Retreating from the Weather

I recently attended my first  sewing retreat. What a wonderful way to spend three cold winter days. Doing something you love in the company of 40 like minded ladies, stopping only to eat and sleep.  There was lots of stories, sharing, laughter and inspiration.   The retreat was organized by the Northern VA chapter of ASG. So  I got to socialize in person with fellow bloggers  from VA and MD.  Jane  Welmoed    Julie  and  Michelle    The sewing room was a lovely high ceiling ballroom with huge windows, in a historic hotel in Winchester, VA. The light was fantastic.  This is the room in the quiet of the morning, as the early risers were starting to come down for breakfast.



Sewing Retreat - Ballroom

 I finished a blouse and two lined jackets at the retreat.  In order to accomplish that in three days, I had to do a massive amount of prep beforehand. Pattern alterations,  cutting out the fashion fabric and linings, fusing interfacing.   I was successful in packing all the threads, notions and sewing supplies I needed. Too bad I forgot to pack my serger power cord and pedal. Duh! Fortunately there was no shortage of loaner sergers for me to use. 

I'll start with the blouse.  The colder than normal weather has motivated me to sew warm wooly fabrics.   And I wanted to up my winter weekend style from wool lumberjack shirt to something

lumberjack shirt

 warm and pretty.  My blouse is made of  a  55% Wool/ 45% Cotton blend fabric from Fabric Mart.  So soft and warm. It doesn’t crease when worn, but pressed and sewed like a dream. The blouse pattern is number 132 from Burda Style, Feb 2013 issue.

Petersham ribbon, in  3/8 inch width, trims the collar and armhole seams and 1” width is used for  the cuffs.  Petersham has a ribbed weave and  a a fiber content of rayon, cotton or a blend of the two.  It looks like common polyester  grosgrain ribbon. But the fiber content makes a huge difference.  It allows the petersham to be shaped and curved while still laying flat.  Try that with poly grosgrain!  I bought my petersham from Vogue Fabrics. It is also available from Etsy vendors and hat making Internet sites. I washed and dried both the wool/cotton fashion fabric and the petersham by machine before making the blouse. Even though the laundering recommendation on the fabric was dry clean.
I like how the trim breaks up the print and draws the eye to the face and shoulder area.