Tag: Sew Caroline Out and About Dress

Sewing Garments

Turkey Tracks: June1, 2022

Sewing Garments

So, I’ve had two knit garments cut out for two years—waiting for me to sew them.

It was now time, I decided. So I uncovered the serger and refreshed my memory on how to thread and use it.

I’ve made this dress a few times now—and along the way worked out altering the pattern to suit my body. It’s the ”Out and About Dress” by Sew Caroline.

I bought this more expensive fabric first, so I didn’t want to cut it until I made sure I had a good fit on the pattern.

And, due to the internal side pockets, I didn’t actually use the serger. I used a knit stitch on my Janome, and that worked fine.

The dress fits beautifully. I am so happy with it.

The other garment is the Chai T by Liesl & Company.

I cut the pattern out of extra knit leftover from another project.

The resulting garment was way too long. I want to wear the top outside, not tucked in.

And as is common for my body, the bust fits but there is too much fabric around the neckline as I have, apparently, a narrow shoulder width.

It was 51 degrees outside this morning, so I layered under the top. You can see the gaping neck line in front—and it is throwing off the fit in the shoulders too.

I was also fighting with my sewing machine until I realized I could put on the walking foot for the knit stitch as well as the straight stitch.

I chopped off the extra at the bottom and found a way to take out fabric around the neck (front and back) on the pattern that does not disturb the straight of grain (the front and back are cut out on folded straight of grain lines) and that does not overly impact the bust line.

There was some construction that was new to me—the yoke construction uses a ”burrito” folding method that makes the inside yoke seam on one side enclosed. But I hated the neckline attachment method and will not do it that way again. Instead I’ll do that burrito method for the yokes on both sides (if that is possible) and will install the neckline as I do all other knit top necklines—which makes the neck circle seam much less bulky and much less difficult to sew.

I did use the serger on the garment sides.

And I love the little cap sleeve.

Now I’ll buy a new yard of knit fabric and try it again.

Turkey Tracks: Self-Distancing Days

Turkey Tracks:  March 28, 2020

Self-Distancing Days

I hope this finds you all doing well.

I am doing fine.  Here are some recent pics from recent days.

I finished these two knit tops—the fabric was bought last spring and has been sitting in the garment pile.  The brown sweater is the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater, version 2.  I made several tops from an earlier Simplicity pattern, 8529, that is this same idea.  Sew House, though, incorporated some really nice finishing touches, which makes the “boat” top much nicer.  The sleeve is more sleek in that it does not have a cuff.  BUT, the brown version was not as long as the Simplicity, and I liked that longer length.  So, I made the blue version longer and dramatically longer in the back.  It fits like a dream.

This knit dress is next in line and ready to go.  It’s the Caroline Out and About Knit dress from Sew Caroline.  My first version was made in a grey jersey—and I did some altering where the bodice meets the skirt.  I’ve incorporated that knowledge into the pattern—along with raising the location of the pockets.  We’ll see how this goes.  I love the grey dress, so suspect I’ll love this one too.

If the above project goes well, then I’ll cut into this EXPENSIVE organic cotton and repeat the dress there.

Finishing the olive knit dress will leave one more garment to make.  A summer rayon batik dress.  Then I WILL BE CAUGHT UP on purchased garment fabrics.  I am wondering if I can get a summer knit top with leftovers from the brown or blue strips.  But…that will be play.

Here are quilts all ready to be quilted.  The box of thread is Wonderfil’s GalMour, which is a rayon metallic thread that should just be wonderful in the top quilt, Galactic.  I started down that path after seeing what this quilt’s designer used—Tara Faughnan for The Color Collective.

Here’s the design wall at the moment.  The right hand project is Gudrun Erla’s quilt project, Elvira.  I’ve never made a quilt with BIG pieces of fabric, and I have no idea if I will like or dislike or finish this one.  There is something catchy about it though, and it is certainly a stash buster.  Bonnie Hunter did a version which you can see on her blog.  Getting the diagonal line installed was easy after all the 60 degree long cabin blocks I’ve been making with The Color Collective projects, as in the smaller ones on the left of the design wall.  The middle project is “Gumdrops” from The Color Collective, an English Paper Piecing project.

 

 

AC and I have been out every day.  Here are some recent videos of a walk in some nearby woods.  Listen for the wind in the trees—it was just roaring yesterday.