5×7, Oil on linen panel

This is an enormous event with classes, shows and vendors. I attended two of the one-needle (cheapest) classes, which were helpful and interesting. One was on tailoring (mostly using fusibles for quick results), and the other was a sleeve and armhole class with Connie Crawford.

There were hundreds of vendors, mostly skewed toward quilting, but there were still a fair number of apparel-sewing booths. Vogue Fabrics was there with lots of great deals on silks, cottons, and other high-quality fabric.

A word of warning to the young–the crowd was mostly middle-aged-to-elderly sewers. I saw only a couple of other people under forty among the thousands who were there. That’s not to say that I didn’t have fun; I learned a lot and enjoyed the shopping. Just be aware that that this is a slow-movin’, embellished-sweatshirt-wearin’, quiltin’ kind of crowd.

Be sure to get the famous Fisher scones on your way in or out of the expo hall, and wear comfortable shoes. I only went for one day, and I feel like I covered the offerings adequately.

Go with a friend or relative for the most fun. I went with my Mom and we had a great time together.

This is a reconditioned Brother XR 7700, purchased from this eBay seller, whom I highly recommend. It has 69 stitches, seven different buttonholes, and sews them all remarkably well, considering it weighs less than my last cat. This is my first-ever computerized sewing machine. Up until now, I’ve been using my first machine, a basic Singer my parents got me as a graduation present. From high school.

There’s nothing wrong with the Singer, and I may try to sell it on Craigslist, since it works perfectly well, but I’ve learned a lot as a sewer in the last couple of years, and I had really outgrown my beginner machine. In particular, I wanted better buttonholes for coats and jackets, as well as a good stretch stitch for sewing knits. This Brother has both, as well as a host of other stitches, both decorative and practical:

So why jump ship from Singer to Brother? I have a Brother serger, which I love, and I tried out some nice Brother Project Runway machines at the Puyallup Sewing and Stitchery Expo two weekends ago. After extensive online searching and a visit to my local dealer, I settled on this machine, which is one generation older than the Project Runway machine I fell in love with at the Expo.

As far as I can tell, XR-series machines are made for Costco. The dealer told me that all refurbished machines are ones that were returned to the store without any defects (defective machines are sold for parts), thoroughly cleaned and retuned in Brother’s US factory, and sold at a substantial discount. As a result, I got a very nice little machine which is almost identical to this one for only $119.

I’m excited to start my first project, which will probably be an out-of-print Vogue jacket I’ve had cut out for a while.

Anybody want a basic Singer?

There are lots of reasons why people sew. Some like to play with color or form. Some can’t find clothes that fit them in stores. Some just like to create. Me, I sew so that I can wear clothes that are nicer than I can afford.

I’d like to say that I’ve sewn myself a designer wardrobe with high-end Vogue patterns, and that I look like a million bucks on a regular basis, but it’s just not true. More often than not, I look like $148 plus tax.

You see, what I find myself knocking off most of the time is medium-priced ready-to-wear. Oh, sure, I could copy Dolce and Gabbana or Dior, but my lifestyle can’t support those things nearly as well as, say, Anthropologie. Or Levi’s.

I saw this jacket on Pinterest about midday on Sunday, and I immediately wanted it.

It’s perfect for me–kind of casual, but with a nod toward dressiness that suits my community college teaching job. The price is not astronomical, but beyond my reach: $148. Luckily, I have skillz. Also, stash.

I’ve had this pale green Ellen Tracy wool-mohair boucle since last fall, and I’ve been wondering what to do with it. It’s a chartreuse underlayer with gray wool fuzz over the top. It’s not really my color–I was fooled by my monitor when I ordered it, and it’s got lycra, so it behaves more like a sweater knit than a woven. If I used it in this pattern, the contrast collar would keep the green away from my face, and the fabric is so cuddly, I knew it would make a great unlined jacket.

I pulled out my trusty out-of-print Simplicity 5738 and two hours after I saw the jacket on Pinterest I had it cut out and the shell assembled. One quick trip to Joann’s later, and I had a 32″ remnant of pinstriped linen for the contrast, two fun shank buttons, and the real bank-buster of the project, this:

A 1″ bias-tape maker, necessary for the bias-bound edges of the jacket. Altogether, I spent $12. If I include the price of the wool fabric at $5 a yard, of which I used 1.5 yards, the jacket cost me $19.50 plus labor.

About five hours of sewing later, I had this:

Details:

It’s unlined, with serged seam allowances inside. I layered the collar and fronts wrong sides together and applied the bias tape in one step. The curved lapel corners are the only major alterations to the pattern, which is my go-to pattern for a simple suit jacket.

Remember this project, reviewed here?

It got into Pattern Review’s Best of 2011!

