Complete Mini Wardrobe

Key item: Straight skirt McCall's 3830 PR review / Blog post

Knit top Simplicity 2345 PR review / Blog post

Woven top New Look 6808: PR review /  Blog post

A-line skirt Self drafted: PR review / Blog post

Last minute knit tunic Burda 7872: PR review / Blog post

Key Item McCall's 3830 Done

 So I am finally done with my key item for my mini wardrobe. Its a pretty easy and basic skirt to sew up if your not me. I added a lining so that added a few more steps to the process, but it was still easy for the most part. I used Easy Guide To Sewing Linings to help me draft the skirt pattern but then it left me hanging, if you own this book please help me, look at page 77 where it shows you to draft the lining for a skirt with facing. I did exactly as it is done but when it came to sew it up there are no directions at least I could not find them instead it refers you to the quick line method which is on page 80-81 and this you use the full front and full back pattern. Its not that sewing it up was difficult I was mostly confused by the 11/4 inches needed over the facing edge. I mean if your just going to sew it to the facing why not the usual 5/8 inch seam. Okay enough about that. Other than that it went together pretty smoothly.
 Now I have a fitting problem and it seems that none of my sewing books cover it.My side seam swings to the back and I THINK  this is a swayback problem but again I'm not sure none of the 4 fitting books I have cover this they only mention of the side seam swinging forward for a flat derriere , I'm total opposite in Fit For Real People they do mention a swayback in a skirt address it if there is a waistband but nothing about the side seam swinging to the back only pooling again if you have this book I'm referring to page 180. Please help if you can. Only thing I did change to the pattern is add 1 inch length and sewed up a size 16 and it fits fine other than the side seam going back.

 Photographing black is not easy but for the most part it look exactly as it does on the pattern envelop drawing black and long. Here are the pics I took while making it, again if you are following me on instagram then most of these are familiar already.

 Inside back view with partial lining and back vent.

Lining sewn around the back zipper

 Handsewing the hem using directions from Reader's Digest .

 here it is with Simplicity 2345. I plan to make another soon its one of my favorite tops to wear.

 I think the next time once I workout the side seam problem I do a side invisible zip, I like those much better than the back centered zip.

Until Next time happy sewing...

McCall's 3830 and Simplicity 4079 Muslin

 I have started working on fitting my vest (Simplicity 4079). It took me about 3 hours to go from tracing, to adding seam lines, to cutting out, to tissue fitting, to sewing up a muslin and this is with many interruptions from my kids. I can see that I will need to make an FBA and add more with in the waist. I does fit but just not the way I would like. So tonight I hope to spend a few hours adjusting my pattern and trying out the adjustments in muslin. I think I'm going to add the width using the back pattern piece and do the FBA to the front pieces. I'm only going to do one adjustment at a time and try to tissue fit with each adjustment, with making a muslin and each adjustment I think will be too time consuming. The FBA will be the only one I do from the book everything else I'll be figuring out as I go. This is really going to be a learning assignment for me, but end the end I will have learned more about fitting and have some nice clothes to show for it...hopefully.

So here is where I finished with last night McCall's 3830 and Simplicity 4079 both in muslin stage and ready for changes to the paper pattern for both. The skirt pattern just needs a length and waist change which I think will be easy to do without having to make another muslin. The vest as I said earlier I know will need at least one more maybe two more muslins, but I will not rush it I will take my time with everything and just enjoy the process and hopefully the beautiful garments afterward.
 While working with the vest pattern I realized how much I really like the look and how it looked on me, at first I thought that maybe I would only make it  one or two times but I can see this as a regular in my wardrobe, so hopefully another TnT in the works.
Until next time, happy sewing...