Perfect Sew. Get. Some. NOW.

This stuff ROCKS.  After cutting a second (even wonkier than the first!) collar piece out of my fabric (the one at the top of the photo below), I balled up the remainder of my silk chiffon, ran it under cold water for a sec to dampen it, then put it in a coffee mug and sloshed a generous splash of PS on top. 

Ten minutes later, I was pinning the pattern piece to a crisp, freshly-pressed-into-submission piece of silk organza chiffon (!) and cutting out a much-better-behaved collar from it. (The PS-treated collar shown at the bottom of the photo looks a little off only because it has such a sharp crease on the CB foldline making it ripple a bit when laid open.)

I'm back to feelin' the love for this top again...

NL953 - Part I

So I'm most of the way through cutting out my fabric, and I'm remembering why I don't like working with silk chiffon.  And neither does Sally Cowan, who writes on her Keeping You in Stitches website:

"Silk Chiffon is not the fabric to use when working on your first project. [NB: Make that "your first 100 projects."] It has a mind of its own. Because of its weight, it is perfect for pants, loose tops and flowing dresses. When cutting this fabric, cover your table with tissue paper. Pin a double thickness of fabric to the paper. Pin the pattern through the fabric AND paper. Keep pins within the seam allowances. Use sharp scissors and cut through all the layers. And pray."

Well, now, that's encouraging, isn't it?

And I like Claire Schaeffer's comment in her book, Sew Any Fabric:

"To avoid ripping and over-handling, make a test garment before cutting the fabric to refine the fit and practice your sewing skills."

Oh.  Oops.  Too late.

New Look 6952

I'm getting ready to cut out my Unique Patterns custom-drafted New Look pattern, #6952 for the first time.  The only alteration I've made to it is to add 1 3/4" at the hem. 

(It feels so weird not to be endlessly hacking up my pattern before laying it out on the fabric...)