Here hangs a disappointing project from my early days of drafting patterns.  The problem is the bodice, which I listed among my failures in this post, but the gist of it is that the wrap top never hung right, and it looked worse after each washing, and was hard to iron.  Such a shame! 

Recently, as a project with fellow church members, I have been memorizing Romans chapter 8.  It's been a long time since I've done this kind of memory work, and I'm finding the process quite interesting.  Memorizing requires a kind of mental discipline that I used to have but which I've let grow weak as a result of my overuse of the Internet.  (I am aware of the irony of writing that on the Internet.)  It makes me think about memory in general...

As it relates to sewing, memory is necessarily kinesthetic: we don't learn stitches merely by looking at them or reciting the steps to make them; we learn them by hand.  Samplers, which are old fashioned showcases of a young woman's best sewing work in a wide variety of methods, were simultaneously displays of her needle expertise and reminders to herself of what she had in her repertoire... and when she, years later, looked at the sampler to remind herself of how a feather stitch was done, I imagine her hands remembered more than her eyes did! 

Today, the third Saturday of March, is National Quilting Day!  Last year, I posted about the making of the Cricket in the Congo quilt for a little boy named Wisdom Ezekiel.  This year, I'm sharing a quilt top I've just pieced, and some thoughts on piecing from a measurement-phobic! 

So!  The denim blazer saga concludes!  It began with Simplicity 7954, made up in charcoal denim, requiring some changes to the paper pattern to make it fit my sister, but I couldn't be sure of the changes because my sister was far away.  The result looked really cool on a manikin, less well-fitted in person.  But not bad for sewing long distance...

But recently I visited my sister, and decided to make the darn thing fit properly!  So I armed myself with seam ripper and went, once more, unto the breach...

I selected this pattern for my sister because it has everything I love for her body: the raglan sleeves and princess seams are highly recommended for the inverted triangle shape, and I love the way princess seams allow me to shape the garment under her bust, avoiding the whole tent/curtain problem I've already covered.  View D is my favorite, and I want to make it in a woven. 

(It's also, oddly, easier to fit a complex seamed garment than a supposedly "simple" one!)

Since my sister likes lightweight, flowy tops, with fabrics like chiffon, I want to make her a basic tunic pattern that I can use to whip up a top whenever I find a good fabric for her!  I start with McCall's 4968 (Woman's Day Collection), which is a long-sleeved, loose fitting top that pulls on over the head.  There are two V neck options and side vents.  The shirt has quite a lot of design ease, and looks oversized and boxy.  But for my sister, I decide to make a slightly more fitted tunic, using bust darts in front and shaped panels in back.