Cardi Pics

I'm a little late getting this up on the blog.  I wore the cardi to work on Monday and took pictures then.  It's growing on me, though I'm still not completely satisfied.  

No head shot this time.  I had a mean mug on after work and wasn't feeling any of the photos!

The cardi looks way better on the dress form than on me because I'm chunkier than I was when I first padded this out in 2012.  Um...I suppose I should fix that.

Ugh!  Same camera, different lighting.  Maybe I should take pictures where the dress form is.  Hmm.

You can really see my broad back and poor posture in this photo.  The fit isn't tight, but I am not thrilled about the look.   

The back was too long in the muslin, so I hacked off two inches.  Bad idea.  Now the back rides up if the shoulder seam shifts too much.  Oops.  Seems like I didn't avoid the shrunken look as Sharon suggested.  

I don't know if this style of cardigan is for me.  Like others have said, I need to find a style that works and stick with it.  They're so cute on everyone else though! I love how it looks on the dress form, but meh.

Anyway.  On to the next project.

I am almost finished with my umpteenth pair of jeans.  (Wow...spell check did not auto-correct "umpteenth."  Is that a really a word?)  Squirrel!

Okay.  What was I saying?  Oh yeah, jeans are almost finished.  I just need to attach the belt loops, sew the buttonhole, and hem.  These joints are tight - but not uncomfortable.

I have to take pictures of the first completed steps of my Starting from Scratch journey.  While I'm still motivated to keep going with the plan, I want to sew some spring-summer stuff.  I don't wear enough dresses and want to incorporate more of them in my wardrobe.

I also started another jacket, S2284.  This has been on my list for a while and I finally decided to get to it.  So far, it's okay.  The muslin fit reasonably well; we'll see how it sews up.

Hah.  This is as far as I've gotten.  One seam at a time.

In other randomness, I bought four new Jalie patterns.  I loved Kyle's work out skorts and wanted some for summer biking.  The other three patterns are Kyle's fault too because...well...who else am I going to blame?  Me for having no self control?  Pfft.  

I bought a gravity feed iron last June and finally started using it in September when my second digital Black & Decker cooked itself.  I got tired of using self-heating-potential-fire-starters, and decided to invest in the GF iron.  

I'll never go back to a basic iron again for sewing.  This thing is heavy and generates a ton of steam. I have a $10 Target iron that I use for ironing clothes for dressing.  Even this little iron gets really hot and creates a lot of steady steam.  I've even burned my fingers (and thread) a few times with it.

Anyone else have a GF iron?  How do you like it?

I think that's enough randomness for today.  

L

  

BWOF 9-2005-103 (cardigan): Complete

Am I the only one who won't let go of the title Burda World of Fashion?  

I finished the cardi on Saturday and am totally meh about it.

 

I like it on the dress form, but not so much on me.  Something is off about the way it hangs in the front and the overall length is too short.  

I have to snap some photos of me wearing it.  Constructive criticism is welcomed; I want to know what went wrong.

I really REALLY love the curve in the raglan sleeve. It's sooooo sexy - well as sexy as a sleeve seam can be. 

Sewing the cardigan was simple - except for when it came time to finish the back neckline.  The "instructions" (or whatever Burda wants to call this collection of letters and punctuation) say to cut a rectangle of a certain size, fold it in half, and do something with it.  

The rectangle was wrong - just wrong.  It's too narrow and doesn't connect AT ALL with the front facing.  Instinct told me to trace along the neckline pattern piece and create a proper facing.  

I did not listen.

See that?  Foolishness!  The inner pin is the width of the back rectangle wtfery and the line of my coverstitching.  The outer pin is the edge of the facing. I should have stuck with my instincts and did it the right-er way.  There isn't even enough room to add vertical buttonholes or snaps.  Oh well.

Fabric & Notions

• 1.625 yards of wool knit
• stretch interfacing (crosswise only)
• 75/11 stretch needle
• regular sewing machine and serger

Seam Allowances/Fitting:  I added 3/4" seam allowances to all vertical bodice and sleeve seams.  I read somewhere that the sleeves were tight.  I sewed using 1/2" seams and found everything to feel alright.  I did not make an FBA.  I removed 1" from the waist (swayback adjustment) and added this length to the them to make sure the side seams were the same.

Construction:  I sewed all the seams using a straight stitch and finished them together on the serger.  Though I used a straight stitch, the seam had plenty of stretch.  

Conclusion:  I don't know if I'll wear it or not.  I think it'll spend some time in the magic closet for a while first.

***

Starting from Scratch Progress

Step 1:  nice pair of pants in neutral - check
Step 2:  shoes in neutral - check
Step 3:  cardigan and tee both in neutral - check and almost-check
Step 4:  jeans and a shirt - in progress

Until I figure out the cardi situation, I will substitute my black Simplicity cardigan (2603) for step 3.

Palate cleanser:

That's all for now.  Until next time, be well!