On the Street

Seen outside a bead and jewelry store on Sixth Ave in NYC.
Naturally, it was Phineas that spotted it.

WIP: Baby Bag

Armed with matching thread, I began the "sewing" part of the diaper bag project last night.


One of the things I enjoy about sewing is that there are many "aha!" moments, especially with a project like this. You start with a square of fabric and fold it here, then gather it there, and finally sew it to that other piece and - voila! - it's a pocket! There is a moment of "OH! So that's how it goes!" that hasn't yet gotten old.

Anyway, last night I made pockets and attached velcro. Maybe you can see it a little better below.

After my jacket and pants, I'm happy to have a one-size-fits-all kind of project. This project is all about taking a few 2D squares and turning them into a 3D bag - a jigsaw puzzle of sorts. I really love how it is coming, even at this early stage.

Pants + Jacket = Project Complete!

Note to self: It's time to clean the mirror!

Here is the final low down on my pants and jacket project, which I finished over the weekend.

Jacket (Simplicity 4334)
Up until the second when I realized that it had indeed worked, I was really not convinced that the sleeve and lining was actually going to match up. This was definitely a lesson in trusting the directions, even if I couldn't quite see where they were going. Since this is the first lined garment that I have made, it really was a skill-building project. Unlike the pants, the lining fabric that I used for the jacket (a fun black and while leopard print poly) worked really well and I think will hold up well.

Overall, I am very happy with the end result. As a stand alone piece it really came out well. The only change I would make next time is that I would definitely use an interfacing to give it more body and help it hold it's shape a bit better. The gabardine is very soft, which gives it a really nice drape for the pants, but works less well for the jacket.

However, looking at the style, I think it might work better with a skirt than pants. Also, the short length is ok, but is not the best look for me. I think it draws attention to my hip-thigh area, which really really does not need any attention drawn to it.

Pants (Sloper from my Pattern Drafting Class)
I already told you that I am pleased and proud of how these came out. And really, this garment represents more learning than any other project to date.

Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on how you look at it - my sloper is now too big for me. I won't use it again as a pattern for pants until I make a new one, probably once I feel like my size is not a moving target. That said, I will be using what I learned from it to help alter other pants patterns in the interim, as my measurements change.

Unlike the jacket, the drape of the gabardine fabric really is perfect for the pants. The only change is that next time I would line the pants, as I originally intended.

Final thoughts
The first step in sewing a garment is choosing the pattern and materials. The importance of choosing well can not be underestimated!

One thing that every woman knows is that even though a garment may fit, it may not be flattering. Picking styles that really flatter one's figure is the holy grail both in shopping and in sewing. I did ok with this project, but still have some learning to do in this area.

Fabric really is an ongoing learning process. I am still a beginner. This project made me very aware that selecting the right materials - fabric, lining, interfacing, etc - is one of the most important skills to cultivate in sewing.

I am actually somewhat relieved that this project is over. I signed up for the pattern drafting class which led to these pants way back in July. It's nice to not have it lingering any longer. However, I am feeling tremendously confident after this experience and eager to take everything I learned on to my next project.

Oops!

I seem to say "Oops!" a lot these days; most frequently when I am in the Craft Lounge.

I spent Sunday morning pressing, laying out and cutting the fabric for the diaper bag that I am making for KK. I decided to use the messenger bag style pattern (Butterick 4560) rather than the tote bag style.

Looks like a normal cute bag, right?

This project is turning out to be more time consuming than I initially thought. The pattern has 16 different pieces, many of which needed to be cut out in the diaper bag fabric, the lining fabric and in fusible fleece. It took the better part of the day to cut the fabric, transfer the pattern markings and fuse the various pieces of fleece to the fabric.

By about 4pm I was ready to sew. That's when the oops happened. As I sat down to my sewing machine I realized - no thread! I never bought thread to go with the fabric and, after a quick search, realized I did not have anything that would work. UUUgh.

Pile of pieces, waiting to be sewn.

