Sew U Home Stretch: Before and After
Before:
I'm sitting here with Sew U Home Stretch in my lap having just read it cover-to-cover and I'm so stoked to get started on something. I don't have a serger and have sewn knits before with my conventional machine, but with mixed results. Everything is fine until I try to finish the edges and then it usually goes to hell. I've spent the week sourcing stuff (ribbing mostly and FOE from Sewzannes). I've narrowed down my start pattern to the tank top (made from the tshirt pattern), then the tshirt, THEN the hoodie (made from the raglan pattern).
After:
Project 1: TOO BIG!! The tank top is too big in almost every way. I tried to rescue it by sewing in the sides and the shoulders... mmm, it's wearable but only because I made it out of cream 100% cotton rib knit, so it's completely opaque/almost sweater-like. This was my first attempt at attaching ribbing to neck/arms, and I'm confused as to why I waited so long as it is very easy and cool looking. The inside seams are pretty sloppy. The ribbing came from Rose City Textiles here in Portland and the whole project cost about 6 dollars. I'm insecure about taking a picture of me wearing it, as I prefer to delude myself into thinking it looks fine so that I'll wear it out.
Project 2: Still Too BIG. I started a size smaller (medium) and still ended up sewing up the sides until I got it right. I cut down the sleeves to cover a botched attempts at 1. making rolled hems with my conventional machine (edges stretched and frilled out) 2. attaching FOE at hem to cover rolled hem (Paul made one of those faces that indicated if "you can't say anything nice...") 3. finally overlocking the edges and top stitching it all down (much better). The inside seams at the sleeves are again, very sloppy. The jersey came fromSewzannes and is very lightweight and sweet. It's also cheap, so the project (minus the book) cost less than 7 bucks. I've been wearing it all day and I'm happy even though we've decided that these are not my best colours.
Project 3: Phew. It fits at a Medium (I might make it a size larger if I were to use heavier knit/fleece). The only problems I had were my own-dumb-sewing and even so, the whole thing came together in an afternoon. The jersey is from ages ago and the ribbing is the same stuff from the tank top. The whole thing with zipper cost about 12 dollars. I've been wearing this one a lot and I still like it, but the difference between the two (one being a real pattern and one being a fake one) is pretty profound. And my interior seams are quite nice.
So. Honestly, I'm still having some problems with hemming but I think I need to be patient and troubleshoot more thoroughly. The book is so good. It's not just the 3 patterns, it's that the 18 variations on those patterns are very different from each other and of those, I would consider making a whole bunch of them (minus the flashdance top. And maybe the peasant thing). I know that there is some frustration with the sizing only going up to a Large (Amy listed the measurements here) but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the basic patterns would be fairly simple to make bigger-- especially if you own a sleeve/neck curve, which the book recommends you have anyway. Simplicity manufactures the patterns for the book and also publishes Wendy's individual patterns which are printed up to size 22. The only other issue I'm having is taking pictures when it's all said and done. Do you see that dorky far away look? I was trying to stare down some hoodlums walking by. Hannah where are you??? We need to keep you on some sort of photographic retainer.
