Is It Spring Yet?

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't... It's green all the time here it seems even while freezing cold (to me) so forgive me if I am a little bit confused (or just wishful?).

For once I am sewing ahead of season (again, just according to me), just so that I have spring and summer friendly clothes to wear when the time comes... :) Enough is enough with wearing my winter fabric-friendly in summer and vice versa. So with that, I geared up enough courage to cut into my most spring-y/summer-y fabric, a pretty lightweight white and yellow silk I purchased online (from Gorgeous Fabrics) last year.

Somehow I thought that I got only 1.5 yards of this silk (instead I have 2, oopps), so my mind was made up to make it into a flowy top, and the best candidate for this is McCall's M6711 top pattern I've just recently made in a black version.

As you can see, I've lined the top. I didn't decide to line this while planning (fail, I thought I've covered all the bases), as I figured I will just wear a camisole underneath. But just before I sew down the inside of the shoulder facing thingy to my top front it occurred to me that I will hate it when this lightweight see through fabric going to show how clingy a camisole underneath would be. No sirree.. So I unpick as carefully as I can the armholes (that were already finished with a rayon binding) and planned for a lining.

Luckily I have a nice lightweight white lining fabric in my stash, rayon I think, and since I am not going to unpick the whole top (as the front V neckline has been neatly pressed, and the seam french-seamed) and reline/underline everything, I opted to have the front lining piece to have a U neckline and cut on fold. The back is the same, also cut on fold. Both lining pieces then were attached to the shoulder/neck/upper facing (not sure if this make sense).

Am I liking the fact that you can see a big U in front of my top under my sheer V-necked top? No. I'm crying inside a bit because I would've preferred that it is fully lined. But would I unpick the neat v-neck and risk my sheer silk fabric to be torn? I'm afraid not. So I will have to live with it, and have to think on how to have a nice full lining on a V-neck top... Is it the same as a regular U neckline top? 

oh. and other adjustments I made from my black version are:

• cut the back piece smaller, as it was too full
• distributed the upper back gather to the whole back rather than just middle of the back:

P/s: The black top's back is pulled down by the heavier velvet burnout knit fabric I used to complement the black silk.

So, my first fresh, spring top is done ahead of time for once. Other than the U lining neckline that's screaming at me, I love it! Truly. The fabric is great, very very sweet. Suzanne had the red (or orange?) one and made it into a very pretty dress. I have yet to wear mine out, just waiting for the perfect weather...

2013 Refashion #2: Light Jacket Upsizing & Relining

A lengthy refashion project I started a couple of weeks ago: to upsize my old linen jacket and reline it.

• In order to evaluate how much to add to the too-small jacket, I unpick the lining and used that as my "muslin". I guestimated that I needed 3 inches added to each sides of the front bodice and under-arms of the kimono sleeves for wearing ease. I contemplated under-arm gussets for a while, but ditched that plan and stick to just adding panel insets. I added the same amount to panel inserts for the jacket.
• I used the matching linen pants to cut up panel inserts for the jacket.

• Using the old lining-turned-muslin as pattern pieces, I cut out new lining for the upsized jacket out of a set of thrifted grey and beige rayon blouse and skirt.

I am very happy with the outcome! The relining took 2/3 of the sewing time because I got side tracked by other ongoing projects and a sewing meetup I went to this recent Saturday (was the first actual sewing meetup I participated in, I had great fun and did not feel out of place! How could I not: talking to kind and warm adults other than my husband about sewing, fabric, crafts and whatnots without the toddler sitting on my projects or trying to pull out my pins? :) )

I did not re-sew the buttons and snaps back on (there wasn't buttonholes on the original, the self-covered buttons were just there for embellishment) because I kind of like it left open like that. Very casual. (I might consider adding some sort of closures in the future...)

~

Currently on my sewing table: 

• Refashion project of an ultrasuede skirt to a handbag (status: pattern adjusted and pieces cut)
• A white rayon-cotton knit V1261 alice + olivia vogue patterns view A (status: maybe 80% done, but man, i'm now thinking that at this stage of my sewing clothes I should consider getting a serger finally. sewing a light knit on regular sewing machine is a beast. Not looking for anything fancy, a lower end but can do good cover stitch, rolled hem, and whatnot. Using twin needles and this and that fancy detachable feet on my regular, cheap but beloved sewing machine is not cutting it anymore...)

Anybody have any suggestion on a good lower end (by that i meant $300 and lower) serger/overlock to start on? Are you using one currently?

Happy Valentine's Day!

:)

In the homefront, I am working on a bunch of different things at the same time since last week: Reworking necklaces, refashioning a linen jacket (from too-small jacket, too-small pants), relining that same jacket (using fabric from thrifted blouse and skirt), making cushions and cushion covers, and making a seat cushion for my new thrifted sewing chair. Trying to finish all that so that I can proceed with making my spring tops and blouses...

Verdict: Not so good at working too many projects at the same time.

Have a great rest of the week! Can't wait to watch Project Runway tonite!