In Sewing News Today...

It has been a busy week. I've been reading I Am David for work instead of finishing Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion and returning it back to the library. And I've been sewing like mad this week for the pattern stash contest over at Pattern Review. March break certainly has flown by quickly. I can't believe it is already Friday.

Sew far, I have completed three garments. I pre-treated my fabric and was set to cut Burda Style 7304, the cute little jacket with the back peplum.  

The pattern calls for lightweight wools and cotton satin. Do they mean cotton sateen? I've never seen the phrase cotton satin before. But I digress.  

The fabric is all folded up and sitting under my cutting table. I have enough beige / taupe lining left over from the Vogue 8667 dress that will work for the jacket. I'm still torn, do I cut the silk before I make a muslin of this jacket or do I go with a skirt pattern for this fabric. I'm going to have to think about it which explains why it is sitting under my cutting table.

Right now I have two Marcy Tilton patterns on the cutting table, Vogue 8637 and Vogue 8839. I'm not sure I'll be able to finish these two this weekend, but I hope to have them all cut out though.

I have about a metre and a half of this black double knit that has been felted. It is not enough for the jacket so I going to do the main jacket pieces in this fabric and the bands and pocket in an orange double knit. The plan is to cut the skirt in the remaining orange fabric.  

And there is mending. Boy, did I let my mending pile get out of hand. But can you believe that I didn't get a chance to work on any of my own mending. No, I wasn't procrastinating. Okay, maybe a little. I was doing other folk's mending. Don't ask me how the one person who hates mending ends up doing mending for others. I don't have an answer for you.

I was asked to mend a vestment for my parish priest. That might explain why I'm doing mending for others. How can you say "no" to a priest? Especially during Lent! Catholic guilt, I tell ya. It will get you doing mending for others every time.

The scary part of this project is that it is a beautifully sewn vestment that was a gift from his Mom when he became a priest. Okay, no pressure right. To say that I am terrified about this project is an understatement.

Okay, it gets scarier. The part of this beautiful vestment that is in need of repair is at the neckline seam. It is not a tear, it is the fabric that is fraying. Oh my goodness!

I have to admit that it sat in my possession while I tried to come up with a plan. I used Fray Check along the seam and the edges of the hole that was developing. And let it sit for a couple more days while I thought about this a little more.

I did not want to remove the neck facing or disturb the embroidered piece in the front and back of the vestment. And my problem was how to get close enough to the front and back pieces to have a even curve. I used the zipper foot so that I could get my sewing needle close enough without moving over bulky pieces with my regular presser foot. Thank God it worked. I have my fingers crossed that the parish priest is pleased. Maybe I should cross my toes too.

Next mending project is for my brother. A pair of Converse sweat yoga pants. Yeah, I can't say "no" to my family either. Mama R helped me with this project, offering to remove the side zippers that were located at the pant leg hem area. Now my job is to hem them. And figure out how I'm going to work around the bulkiness from a wide braid trim down the outer side seam. I think I will have to drag my Jean-a-ma-Jig for this task.

Well, I should get this mending project taken care of and get back to work on my pattern stash busting challenge.

Happy Sewing!