Saturday 21 February 2015

Progress on a couple more UFO garments

Despite not feeling too well today (auto-immune so not contagious) I went to my sewing guild meeting and managed to be productive.

First up I bitched & moaned getting the group's overlocker re-threaded. The lower looper thread kept snapping, so in the end another less cranky person sorted it out for me.  I'd even rethreaded it from scratch and the !^$&* snapped. Too early for medicinal alcohol - overlockers (aka sergers) are the only thing I relax my zero alcohol & sewing policy for.

First thing under the needles was a UFO skirt. I first finished it at the end of last winter, but had to shorten it dramatically from the waist to make it fit my now tubby-guts.  Since my gallbladder surgery I can't tolerate firm waistbands any more. The pressure on the right hand side starts tipping from uncomfortable to painful, so for the first time in my life I now prefer elastic waistbands.  And I genuinely mean a waistband from lingerie elastic.  I even use a replacement bra back in lieu of a button, being very careful to hand turn near the hooks & eyes so that I don't break a needle or throw the timing.  Seeing as I'm too short waisted + overweight + boobular to wear a top tucked in, nobody is going to see it in public.

Back on topic, I've had this waiting for me to finish since spring, but I've finally got it done, a week from the first day of autumn.  I'll get a pic of me in the skirt during the week.


Next up I started working on my 5 month acknowledged UFO floral dress.  Today for the dress I achieved:
- overlocking shoulder seams
- drafting pattern pieces for neck facing
- cutting waistband pieces and neck facings
- sewing and applying the external neck facing to bodice
- seaming waistband
- stitching to bodice
- pinning to previously completed skirt section

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So, I'd added a smidge to the front bodice width and to the waistband front (6mm or 1/4 inch), but wasn't sure if I'd done the same to the skirt back in September. Of course I hadn't, so I will let the panel seams out 3mm each and it should be close to fitting. The back is fine, as I didn't change that as it was cut out back in September, the bodice front is what caused the procrastination. Took months to actually cut the bodice front pattern in full out of interfacing, so that I could ensure no targets dead on bust points.

Tomorrow/during this week I'll:
- let out the skirt front panel seams
- stitch the waistband to skirt
- left side seam including zipper
- hem skirt
- cut out sleeves /stitch/insert.

I also plan to make a plain black skirt (need a new one for dressing up as Edna Mode to go & see The Incredibles on next Sunday). After I check my black shirt still fits - I don't have time to make both.

5 comments:

  1. You are getting there. Looking forward to seeing the paraded finished items. BTW - it is never too early for medicinal alcohol.

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    1. LOL I agree, but didn't have any with me ;)

      I'm relieved to be finishing a bunch of things so that I feel unhindered in starting a new project. I want to get back to being a finisher rather than a started or things left incomplete

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    2. BeaJay beat me to it: it is never too early for medicinal alcohol! Sewing and wine might be okay; sewing and wine and no sleep - not so much.

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    3. If I'd had any with me, then I admit that I'd have self-medicated! Today I'm on antibiotics so am forced to be teetotal for a week. (My foolish body can't tolerate both)

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  2. This floral dress is really pretty!

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