Pleated neckline ideas

Little Hunting Creek's post about Butterick 5237 instantly made me think about this top.

I think this is a very neat way of making a pleated neckline. The front fabric is unfinished, which gives a soft ruffle look to the neckline. The pleats are held in place with a doubled over strip of the same fabric (medium weight cotton lycra knit) which apppears to be sewn with a cover stitch machine. I am hoping to achieve a similar result with a twin needle. The neckline does not sag at all, I suppose it is the 3 layers of fabric at the band that prevents this.I have been vaguely planning to make my own versin of this top since I bought it last January. I love the neckline, but am not 100% thrilled with the puffed sleeves.

I am trying very hard not to make this top my next project in an impulsive fashion. I am still working on the first of my two pairs of Marlene pants. As Sew Passionista pointed out in September, when I made the last pair, welt pockets are an elusive achievement, requiring constant practice. Last night I agreed with this fully, having forgotten completely every construction step, but after frequent reference to Ann Rowleys tutorial I managed to finish the pocket on the cream linen pants. I was delayed by a few small issues including melting the green polyester thread used for hand basting into the fabric. Nothing that half an hour's work with the end of a pin could not fix! I bitterly regretted being too lazy to walk down the hall to fetch cotton thread. One day I will become organized.

Persuasion

I wrote yesterday about my desperate lack of sewing time, and how I have done nearly no sewing for my SWAP, yet somehow today, after school, I managed to make my daughter a rashie top and board shorts. These were not remotely on the horizon until 3.30 pm today. How does this happen? (I just saw that I did not actually manage to post yesterday, as it is still sitting in the draft folder :( )

 

It is the grin that does it. The grin was preceeded by moans and wails about no longer caring for her long-sleeved rashie, as this is now rather elderly, and the arms have stretched past her hands, making her look extremely uncool in front of her friends at school swimming lessons. Her current boardies, apparently are also uncool, being non matching.

 

I added in seam trim from the rashie fabric to the new boardies, and used a machine embroidery stitch at the hem. I think these do not match, but my daughter selected the fabrics and assured me that they are now perfect. Who am I to argue? I think she should learn to sew very soon. Although she is becoming rather accomplished at cups of tea and bringing in the washing - a good deal for me really!

 

Post

The most exciting aspect of my sewing hobby at the moment is the mail.

 

Now you have to admit, this is pretty good mail. Wonderful Karla from Patternreview graciously offered to circumvent Pantone USA's nasty North-America-centric posting policy (what is the matter with posting to Australia???)and allow me to purchase a Pantones guide. No more strange monitor colour abberations for me. Being a very thrifty and enabling sort of lady, Karla also suggested that a few patterns might fit into the flat rate envelope, and that it would be a waste of postage not to fill the envelope to the brim. Naturally I agreed with her, and sent her shopping to a pattern sale. Isn't she kind! I am particularly pleased with the Badgley Mischka pattern, although I do also feel rather gleeful about the Laura Ashley pattern. For some reason these patterns cannot be purchased in Australia. I think this Laura Ashley dress will look very sweet on my daughters, but wonder why I always want items that require unusual efforts for me to purchase! It must be my contrary nature.

 

My other mail today should have been good. Historically I love Australian Smocking and Embroidery, but the last year or two have been devoted to extremely simple smocking patterns. Unfortunately I find these rather uninspiring. A beginner could make every item in this issue. The garments are pretty, and I will use it when I am teaching people to smock, but am unlikely to use this issue for my own projects.
Although I have mostly been unable to sew, working 6 days a week at my not-at-home jobs, I have squeezed in some knitting. I changed the colours for my Jo Sharp Origami Jacket, and am quite pleased with the effect so far. This is the sleeve, the top of the back, and the start of a second sleeve. The construction intrigues me.

 

Thank you for all the comments regarding the school uniform sewing. I had no idea school uniforms were such a hot topic! I love Keely's subversive fitting instructions for teenage friends, and agree with the comments about polyester blouses. I may sneak in a cotton one if I can salvage some school embroidered pockets.
In sewing news (trying to keep this blog remotely on topic) I have cut out 2 pairs of Marlene pants (105) from the August 08 issue. Maybe writing this here will make me sew them soon.

