Terminado - The Bramble Blouse - Another Semi-Fitted Sleeveless Summer Blouse

You don't hear the term brambles used to refer to berries much these days.
I think it dates more from times when lots of berries grew naturally
in woods and fields, and folks just went out to pick their own, come summer time.
Nowadays most of us find our berries in a box or frozen bag.
The birds and squirrels score most of the ones I have in my yard.
Oh well, they can't run to the grocery store like I can! I don't really mind.
And it saves me a bit o' trouble in those prickly bramble bushes.

Hey! Do you remember the podcast I did in July, where I talked about creating my sleeveless, pink and white seersucker blouse Amaryllis blouse from my much altered tried-and-true shirt pattern (it started out life as B5586)? Well I enjoyed wearing Amaryllis so much (that gal has been a real go-to summer wardrobe choice) that I made another blouse from my same much altered pattern.

And doesn't it look pretty durn cute with my sage'y green shorts from two summers ago? I think so! I've also been wearing it with my new Midnight Sky black denim skirt, but I don't have a really cute photo of that combination yet :-)

Oh yeah, I altered the pattern a little more!  I just can't get enough of altering now - no pattern is safe from my fideling fingers.   Blame my wonderful dress form buddy Conchita for that! Because this crisp bramble printed cotton doesn't hang off a woman's body in the same way as the loosey-goosey seersucker I used for Amaryllis, I made a few changes to my Bramble Blouse as I was creating her. . . 

i) I took the long front darts I'd created from the hem, up the princess line, to the bust apex, and extended them up above the bust apex. 
ii) I also took those darts in more - so my Bramble Blouse is all together narrower than Amaryllis.  
iii) In addition I added long darts along the back princess seam. 

My dress form Conchita was really useful
when it came to making the
Bramble Blouse more fitted

These alterations resulted in a semi-fitted blouse that's just a little more fitted. 

OK, I admit it. I used good old
safety pins to try out that extended dart.
Because just after I tried this out on
Conchita, I slipped it on
me and checked out that new dart in the bathroom mirror.

Amaryllis is somewhat fitted,
but less so than my Bramble Blouse
That works because she's made out of a non-crisp seersucker

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Audio/Podcast Summer of the Blouse - Amaryllis http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/ench-by-sew-022-summer-of-blouse.html

Blog Posting about Amaryllis http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/amaryllis-my-new-semi-fitted-blouse.html

Wardrobe Builder - The Midnight Sky Black Denim Skirt http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/08/terminado-wardrobe-builder-midnight-sky.html

Creating Conchita, my Dress Form Friend  http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

Ench By Sew-022- Summer of the Blouse - Amaryllis

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~

Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

This show is created, produced and brought to you by me! - Laurel Shimer. THE Enchanted by Sewing PODCAST IS, An  EXTENSION OF my regular sewing blog - Me Encanta Coser, which,  roughly translated means, Enchanted By Sewing

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live

* * *

In my slow sewing July, I focused on sewing just one pink and white striped seersucker sleeveless blouse.  Like my  CA Summer skies shirt– (that was blue and white checked seersucker shirt ) I sewed and talked about last months show, my new sleeveless blouse, who I call Amaryllis (in honor of the musical, "The Music Man"),  has quickly become an important staple of my summer wardrobe. And sewing a few more blouses, as a result of what I thought and learned about sewing this most recent garment, is something I’m considering when it comes to more summer sewing.

In this month’s show

1) Pensamientos Primeros
Slow Summer Sewing – Budgeting my sewing time and energy and coming out on top by improving sewing skills. Increasing my wardrobe choices. It’s about Feeling satisfied with my sewing recreation time and output.

The slow living movement includes slow stitching. Look for more about slow living and sewing on the web

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/wardrobe-refurbish-sewist-loves-to.html

http://www.slowmovement.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downshifting

http://theslowstitchingmovement.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/welcome-to-the-slow-stitching-blog/

2) Entonces, Technicos y Mas

i) What’s a shirt what’s a blouse? http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/08/whats-shirt-whats-blouse.html

ii) About Amaryllis, a summer blouse

Music Man Inspiration for this blouses name http://simpleromantic.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-travel-primer-lesson-6-music-man.html


Now I've sewn Amaryllis, I'm envisioning other sleeveless blouses  http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/fabric-for-rosa-summer-dreams-blouse.html

iii) Technicos –My Amarylis Blouse
- More Seersucker Sewing
-       Sleeveless blouse facings
For my sleeveless blouse facings, I used techniques similar to those I described in my blog posting, Sewing a Fitted Facing, in Oct two years ago
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/10/technicostechniques-sewing-fitted-facing.html

- Seam Finishes - Cut and Pink
- Altering a shirt pattern to become a blouse

3) Pensamientos Finales Blue Skies Sewing - I can't sew it all at once, but I can dream!

