Sunday, February 10, 2013

Black and Blue

I got into one of my closet clean out moods recently, and as I reached the back recesses of the cedar closet, I found a pair of  never worn,  me made wool pants. And there next to them was the jacket they were to have been worn with.  Made from Vogue  2952, an  Issey Miyake pattern from 2007.



The jacket is pretty plain in the front, but the center back is cropped with lacing over the opening, I remember making the pants in the same color as the jacket to make the lacing less obvious. But I never wore the jacket because I did not feel comfortable in it.



I tried on the pants and they fit great. I had some soft poly knit that matched the pants perfectly.  I have always wanted to make Vogue 8323 and had just seen it modeled at a recent ASG meeting "Show and Tell".  I liked this pattern for the shoulder princess seaming, which is great for shaping and fitting.

 I decided to make a muslin, probably because I had just finished watching two classes at Craftsy.com, Lynda Maynard's Sew the Perfect Fit  and Barbara Deckert's Plus Size Pattern Fitting and Design, both of which used muslins to resolve fitting problems. And both great classes BTW! I am glad I made the muslin. The shoulders were too wide, the sleeves too short and the neckline, shown as standing up along the neck in the pattern drawing, sagged and caused the front to gap. Also on my copy of the  pattern, there seemed to be misprint on the part of the center front piece that folded over to make the facing. It was not the same shape as the part it was supposed to face.  I corrected the facing shape, lengthened the sleeves and shaped the collar to fit up against the lower neck and then folded over.   I also shortened the shoulder seam. My first impulse was to take the extra shoulder length off the armhole edge, but I remembered how Cynthia Guffey altered my princess seam jacket for the same problem by taking in the excess at the princess seam.  That also keeps the placement of the princess seam in the middle of the shoulder seam. I am quite happy with the top and the way it  coordinates with the pants. Our ASG group is having a 5 piece SWAP challenge and I do believe these two pieces will be the start of my SWAP.



 So the top and pants are the blue of the post title. What is the black?  And why don't I have any pictures of me in the top. Because of these guys, who suddenly showed up  and decided to take up residence on the deck outside my sewing room  where I take my pictures.


They are black vultures. I sew three feet from the door where this picture was taken. Kitty decided she wanted to go out one day. I was looking down, trying not to step on her,as I opened the door. I  looked up, and we both froze. I quickly shut the door.  Day 1 they sat all day on the railing in the drenching, freezing rain. Day 2, I heard a sound at the  door and was unnerved to see one standing on the welcome mat, tapping on the glass of the door.  

 When I sent out our attack cat in full bristle mode, or DH yelling and waving his arm like a lunatic, they would fly to a nearby tree.  But back they would come.  Screaming and waving at them is one method suggested by a Google search of the problem,  Vulture eat carrion, or garbage in populated areas. I checked the garbage cans to make sure the covers were tight and looked  under the deck in case some animal  had crawled under there and died, but all was clean and tidy.   After 5 days they quit coming to the deck,  but they are still in the neighborhood. I see them and a bunch of their buddies perched in a neighbor's tree.

20 comments:

  1. It's a pretty wrap top. I like the princess seams, which I don't recall seeing in a wrap top before. And how interesting to remove shoulder width at the princess seam - I wonder how that affects the fit of the shirt compared to removing the excess at the shoulder edge.

    Your vultures are so ugly, they almost look like fake birds in your photos. I'm fascinated that they spent so much time on your porch. We get only the lovely turkey vulture variety here.

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  2. Like the blue pants and new knit top. Do not like those birds!

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  3. Beautiful top and great match for the trousers. You have to be in a certain mood for that jacket. It is very idiosyncratic!

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  4. Uckkkkkk to the vultures...I can't believe one asked to be invited in? Is there some supernatural thing associated with that?! Yeah, I went there! *LOL*

    I also wanted to tell you that I love your first two pieces of your SWAP. Can't wait to see what the other pieces will be!

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  5. I have never seen a vulture...thanks for the pic. They are not how I imagined.

    So great that you could make something to go with those pants. What are you going to do with the jacket now? I was expecting a re-fashion post!

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  6. Fabulous trousers, but what creepy birds you have!

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  7. I have goshawks like that but they take live things and they particularly like chickens! I love the shade of blue in your jacket and pants. I admire Issey Miyake but I'd never make one of his patterns for fear it would sit in the cupboard, unworn, as your jacket has. It is nice, I hope it gets an outing soon.

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  8. You just have an environment that they love! But I would think kitty would have put a bit of fear into them. We have one that likes to hang out on the top of the telephone pole at the end of the drive, Quite a sight.

    Your top is lovely with the pants. Great save. I absolutely love your jacket and anything Miyake.But this one would have turned to many heads in my workplace.Great jacket, though.

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  9. I have the same top pattern (yet to be made up) so interesting to read your review on it - guess I need to make a muslin first. Looks great with your pants. As for the birds yuck - I would be worried they would attack the cat!

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  10. your top looks lovely with the pants - I have this in my stash, but after reading your review I will have to make a muslin first. Creepy birds - I am surprised they wouldn't attack the cat!!!

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  11. love the color of those wool pants. So you have never worn the jacket? It is so cool.
    and the birds, I thought I had it bad with a noisy flock of crows in the neighborhood but those vultures are creepy -and big!

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  12. Nice to find the unworn pants - score! I can understand feeling uncomfortable with that jacket. I wonder if you could alter it? The new top is great. I haven't signed up for those classes you mentioned. Perhaps I should.

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  13. I sewed this top and the collar didn't stand up in the back and the front sagged. How did you make this adjustment? Yours looks great.

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  14. Great outfit -- I love the colors. The jacket design is interesting -- I can see why it might be challenging to wear, but it could be fun too. The vultures are creepy and I can't believe one of them tapped on your door. Wow -- I've never heard of that before!

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  15. The top looks great with the pants! The jacket is very interesting, but I can see why it would be a challenge to wear. Love how you've rescued the pants from the back of your closet! And yes, those birds are u.g.l.y. *shudder* Tapping on your door!

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  16. That top is a perfect match! Very flattering, too.

    I cycled past a large black bird eating something I couldn't identify--likely a squirrel or rat--last week. It was really large and I wondered if it was a vulture, which I'd never seen in real life. I think it was actually a large crow, if we have those, but I'm going to pretend it was one of those creepy vultures. It had no intention of getting out of the bike lane and I had to cycle into the roadway to get around it.

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  17. Love the outfit and the birds. I'd love to have them here. What amazing creatures. We have turkeys around here--also large and given to wandering into the neighborhood. I see I'm in the minority in loving these guys.

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  18. I'd be scared of those birds, they are creepy ... but your new blouse is absolutely adorable!! It looks great with pants.

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  19. Love the top, can't wait to see the rest of your SWAP. I wish I had that pattern but I don't think I'd have anywhere to where it with my current lifestyle.
    Living in Australia I loved hearing about the vultures as we don't have them here; we have lots of loud and colourful parrots. I think they are pretty cool actually; they have their role in the ecosystem like everything else. Ingrid from Adelaide, Australia

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  20. if it was me I would wear the jacket but change the lacing. I think the material should be wider. and I would even consider putting something like leather in a contrasting tone

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