Style Arc Susan Top V. 2

Whatever happened to me?! 　

Life!

It has been an eventful year so far. Well, that's another post. For now, I'm going to play a catch-up. Shall we?

First, a project from February. 

My favorite Style Arc Susan Top. Here's the version 2. My first one, exactly a year ago, is here. 

I wanted to make it with just a tiny bit more ease added on the armhole and upper part of sleeves this time. That was successful.  However;  

I have yet to learn much about fabric selection. This was a very light weight jersey knit. Beige in color.  So light weight that I didn't want to bother with hems of any sort.  So, just serged and left as is. 

It looks fine on my grey dress form. But when I put it on me, the beige color next to my skin made it look like it's a long underwear! Nothing I can really wear as an outerwear.

Thought about embellishment with these fabrics. Maybe an applique? 

Maybe make it a bit more cheerful. But, noooo. The shirt will forever be my inner wear, waiting for winter! 

I think this fabric would have made a beautiful cardigan, perfect for summer evenings in Seattle.  Well, live and learn. 

Please share with me your fails and learnings in the department of fabric selections.

Style Arc Adele Top, Done

This was meant to be a muslin-turned-quite-wearable.  By looking at the drawings on the pattern envelope, I knew the neckline wasn't going to be right for me. 

I have a relatively short neck, and wide lower jawline. I try hard to avoid anything that has a high neckline, turtleneck included, and even regular shirt collar look odd on me, so I hardly ever wear shirts with standing collar. I pulled out Style Arc Susan Top pattern and traced the neckline, but raised up by 1" and incorporate it into the Adele top.   Here is the Susan Top.

 

The Susan top's neckline worked out so well for me, but for the Adele tunic design, I thought the Susan top's scoop neckline was a bit too much.  Also, Adele is a tunic, and for a 5'1" person, the "standard"  length is always an issue.

Anyhow, I picked a not-so-great quality polyester knit fabric from my stash to sacrifice for the muslin. While I was picking the fabric from my stash, I noticed an old tunic that is torn with the very narrow seam allowance therefore unfixable and unwearable, but I kept because I liked the fabric.

That's when I got inspired, and my creative energy just began bubbling up. I decided to forget this was meant to be a muslin, and just decided to have fun with it!

Here is the result.  I'm pretty happy with the neckline, both the neckline height adjustment and the embellishment I added.  Also got carried away and added a faux scarf look.

Many ways to wear.  Like this, first.

Both tails in front.

Or, to the back.

Tie a little bow.

Slightly closer look here.

This is what I did.  Take the original neckband with the main fabric. Cut the embellishment fabric larger than the neckband.  

Stitch the embellishment fabric onto the main fabric, but with a lot more embellishment fabric loosely gathered here and there.  In retrospect, I could have had a lot more loose gather. That would have made the affect more interesting. 

Anyway, the looser and more sloppy it looks, the better and more interesting result it brings. How easy is that?!

Here is the finished neckband with the faux scarf.

I stitched two pieces of " faux scarf" pieces into the neckband.

They lay like this.

I decided to do the same for the sleeves.

The actual color of the main fabric is a lot darker. It's teal.

By the way, a little sewing tip, trick, whatever you may want to call it.  This is helpful, I think, if you are not sure if your cutting line is completely straight and therefore can't count on the consistent seam allowance width would give you the correct stitch line.  Perhaps you had to adjust the stitch line for sizing so that you can no longer count on the seam allowance width as a stitch guide. Or, if you are like me, you'd rather mark the stitch line so that you know that is the exact line you need to sew.  And, especially if you are working with slippery fabric without an aid of walking foot or anything fancy like that.

Baste the stitch line first so that the pieces are together and there is a less chance of fabrics slipping. (or so that you could try on the garment before you do the final stitching).

When you are ready to give it a final, real stitch, pin outside the stitch line on the seam allowance so that the fabrics won't slip. 

Undo the first couple of inches of basting stitch.  (You could stitch over the basing stitch, but it will be harder to undo the basting stitch.) 

Mark the stitching line where there is no longer basting stitch.

Sew.

When you catch up to the basting stitch, repeat the process. 

I first saw the above on facebook.  I traced the source, and found that you could order a t-shirt with this art! At redbubble.  Isn't that cute!?


Well, it was meant to be a muslin, but quite wearable and I kind of like it.

I shortened the length by 1.5".  Or was that 2"??

Due to the fabric (100% polyester - not my favorite) it clings on a bit.  The armhole was a bit too tight as you can see.  I'll make it wider next time I make this top.  I'd like to make it with a comfortable fabric.  I will definitely keep the lower neckline, and I may add a colorful neckband like this again.

Are you sewing? I'm a bit frustrated lately that I don't find enough time to sew.  Patience, I tell myself. I try to do something to make a progress in my sewing project even if I only have 15 minutes.  All the fabrics I bought at the Sewing Expo are staring at me as I stare at them.  Patience.

Style Arc Susan Top, Done.

I quite like it. It was very simple. I used size 6 - turned out it's very fitted. If it's RTW, I'm a size 4 ~6 petite. My hip is on the size 6 side, and waist and up is size 4. I'm 5'1", so everything is toooo long for me. But I didn't make any length adjustments on this pattern and it is perfect for me. The fabric I used is rayon/poly knit, on the thin side but not too bad. Wasn't difficult to handle.

I love the scoop neckline.

Here is how it lays on me.  No make-up, no head shot!

