from Marta with Love

Project Runway, here I come.

Yeah, right!  But I have finally tried my hand at garment sewing.  Behold my first Tova top (don’t look too closely):

My greatest triumph (besides tackling sleeves for my first time) was trying it on and finding that it fits!  I need to get my mom over here to model it so you can see what it looks like on someone.  After a morning spent finishing up the sleeves and collar, I’m in no position to be modeling anything.  Yesterday I was tempted to just hem the sleeves and leave this as a tank top.  Wouldn’t it be adorable?

I learned some new sewing techniques, and learned a whole lot about pattern language and cutting that I was clueless about when I undertook making my Halloween costume a couple years ago (a Pocahontas dress I wouldn’t dare show you).  A big mistake I made, though, was not cutting outward tacks in the pattern, so I had to mark them instead with my FriXion pen.  It would’ve been way easier to have tacks actually sticking out that I could match up while sewing.  I ended up having to put my fabric in the freezer a couple times to make the ink from the FriXion pen show back up because it disappears when you iron it so my marks were of no use!

Overall, I’m really happy with how it turned out.  When I make other ones I’ll be able to do it faster and with greater skill.  The good news is that after I’ve finished this little project, quilts seem much less fussy.

Speaking of quilts, I’ve got some bee blocks to catch up on.  But not before I work my butt off in the garden until sundown.  I’m clearly turning into my gardening fiend of a mom, who picked me some tulips and hyacinth from her garden and brought them over yesterday.  She’s just wonderful like that.  I love how even the smallest bunch of flowers lights up an entire room.

Meanwhile, the early-Spring tulips in my garden are blooming strong.  I’m looking so forward to the next couple months when the garden explodes with color!

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4 Comments

  • **nicke...

    love love LOVE!

    April 7, 2012 at 6:58 pm Reply
  • Aunt Marti

    Looks great, Marta! That color will really good on you. Experienced "seamstresses" don't cut the notches out — just make a tiny (- 1/4") "nip" into the seam allowance. The notches are really just "keys" to tell you what part matches what part, e.g., a single notch is always on the front, double notch on the back. Can't wait to see your next creation!

    April 7, 2012 at 7:20 pm Reply
  • Katie A.

    Love it! Teach me teach me! Man, I wish I had your patience to complete such wonderful creations. Jude and I were just talking about your tulips – I wondered if they were blossoming! Can't wait to see the top and tulips in person <3

    April 9, 2012 at 12:27 am Reply
  • Karen

    Just make tiny snips where the things are instead of your frixon pens. If they are tiny they will be well within the seam allowance.

    February 9, 2019 at 7:56 am Reply
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