Monday, March 12, 2012

A Series of Unfortunate Events

It's not quite as bad as the string of gloom and doom that follows the characters in Lemony Snicket's books, but there were moments. :)

Enter silk burnout.


I used a simple pattern I had used before. Lisette 0405. I had a vision, it clouded finding the notes I had made about the pattern, most importantly, the one about cutting the garment longer than the pattern. Tummy tickler shirts simply don't work when you have an actual tummy.

The series of unfortunate events occurred when I tried to lengthen the shirt. It reminded me of a Geico commercial. It goes something like this.

Not paying attention, shirt cut too short,
Add ruffle to bottom of shirt
Husband and wife share 15 minutes of hyena like laughter over short shirt with ridiculous ruffle
Ruffle gets removed and sewn on as panel, on wrong side
Ruffle gets removed again and sewn on as panel correctly
Sleeve gets pin basted on
Shirt still ugly.
You don't want to wear an ugly shirt
Don't cut shirt too short.


Of course if I could find a pair of harlequin tights I might fit right in with a traveling carnival. HA!

I've put it away for the time being. The poor fabric has been tortured quite enough for a while. Thanks for the laughs though... Instead I made up a little test cami pattern.


It needs some tweaking, but I slipped it on (and all the good mojo it contained), and was quite happy wearing it around yesterday under my sweatshirt.

Then of course there was the last unfortunate event in the series. One bout of warp has fallen pray to a certain rotten little scamp. Never ever take for granted that when things are quiet all is well in the world of house dogs. It usually means someone has done something so heinous the others recognize it and go into hiding! Luckily,
I saved most of it. There may be a thread or three that is broken, but this is not following any set pattern so who would know.

Parting shot: Guilty as charged.

9 comments:

ladyoftheloom said...

Robin! Just like children those house dogs. Lay low for a while and maybe she won't notice. Be nice to her to distract her....

Why is it that the screwups always happen with the fabric/yarn that costs the most, is most rare, or that you bought all there was and needed 1/8 yard more? MIne do anyway.

LA said...

This mug shot still looks better than some of those they show on TV!

Mary said...

oops! I have had a few of those sewing projects this year. ah well, it's good to laugh.

Robin and my Nick could be siblings in this picture. Such terrible terriers...:-)

mrsmole said...

How about removing the lower band or what looks like a lower band and wearing it as a shell over something black. The burnout would be pretty with a darker color behind. People would then ask you where you bought such a striking shell top.

Long Ridge Farm said...

or make Robin wear it?
Oh, you are a marvel!

Sharon said...

The good, the bad and the ugly of sewing. The good is so rewarding and then you get that trip up. I have a pair of pants in the same place as your silk blouse. They've been there for a year :)

Theresa said...

LOTL, I don't know why it is that way with expensive or limited fabrics. It must be the same physics that make the sloppy staining side of any given sandwich fall on the carpet,couch or chair. Robin made it out of the dog house fairly quickly. He's too sweet to be mad at long.

LA, LOL, well yes, thank heavens. Jack now, takes a more traditional mug shot. ;)

Mary, as annoying as these mistakes are, you do always learn something of value, and of course, there is that comic relief! Nicky must be quite a winsome fellow then. I just love my terrible terriers.
They really aren't terrible at all, are they!

Ms. Mole, good idea, but the band matches the lining. I was trying to make this fancy burnout less formal with it's fun striped voile lining/undershirt. I don't really know what I'm going to do with it. Leave it one Rhonda as a cautionary tale?

Nancy, WHAT a perfect idea. It might even match that silly knitted cap of embarrassment I have. It would take nothing to cut it down..HMMMMMM.

Oh Sharon, only a single pair of pants waiting for rebirth?? I have a whole box of stuff

Judy said...

That reminds me of when my sons were young-if it was too quiet, then something bad was happening!

Sorry about your shirt! How many times have I done something like that? I could send you some lycra cycling tights!

The cami looks great. I was thinking that something like that would be nice to have to wear under summer shirts.

prttynpnk said...

In our house quiet means the catbox is under siege ......I would rather handle the blouse situation!