Sewing Things Not Flat

It's that time of year when the trip to Houston is looming and I HAVE to get my garments made.  Yes, I've had the fabrics for 2 months, and yes, I've put it off but now I have to get going.

So I stopped making quilt things and started making clothes things, which are not flat.  Flat is easier.

First, I worked with a collection of fabric from Cotton + Steel, a new division of RJR Fabrics.  We were introduced to this line at Spring Market and the 5 great young women who made this happen--see their story here.  I bought a pattern which used lots of pieces, a good way to showcase this more modern line.  I should have known there would be a problem when it took 5 hours to trace the pattern and then cut out all the pieces.  After another 4 hours of construction, I was able to try on the body of the jacket and it was NOT going to fit properly.  I made one sleeve and it was absolutely NOT going to fit.  So, stop now, waste not another minute on this project.  The next day I took my rotary cutter to it, cutting out the largest hunks of fabric and went to my go-to garment, a simple vest that is easy and fits. 

 

 

One down, one more to go.  This time the fabric is a beautiful line from Moda, designed by French General.  It's a new line, Rue Indienne, not shown on the website yet. And best of all, a few pieces were available in a great linen.  Once again I used a new pattern, a very simple jacket pattern, and one that was sure to fit.  I bought a beautiful lining fabric, Radiance by Robert Kaufman, half silk, half cotton.  Lovely stuff.  The pattern was much easier than the last jacket fiasco, and not only did it fit, it was BIG!  That never happens.  And the linen fabric is hefty and so, guess what?  This garment is like a fall outdoors jacket, way too hot to wear running all over the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston.  Oh, NO!  Now I have to make yet another garment. 



Back to my old trusty vest pattern.  Fortunately, I had 2 yards of another red from French General, the same linen, and it worked nicely in the vest:

As this is the 40th anniversary of International Quilt Festival in Houston, the Ruby Jubilee, we are featuring red everywhere.  So this vest will work most of the time.  It fits, it's comfy and it's certainly red.

Now I want to make a red rayon blouse to go under the French General garments, and a small purse from the French General scraps.  And another quick garment I have to make for a fabric designer.  So there is much to do in the next 3 weeks before flying way south to Houston.

Flat is easier than not flat!

Let's quilt!

Barbara