Good news, readers: the dress form fever has broken! I no longer feel the urgent need to acquire one.
This was helped by the fact that the Craigslist seller with the men's 36 Royal form never called me, for which I'm actually grateful. I may get a dress form in the future and I may not. I'm definitely not wrapping myself in duck tape, however -- ick.
Moving right along, one thing I've learned over the last few years is that if I buy fabric at the flea market and don't use it right away, it's likely to be forgotten. That's why I decided to use the gray cotton print I found yesterday for $5 (up top) right away. Plus I like it!
First, I hand washed and air dried it. I no longer machine wash my shirts, it's too hard on the fabric.
I decided to make another short sleeve shirt using Butterick 4712, but this time adding the covered front button placket from Vogue 8889, which I think is very elegant.
The covered placket also allows the unusual print to be seen without the distraction of buttons. If truth be told this is not quite the original layout of the print but I managed to make the two sides work as if it were. That took time.
I flat-felled the armscye seams and will probably flat-fell the side/sleeve seams too.
I was a little concerned at first about the scale of the print -- those flowers are rather big for a shirt -- but I think it's OK, especially for summer. Here's the back with the sleeves attached (but not yet hemmed).
I'm done for today (I think) so tomorrow I'll make the collar and stand, button holes, and everything else. It's certainly not a shirt you'd see every day, right?
With that, readers, I bid you adieu. I'm bushed and I still have so many episodes of "Petticoat Junction" to go before I sleep. Did I tell you I'm now the proud owner of the entire first and second seasons -- 74 (seventy-four!) episodes total? Michael doesn't find it nearly as entertaining as I do, but I've managed to coerce him into watching a few with me. Wine helps.
Have a great day, everybody!
So where's my wine?
ReplyDeleteCheck the fridge.
DeleteBeautiful fabric. It works well as a shirt. Rhonda M.
ReplyDelete74?? in the first and second seasons ONLY? holy cats. how do shows get away with 3-8 nowadays?? craziness.
ReplyDeleteI thought the print scale was going to be too much, but you're right....looks great. The covered placket helps also.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter
ReplyDeleteIt's going to look great with your linen pants.
G
x
Well. I live in SoCal, so yes... that is the sort of shirt I'd see everyday. My preacher wears one similar on a Sunday. Yes, really.
ReplyDeleteA couple more shirts and you will have convinced me to do more than the odd mending here and there again.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful matching by the way. Your care paid off.
A.
That is going to be a beautiful shirt
ReplyDeleteI was jonesing for a mangle (the roller bar irons from another era), but kind of worked through it.
ReplyDeleteIs there a "regimen" to your hand-washing? Certain products you espouse or eschew? A type of hanger you much prefer for air-drying?
Dish soap and a shower rod!
DeleteI know you're question was directed towards Peter, but I wanted to reply with my own experience.
DeleteI've made an agitator for "hand" washing by modifying a brand-new toilet plunger, like so:
http://refashionista.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/diy-hillbilly-washing-machine/
Then I bought a large broom handle to screw into the plunger so I don't have to bend over and tire my back.
I use a 5 gallon bucket and a bit of dish soap to wash my delicate/handwash fabrics. It works quite well.
We had one of those. I still have all my fingers!
DeleteA.
Krista,
DeleteYou've inspired me! A fresh plunger and a 5 gallon bucket are in my near future. Since I make my own detergent, may as well hand wash my delicates and see what happens.
Flat-felling straight seams can be tedious, but I know those curved armhole seams were no joke to do! Did you bast them down before topstitching?
ReplyDeleteI never baste, but I do press them carefully and sometimes pin, depending on the fabric. If I can't press the seams easily I'll do faux felled seams with my serger.
DeleteLove it already, especially the perfect pattern matching on the front. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteFabulous placing of the print on the fronts!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to you, Peter, I went around humming the "Petticoat Junction" theme song for days!
ReplyDeleteThese flowers are definitely not too big for a shirt. Of course, I do live in California and DH is a big Hawaiian shirt fan, silk ones from Costco. http://www.ebay.com/bhp/jamaica-jaxx
ReplyDeleteit looks beautiful I can t wait to see the finished garment.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, that print in other brilliant colors is definitely a NO :-). But I love it in grey and pale rose. It´s even so elegant.
ReplyDeleteOooh, this looks awesome! I really like the scale of the flowers for this shirt. Fun!
ReplyDeleteYour taste and attention to detail are impeccable. I think I'm okay in the taste dept. but sometimes the sewing techniques escape me.
ReplyDeleteNice job flat felling the armhole seams. I thought you preferred French seams though. Are you liking flat felled seams better?
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the print layout. It looks perfect.
Interesting that you pre-wash cotton by hand.
I've never used French seams for an armscye. Not sure how well that would work...
DeleteHey, I have! It works quite nicely, though I mostly sew by hand. A curved seam will "French"! Also, I have about 5 yards of vintage silk chiffon I found for a dollah. Are you interested? It's a watercolor-y green floral.The burn test sez silk.
DeleteThanks so much for the offer, Mrs. Leapheart. I think I'd better pass till I use some of the chiffon I already have -- but I appreciate it!
DeleteI did the duct tape form recently. Turned out well. But I just keep staring at it. It's massively ugly and really, is that what I look like? Wonder how long it will take me to get through the acceptance stage. I guess I look more like the old art depictions of female - belly and boobs, very rounded. In my mirror, I'd been able to convince myself I was a bit flatter and photoshopped. It's a bit of a downer, this reality thing.
ReplyDeleteI've never used duct tape for a dress form, but I have used old tee shirts and duct tape to make patterns for costuming-- for bodices and doublets, and socks and duct tape for boots. It doesn't touch your skin, so it's not too icky. The scary part (for the person in the taped tee shirt) is cutting the pattern off after extensive marking.
ReplyDelete