BWOF 1/08 #127 Jacket - Finished!

It's done! I just finished pressing and doing a happy dance around the workroom.

Here's the full patternreview, which has a few more details and mentions (again) the blood shed to bring this project to competion. Totally worth it.

Yesterday I spent a good while in the workroom, communing with the cats and the space heater. Having mentioned my big old drafty barn of a house before, have I mentioned that unless it's snowing, the heat doesn't come on until Thanksgiving? The gas bill in a bad month is nearly the size of the mortgage, and I really don't want to be reduced to eating the cats.

Once I got everything put together, and got the facing and lining sewn in, my main concern was how to deal with the underside of the bound buttonholes.

I looked through all my reference books, and while I understood their directions, none of them really applied to leather. So, now having a vague idea at what I was doing, I winged it. I marked the buttonhole on the wrong side by sticking pins along the opening (thereby leaving pinholes in the leather facing). After that, I cut very, very carefully along the pinhole line using my sharpest scissors.

This gave me a slit the length of the buttonhole, which I then carefully widened to the width of the buttonhole (once again cutting a rectangular hole into otherwise perfect fabric). It lined up, and from there I spread leather glue in between the facing and jacket, on the seam allowances of the buttonhole welts. I put 5 lb hand weights on them for a few hours until dry, and it worked.

After that was dealt with, I finished off the lining, attaching it at the sleeve hems and then finally at the jacket hem. I started to bag the lining at the hem as I would normally, but the red lining fabric I was using (some kind of poly satin from Joann's) started to shred really badly, so I changed course and sewed a strip of black rayon seam binding to the entire lining hem, and then hand-stitched the lining to the hem of the jacket. I don't mind the line of black at the bottom, especially not when the alternative might have been a frayed lining within a few wearings.

I also used fusible hair canvas along the hem line of the jacket, to give more body and sharpness to the edge.

I've got to say, this is one project I'm really glad to be finished with. Not because it was hard, or a lot of work, or even because of the pain and bandaids involved in the proces.

No, I'm glad it's done so I can look at it and see what I did, and be proud that I finally got over my mental block (refusal) to attempt welt pockets or bound buttonholes. This jacket may not be perfect, but it's way better than I would have expected for my first attempt, and I can finally, finally stop putting "attempt welt pockets" on my yearly list of sewing resolutions. It's been #1 now for the past 4 years, at least. It's time to find another goal.

There will definitely be photos of me wearing this, as it's already matched up with the rest of what it's being worn with to work tomorrow. This baby's not going to hang out in the closet waiting to be worn, she's getting her test drive first thing tomorrow morning.

Now back to my regularly scheduled craft show sewing, which I will do now with a much better attitude. Funny how accomplishing something will really improve your attitude.

Month End Review - October 2010

October was a good month.

By the numbers it might not have been my most productive, but I was happy with everything that came out of the workroom, and that doesn't always happen.

First off was the appliqued linen skirt, probably my favorite piece of the entire month, and one that will definitely make my year end list this year. I LOVE that skirt.

Vacation intervened in the sewing a little, but on the other hand, it did cause me to finally reline my navy blue pea coat I bought at the thrift store last year. Which would not have happened if I hadn't ripped the lining out the week before we left for Belgium, forcing me to do it.

Hey, whatever works, right?

I also knocked out yet another KS 3338 tshirt, this time in a solid (which hardly happens in my wardrobe), but with ruffles (which also hardly ever happen in my wardrobe. So that's a nice change.

I also finished 8 pieces for the craft show, less than I wanted, but I was getting to the point of wanting to put all the craft show stuff in a trash can and set it on fire, so I decided a break was in order. The break was cutting out and starting the plaid-and-leather jacket, which is near completion.

By the end of the weekend, the jacket will be done and reviewed, and I'll be back to craft show sewing again. Thankfully submissions are due by December 9th, so there's an end in sight.

Just think, last year I welcomed the craft show sewing because it gave me a focus while dealing with my aunt's drama; this year, since the dust has settled, I keep thinking of so many other things I'd rather be sewing.

Including - maybe - a few Christmas presents this year. Maybe. I'd still rather sew for me.

