Friday, January 18, 2008

Getting back to normal

After I threw away that knit top, I considered my next project. I decided that part of my discontent with the wadder was not only the crappy fabric, but also that I found the project itself uninteresting. I didn't really care one way or another if it I finished it, so I didn't bother to look for a way to make it work. I needed a project that I could actually get interested in.

After my success with Sandra Betzina's jacket pattern, I decided to try her V 7903, a darted shirt/blouse with sleeve and collar variations. While I really like her thorough instructions and the draftsmanship of the patterns, I don't find most of her designs interesting. This one is a good basic shape that has definite TNT potential, and it gives me an opportunity to practice some of my shirt-making skills that I have thus far only used on making shirts for Mario. Plus I finally started experimenting with my new machine last night, and topstitching with it is going to be a wonderful thing.

I chose an Italian cotton shirting that I purchased at Beckenstein's in NYC at Patternreview Weekend 2006 and which has been staring at me from the "too nice to cut into" stash shelf ever since. It's a light blue/navy/tan/white combo (all colors much nicer than in the picture, which looks really, really drab for some reason). It works with all my browns and with the tan twill pants that are up next in the queue. I love this fabric. Love. It. It feels wonderful against my skin, it holds a knife crease without steam, and it sews like a dream.

Thus far I've only done the darts (10 altogether – SB loves her fitting darts!) and the main seams at the shoulders and sides, but it's fitting well in the size C without alteration. The pattern instructions call for French seams, and while I would absolutely do that if I were using a sheer, I don't find it necessary for a crisp woven like this. Yes, it would look better, but it's not going to affect the wearability of the shirt in the long run.

It was difficult to put this pattern ahead of some of the fabulous ones in the January issue of Burda – I want to make at least 3 of the shirts, plus that trench and the wrap top – but this particular fabric wanted to be this particular shirt, and all the great detail on the Burda shirts would have been lost on this fabric. Most of those will be made in solids which, other than white, exist in my stash in some abundance. I somehow don't have any white shirting at all, but I'm not going to buy any, either.

3 comments:

Tamara said...

That shirt is going to look great in that fabric. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Unknown said...

I can't wait to see that shirt finished. I love your new operating moto of making sure that the next garment works with the last one. I'm on a dress kick, so that wouldn't work for me, but I may employ it soon.

Also, any ideas for purchasing Burda World of Fashion? I live in Western Washington. There are 2 bookstores that carry it - 2 copies per issue each. Let me tell you they are snapped up before anyone knows they are there. My child has looked all over Connecticut with no luck. I want some of those great fashions. g

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

That is some awesome fabric...can't wait to see the final shirt!