bodner052

The Grainline Archer shirt is a popular shirt. There are 129 (!) reviews for it on Pattern Review. And I do think it's a shirt pattern I'll make again. The envelope contains two views. View A is the classic shirt with an inverted pleat off the yoke in the back. I made view B with its "lower back detail," that I would call a peplum. It is a little low for a peplum as I learned from other reviewer. So I raised it by 2 inches. That is, I shortened the back piece by 2 inches and lengthened the lower back piece by 2 inches. There are many things to like about this pattern, starting with the instructions. They are contained in a convenient 8.5 X 5.5 brochure. I do hope this catches on. It is sooooo much easier to manage than those huge fold-outs I've used for years, decades. Also the instructions are well-written and clearly illustrated. The seam allowances are 0.5 inch; that worked out fine as soon as I noticed it. The pattern includes a separate right and left front....

Sunflowers on a farm in NH The more I play with plant dyes, the more I want to play. There are endless variations and the results are unpredictable. I enjoy the surprise and make no attempt to create repeatable processes. Sometimes I chastise myself for not keeping better notes, but not often. Black walnuts rescued from my local hiking trail Years ago I spotted a bolt of PFD china silk at an estate sale. I have only just now come to appreciate the magic that is silk. I'm guessing that most silks contain dye magic. Of course I love to sew with cotton and linen but dyeing is not nearly as exciting with those celulose fibers. My most recent adventures have been primarily with black walnuts but also with leaves and sunflowers. Here is the (first) one with sunflowers. You can see that bolt of PFD china silk in the upper left hand corner. I started by dipping the silk in an iron bath: The iron bath is water and white vinegar in a glass container with some rusty objects. After about a wee...

So sad to hear of the too-soon passing of Mychael Knight (1978-2017) here in Atlanta. You may recall his appearances on an early season of Project Runway, as well as Project Runway All Stars. He was voted fan-favorite. I was lucky enough to meet him briefly at Charleston Fashion Week 5 years ago. I asked if he would allow a picture to which he responded, "of course." He seemed to be a kind, gentle soul with little ego. I send good karma and prayers to those left behind who mourn for him. He was a very talented guy.

So I went stash-diving for fabric to make the Grainline Archer shirt and came across this cotton border print from Gail K in Atlanta . It's been languishing in stash long enough now to be considered free. That's how it works. I've had it long enough to forget how much I paid for it, so it's free. I would have used this for the Archer shirt but, alas, not enough fabric. That's another reason why I like Grainline's Hadley shirt . And the Hadley is really a nice pattern for a border print. I did not have enough to cut both sleeves from the white border, so one is solid black. As is often the case, this is actually better than it would have been if I'd had enough fabric. As I mentioned in my previous post, this is a simple make so it should have gone smoothly. And it did with just one or two glitches. The wrong side of this fabric is not noticeable until you attach the shoulders using French seams, and finish the neckline with self-fabric bias binding. Then it...

The newest pattern from Grainline Studios is a super simple shirt pattern called the Hadley. There are two views - a sleeveless (deep) V neck version and a long-sleeved jewel neck version with a pleat in the back. I made the long-sleeved version. Both versions feature a slight high-low arrangement with the back about 4 inches longer. The front is fairly stright but the back angles out to create an overall A-line shape. Both versions also include lots of facings - facings for the neckline, facings for the sleeve hems, and a facing for the body hem. I cut out all the facings but, in the end, decided to bind the neckline and sleeve hems. I do like the use of a facing on the shirt hem. This is a loose fit and needs the deep facing to ground it, I think. The binding and facing fabric is a blue and black window pane plaid with a white background, left overs from another shirt. I think it adds a little something to the overall look. Or, it may have taken it into pajama territory. The proof is...

It's gorgeous here in New Hampshire. The leaves haven't reached their full glory but you can tell it's coming. I moved from Austin, Texas to Princeton, New Jersey back in the 80's. It was a big shock to this Texas gal, but I do have fond memories of the fall colors, especially mums like these. The colors in my latest ensemble form a background for autumn colors. With the right jewelry or scarf or jacket this will be a favorite for me, I think. Both pieces are made with Sewing Workshop patterns - the Helix pants and the Odette top. The Helix pants are a rayon ponte in a color I'd call caramel. Yum. I cut them out before heading north. These are such an easy make, a great basic. They are just right for sewing under less-than-ideal circumstances - away from home, no access to my stash of thread, chalk, and other supplies. I did not have the right thread but made do. I have found that it's super important to use polyester thread on knit pants. I've tried them wi...