Sunday 23 November 2008

Jalie 2787, and the perils of internet shopping

I worked on Jalie 2787 this weekend. I am not sure yet whether or not I like this pattern. I think I have a wearable garment from it, but it is not the garment I was planning, nor is it completely successful in Mark 2 version.
 

What I wanted to make, was a sleeveless top to wear right now, in very hot weather. I ordered a rayon jersey print that I thought would work, but when it arrived it was terribly thin fabric. No doubt this fabric is useful for something, but made up in this stretchy t shirt pattern, it was horrid to sew, growing under the needle, and looks awful on - it clings and grabs, the hems and lower front bodice look stretched out, and in general this behaved like a cheap nasty fabric. It was not cheap, and probably I have just picked the wrong pattern for this fabric.
 
This looks like a $2 t shirt from a reject bin to me. I really tried to make it work in this version, but it was not co-operative. Instead, I made a second version, shown at the top of the post, laying the fabric out on another very thin cotton jersey that again, I would not sew as a t shirt by itself and cutting out then sewing the 2 fabrics as if they were a single layer. This has given the garment slighty better body, and I will probably wear the 3/4 sleeve version next winter, but it is far too hot to wear now. I did not make a second sleeveless version from the 2 layers of fabric, as I find 2 thin layers much warmer than a single medium weight fabric, and knew that I would not wear a 2 layer version in hot weather.
I am very pleased to have none of this print fabric left. I seem incapable of throwing out theoretically useable pieces of fabric, so this would have haunted me in the stash.
To close on a better note, I will have to veer considerably off topic. My garden is enjoying the well soaked soil that is the aftermath of all the huge storms we have recently experienced in Queensland. Here are some gardenias in the backyard. I have never seen such big ones, and the scent is wonderful.
 
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6 comments:

Alana said...

Great save. The second version is gorgeous.

Carol said...

I like this top on you. I made a wrap front singlet top yesterday and I think it's too hot for our climate. In fact, knits in general I find a little too hot. I've been leaning more towards fine cottons. But I still like the top on you.

Sue said...

One of the keys of successful clothes sewing is matching the right fabric with the right pattern and I think it is a problem we all struggle with.

Vicki said...

What a shame! Oh well, the second is wearable at least. I can almost smell that gardenia here ;)

MareeAlison said...

I like the long sleeved version. I've just about given up on rayon/jersey - I find it very stretchy and therefore hard to sew and I'm just not keen on the feel of it at all.

I have those large gardenias in my garden in Sydney too, as well as two standard gardenias by my front steps which are coming out as we speak and a few prostrate and mid height versions. They have a wonderful perfume.

Alexandra said...

Nice save! And it looks good on you in the picture. It can be a royal pain, though, trying to work with a fabric that won't cooperate.