Sewing for Me with Katherine Tilton and Vogue

 I have a number of fabric purchases that have been awaiting their turn to be transformed into SOMETHING but this project took precedence and got done. I attended the Cleveland Quilting and Sewing EXPO this week and for such occasions you MUST wear something hand made. I did so for one of the two days I spent there and here it is.

The fabric is a reversible knit in dots and stripes AGAIN. I made something with reversible knit previously (see here). 

The pattern is Vogue 8793 by Katherine Tilton and I chose it for the bit of quirkiness and the zipper detail on the double collar. The knit I chose is probably a bit stretchier than the Moderate Stretch Knit Only which is suggested. The stretchiness might be why the sleeve on the right in this photo is so much longer than the left. A tug would have evened them up but didn't see it until I put it up here.

An advantage of the extra stretch is that the sleeves are a bit tighter than I would like,  but the give makes it tolerable.

Here it is on me. Ooooh, I wish I matched this mannequin. She is a display piece NOT my dress form. 

This collar was the main reason to purchase this pattern (ON SALE) because all Vogue patterns are ridiculously priced (SEE HERE) The printed price on this one is $30. I got it online somewhere for $6, I think.

Again, I ignored instructions and bought a metal zipper, which is definitely what is shown on the pattern picture. 

Adding that double collar was the trickiest because the collar had a wad of layers and they are being sewn onto one rather thin and stretchy shirt layer. I did it on the regular machine with a stretch stitch and then trimmed it up on the serger. A row of top-stitching along that collar seam would have been nice, but I know I would have messed it up. It would have needed an interfacing to handle it and one more layer in that collar seam would have been asking for disaster.

It called for a Lightweight Molded Separating Zipper.  That would be plastic. I wanted this to have the effect of funky jewelry and plastic would just look stupid.  Granted, it would probably work out better in the laundry. This will be hand-washed, dried flat as I can imagine those little metal teeth biting into the soft knit.

Most of the shirt was assembled on the serger. Here I, once more, defy instructions and add the cuff BEFORE sewing up the sleeve seams. The pattern did show sewing the sleeve and side seams after the shoulder seam as in most knits.                                                                                

Again, I wish I was built like this mannequin. But even with Francine's nice straight shoulders you can see a glitch and a bit of stripe misalignment. My remedy for this is to just keep moving and no one will notice. 

Even after adjusting the shoulder width and using tape on the seam, I still get a droop. This pose is also not helping. Hubby was drafted into taking these and he worries way more about the edges of the picture and ignores how to make me look my best.

For your viewing pleasure, here is the left and right sides on Francine. I wish I had mixed it up a bit more on the inner and outer sides of the collars. This pattern would give you a way to mix and match a bunch of leftover knits. I would just make sure to pre-wash and make sure they are equally stretchy.                                                                                                     

Watch for the next installment of ThimbleFingers where I will show you what I acquired at the sewing expo that may change my life!

Even MORE Perplexing Pattern Problems - LEGAL

Many of you reading this know that along with Thimble Fingers Blog, I also have an Etsy shop CherylThimbleFingers. Maybe it was because yesterday was Friday the 13th (even though I am not really superstitious) I had a bit of bad luck.

Offenders awaiting trial

I was accused of breaking the LAW...COPYRIGHT LAW!!

As a former school librarian who was tasked with keeping the teachers in line with copyright, fair use and all of that, I should have known. But, should I really? It seems that the laws when it comes to the pattern and sewing field get very murky and muddled.

I was not reported to the higher ups at Etsy to remove the delinquent items; I just received a message from a fellow Etsian who said that some items in my shop were her design and her pattern which were published in a book with the statement in the fine print stuff up front that we librarians call the verso.

Now, understand this. I am not copying the pattern, instructions or any part of the book. I am following the written and illustrated directions to create a fairly simple purse organizer/wallet/wristlet/whatever that has a zipper. There is no pattern to cut out and use as a template. I must draft my own from the tiny drawing with measurements.

