I'm glad my last project was so simple. This blouse scares me a little. I'm going to have to venture away from the written instructions for one part of the blouse and depend on the written directions for another part. Talk about conflicted! I've never been a fan of BWOF directions, but totally disregarding them is not easy for me. I'm not comfortable bending or breaking rules. I've gone out on my own (not too far) in the past and I've been happy with the results. I'm going to have to get inspiration at Diary of a Sewing Fanatic and Pins and Needles to remind myself of what can happen when you toss aside the directions and personalize a pattern. Carolyn and Summerset are my heroes.The changes I have in mind are really simple. I don't like the ruffle/flounce on the cuff. I'm not a ruffle-y flounce-y woman. Eliminating it won't be difficult; in fact, it will be fun. On the other hand, the hidden placket might not be so fun. To be more accurate, the BWOF directions for the hidden placket are not fun. This would be the place where illustrations would be really helpful. I've read the directions given several times and I'll read them again while I trace (to give me visual points of reference). Nancy Zieman addresses a hidden placket in Sewing Express. So, I have the resources; I have the inspiration. I just need to gain the confidence. It's only a piece of cloth, right? I'm not trying to solve the economic crisis. If this blouse turns out to be a success, I'll never have another fearful lapse in confidence again. (Yeah, right.)
Some years ago Threads published an article on making a hidden placket that looked very simple. If you have access to old issues, take a look in their index.
ReplyDeleteFirst thanks for the compliment! :)
ReplyDeleteSecond, I went to go get my Burda Plus to see which blouse you were talking about and realized that I bought fabric to make this into a dress...now we won't talk about the fact that I have had the fabric for months and haven't thought about making the garment yet!
So I will be watching carefully to see how you solve the placket issue and then I will be following in your footsteps! :) BTW, I really liked the ruffly cuffs!
And this was a particularly GOOD issue of Burda Plus!
As much as making my coat has been a huge PITA, it has helped me get over a lot of my fears, since I'm flying by the seat of my pants in a number of places. Just suck it up and plunge ahead (that's what I keep telling myself) and you'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteDo it! But, when I'm not all that confident (which is almost any time I try anything new) I BASTE first. Much easier to rip out. I'd rather baste then sew, than sew, rip out tiny stitches, sew, rip out again, etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the compliment! I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteJust dive in a give it a try - Nancy has good advice to baste if unsure. Most of the time I fly by the seat of my pants, too, which hasn't always proven to be wise, but I've learned a lot!