Another Winner, Mostly

Burda 6329 is a solid pattern and will go into the T&T pile. It is definitely a quick sew. For this wearable muslin, I used some lightweight rayon/spandex from the WalMart remnant rack:

This fabric is better suited to a Laundry Day Tee, I think, but I only had two yards. ( I probably should have given this top a light press, but oh well.) The fabric is soft, which meant that getting those pleats to stay in place long enough to attach the neckband took some doing. I wanted to machine baste them in place, but my Janome 6600P is just not handling knit fabric the way I think it should. I’ve had trouble with everything from tissue knits to ponte. After working on a serger that takes whatever I throw at it without complaint, moving to a sewing machine that balks at simple basting stitches is frustrating. I need to fiddle with it a bit and see if I can figure out what is happening. The neckline is not as wonky as it looks on the dress form.

When I make this again, I will change those sleeves. They have a shoulder dart, which is appropriate in raglan patterns for wovens but probably unnecessary for knits. Also, the dart was cut open on the pattern rather than being sewn and folded toward the back, so the seam allowance of the dart makes the fabric stick up at my shoulders. Better to eliminate the darts completely.

I have another two yards of this fabric in green. I am going to make this top again but will remove the shoulder darts and gather the front neckline instead of pleating it. This pattern has the potential to be useful year-round by changing the length of the sleeves and playing around with the neckline, so I expect to make a few more.

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Yesterday was a busy day. We had a visit from my mother-in-law’s college roommate, Susie, and her family. I think the last time we saw them was at my sister-in-law’s wedding in 1997, but Susie’s daughter, Renee, and I are Facebook friends. Renee contacted me last year and said they were planning a trip to Montana and could they stop and see us? We showed them around the property and sat and visited for a bit. Susie and my MIL were very close. We sent her off with one of my MIL’s watercolor paintings and a photo from the husband’s parents’ wedding. (Susie was a bridesmaid.) The family had just spent a few days at Glacier Park and was heading to Yellowstone.

I also made a pan of scalloped potatoes and ham for a dinner at church. Our Executive Conference Minister is visiting our church this weekend and he wanted to meet with our pastor search committee. I am the chairman of that committee. We organized a dinner meeting and he laid out a timeline for us. Finding another pastor for our church is going to be a challenge, for a variety of reasons.

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The cucumber vines are just about spent, thank goodness. So are the zucchini plants. I started one last batch of pickles to ferment. I think the corn will be ready this week and I’m bringing in a bucket of tomatoes every day. The husband and I split the first Minnesota Midget melon a few days ago.

I’m not much for fruit, but I do like strawberries and cantaloupe.

I’ve got four students enrolled in my class at the small quilt store in Spokane at the end of the month. That store only has room for six students, in any case, so four will be fine. We will be making the Lark Tee by Grainline Studio. The Friday afternoon session will cover choosing a size and making alterations. The students will go home and cut out their patterns, and we will put them together Saturday morning. I’ll have to drive back to Montana Saturday afternoon so I can play at church on Sunday.