LDT Success, Finally

The second iteration of the Laundry Day Tee fits me much better in the shoulders. I used a rayon/spandex jersey for this one (clearance fabric from Joanns). I think it looks better on me than on the dress form, but it’s easier to photograph this way. I have not yet hemmed it. I am making a stack of things to hem and will do them on the coverstitch in a marathon session.

I lowered the armhole on this size, too, by about half an inch. I’m glad I did. Apparently, this is not an uncommon hack for this pattern line, as the designer has a blog post about how and when to do it.

Speaking of the coverstitch, I need to set up the binding attachment and start practicing with it. The LDT has options for a regular neckband and a bound neckband. This is one top that could benefit from a bound neckband.

I like the LDT enough—now that I have the correct size dialed in—that I probably will make a few more. I think the next one will be out of that cobalt/turquoise double-brushed poly that I picked up at The Confident Stitch on Tuesday.

Whew. That was a process.

I cut the grass yesterday morning, hopefully for the last time. It tends to go dormant in July. The husband also wants to put the electric fence up around the orchard because the apple and pear trees are loaded and we still have a marauding bear in the neighborhood.

And it’s hot. It’s so hot. Everyone I know is complaining about it. Those of us who live here obviously prefer cooler temperatures. It’s nothing like last summer, but five days of 90+ degrees is five days too many.

Today will be another day of sewing, although I am heading over to a friend’s house for a bit this morning to help her plan out her garden for next year. She wants to get started on the prep work now, which is very sensible.

This is what is next up in the queue:

  1. Another pair of Renee pants, but this time from some stretch bengaline rather than ponte. Hobby Lobby had all their fabric at 40% off this week. Our Hobby Lobby has some new and interesting garment fabrics for fall (are you listening, Joann Fabrics?) and I picked up this bengaline in a two-tone black/charcoal mini-houndstooth pattern. I’m curious to see how it works for this pattern. The Renee pants class is next Friday, so it would be nice to have these done as another class sample.

  2. A second iteration of the Tessa Sheath Dress. I have hope of hitting the correct size now that I’ve made a LDT that fits me.

  3. Another version of the New Look 6577 cowl neck top with my pattern adjustments. I plan on making this out of some black rayon/spandex. I can always use more black tops.

  4. I’m going to cut a few heavier tops out of my stash of French terry using a Burda pattern that I’ve lengthened into a tunic. I made one last winter and I always get compliments when I wear it. As hot as it is, though, cutting those out may be as far as I get right now.

And I am going to try a Seamwork pattern, specifically the Lenny dress. I know, this isn’t turtleneck weather, either.

I have been listening to the Seamwork podcast for a while now, although I haven’t tried any of their patterns. I am curious, though, to see if these work better for me than the Love Notions ones, because Seamwork patterns are drafted for a 5’8” frame. The Love Notions patterns are drafted for a 5’5” frame. I am 5’7” tall. Perhaps that is part of my issue with the Love Notions patterns. We’ll see.

I bought a comfy Liz Claiborne tunic in Seattle in April. I’d love to have a few more in that style. I’m rather hoping to find a similar pattern (Burda, maybe?) but thus far, no luck, so I might have to draft one myself. Oh, and there is that Upton dress . . .

Here’s another garden pic for you. My tomatoes once again look like I planted them on top of a nuclear waste dump, and they are on the opposite side of the garden from where they were last year. They really do like that black plastic. They are setting quite a bit of fruit, too.