Heath and New Not-So-Ugly Camisole

Some of you may not know about Heath.  He is the BEST waiter in the world, and Phylly and I go to Olive Garden a lot and specifically ask for him to wait on us. 

I asked him if I could take a picture of him today, and he was happy to let me.  Actually, Phylly took a picture of both Heath and I -- and it would have been SO GOOD because he had his arm around me and I was fussing with his tie -- but she must have had a seizure or something while holding my cell phone because the picture is so blurred, we look like monsters.

Heath looks like he has a sunburn because he DOES HAVE A SUNBURN.  He goes to a tanning booth.  I've tried to tell him how dangerous they are, but he doesn't agree.  He grew up in Florida, and he likes to have a tan.  A tan is one thing -- a burn is DANGEROUS!  Next time Jerry comes with us to lunch, I will show him all of Jerry's skin cancer scars. 

Heath has also LOST 100 POUNDS!  He carries a picture in his wallet of what he looked like with the extra 100 pounds.  He is one of the reasons I decided I should be able to lose 10 pounds.  I can't even imagine losing 100!

You saw the UGLY camisole I made a couple days ago.  You know me -- I will do it over and over and over until I get it right.  Fortunately, the THIRD time turned out pretty nice.  I now am on the fourth camisole, but it is a different design. 

Cami #2 turned out VERY bad.  It resides in the garbage can.  I used a really lightweight knit for it, and it would not behave at all.  When I sewed the elastic to the back of it, the whole back just stayed stretched out and hung down my back like the letter "U".  I could have jumped rope with it.

I did you a favor and photographed this cami on Blueberry (that's what I call the dressform I bought at Hancock's that looks like a Smurf) since this one looks more like underwear than the one I posed in the other day.  Blueberry hasn't lost any weight either, so the cami is too small around for her.  It doesn't have all those folds on the bottom when I wear it.

OH!  By the time I got to this one, I decided to put a casing at the top of the back INSTEAD of sewing the elastic with a zigzag directly to it.  MUCH, MUCH better!  Much easier to fit because you can just pull the elastic tighter if you need to.

Tomorrow, I am going to cut out a different camisole pattern in dark purple satin.  I sure hope it turns out.  At the rate I'm going, I should have a different camisole to wear each day of the 3-day class in Tulsa with Louise Cutting.

Until soon.

Hugs, Joy

Sorry About Ads and Back in Edmond

Someone  commented today that some kind of advertising for Dr. Oz weight loss comes up on my blog.  It isn't there when I pull my blog up and, as far as I know, I get to it just like you do.  How strange.

Just know that I have nothing to do with any advertising, and I didn't even know it was there.  The only weight loss I have had is due to my DESM diet, as you know, and it didn't come from Dr. Oz.

If any of you bloggers out there can advise me on how to get rid of the ads, please do.

I arrived in Edmond today about 2 PM.  I made a quick stop by the house to unload my very full Honda, and then I went over to the nearby McDonald's for a fresh-baked oatmeal cookie.  They have the BEST oatmeal cookies -- in my opinion -- and I allow myself to have one occasionally.  Today, they were right out of the oven.  YUMMO!

Then I went to Hancock's to buy one of those long wires with the little hook on the end of it to turn straps for the camisoles I am making.  The products I bought from Jan Bones at the last ETA are wonderful.  I bought 2 of her books on DVD's, and there are patterns you can blow up for camisoles, slips, half slips, panties and thorough directions and tons of pictures.  Now, lingerie is something Glenda has not taught us how to do with Sure-fit Designs, but I bet we could.  Jan Bones said you could use a basic skirt pattern for the half slip.  I guess panties would be impossible though.  I think Jan is from Canada, but I wouldn't swear to it.

Anyway, while I was at Hancock's, I had to buy some pretty stretch satin to make a couple of cami's out of.  ANYTHING will be prettier than the one I showed you yesterday.   I bought dark purple and ivory.  Hopefully, I'll get them both done tomorrow.  I'll show you pics, but they may not be on me.

