Fleece Vest - Simplicity 9191 or Simplicity R10902

 I found this pattern with the new releases from Simplicity and it seemed like it would be perfect for my husband:

I did show the pattern to my husband and he said "That perfect.  I was looking for a vest."  So, my impromptu purchase was right on target.  How lucky is that?

With the pattern being approved, I had to decide on fabric.  Although it is always more interesting to look for fresh, new fabric, I decided to check the fleece stash and see what was there.  I found that I had a piece of windpro fleece in navy that was perfect for the pattern.  So sometimes the stash does yield useful fabric.  Here's a glance at the fabric:

Now, this fabric is very heavy/thick which means that I will not being using this fabric as a facing anywhere within the garment.  Searching the local Joann Fabrics online I found a performance fabric that seemed like it would work for facings and such:

The fabric turned out to be a knit fabric which isn't ideal but I'm going to use it.  Testing with this fabric indicated that it will not work for the vest. So, off I went to fabric dot com and found this fabric:

This is a nylon ripstop in black.  

Zippers have been ordered from Etsy.  Finding zippers locally are almost impossible so I didn't even look to see if they had any.  Please note that the pattern states that you need a 26" zipper not that you need a 26" separating zipper.  

The pattern does include some basic sewing techniques for boiled wool, fleece, and knits.  I was surprised to see instructions for removing the seam allowances for the sleeves from the vest pieces.  This is the first time I have seen these instructions in a pattern.  Although I do see instruction for applying interfacing to the fleece, not too sure about this.  With that said, I generally only keep fusible interfacing in my stash.

Here's the finished vest:

The vest turned out rather nice.  My husband likes the vest and is happy to wear it.  

I used plastic zippers for all of the pockets as well as the front zip.  The zip pocket zips would work better with an invisible zipper, I think.  The side pockets are little small to be useful.  They would carry car keys, an id, and maybe a little bit of money but they aren't really big enough to put your hands into.  I will definitely put some notes in the pattern so that I will know in the future what changes should/could be made and that I need to figure out the whole pocket revision.

Happy Stitching!

Happy Christmas Panels...

 At the end of July, I purchased a happy little Christmas panel.  It was a Vintage Christmas panel by Northcott.  Here's an view of the panel:

I got this panel specifically for the apron.  For some reason, my Mom doesn't like the apron I generally use at Christmas.  So, I purchased this thinking she would like it and I could use it around her house.  She liked the truck.  

I needed a fabric to line all the pieces and got this from NZ Productions:

The color is called Mountain Green and with the variation in the color is perfect to go with the panel.  I also needed to purchase In-Sul Brite for the oven mitts.  

I finally got this finished.  Just in time for Christmas.  Here's my versions:

I am happy with my little project.  As always, the panel instructions are minimal but sufficient.

I don't think I will posting again before Christmas.  I have a few gifts that I would like to get finished.  So this will keep me busy for a few days.  I will probably post those items between Christmas and New Years.  Inspiration posts will return with the new year.

Enjoy your holidays!

Happy Stitching!

Lounge Pants...

 Way back in January 2019, I documented making lounge pants for my husband and son from Simplicity 8519.  My son requested another pair this year.  So, what's a Mom to do but make the pants.  I read through the information that I written previously on those particular lounge pants.  I purchased this fabric:

This was a snuggle flannel from JoAnn Fabrics.  It really is a perfect fabric for this type of project but be warned it is narrow.  I purchased 3 yards with the employee giving me the remainder on the bolt which was another yard.  I had 1/3 of  yard left.  After being washed this fabric was 40" wide.  Be aware that this is narrow yardage.

I traced a large, added 3" to the length, lengthened the pockets by 2", and removed the fiddly bits at the front pant opening.  Here are the finished pants with the faux fly:

Happy Stitching!