A couple of Inspiration Dresses are related to Bustiers, including the Stella McCartney floral http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/sewingbustiersinspiration/

Stella McCartney inspired my interest in this pattern for a bustier-related dress, Vogue 8849

I discovered the pattern at this great blog, Fitnottofit http://fitnottofit.wordpress.com/tag/v8849/

I bought my copy of this pattern from
https://sewingpatterns.com

More about designer Stella McCartney http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_McCartney

Ench By Sew-017 Gettin' Shirty (Previously Ench By Sew-007)

VINTAGE PODCAST!
Listeners have requested that I re-publish this show, last published in
April 2013 (and removed for not-very-exciting technical challenges)

SEW now.... the February 2014 ReRun....
"Enchanted By Sewing" Podcast is, once more,
available in the pod-o-sphere!

This month we're getting' Shirty.

You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link. Or, download this podcast free from iTunes, to play on your favorite mobile device/mp3 player (like an iPhone or an Android), by clicking on this link to iTunes.

~~~

Is that garment you're sewing a shirt or a blouse? Is it the collar stand, or lack thereof that makes you decide one way or another? How about set-in sleeves versus dropped? Maybe it's your choice of fabric.... This month Laurel talks about her experiences creating her No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Shirt, with a Butterick pattern that sometimes says shirt and other times blouse. She also discusses sewing techniques that say shirt, and chats a little about the history of shirts and shirty language (with special attention to a scene from a Harry Potter book ).

 This podcast is an extension of  my on-web sewing life journal Me Encanta Coser, a blog that tells the story of an arty-romantic plain sewist in CA. My blog is written in English. The blogs name, and occasional references, pays tribute to the beautiful Spanish language which is a part of both the history and modern culture of the San Francisco Bay area, where I live.

Check out a free excerpt from
My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times
By clicking here

The show is created, produced, and brought to you by Laurel Shimer author of the Time Travel e-book My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times. This historical romance, ebook-novella is available exclusively on amazon.com for your iPad, nook or kindle ebook reader, for only 99 cents (Only 99 cents? That's less than a cup of coffee!) 

~~~

Resources

• Shirt or Blouse - Pattern Plays a Big Role
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/04/shirt-or-blouse-pattern-plays-important.html

• No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency Shirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-1-ladys-detective-agency-shirt-b5526.html

This book has really helped me to learn how to sew different seam finishes. The illustrations and descriptions are spot on!

The New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making Clothes and Home Accessories Updated Edition with All-New Projects and Simplicity Patterns (Reader's Digest)

~~~

Please post other links and other pertinent information that you would like to see included in these show notes.

Ench By Sew-017 Gettin' Shirty (Previously Ench By Sew-007)

VINTAGE PODCAST!
Listeners have requested that I re-publish this show, last published in
April 2013 (and removed for not-very-exciting technical challenges)

SEW now.... the February 2014 ReRun....
"Enchanted By Sewing" Podcast is, once more,
available in the pod-o-sphere!

This month we're getting' Shirty.

You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link. Or, download this podcast free from iTunes, to play on your favorite mobile device/mp3 player (like an iPhone or an Android), by clicking on this link to iTunes.

~~~

Is that garment you're sewing a shirt or a blouse? Is it the collar stand, or lack thereof that makes you decide one way or another? How about set-in sleeves versus dropped? Maybe it's your choice of fabric.... This month Laurel talks about her experiences creating her No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Shirt, with a Butterick pattern that sometimes says shirt and other times blouse. She also discusses sewing techniques that say shirt, and chats a little about the history of shirts and shirty language (with special attention to a scene from a Harry Potter book ).

 This podcast is an extension of  my on-web sewing life journal Me Encanta Coser, a blog that tells the story of an arty-romantic plain sewist in CA. My blog is written in English. The blogs name, and occasional references, pays tribute to the beautiful Spanish language which is a part of both the history and modern culture of the San Francisco Bay area, where I live.

