Asymmetrical top : Nein! Nein! Nein!

This is the story of an asymmetrical tunic top using the pattern M6204 (tunic A.)

The pattern was very straightforward and simple to sew up. However, I doubt that I will be making it again in the future, at least as-is. It is not the pattern, it's me. Somehow my body type (and my brain) rejects this shape.

I used a purple stretched poly-charmeuse. It was also shiny. :( You don't need a stretchy shiny fabric to sew up this type of top, you know. I just wasn't thinking. It made the stitches pucker up because I didn't use a stretch fabric friendly stitch. My bad. And the shine highlight this fact... This fabric was also very annoying to iron. But that's just because I threw out our ironing board before moving into this apartment and have been ironing on the dining table. So the result of this are wrinkly photos...

Tunic before beading.

I sewed shell beading around the neckline.

Close-up.

I also sewed the beads around the back...

I raised the neckline a bit and made it less wide, but it's still too wide than I would've liked. Perhaps this also contributed to my not-so-enthralled feeling with this effort. The shell beads around it made it nicer thankfully. (Shell beads are from my stash, contributed by my MIL from my GMIL's stash) So as usual I will still be wearing it, but also as usual under a jacket! :)

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I have not been liking any of my photos (of me) taken by my hubby :) Plus the lighting in our apartment as you can see in all the photos so far is horrible. With a toddler, we hardly remember taking the camera (DSLR) when we go out. Too huge to lug out you see. My point and shoot sucks. I do wish I will learn to take better pics. Maybe a tripod in the future? That still won't help with the bad indoor lighting :)

Of UFOs and upcoming projects

Yesterday I decided to finish off my very first attempt at sewing, a very old UFO* as old as my son. The back story is that I cut out my old dress (can't seem to find any picture, but it's a navy colored empire waisted long maxi dress with a faux wrap top - how's that for a description?) to make into a tunic top from a pattern (the only pattern I had at the time). The fabric of this dress is slinky, silky-ish polyester I think. I stop at cutting out the fabric pieces and then put it away for a whole year. Took it out August/September of last year when I became a SAHM, and turned it into a loose Sorbetto top, but never finish it. Didn't want to turn and stitch the armhole and hem (coz by this time the fabric has frayed like crazy), didn't have enough fabric to make self fabric binding, and didn't have anything in stash that matches or complements it too!

But 3 thrift store trips ago I found a white fabric (difficult to know the types of thrifted fabric unless it's noted on the tag, printed on selvage or I take time to do the tests that I do not know how to do, or that I do not have the tools/time to do ---> lazy...). Initially I envisioned something else for the fabric, but when I took out this UFO, they just go together so well!



Okay, technically this Sorbetto is not yet done. I've done the hem part and the length now is more of a tunic than a top which I prefer anyways, but have not yet stitched down the binding on the neckline and armhole. I probably will handstitch it as usual.

One reason why I'm not done with this is because of this boo boo:


My pinking shears accidentally got caught out with the front part of the top when I was trimming the seams where I attached the white to the bottom of the tunic. See the "small" hole on the purple fern in the picture above? As the Bean would say, OH NO!!!

So, last night was spent making these in the hope to cover up the mishap:

That's my very first attempt of making a fabric rosette (this morning I glued on safety pin on the back, so that I won't ruin it in the washer like I tend to do without fail...). I used the same white fabric, and hand sew Czech beads from my stash to the middle parts. Tutorial to make extravaganza fabric rosettes can be found on this site.

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Talking about UFOs, a most recent project that is being put on the back burner is a refashion of my favorite Massimo Dutti wool & angora tan coat that I shrunk in the washer fall of last year. I think the shrinking of that coat really made me so upset that I am trying my best to watch my laundering... I've never sent anything to the drycleaners here, so I am not sure of the cost, frankly I am being very conscientious of pricing and cost now that I'm here in the US/with a baby. I did it every month back in Malaysia because we wear a lot of silk/lace etc traditional outfit for events/work and so on.

Here is where it's at:

The coat shrunk from a European size 16 (US size 14) to a child sized one! So it was quite brutal for me to rip up the seams, as there was a lot of puckering (to the many many interfacing) and the wool and angora hide a lot of the stitches too.

My plan is to make a clutch, incorporating the collar and so on to the design. The black fabric with gold, white and bright red flowers is a thrifted fabric that I am using as the lining.

I will only go back to this project once I'm done with at least one of the following upcoming projects:

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1) Sporty dress with exposed zipper - I've wanted to make this dress for a while now, but only got the right fabric for it last Friday. It's a Sangria-colored (like darker hot pink) Sophia ponte knit that I bought from Vogue Fabrics. I haven't decided on the type of zippers yet, I bought several types from Joann's but the only gold colored ones are for Jeans and they are stiff... :(

Pattern for this dress is McCall's M6395, and I want to make the long sleeved red version (on the pattern).


2) Kimono-esque style top from purple stretch poly charmeuse bought from FabricMart (provided that I have enough yardage will follow pattern M6204, or else will have to wing it). Beading/embellishment will be optional.


3) Making a 3-quater sleeved version of the Date Dress from pattern M6518 from this thrifted cotton fabric:


This fabric I think was my very first thrifted fabric that's not cut out fabric for quilts. I have 3 yards of it. For the dress, I will leave out the ruffles from the pattern and this version will incorporate the tweaks I want to make for the pattern. I might need to make another muslin for this purpose... hmmm...

4) Top - long sleeved/3 quarter sleeved version) out of this floral knit also from FabricMart using pattern M6513



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Anyways, time to hand stitch the tunic and officially close it's chapter as a UFO.

*UFO = unfinished object

Vogue 1261 - view B

I'm a slow worker. It took me 5 hours to cut the fabric for this project. Then abandoned this project for 2 days. And then spent the whole afternoon and night of Saturday sewing this. Why it took me this long? Because I decided to work while watching all the episodes and seasons of Say Yes to the Dress that are available on Netflix, and the latest Project Runway on their website (we don't have cable). And got distracted big time. That's why.

But it's all done. And I wore it the next afternoon on Sunday - impromptu picnic with my family at the park.

About the tunic:

Pattern: Vogue 1261 - I made View B (the white tunic with cowl collar).

I decided to just cut the pattern size 16 after adding 3 inches to the length. When I cut the fabric, I added 2 inches to the abdomen area to by sliding and pivoting... I didn't make any muslin this time...

Fabric: Black ponte knit from FabricMart.com. (Still have at least 8 yards left)

Notions: 2mm twin needle & 2 1/2 yds of black ribbons (i used 5/8" rayon ribbons that was meant for seam/hem finishing from my stash that I got from thrift store). The ribbons to be used for the back seam for decorative purposes like so:------------------------------------>

The black ponte knit I used made the tunic feel nice and warm as it is a little heavier than cotton jersey and such. The tunic does look like the pattern picture even though in black it's difficult to capture the details in photo.

detail on the shoulder-sleeves seam

However, I think I needed a smaller size for my shoulder (and I will alter that part in my future version if I make any), but the chest and so on fits me well. I even like how the sleeves fits me, just not the shoulder. I still need to learn more about fitting obviously. I will also take out the 3 inches that I added to the length. Current length made me look shorter. I didn't mind the 2 extra inches that I added to the abdomen area. But next version I will can leave this out.

Ribbon detailing on the back seam

The cowl collar turned into mini hood! (who knew) Next time I will make this collar deeper, so that I can have the hood covering my whole head. Good for windy days...

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Until the next project!