectacles". Make sure if you order it you ask for Epic as you may get the tiny faces as I did on the first purchase! Stone Mountain and Daughter carry it and were the ones to eventually provide me with the Epic version and were great to do business with. For the ruffles I simply cut a six inch wide strip the length of the sleeve opening and made that double the length of that opening. Next I sewed the short ends together. It was then folded in half, pressed and then gathered and applied to the opening, very simple basic ruffle technique. Seams on here were French seams except for the ruffle attachment which were machine stitched then serged. 

The Eureka pattern has no closure. I wanted one and I also made the neckline opening a bit  wider. 

I made a simple facing for the slit area and backed it with woven interfacing. Because I did not want any bulk to show through, I zigzagged and pinked the edges of the facing. No bulk! I did a simple thread loop by hand for the tiny vintage button and applied a bias binding as I always do.   I think this shirt is great fun and can't wait to wear it in the warmer weather. 

With the second Eureka, the party is all in the back. 

Pardon the photo. For some reason the fabric is really shiny. IRL, it is not. 

On this Eureka I did the sleeves as directed in the pattern, with a simple fold-up cuff. I always cut the extra small size.  This is a big garment and I like it.  

 

The back got a square cut out and I tied it across at the top  to prevent gaping. I also didn't want it hanging open for viewing to the public as I moved  around. The facing was understitched but also held down with French knots all around. I also ran a strip of boning in a channel across the bottom edge of the square cutout. It fits in very snugly and you don't even know it's there. Its snug fit keeps it in place and I can easily take it out for laundering. The cutout square stays nicely placed on my back with the weight of the bone and no facing rolls out. I gave it a trial wear to make sure.  What type of boning did I use? A white electrical tie, cut on the ends in a curved shape so not to irritate. 

The fabric was the fun part here. It came from a floor length tee shirt dress that also had white ribknit neckline and cuffs, Think golf shirt. I got it at Good Will and  was size XXL. On my first trip there in a long time, I saw it and fell in love with its hand painted water color style. I left it on the rack. I went back a couple weeks later and it was still there so I grabbed it. It was a very cold day and this type of garment would not be moving easily out of the door into the winter's cold right now. I brought it home. The fabric is all poly, I know, yuk, but I felt the lovely print would make up for any issues I might encounter with heat. The design of the top and its  loose demeanor make me think it won't be too hot. I really like it. 

On to top #3!

Oh, how I love the Imby top by Karmme Apparel! I didn't use a shower curtain to make this one! I did use a lovely fabric. It is a rayon slub, near sheer,  leftover from a prior project. You can see more on the original project here. 

The bodice lining/collar were made of a really nice rib knit. 

 The bodice was topstitched pretty much everywhere and the lining was understitched with a triple zigzag up to the shoulder seams. I hand stitched the collar down with a hemstitch underneath. It just kept wanting to turn back. If I did it again I would interface the turnback area. There is no interfacing in here now. The Imby top is a lot of fabric and should be heavy but it looks best with a light fabric making up the skirt and bodice so is very comfortable to wear. I think it will be delightful this summer and great with white jeans. I need to get some of those! (that fit)

The Velvet Bomber Jacket is c'est finis! I am just hemming the lining area by hand. This was not difficult, just extremely bulky to work with. The ribbing was like working with a rubber tire. Add in the heavy lining and fashion fabric and it tried my patience at times but I got it done. It could be better and I think it was one of those patterns you had to work thru the first time and then get it right the second. I'll review as soon as done, hopefully in the next few days. Then it will be on to sewing for summer and my vacation at the end of June. Happy Sewing..............Bunny

Ahhh, the Fabrics! and Life!

 

Isn't this fabric a lovely breath of fresh air? I think I've gotten to the point of wanting to work with just spring fabrics. You see, my husband and I have just returned from the land of Covid, not our first visit but definitely our worst. We are both fine now but this one was a doozy, phantom smells continue, loss of taste for a while, EXTREME exhaustion, sleeping around the clock for days, We made it through. I didn't do much but I did manage to sew thru despite my covid fog brain. I did it in bits and pieces and had to walk away from my velvet bomber jacket for fear of messing it up. I stuck to mending, upscycling and reorganizing my goodies, then back to bed. Oh, I did shop!!! And I am excited and will share those plans with you. 

