I thought it would be fun to review some teas here (also posted to Steepster, a sort of Ravelry for tea addicts.)  But before I do, I thought I would do an update on what I’ve been doing with myself.  I am busy and I love every minute of it!

1.  I’ve started taking my final class (literature) and I’ve applied for graduation in May.  I have to tell you, nothing makes you feel quite as old as taking class with a bunch of 20 year olds.  I am enjoying the class, because I love literature and I love discussing it (I called my best friend after the second day of class and said “It’s official, I am the Hermione of English 200!”)  I think that college is one of those things you don’t appreciate until you’ve been gone for awhile – I have many intellectual friends, but I still miss learning new things (this is good, as I’m now looking at starting my Master of Music degree in the relatively near future.)

2.  I’ve been making a real effort to cook and eat whole foods.  I got a subscription to Clean Eating magazine, and while I’m not on their diet I do find the idea of eating small meals often liberating.  I always thought it would be hard, but what I have found is that if I eat when I’m hungry I avoid the awful dips in blood sugar that I’ve always been prone to.  It was actually a big mental shift, as I’ve been so accustomed to eating on a schedule, and ignoring whether I was really hungry or not.  I feel much healthier, and I think it’s good for my husband too (he has actually lost weight, probably because I’ve been cooking more than him, and I only make vegetarian dishes.)

3.  My husband bought a Playstation 2 at goodwill for a dollar, brought it home, took it apart, and made it work.  I’ve been happily replaying some Final Fantasy games (why yes, this just adds another layer to the nerd onion, I know, but I have always loved role playing games!)

4. I have cut a few projects, but I haven’t sewn them yet.   This is the most difficult time of year for me, sewing-wise, because it’s so darned cold that I just want to wear layers.  I’m hoping to get to some of them soon!

5.  I’m in month 2 of my weight lifting program, and I’m thrilled with my progress.  I never thought I would be able to lift weights this heavy (up to 25 lb dumbbells for some exercises) and it feels great!  I plan to continue on with weights after my rotation is over.

Now… on to tea reviews.  The first tea I wanted to find was a replacement for coffee.  I want a morning tea to be strong and black, with a decent caffeine kick and the ability to handle milk and sugar (which I require in the morning!)  I’ve found three that I really like (reviews copied from Steepster, written as I tried them.)

Scottish Breakfast Blend (Upton teas)

It could be said that I have a coffee problem. Maybe. I find I cannot get going in the morning without it! I’ve found most breakfast teas to be too weak for me (though I do love English breakfast.) Still, I wanted to try to cut back on my coffee, so I ordered some breakfast blends from Upton to try out (most of my breakfast tea experience comes from bagged teas.) Yesterday was Bond Street, and today is the Scottish. Brewed for 4 minutes in boiling water. 2 tsp of tea in 16 oz of water. I have to tell you that this blend is a great coffee substitute – it’s rich and dark, with no real bitterness. It stands up to the cream and sugar that I prefer in the morning without losing any of its flavor. In fact, I think it needs cream and sugar – it was pretty intense when I tried just the tea!  Watch brewing times – any longer than 3:30 and I find this tea turns bitter.  This is the first time I’ve had Scottish breakfast, and I think it’s my favorite so far!

River Shannon Breakfast Blend (Upton)

I didn’t have to rush out the door this morning, so I brewed up some of my River Shannon sample. I used 2.5 tsp of tea in 16 oz of water, and I brewed for almost 4 minutes.

Smell: dark and roasted

Taste (no additives): Whoa, nelly! This stuff is not playing games. Strong and malty with a slightly bitter finish. Needs milk and sugar for my personal taste, as it is really assertive. But then, I can’t drink black coffee in the morning either.

Taste (milk and sweetener): Perfection. The tea retains its strength and flavor, but to my surprise the bitter finish is totally smoothed out by the milk (I used 1%, and not very much of that was needed.)

I’ve been trying all of Upton’s breakfast teas. So far, this and the Scottish are tied. River shannon may have the edge, because I find the Scottish to be a little picky in terms of brewing times. But who am I kidding? I’ll probably order both!

PG Tips loose leaf

I have several British friends, all of whom insist that American teas are appallingly weak. Since I’m searching for a good coffee replacement, I decided to take them at their word and bought a carton of loose PG Tips at the supermarket (my local market has a whole section of British teas – perhaps I should try Barry’s next?)

