Sewing: It's Only Fit

It is only fit, my sister, that you turn to your needle, a steadfast occupation such as this will never cause others to doubt your worth.

  from "Lady Lizbeth's Sewin' Chronicles

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Sewing: It's Only Fit

So much blue-skying about the Never Too Many White Shirt Project. Hey, I finally got down to brass ( or is that tailor's?) tacks! It's only fit that I start with fit. 


A great chance to learn to work with one of the Burda Style Patterns. For a study break yesterday, I began figuring out how to trace from one of the magazine pattern sheets. In the past, I've been too intimidated by the hazy, crisscrossed, maze of lines on the Burda sheets, but I'm getting there. I taped together three sheets of waxed paper. A sharpie seems to work better than a thin tipped marker. I got the whole back and the significant part of a sleeve cut out. I love waxed paper.


Decided to start my shirt project with a blouse (I remember that the Sew Forth Now podcast where Lori interviewed Barbara, Barbara said - "Your shirt might be a blouse". Well my first one will be). This is a collarless, rounded-v neck blouse (I think it's Burda Style 412 and I think it's a fall 2010 Burda Style magazine) with, some asymmetric ruffles, and an elbow length sleeve that pleases, though I'll be fooling with how I want that sleeve end to be. 


This go 'round, I'm mostly going to concentrate on getting the torso to fit in a way I like. I took measurements in cm. A little unsure about where I bravely cut the pattern back and where I didn't. Well - that's the point of the muslin. Next time I'll focus on outlining the front - need to tape up more waxed paper - then onto finding the scrappiest muslin or ancient destined-for-the-rag bag material to try out the basic fit. 


Onward.

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This entry represents one sewers progress 

in the 

Never Too Many White Shirts Project at http://sewingontheedge.blogspot.com/

Sewing: Wearable Muslins – A Virtual Conversation with the Leader of the Movement

Oh -Yeahhhhh.... Listen In on  

My Pick-of-the-Month: The Simple Romantic singing a traditional American spiritual  

 Better than a Starbucks Pick-of-the-Week, cuz I brew it myself

Barbara’s Sewing on the Edge blog  yesterday , (her ‘fieldwork’ entry) inspired me to write a lengthy response, that I’ve added to, and included here. 

I first heard the term ‘wearable muslin’ in one of the ‘Grandma’s Sewing Cabinet’

podcasts.

Dr. Julie-Ann might have been talking about it in the ‘cast called, “Pardon me your muslin is showing’.

This is the quote from Barbara that I was responding to in particular. “Someone asked me recently what the purpose was in sewing so many white shirts, particularly when some may not be hits, as in misses.

Well there are many reasons, prime being because I feel like it, but in a sense they can be viewed as a series of muslins. I mean if I can come out of this with a couple of excellent shirt or blouse patterns and have nailed some techniques through practice, trail and error and more error, well I am ahead.”

. . .

What you said about muslins is what keeps me interested in the project that I keep starting to call “The Great White”  - yes like the  shark - project (it’s actually called the “Never too many white shirts project”). We’re making wearable muslins.

I’m thinking of these shirts as something beyond the next thing I plan to sew. They are a whole sewing concept in progress. They are figuring out what styles of shirt fit well and suit the way I actually wear clothes. They are a way to improve my sewing techniques. They are a way to make my sewing even more creative because they give me a new focus when I’m making notes or making a rough sketch while I'm waiting to do something else.

The project has also gotten me to fit in just a little more sewing in an unusually busy period in my life, because I'm doing more design thinking and planning than normal. It’s got me wanting to clear the decks of a final few projects so that I can be up to my elbows in (literally) white muslin. I already have (stash!) enough muslin for at least the first two shirts, and what is prettier and more delicate than a simple white muslin shirt.

Since I began to focus on this, the notes apps on my ipod is full of entries that start out ‘sewing’. Right now I’m focusing on sleeves. What do I really do with the sleeves on my shirts? I ROLL THEM UP, either ¾ length or to the elbow, depending on my activity.

So for my first shirt I’m going to try gathering a ¾ length sleeve to an open elastic inserted cuff with two buttons – one for each length. If it doesn’t work, then I either cut the sleeve shorter or try a plain cuff band. Hey – it’s MUSLIN. I could even cut the cuff out of some other material entirely – say that’s a fun idea!

