Little thoughts

Little thoughts: need more sleep! :)

Saturday, April 23, 2011

I think I need to keep banging my head...

Or how I can make a simple top pattern into a nightmare!  Beware graphic shots of said item are coming up.

I was up at the crack of dawn looking through the Pendrell blouse sew a long and to my horror, the first thing that is taught is how to shorten the pattern.  *grinding teeth* I wish I wish I wish I had seen this lovely titbit of information before I'd started yesterday, but no I had to go in all guns blazing thinking I knew everything as it looked so simple....grrr.  So I take the top/tunic thingy up to Mabel the Mannequin and start pinning.  I've taken the poor thing in twice now, added a zip and bust darts and it's still not right. You may wish to avert your eyes:

Pendrell top
No those pink things hanging out of the armholes aren't giant tongues but sleeves.  Due to the cutting out disaster I didn't have enough fabric to do both sleeves in the same fabric so thought I'd pick a colour from the pattern and use it as the accent, but it's monstrous...I'm afraid to put my arms through in case they get eaten...maybe I'm taking this too far but I need to find some humour in this somewhere.

close up of disastrous sleeves

Lolling

So here's my new best friend:

Seam ripper

My trusty seam ripper will be working hard shortly.  I'm going to summon up the will to carry on tomorrow as just can't face it tonight.

So because I can't leave it on a grumpy note, here's me in one of my favourite shop bought dresses:

Me in my halter dress

This is a navy blue with scattered polka dots halter neck dress I bought from Monsoon last summer.  I love it to bits and really want to find a pattern the same/similar so I can have another.

Hope you're all having better luck with sewing than me!

10 comments:

  1. lol :-) Sorry but the getting my arms eaten cracked me up! Oooh I feel guilty, should have told you there was a sew along... Not that I'd actually followed it, I just knew there was one. If its any consolation to you at all, it does look like it has the potential to look damn fine! Is it just the dummy or have you made yours a more fitting top? Just wondering as the other pics of it I saw looked a pretty loose baggy top.
    Well, chin up, its all lessons learned, and you're going to do a great job I'm quite sure - the end result will be awesome, you can do it!

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  2. You look amazing in that dress!!!! I also have been hangin out with my trusty seam ripper. I am changing 2 long sleeved dresses of E's into tank style dresses. I took out the sleeves on one of the two dresses this afternoon. Must hem rough edge now. Then on to dress #2. Good luck with the blouse!!

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  3. try this:

    http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4841/copying-complex-garments

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  4. Sarah I think it's just me! Yeah I've really fitted the top and put a zip in the side and thinking of making it longer still to make it into a dress. Thanks for the encouragement, I'll go better on yours I promise!

    Trish thank you! You could use the sleeves to make fingerless mitts for winter...then again what am I saying you live in the desert! Um...toys?

    Alison thanks for that link! Really useful!

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  5. chin up, you are always so productive, I'm sure you will get there!

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  6. Thanks Charlotte! Working on something else now to give myself a break from it!

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  7. I think I'm going to turn the sleeves into a matching headband. How 's the blouse?

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  8. The blouse is stuck at the moment, but started making a shirt dress instead and am loving self fabric covered buttons!

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  9. Well look at that! I turn my back to the interwebs for a couple of days, and disaster strikes. If it's any comfort, I'm not having much more luck these days. I decided that today would be best served with finishing a good book. Fabric covered buttons are yummy. Keep your chin up and your seam ripper at the ready.

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  10. Aww thank you Mary! I've left that project for now and am hoping to get that shirt dress finished in the next couple of days. I just rushed ahead with the buttons as needed something finished!

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