This was not the best morning. I woke up 30 minutes before I had to leave the house, it was raining in a very ominous way, and I couldn’t find where my husband had parked the car (several blocks away, it turns out.) I quickly brewed this tea. Luckily, I got a new electric kettle to replace my old one last night, so I didn’t have to wait ages. I steeped for 2 and half minutes in boiling water, then dumped in my usual amount of milk and splenda before running off to class. I didn’t actually get to try this until I was actually in my British literature class, discussing our term paper (so, an appropriate tea choice for the day!)

My verdict? I see what my friends meant. This tea is strong and dark, but by no means bitter. It held up to milk and sugar, and had a nice dose of caffeine. It’s very drinkable. I may have to make it my standard tea to go – I find that I don’t enjoy more subtle teas in a travel mug, as I can always taste the plastic. Not in this tea! On another note, I love the commercials with the monkey:

Other Recommended teas

Red Velvet Cake by Republic of Teas

Red velvet cake is my favorite dessert, so when I saw this today at Whole Foods I had to buy the tin! I was a little hesitant because I haven’t always loved rooibos in the past, but – red velvet! in tea form! I am usually pleased with Republic of Teas, and they did not let me down.

I don’t think the tea smells overwhelmingly like cake, but the taste comes out after brewing. I cut open the teabags and used my infuser. I like large cups, and find I need 2 teabags from most of their teas. I steeped for 5 minutes, and I think it could even have gone a little longer.

The color is beautiful. After adding a splash of milk (1%) it did turn a slightly odd looking pink color. The taste is very smooth. I can taste vanilla, with a slight tang like cream cheese frosting. The chocolate taste is light (but that’s ok, because I find it light in the cake too!) There is a slight citrus flavor in the background. I finished my cup and had to hold myself back from immediately making more!

I think I’m going to have to give Rooibos teas another try. I always thought I disliked them, but I’ve recently realized that I actually dislike the hibiscus that was in the rooibos I had before!

Hot Cinnamon Spice (Harney and Sons)

Years ago I was addicted to a tea from Celestial Seasonings called “Cinnamon Rose.” It had a great intense cinnamon flavor, and I drank it daily. When it was discontinued I was really upset, and I bought tons of cinnamon teas trying to replace it. Bigelow cinnamon was disappointing, and while I love chai I sometimes want cinnamon by itself. They were all unsatisfactory until today! The scent in the package is intense, so I was excited! I brewed 2 tsp in a big (16 oz) mug using my infuser for 5 minutes. I tasted cautiously, and was rewarded with tons of cinnamon flavor! The tea is naturally sweet, and that is coming from someone who sweetens everything. It’s as though the cinnamon is tricking your tastebuds into tasting sweetness – at first sip it is not sweet, but leave it in your mouth for a second and the sweetness comes out. I can’t taste orange/cloves/whatever else is supposed to be here, but who cares? Cinnamon is my favorite spice, and I will be ordering this tea!

Yay tea!

Not all of my interests are all life changing the way sewing was for me, but every few months I do develop an interest in something new.  This month?  Tea.  Real tea, the kind that doesn’t come in a bag.  When I was growing up we always had a few boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea in the house.  Sleepytime tea has a lot of fond memories and good associations for me, and I still drink it.  I don’t recall ever having black tea.  When I went away to college I developed quite a coffee habit (still with me, sadly) and was looking for a way to replace some of that with another hot beverage.  I happened to be rewatching Star Trek: the Next Generation at that time, and Jean-Luc Picard’s constant order of “Earl Grey, hot!” led me to buy a box of Twinings at the supermarket.  Earl Grey tastes rather like perfume, but as it turns out I love bitter or perfumey tastes!  I’ve been drinking the Earl (as I like to call it) ever since (and it’s possible that I may own a set of glass mugs like the ones on the Enterprise… not saying).  I really like Earl Greyer from The Republic of Teas.  It has rather a lot of bergmot, and thus I like it.  In time I branched out to chai (mostly Tazo, because I like the peppery burn) and English Breakfast teas.  I was still using bags, as early experiences with a tea ball had not been good to me.

For the past few years I’ve been attempting to eat very clean – I eat very little meat, lots of fruits, vegetables and grains, and very little processed food.  At this point, I pretty much prefer to eat this way.  Processed food doesn’t taste right to me, although I am never giving up coffee, chocolate, or wine.  I’ve been trying to cut back my coffee a little though – I don’t think too much makes me feel great.  So I turned back to my old friend the Earl of Grey.  I got online and started reading about teas, and found a whole community of people who are really into tea.  I decided I was interested in trying out loose teas, and even some types of tea (like green tea) that I did not care for in the past.  I placed an order for samples and an infuser from Upton Tea, and it arrived today!

