Phew......

Phew.....I thought I'd knock out this top yesterday but it wasn't happening, looks very simple, actually it's not a terribly hard pattern just not very clear directions. It doesn't look like much on my mannequin which is probably a size 0 and my top is not...so it doesn't drape nicely. There are things I'd do differently next time like the front & back neck bands - those can be a part of the bodice, no need for extra pieces, the curved areas were hard to get to lie flat in the sewing process. Of course, working with a slippery sheer fabric could have been the issue. Next time I'll alter the pattern so the front is all one piece, I'll like the continuity of the pattern in the fabric better. If anyone has tips for working with slippery fabrics please post a comment. This one was especially hard to work with because it wouldn't hold a fold when I pressed it with tons of steam. For the sewing process I pinned the bejeebers out of it.

This pattern is from Suede, he was on a reality show, can't remember which one now since I never watched it. I bought this because I saw it made up and being worn at the Sewing Expo by the Simplicity gal that was working with him on his fashion show. I found him very entertaining and I liked many of his patterns. After the show all these ladies ran over to the Simplicity booth to buy patterns at full price.....I waited and bought it at JoAnn's for $1.99.

I had to make some spaghetti strap sized ties for the front of it so I thought I'd share what I use for turning tubes of fabric. The Fasturn Tool has been around for quite a while. It was designed by a retired engineer right here in Southern Oregon. The company sold but is still owned by someone local and the tools are still being made in the US, I'm not sure if they're still made here or not though but am assuming so since they also have a nice fabric store and teach classes where they were manufacturing them before.

The kit I have has 6 sizes of tubes with accompanying thin wires. I sewed the lengthwise seam of my fabric and slid it over the metal tube. I then caught the end of the fabric with the thin wire which has a little curly cue at the top just for that purpose.

Then I started pulling the fabric through the tube. At this stage if I wanted a tube with cording inside of it I could just get it started in the end and it would pull right through putting the cording in the fabric tube at the same time it turns it right side out.

Here you can see the turned fabric coming out of the bottom of the tube.

And here's the turned tube. Easy peasy. If you sew much and don't have one of these you NEED one.