Just need to finish the red toile (stash!) vest, lined with a red plaid (stash !) leftover , and long straight apron (remainder of the toile), the ipod bag (more stash!) and some other small project I can’t quite place… currently on the machine.

That muslin is coming out sooooo soon.

Sewing: Slow and Going- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 2.3 Designing The Perfect Shirt

Oh -Yeahhhhh.... Listen In on 

My Pick-of-the-Month,

 The Simple Romantic singing a traditional American spiritual  (illustrated)

My Pick-of-the-Month  is Better than a Starbucks Pick-of-the-Week, cuz I brew it myself

. . .

Opened up my new issue of “Threads” yesterday and found that I’m not the first person to decided to incorporate ideas from the “Slow” movement into my sewing plans. Improving my skills and other ideas, gee I thought I’d so been so clever to come up with that idea myself, when I posted about this a few days ago. The article’s got my skills-improvement idea and a whole lot more.

I’m adding these two tutorials from this months “Threads” to the “Great White” journal of shirt sewing plans, I’m starting.

1) A piggyback pocket would not only be fun, I could use two different fabrics for the two pockets. Maybe lace for the top one, or silk.

2) For a future white shirt, these celtic knots would make cool cuffs. One of the magazine articles has cuffs made from this. A little piece as decoration on the front, or on the pocket, collar or lapel might be nice too. 

...

Here is my third page of design notes

Related History

Entry 1: Sewing- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 1 IMAGINING The Perfect Shirt

Entry 2: 2.1 DESIGNING the Perfect Shirt - Sketch 1

Entry 2.2 DESIGNING the Perfect Shirt - Sketch 2

....

* This entry represents one sewers progress

in the Never Too Many White Shirts Project at http://sewingontheedge.blogspot.com/

Sewing- In No Kind of Hurry- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 2.2 Designing The Perfect Shirt

Related History

Entry 1: Sewing- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 1 IMAGINING The Perfect Shirt

Entry 2: 2.1 DESIGNING the Perfect Shirt - Sketch 1

...

Entry 2.2: DESIGNING the Perfect Shirt - Sketch 2

Here is my second design sketch page.

....

* This entry represents one sewers progress

in the Never Too Many White Shirts Project at http://sewingontheedge.blogspot.com/

Sewing- In No Kind of Hurry- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 2.1 Designing The Perfect Shirt

Related History

Entry 1: Sewing- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 1 IMAGINING The Perfect Shirt

Entry 2.1: DESIGNING the Perfect Shirt

Despite the challenges of the season I managed to get my

golden mustard fleece vest with it's Phoenix birds French trim and it's mustardy comrade teeshirt done. Hooray!

I've even made serious inroads on the seond fleece vest I cut out last year during our short California cold season, an irritating little fuzzy white creatures whose long hairs hide pins and get caught in the zipper. I'm working on getting Sir Fuzzy done in very short sewing increments, before my next semesters classes begin in mid January. A little extra inspiration comes from having seen a woman wearing a white regular-type-fleece vest or a dark, long-sleeved teeshirt when I was traipsing around San Francisco with my daughter last week. Hummmm I have a cranberry colored turtleneck and a long sleeved black tee shirt. Won't the contrast look nice under the fuzzy white vest once it's done?

Does anybody else make notes about other people's color choices on their ipod Notes app when they walk around a big city? I particularly like looking back at these later to find that the app changed all my spelling to words it knew, but they aren't the words I meant. So the note now reads, "Really good choice of exfoliant with pump".

My vision of that perfect first white shirt is beginning to blossom. This is a wonderful chance to really take my time and focus on designing and improving some sewing skills while also taking my time getting the first one done.

Two podcasts inspired me to slow down and smell the steam iron as I begin this project. The first was Lori's Sew Forth Now podcast interview with Barbara, of Sewing on the Edge. Barbara is the creator of the Never Too Many White Shirts Project. The talk between Lori and Barbara brought home to me that it might just be ok to really take my time to think things through and practice on this project, no matter what else is going on in my life.

