BWOF 05/2006 133 & 130

I’m not sure if I like this outfit on me. When I make a sewing goof, it is usually because I chose an inappropriate fabric. The recommended fabric for this outfit was linen. I chose a medium weight linen from Vogue Fabrics. I could have used a lighter, softer, drapey-er linen. In my defense, I chose a medium weight linen because I wanted a more classic look. I really didn’t want the embroidered, gauzy look for this outfit.

I’m a morning person. I can wake up about 5:00 AM and I’m cheerful and ready to greet the day with plenty of energy and a smile. The problem is, by 8:00 PM I’m so tired I have trouble putting syllables together to make words. Hence, this top. Late one evening, I was sewing when I should have been sleeping and I made a huge error on the top. I traced the placement line for embroidery, not the stitching line for the slit. As a result, rather than a narrow slit held together with hooks and eyes, I ended up with a obscenely huge gap in the middle of my shirt! The only solution was to fill in the gap with something. I drafted a pattern piece using the front facing piece. Then I sewed it to the edges of the facing and let the edges of the Grand Canyon Gap hang open - as if I were wearing a shirt over a camisole; a clever solution to my way of thinking. I remembered to put snaps on one side of the inset so I could get the top over my head. I think I disguised my mistake, but it really changes the outfit. I can’t explain the sleeves. The sleeve cuffs are folded up in the photo. I didn’t adjust the length but they are soooo long. The model in the photograph is wearing the sleeves pushed up. I think I know why! I didn’t have any problems with the skirt. I made a muslin. I cut and marked carefully. I basted and sewed carefully. The skirt is really very neatly made. I hadn’t done a lapped zipper in years, but thanks to basting and The Complete Book of Sewing by Chris Jeffreys, I did a pretty good looking zipper. I think the top is too long. Technically, the top is a “tunic” and it is supposed to be long. I'm just not sure I like it.

I might make a blouse to go with the skirt and pants to go with the tunic. The header in my blog quotes Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert: “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” If Scott Adams is correct, then this is a very “creative” outfit!