Check out a free excerpt from
My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times
By clicking here

The show is created, produced, and brought to you by Laurel Shimer author of the Time Travel e-book My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times. This historical romance, ebook-novella is available exclusively on amazon.com for your iPad, nook or kindle ebook reader, for only 99 cents (Only 99 cents? That's less than a cup of coffee!) 

~~~

Links

• Shirt or Blouse - Pattern Plays a Big Role
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/04/shirt-or-blouse-pattern-plays-important.html

• No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency Shirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-1-ladys-detective-agency-shirt-b5526.html

~~~

Please post other links and other pertinent information that you would like to see included in these show notes.

Alteraciones: Changing UP those Patterns

I've been working with
the alterations I've made over several years
On this tried-and-true pattern
To be sure the alterations are good ones
This pattern is out of print, but various
vendors have it for sale on the web

Progreso para octubre/October Progress

I'm  looking back at my plans for this month's sewing, to see how the actuals are coming along. Isn't that what we do when we want to see whether or not we're channeling our resources in the right direction and how our business is coming along? Sewing is not my business, it's my enchanting past time, but I like to feel that I step back and think sometimes, about whether or not my recreation energy is being well spent. The proof is in the pudding. Eventually I want to get some pretty, comfortable and useful clothes out of the time I invest with needles, pins and patterns. And I want to find that those are clothes that I spend a lot of time wearing, not attractive garments that just hang in my closet waiting for a special day to be worn.

Let's See How My October Sewing Basket  is Progressing .......

- 1.  Finish the basic much needed camisole I worked so hard on in September. Hooray it's done! I wore it under that new sheer yellow tee shirt I made a couple of months back, and immediately figured out that I need to stabilize the lovely broad braided shoulder straps (that idea came from the Jan Bones Lingerie book, which my library has), made out of spaghetti strap type tubes. So cute, and SO stretchy. I think I'm going to hand sew a piece of satin'y ribbon along the back of the straps and then try wearing it again.

- 2.  A new pair of pants, either light weight denim or beige twill - I've got 3 yards of each. I'll be using the same patterns I used for The Lady Wears Shorts, which I've got fitting pretty well. I'm taking a "Pants Construction" class at Cañada this month. 

ON HOLD Turns out this project is not due by the end of the month as I'd expected. I've put both the cutting out and sewing of these pants on hold until the end of this month because ...

Taking advantage of what Susan is learning
in the Fit Class
to get a really well-fitting blouse pattern,
That's something I don't currently
have in my pattern stash.
Vogue V8747

a) I'm learning a lot of techniques in my 4 week Pants Construction Class (it ends October 23) which will affect not only how I sew them but how I cut them out. The pockets for example will be cut with a leash that fastens into the waistband. We're starting in on waistbands this coming weekend and I have some questions about how to make my pants more stable in that zone, and how to better work with Petersham ribbon.  Better to wait on everything.
b) Sewing samples for my main sewing class, lingerie class and pants construction class seems to take an inordinate amount of time. I'm learning to enjoy cutting out and thinking hard about sample pattern shapes and techniques, but I'm surprised to find that I can spend 2-4 hours on just one sample, and we make several each week. Then sometimes I find I need to re do them. Now I know one reason why I never put the time in, to learn techniques before. The other reason is that it's just fun to sit down and sew up a favorite, tried and true pattern. That's something I probably won't do in October, but I am going to put on my list to do at least once in November.

- 3.  Trace, tissue fit and toile a very fitted princess-seamed Vogue blouse pattern. I'd like to say get it sewn too, but given time.... I'll be happy to just get going on this project.

IN PROGRESS I'm pleased to say that I've gotten going on this project. I've been working in sewing lab with my new buddy Susan. She's taking the fitting class I plan to take next fall, and we're putting her new knowledge to work.  It's taking a lot of energy just working out the fit, but it's going to be worth it to have a really well-fitting fitted princess-seamed blouse pattern. You can bet I've already got plans to sew that up in three different fabrics from my sta- errrr fabric inventory (!) once I get that pattern working. Here's what I've done with it.

a) Identified that I shouldn't try to fit the sleeve until I get the bodice, and it's resident armscye working with my body. I learned this by chatting to Kelly, an experienced Cañada Fashion Department class taker, who's often working in the sewing lab. Kelly told me to come and see her about my sleeve pattern once I've got the bodice in good shape. She's going to help me learn what to slash and where once the armhole area is working well for me. She also hinted at the possibility of a "cut-on gusset" once we do that. Lots of new things to learn

b) I traced, and cut out, the main princess-seamed bodice pattern pieces onto the tissue I use (medical supply paper, like the kind you sit on when you visit the doctor, only it's new and un-sat-on).I doubled all the pieces, as though I were cutting it out of actual fabric,  so that I could put it on like a full bodice for fitting. This included four pieces: bodice front, bodice side front, bodice back and bodice side back.