If you look at the bottom of the cover of the book ,it says what you CAN DO but nothing about
what you CAN'T DO.

 I snatched the listings down and then began ruminating on the matter and, as I am prone to do, I started questioning and researching and discussing. These kinds of issues come up all the time on the Etsy Forums with many opinions and none of them with the force of a court.


It seems the biggest problem with these things is that they never reach a court because the so-called infringer is too intimidated to take it on.

WELL, I AM HEAR TO SAY

that I probably won't either in a legal way but
I can QUESTION.

It was determined a number of years ago that dress pattern companies could not restrict what a home sewer did with the item made from the pattern.

The whole point of the first sale doctrine is that once the copyright owner places a copyrighted item in the stream of commerce by selling it, he has exhausted his exclusive statutory right to control its distribution.

Quality King Distributors, Inc. v. Lanza Research Int, 523 U.S. 135 (1998).

                                     From Circular 31 by the US Copyright Office (click on link for more)

Copyright protection extends to a description, explanation, or illustration of an idea or system, assuming that the requirements of copyright law are met. Copyright in such a case protects the particular literary or pictorial expression chosen by the author. But it gives the copyright owner no exclusive rights in the idea, method, or system involved.
Suppose, for example, that an author writes a book explaining a new system for food processing. The copyright in the book, which comes into effect at the moment the work is fixed in a tangible form, prevents others from copying or distributing the text and illustrations describing the author’s system. But it will not give the author any right to prevent others from adapting the system itself for commercial or other purposes or from using any procedures, processes, or methods described in the book. 

And there is a whole lot of interesting reading HERE that seems well-documented, but those who want to extend their grasp are known to refute .

 What am I going to do? Probably not a whole lot beyond discussing at this point. I only have 6 of these things I made hanging around and they have been very slow sellers on Etsy and at the few craft shows I have done. AND the are a B%@*H to make!

So, are there any sewing lawyers out there who want to take this on? I don't want a law suit to win damages. I want the United States Supreme Court to free us who sew from the bonds of control over things we make using a pattern that isn't even truly unique.

P.S. If you want to copy anything I have on this blog or in my Etsy shop, I won't do a damn thing about it.

UPDATE: 
While checking out a friend's Pinterest page, I found this:

http://www.liberty.co.uk/blog/12437/guest-blog-kerry-green-sewing-portfolio-organiser/
Scroll down a bit past the interview and behold. FREE instructions on the making of a folding sewing accessory holder, very much what I made,  with wonderfully detailed directions and NO warnings that if you make one you CANNOT SELL it.
But, we are not done yet. Click on the comments link at the bottom and....I dare not spell it out!

Still Rolling Along + Sewing Hesitation

Been off the blog for a bit and the reason is I have been sewing the same thing over and over and over and....

My last post was about the jewelry roll I created and put in my Etsy shop and how it was taking off. Well, it's still going strong.  I acquired more fabric and seem to have cornered the market on it.  By the time it is all gone I will probably wish it had never been woven.

I've been doing some in another fabric I got on sale from Fabric. com.  I don't think it will have the appeal of the gray dotty stuff but it is pretty classy.

          This, like the gray, is a heavy upholstery weight with machine embroidered swirls all over it.

I may have negated the classiness of this outer fabric with the
inside fabric choices.  COVER YOUR EYES AND SCROLL DOWN.




READY?




SET?








GLARE!

                         The green is still a work in progress. It appears much subdued here.

  And this eye-popping purple is awaiting its completion when I get a second purple zipper. I have 2 fat quarters that somehow got in my stash and this seems a way to use them up.

Do you see how I am coordinating the inner side with the embroidery colors on the outside?  Maybe I will do a nice dull one with a gray since there is also that in the embroidery.   Somehow, I feel these will not have the action of the original gray ones.

AND THEN:

Wish this mannequin that the fabric is draped over was my size but alas, it is only a display piece.

Now to an entirely different project - sewing for myself.  The fabric stash for that is piling up and making me feel guilty.  This is the wool knit and silk I bought back in October in Italy (see post).