The teas come packaged in individual containers with labels and steeping instructions for each tea.  I wish they could be closed – the samples are large enough for quite a few servings!  I also got their current catalog, which is old fashioned and full of awesomeness.  I’m pretty impressed with the way it manages to make drinking tea into a lifestyle!

I also got a permanent filter basket.  I love this thing – it holds all the leaves in, and it’s easy to clean.  Best of all, it fits in my Star Trek mugs!  I’ve already made myself a cup of their Bond Street English Breakfast and it was lovely.

If anyone has any suggestions for teas I’m all ears – I especially love spicy or perfumey blends (I ordered a chai that has pieces of chili peppers in it… I am looking forward to that!)  I want to like green teas, but they always taste like grass to me (I do like green jasmine, again with the perfume.)

So there you go… my obsession of the month.  My husband says that life with me is never boring!

Pattern: Butterick 5247 (OOP)

Fabric: Poly sweater knit, 2 yards

Notes:

I had my doubts about this one.  It is, after all, a big blocky sweater with no real shaping.  The sleeves are dolman, which is generally iffy.  But I had this sweater knit, which is complicated enough to really need a simple pattern.  And I liked the idea of a tunic, especially as we have seen our coldest temps this winter in the past few days.  I was kind of unenthusiastic as I sewed it, but you know what?  I really like this sweater!

I have always worn fitted clothes, and the current fashion for oversized (with skinny pants) has been hard on me.  It took me at least a year to find skinny jeans that I liked (this pair is from Charlotte Russe, believe it or not, and I’ve also had luck with the ones at the Limited.)  But now that I have I’m embracing it!  Back in the 80s I loved this look – drapey top with a chain belt worn low.  I didn’t wear it then, as I was 9 years old and firmly in my nerd  stage, but I was so envious of my older cousin and her awesome belts!  I found this belt last week at Goodwill, and I’m trying out the style after all these years!  All I need are some stone washed jeans, an ill advised perm, and an unsuitable boyfriend who is in a metal band to complete the picture.  Ok… maybe I don’t need those things.  But the point is, after swearing that I would cling to my bootcut pants forever I’ve finally adjusted to the look.   I find that I take awhile to get used to trends, as my style is not super trendy.  After awhile I figure out how to make it work for me, without making it look like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes.

As for the pattern?  Well, it was super easy to sew.  It only had 4 pieces.  I had a little trouble with being short on fabric, as I had only 2 yards when 2.25 were needed.  I ended up cutting a length about an inch longer than the tunic (as I knew I wanted to wear it bloused out.)  I had to seam the neck piece, so mine is a little strange.  Speaking of that piece, it’s the only bit I don’t love.  It’s neither a cowl nor turtleneck, but somewhere in between the two.  I think I would like it better if it could decide!  Even so, I really like the top.  The sleeves I shortened by an inch.  I think that for dolman sleeves you should leave at least the wrist exposed.  Otherwise the proportions can be off, at least on me!

As you can see, it does work over leggings as well.  It’s a touch short with the belt – I originally went with the look above, but then decided I wanted to wear it with jeans instead.  I was teaching today, and I do like to avoid really short hemlines (but I would wear it with leggings to go out or on weekends.)    I would not wear it this short without leggings, as I don’t really think it’s a dress.  I really wanted it an inch longer, but oh well – you work with what you’ve got!  The print does a strange sort of optical illusion thing in the back, but I assure you that it is not stretched out!

I’d also like to try it with a darker belt.  I think the style works, but that belt is awfully bright.  I will keep an eye out for one, now that I have something to wear it with!  If you have this pattern (or find it) I totally recommend it.  The style is versatile, and it looks great in all the versions I’ve seen online!

Pattern: McCall’s 6404

Fabric: Black ponte knit (rayon/poly/lycra blend)

Notes:

This is the final unblogged project from my fall sewing.  Let me start by saying that I don’t make pants.  Although it might be annoying to shop until I find RTW pants that fit, it’s not as annoying as making a pair that doesn’t fit me correctly!  I have been wearing pants more this winter, in particular a pair of Michael Kors black skinny ponte pants.  I thought it seemed simple enough, so I decided to try making a pair of knit pants.  I chose McCalls 6404 because I thought the seaming on the legs was interesting.

