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Done, at last!

Today I finished the jacket for DSIL! Tomorrow I'll take it to her. In the end, I fixed the facing with two thread chains in the chest region to the garment. Then I gave the whole thing a last pressing (Lo and behold - the little ruffles on the top of the sleeves disappeared!) and now it's ready at last. I can't believe it but I have to admit that I was getting sick of the whole thing. Yes, I'll take pics and promise to put them up!

Today was the first day of the new course and I took DD with me since DSIL had a nasty dentist's appointment and couldn't babysit. We were pretty late but DD behaved very well; she read her book and looked at the other sewist's projects with proper respect and interest. They must think me a professional liar; but then, most of them are multiple mums, so they know about the perversity of children; never behave the way you expect them to. ;-)

Anyway, my next project will be a cap and mittens and it will be done fast (FAST!!!) and then I'm going to turn to my summer wardrobe. I got lovely crinkle chiffons galore, linens, and jersey lining that all waits to be turned into dresses, tunics, blouses, trousers, and undergarments. Perhaps I'll make another dress for DD after Kate's pattern; I still have got a crinkly red and white gingham poly, the wash-and-wear type. And I got the Burda Style Plus Size Best-of as reading for my trip and got a million ideas and plans of what to make out of that one. Good pattern for a business blouse in there. Ah, decisions, decisions... ;-)

U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader
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Congratulations!

I've apparently missed some messages, I am not aware of what problem you had. Is it an unlined jacket, in which case the facing has nothing to keep it in place? If so, I always alter the front and back facings in an unlined jacket, swinging the edge over to the armscye seam so it can be secured there. That also covers a shoulder pad if one is used.

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I learned several hundred set-in sleeves ago, that I could eliminate the "ruffles" in the sleeve head by running two rows of gathering threads from notch to notch, then pulling up some of the excess and steaming it over a ham BEFORE sewing it into the armscye. Use lots of steam, and keep the edge of the iron JUST on the seam allowance. You may actually pull up too much and have to let some back out when you baste the sleeve into the armscye, but that is not a bad thing, at least the "ease" is smooth, not "ruffled". Pictures here:

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Also, in some book I read many years ago, it instructed one NOT to pull up the gathering-ease stitches for a half-inch either side of the center top (usually the shoulder seam) mark. That is useful information, because that top bit is on straight grain and will not "ease" smoothly.

HTH,

Reply to
BEI Design

I still need to dig out some fabric for the demon fairy! Things are ganging up on me a bit here! Not fit to climb the loft ladder on my own yet.

The summer wardrobe sounds good.

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Oh, it wasn't exactly a problem, but the pattern (Burda) said nothing of joining facing and garment other than on the edges. However, the wide facing definitely needed something more than that because my DSIL's hand got lost in the gap on the first fitting and did so on every one following. I had thought I might have to join the two bits by some blind hemming stitch or whatever (I did the hem with herringbone to give it enough elasticity - with boiled wool...), but in class we all agreed that that would be too much and so it was just those two thread chains on each side. We'll se how that works, but I think it will be just the thing.

I hope it will help a lot with future projects. I created a folder where I save all the important tips from this group from now on. Thank you!

U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

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