Simplicity 2451 and 2452 Pics

Well, I won't be wearing either piece this week. Looks like I have some shopping in my future. ;-) (Carolyn, I was already planning to hit Stein Mart tomorrow after work.)

I'm still not camera-ready so you get to see me with day-old hair and no make-up. Ugh.

The skirt is fine, but it's 5 lbs too tight. Or I am. ;-) I expect it will fit in a couple of weeks since I'm still losing about 2-3 lbs per week. I haven't hemmed it yet because I think I'm going to need a facing or it will be too short for my preferences. And that's after adding 3 inches to the length. I just ran out of mojo tonight to deal with a hem facing.

While the pockets are pulling in the front, the tightness is more evident to me in the back. I could actually live with the pockets, but the waist in the back is scrunching.

The pattern has a couple of oddities. I'm going to try to write a real review next weekend, but we'll see how that goes.

First, the waist yokes have *got* to be sized wrong. I added width to both the front and back of the skirt, and added corresponding width to the yokes. But I had to remove ALL the additions to the yokes, right back to the original pattern, for them to fit onto the skirt sections as the instruction show. How can that be? Sumthin' ain't right.

Next, the pockets are way too narrow. I suppose it's probably good so I don't jam my hands into them, but I *want* to jam my hands into them. The pockets were one of the main reasons I chose this skirt, since the jacket doesn't have any. Also, if you understitch the pocket where it attaches to the skirt as instructed, and I did, then the pocket bag piece doesn't line up. In other words, there is no allowance for turn of cloth or slightly pressing the joining seam to the back.

Finally, lapped zipper. Ugh. And hand-stitching the waist facing to the zipper and the yoke. Eff that. I changed the zip to an invisible, except the best color I had was black so it could probably be a little more invisible. I also overlocked the raw edge of the facing and stitched in the ditch from the front to catch and hold it down, and I machine-stitched the facing around the zipper (RS together) and turned it so it was all clean-finished and the hand-stitching was eliminated. Cuz you know how I feel about hand-stitching.

All in all, the zipper turned out fine. I also don't like hook/eyes, so they aren't there. Next time, I'll move the zip up more. But I will NEVER see this so I don't really care. ;-)

Here's the whole suit. I promise the bottom edges of the jacket are really even. I'm just standing with one hip out and one shoulder up.

Now I need to go make some chicken salad for my lunch, fold some laundry, and head to bed. Thanks for all your good wishes! I'm sure I'll be fine. Tomorrow will probably just be a lot of orientation and forgetting everyone's name.