My second source of inspiration was a recent podcast from one of my other favorite shows, To the Best of Our Knowledge from PRI (Wisconsin Public Radio). A recent episode, "Change Over Time" included an interview with Slow Movement promoter, Carl Honore. Listening to this reinforced my plan to take a thoughtful approach to this project.

I regularly sew things in a hurry. This time I'm going to just take my time and think it through. Here is the first of the design pages I've begun.

....

* This entry represents one sewers progress

in the Never Too Many White Shirts Project at http://sewingontheedge.blogspot.com/

Sewing- The Never Too Many White Shirts Project: 1 IMAGINING The Perfect Shirt

December is a kinda extra-special busy time for anybody involved in music performance. But I managed to slip in an hour yesterday. And next week I'm definitely, absolutely, positively going to schedule time in. Fifteen minutes to a half an hour after piano practicing will move me along.

Right now I'm sewing the perfect white shirt.

It's perfect because, well I haven't actually put the pedal to the metal (actually, my pedal goes down on terra cotta tile) on this garment.

Nor have I cut anything out.

I haven't decided on a pattern yet.

But it tumbles around in my mind when I'm walking or driving. Mentally, I sort through the white shirts I've made in the past. And I DO wear them a lot. I've worn several out. Even though each one has things I'd will change in this perfect shirt.

I need to finally figure out something about fitting around the shoulders. My standard yoked shirt pattern that mostly fits, drags back from the shoulders. I think that means the armscythe (sp?) is too deep. But my arms aren't small and I always worry about having my sleeves be roomy. Maybe it's not the armscythe. I need to find a visual fitting tutorial. I see that Robin at A Little Sewing has the opposite challenge. I think I might learn something from thinking contrary 'wise by reading her entry. Nice drawings Robin!

Also I need to look at the gathering on my favorite L.L. Bean green shirt. I've had that since my now 20 year old daughter was 3. I love that shirt and it always gets a lot of compliments. It has gathered sleeves on a kind of dropped shoulder. It's very romantic, but it's got a stand up collar and a yoke. It's definitely a shirt and I love it. I need to do some measuring on that shirt.

I could cut up that old denim shirt that was comfortable and pretty for so long - now where did I put that.... It's really, really worn out and stained. Time for it to move into pattern land. I can do some comparisons with the shirt pattern that pulls back from the shoulders and also the gathered green sleeves.

I think I will make a first attempt in good old plain white muslin. It will be a muslin, but one that I can wear too. Also I have some muslin in my stash. So, I can feel pretty virtuous starting with that. I will focus on fitting with the muslin. Then just do simple recycled men's shirt buttons and machine buttonholes. I can move onto more elegant buttons when I go for version number 2 in some kind of dreamy, elegant white material.

I like the word 'material' so much better than 'fabric'. It's the word I grew up using. I was a kid in the 60's and came of age in the 70's.

Right now the shirt is a vision. A vision I will start on AFTER I finish sewing a forever-more already cut out project. You know that project? Oh yes, that's right it's leftover as a halfway-done from last cold season. And it seemed rather simple last year too. But somehow it wasn't. Then it got warm. Ugh! Who wants to sew fleece in California in April?

It's a nice golden mustard fleece vest, with a kinda breast-welt pocket embellished with a piece of beautiful French trim decorated with blue and turquoise Phoenix birds (from Brittex in San Francisco - those trims make me shiver). It zips up the front. Also I have a long sleeved teeshirt cutout to go with it that is not sewn at all. The fleecy vest has it's zipper in. Yes, I had to finish it off by hand because with the double thickness fleece, I couldn't get the zipper all machine sewed in. I've finally moved onto doing the lining for the back of the vest. Then I have to figure out what to do about making some kind of neat band around the bottom. Then sew on the collar. It's already to go. THEN I will make the teeshirt.

I invented the vest pattern from my favorite fleece jacket pattern, so I have to reinvent how to make it. I sure hope that bottom band comes out right. Maybe a little elastic...

Trying really, really hard to sew down my stash. It's working but it's slow. Also it sure is nice to make things I get a lot of wearing out of . This combination should see some serious time this winter. But I have to get it done this winter.

Then onto my vision of a white shirt!

....

This entry represents one sewers progress (or lack thereof)

in the Never Too Many White Shirts Project at http://sewingontheedge.blogspot.com/