And it is interesting.  Unfortunately, it also contributes to the problems I have with this pattern.  First off, the envelope describes these as leggings.  These are not leggings!  They are pants, and they aren’t particularly fitted pants.  I had read some reviews stating as much, so I cut each leg 2″ smaller in width to start.  This didn’t help with the problem.  The problem is that these pants are not shaped like human legs.  Are your legs shaped like triangles (skinny at the ankle, gradually widening as they go up with no knees?)  Then this is your pattern.  Seriously, they are shaped like stirrup pants (bad memories there!)

Beyond the issue of the shape of the legs (which might be fine on normal pants, but not on something pretending to be leggings) there is the seaming.  The seaming is interesting, but the problem is that it affects the grain of the fabric, causing the pants to hang (for lack of a better word) wonky.  Again, not a problem if they were actually leggings, but they are not.   Because we are all friends here, I will give you a look at the rear view:

Between this and the closeup I think you can see the issue – the fabric will want to hang in different directions, and is interrupted by those seams.  I don’t think the shape would be so bad without them.  I’m not upset that they aren’t flattering from behind, because I wasn’t planning on ever wearing them with shorter tops (leggings are not pants!) but these are a bit much.  Also, observe how much extra fabric there is behind the knees.  My legs are not bent in the photo, that’s just how much extra is back there!

Other issues: They were long.  I don’t have long legs, so I was fine with that (hemmed them 2.5″ shorter.)  The elastic casing is exactly the same size as the elastic.  I recommend adding just a little bit to it, because threading that elastic was such a pain that I ended up bribing my husband to do it!    In the end, realizing that I was not ever wearing these with the waist exposed, I zigzagged over the back waistband seam to both close the seam (slip stitching does not hold on knits, so I don’t like that instruction) and to keep the elastic in place.

I think these are going to be loungewear only for me.  I’m wearing them today, because I wanted photos and it’s a snow day, but other than that?  Only at 2 am on a friday, when I’m hanging out with my husband playing video games.  Seriously.  I am not encouraged by the pants making.  I cut another pattern at the same time as these, and now I’m a little afraid to make it up!   I know that I could dedicate myself to making muslins and perfecting a pants pattern, but I don’t think I have it in me – I just don’t enjoy sewing basics at all.  I think I will leave the pants to rtw and concentrate on making the rest of my wardrobe fabulous!

Moving on… since I was so successful in the fall I’ve decided to go ahead and precut some winter/early spring projects (speaking of spring, shouldn’t we be getting some new Vogue patterns soon?)  I’m trying not to buy fabric while I’m paying for school, so I went through my bins and came up with these five projects (no storyboards, as Photoshop is being buggy:)

Butterick 5247 in Sweater Knit:  This pattern is discontinued now, but I’ve always liked it.  I’m planning to make this what I call “legging length” – in between the tunic and dress lengths, so I can wear it as a dress (over leggings/opaque tights) or a tunic.  This fabric came from fabric.com, and is much nicer than I thought it was going to be!

New Look 6071 in ITY jersey: I am planning to make this with sleeves.  Dress length on this one I think.  The color didn’t photograph well, but it’s a deep yet intense magenta.

Simplicity 2406 in ITY print: This fabric is from the last batch of knits I got from fabric.com.  They were really varying in weight and quality, but this was the nicest.  It’s thick with a lovely drape.  I’m making the long sleeved version, and I’m sewing up that back slit (I cannot understand that… don’t people wear bras anymore?)  The pattern doesn’t all for knits, but I think this style (sack with a belt) is suited to knits.

McCalls 5752 in ITY print:   I got the fabric from fabric mart.  I think it was a Maggy London print.  I love it – circles and green, how could I not?  I’m actually planning to make the cap sleeve version of this dress, so that I can wear it more than one season.  I’m thinking of leaving off the ties (as in the black one) but I’m not sure yet.

Vogue 8530 in rayon jersey: I ordered this fabric from ebay, and I ended up being a little disappointed in the colors.  They are more on the faded/southwestern side than I usually go for.  The print is also rather large, so I wasn’t sure what to use it for.  I think I’m decided on this dress, in the short sleeved version.  I have a similar rtw dress that I adore, so I would like to make another.  I think the colors will be good for spring when it gets here!

There you go – I’m trying not to overburden myself, so I think this is a good number of projects for the next few months.  Of course, as always, I may get tired of something, or get a new pattern and have to make it first, but I will try to stick to the plan!

Lesson #1: The drawings can be more fanciful than modern envelope illustrations.

This dress looks to have a certain elegance.  I liked the full sleeves and tall neckline.  The skirt appears to skim the body nicely under the empire bust. The pattern is in my size, or at least the size recommended for my measurements.  When I cut and basted the pattern for fitting, here is what I actually got:

                               ”Would you like to buy a nice caftan?”

