I have just finished two wonderful, stylish, speedy, and satisfying projects that I love. The first is the Colette Sencha blouse. It is a great pattern, and I have made it once before. The first time, I did most of the finishing by machine, using my #5 blindstitch foot. I loved this change to the pattern, but the original was too big and unflattering. Luckily, I made it from some fabric I was given, so it was about like sewing a muslin.
When Michelle and I were in Chicago we had a minute to pop over to The Needle Shop. I found this beautiful raisin colored sateen that was made and designed locally. Lucky me! So I got enough to make the Sencha blouse again. This time it was a smashing success. I made 2 sizes smaller, used bias trim instead of facings, and again, did the hand finishing required on the sleeves and back closure plackets by machine with my #5 blind hem foot. Can you say LOVE. I am so pleased with this. I also used a lighter weight buttonhole than the standard I normally use. My BERNINA Aurora 430 has 6 buttonhole options, and this one is truly lovely on lighter weight fabrics.
The second part of my outfit is the Flirting the Issues Skirt pattern that is available free online (I mentioned this the other day on facebook) from Anna Maria Horner. Thanks Anna, cause this little gem is a goodie. I mostly serged it (side seams, waistband, and rolled hem), cause I roll like that. It is made quickly from four rectangles of fabric, two main and two lining, I used the same for both. A lovely silk from the Designer Fabric Sample Sale I had lying around from last summer. After I had my skirt joined together, to sew all the rows for the elastic casing, I used my seam guide attached to my #1 foot and sewed row after even row with out a bit of marking.
All that was left was some tedious threading of elastic, but once finished there, a simple rolled hem and voila! Done! And magically, my skirt and Sencha blouse work well together. Lucky break there, I hadn’t planned that.
Presser feet can make a world of difference when sewing, if you have the right one for the job, you will save time an turn out much lovelier results easily! Now go download that free pattern and sew yourself a skirt, I will be making another from some voile from Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique. Yummy.