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Quite a Kluge-Job!

8/3/2017

4 Comments

 
Several months ago, I had in my stash two slivers of cream-colored poly-satin.  If I had to guess, someone made a wedding dress with a gored skirt, and these skinny triangles were the leftovers.  I also had a few scraps of another satin, but this one less shiny, in the same color.  From these, I intended to create a shirt that would match my tulip skirt, and thus be a valuable addition to my wardrobe.  As to the actual result, well... it was educational! 
To start with, I took the old familiar bodice pieces from Simplicity 3631 and eked out just enough of the shiny satin for a shirt.  The center back got a seam, and the center front became the opening.  Here's the pattern layout:
Picture
Now, if the front pattern was meant to be cut on the fold, and I cut on the edge, obviously there now wasn't enough to close in the front.  Once I finished the CF edges, the shirt would be too small.  My solution was to add extensions to both edges, to get enough of an overlap for buttons and buttonholes.  I decided to use the corresponding matte fabric and have it show as a vertical strip in the front.  This I did by hand, because I was visiting with a friend at the time: 
Picture
Running stitch. I'm right-handed.
Picture
Slip-stitching the extension pieces to the front.
Then, from the shreds and remnants, I found enough for some facings for the neck. 
Picture
In my button stash, I found ten buttons that almost matched: the Lansing buttons on the right side of the picture match each other, and the others are close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades. 
Picture
My next thought was to make a collar that notches in CF and CB, which I did by cutting two sickle -shaped pieces of the matte fabric.  In the picture below, you can see the collar pieces pinned in place, more like mini shoulder capes than a collar.  The picture also shows the contrast CF extensions and the different textures of the two fabrics. 
Picture
I pinned the facing onto the collar, right sides together, and sewed them all together in one go.  Then I flipped the facing to the inside, ironed everything, under-stitched the facing to crisp up the edge, and tacked it to the shoulder seams so it wouldn't roll out. 
Picture
Finally, I finished the bottom of the shirt with two more matte fabric extensions, echoing the collar in design.  I finished the shirt just in time for Easter and wore it to church with my tulip skirt and a fun vintage hat. 
Picture

THE VERDICT?

While I did finish it and it did match my skirt, I don't think this project is a success.  There were several pretty big problems:
  • Poly-satin is horrible fabric to work with.  It puckers, looks shiny, shows every miss-stitch...  A costume fabric, but not for real clothes. 
  • The buttons are wrong for the thickness of the fabric, so they make puckers, too. 
  • The CF extensions, while clever, are not wide enough, so the shirt pulls at the bosom and hips. 
  • The notches in the collar and waistband are a cool idea, which I'd like to do again (do better!), but in this shirt they are sloppily executed. 
  • Speaking of the collar, the turn is not well done, so it sticks up and moves weirdly.  It does not lie in place like it should.  Bad collar!  Down! 
Overall, I think it looks home-made and amateur.  I need a new shirt to wear with my tulip skirt! 
4 Comments
The Sister
8/4/2017 08:16:39 pm

I think you did well using shreds of fabric to create a garment, but that you'd have more visually appealing success with a different fabric. It's a cute look though!

Reply
Karen Roy link
8/5/2017 07:56:49 pm

The collar would work better with a less stiff fabric, I'm sure. If I did it in a more drapey fabric, I think it could look a bit like the Dreamstress' Deco Echoe blouse:
http://thedreamstress.com/2012/03/the-deco-echo-blouse/

See the notched collar in the back?

Reply
Tante Carol
12/14/2019 07:26:25 pm

Isn’t that the vintage hat I sent you?
The completed look is carried off well. (I think the hat made it work 😁

Reply
Karen Roy link
1/1/2020 12:09:57 pm

Why, yes! It is! It's fun to wear, but since it stays on by pinching the head, it tends to rock back and forth like a see saw, or fly off my head if I sneeze. Ha ha! I think that it was designed to be worn with a hat-pin, as well as the pinchy, wired-edge.

Thanks for sending it! Hat, shoes, and gloves always go the extra mile in a outfit!

Reply



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    Karen Roy

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