Am I blue? Another Simplicity 2599 top

Nah, I'm not blue. I'm actually loving this color blue.  Although the photograph doesn't show off it's true blue beauty.

It's another Simplicity 2599 pullover top.  The last version was my "everything's coming up roses" top sewn in January.

This time around, I eliminated the center back neck slit as well as the neck facing.  Although I must admit I mindlessly cut out, interfaced and sewed the neck facing to the top before I realized what an awful idea that was.  Especially with the top edge of that upper ruffle sewn into the seam.  Yikes! I topped and exclaimed loudly "wait a minute...that looks like crap!"

Immediately followed by "Oh silly...why didn't you finish the neck edge with a bias binding like the armholes?" And yes, I really do talk out loud to myself whilst sewing by myself.  Don't you?

I carefully unstitched the facing, removed it from the neck edge and tossed it.  Fortunately I had enough fabric left over to cut a bias strip for the neck binding.

Do you know how hard polyester charmeuse is to iron?  All I wanted was to enough of a crease to use as a sewing guideline when I sewed the binding to the neck.   I used my handy-dandy bias tape maker as well as silk organza as a press cloth so I wouldn't melt the darn stuff.

The instructions do not call for any finish on the upper edge of the ruffles. I finished them with my serger.  Oops! My secret's out. I don't always rethread the serger to match my fabric.  Oh what the heck, the ruffles cover the top edge and it's highly unlikely that white thread will ever be seen beyond this photograph.

 

I finished the hem by sewing lace seam binding to the lower edge, turning to the wrong side, lightly pressing (with my silk organza press cloth) and stitching in place. Sure beat trying to create a tiny turned under hem.

Besides, I had the perfect color vintage lace seam binding in my stash. Although can you really call something from 1980 "vintage"?

 
************************************************************** Pin It

Fun with borders take three - McCall's 6319

If you follow me on Instagram (@sharonmadsen) you saw a sneak peek of this fabric about a month ago.  What you couldn't tell was that this piece of fabric was yet another border print.  (Yes, purchased from Denver Fabrics.  I want to go back to CO just so I can visit that store again.  Well, and to spend more time with the darling Amy who I met through the sewing blog world. But that's another post for another day.)

The bottom of this fabric had that great orange and white print while the top faded to a mottled orange.

I choose to sew McCall's 6319 because I wear my Yabba-Dabba-Doo dress much more often than I thought I would. I had yet to purchase McCall's 6612 or I would likely have three of those knit dresses hanging in my closet.

According to my post from last summer, I didn't make any alterations to this dress pattern.  But the waist on this orange version hits me slightly higher than my actual waist.  And higher than my yabba-dabba-do version.  I'm not sure why as both dresses are sewn with ITY knits. 

Anyway, it works.  I sit most of the day so the fact that the waist is too high doesn't bother me from a comfort level and I doubt anyone even notices.

I bet that's right where you want to look now isn't it?  LOL. 

************************************************************** Pin It

Fun with border prints or McCall's 6612 Take Two

I loved the first dress I sewed using McCall's 6612 so much that I decided to whip up another one this weekend.

You see, we took the motorcycle out for spin to enjoy the gorgeous summer weather.  And wouldn't you know it? We ended up at my favorite local fabric warehouse - SR Harris. LOL!

While cutting the fabric I originally came to purchase (a beautiful silk intended for a Sew News article I'm working on) I spied a huge pile of sample cuts priced at only $4 per yard.  Oh my! My heart beat a little faster as I slowly approached the pile taking in the various colors and textures while trying to decide where to begin.  This yellow and black print was buried near the bottom and I immediately envisioned another McCall's 6612 knit dress. Oh it was fun seeing what treasures were in that pile. 

Oops!  Only one little problem. While paying for my purchases I suddenly remembered we had arrived on the motorcycle.  Fortunately I was able to cram the fabric into one of the storage boxes.

I know the title says "fun with fabric border prints" and well, it's not exactly a border print.  The graduating polka dots repeat in a definitive pattern.

But the print does appear as a border along the hemline, does it not?

************************************************
Pin It