Time to quit for the day.  Gonna get in my jammies and read some more Jan Bones.  When Jerry isn't with me, I can do that.

Hugs, Joy

Jerry's Sermon Notes and a New Garment That is NOT a Blouse!

We listened to John Hagee, Sr. this morning who spoke on "Financial Prosperity".  That is Jerry's favorite sermon -- so much so -- he took the notes today.

When Jerry and I were first married, we joined a Nazarene church because that is the kind of church I was raised in -- well, one of the kinds.  He was 7th Day Adventist, but didn't care where we went.  I was raised from the time I was in diapers to believe that you pay one cent out of every dime to the Lord -- one cent out of every dime to Savings -- and 8 cents out of every dime to yourself.  Always sounded like a fair deal to me.  When we were old enough to receive a dime for an allowance, Daddy made us keep a ledger of what we spent it on.  A GREAT lesson, and I am thankful today for Daddy's teaching. 

Jerry had heard about tithe in his church, but didn't really have any interest in paying it.  Only his Mother attended church, and I'm not sure she went very often.  When the offering basket would come down our row at the Nazarene church, Jerry might pull out a whole dollar bill and toss it in.

BUT ONE DAY, Jerry started hearing Kenneth Copeland preach about being a cheerful giver.  Copeland quoted all the giving/receiving scriptures.  Jerry wasn't AWARE of those scriptures.  He bought a Kenneth Copeland version of the King James Bible (although they are in every Bible), and he looked up all those scriptures and marked them with a highlighter in his Bible. 

I just took that picture from Jerry's Bible.  That is the scripture reference from Hagee's sermon today, and Jerry marked it over 30 years ago.

Jerry was in his 30's when he caught on to this amazing principle, and we have been giving 10% plus ever since.  That is one of the many things about him I respect so much!

ANYWAY, Hagee was talking about Financial Prosperity this morning -- Luke 6:38 --and here are the points Jerry wrote down:

Givers control their destiny.

Your seed may leave your hand, but it never leaves your life.

God wants you to invest in yourself.  Invest in permanent things.

It is impossible to receive without giving.

God controls the economy.  There is no such thing as "fixed income" in the Kingdom of God.

And NOW for the garment I made today that is NOT a blouse and it is NOT a pair of pants.  It is Phylly again.  She Skyped me yesterday, and I asked her what she was making.  She held up a brand new camisole she was working on for our Louise Cutting class in Tulsa in a few weeks.  WELLLLLLLL, I certainly couldn't let Phylly have a new camisole for the class and not me! 

The only problem was, I couldn't remember if I had a pattern for a camisole.  Phylly reminded me that I had bought more lingerie patterns than she did when we attended Jan Bone's class at ETA several years ago.  I didn't remember that!  I looked through all my patterns, and I couldn't find any.  Phylly told me they were packaged different and maybe I had put them somewhere else.  After we hung up, I started looking EVERYWHERE I keep patterns.  Nothing!  Then I noticed the file cabinet I have here in this room, and it dawned on me that JUST MAYBE I had made a file for the patterns.  I opened the drawer and looked under "Lingerie" and guess what?????  There they all were.  Right where I put them.  I was so excited!

The thing is -- and most of my sewing pals probably already know this -- when you go to these classes, you are in a room full of women.  All the women are sewing something and then putting it off and on and off and on and off and on -- and you either stand around half the time in your bra and panties, or you take some decent cover-ups you don't mind sitting and sewing in.  Hence, the camisoles.  We will be making blouses.

I was working on a Christine Jonson shell pattern yesterday, and I was using some fabric I bought from Peggy Sagers that I decided I hated.  And when I was sewing the shell, I cut a hole into the apex trying to remove the stitching of the bust dart.  That ticked me off, so I threw it on the floor.  I think it is still there.

When I decided to quit that project and make a camisole, I decided to use what was left of the ugly fabric, which is a lightweight knit, as my "muslin" for the first camisole.  I am typing this post to you while wearing my new camisole, but not before I snapped several pictures of it.  The next one will turn out a lot better, and it will be a lot prettier -- I hope!!!  I'll have to go through my fabrics for a pretty rayon.

