the Jazz Hall skirt(s) are giving me fits

There's nothing that ticks me off more than pattern pieces that don't fit together.

I am now simultaneously making two Jazz Hall skirts and both of them are making me curse outloud because of flounces that don't fit the skirt bodies.

It's ok, I'm working it out, but this "easy" project has ballooned into a gigantic pain in the neck. I'll finish them tonight, God willing, and post pics tomorrow.

I also just put up a post backdated to 1/1 that has all of the patterns and pictures of things that are currently on my project list. It'll be edited and evolve as the year goes on. I need to add a bunch of pants patterns but so far haven't found any I'm in love with.

Thanks for listening.

P.S. Hancock's is having a large pattern sale from 1/14 to 1/18 - $3.99 Vogue patterns, 5 for $5 McCall's and $1.99 Simplicity! Whoo-hoooo, the list should be changing with the Vogue additions!

- H

Jazz skirt update....

Lesson learned early with the Jazz Hall skirt, now the Jazz Hall skirt(s), plural.

I assumed I knew my measurements, after all I've been sewing for myself for a long time and surely I know my own measurements, right?!

Yeah, wrong. I didn't read the fine print, which was to add 2 inches to my own measurements and then pick the size I needed to cut out. Plus, it's maybe possible, although highly unlikely, that the holidays brought an abundance of wealth and riches to my midsection. Slight possibility.

So I made the first Jazz Skirt last night in a size 8. And I really need at least a size 10 but probably a 12 would be better.

Soooo, back we all went to Hancock's in 10 degree F weather, so I could buy another half yard of my charcoal houndstooth merino wool and cut out a bigger size. Add $3 to the project. Except I needed serger thread because I've decided to do a rolled hem on the flounces, and I needed new embroidery scissors because my anklebiters have helped the other three pair I owned disappear, and sooner or later I spent $48.

BUT! The skirt is beeeeeyoooteeful! I can't wait to show you all pictures of an appropriate size on me. And my teeny tiny friend Cindy has graciously accepted my offer of rehoming the teeny tiny skirt I made, so all is well in the universe.

- H

Great Sewing Challenge ~ Jazz Hall skirt project starts

I don't know the best way to serialize the Great Slow Sewing Challenge of 2010, so my titles may change as inspiration hits?

Onward and upward, people! I cut out the Jazz Hall skirt from Wenlan Chia's Twinkle Sews book this morning, under my dog Binnie's watchful eye (or maybe she slept through the whole thing but I talked to her the entire way so I'm counting that as company).

First, I must explain something for anyone considering this book. The patterns come on a CD. She only includes patterns in sizes 0, 4, 8, and 12. If you're in between sizes, you're supposed to print both sizes and then trace in between the two lines and cut your own pattern.

That would be fine, if the entire pattern printing, taping, and cutting out process didn't take two hours in itself. If it were me, I'd probably just cut the bigger size and either sew with larger seam allowances or do a lot of tailoring after the fact. But that only really works with skirts that have little nuance to the cut. Anything like a blouse or dress would probably require her recommendation.

I'm making the skirt's body out of charcoal and navy teeny tiny houndstooth wool. It's extra-fine merino wool I bought at Hancock's (shocker!) for $5 a yard. It's 60" wide and although the pattern said I would need 2 yards, I really only needed 1.5. Note to self: lay out pieces ahead of time to verify yardage requirements.

This book does not do a step-by-step pattern cutting layout. So I cut the flounce pieces and waistband (folded because I only need one) first, then changed to a center line double fold and cut the skirt bodies.

Then I cut the contrasting flounces and lining.


And away I went! [some time passed after I wrote this and the following bits of my post] I started sewing on the Jazz Hall skirt, was enjoying myself greatly, and then my stinking Bernina crapped out on me. When the bobbin thread starts doing this, and you've done all the cleaning, tuning, and trouble-shooting you know how to do, there's only one thing left....my machine will be going to the doctor tomorrow. I'll get out my grandma's Bernina to finish it, and hopefully will be able to post updates by Friday.

Also, here are the supplies I'll be using for the Kristen dress from Burdastyle. I have a very lightweight, superfine 120s wool in a lavender and purple pinstripe for the body, and a coordinating silk in the purple for the contrast and collar. I like it layed out next to each other, so I hope I like it on my big old body!



- H

The Great Sewing Challenge Begins **edited with a picture**

Alright, this may be a little, um, anticlimactic, but I have no personal photos to share in this post. My camera's little thingy that connects to the USB cord is broken. I'll let you guess which two people in this house may be responsible for its demise.

At any rate, the show must go on. I've decided that one project per month isn't really going to cut it. Mostly because when I started compiling the fabrics and patterns I really want to make, there were more than twelve of them. So some months I may post up more than one project.

Hopefully I'll be so organized and fabulous I'll actually finish one project before starting the next one, but I'm not making any promises.

The other thing I've decided is I want to try patterns that will somehow make me a better seamstress. Techniques that I haven't tried before or have avoided for whatever reason. This includes sewing with schmoozy fabrics like silk. And I want my finish work to be phenomenal, which would be a total change for me when I sew for myself. So there should be a lot of variety in the projects I choose and plenty of challenge to go around.

So, without further adieu...

Drumroll, please....

January's projects will be....

BurdaStyle's Kristen dress with short sleeve modification, line drawing pictured here.



If you click the link above, you can see a full color lifelike version of what theirs looks like finished.

I plan to make it out of this very lightweight British lavender striped 120s wool I got a while ago for a sickening $1.97 a yard. At another little boutique fabric store here in town the same fabrics sell for $100 a yard. Score!

This pattern calls for two contrasting fabrics for the collar and the front inset. I will be using either a pink or blue silk and cotton blend for the contrast.

The second project on January's list is the Jazz Hall skirt from Wenlan Chia's Twinkle Sews book. It's a fairly basic pencil skirt, but with triple layered bias cut flounces in contrasting woolens for the hem, it adds just enough sauce for me. I plan on making it out of charcoal grey wool with a Pendleton ivory and navy check contrast hem. Preppy chic.


As soon as I get the port thingy fixed on my camera I'll post pics of the fabrics and my progress.

Thanks for following this project and keeping me on task!

- H