Progress? I don't think so...

So I know it's been a LONG time since I have posted anything about sewing the Butterick 5383 and that's because it's been a long time since I have sewn anything on it :) I lost my sewing mojo for a while.... but I am still not quite sure it is back :S

So here is the update..... PROBLEMS GALORE! Really if you know anything about clothing construction, now would be the time to chime in :) because I am stuck at what to do next and I don't know if i can go back either... so here's the damage...

After some friendly advice from the Joann lady I figured out what the staystitching thing was all about, so I got that in there just fine.

Then I proceeded to the invisible zipper with not too much fuss. (Even though I don't have that invisible zipper block foot thing, I managed with my regular zipper foot.)

Then I had a "tube" of a dress if you will, so I decided to try it on before going any further.... here is  where the flying bird gets plastered by the car going 75mph....

Oh dear where do I start! There is so much floppy fabric in the front where it's ruched (sp?)... and because I obviously over ruched the front is TOO SHORT! (Like way too short...) The hips are pretty snug, like afraid to sit down snug and the back above the rump is very fabricy too...

Now I don't know what to do. To go back and un-ruch some of the side would mean A LOT of ripping out stitches and ripping out the zipper. And even if I did that I am not sure if that would afford me more room in the hips too...

Help someone who knows better than me!!

Sunday Outfit

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Happy Sunday!!

First day of sewing - Butterick 5383

Ok so I gathered my courage and put my (skinny size 60) needle to fabric.

I started with the darts; back and front.

 

 Inside of the back dart

 

Outside of the back dart

 

Outside of the front dart

Then I sewed the 2 back panels together

 

 

Not too bad so far. The only "snag" I have run into thus far is what ever material this is, the edges are fraying pretty bad and at one point while sewing the back panels together, the fuzzies got caught up with the thread in the needle and the top thread broke. So I remedied the jam, re-threaded and continued.

Next I put 2 gather stitches on each side of the front panel and also stay stitched the bottom of the V neck area. (Sorry no pictures of that... kinda routine/boring/normal. But how about a scanned pic :) )

 

And lastly I pulled the right front side gather stitch and then stitched it to the right back side.

 

  

  

And that is what I have done so far. The only thing I am not too trilled with is the gather. Mine is not as rouchy (sp?) as I could like it to be, nor as what the photo and direction pictures look like... but other than that still trucking along.

Although I have glanced ahead on the directions and I am not really sure what the next step (step 6) means. (It says; "to stay left side opening edge, cut seam binding using back Patter Tissue [2] as guide. Cut seam binding the length of seamline between small circles, plus 1/2".)

Anyone have any clues?

My first grown-up article of clothing.... aka a sewing adventure....yikes!!

Ok, so I have decided to blog through my first clothes sewing adventure. I hope I have not gone in over my head with this first one. We will all find out!!

So here is the dress I am making... Butterick 5383

  

This is the fabric I chose, and I hope it works because it was not one of the fabrics recommended on the pattern. Butterick recommended Stretch Wovens, Ponte Knits and Jersey. All of which I have no idea what they are! (I suppose I better learn these things if I am going to start sewing my own clothes!!) (Side note, I have been reading Dawn for many weeks now and hope to make beautiful clothes like hers one day!!)

So I have done a tissue fitting just like Gertie has instructed me to! 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

(And P.S. I can only hope that someone who knows how to sew is reading this because then they can stop me at every point and say "WAIT!! You are making a huge mistake doing A... It is supposed to be done in manner B." So if you are out there and reading please speak up and offer all sorts of advice and knowledge!)

Here is what I found out during my tissue fitting. I definitely need to move into the real world and just buy the pattern based on what the measurements say on the flap!! I am a buying clothes size 12, but definitely not a size 12 is sewing measurements! So here is what I changed;

1. I added 2 inches to the shoulder length because the arm opening was squeezing the life out of my armpit.

 

 

 

2. I added 2 inches to the front and back because I should have bought a larger pattern size!! Which automatically added 1.5 inches to the neck line. (I don't know how I would have been able to prevent this.....)

 

  

3. Since I lengthened the shoulder strap on the dress by 2 inches I also added 2 inches in the neck binding. And I also added 1.5 inches because I lengthened the neck when I widened the dress. (This part threw me for a loop for a long while and I starred at this pattern piece for a long time before I cut and decided what to do with it!!)

 

 

4. Finally I added the adjustments to the inside lining pieces as well.

 

So after all this I measured many many times and then cut the fabric... I was a little nervous I must admit! (I know the bottom hem is not straight, but I actually didn't cut it, I left it from the original fabric in case I need more hem. I am going with the longer B version of the dress because I am so tall, it actually hits me at the knee. So I left the crocked bottom just in case :) )

 

 

So I think that's all so far! I am going to go into my sewing room and stare at my cut outs and try to get the courage up for putting a needle in them!! (Reminder to self..... change the huge needle in your machine from 90 to 60...)

Here I go...

Giveaways Galore!

I haven't managed to sit down and browse my blog list in quite a while! But I finally managed today and of course it being Cyber Monday I am coming across a lot of awesome deals! But also lots of giveaways!

This one is by far my favorite I have seen today! I also went to the Shade Clothing site and I am now in love with this:

The turtleneck Dress in Heather Raisin!

Vanilla Joy always has tons of super giveaways and ideas. Here are just a few that I have liked:

craft room organization

creative date ideas

obaji skin care

scrapbooking furniture

teaching baby sign language