Vogue Tailored Skirt - V1021

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This particular pattern did not call to be lined, however most skirts such as this would probably benefit from a lining.  In this case, the fabric is a beautiful soft lightweight 100% wool.  I did not hesitate to line it with 100% silk.  Yes, it takes almost twice as long to line but well worth it.  Remember, when you sit down in a wool skirt, the fibers get stretched and they don't return to normal easily.  The result will be that you are going to have a butt print in your skirt if you have to sit down for any length of time.  In addition, a nice quality lining provides body and form to your garment.  My second piece of advice is to use sew in interfacing.  It's always the quality way to go when sewing. 

Sewing With Lycra

This was a fun little Lycra top to make.  Yes, you heard me.   Fun and Lycra can be used in the same sentence.  :)  Don't let stories from other seamstresses intimidate you.  Here are the rules. 

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  Use Polyester thread.  It stretches and you need the thread to stretch.
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  Wind your bobbin thread slowly.  This makes for a looser wind.  Very important.
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  Use a "new" ball point needle.  I used a size 80/11 for this project.
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  Adjust your top tension down.  Mine was pretty low for this light weight thin Lycra.
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  Sew a test strip to check your tension and quality of seam.  If the stitches break when pulled or your fabric puckers, your tension is too tight.
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  Sew slowly and allow the fabric to naturally feed through under the presser foot.  Do not pull or stretch fabric as you sew.
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  You may use straight stitch or zigzag.  Either works fine.

Remember.. on any tension adjustments, avoid touching your bobbin tension unless you really know your machine well and you know what you are doing.  I never adjust mine.

If you find you're having problems with the fabric slipping or not feeding properly under the presser foot, try the following.  Pin a piece of tissue paper on top of the fabric and sew directly on top of the tissue.  After you finish sewing, gently tear away the tissue. 

The below picture is a truer example of the colors in this fabric.   Big difference...  I think the flash had something to do with it.  I am taking my pictures with my Blackberry and I'm not able to get very good pics, but wanted you to see that sewing with Lycra is possible, it's easy, and you should not be afraid to work with it.  This pattern is a New Look #6464.

 

Designing Your Own Patterns

I've always been intimidated by designing my own patterns but the other day I decided I would wing it and see what happened with a skirt I had in mind.  The first thing I did was to rummage through my daughters room and find an old jeans mini skirt.  I used the skirt primarily as a guide to trace out size on a piece of tracing paper.  I divided the front into 3 panels and left the back as one piece and added a narrow yoke with a side zipper.  What really excited me was the fact that my waistband turned out perfectly.  I decided it simply could not be as hard as it looked.  As I went about the task of tracing and cutting, I tried not to overthink the whole process.  I would encourage anyone to make an attempt at something like this.  This project was exactly what I needed to gain confidence and take me to a new level of visualizing fabric, design, and fitting.

V2973 (Montana, Vogue Paris Original)

Currently I don't have anyone reading this blog so it's really more of a diary at this point... but who knows.  I am hopeful that one day I'll figure out how to get this blog up and running and open to the general public. :) 

The jeans are finally done! Wow, this turned into a much larger project than I anticipated. The biggest problem was that the sewing machine I used was not deisgned for heavy fabrics. I broke 3 needles and almost broke 2 machines while trying to complete the jeans.  I don't think I would try this again unless I happen across a more industrial style machine that can handle the seams and top stitching.

The things I liked best about this pattern were the front pockets and the knees. The directions were pretty easy to follow, however I did run into some issues with the waisteband that I was not able to resolve as I would have otherwise liked.  Other than that, I would add a back yoke to the jeans. This particular style tends to flatten out my butt. I believe having a yoke might give the back of the pants the proper ease which would give a more flattering look from behind.