The eagle eye among you may have noticed something new in my pervious post, I got a haircut! The length is essentially all the same, I just now have some bangs. It has been a long time coming considering I have had the same hair cut since my senior year of high school. You may have also spotted what I was wearing and you guessed it, it’s another me-made.
It is Papercut Pattern’s Coppelia Cardi and my first experience with this specific pattern company. Not only was the appearance of the pattern great (brown paper with an additional assemble your own instructions) but it was very easy to construct and fit. I had almost no problems with the pattern itself (although I did make a few minor adjustments), but what I did have issues with was the fabric. While this red wool (purchased online at Mood Fabrics) is beautiful in color as well as texture, it was not on grain. To be honest I didn’t inspect it super carefully when it came in the mail, I just popped it in the wash so I could get to work, and by the time it came out the grain was nearly at a 45 degree angle! I’m sure that most of this was my fault, but I think it might have been slightly off to begin with, my washing just exacerbated the situation. So now I had what I felt was essentially unusable fabric, I was super bummed, but I did a ton of research on how to fix it. Most of what I found said to just pull on it to straighten, but it was so bad that that had little to no effect and then it hit me, the fabric was wool, so it I dampened it and placed weights on it I could block it out like a knit sweater. I mopped the kitchen floor (the only large enough space in out apartment without carpeting) and set to work, and guys it worked! I mean by no means was it perfect, there were still a few spots that were still at an angle but I figured I could work around those/cut the pattern pieces at a slight angle when necessary. Looking back I should have taken before and after photos to show how bad it was, but I think you all get the picture.
Since I had never worked with any of Papercut Patterns patterns (is there a better way to say that?) I made a muslin to figure out their sizing. So started by cutting a straight medium, but I did lengthen the body by 1 1/2″ so that I could wear it with jeans, as well as shorten the sleeves by 2″. After everything was all cut out I stitched it up using my serger and top stitched the bottom ties with a zigzag stitch (courtesy of the sis-in-law). Once she was all done I did feel that the chest, armpits, and arms were too big, so I just took her in on the serger by maybe 2″ ish at the armpit and tapered that measurement to the waist and wrist cuffs. I also took the seam where the font of the sleeve attached to the bodice using this tutorial. When I transferred everything to the pattern pieces I ended but just curving the Medium waist to a Xs in the armpits and sleeves. With fitting figured out I cut into the red wool and got to work.
Overall I’m in love with this sweater, it is a little transparent is I wear dark colors underneath, but if I wear it without a shirt and a nude bra I have no issues. The only slight problem is that one sleeve is cut slightly off grain so it pulls a little when I turn my wrist (pictured below), but I am very content that this was the only issue remaining with the fabric.
I have a small backlog of me-mades to photograph and post so you should be hearing more from me soon including a new dilemma I faced with my spring Peony Dress that I vaguely mentioned a few posts back. I leave you with this shot of my sewing room window and sewing machine taken by the amazing Jennifer Bastian for her photo series Light Openings that was recently featured on the Facebook page Milwaukier Than Thou.
xoxo
Jeanne
thejeannebean 