Harder than it should be

Hello there, happy Friday!

You might have noticed that I haven't shown you anything I've sewn for myself in my last few posts.  That's because I haven't had much success there recently!

In between sewing the Mother of the Groom outfit I finished last week I've been working on several things for myself, but none of them have gone as expected.  The jacket I'd planned on making to wear to a wedding in a couple of weeks is looking good, but doesn't go with the dress I'm wearing - and as it doesn't go with anything else in my wardrobe I've kind of lost interest in it.  I will finish it and show it off one day, but not right now.

Disheartened by this, I then decided to make Simplicity 1652, which is another of their Amazing Fit patterns. 



After the success I'd had with one of those for my trousers, I thought it would be plain sailing, but no.  I made a muslin of the bodice (I wanted the one with the cutout back) and it was way too long, giving me a big empty lump on the top of my back.  I had that same problem with my Style Arc jacket that got abandoned, so I need to learn from that. 

I made some alterations, decided they were OK, cut out my fabric and started sewing.  Ugh, it looked awful!   I had just enough fabric to cut a new bodice using the petite fitting and the non-cutout back.  But the dress needs lining (the fabric is VERY thin), and the lining I have right now is horrible.  The dress fabric is a silk/cotton blend and it's lovely, whereas my lining is polyester and not lovely.  I need to shell out for some decent lining, but again I've lost interest. 

Earlier this week I was DESPERATE to make something for myself, so I went back to a tried and trusted pattern - New Look 6000.  I've used this 3 times already, once for a dress and twice shortened to make tops.  I decided to use the shortened "top" version and a very small piece of butterfly print georgette I picked up recently.

All was going swimmingly until I came to the neckline.  I hate facings, so decided to use bias tape to finish the neckline, but could I get it to lie flat?  No, I couldn't.  Not one of the three attempts I had at it was anywhere near flat!

My final solution was to fully line the body, which it probably needed anyway as the fabric is very sheer.  I had just enough ivory lining fabric in my stash to cut the front and back pieces, using very narrow seam allowances.

Here's the result.

 
 


I'm actually pleased with it, but feel it's been a hard slog to get there.  And it shouldn't have been!  I don't know why things haven't been going right in my sewing for myself recently, but I hope that changes.

Next up is another stab at Simplicity 1652, using some black and white brushstroke printed linen blend fabric from my stash.  Fingers crossed it works this time!

14 comments

  1. I hate when a project doesn't work out. I've got a few of those laying around. I do adore your butterfly top - it is really pretty and looks great on you. I think you made a good choice lining it rather than using facings. Hope future sewing projects go well for you!

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    1. Thanks Jenny. Yes, facings would have looked awful on this sheer fabric.

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  2. You went thru a lot to get there, but your top is so pretty. And it looks good on you. Love the skirt too!

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  3. Some projects are testing but you learn a lot more from them.. Cute top

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  4. I did Simplicity 1652 recently and I had to take it in quite a bit. There must be a lot of ease built it? The triangular shapes (above the cutout on the back) ended up overlapping because they were too big, so i added snaps. It still is a little gapey at the neckline, so that could be taken in more. If I do it again i'll go down a size or maybe 2, but unfortunately I used the smallest size on the pattern i bought, so i will have to re-buy in order to get a pattern with any smaller sizes. Here's the post i did on it http://soisewedthis.blogspot.com/2013/04/simplicity-1652-in-zigzagchevron-batik.html

    hope yours works out this time!!

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    1. It was your Simplicity 1652 that made me want one! Yours is gorgeous. I think I'm going to try another test of the bodice today.

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  5. I hope the 1652 pattern works for you this time! It's a lovely pattern - I bought it myself just a few weeks ago (but no immediate plans to make it). The cutout back version is my favorite, so I'd really like to see it work for you so I can ogle it!

    I went through a period like what you're going through a few months ago - it seemed like nothing I made worked out. It went on for several weeks. So I know how frustrated you feel! I've read plenty of other people's posts about this sort of thing too though, so we're not alone! I have my fingers crossed for you that yours goes away sooner rather than later!

    The little butterfly top is lovely - that's a definite win!

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    1. Thanks Gail. It's nice to know others go through frustrating sewing patches too.

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  6. This top is a winner - and I think the lining was a better choice than the facings. The top just sits so smoothly on you...super paired with this skirt...J

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    1. Thanks Judith, I really love the way this pattern fits me, both as the dress it's intended to be and as a top.

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  7. I LOVE this fabric. Lining was a brilliant choice. Which reminds me, I need to get back to my project for which I reached the same conclusion.

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  8. Beautiful blouse.. Love the butterfly fabric and love the red skirt with it.. Great outfit.. Sorry you had trouble with the other items..So frustrating, isn't it? Happy sewing.

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  9. I think we all go through runs of things that do not work and cause frustration. I usually bin them and, like Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" say "tomorrow is another day". Thank goodness, because in sewing we need plenty of tomorrow's :)

    The top is lovely, and the lining really works with it - and you did the right thing by just going back and sewing until something worked :)

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  10. I know how you feel! I have a couple of items which aren't going smoothly so I've put them aside for the moment. Your top is great and lining it was definitely the right choice. Keep going!

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