Seamwork Rhett Jacket...It's Done

 There is nothing like losing the sewjo during a project but I finally finished the Seamwork Rhett Jacket.  Here it is:

I gotta say it "I love this jacket.".  It is all about that fabric.  In fact, I loved this fabric so much I purchased more in two colorways.  Although the jacket is far from perfect, I will wear it with pride. there is a minor tweak I'm going to do to the pockets but I doubt that it will look much different.  

Here's the link to the muslins and the pattern changes:

Round 1 - straight from the pattern

Round 2 - some of the changes.

Round 3 - changes basted into place.

The dress I'm wearing with the jacket is the Seamwork Bertie which you can read about here.  I don't know for sure if I'll be wearing those short boots with the dress.  It doesn't feel like it's quite the right look with the long dress.  I have tall boots as well.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Mini Chevron Blouse

 Today's inspiration is all about the fabric.  Otherwise it is just a classic blouse/shirt pattern that you've seen many times.

This is the Lafayette 148 New York Janette Mini Chevron-Print Button-Front Blouse.  Price tag: $598.00.  Details:  Collared neckline, concealed button placket, long sleeves, wide button cuffs, box pleat at back yoke, relaxed silhouette, vented sides, low hip length (approximately 26" from shoulder to hem), and polyester.

The fabric on this shirt looks very much like a border print to me.  Hopefully, it will give you some ideas for border print fabric.  There is not anything special about this pattern for this top.  Here's a few ideas:

This is the Grainline Studio Archer pattern.  This is a classic button-down shirt.  I know I pull this one out for every shirt in this style but it is in my collection.  Use whatever pattern you own or have fitted.  As far as the concealed button front instructions, there are links to a couple of tutorials here.  Here's another option for the shirt:

This is the Classic Shirt by Liesl & Co.  Although this pattern gives you the same basic silhouette as the Archer, this one has a darts which will give it a better fit.

Hope you're inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

(Post includes affiliate links.)

Why Is Fabric So Enticing?

 I have tried so hard not to purchase fabric this year but it really has not worked out well for me.  I have purchased a fair amount of fabric this year.  The truth is that I purchase and plan far more than I am able to produce.  Here are the most recent acquisitions:

This is a 100% cotton and destined to become a shirt for my husband.  It will most likely be similar to the shirts I made last summer.  It is machine wash and dry.  Total yardage - 3 yards.

This is an abstract sateen fabric.  It is destined to become a summer dress.  I think it will be one of the Merchant and Mills patterns.  It is machine wash and dry.  Total yardage - 3 yards.

This is a black/grey/white abstract printed sateen.  It is destined to be a top.  Most likely one of the Merchant and Mills patterns.  The fabric is machine wash and dry.  Total yardage - 1 1/4 yards.

This is a Antique Rose/White Floral printed challis.  It is destined to be a top.  I purchased the same yardage as the abstract print above.  If I can't find a different pattern that uses the same yardage, then I will use the same Merchant and Mills pattern,. The fabric is machine wash gentle and hang to dry.  Total yardage - 1 1/4 yards.

I do try to use patterns multiple times especially when they are so expensive and I have spent time fitting them.  The Merchant & Mills patterns are well drafted and mostly simple designs which lend themselves to being used many times.

Happy Stitching!

The Re-Organization Continues...

 The re-organization of the sewing room continues slowly but surely.  I have about 1 hour a day to work on all re-organization.  My son is moving home which means that the guest room needs to be cleared out.  So the sewing room has been more or less been put on the back burner.  However with that said, I do have some crafting related items stored in the guest room.  Knowing that more things are going to end up in my sewing room, I decided to see if I could add more shelving to the room.  The only wall space is in the closet.  I found this shelving unit and hope that it works out well.

