Plaid!

(I had a much more clever title for this post when I was thinking about it yesterday but I forgot what it was.)

I like plaid but I am a little bit afraid of it. I wasn't always but then I started reading sewing blogs and discovered that one is expected to match the plaid not only across the front but also the sleeves, at the side seems, and pretty much everywhere. It all seems so overwhelming now. This time I tried, I really did but I didn't account for the bust darts which make it pretty much impossible to match the sides and the sleeves. Oh well. My experience has been that nobody notices those details unless you point them out, and the sewing bloggers never read my blog anyway so why stress over it.

I have just one comfortable, casual long sleeved shirt made of lightweight cotton that is perfect for days when it's cool enough for long sleeves but still too warm for really warm clothes. I wear it a lot when the weather is like that so when Denver Fabrics had a sale on shirting I bought three pieces. This is the first one of those. I love this fabric, the colors and the texture. It has heavier threads running through it, sort of like in a "ripstop" fabric but at irregular intervals.

Just for fun I thought I would try a more animated pose than my usual and (unfortunately, perhaps) it turned out to be the best picture.

And here's a view of the back yoke.

This is another New Look 6963. My third and I still haven't used any of the sleeves that came in the pattern. (but I will) I love this pattern but there is one thing about it that I don't like: it has a back neck facing instead of a yoke lining. I made the first two with the facing but I made this one with a proper lined yoke. You can see the first one here. I haven't photographed the second one. This pattern has two different backs. The bug shirt has a pleated back. This one has darts that you can just barely see in the second photo.

She Who Hesitates Doesn't Get the Fabric

I have been looking for some stretch denim that is actually noticeably stretchy for ages. I found some black denim and made an amazingly comfortable (if not exactly fashionable) pair of jeans but no one ever has any faded blue stretch denim. But finally I found it! [rays of heavenly light, angels singing] Girl Charlee, which very helpfully gives the percent of stretch, had two nice stretch denims: one, a "light indigo blue" and the other one "antique indigo". I really wanted the antique indigo but I waited several hours trying to decide whether I wanted to get some of the light blue also or only the antique indigo. I decided to get only the antique indigo but when I went to order it they only had one yard left! (Oh the humanity!)

Naturally, I was devastated but I ordered some of the light indigo denim. I will keep checking. Maybe someday they will get some more? I have one big complaint against Girl Charlee. They are one of those online fabric retailers that only sell in whole yard increments. I am sure that this contributed to my not getting the fabric I wanted. How many of the people who ordered the antique denim had to order more than they actually wanted? 3 yards instead of 2 1/2 yards, for example. Perhaps there would have been enough left for me if other people hadn't been forced to buy more than they needed. I have learned my lesson though. Never hesitate to buy fabric.

Showing Off the Sewing, Worthy or Not

For a couple of weeks I was feeling uninspired and didn't know what I wanted to sew so I decided it would be a good time to sew something boring and practical: a denim skirt. I know you can't see the whole skirt - not a very good way to show it off - but in the pictures it looked a lot longer than it actually is so I cropped off the bottom of the picture. It's actually about mid-calf length. (I would rather have taken these outside because the flash does me no favors but the neighbors are putting a new roof on their house and I could just imagine them saying, "What's that crazy lady doing over there taking pictures of herself?") Anyway, here it is:

I made the blouse about three or four years ago. It's a Kwik Sew 3511. I never go tucked in because that emphasizes the granny gut. (which I've had all my life and I hate it now as much as ever but somehow it is a bit of a relief to be old enough to refer to it as a "granny gut") I really like the way the whole outfit looks.

Here's a detail pic. (The color of the denim is more accurate in the first picture.) I'm not happy with the buttons but I wanted to get it done and not go on a long frustrating search for "exactly the right buttons" so I just used a couple of leftover 5/8 inch shirt buttons I had, thinking, "I can always replace them with some nice ones later," but I probably won't bother.

And the pocket with the hidden opening. I'm always very afraid to show the insides of anything I sew. This is really a leap for me so be kind. (Yes, those are hand stitched buttonholes. Because I can. And it's fun.) (I did not make the quilt.)

And finally, a less "dressed up" look with the skirt and a top I made a couple of months ago. I didn't show off the top when I first made it because I felt like it was a FAIL. The fabric, a cotton/rayon blend knit, is sort of twisty and it made the hem uneven, but I sort of like it anyway.

I am now back in a sewing mood and want to make 10 things at once. I just finished a blouse this morning. It has long sleeves so I'm going to wait until the temperature drops a little before wearing/showing off that one. I am getting ready to start a rain poncho, which I will need soon. After that more long sleeved shirts, I think. I have some plaids that I am eager to get into.