Monday, June 27, 2011

What's More Painful?

… trying on an in-progress garment that's been pinned together, or ripping out basting stitches? I do both, but I can't decide which method I like best (or least).

Anyway — here's what I'm working on now, Vogue 8724. KMQ enabled me on this one after hers turned out so pretty!  And kudos for Vogue Patterns' speedy delivery. I ordered this on Wednesday last week, on the last day of their sale (with some others, ahem) and the order was sitting in my mailbox on Saturday, just in time for this pattern to be my next project. (Did I mention I should be making a suit? Hah! I'm taking a cue from Peter on that one for the moment.)

Vogue 8724

I got it cut out yesterday, but then I lost steam in the sewing room after sewing the front pleats and left it. This morning, I got up bright and early and sewed the bust darts and back princess seams and then pinned all the pieces together and prepared myself for the painful try-on. Ouch!


I cut an 18 as usual for the upper chest and it fits fine there (sorry Ann, I think I just blew your theory) and morphed to the 20 for everywhere else. Technically, it fits but there ain't no graceful drape below those pleats as they go over my tummy. Hah! That's OK, the tummy is going down so I'll just let the knit compensate and camouflage for the time being and not adjust it. This pattern has separate bust cup pieces, which is fantastic since I made NO FIT ALTERATIONS whatsoever. How often does that happen?

I will need to do something about this, which KMQ did warn about but did I listen?


I think I will just cut two new bodice pieces. Or I'll live with it. I'm still deciding.

This is the right side of the fabric, which I'm sure many of you will recognize. It's one of my very favorites and I bought TONS of it when Lucy's Fabrics was still selling the Best Rayon/Lycra Prints ever. Sigh. That means you will see it again at some point.


I drank the Kool-Aid and this pattern also fell into my cart last week. I'm not sure my stomach is ready for it yet, though.

Vogue 1250

This is definitely my Summer of the Knit Dress, but they are so comfortable and cool to wear and I think I'll get more mileage from them as I keep losing weight.

Thanks so much for all the nice comments on the M6363 dress fiasco in my last post. I really do like the third version and getting it to work wasn't that hard. There's only 4 pieces (w/o the sleeves) and two of those are the ties. Yes, it sucks that the pattern has those oddities I pointed out. But since I have now pointed them out to you, the fixes won't take you long if you really do want to make it - even out the shoulders and tuck the CF/CB if it's too wide for you. Just buy the pattern on sale instead of being impatient like I was and you'll be even less irked at McCall's than I was. ;-)

10 comments:

  1. This looks really good! I love that print! I have this dress next in my sewing line-up and I appreciate the heads-up about the armhole. I think the McCalls dress looks really good on you, too. I thought the envelope looked good, but I'm not sure I want to go to all that trouble to "fix" the pattern. Thanks for the warning on that one!

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  2. Okay, if my stomach can handle V1250 and it looks alot like yours (oh and it's not going away like yours is!) I think you can make one no problem.

    Can I be honest? I'm not sure I'm liking this on you yet...and I machine baste with the longest stitch on my machine. Then I clip a few stitches on the front and pull the bobbin thread to release the basted area.

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  3. I enabled you? I'm not claiming that. V8724 is very forgiving. I didn't even wear shapewear with it and I usually wear shapewear with everything. I guess it could have been the fabric.

    As much as I tried to live V1250 I just didn't. I cut it apart last night and it is on my cutting table, as I write, waiting for a refashion. I may try it again in a heavier fabric but then again...probably not!

    As far as basting, I do what Carolyn does both for stitching and removing stitches.

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  4. I can never decide on the pinning vs basting either. So far, I'm on the side of pin to fit, but then I have a lot of fitting challenges and I often have to adjust the pins multiple times. I definitely baste the fiddly stuff right before I sew it though.

    I can't tell what the problem is with the arrow. It looks fine to me. Are my eyes just getting that bad now?

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  5. It looks like the pattern didn't truly compensate for a larger bust size in the D cup pattern piece. (says Captian Obvious)
    The armsyce pulling forward is my RTW scourge.

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  6. I'm not a gifted pinner, so I baste (=

    Fun print. I think it'll help disguise any tummy issues you're worried about.

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  7. I am a pinner whenever possible and have the scratches on my arms to prove it! I've been away for the last 3 weeks so have about a billion blog posts to catch up on but I just wanted to say wow, in the short time I have been away you are looking amazing and very happy with it.

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  8. I hate using my seam ripper, so it's pins for me whenever possible. And getting a dress form helped with fitting too. LOVE that printed fabric!

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  9. Basting stitches. I'm glad that knitmachinequeen comments on V872. She is not petite and looked drop dead gorgeous in this dress. I've bought the pattern and am waiting for summer (It's winter downunder).

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Thank you for each and every comment. I appreciate them all, but I have to be honest and let you know that I'm usually bad about answering questions. I hope you understand that there just isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want to do.

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