YA! I'm sewing...

I'm getting some sewing done today, YA! I feel like I've been revived. I'm working on a fitting/muslin for the blouse from the BRITT magazine Christy sent me. I wasn't sure how I'd like it but I'm really liking the fit, with just a few little fixes. I didn't have to make any major alterations. That's a real pleasure. Really the only thing that really bugged me was the pattern piece that they showed for the neckband...

This was to be cut x2 on the bias. I sewed this band on and took it off twice, that just didn't work, this fabric was too stiff and the stretch of the bias just wasn't enough for the neckline to lay smooth & flat. So I made facing pieces for the neckline...these worked much better,also the front darts will be sewn all the way to the hem. The material I used for this fitting/practice garment is a rather stiff broadcloth of some sort. It will look much better in the fabrics I'm using...The white, black & yellow is a polyester silkie from JoAnn Fabrics, the green, black & white is a semi-sheer crinkle fabric from G-Street Fabrics, the $2.97 table. I think this blouse will look nice in these fabrics, great for Summer.

BTW- many sewing bloggers have been showing notions that they enjoy using, here is what I use to cut out these patterns that are traced and need a seam allowance added...

This is an Olfa Rotary Cutter with an adjustable width arm screwed on. It's perfect since you can just put the arm where you want the seam allowance to be. No double tracing needed. This is among my favorite notions. I did a search to see it they still made them but I wasn't able to find one, but if you find one it's worth getting. I have the double tracing wheel also but this is my first preference.