A Simplicity "Sew Simple" pattern

Last month I bought a cute jacket pattern I thought DD#1 might like at college. It's Simplicity 2024, a "Sew Simple" multi-size pattern (10-22).


On the pattern sheets there is a square that illustrates morphing between sizes for a perfect fit. Yeah, I do that. But there are at least two pattern pieces, maybe 3 because I can't remember for sure, that have the "old" 3 separate pattern pieces for (let's say) the collar/tie. As in "sizes 10 and 14 on piece X, sizes 12, 16, 18 on piece X, sizes 20 and 22 on piece X. I was VERY lucky! My morphing sizes are 10 and 14. I wouldn't have been too happy putting pattern pieces together and then morphing them. What a time hog. However, I thought it was kind of funny that the pattern is "Sew Simple", pattern morphing is illustrated for perfect sizing, then some of the pattern pieces are two or three sizes so the user has to pick/choose the appropriate one, then morph from two or three pieces on to a new one if they need to fine tune the fit.

If I was a newbie sewer, it would be very confusing in regard to the sizing aspect. And it does require a little thinking to morph properly on this pattern. So I thought it was kind of an oxymoron to call this pattern "Sew Simple". Yes, the sewing IS simple. Mostly thoughtless sewing, the kind experienced sewers could almost do with their eyes closed. However, the pattern pieces are not "sew simple" for a newbie sewer that might pick up this pattern and think it's easy based on that label. Especially if they want to morph it.

Really, it's just a minor vent. And I guess a newbie would probably sew the entire jacket in one size. Just thought it was weird because it actually does take some thinking in the pre-cutting/sewing stages. While it is simple to sew, it's more on the time-consuming side to fit. It's just one of those kind of patterns that surprised me in that regard.

Oh well, the pattern has been morphed. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be cutting the fabric and interfacing.

Quick Sewing Updates

I really like making Q&E panties. Using my KS-2075 panty pattern, I've whipped up a few more pairs using knit fabric remnants in my stash. (Yes, if you look through my slide you'll see garments made from the same fabric lol!) Yes, a few alterations have been made to the pattern like fiddling with the crotch seams by moving the crotch piece forward (shortening the front piece/lengthening the back) and widening the lower back piece for my 40ish bum. The result? A great fitting pair of panties that provides good rear coverage, higher-cut leg openings, and a waistband that sits at the high hip as opposed to the waist. Here they are:

These Rita's Ice panties were made for DD#2 from her old work shirt that was stained. The t-shirt seaming made exact placement impossible, but I thought they were pretty cute. She has yet to wear them, but I told her they're going to be stolen away if she doesn't get use out of them.

I've been using black and white, plush/picot edge lingerie elastic from Sew Sassy -- http://www.sewsassy.com/ . Great stuff, easy to use.

I used my Babylock serger's elastic foot to apply the elastic. There is NO MEASURING/NO QUARTERING when using this foot. It is "Da Bomb"!!! One of the better inventions since the wheel. Simply adjust the screw on the foot to the desired stretch of elastic. It does take a few samples, but it works fabulous. Even if you can't adjust the screw at exactly the same place every time you make a pair, a minor change doesn't matter. I've experimented with different tension placed on the elastic via the screw for different pairs and they all fit great.

All cotton crotch linings are used from old 100% cotton t-shirts. Some are old ones in my drawers, or I look for the Hanes sales for mens' cotton tees in those 3-pack bags.

Movin' on. I'm working on a quick holiday dress using McCall's 2401. It's been sitting unused in my stash F O R E V E R. Did the alterations and am now stitching it up. It's about 2/3's done. I shopped my stash and was looking at the the 3 fabrics on the left for the dress:

The blue won out! Here it is from a few days ago as I was cutting out. More pics soon of the finished garment.
Hope you all have some time during the busy holiday season to accomplish some sewing!

Got Bit!

It's like somebody gave me a sewing shot. Or I definitely got bit by the sewing bug on Saturday night. I've been having a case of the Christmas grumps, then on Saturday night perhaps I figured out why. How long has it been since I've whipped up a garment for myself? Far too long. Oodles of panties don't count.

I pulled out a basic McCall's sheath dress pattern yesterday and went to work with pattern alterations and whipped up a muslin. It's good to go. In a few minutes I'm going to shop the stash for fabric. There are definitely a few possibilities. All are fabrics from PR Weekends from a few years ago. Let's see what I come up with.

My guess is I'll whip up two quickie dresses. One might be a sexy, short black lace number with a nude stretch lining, and the other will be knee-length as shown on the pattern. Figure if I spent a few hours with pattern alterations, the pattern has to get used twice right away.

Let's see what I come up with in a few days. And it's cold here all right! Here is one of my cozy sidekicks that knows how to stay warm on a very cold, December morning. The same guy that sleeps in a cozy blanket near my head at night, and wakes me with warm breathing and kitten kisses to let me know he wants to snuggle under the covers in the morning!

