Bargain Basement

The fabric bargain basement is a dark and twisty place you should not go alone.  That said, I know we all do it.  Me included.  I bought this green fabric in the "flat folds" area of a fabric store not far from here because it's a beautiful color and polka dots are the best.  It's a very lightweight rayon challis and was just $3 per yard and 60" wide.

I used a self drafted pattern and added a knit band to the sleeves.  When I was in college, I made a white woven top with light pink bands and just adored it.  I'm sure I wore it to shreds but I still wish I would've saved it.  This top is my "homage" to that college top.

The tricky part of the top was not the construction but the fabric.  When I got it home and started to lay it out I realized the pattern was printed off grain.  Not just off grain but OFF GRAIN.  Now I know why it landed in the bargain basement!

In the photo above, I cut the fabric on the crosswise grainline but if you look closely, the design and circles aren't straight.  This piece of fabric is 10" wide and the design is 3/4" off.  So on 60" wide fabric the design is almost 5" off crosswise. Yikes!

So...what does that mean?  Well, my top is on grain and lays straight but the print isn't.  It's subtle but it's there.  Thankfully the pattern has dots all over so it almost hides itself.

I still love it.  I still wear it.  It's dreamy soft and I love my "woven" sweatshirt.  Mistakes and all.  It'll be our little secret.



<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5222481/?claim=bbsm3e5fnht">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Purple People Sweater - McCall's 6796

As some of you know, purple makes me happy so when I found this lovely sweater knit I knew I had to get it.  I've had it for a couple of months but that weather has been unusually hot and the thought of making a sweater was more than I could tackle.  But, we got a little respite (we are only in the 80's now) and I took the opportunity.

I've had this McCall's 6796 for at least a year and with the perfect fabric finally in hand I dug right in.  This loose weave sweater knit from Fabricmart fabrics is soft and really feels like a knit sweater.  Because it's a knit I found that the easiest way to mark the pieces was with tailor tacks.  Now I know to some, tailor tacks are laborious but they went fast on the loose weave and for sure it was faster than trying to find my fabric pen, which wouldn't have worked anyway.  I serged all of the seams which is normal construction for me but it really was necessary to keep all the threads together.  

After cutting, it took less than an hour and a half to construct (fast and fun) and I made three small changes on a size 12 during construction.  I shorted the sleeve 1 1/2",cut the hem 3 1/2" and put on the collar different than the instructions.  I sewed right side of the collar to wrong side of bodice therefore the seam allowance would be hidden under the collar when it was folded in place and not show.  The most difficult thing about the entire project was choosing buttons.  I have an extensive collection of vintage buttons and I easily spent 15 minutes of that hour and a half choosing.

Hmmm.....which to choose.....

After all that I went with a large white vintage plastic button.  But that's not to say I won't change my mind later.  I only takes a minute to change a button.  And....I went with a skin color cami underneath but I think I'll look for a purple one instead.

The wind was really blowing that day!  Nice hair!

A purple people eater to make your day!

Here are links to my pattern review and kollabora.

Look What I Found....and it's FREE!

I just got something really great in my email.  Coletterie just released a free guide to sewing hems.  This comprehensive guide is loaded with pictures and clear instructions for hemming all different types of fabrics and garments.  Hemming tools and notions are also explained in depth.

My copy came in my email but it looks like you can head over to the blog and sign up for a free copy.

I just had to share!