90 MPH to nothing -and a new Marfy

Can I share a secret?
I take my job way too seriously...

In March I decided to give up the familiar work with great coworkers and headed to a new job back in the suburbs.  The terrific news is, I no longer worked 70 - 80 hours a week or spent 2 hours a day in traffic!

Marfy 3698, in my old new office

I got to downshift from 90 mph to 60 mph.

I liked the job, the company, and the 50 hour work week. Its business casual, how can you not love that!

On May 29th I was informed that the due to the downturn in oil and gas drilling, my services were no longer required...

Have you ever slammed on the brakes doing 60 mph?

Free with 2015 catalog

So, more on being unemployed later...

You're really here for the new Marfy, right…

With my new found sewing time I've finally finished one thing!

So I made it a good thing!  I love this blouse!  Its a free pattern with the 2015 catalog.

Bias layout -Isn't that fabric gorgeous!!!

This silk CDC is from an Australian store called Tessuti, their online store is here and they get the most stunning digital print silks.  If you look closely you can tell that its a panel, there is a ;one where the pattern mirrors.

It is very simple pattern, a front and a back.

This is 138 cms wide and I got 1.25 meters which was (almost) perfect, with a little creativity.

Can you see the seam?

I had to finagle it and it wouldn't quite fit so I decided to added a seam across the back from the neckline to the armhole.

You don't even notice it for the gorgeous print.  Here you can also see the line between the design panels.

Rose Gathering, Tessuti

Here is the fabric picture from Tessuti.

Good think I've been stashing fabric.

Well, tomorrow is Monday of week 2.

I'm going to keep my sanity and keep my days on track.  I have a to-do list and I keep myself to it.

Everyday I vow to:

• Clean something (like my car or a closet)
• Apply for something (and harass a recruiter)
• Sew something

The forces of EEEVIILLL come in many forms

Its weird, I haven't been unemployed for more than 2 weeks since umm, 2009 I guess.  Ironically the 6 month temp job lasted for 4 years, the supposed career position lasted 3 months.

My biggest struggle is against the supreme dark forces that rule the house.  

The over-stuffed recliner, soft-purry-kitty combination creates a wormhole in the space time continuum that is inescapable and makes time fast forward.  I could doze to the 7AM news and awaken to Jerry Springer 4 hours later.

The great soft-purry one even tries to hijack sewing.  Although she prefers to rest on white fabrics where she looks pretties, she will settle for whatever interrupts me the most.

Oh, I need more coffee.
I could research, apply, follow up and setup meetings
Or I could watch sewing tutorials, and shop...

So, when you roll yourself out of bed and drag yourself through Monday morning traffic think of me.  I'm on the back porch with no shoes picking through job listings, sipping coffee, watching birds, checking out Instagram and feeling sorry for all those people stuck in traffic.

Unemployment happens, you must prepare years in advance.  Prepare with conservative purchases of big things and hoarding the necessities like good scissors, lots of coffee, lots of sewing projects and supplies.

First I'm working on some every day casual clothes.  I know that Marfy can appear to be a little too 'guest of the wedding' but it also works for 'guest of the grocery store' and you're not going to have an interview day.  Some days you must research and network at a baseball game or a nail salon.  You never know where you will make great contacts and meet the perfect controller looking for the perfect assistant controller…

Up next, I'll post some work wear!

Free Marfy 0303

Because I have sworn to not buy any more patterns or fabric until I finish 1 thing.

What causes the blatant pile of UFO's you ask…

Well, everything fits right, flatters when its still in the flat pattern stage…  I think that's the heart of the reason I stash.  In the 'some assembly required' stage every pattern, every piece of fabric every hem and every idea makes me look like the supermodel, while its just cut out.

Marfy 0303 and some random Pinterst outfit

I will also confess that somethings I start just to work through some construction trick or to see how the fabric will handle a certain shape.  Some ideas work out better than others.

I like to take the shape or image of a pattern and reinterpret it in my own way.

That brings me to Marfy 0303 which is a free pattern provided in the graph with the 2014 Marfy catalog.  I only gave the pattern a passing glance because I'm not convinced that the sheath is my best look and well frankly, its a little plain considering the rest of the catalog.  Then I saw another blogger Core Couture make it up and I was a little impressed.  Then I saw this top on Pintrest and I said "heeyyyyy, I know that pattern!"

So, I have this baby soft and sturdy cotton and lycra knit from Sew Much Fabric (hurry, its still in stock) that is the perfect navy and cream.

Another reason I have a pile of WIP's (accounting terms for UFO) is because cutting is soooooo easy.  For as long as my home contains a little corner for work, my office will contain a little corner of heaven.  They assigned me HUGE desk, what did they really expect me to do?

Here is a pic of part of my little lunch room (the office doesn't have one).  Don't get my wrong, I have another small table that I fix salad on everyday, but this is the 'recess' part of lunch.  My new sewing project bag from Form & Fabric is what keeps me from forgetting things like scissors, interfacing, pins and all those other essentials.  At a hefty 10" by 16" everything fits and it slides perfectly into my computer bag.  This is where I also trace patterns, the daylight is awesome.

For those of you who have never "taken the plunge" and made your first Marfy, this is how I approach the whole no-instructions conundrum.

• Look at the pattern and think through it.  
• Make a note of the matching letters which are clearly marked.
• Lay it out in order, I often take a picture of the pattern as assembled for reference.  
• I measure the pattern Bust, waist and hips and plan alterations.
• Consider and note what interfacing is needed and where.

For this pattern I used strips of fusible tricot from Fashion Sewing Supply to stabilize the empire, and I'm going to try clear elastic on the neckline so it doesn't stretch out.

• Consider the finishes and closures.  Things like button plackets, hems, arms and neckline as well as other details will affect seam allowances.  

I decided to cut 9" below the waist to give myself the latitude to set the hem later.

As for construction order:
First, I stabilized.  Fusible interfacing gets fused and seams get starched to tame the curl.

1. Finished the front neckline.  This is necessary as the first steps since it intersect the bodice as a crossover.
2. Stitched the right upper bodice to the bodice, pivoting at the center front (slit through the SA).
3. Oh yeah, finish the back neckline.
4. Sew the front to the back
5. Check the fit.  Do I want to create a sleeve?
6. Finish the armholes.  I just turned and stitched with a zigzag
7. Hem
8. Brag

There you go, 8 steps to a new top.