I guess it looks like the drawing… if you squint… and if my legs were twice as long.  This is actually the shorter length of the pattern.   I hate to think how long the maxi would have been!   I am tall (5’8″) and generally do not have trouble with long hemlines.   Fashion illustrations tend to have disproportionately long legs, so if you aren’t paying attention it can be misleading.  Looking closer, I can see that the dress is illustrated hitting below her knees, and that her femur is approximately twice the length it would be on an actual, non-mutant human.  But length can be altered easily. What about the fit?

Lesson #2: Sizing can be wildly inconsistent.

Vintage patterns are sized for the era in which they were designed.  Women in the past wore different undergarments, which may have radically altered the shape of their torsos.  Different eras also called for differing amounts of ease.  I find that vintage (pre 1980) patterns and garments are considerably smaller in the shoulders than modern patterns.  Since I have wide shoulders for my size (and they aren’t getting smaller with all the weights I’ve been lifting!) I have to watch for that issue.

Other things I know to watch for: 1950s patterns tend to run very small in the waist, and very large in the bust.  As a smaller busted person, I have to both cut the waist larger and do a small bust adjustment for patterns of that era.  The bust darts can also be strangely shaped.  Patterns from the later parts of the 1960s are often illustrated considerably more fitted than they actually are.   Most companies use terminology like “close fitting” “fitted and flared” and “loose fitting.”  Pay attention to these terms, as they have actual meaning (going back to old sewing books will tell you how many inches of ease each term allowed, and it does vary by company.)  I can tell you that I don’t attempt any pattern that says it is “fitted and flared,” as they always turn out more flared and less fitted, but that’s a personal preference.

Lesson #3: Learn to fit as you go

Have you see this video?

Pattern for Smartness is a “how to sew with patterns” video by Simplicity in 1948.  Printed patterns were pretty new then, and it goes into some detail about them!  The interesting thing to me is the fitting – there is a little tissue fitting, but most fitting is done after basting the garment together to check for fit.  This is also the case for most of the vintage sewing manuals I own.  It seems that the idea of making a muslin or toile wasn’t really done.  Now, we all know that I recommend making muslins, especially when you are starting out, or if the fabric is very dear.  As you keep sewing, you will find you have certain alternations that you always make, and learn how to adjust without a muslin.  I make the most adjustments to length  and to the side seams, both of which I prefer to do at the end.  I try to always make my side seams last, so that I can check fit.  My enthusiasm for this method does not extend to basting in sleeves, as in the video, but if I’m really uncertain about something I will occasionally do so.

Luckily, in the case of my pattern I was not shocked.  It is basted together above, including the sleeves in this case.  The sleeves had a rather insane amount of ease (something like 4 inches) so I had to baste them in to see where I should take it out (I promise a tutorial on the sleevecap ease someday soon!)    Here are the problems I found after basting:

1. The length:  I marked 9.5 inches(!) to cut off the hem.

2. The sleeve length:  I reduced the length by 3 inches (I like shorter sleeves.)

3.  The bustline: Sits rather low.  However, I suspected that this was caused by the weight of the incredibly long skirt, so I did not make an adjustment.  Luckily I was right, and it fits now!

4.  The overall size: Too big by several inches above the hips, but it fits ok below.  I marked and then took it in by 4 inches total (2 on each side, so I sewed my seams 1 inch in from the original seams.)  This is more than I usually am willing to do at the sides, as more than 2-3 inches can look odd, but it’s not so bad here.  I only reduced the sleeve circumference   by an inch.

I also decided to leave out the neck facings, as my wool crepe fabric is heavy enough.  I chose to use decorative topstitching around the neck opening and all hems.  The results:

Rear view:

I apologize for not managing any front shots where I am not folding my arms.  I must have been feeling cranky!

I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite dress ever, but it is wearable and warm (made of wool you know, which the video says is very smart in a cold climate!)  The color is not so much my thing, and I really don’t know why I decided to make a pattern from the 70s out of orange fabric, when the primary thing I disliked about the era was all the orange.  I will say that the shoulders are not too tight, probably because it was originally so big!  There is a little wrinkling at the top of the sleeve in the photo, but I think that’s because I stand with unnatural posture for pictures (or because the sleeves were so hard to set in… after removing 2 inches of ease I discovered 2 more, and had to sew them in where they wanted, so they may be a little off grain… that’s what I get for lazy measuring!)

