Stitcher's Guild Reloaded

Here are the pics.  I'd really like to use this or a similar style top for my SWAP.  I like how it looks and feels if I keep my arms down or up as in the first four pics.  Bringing my arms forward like in the last two shots causes the problem.  It binds and is uncomfortable. I would appreciate any help with adjusting the pattern I can get.  I'm not looking for perfect fit since this is basically a loose fitting top/dress anyway, but I would like to feel comfortable in it.  If you have any ideas, please post them on the main discussion thread.


Alteration help by Dawn Smith, on Flickr
Alteration help by Dawn Smith, on Flickr
Alteration help by Dawn Smith, on Flickr
Alteration help by Dawn Smith, on Flickr


Alteration help by Dawn Smith, on Flickr
Alteration help by Dawn Smith, on Flickr

Next time I'm over there, I'll ask the dev team if they can add the notices to the alerts (which I'm not sure anyone reads) or send a private message instead. 

Sadly spam has made batch emails an issue, and a forum glitch that caused our system to send out dozens of "happy birthday" notices to people who were not having birthdays didn't make it any better.

I'm going to take some jacket photos today, even if the weather doesn't cooperate... one of these days I'll figure out some place to take photos that isn't outdoors. I sure hope I'm not the only person who finished a jacket!

Oh NO!

The galleries are empty.  Are there no entries at all in this year's pre-swap challenge?

Quote from: DragonLady on January 09, 2020, 04:40:35 pm

Quote from: kowgiirl.up on January 09, 2020, 02:15:10 pm@DragonLady, do members get a notice (by email?) that their subscription to the forum is about to expire or does it just run out?

They should -ten days before, I think.  But emails sent via the internal system can be a bit iffy because they go out in big batches and the server often tags 'em as spam. 

I didn't receive an email, I just noticed that I couldn't reply to topics.

My horses blouse is finished, and I hope to take a photo of it "as worn" if we get a day when it isn't pouring rain. I modified the Athena Blouse pattern (reshaped collar tips, added peplum, midlength sleeves with cuff bands)
A good rummage in the button box, and I found these antler buttons, which just seemed to fit with the colors of the ponies...
The shawl collar construction worked very well, but I was not entirely happy with the shape of the finished collar (no fault of the pattern); the wide spreading shape doesn't suit my face, and the grain of the collar means that the horses on the collar are once again tilted. I reshaped that part of the collar to a scalloped and curved edge instead. Fortunately I had not yet stitched the collar facing down, so it only needed my making up a template, turning the facing/front inside out, and re-stitching and pressing.
...and, in the end, it is sort of a wearable muslin, in that (while it is quite wearable and will coordinate well with all my pinafores) some significant modification was needed, and I would probably do a bit more fine tuning before making it up again. First off, I cut the blouse fabric an inch and a half too long, despite shortening the pattern beforehand. I no longer do a turned hem on blouses that will only be worn underneath pinafores, as since the hemline always remains unseen, simply serging the hem edge gives a flatter and faster edge treatment that is just as durable.

Also, the mostly straight up and down bodice ended up needing some additional hip width, and rather than fit in some godets, which would be most annoying to finish the points and edges, I decided to whack out as long a rectangle from the remaining scraps as could be managed, sew repeating darts into the rectangle to curve it, and then cut a centered rectangle on the back of the already stitched blouse and inset the curved rectangle as a flared peplum. Definitely a non-standard alteration, but it echoes the square armscye and looks intentional. In the future I would also want to cut the sleeves at least an inch longer, which would have been possible had I not cut the front and back too long. Overall the pattern now gives me a second (almost) TNT option if a straight grain blouse front is needed, I love the square armsceye, and intend to do some more fine tuning the fit as well as experiment with collar shapes in the future.

I made the blouse entirely from a treasured piece of fabric I had on my resource shelves for a long time, I used some old sheeting as sew in interfacing for the front facing/collar panels, and the pattern itself and the antler buttons have been in my files for years. I feel pretty good about turning all this into a garment I will enjoy wearing, and about working through some of the needed changes in a pattern I've not used in a long time.

My theme for SWAP 2020 is the song "One Misty Moisty Morning" by Steeleye Span. The last verse begins: "...Then lusty Ralph and Robin with many damsels gay, did ride on Roan and Dobbin to celebrate the day..." Roan and Dobbin are horse names, which is how I justify adding this patterned fabric to my SWAP collection

Quote from: kowgiirl.up on January 09, 2020, 02:15:10 pm@DragonLady, do members get a notice (by email?) that their subscription to the forum is about to expire or does it just run out?

They should -ten days before, I think.  But emails sent via the internal system can be a bit iffy because they go out in big batches and the server often tags 'em as spam. 

...the sewing room is finally cleared, and I got to my massive cutting out project.  So far, 7 tops and a skirt...
blog post here

teaser pic

@DragonLady, do members get a notice (by email?) that their subscription to the forum is about to expire or does it just run out?

I told myself that I wasn't going to post a thread until I had actually sewn something.  I cut a muslin and stitched it this afternoon.  That counts.

My plan isn't very fleshed out.  I have really enjoyed the dresses (IA style frocks) that I got finished for last year's SWAP, especially the black one.  I am planning to use that as my goes with everything, previously sewn garment.  I also have a pair of black RTW linen pants that I wear all the time.  They may get in as a second wear with everything.

My plan, such as it is, is to make things that I can wear over the dress.  I'd like some more of the IA style "highwater" length dresses.  The ones I made last year are fairly dressy.  I am comfortable wearing them to church, but not as comfortable wearing them to town to run errands.  I wear some RTW dresses that have straight hems over the longer dress a lot more often, so I'm thinking I will make some with straight hems.  I'd also like some crop tops to wear over the black dress or possibly layered over both a shorter and the long dress.  I should be able to wear all of these with the pants too.

My muslin was for a drop shoulder crop top.  I like the looks of the Tessuti Leni Top, but not so much having to pay $14 and then print it out and most likely make a lot of adjustments to make it look like I want.  I may end up doing that, but I thought I'd start with some of my patterns that have similar lines and see what I can come up with.  Most of the IGers whose tops I have admired mentioned making adjustments to the pattern.  I like the way this blogger's turned out.



I think if I can get a fit and shape that I like, I'll be able to change the neckline and add the facing.

I'm starting with the Dottie Angel pattern S1080.  Without the pleats in the front and ties, it has a similar shoulder and sleeve.  It may not be quite boxy enough. I cropped it to high hip length and cut the size the pattern says I should wear.  I really like how it looks both front and back with my arms down, but it binds when I lift them.  I'll try to post a pic tomorrow.  I may just need to cut a larger size.



I had planned to post a photo of my dress from last year's SWAP, but I'm not seeing the 2019 SWAP, just the 2018 one.  I'll have to figure out where the pics are.