School uniform subversive sewing

I often read on sewing blogs that people do not sew what they can buy. Very sensible reasons accompany this statement, such as economy, proper use of scarce time and lack of manufacturing equipment such as binding machines. However, I cannot fall in line with this philosophy. I very much dislike buying something that I could make.
A sensible woman, when her children go to school, would admit that a complusory uniform, able to be purchased only at the school uniform shop, does not leave any wriggle room for sewing, and give up any ideas in this direction. For some years I have behaved in this sensible manner, despite some subversion in the direction of a second hand uniform trade with other familes. I also admit to avidly searching for the particular school uniform fabric worn at my children's school, despite the school smugly informing me that the fabric was copyright, that I would not be able to purchase it, and that they would not name the manufacturer.
Last year, I responded to a panicked "I can't find my tie" at 7.30 am on Monday morning, by sewing an approximation of this item from an old, paint stained uniform that I felt was too worn to pass on to another wearer. Despite having only a 5cm school photograph and a rather shaky visual memory of this tie from which to develop a prototype, the tie garnered no adverse comments, and even better, no demerits for being out-of-uniform. My subversion started to brew.
This year, my son started grade 1, requiring a formal school uniform, and my second daughter entered high school, no longer requiring her primary dress. My daughters are tall, and the size 14 dresses they wore in grade 6 will be far too large for the wearers of their previously outgrown dresses. My son has recieved one shirt from my very kind friend with 4 older sons, but she is a much more organized person than me, I need two shirts in order to keep up with the washing (and 4 boys can almost wear out this near-indestructible polyester fabric!)

 

Ha! I think I have avoided spending $60 at the school uniform shop. I drew out a pattern directly from the school shirt, and think I have been fairly successful with my knock off. I was not able to perfectly pattern match at the sleeve cuff, due to fabric shortage, and I have pressed the inseam trim the wrong way on the sleeve cuff, but I think we can get away with this shirt. I do not have exactly the correct buttons, but will probably be able to fix this.

 

The original shirt used no interfacing, so I didn't either. I used the reverse side of the fabric. The plaid is woven in, so this was possible, and as we line dry our clothes, the outside of the dress was a little faded, which was noticeable at the hem. There was not quite as much fabric as I had hoped in the dress, and I used nearly all of it to make the much smaller shirt.
There were a few funny shaped pieces left, so I sewed two middle school ties for my daughters. These button under the collar of the horrible white polyester blouse, and tend to stay attached to the blouse that is in the wash, necessitating sudden searches through the machine in the morning, and frequent ironing dry. I thought it would be good to have a few spares. The school uniform shop tie is on the left. I would not have bought extra ties, as they are rather pricey, but I am sure these will be useful.

 

My daughters kindly drew out the pattern for the tie during what they assure me was a very tedious and repetitive school assembly. I am glad to see they are keeping themselves suitably occupied at school.

 

Home dec sewing over at last

These chair covers have been hanging over my head. Today I finished off the footstool covers, with about 2 hours of work, and the relief is fabulous.

 

The project was more complicated than I had envisionaged, as whilst in Brisbane, considering fabric, I had thought "simple cushion covers", not having inspected the chairs for a while, and when I returned home, I discovered that the dastardly things were quilted.

 

The chairs were quite clean, just faded and old, so fortunately I was able to recyle the batting. It is quite unlike the quilt batting I can purchase locally. The quilting took hours and hours and 700m of thread. I used the walking foot on my new Janome, and I was extremely pleased to have it. The small areas in which I was unable to use the foot ( zips) shifted and bunched with great enthusiasm. The fabric looks OK, but it acts like loosely woven poly (naturally, as that is the fabric), and is rather nasty to sew.
The chairs are outside, as I have also needed to sand them (thanks to my older daughter for doing quite a bit of this with me!) and needed the last coat of home brew oil/varnish/turps coating this morning. I pulled them out to the lawn at the crack of dawn, and when I got home from work at lunch time, my daughter had finished the varnishing for me. I was extremely pleased.

 

I felt she was quite entitled to an late afternoon lounge about in the garden.