Don't Panic. I Know About The Fabric.

Yes, I finished this, and I have a lot to say about it. I just don't feel like saying it now because......

I got a Brother 2340CV coverstitch machine for Christmas! And that prompted this:


I'm still somewhat shocked that it didn't transform me into a tall, skinny, cute girl, like on the pattern envelope. To understand that intellectually, to experience that repeatedly, still doesn't lessen the shock. It's Simplicity 3790.

I know the fabric is ghastly. I bought it about 14 years ago at Jackman Fabrics in Illinois. I intended to make an exercise top and -- brace yourself -- bike shorts. Remember those?

I bought that fabric out of desperation. It was before the internet, so it was the best of my bad choices. It was so bad, I never could make it. The fabric moved three times and has lived in three states. I have finally killed it.

I knew that this pattern would be so different for me that I should just make a muslin right out of the envelope. This fabric, with its coordinating bike shorts, was perfect. It's kind of like finding a vampire in your basement and realizing that you have a golden stake in your closet from Halloween 1994. Finally, a use for it!

I had two goals:

• make a muslin to determine needed changes to the pattern
• use my coverstitch machine and get good at it

The cover stitch machine:

I've had a tough time of it with the coverstitch machine, but I 've slowly narrowed it all down to thread problems. I read Belinda's tutorials on removing the fabric, but found the actual process of getting my fabric out of the machine torturous and complicated. I stuck with it, and can now thread the machine without the book and get the fabric back out without breaking my threads.

I discovered that putting the proper color thread on a bobbin was a bad idea. My thread kept catching and breaking. I also kept getting broken threads for unknown reasons, but when I changed to two new spools of thread (the newer kind without the slice to hold the end of your thread), I did 60 straight inches without a broken thread, so there's nothing wrong with the machine. I experimented with thread nets, those circle things that you put on the top, and bizarre methods of my own design, like putting a bobbin in a beer mug. I have no idea why the new spools worked, but they did.

I just hate to buy that many spools of colored thread to match a garment. It piles up, you know?

Fitting:

If I could think of a reason to just stand with my arms out like this all day, I think these sleeves suit me. However, I stand like this:



I was well aware that this style sleeve does not suit me, but I didn't want to make changes until I'd seen the whole thing on me. I made view A, but view D has sleeves, so I'll overlay the bodice of view D on view A to cut off the sleeve part and use the sleeve from view D. I'm starting to notice this cut-on sleeve a lot, so I'll have to get used to doing this!

The neck is just a tad bit too wide for me, so I'll bring that in.

Here's the part that needs the most work. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a piece of elastic will always migrate to my tilted waist. I will lengthen the bottom bodice piece to make the grain lines horizontal. I always have to alter the waist with skirts and pants; adding to the back rather than removing from the front will be a simple change. But adding to the back top bodice and making it match the front is making my head spin.

Next up: make the pattern changes and make muslin number two, which might be wearable. I already have the fabric for the real one, but I like the fabric so much, I don't want to mess it up.