I told you it is ugly.  It certainly doesn't look like lingerie, does it?  It looks like a rag. 

I'll make another one pretty quick if I have some pretty fabric.

Of course, this knit feels good, and it covers me up, but it isn't my color.

The part where the straps are attached is a bit too full.  I used the "C" cup for this, but I think it is a bit large right there.  It is probably supposed to be down lower in the front, but I wanted to cover up my bra.

Here's the back.  Very hard to do the FIRST one, because you don't know how tight to pull the elastic, and I had to pull it WAY SMALLER than the directions said. 

Still, I think it is good enough to take to class. 

At least, I won't have to worry about anyone trying to steal it! 

Maybe they will take up a collection for me so I can buy some PRETTY lingerie fabric.  (-;

Better go.  I am supposed to be packing to go to my other house tomorrow. 

Blessings!

Hugs, Joy

Industry Standards

I am upstairs in one of the movie room recliners having a good belly laugh at the picture in my head of Phylly trying to swing at Peggy.  Phylly is about 4'11" and Peggy is probably 5'9".  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here is Phylly's comment from yesterday's post:

"Another "Peggy Pronouncement"! Where does she come up with such things? Give me a reason that blouse buttonholes must be vertical. It is probably something she learned in the "industry" and industry does it that way because it costs them money to have to change the set up on the machine that does the buttonholes, so all blouse buttonholes have to be made the same way. Or maybe they can save an eighth of an inch of fabric. Who knows? Just make your buttonholes the way you want to and if we encounter Miss Sagers and she sneers at your buttonholes, I'll climb up on my chair and punch her in the nose for you. But, you'll have to hold her arms down so she doesn't put her hand on my head and stand out of the way of my swings!"

Phylly is right, of course, about Peggy being thoroughly brainwashed by "industry standards".  She used to work in "the industry", and we aren't sure if that was a factory in a communist country or JC Penney's or what?  Wherever it was, they must have threatened enhanced interrogation techniques if she didn't play along. 

In my opinion, Industry's number ONE standard is to make the garment for the LEAST amount of money while using the LEAST amount of time, manpower, equipment and supplies.

I look at some of the "clothes" the teens wear these days, and they look like rags I would use to clean my house with!  Speaking of rags, check out this post from last year:  (You will have to scroll down in the post a bit to find the "rag" conversation and pictures.)

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8290267670853809795#editor/target=post;postID=8890828396129631170;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=95;src=postname

I really believe that the reason the clothes the young girls wear -- tops cut nearly to the apex and pants cut to the pubic bone -- are made TO SAVE FABRIC.  The industry uses less fabric -- calls it a new style -- then charges twice the price for it!  It is scandalous!!!

My granddaughter dresses like this.  Every time I see her, which is not very often, the first thing I do is yank on the front of her top and try to pull it up over her very ample cleavage.  She, of course, groans and asks me to leave her alone.  She says, "This is the style, Grandma."  Well, that may be true, but it sure doesn't make it right!  ACTUALLY, the jean shorts in that clipart picture are VERY HIGH compared to what the girls wear now.  It is shameful!

I guess I'll get off this soap box and get to work.  It is Saturday and it is foggy outside.  Makes me want to make a warm knit top today.  But FIRST, I have to get in the shower and try to look alive!

Hugs, Joy

New Video About Buttonholes

I made a new video yesterday about my vertical/horizontal buttonhole dilemma.  It will be a new tutorial in case anyone else on the planet has the same issues.  Surely, there is more than ONE perfectionist out there!

I made this video 4 times yesterday because something screwy kept happening in each one. 

In one take, I was wearing a too-big pair of jeans, and unbeknownst to me, they kept falling down every time I moved -- and we all know, I am constantly moving!  In one area of the video you could see my entire bare tummy!

In another take, the battery went dead.

