Sewing was kind of put on hold as my sewing machine killed itself and I prioritized trying to figure out what to do with my life.  I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity to make a few things over the summer now that Yaw got the machine fixed for my birthday.

This particular shirt had spent a long time in the ‘to finish’ pile which is unfortunately huge at the moment.  My machine had mostly been fine but kept jamming as I tried to sew through the thin, super stretchy fabric I picked out for this one.  I should probably take her in for servicing more regularly…

Here’s the very dramatic Burda WOF picture:

Burda's version of top 130

I went for a decidedly less serious look.  I found the neckline too geometric and severe so I smoothed out the sharp angle to more of a curve.  I was going to knot the straps but after some experimentation realized that I liked it better as a plain tank, especially with this busy of a fabric.

Burda WOF 5/2007 #130

Overall, no surprises.  This was a pleasantly simple top to put together.  I took in maybe a total of 2in around at the waist and pinned the straps so that they’d look roughly symmetric despite my incredibly uneven shoulders.

Burda WOF 5/2007 #130 back

The fabric is a shifty poly blend of some sort from Jo-ann Fabrics.  It has an incredible amount of stretch so I took out all ease.

Waiting for fireworks to start

We have this other cousin who just turned four and I thought it’d be fun to use some of the scraps from handbags to make a little stuffed animal for her.

I have adorable 12-year old twin cousins who like bright colors and I made them some handbags.

Three shades of brocade. They have four little pockets in addition to the main pouch which snaps closed. They’re fully lined and scaled for tweens. I drafted the pattern. I think I’m going to scale it up a bit and make myself one (with slightly more conservative colors) — the four pockets are incredibly convenient. The two inside ones are pretty secure because of the snap and the outside ones can be useful for keeping things like sunglasses that need a temporary storage location.

Skirt with bias panels.

Made from this strange upholstery-like poly from Joann's.

Crazily altered the pattern in the waist to hip transition. I think I actually got it right this time.

This is the first project I've done with my new serger and I'm very happy with the finish.

I made a facing instead of lining the top because this fabric was pretty heavy.

Burda WOF 07/2007-120. Mock wrapover bodice with a unique pleat detail. The bodice was a giant pain in the ass and I’m pretty sure I botched it although it looks pretty good. This acetate I found somewhere in Capitol Hill is really light and comfortable.

Took in about 3″ at waist — couldn’t have done it without dress form.

The only question is whether I’ll ever wear the thing.

I got wrapped in duct tape. I now have a perfect dress form (commercial value: few hundred bucks; value to make: $14).

Notice the shoulder slant and the hip asymmetry — those important features are hard to capture with a commercial dress form.
Ingredients:

• 2 very close friends (yay for asking people to pat your ass)
• At least 80yds of duct tape (I’m not very big and we used it nearly all up)
• One old t-shirt
• Extra fabric scraps
• At least two pounds of fiberfill or some other stuffing material (plastic bags, for example)
• Something clever to use for a base
• 2hrs

I started with a large t-shirt I didn’t care about which I took in to be very fitted. I added some muslin to the bottom, sleeves and neckline so that I could get all the important details (neck width, arm circumference, widest part of the hip). My lovely friends cut long strips of tape and started wrapping me from the bottom. They criss-crossed at the bust line, at the waist and around the shoulder blades to get the right contour.

We did the second layer in white so that it would be easy to mark. Unfortunately, 20yds is not enough for a full layer so the top is silver. Two layers gives a pretty sturdy shell. Be sure to do this on a day that is not too warm: duct tape does not breathe. This is not advisable for people who have a fear of constriction or small places. Although you do not need to wrap particularly tightly, the feeling of total incapacitation once fully wrapped is not for the faint of heart. I also lost circulation in my legs from standing still for so long.

Once completed, the shell was cut from bottom to top at center back. I don’t have a picture of it standalone, but it impressively kept its shape very well. I put in stuffing from top to bottom taping the back closed as I went.

I haven’t come up with a particularly clever way of making the thing stand on its own, yet, but I’ll be looking around this weekend. I stuck a cardboard shipping tube down the middle to make it my height, but it’s not sturdy. I imagine something like a Christmas tree stand would work well.

The thing is easy to pin to, an eerily-exact replica of me and actually feels close to human. Pure creepy.