I didn't mean for it to be so long between posts. I suppose I knew it would be because of Summer Nationals but I still feel bad.
I finished the pants and skirt in time for the trip. Both ended up being a little fuller than necessary. I'm coming to find that I don't really need a full 6-gore skirt. While I was working at the tournament, I made calculations about fabric for a 4-gore and an A-line. If I did the math correctly, there's a 10" difference in hem circumference from 6 to 4 and from 4 to A. I also saw a skirt in the crowd that was basically strips, cut 2" wide at the waist but flaring proportionate to the silhouette of the skirt towards the bottom. And then a border around the hem. Such a good way to reuse long, thin scraps from other projects. I hate throwing away scraps and I'm going to look for more ways to use them.
The pants... I altered the pattern, if you'll remember, and made the legs go straight down at the sides. Ok, so here's a tip for anyone who wants a "straight-leg" pant. They aren't actually cut as straight pieces. I mean, mine sure hung straight but good night they were full. I also made a boo-boo in redrawing the crotch and it was shaped odd when I got it all together. It sort of came to a peak at the center. So, thinking I made the mistake at the center point (and not really having another choice) I trimmed it down to an even slope. This made for an extremely low crotch and screwed with the hang of the pants. I also did not take the time to alter the waist and, because it wasn't tight (I'm good with those measurements at least) they wouldn't stay pulled up to the "pretend waist" as I like to call it. Of course, when I did that, the crotch hung straight. So I've got to play with a muslin before I make the pattern again. I'd love to, as I want to perfect these comfortable pants. We'll see about time.
The project that was going when I got back from Sacramento was the Hogwarts cloaks for the Harry Potter book 6 release this past Friday. Anjea and I cut out the pieces the night after I last posted. She got so excited about getting it done, she couldn't wait and just forged on ahead, but not understanding the instructions. We've all been there as novice sewers, new to the game. But it's still almost painful to watch her mess up and then mess up again and then again because she won't slow down. I came to the conclusion (after pulling out her tiny stitches for 4 hours) that we all start the same way -- wanting to get the project done and hurrying to finish it up. But the point at which we're able to handle the details and really learn is the point at which we begin to take pleasure in the process and not just the outcome.
Anyways, the cloaks turned out marvelously. They were far from perfect but who the hell cares about that, right? I'll be excited to make another set of Witch's robes, only this time adult so I can do something other than black polyester...
I'll upload pictures tomorrow.
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