Craft Rage

Okay, now that the blog isn't pink, surrounded by pink swirlies, I can get back to posting. I completed three projects this week (yay me!). Okay, in truth, the projects don't merit a "Yay!", because honestly, they're pretty simple projects.

First up, the Orange Skirt. Made More Important With The Inclusion Of Capital Letters!

This skirt was made without a pattern, which isn't surprising, since it's a simple straight skirt with an elastic waist. It's very...orange. Orange and I play well together, far better than pink and I do - I'm a "fall", or so I learned from Chatelaine, circa 1989. Even so, this is probably one of those skirts I'll only wear if all my pants are dirty.

Of everything I've made so far, this is the one I paid most attention to. I made flat-felled seams on both the lining and the fashion fabric. I found the process to be absurdly simple, and quite gratifiying, since it results in a really nice finish. See? Lookit me, talkin' about nice finishes and such!

Here's a shot of the inside. Again, I didn't use a pattern, so if my lining is way too short, that's 'cause I got overenthusiastic with my rotary cutter. Seriously, I have a love affair going on with my rotary cutter. It would love to cut off my fingertips, and I would love to throw it away. It's just that I have a sense that it would come back, like that movie with the doll - that woman kept throwing it away, and giving it away, but every time she came home from work, it was sitting in her living room, looking at her.

Funny story. Okay, not really funny. Strange. I got the lining fabric from the Salvation Army. It was new, unwashed, and folded, and by the fade on one of the folded sides, was in someone's stash for a good long time.

I bought it because it was shiny (I'm a crow - shiny things attract my attention). When I was at the checkout, there were two ladies at the till - one ringing things in, and the other folding and bagging. They finished with the woman in front of me, and as she walked away, I set this 2m length of fabric on the counter. The bagger actually CRINGED away from it, and said "Oh, my!" as though it were printed all over with naked female parts.

The lady at the till stood there and stared at the fabric for a few seconds, then gingerly reached out a hand to flip the tag over, careful not to actually touch the fabric, and murmured "How interesting." Both ladies tried to rally gamely - the bagger asked me what I might make out of something so...orange..., and the lady at the till smiled uncomfortably and said that it looked as though it would take an iron well, obviously straining for something kind to say.

So anyway, apparently the lining fabric is cursed. Or so horrifically ugly that it shocked these women out of their shoes. I'm betting on cursed, because then I get to call this the Orange Skirt Of Evil. I really like to Capitalize Things To Make Them Important.

Anyway, on the elastic casing, I think I cheated a bit - I sewed bias binding around the unfinished top edge of the skirt, then folded it over and eyeballed it to one inch all the way around, then sewed it. I think I was probably supposed to do something fancy that wouldn't include bias binding at all, but by the time the elastic was going in, I was getting a bit bored.

Second project - vintage top, made with a real vintage pattern! Well, if the '70's or early '80's is vintage, at least. Not really sure where the line gets drawn.

So, I have more vintage patterns than I should have, and only about four of them are in a size that I could sew and wear today. This is not one of them. As you can see from the package, it's a size 12, 34' bust. My actual bust is 50", so a small adjustment was necessary.

Since this pattern was comprised of two pieces cut on the bias, and some bias binding, it was an easy one to edit, although I'm not sure if I did it the "right" way. All I did was measure the distance across the top of the pattern, where the top seam is supposed to sit, then measured the same spot on my actual chest. The difference was six inches. I was supposed to cut the piece flat, not on the fold, but figured I'd take a shortcut - I carefully folded the fabric on the bias, folded the pattern piece down the middle, and slapped it down. Instead of lining the edge of the pattern up with the fold, I shifted it back three inches from the fold, which gave me six inches of extra fabric, right down the middle, but didn't change any of the other dimensions.

I actually like this little top - I got the size just right, so it fits well and is quite comfortable. However, if I make it again, I'll likely change it so that I can have straps over the shoulders, to hide a brastrap. Because honestly, a 50" bust isn't perky enough to carry this top off without some serious support. We won't discuss the fact that it's pink. It was a remnant, so it was cheap. I'm not down with pink, but I'm down with $1.20 for 1.6 metres!

And finally, the blue skirt I talked about in this post.

Here's the thing. I finished this skirt. I stitched all the rips closed, put a side zipper in, bias-bound the hem, and tried it on. I liked it. Now, however, I can't find it. I've looked all over the house, in all the spots that these things usually end up, including the laundry and the closet in my office, but I can't locate it at all. So either the universe is trying to save me from wearing the saddest little ripped skirt in the world, or Smooshy has stolen it and hidden it with her trove of black socks and spools of thread. Either way, no pics today!

Labels: projects, vintage patterns