Jalie 2921: Happy Halloween

Amazingly, I got *everything* on my To Do list for this weekend done, and I had time to go to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and catch the end of the Steelers game. Boy, I sure would like to have their TV set-up in my house every Sunday during football season.

Crappy cell phone pic

Here's my finished Jalie 2921 and a try-on preview of my outfit for tomorrow.

I read some of the 50+ reviews for this top after I had it cut out. A few of them mentioned it running tight. One review mentioned 4 inches of negative ease. Uh oh. I had gone by my measurements and cut a straight CC (16). As it turned out, I'm glad I read the reviews after cutting or I would've been tempted to cut a bigger size. There definitely is NOT 4 inches of negative ease. I measured waist and hips of the finished top and at the most I came up with 1 inch of negative ease. The top fits great.

I said I cut a straight CC, but that's sort of a fib. I did scoop out the back neck 2 sizes down because Jalie always runs high in the back neck on me. I'm glad I did this, because this pattern was no exception. The back neck as modified fits me perfectly, and the tie/collar doesn't gape in the back at all like some of the reviewers mentioned. I also scooped out the front armhole down a size because I could just tell by looking at the pattern that I would need to. I was right. After all these years making tons of knit tops, I'm pretty familiar with my preferred armhole shape, no matter what size I am. Other than those two adjustments which I made while tracing, I made no other adjustments. No FBA, no bicep increase, no blending to a bigger size at hip level, nada. Yippee! I love cut and sew patterns. However, when I make this again, and I will, the only other change I will make will be to narrow the shoulders 3/8". They are OK on this first make, but they will be perfect when I narrow them.

This was one of the funnest tops I've made in a long time. It's so FAST to put together and it's so cool how the neckline/tie is done. It's the burrito method and it's brilliant for a tie neck. Plus, once you have it all sewn into the burrito, it's like opening a Christmas present turning it right-side out. I loved that!

While I was in the "black mood" buying tights at Walmart, I picked up this top too.Very out of my usual color palette, but I like it. I might have to rethink my self-imposed ban on black. I put a chain belt on and I liked it even better (the top has some metallic threads), but my camera batteries died at that exact moment so I don't have a pic. The top has a cowl neck, which you can't really see here (and it's a 12/14 - woot!). This top will also work for my upcoming trip to Virginia where it's currently Brrrrrrr.

After recharging the batteries, I tried on the Bealls jeans I mentioned a couple of posts ago so I could see them from the camera's eye. I'm still on the fence with them. The fading/distressing down the thighs isn't the best look for someone with my thighs even though EVERYONE wears jeans like this. But the overall shape is pretty good. They give me hope for the Jalie jeans one day.

This is what my bed looked like 20 minutes ago, during the mad closet shuffle. I cleared out SO MUCH stuff that I actually have lots of empty space on the closet rods and a ton of leftover empty hangers.

The donate piles are growing. I also have a full big box that's not in the pic. One of next weekend's tasks will be getting this stuff out of the house and to a good new "home." While I'm not sad to be shrinking out my clothes, I'm a little sad over some of the fabric "lost." I wish I had some of it back to start over. I know, I know, it's not like I don't have a TON of fabric waiting, so I'm not too broken up.

Next weekend, I will sort through my dresser drawers and make space for all the crap on top of my dresser.