Basting with a Vintage Sewing Machine (or any machine I guess)

I went years and years and years without knowing how to baste the easy way with a sewing machine.  I was taught, oh so many years ago, to just put the stitch length on the longest stitch - this would be a 6 on all my old Singers.  But then when it came time to pull the stitches out they often didn't pull out easily but had to be undone with a seam ripper -- so tedious and time consuming!  All because I was missing a simple step...a step that is even mentioned in the old manuals but I wasn't taught it and didn't see it for the longest time...loosen the upper tension.

The tension on my Singer 15-91 is normally set on about 6 1/2.  (Those numbers are relative - yours may be set on a higher or lower number). 

For basting loosen the upper thread tension.  For this I turn the knob down to about 3 on my machine.  (Remember to lower the presser foot to change the tension -- another thing I wasn't taught and took a few years to find out!)

Set the stitch length to the longest stitch and sew!

This is the top after I'm done.

On the bottom the top thread has come through all loopy -- which makes it easier to...

...pull competely out.  Without all that seam ripping!  Ok, I might have to rip a few stitches but not as many as I used to.  (And interesting how this one fabric came out in different colors in the photos).

I always baste my side seams to try on a garment to make adjustments.  Why couldn't someone have told me about this years ago!?

Bell Sleeve Dress Finished

Whoever had this Simplicity 6634 before me never used it.  It's been waiting forty-five years...time to get made!

It did indeed turn out a little on the outrageous side, but I knew it would when I bought the fabric (a rayon challis).  I put it on after gardening yesterday to lounge in and it was incredibly comfortable - very soft and flowing. 

When I modeled for my husband he laughed and said I looked like I fell right out of the sixties.  Some 60's fashions can slip by easily these days without a second glance.  This one definitely screams 60's. 

Because the dress has facings instead of a hem I had to shorten the pattern before cutting.  Those 60's patterns! - they show short and mini dresses on the envelopes, but unless you're tall they're all way too long.  I shortened this one by about five or six inches.  I also shortened the sleeves since I wanted them to be below the elbow and not long.

It ended up being about an inch shorter than I had anticipated but that's ok.  It went together with no problem.  I did lower the front neckline about an inch.  I thought it was too high and a little choking  -- I often lower the high round necks on 60's patterns.  The only difficulty I had was at the side seams.  I seem to have gained a little weight this past year?! -- I need to keep this in mind when I use my 32 bust patterns.  I always add a little to the waist and hip on them...it seems I need to add more.

I just shot this photo before posting this so you could see what this dress looks like on.  Ignore me and look at the dress!  I was laughing at stupid stuff my husband was saying - and my hair is crazy because right after the photo I took the dress off and put on something else so I could go get a haircut. 

I really am loving these 60's dresses!

Broken Dishes Quilt Blocks

In the evenings lately I've been piecing some Broken Dishes blocks together.  It's one of the wonderful old patterns that can be put together in a variety of ways.  In the photo above I've laid the blocks all going the same direction.  In the next one they alternate.

They can be put as alternating blocks with plain ones or sashing between too.  When I envisioned this quilt I had the first layout in mind, so I'm going with it.

I found I'm four blocks short after I arranged the quilt on the floor.  I must have miscalculated (again) -- back to the cutting table!

Back - After A Coffee Fueled Cutting Spree

Happy summer solstice!  While I took a few weeks off blogging I didn't take off from sewing.  In fact, part of the reason I quit blogging for a bit was I didn't feel like I was sewing anything.  But a couple of weeks ago I was drinking my second cup of coffee (keep in mind I'm a tea drinker) when I decided it was time to get some summer sewing under way -- after all summer stuff is what I love to sew.  After washing out my cup I cut out three tops, two dresses, and a skirt.

First to hit the sewing machine were two much needed tops.  Both are peasant tops - a timeless comfortable style I like.  I made one last year from New Look 6892 and really didn't like or wear it much.  I pulled it out of the closet this year and totally changed my mind - it just needed some tweaking, such as nipping in the sides a bit to make it a little less blouse-y.  I used the same pattern again for both a blue and white one.

Here's the white one - I need to adjust the gathers on the neck since they're bunched up - ignore the wrinkles.

Both are made of cotton crinkle gauze; not one of my favorite fabrics but it was so cheap at the end of the season last year I bought it with the idea of making more peasant tops.

I thought the one I made last year was short so I added one inch to the bottom of the white one - that was all I had room for.  I added two inches to the blue one which strangely ended up four inches longer than the one from last year.  I have no idea where the extra two inches came from!  I had enough blue fabric to cut a sash.  I've found I like wearing it with the sash rather than without.

I might be wearing this blue top backwards!  When I cut it out I marked the back with chalk -- I usually tell the front and back by looking at the sleeve notches (two in back) but I knew these would be serged off.  When I went to look for the chalk mark it was gone, so I guessed and put my neckline casing on.  As I wore the top it rode up the front and down the back -- I turned it around and it works better now, so it might be backwards.  You would never know if I hadn't told though!

I like both tops but wish the back came higher up.  I didn't photograph it but it's only slightly higher than the front.

Three peasant tops is more than enough for me.

As for the other stuff I cut out...that's for other days.