New Fabric, New Books, and MORE!

I went fabric shopping this week and the theme was cotton flannel.  No neoprene for me -- yet.

Nothing says fall like a flannel shirt and these classic plaids should be fun to sew and snuggly to wear.  I'll probably make one for Michael and one for me.  I also picked up some gray coated cotton for an outerwear project that may or may not happen this year; maybe next spring as it's quite lightweight.



I was back in Patternmaking class on Wednesday and we practiced dart manipulation.  We learned both the slash-and-spread method as well as the pivot method (where you pivot the sloper, attached to your drafting surface with a pushpin).  I enjoy both, though the pivot method is a little faster.







Meanwhile, I've been working on a gingham shirt for a client.  I haven't sewn with gingham in years and I'd forgotten that it's the fabric that most makes me feel like I'm going blind.  The results are lovely but wow, is gingham hard on the eyes.



For the first time ever, I made a collar with narrow slots for collar stays.   It's not difficult to do but it does require careful measuring.  You have to account for both the seam allowance (in my case, 1/2"), since you're going to turn the collar right-side out, as well as the topstitching allowance (for me, a scant 1/4").  My first try turned out well (below, before topstitching), only I forgot to factor in the topstitching, which made the slot too shallow for the stay.



The slots are made by adding a second layer of fashion fabric to the undercollar.  This second layer is lapped over the first and stitched into place; the stitching includes the narrow slots for the stays.



Below is my second, successful version.  The nice thing about stays is that they keep the collar points looking sharp without having to use cardboard-stiff interfacing.



For the inside collar stand I used a red, white, and blue check for contrast.

The collar and stand, not yet sewn onto the shirt

I cut the yoke on the bias and used a light interfacing to keep it from stretching.  Sometimes bias yokes stretch, creating slight horizontal folds.  Don't like 'em.



Finally, I received two new (to me) sewing books in the mail today, Sewing 911, which cost just pennies (plus shipping), and Clothing Construction by Evelyn A. Mansfield (from 1953), which cost considerably more.  The latter is an old textbook with a lot of classic details you'd expect to find in a vintage sewing book.  I've only scanned it but I think it will serve me well.  Are you familiar with either of these?



















And that's it.

Readers, I hope your sewing projects are going well.  Remember: Not enough ease?  Godets!

Have a great weekend, everybody!