My precious fabric has arrived

I picked it up at the post office today, and had to wait until I got home to get it open.  Fabric Mart is thankfully dumped FedEx's SmartPost in favor of the USPS Priority mail, which means I get my order 1-3 days sooner.  It does look as photographed, although it is a lighter weight than I like to use for jeans ... so now for a Plan B.  I have this pattern:

Simplicity 8447
"Rosie the Riveter" pattern

Yup, I intend to dress up as Rosie the Riveter come autumn, when it is rumored first the overnight lows may actually get lower than 70F, and then the daytime highs may actually go below 85F!  A nice linen and cotton blend in this weight ought to work no matter what the weather does when Hallowe'en comes around.  It could be some fun.

Finally found my Precious

I have been saying for years I want to find and use linen denim, and have a nice collection of linen twill (mostly suiting) fabrics in ye olde fabric stash ... but I have finally found actual linen (blended with cotton) denim!  And in all places, Fabric Mart.  The down side of this is, they may not get any more in for a decade or so.  The good news is, it's at a Fabric Mart price.  They're what's called a jobber, in that they buy leftover fabrics from manufacturers and other retailers and sell them quite low.  This is under the Sales section, in their "Precut Buyout"subsection, so when they sell out they are truly out.  For the record, since they are selling it in 2.5 yard pieces, and I need 2.75 yards to make a pair of jeans, I bought two pieces.  I got the shipping email yesterday.

linen/cotton denim
photo used with permission

linen/cotton denim
photo used with permission

I emailed Fabric Mart yesterday asking permission to use their photos of this fabric because they are SO much better at photography than I'll probably ever be, and this morning Julie emailed me permission to use, with a note that I should stress this is a buyout fabric and when it's gone then it is totally gone.  I promised a link to the page, if anyone wants to get their own 2.5 yard piece of linen/cotton denim (if you don't see that fabric anymore, then they are sold out).

I am really stoked about finally finding this.  Even if it's a lighter weight than I like to use for jeans, it will still make summer go-to-town jeans.  FabricMart lists it as "Light/Medium; Falls Moderately Away From Body" so I am not expecting 12 oz weight denim here (although that would certainly be nice), but they do recommend using this fabric for pants, jackets and waistcoats (vests) so I am expecting bottomweight at the least.

Notes for Simplicity 4149 tunic

I just finished up the test version of Simplicity 4149 tunic, view A with the neckband but without the sleeve flounce.  A few pattern notes from wearing:

• size 22 is too big in the shoulders for me
• do a small FBA, about 1/2 inch, and use a second dart for better shaping
• the armsceye is too long and low, needs to be brought up at least a half-inch
• still have a small puddle of fabric in the swayback section of the back
• need a little more room for my butt in back
• raise the slit in the neck by an inch
• shorten the sleeve cap by at least a half-inch, lots of ease to gather in
• flat-fell the straight seams instead of French seams
• shorten sleeves another inch

I'm doing this up for the Tunic Contest at Pattern Review, so I'll need good notes to write the review.  No pics yet, as hubby went up to Jax to hang out with a friend for friend's birthday today.

Huh?

Just how is the year already half over?!?  Seriously, I think someone hit "fast forward" in early April, for hubby as well as me.  This year is just flying by, and apparently I ain't the only one feeling that.

I have been sewing, but I have also been tossing out old clothing that the fabric is disintegrating at about an equal pace.  So far, it's been a matter of jeans, T-shirts, and underpants, but yesterday my order of 5 back issues of My Image pattern magazine (out of the Netherlands) showed up in the box, and I have been paging through it and scheming since late afternoon yesterday.  LOTS of inspiration contained in that one envelope mailer!

Okay, so the quickie-update is this:

• I have a better jeans pattern, and it is close to being just right on the fit.
• I have a basic T-shirt pattern that I added princess seams to the front and a center-back seam ... and on the first version I discovered I forgot to add in the seam allowances.  That one is a bit snug around the belly, but I redrew the body pieces and the second shirt is almost finished.
• I've tweaked the old Kwik Sew master pantie pattern (high cut version) and have a decent sporty underpants pattern.  The 1980s original was a bit too high waisted even for me.

All very basic items, but I intend to learn a bit about fancy sleeves to keep the T-shirts interesting.  I do have some pics, but my digicam is probably underneath a stack of fabric right now.