It was a little challenging figuring out where to leave, and how to cut, extra tissue paper versus just moving the tissue around with gaps and inserting gap-filling tissue paper as Susan fits the pattern to me. This is something I will learn over time.

c) Susan fitted the tissue to my body. We used colored marking pens to note where tissue seams had been joined, wide posit tape (great for removing without tearing) and many pins. 

One thing I learned was that no matter how obvious the results of fitting seemed at the end, I could have marked the results more clearly. Next time I will know more.

d) I cut out 3 of the 4 pieces in crummy fabric to test the bodice. I'm already concerned that I missed a place where I'm supposed to add a seam allowance, but I'll find out once I sew it up and put it on. Sometimes you just have to forge ahead. And the material is so yucky, I won't care if I have to chuck it and start over.

e) I need to review how to join princess seams. There's a funny, but familiar, big notichy shape on the side front  I just don't get. So I'll need to break down and go back to the pattern instruction sheet.

f) On Monday I plan to have that bodice toile/muslin basted up and ready to review with Susan in Sewing Lab.

- 4. IN PROGRESS- Start in on the next project for my main sewing class at Cañada - elastic waist linen pants

Whew! These have really been a lot of work. I decided to be very scientific about a capri elastic-waist pants pattern I've been using for maybe seven years. I think I've actually sewn this  pattern at least 20 times, altering both the fit and the shape of the leg. I've sewn them as capris, long straight leggers, a divided skirt and palazzo pants. 

I retraced the original pattern, which I'd damaged and shrunk with regular scotch-type tape and the iron (I figured out to use iron-able posit tape after I first began working with this pattern). Pattern weights from an obliging drawer in the Sewing Lab at school helped me to get the damaged spot straightened out enough to trace the whole piece. Then I retraced that original tracing and filed away my first careful, reconstructed pattern pieces, so I can always go back to the original without the pain and agony. On the second tracing I drew in the alteration lines I've made over the years, making notes in different colors so I could see which were the original pattern lines, and which were mine. I had a kind of shlocky heavy-paper version of the pattern I had been using, that I took these lines from.

Next I've begun working to determine if the alterations I made over time, using the scotche here and the schotche there method, to determine if these are the best alterations for the garment. This may sound tedious, but I think it will prove to be worth it. I took a pair of dark linen capris I found I'd cut out of the pattern and forgotten about (I also drew there lines in on my pattern in another maker color to ensure they matched my schlocky pattern lines), taped them to a window with light coming behind and used narrow posit tape and pins to find the actual grain line of the fabric. Then I used more of the same to create perpendicular lines at hip and around the widest part of my hips. After which I basted in white thread, which stands out against the dark fabric, along all 3 lines on the one pants  front where I had done this. I did the same with one back leg. 

Entonces - I then basted up the pants (without the in seam pockets) - just the leg and crotch seams. I plan to try these on in Sewing Lab, tie a piece of elastic around my waist, mirror check, and ask a buddy to see if they think the basting lines of white grain-check thread are hanging straight. Also the widest-point of hip line may tell me something. 

Amazing how long this all takes! The payback comes as I continue to use this pattern, which I also intend to use in combination with a pattern from the lingerie class to make tap pants.

- 5. IN PROGRESS I'd love to get at least one tee done, either one of my new Hot Patterns or another of the Stretch and Sew 333 tees I sewed for class in September, but that is a bit too much blue skying.

a) I cut out one of the Strech and Sew tees, though trying a different neckline version for it may keep me from getting it done as quickly as I might otherwise do.

b) I tissue traced my new Hot Patterns Weekender Sunshine top. 

Though I'm spending a lot of time in the sewing lab at school, I'm doing more sewing science than sewing construction. They don't call it a "lab" for nothing. It's great to be able to take advantage of the facilities and the people around me. If I'm going to take sewing classes, I want to learn as much as I possibly can. The techniques and knowledge of how to fit, plus improving the way favorite patterns fit my body, are going to stand me in good stead when I want to just sit down and zip on my machine.