In the final one, I had the lights set up but I forgot to turn them on.  By then, both batteries were dead, so I just gave up and downloaded it. 

Just assume, if you watch the video, that I really am NOT that yellow!

ANYWAY, here is the link to "Buttonhole Lawlessness":

Now, I really need to get busy doing SOMETHING!  I had one of those nights last night when I could NOT go to sleep.  I blame Phylly because she hates coffee and drinks only tea when she wants something hot.  So, I have a lot of really nice teas in both my homes FOR PHYLLY, but sometimes, I want to have some.   

I sit here in front of this computer, and the Blueberry Black Tea calls to me from over there in the drawer.  And Phylly doesn't come here enough to ever drink it all.  So I made myself two cups yesterday about 1:00 using only one tea bag. 

At 2:00 A.M., I was sitting on a barstool in the kitchen wondering WHY I was still wide awake.  At 3:00 A.M., I was sitting in the upstairs guest bed reading blogs on my laptop.  My husband came upstairs at 9:00 this morning to see if I was still alive.  Then he gave me "THE LECTURE" -- you know the one about how I am never to have caffeine.  I was too tired to even stop him, so I just listened to it for the 10 thousandth time. 

Sad thing is,

I sure could go to sleep right now!  I drank 2 cups of coffee this morning.  Now WHY, WHY, WHY doesn't that keep me awake now??????????? 

I better get. 

Have a GLORIOUS day!

Hugs, Joy

  

For Tina: My Experience with Silhouette Patterns

Tina asked me about Peggy's knit patterns.  My opinion of her patterns, in general, is they have poor UNproofread instructions, errors in the line drawings, and the instruction illustrations and cover photos are poorly done.

Phylly was over for a play day one time, and she was helping me fit Dana's Top #150 that has the v-neck yoke above the bust.  I had cut out the paper -- taped all around the seamlines -- snipped the curves -- and pinned the paper together.  Now, OF COURSE, a knit pattern is going to fit tighter than a woven pattern, BUT this one wouldn't begin to go where it needed to go.  I had cut it out to match my measurements -- not be SMALLER than my measurements. Phylly was frustrated, and I was frustrated, and I finally decided it wasn't worth the headache.  I wadded up all the paper pattern tissue and the envelope and tossed them.

Then there was Lee Ann's Blouse #125 that had the funny turtleneck that wraps around your neck in the back -- goes across your neck in the front -- then attaches at the armhole seam.  That pattern gave me fits too.  The directions were unclear, and the LINE DRAWING WAS WRONG on the envelope.  The seamline between the red marks with the arrow pointing to it IS NOT THERE.  I kept trying to figure out what I had done wrong that my blouse didn't look like the drawing.

I emailed Peggy about it, and she AGREED that it was wrong.  That is my number ONE pet peeve about her.  She KNOWS the mistakes are there, but she doesn't fix them.  That means every woman from now on and forever will receive the same WRONG drawing.  I can't imagine doing that ON PURPOSE.

This is a REALLY CUTE top.  I have seen Peggy wearing it.  If I could have SEEN UNDER THE FLOWER on the cover photo, I might have known how this attaches into the armhole.  WHY is there a flower there???

Between this photo on the cover of the pattern and the line drawing on the back of the pattern, I was very upset.  I threw the pattern and the fabric, which was a beautiful knit I had purchased from Peggy, in the trash. 

I, honestly, would like to have this blouse.  Maybe I'll cool down enough one day to try it again.

Peggy makes these blouses up in an hour or two, and they look great on her.  She doesn't HAVE to look at the pictures or read the directions though.  No wonder she doesn't feel our pain.

I HAVE made Jossilyn's Top #210 which is for knits.  I made it twice.  One was sleeveless, and one had 3/4 sleeves.  These turned out fine. 

I have also made both of Peggy's Yoga Pant patterns.  They were actually very good fit right out of the box.  I made a pair for my granddaughter also. 

Hope this helps, Tina. 

Tomorrow, my new video.  My husband is waiting for me.  Gotta run.

