Saturday, December 29, 2007

Getting back to normal

I feel better. I've been working on the shirt off and on (more off than on, unless you count sewing in my head on Friday at work), and it just feels good to get back to normal sewing, the kind without holiday deadlines or the inability to fit on the wearer.

Of course, I look at the picture of the shirt yoke here and while I'm pleased with how neatly I got the chevron to look, now I realize that I should have made it so that the pink stripes run right into the pink stripe down the CB of the shirt. But each project is a learning experience, and I'll know better next time. On the plus side, it's coming out really well, and the sewing machine has decided to behave her spiteful self (probably because she knows I have a bid on a Viking machine on Ebay right now and she could be replaced).

This is my fourth man's shirt, and I really feel like I've got it down now without pulling my hair out. The first two times I was completely mystified about how to sandwich the yokes together without any visible seams. Even though Kwik Sew's instructions are good, and clearly illustrated, it just would. not. compute. Last time, it went pretty well. This time, I didn't even realize it was usually a problem until I'd reached the topstitching. So it does sink in eventually. Nice to know.

I really should try another pattern one of these days, but I almost hate to. The KS pattern fits so well, and I know what to expect from it - and me - by now. I have drafted variations on the cuffs and pocket, which of course I forgot to use this time in my haste to make a non-Christmas project, but again, I say next time.

Last time I gave myself a break and made a short-sleeved shirt (it was Hawaiian), because I had it in mind that cuffs and sleeve plackets were a pain in the butt. I've got the cuffs sewn together and pressed, and if they go on as neatly as the plackete did, I'll be a happy girl.

Amazing that all the holiday sewing gremlins are off sitting on their hands somewhere now that the pressure's off. Good riddance to them!

1 comment:

C. Dishmont said...

I love how its lining up! Can't wait to see the final garment.