This small shelving unit is 49" high x 26" wide x 11" deep.  It is just the right height to slide into the closet under the hanging bar.  The only thing I am a little concerned about is the depth but I am determined to make it work.  I can still use the hanging bar above the unit for smallish items and with "S" hooks I can hang things on the side.  I think I will eventually consider some sort of hanging unit for the closet doors.  Every inch needs to be used efficiently.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Colorblock Raglan Sleeved Wool Dress

 If you have a favorite raglan sleeved pattern, now is a good time to use it.  This week's inspiration is a fabulous comfy dress:

This is the Eileen Fisher Colorblock Raglan Sleeved Wool Dress.  Price tag: $348.00.  Details:  wool knit, jewel neckline, raglan sleeves, shift dress, pull over styling, hits about the knee.  

Doesn't this dress look like a hug?  I would style it differently but that could be age related.  Here's a pattern with a similar silhouette:

This is Simplicity 8548.  The dress is pretty much the silhouette of the inspiration photo but it may need to be lengthened.

Wool jersey blends can be found at Mood.  Something to remember with wool is it might need to be lined.  Wools vary in how itchy they can be.

Hope you're inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

Cooking...Roasted Maple Glazed Acorn Squash With Cinnamon Pecans

 I like to share recipes from time to time that I think result in a really good dinner.  This could be a side dish or main dish depending on the type of eating you do.

This is Roast Maple Glazed Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Pecans.  Even my version was this pretty.  It takes less than an hour to bake and it is really tasty.  It is a very fall appropriate meal.   Consider doubling it so you can get two meals.  Spend the time saved stitching!

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Knits...

 Do you want more information on sewing knits?  I found this post at Nancy Zieman Productions The Blog - Nancy Zieman's Top 10 Knit Sewing Tips.  This post is full of ads for items for sale on the NZP site but it is worth reading the tips.  Nancy Zieman was the queen of stitching and listening to her early weekly shows improved my sewing so much.  The early shows were mostly clothing related.  Some of the early shows are available on youtube.

Don't forget to check out the NZP knit fabrics.  Nancy's Notions use to be a very good place to purchase the knit fabrics and I'm going to guess that the NZP knits will be of the same quality.

Happy Stitching!

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping...

 I really have not done a tremendous amount of shopping this year in person.  Honestly, I would really like to use fabric in the stash but somehow I never have the right fabric.  I visited JoAnn Fabrics to purchase some little ornament kits for a friend's kids.  I try to send them things to do rather than just things.  While I was there, I decided that I would pick some more flannel.  This is what I picked out:

This was a door buster and I purchased 5 yards and they gave me 1 yard.  I don't really need 6 yards but maybe I do.  I intended to make pajamas or lounge wear from this.  As I was leaving I noticed that the Simplicity patterns were on sale, so I returned later in the afternoon and picked up a couple of patterns.  Here is the patterns I choose:

This is Simplicity 9133.  It is a simple pull over blouse  pattern with a couple of necklines and versions with and without sleeves.  I really like the versions D and E.  In looking at the pattern instructions, the same bodice pieces are used regardless of whether it has sleeves or sleeveless.  This would indicate that the sleeveless version needs the armhole raised.  

This is Simplicity 9191 or in my case R10902.  I don't know why there is a difference in the pattern.  Anyone know why that is?  This is a men's vest and jacket pattern.  From time to time, I do sew for the guys in my life and this looks like a nice pattern.  Just got confirmation that DH likes the pattern.  

Who knows I may go back tomorrow and look at some more patterns.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Slim Pants

 Here is a nice pair of slim pants for consideration:

This is the Melissa Slim Ankle-Cut Pants by Akris.  Price tag: $895.00.  Details:  double-faced knit pant (wool/nylon), waistband sits across hips, straight hem hits at ankle, smooth front, smooth fitted legs, side zip.  Additional detail for size 2 - 9.1" rise, 30.5" inseam, 39.5" outseam, 12" leg opening.

I love the look of these pants but for me they are far too narrow and close.  I would use this pattern to create a similar look:

This is Love Notions Duet Trousers pattern.  The tapered leg style would give a similar took without being quite so close fitting.  

Mood has double-faced knit fabric available for between $18 and $30 per yard.  You could make a closet full of pants for the difference between the RTW and making them yourself.

