Mail Call

I bought these pattern magazines on Ebay about a week ago and they arrived yesterday from Germany. Inspiration is running rampant around in my head again. I absolutely love the patterns in Knip•XL. Patrones comes in at #2 for me. Diana is good, but very classic, conservative, so it's #3. Modetrende is a total yawner. The styles are on the frumpy, baggy side of things. IOW, what someone who is not plus-sized thinks plus-sized women should be wearing. Hmpf.

It's going to be interesting trying to figure out what pattern pieces are what in Knip•XL since it's a Dutch language magazine. I think I'll be OK without instructions for most of the patterns, as long as I can be sure I'm using the correct pieces. Anyone know any remedial sewing Dutch?

One thing of note, look at the models Knip•XL uses. Actual plus-size models! And they have boobs! ;-) I haven't unfolded the actual pattern sheets yet, but the line drawings make me think these patterns are drafted for at least a C cup. The bust darts look quite ample.





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Jacket update: I wore the new jacket out to the store and a quickie dog walk around a nearby neighborhood this evening. It started drizzling on us so now I have nice new, WET jacket. It's dry again now and no worse for wear. One thing I noticed while wearing it is that I love the sleeve length. For once, I have a denim jacket with sleeves that end where I want them to. As they say — it's the little things, but this one definitely makes me feel good. (The rest of the jacket fits pretty darn perfect too.)

Mission Complete

Yes, it's done. It's finally done! I hope you haven't been holding your breath all this time. ;-)

Here's the back view:


This pic shows the weird shaped front facings. (And the stabilizer still on the backside of my buttonholes.)

This is the quasi-lining for the back. The middle section has an ease pleat. The bottom section is hanging free. I haven't yet decided whether to attach it to the jacket hem with a few thread loops. I'll see how it wears without them.

Here's the jacket splayed out on the (thread snip covered) floor. The back lining is sewn into the neckline, armholes and sideseams.

There is a separate collar stand. I'm not sure if this was entirely necessary, but it looks nice. ;-)

Yoke, pocket flap, and notched collar … which I did not widen, Katharine, because I decided extra width would overlap the pocket flaps.

And the sleeve placket, which I sewed on the right way the first time. Whew! Speaking of the sleeves, they eased in great first try. I think, no — I know, I was stalling on finishing this because of those sleeves. But I shouldn't have worried. I did leave the seam allowances at 5/8" and sewed two rows of gathering stitches, pinned carefully, and voila! Whew again. ;-)

Lots and lots of topstitching on this thing. I topstitched nearly every seam. Actually, I think I did hit every seam, including the two upper sleeve seams because at that point, I figured why not. I do like the way it looks. It's too bad the photos aren't doing justice to the topstitching thread. It's a taupe-y color which matches some of the paisley shades and shows up more in real life.

I'll take pics of me in it and write up a review soon. Remember to click on the pics for the larger versions. You can also go here to see all the photos from this project.

Nope, not yet

Still no completed jacket. The best laid plans and all …

Trips to the dog park and the drugstore won out over the sewing room last night. I really wanted to burn off some of the dog energy and was thinking of taking the pooches to the park this morning but the weather for today was forecast as yucky (which came true) so we made an impromptu trip to the park last night instead. Plus DS#2 came home from school with a completely untouched lunchbox and still feeling bad, which meant restocking on the cold meds so he could get through school today. Staying home and then trying to catch up on a week's worth of school would be more overwhelming than being there with a stuffy head, cough and sneezes so I really wanted him to go if he felt at all well enough. He did, and I'm sure he'll spend the weekend resting some more and catching up on homework. I can't remember the last time he felt this bad for this long. Poor baby. This cold is a doozy, I know that first-hand.

On today's agenda: Some paperwork, some real paying work, some coop stuff, and then (hopefully) finishing the #*@! jacket once and for all. I've actually enjoyed working on it and I think I will like the finished jacket a lot. I'm just frustrated that it's taking me so long to get it finished. OTOH, I never claimed to be a speedy sewer. ;-)

Sleeves

We have actual measurable progress.

The sleeves really still look like the pic below (although the perspective in this pic is skewed because the two sections are not as equal in length as they look here). All that's left to do is to sew the sleeve pieces together, topstitch 'em and then set the completed sleeves into the armholes. Oh, and then topstitch on the yokes. In the top photo, I was remembering my goofed-up muslin sleeves and making sure I have the placket band going in the correct direction and attached at the appropriate place. I don't want to be buttoning up my sleeves at my inner wrists. ;-) I'm pretty sure I have it right so after dinner … I. Will. Finish. The. Jacket. After I check the plackets once more, of course.

Fitting in

Chili thinks the "Sit" command involves chairs. Velvet chairs. ;-) Pepper is content on her usual fleece pillow in front of the window.

Training is going well. Chili now comes when called with "Come" (or the usual kissy-pucker calling an animal sound) and the whistling is long forgotten. He's learned to Sit on command, and not just on chairs. ;-) He sits before we put on his leash, he sits when we need to take it off, and he sits to wait for the door to open. He's starting to grasp Lay Down too. He's a smart pooch who just needs some guidance.

The training sessions are hilarious. First, there's Chili, all wiggly and goofy and so eager to please so he can get that delicious morsel of ... doggie kibble. No need for special treats here. Hand feeding him anything does the job. So far, we know that in addition to the kibble, Chili eats raisins, carrots, lettuce, croutons, acorns (outside), spiders (yay!), and any crumb on the floor he's sniffed out. And then there's Pepper, who goes through all the commands I'm giving Chili because she hasn't figured out yet that I'm not talking to her. Or maybe she has and she just wants to guilt me into a kibble morsel for her too. It's working. Hmmm. Who's training who?

Both dogs continue to get along great. They play with each other during the day, around naptimes and walk times. Chili has SO MUCH energy (as do most JRTs) that we need to go on little explorations around the yard during the day. It's good for me and Pepper too, so I don't mind. Although I won't be taking another 2-leash stroll off our property again without help until Chili learns better leash manners. On Monday, it was all I could do to control him from darting across the street to greet the boxers and dobermans in the neighbor's fenced-in yard or the horses next to them without getting tangled in a leash web and landing on my butt. Pepper is fine without a leash, but I had her on one in case she wandered when I was attending Chili and so her leash was getting mixed in the tangle too. Whooeee ... what a workout that was! ;-)

I'll be working on the jacket some more this morning. Maybe I'll even get to the point of working on the sleeves. Hey, it could happen.