The Underground Basket-Weaving Society of Aus.

starting july 20, i will be moving over to @gizkawatch; which will primarily be for drama reviewing and shitposts. this blog will be deleted july 21. if you're into drama, follow me there instead!

The first step is to choose my pattern. I have a great many PDF patterns in my library and for this I chose one I have not made before. I have my pattern library cataloged on threadloop.app and one of the things I do when I'm not actively sewing but wish I could be is looking through my stash of patterns and fabrics and making projects labeled "idea" on threadloop. Today I was in the mood for a summer top, and my first step was to look in my threadloop projects and decide if any were speaking to me.

I chose the Marilla Walker Nautilus top - this designer is no longer producing or supporting her patterns but she has released some of her back catalog for free, including this top. I am making view B with the short sleeve and buttons. https://marillawalker.wixsite.com/marilla-walker-art/sewingpatterns

Before printing out the pattern I pull out the instructions and check my measurements in order to choose my size. I keep a list of my measurements on the wall of my office and update it pretty regularly. I compare my measurements to both the body measurements chart and the finished garment measurements. My bust fits in between the size 6 and 7 in this brand, my waist is closer to the 7 or 8, but I can see from the finished garment measurements that my bust and waist will both fit into the ease of the 6 as written. The pattern also indicates what ratio of upper bust to full bust measurement the pattern is drafted for (sewing cup size). The pattern has layers I can toggle on and so I select 5, 6, and 7 just in case I need to pivot to a size up or down.

Next I print page 1 and check the scale. I regularly forget this but since this pattern is A4 and I have US letter size paper I don't want to take the risk of printing 21 pages and being wrong.

Once I've checked the scale I take out the trash and empty the dryer. Important part of the process I promise.

Next print the rest of the pattern. While it is printing I get my paper scissors, tape, earbuds, and a drink.

There are a ton of methods for taping together a PDF pattern - including ordering an A0 size print and waiting a week for it to arrive (my real favorite method). Below is how I do it when I'm not patient enough for A0.

For the first row you can skip page 1, and after that carefully cut off the margin of the page that would overlap the previous page. It's like putting together a puzzle that's numbered. Take your time, listen to something nice, and hydrate.

I use paper rolls meant for covering medical exam tables. It's economical (especially in boxes of 12 rolls) and it's lightweight without being too flimsy. I recommend tracing in pencil so you can erase mistakes and using a ruler for straight lines.

Label everything with the pattern, size, alterations, and any marking information from the original.

I usually only trace what I need for my project and leave the rest as a future me problem. I'm not sure I recommend that method.

Take another break, maybe go to the library with a friend and then it's time to cut the traced pattern out. No the cat will not be a good helper.

Some weeks I manage a bit of sewing between dinner and bedtime but this was not one of those weeks. Such is the life of the unmonitized hobbiest. Gotta work that job.

I am finally into fabric on this top. I'm starting with a mockup to check fit. Whether you call this a mockup, a toile, or a muslin it's the same thing. A version made in cheap shitty fabric so you don't ruin the good stuff. I'm using a rather wonky cut because I'm trying not to cut into a nice big piece of muslin fabric till I use up some of my piddly bits. Also this cut is poly or a poly blend and I don't truck with polyester so the scraps are going in the bin. If this were a cotton muslin I'd find a use for the little bits.

One mistake a lot of sewists make is to not cut a muslin on grain. Don't do it.

The back piece is cut on the fold so I make a fold wide enough for my pattern piece on grain. For patterns cut on the fold the fold line IS the grainline.

For woven fabrics I can either pin and cut with shears or use weights and a rotary cutter. I went with the rotary blade. My weights are a quilting ruler and a bunch of metal washers. Not aesthetic, do the job. I always put extras on corners and curves.

And then I use my rotary blade to cut around the fabric, carefully. My left hand is completely clear of the blade even when I'm not taking a picture. The blade is vertical and not at an angle in relationship to the cutting surface. And every single time I stop I close the blade. Every time.

After cutting out each piece I use Crayola Ultra washable markers to mark all my notches and anything else I need on my pieces. I make marks all over my mockups. I do not use marker outside of seam allowances on my final fabric. Even though I've never had a problem with washing it out.

Mark both layers. It doesn't bother me to have some markings be on the wrong side, although for pieces with a right and left you might need to label the right side of the fabric. I like a bit of tape.

The sleeve is just a rectangle so I use my quilting ruler as a guide to cut it out. I also only cut one sleeve. I don't need two to determine fit. I would need two on a more fitted sleeve like a button down.

On my facings I copied the markings for center front and the button placement. I would absolutely never ever mark up my real fabric this heavily.

I use all my weird colors and leftover bobbins for mockups.

Then I check my instructions and turn on the Katmai bear Livestream

And go to pin my shoulders together and discover something is not correct.

It's back to the table to realize I missed a fundamental step in the bass backwards way this pattern handles different views.

I not only have to recut my fronts, but I have to retrace the pattern piece as well. Cussing very quietly because the last thing I need is explaining to my kid's teacher how his vocabulary increased over summer break.

There will be no seam finishing, nothing but finger pressing. We just need to get this mockup into the right shape. It's not a cake, it don't need no icing.

I did clip my curves and roughly topstitch the facing down because it's not inclined to stay put.

This morning I sewed my side seams.

Then I clipped the hem up at the directed length and went to my (dirty) bathroom to try it on.

Next I needed to work on the front neckline. Basically I sectioned it off so I was only making changes to the front and not messing with the sleeve.

Initially I shifted it up 1/2" but then referred to the pictures, I decided a whole inch would be better for more coverage. The curve of course no longer matches up so I added in a scrap of paper and blended the curve. This kept the shoulder seam untouched.

The facing I laid over the new neckline and I was pleased to find it still matched, so all I had to do was chop an inch off the top where it meets the shoulder.

And finally the length. This top has no shaping in the waist so I just added 2" to the bottom on the front, back, and facing. Because I took an inch off the facing I needed to add 3" to make it match, and the front needed evened out for the same reason.

The final step is to check that everything matches the corresponding fabric seam it will be attached to.

I decided to use this blue floral poplin as I like it, but if things go haywire I won't be devastated. It's a nice crisp cotton so there won't be a lot of drape so I'm considering an alternative sleeve finish with bias tape.

This is a directional fabric so I tried to make sure I didn't have upside down flowers and I focused more on following the print than the grain. The print appeared to be pretty on grain but they aren't always.

I was shy about 1/4" from being able to have the front and back cut from the same width but I cut all my smaller pieces from the width left over from cutting the back.

I also decided to use a self fabric interfacing so I cut 4 front facings and 2 back facings. I just don't love iron on interfacing and I'm using it less and less.

And finally I cut an 18 inch square and then cut it on the diagonal so I can make continuous bias tape to finish the facings, and possibly the sleeve.

I start by taking the straight edges of my triangles and sewing them together to make a parallelogram. I stitch that seam at a quarter inch and finger press it.

Then I mark my cutting lines on the fabric. I am cutting 1 3/8" strips and I mark across the whole thing. Then I mark the seam allowances for the other edge. This is so I can easily match my lines at the seamline and not at the edge.

Once I've stitched that line I just cut around the spiral.