Things that I hang with...

Here are glimpses of walls and things that I hang with in my sewing room.  It seems that no matter where we are, or how big or small the space, I end up with these kinds of things all around me.  

Non-wrinkle fabric on my mind...

This past summer I've been sewing with cotton and linen; cool fabrics for summer wear.  But I need non-wrinkle!  I'm heading in that direction; just saying...

Butterick 5786; Asymmetrical Hemline Shirt...all done!

 

 

Black shirt with asymmetrical hemline; Butterick 5786.  Not hard to sew, but this one took time.  Example?  I was putting the cuff on #2 sleeve and nicked the body of the sleeve with my scissors...my bad; had to recut and redo with what extra fabric I had leftover.  I did 1/2" buttonholes before I had my buttons.  I needed 10 buttons to complete the shirt.  Joann's in Temecula had such a limited assortment of 1/2" buttons in stock and, except for these, none with 10 of anything in black, or wood, or coconut, or shirt buttons...nada!  Staring at a button rack for a half hour does not make buttons appear.  These will do, but one day, if this shirt wears well as I expect it will, I plan to replace the buttons.  This is garment #2 of my Fall wardrobe, which I am building one by one. 

What next?  Well actually, I have pants on my mind, and I'll be putting great effort into finding just right pattern, with just the right fit, to make the perfect pair of pants.  I'm thinking of a lovely pair of lined, woolen pants to go with a stylish jacket of the same fabric, for travel and holiday wear.

 

McCalls 6739; dress all done!

Finished dress

Inside pocket detail

I finished this dress, not my favorite, but it's done.  Because of the piping that I added along the vertical seams, front and back, and the mid-weight linen blend fabric, the dress is definitely boxy all around...oh my!  The side pockets drape outward, instead of hugging the body.  The dress is straight up and down in design, without waist definition.  This pattern has potential to be a cool summer frock, with the right fabric and minus the piping.  Although I can wear it sleeveless, all in all, mine turned out more like a jumper, which I'll wear with a turtleneck and tights, come cooler weather. 

Fall Sewing...Christine Jonson Pattern #723; Straight Shirt

Fall wardrobe preparation...here's my latest.  This CJ pattern is one of my favorites because it's so simply stylish and quick to sew.  The wavy distortion of the fabric is an illusion of the camera.  This is a taupe/black stretch gauze, 70% linen, 27% rayon, 3% lycra, which I threw in the wash before cutting and sewing.  Shrinkage?  Absolutely!  There was much less fabric to work with after pre-shrinking, but luckily there was enough.  This top ended up a light jacket with a single-button closure, instead of a full-on shirt.