Thursday, June 18, 2009

A Bit of Progress



I'm a slow sewer. Even when the goddess of good sewing is in my room with me. Slow. When something isn't exactly right, it gets re-done until it is. It's okay--I'm not trying to win a race. Good thing too!





I'm working on DD's jacket--S2701. It has inseam pockets with a flap. Many tailoring techniques are not included in pattern instructions. A tailoring class, I think, is essential to successful jacket/coat making. Here, I've stabilized the pocket area on the jacket with a fusible interfacing, both the front and side-front pieces. Otherwise, the jacket pieces may have some drag on them.

After I got the jacket front and back sewn together and hung up, I could see that one of the pocket flaps was wider at the top than the bottom. Here's the thing: after sewing in a flap, measure the flap width all the way across before continuing. Mine was off a smidgen, but if I noticed it, I figure someone else could see it also. And that makes for cheap looking sewing.

I took the pocket and flap off of that side and reworked it. That took some time, but now both flaps are even and that's a happy thing.



I bought black lining, washed it and disliked it. It's Bemberg Rayon. It wrinkled. It poofed. Blah! I found more black lining in my stash. I love stash! More please.

At this point, the jacket looks like it should. I hope to do some more sewing over the weekend. Not today thought--I'm off for some $1.99 Simplicity patterns at Jo's and whatever else I find, and lunch out with hubby.

More later.



21 Talk to me:

Rhoto said...

Hello Gwen!!
I made vertical pocket flaps on DH's vest that were going the same direction... "Goin' my way??" Tee! Hee!!
Soft hug,
Rhonda in Montreal (PR)

The Sewing and Knitting Loft said...

Looking good Gwen! I really like the color and the pleat in the back, and the collar are both nice touches. Can't wait to see the finished jacket, your DD will love it. Enjoy your day and I hope you find goodies at Jo's.

Trudy said...

Probably saves you time in the end to be slow and accurate so you are not spending loads of time taking out stitches.

www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

Julia said...

I have become more and more picky as each day goes by. Sometimes I think I'm OCD about my sewing, but I don't want to waste my time doing something that I'm not proud of. The jacket looks great so far. Happy shopping!

knitmachinequeen (KMQ) said...

It amazes me how much patience I now have when sewing. I too will take something apart as many times as I deem necessary to get it right. There was a time when I'd simply trash it and go on to the next project. Can't wait to see the finished garment.

Anonymous said...

Some days slow is good! Slow and steady. Just enjoy the process! Any luck with the Simplicity sale?

Jean said...

Your jacket is looking lovely --- the pockets look great. Slow sewing is a good thing. I'm slow too, but I think taking the time to do a careful job is better than rushing through a project. Can't wait to see your jacket!

Unknown said...

So far so good. You know what they say "slow and steady wins the race". So, what'd you get at Jo's???

Anonymous said...

Looking good! At least I'm not the only one with the whole "if I can see it..." philosophy.

Rose said...

I'm all for slow, steady, and sew it right (hopefully the first time or notice the mistake asap)especially when a garment is looking as good as yours. Hmmm..I'm getting ready to sew on pockets with a flap. I'll remember to measure carefully - I'd notice the difference also.

Diana said...

I think it is really worth it to take your time so as to achieve a professional looking garment. I've told friends on a few occasions that they should rework garments they had made . I even offered to show them how to fix their problems. I do it in such a way that they don't take offense and they end up with much better looking garments.I'm probably awful do do that but I just can't help myself.LOL.
Thank you for the nice comment you left on my blog!

Rachel said...

That is a pretty color. I am a slow sewer too. I have decided that I have a short attention span.

Michelle said...

Can't wait to see the end result. I have gotten more picky with my sewing as the years have gone by. If there is a little mistake, I am usually the only one who would notice though. But, I still want to fix it and usually do!

window dressing said...

Your sewing projects always have beautiful bright colors. I love that. It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you are satisfied with the end result.

Unknown said...

Which patterns did you buy? My total started to grow when I realized that there were several patterns (Threads and one Project Runway) that had different bust sizes in the pack. I've ignored Simplicity so long that I hadn't realized. I'm dangerous when I haven't looked at patterns for a while. I went ahead and got ones that I've been admiring for months. I even pulled out the fabrics that I want to use. Must be the heat.

Kat said...

I'm such a slow sewer too! As with all things enjoyable, however, good things take time :) .

Anonymous said...

Very nice. Looking forward to seeing more of this project.

Sharon Sews said...

I go through spurts. Sometimes I'm slow and steady but other times I'll choose a project based on how quickly I think the end result can be produced.

Faye Lewis said...

You are truly the jacket queen!

Zep said...

I was reading Julia's blog - saw your comment...wanted to say, I am so sorry for your family's loss. Life is a precious gift with few breaths. It's awful to have your children go before you. Be well the next few days. Hugs for your family.....

Kim Brown said...

That is so me, I am very slow too, and I always wondered if I was the only one! I especially can't sew with alot of mess around, so I always take time to clean up after every creation. Can't wait to see your vibrant jacket! Oh, and thanks for your always sincere comments on my blog. :0)

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