Hope you're inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

Seamwork Sale...

 Seamwork is having a sale on their Unlimited Membership.  If you're interested in Seamwork, it is a good time to join.  Using the Seamwork links here, will give you an additional $3.00 off and I will get a small benefit also.

What do you get with Seamwork?  You get access to all the patterns and pattern bonuses, community, classroom, and discounts.  I have made three of the pattern bonuses so far.  Two of them you have seen - Bertie shirtdress and Dorian Pants. The third which is slowing being worked on is the Rhett jacket.  It will be here soon.  There are other items from Seamwork - Natalie camp shirt, Ariel dress, and Ace funnel neck top.

I'll admit that not all items are hits but that happens with all patterns.  The Ace funnel neck top wasn't a hit but that had less to do with the pattern itself than the styling.  It feels a little tight and a little short.  I strongly suspect that this is an age thing.  I did wear it just not often.  Maybe I need to shop the closet and see what else it may go with that isn't be worn much or needs another look.

Go take a look and see what is going on.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Silk Blouse

 Blouses are a wonderful addition to the wardrobe.  This silk one is interesting even if it is a bit low cut.  We can correct that type of issue when we make our own clothes.

This is the Therese Matt Silk Blouse by Lafayette 148 New York.  Price tag: $598.00.  Details: V neckline with notched collar, button front, long blouson sleeves, button cuffs, shirring at cuffs and back yoke, side slits, relaxed silhouette, approximately 26" long.  

Don't you just love how this is being shown tucked into jeans with a belt?  I haven't seen this look in a long time.  Here's a blouse that looks a lot like it:

This is McCall's 8067.  View D is very close to be the inspiration top. Just don't use the pockets unless you want to.

Frankly, it seems like the inspiration picture is very expensive.  Even if you purchased silk for your version, the largest size only takes 2 1/2 yards of fabric.  Mood carries silk from $25 to $50 per yard.  I admit that I would find it difficult to cut into $50 yard fabric.

Hope you are inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Sewing!

Inspiration...Hoodie

How is your hoodie doing?  Is it possible to have to many hoodie?  Generally, my hoodies are made from sweat shirt fabric and get worn all the time.  Let's up our game a little.  Check out this lovely hoodie:

This is the Front-Zip Wool-Blend Techo Jersey Hoodie by Akris.  Price tag: $2,990.00.  Details: Hooded collar, 2-way zip, long raglan sleeves, side-entry pockets, relaxed fit.

What is with that price tag? Do people really pay that much for a hoodie?  If you already have a hoodie pattern you love, use it.  However I have found this one and it is fairly close to the inspiration photo:

This is The Hoodie pattern by So Sew Easy.  This pattern is a little more fitted than the inspiration photo and you will need to add pockets.  Even though the pattern is free, think about leaving these ladies a donation for the pattern.  It will help keep the website running and new patterns coming.

Here is another option:

This is the Neighborhood Sweatshirt - Hoodie pattern by Liesl & Co.  This is a close contender to the inspiration photo.  It has a princess seam on the front with the raglan sleeves and a boxier shaping.

This are lots of  hoodie patterns available among the independent pattern companies and I would guess that if you could find a vintage pattern you would get an almost exact version of the inspiration hoodie.

As for the fabric, you should be able to find a similar fabric for $20.00 a yard more or less.  Jackets only take about 2 yards at 60-inches wide.  You might spend $20.00 on a pattern but it's a classic and can be used over and over.  Just think about how much money you can save stitching your own version(s).

Hope you are inspired to sew something beautiful!

Happy Stitching!

