Finished: Quilt #2

Quilts = Comfort. Using a quilt can certainly bring comfort. What is more comfortable than wrapping up in a quilt with a good book and a cup of something hot? But who would have thought making a quilt would be just as comforting? For a multitude of reasons, Nov. 16 - 20 was one of most stressful, annoying and frustrating work weeks I've experienced in quite a long time. Finishing my quilt over the weekend and immediately wrapping myself in it was so satisfying, it all but pushed the previous week out of my memory.

This is not a prize winning quilt. The piecing is imprecise. The quilting is wobbly. However, the quilt still does what a quilt is supposed to do, as demonstrated below!


I am so pleased with this quilt, in spite of its imperfections! I love the vibrant colors and I love the fact that I made it! And because I'm so sure this quilt will become a priceless collectors' item, I even made a label!


I'm already planning the next quilt.

Finished: BWOF 06-09-136 & BPF FW-09-404C

Familiarity breeds contempt.
- Syrus (Publilius Syrus)

Though familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes off the edge of admiration.
- William Hazlitt

Nothing is wonderful when you get used to it.
- Edgar Watson Howe

Sorry, Messrs. Syrus, Hazlitt and Howe. I respectfully disagree. After a short fling with KwikSew, Vogue and even Burda envelope patterns, I am very happy to be back to my old familiar BWOF. I still think BWOFs are wonderful and I admire the resulting garments.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Blouse BWOF 06-09-136

Pattern Description:
This blouse has long sleeves gathered into a cuff; mandarin collar and back yoke.

Pattern Sizing:
European plus sizes 44 - 52.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
I made a very minor change, but my blouse still looks like the photograph.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I remember how much I used to hate BWOF instructions. Again, familiarity is not breeding contempt. Being familiar with BWOF instructions is definitely an advantage. The instructions gave me no problem.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked the way the collar and front band came together. Usually, the front band inserts into the collar. In this case the collar inserted into the front band.

Fabric Used:
100% polyester

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
BWOF necklines are usually lower than I like, so I raised the neckline by 1 1/2 inches. To make the change, I extended the grain line and slid the pattern up. Then I traced the new curve, blending the lines into top. The top of the band was not changed.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would make this blouse again, and I would recommend it to others.

Conclusion:
I really wanted to see how this blouse turned out because I followed my intuition to make the changes to the neckline. I'm happy with the way it turned out.


Pants: BPF FW-09-404C

Pattern Description:
Fly front pants with hip yoke pockets.

Pattern Sizing:
European plus size 44 - 54

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Absolutely.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
While sewing these pants I experienced a "Why didn't I think of that?" moment. Usually, the instructions have us baste the belt loops to the top of the waist, then completely sew on the waistband before attaching the top of the belt loops to the top of the finished waistband. BWOF almost always has a two-piece waistband as opposed to a single waistband piece that is folded over. In these pants, the tops of the belt loops are neatly sewn into the seam that attaches the waistbands. The idea is so elegantly simple, I wonder why I never did it before.

Fabric Used:
Rayon and lycra denim. (By definition, isn't denim supposed to be cotton?)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made no alterations or changes to this pattern. I did not add the inch to the length as I usually do and discovered I really don't need the extra length.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Even if I never make these pants again, I'll be using the belt loop technique again.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

I really enjoy working with BWOF patterns. I have a certain mindset and pace that comes from being familiar with the patterns and it felt good to get back to what I know.

Next: BWOF 06-09-136 and BPF FW-09-404C

After knocking out three tops in quick succession, I'm happy to get back to sewing at a less desperate pace. In addition to returning to the relaxed pace, I'm returning to BWOF – 06-09-136 blouse and Burda Plus Fashion FW-09-404C pants. My fabrics are easy to work with so I'm set for an enjoyable experience. The blouse fabric is 100% polyester; the pants fabric is a rayon/lycra denim (dry clean only - ugh!) and both were purchased from Vogue Fabrics by Mail.

In studying the blouse technical drawing, I noticed the top button is level with the bust darts. That means everything above the bust is open and that means the potential for a display of cleavage. If I have any criticisms about my beloved BWOF, it's the depth to which their necklines plunge. If I were in my 20's or 30's and had a smooth, perky cleavage, I wouldn't mind quite so much. But, one must make concessions to one's age unless one wants people to laugh behind one's back. I could wear the black cami I bought for the last BWOF bodice-baring blouse (how's that for alliteration!) I made, but I'll feel more comfortable with a button.

To raise the neckline, I needed the straight portion of the front band to be longer so the position of the top button would be higher. I drew register lines on the front band pattern piece an slid it up a couple of inches between the register lines, retraced the curve and maintained the position of the top of the band. In the photo to the left, red lines represent the pattern changes. I made the same changes to the blouse front and checked the pattern to make sure the front and front band would still fit together. I followed my intuition to figure out how to make this change and I'm eager to see if it works out. No guts, no glory - right?

This blouse was pushed back in the queue because the gathered sleeve pattern piece didn't fit on the fabric originally intended for this blouse. I didn't have enough fabric to open it out and cut on a single layer. Several years ago I took classes in industrial sewing methods and I learned the pros cut on a single layer. I don't like to cut on a single layer unless I absolutely have no other choice.

