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| I think I preferred it when she only 'helped' with quilting projects. |
This week, I'm trying to finish sewing a Swing Top pattern from an indie pattern company,
Hot Patterns. I'd like to wear it on our annual pilgrimage to the
Wine Country Ukulele Festival.
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| Hot Patterns' "No Sweat, Easy Sew Poetry in Motion Tops": I Can Do This! |
I usually get into quite enough trouble buying too many of the "
Big Four" patterns -- often more mainstream and usually much cheaper than indie companies' -- but this one was being discontinued (read: at deep discount), and is right in line with my "non-form-fitting" current figure.
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| Is it possible to keep a sewing assistant from assisting? |
Lotus is holding down the obstinate fabric I've chosen for a "muslin": a rayon plaid with a crinkle texture. The word muslin describes an inexpensive, plain cotton fabric, but it also means the result of sewing a mock-up or trial run of your given pattern. Many muslins are/were made of muslin, hence the name. But because my fashion fabric is a light, drapey rayon voile, I found it best to sew it in a similarly drapey fabric to better fit the pattern, or work out any kinks.
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| After making sure the plaid top fits, I'll make it in this fabric. |
Was it really necessary to make a fitting muslin for such a loose top? Well, I'm a member of
PatternReview.com, a helpful, free website where other people review patterns you might own. By all accounts, HP105 runs very large. So I'll try it out first in the plaid. It, too, will make a nice top.
Speaking of fabric stashes, this is how I organize my garment fabrics:
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| A fabric swatch, each on its own index card, is grouped and ring-bindered. |
Because I purchase garment fabrics in longer lengths of yardage, it's inconvenient to cart them around town trying to find complimentary fabric for a top, bottom, or trim. So I cut a small swatch from each, staple it to an index card, write down whatever info I can, and punch a hole in it. Then I use a simple binder ring to group them, by storage area or by fabric type: the group on the right are all knits, for example. This is an easy way to keep an eye on what I already own, too, instead of heading back to that fabric store! And, when leafing through pattern catalogues, you know if you have enough yardage for a given view.
Happy sewing -- or pursuing whatever gives you that creative thrill!
