third time is a charm

Monday 3 August 2009

I've managed to finish another UFO - yay for me! Of course if I didn't have so many UFOs in the first place I wouldn't have so many to finish, but that's another story altogether.

This is the third time I've used the shell top pattern from the now OOP Vogue 1826, and each one has turned out brilliantly. This one is made from a polished cotton which I purchased a few years ago from The Silk Shop in Sydney which has now sadly closed down but used to sell the most beautiful fabrics. Unfortunately the fabrics were too beautiful and too expensive (my eyes goggled at fabrics that were $100 - $300 per metre!)for my sewing skills at the time, and this was the only fabric I purchased. It is a Swiss cotton, and even as a remnant of 1m it cost over $20.


No reason for not finishing this one other pure laziness. I purchased this fabric at least 3 years ago, cut it out and sewed the pieces together, but I hadn't cut out a lining and so it sat in the UFO pile for no good reason at all!



I made the same changes to the pattern as I did for the previous ones - used buttons down the back instead of a zipper, mainly because I liked the look of the buttons and didn't have a suitably coloured zipper, and I also made it using the technique for sewing a lined sheath dress (from this tutorial). I don't particularly like how some sewing patterns for sleeveless lined dresses/tops require the arms and necks to be sewn up leaving the shoulder seams open, and then hand finishing the shoulder seams after turning inside out - mine always looks wonky and just wrong. This method in the tutorial is far better - it requires leaving open the side seams, sewing all other edges, turning inside out and then sewing the side seams of the lining and fabric in one long seam.





I don't know if I'll be wearing this one anytime soon, as the fabric is white with brown spots which matches too closely to my pale freckly arms to wear sleeveless! Plus it is still winter in these parts and this fabric isn't stiff enough to wear vest style as the black one in my previous post. But it does wear nicely under my favourite RTW suit (which still fits thank god), and since I'm not back at work until next February this top may hang in my wardrobe for a while. But the point is that I have finished another UFO and it has moved from the 'to do' pile to the 'done' pile.





Well it has been an absolute crazy week for me last week and this week is shaping up the same: my in laws have decided after 7 months it is time to visit us again - next week! So it's been a mad scramble to empty out the guest bedroom which had become a junk room and get things ready for their visit. I've also started sewing a viking costume for a friend of mine who has started fighting in mediaevel re-enactments, making some curtains and cushion covers and re-arranging furniture since our new dining table finally arrived. It doesn't rain it pours around here that's for sure

13 comments:

  1. Good job ticking another one off the list! Looks pretty cute.

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  2. I love this top, it's similar to a McCalls pattern I made a few times earlier this year. I think it's a great style for looking dressy under a jacket, but still being cool and comfortable. I'm still finishing a few UFO's, but as I keep adding things to the sewing list, it's getting harder to actually do it!

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  3. Marie-Christine3 August 2009 at 20:05

    Good for you, whacking off UFOs like this. And they look good too, so it's well worth it.

    I totally agree with throwing out UFOs that aren't finished because either there's something wrong with the item, or you won't wear it if you finish it. Very wise.

    But I wonder whether you have some UFOs because you're trying to do too much. So OK, knowing how to line a sheath dress properly is a very nice skill. But you don't have to do something just because you know how :-). I'd line a wool vest, no problem, but I'd -never- line a cotton top. Even nice cotton won't last long enough to justify that kind of technical overkill. And presto, half the work! Do you see what I mean?

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  4. How great to finish another UFO - bet it feels great?! Great top too and looks very good under your suit.

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  5. Just marvelling at your continued industriousness (a viking outfit?!) and how trim you are so soon after baby.

    And great tip on the lining issue. I've been working on a load of projects lately that have an inside-out question - it's great to have another solution that avoids handsewing and raw edges!

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  6. It's so nice to get those UFOs done and it's so much the better when it turns out as cute as your top!

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  7. (1) Love, love, love the jacket and top together.
    (2) How in the heck do you get all those buttons done by yourself?

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  8. It looks very cute and in the picture at least it doesn't match your freckles. I am sewing a couple of ufo's too.

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  9. That top is way too nice to leave hanging till February! I reckon you could make it work vest style, or how about under a nice cardy rather than a suit jacket?
    Kudos on ticking off those UFOs. I can totally relate to the satisfaction of moving from the to do to the done pile.

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  10. Well mommy.... I think that your DH and your little one probably are very proud of you! You look wonderful! You should be proud too that you just keep getting more and more UFO's complete! You will have them all done and then what willllll you do??? LOL....
    My FIL and my mom were both in the hospital last week so spent my time talking to my dad and mom via cell phone and being at the hospital and/or dr.'s office with FIL and various family members... I was supposed to get DGD's dress done... but tomorrow or the next day will have to do! She is 2 guess she will understand!
    Take care.... have fun with the family.

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  11. A simple but very nice-looking top. After all, isn't that what elegance is about? It looks wonderful both on its own and with the suit.

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  12. Omigosh, you are so busy for the mother of a baby under one! You're not neglecting your sleep, are you?

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  13. That blazer you are wearing looks good. Did you sew it as well? Which pattern is it?

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