As a retired school librarian spending most of my time sewing or playing around online, I don't have much occasion to wear cool stuff as much as I used to.  I still love the idea of being well-dressed but no reason if you hardly step out of the door and when you do, its in a puffy red down coat.

                                                                       BUT

this spring we have scheduled a trip to London.  This fabric is dying to go with me but doesn't know how it would look best.  Several things need to be considered when choosing the design

1. I am short - very short.
2. I have very narrow shoulders but 38" hips
3. I want to keep it simple- to avoid screwing it up
4. There is not enough of the print for sleeves - too expensive
5. Most likely to be worn with navy pants
6. I want it to be interesting

  Marcy Tilton Vogue #8982 just might fill the bill. I have enough fabric. The pattern is suitable for knits and I like the seams and darts to add interest to a solid fabric. I looked for a raglan sleeve because I dislike sewing set in sleeves and they are easier for me to fit but,  they all were too sweater-like and drapey.   I have a pattern with a draped neckline that will do fine for the blouse.

ANY OPINIONS?

 

Fabric Obsessions and Me Made Clothing Project

I found this fabric at Joann's the other day and it was even ON SALE! I don't sew a lot of clothing but  when I see something as great as this I can't resist.

IT'S REVERSIBLE! And dots and stripes together just really turn my sewing "hormones" on.

 I have made this pattern before but wasn't completely happy with it.  Then while poking around yesterday at my nearby outlet mall I came across this sweater.

I like the way it folds back more at the front drape than my previous pattern did.

SO, I bought it.





BUT, only for a while.  It's going back to where it cam from very soon.
















AFTER I pirate the front panel!

This is the pattern I'm using, sort of.  I'm a sucker for patterns that include
loads of pieces...especially when they go on sale.

 I took a large piece of the pants pattern which I don't intend to use and attached it to the original sweater pattern.

 I simply laid out the store-bought sweater front
over it and traced around it.  I know that a real expert would have been more particular about this but I have found knits to be pretty forgiving.

The thinner  part is the neck extension. I didn't like the way the original had you pleat up a bunch of fabric at the neck back.  This one is going to be
simpler and less bulky.

 Now see this sleeve? I would probably wear it
rolled like this because my arms are really short and even petites hang over my knuckles.









But look at it unrolled

There is a hole in the knit which could run AND that seam is not very nice either.


I had considered hanging onto it since the price wasn't terrible BUT, the fabric is...at least for me.

It's a rayon (60%) polyester (40%) blend which after having it on for only a short while produced a moist feeling.  I tend to "moistness" and prefer cottons and other natural fibers.




All afternoon was spent cutting this out.  It shouldn't be that hard but I bought 2 yard and was determined to get the top (view C)  out of this fabric as well.

Keep following me as I take a sewing journey and a real journey.  This top and sweater along with a pair of RTW pants in my closet are going to be my overnight flight to Italy outfit next month.  I am so excited.  After I return you may want to stop by my other blog to see how it all went.

Note:  I cannot start sewing on this until MONDAY when a replacement presser foot for my serger should arrive. My serger went CLUNK like Peter's of MPB so I referred back to how he handled it. NOT, the same problem but discovered that when the presser foot was removed NO CLUNK!

See that tiny little tooth-like thing in the opening of the foot. It's bent down a bit and apparently hits a moving part when operating.  I have no idea how I managed this and hope a new foot is the answer! I don't suppose all those skid marks should be there either.

Questions:
1. Do you buy RTW to copy and the return?
2. Have you ever managed to BEND a presser foot?

Serging Knits for Fun!

I knew I had to get into sewing with the knits I bought at Mood in NYC right away or I could see myself putting it off and then failing to ever do it.  I have no excuse because the new serger makes it so much easier.

I decided to use a very simple pattern.

I picked this pattern up at Joann Fabrics one day when the McCall's patterns were 5 for $7. I really hate paying anymore than $6 tops for a pattern and this one seemed a real bargain because it has 4 garments. The rolling bag is not included!