My methods of fitting are my own, and they certainly aren’t the last word on fit!  Some adjustments must be made before cutting, but luckily I am a pretty standard size so I rarely have to do them.  It all comes down to what works for you – I’m still a big fan of muslins, but lately I have no time for them (which is unlikely to get better) so I will always choose finishing a garment!

January

I discussed Sewing rules and how I break them.  I still break all of those rules with gleeful abandon, and I’m sure I’ve added a few new ones!

I made a tutorial for hemming a full skirt.  I have to tell you, I use this method of hemming on over half of my garments and it’s great!  I’ve become more anti hand-hemming this year.  It’s not that I think it looks bad, or that I can’t do it, but I find that I am always having to redo them when stitches come loose!

February

I made Butterick 5523, which probably wins the award for most warn garment.  I can also recommend the Sophia knit (from fabric.com or vogue fabrics) because after many washes it has not pilled like many double knits!

Vogue 1225 (Tracy Reese) wins the award for the garment most likely to garner comments from non-sewers.  That’s funny because I wouldn’t consider it my best finished garment ever (I have yet to put in a real hem!)

March

I traveled to Italy with my chamber group.  I cannot say enough good things about my experience singing in this ensemble – musically it is wonderful, the members have become dear friends, and I got to go to Italy!  We may be traveling to Spain and Portugal next spring, and I’m looking forward to my adventures.

While I was in Italy I completed Me-made-March 2011.  It was a challenge, but I enjoyed it – I certainly put more thought into the mixing of my separates!

April

I made my three favorite projects this year: Vogue 8728, Butterick 5491, and Simplicity 2219.  The last one is my favorite sewing project ever!  I love the fabric, the style, the color… everything about it!

May

I developed an obsession with the 1970s and made Vogue 2343 (Diane Von Furstenberg.)  This dress is lovely, but I must confess that I don’t wear it too often – it has a regrettable tendency to grow, as the matte jersey is quite heavy.

June

I blogged about the connection between sewing and body image, in a post with the most comments I have ever gotten.  I was so touched my the comments and support.  What a great community we have!  This post led to…

July

I was sad in July – one of my best friends moved away, and I was depressed.  Looking for a way to distract myself,  I thought back to my June post, and I resolved to make new healthy habits.  I started working about for the first time in years, and to my surprise it has become a favored hobby in the second half of the year!

I made McCall’s 6277, continuing my obsession with the 1970s (not a vintage pattern, but in the style.)

August

I only completed one project, but I did go to the world’s best estate sale!  Right now I am making a dress from this collection.

September

I have been making a lot of knit projects this fall, including Vogue 1258.  This dress took forever, and sucked up all my time for weeks, but I love the finished project!

October

I made Butterick 5672.  I’ve worn this quite a lot this fall/winter.

November

I resolved to make some tops.  After a  year of wearing mostly dresses I was concerned I was in a style rut, and was honestly a bit bored.  The solution?  Adding some new silhouettes into the mix.  I made McCall’s 6167, which I love so much!  I’ve been wearing a lot of leggings and ponte pants, and even found some skinny jeans that I love (from The Limited, in case you were wondering!)

December

The holiday season is always busy, but this year was crazy – I had a ton of concerts, and I am also preparing to go back to school!  I made McCall’s 6084 to wear in the holidays, and it was a big hit.  Unfortunately, it accidentally got run through the drier, and is just a bit tight in the shoulders, but nothing that can’t be dealt with!

Coming up (goals, not resolutions!)

1. Graduate!

This is a big deal to me.  I should be graduating in May!  This coming semester is going to be busy – I have class 3 days a week, I’m still teaching full time, and I have all my performing groups.  It will all be worth it I know, and I can’t wait to get started (The semester starts January 5th!)

2. Exercise at least 5x a week

I’ve actually been doing well with this, getting 6x most weeks, but I’m setting 5 as my goal since I will be busy!  I’ve completed my Ballet rotation, and I’ve started Chalean Extreme (yeah, I know, the name is terrible, but the program is decent!)  I like the idea of heavier weight training.  I’ve completed the second week and feel stronger already!  I really wanted to try P90X, because a good friend of mine had amazing results, but I know I’m not ready for that yet.  This program is challenging, but lets me ease into the weights!

I’m doing a hiit(high intensity interval training)  workout 1x a week , often the ones at Bodyrock.tv.  I do some other sort of cardio either 1 or 2x a week, and take one day off.  I average 45 minutes a day.   I still cannot believe that I actually enjoy all this!  I notice improved energy and mood overall since I started working out in July.