Venting about a Personal Pet Peeve

I know this post is US specific. Countries around the world do not handle some service jobs the way we do here. My personal pet peeve is really bothering me because of the holiday season.

It has to do with Holiday Tipping. On my FB post, I called it Holiday Tipping 101. For those of you not familiar with being a waiter or waitress in the United States, wait staff here earns a very low base wage of $2.85 (give or take a few pennies)/hour. This barely covers car expenses to get to and from work. Forget it if gas prices go up again which they eventually will do. Wait staff earn the bulk of their pay via customer tips.

Wait staff here earn most of their money via tips. The standard tipping chart (that I was taught) is:

10% Poor service
15% Good service
20% Excellent service

One thing is for sure! I NEVER leave 10% unless the service is awful. Rotten. Extremely terrible. It has to be an "I never want to come back to this restaurant" issue for me. That has only happened once in my life, and I didn't even get the chance to tip because the waitress let us sit in a booth for a half hour and never even got around to introducing herself to start our order. My mom and I ended up leaving and went to another restaurant to eat.

Another thing is for sure. I leave a minimum 20%. Always (unless the service is absolutely rotten, you know!). During the holiday season or near any holiday, I leave 25%, 30% or more. It is, after all, the holidays! Tis the season to give.

Anyway, this was my recent FB post:

"Holiday Tipping 101: Remember this season to be kind to service people, especially the wait staff and bartenders in restaurants. Wait staff earn a paltry hourly wage, something like $2.85/hour (which barely covers car expenses to and from work). During the holiday season, I like to be extra generous and leave 25-30%. Please remember they are working hard to give you a pleasurable dining experience, and tip them accordingly. If you stiff them, may karma bite you in the a$$. And unless you have truly rotten service, leaving 10% (or 10% + $1) is just incredibly rude. Really, if you can't afford the tip, just stay home.

Note: The tip is figured BEFORE using coupons too. Likewise, if you have a complaint about your meal and management gives it to you free, you still tip on what would have been the cost of the meal."

My daughter has been a waitress for the past 2+ years and has worked in the food industry for five years. She has told me stories. There are a small handful of people that say, "Oh, I left your tip on the table." Guess what. They stiffed her royally, and, no, her tips weren't stolen. Others who complain endlessly why the restaurant ran out of a particular food taking up 10 minutes, causing her to lose tables, only to get the minimum 10% tip which wasn't calculated by including the charge of the "free" meal they got from the manager. The wait staff doesn't have control of running out of a particular menu item. Occasionally, she's the target of reverse discrimination. Like the time a lady asked, "Where's that nice (person of a particular ethnic origin) boy who got my leftover box for me?" She wanted to give him most of the tip, leaving my daughter with virtually nothing for everything she did for them. Or how about the late arrivals. The people who arrive at 9:58 when the restaurant closes at 10 p.m. Don't these people know the wait staff has to stay at least an extra hour for them??? They're not making any money off other tables because everyone has left. So you arrive late, the menu item you want ran out, and you leave 10%...why? While the waiter or waitress gives you personal service so late at night, c'mon!

My daughter has stories. Weird stories. Like the one time a party came in and this one girl had to parade around the restaurant with what looked like no pants. She walked around 4X. I'm sure other patrons were rolling their eyes. Then she proceeds to tell (not my daughter) her waitress that they don't have to pay tax on the meal because they are an "indigenous people". My daughter asked, "Does she even know what the word means?" Because, my readers, last time I checked "white" people are not indigenous to our country. "Black" people are not indigenous to this country. American Indians? Yes, they ARE indigenous to our country. And do you know what? The manager took the tax off the meal!!! Unbelievable.

Or how about the patrons that come in on a usual basis to complain about their meal and get it for free. It happens more than you think. Or the parents that come in with kids in tow and the restaurant ends up being out of chicken nuggets or something. The parents carry on like it was the end of the world and state, "My child ONLY eats chicken nuggets!" Sometimes I want to shake my head and ask, "Is that why your child is at least 50 lbs overweight?" Believe me, if a kid is hungry enough, they'll eat. They're not going to starve. And BTW, why don't you just go down the street a 1/4 of a mile and get some chicken nuggets at McDonalds. Why hassle the waitress with your endless rant?

I don't know, everyone. But waiting tables is one of the hardest jobs ever. You deal with all types of people. Everyone should have to work in food service for at least three months. The world would be a better place for it. But please tip well this season, and every holiday season. These are good people doing a hard job. Not everyone can wait tables, not everyone has the right personality. But one thing is for sure. Wait staff see and deal with it all.

Hats off to them!

P.S. And don't forget to tip the bartender too!

Thanksgiving Traditions

It's too bad it doesn't include sewing.

Yesterday I made pies all day.

3 Blueberry Pies (giving two to my mother)
1 Pumpkin Pie
1 Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 Caramel Apple Cheesecake
1 Chocolate Cream Pie

Also made the cake part of the pumpkin roll.

