Testing 1 2 3

This will be quick cuz (1) trying out mobile posting and (2) doing this on my phone ... blech.

Just wanted to say thank you for all the good thoughts and finger crossing yesterday. It went very well and I will know yay or nay by Friday. If you see a post soon about fabric or shoe purchasing, you'll know it was a yay. ;-)

Random Thoughts

I haven't posted a list of Random Thoughts in a while and since I don't have any gorgeous (or even not-gorgeous) finished photos to share ... here we go ...

1. I tried on the dress this morning.
2. Not happy.
3. Yet.
4. BTW, I didn't mean last post that I don't try on at all during the process, only that I don't do the final try-on before hems until I'm sure I'm OK with any result.
5. Sometimes I just don't want to wreck a sewing session with a less-than-stellar result.
6. And sometimes it's not the garment, but my frame of mind/mirror which could wreck it.
7. I found my camera charger cord.
8. Can I get an A-MEN!!
9. It looks amazingly like a really old phone charger, which I kept out when packing/moving by mistake instead of the correct charger.
10. Now you know why I don't throw away the wrong one.
11. Too afraid the wrong one will be the right one, or vice versa, on trash day.
12. Have you SEEN Peter's and Michael's new swimsuits?
13. Go back one post too, to see more of Peter's cute tushie ... er ... first new suit.
14. I've been asked to be an "indie" pattern tester.
15. I will, as usual, give my honest opinion when the process is over, and am looking forward to seeing how it goes from this "side."
16. So far, the pattern looks promising and something I'd pick for myself.
17. And that's all I can say for now.
18. A personal request: Cross your fingers for me at 2 PM on Tuesday.
19. Football season is almost here.
20. I actually kinda got into the World Cup after I had some tutoring from a current co-worker, but ...
21. It ain't the NFL. ;-)
22. We can actually hear the Bucs' cannon from where I'm living now.
23. Too bad I'm not really a Bucs fan.
24. Exactly how much crack have the Project Runway judges been smokin' this season?
25. Still enjoying the show, though.
26. I still have fabric all over the house.
27. I really want it to be organized.
28. But first I need to buy a new shelf or something and I don't have the funds yet.
29. See #18.

McCall's 6752 In Progress

I did turn on the lights and machines in the sewing room yesterday, and got to work on McCall's 6752. I cut out the pattern and fabric and sewed the bodice. And that's where I ended since Alex and I took the dogs to the beach. We both really enjoy taking them there. It's close and free, and the dogs love it. Chili now knows where we're heading as soon as he sees the towels come out. He's so darn smart, that dog.

Tonight after dinner, I had some reserve energy (how did THAT happen?) and got back to the dress. Now all that's left are the hems.

I made View B, the one shown in the red print on the envelope. Lots of sewers in blogland have also made this view and I've liked them all, so it was time to be a sheep. :-) 

The only real alteration I made was to add 4 inches to the bottom of the skirt. All reviews (and my own eyes) said the skirt was SHORT. I cut the size 16 for the neck/shoulders and morphed to the 22 by the waist/hips, since laying my TNT Magic Pencil over the skirt told me that was the best size to use. I also added additional length to the cowl facing to help prevent inside-out-ness, especially since this ITY knit slips and curls almost on its own. I may yet still add a little weight to the facing to keep it in place.

I haven't tried it on yet, and I'm a little worried that it may be more revealing than I'm comfortable with. If so, I'll have to don a cami for an underlayer.

Does anyone else do this .... get the whole thing nearly finished and then don't try it on? I'm telling myself it's because I'm choosing to end the day's sewing session on a good note. In reality, it's because I don't want to possibly ruin my night by finding out it doesn't fit. Yep, I'm a chicken.

KS 4026 aka My Broke Woman's Myrtle

Here's the finished dress. I'm not in the love with the fabric, so that has a bearing on my feelings for the dress. It's just a crappy thin rayon knit that feels like a nightgown. I would like the dress much better in an ITY. The print is cool, which is why I bought the fabric to begin with. But it's definitely a low-quality knit and nothing will change that. I expect I'll make it again whenever I can afford to buy some new fabric because I do actually like the style of the dress on me, if not the fabric.

I hinted in a previous post at showing how I used my TNT tee for sizing this dress. I thought I took more pics, but hmmm. Guess not. I'll go over the ones I did manage to take, though. And since my camera battery is dying and I have NO IDEA where the cord is, I suspect it's going to be a while before I post with photos again. :-( I know I'm whining, but I'm really, REALLY tired of being broke because if I wasn't, I'd have a new camera by now. And better fabric choices. Definitely better fabric choices.

So, here we go ... I placed my TNT back piece over the KS back pattern piece. My goal here and on the front bodice piece was to get the widths right for me but to also keep in mind matching up to the KS waist width where it matched closest because the skirt would need to be attached at that seam and I didn't want extra, or worse, too little, at the matching seam. I also wanted to use my TNT armhole since KS armholes are notoriously low, especially on me.

Here's the tracing. It's basically a S at the neck/shoulder/upper chest and then moving to M/L through bust level and then down to the waist seam.

This is where I thought I had more pics. I had already created a drape front from my TNT so I used that piece to gauge the sizing for the KS. You can kinda sorta see the edge of TNT drape front at the right of this photo. The final tracing follows the same sizing variations as the back ... S up top, gradually to a M/L by the waist. The bottom length is longer than the KS pattern only because I knew I was adding a wide casing for the waist elastic (which is what Myrtle-izes this) and there was enough tissue below the bodice to just do it in one pass. For the back, I had to tape on extra.

I knew I'd never use armhole facings even if I decide later to make a sleeveless version so I just traced my TNT sleeve on that part of pattern tissue so I'd have a copy of the sleeve with this dress and not have to dig out the original.

Here are the finished front and back bodice pieces, where you can see the elastic casing taped onto the back piece and just cut onto the front. I added the width of the elastic (1-3/8" I think without looking). And that's it. Since I ended the waist at the actual KS L waist width, I used the L skirt pieces without alteration.

Also, I find most pattern drape fronts to be on the short side, which makes the cowl more fiddly. I added 1-1/2" to the drape section as I was cutting. I had no problems when wearing this dress with the cowl flipping outward or anything so this was enough extra for me. I know the Myrtle has a "self-lined" front, which is really just the whole front doubled and then folded where the drape edge would be if it wasn't "self-lined." I thought about doing this, but decided it would be too hot and the fabric would stick to itself and not lay nicely. And since I added the sleeves, I didn't need to worry about finishing armhole edges with anything other than my serger.

And one last shot. Maybe one day, I'll venture outside for some better pics and a different pose. Well, if I ever find the camera cord or can afford a new one. :-( (I hope I'm not sounding too whiney. I *am* appreciative of having an income, just impatient for the new permanent job and salary to happen already.)