I serged the seam on the neckline, so the seam allowance was rather narrow. But it pressed easily and nicely. Faux coverstitch on the neckline. My serger doesn't have a coverstitch function. I simply stitched twice, paying careful attention to sew the second stitch as close to a clean parallel to the first stitch as possible.

The side seams lined up pretty well!

I really love the design.

After two knitting projects in a row I recently finished, I was definitely ready for sewing.

I can't wait for the remote control for my phone camera to arrive. I ordered it almost two weeks ago, and it's still not here! (ooooo, bad lighting here...)

This was the last bit of stitching before the garment was completely finished.

Lavender colored thread. Again, faux coverstitch finish.

Oh, here is the shrink test I do. Unless I'm sewing something that has high cotton content, and I'm quite confident the shrinkage is close to none, I don't preshrink fabrics. I want to enjoy the new and crisp fabric feel at least for the first time I wear the garments I make! So, here is my compromised solution.  This fabric I used was 50/50 rayon and polyester with just a little bit of lycra.  I was pretty confident it wasn't going to shrink if I washed in cold water, and line dried.  I was, however, curious how it did in the washer and dryer. So this is what I do. I cut a small piece of fabric from the scrap ends and measured the dimensions. In this example below, it was 4" x 4". I also cut another piece, and sewed a little on it. I put both in the washer and dryer to test.  No shrinkage. Washed and dried beautifully! Now I know I can safely put this top in the dryer.   I usually do the test before I cut the fabric. If there is shrinkage, then I'd put the entire fabric in the wash/dry to preshrink before I cut it.

Here is my Micky modeling the Susan top.

Ooo! It's comfy and I like it!

This is a very nice basic long sleeve tee shirt. Extremely easy and quick to make. I think I will make a few more in different colors to add to my wardrobe. Happy sewing, everyone!

Muslin -- A Must?

Time flew.  Last week was busy, and before I knew it, it was OVER.

The weekend included trying a new Yakiniku, Japanese style BBQ, restaurant. Oh fun!

I've been thinking a lot about muslins. For the longest time, I didn't know people made muslins. How and where I learned to sew, muslin making was never mentioned. (Another topic, another post)

I've been an occasional and casual garment sewer for a long time -- I like things that are quick, not so serious, so that's what I did a lot of.  I'd like to avoid something like muslin making if at all possible. Sounds so time consuming.

I hadn't sewn for a few years until this year. Now ## years later, I want to get serious. I will still make bags and other fun things, will not give up on improv sewing.  But now I'm aiming for making some serious garments.  Something I'll actually really like and will love to wear.

So I started reading on something like this, how to make a muslin. And like this on Burda. (Muslin is called Toile [tou-wa-le]?? outside US, it seems.  In Japan, it's called [Toware], I'm finding.)  Lauren, who by the way spits out dresses faster than I can read her blog, at Lladybird says in her tips on sewing post to make a muslin.  Reeeaaally? Do I have to? Should I?

After so many years of not sewing a thing for me, I made an impulse purchase of a pattern and fabric this summer and made this.

It was fun, and it was mainly to test and to get to know my new sewing machine. But, as you can see, the result isn't so pretty.  I'm afraid I chose a wrong kind of fabric, and the size adjustment I made directly onto the dress as I was making it, didn't really turn out great. Totally out of practice. It was an experience. A learning experience. (The word "Muslin" crossed my mind.)

Now that I'm really looking forward to receiving and sewing with the patterns I ordered (yes, I did!) from Style Arc , it's really time to practice.

By the way, these are the patterns I ordered.

Adel top

Susan Top

Linda Stretch Pants

They will also throw in a free one.

What a great marketing idea. A free pattern with every purchase. I don't even mind the shipping charge now. A win-win, consumers & Style Arc. I can smell this is a great company. When I emailed them with a question on sizing, I received a prompt email from Chloe who I believe is one of the founders of Style Arc.

In trying to select what my first Style Arc patterns purchase was going to be, I wanted to see what others have sewn with Style Arc patterns. I came across this blog.  The wardrobe put together by Margy from A Fool for Fabric sold me! This was it!

It could be two weeks before I get them as they are sent from Australia. Meanwhile, I decided to 'practice' while I wait for the patterns. I pulled out a pattern from my pattern stash drawer, and I pulled out this green fabric, formerly known as bed sheet. I remember reading about 'sheet shirts' on Peter Lappin's blog, Male Pattern Boldness, so I thought, why not a sheet dress?

The actual color is slightly brighter hunter green than the photo sows here. I actually like it a lot.  In this fabric pattern, I spy a jack-o'-lantern picture! (or is that supposed to be a flower, upside down?!)

Pulled out a few of my vintage sewing tools.

The pink one and the tracing papers came in one of the drawers of the cabinet with my Elna blue top machine. The spiky one, I bought at the monthly vintage market in my neighborhood. I love the pink one. It's so handy. It's really two-in-one. You can use both the spiky wheel side and the pink plastic end just like a Hera Marker.

This envelope contained seven large unused tracing papers in five different colors. Marked 29 cents!  

By the way, I am using Jeri Bee, my New Home/Janome, for this dress. She is SOOOOO smooth and quiet. I'm really loving her. The only thing I had to get used to was that her needle position of LEFT being normal. Not a biggie. Just different from what I'm used to.

 Oooo, note my brand new shellac nail polish, too~!

So, do you make a muslin with every project you sew? Can you tell that I'm trying to convince myself that I must.