The weather was beautiful here in NYC today: temps in the 80s (30 C), and clear blue skies. It felt like August all over again! It was a great day to wear my new self drafted Dolman tunic.
I finally set up a temporary makeshift sewing station for while I’m living here. I’m using my Grandmother’s vintage Singer machine. It needed some TLC in the form of WD40, but I managed to get it running again, and guess what? – it runs great. It’s a basic straight stitch machine with all metal parts – a true workhorse with a lot of power. It would probably be considered an industrial machine by modern standards. I like it because it’s keeping my sewing dreams alive!
For ironing, I’m using a mini ironing board set atop a side table, and for cutting, I’m using a tarp as a buffer between my fabric and the floor. Yeah, I’m roughing it, but I’m still creating garments, and I’m grateful for that.
For my first garment from my new workshop, I decided to use the fabric I bought from my visit to Mood during the earlier part of the summer. I drafted a Dolman block, and ended up cutting 2 muslins: the first muslin’s neckline was too large, and the bodice was too big. It was also too long, and I didn’t have enough silk to accommodate the extra length. I altered the block’s neckline, sleeves and waistline to be smaller, shortened the tunic by a few inches, and cut another muslin. This time it fit right! I was finally ready to cut into the gorgeous silk shantung I had purchased.
Here are some pics of me wearing my new tunic, my workstation, and my process:
Thanks to my hubby Zito for the great photography 🙂
Sewcoordinated 