Hugs, Joy

Orange Hair and Buttonhole Warning!

I really should be outside PLAYING.  It is so pretty out there today.  I have the air conditioner on in my sewing room. 

The problem with me being out in the sunshine is that my dyed hair wants to turn orange.  I HATE that!  My hair is supposed to be dark brown, but it hardly is ever that color these days.  I dye it brown, and it turns the color of straw or orange.  I'll be glad when I have all white hair, like my Mom.  She has the PRETTIEST hair!  Of course, she has about 10 times more hair than I do.

Actually, I take that back on the all-white hair.  Please, God!  I didn't mean it!  I feel like an antique as it is.  Every time I download a picture of myself, I have another chin.

Isn't it weird though how the genes get spread around in a family?  There are four of us kids.  Three girls and one boy.  We have FOUR different kinds of hair.

Judy has thin, curly hair.

I have thin, super-straight-as-a-poker hair!

Janice has extremely thick straight hair that feels like wire.  She has to have it thinned out!

My brother has super thick, curly hair.

If you would throw all of those hair genes in a big bowl -- stir them up real good -- and put 1/4th on each of our heads, I bet it would be PERFECT!!!

I don't know how I get off on these subjects.  Things just pop into my head. 

I finished my rooster blouse today.  Here is a picture of it all finished.  It is in the washing machine right now having all the marks dissolved -- I hope!!!  I actually made a Silhouette pattern and am keeping two blouses from it!  I think once you understand Peggy Sager's "special" way of thinking, you can use the patterns with success.

And I probably should tell you this.  I was listening to an old video of hers earlier today because I can't get the replay from last night, and she was talking about buttonholes.  She said she CRINGES whenever she sees buttonholes going the wrong way on women's blouses.

Since her buttonholes are always drawn vertically -- and I always sew mine horizontally -- I decided I must be breaking the law of buttonholes.

Therefore, I put the buttonholes in this blouse vertically.  Guess I will have to throw away all those other blouses so I don't get arrested by the Buttonhole Police!

I better quit.  Need to clean up the huge mess in my sewing room AFTER I do do some exercises.

Have a GREAT DAY!

Hugs, Joy

What a Difference a Day Makes! and 2 New Blouses

LOL!  I have some earth-shaking advice for you today.

Don't try on a new garment when you just got out of bed and you are still in your pajamas! 

The blouse that I hated on Sunday -- which I realize was actually 2 days ago -- is now my new favorite blouse.

Insane, I know.  It is the one where the armhole is cut so low, I could hang my boob out of it!  I used the "Hawaiian" print that I thought wasn't very nice so I used it for my muslin.

Yesterday, I emailed Peggy Sagers about the Grand Canyon armhole, and she emailed me about 5 times back and forth.  It was her usual lecture:

Have you watched the videos?

Watch them again!

Measure an armhole in a garment you like.

Measure the cap of a sleeve you know you like.

There is NOTHING wrong with the pattern.  There is just something wrong with you!  (My loose interpretation.)

I wish she would have just said that Sizes 1 through 4 have small armholes, and the 5W through 8W have big armholes, instead of saying to just pick the finished measurements you want your blouse to be. 

After I decided on Sunday that I hated the Hawaiian print blouse with the GC armhole, I picked out another muslin.  This time, I picked a cotton print that I thought I could wear to the next Cock Fight I don't go to.  They actually have those down here where we live.  I TOLD you I live in the deep woods!  This print looks like a rooster's feathers got caught in a tornado and ended up on this blouse. 

Here are the two blouses side-by-side.  The blue blouse is on me and the rooster feather blouse is on Lucy.  I used a Size 3 with smaller armhole for the rooster blouse.  The armhole is much better, but I don't like the collar.  It could just be that the cotton makes it stand up more than the soft fabric in the blue blouse. 

How amazing is it that this blouses matches my new smaller jeans. 

I had them up here in my sewing room to hem them because they are way too long, and I noticed that they matched this blouse. 

When I put them on together, I suddenly loved the blouse. 