So, right now there is a pile of pieces cut out and labeled, waiting for me to get thread. And on top of it, I forgot to bring a swatch of fabric to work today so that I could buy some. Sigh. So I can't even begin sewing until tomorrow. Thankfully, I took Friday off. So, the bag will be done in time for the shower on Saturday.

Fluff: the chocolate variety

After all the baking and cooking - not to mention eating - that I did around the holidays, I basically took January off from kitchen experiments. January is traditionally a time for resolutions and frugality - for balancing out the excess of the holidays. And the basic building blocks of baking - butter, sugar, eggs and flour - just don't fit in to that mode of living.

However, by February, most people have called it quits on their resolutions and are gearing up for the first chocolate-oriented holiday of the year. So, when Erato sent me a link to Delish.com's page on cookies, this recipe for Dark Chocolate Meringue Drops caught my eye. Since it is a classic meringue, it does not rely on butter or flour - a good compromise between January and February.

Thanks to the bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate used in the batter, the resulting cookies come out with a rich flavor, yet a very light and airy texture. Crisp, yet ethereal - a typical meringue. I liked the addition of chips (I did not use the optional nibs) for texture and extra bursts of chocolate. In fact, I liked it so much that next time I will add a small amount of diced nuts and dried cherries or cranberries, to give it even more bursts of flavor and texture. The trick will be to use enough to add impact without damaging the lightness of the meringue. The only other change I will make will be to reduce the amount of sugar somewhat.

See! I am already planning a next time. This recipe is definitely a keeper! It definitely can't replace a classic chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie. But at just 28 calories a pop, it is about as guilt free a chocolate indulgence as you can get, even if you are like me and end up eating 7 cookies.

Almost done!

My jacket is nearly complete!

Here it is: partially pinned together, inside-out and with lots of hanging threads.

Over the weekend I sewed the sleeves on. So, all that is left to do is attached the lining to the jacket.

Right now it is pinned together waiting to be sewn and turned. I have to admit that I am a little nervous about this. I haven't lined a jacket (or made a jacket!) before, and the directions are rather unclear about attaching the lining at the sleeves.

Actually, looking at this photo, I think I may have something inside out. This doesn't look right. Hopefully it is just the photo.

Sewing Machine Shopping: Part 2

I got a bit side tracked from shopping for my next sewing machine, but on Friday, I finally got back to it. I visited Sew Right, in Bayside Queens to test drive some Viking Sewing machines. I was also hoping to test drive some Janomes, but they only carried the intro-level models.

I was utterly wowed by the Viking Sapphire 850.

Here's the Sapphire line - 830, 850 and 870.

This is another BMW-esque sewing machine that makes my current machine look like a Ford Pinto. And after seeing the Bernina Activa 230, I was surprized at just how many features the Viking Sapphire 850 has - I was unprepared for the wow-factor.

For example, you control the presser foot with a tap of the foot pedal rather than with a manual switch/arm that you have to lower and raise by hand. This means you can use 2 hands to position your fabric while lowering the foot. Also, the sewing advisor is really cool - you tell it what you are sewing (kind of fabric) and task (sewing, hemming, button hole, etc). Then, it selects the best stitch, stitch length and width, and tells you what thread tension, needle and presser foot you should use.

The Sapphire 850 has fewer overall stitches (137 vs 205) than the Bernina, but I think it has more where it counts - like 7 different kinds of button holes (3 more than the Bernina). Also, it comes with 9 different feet (2 more than Bernina), for sewing button holes, zippers, regular sewing, etc.

Aside from the bells and whistles, what I really liked about this machine was that it has an extra long "harp" or sewing area. The larger area allows you to work a little more comfortably when you are dealing with a lot of fabric. Anyway, since most of my readers are non-sewists, I won't bore you with the technical details. I'll just leave it as: Wow! I am impressed.

Next week I hope to test drive the similar Janome models and will then have a better idea where I am going.