I shouldn’t be surprised–I wear this all the time. It’s fun and interesting, and fits into my wardrobe perfectly.

About halfway down, you’ll see the pattern, with a quote from me! I’m Lobolita on Pattern Review. And most everywhere, come to think of it. Anyway, what I said then still holds true. If you’re going to make your own clothes, have fun with it.

Wear meaningless ribbons!

Did you know that pea soup was a staple food in Britain during the Middle Ages? This one uses dried Swedish yellow peas and is a great way to get oodles of vegetables in one tasty dish. It is the perfect place to use greens that are slightly past their prime–nobody will notice the wilted edges on your leaves in this soup.

This hearty meal goes way beyond “pease porridge hot.” You can even make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon and using vegetable bullion cubes instead of chicken.

Yellow Pea Soup With Bacon, Chipotle, and Greens

1 lb dried yellow peas, rinsed and picked over for stones (I have found them before–be warned)
1 large bunch greens such as spinach or kale, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
6 strips bacon, fried, drained, and chopped (optional, though not in my family)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely minced
3 chicken or vegetable bullion cubes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Sour cream and green onions, for garnish

Combine all ingredients except the garnish in a crock pot, add 4 cups of water, and simmer on low heat for 6-8 hours. Add more water if it starts to look too dry.

If you’re using the stovetop, simmer in a large pot on low heat for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.

The soup is done when the peas are fully cooked and beginning to break up. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of diced green onions.

Pattern Sizing:
Y(XSmall-Small-Medium), ZZ(Large-XLarge-XXLarge) I made the large.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, including the armpit pouch they cleverly hid in the pattern photo

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Extremely

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
This is an incredibly easy, trendy pattern. There is one problem, but the whole thing is so quick to put together, it’s worth a little alteration. It looks great on, too. I would definitely recommend this to a knit-sewing beginner.

Fabric Used:
ITY jersey in a horrible 90s ditsy floral (hot pink on black) I got in a mystery box from FabricMart. It is so grandma-looking that it needed a trendy pattern to make it wearable.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
The odd shape of the pattern piece yields a well-fitting shirt with one exception.

The area under one arm is a giant pouch of extra fabric, which looks decidedly odd when you stick your arm out. I had the entire top finished, tried it on, and decided to take it back to the serger and knock four inches out of the armpit. Worked like a charm.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I think I might sew this again in a solid. Like I said, it’s super-easy and surprisingly flattering, which is a great combination.

Wait. I feel like there were too many prepositions in that sentence. Let’s try again.

I just learned how to put pictures of fabric and pattern line drawings together using Gimp!

Much better. Et, voila, Vogue 8784 with Little Folks Voile in Little Honey Ink, of which I have 4 yards in stash:

Pretty cool, eh?

I am underwhelmed by the Vogue selection. There are a couple of things I might want to make, but overall, this collection tends to lean toward the unwearable, at least for me. For example, there isn’t any place in my lifestyle for these, me not being Hedy Larue:

On the other hand, there are some more promising patterns. These two are my favorites:

This is very possible for me, though I will definitely have to raise the neckline. It comes with a straight skirt as well.

This Anne Klein pattern looks very nice. I like the jacket, though I have about fifteen jacket patterns already.

Then, there are a couple of the obligatory “Huh?” patterns:

1. The Why Bother–note that this is nothing but rectangles, even the bag.

2. The Horribly Uncomfortable-Looking Man Jeans. I apologize for asking you to look at his crotch, but please do. This is the most important area on any pair of pants, and they’ve botched it horribly. See the fold of extra fabric at the top of his thigh? The lines radiating forward from the back? The back crotch seam is too short, and the front too long, is my guess. This guy would be very uncomfortable if he had to walk for any length of time.

Pattern Description:
Loose-fitting blouses have neck/front bands, yoke and front sleeve (cut on crosswise grain of fabric), no shoulder seams, back pleats and narrow hem.
Pattern Sizing:
4-18, I used a size 14

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?
For the most part. there is one tricky area in attaching the sleeve to the body. See my tutorial here.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the fashion-forward style, but I’m not sure about the fit. It will look best in a semi-sheer fabric, I think, otherwise it’s super-boxy. The tie neck is lovely, and the unusual shoulder construction is fun.

Fabric Used:
Stretch cotton voile from FabricMart

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I did an FBA, but I don’t think it was necessary. This is a loose-fitting top already.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I am going to sew it again with some modifications. First, I want to see what it looks like without the FBA. It’s so ingrained into my thinking to put one on everything, but I think this might look best without one. Second, I am considering eliminating the button band. This is loose enough to slip on, so I might just cut the front on the fold and make it a pull-over shirt. Third, I want to try the short-sleeved version with the tabs for summer. So I plan to make at least one more of these before throwing in the towel.