Thursday, March 14, 2013

A Wadder

Here's a project from over a month ago that was a complete failure from start to finish.

In the fall, I made a huge order from Girl Charlee.  You know how it goes - you already have $70 worth of fabric in your cart and free shipping starts at $99, so you add a couple more things . . .  This is one of the fabrics I was most excited about:


I ordered two yards, like I always do.  When my order came though, there was only one yard, and a note saying that the fabric was damaged and that I had been credited for the other yard.  Damaged is right:  even the piece I got had a chunk torn out of it:


Well, what can a person do with one yard?  Not a lot!  And not only that, but the fabric turned out to be much stiffer and less elastic than I'd expected.  So it sat.

Then in January I got my February issue of Burda magazine, and got really excited about a raglan-sleeved tee shirt with gathered sleeves.  I decided to combine this fabric and some of my leftover stretch lace to make the top.  I even decided to up my game and finally buy some ball-point pins.


I usually love raglan styles on me, and I found the gathered sleeve piece so interesting that I took a picture of it:


The pattern instructions say to sew up the side seams first, then the sleeve seams, and then gather the raglan edges and set them into the body of the top.  I decided to go the other way around, and gather and sew the raglans first and then do the sleeve and side seam all in one.  My lace is pretty thick, which made sewing the gathered edges to the jersey pretty difficult.


Still, it only took me a couple hours to make.  And then I tried it on and . . . blech.


In the month and a half since I made this, I've seen a lot of very lovely versions on BurdaStyle.  It took me a while to figure out why, but there are a lot of reasons this pattern is a no-go for me.  And I'm confident that it's not just my poor fabric choice (again) because I actually made this top a second time - that one went straight to the Goodwill pile.

I made the smallest size.  It "fits" across the bust, but the armholes are way too deep for me.  The binding piece is a little too long (although I shortened it), so it poofs out from my hollow upper chest:


But the main problem for me is the design, I've decided.  The raglans I like on me angle up toward the shoulder and tend to have a smaller neck opening.  This one angles in toward the center of the chest (more like a very wide saddle shoulder) and has a wide yet shallow neck opening.    Because I have a hollow upper chest to begin with, and because the "girls" have succumbed to the forces of gravity and migrated south of where they originally lived, I feel like this design makes me look even hollower and flatter than I am.  Not. Happy. About. That.


OK, I'm not actually as bummed out as I look.  This one is also going to Goodwill, and I'm hoping someone will see it and like it enough to take it home.   I think it's very interesting that a slight change in angle can make a style that usually works for me into one that doesn't.  The shape of my body has changed over the last year or two, so I feel like I'm in the process of discovering what styles flatter it to its best advantage.   I tried out something different - and it didn't work!  No big deal - on to the next thing!

30 comments:

  1. That's a very interesting pattern and I like it a lot on you, honestly. The only problem I see is the poofing neckline (and the gloomy face :), but both seem remediable. The combination of the lace and the printed fabric is very felicitous! But of course, you need to feel comfortable in it, and if the main fabric is too stiff and inelastic, that may be a serious issue for a tee shirt.

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    1. Hehehe - I was trying to make sad faces for the camera, but it was hard not to crack up!

      I could fix the pattern without too much trouble, honestly, but since I ended up not liking the style on me, I didn't bother. You can't win them all!

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  2. I agree with Carmela Biscuit (great name by the way!) that this top looks a lot better on you than you think it does. However, if you don't like the style and the fabric isn't what you anticipated then you're making the right decision in sending off to be loved elsewhere.

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    1. Yes, I don't have enough closet space to keep the things I don't love!

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  3. I think that this issue is one that is hard for new sewists - not everything you make turns out. You have failures. I sometimes think that the biggest difference between a good sewist and a mediocre one is the number of mistakes. The better you are, the more mistakes you've made! So I guess that means that I should be well on the way to greatness with the all the mistakes I've racked up so far . . .

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    1. Hehehe - I should be joining you on the way to greatness then!

      Since I'm aware that part of the reason I've had some failures lately is because I'm branching out and trying new things rather than just the same old stuff, I'm pretty OK with it. Even in a shop, if I take 10 things into a fitting room, there's a good chance maybe only one will work!

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  4. Oh dear, you look SO sad! Too bad you don't like it because the print is lovely. If I come across any other raglan T patterns I'll let you know.

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    1. I actually made a tracing of a raglan I love and wear all the time(it's my favorite workout top), just haven't had time to sew it up yet!

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  5. bummer! i've had lacy t-shirt insets on my brain lately too! i think this is way worse in your head than in real life, but i hear you about not totally loving the outcome of something you made. donate! someone else can love it.

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    1. No, it's not THAT bad - but I have so many other things I like so much better, so I know this one wouldn't see any action.

      I had a dream about a cardigan made out of this type of lace in mint green. Wish I could find some!

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  6. Oooh you should make it into a clutch, fabric would look cute as a bag:)

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    1. So funny you should say that - I actually thought about it! I'd have to interface the heck out of it though. It's stable, but not that stable!

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  7. Really, I think it is quite nice, but do agree that it flattens you in the booby area. But if you don't love it you won't wear it, so give it to someone who will!

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  8. Is it bad that the last picture absolutely cracks me up? I agree that there is not enough room in our lives for things that don't make us happy.

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    1. No, it's good! I put it in there because I thought it was funny too! I was trying to be all pouty, but not doing a very good job of it!

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  9. Yeah, raglans don't work on me, either. But good for you, in taking this as a lesson and then moving on! Some people get discouraged from sewing because they consistently sew things that aren't the most flattering styles for their bodies (ok, that sounded really bitchy. I did not mean to sound bitchy!).

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    1. Hahaha, not bitchy at all! I played it safe for a long time, only sewing things I knew worked for me. These days I'm trying to experiment a little more :-) Still having fun with it, even when things don't work out.

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  10. I love how pissed off you look in the last photo! Glad to see your next project, which you posted today made you happier.

    ;-D

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    1. Hehehe - should I quit my day job and become an actor?

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  11. This fabric is too cute to get rid of the shirt! It kills to make something and it doesn't work out the way you want. I think you need to re-use it! I vote for undies (as I've been on a undies sewing spree lately). Have you made any before? That can shake up your sewing repertoire and they are almost instant gratification.

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    1. The fabric is very . . . stiff. As if the design was painted on with fabric paint. Not my idea of great undies! I think the shirt is cute enough for someone else to wear it, so I don't want to destroy it. I can afford to donate $6 worth of fabric ;-)

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  12. You're right-- the angle of the raglan sleeves is kind of funny. The proportions just seem off. Looking forward to seeing your traced-off raglan pattern! I love to wear raglan sleeves, so I'll be rooting for you that this one works out well!

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so! I don't have immediate plans to make the other one, but you never know!

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  13. Oh what a shame that you were disappointed with this- I do love the idea of the lace raglans with a print body! I know exactly how you feel though- sometimes lines just don't work, none of us are immune! And I am sure someone will be super pleased to find this one! :)

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  14. Aw, sorry you weren't happy with this. It doesn't look too bad in the pictures and I like the print combined with the lace. Hopefully someone will find it and love it!

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    1. It's not so bad - just not "me." I also hope someone else might adopt it :-)

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  15. Awww. I'm so sorry this didn't work out for you. The material is cute tho. Your expressions were funny.

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