Organization...Sewing Room Part 2

My post on Sewing Room Organization is here.  That post shows that basic room.  I have now drawn my furniture to scale.  Here is the furniture:

It was very exciting to get the furniture drawn.  After I cut out the pieces, I realized that I had missed drawing the miniature cutting table.  So, I measured the various sections of the table and created my piece.  Here is my current room set up:

The cutting table closed up is sitting between the Sewing Desk and the Singer.  Doesn't this layout look like it should work?  I really thought this would be a great setup but I can not seem to keep it neat.  Really I have too much stuff.  Here's how I thought this room would work:

This is how I thought the room would work when I needed to cut things out and the previous picture is how I thought things would when I didn't need the cutting table.  Perhaps, I should clean up the room and leave the cutting table open all the time.  This would allow easy access to all the storage areas under my cutting table.  When the cutting table is folded up and pushed into it's home, I only have easy access to one side of the storage.

I think I am going to rethink this whole re-organization.  I actually still like my room the way it is arrange.  I think that the real issue is my ability to keep the room neat.  If I leave the cutting table open in the middle of the room, I will have space to add an ironing board.  

So, does anyone have any advice on keeping the room neat?  I suppose the real answer is putting things away when I am done with them and then cleaning the room between projects.  I am really bad about not taking the time to clean between projects along with just dumping stuff in the room.  

Okay, I am off to start the cleaning process. If I can get the room cleaned up, I should be able to return the items to the room that have migrated to other parts of the house.  I would love to hear that you think of my layout.

Happy Stitching!

Organization...Sewing Room

 I have been in this house for three years now.  I did a few organizational posts when I was attempting to get organized.  Here they are - Rulers, Cutting Boards & Peg Board, Fabric Folding, and views of Fabric Storage (some).  Then about a year later, I wrote a post about reorganizing the room.  The reorganization isn't working either. The things that worked was the first round of organizing the rulers, cutting boards, peg board.  The things that haven't worked partly is how the room is set up.  This means moving furniture around once again.

With this round, I have drawn the room to scale.  Here it is:

It is not a large room at 11 1/2' x 10'.  One wall is mostly doorways either to enter room or for the closet. Another wall is more than 1/2 a window.  I do have a small cabinet that will sit between the closet and entry door.  You can see bits of it in the ruler post above.  There is a three tier cart that sits between the closet door and the window.  The peg board is behind the door which is the perfect place for it.  On the same wall as the peg board, I have an Ikea cabinet that somehow manages to hold a large portion of my patterns with a shelf above it that holds jars of buttons, and other small sewing related items. Then, there is a large Ikea book shelf that is full of sewing books, knitting books, quilting books, and magazines.  There isn't nothing wrong with the placement of the items on this wall.  

Currently, the corning desk is occupying is corner next to the window with a Singer treadle right in front of the window.  Between the sewing desk and the bookshelf is another Singer sewing machine (meant to be the machine for my quilting) and my folding cutting table.  The room is full.  The cutting table can be rolled out into the center and opened up.  At least, that was the original plan.  I can not keep my room clean.  I have spilled out across the house.  I need to come up with a way for this to work in such a way to keep things neat and clean.

Currently, I am contemplating putting my sewing table in front of the closet.  The next step is to draw my furniture to scale and start playing with the furniture placement.  It is possible that the cutting table will not open up with the sewing table placement in front of the closet.  Maybe the real issue is my table.  I have hauled it around for a very long time.  It is possible that it is time to replace it.

I will share the scaled furniture and the various placements as I figure this out.  There is one more thing that isn't working with this room.  It is my fabric scrap storage.  It is literally just crammed into a small three drawer cabinet.  Nothing neat about it.  How do you store scraps?  The majority of my scraps are cotton ones that could be used for quilting type projects.

I will share as much as I'm comfortable sharing.  It is very possible that I will not show the room set up with machines.  I know that I talk about my various machines from time to time but I don't necessarily want to show all of them at once.

If you have organization or furniture arrange ideas, please share.  I will listen to all ideas because I need help.

Happy Stitching!

