Failed Projects Galore!

So I had been working on a nice simple blouse before and I had also started a mockup for a new dress. The top was Simplicity S1253 and the dress was New Look 6184. I was really excited about them both…and then failure occurred.

The failed projects…thankfully the Simplicity pattern can still be used, it was a fabric issue not a pattern issue.

Basically, the fabric won in regards to the blouse. Everything was uneven, bubbly, bulky, and simply unattractive. So I scrapped it. It’s unfortunate but it happens. I still like the pattern so I’ll try again after buying a walking foot. Oh yeah, a walking foot! Something I forgot to mention in my tips for working with slippery fabric.

What is a walking foot? It’s an attachment and all it does is help feed fabric evenly. This is useful for delicate fabrics because they tend to slide around during the sewing process and can really slide out of whack. A walking foot helps prevent that and makes the entire process a million times easier. When buying a walking foot just make sure it is compatible with your machine. Some are interchangeable, especially between machines within the same brand, but I wouldn’t want to buy a Brother machine walking foot to use on my Juki. So make sure it will fit, and your sewing endeavors with delicate fabrics will become that much easier!

The other project that failed was the New Look dress I was so looking forward to making in that pink dotted cotton I caved and bought myself during a no-buy month. The pattern was simply too big and my skills aren’t up to pattern grading quite yet, which is unfortunate. Once I get started with that though perhaps I can still use the pattern and have a nice dress.

Some cute kitty to make up for failed project sadness!

In the mean time, I have decided to use that fabric for a different pattern, Simplicity S____. It’s a bit more challenging for me which I really like. The silhouette is also unusual as I usually go for bodices that end at my natural waist, very 50’s. I’m really enjoying this so far though and have gotten to the point where some of the fabric is cut out. I still have to cut out the lining, the skirt, and the interfacing though. So there’s still quite a bit to do.

The pattern I picked and the fabric I’m using for it. The polka dots were going to be for the New Look dress, I thought this project would suit the fabric well.

I’d like to talk about what I’m doing differently this time around, as far as pattern prep and fitting goes. First, I did a fit test with the paper pattern. I traced and cut out the pattern pieces and used both the new and original pieces, pinned them together at the seam line, and tried it on. The results were…risque to say the least. However dodgy a process it was (and sometimes painful, those pins are sharp!) it was really worth it. I was able to see I needed to use the petite markings and that made a world of difference in fit. I also know what to look out for now as I think the yoke pieces in the front might be just a tad big but not ridiculously so. This was also helpful because since I’ve moved I have no stash of fabric to use for mock-ups.  I also don’t have the cash right now to go buy muslin. The paper fitting worked well enough that I feel confident moving forward but don’t have to buy more fabric. It’s a win-win situation!

The blue lines are the seam lines. I’m hoping this well help! That’s also a Clover chalk tracing tool. I’ve only just gotten it but I do like it so far.

Since the paper fitting was successful and I felt good about the size I went ahead and marked the seam lines on all of the pattern pieces. Why? This way I can mark the seam lines on my fabric and not have irregular seams caused by irregularly cut fabric. This makes cutting less stressful because at least I’ll know when I’m sewing that things will turn out correctly. I’m hoping that I’ll see a difference in how things piece together because I often have trouble with seams on the bodice no lining up with the skirt, or the waist seams not lining up at the zipper. This may change that! It’s a huge time sucker-upper but if the results are worth it then I’d be happy to spend my time this way.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of an embroidery project I think I’m going to be starting soon. It’s to be an embroidered clock on canvas so it can be used as a real clock with a kit and I really love this idea. I think I’ll make a couple for Christmas gifts, what do you think? There’s also a picture of some books I’ve gotten from the local library. I have to say I’m really happy I decided to go and check out the sewing section. They have a great amount of different craft books and their sewing section is well rounded out. Have you tried any embroidery projects like this or used any of these books? Let me know!

That’s all I have for now, and unfortunately it isn’t much. I’m happy to be spending my time sewing and doing something I at least feel is going to give me better results rather than rushing through and ending up with yet another scrap project.

Have you picked up any new habits lately? Let me know in the comments!

 

Until next time,

—Bethany Out