I'm so glad I didn't throw this one away!

The blouse being shorter in the front than in the back is part of the style of the blouse. 

 

Here are the backs.  I have hemmed the rooster blouse several inches shorter.  The soft blue fabric hangs nicer around my hips than the rooster cotton does. 

Obviously, I still have to put the sleeves in the rooster blouse.  The sleeve was never the problem, so I know that will turn out fine.

ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD,

I've decided I LIKE long sleeves.  Even in the picture on the left where my wrists are lined up with my hip, the curve in the blouse cuts the line, and I don't mind the look at all.

So maybe I will make some more of my already purchased Silhouette patterns knowing now that the right sleeve is in the SMALL sizes even though I need one of the larger sizes.  Peggy, of course, said to just pick an armhole -- ANY armhole -- and draw it onto the blouse pattern I was already using.  That just didn't make sense to me, so I started over. 

I did draw out a new Sure-fit Designs blueprint yesterday to try to draw this collar onto, but I got sidetracked after all of Peggy's emails.  I am very thankful that Peggy bothers to even answer my emails after all my admonishment to her in earlier emails that her patterns and her book are full of mistakes.  She told me she KNOWS that.  And again, my interpretation of what she said is that she really doesn't care and has no intention of fixing them.  I can't get over that!

Better get the sleeves in the rooster blouse.  I may take these to Tulsa since they are the only two blouses I own with long sleeves.

Hugs, Joy

Sunday Notes and Another Silhouette Wadder

John Hagee, Sr. preached another one of "my" sermons today.  I don't know how many times I have said this to someone:

Jesus did not die so we would go out and form 500 different religions.  He died to form the Kingdom of God and give us a way to Heaven.  It doesn't matter WHAT religion you are.  Do you know Jesus????

Hagee said exactly that, and continued:  There is no other way to Heaven other than Jesus and the cross. 

Why did people follow Jesus?

It wasn't because he was a Rabbi with a cute prayer shawl.  It was because HE HAD POWER.  He cast out devils.  He healed people with a touch or a word.  He brought several people back from the dead. 

Hagee said something I had never thought of before.  He said that a lot of people think they will live their lives doing anything they please, and just before they die, they will accept Jesus as their Savior so they can go to Heaven.

The Bible says, "No man comes to the Father lest the Spirit calls him."  Hence, if you are on your death bed, and the Spirit doesn't call you, you are too late, and too lost.  You can go so far that there is no way back.  There is that unforgiveable sin that nobody seems to be able to say for sure what it is.  Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the Bible says.  But what, exactly, is that?

I'm so glad I was saved as a child, and I am so glad I had parents that took me to church so I could be.  My parents did not have a happy marriage, but they NEVER missed a Sunday morning or evening service and most others during the week.  My Daddy led the music at times.  My Mom played the piano or helped in Vacation Bible School.  We had the preacher and his family over many a Sunday for lunch after church.  It was so different back then.

So that was church this morning, and this morning and today have been SO BEAUTIFUL.  It must be 70 degrees outside.  I have the air conditioner on up here in my sewing room. 

I worked outside for a few hours watering gardens and raking up leaves.  I filled 4 gigantic lawn trash bags full of leaves just from 2 gardens. 

Jerry thinks that is a total waste of time, so if it gets done around here, I have to do it.  He is enjoying working in his shop today, and I am thrilled that he is.  He spends so much time in front of a computer.

He just walked in here -- in my sewing room -- and he asked if I have any chalk that will disappear under water.  HUH???  I gave him my ONLY piece of tailor's chalk and my General's white chalk pencil.  I have a feeling I may never see either one of them again.

Before I went outside to work in the gardens, I spent hours TRYING to finish the latest Silhouette Pattern (SP) debaucle.  I get so upset with SP that I swear I will NEVER use them again. 

Then

time

passes,

and I will be organizing my zillion patterns,

and I will come across about 15 patterns I have from SP, and I will think: 

"Maybe it is just me.  Maybe I should try another pattern.  I'll be real careful this time, and maybe it will turn out."