The Mood fabric is too precious to me to mess up so I got out some knit in white with black polka dots I had found on a Joann's bargain rack to use as my muslin. I NEVER make a muslin but this great because it is the same weight as my good stuff. I think it turned out great even though it has a few issues.

The instructions, I thought, were weird. This pattern is meant for knits but the instructions barely acknowledged that fact.  The parts that wrap around the neck are shown sewn with wrong sides together and then the seam opened flat, stitched down and clipped. EEK! I couldn't make myself do it. I could only foresee a mess.

 I did follow the pleating instructions but fear I did a crappy job here.

I really have know idea what this might look like. Maybe I'll play around with the scraps and see what happens.  Overall I am happy with it and I made some adjustments in the shoulder width for the next version.  I also ditched the pleating in the back neck and instead sewed a thin elastic in the seam line to gather it.

 I love the colors and pattern in this. I have any number of things to match it up with. Its a great summer wardrobe piece when you go into blasting air-conditioning or need a little sun protection.

The back of the neck is scarf-like.

The next project is a dress! I never wear dresses but with this patterned jacket I think it is a real possibility. The machines are all loaded up with the right color thread for this teal... aqua...turquoise?? 

solid so I might as well dive in. See you if and when it turns out.

Added note 6/1: I also did not follow the directions in this pattern for sewing up the side seams first and setting in the sleeve. I sewed the top of the sleeve to the shoulder (much easier to ease) and then sewed all the way up the side seam and down the sleeve. 

The Internet Made Me Do It

Spending great swaths of time online has been the cause for several things:

Starting a blog HERE

Starting a sewing blog (you're on it)

Reading lots of sewing blogs starting with Male Pattern Boldness 

Wanting a serger. Read about it HERE.

Wanting a better serger. The Toyota  was a nightmare to thread and had other limitations.

Now the serger and the online inspiration have come together and "forced" me to actually try sewing a garment.  I have been avoiding this for a long time because I always have some glitch that dashes the whole project.

While going through my closet I found a little cotton knit top that I bought some time ago and really liked but it never seemed quite right. It was too short which is rarity on me since I barely reach 5' tall.

Since I love the idea of this top, I decided to replicate it. No pattern for  me!  I tediously removed every bit of stitching holding this together in order to create a pattern for a new longer version.

 The solid body of this top was a thin t-shirt knit and the trim a fine woven fabric of two layers with an interfacing. Rows of top-stitching give the trim pieces a bit more body and style. The trim attaches to the edge of the knit without being inside the trim which made it a bit trickier to attach.

Here is my sleeve "pattern" laid out on my slightly heavier knit fabric.

The trim fabric was chosen because
1. I had it on hand.

2. It is very light weight like the original.

3. One of the many colors matched my body fabric.

Here is the work in progress. The picture is blurry as it is very hard to photograph yourself without having the camera in the picture.

At this point this was to be the right side of the garment until I stupidly serged the shoulder seams on the wrong (right) side and I had to reverse the whole thing because removing serging is pretty much impossible and cutting it off would alter the whole fit of the thing.

I found it was a great brain exercise for my elderly mind to figure out the steps to building this thing with no directions.

I loved the way the serger finished off the knit seams.


And here is the reveal...of both me and the top. Or would you call it a sweater since you pretty much have to wear another top under it?

 I have never put a picture of myself on a blog before, but if Peter of Male Pattern Boldness can pose in the underwear he sews, why not?



My age will prevent any speculation as to whether this is a maternity top!

                        I love color. Some of you may wince at the brightness of this, I know.

                   
My favorite feature is the little cuff split and the stitching around it.














But there is a problem and I have had this happen before even when using a commercial pattern that had a placket neckline.

  The neckline is not laying flat. Well, there is also the crepey elderly neck, but ignore that!
I can never see this until the whole thing is done. I even made a muslin on a previous attempt at a garment and I still had it show up.  If I keep moving, it hardly shows at all. I am sure the fabulous sewists that follow Peter's blog could offer help or opinions.