Tankini, Shirt, special occasion top...

 I have had a fairly productive week. 

When I review my plans made on my last post I got nearly everything done, and a bit more.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday working on the fit for my special occasion top, and the wearable muslin for the tankini bottoms from the Apostrophe MyFit underwear pattern.

The Myfit underwear were a puzzle. I chose the cross over waistband, and eventually figured it out, but was scratching my head for a while.

On Thursday I finished the wedding dress alterations and delivered the dress. I hope it behaves itself on wedding day! 

I also cut out the top. The fabric has been in my stash since my Canada World Youth time in India, in 1991 or 92! I had never really been able to think what I could make with this fairly busy floral. And since I am committed to really sewing up the fabric I have (even if I succumb and continue to buy) I looked at it again and came up with a special occasion outfit. The bottoms will be the wide-legged culottes I have previously made. I think it will work.

And what IS shot silk? and what is a jacquard?

Well a jacquard is a fabric with a pattern that is woven into the fabric. If you look at the photo below of me using the tailor's ham you can see the reverse of this fabric too.

Shot silk or fabric has different dominant colours in the warp and the weft, so that it actually LOOKS different when you turn it 90 degrees or in different light. I spent a long time trying to decide if I should 'go against the grain' and cut on the cross-grain which gave me a darker, blueish, dominant colour, which I found more 'me'. But whenever I looked at it I could not decide if it really was as visible as that; it really does depend on various factors! I also know that you sould work WITH the grain. BUT I went for it and am glad I did!

I sewed it up Saturday afternoon. (Will do the hem today, but am including photos anyway!) Even though I have made this top several times (from a self-drafted pattern I copied from RTW) I decided to adjust the fit. The princess seams are now more properly placed, and I did move the shoulder a bit to the outside. But not quite enough, and I also somehow left the neckline too high... 

 On Friday I planned to sew the top, but practice stitching showed me that my available needles and thread were not suitable. BUT I have so many projects I can do, that I was not deterred!

So I cut out the top and bottoms of the turquoise spandex for the tankini, and I also made the minor adjustments to the fitted shirt pattern and cut out the fabric I bought to make the wearable muslin. I hope to finish both this week. I also finally cut out the back piece for the Kalle shirt I am going to make from a refashioned kimono.

Tankini pieces

fitted shirt wearable muslin

I also want to pause and say how much I enjoy my sewing apron! At first i wondered what I would need all of those pockets for.... well I have found things. So what do I keep in the pockets?:

• tape measure
• small seam guauge
  
  
  
• small screw drivers
• lead pencil
• fabric pencils
• point turner (it actually perfectly fits in one of the pockets!)
• wonder clips
• snippers
• tracing wheel
• smalle scisors
• occasionally, seam ripper.
• phone (again, coincidentally one pocket fits in perfectly!)

And I am including a photo of me using my tailor's ham to press the curved princess seams of the top!