I have enough fabrics now to keep me  busy way into summer and it's just a matter of picking what will be next. That changes daily. Above is a large tablecloth, 2 yards, that I stumbled upon as I looked at the new Spring home goods out in the market place. I couldn't pass it up. It may become a top or it may remain a tablecloth. I like the texture and drape of the fabric, a poly cotton blend. That is on the bottom of the list for now but it does scream SPRING! 

This marvelous textile is one I purchased at Canterbury Shaker Village up here in New Hampshire. It actually was a sunprint that made up a tote bag. I thought surely it was destined for a use more refined. The bag was supermarket grade. The picture was closely woven and the subject divine. It is 24 inches wide, all cotton and removed from it's bag and the lovely Shaker girls smile at me while I work in my sewing digs. I haven't come up with a final idea for this but it makes me happy. 

I will be all over the place with this post so be prepared. 

I made undies while sick, not much brain power required there. I made pink ones. 

I made red ones. 

I made blue ones. 

I made over a dozen pair, bit by bit, You can see my methods.  I actually prefer my leg and waistbands out of more fabric. I had the laces and stretch picot already cut  so went with it. My favorite are the pinks, so so comfortable, like clouds. I also sew on my trims, turn to the inside and then topstitch with a triple zigzag as you can see in the pics. The red and the blue are ITY, nice undies but so very slippery to sew. The pinks are poly knit. All have 100% cotton crotches and I find them all comfortable.  I picked at these as I had energy to do so while sick. 

Guess what else happened while sick? I fell in love! It was with a beautiful British woman named Lady McElroy.  And,,,,,she designs fabrics! I was totally smitten. I was watching lots of tv/youtube during this time and saw two different tubers show the above fabric. I was like an addict searching for my fix once I saw this. The faces were large and just so intriguing with their glasses and lack of expression. I had to have this fabric. The colors were fabulous. I didn't know who made it or what it was called. I managed to find it  with an image search and it was called Spectacle. I proceeded.  

I found my spectled ladies from an Etsy seller in Canada and quickly placed my order. Did I say I bought from a thumbnail? Issues ensued, which she handled wonderfully as there was fault on both sides but all was OK, sort of, in the end. You see, This fabric has "Spectacle " in it's name but there is "Mini" spectacle and there  is "Epic" spectacle. I wanted "Epic" (didn't know that) and had ordered the "mini". BUT, for whatever reason, she shipped me two pieces of Mini Spectacle, the other being the darker rendition, all mine to keep. 

I kept my "Mini Spectacles" , thanked her for the freebie and kept up my search for the "Epic" version. I found it at Stone Mountain and Daughter! Yay! I immediately bought my yardage. They double checked that I was getting the larger, Epic faces and confirmed it in writing. They were wonderful to deal with and I made my shirt. More to come on that! All I can say is there are lots of ladies with glasses staring at me right now while I sew!

Another fabulous Lady McElroy piece I bought is this one above. I call  it my "Fashionista" fabric. If you look closely, click to enlarge, these women have all the latest and greatest fashions and I love their hair and faces. They have joggers, Marlo sweaters, white sneakers everywhere and more. Have fun picking out the trends! I think I will make a Melody Dolman out of this one. We shall see. 

More Lady McElroy fabrics:  Another fabulous viscose and a luxurious 100% cotton wide wale corduroy

So add this to what is already in the resource center and I am ready to Spring into sewing now! My bomber jacket just needs the hem sewn up into the lining. All of the rest is complete. It was quite a project, mostly due to bulk. I can't wait to show. I think it will give me years of wear.  Happy Sewing. Be healthy all!..........Bunny

Velvet sleeves, HEAVY duty rib knit cuffs and Kasha lining, ready for stitching.