Getting over myself

Sometimes when you've heard something repeated for so long, it becomes true, whether or not it is. And the more times you repeat it, the more true it becomes. And the more stubborn you become about changing.

That's me with welt pockets. You've heard me moaning about my fear of welt pockets for as long as I've had this blog, but . . . NO MORE. It's over. I've done it, and now that I've done it, I'm going to do it again, and again, and again.

First and foremost, a HUGE thank you to Ann Steeves for the one and only welt pocket tutorial that has ever made sense. Kudos to Ann for unclogging my brain.

After a mostly-successful trial pocket before vacation, I decided that my next project had to feature the real thing. I went through the Burda stash, and picked out 1/2008 #127, a shawl-collar jacket with welt pockets. I had a black, gray and white plaid with red accent stripe from Metro Textiles that's been calling to me from stash, but I couldn't get excited about an entirely plaid jacket. I wanted a black collar, but not any black collar. I decided on leather.

My local thrift store had a pair of black leather pants, for $2.50. For a 26" waist. When I told the saleswoman I was taking them home to cut up, she said, "Good. Any woman with a waist that small who's wearing leather pants is trying too damn hard." Not sure about that, but that much leather for $2.50? I'll take it.

The pattern gave me a break in that the welt pockets (which BWOF called bound pockets) were inserted between the side front and side seams. But that's enough, since I still had to measure them out, mark them properly, sew the welts on and then - gasp! - slash my fabric. Then I taped my welts together with a new sewing room accessory, blue painter's tape, and added the pocket bags.

Then I got cocky. I decided that if the pockets worked, why not do bound buttonholes? My welts were semi-faux, but bound buttonholes would have to be done properly. I marked, used Ann's recommended silk organza turn-in method, added more tape and sewed the leather strips for the buttonholes. I think this would have been a lot easier in a less finicky fabric. The leather was a royal pain to get lined up, since I couldn't pin or baste, but I only had to unpick two out of the six, and the stitch holes are so small and near the seam that they barely show.

They aren't perfect bound buttonholes by any means, but for my first attempt, and in leather, and basically winging them by using the welt pocket instructions that stuck in my head instead of looking at any of my reference books, I'm pretty happy.

I've gotten the facing and lining attached now, and much pressing has gone into getting the leather flattened.

Next up: figuring out how exaclty to handle the bound buttonholes on the inside. I did spend some time with the reference books there, but again, since I can't hand-stitch the leather, I'll be doing it my way.

And it will work, because I know how to make welt pockets and bound buttonholes.

And if I say it over and over, I'll begin to believe it. And it will be difficult to make me ever think otherwise.

There will be blood

Sometimes the sewing gods require a sacrifice for a project to come to fruition. I'm working on a jacket, BWOF 1/2008 #127. The cuffs, collar/facings, and random other bits to be shown off later, are leather.

The other night I was attaching the cuffs. I got the sleeve around the arm of the machine and was inching it along under the needle. The leather, of course, was sticking, and when I pushed it forward, the leather didn't move - but my thumb did. Under the needle.

It went straight through and out the other side, which caused the machine to jam, and gave me the chance to turn the wheel backward and get the needle out of my thumb. After checking to make sure it was in one piece, and not in me, I got Mario to open a couple of bandaids, put some antibiotic ointment on it, and went back downstairs to finish the sleeve, and then the other.

When you fall off your horse, you get right back on. When your sewing machine bites you, you have to go back and show it who's the boss.

And the jacket is worth it. More to come.

Sometimes it's okay not to sew

It's October now, and even though we're having 70 degree temperatures, my mind has turned to the inevitable fact that in 2 or 3 weeks, I'll be huddled in my house, shivering.

I live in an old house. It's drafty. I can caulk all the gaps and the windows, and cover them in plastic, but that doesn't do much to combat the cold coming in through the walls which, being brick, lath and plaster, are uninsulated and cold as all hell throughout the winter.

Somehow for 10 years now, I've managed never to make curtains for the living room. Don't ask me how; there are valances up there, so the windows don't look entirely naked, but the rest of the curtains never materialized. I think that by the time I got to the living room, I was just so sick of making curtains (15 large windows within the first few months of home ownership) that I just stopped.