Today I'm making one more pie, an apple one, as well as the filling for the pumpkin roll and assembling it. Will also make apple crisp as a favor to my husband.

Tomorrow morning we celebrate our annual family tradition of eating Thanksgiving desserts at 10:30 a.m. while watching the NYC Macy's Day parade. I started this tradition about 11 years ago because we'd always be too full after the big dinner to enjoy our desserts, and now it's something my kids look forward to with gusto! You should see them lining up at the kitchen table at 10:15 in anticipation. They eagerly help out with table setup, plates, knives, and forks. And you know what the positive thing about this tradition is? Mid-morning desserts holds us over nicely until dinner around 2 or 3 p.m. Of course, we can always have seconds on desserts around 8 or 9 p.m. lol.

There is one tradition, however, I don't know if we'll be able to make during the Christmas season. Black Friday is the day we decorate our Christmas tree. In fact, I just brought the tree up last night and put it in our living room. Problem is, our kitten is still a kitten. 7 mos old to be exact and is highly active and highly curious. While big brother, Jake, loves to climb up the middle of the tree, little Riley gets great satisfaction out of playing with all things little like ponytail holders, security rings from milk jugs, running off with earrings, etc. This year I'm not sure if we're going to be able to put up any Christmas decorations. I worry about him having too much fun with the ornaments and playing with hooks. Forget the garland this year--it's out of the questions. We might just have to go with tree, lights, bows, and angel. And what if Jake teaches Riley bad habits of climbing up the middle of the tree??? Please, I'm not going there right now lol.

Here are very recent pics of our two boys sleeping together. I love how their arms are wrapped around each other :) . At the bottom is our little (but growing a lot) baby sitting on my youngest's lap.

Devon Rex and Sphynx cats are truly the dogs of the cat world. Our Sphynx even more so than our Devon though. They are truly wonderful, loving, curious animals, and I could blubber on about them all day long. Anyway...

Have a safe, wonderful, and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It was NOT "Operator Error!"

Ever since I've taken my Babylock serger out of the box, I've had this feeling that I've been missing a guide or not threading it right. My stitches looked good, but I thought they could look better.

Today I had my "How-to-use-your-machine" serger class, and the instructor noted my samples were slightly different than everyone else's. She thought it was a tension issue. The owner was kind enough to test my machine and concluded it did have an issue. He took it right back to their top-notch service guy and...It was off by one whole turn! Which, according to the owner, is a lot. Boy am I ever glad I took the class today. My schedule is very busy, and I was thinking about waiting until December.

So, no. I'm not missing any thread guides. It wasn't "operator error." It was an issue with the adjustments done at the factory. Maybe tonight I can finish two more pairs of panties that are half done.

I have to edit this post. I will admit, rather embarrassingly, that I had an on/off problem with seams coming out differently. I'd sew a seam, and it was fine. Next seam would be all wonky. Today I figured out why. I was forgetting to put my presser foot down! Can you believe it? Rarely do I lift my presser foot up on the serger, but working with the different feet I was lifting the lever up and down a lot. The foot on the serger looks like it's all the way down, but it wasn't. It's not like a sewing machine where you can easily tell if the foot is up or down. On my Babylock, it looks like it's down all the time. So there you go. There WAS an operator error. I forgot about that. Probably because it's a silly, embarrassing mistake for an experienced sewer.

A Panty Party

I was itching to make some panties yesterday because I HAD to use my serger elastic foot! I cut two out of some Jumbo Spandex I had in my stash, likely purchased from either Spandex House or Spandex World. Don't know where my stretch lace came from, but the plush elastic was from Sew Sassy. Here they are:








As for the cotton crotch lining, do you know what I do for that? I take an old, 100% cotton, white t-shirt, find some nice areas, and cut the crotch lining from it. It would be great to stock up on colorful, 100% cotton t-shirts from ACMoore, but my preference is a white crotch lining due to dyes. I know, I know, black would look so much better, but you just don't see that when they're on.

I love them! They're a great fit, although the green/black ones are more like Spanx lol. I cut the pattern pieces on the crosswise grain, not the lengthwise--operator error. I wasn't paying attention and was trying to watch Harry Potter while cutting out the two pairs. Also, Jumbo Spandex is not my preference for panty fabric. It runs on the thick side, but when there is so much in the stash and you want to whip up panties using an elastic foot, you just use it.

Speaking of which, the elastic foot is WONDERFUL!!! No more measuring for a 3/4 ratio of elastic length. The elastic is fed into the foot, insert the fabric underneath, and start stitching! It stretches the elastic for a snug fit. I used a flat construction method to avoid stitching in the round because I was using the serger. Panty construction takes about 1/3 the time than what it would with a conventional machine, and most of the time savings is due to that awesome elastic foot.

I can only imagine how wonderful it would be on a bra. I think the green/black panties need a matching bra, don't you think?