My family game is pinochle. I grew up playing it with my great-grandma and her sisters and uncles and aunts and my older cousins and my parents. It’s so ingrained that the whole process is automatic, but once in a while someone will miss a bid or play the wrong suit or forget that it’s their turn. We started referring to that as taking a short nap. And boy have I had a few short naps on this sweater.
I knew that this tie waist sweater was going to take some hand sewing of the ruffles to finish, but I wasn’t prepared for having to do so not once, not twice, but three times. Mostly I blame Burda and the unclearness of its directions. The first time I misread where I needed to gather the strips, the second time, it was totally Burda.
The directions tell you to gather in the middle (clear enough from the picture–not sure how I missed that the first time). Then I realized that you need to sew that gathered middle the 3/8″ from the neck edge. The first time I gathered the edge of the strip, not the middle and sewed on the gathered edge. I hand basted and everything, but the ruffles don’t really look like what they look like until you take out the gathering stitches. Hence why it didn’t work yet again.
The upside of all of my short napping is that I’ve been listening to lots of great information on Lori’s podcasts Sew Forth Now. When I first started sewing, I’d listen to a lot of crafting sorts of podcasts like Craft Sanity and CraftyPod. Both are hosted very well with good information, but I soon found out that I was not particularly interested in crafty sorts of projects or quilting fabrics. At the time, I had no idea that Lori was around doing this wonderful podcast devoted to garment sewing.
Really though, it’s kind of great that I’m discovering this now because my knowledge has grown to the point that I can start really being able to understand what she’s talking about, and that is kind of fun. If I had come across it earlier, I think I would have felt overwhelmed by everything. So I’ve been enjoying the archives of these podcasts even when I’ve been sewing very poorly.
My only disappointment is that I was hoping to have traced and muslined this motorcycle jacket with a detachable fur collar I have planned in time for my fitting group on Saturday.
Instead, I have a riff on the Ottobre blouse I made here cut out and a skirt muslined that I can take on Saturday.
My full review is here.
With this sweater finished, that leaves the camel skirt, white shirt, dress, ponte pants, and faux fur piece left for the sew along. I omitted the puffy vest from my accounting, but that’s another tale that I will leave for another day.
~E Made This! 
Your sweater looks very cute. I think we allknow about those naps:-)
And what a great idea with a fitting group. I think I’ll try to start one around here.
How often do you meet? For how long?
Tell me more 🙂
I would also like to know more about your fitting group. There is a distinct lack of sewers in my city I think. Trena (Slapdash Sewist) and Renee (Miss Celie’s Pants) also have a pod cast. They mostly talk about Burda issues. I listen to them on long road trips—the time flies. Thanks for the recommend, and great sweater!
What a cute sweater! I hate those little “naps,” but character is pushing through and doing it right the second (or third) time. My dad’s family’s game was pinochle, but sadly we moved away and then my grandparents passed away before I was old enough to join the game.
napping or not your sweater came out adorable!! I LOVE the color! There is talk of a “meet up” in the Denver area at the Double Tree in Aurora from the Make It and Love It blog….here is a link if you are interested…
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2012/02/its-official-the-denver-meet-up-is-on.html
Makes me kinda jealous, I never hear of meet ups in my area…not that I would go, since I am anti-social and a notorious recluse..HA!! Have a good weekend!!
What a lovely piece. It looks so feminine and stylish!
Beautiful sweater, the color looks great on you.
Beautiful sweater! It’s a great color on you.