After managing to finish my top this morning, I managed to vegetate all day until  my guilt  made me take some action and actually start on my post for it.

This time I chose ‘The Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnick.

The project I chose was the lovely Taffy blouse. Which is a great simple pattern,  even the novice sewer can make gorgeous tops. I just it. I actually love the whole book.

It has lovely patterns, which by using bold fabrics and making one or two adjustments will make lovely garments. It also has loads of diagrams and instructions to techniques, that even a more experienced seamstress will find useful.

Remember that lovely patchy fabric I wanted to make my blouse from?  I just loved it. Only one little problem, the fabric is to slippery.  After cutting all he pieces out, I realised I am not prepared for this. I tried really hard to work with it, but it needs to  be stabilized before, so I have no other option but to ditch it . (I will get back to it some time when I am ready to deal with it!!!) . I picked another one with loads of patterns that I think looks great. I’ve also retraced full pattern pieces and cut them in one layer for better accuracy.  What do you  think? Did I make the right second choice?  You’ll see later, or better at the end of the post .

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new fabric choice was a bit slippery but I did manage to work with it better .

I found the instructions in the book sure easy to follow, each step has diagrams to help beginners in making their version of the top.

Like always I first started by making the darts. I tend to used the one thread technique to make my darts, I find it much easier than the normal way.  Before this project I’ve always been afraid to use the French seam technique in my projects . I could not understand how it will work in a garment. All the tutorials show this technique for straight seams  and with  scraps so I was unable to picture how it will work in a piece of clothing . However, Sarai’s tutorial in the book on how to make them, gave me the confidence to  give it a go with this top, since I did not want to overlock the pieces as most of the sides were to be finished with bias tape. This is how mine looks like once finished:

I strongly believe I’ll used this technique again,  as long as the fabric allows it .

As I found my bias tape was not wide enough for the tie belts, I’ve decided to  experiment and cut four strips and put two against each other and make wider belt ties.

Because I’ve chosen satin bias tape to finish off my top, I found it a bit harder to  attach it to my sleeves and neckline. But got there in the end. Not perfect, but still looking OK.

Then only needed to do the hem and my Taffy Blouse was ready. I wanted to use the baby/rolled hem, I think it is called.

Looks gooood isn’t it?

I though great. finish for my top. But then things went wrong and bloody thing would not work. Kept coming out of the rolling foot hem and the edge got worse, fraying. what a disaster .

As I lost my patience with every tread and stich, looked to me that for my sanity I need to  try another way,  and the best was to encase the bottom hem in  bias tape as well. And there you have it I have managed to  finish  another project for my April Challenge .

So far so good! another one done! Time  to  set my eye on the next project. With a bit of perseverance I’ll manage one project a week. Provided that Shaun does not tempt me again to go for a ride on the bike. I has to  be really strong today. Otherwise you would not be reading this now .