Still Learning How To Blog

Well Darn it. I just spent the last 30 minutes writing a very good blog entry only to lose it after I previewed it. I didn't see the "hide preview" button and used the back arrow. I know it was saved as a draft, but how to get back to it is a mystery to me. Now, to recreate my work.

Wardrobe Contest Continued:

Next up was pants. I altered my perfected jeans pattern into flared leg jeans. Using my Armstrong Pattern Making book, I changed them by narrowing the legs above the knee and then widening them one inch on each seam below the knee. The results, as you can see, is that they are too flared and give me a jodhpurs look that I definitely wasn't going for.

In order to fix this problem, I'll cut down the outer thigh a bit above the knee and narrow the flair some, but there's nothing I can do about the excess fabric below my butt. Why can't I just accept the fact that I need to do a muslin for each and every new pattern? I thought that since this was already a TNT pattern with only a few changes, I could get away without doing one.

I'm going to have to live with the excess under my butt, but I can fix the outer leg problem. Live and learn. The color of these pants is something between the lime in the first picture and the light color in the second. It's a very spring color and should work with the rest of my wardrobe fabrics.

I promised in my last entry that I'd share pictures of my Jalie Sweetheart top. I've made it twice now with two different sleeves and some alterations. I think with the third try, I should have the pattern perfected.

This one is cut from the pattern with no changes. The yoke comes down way too low, cutting across my bust. I don't like the sleeves. They don't do anything for the top, which is a very cute pattern. Sorry about the bad photo. DS takes my pictures from a chair and they are always from an under chin (and bust) angle. Not a good angle IMHO. Sorry I'm not at my best. I didn't want to take the time to do make-up and hair. This is the real me, a la natural. Later today, I have to go get my conditioning lotion, look at the frizz!

I borrowed the sleeves for this one from the Ottobre Puffed-sleeve top. I think they add the right touch. I altered the yoke by shortening it one full inch. Also, I did a sway back alteration, which didn't work so I'm back to the drawing board to get the back to fit. The Mickey top still needs to be hemmed. I think I'll shorten it a inch while I'm at it.

It has been discussed on a thread at Pattern Review that the front band is too long on this pattern. On my next version I'll need to cut this shorter so that it doesn't fold out to expose me more than I'd like. You can see it folding in in the picture above.

And last but not least, I needed something quick and easy, so I made this Burda WOF twist top. This is a TNT pattern so no thought involved and it fits great. However, my big round belly looks like a 9 pounder in this photo. It may be more flattering for me to take my pics in the mirror or wait until DH is home. Or maybe actually lose the 9 pounds. Yikes!