3. Sew things that I actually wear!

I really do wear all those dresses, so I don’t mean that.  What do I mean?  I plan to continue focusing on what I actually wear, and to make choices based on that.  I’ve been doing really well at that.  Since I started considering what I liked, I’ve had very few unworn garments!

4. Stay Organized

I feel better when my things are organized, but I’m not always good at putting them in order!  Right now my sewing space is clean, and it feels great.  I want to try to remember that feeling, and not allow myself to let the clutter take over!

5. Stay true to myself.

I have made great strides here, but it’s always a goal.  I am happiest when I am true to myself.  I’m not interested in playing a role, or in pretending to be some way that I’m not.  The people in my life love me for who I actually am, and those who don’t?  Aren’t worth it.

2011 was a great year for me, and I’m hoping 2012 can keep up!  Thanks to everyone who reads and comments – even when I don’t have time to answer every one, I appreciate them all.  See you in the new year!

Pattern: McCall’s 6084

Fabric: Tie-dye look velvet from Fabricmart

Notes:

That’s more like it!  As a counter to yesterday’s downer of a review, I absolutely love this jacket!  I fell in love with this piece of velvet when I saw it online, so I had to snatch up 3 yards at their Thanksgiving sale.  When I took it from the box I got worried – I loved the fabric, but might the tie-dyed effect be a bit much?  The velvet is also somewhat crushed, which I wasn’t expecting.  I decided to just go with it, so I prewashed the entire piece in the washing machine.  It came out fine (fabric content is 100% rayon) and not any more crushed than it went in.  Now I can clean it without drycleaning!   The entire time I was making it (about 2 evenings of work) I kept asking myself this question: Elegant yet bohemian, or kooky elementary school art teacher.  The line there is very thin.  Luckily it all came together, and while it is certainly striking I don’t think it’s crazy.

Back in the 90s I was a person obsessed with velvet.  If it was possible to make in velvet I owned it, from body suits, to jackets,  to a notable pair of black velvet palazzo pants!  Once that decade waned so did my love for the stuff.  I no longer own any velvet, except for one (mandatory) dress from a former ensemble (and that’s stretch velvet, an awful and different beast.)  I had certainly never sewn with velvet.  I thought to myself “How hard can it be?”  Well… I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it’s certainly one of the pickier fabrics that I have worked with!

Things that I learned: You must cover your ironing board in a soft bath towel.  Place the fabric face down on the towel, and then steam over (but never touching) the backing.  Smooth with your fingers, and don’t press too hard!  I used a skinny (size 60) universal needle.  I turned the presser foot pressure all the way down, and lowered the stitch tension.  I used a walking foot.  And even with all these precautions, the fabric would still tend to shift every so often.  The shoulder seams are particularly sketchy, but luckily you cannot tell a bit in this fabric!

I was able to serge the edges but not the seam allowances (they tended to reject the presser foot on my serger.)  I finished the seam allowances with a zigzag, and I serged all the hems, turned under 5/8″ and topstitched.   Velvet does not ease.  Seriously, not a bit.  I removed most of the cap ease, but even so I had to cut some off at the end!  Finally, the biggest lesson I learned?  If you choose to sew velvet you, all your possessions, and even your cat will be covered in fuzz.  You will find bits of velvet in your nose and (if you are me) you will spend at least a day with terribly irritated allergies!  So would I do velvet again?  Well…  I won’t say never, but I will say this… it would have to be an awesome project, with as few seams as possible!

Pattern Review

McCall’s 6084 is not sized for knits.  That’s the first thing to know.  It  does list jersey and cotton knits in the recommended fabric list, but not until the end, after crepe, silk rayon, and challis.  I cut an XS and it fits very well in a non-stretch woven.  The pattern itself is very straightforward, with only 3 main pattern pieces.  I found it easy to construct, with the exception of attaching the front to back at the shoulders and neckline.  Pay careful attention to the instructions there!

I finished all the edges by serging and turned under 5/8″.  The instructions call for a narrow hem, but that wasn’t possible in this fabric.  The fit is good, with the sleeves not being too wide.  The only issue (which is a non-issue for me) is that the sleeves are short.  I cut the long sleeve length and ended up with 3/4 sleeves.  Luckily that’s what I prefer!

I’m planning to wear this jacket tomorrow for Christmas Eve.  It looks dressy but is still comfortable! I also love it belted.   Happy holidays to you all, and I will see you after the rush is finished!

