MaryBeth and Plaid

http://thesewingdivas.wordpress.com/?s=plaid

Thank you MaryBeth for shining the light. Now I can interrupt my plaid hari-kari with a little dignity preserved.

2 Garments a Month, No Matter What

Below you will see a link to MaryBeth's excellent blog where she works with plaids and comes to some very big girl conclusions. Me, I didn't get to see the post in time and committed plaid hari-kari (sp?) all on my own.

I teach basic sewing. Some of my students are doing things I either have not done or have not done in a long time. I know tons, but, the truth is, sewing has taken a bottom rung lately. I have been doing and being but I have not been actually sewing. Not to mention the stacks of garment fabric neglected on my shelves and oh, so worthy. So, instead of gazing at my navel and feeling like a fraud, I'm going to sew one garment every two weeks  until further notice.

Burda World of Fashion Magazine's instructions are all text. The only graphic help is with the cutting layouts. I can follow them now, but I'm really a visual kind of gal.

Above is a small look at the included pattern sheets which are printed on large sheets, four colors, one color for each of the choices, all overlapping one another . So I traced off all the black outline pieces on sheet G for my project. These patterns have no seam allowance added. It's a much easier way to work, you just chalk out your desired seam allowance on your fabric following the outline of each piece. This way you can vary the seam allowance. Say, 2 inches for the hem, 1/4 inch for the side seams which is especially useful if you are going to serge.

Above is a technical drawing of my project. I'm going pretty easy on myself, except for the bias cut and the plaid, ha, ha.

It's good that it's winter; I'll be in a lot more. I was doing patterns today at the store and there were a lot of things to make that I thought about. That's when the idea hit. If I promise myself that the constraint of two week's time, in the mix of family, friends, job, house and other interests that I can produce an actual wearable garment, not perfectionized to oblivion (those never get started, much less completed) with warts, wonky stitching, frantic hemming, uncareful planning and gremlin features all allowed, then I can start to do some actual sewing. Juried scrutiny will be strictly verboten, especially by me.

I've chosen an A-line, plaid, bias skirt to start. Invisible zipper, fully lined to the edge, no waistband and only two pieces: a front and a back. It's strictly 1 pattern piece for the skirt, cut twice. Easy, peasy. So you say!!!!!

The last two pictures show, respectively, the back pattern piece, and the front doubled, so it is one piece of fabric. Drat - after I cut them out I discovered that there is a slight nap, duh, and side by side, the two back pieces are like light and dark versions of each other.

Wally Lamb - the Hour I First Believed

His writing is pulling me in. I saw him at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH. What a nice guy. Can't do much reading - too busy - I read the last ten minutes before I fall asleep at night.