What I am working on Today

I am vigilantly working on my UFO list.  Today's post is just that, two tops that have been in the closet for quite a while.

This is a twin set that I started last year at a retreat and this is one of the MANY projects I started there.  I really want to get this done to wear Saturday.  Dr. P and I will be celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary and I want to wear it to dinner.  I can't believe that it has been 28 years - I only feel like I am 28 years old so how can I be married that long?  Where does the time go?

Anyway - The fabric of this twin set came from Emma One Sock.  Her fabrics are so great.  The fiber content is a blend of wool and cashmere.  Again, like butter!

These pictures do not do the colour justice! It is such a stunning shade of brown and orange.

Close up of the tank.  I cut out motifs from left over fabric and hand applied them to the neckline using four strands of top stitch thread .  As the fabric is a knit it will not ravel so it was perfect for this type of treatment.

Again, this pic does not show it too well, but the thin trim around the jacket is a leather cord that I zig zaged on with jeans thread.  I am considering taking the beads off the jacket and applying appliques then beading them.  Now you know why it takes me so long to finish anything!  I remake it at least two times before I can finish it!

Happy Sewing,
Michele P

Working on my UFOs

I was somewhat embarrassed and called to task when one of my BFFs, Tina Marie, was over and looked at all of my UFO's and made a few comments about my lack of focus!  In my defense, I usually start a project close to the end of the season and by the time it would be done, it is the next season so no need to compete it as I could not wear it!  I am determined to get all of them completed before I will allow myself to start anything new.  (well, we will see how long that lasts!)

Here is the list of my fall/winter UFOs:

2 Vests
2 Jackets
Many T-Shirts
2 Twin Sets
1 Blouse

Since that enlightening visit, I have completed one vest and one jacket.  Here is the jacket.

Pardon the background - Today is a very cloudy day and I was forced to move Chesty to an area of the studio that had the most light.

The fabric of this jacket is a boiled wool that I purchased many moons ago at Mood Fabrics, NYC.

Back - sorry for the flash on the belt.

Close up of the belt.  I had this buckle in my stash and decided to use it to connect the belt.

Close up of the back collar.  I finished the back neck with a facing and hand sewed (oh yes I did) the entire collar to the jacket.

Again, I had this very small piece of vintage velvet in my stash and thought it would be a great facing for this garment.

Close up of the sleeve.  I used a BWOF pattern with this twisted sleeve.  I like the look, but would not use it again as it was SOOOO much work to construct and to fit into the arm hole.

Close up of the front.  Pardon the interfacing on the small lapel.  It must have flipped back when I shot the pic. 

I wore this jacket yesterday and I loved it.  I has the warmth of a jacket and the comfort of a sweater.  As usual, after I wear a garment for the first time, I have to make a few adjustments.  I need to tack the left lapel and add a snap to the waist where the belt ties.

Happy Sewing,
Michele P

Ready for Valentine's day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I hope you have a great day and eat lots of chocolate!  I know I will. 



I love to wear red and Valentine's day is the perfect day to flaunt it.  This Jacket is a McCall's 5527 pattern that I slightly tweaked.  I used a wool cashmere blend that is like "butar"(butter said with accent) that I purchased in NYC. 

The back with a small belt that I added.

One of the changes I made is to fold the  sleeve ruffle in half. 

I used the lining to the edge technique, but added a bias strip to the neckline after I completed the jacket because I did not like the look of the lining on the edge.  You can see that the lining is loose and just hangs free from the jacket. 

I took a page from a man's jacket and used a silk stripe for the sleeve lining.

I hope you enjoy your day, I know I will Dr. P is going to cook for me.

Happy Sewing,

Michele P

My Grey Period

Grey Days of Winter

I am not sure why, but I have been so drawn to grey fabric lately that I believe I am in a grey period!  Picasso had his blue period and now my grey!

This is a jacket that I really enjoy wearing.  The fabric is a medium weight wool and was such a pleasure to work with.  This is a prime example of what could have been a wader!  After I cut out the sleeves, I realized that I used my coat sleeve rather than my jacket sleeve.  I was at a retreat and was too lazy to re-cut the sleeves so I pondered and pondered and in the middle of the night it came to me - make a horizontal tuck down the middle of the sleeve and it will take up the excess fabric.  Yeah - from wader to wearable! 

 

After I made the tuck down the sleeve - I needed to echo that detail on the rest of the jacket so it would look intentional.  I added tucks the back and epaulets with tucks to the shoulder.





The zipper is a fantastic find from Pacific Trims , unfortunately they do not have them online - only in the store.  I did not want to cut the zipper so I used the entire length and wrapped it around the neck.

To finish off the jacket, I felted a large piece and it came out beyond my expectations!  I made a 'corsage' of the felted fabric and pinned it to the jacket rather than sewing it on.  I added a few beads and the jacket is complete!

Happy Sewing

Michele P

Fabric From A Friend

Now that I have successfully passed my mandatory lesson on camera photo upload to the computer imposed by Dr. P (aka my husband) I am now free to post at will.  Therefore, I hope to post several times a week.  Now with that said here is today's post.

 

When my dear friend, Jane (of Lucky sew and sew ) and her husband Mr. Lucky decided to become snow birds she divested herself of her wool fabric.  I was one of the very luck recipients of some of her divine pieces.  This Sweater jacket is fashioned out of one of them.

The fabric is a lightweight wool sweater, very rare these days.  I have embraced the raw edge craze and all the edges of this sweater jacket are raw.  I added a bias cut strip for the fronts and sleeve hem.  The collar is double, with wrong sides together.  I had some vintage mink trim and added it to the tie and it turned out to be the fabulous finishing touch.



Close up of front trim



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 Happy Sewing

Michele P