Pattern: McCalls 6408, view b

Fabric: Black rayon/lycra jersey from Fashion Fabrics club

Notes:

I’m going to start out by saying that I really don’t recommend this pattern at all.  Mine ended up ok (not great, but ok) only after some major surgery!

Let’s start here: I require a lot of black clothing for performances.  I had a concert last weekend that required long sleeves,  and I found myself without a black cardigan.  I had this pattern on my list, so I decided to make it up… on a Saturday night… for a Sunday afternoon concert.  It seemed a simple enough pattern, but as I have discovered you cannot count on anything when you have a deadline!

I cut a size XS.  I was happy at first to measure the armholes and realize that the sleevecap had no ease, so I didn’t have to remove any!  The sleevecaps were a bit oddly shaped and were hard to set in, but I managed.  It wasn’t until I tried it on that I became aware of major fit issues around the sleeves and sleevecap.   The sleeves were really enormous, and the caps were very deep.  The shoulder itself fell off my shoulder in a drop sleeve (and I am not narrow through the shoulders at all.)  In addition, it was rather large – the ties in the front could not tie tightly enough to cinch in my waist without looking silly.

I ended up going back and removing 4 inches from the sleeves and sides.  Even after that, the sleeves are still large, but the fabric was starting to twist so I knew I couldn’t take it in anymore.  It fits better in the body, but it still almost too big.  The ties are rather long, and the weight of them tends to pull the waistline of the sweater down, so it won’t necessarily tie at the waist.   Here is a closeup of the result:

You can see how it’s still almost too big to tie.

For comparison, here is the envelope:

See how the sleeves are scrunched up?  That is a bad sign, which I will note in the future.  I also note that the gray sweater has sleeves that look both too big and too long (like mine.)

You can see on the back view how strange the armhole is:

If I were to make this again… well, I wouldn’t.  I do like the idea of the tied cardigan, but this one seems poorly drafted to me – the sleeves on the XS should not be that big, and it seems overall to be drafted large for a knit.  But if I were to make it I would reduce the length of the ties by quite a bit, shorten the armhole length, and make the sleeves smaller and shorter.

I will wear this sweater of course – I can never have too much black (it is black, though I lightened the photos considerably.)  Sorry for the downer of a review, but I do like to tell the bad along with the good.  If you like the idea of  the ties I would recommend attaching them to a different pattern – the Jalie Pleated cardigan would be my pick!

Anyway, Simplicity has some decent patterns, but I’m really excited about the new McCalls – they have some new designers, giving the collection a different feel from the last few.   The last few sets of their patterns have done nothing for me, and seemed aimed at teenagers.  There is still plenty of that, but most of the dresses can go either way.  Let’s start with Simplicity:

Simplicity 1913:  Ok, so I sort of feel like they’ve released this pattern before (it’s very similar to several of the project runway patterns… 2473 for example in the 3rd, non modeled view) but it’s cute if you don’t have anything similar!I don’t think either of the modeled versions are very well fitted (they look big on the model) but the drawing to the far left is very cute.  I actually have that other pattern, so I don’t know if I would buy this one.

Simplicity 1915 and 1916 – I’ve been wearing the heck out of my handmade tops this winter, and I need cute ones for warmer weather. I’m not totally sold on the wisdom of the funky hemline in 1915, but I could possibly be convinced!

McCalls 6507 and 6506

I am pretty excited to see McCalls with some new designers – this is from Plenty by Tracy Reese, which I believe is her less expensive line (Vogue gets her fancier designs.)  Both of these dresses are cute, especially 6507.  I will be making both for spring!

McCalls 6518 and 6505 are both designs from Phoebe Couture.  I believe this is also the first time we’ve seen this designer in McCall’s, but I’m not positive.  I love the ruffled dress, which you all knew.  The lace dress is really pretty, though I will not be making it on account of having no call for such a dress!

McCalls 6503  and 6504- I like both sleeveless versions of 6503.   The ruffled version is similar to a vintage pattern that I own, but as that pattern isn’t my size I will make this instead!  I find myself oddly attracted to the weird hemline in 6504 – I like that it’s longer in the back rather than at the sides.  I haven’t seen that sort of hemline before, but I think it might be flattering!   I can’t quite figure out what’s going on with the seaming on these dresses – but I wouldn’t plan to make it in a print that needs matching, that’s for sure!

Finally, I really like the Kay Whitt purses in McCalls 6532

Will I make one?  Based on past experience, possibly not… but I do like the looks of them quite a bit!

I’ll be back tomorrow (hopefully) with a s0-so pattern review!