Category Archives: sewing

On Thursday, I started to work on Vogue 9996, view A. I realized that I was missing 6 of the pattern pieces (the entire top and 1 leg facing), and set about redrafting them from a scan of the pattern layout.

On Saturday, I had just sewn the very last piece.

Backwards.

Although I had already clipped the seam before realizing my error, I was able to remove the stitching and sew it back on properly without issue. In fact, I finished up in time to attend a party to say good-bye to a friend of mine who is moving to California (and positively glowing about it), and was ready to bring it to a shoot I had set up for Sunday, where the photogs and I would be shooting my stash of vintage swimsuits for the shop. But things happen, and plans go awry, and we’ll be shooting all of the swimsuits next weekend instead.

However, I didn’t want you to think that it was taking me a week to get back in the saddle on this one, so below is the least-unflattering self-portrait-with-my-pocket-cam that I managed to take. I think the project turned out pretty well, actually, and I encourage praise.

When I left you on Thursday, I was drafting the missing pieces of Vogue 9996 by scanning the pattern layout and scaling up based on the dimensions of the pieces I had. Imperfect, but easier than drafting from scratch! Everything went well with that, and here are a few notes as I near completion of the project:

1. I should have chosen a black lining to better match the black fabric. Even after ironing, the “nude” lining peeks out a smidge on the top and it bothers me.
2. I made a conscious decision to leave out the elastic from the leg openings. It seemed unnecessary and potentially uncomfortable.
3. I also decided to leave off the teensy bow from the center of the top. I think turning such a small tube would be frustrating, and I suspect that the bow would keep going sideways anyway.
4. It’s very difficult, no, impossible, to determine proper button placement without a me-size dress form. I will ask Megan for assistance when I see her tomorrow.
5. Modern nylon zippers don’t carry the flesh-catching danger of their metal grandparents, so I left off the flesh-protecting zipper flap.
6. Everything was coming together surprisingly well. As I write this, all I have left to sew is the facing for one leg opening. And because there were no mistakes anywhere else in this project… I have, in fact, already sewn on this one last piece. And I attached it backwards. And already trimmed the seam. So I’m stepping away to calm down, I’m taking a few moments to write this, and I’ll be going back to calmly remove the seam and very carefully reattach the facing to the proper side of the opening.