I love my serger :) I couldn't have stitched these two items so quickly using just a regular sewing machine, and the gauze top would have been a nightmare! The top is "Poetry in Motion" by hotpatterns.com; the skirt is the Gored Skirt from Bernina's My Label 3D Fashion Pattern Software. (Tip: If you make the top, use two rows of 1/4" elastic around the neck & sleeves instead of the 3/4" elastic called for in the directions.)

Gauze can be tricky to stitch, as it tends to stretch out of shape. This top is basically a "bishop" style, with sleeves, front, and back stitched together on the diagonal. By setting the differential feed at about 1.5, the fabric was fed under the presser foot faster than it was pulled out the back, which prevented the gauze from stretching. Bonus: all those ravelly edges were overcast, too!

It's hard to see in the photo, but there are two tiers of ruffles along the lower edge...so not only is the hem stretchy, hard-to-handle gauze, but cut partly on the bias and partly on grain. A serged rolled edge was simple; I don't even want to think how tedious a regular hem would have been!

The skirt was quick and simple. After printing the Gored Skirt pattern I drew points at the lower edge of each segment to create a shaped hem. I roll hemmed the points, then flatlocked all the sections together with the "squiggles" side showing on the outside. Then I stitched the waistband to the top with a 4-thread overlock stitch, inserted the elastic, and it was done!

Why the neatly labeled swatches? One of the classes I'm teaching at Bernina University is on sergers. Erika & I are both traveling to Kansas City tomorrow; we start teaching on Wednesday. I'm not sure we'll have time to blog while we're gone, but we'll have lots of things to share when we get back!

I went out a couple of weeks ago and taught My Label classes to some BERNINA dealers in the Midwest and New England, so I made some new My Label clothes to wear. First I scanned my fabrics and loaded them into the software - a medium weight brown and black woven cotton, and a very lightweight knit cotton paisley print in brown, cream, and peacock blue. I played with the length and flare of the Pull On Pants until I found just what I wanted, then did the same with the Tunic. You can't see it on the model, as the lines are too fine, but I used the drawing tool in the Stitches Drawer to draw a new neckline on the tunic; you can see it in the close-up of the pattern piece. When I printed the pattern I used this line as the edge of my new scooped neckline, adding a 5/8" seam allowance. Then I cut ribbing about 3/4 the distance around the neckline (measured on the pattern, not the fabric).

Here's the finished outfit - dog not included (she decided she needed to be in the picture...or that she needed to sit on my foot, one or the other). I like using the tunic as a t-shirt pattern, as the darts give it a better fit. I have a whole collection of tops based on the My Label Tunic pattern - woven, knit, with the default settings, with altered Style Properties, I've even switched sleeves between the Tailored Shirt and Tunic. The next variation will probably be similar to this paisley top, but in a woven fabric instead of a knit, and a faced neckline instead of ribbing.

Whew! What a wonderful show. ALL the Project Runway collections were terrific on their own - creative, detail rich, and so, so beautiful. Didn't think I would actually be a fan of feathers and lace, but Christian's fantasy gown at the end was breathtaking. Rami proved that he could do more than drape. His woven fabric strips subtly enhancing the jacket back or the quilted yoke on a one-shoulder top were intriguing design elements that I could actually recreate! Jillian, always the lady, delivered in spades, too, showing a strong female perspective executed flawlessly. Her beautifully structured jackets, works of art come to life, inspired me to look in my fabric stash for something to mold with stitches.

So, maybe I didn't entirely agree with the results, but I could hardly fault the judges if they were going for runway drama. All the collections totally succeeded, motivated me and drove me to my BERNINA sewing machine. Now, where are those pintuck, leather, non-stick, and clear sewing machine feet? And, of course, I can sew perfectly quilted yokes, too, Rami style, with my BERNINA Stitch Regulator. Wonder if he has one...

Last week's Project Runway challenge was sweet in more ways than just a new episode. As the designers raced through the Hershey store in Times Square, in their 5 minute "material" grab, my friends and I wondered what in the world they could come up with. What fun to see actual beautiful garments out of cellophane bag wrappers, disassembled pillows, peanut butter cup cups and even Twizzlers! Rami's dress was both beautiful and exciting to look at. I was blown away when I heard that the underside of each of his pleats on the wrapping paper skirt actually had a different paper than the front of the pleat. Wow! Even in fabric that is tedious to pull off! He totally deserved to win the challenge. Disappointing results from Planet Eliza who showed great creative promise by the way her eyes lit up in the store, but opted for conservative in her design. Christian might have unwrapped a thousand peanut butter cups, but his dress just looked like a chocolate mini cupcake explosion.

Fun challenge and makes me go back to my presser foot box and pull out those sewing machine feet with the non-stick soles. Suppose the designers had them too when stitching up their designs?

I just got done watching the newest "Runway" and couldn't wait to get tot he computer to write my thoughts. I could not love the Project Runway challenge more this week! Besides restyling existing garments into something new (something I love to do), the models wearing their favorite clothes were women who had lost from 48-130 pounds! What a great challenge - to use sewing skills to give someone a renewed fashion outlook to go along with her newly slim body! Loved seeing the designers "make it work" with everyday fabrics, not just high ticket yard goods. Made me want to dash to my closest resale shop and buy something to restyle. Instead of pinning on a dress form, I'm going to use one of my perfect-fitting My Label patterns as the basic shell and then have some sewing fun! I can be as crazy as I want with techniques knowing that when I'm done the new garment is going to fit. What a perfect sewing world to live in....

Did I agree with the judges? No, not exactly. Christian's outfit was creative and totally his point of view, but I truly think that Kevin was the most creative restyling an oversized yellow blazer into a figure-hugging, incredibly flattering bustier with a peplum. Hang in there, Kevin, your time will come. In the meantime, trying to figure out how to work, Xmas shop and hit resale so I can create in time for next week....