But now that I'm focused on winter, the curtains come to mind again. And I'm buying them, ready-made. I might need to hem them, but I'll manage that.

Why buy curtains? Even the Selfish Seamstress is making curtains these days, so why not me?

Pick one:

• A I'm not going to do it now that it's cool; I still won't enjoy it.
• B I found something that's inexpensive and will work well enough.
• C I'm still doing craft show sewing and that seems like enough obligation sewing at one time.
• D All of the above.

Yep, it's D. I found some chocolate brown foam-backed insulated draperies for $22 per window, and they're standing by, waiting to be run through the machine.

Though I'm sorely tempted to just let them hang down the wall behind the radiator and the big chair, respectively. It would cut even more draft. And justify my laziness.

The trouble with Brussels

Actually, I don't know what the trouble with Brussels is. Have you ever met someone who you thought you'd like but you don't? Someone liked by lots of people, and who you fully expect to like as well. There's nothing at all wrong with the person, they have lots of good qualities and no visible bad ones, but you just can't warm to them?

That's me with Brussels.


Seven years ago, we didn't hit it off, but I thought maybe it was just that it didn't stand up well against Bruges. This time, I was hoping that by going with Mario, he'd like it and I'd be able to experience it through his eyes and see somethign I hadn't seen last time.

I was also looking forward to meeting up with 2 online sewing friends for coffee and some fabric shopping. After you buy fabric in a place you can never feel neutral about it. And then the trains went on strike.

So Brussels suffered because by the time we got there were were tired, frazzled and cranky from sitting on buses for hours. I was cranky because I'd missed my fabric shopping expedition (though at least the iPhone earned its keep by allowing me to email the ladies and let them know) and Mario was cranky because he'd planned on going to the comics museum without noticing that it was closed on Mondays.

So we walked around and did some sightseeing instead, and he did get to see some great wall cartoons and hit an apparently world-reknowned comic book store, and we visited a few chocolate shops and had another good dinner, but I still feel like Brussels and I just keep missing each other.

We left early on Tuesday morning, got home mid-afternoon here, and collapsed. From there it was back to work, back to house fun - the roofer came again about the leak in the dining room, and also repairs to my front porch roof - and I had to take 20 pounds of Archie cat to the vet on Saturday because he has a head cold so bad he sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

Situation normal.

Bits and Pieces

One of the cool things we did when in Bruges was take the canal boat ride. When I went before, I didn't and always regretted not doing it. Sure, it's a little touristy-cheesy, but it's also the best way to see the town the way it was intended to be seen.

The tour takes about a half hour and takes you through all the canals that are still accessible by boat. The bridges can be really low and the guide makes sure everyone has ducked their heads before he takes the boat under.

We also walked a long part of the ring road around the town. The ring road is bordered by a canal which, once upon a time, was a moat that protected Bruges from invasion. There were gates all around, though now only one is left.

There were also windmills, which didn't look like the Dutch variety I have in my head. It was a beautiful day for walking, mid-60s and breezy, and we worked up quite an appetite by the end of the day.

Most of our meals were from the prix-fixe menus at restaurants, 3 courses for whatever, but on Sunday night we decided to splurge on a seafood restaurant which we'd passed every day on our way through the main squares. The prices were a little higher, but we decided to eat off the menu, not the set priced one, and get what we wanted but maybe not 3 courses worth. That was the best idea, and the best meal, of the trip. Mario got a platter of grilled langoustines, something he particularly loves and aren't much seen at home. I got the waterzooi of North Sea fish, which was a big piece of salmon, some smaller pieces of monkfish, a few scallops, shrimp and mussels, all in a cream sauce with potatoes. With a bright red languostine perched on top of the bowl.

It was beyond heavenly, and I scraped every drop of sauce once I was done the seafood. After that, we didn't need dessert.

We walked around for another hour or so, and then went back the hotel, ordered 2 espressos and took them upstairs to our room where we spent way too much time trying to read an article from a Belgian magazines about the vagaries of American politics.

It was in French, not Flemish, not that that really helped much. My French doesn't run anywhere near that far, and Mario has even less. The iPhone was much used and I think we got the gist of it, if not all the details.

Needless to say, despite the way they poke fun at Sarkozy, I think we're still the best entertainment the Europeans have.