  

Inspiration...Reversible Jacket

 As the season progresses into fall, we need jackets.  Here's a boxy jacket that would be easy to recreate:

This is the Filippa Reversible Wool Cashmere Jacket by Lafayette 148 New York. Price tag: $898.00.  Details: open front, zip front, long sleeves, patch pockets, boxy silhouette, hem sits a hip.  The topstitching on this jacket is well worth checking out.

If you want this double-sided you will need to do the figure out to do.  A double-sided fabric would be perfect.  Here's a pattern that would be perfect:

This is the Janie's Jacket pattern by Silhouette Patterns.  It will work perfectly for the inspiration photo.  The inspiration photo has beautiful topstitching.  Check out the post on Pinstitch or Pickstitch or Prickstitch here.

Hope you're inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Sewing!

Inspiration...Boxy Cardigan

 As the days get shorter and the weather cools down, there is nothing better than having a cardigan to carry with you.  Here is a great cardigan:

This is the Eileen Fisher Wool-Blend Hooded Boxy Cardigan.  Price tag: $378.00.  Details:  Attached hood, open front, long sleeves, patch pockets, boxy silhouette, sits at hip.  

Folks, I think we could recreate this cardigan very easily with sherpa fleece or cuddle sherpa.  Here's the pattern that I think will make a perfect version of this cardi:

This is a freebie cardigan pattern by So Sew Easy.  This pattern will need to be shortened to make it perfect but you can't really get easier than that can we?  

Happy Stitching!

Pinstitch or Pickstitch or Prickstitch...

 Monday,  I shared a inspiration photo of a coat with a "pinstitch" detail.   Now, I thought this was going to be very straight ward to locate information on how to do this.  Guess what?  It was not.   I found tutorial for pin stitching in cross stitch, and heirloom pin stitch.  There were many of these types of tutorials available.  However, where is the information for using a pin stitch on a garment for top stitching or applying a zipper?  I was puzzled.  Perhaps I was using the incorrect term.

As it turns out, indeed it is the incorrect term. Pinstitch as used on the coat is called Pickstitch in the sewing world.  Here's a video from Threads - How to Sew a Pickstitch.  Here's another version - The Pickstitch.  This version also mentions that it can be called a prickstitch.

I found mention of this stitch in The Vogue/Butterick Step-by-Step Guide to Sewing Techniques circa 1989, and Sewing Couture - The Couture Cardigan Jacket by Claire Shaeffer circa 2013.  No doubt if I dug through more of the books in my library I would find more references.

Hope this information is useful.

Happy Stitching.

Inspiration...Coat

 When you live in a cooler climate, you definite need a nice coat.  Here is one for thought:

This is the Lafayette 148 New York Marabela Elite Italian Wool-Cashmere Coat.  Price tag: $1798.00. Details:  Notched lapel, one button, long sleeves, welt chest pocket, flat hip pockets, relaxed silhouette, pin-stitched detail, about knee length, approximately 39" back length.  

This is a very expensive coat and it is all about the fabric and pin-stitching.  Here is a pattern that is very close to the silhouette:

The is the Chaval Coat pattern by Liesl & Co.  With this pattern, you would need to add a chest welt pocket and maybe remove two of the buttons.  If it were me, I would leave all of the buttons for added warmth.

The wool/cashmere coating is fairly easy to find and there are lots of colors/patterns to choose from.  Even at $35.00 a yard, you could purchase enough for a muslin and still be a head.  

Hope you are inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

Seamwork Rhett Muslin Round 3

The next round of changes to the Rhett jacket are here.  I basted all of the previous changes in so I could see what was going on.  Starting with the back:

The back looks reasonably well.  It might be a little wide on me but I am going with it.  There is 1/2-inch rounded back adjustment about 1 1/2" from the neckline.  Here's some side shots:

This side shot looks much better than the side shots without the dart.  I think the pinned in dart looks like it is a bit too long.  I think it will be backed off by 1/2-inch.  