Rushing through three consecutive projects is not the way I like to sew. I'm looking forward to returning to my comfort zone. Yes, it's good to step out of my comfort zone occasionally, but it's called a comfort zone for a reason!

Three Tops - Quick and Dirty

I needed blouses in a hurry so I cranked out three over several days of quick and dirty sewing. Here are the results.

KwikSew 3586

This blouse was so easy, it's hardly worth importing the review template from Pattern Review. KwikSew patterns are the best patterns to use when you need clothing in a hurry.

Pattern Description:
Long or short sleeved Oxford-styled blouse.

Pattern Sizing:
1x - 4x

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Absolutely

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Totally. I like KwikSew for including instructions for sewing a blouse yoke without hand sewing. The method is now very common, but years ago, I saw it in KwikSew's sewing instructions first.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
This is a classic, casual blouse. I needed a blouse quickly and I liked this pattern because it's fast.

Fabric Used:
Cotton

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
None

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I'll probably come back to this pattern whenever I need a quick blouse and I can't decide what other pattern to use.



Burda 7882 (OOP)

This was another very simple pattern, but it wasn't born that way. I was prepared to spend more time on this second blouse, but I couldn't use the pattern I originally chose. Burda 7882 won by forfeit.

Pattern Description:
The original version of this pattern has a bib insert. I eliminated that design element and made the blouse more ordinary.

Pattern Sizing:
44 - 56 (European plus)

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes. Since I eliminated the one feature that might have given me any trouble (although I don't believe it would have) the instructions were very easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
"Like" or "dislike" was not a consideration. I just needed a blouse.

Fabric Used:
A cotton tone-on-tone stripe.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I would have liked to have made this blouse without any design changes and included the bib, but I wasn't sure I had enough fabric. Besides, did I mention I was in a hurry?


Vogue 8151

I made the black and white BWOF top pictured and, in my prudish opinion, it showed way too much skin. So, I made this top to wear underneath and cover up my oh-so-sexy decolletage.

Pattern Description:
In addition to the t-shirt, the pattern contains a mock-wrap shirt.

Pattern Sizing:
This is a Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina and uses her special sizing (A - J)

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Basically, yes. I made minor design changes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
There isn't much you can say about instructions for a basic t-shirt. The pattern contained instructions for a tie that was not pictured on the pattern envelope.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I needed a knit top that fit closely around my neck without being a turtleneck. I was only trying to cover up skin.

Fabric Used:
A ribbed knit of unknown content. It looks and behaves almost like tricot, but it's the weight of a jersey. I needed a black knit and this fabric was a black knit. Remember, this was "quick and dirty" sewing. I'm not a big fan of knits and I learned a valuable lesson while sewing this fabric: when sewing knits, the conventional machine is your friend, too. I basted the neckband with the conventional machine and then serged it. This method yielded a neater appearance and allowed me to keep the width of the neck band consistent.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I learned from a previous Today's Fit pattern the top would need to be lengthened. I slashed and spread at the "lengthen or shorten here" line to make this change. This pattern has two sleeve lengths - a 3/4 length for the t-shirt and a long sleeve for the wrap top. I put the long sleeve on the t-shirt. To do this, I traced the t-shirt sleeve cap onto the long sleeve.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I recommend this top with the following caveat: measure the pattern for length or make a muslin. I'm taller than average (5'9") but I felt the torso was unusually short. I usually add about 1" to the length of tops and blouses. I added almost 3 inches to this blouse. I had to do the same with another Today's Fit pattern I made.

I'm still not totally happy with the look of the black and white top with the t-shirt underneath. Since the black and white print fabric came all the way from Morocco, I really want to be able to wear it. My daughter sent the picture to her host-mom in Morocco - the one who helped DD select the fabric. The host-mom , who sews professionally, liked my results. If I see an inexpensive black turtle neck, I'll probably buy it to layer under the blouse. Or I could just be satisfied with what I have.

– • – • – • – • – • – • – • – • – • – • – • – • –

After this quick and dirty period I'm ready to get back to my usual, leisurely pace.

I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan

Plans are important to me. I believe one should not go through life without a plan. Most of my sewing projects are planned several weeks in advance. Sometimes though, I've had to step away from the plan.

I'd originally planned to use an aqua colored tone-on-tone stripe for BWOF 06-09-136. As it turned out, the fabric wasn't wide enough to accommodate the extra width of the gathered sleeves. I would have had to cut the sleeves on a single layer and that type of layout required more fabric than I had.

So instead, I used Burda 7882 (OOP), a blouse pattern I redesigned back in December 2007 for the aqua and I was able to finish the blouse quickly and without incident.

I could not abandon my plan for BWOF 06-09-136. I've learned when BWOF shows a V-neck, it will be cut too low for my taste. After making the pattern changes to raise the neckline, I was eager to see those changes manifested in fabric. So, I reassigned the BWOF to the next fabric in my queue - a gray and black print I bought from Vogue Fabrics by Mail.

Plans are certainly necessary and helpful, but they are seldom chiseled in stone. When I was young, I thought, "Why bother to make a plan if you're not going to stick to it?" Now, I know better.