And I know you are asking yourself, "Why don't you just use Sure-fit Designs since you love it so much?" 

The answer to that is:  Because I want a different style, and I either don't know HOW to make the same style with SFD, or I don't want to take the time to redraw the pattern since I already have a zillion commercial patterns.  PLUS, I paid for the SP, and I feel like I should, at least, try it.

I want to show you the GIGANTIC armhole in this pattern I made yesterday and today.  There it is on Lucy.  It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to notice that something is just a little odd with that armhole.

The bottom of this armhole is BELOW my apex.  I didn't think it looked right, but I didn't want to change it because I didn't know how to change the 2-pc sleeve to fit into a smaller armhole.  Plus, it was already cut out and too late to add fabric.

I put the sleeves in, and this is what I ended up with:

When I lift my arms up, the entire blouse hikes up, and then everything is just locked.  My arms can't go up any higher.  ABSURD! 

The pink lines show how the underarm is lower than the bust dart. 

And how do you like my fabric?  I had decided that IF -- by some miracle -- this SP turned out, that Phylly and I were going to have to find some sewing classes in Hawaii to go to so I would have somewhere to wear it.

It looks especially nice with my baggy pj bottoms underneath.

I sent an email to Peggy Sagers today with these pictures asking her what I need to do to fix this gigantic armhole.  She will probably answer that it is all my fault, and I need to watch her videos.  I have already watched every single one of them, and I own every single one of her DVD's and her book!  Shouldn't that be enough!?

Phylly gave up on SP's a long time ago.  She won't even watch the free videos.  Maybe if I wake up with some extra ooomph tomorrow, I'll try to draw a Sure-fit Designs pattern like this.  I did look at the directions for adding a shawl collar, but I got stuck at the part that said to fan the back neck out if you didn't want a "stand-up" collar.  I didn't know the difference between stand up or not stand up to determine what I needed to do.

Better go.  My contacts feel like some of the dried up Fall leaves I raked up crawled underneath them! 

Until soon,

Hugs,

Joy

New Blouse w/Long Sleeves

I finished this blouse yesterday.  This is a Silhouette pattern that I have made before.  I NEVER put long sleeves in anything though because I think they add width at my hips.  Sounds weird, huh?  Well, when you are standing with your hands down at your sides -- what do they line up with?  Your hips.  So, I always put short sleeves in my tops.  Then they line up with my boobs and that, hopefully, makes me look wider at the top where I am actually narrower.

Here is the pattern.  Yep, the dreaded Silhouettes #575 by Peggy Sagers.  I had problems with the collar crossing over itself as you can see in the little picutre on the left of the back of the pattern below.  Therefore, I cut the collar entirely off, and I made this a V-neck blouse with a facing.  It fits quite well since these patterns have B, C or D cup sizing, or I would have transferred it to my Sure-fit Designs system.

You may recall the pink "Amoeba" blouse I made and hated.  It now resides somewhere at the City Dump.  I love the blue and white blouse, however.

Here is the 2-piece long sleeve I decided to put on this blouse instead of the short version at the top of the picture below.

You can see the OTHER Silhouette pattern that I took this sleeve out of. 

First time ever I've made a 2-piece sleeve.  I don't see what the big deal is about it. 

And here is the fabric I used with the GIGANTIC butterflies on it.  You can see in the finished blouse that these are now mutilated butterlies, and you can scarcely tell what they were.  Peggy said one time that giant prints look good "chopped up" in a multi-piece pattern.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.  Not sure about that. 

The front and back both have a yoke and princess seams, although, other than the chopped up butterflies, you can't see them here.  This blouse was hot-off-the-press and wasn't washed or pressed thoroughly. 

 

Notice how my new SMALLER jeans are still baggy under the butt.

Too bad.  I'm not in the mood to make a dozen pair of new jeans right now.  I think I am going to cut out the pattern I borrowed the sleeve from today to see how I like it. 

Better get started on that!

Hugs, Joy