With the exception of the "pocket hack", I think this jacket is ready.  I will be working on the pattern changes.  This is actually the hard part.  Some changes affect others so, I will need to get that worked out and hope that the changes from the muslin to the pattern translate well.  Here's links to the other posts on the Rhett jacket:

Round 1 - straight from the pattern

Round 2 - some of the changes.

Happy Stitching!

Seamwork Rhett Muslin Round 2....

 After looking closely at the pictures from Round 1, I decided to make minor changes to this round.  Here's a glimpse:

The changes to the muslin here are:

1.  added collar

2.  added sleeve hems and jacket hem

3.  Remove 1" from each shoulder seam.

I think that the shoulder seams are in a better place now.  I really should have been the tuck down a bit further but we'll save that for the next round. I'm not sure about the length shown here.  Let's see what the side view looks like:

Now from the side with my hair out of the way, you can see two things:

1. The collar is standing away from my neck which indicates that I need a rounded back adjustment.

2. The front is much shorter and appears to stand away from my body which indicates that a bust dart is required.  This will added length where is it needed.

I think I am okay with the sleeve length.  It is a little bit long but not some much that I want to do something about it.  Really, this is not a bad list of changes.  It will be important to do them in order though as the round back adjustment will make the jacket fit a little bit differently in the front.  

I am going to say that I have never shortened a shoulder seam before.  Nothing like learning something new.  I will actually be following information provided in the classroom section of Seamwork for this modification but I found similar information at Curvy Sewing Collective here.

I am a member at Seamwork.  The classroom is part of the subscription.  If you were to use one of the Seamwork links here to purchase a monthly or yearly subscription, you would get a $3 discount and I will get a small benefit.

Happy Stitching!

Technique For Hand Sewing Snaps...

One of the things that need to be considered for the Rhett jacket is finishing technique.  The jacket takes 3/4" buttons.  I am considering using snaps instead of buttons.   I was thinking that the Alabama Chanin way of hand sewing snaps would look interesting on the jacket.  I started looking for information on the technique for sewing the snaps on.  I really thought that it would be super easy to find and a tutorial could be found on the Alabama Chanin blog.  I was wrong.  Here is the information that has been found:

1.  Alabama Chanin Covered Snaps

2.  Alabama Chanin instructions on how to sew a snap on

The information from both of these posts may very well work for my jacket.  Let's see what happens when I get to the point where I can actually make a decision on this.   

Hope you found this information interesting.

Happy Stitching!

Seamwork Rhett Muslin Round 1...

 I started my next project for my Design My Wardrobe plan.  Here's the line drawing:

This is the Seamwork Rhett jacket.  Originally, I was going to make the view with the square pockets on the left.  Then I discovered this hack:

This hack has hidden front pockets.  This hack is found in the magazine.  So, here's round 1:

The front of the jacket isn't too bad.  You can see that the indications that a bust dart is needed.  Looks like the shoulder is too long.

Here's two views of the side.  The view with my arm down definitely shows that a dart is needed.  I am not sure what to do about the puffiness on the back near the bottom of the sleeve.  I didn't actually wear the muslin long enough to know whether or not I need to add a round back adjustment.  Let's see what the back looks like:

The back just looks too big.  Maybe that is the puffiness that I noted form the side view.  There may be a need for a round back adjustment.  I think I need to find something to get my hair off my neck so I can see what is going on.  

I'm off to make changes to this particular muslin and see how it turns out.  I will definitely reduce the length of the shoulder since that seems to be affecting so much; add the collar so I can see how the collar is actually hanging; baste in the hems.  I think that is enough for Round 2.

Just so you know.  I only make one muslin unless the size is extremely off.   A muslin that is too small just won't work.  A muslin that is too large will be easier to deal with but will require too many changes.  I am not looking for perfect because I am not sure it exists.

About Seamwork - Seamwork is a subscription service.  It can be purchased monthly or yearly.  Individual patterns can be purchased as well.  If you purchased a Seamwork subscription through my link, you would get $3 off your subscription and I would get a small benefit as well at no cost to you.

Happy Stitching!

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