Astrogirl

I have added 20 or so new vintage pattern scans to my set. Some of these patterns were sent off to Pattern Rescue, and some I will sell on eBay. A few are keepers, of course.

There’s nothing listed on eBay right this minute, but I will list stuff tomorrow evening so that the auctions end next Sunday night. I think I might do better with a store since patterns take longer to sell, so I’m thinking about that option. My plan now (and this could change) is to have the individual patterns in the store so they can be available longer and to auction the lots.

Also, I received a new lot today after waiting since April 27 for the damn thing to show up. Some of these will go into lots for auction, a few to pattern rescue, I have 20 or so that I will keep and a few will go up for individual auction.

The Vintage Pattern Pool on eBay has lots of great eye candy. All my pattern scans are also in that pool.

I knocked this pattern off a favorite pair of capris. The khaki twill here has some stretch, as does the favored pair. I’ve actually already sewed these up, but I haven’t gotten around to pressing and photographing. 90 minutes, start to finish.

Done but for more pressing:

I just cant face the iron any more today. Also, it obviously doesn’t match my skirt! I just threw it on to get a picture. I’m sure I’ll wear it later in the week when it gets hot, and I’ll replace the picture.

The buttons are vintage, and appear more olive in reality than in this photo. The trim is olive rib knit. Burda *recommends* rib knit and it works OK, but I’ve done it with self-fabric with possibly better results. Also, the main fabric looks blue here. It’s black with white pinstripes. I have a lot of olive pants and skirts, so I figured it will help pull it together with those.

Having done the welt pockets before did not help. I think the directions tell you to cut the welt pieces too small. I have now (dumbass, why didn’t you do it before?) marked the *right* size in the instructions. Yeah, I had to remove all the pocket pieces and welts and make new welts.

I subscribe to Burda World of Fashion (which most sewing blogs call Burda WOF), which is a fashion magazine for sewers out of Germany. It includes about 30 patterns that you trace yourself off sheets that have all the patterns on them. This makes more sense if you’re actually doing it.

My next clothes project will be to make another halter top out of the 5/2007 issue, (#118). I already have one and I know it works for me. This time, I’ll be better acquainted with the welt pockets. Burda instructions are famously opaque, and I hadn’t done a welt pocket before, so it took me a couple of tries. Furthermore, there’s more than one method for making a welt.

At some point, I will make another…critter like this one:

I scanned in the pattern I drew and then used, and the next one will be a little bigger, say 25% bigger. He was a little hard to work with, and the fabric was fragile, and and and…easier at 125%. It will be different in other ways too, I’m sure, as these are pretty improvisational.

We’ll see how long this lasts, but I’m going to start using the blog again.