bodner052

A new pattern is almost always a salivating experience for me. It must be that way for some people who enjoy jigsaw puzzles. It's never quite as much fun the second time around though. The new Memphis dress from the Sewing Workshop was intriguing and a fun make. This one is a sort of wearable muslin. Since knit is required, muslin cannot be used, of course. So I used remnants of ponte in my stash. I started with this purple remnant. I had just enough to test the bodice of the Medium. I could see that I'd need to take it in at the shoulders just a smidge. The pattern does not really fit anywhere else so I proceeded with the wearable version. As with so many of these assymetrical patterns, almost every piece required cutting in a single layer. The exceptions were the sleeves and the back yoke. As you can see, I did not have enough of my remnants to cut out full length sleeves. That's OK anyway because warm weather is headed my way. The pattern is designed with a forward shoul...

Men's shirts continue to provide fun and inexpensive fabric for making my shirts. It's not a radical remake but it is satisfying. This man's shirt was purchased from a local thrift store primarily because of the color. I was looking for a light neutral, not exactly white.  It seems to me that men's shirts come in so many wonderful solid colors! This fabric is end-on-end broad cloth with white threads in the weft and light brown in the warp. I love being able to re-apply the breast pocket from the original shirt The MixIt top from the Sewing Workshop is one of my all-time favorite summer top patterns. I have made it many times. This time I thought I'd try for a different sleeve. Using the original shirt sleeves, I cut the cap sleeves as long as I could: This retained the tower button placket of the original sleeve and resulted in a sleeve that is just below my elbows. I added a narrow cuff with self bias binding. I am gradually learning some of the characteristics of...

Sometimes I make something and it just hangs out in my closet. I reach for it, put it on, and then return it to the hanger. This version of the Peony was one of those. I decided that the problem was that it was too flimsy. So I took it apart in order to insert a middle layer of cotton batiste. I had hand understitched it around every.single.edge and those had to be removed one stitch at a time. And I had added some sashiko, so that had to be taken out too. Lastly, my comfy 5/8 seam allowance was gone. Several times I considered tossing it. But I just love a good linen. And this is one of those linens. It is lined with a pretty Marcia Derse cotton print in the front and cotton/silk solid rust in the back. So I kept at it. I left the shoulder seams in the face fabric, as well as the lining. Using the original pattern, I cut each main piece from the batiste and attached it to the face fabric using Jude Hill's invisible or glue stitch. I find that stitch so handy. Thanks, Jude! Above ...

For my second Château jacket , I chose a two-sided medium weight cotton purchased from Louise Cutting at the recent Atlanta Expo. It's an interesting Japanese fabric that I initially thought was double cloth. I see now that it is simply printed differently on each side. It has a slightly painterly effect, with streaks and slubs. Even though the patterns are printed rather than woven into the design, the patterns are printed very precisely with the same repeat. The Chateau has a simple but pretty shape that lends itself to great fabric - just right for this fabric. I got myself all twisted up, trying to make it reversible with functioning pockets on each side. I was almost successful. My thought was to install a single welt pocket on one side without the pocket bag. Then, in my mind, I would create a patch pocket on the other side that would be stitched over the welt. I was unable to fully execute the idea, primarily because I failed to make samples. Now would not that have been a ...

Some days I need red pants. Literally and metaphorically. The shirt here is a Very Easy Vogue, I think, and the fabric is two pieces of Thai silk from Linda Lee (TSW) So I made these - Cutting Line Designs one-seam pants in medium weight wool, lined with rayon Ambiance. Just right for our recent return to winter. The shirt is a pattern from Cutting Line Designs. Looking at this picture, I'm thinking of taking some length off the back. The fabric is a lovely Japanese cotton in a very interesting weave. Wool is a great fabric, can be almost a 4 season fabric. These are not though. They are thick enough to feel good when there is a cold wind. And there is. . The one-seam elastic waistline is always fun to finish. After stitching, you hit it with some steam and watch it relax into folds. So are you in need of some red pants? You might be.

This piece is a quilt composed of cotton fabric, appliqued and machine quilted. Embroidery with perl cotton thread was used to create the facial features, as well as to emphasize key components. The two figures overlap and yet are intended to be viewed as distinct characters.  Developing this piece caused me to wonder what this period must have meant for Mary. Was this to be her last meeting with her beloved child? Perhaps she was remembering her little boy - a toddler, later a teen-ager, and even a young adult prior to beginning his mission. Was she thinking about the horrible death he would experience?Or was she thinking about him as Son of Man? Son of God? As I considered this important encounter, and my desire to illustrate it, I struggled. I nearly completed it three times before I felt it captured my vision of the moment. In the piece, they share physical features as well as emotion. There is a single tear. Who is crying? Is it Mary? Jesus? Both of them? My own son is struggl...