Monday, August 11, 2008

Scrap Happy

This is the story of how this pile of scraps:


Became this skirt:


See I really wanted a jacket, pants, skirt combo from the gray linen...but after pretreating the linen I lost some yardage...and I was only able to get the jacket and pants cut out from the fabric.

So the challenge became how to turn the remaining scraps into my TNT 4 gore skirt. Using some very constructive cutting and basically ignoring every grain rule ever written, I came up with a plan.

The front of the skirt is constructed from two panels of fabric that are about 3" shorter width wise than normal. From another scrap I added a 6" center front panel with 5/8" seam allowances. These three pieces were sewn together and the Saddle Stitch topstitching was added to the seaming to carry the tone-on-tone seaming detail through from the jacket.


For the back, I had pieces big enough to separate the 2 panels into 4 adding seam allowances to both sides of each panel. Again all of the seams were topstitched using the Saddle Stitch. However, this is very hard to photograph...the skirt just comes out looking very gray and basic...which I guess is a good thing since the tops I have planned are very bright, printed garments.

The skirt and lining still needs to be hemmed...will work on that tonight while I'm watching The Closer...and I have no pics of me wearing it with the jacket yet because I still need to make one of the tops from the collection...yes, sure I have RTW tanks that would work but what would be the fun in that?! *smile*

I set aside the dress because I only had one day to sew. I need time to work out what I'm seeing in my head and rushing the process in a day would only leave me frustrated. So I will work on the dress this weekend and the tops after that!

After tonight, I will have three garments completed. I have to admit that I so love sewing with a plan!!!


15 comments:

  1. WOW!!! Three garments completed in one day!! Amazing!

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  2. Are you some kind of super sewist? It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Super Sewist!

    Really, I love that you "bent the rules" so to speak about that skirt. I'm still a beginner and I feel that I have to follow ALL the rules and if I deviate than I'm not doing it right. It's nice to see someone so advanced as you, say out loud that you didn't follow the "rules" of sewing.

    I love the stitching by the way. I just discovered a twin needle and I'm using it on everything. It's a lot of fun and it makes the inside seam allowances so finished too. Are you just using a single needle or a twin for your stitching?

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  3. Well done! I have had to cut off grain on a skirt that I was short of fabric - and guess what? I didn't die..lol!

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  4. It's fabulous. I can't wait to see it worn. I'm two weeks behind on The Closer - hoping to get caught up tonight. g

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  5. Beautiful way of making it work, Carolyn. Tim Gunn would be proud of you. :)

    Jodi

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  6. how motivated are you?
    wow, you are really doing it

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  7. You have been Queened Scrap Diva...lol. Love the way you worked that skirt.

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  8. Wow, I am always impressed by how fast you sew and complete items. If I can get it cut out, I am not going to work on it at the same time. Life just doesn't work that way here. Beautiful clothes.

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  9. You are the poster child for "Work it out" sewing for sure! You did a marvelous job. Keep up the good work!

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  10. It's great that you could work it out. The topstitching is a great detail to make it look planned! I love The Closer, too; summertime TV is so lame! (Yes, I have teenagers, and sometimes they invade my brain.)

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  11. This skirt is great! Not only did you manage to create something while using scraps, but your technique added a lot of visual interest. I am always impressed when I stop by and check out your projects.

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  12. I am so glad to see you bending some rules, Carolyn. Now I feel a little better about my own "make it work" ways. hee hee....

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